A sunny day, work to be done, and jay birds fly upward toward the sun,
but I'll work hard and I'll fly higher, than any jay bird could ever aspire.
The bulldogs growl and bark away, and hornets buzz around all day,
but I am swift and they don't bother me, a cloud of dust is all they will see.
And owls and lakers lazily sleep, fading away without even a peep.
I'll leave them be, all snug in their slumber, to nightmares and fear of me and my lumber.
Falcons soar and are very proud, while pirates on shore are boisterous and loud
I stay humble just doing my best, and leave them behind to weep with the rest.
Spartans are ancient from days of old and Kewpies are babies, they are not bold,
but I am committed to all that I do, and when they look in my eyes, they see it too.
Bulldogs again! We took care of that, and Comets have no hands to hold onto a bat.
I'm on a team that works hard together, and what we have planned will live on forever.
Pirates again with patches on their eyes, and bruins are strong, but don't search for the prize.
Tigers are powerful and like to attack, but I am confident I can tame them with my team at my back.
My journey has seen many fine sights, many that would cause most people a fright.
And although my adventure seems to come to an end, it start right back over with Districts my friend.
Purpose, preparation, and confidence at my side, commitment and courage ride right next to Pride.
A Crusader am I mounted high on my steed, and along with my teammates Blue and Gold's what we bleed.
With one goal in mind we control our own fate and no mascot will hinder our journey to STATE.
--BGC--
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Actions Speak Louder.....Keep Your Cool
You've been there, the heat of competition, game is close, and tension begins to mount. Emotions swirl around and you find that your mind is so cluttered that any sense of clarity has passed by. Hopefully someone, a coach, captain, or some team leader, stepped up and had something to say. If you are like me, you may not remember a word coming out of the person's mouth. Turns out that the words are not that important anyway.
Most athletes in a time of high stress remember the actions, nonverbal communication, and tone of those who step up to lead, more so than the actual words. Unfortunately, too many of us recall these moments where someone either tries to rally everyone by yelling and screaming, or by someone who is so stressed out themselves they put you in a more unsettled place. Ideally the coach or team leader that steps forward is a person who can keep their cool. Someone whose composure is never in question. Someone whose very nature, regardless of actual words spoke, puts you in a more relaxed state, aiding you in performing at your highest level.
As leaders, keeping your composure is of the utmost importance. I have said before that the leaders of a team have a major impact on the teams personality. Those players who are looked up to by their peers tend to be the pulse of the team. If the leaders show anxiety, tentativeness, and a lack of confidence, it will spread throughout the team like a virus. If the leaders are composed, confident, aggressive, and courageous, these qualities will also find their way into the play of their teammates. Keep your cool and be consistent. Lead with the same spirit whether in a close game or a nail biter. In many cases the composure of a team's leaders is the difference between winning 1-run games and losing 1-run games.
"Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control, they're in control." Tom Landry, former Dallas Cowboys Coach
Most athletes in a time of high stress remember the actions, nonverbal communication, and tone of those who step up to lead, more so than the actual words. Unfortunately, too many of us recall these moments where someone either tries to rally everyone by yelling and screaming, or by someone who is so stressed out themselves they put you in a more unsettled place. Ideally the coach or team leader that steps forward is a person who can keep their cool. Someone whose composure is never in question. Someone whose very nature, regardless of actual words spoke, puts you in a more relaxed state, aiding you in performing at your highest level.
As leaders, keeping your composure is of the utmost importance. I have said before that the leaders of a team have a major impact on the teams personality. Those players who are looked up to by their peers tend to be the pulse of the team. If the leaders show anxiety, tentativeness, and a lack of confidence, it will spread throughout the team like a virus. If the leaders are composed, confident, aggressive, and courageous, these qualities will also find their way into the play of their teammates. Keep your cool and be consistent. Lead with the same spirit whether in a close game or a nail biter. In many cases the composure of a team's leaders is the difference between winning 1-run games and losing 1-run games.
