Category Archives: Godin

Godin Knows… Sports

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godin knowsSeth Godin (not to be confused with Seth Rogen!) is an author and business/ marketing expert.  His blog (sethgodin.typepad.com) is one I read daily.  It is always interesting and usually thought provoking.  Godin typically does not give me “answers” but will plant a seed that will make me contemplate my status quo.

It is motivational, but not in a rah, rah way.  He writes in a manner that makes me believe that it is OK to try new things and expand my comfort zone… and that he will be on my side when I do.

I have read (and recommend) all of his books, from Purple Cow, to his most recent, The Icarus Deception.  They are all good – The Icarus Deception is REALLY good- I highly recommend it.

His posts all have a business/ marketing slant, but the concepts are equally applicable to athletics … and life in general.  I like to say that Godin is a coach but just doesn’t know it.  But, without a doubt, Godin Knows Sports!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

 

Drip…. Drip… Drip

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dripSo you want to make BIG changes…in your career…. on your squad…. in your health… in your strength level… with a new project?

Being committed, consistent, and persistent are the keys.

Seth Godin, one of my favorite authors and marketing Guru, describes it this way in his recent post, A hierarchy of failure (from brave to shameful)

  • Mistakes! A series of failures as you follow a path of persistent long-term effort characterized by ongoing learning and a reputation that improves over time.
  • The giant flame out
  • Giving up in the dip
  • Shortcuts
  • Not starting
  • The critic, on the sidelines
  • Empty hype
  • The scam, the short-sighted selfish pitch

It’s the flameouts and the scams that get all the publicity, but it’s the long-term commitment that pays off. I have nothing but applause for those brave enough to fail, and fail again. It’s not so much a failure as it is one more thing that won’t work.

And the critics and the non-starters? They will get little respect from me.

Some say, “go big or go home,” but I prefer, “keep going.” Drip by drip.”

So….

You want to improve your strength level (or the strength level of your players)?

Drip… drip… drip… an increase in your 1RM (1 Rep Max) of only 10 pounds each month translates to an increase of 120 pounds over the course of a year… that is if you are committed, consistent and persistent.

You want to lose (or gain) weight?

Drip… drip… drip… a loss (or gain) of a mere 1 pound a week translates to 4 pounds a month, 52 pounds a year… that is if you are committed, consistent and persistent.

You want to be a head coach?

Drip… drip… drip… Most head coaches were position coaches or coordinators first.  Do a great job at the job you have.  Be the best position coach or coordinator in the state and your time will come… that is if you are committed, consistent and persistent.

You want to get in better shape… run a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon?

Drip… drip… drip… start walking, progress to walk/run, then run 3.2 miles… that is if you are committed, consistent and persistent.

You have a big project coming up?

Drip… drip… drip… How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time… that is if you are committed, consistent and persistent.

You can accomplish BIG… GREAT things without having to “hit it out of the park” every swing, or “Going Big” … that is if you are committed, consistent and persistent!

Thanks once again to PrepsKC.com for running this post concurrently as part of their Coach’s Corner.  If you could go to this link (PrepsKC Coach’s Corner) and “Like” my post, it would be appreciated!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Following Social Media

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twitterI don’t spend a lot of time on all of the social media apps available, but I do use most of them at least once a day.  I use my Twitter and LinkedIn accounts almost exclusively professionally -  I broadcast few personal “tweets”, and everything that I put out there I feel comfortable with anyone seeing.  While I keep my Facebook wall private, I do have a Facebook Page (You Can Do More!) that is open for anyone to “Like”

That being said, there are a handful of folks that I follow religiously on Twitter, LinkedIn, and various blog sites.  All of these professionals deliver consistently good information and are great resources.  Here are my “follow” recommendations:

Seth Godin – (Twitter  @ThisIsSethsBlog -  Blog – sethgodin.typepad.com ) Godin is a business and marketing guru.  I read his blog daily.  It is always interesting, usually thought provoking, and often is a concept that I can apply as a teacher and coach.  He does have an app (Seth Godin App) that allows you to get his daily blog posts on your mobile device.

