MESSAGE #722 FOOLS…
“Have success and there will always be fools to say that you have talent.”
-EDOUARD PAILLERON
WORK HARD.
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MESSAGE #718 ASIANS ARE NOT SMART…
“There is no substitute for hard work.”
-THOMAS ALVA EDISON
Asians are known for being smart right?
First of all, what is being smart anyway?
For argument’s sake, let’s say that at many schools, Asian students are at the top of the class. They excel on the SATs. When I have an exceptionally good idea, I joke around and say it’s because I’m Asian.
But here’s the truth…
Asians are not smarter than everyone else.
They just work harder. Academics are their number one priority. They put more time into it. Many of my tennis students are taking math and english classes this summer.
They’re Asian.
And they tell me that everyone in their class is Asian.
I know what you’re thinking, “it’s in their genes.”
What happened to me?! I had only average grades in high school and I failed out of college, twice. Was I adopted?
No, I didn’t work hard in academics. I worked hard in sports. (That’s funny, I got pretty good at baseball and tennis).
It wasn’t until I started studying what I loved that my grades skyrocketed. And then I became Pro of the Year.
So the next time you see an Asian person, don’t think “There goes a smart person,” or “NERD alert!”
Don’t think “There goes someone smarter than me.”
Instead, think, “There goes someone that works harder than me…in academics.”
“And I can too.”
Put in the time, get the results. Bottom line.
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #627 DAMN YANKEES…
“Unless you’re the lead dog, the view never changes.”
-sign outside the Yankees clubhouse at Legends Field in Tampa
-sign outside the Yankees clubhouse at Legends Field in Tampa
So the Yankees lost their first ever game at the new stadium. It’s okay.
The Yankees are not about winning every single game; that has never been done, and never will be. But the Yankees have something called, pride, tradition, and history. The new Yankee Stadium was designed after the original and the field dimensions are the same. It is now the most amazing stadium in the world, a working museum. Everywhere you look, you will see the Yankee legacy, past, present, and future.
Derek Jeter knows this. Mr. Jeter also knows what it takes to become the winningest sports team in history – HARD WORK. Above are two photographs I took of Jeter at the old stadium.
Derek Jeter starts training in the middle of November in Tampa, regardless how far the team goes in the post-season. Most of the other major leaguers report around the middle of January.
Why does Jeter do this?
Because he knows that his career isn’t going to be that long, so he’s going all out, while he can. He says he can go on vacation after he retires. He knows the workouts he performs in November help him stay strong the following October.
It’s about constantly getting better. Jeter says, “It’s monotonous, but it’s important, too. Repetition breeds familiarity. Familiarity breeds comfort. Comfort breeds relaxation, and the best environment for achieving success is when you’re relaxed.”
“The motivation is to be the best player I can be, and if that means some people want to call me one of the best in baseball, that’s up to them. I don’t sit here every day and think about what I accomplished in the past and how I’ve got it made now. I’m always focusing on what I can do to improve in the future. What can I do to make myself better tomorrow? I know people don’t care what I did last year. Seriously, last year is over with. My teammates and my coaches want to see what I can do this year. More important, I want to see it.”
Hard work (smart work) = Success
Homework: Watch the Yankees @ 1:05pm EST today!
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #613 A BLAST FROM THE PAST…
Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the great alumni, Professional Tennis Management students, staff and guests at Ferris State University this weekend for the Annual Banquet and Workshop Weekend.
I am sitting here in the Ferris State University Racquet and Fitness Center in Big Rapids, Michigan. I spent a good part of three years here in Ferris’ Professional Tennis Management Program and graduated in 1997. It is exciting to be back not only an alumni, but as a featured speaker. I look forward to seeing some familiar faces, meeting some new people and presenting to the program.
Christin Thurston, formerly Christin Schumann, USPTA tennis professional and USPTA Executive Director of Northern Division, was in the PTM program at the same time as me and is back for the weekend. Below is a brief interview with her.
ET: How has Ferris State prepared you for your current position in the tennis industry?
CT: This program is unique because it not only shows students how to teach the game, but it also provides a marketing and business , which is one of the challenges in the industry.
ET: How has sports/teaching helped you in other areas of life?
CT: It has helped me stay focused on the task at hand and be more mindful of different options in difficult situations.
ET: What tips can you give to someone who wants to get to the next level in their tennis game?
CT: Practice as often as you can, with whoever you can, it doesn’t matter what level they are.
