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Great College Recruiting Article on MomsTeam Website

In keeping with the general purpose of this blog, I wanted to direct attention to a piece I found here on the MomsTeam website  by Lucy Ferris titled "College Recruiting for the Elite Athlete." This article has special meaning to many of my blog posts because of where it places much of its emphasis. It is not just an article on college recruiting of elite level athletes (even though there is a wealth of information on that topic) but details a very important aspect of sports participation I fully endorse. In her article Ms. Ferris discusses how important emphasizing the “process” and “journey” over the “outcome” is and how it needs to remain a priority for parents and young athletes involved in sports.

It is this idea of process over outcome that really solidifies what the true purpose for youth sports participation, at all levels of competition, should be. When we, meaning the sports parenting community, mistakenly reverse these objectives (outcome over process) the possibility of young athletes gaining intrinsic rewards (strong work ethic, good sportsmanship, character, integrity, priority setting, discipline, commitment, and perseverance to name a few), or even reaching their potential, diminishes. And it is where the attitude exemplified by the statement “winning at all costs” begins. It is in this reversal of objectives that I believe the loss of perspective in youth sports is occurring, and when the “fun” in sports participation for kids starts to erode.

I too firmly believe that the process or journey far outweighs the importance of the outcome, and when I look back through my own personal athletic experience, that is what I learned and that is where I place the most value. The awards and honors were simply one outcome of this process.

This article is a great read for any parent of young athletes.

College Recruiting for the Elite Athlete by Lucy Ferris

Kirk Mango

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Average: 4 (1 vote)

Great Article on the Pervasiveness of Steroid Use in Sports

I recently came across a piece that references true experts, like Dr. Yesalis, in a discussion regarding steroid use that I thought was good and important to direct attention to. The title of the blog article is Yesalis, Williams and Fainaru-Wada on steroid panel at Penn State: 95% of NFL players use HGH and it is from an online blog journal called Steroid Nation.

For those of you that do not know Dr. Charles Yesalis, he is one of the foremost U.S. experts on the nonmedical use and abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AS) and performance-enhancing drugs and dietary supplements. He has testified before the United States Congress on four occasions regarding the use of these substances in elite sports (high-level amateur athletics at the high-school, college and Olympic levels), and by children. In 1988 he directed the first national study of steroid use among adolescents and was the first to present evidence of psychological dependence on AS. He has also studied the incidence of AS use among elite power lifters, collegiate athletes, and professional football players. In 1993, using nationwide data, he demonstrated the association between AS use and violent behavior, as well as an association with the use of other illicit drugs and alcohol. His credentials alone are enough to place heavy weight on what is discussed without having to elaborate on any other experts’ credentials that are listed in the piece.

His expertise is unquestionable, and he is the person I looked to for information on the consequences associated with the abuse of steroids for the section on "cheating" in my book Becoming a True Champion.

There are several quotes by him in this article from Steroid Nation that may be of interest to many different sports fans. Even though my, and my blog's, focus is not centered solely on the use of steroids, the attitudes, justifications, and reasons behind their use (which leads to the pervasiveness of this use) are of central focus and concern; thus, the reason for directing attention to this article. If you don't believe that pervasive steroid use is a big problem in professional and elite level sports, you need to read this article.



Kirk Mango

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Average: 4 (2 votes)

Inspirational Quote for 2010

Remember the past for it represents ones previous successes and/or failures giving confidence, solace, and room to grow; live in the present for it is here that one establishes the foundation for what is to come; plan for the near and distant future for this gives one direction – a point of reference where one wants to be.

 

                                                                                                                                                 

                                         Kirk Mango   2010

 

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A Definition of True Success

The willingness, perseverance, and commitment to go through a process that allows one to achieve personal, family, and/or group goals; the kind of goals that many view as impossible to accomplish.

And to do so with solid character and integrity, the kind of character and integrity that beseeches one to do the right thing just because it is the right thing to do. This is regardless of the outside pressure to do otherwise.

Finally, the willingness and resolution to reach out to others in order to teach them how to do the same.

It is this kind of success, true success, which brings with it
an internal sense of gratification and happiness that can be difficult to quantify.

It most certainly cannot be measured by the size of one’s bank account, the money one makes, materialistic things one owns, nor prestige or power one believes they hold.

In fact, it is those who try to measure true success in this manner who diminish the real essence of what it is all about, and in so doing never really grasp its completeness.
 

                                                                                                                                                           Kirk Mango 2009

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If You Live To Be 100!!!

If you live to be 100 years old you will spend the first 50 years of your life doing many things.

You will spend the next 50 years doing more things and reflecting on all of those things that you did in your first 50 years.

