I think therefore...
I can have an opinion. Taking time to form thoughts, rather than responding on emotion or forming opinions based on other people's opinions makes me more credible. It is not always important for me to agree with everyone, frankly that is impossible. However, if I have the ability to take in information, process it in my own view and create an opinion my opinion is credible.
I have a guilty pleasure of reading comments of online newspapers. I enjoy trying to figure out who could be posting the comments to an article. We have a relatively small circulating paper in Rock Hill so I have become familiar with posters and their tendencies. There are some that are always fascinating to read. Others are simply irritating every time.
My favorite posters are the ones that post links in their comments to show a counter opiniion. This shows me that they read the article, processed it, and researched it further. When that person posts a comment, I feel it is valid.
My least favorite posters are usually the people that post first or second. They are usually very emotional and biased hard towards one view or another. The person responds within minutes of the article being published and clearly has an agenda or opinion formed purely off the slant of the article. Someone has to go first, I guess, but the trend seems to always be for bad posts to go first.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Journal 29, Week 10
Topic of My Choice: A politician's job is to get financial support from the rich and votes from the poor by promising to protect each of one of them from the other.
A friend of mine posted this on facebook a few weeks ago. In a nutshell, it is true. Running a political campaign takes a lot of money and getting donations from wealthy people is required in most election runs. However, those donations also come quid-pro-quo with a request of the politician.
If the politician doesn't get people to vote for them, he will not be elected. If the politician takes money from a contributor that will affect a large number of votes, is he doing himself a disservice?
I think this is why most politicians have turned out to be liars recently. It is nearly impossible to have a personal agenda. The agenda of a politician is always going to be slanted away from their personal views and influenced by either money or votes. If we found an honest politician, we could have a solid government leader. Unfortunately, it is hard to get that person elected.
A friend of mine posted this on facebook a few weeks ago. In a nutshell, it is true. Running a political campaign takes a lot of money and getting donations from wealthy people is required in most election runs. However, those donations also come quid-pro-quo with a request of the politician.
If the politician doesn't get people to vote for them, he will not be elected. If the politician takes money from a contributor that will affect a large number of votes, is he doing himself a disservice?
I think this is why most politicians have turned out to be liars recently. It is nearly impossible to have a personal agenda. The agenda of a politician is always going to be slanted away from their personal views and influenced by either money or votes. If we found an honest politician, we could have a solid government leader. Unfortunately, it is hard to get that person elected.
Journal 28, Week 10
Something from the Problem Solving 101 Book: Brazilian Soccer School
This is another tale about delving further into an issue than you originally think. At face value, the Rio school seemed to be the ideal situation for Kiwi. Had she simply let her initial research guide her decision she may have made a grave mistake. Her further researching the issue by networking with her coaches and students at the Rio school lead her to make a better informed decision.
Many times in life, we can be sold by fancy advertising and marketing campaigns. That doesn't always mean that we are making the best decision.
An example that comes to mind is car shopping. If a person buys a car purely off an advertisement, there is a good chance that the decision will be regrettable. A person should...
- read reviews of cars
- talk to owners of cars -and-
- test drive a variety of cars
...before making such a large decision. The investigation into their needs is critical in making a car purchase. As it should be with any serious decision. Maybe it's not necessary to determine which brand of deodorant you should buy, but with the purchase of a car or home or even school decision for your child, an evaluation of pros & cons is crucial. Not only are the pros and cons crucial, but weighting them by thinking of their importance to you is also critically important.
This is another tale about delving further into an issue than you originally think. At face value, the Rio school seemed to be the ideal situation for Kiwi. Had she simply let her initial research guide her decision she may have made a grave mistake. Her further researching the issue by networking with her coaches and students at the Rio school lead her to make a better informed decision.
Many times in life, we can be sold by fancy advertising and marketing campaigns. That doesn't always mean that we are making the best decision.
An example that comes to mind is car shopping. If a person buys a car purely off an advertisement, there is a good chance that the decision will be regrettable. A person should...
- read reviews of cars
- talk to owners of cars -and-
- test drive a variety of cars
...before making such a large decision. The investigation into their needs is critical in making a car purchase. As it should be with any serious decision. Maybe it's not necessary to determine which brand of deodorant you should buy, but with the purchase of a car or home or even school decision for your child, an evaluation of pros & cons is crucial. Not only are the pros and cons crucial, but weighting them by thinking of their importance to you is also critically important.
Journal 27, Week 9
What does this quote mean to you: The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven
I think the meaning of this quote is obvious. It has a lot to do with perception.
I think about people who are living in housing projects, with no jobs or steady income flow, surrounding by crime and chaos - who always seem to say that God has blessed them. Their conditions are hellish to the naked eye, but they see the big points of life. They have their health, their faith, and their family for the most part. They may not have the finer things, but they can see God's work and they know they can be blessed.
At the same time, is the millionaire living in the mansion on the hill happy? He certainly may be, but sometimes those whoo seem to have it all have nothing at all. If his mindset is positive and he cherishes the big points of life, then they likely are. However, a weak minded millionaire can be the poorest person in the world.
I think the meaning of this quote is obvious. It has a lot to do with perception.
I think about people who are living in housing projects, with no jobs or steady income flow, surrounding by crime and chaos - who always seem to say that God has blessed them. Their conditions are hellish to the naked eye, but they see the big points of life. They have their health, their faith, and their family for the most part. They may not have the finer things, but they can see God's work and they know they can be blessed.
At the same time, is the millionaire living in the mansion on the hill happy? He certainly may be, but sometimes those whoo seem to have it all have nothing at all. If his mindset is positive and he cherishes the big points of life, then they likely are. However, a weak minded millionaire can be the poorest person in the world.
Journal 26, Week 9
Topic of My Choice: How important is discipline?
At the beginning of my season, I handed out team rules. They were pretty simple and to the point of stating that players need to prioritize tennis and attend practice and matches & to communicate with the coach if anything had to be missed. They are expected to work hard and be good student athletes by representing the tennis program well to the rest of the school. All the players had to read, initial each rule, and sign at the bottom along with a parent that they understood the rules.
The last practice of our regular season was rained out. I texted our captains that we would meet in the gym and do an hour and a half of conditioning and indoor drills. 16 of the 17 girls showed up for practice. 1 that did not was a senior.
Our last match of the regular season is typically "senior night" and I like to play all the seniors in the lineup. This girl had not made the varsity lineup (7 players play in a match) all season. This was also her first season playing tennis and my take on her was that she hadn't really made much effort to try to fit in with her teammates. She was usually looking for practice to come to an end, running at less than full speed during practice drills, waiting to leave matches as soon as possible, not sitting with the other girls, and not riding the bus home with the team after matches.
I sent an e-mail to her mother after practice advising her that her daughter had no-showed to practice which puts me in a tough spot since I had been intending to play her in the varsity match. Her mother replied to me that she was sorry, her daughter had gone home sick & asked mom to call me and mom had simply forgot. I pondered this and thought...Am I being told the whole story? Why didn't she call/text when the captains texted her? If I play her, what message does it send to the younger players? If I don't play her, what reaction will I get from her and her parents?
I confirmed with my captains that neither of them had been contacted back about why she could not attend practice. I asked them to make a decision, both of them being seniors and scheduled to play on senior night, on what they feel should happen if they were in the same situation. I asked them to talk it over with one another and let me know later that evening. Both captains called me and said that they understood the rules and that there was no excuse for not coming to practice without notice. They felt that the player should be sat out, even on senior night. I supported that decision...obviously the affected player and parents didn't like that.
I feel that it was the best decision based on the interest of the team. This made me realize that for the rest of my life, regardless of whether my career is coaching kids, business, or otherwise, my decisions will be based in order of what:
1) the team wants
2) an individual player wants
3) what I want
I will not make a decision that benefits me over a player or the team. I will also not make a decision that benefits an individual over the team as a whole. The team will guide my decision making process.
At the beginning of my season, I handed out team rules. They were pretty simple and to the point of stating that players need to prioritize tennis and attend practice and matches & to communicate with the coach if anything had to be missed. They are expected to work hard and be good student athletes by representing the tennis program well to the rest of the school. All the players had to read, initial each rule, and sign at the bottom along with a parent that they understood the rules.
The last practice of our regular season was rained out. I texted our captains that we would meet in the gym and do an hour and a half of conditioning and indoor drills. 16 of the 17 girls showed up for practice. 1 that did not was a senior.
Our last match of the regular season is typically "senior night" and I like to play all the seniors in the lineup. This girl had not made the varsity lineup (7 players play in a match) all season. This was also her first season playing tennis and my take on her was that she hadn't really made much effort to try to fit in with her teammates. She was usually looking for practice to come to an end, running at less than full speed during practice drills, waiting to leave matches as soon as possible, not sitting with the other girls, and not riding the bus home with the team after matches.
I sent an e-mail to her mother after practice advising her that her daughter had no-showed to practice which puts me in a tough spot since I had been intending to play her in the varsity match. Her mother replied to me that she was sorry, her daughter had gone home sick & asked mom to call me and mom had simply forgot. I pondered this and thought...Am I being told the whole story? Why didn't she call/text when the captains texted her? If I play her, what message does it send to the younger players? If I don't play her, what reaction will I get from her and her parents?
