Tag Archives: Purple Cow

Getting Rich

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godintedtalkSeth Godin  (Twitter  @ThisIsSethsBlog  Blog – sethgodin.typepad.com ) 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.   His post earlier this week, Get Rich (Quick) exemplifies this.  I was going to add my commentary about how applicable these things are to teaching and coaching, but it really is unnecessary … it is perfect in its simplicity:

Get Rich (Quick)

Enrich your world by creating value for others.

Enrich your health by walking twenty minutes a day.

Enrich your community by contributing to someone, without keeping score.

Enrich your relationships by saying what needs to be said.

Enrich your standing by trusting someone else.

Enrich your organization by doing more than you’re asked.

Enrich your skills by learning something new, something scary.

Enrich your productivity by rejecting false shortcuts.

Enrich your peace of mind by being trusted.

The connection economy pays dividends in ways that the industrial one rarely did.

Now…. go get richer … and remember…

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

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

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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

Recruiting – Make a “WOW” Highlight Video

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I have a pretty good perspective on this topic.  As a college coach at the University of Central Missouri and William Jewell College, I was recruiting in the era of VHS tapes.  I had to literally go from school to school and pick up videotapes (game and highlights) of athletes or leave a postage paid packet for them to mail the video to our office.  Players and coaches at that time had to physically sit with two VHS recorders and manually punch a button to record from one to another to make a highlight video.

My son played and was recruited during the era that video was computer based and DVD’s were used to record games and highlights.  Most schools used a system like DSV or other similar editing systems.  To make his highlight video, he had to schedule times to sit with his high school coach at a computer to record highlights from the original computer game files.  Every athlete wanting to make a highlight DVD had to go through this process! This was only slightly better than the VHS to VHS method, but easier to copy and send after an original was made.

hudl-1440x900Now as a high school coach using the web based program Hudl , things have really changed for the better.  It is now easier than ever for an athlete, parent, or coach to make a highlight video from your own computer and send it instantly via email to any recruiting coach or school that requests it.

 

Using improved technology, putting together a great highlight video can help get your foot in the door and your name on the colleges list.  Here are my suggestions for marketing yourself and making your highlight video.

  1. Do it yourself, don’t pay a service.  As I said, it is now easier than ever to do this using Hudl.
  2. Use your schools videotape, not a handheld video your mom or dad took of your Pop Warner games.
  3. Your highlight video should be 15-20 plays, not 50-100.  Pick your VERY best plays – what I call WOW Plays; plays that make the coach watching say to himself “WOW, I need to see more of this guy”. If they are NOT outstanding, but just average play after average play, he will pass.
  4. Pick plays that highlight your athletic ability  – that exhibit the remarkable (the Purple Cow) qualities that you have. This advice is not just for “skilled” positions.  If you are a lineman, pick some plays that show you running, changing direction, and exhibiting flexibility.
  5. No music or fancy fades between plays.  The coach has a limited amount of time and doesn’t want to be entertained, but wants to evaluate you.  An arrow or circle around you at the beginning of the play is OK – it will help the coach find you quickly.  Hudl has a cool feature that makes it easy to do this and can be seen here:  Hudl Highlight Tutorial
  6. Put one or two complete games on after your highlight.  In addition to your highlight video, a college coach will also want to see a complete game of you.    It should go without saying to select your best, games.  If it is against good competition, then that is even better.  The recruiting coach will be familiar with the better football programs in your area.
  7. Make it easy on yourself and start this at the beginning of the season.  After each game, pick 5-10 of your best plays and mark them.  Hudl makes it very easy to do this.  At the end of the season, you can then go through the 50-100 plays you already have marked and pick your 15-20 best plays of the season.  Figure out what your two best games, against the best competition were, and your recruiting packet will be ready to send to interested coaches.  If you wait until the season is over to begin this process, you may not have these ready when a college coach asks for them.
  8. Make sure you have all the correct information (phone, email, address, academic information) on Hudl.  This helps the college coach who has a limited amount of time and needs to evaluate thousands of prospects.  He will have all of your information AND your video right at his fingertips, and that will increase the likelihood of him following up with you and your family.

Market yourself – Make a WOW highlight video using the tools at your disposal.  Ask your coach if you need help, or drop me an email or leave a comment.

In addition to these written posts, I have recently launched my YouTube Channel that deals specifically with the recruiting process.  The channel can be found here : The YouCanDoMore YouTube Channel, and the complete playlist can be viewed here.

 

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

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

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

“I’m Starting on My Team, Why Do More?”

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seth godinLet me share this one more time.  Every day I read Seth Godin’s blog.  His blog would be categorized as a marketing/ business type blog – not directly athletic or sports related at all.  Nevertheless, I find it interesting and useful daily.  Often I find it directly applicable to coaching, and athletics.  Today was one of those days.  Here is the text of today’s post:

“I’m making money, why do more?”

