Use It Or Lose It - An Old Guy's Basketball Story

Our community has a small workout facility, which I sometimes use when I'm too lazy to drive to the downtown gym. Recently I climbed onto the treadmill there and noticed something I hadn't seen before: a fully inflated orange basketball.

Remembering that the tennis court nearby has basketball backboards on both ends, I decided to do something I haven't done in nearly 20 years - shoot hoops for exercise.

It was a cool morning, and I was excited as I dribbled on the sidewalk leading to the tennis court. And I was excited as I took my first shot. I had been away too long! But the ball missed wide to the left, short of the basket. I missed everything. Something was wrong. My excitement evaporated in the morning sun.

I tried again and again, with the same result. I tried some free throws and it was all I could do to bounce it off the rim. I was shocked at my inability to throw the ball into the basket. My skill was gone!

Over 50 years ago, in middle school, I had developed some reasonable shooting skills. I was too small to play on the high school team, so I became an enthusiastic fan, showing up only occasionally for recreational shooting. By the time I was 50, I took up shooting at a nearby court, and much of my skill came back to me. I remember hitting 12 for 12 free throws on one occasion.

But on this morning, almost 20 years later, I couldn't do it. There was no muscle memory to reawaken. All my basketball skills were gone.

I knew what had happened. Most of the brain cell connections involved in shooting, after all those years of no use, had finally died away.

I hadn't used them. So I had lost them.

In my writing I have often said that learning a skill is physical. With enough repetition, the brain cells physically connect, making the skill a comfortable, automatic habit. "There is no delete switch in the brain. The circuits are physical and permanent," as I'm fond of saying. Once the circuit is in place, it doesn't disappear. It remains. Like swimming or riding a bicycle, after not doing it for years, you don't have to learn it all over again. It "comes back to you."

This wonderful survival benefit is true...up to a point. As we age, the brain cells that you don't use can eventually "die" and be absorbed by your body. After decades of disuse, you can end up like I did, with most of the connections gone, and a skill you once had lost forever.

Well not exactly forever. To be exact, I can start over, do the reps, haul myself down to the court and shoot hundreds of baskets until I wire my brain all over again. At the age of 69, realistically I could hit 12 for 12 free throws again. If I do the work, it's possible.

But I would have to pay my dues. Like anyone who wanted to build a skill or change a habit, I'd have to "do the reps." That would take commitment.

And well, you know, I'm not sure that I care that much about regaining my shooting touch. Truth be told, even though I missed nearly all of my shots, I enjoyed myself running around in the cool air, feeling the heat from our star at my back. I was breathing hard and working up a sweat as I ran after my missed shots.

And occasionally a bonus thrill - one of my shots would actually go in the basket.

I think this satisfaction was enough. At this time of my life, I have other work to do, other skills and habits to work on!

Other, more important brain circuits to use, so I don't lose them.

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2014. Building Personal Strength .

2012 NBA Draft - High Character Players vs. the Knuckleheads

Evidence that I'm an extreme basketball fan is that I watched the 2012 NBA Draft on ESPN, instead of finding some other way to enjoy myself.

Bradley Beal

One remarkable thing I noticed was a consistent theme expressed by many of the announcers who were there to add interest to the proceedings. When Bradley Beal of Florida was picked No. 3 in the first round, the talking heads said he was a great shooter who would help the Washington Wizards spread the floor for their star point guard, John Wall.

They also said that while he isn't an elite athlete, he's a humble, hardworking player who has a high basketball IQ, a "high character type of guy who would make a difference in the locker room."

They went on to say that in recent times the Washington Wizards have been trying to get rid of its "knucklehead problem." Stung by having to deal with talented players whose immature behavior created problems for the team, they traded away problem players like Gilbert Arenas, Andray Blatche, Nick Young and JaVale McGee. And on draft night they added Bradley Beal.

According to sportswriter Paul Mirengoff, "The word knucklehead has enjoyed a revival lately. Even President Obama has used it – to describe people who would take a bullet for him, but who made serious errors of judgment in Colombia. Usually, though, the term is used by sportswriters to refer to talented players whose immaturity undermines their play and, more importantly, that of their team. Such players – even one of them if he’s central enough – can destroy a team."

Knuckleheads, trouble-makers, immature players whose personal weaknesses cause trouble, create distractions and poison the locker room.

High-character guys, leaders, mature players whose personal strengths help the team come together.

As other players were picked, many of them were also referred to as "high character type players."

It was heartening to hear the sports media talk about personal strength this way. A good sign. Seemingly, owners aren't just looking at talent. They're evaluating the whole package, putting weight on how strong the player is as a person. Maybe guys like Miami Heat's Shane Battier, who doesn't fill the stat sheet but who's made every team he's played for better, will get more respect and recognition.

Apparently the NFL has been burned by their own player knuckleheads so often that now they're proactively giving intense "life skill" briefings to new rookie players. It's called the NFL Rookie Symposium, and high-profile reformed knuckleheads such as Michael Vick, Adam "Pacman" Jones, and Terrell Owens are bearing witness. 

