"Every man dies, not every man really lives."

I was watching the movie "Braveheart" the other day and heard a quote from that movie that I really liked. During the movie William Wallace says, "Every man dies, not every man really lives." There is a lot of truth to this quote. A lot of people simply drift through their lives and live for no reason or purpose. If you were to go to a graveyard, and look at someones tombstone, you would see a date, followed by a dash (-), and then another date. The first date is obviously the day that person was born while the second is the day they passed away. On that first day when a person comes into this world he/she comes into the world with nothing. And on their last day that person dies with nothing. It is that dash where their story is told. It is the years between their date of birth and their date of death that defines them as a person. We need to make sure that we truly live our lives everyday. My last post was entitled "thinking positive" and I think we need to carry that thought with us everyday. When we wake up in the morning, we are alive. We have been given another day and we need to make sure that we make the absolute most of it.

Athletes can take a lot from this quote as well. I work around college athletes every day. They have been given a talent that many people don't have. Now they can bury that talent and just skate through their athletic career and be done. Or they can make the best of what they are given. Because one day they won't be an athlete anymore and they will either be remembered as good or great. They must have the "never satisfied" attitude and make sure that they use every day that they have to get better at their craft. That's what makes the difference between the good ball player and the great ball player. The great ball players are the ones that go down in the record books as legends. If I had my choice, I think I would rather be known as a legend then simply an alright guy who wasted what he had been given. So I guess this is a challenge to everyone out there, athlete or not. Are you making the most of everything you've got. Are you making the "dash" in between your birth and death dates something worth remembering. Because yes, every man will die. It is a fact of life. But not every man will truly live. Make sure your not in that category.

Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life. Jackie Robinson

Thinking Positive

I was reading a post on Bob Starkey's blog today and I really liked it. It was entitled "Perspective." So I decided I would post what he had and add a few quotes to it that I have found throughout the year. I have a friend that is always telling me to think positive. I truly think that doing so makes life much more enjoyable.

"The gem cannot be polished without friction."-Chinese Proverb

"May there be enough clouds in your life to make a beautiful sunset."-Rebecca Gregory

"Birds sing after a storm. Why shouldn't we?"-Rose Kennedy

"Wherever we look upon this earth, the opportunities take shape within the problems."-Nelson A. Rockefeller

"In order to see a rainbow or a beautiful sunset, we must always be looking up." -Unknown

"Smiles and good humor are the seasonings that make everyday living taste better." -Unknown

"The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there."

"Before success comes in any man's life, he's sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That's exactly what the majority of men do." -Napoleon Hill

What many people fail to realize as they go through life is all the defeats that they must first face before they can reach that desired level of success. No one has ever stepped in between the lines and just been a great player. They had to work every day to improve. Take Cal Ripken Jr. for example. This is the guy who holds the record for the most consecutive games played(2,362) in the MLB. But, as Cal says, "I didn’t just show up for work, as has sometimes been said. I also showed up to work." If you are just simply showin up for work you will see everyone continue to pass you by. Even if you are far greater than them in talent, they can still out work you. And if they are out working you then 99% of the time they will be out performing you. So you must continue to work. You will take your lumps and face your defeats, there is no question about it. But those defeats make the taste of success that much more sweet.

"The man on top of the mountain didn't fall there." -Unknown

The Man-The Legend

The man is a legend. The best to ever lace up a pair of sneakers and grace the floor. Never again will there be another Michael Jordan.

Lion Pride

I have never been more proud to be a part of UNA athletics as I was this past Saturday. In case you were unaware I am currently in my second year as the baseball manager here at UNA. I absolutely love UNA baseball. I have learned many things that I will be able to take with me as I pursue coaching as my future career. Anyway, this past Saturday we lost a double header to the University of Montevallo. This being a conference series those two loses hurt us pretty bad. All year it seems that we continue to find ways to beat ourselves and don't come up clutch in situations. We did this again last Saturday. After the game our coach proceeded to tell the team, in the team meetings, the same old broken record things he has had to say all year. That we just can't find a way to be clutch. After coach gave his spill it was junior second baseman Dewayne Gunn that stepped up and called out the rest of the team. He called every single player out, including himself, and said that if they didn't make a change then they were going to watch their season go downhill. Well the guys took that challenge to heart and that night went and hit on their own. Me and the other manager, Josh Wetzel, threw as well as the players throwing to themselves. The team knew that a change needed to be made and the next day they came out and beat Montevallo in game three 12-6. There is no doubt that as a team we still have more work to do. We can still get so much better. But, for me personally, I have never been more proud of our team and I have never been more proud to just simply be known as a UNA Lion.