Keith Grabowski

(Twitter @CoachKGrabowski -Blog - coachgrabowski.wordpress.com)  Coach Grabowski is the Offensive Coordinator at Baldwin Wallace University.  Although he does not post new content every day, his posts are ALWAYS useful information that can immediately be applied in your daily coaching.  He is a great example of an excellent coach that embraces new technology and teaching methods.  His information is “cutting edge” – he provides real life examples on how you can integrate technology as a coach and teacher. His posts on developing leadership are excellent as well.

Erin Luong

(Twitter @EHordyskiLuong) Erin is school counselor and Rugby Coach.  Her tweets are full of great resources for educators, and often include ideas on implementing technology in the classroom.

Jason Belzer

(Twitter @JasonBelzer) Jason is a sports attorney who represents coaches.  He also is a writer for Forbes, and a Professor of Sports Business at Rutgers.  If you want to keep up with the latest news regarding litigations in all levels of all sports, Jason is the guy.

Tony Courville

(Twitter @TonyCourville) Coach Courville is a Football/ Strength and Conditioning coach at Teurling Catholic High School. His tweets for the athletes at his school fire me up daily!

Tony DeMeo

(LinkedIn) Tony is a former head college football coach and currently the CEO at TD Enterprise.  Tony shares offensive football information daily via LinkedIn.

There are many other professionals who I “follow” and often get great information from.  The above recommendations deliver consistently great content.

Who do you “follow”?  I would love to hear any recommendations from you – just comment below or shoot me an email.

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

 

Starting

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It is hard to get started.

  • BXP135660Started on a strength training regimen
  • Started on adding a screencast to your playbook
  • Started on “flipping the practice field”
  • Started on your masters thesis
  • Started on your first iBook

Seth Godin talks about the challenges of getting started in today’s post, “Overcoming the impossibility of amazing”

“If you set your bar at “amazing,” it’s awfully difficult to start.

Your first paragraph, sketch, formula, sample or concept isn’t going to be amazing. Your tenth one might not be either.

Confronted with the gap between your vision of perfect and the reality of what you’ve created, the easiest path is no path. Shrug. Admit defeat. Hit delete.

One more reason to follow someone else and wait for instructions.

Of course, the only path to amazing runs directly through not-yet-amazing. But not-yet-amazing is a great place to start, because that’s where you are. For now.

There’s a big difference between not settling and not starting.”

Your new athletes, the ones just now getting ready to come into your program, are going to be apprehensive.  They are going to look around the weight room and see some amazing athletes.  They are going to be intimidated.  They will see that they do not measure up.  They will see that they are not amazing… For Now!

Let your new athletes know that “the only path to amazing runs directly though not-yet-amazing”, and that “not-yet-amazing is a great place to start,” because that is where they are… For Now! … It is OK to be not-yet-amazing… For Now! 

Don’t settle, but get started!  What are you going to start?  It is OK for you to be not-yet-amazing as well… For Now!

You Can Do More… your brain is lying to you… don’t believe it!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

 

Leading Up

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So … your goal is…

football staff

  • To be promoted from a middle school coach to a high school coach in your district.
  • To be promoted from Linebacker coach to Defensive Coordinator
  • To be promoted from Defensive Coordinator to Head Coach
  • To be promoted from the Head Coach at your school, to a larger more “prestigious” program in your city.

How do you go about doing that?

Marketing/ Business Guru, Seth Godin shared one way in his post from Sunday, “Lead Up”… I have added my comments in the brackets…

“A successful middle manager [coach] gets promoted when she takes the right amount of initiative, defers the right amount of credit and orchestrates success. That success might happen despite (not because) of who her bosses [head coach/ athletic director] are, and that’s just fine, because she’s leading up.”

Leading up is…

“… creating a reputation and an environment where the people around you are transformed into the bosses you deserve.  When you do this with intention, it gets easier and easier. From afar, it seems impossible, and it will be until you commit to it.”

Work hard, continue learning, be a great teacher, be humble.  The best way to get a great job is to DO a great job at the job you have.  I have seen coaches get so consumed about finding a “better” job that they work harder at that (finding a new job) , than in doing the job they are supposed to be doing!

