The Origins of the Creative Flow State (VIDEO)

In his classic New Yorker article published in 2000, The Art of Failure, Malcolm Gladwell made the distinction between "choking" and "panicking"  He emphasized the notion that choking is the act of thinking too much, while panicking is thinking too little. Obviously, neither act is conducive to peak performance, success or excellence.

Perhaps, the probability of choking is increased by overpreparation, while the probability of panicking is increased by the lack of preparation.  It could also arise from fear produced by the emerging awareness of the lack of preparation or the perception of threat or failure based on a lack of preparation.

Freestyle is a style of rap, with instrumental beats, in which rap lyrics are improvised,  i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head".  The improvisational nature of freestyle is similar to that of jazz.  This quality is likely to create the the impression in many people that there is not considerable preparation or discipline involved.

Relatedly, Allen Braun, the chief of the language section of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), said that the same cognitive functions displayed during freestyle rap are used by athletes.

”If an athlete starts paying attention to what they’re doing, how they’re going to move their body to catch a ball, they’ll clutch and they won’t do it.”

He is not wrong; however, there is more to freestyle than meets the eye.  The ability to improvise is based on extreme amounts of practice, intense preparation, and even a great deal of study and analysis.  The skill of improvisation could not be mastered without hours of trial and error, practice, and diligent rehearsal.  At that point, effective improvisation can occur.

Similarly, only through this preparation can athletes perform and improvise as the situations evolve on the field, court, or track.

Many creative endeavors are mistakenly seen as simple acts of expression or manifestations of raw talent that need very little cultivation or development.  In fact, the opposite is true.

The creative process involved in freestyle is crucial for successful rapping. The creative process requires a state of consciousness where we experience a task so deeply that it truly becomes enjoyable and satisfying.  Excellence and success in rapping is often a result of Flow or the Flow State, first identified and popularized by the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.  He is the universally hailed as the father of Flow and after decades of researching the characteristics of the “optimal experience”  he wrote Flow: The Psychology of the Optimal Experience.  Freestyle is a great example of importance of Flow as an ingredient for success.

The popular rapper, Eminem,  brought freestyle to the masses in the film "8-Mile,"  Eminem, along with Lil' Wayne, is considered by many to be the pre-eminent freestyle rapper today.  In an interview above, Eminem, displays the deep understanding and passion, the spontaneity, and the raw emotion that are the foundation of improvisation.  Here he describes his history and approach to freestyle.  As the interview evolves, he mentions several important key elements in development of his particular style and his ability to improvise.  These elements have important implications in their application to any performance situation or opportunity.  These elements also are a source of creativity.  

• Initial failure, disappointment and/or rejection.
• A period of disenchantment or quitting the activity altogether.
• Re-emergence from failure or quitting.
• Re-dedication or obsession with activity
• Motivation and challenge of "figuring out the puzzle."  
• Strong need to study, study, study (mastery of the craft through practice and analysis).
• Appreciation of those who have gone before him.  
• Discovery that this is "what I want to do with my life."
• Activity provides individual a source of strength, a voice, emotional outlet, or a means of expression.
• Provides a sense of belonging, teamwork, and/or comraderie (though, it can be an extremely solitary endeavor at times).     

It is clear that the seminal experiences that Eminem described were the necessary ingredients for him to learn his craft, ultimately, perform at a high level and receive the critical and popular acclaim that he has received in the past decade.  Thus, successful improvisation and creativity are products of hours and hours of intense and focused preparation.

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/458510/rappers-brain-in-flow-researchers-study-science-of-creativity-by-watching-freestyle-rap/#FFl7WvrDpsVom5D1.99

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Russell Wilson, Rookie QB, Loves the Pressure

“I love it when the game is on the line, when everyone else is nervous and I’m excited.” 

--Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback, discussing his mindset with under pressure.

Wilson played the game of his life in the NFC Divisional Playoffs against the Atlanta Falcons. Down 20-0 at halftime, Wilson lead the Seahawks to a comeback in which they led 28-27 with 31 seconds left in the game. Although, the Falcons kicked a game-winning field goal to defeat the Seahawks, Wilson was already looking forward to next season.

“The greatest thing about it is, we get to look forward to the next opportunity,” Wilson said.

Wilson passed for 385 yards on 24 for 36 passing, his career high, in his second playoff game.   Wilson completed the first 10 passes of the second half and rushed for 60 yards in the game.  The passing total was the highest in history for any rookie quarterback in an NFL playoff game.  

Wilson, an unheralded third-round draft choice, emphasized the Seahawks' resilience in coming back. "What defined the game was our attitude," Wilson said. "The way we played, and our resilient focus to play the game at a high level for the rest of the game.

"Anybody watching this game that knows football knows that was an unbelievable comeback, unbelievable game and an unbelievable atmosphere against a very, very good football team in the Atlanta Falcons."

Excerpts from nytimes.com, bleacherreport.com and seattletimes.com (January 13, 2013).

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Joe Flacco Has The Ravens Believing in Him

“When you lose three straight, people look at the quarterback, that’s part of the job. I think a lot is made and sometimes it really isn’t that much, and it’s not my job to really listen to [the criticism], so I don’t. … I believe in myself. I believe in this team.”

--Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens Quarterback, who leads the Ravens today against the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC wild-card game, despite a current three game losing streak. 

Flacco has displayed resiliency as a fifth-year quarterback. He has now led the Ravens to AFC North titles in back-to-back seasons, and has another shot at a playoff run.

The Ravens have won at least one playoff game each year since Flacco became their starting quarterback as a rookie in 2008, and they are going back to the postseason this year. His individual performances, however, haven’t matched his team’s success.

Over his career, Flacco has only completed 60.5 percent of his passes in regular-season action, and has thrown at least 10 interceptions per season. His postseason numbers are even worse.