Toward the end of those 100 years of fruitful living you will spend a good deal of time continuing to reflect and evaluating those 100 years of life.

So, make sure you spend time doing the things that are worth reflecting on and that bring value to you and to others.

It is in so doing you will find happiness in a life that was truly worth living.

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Personal Note: Louisville Volleyball Wins Big East Chapionships - Upsets #1 Notre Dame and #2 Cincinnati - Daughter Inteviewed

Cool!!! Interview of my daughter Lindsey after Big East Championships:

http://www.whas11.com/home/Cards-Big-East-Report-112909-72880907.html

(Only 4 minute clip. May have to listen to 10 second commercial first. Last 30 seconds brought tears)

Thanks Linds, the feeling is mutual.

Love always

Dad

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Average: 5 (2 votes)

Steve Weatherford From the New York Jets Endorses “Becoming a True Champion”

I was happy to receive an enthusiastic endorsement from Steve Weatherford, current punter for the New York Jets. Here is what Steve had to say after reading Becoming a True Champion:

"I read it, I loved it, I live it! As a professional athlete in the NFL I've made many sacrifices in my personal and athletic life. Becoming a True Champion is an inspiration even to me now. It's a great reference for the passionate athlete willing to make sacrifices to achieve true greatness.”

Steve Weatherford
- NFL punter, New York Jets
- University of Illinois All-American Punter
- University of Illinois Decathlon school record holder
- 3x All-Big Ten Football
- 2x All-Big Ten Track
- 4 Sport All-State High School- Football, Basketball, Track, Soccer

Thanks Steve for a wonderful endorsement.

All my best

Kirk Mango

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Team Sports and Consistent Performance

Often I hear team sport athletes talk about how difficult it is to perform their skill set in competition on a consistent basis. I have frequently witnessed many of them (team sport athletes, and even entire teams) ride a wave of inconsistency playing well one night and completely opposite the next.

It is during this up and down performance rollercoaster that I find myself asking questions like, What if?, How come?, Why is that so? and Is there a better way? As a former athlete, coach, and teacher, it is simply part of my nature to ask such questions.

So what is it that seems to make it difficult for many team sport athletes to achieve the consistency that eludes them? In order to try and answer that question it might be best to take a look at sports where consistency is king.

In sports like figure skating, gymnastics, and diving, athletes must perform flawlessly if they are ever to succeed. One mistake, just one, can spell the difference between first and who knows what place. They do not have the luxury of saying, “Ok I will get the next one” as do many other athletes. When they falter, they must hope others falter or they’re done, out of contention.

As I contemplate asking how they deal with this, because the best of these athletes are exceptionally consistent in their performance over time, I reflect on the fact that these are athletes that do not have an opponent firing an object at them nor are they competing directly against their opponents.

Hmm, that is true, however, they do have the added pressure of that “one mistake and you lose” type of situation to deal with and no second chances. That sure is a lot of pressure, really tough pressure I would think.

In addition, there are athletes who do have objects fired at them and do compete directly against an opponent, and the best ones are still able to consistently perform well under pressure. Tennis is a game like that with 140 mph serves coming at you and you have to return them over a net. Tough to do that is for sure, and there are athletes in that sport that are known to be deadly at returning serve. In fact, they are so good it strikes fear in many a server’s mind, increasing the errors they make.

So that brings up another thought. All four sports I mentioned above are individual sports and do not really carry a team aspect to them.

Hmm, that is an interesting point. However, that point in and of itself raises a very fascinating question that I believe is at the center of this discussion.

What would happen in a team sport if an athlete playing that sport brought to the table the same perception, attitude, and focus that the individual athlete brought to their table (into practice and competition)? Would there be a change? I mean does it really matter whether the skill set a person is working on is for a team sport or individual sport? Is there really any difference between the effort and focus one needs to train or compete a double or triple axle in skating, a 2 ½ somersault with 2 twists in diving, a return of serve in tennis, a free throw in basketball, or a pass in volleyball.

I mean the skater could easily take off or land on the wrong part of their blade or catch some bad ice causing an error, the diver may have to contend with a stiffer board than what they are used to, the tennis player may incorrectly predict the speed or kick of the ball, the basketball player may not put enough arc on his or her shot, and the volleyball player may not accurately judge the wobble in a floater serve.

So then the real difference centers around the fact that in passing a volleyball, shooting a free throw, or returning a tennis serve – the athlete will likely get another shot at it while the diver and/or skater will not. They could easily be out of the running with one mistake. This is also true in a sport like gymnastics, no second chances.

