A Coach's Diary

Before the first NBA 3-Point Shooting Contest in 1986, Larry Bird walk in the locker room and said "Man, who's coming in second?" That is confidence! That is belief in yourself and your abilities. The days that I am most confident are the days where I know what is coming and when I am prepared for it. I feel the same about sports. When I have put in the work and I feel good about what I have done in practice, I feel more comfortable and confident in the game. In an interview, Michael Jordan was asked if fear of failure was a motivator. He said, "I never feared about my skills because I put in the work. Work ethic eliminates fear. If you put forth the work, then what are you fearing? You know what you are capable of and what you are not." What that quote tells me is confidence and success come from work. Sports psychologist Dr. Patrick Cohn defines self-confidence as how firmly athletes believe in their ability to execute a physical skill or perform a task. He sa...

via For The Win Colin Stanton has edited NBA videos before — his six-minute tribute to the San Antonio Spurs  is a must-watch for fans of the NBA. Stanton’s newest video follows a similar formula. It has stirring classical music and edited footage of basketball stars playing the game beautifully. This time his focus on the 1986 Boston Celtics, one of the greatest NBA teams ever assembled. Larry Bird was in his prime, as were Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale, and the Celtics that year also added Bill Walton, one of the better passing big men who have ever played the game. The highlights are magical, and you get a glimpse of just how good a passing team those Celtics were. The Larry Bird segment especially. Good lord.