While he has won five playoff games in four seasons, he has completed just 54.3 percent of his passes for 170.2 yards per game in nine career playoff games, and has an even number of touchdowns and interceptions thrown with eight apiece.

In spite of his overall success, Flacco is not seen as an elite quarterback by many critics. This year Flacco was the 12th-ranked passer in the NFL with 22 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and 3,817 yards.Though, it is doubtful that the Ravens would be back in the playoffs without his leadership.

 “I think it says that he’s a very good quarterback, number one,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “It also says that he has a lot of determination, a lot of pride, and he was able to handle that. That’s probably the biggest thing. You have to have thick skin, skin like an armadillo.”

His teammates spoke highly of what Flacco was able to do with his back against the wall.

“I’ve always said that he’s handled the pressure better than anybody I’ve ever seen,” running back Ray Rice said. “He’s done a great job handling it – and as I said, we go as Joe goes.”


“I think Joe plays big every week,” tight end Ed Dickson added. “When Joe is in the zone, he looks like one of the best quarterbacks out there. We told him as an offensive group that we have his back. … I think Joe stepped up big and he showed a little emotion today.”

 It appears that the Ravens have committed to have Flacco as their long-term quarterback. He is in the last year of his contract and many expect him to re-sign with the Ravens.

 "In terms of arm talent, he's a top five guy," Rich Gannon, pro football analyst says. "For a 6-6, 245 guy, he's very athletic. The question for Joe is about stepping up — with Ray Lewis retiring, Joe is going to have to step outside his comfort zone and be more demanding of teammates, play more of a demonstrative leadership role."


Excerpts from Bleacher Report.com (12/17/2012), USA Today (1/4/2013), ESPN.com.



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Ricky Rubio Works to Get Back to the Court

“It’s everything. I want to improve in everything. I know I can do good things. I can do it even better. I want to improve my skills like passing, like dribbling, like scoring, like leading the team.”

"I just want to be better."--Ricky Rubio, 22-year old point guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who was injured in March of this year.

Rubio is working hard to return to his spectacular rookie form and beyond. He is tenacious and like all highly successful professional athletes has a great degree of perseverance and determination. He has the willingness to fight through the difficult and slow process of rehabilitation. He is willing to endure the pain, suffering and hard work to get back to the status he reached last year, his first in the NBA. He is committed to being the best he can be through hard work and sacrifice. He has a continuous improvement mentality that requires him to focus on the day-to-day task of getting better, step-by-step. He pushes himself and does not let up.

Would you work this hard to rehabilitate and improve? 

Excerpts from Grantland.com (December 5, 2012), article by Joan Niesen, "The Place for Doubt in the Celebrated Return of Ricky Rubio"; and the book, Razor Thin:  The Difference Between Winning and Losing by Luis F. Valdes (2012). 

You Suck!: The Pressure to Win Immediately, Win Always, and Win Forever

NOTE: Today, as I write this blog, it was reported that Kansas City Chiefs football player, Jovan Belcher, killed his girlfriend and then turned a gun on himself at the Chiefs' training facility. He proceeded to kill himself. This is the fourth current or former NFL player to have commited suicide in the past eight months.  

Though, we do not yet know the circumstances behind this tragedy nor can we make a case for any specific factor contributing to this apparent murder-suicide, the Chiefs are 1-10 and mired in an eight-game losing streak that has been marked by devastating injuries and fan upheaval, with constant calls the past few weeks for GM Scott Pioli and Head Coach Romeo Crennel to be fired. The situation has been so bad this season that Crennel fired himself as defensive coordinator.

The Chiefs lead the league in turnovers, cannot settle on a starting quarterback and are dealing with a full-fledged fan rebellion. The Twitter account for a fan group known as Save Our Chiefs recently surpassed 80,000 followers, about 17,000 more than the announced crowd at a recent game.

With this as the back drop and lead-in to my post, I am disturbed by another (and, perhaps related) significant trend in sports.

The Los Angeles Lakers fired Mike Brown on November 9 from his position as head coach after a 1-4 start.  Under Brown, the Lakers struggled to an unacceptable 0-3 start, the first time the Lakers have done so since 1978-79, the season before Jerry Buss bought the team.

Brown began his tenure as coach at the start of the 2011-12 season, leading Los Angeles to a 41-25 record (.621 win percentage) in the lockout-shortened 66-game season. The Lakers suffered a second-round exit from the NBA playoffs in a five-game loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers were expected to make a big improvement over last year with the offseason acquisitions of Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, and Antawn Jamison.  However, Howard is getting back to normal following back surgery; while Nash has been out much of the season with an injured leg.  Jamison began the season languishing on the bench. 

Since hiring Mike D'Antoni to replace Brown, the Lakers are 3-4; not a great improvement. The Lakers do not look significantly better after the change and in some ways look worse. Though Dwight Howard is looking better, Nash is still out.  Did Brown deserve such a quick hook?     

On November 25, 2012, Gene Chisik, Head Coach of the Auburn University football team, was fired. Chisik, with Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton as his quarterback, led the Tigers to the BCS national championship in 2010. However, things turned around quickly. Auburn completed its worst season in 60 years two Saturdays ago.

Auburn finished 3-9 overall and 0-8 in the SEC, its worst conference record ever. Chizik was fired immediatelyafter losing to Alabama 49-0. Auburn must buy out Chizik's contract for $7.5 million. Have Chisik's skills eroded so quickly? Is he no longer the coach he used to be? 

"I’m extremely disappointed with the way this season turned out and I apologize to the Auburn family and our team for what they have had to endure," Chizik said in a statement. He added, "When expectations are not met, I understand changes must be made."   Really?  Does Auburn deserve more? 

