A Coach's Diary

One thing that people mention when they talk about Michael Jordan was his work ethic. He didn't take a lot of days off, and when he was in the gym (or the golf course, in a card game, ping pong table, etc.) he was competing to be the best he could be.  In the Last Dance documentary, studio analyst and reporter Ahmad Rashad said, "Michael played every game as if it was his last. Every single game. It was never a day off. He knew that it was going to be somebody in the crowd who never saw him play before. That is what kept him going." Staying in the competitive mindset and always competing is a skill that can be a real difference-maker. Today, Ja Morant is an NBA star and viral sensation, but Ja was once an unknown and un-recruited high school basketball player trying to earn a college scholarship. Murray State assistant coach James Kane peaked his head into an aux gym at a small AAU combine where Ja Morant was playing three-on-three when Ja was in high school. Many high sc...

When asked how long it would take to win: "We'll be good when we're good.  My goal is to win right now." "Talk is cheap right now - we have to get to work.  My teams are going to play hard, they're going to play with enthusiasm, they're going to play with great intensity."  We competed in everything we did, from practice to teaching to showing up early.  We worked to gain confidence and erase fear by practicing for every contingency.  And we stayed constantly focused on maximizing the potential of everyone in the organization.  We applied ourselves and our philosophy diligently, and we started to win. http://www.amazon.com/Win-Forever-Live-Work-Champion/dp/1591844169 Carroll, Pete.  (2011).   Win Forever.   New York: The Penguin Group.

Always Compete - Win Forever - by Pete Carroll Among all of the great competitors that I have had the good fortune of working with or admiring from afar, Jerry Rice is the greatest individual competitor I have come in close contact with.  Jerry would give everything he had to beat you.  When I say Jerry competed at everything, I mean it. As a great competitor, Jerry understood that by staying in the mind-set of always competing, he could develop the awareness to capture the 'opportunities within opportunities' that other people might miss.  In other words, he was constantly seeking a competitive edge.  It helps to always be searching for that tiny edge in whatever you're doing - even if it's small, silly stuff - because that's how you are going to catch things that someone else might not when it really matters.  It's an extremely power tool. Just as important as that competitive intensity was the fat that you cold see without a doubt that Jerry was ...

This post is several notes that I have taken from the Always Compete chapter of the book, Win Forever , by Pete Carroll. -  Competition to me is not about beating your opponent.  It is about doing your best; it is about striving to reach your potential; and it is about being in relentless pursuit of a competitive edge in everything you do. -  Our stated goal would be to "do things better than they have ever been done before." -  If you want to win forever, always compete. -  Competition is a mentality, an outlook, and a way of approaching every day. The traditional definition of competition requires having an opponent.  For players, the real "opposition" is not necessarily the team they are matched up against in a given week - far from it.  The real opposition is the challenge to remain focused on maximizing their abilities in preparation for the game. -  The essence of my message about competing has nothing to do with the opponent. ...

"As a great competitor, Jerry Rice understood that by staying in the mind-set of always competing, he could develop the awareness to capture the "opportunities within opportunities" that other people might miss.  In other words, he was constantly seeking a competitive edge.  It helps to always be searching for that tiny edge in whatever you're doing - even if it's small, silly stuff - because that's how you are going to catch things that someone else might not when it really matters.  It's an extremely powerful tool." Pete Carroll on Jerry Rice being a competitor Taken from Pete Carroll's book Win Forever http://www.amazon.com/Win-Forever-Live-Work-Champion/dp/1591844169 Carroll, Pete.  (2011).   Win Forever.   New York: The Penguin Group