I Know, I Know, You Were Expecting Something Pretty

The NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Final is supposed to be a thing of athletic beauty and artistic splendor.  It is expected to be spliced into an awe inspiring "One Shining Moment" video.  Right?  


If you read what has been written and hear what has been said about the game between Butler and champion UConn, the words "ugly," "embarrassing,' "bad basketball," "poor shooting," etc. are most frequently used.  For many it was uninspiring and, certainly, not an exciting brand of basketball.  You aren't going to have many people looking at the game films or the highlights over and over, year after year.  


However, I suggest that you should look at this game very closely.  Despite the lack of beauty, one team was going to be champion.   One team would take home a trophy that every team and player in the country covets and few possess.  


What I learned from this game, is that this championship and every championship is about two teams slugging it out for supremacy. This game was about mental toughness.  It was about keeping your head in the game and never giving up.  It was about believing in your system and executing, and dealing with setback after setback.  Both teams took leads that they could have built upon.  Only one team did.   

Jeremy Lamb, UConn freshman, who gave his team a much needed spark in the second half, said, “I saw one time we scored, one of them put his head down. I said, ‘We got ‘em.’” 

This game was mental as well as physical.  This game was about effort in the face of adversity.  

"Every time we play hard, great things always happen to us," Kemba Walker, the MVP of the NCAA tournament, said.

This game was about perseverance.  It was about overcoming barriers.  It was about dealing with strong defensive pressure.  Every shot was contested.   Both teams wanted it, both teams gave maximum effort.  Both teams continued to run their offense and make adjustments to take advantage of their opponents. 


Despite being down by 3 points at halftime, Coach Jim Calhoun of UConn understood the championship would hinge on which team was able to mentally withstand the other.

"The halftime speech was rather interesting," Calhoun said. "The adjustment was we were going to out-will them and outwork them."

In the second half, UConn responded and took home the trophy.


We were unstoppable," Walker said. "That's why we're national champions."



Excerpts from CBSsports.ca and ESPN.com (April 4, 2011).

Jimmy Connors Comments on Pro Tennis Player, Rafael Nadal

"I look at Nadal and the way he goes about his business, the way he trains, the way he looks every time he walks out on court -- what he gives and expects of himself.  If anybody's going win, it's going to be him.  He's not afraid to do whatever it takes.  Tennis is one part of it -- the desire, the sacrifice, the willingness to learn, to train, to take your knocks to be better.  Even when he lost at Wimbledon and the French, he comes back stronger and better to the point where he wants to prove to himself that he's the best. He's only 24.  He hasn't even reached his prime. That's scary.

"He brings more than just the tennis.  He brings that excitement, that electricity and the feel of walking into a stadium and having more than just a tennis match going on.  I'm not saying anything disrespectful about the other guys.  I'm just saying that he might have a little big more of that, just by his enthusiasm and passion.

"You don't see guys like him jumping around and running out to the baseline and diving and trying after every ball.  That's a long lost art.  Nadal grinds it point to point, and shows his passion when he wins a big point and isn't afraid to let you know how he's feeling.  That's old school attitude.  Today, being cool is probably more important.  He might be a one-of-kind, and any time you're a one-of -a-kind, it's not a bad thing."      

Number-one-ranked Rafael Nadal is currently competing in the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. He appears headed toward a potential semifinal round showdown with rival and friend Roger Federer.

Do you bring a Nadal-like intensity, desire, and determination to whatever you do? No, what if you did? Would it make a difference? Are you willing to do what it takes to win?

Excerpts from Inside Tennis (March 2011).

Rick Barnes and Texas Longhorns make another early NCAA exit - College Basketball News | FOX Sports on MSN

Rick Barnes and Texas Longhorns make another early NCAA exit - College Basketball News | FOX Sports on MSN

Oh, No! Not Again!

"Some of the breakdowns are baffling to be honest with you.  I can't tell you why because we've proven we can be really good defensively and offensively."

--Rick Barnes, head coach of the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team.

Kansas State sent the Longhorns to their second straight loss and third in four games on Monday night.  This is the second straight year that the Longhorns have nose-dived after an impressive start to the regular season.  

An 11-0 start in conference play had the Longhorns among the top contenders for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. They were, at one time, ranked #1 in the country.  Now they're trying to understand what has gone wrong.  They have to make sure that they don't worry about how far they may fall.

Last year, the Texas Longhorns' basketball team was ranked #1 in January with a 17-0 record. After that they slumped to a 7-9 finish down the stretch and lost to Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.