Three weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers replaced their quarterback, Alex Smith who possessed a a league-leading 70% completion rate and a fourth-in-the-NFC 104.1 quarterback rating. Smith led the 49ers to a 13-3 regular season record, and a berth in the NFC championship game last season. He was benched for a second year QB Colin Kaepernick after suffering a concussion. On Sunday, with Kaepernick at the helm, the 49ers were upset by the Seattle Seahawks. The 49ers are 8-3-1 at this point in the season.  

Finally, the San Antonio Spurs were fined $250,000 for keeping four starters out of a scheduled game with the Miami Heat this week. The players were not only keep from playing, but sent home by the team to rest. NBA Commissioner David Stern fined the team and issued this statement: “I apologize to all N.B.A. fans. This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming.”

Spurs' Head Coach Gregg Popovich maintained that “my priority is my basketball team and what’s best for it.” Popovich has done this before, without being fined, when he felt resting his players would be beneficial in the long run. Obviously, Stern felt that the pursuit of a win in one game was more important for the integrity of the league than for the championship pursuits of one team. 

What are we to make of these firings, benchings, and fines?   My take is that the sports world is reflecting the win now and win at all costs of our society. Despite a lack of evidence that any of these actions would be improve these teams, these decisions were made. Each decision was costly, but was made with immediate improvement as the desired outcome. None of the decisions seem to make any real difference, especially when seen in the short-run, which is why the changes were ostensibly made.

Are our expectations and standards as fans, administrators, commissioners, teams and players unrealistic?  Is our winner take all mentality all out of whack?  I think so. 

Should we strive for success and excellence?  Of course.  Should we expect maximum effort?  Surely.  But, do we deserve and demand perfection?  Is winning everything, all the time?  Our evidence and experience should tell us that we can't attain it or sustain it.  More importantly, this mindset is counterproductive, and, perhaps, unhumane. 

Exerting excessive pressure to win now, win always, win forever doesn't necessarily improve performance, in the short or long-run. More importantly, both the short- and long-range implications (selfish play, inconsistent performances, lack of teamwork, excessive emphasis on money, loyalty, drug use, cheating, etc.) are much more costly.  It's time to reflect and look closely at our values and expectations of ourselves, but more importantly, of others.

What kind of perfectionistic expecations and standards are you harboring?     

Excerpts from businessinsider.com, nytimes.com, AL.com, and aol.sportingnews.com/ 

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The San Francisco Giants Make Their Luck as a Team

“It’s amazing what a team can do when they set aside their own agenda and that’s what they’ve done all year.  Really, it’s been a beautiful thing to watch.  The only thing that bothered me through all this was that I kept hearing people say we were lucky. We were getting the breaks, the bounces.  You don’t luck into 94 wins.  You don’t luck into the postseason.  You don’t luck into the World Series.  You don’t sweep a great team like the Detroit Tigers by being lucky.”

--Bruce Bochy, San Francisco Giants' manager, discussing how the Giants won their second World Series in 24 months.

The Giants are World Series champions because of their emphasis on pitching excellence. This emphasis is truly important in the postseason where hot bats can rarely be counted upon. However, perhaps more importantly, they value team play as well.

“We’ll still keep a low profile. That’s who we are as people. That’s who we are as an organization.
We don’t promote ourselves. That won’t change. That will never change.”

--Giants' general manager Brian Sabean.

Are you a team player?  Are you selfless?  Can you describe your team or organization like the Giants describe their championship team?  Do you hire selfless people who can set aside their own agenda?  Can you achieve excellence any other way? 



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Mental Conditioning is About Focus, and Freshness

“I think any time you get that break, it can be a good thing if it’s utilized properly. I think there definitely was a sense of relief from all of us – coaches and players – of just not having a game-plan last week, and having the whole mental pressure of coming up with a game-plan, and each day thinking about game-plans and adjustments. … The weight of studying for a final exam, if you will. You’re grinding through a week of preparation and then you go for the final exam. After you’ve had eight of those, it’s nice to have a week where you don’t have to study, you don’t have to game-plan, and you don’t have a final exam. You don’t have all the mental adjustments you have to go through. Now this week, we’re back into that and hopefully we have a little bit of a freshness, or a better approach to it than that after eight weeks of doing it.”

--Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, following a mid-season bye week.

Mental conditioning is certainly about focus and intensity, but is it also about staying fresh and combating mental, emotional and physical fatigue. 

Do you take regular, systematic, structured breaks to recharge?  Do you find your thinking more creative, more effective after a break?

Make sure that you plan downtime.  Make sure that you are not just escaping or procrastinating.  Give yourself permission to take a break to recharge the batteries.  Escape and procrastinating is not as satisfying as a structured, planful break to decompress. 

Bill Belichick understands this as well as anyone.  Belichick has taken his team to 5 Super Bowls and won 3 of them. 

Excerpt for ESPNBoston.com (11/6/2012).

Razor Thin: The Difference Between Winning and Losing (VIDEO)

Razor Thin: The Difference Between Winning and Losing

Matt Ryan's Resilience Keeps Falcons Flying

"What's impressed me more than anything is probably his resiliency of not playing our best the last two weeks and still being able to have success and get the outcome that we wanted. His ability to handle those types of situations is impressive. He's had 18 fourth-quarter comebacks in four years and six games. Matt, he's a guy that doesn't get rattled easily. You've got to have that. He's a calming influence across the board for the entire team."

--Mike Smith, head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, talking about quarterback Matt Ryan's mindset and leadership.

The Atlanta Falcons are the only undefeated football team in the NFL after a last second field goal defeated the Oakland Raiders on Sunday afternoon. 

Excerpt from "Ryan shows he knows how to win" by Ashley Fox, 10/12/2012, ESPN.com.