  • Because doing more than you need to makes it personal.
  • Because work that belongs to you, by choice, is the first step    to making art.
  • Because the choice to do more brings passion to your life and it makes you more alive.
  • Because if you don’t, someone else will, and in an ever more competitive world, doing less means losing.
  • Because you care.
  • Because we’re watching.
  • Because you can.

The initial question can easily be changed to apply to athletics and coaching:

“I’m starting on my team, why do more?”  or

“We’re winning games, why do more?” or

“I was All-Conference last year, why do more?

  • Because it makes your work personal
  • Because it brings passion to your life and makes you more alive
  • Because if you don’t you will eventually lose
  • Because you care
  • Because you can
  • You Can Do More!

icarusI would highly recommend Godin’s blog and his books, his most recent being the “Icarus Deception, How High Will You Fly?”  It aligns perfectly with concept of Doing More.

Tomorrow I will share some data regarding the Power Quotient and Vertical Leap.

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Recruiting – Get a “Great Motor”

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This excerpt from my eBook “How to Become….. Wanted… and Rewarded. – Take Control and Market Yourself- The Complete Guide to a Successful Recruiting Experience”, is all about effort.

 “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”   Vince Lombardi

lombardiThe next quality to discuss, the next quality that will set you apart from all the other high school athletes wanting to get a college scholarship, the next quality that will make you a remarkable recruit, a Purple Cow recruit is effort.

As was discussed in earlier recruiting posts, it is very important for you to “show up” on film; show your speed (Purple Cow Quality #2-Speed) , and athletic ability (Be a Quick Purple Cow), and show that you can play fast (Playing Fast!).  In addition, if you really want to stand out, show recruiters that you play with great effort!

During my collegiate coaching and recruiting days (University of Central Missouri and William Jewell College) , one of the biggest compliments that I would give when analyzing film on potential college football players was that they had a “great motor”.  It was a compliment that I did not give often, because it is a quality that unfortunately does not show up that often.  When I saw it on film, it was remarkable, and I took note. It is also why most recruiters (me included) want to see a complete game video along with a highlight film.  Most players can go back through a seasons worth of games and come up with a few good plays to slap together into a “highlight” video; playing consistently with great effort and technique, play after play during the course of a game is not as easy to do.  Often players get exposed.

Many consider it a character issue if players take a play off  – that it displays a lack of character.  Normally I do not think that is the case.  I think it is the norm.  Most high school players do not really understand what it means to go hard EVERY play.

I think the opposite IS true, though.

While effort really has nothing to do with athletic ability, I think it does show that you have good practice habits, have developed good character, and are “in shape“.  I don’t believe that playing with great effort, having a “great motor” is something that a player can just “flip on”.  It is a habit that they have developed over days, months, and years of doing it consistently in practice. If an athlete plays with great effort – has a “great motor” – it exhibits great character.  It is remarkable, and recruiters will notice.  I did.

In addition to these written posts, I have recently launched my YouTube Channel that deals specifically with the recruiting process.  The channel can be found here : The YouCanDoMore YouTube Channel, and the complete playlist can be viewed here.

 

Any Questions? Just leave a comment or email.

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

The Little Things are Big

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Do you make it to every practice?  Are you always on time?  Do you always give your best effort… Do you always do your best work?

moneyWhat if I told you that I would give you a million dollars if you made it on time and to every practice this year? Would you find a way to get there every day?

What if I told you, guaranteed you, that if you never missed a practice,and never missed a workout, that you would be rewarded at the end of your career with a full ride athletic scholarship?  Would you find a way to do it?

trophyWhat if I said that if all of your teammates did the same thing, I would guarantee a state championship?  Would you find a way to make sure that you and all of your teammates held up your end of the bargain?

What if I said that if you went any harder, ran any faster, blocked any longer, finished the drill any quicker… You would be rewarded with a championship or scholarship… Would you do it?

I am sure that the answer to all of these questions would be YES!  And if it was yes, then my next question is why aren’t you doing those things then?  Because, even though there are no guarantees that you will be rewarded with scholarships and championships if you do these things, it is almost certainly guaranteed that you won’t if you don’t !  Doing these little things, developing these good habits, these championship habits, will make greater success possible.

When you understand how important these “little” things are, most athletes, most competitors can find a way to do it.  You have to develop the mindset, the attitude that it IS important… that a million dollars, or a scholarship, or a championship IS riding on it.

Here is the deal… your brain will lie to you.   It will tell you that you are tired, that you can’t possibly go any faster or farther… You can’t get that last rep on your heavy hang clean day… You cant possibly make it down the court to block that shot… your brain will try to convince you that it is only ONE practice -being late or missing isn’t THAT big a deal… ALL LIES!

