The 10 Rules for Highly Effective Leadership

Powerful new book titled 212⁰ Leadership: The 10 Rules for Highly Effective Leadership. In chapter 8, Mac talks about the importance of leaders “taking full responsibility” and having a “personal accountability attitude” which includes these reminders:

• YOU have more control over your destiny
• YOU become an active contributor rather than a passive observer
• OTHERS look to you for leadership
• YOU gain the reputation as a problem solver
• YOU enhance your career opportunities
• YOU enjoy the satisfaction that comes from getting things done … the power of positive doing
• YOU experience less anger, frustration and helplessness – all leading to better physical health
• YOU realize a positive spillover effect into your personal life at home 

Lead well ... LEAD RIGHT!

Click Here to purchase the Book!

 

Do you love what you do? If so, let it show.

We have all seen a team with low ability that prepares and performs with great passion defeat a team with much greater individual talent who plays without passion.

Sometimes the only difference between success and failure is energy.  Energy starts at the top.  Some coaches just contain a personal make up that contains deeper feeling and personal fire.  Coaches who have and can share a passion for their sport, for their team, for the profession of coaching and for life, give everyone around them hope and a daily boost of energy.  Successful organizations and teams often are a direct reflection of the personal passion of the leader.   Passion by itself is not enough but it is a great start.   It must be combined with the other traits of successful coaches like knowledge, philosophy, mental toughness and the other traits we have written about in previous newsletters.

It isn’t enough to have passion; you must be able to sustain it and share it.  The best coaches spread their passion by example.   They don’t have bad days.  They model the work habits, sense of urgency, focus and spirit they want their teams to emulate.  Even the most routine tasks get their best effort because they understand that it is the execution of the small details that separates the good from the great.  The passion of the leader provides motivation and determination to stay the course when things aren’t going well.

Passionate coaches love being there and they have and can create a sense of urgency with the sheer energy they bring to mission.  It is not a “job”.  They have a low tolerance for being “OK”.  Being average is never their goal so they are willing to do more, believe more and motivate more than the normal person.  Getting an average effort from their teams is never acceptable.  Great coaches have the ability to get every ounce of attention and energy from their athletes and the athletes love it.  Hard work, discipline, concentration, effort, focus and attention to detail are all choices that championship teams make.  Their players are not “too cool” to be sincerely enthusiastic.  And if they are ever in doubt of what passion and energy look like, all they have to do is watch their leader.

Shared passion leads to the good kind of pride on teams – shared joy.  This kind of pride is never felt by undisciplined, selfish or casual teams who prepare carelessly and without passion.

If you have a passion for what you do, let it show – don’t hide it and don’t apologize for it.

Be passionate in your pursuit of excellence and be careful when working with people who are not.

How Tebow Turns Criticism into Motivation

From The Website: All Pro Dad

Oftentimes, when someone tells you that you can’t do something, you do. Why? Because the fact that someone says you can’t motivates you to do it. This rings true for Tim Tebow. Many people said he would never be successful as a college quarterback, much less in the NFL with the Denver Broncos. He is proving them wrong. He is using their criticism as motivation.

Hockey Player: Behaviour

Article is from The Hockey Source! A player will act in a situation based on what he is taught. If he is shown to push others around to avoid being pushed around himself, then he will be aggressive and a bully. If he is shown not to bother anyone, then he will be passive and stay low key.

The role of a hockey team in a player's life is to teach:

Social skills

• Respecting people and property
• Interacting with others
• Learning from others
• Speaking to others

Participation in a group environment

• Playing with others to help them
• Performing individually for the group

Appreciation

• Of others
• Of himself

Players need to learn at a young age how to get along with other people. They will learn different skills in the different age groups.

5 to 8 years old: Get exposed to team attitude. The wants of the team outweigh the wants of the one player.

9 to 13 years old: Get exposed to "how actions have consequences" with officials, coaches and opponents. Players are shown how to take pride in themselves and in their team. For example, they learn how to properly take care of their equipment and about having pride in the uniform they wear.

