Socks, shoes, and identity stories
Read moreThe previous post ended with a somewhat obvious observation concerning a legendary anecdote about UCLA’s first day of basketball practice under the renowned coach John Wooden. Each year, on that first day, Wooden talked only about footwear, and not at all about basketball. As I said last time, though, the coach’s demonstration of how players should pull on their socks and
A tale of socks and shoes
Read moreWhen I wrote last time about sports coaches who focus relentlessly on the fundamentals of their craft, it reminded me of an amusing and revealing anecdote about legendary basketball coach John Wooden. In the United States, Wooden is one of the most revered sports personalities of all time, as well as one of his game’s most decorated coaches. His teams
Moving forward by going back to basics
Read moreWhen I graduated from college at age 22, I took a job teaching in a private secondary school. Among my functions there was coaching in the basketball program. During my third year at the school, I was named head basketball coach. In the subsequent three years, I was fortunate to have a number of opportunities to attend the practice sessions
Flash or fire: what is your game built on?
Read moreThe preceding post, in which I wrote of Michael Jordan’s work ethic and constant will to prepare and improve, caused me to think back to a remarkable Nike commercial from the 1990s. It is indeed exceedingly rare that I find anything in a television advertisement that reaches viewers on a philosophical plane and strives to impart a valuable life lesson.
Nobody is a natural born scorer
Read moreThis week, I continue to focus on some interesting client activity and board meetings in New York and Boston. Nonetheless, I have been able to catch a bit of the football (soccer to Americans) World Cup—not much the matches themselves, but at least a half-hour highlight show most evenings. On one of these occasions, I listened to four commentators analyze
Keep walking…… and stay on the path
Read moreThinking these past weeks about the “will to prepare” concept has reminded me of an incident I wrote about approximately one year ago. The event I reference here was a small but perhaps significant coincidence that happened in June 2017, at the end of a busy three-day speaking tour in Lima, Peru. After my final engagement—a half-day executive seminar at