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2012. Building Personal Strength .

Passion and Level of Effort - The Magic Ingredient

Men's NCAA basketball - On January 4, 2012, Duke (ranked 3rd in current ESPN poll) was beaten by unranked Temple 73-78.

Big deal. Top-ranked teams get upset all the time.Well, it was certainly a big deal for the Temple fans, who stormed the floor after the game.

But it's interesting to appreciate why this happened, why a team with less talent can take control, lead the entire game and beat a team like Duke, most of whose players go on to play professionally. The answer comes from the Duke team itself.

Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski - "They played with great toughness....For some reason, we didn't show up with the enthusiasm and the toughness that we usually display."

Duke's top scorer, freshman guard Austin Rivers - “We were slow and they played a lot harder than we did....They just outhustled us. We have a great team, but we just didn’t fight tonight.”

I watched the whole game and came to same conclusion. Duke has four players 6' 10" or taller, and most - if not all of them - were high school all-Americans. Only one of Temple's players is that big. But at the end of the game Temple had more rebounds than Duke. Duke always has a talented team, but usually when they are beaten it's because the other team played harder.

I often say that any unranked team can beat any top-ranked team if they play with more heart, with more ferocity.

I mention all of this because I love college basketball. And I'm a big Duke fan. I love to see them win, and I hate to see them lose. But beyond that, two questions...

1. Why can't legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has won more games than any other coach in the history of Division 1 men's basketball, inspire his team of talented players to play with heart? Why can't he get them fired up for every game? Coach Dunphy did it for the Temple Owls. Why couldn't Coach K do it for the Duke players? I think it's a fair question.
2. How can YOU bring "toughness, heart, passion and ferocity" to your work? How can you engage your maximum level of effort to achieve what's important to you?

Can you coach yourself to do it?

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2012. Building Personal Strength .

Mike Krzyzewski's Weakness Exposed - Stall Ball

I almost never post about basketball. But I'm an over-the-top Duke fan, and I rearrange my calendar around Duke hoops. I monitor recruiting. I track what the players are doing in the summer. I read every article about Duke basketball on the Internet. I watch every single game on TV, if it is televised. Even with the windows closed, the neighbors can hear me shouting during games. I've been doing this the whole time that Mike Krzyzewski has been at Duke.

Plus, Mike Krzyzewski and I were cadets at West Point at the same time. I'm a HUGE fan.

Duke's legendary coach has more victories than any Division I men's basketball coach in history. He knows how to attract talented and develop them. He knows how to win. He's the ultimate class act in basketball, whether college or pros. He deserves all the adulation he has received.

But he has an Achilles heel. As I write, he has 910 victories and 4 NCAA championships; but if it weren't for this flaw, he'd no doubt have 950 victories and 6 championships. Most of the TV sports announcers know what this flaw is, and all the veteran coaches know, too. And when Coach K implements this ill-advised strategy, as he often does, the coaches have learned how to counter it.

The flaw is "clock management" or "slowing the game down." Many people call it "stall ball." It was invented by legendary UNC coach Dean Smith. He called it "four corners." The idea was to build up a lead and towards the end of the game, just pass the ball around, running the clock down. It drove opposing coaches crazy, because it didn't leave them with enough time to come back and win. It probably drove Coach K crazy, too.

Maybe that's why Coach K loves to use the strategy.

Actually, I do, too.

The problem is, Coach K implements it too soon.

I believe there's a fairly low-risk way to hold the ball and let the clock run down. It's simple mathematics. If the team that's ahead just holds the ball for 30 seconds, misses the shot, and the other team scores right away, that's no problem if the lead is more than 2 points. If you do that twice and stall for 60 seconds, you'd need a lead of more than 4 points. So the rule of thumb is to multiply the number of minutes remaining by 4 to determine the size of lead you need to play no-risk clock management. Hopefully, the leading team will force a turnover or score, which is all to the good. But if a team waits to stall the ball, using this guideline, it's almost impossible to lose.

But Krzyzewski consistently starts managing the clock much too soon, creating unnecessary risks. For example, in the game with Washington on December 10, 2011, he started managing the clock with 4:46 to go. By my calculation, he would need a 19-point lead to work the clock down to a safe victory. But the lead was only 14. With a 14-point lead, to play it safe, you should wait until 3:30 left. Seemingly, he trusts his team to score or create defensive stops or turnovers. And sometimes they do, and Duke wins. But sometimes they don't.

That's because of three things. First, Duke got the comfortable lead by implementing their offense. Shifting to stall ball means the players have to stop doing that. This is a jarring change of pace. It upsets every aspect of the offensive chemistry.