14 and up years old: Get exposed to "how to act" towards external people from the game, for example, scouts and other coaches. Players are shown how to prioritize events to reach an outcome. They are taught that having the proper attitude will help them in their future.

In the heat of a battle in a game, it is quite common to see actions such as the slamming of a door, a yell or a shove by players. If a player is not taught that there are other ways of taking out their frustration, then these actions will turn into more severe acts that could result in property damage or bodily harm.

Here are 3 methods you can share with any young hockey player that will enhance their experience in the game:

• Smile when times seem tough.
• Take 3 deep breaths and hold each one for 2 seconds.
• Spray water in your face.

In all cases, this will immediately change their focus or disrupt their thoughts. It will allow them to calm down and focus on the task at hand.

If you don't think this is important, consider this:

Have you ever seen a hockey player get a 'dumb" penalty at the end of a game, resulting in the opposing team getting a power play goal and tie or win a game?

Player behaviour can change the outcome of a game.

Mental Edge - Attitude

Attitude is what keeps you optimistic when things get rough. Being able to maintain a positive attitude about your performance, your team, or your coach (for better or for worse) will make playing a lot more fun and getting better a lot more likely. 

 A positive attitude is not a perk, it is essential to playing your best. The way you think about the game is extremely important as to how you will play. Be it during practice or on the ice, having a positive attitude will give you the upper hand over any complainers, grumpy teammates, or angry opponents any day. Having a good attitude can have the following effects: 

• Lets you keep learning and growing, even after a bad game or season
• Helps teams stick together
• No matter what, sports are fun. Have some fun!
• Makes losing a lot easier. You can always do better the next time
• Makes you a better, more enjoyable person to be around. 

 No matter how bad things are looking, be it your team's standing this season or your personal performance, keeping a good attitude can open doors. No matter what, staying positive will always be more productive (for your self and your team) than having a bad attitude. 

Article is from the website, Sports Learning Edge!

Do leadership and teamwork really matter? Ask the Boston Red Sox

Article from PositiveSports.net

It appears that the September 2011 collapse of the Boston Red Sox was more than a reinstitution of the Curse of the Bambino. In fact, it was worse, because it was preventable.

From almost all accounts, the Red Sox collapse was caused in large part by a lack of team commitment and a failure of locker room leadership.

This post-mortem by Bob Hohler of the Boston Globe provides a case study of why leadership and teamwork matter - even if you have massive talent and a payroll to match. Coaches and parents, think about having your young athletes read this article as a leadership learning experience.

Click here for the DETAILS in the Collapse!

Communication Tips for Leaders at All Levels

From Walk The Talk!

Let’s face it, when surveys are conducted and employees are asked “what is the biggest problem around here,” the number one issue is always communication!  Effective communication is essential to both run a successful organization, but also enhance commitment, creditability and collaboration.  In the bestseller “Peer Today Boss Tomorrow” author Laura Bernstein outlines some important communication tips and techniques for each of us to remember and apply:

Keep it real.   Most people are turned-off by what they perceive as unrealistic claims, goals, and promises. There are no “cure alls” in the world … and your coworkers know it. When it comes to communicating your message, be positive and upbeat – tell it like you see it … just don’t “oversell” it.

Avoid “data dumps.”  Narrow your verbal and written communication down to no more than three key points. Bombard people with more information than they can handle (or remember) all they’ll tune out.

Use a “what’s in it for you” approach.  Nothing fosters support and acceptance better than personal benefit. Emphasize how the subject of your communication (a plan, policy, decision, etc.) will benefit the audience and you’ll increase receptivity for your message.

Find out how you’re doing. Have team members and colleagues critique your communications skills. Ask everyone to respond (anonymously), in writing, to the following question: “What two things can I do to be a more effective communicator?” Thank people for their willingness to provide you with input. And make sure you ACT on the information you receive.

Lead well ... LEAD RIGHT

How to Recognize Good Performance

 The 10 Commandments of Leadership - For more information go here!

Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned manager, a novice just starting in a leadership position, or someone in the middle of the experience continuum, you need to be effective … you need to be successful. You owe that to your team members and you owe that to your organization. Most importantly, you owe it to YOURSELF.