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Alex Rodriguez Shows Leadership

"I couldn’t be happier for Raul.  Ten years ago, I might have reacted differently. I admit I might not have taken it as well. But I have matured. I told Joe when he came to me that he had to do exactly what he felt he had to do." 

--Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees All-Star, celebrating a winning home run by the Raul Ibanez, who replaced him in the lineup in the ninth inning.  

Wednesday night in the Game Four of their best-of-five American League division series with the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium, with the New York Yankees behind and facing a 2-1 series deficit, Alex Rodriguez saw Yankees Manager Joe Girardi walking toward him.  It was the ninth inning, the Yankees were trailing by a run, and Rodriguez had gone 0 for 3 in the game, with two strikeouts.  Girardi told Rodriguez that he was going to replace him with Raul Ibanez, a pinch hitter.
Ibanez tied the game, 2-2, with a home run to right field. Perhaps surprisingly to many people, Rodriguez was the first Yankee to greet Ibanez at the top step of the dugout after he rounded the bases.

Then, in the 12th inning, Ibanez did it again, winning the game, 3-2, with a second homer.

Asked if he was insulted by Girardi’s decision or if he would harbor any hard feelings, Rodriguez shook his head.

“No, no way,” he answered. “I’m one of the leaders of this team now. It’s about winning. We won; I’m pleased. Whatever it takes.”

Excerpts from nytimes.com (October 11, 2012), "Slumping in Middle of Lineup, Rodriguez Is Center of Attention" by Bill Pennington.   

Has Lionel Messi Got the Right Idea?

"I prefer to win titles with the team ahead of individual awards or scoring more goals than anyone else.  I am more worried about being a good person than being the best football player in the world. When all this is over, what are you left with?  When I retire, I hope I am remembered for being a decent guy. I like to score goals but I also like to have friends among the people I have played with."

--Lionel Messi, considered by many to be the best soccer player in the world.  

Messi has won three consecutive world Player of the Year awards and may win a fourth in 2012 after scoring a record 73 goals last season.

Excerpt from nytimes.com "Messi Wants More Than Just Accolades" (Reuters, 10/1/2012).

QB Geno Smith's Vision is Artful

“His visions of things have always been beyond his years."
--Tracey Sellers said of her son, Geno Smith.

Smith is West Virginia’s quarterback and a serious Heisman Trophy contender for the ninth-ranked Mountaineers (4-0), who beat host No. 25 Baylor 70-63 on Saturday. Smith had a remarkable, video game-like 656 yards passing. He was 45 for 51 and threw for 8 touchdowns.

“On the field, he’s visualizing,” his mother said. “It’s like a puzzle, his masterpiece."

On-the-field vision requires sharp visual acuity but also requires much more.

Quarterbacks must see the field in three dimensions, in real time, as well as like in a chess match. A great quarterback also must see and anticipate several moves and plays in advance throughout the game.

Excerpt for nytimes.com (09/29/2012) "West Virginia Displays the Art of Quarterbacking" by Tim Rohan.

Watch the highlights and interview with Geno Smith below.

Robinson Cano Can't Remember, and That's Good

“I’ve been struggling with men on base.  You just go out there every game, every at-bat, and forget about what happened in the past.”

--Robinson Cano, New York Yankee second baseman.

One of the most useful mental conditioning techniques that elite athletes use is the ability to quickly get past a mistake or error quickly.  During game conditions, it is highly valuable to be able to erase, recover, and move on.

Although you want to be able to learn from your mistakes, often game situations are not the place to dwell or analyze.  The time to analyze and evaluate is through debriefing and videotape sessions scheduled after one's competition is over.

As Robinson Cano emphasizes, a poor memory is perhaps the best tool that a hitter can utilize. Despite a recent slump, Cano's "poor" memory has allowed him to hit 30 home runs, knock in 82 runs, and hit for an average of .297 with 177 hits.

In addition, the Yankees are leading their division and have the second best record in the American League.  

Quote from nytimes.com (9/27/2012).  "With  Swisher and Cano, It's Trust and Symmetry" by Pat Borzi.

Patience Leads to Success

“You never drop a ball you take the time to catch.”
--Hall of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff of the Oakland Raiders.

Your success is highly dependent upon the quality of your execution. It is not always the quantity or speed of your actions that breeds success. Excellence is about the precision of your actions. Are you always rushed? When others ask how you are, do you usually tell people that you are "crazy busy?" For many, that may be impressive or a badge of courage.

However, you may be sabotaging your success by being too concerned with speed and not concerned enough with proper planning and execution.

Slow down and get more quality in your performance. You might even get some more satisfaction out of your life.

Try it.

Quotation taken from nytimes.com (09/22/2012), "Jets Rookie Wide Receiver Is in a New World of Zigs and Zags" by Ben Shpigel.

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Michael Vick Keeps Firing

"He finished the way a great player finishes, and you see this all the time in basketball, where shooters, the great shooters, they're going to have an off-day and they keep shooting. When it comes down to the end, the great ones end up sinking the winning shot. So Michael, that's what he did. He kept firing."

-- Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles head coach, discussing Michael Vick after his quarterback led the Eagles on a winning 91-yard drive in the 4th quarter to beat the Cleveland Browns, 17-16.

Vick bounced back from a disastrous 3 quarters in which he threw four interceptions. More importantly, the Eagles have won five regular season games in a row including last season.

Excerpt from ESPN.com & the Associated Press (9/12/2012), "Michael Vick Vows to Improve."

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Adversity Fuels Championship Runs

“You’ve got to embrace the adversity. Otherwise, you are going to be miserable and don’t belong in this clubhouse. Adversity is to be expected when you put on the pinstripes.”

-- Russell Martin, New York Yankees catcher, responding to a sustained late-season losing streak.

Championship are not easily won.  Championship seasons do not go smoothly.  Injuries, slumps, trades, travel, difficult scheduling, fatigue, family issues, etc. are all part of the adversity that all teams must face.  However, it is the championship teams that deal with adversity well.  