Excellence in what you do is an important value, especially for those of us who have a conscience. You can’t lie to yourself. If you look back and realize that you could have done better, it’ll eat at you until you fix it. I don't do anything half way. -Cal Ripkin Jr. (from his book-Get in the Game)

When you lose, you start getting better tomorrow.

As an aspiring coach, and huge Tennessee fan, I loved what I saw coach Pat Summit do this past Tuesday. Coach Summit and the Lady Vols lost in the first round of the NCAA playoffs Monday for the first time in school history. So what did they do Tuesday? They practiced. Coach Summit said that they weren't good enough to be out on the floor at the tournament, so they were going to get better on the practice floor. She is a winner, simply put. She doesn't lose and when she does, she is going to go to great lengths to make sure it doesn't happen again. I love it. She could have used plenty of excuses. The Lady Vols just lost Candace Parker and the rest of their starters from last years championship team. But coach Summit doesn't make excuses. She finds a way to get better and win with what she has, and she has been very successful doing so.

The Turtle on the Fence Post

I had a post not too long ago that referenced Mike Huckabee's book "Do the Right Thing." Well I must say that I have been dragging my feet when it comes to getting this book read. I have been busy with baseball and when I'm not busy I have just chose not to read. But the other night I picked it up again and read a chapter. The chapter was entitled "Let Them Buy Stocks" and Mr. Huckabee talked about how candidates in an election always talk about helping out the working man, but really they mean they want to help out the CEO's, business owners, and those at the "top of the food chain." They forget that at one time those CEO's were most likely simple workers like the rest of us. People who put in the tough hours and often got overlooked. Huckabee talks about how the working man is the one that needs the help, not the CEO's. The point I am getting to is this:

In that chapter Huckabee says, "The CEO is like the turtle on the fence post. No one is sure how he got there, but one thing is for sure- he didn't get there by himself!"

I got to thinking about this and I think we can apply it to ourselves, in sports and in life. No matter how good we do in life we always need to remember where we come from and who helped us out along the way. Because I can all but guarantee that whatever level of success you reach, you didn't get there alone. There were people behind you every step of the way, encouraging you, pushing you, and keeping you focused. So remember those people when you reach your highest level of success. If it wasn't for them you might not have ever made it.

Orange Crush

I can't say enough about what I've seen the Syracuse Orange do in the past couple of days. I'm sure everyone in the sports world has heard about the amazing 6 overtime game they played on Thursday against #4 UCONN. But they continued to impress as they played again, less then 24 hours later, and went into overtime to win against West Virgina. These guys just gave it all they had. Unfortunately they fell short tonight against Louisville in the Big East championship game, but they were still a joy to watch. Everyone on the team played with such will and desire. The one who stood out most to me was sophomore PG Jonny Flynn. This kid never ever stops. He played every minute against UCONN and then again against West Virginia. This afternoon(before the Big East championship tonight) Flynn was found in the weight room of the hotel getting in a light workout. When coach (Jim) Boeheim asked him if he was alright, he had this to say: "Coach what do you think? There is nothing more I love in life than playing basketball. Let's go win a championship." As a coach I don't see how you couldn't love this kid. And I'm sure coach Boeheim will be glad to see Flynn coming back next year(that is unless he heads to the draft). He was playing off fumes and still had more will and drive than many players you see today. My high school football coach used to always tell me that the best thing he could ever say about a kid is that "his motor runs." I think its fair to say that about Flynn. He, and the Orange, got me glued to the t.v. the past two nights to see if they could pull out another one. And, even though I am a huge Tennessee fan, I look forward to seeing what Syracuse can do in the tournament. The madness is upon us.

Front-Runners

I have learned throughout my time working with athletics that it is very very easy to become a front-runner. A front-runner is a person who, when in the lead, is untouchable, but when faced with a deficit, they can never quite come back. The only thing is, in sports and in life, your not always going to be out front in every game you play. There is going to come a time when you have to battle back and find a way to win late in the game. If you can't do so then you will find yourself not near as successful as you could be. Mike Ditka once said, "Success is never permanent, and failure is never final." All front-runners need to keep these words close to them. Their success is never a permanent thing. And when they do stumble and fall, because everyone will, it is up to them to find the will and desire to make a comeback and make sure that their failure is never final.

"People are going to have to check their egos at the door."

I really liked what I saw Jimmy Rollins say recently considering his playing time in this years World Baseball Classic.