Second, after holding the ball and with only 10 seconds left in the possession, there's only time for one shot; and it's a pressured, well-defended shot because the other team can see it coming. Most of the time, the shot misses because the only available shot is a low-percentage shot. The other team gets the rebound, attacks, scores and closes the gap. If this pattern continues, Duke loses. So this seemingly conservative strategy is actually a very risky one if implemented too soon. And Krzyzewski all too often makes this mistake.

The third and scariest thing is that once Coach K shifts to stall ball, he almost never shifts back to his regular offense, regardless of how much the lead disappears. Why this is so, I don't know. I can only speculate. But it's great news for opposing coaches.

I remember watching a game several years ago when Duke squandered a 30-point lead against Virginia. They began stalling halfway through the second half. Duke kept missing time-pressured low-percentage shots, and Virginia kept slashing and scoring. In the end, Duke's lead was gone and Virginia won. I've never forgotten that game, because the pattern repeated itself in future games.

Ironically, the most conservative way to win is to stay with the aggressive basketball that got you the lead in the first place. Most teams do that. But Mike loves stall ball. I think he truly believes it's one of the reasons he wins so often.

At the 4:46 mark in the Washington game, Duke led 74-60; and they began slowing the game down. But then Washington stole the ball and scored on a fast break. This pattern repeated itself. Duke lost the ball again and Washington scored. At 3:00 the score was 74-64. Stall ball wasn't working. Duke was losing its lead. According to my formula, at 3:00 they would need a 12-point lead to stall safely, but they led by only 10.

But Duke continued to stall. At 2:17 the score was 75-66. They needed a 9-point lead, and they had a 9-point lead. Luckily for Duke, they were fouled repeatedly and they made some free throws. With 0:50 left, the score was 81-72. Mathematically, Duke's victory was all but assured. Washington had to foul deliberately for any chance to win, and Duke made more free throws. Washington made a buzzer-beater 3-point shot, and the game endded 86-80. Coach K made it happen. His gamble paid off in another victory.

But why gamble? Does Coach K enjoy the thrill of the risk? Duke went from a 14-point lead to winning by only 6. "Duke held off Washington," said the reports after the game. Actually, during that final 5-minute stretch Duke did not make a single basket. By contrast, Washington scored 20 points in those five minutes. Scary. But Duke was fouled several times and made about half of some free throws.

If I were to presume to advise the legendary coach, I'd tell him this - "When you get a nice lead, continue with what got you there. Keep playing aggressive basketball until the lead is 4 times the number of minutes remaining. Then - if you must - start slowing the game down. Train your players to protect the ball, because your desperate opponent will try to steal it and break for an easy score. My preference, though, would be to keep on working your offense and try to increase the lead. That's what the players would like to do and it's less risky. But if you absolutely must shift to managing the clock, don't do it too soon."

Coach K - "Thanks for your analysis, Denny. Good food for thought."

Denny - "You're welcome, Coach."

NOTE TO MY REGULAR READERS. Thanks for letting me depart from my usual focus on personal strength, people skills, personal strength and teen development. In a way, this article is about some of that. I know the chance that Coach K will see this article is pretty small, and even smaller that he would give it any credibility if he did read it.

But maybe...

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2011. Building Personal Strength .

He Redefined Excellence - Remembering Larry Bird

As I write, the NBA season is still on hold while owners and players are talking to work out a collective bargaining agreement. The owners want more of the money. The players want more of the money.

Meanwhile, I sometimes allow myself to remember some of the great players who made the game so great. And it wasn't because of the money, because that kind of money wasn't part of the game back then.

1985 photo - Steve Lipofsky

I came across this brief video clip about Larry Bird. It reminded me that there is NO ONE, not Lebron James, not Dwayne Wade, not Derrick Rose, not Kobe Bryant, not Dirk Nowitski - NO ONE who can do the kinds of things Larry Bird used to do on the basketball court.

He made it look easy. But of course that's because he practiced so much. Whether there was a game or not, he was in the gym shooting baskets all day. He even had a basketball court in his house for this purpose. He put in his 10,000 hours, probably two or three times over. He was the Shakespeare of basketball. The Beethoven of basketball. The Leonardo Da Vinci of basketball.

And now there are players who get 20 times the salary that he got who aren't one-twentieth as talented. I miss him.

Check it out...



Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2011. Building Personal Strength . (Used by permission of Wikimedia Creative Commons License)

Why the U.S. Women's Soccer Team Blew the World Cup Final

Yesterday I wrote about why Phil Mickelson blew his chance to win the British Open. The U.S. women's loss in the World Cup final game was my second huge disappointment.

In her AP summary of the World Cup title game, Nancy Armour said that "the Americans lost this game as much as Japan won it."

She's right about that. But not because the Japanese players made three of four penalty kicks, while the U.S. players made only one of four.

Like a lot of Americans who don't usually watch soccer on TV, I was caught up in the drama of what our women had achieved. They had won some close games to earn their way to the finals. I wanted them to win. I was glued to my TV set.

