MESSAGE #1106 NERVES

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Brandon Laird of the New York Yankees.

On Sunday night, Brandon Laird was promoted from Double-A Trenton Thunder to Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees. He went home, packed his bags and left the next morning to meet his new team in Syracuse for his Triple-A debut Monday night.

He was nervous.

He then proceeded to go 4-for-4 with two home runs.

How did he do it?

He didn’t act how he felt. In the time that I spent with Brandon this season, I figured out one of his secrets.

When he is in a pressure situation, he takes a few deep breaths and tells himself that he’s been in this situation before, then “just does it.”

The first pitch he swung at went over the right-center field wall. Laird then hit two singles and another home run over the left field wall.

“I was just getting pitches to hit and putting good swings on them,” Laird said. “I know my zone. I look for my pitch. I got it a few times tonight. Hitting all over the field, that’s what I wanted to do.”

“I just wanted to put a consistent approach together, learn how they pitch me, how they pitch the players in front of me,” Laird said of trying to transfer that success. “Earlier in the game, I was (nervous). After that first at-bat, I settled down a little bit.”

Notice how many times Laird said the word, “just.”

The first time I spoke with the Yankee prospect, I asked him about his best home run. He gave a similar response, using the word “just.”

I then reached into my pocket and took out a folded piece of paper and showed it to him.

It said, “JUST.”

Am I psychic? No, I just know what it takes.

In peak performances, the athlete has a simple approach (something he can control) and then just trusts his swing.

Yogi Berra once said, “You can’t think and hit at the same time.”

So true.

Congrats, Brandon. Keep up the good work.

Laird next to the clubhouse before his last game in Trenton

MESSAGE #1105 3 WAYS TO PERFORM UNDER PRESSURE

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1. Focus on things you can control (your effort, attitude, strategy)

2. Stay in the present moment.

3. Act as if it were impossible to fail.

MESSAGE #1104 HOW TO FACE AN ACE…

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So here I am in the press box at the Trenton Thunder game. Tonight is a pitcher’s duel with Yankee prospect, Adam Warren of the Thunder (3-0, 2.95 ERA) versus Kyle Drabek of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, who threw a no-hitter earlier this season. Kyle is the son of Cy Young Award winner, Doug Drabek.

I spoke to Yankee prospects, Brandon Laird, Austin Romine and Adam Warren in the locker room before the game.

I asked them if they changed their approach when facing a pitcher that threw a no-hitter earlier in the season.

They all agreed that they wouldn’t change their approach. Anything can happen on any given day.

Laird said, “Today’s a new day, I’m just going to be patient and hopefully he’ll give me something good to hit.”

Austin Romine said, “He’s a good pitcher but it doesn’t change my approach. I’m still trying to do the same thing when I step in the box.”

And starting pitcher, Adam Warren said,  “I just have to do my job, throw my game, I can’t control what the other pitcher does.”

So what does this mean to you?

Focus on the things you can control and don’t worry about the things you can’t. Anything can happen.

The Davids beat the Goliaths all the time.

MESSAGE #1102 YOUR COMFORT ZONE

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Keep doing things that put you out of your comfort zone, until you feel comfortable.

Then find some new things to do that make you uncomfortable.

This is mental cross-training at its best.

Do you want to be comfortable, or do you want to be great?

Keep pushing yourself and you will find yourself in a whole new world.

MESSAGE #1101 THE FACTS OF LIFE (AND SPORT)

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Whatever is real, your mind accepts as fact.

Whatever is imagined, your mind accepts as fact.

What does this mean?

1. Practice visualizing your perfect stroke, it’s almost as good as physically doing it.

2. Focus on things that you want to happen, not things you don’t want to happen.

3. Imagine different scenarios that may occur and think about how you will react when those situations arise–then you will be prepared.

MESSAGE #1100 FEAR

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Have you ever had a fear of something?

Perhaps playing in front of a big crowd? Speaking in front of a group? A piano recital?

Fear is normal. But you don’t have to act like you are fearful. Focus on the process, not the outcome.

As a matter of fact, fear is nature’s way of testing you to see if you are serious about your goals.

Are you?

MESSAGE #1099 GET SOME AIR…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Jane Atkinson in London, Ontario, Canada.

Have you ever been in a pressure situation?

Of course you have. But the question is, what do you do in those situations?

Most people tense up, stop breathing and pray that it will be over soon.

Next time, try what Michael Jordan did…

When the pressure was on, Jordan called up past successes in his mind. Most of the time he replayed the last-second shot he made in the 1982 NCAA Championship when he was at North Carolina.

And we all know what kind of results Jordan got.

So next time the pressure’s on, go back in time when you were in control, you were in the zone and you could do no wrong.

Or you can focus on the negative stuff.

Your choice.

MESSAGE #1098 DON’T STOP

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“Set your goals high and don’t stop until you get there.”
-BO JACKSON

MESSAGE #1097 THE KARATE KID

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I have a confession.

I like taking notes at movies.

The movies I like to watch are inspirational. They have a lot of great quotes. Recently, I went to see The Karate Kid, I knew it would have some good quotes. Here is my favorite…

There is no such thing as bad student only a bad teacher.

The “evil” kung fu instructor’s motto was “No fear, no mercy.”

Mr. Han’s (good kung fu instructor) motto was “Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. Fight hard, earn respect…Kung Fu is about making peace.”

I know coaches that tell their players to call the ball out when it is close. They teach them to be jerks on the court. They think winning is everything.

Is it?

When I work with athletes and business professionals, I ask them, “At the end of your life, what do you want to be known for?”

The answer is never, I want to be #1 in the world, or I want to be a millionaire with five homes and a boat.

The answer is always something like, “I want to have been a role model; someone who made a difference and led by example. I want to be known as someone who went all-out, regardless of the situation.”

We may not all be coaches, but we are all teachers. We may be teaching our children, our friends, our parents, our fans, our employees or a stranger on the street. But what are we teaching them?

Roger Federer said, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s important to be nice.”

People say, nice guys finish last.

I say, nice guys are winners before the game begins.