Monthly Archives: November 2015

Uncharted Territory

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This past week I wrote the phrase “Uncharted Territory” on the whiteboard in the weight room.

I had planned on talking to the students about how many of them, after breaking, (reaching a new max) are training with more weight than they ever have… and how that can be scary.

I quickly realized 1st hour that the students had no idea what this expression meant… literally or figuratively.

How could they? They are from a generation that has, at their fingertips, via Google Map a “chart” of literally any place on earth… satellite view, street view, hybrid… and turn by turn directions (walk, drive, bus) on how to get there.

uncharted territitoryThe concept of traveling to an unknown destination without a chart (map) and directions is inconceivable to them.

If they didn’t grasp the literal concept of this phrase, then the figurative probably eluded them too.

And I began to wonder….

With so much information at their disposal… with so much of the “literal” territory of their days “charted”… does that make the figurative “uncharted” even scarier?

Does it make the innate “fear of failure” and the negative voice we all have in our heads even louder?

I think that it probably does.

Which makes our job as coaches even more important and challenging.

Motivating young athletes (students) to attempt new and difficult things… teaching them not to fear failure… getting them to expand their comfort zone… inspiring them to understand that They Can Do More.

Ours is an awesome job with awesome responsibilities.

Every year at this point in the season, there are teams entering uncharted territory… teams that are comprised of athletes that have little to no experience making a run this deep in the playoffs…. that are being navigated by skillful coaches.   Notable teams this season…

Hats off to these coaches and programs, and to all the other squads sill playing. I am looking forward to watching the next two weeks of football!

Related Posts:

You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you… Don’t Believe It!

Team > I

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OK…

Here is my annual foray into the world of baseball coaching, which I really know very little about.

But I do know a little about TEAM.

And I do know a little about leadership.

And I do know a little about coaching in general.

2015 World Series… Game 5 Sunday night… Royals vs Mets.

Matt Harvey is pitching a gem… a masterpiece… trying to win the Mets back into the series.

Eight great innings, from an athlete coming back from serious arm surgery… from an athlete that had an “inning count” during the season.

Mets manager Terry Collins and pitching coach, Dan Warthan, make the decision to send in a reliever for the top of the 9th inning.   A decision they get paid to make.

The TV cameras captured the exchange when word was given to Harvey by Warthan that he would not be finishing the game.

“No Way!” …

you can see an agitated Harvey yell.

He then takes his argument to manager Collins.

“NO WAY! I want this game. I want it bad. You’ve got to leave me in. I want this game in the worst way.”

View post on imgur.com

Collins relents and Harvey takes the mound in the 9th.

At that point it became ALL about an individual, Harvey, and not about the team, the New York Mets.   It was selfish.

Three “I’s” in Harvey’s argument… one “me”… no “We”, “Us” or “Team”

That was the difference in game 5.

That was the difference in the series.

Team > I

Go Royals!

My post after the 2014 series about lessons that we all can learn from the Kansas City Royals can be found here… those are still applicable (or more so) this year as well:

Royal Lessons

Related Posts:

You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you… Don’t Believe It!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Train Your Brain

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It is that time of the year.

Every game takes on increasing significance.

Win you continue…. lose and you are on to “next year”

Each week half the remaining teams are eliminated.

For the remaining teams, practice time takes on increasing importance… each week more is on the line.

But, you have to stay healthy… no one wants to lose a player during the week’s prep.

The season is always a grind physically and mentally… and you and your team are still grinding.

So how do you balance the need for quality practice time, and the need to keep your players physically and mentally healthy?

Late Friday night (while uploading video to Hudl) I saw this piece on the STRIVR virtual reality system that Clemson (currently 7-0 and ranked #3 in the NCAA) is using in their football program.

Clemson #GMCPerfectSeason

This next leap in virtual reality training is remarkable.

The systems have gone from CGI animated players (EON SportsVR) which is somewhat akin to being immersed in a video game using your playbook, to the STRIVR system that uses actual 360° video and audio from your practice.

strivr

You can see more about the STRIVR system here… Football Meets Silicon Valley.

So what about the programs that can’t take the budget hit that comes with implementing these virtual reality systems?

I have written several pieces on the topic of mental preparation… maybe you can find an idea here:

What methods do you use to mentally train your athletes? I would be interested in knowing and sharing… just shoot me an email or comment to this post!

Good luck to those of you still playing… it is always fun watching great football during this time of the year.

You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you… Don’t Believe It!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com