The Definition of Effort

The Stanford Cardinal Basketball Team recently won the NIT basketball tournament. This accomplishment cementing their legacy as the 69th best basketball in the NCAA in 2012. The unceremonious accolade came with a much bigger prize! My friend Steve shared a pre-game speech they were given by the Great Ray Lewis. Mr. Lewis is one of the greatest Linebackers in the history of professional football. He is also a physical beast and a person who many consider to be a complete maniac. So, what can a fire breathing physical mad man from the mean streets of Lakeland Florida teach a team of well-to-do student athletes.....a lot, it turns out!

Mr. Lewis makes a variety of points in this 2 minute rampage of inspiration. The 3 most prominent in my mind:
"If tomorrow wasn't promised what would you give for today"
"Legacy is found through effort"
"Every moment is a new moment"

No Sunlight Left
Ray Lewis poses the question: If there was no tomorrow would you worry about yourself or the person sitting next to you. Fear might insist that on our last day on earth we would act with cowardice....but I doubt it! I would like to believe that people would want to share their fleeting hours with their loved ones...and to tell them how much they cared.

What if tomorrow wasn't promised?

Do you have the job you genuinely want? Are you with a person who makes you better in every moment? Do you treat people around you with respect? Are you focused on the right things? Does money matter more to you than the people who exchange it? Are you a Hero?

NOW is the time to start pondering these questions. Tomorrow is not promised!

Effort is Everything!
We often approach life in shoulds. "Should I take the job for which I am over-qualified and perform extremely well or should I take the job for which I am under-qualified and risk failure?". I hearken back to my college days.....I posed a similar question to my career counselor, her response......Take the job for which you are under-qualified and perform extremely well.

Dam Right!

Greatness has a simple definition: You know you are the most talented person on the team and you still put in more effort than anyone else.

It is easy to be talented and to give just enough effort. It is not so easy to show up early and to stay late. Combining the aforementioned virtues means you are working harder and smarter. There are no shoulds in this scenario, it is the difference between greatness and mediocrity. Ray Lewis reminds us that no one is OK with being basic.

Pissed Off for Greatness
You are a different creature now than you were 5 minutes ago. That truth is difficult to embrace. You have a plan to follow: get the finances in order, find a girl, buy a house, raise some children, get that corner office. While the end game in that might seem boring it takes a special creature to achieve such things. Every day there is struggle! The first step in conquering your goals is confronting what is difficult and making it less so. It is simply a matter of having the will to try, the courage to risk failure, and the ability to find a door where others see a dead end.

It doesn't matter if you are a middle-aged business contributor, you can still compete like a college basketball player. You don't have to be an entrepreneur to have original ideas and to utilize them in your work. Every day is an opportunity to redefine yourself.

Are You Pissed Off for Greatness?

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave 

Just Do It!

During half time of the NBA Finals, a commercial appeared in all its glory...the latest "just do it" ad campaign. It was Glorious! I was watching this extraordinary event with an elder Irish Immigrant......he was perplexed to say the least.

When I was a boy, the 'just do it' campaign was a Michael Jordan driven sensation. The game of basketball had changed. An artist had come into the league and no one was near his equal. Seeing him play was as much entertainment as it was a sporting event. He was a rock star.

Last night, I saw the new era of Nike Athletes: P Rod, a girl surfing in a bikini, bikes on rails, moto-sports, and explosions. I don't know that I've ever been so proud to be an American. We have Television that is an aesthetic shock to the passive observer and athletes that are equal parts artist.

With Tiger Woods running off to whores, a steroid scandal, and a football lock out: the good people of Nike looked to the kids on the street to inspire the masses. God Bless Them!

What a Great Time to Be Alive!

When we were kids, a movie called Bones Brigade changed our perception of the world. For the first time ever our sport had main-stream validation. The documentation of athletic prowess and creative talent spurred a world of an unending super hero series for skaters. Kids in Michigan would watch 'shackle me not' a thousand times in an effort to understand Matt Hensley's artistic athleticism.

