The Four Pillars for Atheletic Success

                                                 “Nothing will work unless you do”

                                                                                ~ John Wooten

1. Genetics

2. Training

3. Nutrition

4. Mind

 Genetics:

We can’t pick our parents, so we all come biologically designed with potential. Our potential is limited by three things.

~ Will (mental fortitude)      

~ Fast twitch fibers (muscle fiber type for speed and strength)    

~ Slow twitch fibers (muscle fiber type for endurance) 

Darrell Royal, a famous Texas Longhorn coach once said, “Potential means you just ain’t done it yet”

So…how can we maximize our potential?

Training:

We may not be able to pick our parents, but we can choose our training.

The two key components to any successful exercise program are specificity and overload. 

If you’re a basketball player…specificity is dribbling the ball…its shooting the shots.

Overload is the relentless repetitions of basketball mechanics. These patterns of movement become so hard wired that they become instinctual.  The athlete that can react, rather than think, will be the first to the rim.

 Nutrition:

Doctor David Costill, a world renowned exercise physiologist once said, “apart from genetics and training, the most over looked component in maximizing an athlete’s performance is nutrition.

Athletes are like dragsters. And what do dragsters run on? Jet fuel!

The jet fuel for an athlete is…             

 ~ Complex carbohydrates

~ Lean proteins       

~ Healthy fats      

 Mind:

Henry Ford once said, whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right”

The greatest thing we can ever do is not what we can do to our bodies, but what we can do to our mind.

 I have had the privilege to work with many physically gifted athletes…they could jump higher than anyone on the court…they could run faster than any one on the field…they could lift more than anyone in the gym.

But the one thing some of these athletes lacked was drive. Some people call this drive heart…I like to call it will. 

Whatever we want to call IT…that IT preside here…right here in our brain.

Some are born with IT…some develop IT.

In closing I want you to think of the four pillars like you would think of four legs on a table. If one is weak the table will fall. Take these four suggestions and write them down…I’m sure some of you will see where you have work to do. I will guarantee you, the individual that takes the time to work on his or her weaknesses, will be the one who succeeds.

 These are the ones whose signatures will one day become an autograph.

 

  

Self Esteem

                                            “The only respect that matters is self-respect”            

 

Self Esteem 1. A realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect.

Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself as a person.

There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that the higher the level of self-esteem, the more likely one will be to treat others with respect, kindness, and generosity. Those with high self-esteem believe that they are adequate, strong and worthy of a good life, while those with low self-esteem feel inadequate and worthless. Low self-esteem can develop in childhood and continue throughout adulthood, causing a great amount of emotional pain that can dominate/cripple most lives.  Therefore, it’s important to develop a healthy, positive sense of self.  

Many people base their self-esteem on external, materialist factors, such as how much money they earn, what kind of car they drive, how much they weigh, how they dress,  and whether people like and appreciate them. If any of those external variables changes, your self-esteem can be greatly affected. For example, if your self-esteem is based on your group of friends… then you risk feeling extremely vulnerable and worthless if those friends leave you. By the same token, building self-esteem is not an easy task if you have been abused or have suffered years of personal or professional failure.

Building your self-esteem and creating a positive self-awareness comes from taking an introspective look at your own strengths and abilities as a human being. Being at peace with who you are and what you have to offer the world is a major part of having high self-esteem. This “inner peace” does not mean that you are unaware of your weaknesses…it’s quite the contrary; it merely means that you accept who you are and genuinely like the person you have become.

                 “Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment”

You should think about yourself as deserving of attention, admiration and proper maintenance. Avoid the pitfall of paying too much attention to the happiness and well-being of others and too little to your own. Maintaining self-esteem involves becoming fully aware of your strengths and seeing challenges as opportunities to employ those strengths.
Low self-esteem is often linked to depression or anxiety. If your emotions feel overpowering or out of control, one way to build self-esteem around this issue is to learn to manage your mood and gain control over your internal dialogue. Some people are able to do this with the help of friends and family. Others need to work with a health professional to manage the problems that may lie beneath the surface of low self-esteem.

If you struggle with low self-esteem, it is often helpful to connect with others with the same problem.  Self-help groups and life coaches can be helpful in building the skills necessary to believe in your own wishes, needs and feelings. Other self-help groups may be located by talking with a mental health referral service or by asking a therapist Doctor, or other health professional for a referral. In addition, you can contact your local mental health center about individual and group therapy. Clergy and pastoral counsel may also be of assistance. Other steps you can take to increase self-esteem include looking at community bulletin boards and newspapers for opportunities to demonstrate your skills and abilities, working with others to change the things you don’t like about yourself and meditating twice a day to increase your awareness of the current moment and of the great opportunity that comes with being alive.

Listening to the internal dialogue about who you think you are and what you have to offer the world is an important process in building self-esteem. However, it is not unusual to have trouble suppressing the hardwired negative voice while defining your strengths and abilities. Sometimes it is helpful to talk to a behavioral specialist about this inner dialogue and about how you might come to the genuine feeling of being a good person who is worthy of the good things in life.
Talking to friends, family and colleagues can also be useful in further defining who you are and what you have to offer. Remember though that the most important conversation you have about self-esteem is with yourself. Become your own personal coach. Don’t be afraid to celebrate even your smallest successes. Ask yourself what you fear, and search within yourself for ways you can cope with these worries and fears.

Learning to know and trust yourself is a long but worthwhile process. Throughout life you may need to search within yourself again and again to find your own empowerment and strength.

 

                                “All that we are is a result of what we have thought”

                                                                                    Buddha