Winners welcome pressure and embrace the challenge of adversity.  Teams that understand that adversity is to be expected and are willing to take on the challenge are the teams that succeed. Frustration, stress and pressure must be met head-on.  

Most importantly, successful teams and franchises that win consistently understand that mental toughness and the ability to deal with adversity must be part of their team DNA.  

Historically, the New York Yankees are a franchise that has been highly success at dealing with adversity.  Will this year's Yankees team successfully meet the challenge of adversity?


Excerpt from nytimes.com, "A Study in Pinstripes: ‘Embrace the Adversity’", Bill Pennington, September 8, 2012.

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Champions Prepare

"Champions do not become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, and months, and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely a demonstration of their championship character."


--Michael Jordan.


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Angel McCoughtry Grows Up A Little

"I was so excited. It felt so good to be back on the floor. I'll never take basketball for granted again." 

--Angel McCoughtry, the WNBA's and the Atlanta Dream's leading scorer, after coming back from a multi-game suspension. McCoughtry led the team to a win after scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter.

The Atlanta Dream are starting a push toward playoff success.  WNBA finalists two years running, the Dream have caught late-season fire both years and need to do so again to get a favorable seed in this years' WNBA playoffs.  They need McCoughtry if they are to be there again.  However, they recently fired their head coach, Marynell Meadors.

Will new coach Fred Williams be able to handle the previously tempermental McCoughtry?  Has Angel turned the corner toward maturity?  

Excerpt from espn.go.com (9/2/2012).


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Tim Tebow's Take on Leadership

"You can't lead anyone unless you know where you're going and you can't lead anyone unless you've earned their respect. If they don't respect you, they're not going to follow you."

--Tim Tebow, New York Jets quarterback.

Excerpt from nytimes.com (9/2/2012), "Sharing the Stage," Ben Shpigel.

Sharapova Recovers to Get into U.S. Open Quarters

"I always think that, no matter how you start the match, it's always how you finish. Whether it's an hour or whether it's three hours that you're out there, I don't want to give up until the last point. That's pretty much the mentality I try to have going into a third set."

--Maria Sharapova, discussing her return to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open for the first time since her championship year of 2006.

Excerpt from The Associated Press, Howard Fendrich, "Sharapova gets past Petrova in 3 sets at US Open." (9/3/12).

Peyton Manning's Rehabilitation Mindset

“To me, it’s like he hasn’t missed a beat. Not his attitude or his drive or his will. That’s why he’s been able to play so well for so long. It’s always full speed ahead when it comes to football. I’ve never seen him not do that. That’s workouts, off-season, on the football field, in practice.

“In that aspect, I knew that would always be there. I knew from throwing with him early in the off-season. It seemed like every time we threw, he got better.”

--Brandon Stokley, discussing Petyon Manning's comeback attempt this year following neck surgery. Stokley played four seasons with Manning in Indianapolis and worked out with him at Duke before joining the Broncos.

Excerpt from nytimes.com (9/1/2012). "Forward Progress For Peyton Manning, One Pass, Then Many Steps," Judy Battista.

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Location:Hudson Rd,Decatur,United States

Razor Thin: The Difference Between Winning and Losing

My book, Razor Thin:  The Difference Between Winning and Losing, is finished.

This book is about excellence. Winners and champions are fascinating. Whether you are an athlete, a performance artist, or an ambitious businessman, this book is written for you. It is about the hard work and tenacity involved in winning and achieving greatness. Attaining success is difficult, few are able to achieve it, and fewer still are able to sustain it. This book looks at the greatest athletes and teams of our time and identifies the critical factors in their success. Many books discuss the personality factors involved in success, this book identifies the specific behaviors that make a champion.

Read it and enjoy. I think you will find it useful as well as entertaining.

Thanks to all my readers, past, current and future.

Click on the title above or here to get the book: Razor Thin: The Difference Between Winning and Losing.

Darwin Barney, Shift in Mentality and Preparation Pay Off

"A lot of it was positioning around the bag along with positioning pre-pitch.   It all goes together.  Along with that, it was just putting in the hours and accepting the mentality of trying to be perfect every day." 

--Darwin Barney, Chicago Cubs second baseman, talking about his improvement as a fielder.

Barney, 26,  is in his second full season as a Cub.  With only one fielding error in 112 games, he is widely considered to be the best defensive second baseman in major league baseball.  He made the switch from shortstop to second base only two years ago.  He is four years older that the Cubs' current shortstop, Starlin Castro, a rising star in his own right.  Without the switch, Barney would be playing behind Castro.  This way, both young stars can start.  Along with their first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, 23, this young Cubs' infield trio has the makings of a great combination.  

Barney last made an error on April 17, 2012 against the Miami Marlins.  With the help of Cubs' infield coach Pat Listach, a former American League rookie of the year (1992), Barney has improved greatly. Barney and Listach study hours of game film to determine hitters' tendencies and help Barney expand his range through thorough pre-game planning and in-game anticipation.

Are you working on your fundamentals this hard every day?


Excerpt from "At Second, at Least, Cubs Are a Force", Benjamin Hoffman column Keeping Score, nytimes.com (8/19/2012).

Building Good Chemistry: 2012 Team USA (Basketball)

Yes, they are the best basketball players in the world and they proved it.  But, as it played out, Team USA developed teamwork.  When they had to take on roles: scoring, defense, rebounding, passing etc., they found a way.  When they had to respond to pressure they responded as a team.  

"They really like one another," Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski said during training camp. "You can see it."

"The chemistry is good," LeBron James said. "It's great, honestly."