Here is what Rick Barnes had to say last year during that swoon when asked about the team's mindset:  

"I'd really be guessing if I did. Going into every game, I think that they've have the right mindset and when I watch some of the things happen I'm surprised where it comes from. I don't understand it, because I think we've got a group of guys, you would think with the way they have prepared that they would have things down. But when we do some things during the game it makes me wonder, and I don't know how I can answer that."

Prior to his arrival in at the University of Texas , Barnes' teams had undersachieved twice before. The first time was with Providence during the 1988-89 season when the Friars began 13-0 but ended the season losing seven of their last eight including a first round NCAA Tournament exit. 


The second time was with Clemson during the 1994-95 season when his Tigers began the year 10-0 – including a win at Duke – but lost seven of its last nine games, including a first round exit in the NIT.


Barnes' first disappointing swoon in Texas wasn't until year #3 in Austin, the 2000-01 season.  

This time, Texas was on a red-hot streak coming into the NCAA Tournament.  The Longhorns had ended the regular season with eight straight wins. As it so happened, No. 11 seed Temple was also on a hot streak, winning ten of its last 12 games. The Owls hit their first four three-pointers and the Longhorns were soon down 19 in another season-ending loss.  

Disappointment struck again in the 2004-05 season. After a promising start to the year, star player P.J. Tucker became academically ineligible and LaMarcus Aldridge suffered a hip injury. From mid-January on, Brad Buckman and Daniel Gibson carried the team.

By the time the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament rolled around, the Longhorns appeared to be spent and overworked. They fell to Colorado in their opening game of the Big 12 Tournament and then lost to Nevada in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Once again, I advise Coach Barnes that recruiting and teaching basketball is only part of the job.  It's not just about the X's and O's.  Coach Barnes also needs to learn about how to handle the psychological aspect of his team and get them emotionally ready to play a tough conference schedule, a tougher Big-12 tournament and an even tougher NCAA tournament.  The Longhorns need to understand mental conditioning and learn skills for emotional resilience.  


If he doesn't, he may never get another chance at a Final Four appearance, much less an NCAA title.  


Excerpts from ESPN.com, Dallas Observer, and LostLettermen.com (February, 28, 2011 and March 1, 2011).

  

Tim Duncan Video: The Big Fundamental Uses the Backboard

The Dangers of Violating Chemistry Laws

"I hate to lose a teammate like [Kendrick] Perkins," Pierce said. "He meant so much. People don't understand chemistry is from the bus to the plane to the locker room, so it's definitely a blow. It depends on how the other guys make the adjustment."

--Paul Pierce, veteran Boston Celtic great.  

The Boston Celtics were held scoreless over the final six-plus minutes Thursday night by the Denver Nuggets who closed the game with a 16-0 run for an 89-75 win.

The Celtics suited up just nine players and had to fight through the emotions of losing Perkins, who was dealt to Oklahoma City for forward Jeff Green in the biggest of Boston's trio of trades Thursday.

"Tough day to play basketball," Kevin Garnett said. "Very tough day to play basketball, to even concentrate. Just being bluntly honest. You feel like you lost a family member today. Tough day."

"It was very emotional, especially for me being that I had a chance to see Perkins grow up from day one, fresh out of high school, coming in here and seeing the level he got to, a championship team," said Pierce. "It's definitely emotional. I had a chance to talk to him this afternoon a little bit, he was definitely hurt. The guys around this locker room were definitely hurt to see Perk go."

Pierce also said this is an example of how the business of basketball and ruthlessness of the NBA cuts both ways.

"It's the nature of the business," he said. "People thought LeBron James was cold for leaving Cleveland the way it is. This is an example of how it happens on the management end. You can't get mad at the players because it can happen to them unexpectedly, just like a player can go where he wants. It's just the nature of the beast."

The Eastern Conference-leading Celtics also mysteriously dealt reserve Nate Robinson to the Thunder and received Nenad Krstic, a future first-round draft pick and cash in the Perkins deal.

Earlier in the day, the Celtics acquired draft picks by sending forward Luke Harangody and rookie center Semih Erden to Cleveland and injured swingman Marquis Daniels to Sacramento.

Why would the Celtics do that to a team that was known for chemistry and had performed so well for the past four years, including one NBA championship?  Was it about money?  Or was it about making a serious run for the championship.  Time will tell.  

Excerpts from ESPN.com (February 24, 2011) 

NBA TV Top 10: February 23rd

A Winning Mindset Keeps Spurs As Winningest Team in the NBA

The NBA San Antonio Spurs' season record of 46-9 record is tops in the NBA and the best 55-game mark since the Dallas Mavericks had the same mark in 2006-07 en route to a franchise-best, 67-win season.

This record includes the current long road trip. 