One of the important “Commandments” in the best seller The 10 Commandments of Leadership is to “Do Right by those who Do Right.” Providing recognition and positive reinforcement of a team member's actions, is perhaps the single most predictable way that these positive outcomes are not only sustained by that individual but also become “role model” behaviors for their co-workers.  And, it is up to each leader to “Do Right by those who Do Right.”  And, make sure the recognition you provide is…

TIMELY – Don’t wait. Acknowledge the performance or contribution as soon as possible after it takes place. Praise tends to lose its effectiveness with the passing of time.

SPECIFIC – Tell team members exactly what they did that was right and good. A mere “nice job” doesn’t really say all that much. Being specific lets employees know exactly what behaviors to repeat in the future.

INDIVIDUAL – Focus on individuals rather than groups. Fact is, not all team members contribute equally – and they know it.

PERSONAL – Adjust the style and method of your recognition to each receiver. Some people like public praise … others prefer private chats; some respond well to tangible tokens … others would rather have some extra time off.

PROPORTIONAL – Match the amount and intensity of your recognition to the value of the achievement. Going overboard for small contributions may lead people to question your motives.

Lead well ... LEAD RIGHT

Tip: When to Think (and When Not To)

 The Talent Code - Daniel Coyle is world wide known for his fantastic articles. Please visit his site for more great information!

Readers of this blog know that we’re hu-uuuge fans of stealing — by which I mean the kind of stealing where you shamelessly pickpocket good ideas from one line of work (sports, music, business, whatever) and put them to use in another. Here’s one, which I especially like. It’s stolen from Annika Sorenstam, the golfer, but it could apply to pretty much anybody.


Here it is: Draw an imaginary line that separates your practice space from your performance space. When you’re inside the Practice Zone, your brain is fully switched on. You’re thinking, strategizing, planning. But when you step across the line into the Performance Zone, you click off your mind and just play.

Here’s how Sandy Williams, a reader who recently attended one of Sorenstam’s camps, describes her using it:

Essentially she drew an imaginary line about a yard behind the ball (think of the back line of a batters box).  She deemed the area behind the line as the ‘thinking’ zone and the area in front of the line as the ‘play” zone.  In the thinking zone, she would get info from her caddy and think hard about the wind, the aim, which club, which shot, visualization, etc.  Then once she had figured out what she wanted to she crossed the line into the ‘play’ zone, she said she turned her mind off and hit the shot (or ‘played’ like she was a little kid) like she had done millions of times before.

There’s plenty of brain science that supports this method (MRI scans show that the more skilled an athlete is, the less they’re thinking). And of course we know that top performance happens when we relax and go on autopilot, letting our unconscious brain do its magic. But I like it because this Practice/Play Zone idea could be applied to lots of stuff beyond sports. Music, writing, trading stocks, chess, you name it. We all have a zone where we build, and then a zone where we relax and show what we’ve built.

I also like it because it shows the real paradox at the heart of improvement. During practice, thinking and planning are your friends. During performance, however, thinking and planning are your enemies. You can’t avoid this paradox; you need to build a routine that embraces both sides. You essentially have two brains, the conscious and unconscious; so the best way to improve is to give one zone to each.

PS — Thanks to Sandy Williams and the always-enlightening Finn Gunderson, director of alpine education for the U.S. Ski Association and director of sports education at YSC Sports, for passing this one along.
PPS — What other strategies have you come across that address the practice/performance issue?

To Coach Wooden, Everyone Was an Equal

To Coach Wooden, Everyone Was an Equal

Swen Nater - His Blog

My boss’s, boss’s, boss walked by me in the hallway. I said “Hello” but he didn’t answer. Deep in thought? I guess. However, that would have been our CEO and not me, I’m pretty sure he would have turned into Mr. Friendly.

From experience, I have concluded, it is human nature to be nicer to those we deem valuable to us, or those we think are our equals or higher, and not so much to those who are not. This is not limited to the workplace. It happens in classrooms, sports teams, clubs, and churches.  Generally speaking, people respond to others according to the respect they have for them.