I confirmed with my captains that neither of them had been contacted back about why she could not attend practice. I asked them to make a decision, both of them being seniors and scheduled to play on senior night, on what they feel should happen if they were in the same situation. I asked them to talk it over with one another and let me know later that evening. Both captains called me and said that they understood the rules and that there was no excuse for not coming to practice without notice. They felt that the player should be sat out, even on senior night. I supported that decision...obviously the affected player and parents didn't like that.
I feel that it was the best decision based on the interest of the team. This made me realize that for the rest of my life, regardless of whether my career is coaching kids, business, or otherwise, my decisions will be based in order of what:
1) the team wants
2) an individual player wants
3) what I want
I will not make a decision that benefits me over a player or the team. I will also not make a decision that benefits an individual over the team as a whole. The team will guide my decision making process.
Journal 25, Week 9
How would I teach Critical Thinking to a loved one vs. an employee?
This is a little bit hard for me to imagine right now since I have no children. I am married to a wonderful woman that I could try to teach critical thinking to, but I'm not sure how that would affect the happiness of our marriage. I'll just take a stab at how I might teach this to our future children, if God blesses us with them one day.
With my tennis players, I generally will go over things at the beginning of practice. I ask for their understanding and ask for questions if they do not understand. I am very cognisant of making practice run efficiently and starts and ends on time. Therefore, I usually answer questions quickly with what I feel is the best answer. By making eye contact, I can usually see that they understand or not. If they don't, generally they are encouraged to work with their teammates together to resolve their understanding.
I would start by teaching critical thinking at a young age to my own child. If the child asks questions, I would try to always ask what they think first. If they respond with something off the wall, I would ask more questions to figure out what is really going through their mind. In the end, I would turn my answer into more of a dialogue with them aboiut the subject they are trying to learn. I would also try to get them to look things up on their own, or with my assistance so that they can see how information can be gained. With internet tools nowadays, it would be beneficial for them to learn to answer their own questions in an empowering way.
This is a little bit hard for me to imagine right now since I have no children. I am married to a wonderful woman that I could try to teach critical thinking to, but I'm not sure how that would affect the happiness of our marriage. I'll just take a stab at how I might teach this to our future children, if God blesses us with them one day.
With my tennis players, I generally will go over things at the beginning of practice. I ask for their understanding and ask for questions if they do not understand. I am very cognisant of making practice run efficiently and starts and ends on time. Therefore, I usually answer questions quickly with what I feel is the best answer. By making eye contact, I can usually see that they understand or not. If they don't, generally they are encouraged to work with their teammates together to resolve their understanding.
I would start by teaching critical thinking at a young age to my own child. If the child asks questions, I would try to always ask what they think first. If they respond with something off the wall, I would ask more questions to figure out what is really going through their mind. In the end, I would turn my answer into more of a dialogue with them aboiut the subject they are trying to learn. I would also try to get them to look things up on their own, or with my assistance so that they can see how information can be gained. With internet tools nowadays, it would be beneficial for them to learn to answer their own questions in an empowering way.
Journal 24, Week 8
Topic of my choice: Coaching Seniors to be Leaders
I have a very unique team makeup compared to most sports. My more talented players are sophomores this season and we lack talented players as juniors and seniors. However, two of my seniors that play for me I feel will be tremendous leaders one day. Both have personalities that the other players are drawn to and the younger players clearly respect and look up to them. They were voted captains at the beginning of the season and have served that job well. I entrust to them some responsibilities that are meant to empower them while at the same time showing the younger players that the captains are in charge. Some of the decisions that I have them make are:
- which uniforms to wear for matches (purple or white)
- what music do we listen to at practice and on the bus
- what is our pre-match ritual or chant
I also use them as a communication tool. I text these two players any updates on rainy days that impact our practice or matches I do this so it shows them that I am counting on them to make sure everyone hears from them, and not just me. I want to be the authority figure of the team, but it is important to me that there is a line of communication that flows through the leaders.
I try to go out of my way to thank these two for the efforts, regardless of how minimal the effort was. I hope that these two have gained from the season what it feels like to make decisions that impact their peers so that they are empowered to do that in the future. Combining this confidence with their natural intelligence is going to give them a big advantage in life.
I have a very unique team makeup compared to most sports. My more talented players are sophomores this season and we lack talented players as juniors and seniors. However, two of my seniors that play for me I feel will be tremendous leaders one day. Both have personalities that the other players are drawn to and the younger players clearly respect and look up to them. They were voted captains at the beginning of the season and have served that job well. I entrust to them some responsibilities that are meant to empower them while at the same time showing the younger players that the captains are in charge. Some of the decisions that I have them make are:
- which uniforms to wear for matches (purple or white)
- what music do we listen to at practice and on the bus
- what is our pre-match ritual or chant
I also use them as a communication tool. I text these two players any updates on rainy days that impact our practice or matches I do this so it shows them that I am counting on them to make sure everyone hears from them, and not just me. I want to be the authority figure of the team, but it is important to me that there is a line of communication that flows through the leaders.
I try to go out of my way to thank these two for the efforts, regardless of how minimal the effort was. I hope that these two have gained from the season what it feels like to make decisions that impact their peers so that they are empowered to do that in the future. Combining this confidence with their natural intelligence is going to give them a big advantage in life.
Journal 23, Week 8
What is one topic from class that you teach your employees? Why?
When I teach tennis, I attempt to let the student sink and swim. I have players from a wide variety of athletic backgrounds and a wide variety of educational standing.
Ideally, I like to work with the smartest and most athletic kids. However, there are only a few that I work with that have both a high athletic ability and a high intellect. My job is easy with them. I can simply show them or tell them how to change something and it usually works.
With a player that lacks athletic ability, but has a high intelect I still show them or tell them how to do something technical. I will let them do the skill to the best of their ability. However, when it is apparant that they cannot accomplish the skill it is important to break down the skill to something smaller. It is what I consider the whole-part-whole teaching concept. I will let them fail at the technical skill and then involve them in a more focused smaller teaching aspect. After they have a grasp of this finer skill, I will put them back into the original drill to see if they developed muscle memory. If they did, then I will finish the drill. If they did not, then I will often stop them and tell them that they need to spend some time over the next few days practicing the smaller skill so we can finish the drill next time. I then move on to a new drill involving something totally different that they may do better.
It is easier to teach an athletic kid that may lack a little intellectual ability. Even though they will not learn as quickly, they are usually able to be taught by associating a tennis skill with a skill that they naturally possess. In doing whole-part-whole teaching, I usually have them go through the part drill while I talk to them in sport terms that they are more familiar with - hitting a baseball or golf ball for example. Once I can get them thinking in comfortable terms I try to make a minor adjustment or two that will adapt their ability into a tennis skill.
With a player that lacks both athletic ability and intellectual capacity, it is much harder to get skills accomplished. But, as John Wooden teaches us, some kids will be C students while their peers are A students. I still attempt the whole-part-whole philosophy with these kids, but I tell myself not to expect perfection, since perfection is likely impossible. I encourage these kids to study themselves and watch good players. I advise them to try to imitate a good players stroke in the mirror at home and maybe even to videotape themselves and compare it. I find that a lot of times, these kids just need to try to copy someone or to see themselves play how they want to look like in order to get results. Regardless, I always encourage these players to work as hard as they possibly can, knowing in my mind that they will never be of an elite caliber. But if they see improvements within themselves, that is all I can ask for.
When I teach tennis, I attempt to let the student sink and swim. I have players from a wide variety of athletic backgrounds and a wide variety of educational standing.
Ideally, I like to work with the smartest and most athletic kids. However, there are only a few that I work with that have both a high athletic ability and a high intellect. My job is easy with them. I can simply show them or tell them how to change something and it usually works.
With a player that lacks athletic ability, but has a high intelect I still show them or tell them how to do something technical. I will let them do the skill to the best of their ability. However, when it is apparant that they cannot accomplish the skill it is important to break down the skill to something smaller. It is what I consider the whole-part-whole teaching concept. I will let them fail at the technical skill and then involve them in a more focused smaller teaching aspect. After they have a grasp of this finer skill, I will put them back into the original drill to see if they developed muscle memory. If they did, then I will finish the drill. If they did not, then I will often stop them and tell them that they need to spend some time over the next few days practicing the smaller skill so we can finish the drill next time. I then move on to a new drill involving something totally different that they may do better.
It is easier to teach an athletic kid that may lack a little intellectual ability. Even though they will not learn as quickly, they are usually able to be taught by associating a tennis skill with a skill that they naturally possess. In doing whole-part-whole teaching, I usually have them go through the part drill while I talk to them in sport terms that they are more familiar with - hitting a baseball or golf ball for example. Once I can get them thinking in comfortable terms I try to make a minor adjustment or two that will adapt their ability into a tennis skill.