Enjoy the Journey!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

100 Days Later

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The essence of author Seth Godin’s post from last Thursday , 100 days later, was that it is the norm that projects, post launch, take some time to “get legs” and take off. He was speaking about the launch of his new book, The Icarus Deception.

“Not just books, of course. Google launched slow. So did just about every successful web service. And universities. And political movements…

Every day, I get letters from people who found The Icarus Deception at just the right moment in their careers. It has opened doors for people or given them the confidence to keep going in the face of external (and internal resistance). It’s a book for the long haul. I didn’t put a brand new secret inside, holding back for the sensational launch. Instead, I tried to create a foundation for people willing to do a better (and scarier) sort of work.

It doesn’t happen on launch day… it happens after people hear an interview or read your book or try your product. One day. Eventually. When you plan for 100 days instead of one, that graceful spread is more likely to happen.”

It is similar, I think, to the work we do with our student-athletes. Normally there is no “secret” formula we are sharing… The work with our students is for the “long haul“… We try to create a “foundation” with our students so they can do better work. One day.

For what it is worth, yesterday was my 100th post in 100 days on this blog.
100 days later.

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com. Twitter @youcandomore1

Going Until “Failure”

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joyTypically on our “Heavy” day lift (Monday-Bench, Tuesday-Squat, Wednesday-Push, Friday-Clean) we go until “failure” – meaning we go until we can’t do any more reps using correct technique and/or without spotter help.  Going to “failure” is probably not a very good term to use, because it implies that the athletes themselves have failed.   It puts a negative thought into their head before they even step under the bar.  I prefer that the athletes focus on “breaking” (Breaking…. It’s a Good Thing!),  rather than failure.

When an athlete does a particular exercise until failure, they personally have not failed, it is just that particular muscle group has “failed“… is exhausted… cannot do another rep.  I think that it is important that the athlete understand that this is a good thing; that IT (not being able to continue) is not, nor are they, a failure.   Without pushing this threshold they would not get appreciably stronger.

Author Seth Godin discussed the idea of welcoming difficulties in his post, “Just the good parts,” last week:

“You don’t get to just do the good parts. Of course. In fact, you probably wouldn’t have chosen this path if it was guaranteed to work every time.

The implication of this might surprise you, though: when the tough parts come along, the rejection and the slog and the unfair bad breaks, it makes sense to welcome them. Instead of cursing or fearing the down moments, understand that they mean you’ve chosen reality, not some unsustainable fantasy. It means that you’re doing worthwhile, difficult work, not merely amusing yourself.

The very thing you’re seeking only exists because of the whole. We can’t deny the difficult parts, we have no choice but to embrace them.”

Training… daily, hard,  intense, consistent, physical, training… is tough… is reality.  It means you’re doing worthwhile, difficult work, not merely amusing yourself.    You have to do the hard stuff, not just the good parts,  to be great.  Embrace the difficult parts.

Questions and Comments are always welcome!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com     Twitter   @youcandomore1

Squidoo Lens – You Can Do More!

Confident vs Cocky

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namathThere is a fine line between being confident and being “cocky” (overconfident).  I always want my players to play with great confidence, but I never want it to creep into the sector of “cockiness”.  So what’s the difference?  How can you get the positive aspect of confidence, without the threat of “cocky”?

I think there are a few things a coach can do to insure your athletes get the confidence without the cockiness.  True confidence comes from knowing you have fully prepared; that you have put the work and effort in; that you have literally done everything in your power to put yourself in a position to be successful (Do… or do not. There is no try!).   Without this level of work “in the tank“, any “confidence” you display is probably blustering …  overconfidence… cockiness.

Seth Godin discussed this last Saturday in his post, “Swagger”

The problem with swagger is that if you’re the swaggering marketer, you might run into a competitor with even more swagger than you. When that happens, it’s time to show your cards, the justification for your confidence. And if you don’t deliver, you’ve done nothing but disappoint the person who believed in you.