You can do all of these things and more.  I have witnessed it countless times when great competitors, young athletes just like you,  have done more than they ever thought possible…. Because they beat back that lying lizard brain… That voice that says “I cant”  and replaced it with the champions mantra of “I WILL” – And they do it daily until it becomes a habit.

It is not easy… I know… But I also know you can do more … Trust me… Be the best.

Here is some bonus content for those of you that did more and read to the end of this post.  This is Seth Godin talking about quieting the Lizard Brain.

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

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Does a Purple Cow Have to Be Big?

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The next Purple Cow quality to discuss, the next quality that will help you stand out from the other 250,000 high school seniors playing football is Size.

yardstick-foldingWithout a doubt, most college recruiters use a “yardstick” (mostly unspoken) when they are measuring the size of high school athletes.  I do acknowledge that in some sports, and some positions within a sport, size is important.  If all other factors are even, then typically college coaches will opt for the athlete with the better “frame”.  No matter how good a football player you are, no matter how quick and fast, or how good you are academically, if you are a 5’ 10” offensive lineman, you are probably not going to get recruited as a NCAA FBS offensive lineman.  You cannot change how tall you are, BUT you can optimize your overall size to get the attention, to stand out, to be remarkable, even if you are a 5’ 10” offensive lineman.  This way, even if you don’t measure up to the FBS “yardstick” there are other levels and programs that may have an interest in you.

They key, really, is lean muscle mass.  You want functional weight; weight that will make you run faster, jump higher, be more explosive.  Gaining weight for weights sake, non-functional weight, body fat, will not make you remarkable.  It will slow you down.  The most common mistake I saw when freshmen athletes reported for two-a-day practices was that they spent all summer “getting big” and did not concentrate on running, speed, quickness and agility.  In regards to college athletes, and especially defensive college football players, I would rather exchange speed for size rather the other way around.

Exercise_zonesOptimizing your lean muscle mass will require some work and effort. If you need to lose body fat, and gain lean muscle mass, it actually is two separate tasks.  Contrary to popular belief body fat does not magically turn into muscle mass if you lift weights.  Probably the best, most efficient way to lose body fat is through aerobic exercise.  In order for an activity to be classified as aerobic, you need to elevate your heart rate into your training heart rate zone, and keep it elevated for a minimum of about 12 minutes.  Walking, jogging, treadmill work, all could accomplish this. Completing the weight workout (A Weekly (not weakly!) Workout) will not accomplish this, but will increase your muscle mass and functional strength.  If you are trying to lose body fat and increase lean muscle mass, a combination of aerobic exercise and a dynamic strength-training program (along with sensible eating habits) will give you the best results.

There is also a group of people who are naturally lean that have just as hard a time putting weight on as some do taking it off.  My suggestion for this group (along with a dynamic strength and conditioning program) is eating more meals a day, rather than eating more each meal.  Just gulping protein shakes and eating chips will not get the needed results.  In addition to your three regular meals a day, squeeze in a mid-morning and bedtime meal.  Along with (not in place of) a couple of your meals add a low fat, high protein drink.  Try to make each meal balanced with high calorie, low fat, and high protein content.  Remember, it is functional weight you want to put on, not body fat.  A good daily workout and balanced diet will help with this.

There is no magic bullet for either of these groups; drinking protein drinks and taking creatine will not by themselves “get you big”.  And remember size is only ONE of the Qualities we have talked about so far that will make you stand out from the crowd… that will make you remarkable…

In order to get remarkable size, Purple Cow size, it will take hard work.  But you can do it… You Can Do More!

Any Questions – Just Comment or Email!

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com

Grit and “The Grind”

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I was having a conversation last night with a good friend and colleague, Scott Baumgardner.  Coach Baumgardner is currently the wide receiver coach at the University of New Mexico.  We were talking and laughing about the “grind” that is college coaching.  The endless hours you put into the job, while loving every (well nearly every) minute of it.

In his book, The Icarus Deception, bestselling author Seth Godin  discusses the concepts of grit and and grinding

“….  is precisely the same grit we seek out in a leader or hero.  We measure sandstones and grindstones in terms of grit – the ability to stand up to resistance.  Someone with grit will grind down the opposition, stand up to criticism, and consistently  do what’s  right by their art [work].”

“If the grind is wearing you down, then you may be viewing the grind as the enemy, something apart from the work itself. The person with grit on the other hand, understands that the grind is part of the work, that the grind is part of what makes the work interesting, a challenge, worth doing. If there were no grind, you would need no grit.”

The grind (substitute your own term here…. practice, long hours, weight training, running… you name it) is not the enemy…. It is what makes the work interesting, challenging and worth doing.

The challenge to you … Have grit… grind down the opposition… Be a leader and a hero! Your art (work) needs you.

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

Jeff Floyd – youcandomore1@yahoo.com