Manager Davey Johnson faced a tough challenge this past week. He had to decide who would be his starting shortstop for today's game agianst Canada. Would it be nine-time All-Star, and captain of the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter, or would it be the 2007 NL MVP Jimmy Rollins. Ultimately Johnson decided on Jeter for the first game. When Rollins was asked about what he thought about this decision he said, "It's fine with me. People are going to have to check their egos at the door." You have to love that in a player that has done so much already in his career. It is about playing for the name on the front of your jersey rather than the one on the back.

I also read something similar post on Eric Musselman's blog today. He was talking about San Antonio Spurs center/forward Fabricio Oberto. Oberto started 64 games for the Spurs last season, averaging more than 20 minutes per game. This season, his minutes have been trimmed (13.1 mpg). When asked about it he said, "If I'm not playing and the team wins, that's perfect. Look, everyone wants to play, [but] everyone wants to win more."

Both of these great examples of truly being team players.

212 Degrees: The Extra Degree

Be a Finisher

"Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out." -Art Linkletter (famous television show host)

Too many people in life today let their mistakes and miscues get them down. A mistake is not something that we should be happy with, but we shouldn't let it ruin us. We must realize that there is more life to be lived. If we sit on that one mistake then we allow it to take us over and we can't push past it. If we can't let one mess up go then we will continue to live in fear of messing up again. Which, I don't think, is the way that any of us want to live.

Baseball is a very up and down kind of game. The people that have gone down in the books as the best hitters of all time have failed to get a hit 7 out of 10 times. The players that let an 0-4 day discourage them to the point where it keeps them down, will most likely see another 0-4 performance the next day. A player must take his performance, learn from it, and work to turn 0-4 into 4-4. Legendary coach Lou Holtz once said, "How you respond to the challenge in the second half will determine what you become after the game, whether you are a winner or a loser." Very true statement. Life, and sports, is a marathon, not a sprint. If you come out of the blocks slow and off your game then respond with a brilliant second half performance. If you come out looking good, keep at it. For it is all about the finish. Mistakes will no doubt happen. 0-4 days are gonna be in your future whether you like it or not. But it is how you respond to those tough times. Do you pull out of the race then, or do you finish strong. Be a finisher.

Winning and Losing: The Mental Aspect

Nothing can stop the person with the right mental attitude from achieving their goal; nothing on earth can help the person with the wrong mental attitude. -Thomas Jefferson

At least half of everything we do is mental. Even in sports when it seems that many things are simply reactions, there is still, very much, a mental aspect to the game. You can just step up to the plate and use your talents to hit. That is true. But, you will be much more successful if you have studied the pitcher and know what he likes to throw in certain situations. A pitcher can step on the mound and get guys out with his skills, yes. But if he knows what hitters struggle with certain pitches he is going to be far better off in his craft. Even as a position player in the field the mental aspect of the game is important. This past year I read Cal Ripken Jr.'s book "Get in the Game" and found out some insightful things that he did as a shortstop. Cal was always looking for the upper hand in the game of baseball. During pregame meetings catchers and pitchers get together with the opposing teams scouting report and talk about how to pitch to hitters. Well Cal saw this as an opportunity and joined in on these meetings. By doing so Cal now knew how his pitcher planned to pitch to a certain hitter therefore he knew where to position himself in order to have the best chance at making a play. This proved to help him become more successful throughout his career. Cal used the mental side of the game to put himself into a better position to show off his talents.

Winning is also half mental. At least half. A person who sees himself, or his team, as a winner will have a hard time accepting a loss. Whereas a person who sees himself, or his team, as a loser is surprised by a win and not near as bothered by losing. To me, if losing doesn't bother you then you need to get out of athletics in a hurry because your not going to be too successful. Winning might not be everything but its pretty close to it. Think about how the great players and coaches are measured. By their wins and losses. In the December of 1997 Peyton Manning was one of the finalists for the Heisman trophy. He seemed to have put up the best numbers all year (and no I don't just say that because I'm a Tennessee fan) yet he didn't win because he never had beat the University of Florida in his 4 year career at Tennessee. He couldn't win the big game. This even carried over into his NFL career until he finally silenced the critics in 2007 by leading his team to a Superbowl victory.

Whether we like it or not the difference in being a winner and a loser lies, a lot of the time, between your ears. Now granted you can't think you are a winner and then suddenly overnight become one. You have to have the right tools and talents. But, even a guy with all the tools to be a champion will fall short if he doesn't think he is one.

The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can't do. -Dennis Waitley (famous author and keynote speaker)

"Failing to prepare is preparing for failure."

