Simple, Yet Profound

I heard home run king Hank Aaron say in a commercial that you cannot wait until a child is 17 or 18 years old to put a bat in his hands and then expect him to be a good player. They must be introduced to the sport much earlier in life. That pretty much goes without saying. Kids have to learn basic skills before they can excel and it is a lot easier when they are younger. Sports has taught me a lot about life and about business. Great coaches always take advantage of teaching moments both on and off the field or court. They don't just teach their sport. They also teach life. I read an article today about a womens college basketball team that will be traveling overseas later this summer to play a series of exhibition games. The team is getting in a few practices in preparation for the trip. They are also looking ahead to next season. The team was much improved last year and are expected to be even better this year. So, the coaches are preaching fundamentals. One area where the team needs to improve is offensively. The coach's comment about her team was simple, yet profound. "We have some great scorers, but we are not shot-ready, so there are some open shots we don't get. Footwork has to get better. We have got to be shot-ready. That is just part of getting our feet set." That is a fundamental taught at an early age and perfected with practice. Today's Winning Thought: It was said of Vince Lombardi that at the start of practice every summer he would gather his team around him and hold a football high in the air. "Gentlemen," he said, "this is a football." In sports and in life, the most successful people are the ones who do the basic things exceptionally well.