I'm not an expert soccer fan. I played intramural soccer in college, but that doesn't count for much. I just haven't followed it over the years. But I could tell that while the Japanese women were fast and athletic and played with a lot of heart, the U.S. team was bigger, stronger and more talented. They played precise, in-your-face soccer, and when Alex Morgan scored at minute 69, I shouted a loud "Yeah!" I couldn't help myself.

But then something weird happened. With quite a few minutes to go in regulation, the U.S. women stopped trying to score. It was as if they all they cared about was trying to keep the ball away from the Japanese players. It was the soccer equivalent of "stall-ball."

I'm an over-the-top Duke basketball fan. I got my M.A. and Ph.D. at Duke in the early 70s. Mike Kerzyzewski and I were cadets at West Point at the same time. I remember watching him play under Bobby Knight. Back then, the under-sized West Point team went to the NIT equivalent of the "Final Four" two years in a row. Today, all my personal activities, including family events, are planned to accommodate the Duke basketball schedule.

Quite a few years ago, one of the better Duke teams surged to a 35-point lead against Virginia. With about 15 minutes left to play, Coach K ordered the team to hold the ball and milk the clock. I won't bore you with the details, but here's what happened. Duke would hold the ball until there was about 10 seconds left on the shot clock, and then they would make their move to the basket. But that's only time enough for one play, and Virginia's defense would see it coming. They disrupted the shot, got the rebound and charged down the court and scored. Too easy. Imagine my chagrin when this pattern repeated itself until Virginia erased the advantage and won the game. It was an abomination - a totally misguided strategy.

This wasn't the last time Duke would blow big leads playing stall-ball. It gives the opponent a tremendous advantage. You can't make baskets when you aren't trying to make baskets. It's hard to make a basket when you make only one time-pressured attempt. The other team continues to play aggressively, so they score. Besides, Duke always has talented players on the bench who need playing time experience. If you have a big lead, why not put them in and tell them to show their best stuff?

I know that as soon as the 2011 season starts, Coach K will have won more games than any coach in the history of Division I basketball. But in my opinion, he could have won more. This has always been his greatest weakness as a coach. He's a smart guy, so I always wondered why he continued to do this. Even the announcers and commentators would talk about it, so I know the opposing coaches knew and were waiting for their opportunity.

Actually, I believe Coach K has improved in this regard. He doesn't use the stall-ball strategy as often, and he doesn't initiate it as soon as he used to. Watching his end game is a lot more fun.

So when the U.S. women started playing stall-ball, I got worried. A one-point lead is no lead at all. There was quite a bit of time left. What if the Japanese team scores? Then the lead is gone. You can't score goals if you aren't trying to score goals.

Well, the Japanese team did score on a late possession, forcing the game into extra time. The U.S. team scored again at minute 104. Alex Morgan kicked a perfect set-up pass to Abby Wambach, who headed the ball into the goal. The U.S. took a 2-1 lead. If they had scored again, they would have iced the game and there never would have been any penalty-kick finish. But they didn't try. They immediately shifted to stall-ball again, trying to keep the ball away from the Japanese players.

When the Japanese team got the ball, the pace picked up. Sure enough, they scored again.  And when tiime ran out, the game was decided by penalty kicks, which are a very chancy way to win. This time, the luck fell to the Japanese kickers, and everything the U.S. women had worked so hard for was lost.

After the game, Abby Wambach said, "Evidently, it wasn't meant to be." That was a gracious thing to say.

But I'm going to say it differently. It wasn't meant to be because the U.S. coach, Pia Sundhage, thought it would be a great idea to play stall-ball with only a one-point lead, instead of trying to score a decisive goal.

I think it's important to name names and hold people accountable. The U.S. women played their hearts out. They couldn't have played better. It was the coach who lost that game. She didn't play to win.

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2011. Building Personal Strength . (Permission to use photo purchased from fotolia.net)

The Secret to Great Achievement - You Really Gotta Wanna

The 2011 NCAA men's Division I basketball tournament turned out to be one of the most unusual. Not a single No. 1 seed made it to the Final Four!

For Virginia Commonwealth to advance, they had to beat Kansas, arguably the most talented team in the nation. And yes, my favorite No. 1 seed, Duke, was blown out by Arizona in the Sweet 16. And for the second year in a row, lowly Butler defeated superior teams to make it to the Final Four.

How does this happen? How can superior teams lose to teams of lesser talent when so much is at stake?

The answer is simple. They didn't WANT it as much as the underdog. They played with less hunger and ferocity. In the NCAA tournament, desire nearly always trumps talent. Kansas knew they were a much more talented team than VCU and were so sure of victory that they didn't play as hard as they needed to. That's why so many fan brackets turn out to be wrong. Who can predict when a great team will play with less intensity than the underdog?

It's a lesson that's repeatedly learned and forgotten.

I have this memory of players of the losing team sitting at a table answering questions at a press conference. One of them says glumly into a microphone, "They just wanted it more than we did. They outhustled us."