Substance without swagger slows you down. But swagger without substance can be fatal. Right now, we’re seeing more swagger than ever—but it’s rarely accompanied by an increase in substance…

The rule is simple: it’s essential to act the part. And it’s even more important for it to be real.

I think in athletics it is exactly the same.  Substance (preparation) without swagger (confidence) slows you down.  But swagger (confidence) without substance (preparation) can be fatal (cockiness).

The other piece to this “confident vs cocky” puzzle is humility. I do believe we can coach and teach humility with our student-athletes.  Confidence and Humility are not mutually exclusive traits.  Your athletes can, and should, have both.

In a recent post, (Servant Leadership from the QB Position) Coach Keith Grabowski (Offensive Coordinator and QB Coach at Baldwin Wallace University) discussed how and why he came to coach his QB’s in “Servant Leadership”

What I left [Darin Slack’s camp] focusing on as much as technique was the idea of “servant leadership.”.

It’s something that is a huge part of my coaching now, and I wish I saw more of it being coached, especially in youth sports. I have a nine year old son, and I am constantly frustrated when I see the showboating and individualism that is allowed. Kids are being outwardly labeled as “stars” by their coaches to the other kids. I see those kids, “the stars,” pout when they don’t get the ball, don’t get a call by an official, or are taken out of the game. Those kids, who at this point may be superior, need to be taught that their talent needs to be used to serve their teammates rather than the reverse. It’s a disturbing trend.

The other concern I have is that development camps like Darin’s are threatened by combines and showcases that put the emphasis on showing off individual talent. There’s a place for those, but it seems that parents are spending their money on that and not taking advantage of great opportunities for their sons to learn the lessons that this game teaches from men like Darin Slack. I know he’s not the only one out there and that there are others who do it as well, but my point is that it seems to be getting tougher and tougher on those camps that have lasting value for a young man.

The entire theme of his QB manual at Baldwin Wallace University revolves around the theme of Servant Leadership.  Here is the first slide from his 200 slide QB manual.

 servant leadership

Hard Work + Confidence + Humility = Champions for Life

You can get more good stuff, including excellent ideas on the use of technology in coaching by following Coach Grabowski’s Twitter feed @CoachKGrabowski

You can get a daily dose of good stuff by reading Seth Godin’s blog.

Questions or Comments are always welcome!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com    Follow my Twitter feed @youcandomore1

My Squidoo Lens – You Can Do More!

Good Reads

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pinkfloyd2I am just getting ready to start a new book, Out of My League, by Dirk Hayhurst.  I am no literary critic, but I do have my favorite sports related books, one of which was written by Hayhurst.  So here are my favorite reads by category… winners of the First Annual “Pinky” Awards… ok… maybe a few of you will get that.  Click on any of the covers and go directly to Amazon for more information.

  • Best Sports Biography
  • Best Football Book
  • When Pride Still Mattered – David Maraniss

prideIf you are interested at all in the history of professional football, and especially coaching genealogy, then I guarantee you will enjoy this biography of legendary Packer coach, Vince Lombardi.

When Pride Still Mattered, written by Pulitzer Prize winning author, David Maraniss is the quintessential story of how Vince Lombardi, the son of an immigrant Italian butcher, rose to the top, and how his character and will to prevail transformed him, his wife, his children, his players, his sport, and ultimately the entire country. It is also a great football story, filled with accounts of Lombardi’s life, from his playing days with the Seven Blocks of Granite at Fordham in the 1930s to the glory of coaching the Green Bay Packers of Starr, Hornung, Taylor, McGee, Davis, and Wood in the 1960s.

  • Best Running Book
  • Born to Run - Christopher McDougal
  • A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen 

bornIn Born to Run, McDougall tracks down members of the reclusive Tarahumara Indian tribe in the Mexican Copper Canyons. After being repeatedly injured as a runner himself, McDougall marvels at the tribe’s ability to run ultra distances (over 26.2 miles, commonly 100 miles or more) at incredible speeds, without getting the routine injuries of most American runners.  This book covers everything from the evolution (and de-evolution) of running shoes to the evolution of the human species.