Remember, one of the reasons that the gap between America and the rest of the basketball world closed over the past 30 years was because everyone else sent together teams of grownups who had been playing together since they were teenagers, while the U.S. cobbled together squads, gave them a couple of weeks and tried to make the best of it.  International teams beat Team USA individuals.

Since, Jerry Colangelo and Mike Krzyzewski took over the program, the emphasis has been on teamwork and chemistry.

"When we're going overseas, we're playing against teams that have been together for a while," Kobe Bryant said. "So you have to have that chemistry and understanding of where you're going to be offensively, but especially defensively, knowing where guys are."

Team USA won the gold and teamwork is why.

To watch the Gold Medal game vs. Spain, click on:  http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/basketball/u-s-men-take-gold-from-spain-again.html?chrcontext=team-usa

Excerpts ESPN.go.com (07/13/2012).

Ryan Lochte Uses Visualization Techniques for Success (VIDEO)

The Michael Phelps Legacy: Changing the Sport of Swimming

“I wanted to change the sport and take it to another level.  

"It's kind of weird looking at this and seeing 'Greatest Olympian of All Time.' I finished my career the way I wanted to. It think that pretty cool."

--Michael Phelps, after collecting his 22nd Olympic medal and 18th gold as member of the USA men's 4x100 meter medley relay team. at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Missy Franklin, 17, who competed in seven swimming events in London, the most ever by a female Olympic swimmer, attributes her drive and ambition to Phelps, who made such a championship training regimen seem not only feasible but fun.

“He has done a world of difference for swimming,” Franklin said. “He has really brought swimming onto the scene and gotten so many more people involved. Just what he’s done is incredible, and he’s kind of made people rethink the impossible — rethink what they can do and how they can push themselves.”

She added: “I don’t think his shoes will ever be filled. I think his footsteps are huge. Hopefully, I can make little paths next to his.”
Le Clos, 20, said he watched Phelps win six golds and two bronzes at the Athens Olympics and was inspired to become a champion swimmer. It was not a coincidence that Le Clos swam six events in London, including the same four individual ones as Phelps. After watching Phelps win a record eight golds in Beijing, Le Clos added more events to his program to be like Mike. On Tuesday, he pulled off a monumental upset when he handed Phelps his first major international defeat in 10 years in the 200-meter butterfly.

“That’s why I was so emotional afterwards,” Le Clos said. “He was the reason I swam the butterfly. It’s not a joke. If you think about it, it’s kind of crazy.” He added: “That’s why I swim the 200 freestyle, both the I.M.’s. I don’t swim it for any other reason than just because Michael does.”

Phelps got choked up when he heard that he was Le Clos’s hero and role model, Bob Bowman, Phelps' long-time coach said. “It means Michael’s done what he wanted to do: affect the sport of swimming,” Bowman added.

Among those he turned back in the butterfly final was Milorad Cavic of Serbia, who nearly outtouched him in 2008. “I cannot be compared to Michael Phelps,” Cavic said. “I’m a one-trick pony. He does it all."

Excerpts from nytimes.com (08/04/2012). Crouse, Karen. "With One Last Gold, Phelps Caps Career That Inspired a Generation."

Texas Tech Running Back Has No Time for Mental Weakness

“I don’t have time to be mentally weak.  It’s my last year. Mentally I feel like I’m fine. It’s just a matter of getting the knee back to 100 percent.”

--Eric Stephens, senior Texas Tech running back, who dislocated his left knee and suffered a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament last season.

Stephens suffered the severe knee injury 10 months ago during a loss to Texas A&M. The subsequent swelling was so severe he wasn’t able to have surgery until late November. Ever since, all of Stephens’ energies have been focused on being ready for the start of his senior season.

“I’m about 95 percent right now,” Stephens said. “I’m not going to lie and say I’m 100 percent, but I’ll definitely be ready when the season starts.”

Tech coach Tommy Tuberville plans to have Stephens avoid any contact until near the end of preseason camp.  However challenging, Stephens will eventually have to clear the mental hurdle of cutting hard and taking hits to the knee.


Excerpt from lubbockonline.com (08/05/2012) at:  http://lubbockonline.com/sports-red-raiders-football/2012-08-05/stephens-i-dont-have-time-be-mentally-weak.  Article by Nick Cosmider, Lubbock Avalanche Journal, "Stephens:  I Don't Have Time to be Mentally Weak."

Usain Bolt: Peak Performance Case Study (2008)

Usain Bolt: The Fastest Man on Earth

"I didn't know I was going to run so fast, but I came out to be a champion, and I was. I just tried to stay relaxed. I'm always relaxing. That's the way to go so fast: relax and just focus.

"I came out to make myself proud, and I did just that. I didn't know I was going to run so fast. But I came out to be a champion, and I was. I didn't come here to worry about the record, I was already the world-record holder."

--Usain Bolt, new 100-meter Olympic sprint champion and world record holder at 9.69 seconds.

Bolt could have run much faster than his 9.69 seconds if he had run through the finish line, but he sliced 0.03 seconds off his world record anyway. He celebrated 20 meters early, throwing out his arms and thumping his chest.

"He's the best. There's no stopping him. He could have been faster."

--Asafa Powell, former world-record holder and fellow Jamaican.

"It's not even close. It's everybody catching upwith Usain Bolt. He's a legend in his own right. The guy's a phenomenal athlete. He's a freak of nature. He's like Jordan and LeBron, in a league of his own."

--Darvis Patton, U.S.A. Olympic sprinter who finished eighth in the 100 meters.

“What Bolt has done, he’s made history. He added spirit to the sport. He danced for us in the introduction. He danced for us at the end. He put on a show. To me, I feel like, him and athletics is like Michael Phelps and swimming. He raised the bar for us in athletics.”

--Shawn Crawford, USA silver medal winner in the 200 meters.