With a player that lacks both athletic ability and intellectual capacity, it is much harder to get skills accomplished. But, as John Wooden teaches us, some kids will be C students while their peers are A students. I still attempt the whole-part-whole philosophy with these kids, but I tell myself not to expect perfection, since perfection is likely impossible. I encourage these kids to study themselves and watch good players. I advise them to try to imitate a good players stroke in the mirror at home and maybe even to videotape themselves and compare it. I find that a lot of times, these kids just need to try to copy someone or to see themselves play how they want to look like in order to get results. Regardless, I always encourage these players to work as hard as they possibly can, knowing in my mind that they will never be of an elite caliber. But if they see improvements within themselves, that is all I can ask for.
Journal 22, Week 8
Something from the Problem Solving 101 Book: Mushroom Lovers Band
The problem solving techniques of the band are very logical, yet they show how important it is to take your time before taking action.
As I read the story, I kept thinking to myself, "well they clearly need to market their shows better." I was taught something from the story at how they dug into the root causes of their low attendance. I know the story was fiction, but it was told very logically and believably. There were multiple reasons why they had low attendance and therefore multiple ways to drive towards a greater sized future audience.
This applies to many situations that I face. As a coach of a high school sport I am constantly trying to get better athletes to embrace the sport of tennis. I have been relatively successful in getting more and more players to come out for the team and I have the largest program in the entire upstate. However, there are athletes at the school that don't play tennis that could be really good if they learned the game. This tale has motivated me to seek new ways to attract these kids to tennis. I will certainly brainstorm this further over the coming months.
The problem solving techniques of the band are very logical, yet they show how important it is to take your time before taking action.
As I read the story, I kept thinking to myself, "well they clearly need to market their shows better." I was taught something from the story at how they dug into the root causes of their low attendance. I know the story was fiction, but it was told very logically and believably. There were multiple reasons why they had low attendance and therefore multiple ways to drive towards a greater sized future audience.
This applies to many situations that I face. As a coach of a high school sport I am constantly trying to get better athletes to embrace the sport of tennis. I have been relatively successful in getting more and more players to come out for the team and I have the largest program in the entire upstate. However, there are athletes at the school that don't play tennis that could be really good if they learned the game. This tale has motivated me to seek new ways to attract these kids to tennis. I will certainly brainstorm this further over the coming months.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Journal 21, Week 7
I am a better leader than I was 18 months ago because...
Two major reasons:
1) I believe that I can impact people's lives more today than a year and a half ago
2) I am studying and discussing leadership more often by taking this class
I took the job of coaching high school athletics because I enjoyed sports and wanted to be involved in sports. After 2 full seasons, I have realized that there is very little difference between coaching & managing in the business world. There are goals, there is scheduling, there is performace reviews, there is hassles, there is fun. However, now I am doing something that I truly love to do - teach.
Teaching a sport to a young mind is unlike any experience that I have ever been through. Kids have so much innocense on their side that it is just a more pure existence working with them rather than adults. My kids do certainly test me at times, but I am keenly aware of their interests and we discuss goals. I do a lot of goal conversations early in the season intentionally to get the kids to talk about what they are expecting from the season. The goals usually start with things like "beat Fort Mill" and "win the region" but the more they talk it out, it usually evolves down to "work hard" "get better" and "have fun"
I currently don't know if having an EMBA from Winthrop is going to be of any benefit to me as a line on my resume. What I do know is that I will forever be benefitted from taking the courses that have challenged me to think hard. I will also benefit from the people in my classes and being around such a great group of highly intelligent people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Two major reasons:
1) I believe that I can impact people's lives more today than a year and a half ago
2) I am studying and discussing leadership more often by taking this class
I took the job of coaching high school athletics because I enjoyed sports and wanted to be involved in sports. After 2 full seasons, I have realized that there is very little difference between coaching & managing in the business world. There are goals, there is scheduling, there is performace reviews, there is hassles, there is fun. However, now I am doing something that I truly love to do - teach.
Teaching a sport to a young mind is unlike any experience that I have ever been through. Kids have so much innocense on their side that it is just a more pure existence working with them rather than adults. My kids do certainly test me at times, but I am keenly aware of their interests and we discuss goals. I do a lot of goal conversations early in the season intentionally to get the kids to talk about what they are expecting from the season. The goals usually start with things like "beat Fort Mill" and "win the region" but the more they talk it out, it usually evolves down to "work hard" "get better" and "have fun"
I currently don't know if having an EMBA from Winthrop is going to be of any benefit to me as a line on my resume. What I do know is that I will forever be benefitted from taking the courses that have challenged me to think hard. I will also benefit from the people in my classes and being around such a great group of highly intelligent people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
Journal 20, Week 7
If you were able to change one thing about the human body, what would it be?
People would have some kind of wings so they could fly. Pure and simple, if humans had the ability to fly it would alleviate so much pressure. We would be more mobile without the reliance on machines.
People would have some kind of wings so they could fly. Pure and simple, if humans had the ability to fly it would alleviate so much pressure. We would be more mobile without the reliance on machines.
Journal 19, Week 7
What is the best advice you ever received? Ever gave?
My dad emphasized to me during the summer before my sophomore year that sometimes life isn't fair, sometimes people make decisions around you that you disagree with, sometimes the person making that decision is your boss. I had just quit a lawnmowing/landscaping job because I didn't like how my boss planned out our projects. It's a long story that I cannot remember all the details of, but I do remember that I was making pretty good money & I should have kept my mouth shut and continued making money that summer.
The advice from my father is something that I continue to tell myself to this day. Currently, I do not agree with much of the politics in the US. I realize that I won't agree with the Obama administration on many topics simply because I was raised with different values than they are imposing. At the same time, I respect the fact that the federal government is at least trying to enact policy with the intention of helping the country.
I think the best advice I ever gave to someone was this quote that I now have on my email signature when I send things out to my tennis players:
"A player can't say they have the will to win. A will to win is something that teammates must see in each other's eyes and believe in their hearts."
This is something that came to me after seeing Brett Favre's locker room meeting with reporters after his first game against Green Bay this year on Monday night football. His teammates, when interviewed, all spoke about how they just saw in Brett's eyes that he was focused and determined. I said this quote to my wife & immediately wrote it down.
I honestly cannot say that I have seen the results of this yet. I certainly have seen times with my tennis players when they have the look in their eyes and when they don't. It is very hard for them to overcome their opponent when this look is missing and impossible when their opponent is of equal or greater talent level. Having that mental focus is what takes an average player and turns them into a good player in my opinion.
My dad emphasized to me during the summer before my sophomore year that sometimes life isn't fair, sometimes people make decisions around you that you disagree with, sometimes the person making that decision is your boss. I had just quit a lawnmowing/landscaping job because I didn't like how my boss planned out our projects. It's a long story that I cannot remember all the details of, but I do remember that I was making pretty good money & I should have kept my mouth shut and continued making money that summer.
The advice from my father is something that I continue to tell myself to this day. Currently, I do not agree with much of the politics in the US. I realize that I won't agree with the Obama administration on many topics simply because I was raised with different values than they are imposing. At the same time, I respect the fact that the federal government is at least trying to enact policy with the intention of helping the country.
I think the best advice I ever gave to someone was this quote that I now have on my email signature when I send things out to my tennis players:
"A player can't say they have the will to win. A will to win is something that teammates must see in each other's eyes and believe in their hearts."
This is something that came to me after seeing Brett Favre's locker room meeting with reporters after his first game against Green Bay this year on Monday night football. His teammates, when interviewed, all spoke about how they just saw in Brett's eyes that he was focused and determined. I said this quote to my wife & immediately wrote it down.
I honestly cannot say that I have seen the results of this yet. I certainly have seen times with my tennis players when they have the look in their eyes and when they don't. It is very hard for them to overcome their opponent when this look is missing and impossible when their opponent is of equal or greater talent level. Having that mental focus is what takes an average player and turns them into a good player in my opinion.
Journal 18, Week 6
I have struggled to brainstorm for a topic of my choice. I had a discussion with my wife Tuesday night after her match that I felt could apply to leadership.
Since my wife & I both coach teams in totally different sports, we often find that we can help each other. At the same time, sometimes the advice I relay to her is not appropriate for volleyball and vice versa her's to tennis.
Sally has struggled with getting some of her players to buy in to her concept of a total-team-player. She wants to mold players into athletes that will play their guts out every day in practice to make themselves and their team better. Regardless of who plays in matches, we both agree, it is crucial that every player seeks to continuously improve themself so that the team can become better.
Some players feel that playing time is the only way that they can see results. Sally is very clear with them that if they work hard, playing time will result based on the level of effort put forward. What some players don't understand is that they are not playing for their high school or club team where they were the star. They are playing on an "all-star" team that was selected to receive a place on the team. Some players are unable to work hard for their spot because they have never been pushed or had a chance to lose playing time. Their previous teams have purely needed them on the court because they were the best player available. Players also feel that because they provide good individual statistics that they have proved that they can contribute. Sometimes, we both agree, that is the case and the team is successful and the stats show the reason how it happened. Other times, stats can be deceiving and the team is not successful even though an individual's performance may have shined.
