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Pregame Speech (September 2005)Thoughts, stories, examples and ideas on challenging your team to perform at their highest level possible. Thoughts for the Month "One night, my son Alan, then eleven, was watching the Bulls play the Magic. He leaned over to my wife and said, 'Michael doesn't have any tattoos, does he? I like that."...written by Pat Williams in HOW TO BE LIKE MIKE. "
The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender."....Vince Lombardi "Once
you agree on a price you and your family must pay for success, it enables you
to ignore the minor hurts, the opponent's pressure, and temporary failures."...Vince
Lombardi "Recipe
for having friends: be one."....Elbert Hubbard "Appreciative
words are the most powerful force for good on earth!"...George W Crane "I
always felt that in order for a team to win you have to make the weakest link
strong." ....Oscar Robertson "Michael
played hard, but all players play hard. The difference was he outcompeted people.
That's a rare trait. You can't just play hard, you have to compete hard. There
is a great difference."....Kelvin Sampson "
When there is a hill to climb, don't think that waiting will make it smaller."...
unknown "To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late is unacceptable."...author unknown Tyrone Willingham, after being fired by Notre Dame – "I have never had a bad day. I have had bad moments, and sometimes those bad moments will run into another day—okay?—that'll have hurt, pain, etc. But it's still a good day. There are many blessings that Tyrone Willingham has." To
dream anything that you want to dream, that is the beauty of the human mind. REPUTATION IS ABOUT WHO YOU ARE WHEN PEOPLE ARE WATCHING. CHARACTER IS ABOUT WHO YOU ARE WHEN THERE'S NOBODY IN THE ROOM BUT YOU. THE FORMER CAN INDUCE OTHERS TO THINK WELL OF YOU. BUT ONLY THE LATTER ALLOWS YOU TO THINK WELL OF YOURSELF. The "Character" of a 10-year-old Boy In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How
much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty
cents," replied the waitress. The
little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well,
how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now, more people
were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five
cents," she brusquely replied. The
little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream,"
he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
The
Starfish An
old man was walking along the beach, when he came upon a part of the sand where
thousands of starfish had washed ashore. A little further down the beach he saw
a young woman, who was picking up the starfish one at a time and tossing them
back into the ocean. "Oh you silly girl," he exclaimed. "You can't
possibly save all of these starfish. There's too many." The woman smiled
and said, "I know. But I can save this one, " and she tossed another
into the ocean, "and this one", toss, "and this one..."
A
Little Boy At A Big Piano Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing
the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose
and eventually explored his Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized. That's the way it is in life. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But when we trust in the hands of a Greater Power, our life's work truly can be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." |