If you can out-prepare them, you can outperform them.
-Ron Shapiro (consultant and special advisor to team owners, coaches, CEOs, and GMs.)

Too many people don't put enough emphasis on preparation. Everyone wants to just go out and play with out putting near enough time into learning in practice. Since I have been in college I have often heard, "For every hour that you are in class you need to study two hours." Now lets be honest, not too many people in college actually abide by this rule, but who knows how much better they would be in the classroom if they did. Jim Wilson, former head coach of the Buffalo college football program from 1932–1951, said "I constantly stress process over outcome. In other words, don't worry about the exam. Just do your homework." Very good quote if you ask me. If a student does his homework (and really does it and doesn't just fly through it to get it done) then he won't have to worry about the exam at all. He will have practiced all the skills learned in class to the point that he has them down pat. The exam will simply let him show what he has learned. That's the way we should treat sports. If we show up and learn in practice (and don't just go through the motions) then the game will simply be the time to show what we have learned. There have been many times that the team with the most amount of talent didn't win the game, the team that was better prepared for battle did.

Failing to prepare is preparing for failure. -John Wooden

Pride in what you do

"Excellence in what you do is an important value, especially for those of us who have a conscience. You can’t lie to yourself. If you look back and realize that you could have done better, it’ll eat at you until you fix it. I don’t do anything half way." -Cal Ripken Jr. (from his book "Get in the Game")

I think that says enough. Have pride in what you do or don't do it at all.

The Great Escape

To me it's great how sports can be an escape from some of the wordly problems we sometimes have. For me it's baseball. Once it is game time everything else seems to go away. Any family problems, school problems, money problems, girlfriend/wife problems, etc. Once you step inbetween the lines everything else fades away. The game consumes you. At least to me, thats the way it should be.

Baseball Is

by Greg Hall

Baseball is grass, chalk, and dirt displayed the same yet differently

In every park that has ever heard the words play ball.

Baseball is a passion that bonds and divides all those who know it.

Baseball is a pair of hands stained with newsprint,

A set of eyes squinting to read a boxscore,

A brow creased in an attempt to recreate a three-hour game

From an inch square block of type.

Baseball is the hat I wear to mow the lawn.

Baseball is a simple game of catchand the never-ending search for the perfect knuckleball.

Baseball is Willie vs Mickey, Gibson vs Koufax, and Buddy Biancalana vs the odds.

Baseball links Kansan and Missourian, American and Japanese,

But most of all father and son.

Baseball is the scent of spring,

The unmistakable sound of a double down the line,

And the face of a 10-year-old emerging from a pile of bodies

With a worthless yet priceless foul ball.

Baseball is a language of very simple words that tell unbelievably magic tales.

Baseball is three brothers in the same uniform on the same team for one brief summer

Captured forever in a black and white photo on a table by the couch.

Baseball is a glove on a shelf, oiled and tightly wrapped,

Slumbering through the stark winter months.

Baseball is a breast pocket bulging with a transistor radio.

Baseball is the reason there are transistor radios.

Baseball is a voice in a box describing men you've never met,

In a place you've never been,

Doing things you'll never have the chance to do.

Baseball is a dream that you never really give up on.

Baseball is precious.

Baseball is timeless.

Baseball is forever.

Love the Game

Another one of my favorite quotes:

"Love the game. Love the game for the pure joy of accomplishment. Love the game for everything it can teach you about yourself. Love the game for the feeling of belonging to a group endeavoring to do its best. Love the game for being involved in a team whose members can't wait to see you do your best. Love the game for the challenge of working harder than you ever have at something and then harder than that. Love the game because it takes all team members to give it life. Love the game because at its best, the game tradition will include your contributions. Love the game because you belong to a long line of fine athletes who have loved it. It is now your legacy. Love the game so much that you will pass on your love of the game to another athlete who has seen your dedication, your work, your challenges, your triumphs... and then that athlete will, because of you, love the game." -Unknown

Eye of the Tiger

I just couldn't help but post this video. He plays the game with such drive an determination. I, for one, am defiantly glad to see him back on the tour. This video is the highlight from the 2008 U.S. open when he played and won, in sudden death, with a torn ACL.

"They've chosen the spotlight, so they better make sure that there's nothing to see."