This makes me wonder if this is the reason for the wavy inconsistent play you see from many a team sport athlete. That because there is likely to be a second chance, focus is much more easily lost. Maybe even training and practice are looked at differently by team sport athletes. Maybe many – most, with the exception of the very consistent, don’t carry the same focus into their training that a successfully consistent individual sports athlete does.

And maybe they don’t carry the same perspective that their successfully consistent individual athlete counterparts do in competition, that every single movement – every single skill – does count and that the better you do each one, the higher your chances of succeeding regardless of what everyone else around you does. That always working toward perfecting your skill set is what will bring to the athlete the consistency they are seeking. This is true for any skill they perform even with the knowledge that absolute perfection is impossible.

So again, what would happen if a team sport athlete brought into their training, practice, and competition the same perception, attitude, and focus that a successfully consistent individual athlete has to bring into theirs? What would happen if the importance of quality of one’s skill set took on the same level of importance that it does for their successfully consistent individual sports counterparts? Would those athletes be able to perform their skill set at a consistently higher level than other team sport athletes that continued on the path that most of them seem to follow?

Case in point, I have seen a volleyball player literally drop a serve receive pass right on top of a setter’s head when the chips were really on the line. Say on championship point where one mistake would have caused an immediate loss. And I have seen it done many times in pressure situations like that. This is not something exclusive to volleyball either. Many of you know of a few athletes in other sports who consistently do the same thing, that when the game is on the line they simply perform better.

It is that same perspective, that same attitude, that same focus that these specific team sport athletes bring to their position in pressure situations, time and time again, that leads to the consistency that the best individual athletes seem to possess and train with on a regular basis. That is what they, the individual athlete, must bring to their table if they are to consistently handle the pressure they are always under when they compete. If they don’t, they are no more consistent than their team sports counterparts who seem to always ride that wave.

A diver must contend with a board, their body, and the pool, a skater must contend with their skates, their body and the ice, a gymnast must contend with the event, their grip, and controlling their swing or momentum, the basketball player must contend with their competitors, the basketball, and scoring baskets, the libero on a volleyball team must contend with the volleyball, their body, and what they must do with that ball.

So you see, all athletes are much more alike than they are different. They all have an environment they must adapt to, contend with, and try to control. The only real difference between athletes is in the quality of what they are willing to bring to their training and competitive table in order to help them consistently perform at peak levels.

And herein lies the conundrum that so many team athletes are faced with. Do they continue to ride the wave of inconsistent up and down thinking, accepting that that is just the way it is, or are they willing to learn from their successfully consistent individual sports brethren and make a choice to be different and become the difference?

Yes, it is true that just because one team athlete takes on the attitude explained above that their team could still not succeed. But what are the chances of the team succeeding without that change? And what if that change encourages the change in others, then what?

I leave you with that last open ended question.

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High School Inspirational Speaking Presentation a Success

This past Monday, I had the wonderful opportunity to present my thoughts and ideas to the DGS High School Volleyball Program on how athletes (or anyone for that matter) can achieve success through very adverse conditions. Basically, how people “beat the odds” and become one of those rare groups of individuals able to surmount what others believe to be impossible.

There were approximately 60 athletes present along with the coaching staff and all seemed involved and interested in the activities and stories I used to support my thoughts.

The experience was an awesome one for me as I used the same voice and purpose presented in my book Becoming a True Champion. Hopefully, all the athletes on hand were able to grasp the true importance of an unbending will and determination and what it can bring to the athlete when applied.

I finished my presentation with the following prose I wrote for the team:

All of you in this room, based on the choices you make – both collectively and independently, will ultimately be the ones who will determine whether you are successful or you are not. You see, greatness doesn’t just happen, it happens because of something. And that something…it is the level of determination, or WILL, you bring to the table each and everyday. So don’t be content on just BEING, but on BEING THE DIFFERENCE. In the end, win or lose, it is this attitude that ultimately determines satisfaction with one’s performance or regret over it. Don’t leave this up to chance; you decide. Take on the challenge and be one of those rare individuals…..one of those rare teams that goes out and BEATS THE ODDS!!! You have nothing to lose but your limitations.

Good luck and have a great season!!!

And what a pleasant surprise by the unexpected and heartwarming thank you note I received today from head coach Colleen Reagan.

What a great group and wonderful experience. I think I will do this again!!!!

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Title Change For BATC

After much deliberation my coauthor and I have decided to make a change in the title of our book. The purpose of this change is to bring more focus and direct more attention to the larger market for which Becoming a True Champion was written. Now the title speaks loudly about its purpose just as the book itself speaks directly to whom it will benefit. Our new title:

Becoming a True Champion: Achieving Athletic Excellence From the Inside Out

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