Lightning Strikes Twice

Usain Bolt, already the Olympic champion and world record-holder in the 100 meters, ran the 200 meters in 19.30 seconds, breaking the world record by two-hundredths of a second. Bolt broke the world record of 19.32 seconds, set by the American Michael Johnson at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Bolt is the first to win gold in both the 100- and 200-meter events since Carl Lewis in 1984.

“I didn’t think I’d see under .30 in my lifetime. He’s a freak of nature."

--Renaldo Nehemiah, former Olympic gold medalist in the 100 hurdles.

“It was the most impressive athletic performance I have ever seen in my life.”

--Michael Johnson.

Excerpts from the New York Times 8/20/2008.

Josh Hamilton Has Talent, But Does He Have Staying Power and Discipline

"What he's doing is incredible. Hot, man, is when you hit .350 for a month, .350 for a week—not .450 with, like, 10 home runs in a week. I can't do that. I have abilities—but not like that."

--Adrian Beltre, veteran major leaguer, discussing Josh Hamilton's hot start at the beginning of the 2012 season.  

Peak Performance Out of the Box


To start the 2012 major league baseball season, Josh Hamilton, outfielder of the Texas Ranger hit .402 with 18 home runs and 41 RBIs in his first 31 games, the best start by a hitter since the Athletics' Jimmie Foxx in 1932.

During a torrid seven days in May, Hamilton hit .467 with nine homers, 43 total bases and 18 RBIs including a record-tying four home runs in one game. By June, Hamilton had cooled down but was still was hitting .354 and leading the majors in homers (21), RBIs (57), OPS (1.138), total bases (142) and slugging percentage (.728).


Unprecedented Talent but What About Discipline

 "Josh has more talent, Barry Bonds had more discipline. I don't think Josh would ever get to the discipline that Barry finally got to, but I've never seen a talent like him. He can run, field, throw, hit, hit with power. Barry had all that, but as Barry got older his speed disappeared. The arm disappeared. Hamilton has it all. He just never knew what work ethic was. He never knew how to work. It was all talent."

--Ron Washington, Texas Rangers manager, discussing Hamilton's talent and potential for more.

It was obvious to all who saw him, Hamilton loved to perform and loved the adulation and the glory of the big hits. But, he didn't work hard enough at this craft. He didn't like to study the game. 


Work Ethic and Mastery


"He didn't love baseball. He loved to hit," says Roy Silver, who runs the Winning Inning baseball academy, that Hamilton attended. "He loved to dive for balls. The third fungo I hit him, he dove for it and got up and pumped his fist and cheered for himself. But he wouldn't go upstairs and watch baseball. He would go upstairs and watch cartoons or play a video game."

During spring training in 2009, Gary Pettis, the Rangers' assistant coach, made Hamilton his main project. With so little time spent in the minor leagues, and a tendency to avoid opportunities to learn and study, Hamilton only was willing to learn by doing. Pettis helped him to value such things as: how to study tendencies, how to stay in the game defensively even when his bat goes quiet—in essence, how to be a professional.

"It's been a process," Pettis says. "Josh is 100 percent better today than he was when we acquired him. Especially mentally, he understands how this game is played."

At the halfway point in the 2012 season, Hamilton is considered by many to be the MVP of the American League, if not major league baseball. He is batting .308 with 27 homeruns and 75 RBIs.




What Does the Future Hold?
 

Can Josh Hamilton sustain it? An admitted crack addict and alcoholic, he has fallen off the wagon multiple times. Does he have what it takes to maintain this type of performance day-in, day-out, season after season?


One clue about his growing maturity came in Hamilton's decision to skip the 2012 Home Run Derby during the All-Star Game festivities this week.

"Why mess up a good thing?" Hamilton said in explaining his reasons for skipping this year's Derby. "I've got nothing to prove. It's fun. I would like to do it, but you've got to think about the whole season and the club."

"No, it didn't hurt in 2008, but it takes one swing [to injure himself]," Hamilton noted. "You've got to be smart about it. I understand that I play major league baseball, but I work for the Texas Rangers. I understand that they need me healthy, and I want to be healthy."

Smart and mature.


Excerpts from sportsillustrated.cnn.com (June 11, 2012) and espn.dallas.com (July 10, 2012).

Bryce Harper Goes Full Tilt

“He doesn’t take things for granted. When you get in the game of baseball, it gets long, and the hustle, the fight, sometimes you don’t do it all the time. But he’s 100 percent. From start to finish, he is in it, mentally, physically. You can kind of see guys slip up a little bit. Even the best do it; I’ve done it. You can’t see it from him.”

--Cole Hamels, All-star pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies, discussing Bryce Harper, rookie right fielder of the Washington Nationals.

Harper is the youngest position player in MLB All-Star Game history and third youngest overall. As a replacement for injured All-Star, Giancarlo Stanton, Harper has a .282 batting average with 8 home runs and 25 RBIs.


Excerpt from nytimes.com (07/10/2012).


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Olympic Sprinters: Mental Conditioning Techniques Used to Control Physiological Responses

“It’s such a crazy race. A lot of people can’t handle that lactic acid. When that lactic acid hits, naturally, your body wants to do something. Naturally, your body wants to rock back, your legs want to flare up, your arms, your body is just in this shock mode and you really have to get in the mental zone and focus on just moving forward.” 

 
--LaShawn Merritt, the reigning Olympic champion in the men’s 400-meter race, discussing the second half of the distance.

Although Merritt has extraordinary muscular strength that powers him through the first 200 meters — sometimes in less than 20 seconds — those muscles may also suffer under a buildup of lactic acid toward the end of the race.

Michael Joyner, a physiologist at the Mayo Clinic, says that sprinters who tense up, especially in the arms, move more slowly. It is known as a “bear jumping on your back” or “turning to stone.” The tension makes a runner less efficient bio-mechanically, thus expending the same amount of energy but not travelling as far.