I’m not proposing The President of the United States spend as much time interacting with a citizen as he does with one of his cabinet members. But, I do think he should do the basics, just so that citizen knows Obama considers him or her an equal.

What are the basics?

1. A verbal greeting

2. A non-rushed friendly conversation

3. An appreciative departure.
 
Here’s an example of when I witnessed a little boy (with his father behind him) approaching Coach Wooden after one of our games. The conversation went like this.

“Mr. Wooden. Mr. Wooden.”

“Yes, son.”

“I think you’re the greatest coach and I love watching the games. I think UCLA is the best.”

“Well, thank you son but you know, you have to have good players to win.”

“Yeah. I guess. But you’re good and my father says you’re the best.”

“Do you play basketball?”

“Yup, but I’m not very good.”

“You practice and someday you may be a Bruin.”

“OK. I’ll practice. Will you sign the game program for me?”

“Of course. What’s your name?”

“Alan”

“There you go, Alan. Are you and your father coming to the next game?”

“We sure are.”

“Then I’ll see you then and please stop by. Thanks for saying hello.”

This type of humanity, humility, and consideration was common practice for Coach Wooden. When on the road, he acknowledged the janitor as heartily and genuinely as he did the opposing coach. When on campus, he conversed with students as often as college professors.

Do you remember the Coke commercial with Mean Joe Greene and the little boy? Mean Joe was limping on crutches off the football field, down the tunnel, and toward the locker room when the little boy asked him if he needed help or if he wanted his Coke. At first, Joe declined but then when the boy offered again he said, “Thanks,” took the Coke, and began to drink. The boy, turning and walking away, said, “See you around.” Mean Joe said, “Hey kid. Catch,” and tossed his uniform top to him. The boy caught it and said, “Wow! Thanks Mean Joe.” Joe smiled.

That’s kind of what I’m talking about.

Role of a captain

Mike Brophy | October 3, 2011, 11:53 pm
Twitter @sportsnetbroph

It is a rather select club, those who have been captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
And being a member of this exclusive club is considered such an honor, the Maple Leafs played two full seasons without anointing a new member after captain Mats Sundin left for Vancouver. They didn't deem anybody in their organization worthy -- or, perhaps ready.

Hap Day wore the "C". So did Syl Apps, Ted Kennedy, George Armstrong, Dave Keon, Darryl Sittler, Wendel Clark, Doug Gilmour and Mats Sundin.

Despite the honour, it is also not without its challenges. Sittler battled management on behalf of the players and ultimately resigned as captain. He was subsequently traded.

On June 14, 2010, Toronto announced one of the worst-kept secrets ever when Dion Phaneuf was named the 18th captain in club history. Acquired midway through the previous season from the Calgary Flames, Phaneuf instantly became a vocal leader in the dressing room and was the obvious choice to be the team's captain.

It is an honour he does not take lightly as he enters his second season in the role, trying to lead a team to the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

"It's a huge honour to be the captain of this organization, Phaneuf said, "with the history and the great captains that have come before me. When I was named it was a big honour."
When Phaneuf speaks publicly, he often comes across as reserved and calculated. Away from the bright lights of the media, however, he is quite engaging and very passionate about his team. There are those who worried that being captain of the most covered team in hockey might be a burden for a young player, and that the then 25-year-old would be better off concentrating on trying to find his offensive game that appeared to have abandoned him.

Phaneuf broke into the NHL as a teenage scoring whiz with the Flames, scoring 20 goals in his rookie season and following that up with back-to-back 17-goal campaigns. He was also considered one of the best and most punishing open-ice hitters in the league. Since then, Phaneuf's goal-scoring has dwindled. He had 11 in his final full season with the Flames and then had 12 in 2009-10 split between Calgary and Toronto.
If you want to get Phaneuf riled, then mention his drop off in production. And then duck.

"I'm still the same player that I have always been," said Phaneuf, seemingly a little perturbed at his interviewer. "I didn't put the puck in the net as many times as I did before, but last year I didn't play as many games. I was hurt for a quarter of the season. That's not making an excuse; that's calling a spade a spade. I'm not worried one bit. I feel good and I am looking forward to the year. I know I can produce. It's tough to put up the same numbers when you miss a quarter of the year. I'm not worried."
Phaneuf missed 16 games after suffering a nasty cut on his leg upon being clipped by the skate of Ottawa's Peter Regin. Even upon return it took him a while to find his game in a year when he finished with eight goals and 30 points in 66 games.