When I was a "plebe" (freshman) at West Point, underclassmen were required to eat at rigid attention unless the "table commandant," usually a "firstie" (senior) gave the plebes permission to "fall out" (eat in a relaxed, normal manner).

During my first summer there, I endured a phase of basic training called "Beast Barracks." One day while eating lunch, a chocolate cake was brought to the table. In accordance with tradition, the table commandant ordered a plebe to cut the cake. The guy on the spot this time was my classmate, Al, who sat across from me. "Mister, you have ten seconds to cut ten equal pieces. Go!"

Usually, the result was a mess. If the plebe actually cut ten pieces, instead of say, eight, they were of varying sizes. This allowed the upperclassmen to heap criticism on the plebe while helping themselves to the larger pieces.

But that's not what happened that day. Al completed the task in five seconds, not ten. And all ten pieces were of equal size. It was a practically miraculous accomplishment. The table commandant was so impressed he said, "Good job! All you plebes fall out and enjoy your cake."

Al was a stocky, powerfully built guy, and he eventually played Army football on special teams. I admired him, and once I asked him what he thought was the key to success as a cadet. He didn't hesitate. "My high school football coach told me the secret to success is desire. You gotta wanna. If you really want it bad enough, you can do almost anything."

And by the way, his cake-cutting skills foreshadowed his future. He eventually became a highly successful plastic surgeon. I think he must have wanted that pretty bad, too.

So whether we're talking about sports, or life, or work, that's the secret. If you "bring it," you can win. Not just talent - but desire. Not just in spurts - but for the entire game.

In the second half, Arizona out-rebounded Duke even though they were a much smaller team. They drove to the basket with a kind of ferocity that Duke wasn't familiar with. Arizona brought the SHOCK, and Duke responded with AWE. This is the real reason Duke was blown out.

It's why in 1983 North Carolina State won the national championship, even though they had a poor won-loss record and wouldn't have been invited to the tournament if they hadn't played themselves in by winning their conference tournament.

It's why in 2010 a less-talented Duke team surprised everyone by winning it all. They played ferociously for 40 minutes in all six games. I know because I watched them all. It was great.

And it's why in 2011, in spite of the predictions of the experts, VCU and Butler were in the Final Four - not the top four teams in the nation.

By the way, if anyone reading this has any kind of connection with Mike Krzyzewski, please give him a link to this article. I'm a HUGE fan, and I suffer the pain of defeat almost as much as his players do. The best coach in the nation must know a way to inspire hunger and ferocity in his players when it matters.

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2011. Building Personal Strength. (Images used with permission)

When It Comes to Winning, What Matters Most Is Heart

As I write this post, my favorite college basketball team, the Duke Blue Devils, are warming up for their first game in the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament. You may remember that Duke had an improbable run through the tournament last year and won it all. I'm still on a high about that. They weren't the best team in the tournament, but they played with so much heart in every game that they outlasted all six of their opponents.

Nolan Smith & Coach K

This year, the Duke team has much more talent. At least five players on the team will eventually have NBA careers. One is Kyrie Irving, the top freshman in America and is ranked third pick in the NBA mock drafts. One is senior Kyle Singler, who does it all for 40 hard minutes every game, last year's NCAA tournament MVP. Another is senior Nolan Smith, first-string All-American, ACC Player of the Year and winner of several national player of the year honors. And deadly 3-point shooter Seth Curry, younger brother of Stephen Curry, star NBA point guard. Duke also has three talented "bigs" at 6' 10" and taller. One of these, Ryan Kelly, has a super-high work ethic and basketball IQ and a sweet 3-point shot. Then there's Andre Dawkins, a lights-out 3-point shooter. And there's more talent on the bench. So Duke is balanced, big, talented, athletic, experienced and deep. And they know how to play lock-down team defense. They have what it takes to beat every team they will face and win it all.

But will they?

As I've said before, it all depends on whether they come to each game wanting it more than their opponent. It turns out that the crucial factor in winning is none of the things I've already mentioned. It's between the ears. Duke will have to play more ferociously than the other team to win. It will have to bring heart.

That's the way it is in the NCAA tournament. It's a simple fact, and yet it amazes me that some of the big teams don't get it. They show up thinking they can just run their plays and win. On the first day of the tournament, favored teams Louisville and Vanderbilt lost to Morehead State and Richmond, respectively. And Kentucky beat Princeton by only 2 at the last second. Amazing.

I'm hoping that Duke "gets it" this year, too. In years past, I've seen super-talented Duke teams lose to much lower-ranked teams. They just didn't believe they could lose to an inferior team. But the other team played their hearts out, and that's why Duke lost and went home to watch the rest of the tournament on TV.

I'll be rooting for Duke to play with maximum intensity against lowly Hampton University, even though no 16th seeded team has ever beaten a No. 1 seeded team in the history of the tournament. Today my team plays during work hours. So yes, I'll be one of those millions of employees who is robbing his organization of productivity. Sorry about that. But a Duke fan's gotta do what a Duke fan's gotta do.