Some coaches and doctors, including Joyner, instruct runners to let their eyes droop during a race, hoping that if they relax their face, the rest of the body will follow.

Part of relaxation is rhythm. Anthony Koffi, track coach for Amantle Montsho, the reigning world champion female in the 400-meters from Botswana, believes in using humor during practice, often yelping as he cheers runners up the stadium staircases.


Excerpt from nytimes.com (05/08/2012).

Tour de France Requires Team Resilience

“In cycling, a good team isn’t defined by how perfect it is in winning moments, but instead how it moves forward when all is [expletive].

"Onward."

--Jonathan Vaughters, the team manager for Liquigas/Cannondale, wrote on Twitter after the stage.

This stage, number six, was marred by crashes which scrambled the standings.


The team's Peter Sagan, has already three stages in the world's most prestigious bicycle race.


Excerpt from nytimes.com (07/07/2012).


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LeBron James Learns to Block Out the Noise

"It took me to go all the way to the top and then hit rock bottom basically to realize what I needed to do as a professional athlete and as a person. I’m just happy that I was able to be put back in this position. I trusted my instincts, I trusted my habits that I built over the years and I just got back to being myself. And I didn’t care too much about what anyone said about me. I just kind of made my own path, but did it the right way.”

--LeBron James, discussing his mindset during the season and the 2012 NBA Finals, which led to an MVP season and a championship for the Miami Heat.  

Trailing 3-2 in their series with the Boston Celtics, the Heat headed to Boston for Game 6 and facing another possible disappointing exit in the 2012 the 2012 NBA Eastern Conference Finals.  Last season, the Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the finals.  


James' leadership and shot selection, the team's offensive strategy and head coach Erik Spoelstra's competence were being criticized, something that had been a constant occurrence over the past two seasons.    That night, James scored 45 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in one of the best big-game performances in the history of the NBA playoffs. 


After the game in Boston, he said, "I don't really hear the outside noise of what's said about me or my team."  


The Heat went on to win Game Seven and then followed that up with a win in the NBA Finals, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder, 4-1.   


Excerpts from www.nytimes.com (6/20/2012) and www.Sfgate.com (6/23/2012).

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Steve Nash, New Los Angeles Laker Zen Playmaker (VIDEO)

"Mental toughness encapsulates physical toughness."

--Steve Nash, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player as the point guard of the Phoenix Suns, and new free-agent acquisition of the Los Angeles Lakers.

"With Steve it's all about the flow." -- Bill Duffy, Steve Nash's agent.


Flow, of course, is a term for that state of mind that artists and athletes strive to enter into, and which in full flood entails an ecstatic expansion of consciousness that releases them from confines of the self and produces crowning moments of creativity.

"My first and second years in the N.B.A., I used to get really nervous in a tight game. But now I wait for that moment when things are really close - that's what I really love. Having the ball in my hands and the responsibility makes me feel calm and open. Not to have that, not to get to that point in a game, would feel really...really confining."

--Steve Nash, who still seeks his first NBA championship.

An interviewer asked, "Was there one shot or game when you first felt that way?"

"Probably it built over time - I don't want it to sound like there's anything too mystical about it."

"I've always said when Steve retires, I'll retire. I don't want anyone to be able to figure out whether our success is because of my system or Steve's ability to make it work. There's a period in a player's life where the novelty wears off. You've got kids and money, and sometimes your basketball flame begins to flicker. And then a few years later, you realize you've got a limited amount of time and this is the best it's ever gonna be. I think Steve is one of those guys who has always lived for the game. You can have all the money in the world, but for the great players the only thing that matters is winning a title."

--Mike D'Antoni, former Phoenix Suns head coach.

"There are nights when I ask myself, 'Am I really playing basketball?' But that's mostly from the stuff around the game: talking to the media, taking the bus, getting warmed up. Once I'm out on the court, in the game, the game is great."

--Steve Nash.

"I don't know. I have a lot of energy and a lot of motivation. I have a hard time sitting still. I guess in a way I can't live with the alternative to being driven, which is sitting around being bored. If I'm going to go for something, I'm really going to go for it. I think I realized as a kid that I would keep going when other kids stopped. If my legs are there, if my quickness is there, I can have a good game. If not, I try to find other ways of making plays without being quick. Making smart plays. Making the game simple."

--Steve Nash, responding to a question about what drove him and motivated him beyond the obvious goal of a championship.

Excerpts from Play magazine November 2007. 

Roger Federer Gets in the Zone in Comeback Win

“I do go into a trance-like state I guess at times. I did feel that midway through the third set on Friday, things were clicking for me.  And I knew that it was going to be hard for him to come through."

 
--Roger Federer, talking about his ability to get in the zone during a match against Julien Bennetaur at Wimbledon last week.  

Federer came back from two sets down in the match to stay alive at Wimbledon in this second round match.  He went on to win two more matches to set up a rematch with Novak Djokovic in one of the semifinals.  Federer has won Wimbledon six times.   



Excerpt from http://www.thesun.co.uk (July 1, 2012).

There is No Textbook for Pressure Situations

“There is really not any rational explanation or word that can describe what you’re supposed to do when you’re match points down or when you’re losing and you’re very close to lose. It’s, I guess, trying to be mentally tough and believing in your shots.”

--Novak Djokovic, after defeating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals of the 2012 French Open. Djokovic won 6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-1.

Djokovic will now face Roger Federer in the semifinals.

“Ones you win, ones you lose, but the more important thing is to try and take the best out of these matches and enjoy them,” Djokovic
said. “Because as a tennis player, this is what you live for. This is what you practice for all these years, to be part of an incredible performance, incredible match encounter here in Roland Garros, you know, with the home players.”

Excerpt from nytimes.com (05/06/2012).

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