After matches, Sally provides quotes to the sports information department that get posted to the Winthrop website & released to the media. I pointed out to Sally that she often provides a quote that references individual statistics. Here is an example:
“We started off strong offensively making good shots against Radford’s defense,” coach Sally Polhamus said. “We lost the tempo of the match in sets two and three but regained it in set four, hitting .414.”
I feel that this overemphasizes the importance of hitting and could be downplaying the importance or serving, receiving serve, blocking, digs, etc.
Sally's previous boss, Bond Shymansky, is now the head coach at Marquette University. Sally credits most of her coaching style to Shymansky and I agree that he is an excellent example. Here is a quote from him after a recent Marquette match:
"...today we stayed strong the whole way through and executed just perfectly in passing.That helped us a ton. I told the team that I believed in them, and that I believe that they have a great attitude about what they can accomplish, and they did, they showed it. They showed it before the match, they showed it during warm up, they showed it all the way through the match. It's a good win for us; we needed it for sure. We need to take that confidence on the road next weekend."
To me, the difference is that Shymansky emphasizd team over statistics. Obviously, he felt that passing was the key. However when his team reads the post they will see that it was important to pass well, but that ultimately it was the belief and attitude that were the difference.
Maybe Sally is right and the key to the match is what needs to be relayed through the media. She agrees that Shymansky's release sounded better than hers & she will try to make quotes that are along that front. Hopefully the Eagles get a win on Friday at Presbyterian and wee can find out.
Since my wife & I both coach teams in totally different sports, we often find that we can help each other. At the same time, sometimes the advice I relay to her is not appropriate for volleyball and vice versa her's to tennis.
Sally has struggled with getting some of her players to buy in to her concept of a total-team-player. She wants to mold players into athletes that will play their guts out every day in practice to make themselves and their team better. Regardless of who plays in matches, we both agree, it is crucial that every player seeks to continuously improve themself so that the team can become better.
Some players feel that playing time is the only way that they can see results. Sally is very clear with them that if they work hard, playing time will result based on the level of effort put forward. What some players don't understand is that they are not playing for their high school or club team where they were the star. They are playing on an "all-star" team that was selected to receive a place on the team. Some players are unable to work hard for their spot because they have never been pushed or had a chance to lose playing time. Their previous teams have purely needed them on the court because they were the best player available. Players also feel that because they provide good individual statistics that they have proved that they can contribute. Sometimes, we both agree, that is the case and the team is successful and the stats show the reason how it happened. Other times, stats can be deceiving and the team is not successful even though an individual's performance may have shined.
After matches, Sally provides quotes to the sports information department that get posted to the Winthrop website & released to the media. I pointed out to Sally that she often provides a quote that references individual statistics. Here is an example:
“We started off strong offensively making good shots against Radford’s defense,” coach Sally Polhamus said. “We lost the tempo of the match in sets two and three but regained it in set four, hitting .414.”
I feel that this overemphasizes the importance of hitting and could be downplaying the importance or serving, receiving serve, blocking, digs, etc.
Sally's previous boss, Bond Shymansky, is now the head coach at Marquette University. Sally credits most of her coaching style to Shymansky and I agree that he is an excellent example. Here is a quote from him after a recent Marquette match:
"...today we stayed strong the whole way through and executed just perfectly in passing.That helped us a ton. I told the team that I believed in them, and that I believe that they have a great attitude about what they can accomplish, and they did, they showed it. They showed it before the match, they showed it during warm up, they showed it all the way through the match. It's a good win for us; we needed it for sure. We need to take that confidence on the road next weekend."
To me, the difference is that Shymansky emphasizd team over statistics. Obviously, he felt that passing was the key. However when his team reads the post they will see that it was important to pass well, but that ultimately it was the belief and attitude that were the difference.
Maybe Sally is right and the key to the match is what needs to be relayed through the media. She agrees that Shymansky's release sounded better than hers & she will try to make quotes that are along that front. Hopefully the Eagles get a win on Friday at Presbyterian and wee can find out.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Journal 17, Week 6
What is one topic from class that you teach to your employees? Why?
As mentioned in previous posts, I work as a high school tennis coach as my part time job. Clearly, this makes me very interested in reading a Leadership book such as the John Wooden one we are studying. The Pyramid of Success is very true to what I do since I am able to teach sports to kids. I read it at the very beginning of the semester & I am concious of the Pyramid on a daily basis at practice & in matches.
One thing that I have found to be very evident in working with kids and coaching athletics is that my enthusiasm level relays directly to my team. On days that I am at a high energy level, we have high energy practices. When I am off a little bit, and it doesn't take much, the practice or match results are fairly predictable.
Yesterday at practice I played a little mind trick on the team. We play Ft Mill HS, a team that we are equivalent to at most matches. I told myself that I was going to get the girls as fired up as if they were going to play a national championship. We talked before and after practice and we did a couple things different at practice.
1) We had the BEAT FORT MILL rule at practice. Whenever myself, or a captain yelled out, "Beat!" the rest of the team would reply "Fort Mill!"
2) We established the BEAT FORT MILL rule for school the next day. The captains & I told the players that whenever they see each other in school during the day, they have to look each other in the eye and say "Beat Fort Mill."
I know that Wooden wasn't one to talk about winning and that he prided himself on continuous improvement over winning. But, my assessment of my team is that they enjoy talking about winning & they have good attitudes about it. We play matches that we are even with our opponent's skill level and some that we are better than our opponents. I tend to use the word "win" when discussing those teams. However, we also play teams that are much better than us at times. My wording has mysteriously changed from "win" to "have success" when we go against those schools.
I am planning on printing out Wooden's Pyramid from coachwooden.com and giving it to each player at the end of the season. I think that after they see it, they will probably understand why I have acted the way I have all season.
As mentioned in previous posts, I work as a high school tennis coach as my part time job. Clearly, this makes me very interested in reading a Leadership book such as the John Wooden one we are studying. The Pyramid of Success is very true to what I do since I am able to teach sports to kids. I read it at the very beginning of the semester & I am concious of the Pyramid on a daily basis at practice & in matches.
One thing that I have found to be very evident in working with kids and coaching athletics is that my enthusiasm level relays directly to my team. On days that I am at a high energy level, we have high energy practices. When I am off a little bit, and it doesn't take much, the practice or match results are fairly predictable.
Yesterday at practice I played a little mind trick on the team. We play Ft Mill HS, a team that we are equivalent to at most matches. I told myself that I was going to get the girls as fired up as if they were going to play a national championship. We talked before and after practice and we did a couple things different at practice.
1) We had the BEAT FORT MILL rule at practice. Whenever myself, or a captain yelled out, "Beat!" the rest of the team would reply "Fort Mill!"
2) We established the BEAT FORT MILL rule for school the next day. The captains & I told the players that whenever they see each other in school during the day, they have to look each other in the eye and say "Beat Fort Mill."
I know that Wooden wasn't one to talk about winning and that he prided himself on continuous improvement over winning. But, my assessment of my team is that they enjoy talking about winning & they have good attitudes about it. We play matches that we are even with our opponent's skill level and some that we are better than our opponents. I tend to use the word "win" when discussing those teams. However, we also play teams that are much better than us at times. My wording has mysteriously changed from "win" to "have success" when we go against those schools.
I am planning on printing out Wooden's Pyramid from coachwooden.com and giving it to each player at the end of the season. I think that after they see it, they will probably understand why I have acted the way I have all season.
Journal 16, Week 6
If you had to describe your personality in terms of a farm animal, what would it be & why?
I would like to say that I am the rooster, but I'm not sure how confident I am in being the morning go-getter. I am a morning person, but not one to get things riled up first thing in the AM.
I would like to say that I am the stallion or bull on the farm. The dominant male type that struts around with power. But, that also isn't me.
I don't think that I'm a cow, a pig, or a chicken of course. Although, my wife would argue that I am a pig sometimes.
I think my personality is more in line with a young bronco horse. The type of horse that a cowboy rides around as they herd cattle. I am an outsider who can be intimidating when I want to be to get others in line, but also and subservient to those above me.
I would like to say that I am the rooster, but I'm not sure how confident I am in being the morning go-getter. I am a morning person, but not one to get things riled up first thing in the AM.
I would like to say that I am the stallion or bull on the farm. The dominant male type that struts around with power. But, that also isn't me.
I don't think that I'm a cow, a pig, or a chicken of course. Although, my wife would argue that I am a pig sometimes.
I think my personality is more in line with a young bronco horse. The type of horse that a cowboy rides around as they herd cattle. I am an outsider who can be intimidating when I want to be to get others in line, but also and subservient to those above me.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Journal #15, Week 5
Analyze this quote “Either you think, or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you.” --F. Scott Fitzgerald
Thinking is a powerful weapon. Positive thinking can help lead you to success, while negative thoughts can ultimately doom you to failure.
One must be able to think for themselves or they will never be able to form their own values and beliefs. I believe that the power of thinking has lead me to form solid foundations of what I believe is right and wrong. Whether in political, social, financial, or other terms the thinking I emulate is that which I have formed on my own as best as I could.