  • Best Rags to Riches Sports Book
  • That First Season - John Eisenberg
  • How Vince Lomardi took the worst team in the NFL and set it on the path to glory.

first seasonThat Fist Season chronicles Vince Lombardi’s remarkable first year as head coach with the franchise he would reinvent and etch forever in football history. In a single year, as the grizzled coach who took no bull, he would transform a team of underachievers into winners and reignite a city known for its passion for its sport. Based on exhaustive new research and interviews, That First Season is the seldom-studied prequel to a football career marked by greatness.  I thought it was such a great story of doing things the right way that we had our entire Truman High School football squad read it prior to our District Championship 2011 Season.

  • Best Baseball Book
  • Bullpen Gospels – Dirk Hayhurst
  • Major League Dreams of a Minor League Veteran

bullpenSomewhere between Bull Durham and The Rookie, The Bullpen Gospels takes an unforgettable trot around the inglorious base paths of minor league baseball, where an inch separates a ball from a strike, and a razor-thin margin can be the difference between The Show or a long trip home

  • Best Book from a former college football player turned intellectual and founder of an entire Literary movement (Beat Literature)
  • On The Road –  Jack Kerouac

roadOK, full disclosure – On The Road is my favorite book, by my favorite author, Jack Kerouac.  Putting in into a list of sports related books is a bit of a stretch, BUT, Kerouac did attend Columbia College on a football scholarship.

On the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac. On the Road is based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across America. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat Generation with its protagonists living life against a backdrop of jazz, poetry, and drug use.

  • Best Strength and Conditioning Book
  • Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning, 3rd Edition

nscaNow in its third edition, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning is the most comprehensive reference available for strength and conditioning professionals. In this text, 30 expert contributors explore the scientific principles, concepts, and theories of strength training and conditioning as well as their applications to athletic performance.  Perfect for studying for the NCSA Certification Test.

  • Best Sports Business Book
  • Anything by Seth Godin from
  • Purple Cow to
  • The Icarus Deception

purple-cowicarusAlthough business/ marketing books, as I have referenced many time, Godin’s thinking aligns perfectly with athletes and coaches trying to achieve more.

I would love hearing from you… what are your favorite books in these categories?  What other categories and favorites do you have?  Please add to this list!

Comments and Questions always welcome!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com    Twitter  @youcandomore1

Squidoo Lens – You Can Do More!

Brain Games

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I am not a big time distance runner, but started doing 5K’s as a part of my rehab after having my hip replaced last year.  I have completed five 5K’s in the last year, but yesterday I did my first 4 Mile run.  A 5K is 3.2 miles, so yesterdays race was a mere .8 miles more.  But what a difference mentally!

I have written extensively about having a positive attitude and believing You Can Do More, and still yesterday I found my own brain trying to play tricks, play games with me.  At the 1.5-mile mark, when running a 5K, I am always thinking the positive thought, “OK, already half way finished.”  Yesterday, at the same 1.5 mile mark, in a race only slightly longer, I caught myself thinking the negative, “Oh man, not EVEN half way finished.”

lizard-brainI am not completely sure why the human brain does this, all I know is that it does.  In unsure, unfamiliar situation, the brain always seems to revert to the negative.  I am pretty sure it has to do with the “Lizard Brain”, the “fight or flight reflex“, fear of failure, etc.  The important thing, I think, is that as coaches and athletes we are aware that it is there… always lurking.

So how to handle it?  I have had great success using mental visualization with my athletes, and that is a topic for a future post.  I think the more we can prepare our athletes and ourselves, when entering new, uncharted territory, the better we will handle it.  Scripting situations during practice so that when those same situations arise in contests, they are not unfamiliar and not so “scary”, is one way.   Even just having a conversation with your athletes about possible contingencies that could arise during a training session or contest can help as well.

Bottom line – as best you can prepare physically AND mentally for when you enter uncharted territory.  You Can Do More … your brain WILL lie to you as it did to me yesterday.  Be ready for it – Don’t Believe It!

Any questions or comments?  They are always welcome – I WILL respond!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com     Follow me on Twitter – @youcandomore1

My Squidoo Lens – You Can Do More!