Now, during one of the most watched television events of the year, fearless young people take center stage.

Glorious!

Tell me that Jordan dunk in slow motion is more powerful than this!


Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

4 Stories from the Final 4 - Part 4

I remember being mesmerized by Theo Epstein. This youngster was the General Manager of one of the most powerful franchises in professional sports. How could that be possible?

This years Final Four proves that the Red Sox faith in Gen Y leadership is a formula for success. Earlier this week we spotlighted Shaka Smart. Today I want to introduce you to his opponent this weekend: Mr. Brad Stevens. One would mistake Stevens for an injured player on the sideline before they would assume him the head coach. Similar to the disbelief of seeing Theo Epstein in the owners box, or Shaka Smart calling plays, the general intuition is to step back when we see a youngster running the show.

Make no mistake about it, Brad Stevens is running the show!

The Bulldogs of Butler as well as those of Gonzaga have a few things in common: Great Shooting, Disciplined Game Planning and Awesome Coaching!

With the NBA recruiting High Schoolers and the fundamentals of basketball being lost to remarkable athletic talent....college basketball has actually improved. There are few dominant players that last longer than 2 years, the team concept carries the game, and the emphasis on game planning makes geniuses out of the guys calling the plays.

Name a player on the Butler Bulldogs or the VCU Rams...? Now you know their coaches.

There was a time when players wore jerseys without their names on them. The name on the front of the shirt was what mattered. The superstars are chasing contracts and short timers are being overlooked for a better team of lifelong amateur athletes. The boys on the court on Saturday may never play for money. They love the game and their teammates and they are about to earn college degrees. The experience on the court and the mentorship of their coaches will serve their lives far better than an NBA contract!

Enjoy the Final Four!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

4 Stories from the Final 4 - Part 2

Mark 'mad dog' Madsen, Tom Tolbert, Bill Laimbeer - we all love the hard driving big man on the basketball court. Not just because of of their contradiction to the more elegant athletes out there, but because they make us feel like we can do it too. Guess what, we can't. The shooters, passers and strategic rebounders all have their designated spot on the roster. If you are a 'garbage man', like the 3 aforementioned clumsy heroes, your job is far more difficult. Get out there, throw some elbows, dive for the loose ball, grab a rebound and intimidate the opponent's star player from taking the big shot. These guys may look inelegant in the process but they can save their team the 6 to 8 points that make the difference in the game.

Introducing Josh Harrellson. The University of Kentucky's rebounding, shot blocking, elbow throwing, clumsy hero! Another inductee into the crazy white guy hall of fame. Against Ohio State, Harrellson busted his eye open and endured. Against North Carolina, He hit the deck hard and got up to charge his opponent. He is unfiltered, raw, and the embodiment of competition.

There are those in life who are naturally gifted. They have an ability that works at a higher level than the rest of us. My guess is that the game of basketball has not come naturally to Josh Harrellson. He worked and worked and continues to work. Where others see their future in the NBA in the court's reflection; Josh Harrellson see his blood, sweat, and tears. It is one thing to come out to the job knowing you are bigger, faster, or stronger than your opponent. It is something much different knowing you do not possess God Given ability...and that you have to make up for it with hard work and determination.

We love amateur athletics because of the spirit the players bring to the game. It is not a job, it is still a labor of love. When Josh Harrellson dives into the stands he does so not to earn points on the NBA scouting report but to earn an opportunity to play another game.

What a concept....to appreciate the opportunity and to work hard every day to keep it!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

4 Stories from the Final 4 - Part 1

My wife is elated because there is a mere 3 games left in College Basketball season. (she fails to remember that the NBA playoffs are 2 months long). I always tell her that the game is more than sweaty dudes bumping into each other....every team has a story. So in the week leading up to The Final Four, DFTR will look at 4 stories from those competing this weekend. Forward the stories to your wives, they may be more sympathetic to your cause.