So is being captain of the Maple Leafs too big a chore for a young player…a young captain on a young team? Phaneuf balks at that notion, even though the case could be made that being captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs gets tougher with each passing year the team doesn't make the playoffs.
"There's no burden with a young team," Phaneuf stated. "I've said it before; we have a lot of leaders in this room. It's not just one guy or the guys that wear the letters. Every guy leads in their own way and every guy brings a little different style of leadership. I think that's what makes a real good team; when every guy has input and every guy contributes. It's been a great room to be a part of and a great guy to lead. I lead by the way I play. I want to be a guy that works hard day in and day out in practices and games. I know that I do that. I'm really excited to get the year going."

For the Rest of the article Click Here!

 

Creating Captains

• Rett Larson
• 4/12/2011
• More Articles at Combine 360

I read a great blog a while back that got me thinking about the way we treat and train young athletes. 

It said:
“I am sick of seeing 13 to 15 year old kids labeled as the next superstar. We anoint these kids to the point where they think they are above the rules. Adults tolerate ant-social and sometimes illegal behavior; we enable these kids to the point where they never have to grow up, this is not a racial thing, it transcends race and gender. They don’t have to go to class, they don’t have to do their assignments, and someone always takes care of them. What do you think will happen when you give a kid like this a contract worth millions of dollars? Will he immediately learn responsibility and change a behavior pattern that authority figures have enabled him to do throughout his athletic career? I don’t think so and there is evidence everyday in the sports page to prove it. I know I am old fashioned but I was raised to believe that character was important. As coaches, teachers and administrators we have a responsibility to teach good behavior and responsibility for the star and the last person on the bench.”

This reminded me of another conversation I had with a coach recently about the philosophy of creating greatness in young athletes on and off the field.  He trains his athletes to not only run faster and jump higher, but to be the captains of their team.  From a practical standpoint it means that athletes are responsible for getting and putting away all equipment, they’re instructed how to give a good handshake while looking their coach in the eye, they’re lauded for encouraging others in the group, or welcoming a new athlete and making them feel like part of the team.  Coaches ask parents to make their young athletes call and schedule their training so they learn to take responsibility for their athletic potential. 

Some coaches go even further, correcting their athletes’ poor grammar or bad posture.
Lots of speed and strength programs, even bad ones, can make young athletes faster, but it takes a great coach to change the behaviors of those athletes off the field to create better human beings.  Create captains – the world thanks you in advance.

Bring Your "A" Game A Young Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness

A conversation with Jennifer L. Etnier, author of Bring Your "A" Game: A Young Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness (University of North Carolina Press, December 2009).

The text of this interview is available at:
www.ibiblio.org/uncp/media/etnier/



Q: What inspired you to write Bring Your "A" Game: A Young Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness? 


A: The simple answer is "because of the obvious need." It only takes a few minutes of observing a youth sporting event to see that many young athletes are in serious need of mental toughness training. Anyone watching these events will see athletes dropping their heads after a mistake, losing their temper after a decision by an official, making errors on easy scoring opportunities, and berating their teammates.

Additionally, many coaches have told me that they wished they'd had access to sport psychology when they were younger. They've also expressed that they wished there were sport psychology materials targeted towards young athletes and available for their teams. For these reasons, I thought a book designed to make mental toughness training skills available to young athletes would be a huge help to them as they worked to achieve their potential in sport.

 

Q: Who will benefit from reading this book? Is it geared towards specific sports? 


A: The skills that are described in this book were developed in the field of sport psychology, and the book was written specifically for young athletes. However, the book is not geared towards any specific sport. Instead, the book was intentionally written to include examples from a variety of sports, and the skills that are introduced are equally applicable to team sports and to individual sports. Despite the focus on sport, the mental toughness skills that are described in the book can be of benefit to any person who has performance-related goals. In addition to athletes, this book can benefit a variety of people, including entrepreneurs, performing artists, gamers, and students. Simply put -- anyone who has aspirations of achieving success could benefit from the development of mental toughness.