I consider myself well read. I read all the time from newspapers to websites to magazines. I think about who is writing, what they are writing about, and most importantly why. Finding a writer who has truly independent beliefs is difficult. Frankly, I cannot name one off the top of my head. It is crucial in society to not read anything at face value, but to critically think about what is being stated and determining why you think it is being stated. This makes reading much more enjoyable and rewarding to me.
Thinking is a powerful weapon. Positive thinking can help lead you to success, while negative thoughts can ultimately doom you to failure.
One must be able to think for themselves or they will never be able to form their own values and beliefs. I believe that the power of thinking has lead me to form solid foundations of what I believe is right and wrong. Whether in political, social, financial, or other terms the thinking I emulate is that which I have formed on my own as best as I could.
I consider myself well read. I read all the time from newspapers to websites to magazines. I think about who is writing, what they are writing about, and most importantly why. Finding a writer who has truly independent beliefs is difficult. Frankly, I cannot name one off the top of my head. It is crucial in society to not read anything at face value, but to critically think about what is being stated and determining why you think it is being stated. This makes reading much more enjoyable and rewarding to me.
Journal #14, Week 5
My biggest leadership/management mistake was...
I am a proud, yet humble person at times. I am not going to ever say that I was a perfect leader or manager, nor do I think I ever truly experienced greatness. it is quite easy for me to think back and realize the many blunders I made along the way. Pegging one that was the biggest mistake is quite difficult and I learned many more lessons from failing than I ever did through winning or succeeding.
Just to grab one mistake I made recently will show what I mean. My girls high school tennis team played a school earlier this season that we had dominated last year. I knew that their team was young last year and hadn't lost much in terms of talented players to graduation. We entered this match expecting our results to mirror last year's even though we had lost 5 significant players from last year's team.
Going into the match, my goal was for our team to play confidently and be assured that we were the better team. I had advised the girls that we should try to play aggressively and end matches quickly as to not let the other team feel they were ever in the match.
Our young opponents showed up hungry and had worked really hard in the off season to improve their talent level. My girls, thinking they were much better than they were, grew frustrated that they were unable to win as easily as they had anticipated. My court side coaching became a process of saying things like, "they are better than we anticipated, we have to play harder and smarter to get the results we want." My girls lacked the ability to overcome the change in talent level they had expected and a couple ended up losing their individual matches even though we won the overall team match.
Our next match is against a similar type of team. We beat York High School soundly last year with our more veteran team. York returns all but one player and this time I will have a better mindset going into the match. I will still tell them that they should have confidence in the fact that they are the better players. However, I will caution them not to let their over confidence get out of control. We must play to 100% of our ability if we want to attain team success in this match
I am a proud, yet humble person at times. I am not going to ever say that I was a perfect leader or manager, nor do I think I ever truly experienced greatness. it is quite easy for me to think back and realize the many blunders I made along the way. Pegging one that was the biggest mistake is quite difficult and I learned many more lessons from failing than I ever did through winning or succeeding.
Just to grab one mistake I made recently will show what I mean. My girls high school tennis team played a school earlier this season that we had dominated last year. I knew that their team was young last year and hadn't lost much in terms of talented players to graduation. We entered this match expecting our results to mirror last year's even though we had lost 5 significant players from last year's team.
Going into the match, my goal was for our team to play confidently and be assured that we were the better team. I had advised the girls that we should try to play aggressively and end matches quickly as to not let the other team feel they were ever in the match.
Our young opponents showed up hungry and had worked really hard in the off season to improve their talent level. My girls, thinking they were much better than they were, grew frustrated that they were unable to win as easily as they had anticipated. My court side coaching became a process of saying things like, "they are better than we anticipated, we have to play harder and smarter to get the results we want." My girls lacked the ability to overcome the change in talent level they had expected and a couple ended up losing their individual matches even though we won the overall team match.
Our next match is against a similar type of team. We beat York High School soundly last year with our more veteran team. York returns all but one player and this time I will have a better mindset going into the match. I will still tell them that they should have confidence in the fact that they are the better players. However, I will caution them not to let their over confidence get out of control. We must play to 100% of our ability if we want to attain team success in this match
Journal #13, Week 5
What item do I own, of little monetary value do I own that I wouldn't sell for $5000?
The first thing that comes to mind when I read this question was my family. Probably the most sacred family possession I own are sally and my wedding pictures (and video). It's tough to say they are of little monetary value since we spent hundreds of dollars on them, but in the free market they have little value to anyone outside our family.
A wedding day is a special day for a couple that they often won't realize until much later. I remember arguing with my wife about what pictures we needed and who needed to be in them. I was stressing over the $20 here and there that added up. In the end, it was more than worth what we spent. The memory of that day is minimal in my mind anymore, but the photographs & video are so special.
Sally's father, whom she was extremely close with, passed away 6 months after our wedding. I remember always knowing him as he was near the end, which was very sick with chronic diabetes. Seeing Sally walk down the aisle with him and his cane instead of in his wheelchair had the entire ceremony near tears - and Sally was bawling as she walked. Their first dance, he discarded the cane and embraced her for the entire song which was another tear jerker.
My grandparents on my father's side are also in the twilight of their lives and my grandfather resides in a nursing home and is currently confined to a wheelchair. The memories we captured of them are exactly how I want to remember them both. They were happy, dancing, and generally enjoying themselves that day. To look back at that always makes we well up with happiness.
The first thing that comes to mind when I read this question was my family. Probably the most sacred family possession I own are sally and my wedding pictures (and video). It's tough to say they are of little monetary value since we spent hundreds of dollars on them, but in the free market they have little value to anyone outside our family.
A wedding day is a special day for a couple that they often won't realize until much later. I remember arguing with my wife about what pictures we needed and who needed to be in them. I was stressing over the $20 here and there that added up. In the end, it was more than worth what we spent. The memory of that day is minimal in my mind anymore, but the photographs & video are so special.
Sally's father, whom she was extremely close with, passed away 6 months after our wedding. I remember always knowing him as he was near the end, which was very sick with chronic diabetes. Seeing Sally walk down the aisle with him and his cane instead of in his wheelchair had the entire ceremony near tears - and Sally was bawling as she walked. Their first dance, he discarded the cane and embraced her for the entire song which was another tear jerker.
My grandparents on my father's side are also in the twilight of their lives and my grandfather resides in a nursing home and is currently confined to a wheelchair. The memories we captured of them are exactly how I want to remember them both. They were happy, dancing, and generally enjoying themselves that day. To look back at that always makes we well up with happiness.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Journal 12, Week 4
Coaching the mental aspect of tennis
It is easy for me to coach young players in the fundamentals of tennis. I understand them clearly and have a pretty good method of relating an athletes ability to create a proper technique. Fundamentals are a crucial aspect of the game and being a successful tennis player will be challenging if the fundamentals are not properly implemented into a player's game.
However, I deal with teenagers on a daily basis that are at a difficult time in their lives to overcome mental dilemmas. Some players have stronger grasps on fundamentals and rely on their natural ability to make shots turn into points wheras others lacking the fundamental strength end up lacking the ability to execute the strategy. From what I have gathered over the past 2 1/2 years of coaching tennis, a players mind works through (in this order):
1) Physical aspects of the sport
2) Mental aspects of the sport
3) Emotional aspects of the sport
The players with fundamentals are generally able to start to think through mental aspects. In a nutshell, they know how to serve and hit balls. They are able to progress into the mental aspects of the game.
The mental aspects are where strategy comes in. Knowing how to hit the ball and being able to decide where and when to hit it to spots on the court is tougher to teach. Situations in tennis happen within fractions of a second and a player needs to develop a feel for the game at this level. Of my team of 18 girls this season, I have two that are able to do this. It is not surprising to me that these are my two top players.
The emotional aspect is often confused with the mental aspect as it is often referred to as mental toughness. I seperate emotional from mental by thinking about how quickly a player can process a good or bad point and make necessary adjustments to their game. The ability to understand how the match is progressing and further analyzing why it is happening is a complicated thing.
For example, I coached a player in a match during last spring that had tremendous success in the first set at playing shots over and over to his opponents backhand side. His opponent made mistake after mistake hitting backhand balls out and into the net and my player. My player was playing a strong mental game. However, the second set was totally different. My player continued to play to the backhand in all rallies. By this point, his opponent had fixed his fundamental mistakes and missed many fewer shots. My player began to make mistakes at this point as he was trying for difficult shots with the same goal of getting the ball to his opponents backhand. He failed to realize that his opponent clearly knew where every shot was going and he was able to cheat to that side and set himself up for easier strokes. When he did this, my player was not mentally strong enough to change his strategy and try to use the entire court. He ended up losing a close match due to the lack of mental toughness.
I am challenged by a few problems in teaching the mental side. First, I have many players in my program and I feel my duty as coach is to work with them all as evenly as possible. Also, I can't be on the courts due to the rules of the game to point things out after every point. My players need to gain the mental and emotional skills on their own for the most point with my guidance to the best of my ability. This is generally going to be easier for a player that is willing to study and learn the game outside of playing a lot of competitive situations. However, finding teenagers that are willing to make that sacrifice is very rare to find.