I can roll up on any Basketball court in my town and ask the shorties if they have heard of Dr. James Naismith. Odds are they have not. Basketball has evolved as a super show of athletic grace. The fundamentals and tradition are often left to play second fiddle to the awesome power and expertise of the men and women who have spent their lives practicing for their 'one shining moment'.

In 2011, we have digressed (or progressed). Shaka Smart and and the Virginia Commonwealth University squad have executed basketball in it's most fundamental form. Coach Smart spends every minute of the game on his feet, practically on the court with his players; calling offensive sets and preparing the defense. His players are smaller and less skilled but his system is consistent and reliable.

In a recent UPS commercial Geno Auriemma compares the game of basketball to shipping logistics. Five players moving in separate directions (and a ball moving in another). Coach Auriemma's contention is that we only cheer when the ball goes into the basket. We miss the logistics of what gets the players up the court, the players into position, and the ball up in the air.

Shaka Smart and the VCU Rams wear their logistics are their sleeve. You can see the game taking shape. The team plays together for the purpose of getting the ball in the basket. They Stick to the system, knowing it will produce points. The discipline is hyper-focused. Their bigger, faster, stronger opponents have moments of running them over in a charge to the basket. Over the course of the game, the system wins.

We all love a Cinderella story. There has never been a play-in 11 seed in the Final Four. This is truly the David to any Goliath.

Where the system has helped VCU best the uber-athletic Georgetown and Kansas, they now face the fundamentally sound Butler Bulldogs. Can the system prevail?

No One knew who Shaka Smart was 3 weeks ago. But, you would not know that from the way he has purported himself and his team. He is energetic on the floor, articulate in his interviews, a sharp dresser, and an impassioned leader. You would assume that he has been there before....which is why he is there.

VCU could have taken enough pride in getting their small school into the tournament. They could have marveled at the bright lights and enjoyed a few head turns in tournament town. They chose, however, to cease the opportunity. Knowing this might be a one shot deal, they defied the statistics and relied on the logistics.

Coach Smart came at every team they played with a self-assurance. This is how great things are done in defiance of convention. To practice well, play hard, and find a differentiator. That, and to know no better than to believe IT CAN BE DONE!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

Real American Heroes

The United States and Canadian Hockey teams engaged in a classic Gold Medal match on Sunday...and I didn't watch a play.

I had more important things to do. My nephew was playing in the Catholic League 4th Grade Basketball Championship.

My son and I entered the arena to see this kid levitate above the court he played upon. Graceful in his dribbling, elegant in his shot taking and calculated in his defensive coordination. He and the boys from his block walked in to a gym across town and handed the home team a beat down!

As the game dramatically unfolded, one thing became evident: unapologetic effort! At times the dribbling was out of control, elbows were thrown and screens moved inappropriately. But the drive to succeed in these boys (and a girl) was flabbergasting. At no point did the energy run out. there was always a kid on the floor for a loose ball and fear of injury was unthinkable. It was just some kids from neighboring towns throwing down for their block in an effort to put a trophy on their bedroom shelf.

When the final whistle blew the team of marry pranksters celebrated with high fives, accepted their trophies and thanked their competitors. The smallest boy on the team carried the pride of his family on his shoulders getting knocked down and bouncing back up as his Father has; having just lost his job!

How much we can learn from these little people:

To determine our goals and drive toward them without compromise
To dedicate ourselves to our challenges
To be Humble in Victory and Accountable in Defeat

There are those who say Sunday's gold medal game saved Hockey. But, a rink filled with pros is far from Lake Placid. Give me the amateurs...those who play for the sake of achieving prizes no one will ever take from them: A trophy, some pride for a neighborhood that has seen it's share of heart break and a little more confidence to carry with them onto this marry-go-round called life.

ST JOAN OF ARK 4th GRADE BASKETBALL RULES!

Don't Forget to Remember!

Dave

References:
http://twitter.com/davidkovacovich