Read a good article in today's USA Today written by Drew Sharp entitled, "Public rarely sees Tiger's private life." He talks about how so many athletes let the media catch them at a bad time and it can destroy their image, but Tiger Woods has done a fantastic job at keeping his public image clean and his personal life to himself. No one has a perfect life and as a celebrity the media is always looking for you to mess up. More athletes in today's world need to take a page out of Tiger's book and keep their personal lives...personal. Here is the article:

Golf awakens from its eight-month hibernation from relevance Wednesday afternoon when Tiger Woods returns to the PGA Tour after reconstructive knee surgery, the sport's most eagerly anticipated comeback since Ben Hogan's recovery from an automobile accident almost 60 years ago.

The timing offers an appreciative breath of fresh air.

Can you believe it? There's actually genuine interest in a star's athletic prowess rather than his expertise in wrapping his lips around a marijuana bong or in "stacking" steroids doses. I'm wondering if we can adjust to such a dramatic shock to our senses.

It's not that Woods isn't immune from that most common human characteristic — bad judgment. But he's done a far better job of insulating himself from the prying eyes and fervent pursuers that recently pounced upon the opportunities that Michael Phelps and Alex Rodriguez provided.

Tiger might be the only global sports superstar remaining that the public can honestly trust today only because he makes sure the public rarely sees his private life.

For all anybody knows, he could be a one-man freak show. But nobody will ever know because Woods remains as mentally focused in preserving his well-crafted image as he is in preserving a final round tournament lead.

He's purposely distant. Woods doesn't say anything publicly that isn't first properly vetted. He's basically assumed ownership of his own informational content, "breaking" stories on his website.

He's very selective about those with whom he socializes, attaching a codicil to those closest relationships — protect his privacy or risk becoming an outcast.

Have you ever seen a photograph of him emerging from a nightclub after hours? Has there ever been any whiff of inappropriate public behavior that gives the tabloid back pages its oxygen?

Woods understands the responsibilities that come with enormous fame. You flaunt your celebrity at your own risk.

Phelps and A-Rod don't get that. When caught in a compromising situation, they blamed the overreaction of others on not understanding that their mistakes were solely the result of innocent, youthful stupidity. But when you willingly accept the vast monetary trappings of your athletic success, you lose the privilege of naïveté.

Jordan thought he could do whatever he wanted without further scrutiny because he was Michael Jordan. He finally understood that his fame only invited more inspection, demanding even more diligence in how you conduct yourself away from the arena and with whom you associate.

There is no heroism in sports, only celebrity.

Maybe Tiger gets that better than the others. They've chosen the spotlight, so they better make sure that there's nothing to see.

For the Love of the Game

I recently did a little research on a player that has come to be one of my favorites in the game of baseball. Dustin Pedroia. He is not an outstanding stud of an athlete like many others in the MLB but he could play on my team any day of the week. Dustin Pedroia is a small guy (generously listed as 5'9" 180 pounds by the Boston Red Sox website). He is not overpowering at the plate and, while he isn't slow, he doesn't just have pure break away speed. But, Dustin Pedroia is a ballplayer. He is scrappy. He swings the stick with all the strength he's got in him then busts his butt down the line. In a world where a player jogs (practically walks) down the line if he thinks he is out, Pedroia never gives in. When he hits the ball he is going to make you work to get him out.

The other thing I love about Pedroia is that he plays for the love of the game. He played his college ball at Arizona State University, where he relinquished the last two years of his athletic scholarship so that ASU could recruit better pitchers. He was playing baseball at a top collegiate school and that was enough. Also, the reigning AL MVP recently signed a contract extension of 6 years worth $40.5 million, in addition to a team option for 2015 worth $11 million. Now to us everyday folks that is a lot of money. But in a league where people like Alex Rodriguez have a contract of 10 years worth $275 million, Pedroia (again the reigning AL MVP) could of milked Boston for more. Pedroia simply isn't that kind of player. He got offered a extension, he took it, and got back to playing baseball. So far he has won the Rookie of the Year award in 2007 and the AL MVP award in 2008 (he becomes only the third player to do this in consecutive years joining Cal Ripken Jr. and Ryan Howard). What is his goal for this year you ask? In a recent article in the Boston Globe Pedroia stated that he wanted to try to play all 162 games this year. He just has a never say die attitude that I think a lot of players in the pros today are missing. He plays for the love of the game. It's players like that, that should be the role models for our kids. The guys who play because they love what they do. Not the guys who use enhancers to get better. Dustin Pedroia-the way baseball should be played-for the love of the game.

"He just believes in himself. He's outgoing, self-effacing. He puts the team first. He's the ultimate grinder. He'll run through a wall for you. He's hilarious. He's totally fearless. He's what you want in a baseball player." -Red Sox GM Theo Epstein on Dustin Pedroia.