"They're feeling a few bumps and bruises, but they're character guys.  They're professionals, and they know what's expected of them. They know where they want to be at the end of the year and they're working towards that. So no game can be left without trying to get better."

--Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the lengthy trip that started in Portland and which will end in Chicago this Thursday.

"We just have to stay focused, that's going to be the main thing for us.  Focus on defense, we have a lot of room for improvement. Even if I think we're on the right track, I think we can do a lot of stuff better and we just have to stay motivated because we have to get all those wins and make sure we take advantage of our good start."

--Tony Parker, Spurs' point guard (13 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists).  

Despite many blow-out games and the league's best record, the Spurs don't seem to be experiencing complacency.

"I was kind of shocked, not that we won or we played well, but that at the kind of effort and hustle in the third and fourth quarter.  We played hard and rotated very well, went hard to the rebounds so it was a very complete second half for us."

--Manu Ginobili, veteran Spurs player.  

Ironically, the game also benefited their opponent, the losing New Jersey Nets, who came away with a glimpse of how a good team should play.

"They've been doing it for years.  They've been playing together for years. They know one another extremely well. They are battle tested. What makes them so impressive is they don't really care who scores. They move the ball and whoever gets the open shot, so be it. That's what makes them so good."

--Devin Harris, Nets' point guard.  

"This is a terrific team we played.  They have the best record in the league for a reason. They don't beat themselves. They're pros. They go about their business and they're very methodical in their approach." 

--Avery Johnson, the Nets' head coach, who is trying to rebuild the Nets, who had the NBA's worst record last season. 

So, what are the secrets to the Spurs' success?  What keeps the Spurs' playing at a peak level all season long?  

• Professional attitude
• Character
• Continuous improvement mentality
• Sense of urgency
• Consistent focus
• Continuity of talent and personnel
• Heightened motivation
• Unselfishness
• Discipline 

These traits should serve the Spurs well the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.


Excerpts from ESPN.com (February 14, 2011)

Tom Brady's Success Is Due to the Talents and Help of Others

"To me it comes down to the mental toughness and determination of the players and coaches."

--Tom Brady, New England Patriots' quarterback, the 2007, and the new 2010 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, identifying the reason for his award.  

A unanimous choice for the NFL All-Pro team, Brady threw for 36 touchdowns while being intercepted just four times. When he won the award in 2007, Brady set an NFL mark with 50 touchdowns passes as New England went undefeated in the regular season.  Brady led the Patriots to a 16-0 mark in 2007 then and a league-best 14-2 this season.  In three other seasons, the Patriots have won the Super Bowl.  Brady is the only quarterback and the only active player to win the Offensive Player of the Year award twice. In addition, he has won 2 Super Bowl MVP awards, 1 NFL MVP award, and has been to 5 NFL Pro Bowls.     

"Tom studies a lot.  We get the bulk of it in the meeting rooms with just the players when we sit down to go over the things that he's been looking at. It carries over to the practice field as well. Tom is a dork when it comes to that, so I'm going to leave that alone, but Tom is a dork in that meeting room."

--Deion Branch, Patriots' veteran wide receiver.

• Do you recognize these qualities in your business or professional life?
• Do you acknowledge that your success is directly attributable to the talents, teamwork and help of others?
• How do you exhibit mental toughness?  
• Are you a student of your business or professional craft?

Excerpts from ESPN.com (February 2, 2011).  

For more on the New England Patriots franchise, click on the New England Patriots:  Peak Performance Case Study.  

For more on the Peak Performance System for mental conditioning, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

  

Why The San Antonio Spurs May Go All the Way to the NBA Championship

The San Antonio Spurs are the NBA's first team to 40 wins this season.  In their 40th win, Manu Ginobili scored 22 points and the Spurs beat the Houston Rockets 108-95 on Saturday night.

The Spurs reached 40 wins in just 47 games, tying the record for the sixth fewest games needed to reach 40 wins in NBA history. They got there faster than the four-time NBA champions ever have before. 

Of the previous seven teams to reach 40 wins in 47 games or fewer, six went on to win the NBA title.  The last time the Spurs were the first NBA team to reach 40 wins was the 2004-05 season, when they went on to win the NBA title.  The Spurs won their 18th straight home game, extending the longest home winning streak in the NBA this season.  The Spurs moved two wins from tying the franchise record of 20 straight home wins, set during the 1989-90 season.  

"We were in the game all they way into the third quarter. But they were too solid. They are too solid," Scola said. "Most solid team in the NBA. They're the best team in the NBA, period."

--Luis Scola, Houston Rockets.  

Next up is their annual Rodeo Road Trip, a nine-game stretch of road games.  Maybe three weeks on the road will make things more challenging.

