A Coach's Diary

  “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. ” - Wayne Gretzky Are you a procrastinator? I am, and I’m working as hard as I can to change that. Procrastination is when you avoid doing what you know you need to do, and you often feel worse because of it. I used to be proud of my ability to procrastinate and still get the job done, but now I realize how much unnecessary stress and anxiety comes with being a procrastinator, and how much more productive and at peace I can be when I am proactive. Wayne Gretzky is widely considered the greatest hockey player of all time. He once said, “ Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” Don’t let procrastination keep you from being who you want to be and doing what you want to do. The best of the best have a vision for how they want to live, they have a plan for how they want to execute, and they are...

"Never let defeat define you; let your comeback do the talking.” - Kim Yeon-Kuong How well do you bounce back from losses? I struggle with losing. When I was a kid, I would cry after losing, and even as an adult, I sometimes cry when I lose. I HATE losing. When my hate for losing became a fear of losing, it became a problem because I would either cheat to win or I would avoid tough competition because I was afraid to lose. When that happened, I stunted my growth because losing is a part of the process. Kim Yeon‑koung is a legendary South Korean volleyball outside hitter and former captain of the national team. The 2012 London Olympics MVP is a trailblazing influencer: she’s the first volleyball player to surpass 1 million subscribers on YouTube, runs a youth sports academy, and has been an ambassador for major brands. Kim once said, “Never let defeat define you; let your comeback do the talking.” Setbacks, losses, or failures shouldn't shape your identity or story. Instead of ...

“Those callouses,  those bumps, those bruises—they’re all necessary for you to be who you’re supposed to be. You have to embrace them.” - Jalen Hurts If you started all season but got benched in the second half of the championship game, how would you feel, and how would you react? This happened to quarterback Jalen Hurts in college. Over two seasons, Hurts led Alabama to a 26-2 record and broke the Crimson Tide’s single-season passing record in his sophomore year, but after a terrible first half against Georgia in the national championship game, he was benched for backup freshman Tua Tagovailoa, who led them to a comeback win. This could have broken Hurts, but instead, he eventually transferred to Oklahoma, led them to a 12-1 record, finished the year as a Heisman Trophy runner-up, and became a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. When talking about having to overcome challenges and obstacles, Hurst says, “Those callouses,  those bumps, those bruises—they’re all necessary for you t...

The best athletes and most successful people have a plan that starts when they wake up. I asked ChatGPT for a game day routine, and here is what it gave me: 1. Start the Day Right Hydrate early: Drink water as soon as you wake up — dehydration can negatively impact focus, energy, reaction time, and muscle function. Eat smart: Balanced meals — protein, carbs, fruits/veggies. You want your body to have the fuel it needs when it needs it the most. Visualize success: Spend 2–3 minutes seeing yourself making good plays and playing with energy. I like to watch film of myself and highlights from people I admire. Get some touches or shots in: You don’t want your first time touching the ball to be in warm-ups. 2. Stay Locked In at School (or throughout the day — wherever you are) Avoid junk food and bad drinks. Use quiet moments (lunch, passing periods) to take a few deep breaths and remind yourself: “I’m ready. I’ve worked for this.” Keep energy calm, not hyper or distracted. 3. Pre-Game Rout...

You can make your dreams come true by doing three things: Have a goal, make a plan, stick to the plan. Nick Saban is one of the best college football coaches of all time. I heard him speak once, and he said the key to success and winning championships come down to those three things: goals, plans, and discipline. He said you first have to have a vision or a goal: What do you want to do? Write it down on paper or in your phone. Second, you have to create a plan: What are 3-5 things you need to do to make this happen? Write those down on paper or in your phone. He said the third part is the hardest: Do you have the discipline to stick to the plan? Coach Saban said discipline is where most people fail. Most people won’t take the time to write down their goals or they won’t take the time to think out and write out a plan. Even if they do that, most people will quit on their plan because of a lack of discipline: “ It’s too hard,” “I’m too tired,” and “I don’t feel like it ,” ar...

“Serenity in sport is everything. Otherwise, it's a paradox. The body must always be trained at 100%, but if the head is not serene, you can do the best training, but it will never pay off.” - Frederica Pellegrini How are you in pressure games or moments? Are you the calm in the storm, or are you a part of the chaos? I recently talked to my daughters about the importance of calming your mind in the middle of the storm. When you are calm and centered, you can create space for you to do your best work. A simple way to do this is by doing Box Breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, and hold it again for 4 seconds. Repeat 4 times, and you can calm your mind. Federica Pellegrini is a legendary Italian swimmer—often called “La Divina”—widely regarded as one of the greatest freestyle athletes of all time. She once said, "Serenity in sport is everything. Otherwise, it's a paradox. The body must always be trained at 100%, but if th...