On the bright side, I may be so impressed with Duke's desire and intensity that it will inspire me to attack my own projects with the same high levels of energy - which would more than make up for the lost hours.

Can I write with the same drive and purpose that winning teams deliver for 40 minutes? Yes, I can! This is how people achieve something wonderful.

But will I? Will you?

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2011. Building Personal Strength .

Never Give Up, Part II - NC State Wolfpack's 1983 National Championship

The 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has begun. March Madness!

Sixty-eight of the best teams in the country were selected to compete, including many so-called "Cinderella" teams that earned the right to play by virtue of winning their conference tournament championships. Teams from these minor conferences are unlikely to compete well with teams from the "power" conferences. 

But of course they have a chance. In the tournament, no team is assured of victory. I've noticed that the team that wins isn't always the more talented team, but the team that wants it more - the team that brings maximum aggressiveness, energy, intensity and athleticism, especially on defense. Which is why the "Cinderella" teams are there. They really do have a chance, and upsets are common in the tournament.
 
The "Cinderella" reference was first applied to the most amazing victory in the history of the tournament. That was the 1983 NCAA championship, which was won by the North Carolina State Wolfpack, coached by Jim Valvano. 

At the end of the regular season, NC State was 17-10 and wouldn’t have been selected for the tournament. But they put together some close victories and won the ACC Tournament, which gave them an automatic bid.  During the ACC tournament, they defeated top-ranked teams North Carolina (Michael Jordan and James Worthy) and Virginia (Ralph Sampson).

Once they were in the tournament, they didn't stop winning. Amazingly, they won their way into the finals against Houston (Hakeem Olajuwon). The score was tied with only a couple seconds to go, and the last play was a desperation airball from 30 feet, which was caught and dunked in the final second to give State a 54-52 victory.
 
A classic “Cinderella” team, NC State shouldn’t have gone far in the tournament, but they played their hearts out every minute and refused to give up. It's a great piece of sports history, and it's a great lesson in perseverance. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you believe in yourself and simply refuse to quit.

If you've never heard Jim Valvano's "Never Give Up" speech, which he delivered in front of the ESPY Awards audience in 1993, eight weeks before he died of cancer, I highly recommend it.

Also see "Never Give Up, Part I - Leonard and Hearns"

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., , Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength .

Words of Wisdom from Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is now 48 years old. These days he's known for Nike's "Air Jordan" sneakers and for his Haynes underwear commercials, in which he plays the smiling, patient straight man to over-zealous admirers who wear the same underwear he does. And he's the majority owner of an NBA team, the Charlotte Bobcats.

And oh yeah, he's the greatest basketball player who ever played the game. He is personally responsible for the Chicago Bulls's achieving two three-peats in the 1990s - six NBA championships. Professional basketball is a worldwide phenomenon now, and it started with Michael Jordan. For an example of his greatness, check this story.

He's a perfect example of why athletes shouldn't be stereotyped as "dumb jocks." These are my favorite quotes from Michael...

On TEAMWORK - “If you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

On EFFORT - "Success isn't something you chase. It's something you have to put forth the effort for constantly. Then maybe it'll come when you least expect it."

On PERSEVERANCE - “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

On PERSEVERANCE - “Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

On SELF-CONFIDENCE - "You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them."


Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength . (1997 photo by Steve Lipofsky, fair use permission from GNU Free Documentation License)

Basketball Coaching Legend John Wooden (1910-2010)

John Wooden was one of those few people who earned the right to be called a legend during his own lifetime. He nurtured the growth of athletes, teams, other coaches and the game of basketball. He recently passed away at the age of 99, but his presence will continue to be felt, as before.

In a recent issue of "ESPN the Magazine," Rick Reilly wrote about his visit with Wooden. "His Presidential Medal of Freedom hangs next to one from the local YMCA....His letter from Mother Teresa hangs near his great-grandaughter's report card....I like going to Wooden's house for the same reason people like going to church: It makes me want to be a better man."

I've read more than 200 books on leadership, but I have to say that my Number One All-time Favorite is Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization, by legendary basketball coach John Wooden. His credentials: 10 NCAA National Championships in 12 years, an accomplishment that will probably never be equaled.

Whenever Wooden wrote or spoke, he communicated truths that matter. Here are some of my favorites. As I read them, it's easy to imagine him saying these things to individual athletes he was consciously developing into men. His words had power because you knew he lived by them himself.

On CHARACTER - “Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is who you really are while your reputation is merely what others think of you.”

On DECISIVENESS -  "In the end, the choice you make makes you."

On EFFORT - "Personal greatness is not determined by the size of the job, but by the size of the effort one puts into the job."

On LEADERSHIP - "There is no more powerful leadership tool than your own personal example."

On LEADERSHIP - "A leader has a simple mission: to get those under his supervision to consistently perform at their peak level in ways that benefit the team."