So, what makes the Spurs so good?  

Spurs Pride

"I'm just speechless right now," said Spurs center DeJuan Blair, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds. "Because it's just such an honor to be on this team, on this quest for greatness, and we've just got to keep it going."

Continuous Improvement Mentality

"No coach or team thinks in terms of happy or comfort, those are not words that exist. You keep competing, executing, and trying to improve. It doesn't matter if you have the best record or the worst record."

--Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs head coach.

Fundamental, Mistake Free Basketball

"They don't beat themselves. We were right there with them for a half and we were playing pretty good basketball.The lull that we had in the third quarter where we just couldn't answer any of their three's and their big shots create separation. We were playing from behind and it's tough because they don't make any mistakes to allow you to get back into the game. Tonight was a pretty classic textbook Spurs victory."

--Shane Battier, Houston Rockets veteran.

Focus

“We’ve never been one to say, ‘Hey, we’re on the road, we’ll wait till we get back home to win games.  But in this respect, we’ve got so many of them in a row on the road, I think it is all about our focus and trying to get those games, those wins and put them in our pocket and try to become a better team on that trip.”

--Tim Duncan, Spurs veteran.  

Emphasis on Defense

“It’s goal No. 1 all the time and we’ve been a little lacking on it,” Duncan said. “We’ve been winning and that’s been great, but it comes down to the end of the season and the playoffs, we want to be the best defensively as possible. That’s our best chance to win games in those situations. We have to keep working on that and we will, obviously Pop is not going to let up on that.”

Excerpts from projectSpurs.com, SportingNews.com  and ESPN.com (January 31, 2011).

The Green Bay Packers: A Season of Ups and Downs

“You never go into a season and think you are not going to face adversity.   Everybody stepped up and played the way they were supposed to play, and that’s what you have to have. The comfort level hasn’t been big since March, and it’s not going to change. We have four more quarters to go.”

--Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver, discussing an up-and-down season in which the Packers had to win their final regular season game to qualify for a sixth-seed in the NFC.  

After a season of setbacks and failures, the Packers have now made an improbable run to the Super Bowl and are a slight favorite to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.  They have beaten the Philadelphia Eagles and Michael Vick; the Atlanta Falcons, the #1 seed in the NFC;  and the Chicago Bears on the Bears' frozen home field.  The remain standing while many other NFL favorites were sent home. 


Their season has been one  in which mental toughness, perseverance, and emotional resilience have been needed at times when their playoff survival was on the line.  They possessed the poise and tenacity that championship teams need to move forward.  


Perhaps their season has resembled your business or personal year. How well did you anticipate adversity? What kind of resilience did you need? How well  did you bounce back?       


What about this year?  Do you or your team have the ability to deal with adversity and failure?  Do you display extreme strength and emotional resilience to tolerate pressure and bounce back from setbacks?  Are you able to persist through difficulties?  Can you accept criticism and constructive feedback?   Do you have the determination to persevere?  


Are you willing to pay the price to achieve success?  Do you display the toughness to endure the pain, suffering and hard work that brings results? Do you have the mental toughness to withstand the most difficult of circumstances?  Do you have a way to learn from your mistakes?  Do you have the expectation that things should be smooth and free from difficulty?    Are you prone to whining and complaining about how hard things are?  


Perhaps you need to readjust your expectations and build up your tolerance for adversity, like the Green Bay Packers.  


Excerpts from the New York Times (January 25, 2011). 


For more on mental conditioning, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

Green Bay Packer Aaron Rodgers Thinks He Is In The Zone

"This probably was my best performance -- the stage we were on, the importance of this game.  It was a good night."

"I just got into a rhythm, not only throwing the football but moving around in the pocket.  This was probably my best performance. I think the stage that we were on, the importance of the game, so yeah, it was a good night."

"It was one of those nights.  I felt like I was in the zone."

--Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers' quarterback, who lead the team to an upset of the NFC's #1-seeded football team. 

In the Packers' 48-21 blowout of the Atlanta Falcons, he completed 31 of 36 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns. His quarterback rating was 136.8. His 86.1 completion percentage was the fifth best in NFL playoff history.

During the game which put the Packers in the NFC Championship Game and one win away from an appearance in the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl wide receiver Greg Jennings said Rodgers shot him a nasty glare after Jennings slipped on a route when the score was 42-21. The message, as Jennings explained later, was clear: The Packers aren't about to let up at this time of the year. 

"He was pretty perturbed, but that's his mindset right now," Jennings said. "It's scary when you have a guy who's approaching things like that."