It is easy for me to coach young players in the fundamentals of tennis. I understand them clearly and have a pretty good method of relating an athletes ability to create a proper technique. Fundamentals are a crucial aspect of the game and being a successful tennis player will be challenging if the fundamentals are not properly implemented into a player's game.
However, I deal with teenagers on a daily basis that are at a difficult time in their lives to overcome mental dilemmas. Some players have stronger grasps on fundamentals and rely on their natural ability to make shots turn into points wheras others lacking the fundamental strength end up lacking the ability to execute the strategy. From what I have gathered over the past 2 1/2 years of coaching tennis, a players mind works through (in this order):
1) Physical aspects of the sport
2) Mental aspects of the sport
3) Emotional aspects of the sport
The players with fundamentals are generally able to start to think through mental aspects. In a nutshell, they know how to serve and hit balls. They are able to progress into the mental aspects of the game.
The mental aspects are where strategy comes in. Knowing how to hit the ball and being able to decide where and when to hit it to spots on the court is tougher to teach. Situations in tennis happen within fractions of a second and a player needs to develop a feel for the game at this level. Of my team of 18 girls this season, I have two that are able to do this. It is not surprising to me that these are my two top players.
The emotional aspect is often confused with the mental aspect as it is often referred to as mental toughness. I seperate emotional from mental by thinking about how quickly a player can process a good or bad point and make necessary adjustments to their game. The ability to understand how the match is progressing and further analyzing why it is happening is a complicated thing.
For example, I coached a player in a match during last spring that had tremendous success in the first set at playing shots over and over to his opponents backhand side. His opponent made mistake after mistake hitting backhand balls out and into the net and my player. My player was playing a strong mental game. However, the second set was totally different. My player continued to play to the backhand in all rallies. By this point, his opponent had fixed his fundamental mistakes and missed many fewer shots. My player began to make mistakes at this point as he was trying for difficult shots with the same goal of getting the ball to his opponents backhand. He failed to realize that his opponent clearly knew where every shot was going and he was able to cheat to that side and set himself up for easier strokes. When he did this, my player was not mentally strong enough to change his strategy and try to use the entire court. He ended up losing a close match due to the lack of mental toughness.
I am challenged by a few problems in teaching the mental side. First, I have many players in my program and I feel my duty as coach is to work with them all as evenly as possible. Also, I can't be on the courts due to the rules of the game to point things out after every point. My players need to gain the mental and emotional skills on their own for the most point with my guidance to the best of my ability. This is generally going to be easier for a player that is willing to study and learn the game outside of playing a lot of competitive situations. However, finding teenagers that are willing to make that sacrifice is very rare to find.
Journal 11, Week 4
A discussion with a loved one about leadership
This happens fairly often in my home life. My wife leads the Winthrop University volleyball program and I lead the Northwestern High School tennis program. We both love the work we do and feel very rewarded at the impact we have on young people's lives.
I devoured the Wooden book that was assigned for this Leadership class. I am infatuated with Wooden's Pyramid of Success and have been trying to implement it into my daily coaching methods. It is not easy and I'm sure Coach Wooden would agree. Our society puts so much emphasis on winning that it is hard to discuss being successful without having an exceptional win-loss record. Currently my wife's team is 5-5 and mine is 2-2.
Our most recent conversation about leadership was in regards to quotes in the paper made by Withrop's men's soccer coach after a 5-3 win against a smaller and less talented team. Coach Posipanko was clearly dissapointed by his team's defensive efforts. His comments were harsh toward the team's ability to stay focused defensively and to step up to make plays for the team. None of his quotes commented on the offensive efforts that lead to the 5 goals.
I was dissapointed that the offensive production was not mentioned by the coach. I felt that those players or the offense in general deserved some credit in doing it's job. I certainly understand where Coach Posipanko was coming from though. When his team plays a higher level of competition, they cannot allow team breakdowns to allow 3 goals. The higher competition will not allow his team to excecute on offense like it did against this lesser quality opponent.
My wife thought the comments were completely appropriate. Despite the offensive production, the entire team needs to know that the focus of all team members needs to be on the defensive end. Her team struggles with similar trouble on defense with inconsistent effort both mentally and physically so she could easily relate to the frustration.
This happens fairly often in my home life. My wife leads the Winthrop University volleyball program and I lead the Northwestern High School tennis program. We both love the work we do and feel very rewarded at the impact we have on young people's lives.
I devoured the Wooden book that was assigned for this Leadership class. I am infatuated with Wooden's Pyramid of Success and have been trying to implement it into my daily coaching methods. It is not easy and I'm sure Coach Wooden would agree. Our society puts so much emphasis on winning that it is hard to discuss being successful without having an exceptional win-loss record. Currently my wife's team is 5-5 and mine is 2-2.
Our most recent conversation about leadership was in regards to quotes in the paper made by Withrop's men's soccer coach after a 5-3 win against a smaller and less talented team. Coach Posipanko was clearly dissapointed by his team's defensive efforts. His comments were harsh toward the team's ability to stay focused defensively and to step up to make plays for the team. None of his quotes commented on the offensive efforts that lead to the 5 goals.
I was dissapointed that the offensive production was not mentioned by the coach. I felt that those players or the offense in general deserved some credit in doing it's job. I certainly understand where Coach Posipanko was coming from though. When his team plays a higher level of competition, they cannot allow team breakdowns to allow 3 goals. The higher competition will not allow his team to excecute on offense like it did against this lesser quality opponent.
My wife thought the comments were completely appropriate. Despite the offensive production, the entire team needs to know that the focus of all team members needs to be on the defensive end. Her team struggles with similar trouble on defense with inconsistent effort both mentally and physically so she could easily relate to the frustration.
Journal 10, Week 4
My best thinking tends to happen when...
1) I have a quiet area
2) I have time to reflect
3) I am in a good mood
My best thinking generally is when I am alone in my home or car. Limiting distractions allows me to have a conversation to myself inside my head. I don't necessarily have to have the TV or radio off, but on just as background noise at a low level. If it is too quiet, I'll tend to get distracted out of boredom.
I generally do not think well when I am rushed. I just finisheed writing 2 papers that were due within 24 hours of each other for the same class. I found two things challenging about that. First, it was tough to keep my thoughts straight on which I was focusing on. Second, I wanted them both to be completed ahead of schedule so I felt rushed to get ideas to paper rather than truly focusing on the quality of those ideas. Neither paper will be my best work.
Sundays are usually my best thinking days. My wife and I attend church every Sunday and we meet with some friends afterward in a small group session to discuss ideas on God, Jesus, the Bible, and other religous topics. The small group allows us to speak freely of our thoughts and opinions on Christianity. While I do not feel this atmosphere creates my best thinking and best responses, I usually think about our conversation the rest of the day on Sunday while I am working on other things. It's a very liberating time.
1) I have a quiet area
2) I have time to reflect
3) I am in a good mood
My best thinking generally is when I am alone in my home or car. Limiting distractions allows me to have a conversation to myself inside my head. I don't necessarily have to have the TV or radio off, but on just as background noise at a low level. If it is too quiet, I'll tend to get distracted out of boredom.
I generally do not think well when I am rushed. I just finisheed writing 2 papers that were due within 24 hours of each other for the same class. I found two things challenging about that. First, it was tough to keep my thoughts straight on which I was focusing on. Second, I wanted them both to be completed ahead of schedule so I felt rushed to get ideas to paper rather than truly focusing on the quality of those ideas. Neither paper will be my best work.
Sundays are usually my best thinking days. My wife and I attend church every Sunday and we meet with some friends afterward in a small group session to discuss ideas on God, Jesus, the Bible, and other religous topics. The small group allows us to speak freely of our thoughts and opinions on Christianity. While I do not feel this atmosphere creates my best thinking and best responses, I usually think about our conversation the rest of the day on Sunday while I am working on other things. It's a very liberating time.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Journal #9, Week 3
One of my biggest management/leadership success is...
Our end of year banquets for the tennis teams. The kids are awarded letters or certificates of participation. They are handed recognition for leadership (captains) and academics. And they receive all this in front of their families and teammates to instill in them a sense of pride. The kids are proud and I am proud of them regardless of how they fared in competition that season. They put in the time and work to get out of sports what is meant to be had - results.
Not every player has the god-given ability to be a tennis champion. I don't set out to make anyone a tennis champion. I try to instill in them the will to work to the top of their potential so they can see how far they can go. Some players have higher potential than others and it is not fair to judge them side by side, but rather as individuals. If every individual I work with performs to their maximum capability, I am satisfied.
My teams at Northwestern high school have not achieved a high level of success according to wins and losses. Both the girls and boys have typically fared about .500 in the win percentage. However, I have tons of players learning a sport that they will be able to play for the rest of their lives.
My first year coaching, I had 12 boys come out for tennis. Last year was my second year and I had 32 boys show interest and 23 that ended up playing the season. I take this as a sign of my success in getting the sport popular within the school, which I believe is my main job.