 

Q: What are your own experiences with competitive sports? Have you used these techniques yourself?


A: My parents are phenomenal athletes, and I grew up learning to play a wide variety of sports and learning to love them all!  I was the only girl playing on an all-boys soccer team in high school, and I was a regular starter during my junior and senior years. I lettered in three sports in high school -- softball, soccer, and basketball -- and wish I could have played more sports. I played soccer at the University of Tennessee and was the sweeper and team captain. I then played soccer semi-professionally for one season and had the opportunity to play for my state team at regional competitions on two occasions. I coached youth soccer teams for a number of years and was a volunteer assistant coach at Wake Forest University for three years. I continue to play soccer and look forward to getting back into coaching when my children are old enough to participate in sport.

As a young athlete, I was not formally aware of the field of sport psychology or of the mental skills that are so important to the development of mental toughness. I believe that many of these skills were instilled in me by my parents (positive self-talk, maintaining focus, confidence, commitment, and work ethic), but I certainly think that I might have had greater success in sport had I been aware of other beneficial techniques such as goal setting, mental imagery, and energy management. As an adult, I use these techniques in sport and in reaching my professional aspirations, and I find that they give me an edge that allows me to perform well in a variety of situations.

 

Q: How important do you think sports psychology and mental toughness are for successful performance?


A: Mental toughness is a critical factor from the time a young person begins to learn a new sport to the time when an elite athlete is competing for a valued prize. Mental toughness helps an athlete to commit to the hours of training necessary for success while maintaining the balance necessary to persevere, makes it possible for an athlete to maintain confidence and focus in challenging situations, and helps an athlete come to every competition ready to perform at a high level and to battle through the periods of adversity and disappointment that they may face. For the young athlete, mental toughness is key to realizing his or her full potential. At the highest level of play, mental toughness is often the deciding factor in important competitions.

 

Q: Are there any characteristics beyond mental toughness that are essential for success in sports?


A: A host of physical attributes can contribute to your ability to be successful in sport. In this book, I talk about the importance of recognizing which of these physical attributes are solely determined by your genetic make-up and which can be modified through training. The key is to be able to make the most of the physical attributes that you have, to maximally improve the physical attributes that can be changed, and to develop other game-related skills to ensure that you are the best player you can be. And the key to doing these three things is mental toughness. Thus, although physical characteristics can certainly help you to achieve success, it is my belief that athletes who do not have mental toughness will not reach their potential regardless of their physical attributes.

 

Q: How important are coaches and teammates in achieving success?


A: Before I answer this question, I should point out that I define success as performing at your best regardless of the outcome of the event. When success is defined this way, the bulk of the responsibility falls upon the individual athlete. The athlete must have the psychological skills and the mental toughness to bring his or her "A" game to every competition. That being said, coaches and teammates can certainly help you to reach this goal. Supportive and challenging teammates, knowledgeable and skillful coaches who understand sport psychology, and a positive and competitive training environment can contribute to your ability to develop every day. In my book, I address the importance of selecting a coach and team that will help you to develop into the best athlete you can be.

 

Q: Is there any single mental skill that you view as being more important than the others?


A: Although all of the mental skills that I describe are important for the development of mental toughness, there is one mental skill that is commonly used by all elite athletes.

Mental imagery is the process of imagining yourself performing some particular action. It is a technique that can be extremely helpful for mental toughness because it can be used in a number of different ways and in conjunction with other mental skills. For example, you can use mental imagery to visualize past accomplishments to maintain (or regain) confidence. You can use it to help manage your energy levels as part of your pre-performance routine or to help you relax the night before an important competition. You can use it to rehearse performance skills so that they can be performed well in the face of adversity or to practice them when you are fatigued or injured and unable to perform physically. Thus, mental imagery is a skill that greatly facilitates the development of mental toughness in ways that will be realized in competition.

 

Q: How did you come up with these techniques? How do you know they are effective?