"It's a physical and mental phenomenon. A chemical cocktail floods through your body as glycogen, adrenaline and endorphins. And it's a feeling of a purposeful calm. When you have this feeling, you feel that nothing can go wrong. You feel in control. And you are completely immersed in the moment."

Jim Fannin, sports psychologist.  

The body reacts to stress by rushing blood to the brain, giving the individual a heightened sense of clarity. The blood also goes to the large muscles to improve quickness, strength and agility. Rational thought takes a backseat to the subconscious and intuition often takes over.

"I've coached singular athletes like golfers and tennis players who can get in that mind-set but when you're on a team, with many people in that mental and physical state, it's contagious. If you notice, most of the athletes that struggle with retirement are the ones that have not only had personal success, but they've also had team success," says Fannin.

"You're in a foxhole, you're in a zone state with somebody. You're still friends with that guy, if you both survived the thing, 50 years later. You have a common bond that you shared that you just can't replicate. And words can't decribe what you experienced. That's a mental dance that hard to replicate in business. It can be done in relationships. But those things take time."

"No one has been able to define what it means, but everyone knows it exists. It's when everything - the physical, the mental, and the emotional - comes together. Everything seems to click."

-- Walt Thompson, professor of kinesiology and health at Georgia State University.

Athletes refer to the state of being in the zone when everything comes together, when one does great things, and when mind and body are able to stretch to the limit to accomplish greatness. This state involves total immersion and focus, such that distractions and "noise" are absent. Often, at times of peak performance, athletes find themselves "in the zone." For basketball players the basket seems bigger and wider. They can't miss. For baseball players, they report being able to see the baseball bigger, more clearly and in great detail. Football players describe a feeling of being invincible with the ability to run all day through their opponents without being touched. In the zone, your confidence is high, worry is non-existent.

Mental conditioning helps athletes to improve confidence, increase focus, prevent distractions and manage emotions in order to get in the zone.  To get more information about mental conditioning, check out The Handbook of Peak Performance.  

Excerpts from ESPN.com (January 17, 2011).

Auburn Wins the BCS National Championship, War Eagle!

Auburn and Oregon Display Innovation To Get to the BCS Championship Game

The future is now.  

Auburn defeated Oregon 22-19 to win the BCS national championship last night.  The game was not the high scoring track meet many predicted.  However, it did provide many exciting moments and a view of what college football and professional football will be like in the future.  This season each team became known for innovation and had designed two of the most cutting-edge offenses in college football.  This innovation led to their epic meeting in Glendale, Arizona for the title.  

Auburn's Offensive Coordinator Guz Malzahn, who was also innovative when he was at Arkansas, was responsible for making the now famous "wildcat" formation into something that even NFL teams were willing to emulate. At Auburn, Malzahn's offense scheme has fluorished and led to a record-breaking season.  This offense also made the most of Cam Newton's skills and help him to win the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college football player of the year.   

Due to his innovative mentality, Auburn head coach Chizik was hired after he compiled a losing 5-19 record in two seasons at Iowa State.  Chizik made the most of his second chance, with the help of Malzahn's innovative offensive schemes, and is now a championship coach.

Oregon's head coach Chip Kelly designed a fast-paced offense perfected by equally fact-paced practice sessions.  NBA teams have studied Kelly's offense because it is so cutting edge. Using blown-up pictures pasted on poster boards that are used for game-time signals in his highly risk-taking and  innovative play calling, Kelly has developed a program that has risen to the top of the college football world.    

Now is his second season at Oregon, Kelly was given a chance by then Oregon Head Coach Mike Bellotti, and he made the most of it with his cutting-edge offensive formations, schemes, and game plans.

These successful college football programs are models for innovation and creativity.  

How is your organization or business using innovation, creativity and risk-taking to rise to the occasion?  

Do you foster an environment of innovation?  Do you hire others that have an innovative approach?  Will you rise to the top of your industry like Oregon and Auburn through cutting-edge thinking and execution?

Will you be able to unleash your teams' talent for a championship-worthy performance?  

  

San Antonio Spurs Look to Improve Defense

"I don't think we've changed anything specifically. We just come out, good focus, good game plans and just execute them. That's the kind of team we're going to need to be."

--Tim Duncan, discussing the San Antonio Spurs' concern about their defense despite having started 29-4 this season.

The Spurs' start is one of the 10 best in NBA history. However, it is a long season and many challenges await.

Is your team focused? Do you strive to improve even when enjoying success? How well do you plan? How closely and precisely do you execute your plans?

The Spurs have four NBA championships by using their system and refining it for years. Can you show the same commitment or success?

Excerpt taken from espn.com (January 2, 2011).

Location:Decatur, GA