"Leadership is a matter of having people look at you and gain confidence, seeing how you react. If you're in control, they're in control." Tom Landry, former Dallas Cowboys Coach
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Great Expectations
When I was young I dreamed of 3-2 counts bases loaded and hitting the ball out of the park, throwing a game winning touchdown, and hitting the game winning shot at the buzzer. There were no limitations and the sky was the limit. No one made me live in their version of "reality." I am sure there was a time in your life when you felt the same freedom. When did we start "playing it safe?" When did we begin telling ourselves, "be real, you can't do that," or worse, listening to others tell us what we can and can't do? Fear of failure and lowering the bar to make sure we can succeed has become too much of the norm.
It is time to revert back to our childhood! It is time to play without fear and bask in the glory of the successes we lived out in the minds of our childhood selves. Raise the bar and live in a time of Great Expectations. It is time to once again reach for the stars instead of keeping our feet planted on the ground where we try to control our performances by being watered-down, "safe" athletes.
In order to truly have a memorable season, a season of no regrets, there has to be high expectations. We need to stretch ourselves. It is time to once again let our feet leave the ground and BELIEVE that we can reach new heights, and turn a deaf ear to the mumblings around us that try to stifle our flight.
"Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson, Author
It is time to revert back to our childhood! It is time to play without fear and bask in the glory of the successes we lived out in the minds of our childhood selves. Raise the bar and live in a time of Great Expectations. It is time to once again reach for the stars instead of keeping our feet planted on the ground where we try to control our performances by being watered-down, "safe" athletes.
In order to truly have a memorable season, a season of no regrets, there has to be high expectations. We need to stretch ourselves. It is time to once again let our feet leave the ground and BELIEVE that we can reach new heights, and turn a deaf ear to the mumblings around us that try to stifle our flight.
"Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson, Author
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
My bad...
I had the opportunity to watch parts of a softball tournament last weekend and a player from one of the St. Louis teams made a comment that brought back memories from my own playing days. The comment, "My bad." A once prevalent saying amongst teammates has fallen by the wayside. The comment is so simplistic, but shares so much about the person speaking it.
A ball hit to short, fielded and thrown high to 1st base. The first baseman jumps with the ball barely nicking the glove and carrying on to the fence. First basemen runs down the ball, gets it back in the circle, and simply says, "My bad." That's right....the first basemen says it. It is a concept that needs to be renewed. Was it technically the first basemen's fault the play wasn't made, no, but by taking responsibility it helps the thrower of the errant toss relax and continue to play. Some argue that you should not take responsibility for a bad play if it isn't your fault. I like to look at the bigger picture. A simple statement may diffuse the emotions of the person who really fell short allowing them to play more focused. The person taking responsibility may work harder to come up with those difficult plays helping out their teammate and their team later on.
It is funny how seemingly little things spread throughout a team, good and bad. Once one person steps up and takes responsibility for themselves or maybe even someone else, I believe it will spread like wildfire. People take responsibility for their play and everyone else rallies around them instead of grinding the mistake into their teammate who already feels bad.
If you agree, I hope you will put this line of thinking into practice. If you totally disagree all I can say is, "my bad."
A ball hit to short, fielded and thrown high to 1st base. The first baseman jumps with the ball barely nicking the glove and carrying on to the fence. First basemen runs down the ball, gets it back in the circle, and simply says, "My bad." That's right....the first basemen says it. It is a concept that needs to be renewed. Was it technically the first basemen's fault the play wasn't made, no, but by taking responsibility it helps the thrower of the errant toss relax and continue to play. Some argue that you should not take responsibility for a bad play if it isn't your fault. I like to look at the bigger picture. A simple statement may diffuse the emotions of the person who really fell short allowing them to play more focused. The person taking responsibility may work harder to come up with those difficult plays helping out their teammate and their team later on.
It is funny how seemingly little things spread throughout a team, good and bad. Once one person steps up and takes responsibility for themselves or maybe even someone else, I believe it will spread like wildfire. People take responsibility for their play and everyone else rallies around them instead of grinding the mistake into their teammate who already feels bad.
If you agree, I hope you will put this line of thinking into practice. If you totally disagree all I can say is, "my bad."
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