Magic Johnson on "WINNING"

Magic Johnson was my all time favorite player. He was so unselfish playing the game of basketball getting all his teammates involved. The following is his thoughts on "winning."

When I play basketball, I'm playing to win, nothing else. Not to score, to rebound, to excel in one particular area of the game, but to win. That means I'm a rebounder, a scorer, a passer, even a cheerleader.
It means I'm going to be an example to my teammates of what having a winning attitude is all about.
It means I'll have an attitude of unselfishness that keeps me craving for more championships for my team, not glory for myself.
It means I'll set an example at every practice by practicing longer and harder than anybody else.
It means I'll challenge myself, I'll set goals.
It means I'll think "WE" and not "ME," every time I step onto the court.

Get In the Zone

Ran across these 20 statements from Coach Alan Stein. If get mentally tougher you can maximize your performance on the floor.

1. I play to play well, not to avoid mistakes.

2. I focus on the process of my development and let the results take care of themselves.

3. I "Play Present" one play at a time, and focus on the task at hand.

4. I act confident even when I don't feel confident.

5. I focus on the next play after a mistake or a bad call.

6. I use positive self-talk to coach myself through challenging situations.

7. I focus on what I can control and let go of what I can't control.

8. I trust my abilities and my talents on the court at all times.

9. I think positively toward adversity.

10. I am not afraid to fail, I just go for it.

11. I know that how I think will affect how I feel and what actions I take.

12. I consistently use a pregame mental routine to get myself focused.

13. I visualize myself being successful during the game.

14. I listen to (and Trust) my coaches and I am a great teammate.

15. I welcome pressure because I know I am prepared.

16. I practice (and workout) with the same intensity and focus of a big game.

17. I think calm and act calm when things seem chaotic.

18. I don't let physical fatique cause mental fatique.

19. I am comfortable being uncomfortable.

20. I learn from a loss and focus on the next game.

Bill Parcell's Thoughts

I really enjoying reading how football coaches manage and run their programs. I spent part of my morning reading through some notes on Bill Parcell's. Found some great quotes and statements. Hope you enjoy!!!

"Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players. Winners assemble as a TEAM and find ways to win."

"It doesn't take athletic ability to hustle."

Be on Time. Pay Attention. Practice and Play Hard.

"A coach wouldn't throw you to the wolves if he didn't think you had some wolf in you."

"A coach lives in a black and white world - you win or you lose - And the black side stays with you a lot longer."

T-Shirt Slogans: Who says We Can't & Take Another Step

"If you're a football player and you can't pay attention. I don't want you. If it's not important now, I can't imagine when it would be."

I'm not interested in being a competitive team. I want a champion team. That's the only goal a guy like me can have. I'm not interested in making a team competitive week-to-week. I'm interested in champions."

"I don't have a crystal ball for anything, but what I do have is a plan."

Thought of the Day

"Taking stuff makes you weaker. Earning stuff makes you stronger. Create your own opportunites and excute them. Rely on no one else when it comes to improving your situation."

Bill O' Reilly

Habits

Some thoughts from Coach Pete Newell on Habits: I believe you can never change a habit, or create one, with a word or piece of chalk. You can talk all day, put all sorts of diagrams on the board, but a habit is not going to change. It's a conditioned reflex, created by a repetitive act. Coaches say, "Stay Low, you gotta get low, but that doesn't mean a thing if he hasn't physically practiced how to stay low. Habits are created through physical acts.