Our end of year banquets for the tennis teams. The kids are awarded letters or certificates of participation. They are handed recognition for leadership (captains) and academics. And they receive all this in front of their families and teammates to instill in them a sense of pride. The kids are proud and I am proud of them regardless of how they fared in competition that season. They put in the time and work to get out of sports what is meant to be had - results.
Not every player has the god-given ability to be a tennis champion. I don't set out to make anyone a tennis champion. I try to instill in them the will to work to the top of their potential so they can see how far they can go. Some players have higher potential than others and it is not fair to judge them side by side, but rather as individuals. If every individual I work with performs to their maximum capability, I am satisfied.
My teams at Northwestern high school have not achieved a high level of success according to wins and losses. Both the girls and boys have typically fared about .500 in the win percentage. However, I have tons of players learning a sport that they will be able to play for the rest of their lives.
My first year coaching, I had 12 boys come out for tennis. Last year was my second year and I had 32 boys show interest and 23 that ended up playing the season. I take this as a sign of my success in getting the sport popular within the school, which I believe is my main job.
Journal #8, Week 3
What daily activities do I perform with the greatest of care?
I would say that, as it relates to coaching high school tennis, I take pride in:
1) Organization
2) Planning
3) Efficiency
I keep tons of statisitcs on my kids on the tennis team at Northwestern. I have players on the sidelines tracking each point and how it is won or lost by our team. This data tells me where we are currently strong and weak as a team and through the individual players.
I also take pride in planning all details of the program. Every practice I know what I want to get accomplished and I meet with the team briefly before practice to set my goals of the practice. I take pride in starting and ending on time so I want them to know exactly what is expected of them.
This rolls directly into efficiency which I am very demanding in. I want practice to run on time because the kids have other interests that are important to them as well as their top priority of school work. The more effective we use our time and reduce time wasted, the better chance we have of getting out on schedule and getting the kids to their schoolwork or other activities.
I would say that, as it relates to coaching high school tennis, I take pride in:
1) Organization
2) Planning
3) Efficiency
I keep tons of statisitcs on my kids on the tennis team at Northwestern. I have players on the sidelines tracking each point and how it is won or lost by our team. This data tells me where we are currently strong and weak as a team and through the individual players.
I also take pride in planning all details of the program. Every practice I know what I want to get accomplished and I meet with the team briefly before practice to set my goals of the practice. I take pride in starting and ending on time so I want them to know exactly what is expected of them.
This rolls directly into efficiency which I am very demanding in. I want practice to run on time because the kids have other interests that are important to them as well as their top priority of school work. The more effective we use our time and reduce time wasted, the better chance we have of getting out on schedule and getting the kids to their schoolwork or other activities.
Journal # 7, Week 3
Why am I in the EMBA program?
Logically, I am in the program to further my business skills and knowledge to make myself a more marketable employee and manager.
Realistically, I am in the program because I was advised to take this program over the evening program. Based on my employment history, I was advised it would be a better fit for me.
I entered the program hoping to network and gain contacts that would lead to future employment opportunities. With the downturn in the economy, I am not so sure how that will pan out come May. I plan on aggressively pursuing employment after the new year.
However, I think what I have learned most from the program thus far is that I am more of a theory person than a quantitative person. I enjoy learning new methods of thinking toward business solutions than the operational side of things. This has shocked my system and lead me to believe that I may not be happy in a traditional organizational structure. I may be better off focusing on a career in academia.
Also, I have continued to coach and teach tennis to junior tennis players in the Rock Hill area. I love this job, however it pays peanuts and is not a viable long term career unless it is coupled with a teaching position in the school district. Once this semester winds down, I plan on seriously pursuing teaching opportunities with the Rock Hill school district that would enable me to teach in either business or mathematics. I love watching young minds work athletically and I believe that I can engage young minds academically as well.
Mostly, I plan on listening to what God tells me I should do. I have a loving wife and supportive co-workers at the school district. I will rely on the advice of all those parties to guide me to my proper place in life on earth.
Logically, I am in the program to further my business skills and knowledge to make myself a more marketable employee and manager.
Realistically, I am in the program because I was advised to take this program over the evening program. Based on my employment history, I was advised it would be a better fit for me.
I entered the program hoping to network and gain contacts that would lead to future employment opportunities. With the downturn in the economy, I am not so sure how that will pan out come May. I plan on aggressively pursuing employment after the new year.
However, I think what I have learned most from the program thus far is that I am more of a theory person than a quantitative person. I enjoy learning new methods of thinking toward business solutions than the operational side of things. This has shocked my system and lead me to believe that I may not be happy in a traditional organizational structure. I may be better off focusing on a career in academia.
Also, I have continued to coach and teach tennis to junior tennis players in the Rock Hill area. I love this job, however it pays peanuts and is not a viable long term career unless it is coupled with a teaching position in the school district. Once this semester winds down, I plan on seriously pursuing teaching opportunities with the Rock Hill school district that would enable me to teach in either business or mathematics. I love watching young minds work athletically and I believe that I can engage young minds academically as well.
Mostly, I plan on listening to what God tells me I should do. I have a loving wife and supportive co-workers at the school district. I will rely on the advice of all those parties to guide me to my proper place in life on earth.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Journal #6, Week 3
I completed John Wooden's book last night "Essential Wooden." It was an easy read both in the short length of the book and by it being written by someone with such similar views to mine on both leadership and basketball.
Wooden was an efficient human being. He was a meticulous planner who set high expectations of those that worked for him as well as himself. At the same time, he worked tirelessly to make sure that it was possible for his teams to reach success. He understood that it wasn't good enough to set a goal if he didn't do all that he can to help them reach it.
I love that Wooden didn't like to mention winning. He didn't see winning and success as being synonyms. I have adapted a Wooden quote into my email signature that sums his theory on success best:
"For maximum team accomplishment, each individual must prepare himself to be the best of his ability and then put his talents to work for the team. This must be done unselfishly, without thought of personal glory. When no one worries about who will receive the credit, far more can be accomplished in any group activity." - John Wooden, Preseason Letter to Team, 1964
Another quote I have used recently is from Coach Joe Paterno. JoPa was asked in an interview if his incoming freshmen had a will to win. JoPa, rambling through an answer, stated something that was spot on:
"Everyone wants to win. You and I want to win any time we want to compete in a game. What I look for is for players that have the will to prepare to win. If the players are willing to make the sacrifices in preparation of the contest, they will win more often than not. Most of the players on this roster have prepared well."
Paterno and Wooden have so much in common. Being coaches in collegiate sports is as competitive an environment as one can be placed in. However, coaches that go for wins over team success are usually going to fail. Similar is this to a boss in business that focuses on their quarterly results ahead of long term viability of the organization. Failing to see the vision of the company over the short term results is a dangerous venture.
Wooden was an efficient human being. He was a meticulous planner who set high expectations of those that worked for him as well as himself. At the same time, he worked tirelessly to make sure that it was possible for his teams to reach success. He understood that it wasn't good enough to set a goal if he didn't do all that he can to help them reach it.
I love that Wooden didn't like to mention winning. He didn't see winning and success as being synonyms. I have adapted a Wooden quote into my email signature that sums his theory on success best:
"For maximum team accomplishment, each individual must prepare himself to be the best of his ability and then put his talents to work for the team. This must be done unselfishly, without thought of personal glory. When no one worries about who will receive the credit, far more can be accomplished in any group activity." - John Wooden, Preseason Letter to Team, 1964
Another quote I have used recently is from Coach Joe Paterno. JoPa was asked in an interview if his incoming freshmen had a will to win. JoPa, rambling through an answer, stated something that was spot on:
"Everyone wants to win. You and I want to win any time we want to compete in a game. What I look for is for players that have the will to prepare to win. If the players are willing to make the sacrifices in preparation of the contest, they will win more often than not. Most of the players on this roster have prepared well."
Paterno and Wooden have so much in common. Being coaches in collegiate sports is as competitive an environment as one can be placed in. However, coaches that go for wins over team success are usually going to fail. Similar is this to a boss in business that focuses on their quarterly results ahead of long term viability of the organization. Failing to see the vision of the company over the short term results is a dangerous venture.
Journal #5, Week 2
Progressive Insurance, Management in Claims
I worked at Progressive for 7 years both in Atlanta and in Charlotte. I worked for 7 different managers and reported to 13 supervisors.
The layout of management was logical. The claim representatives reported to a supervisor in a group of 4-7. The supervisor reported to a branch manager who oversaw 15-25. Levels of claims were delegated to reps based on their experience and skill levels. Supervisors were in charge of reps based on the supervisors experience and skill. Managers oversaw more complex groups when they showed they had the knowledge and ability. There was a constant learning environment and training was continuous.
Progressive's corporate goals for claims handling are: Accuracy, Efficiency, Customer Experience, and Profit. Where I always saw a hang up in the process was the combination of accuracy and efficiency. Certainly, claims reps with higher skill sets and more experience were granted larger dollar figures of authority to issue payments. However, the reps were constantly having audits held over their heads to ensure accuracy.