On EXCELLENCE - "High performance and production are achieved only through the identification and perfection of small but relevant details - little things done well."

On INTEGRITY - "When you say you'll do it, do it. Don't give your word unless you intend to keep it."

On OPEN-MINDEDNESS - "Surround yourself with people strong enough to change your mind."

On SELF-AWARENESS - "All you need is the will to look hard enough within."

On SELF-DEVELOPMENT -  “It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

On SELF-DEVELOPMENT - "Don't look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That's the only way it happens — and when it happens, it lasts."

On SELF-ESTEEM -  "Don't worry about being better than someone else, but never cease trying to be the best you can become."

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength .

The Teamwork Formula - Five Magic Questions

I enjoy working alone. In fact, on a typical business day I work at my computer in isolation all day long.

But that fact is misleading. I coordinate my work dozens of times a day with my coworkers through email, instant messaging, a private forum, and phone.

As I reflect on my life so far, I have to say that everything I’ve accomplished has been the result of a team effort. In fact, it’s hard to think of an example of anything noteworthy that’s accomplished strictly by an individual effort. I know it happens, but it’s certainly the exception.

I hear this all the time: You can get what you want by helping other people get what they want.

Author Brian Tracy put it this way:

“Teamwork is so important that is it virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it.”

But not all groups are very good at teamwork. Each person has personal goals and wants to succeed as an individual. The needs of the one can conflict with the needs of the many. With everything that a person has to do, it may not be so easy to keep the group perspective in mind, or to stay motivated to help the other members do their best.

I’m a big fan of basketball, and whenever I think about teamwork, the first image that comes to mind is that of five players moving in concert on a basketball court. I think of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Magic Johnson era, the Boston Celtics in the Larry Bird era, or the Chicago Bulls in the Michael Jordan era. Once I play that movie in my mind, the principles of team performance seem rather evident. In basketball, a team that brings superior teamwork and energy can usually defeat an opponent that has superior talent. And of course, the combination of teamwork, energy and talent is hard to beat.

What does it take for a group of people to function as a “high-performing team?” Consider these questions:

1. Does the group have a meaningful purpose that the members relate to?
2. Have the members been assigned roles that are key to team success?
3. Do each of the members do their jobs with high levels of skill and effort?
4. Do they keep each other informed, share resources and help each other when needed?
5. Have they formed a bond through common effort, adversity and achievement? 

Of course, team sports is an easy example. But these questions can apply to any group effort, even to that of a family. Yes, a family! The story...

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., , Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength . (License to use the above photo purchased from istockphoto.com.)

FORTUNE COOKIE - Self-Confidence

If you've followed my blog, you may know I'm a huge basketball fan. Each spring I look forward to the NCAA tournament and the NBA playoffs. I always get a big kick out of watching a player who is so far outside the three-point line that no one is defending him closely. He has an uncontested shot, but he's outrageously far from the basket. But he takes the shot anyway, and makes it! Amazing.

I say "amazing," because it is. Have you ever attempted a three-point shot? I have, hundreds of times. Even close to the three-point line, the basket looks tiny. I'm afraid my success percentage is awful from that distance - maybe one in ten! The best shooters make four times that percentage - encumbered by fatigue and with defenders in their face!

How do they do it? Well, of course mechanics are important. You have to have a good stroke. But I've discovered that something else makes just as much difference: self-confidence.

Hall of Fame basketball legend Jerry West paraphrases what all the great shooters say: “If you don’t think you can, you won’t.”

Almost anything is possible if you put your mind to it. But the opposite is also true. If you’re convinced that something is not possible, then it’s highly unlikely that you’ll do the hard things needed to achieve it. If you can picture yourself reaching the goal, that’s the first step to making it a reality. If you can't do that, you might not even try.

Every goal has obstacles that can discourage you and cause you to doubt yourself. You may worry that others won’t support what you want to do. You may foresee tough problems. It’s all too easy to conclude that you'll fail.

The truth is, you can achieve almost any goal. You know you’re worthy of it—that you deserve the success. You can take the first step—imagine yourself achieving your goal. When you visualize the positive feelings and rewards, it will boost your confidence that you can make it happen.

A Fortune Cookie...



Make confidence your ally, and you’ll win most of your battles.

More Fortune Cookies...

The story behind the Fortune Cookies...

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., , Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength .

Never Give Up, Part IV - Michael Jordan in the 1997 NBA Finals

The 2009-2010 NCAA basketball season is over. Usually this time of year I have to pull myself out of a funk because I know there'll be no more college hoops for another seven months. This year I have a different feeling because my favorite team won the National Championship. I got to watch 38 of Duke's 40 games on TV this season, so I got to observe a group of student-athletes who won't be drafted into the NBA come together as a team and learn to play hard defense for 40 minutes.

Also, what helps is the beginning of the NBA playoffs. They're interesting because the already high level of play intensifies. It's "win or go home." There can be some wonderful moments in the playoffs.