A: I can't take credit for coming up with the sport psychology skills per se as these are techniques that are a part of the sport psychology literature. However, I have recognized that these skills have not been made available to young athletes. For this reason, I have written this book specifically for this age group and have provided descriptions of the techniques, examples, worksheets, and anecdotes designed to translate these skills to the language of young athletes.

With respect to knowing that these skills are effective, that evidence comes from several sources. Many of these skills were initially identified by simply asking elite athletes what types of psychological skills they used to perform at the highest level. Since their initial identification, however, most of these techniques have been tested scientifically to establish their effectiveness in sport situations. Although future research will undoubtedly teach us more about the specifics of utilizing these techniques, the evidence clearly suggests that mastery of these skills is advisable for those interested in performing at their best on a consistent basis.

 

Q: You include exercises and worksheets at the end of each chapter. How should these be used?


A: My hope is that readers will use these exercises in conjunction with their reading of the relevant material. However, many of these worksheets will also need to be revisited over time so that the mental skills can evolve with the development of the athlete. For example, the goal setting worksheet is designed to identify short- and long-term goals that help an athlete reach his or her ultimate dream. Once completed, the athlete can refer to this goal-setting plan to help stay focused on his or her goals. But, after 6 months or a year have passed, the worksheet should be revisited so that goals can be updated to reflect the athlete's continued development and progress.

 

Q: What role do you think parents should play in their child's performance?


A: Without at least minimal parental support, I do not believe a young athlete can be successful in sport. This minimal support includes things like allowing the child to play, signing the child up for a team, and providing transportation. However, a parent who provides additional support that is positive in nature can greatly foster their child's ability to be successful in sport. This additional support may include being encouraging and supportive, helping their child to learn to deal with adversity and disappointment, teaching their child to strive for greatness, and nurturing their child's love for the sport. Parents who provide this positive support can play an important role in helping their child to achieve his or her goals.

On the other hand, there are many parents who actually hinder their child's ability to be successful in sport -- they do this in a variety of ways such as emphasizing winning over skill development; negatively criticizing their child's performance; and putting their needs, expectations, and goals ahead of their child's. Although some children are extremely resilient and can be successful in spite of their parents, many will not be able to successfully navigate their way to sport success when faced with such negative influence.

As a last note, although parents may be the most likely people to provide positive support to their child, young athletes often find this type of support in an older sibling, a family friend, a school teacher or administrator, or a member of the coaching staff. Certainly, the young athlete who is surrounded by supportive adults is better positioned for success than the young athlete who is influenced negatively by adults around him or her.

How the NY Yankees pick their Captains

Written by Ryan Walter
Sunday, 15 June 2008 13:04
Recently I found a portion of the book Management Wisdom from the NY Yankees Dynasty fascinating. The book discusses how the Yankees picked their captains. Apparently there were eight Yankee captains between 1922 and 2004. They were officially designated captain for four reasons: 1. Their accomplishments exceeded the accomplishments of their peers. 2. They inspired others to superior performance. 3. They embodied the core values of the organization. 4. They were recognized and respected as team leaders by their teammates. Players needed to fulfill all of these requirements before management would bestow the title of captain. At times there was no Yankee captain as no player on the team at the time lived up to the role. Among the most inspiring of the team captains are Lou Gehrig, Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter, captain of the current squad. Captains are first recognized and respected as leaders by their teammates. Organizations must acknowledge and support these informal leaders.  The captain is a role model who links traditional winning ways to current conditions.Leaders are anointed and not appointed: They are recognized by fellow employees as outstanding workers, great people and role models for the organization's values (modified from Management Wisdom from the NY Yankees Dynasty). It shouldn't surprise us that high performance and leadership go hand in glove, just as the Yankees look for their captains. During my NHL playing career I can know recognize that these 4 methods of selecting captains were certainly part of how NHL teams picked their leaders also. I was named captain in my second season in the NHL and I always thought that this was a bit early. But looking through this Yankee criteria I to some small degree fit into each of these 4 factors. Finally, look around at some of the leaders that you really respect? These 4 elements may play a part or at least may be the lense that you view their superior leadership through.