When I worked as a claims rep, I found it challenging to strive for an efficient work environment that seemed to over emphasize the accuracy piece. I was told to respond timely, pay claims quickly, and look to close claims within time parameters. At the same time, I was scared to make mistakes. It was a double edged sword that I continuously faced.
I always felt that the audits should have a more holistic approach to them. When claims are reviewed, they are looked at as if they were the only claim that the rep handled at the time. If an auditor takes into consideration that the rep was working at 110% of normal, there should be some slack as to the error rate they encounter. At the same time, is a rep is being worked at 90% of normal, they should be held to a higher standard for accuracy and more scrutinized for careless or lazy mistakes.
When I supervised and managed teams, I always took this into consideration in day to day accuracy issues. If I was getting 120% productivity out of my reps, I was quick to praise them. I saw it as a sign that among 5 reps, I was getting the work of 6. Therefore, if we save $50K in salary and benefits I felt that it was OK for some careless errors to happen. However, I was always quick to point out that if we were at 80 or 90% efficiency, we were overpaying them for their work and it better be financially worth it to the group.
Just my 2 cents...
I worked at Progressive for 7 years both in Atlanta and in Charlotte. I worked for 7 different managers and reported to 13 supervisors.
The layout of management was logical. The claim representatives reported to a supervisor in a group of 4-7. The supervisor reported to a branch manager who oversaw 15-25. Levels of claims were delegated to reps based on their experience and skill levels. Supervisors were in charge of reps based on the supervisors experience and skill. Managers oversaw more complex groups when they showed they had the knowledge and ability. There was a constant learning environment and training was continuous.
Progressive's corporate goals for claims handling are: Accuracy, Efficiency, Customer Experience, and Profit. Where I always saw a hang up in the process was the combination of accuracy and efficiency. Certainly, claims reps with higher skill sets and more experience were granted larger dollar figures of authority to issue payments. However, the reps were constantly having audits held over their heads to ensure accuracy.
When I worked as a claims rep, I found it challenging to strive for an efficient work environment that seemed to over emphasize the accuracy piece. I was told to respond timely, pay claims quickly, and look to close claims within time parameters. At the same time, I was scared to make mistakes. It was a double edged sword that I continuously faced.
I always felt that the audits should have a more holistic approach to them. When claims are reviewed, they are looked at as if they were the only claim that the rep handled at the time. If an auditor takes into consideration that the rep was working at 110% of normal, there should be some slack as to the error rate they encounter. At the same time, is a rep is being worked at 90% of normal, they should be held to a higher standard for accuracy and more scrutinized for careless or lazy mistakes.
When I supervised and managed teams, I always took this into consideration in day to day accuracy issues. If I was getting 120% productivity out of my reps, I was quick to praise them. I saw it as a sign that among 5 reps, I was getting the work of 6. Therefore, if we save $50K in salary and benefits I felt that it was OK for some careless errors to happen. However, I was always quick to point out that if we were at 80 or 90% efficiency, we were overpaying them for their work and it better be financially worth it to the group.
Just my 2 cents...
Monday, August 31, 2009
Journal #4, Week 2
My biggest weakness is having patience. I have trouble waiting for a response or answer when it seems the answer should be obvious. I often fail to recognize the ways people process information can be different. This causes me to assume that people process the way I process. The end result is me becoming impatient with others for failing to act the way I would act.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Journal #3, Week 1
What are my Strenghts?
1) Confident & driven
2) See solutions quickly
3) Not afraid to step up to a leadership position
4) Efficient
1) I believe that I have the ability to be the best at anything I set my mind to. I understand what it means to commit to something and go after it. I enjoy goal setting as a way to motivate myself and others around me.
2) I tend to see through the clutter in a situation. I dislike sitting in meetings when the conversation gets derailed. I see points of conversation quickly and my mind generally starts to look for "the best way" to do something. If the best way is not the one being followed, I generally become uncomfortable and agitated.
3) I have a hard time sitting on the sideline and watching things happen when I can be a part of them. Especially if I see something that could be done better, faster, or more efficiently. I have the confidence in myself in most situations to voice my opinion in an articulate way that usually gives others assurance that I can handle leadership.
4) I cannot stand meaningless types of duties. Think of the movie "Office Space" and the TPS reports. I would have been the manager that would have said, "Why do I have to get these reports if 6 other people are getting them as well?" I would have found a process that would have worked more efficiently, with or without my involvement in the process.
1) Confident & driven
2) See solutions quickly
3) Not afraid to step up to a leadership position
4) Efficient
1) I believe that I have the ability to be the best at anything I set my mind to. I understand what it means to commit to something and go after it. I enjoy goal setting as a way to motivate myself and others around me.
2) I tend to see through the clutter in a situation. I dislike sitting in meetings when the conversation gets derailed. I see points of conversation quickly and my mind generally starts to look for "the best way" to do something. If the best way is not the one being followed, I generally become uncomfortable and agitated.
3) I have a hard time sitting on the sideline and watching things happen when I can be a part of them. Especially if I see something that could be done better, faster, or more efficiently. I have the confidence in myself in most situations to voice my opinion in an articulate way that usually gives others assurance that I can handle leadership.
4) I cannot stand meaningless types of duties. Think of the movie "Office Space" and the TPS reports. I would have been the manager that would have said, "Why do I have to get these reports if 6 other people are getting them as well?" I would have found a process that would have worked more efficiently, with or without my involvement in the process.
Journal # 2, Week 1
State of my Thinking
I have reflected this week as to how I learn and I have also looked at others around me to try to capture their learning and thinking processes.
I am a do-er and a visualizer. I picture something in my head and try to recreate it. I need to take this picture and try to mimic it. If someone shows me how to do something, I can generally recreate them. I have always been good at immitations of people so I think this explains why that is so. I would much rather get brief instructions on something & get to work on making it happen. I would prefer to mess up a few times in a row before I get it right so I learn what not to do at the same time I learn what to do.
As far as my thinking on leadership, I have focused this week on giving more general information to my team. Before a match practice, instead of looking at one person in the eye and telling them some sort of direction (& repeating to others), I have given general guidance to the team and releassed them. I then have concentrated on my individual conversations and tried to give information in a way that the team member is able to comprehend. If I am dealing with another visual person, I will use a lot of body language and physical examples. If I am dealing with a verbal team member, I will try to clearly explain with extra words and try to limit the hand & body language.
I have reflected this week as to how I learn and I have also looked at others around me to try to capture their learning and thinking processes.
I am a do-er and a visualizer. I picture something in my head and try to recreate it. I need to take this picture and try to mimic it. If someone shows me how to do something, I can generally recreate them. I have always been good at immitations of people so I think this explains why that is so. I would much rather get brief instructions on something & get to work on making it happen. I would prefer to mess up a few times in a row before I get it right so I learn what not to do at the same time I learn what to do.
As far as my thinking on leadership, I have focused this week on giving more general information to my team. Before a match practice, instead of looking at one person in the eye and telling them some sort of direction (& repeating to others), I have given general guidance to the team and releassed them. I then have concentrated on my individual conversations and tried to give information in a way that the team member is able to comprehend. If I am dealing with another visual person, I will use a lot of body language and physical examples. If I am dealing with a verbal team member, I will try to clearly explain with extra words and try to limit the hand & body language.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Journal #1, Week 1
According to Felder & Solomon, I am strongly:
- Reflective (5 of 11)
- Intuitive (7 of 11)
- Visual (9 of 11)
- Global (9 of 11)
According to about.com's Homework Tips:
- I am a very visual learner
According to frank/mtsu I am:
- Right brained
This makes sense to me based on how I have gotten to know myself and my learning style over the past year. When I work in groups, I prefer to complete work in advance and use the group to merge things together. When I study, I study alone in a quiet place and try to draw things out and explain them to myself. I prefer multiple choice tests so I can see the answers and determine if one just makes sense to me.
I also emplore visual tactics when teaching tennis. I enjoy video review of fundamentals and I believe in teaching whole-part-whole to a student. In essence, I run them through a drill to locate the weakness. I break down the part of their fundamental that is a weakness and do a smaller drill to focus their mind on the weakness and assuming a correct pattern. I then re-engage them into the drill or a similar one to allow them to build the muscle memory.
- Reflective (5 of 11)
- Intuitive (7 of 11)
- Visual (9 of 11)
- Global (9 of 11)
According to about.com's Homework Tips:
- I am a very visual learner
According to frank/mtsu I am:
- Right brained
This makes sense to me based on how I have gotten to know myself and my learning style over the past year. When I work in groups, I prefer to complete work in advance and use the group to merge things together. When I study, I study alone in a quiet place and try to draw things out and explain them to myself. I prefer multiple choice tests so I can see the answers and determine if one just makes sense to me.
I also emplore visual tactics when teaching tennis. I enjoy video review of fundamentals and I believe in teaching whole-part-whole to a student. In essence, I run them through a drill to locate the weakness. I break down the part of their fundamental that is a weakness and do a smaller drill to focus their mind on the weakness and assuming a correct pattern. I then re-engage them into the drill or a similar one to allow them to build the muscle memory.
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