One of my most vivid memories is of Michael Jordan in the 1997 NBA Finals. The seven-game series between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz was tied 2-2, and in game 5 Jordan was seriously ill. Team doctors said he had food poisoning or a stomach virus. Coach Phil Jackson said, “Standing up was nauseating for him and caused him dizzy spells.” 

But Jordan took the floor anyway. League MVP Karl Malone and Dave Stockton, both future Hall of Fame inductees,  had Utah up by 16 points in the second quarter, but through the force of his will, Jordan slowly got the Bulls back into the game. 

He inspired his teammates until the game was tied with less than a minute to play. Jordan scored a key 3-point basket and the Bulls went on to edge the Jazz 90-88.

After the game he said, “In the third quarter, I felt like I couldn’t catch my wind and get my energy level up. I don’t know how I got through the fourth quarter. I was just trying to gut myself through it.” 

As sick as he was, 34-year-old Michael Jordan played 44 of 48 minutes, scoring 38 points. Unable to walk, his teammates carried him back to the locker room. The Bulls won the next game to take the 1997 NBA championship. It was one of the greatest examples of perseverance I've ever seen in sports. His body desperately needed him to quit, but he refused. It was amazing.

For you hard-core hoops fans, here's the video summary of the game from YouTube...




Much of the time, success boils down to facing adversity and simply refusing to give up. Other great "Never Give Up" moments in sports...

Never Give Up, Part I - Leonard and Hearns "Showdown" in 1981

Never Give Up, Part II - The NC State Wolfpack's 1983 National Championship


Never Give Up, Part III - The Boston Red Sox Win the 2004 World Series

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., , Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength .

The Personal Strength of Creativity - Magical Zulu Bowls and Cups Made from Telephone Wire

One Saturday not too long ago I got to do three really cool things, which is pretty good for one day.

First, I got to pet an alpaca. 

We went to the Old Oaks Ranch, which is about five miles north of Wimberley, Texas. The ranch raises alpacas; sells fleece, yarn and woven products; and has one of the best outdoor sculpture gardens in Texas. A typical alpaca is bigger than a large dog and smaller than a pony. They're a little skittish, but if you let them sniff you, you can stroke their backs (not their heads). They don't bite and they make a funny little purring sound. Pretty neat!

The second cool thing was Market Days at Wimberley, the second-largest outdoor market in Texas (check the photo gallery). It's a monthly event on a dedicated 20-acre site with over 400 stalls. It's like a massive combo flea market and arts and crafts show. It features an unprecedented variety of really good stuff! I thought, "This is the place to come when you need to buy a gift." It's worth traveling 100 miles to do some shopping.

One of the stalls featured beautiful cups and bowls made by Zulu tribesmen out of scrap telephone wire. Yes, you may have to read that sentence again, because the idea is so outside the box. The quality of workmanship is phenomenal. 

It all started when a few men decided to wrap their walking sticks in the colored wire. They discovered they could make wonderful patterns, and they moved on to cups and bowls. Soon they were making so much money doing this that they quit their day jobs.

I was wowed by the creativity of it. About 30 years ago I used to co-train a course called "Targeted Innovation" at the Center for Creative Leadership. One of the skills we taught was "outside-the-box thinking." In one exercise we showed participants an ordinary brick and ask them to list other creative uses for the brick. The trick was to realize there are three levels of creative thinking:
Level 1 - Other uses of a brick as a construction resource 
Level 2 - Non-construction uses of the brick in its current form
Level 3 - Uses of the brick's materials when you change the brick's form

I think the Zulu tribesmen were operating somewhere at Level 2 with their creative thinking: What are some non-telephonic uses of the materials in this telephone cable?
The solution they came up with is magical, because you can look at that gorgeous cup as long as you want, and you still can't figure out how they did it!

Of course, this kind of creativity is possible for anyone. But it takes extra effort to see beyond the obvious to "what could be." That's why creativity is a form of personal strength.

Oh yeah, there was that third cool thing. I got to see my favorite basketball team give their best effort to beat West Virginia by 21 points to advance to the NCAA Finals against Butler. And as you may know, the Blue Devils won a close, hard-fought game against the Bulldogs to become the 2010 NCAA National Champions. I know most spectators were cheering for underdog Butler, but I have strong Duke loyalties and as a fan, this is as cool as it gets.

Post by Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D., , Copyright 2010. Building Personal Strength . (Photos by my wife, Kathleen Scott. Used with permission.)

Perseverance - 2: Jim Valvano

While the head basketball coach at North Carolina State University, he won the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Before that, going into the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, his team's record was only 17-10, and none of the experts believed the Wolfpack would be invited to "The Dance." But they won the ACC tournament, earning them the right to compete. A huge underdog, they made it all the way to the finals, which they won with a last-second alley-oop dunk. It was one of the most exciting tournament runs of all time.

He's also remembered for his inspiring 1993 ESPY Awards speech eight weeks before he died of cancer.



"Don't give up. Don't ever give up."