Lessons From Lou Holtz

!±8± Lessons From Lou Holtz

Athlete Assessments recently had the great pleasure of being invited to the US Lacrosse Coaching Conference in Baltimore, MD. A significant highlight was hearing Lou Holtz's keynote presentation about his philosophy on coaching and life.

For those who do not know Lou Holtz, he is a legend in US College football coaching and is the only coach in NCAA history to lead six different programs to bowl games. He is also a multiple winner of National Coach of the Year honors.

These are the key messages I took note of and trust you will also find inspiring and educational:

Note 1: Coaching is about influencing the lives of young people. It is a role of true significance and meaning, never should it be about money. It is fundamentally about building relationships with young people.

Note 2: A great quote about Leadership, "I can name you the coach, but I can not name you the leader. Leaders are named from below."

Note 3: Coaching is a leadership role. As such, coaches are to have a vision and are accountable for the choices they make. Above all, coaching is about "Obligations and Responsibilities". Never is coaching about "Rights and Privileges."

Note 4: Coaches can never be "insecure" in who they are. Insecurity lessens a coach's ability to give positive feedback and praise to their athletes.

Note 5: Lou made the following assumptions of all his college athletes:

1. You want to graduate.

2. You want to be a champion.

3. You want to perform at your best.

4. You want to help the team.

5. You want to make a positive contribution.

With these assumptions, Lou made it his job to help them achieve in these areas.

Note 6: Above all else, when Lou looked for athletes for his team, he wanted "Athletes who care." That is, they care about themselves, the team, the college and the results they get. He learnt a valuable lesson in that caring is more important than talent.

Note 7: Lou lived by three rules which also translated into how he coached. These three simple rules are: 1. Do Right! 2. Do your best. 3. Treat people well.

Note 8: Lou believed three questions between the coach and the athletes needed to be answered through both words and behavior. These three questions were:

1. Do you trust me (on and off the field)?

2. Are you committed? (There are to be no pretenders and no imposters).

3. Do you care about me? These questions needed to be answered if the team was to build strong relationships with each other.

Note 9: There are three ways to improve a team.

1. Add caring and talented people.

2. Delete (remove) non caring people.

3. Improve each individual on the team.

Note 10: Lou recognizes that today's coaches are busy people (as was he when he coached). Being able to continuously prioritize your time is of critical importance to your team and athlete's success. He had a simple way of prioritizing his time by understanding exactly what the outcome to be achieved is, it was a simple matter of - W.I.N. This stands for: What's Important Now?

I trust you derived value from the wisdom of one of America's greatest sports coaches and leaders.

You've likely noted the strong theme of caring in Lou's advice. From our perspective, the fastest and most effective way of showing you care is to show a strong interest in understanding your athletes as individuals and valuing them for what they bring to the team/squad. Ultimately, how well do you know yourself and your athletes? If there is a chance you could improve this, even if only by a few percent, it is worthwhile - particularly as it is such a critical and impactful area.

Lessons From Lou Holtz

!8!# Cardio Rowing Machine Right Now

Scotty Burnett 45

!±8± Scotty Burnett 45

Slow Motion video of my throw at 45 degree angle

Scotty Burnett 45

!8!# Wholesale Ironman Elite Elliptical Trainer

ACCEL 8033 8.8mm Spiral Universal Fit Wire Set - Yellow

!±8± ACCEL 8033 8.8mm Spiral Universal Fit Wire Set - Yellow

Rate : | Price : $69.95 | Post Date : Nov 09, 2011 12:49:34
Usually ships in 24 hours

The Accel 8.8mm Spiral Universal Fit Wire Sets are custom tailored for true street/strip performance use. They feature oversize 8.8mm ultra performance wires and spark plug boots, 550 degrees Fahrenheit double silicone construction with fiberglass braid. The heavy-silicone boots virtually eliminate electrical leakage and misfire. They are a true performance upgrade, as they provide increased ignition energy due to lower resistance.

• ACCEL 140001 Original Super Coil-Point
• ACCEL 8172 Performance U-Groove Standard Blister-Pak Spark Plug - Pack of 8
• ACCEL 35362 Hei Control Module
• ACCEL 8132 Billetec Performance Distributor Cap and Rotor
• Edelbrock 9804 Hat, Red Signature Series

Shop Earthway Seeder

Quotes From the Sports Field

!±8± Quotes From the Sports Field

One most cherished moment from Beijing Olympics 2008 is of Misty May-Treanor sprinkling her mother's ashes on the winning court. The gold winner went running to her dad, hugged him and took from him a little plastic film container with her mother's ashes in it. Misty joyously spread them on the sand of Chaoyang Park beach volleyball ground. Misty said that she wanted her mother to be with her while she made history.

Misty's mother didn't live long enough to see Misty shine. She died in 2002 after battling with cancer. Misty believed that her mother would have wanted to be with her in this proud moment. And this is how Misty honored her mother for being an inspiration to her. An honor any parent would ask for!

Misty May quoted after her Olympic victory:

"A lot of people had doubts. I tried to tell people I never had doubts."

Physically and mentally challenged people are marginalized in most countries around the world. It's not mentioned in books or talked about in public. But there does exist an unwritten law that challenged people cannot achieve much in their life. Heba Said Ahmed proved this wrong. She is power lifting gold medalist of Beijing Paralympics Games 2008. She lifted 341 pound to win the most craved medal. Not to miss the world record she broke in her 181-pound weight category.

Ahmed now lauded as Egyptian Hercules, has a disturbing past. Ahmed was struck with polio. The first shock of her life came when her first-grade teacher told her, 'if you can't stand, you don't belong here.' Due to the illness, it was impossible for her to go to her classroom which was on fifth story of the school building. Ahmed's father kept his courage and carried her to the class all through her primary schooling. And it's the inner strength of her own and her family that took her past all obstacles that life threw on her way.

Heba Said Ahmed quoted soon after the Paralympics triumph:

"I want to prove to society that I am better than what they think of me...they think a handicapped person should just stay in bed."

There's nothing more inspiring than watch Lance Armstrong in his yellow jersey, streaking across the countryside on a bike. His determination needs no introduction. Lance was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 and was told that there is only 10% chance of him surviving. And Lance made most out of that 10% chance. Today, he's not just a cancer survivor, he's is an example. His organization LiveStrong gives people around the globe hope and courage.

Lance Armstrong quoted after his fight with cancer:

"So if there is a purpose to the suffering that is cancer, I think it must be this: it's meant to improve us."

A playground is often filled with such twinkling stories. That's why sports are said to be an ocean for inspiration. Obstacles are overcome, difficulties are overthrown, goals are set high, and histories are made. It's the higher pursuits of human life that are achieved. There's never enough that we can learn from that. It's good to follow a sport. Better still, to follow its spirit.

Quotes From the Sports Field

Discount Electronic Safe Lock Price Wagner Paint Sprayers Cheep Ereaders