ET: In your experience teaching, do you believe in the saying, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard?”
CT: I do agree and as I always say, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” There is no substitute for hard work.
ET: Thank you for your time and enjoy the weekend…
CT: Thank you, it’s great to be back.
Wish me luck on my talk tomorrow.
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #572 HARD WORK BEATS TALENT…
Today’s message is by a very special ghost blogger…
Watch this video. Pay attention to what the character of master perfumer Giuseppe Baldini (played by Dustin Hoffman) exclaims in the 3rd minute.
The movie tells the story of a character who is a savant, born with a hyper-attuned sense of smell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnSpSEYvSak&feature=related
“Talent means next to nothing! While experience acquired in humility and hard work means everything.”
We would like to think that there exist a finite number of people who have the luck of being born with an innate gift, talent, genius, etc.
People seem to prefer to believe this myth even though it robs us of the hope that we can cultivate our talents (and robs us of the ability to give hope to others that they may cultivate their talents as well).
Why do we choose to believe this? Probably because it is safe, it is easy, and it absolves us of guilt when we know we are not working to our potential.
It’s interesting and easy to focus on talent. And, sometimes some people do have some type of advantage. However, true change and growth results when we focus on humility and hard work through commitments to continuously improve.
This is the lesson that teachers, coaches, and experts in any field need to convey.
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #568
“The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses…behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”
-MUHAMMAD ALI
MESSAGE #492 A DAY WITH A LIVING LEGEND…
Bob Ryland, the first black professional tennis player.
Bob’s wife Nancy said he couldn’t put the book down!
New friends. Notice the photos of Bob and Arthur Ashe in the background.
A wonderful gift from the great one.
So yesterday I spent the day with Bob Ryland. I don’t know where to begin. It’s amazing enough that he was the first black professional tennis player. But he was also Arthur Ashe’s hero. He coached the Williams sisters, and travelled around the world as Bill Cosby’s personal tennis coach.
I went to Mr. Ryland’s apartment on the Upper West Side of New York City to talk about the book he wants me to help him write. I hit the record button on the brand new bright white digital recorder as the 88 year old tennis legend talked about his life, on and off the court. He brought me back in time to his early days in Alabama around the 1920s. He was called racist names and frequently saw blacks “strung up” in the trees outside his front door while walking to school in the morning. He really had to sit in the back of the bus, and if it was too full, he had to either stand or get off. They had separate bathrooms and water fountains for blacks. And in college, the black players had to wait until night to sneak into the dorms to sleep. The white boys on the tennis team went into the shops to get them food and brought it to them. And yes, he almost got killed several times.
I have read about those days in the history books, but Bob Ryland lived those days. If Bob was a bitter man, I probably wouldn’t blame him, but he says, “I’m just a regular guy. I overcame adversity and became better because of it.”
Bob has coached the Williams sisters and told me a secret. “They weren’t more talented than everyone else, they just worked harder. 6am to 6pm was their workout schedule.” So if you want to become a great tennis player, just train like a great tennis player.
So Bob knows the importance of overcoming adversity and how hard work beats talent, but the thing that really stuck with me is that Bob really is just a regular guy.
I asked him what the most important lessons he has learned in his life and he said: be a good person, listen, and smile.
He didn’t mention anything about tennis…a regular guy?
I don’t think so.
None of my blog readers should ever complain that their life is tough.
” ‘Game. Set. Life.’ can help you accomplish whatever you want in life and teach you how to stay ahead of the game, concentrate, focus, and give you confidence. I wish I had read this book when I was playing.”
-BOB RYLAND, December 2, 2008, New York City
Thanks for reading.
Checkout “Game. Set. Life.” in The Daily Racquet in Hawaii…
http://dailyracquet.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/12/index.html
MESSAGE #408 US OPEN WINNERS
Congratulations to Serena Williams and Roger Federer for winning this year’s US Open tennis championship.
I have to admit, I’m quite impressed with both Serena and Roger. There is no doubt that they are elite athletes, but I know their secret.
Two words…
HARD WORK
Everyone sees their results on TV, but nobody sees how hard they work. Serena even talked about how hard she has been working in her interview after the match. Roger Federer trains in extreme conditions so that everything else will be easy. When you look at Serena, do you think, “Wow, she was blessed with a great body,” or do you think, “She must work out.” Of course she works out.
Nothing beats hard work.
“Diligence beats intelligence.”
Thanks for reading.