BILL BELICHICK

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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick provided some awesome thoughts on a variety of topics at a recent press conference, including teamwork and leadership.  Check out the link to the transcript here, but read below what could be his best insights:


Q: When you scout and work out players, what qualities are you looking for other than talent – like leadership qualities for example?

BB: We’re really fortunate we have a lot of good players and we have a lot of guys who really care a lot about the team and give a lot of themselves and have good chemistry with their teammates. I don’t think that’s anything that you can really orchestrate or as a coach try to determine the way it’s going to go. You just have to let it run its course. I think you can help the process by putting people together on the team that have a chance to bond and have some chemistry, guys that have things in common like wanting to work hard, wanting to do extra things, wanting to be a good teammate and being unselfish. So, guys that have those characteristics usually have good leadership qualities. But it all has to kind of come together by itself just like it does in any group. Nobody can really orchestrate it. It just has to work its way through. But we have a lot of players that fall into that category, and I don’t think even though positions like captains are important on the team, each player brings his own leadership to the team. So, every day, every guy comes to work, they come with an attitude, they come with a work ethic, they come with a purpose, and the more positive that is, the more it rubs off on everybody else, and everybody kind of feeds off each other.

COACHES: ANOTHER PJ FLECK ARTICLE

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Yes, we recently posted an article about Western Michigan head football coach PJ Fleck, but this article linked here is just too good to pass up...if you are a coach, take the time to read it, because it's worth it.

A QUOTE ON EFFORT

"I can't coach effort.  If they don't have that built in, we have the wrong guys."                    (Dave Fish, Harvard men's tennis coach)

I AM A COACH'S WIFE

The unsung heroes of the coaching profession are certainly the wives of coaches everywhere.  Take the time to read this fantastic blog post from a coach's wife in the Midwest, linked here

MARCUS WILLIAMS

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This is a fantastic article about New York Jets cornerback Marcus Williams, that should be read by athletes and coaches alike.  There are definitely some good lessons to be learned in the article linked here

GREGG POPOVICH OFFERS A THOUGHT

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Yes:

"The education you get from disappointment, (compared to) winning and everything going your way all the time, where no matter what you do, it's going to be rosy, that's not (my belief).  I think you learn to handle a little disappointment, handle a loss and figure it out, whether it's with your coach or parents or a mentor.  I think it's a huge lesson that's missed with a lot of kids."

BRETT GREENWOOD

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Former Iowa Hawkeye safety Brett Greenwood will serve as the honorary captain for Iowa's game with Pittsburgh this Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium.  Greenwood's story is truly inspirational, which is why his appearance at Kinnick as a captain is going to be powerful.  Check out this article from Marc Morehouse of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, linked here

And check out this cool video of Greenwood highlights, as well as Greenwood working hard at walking with a walker here

THE MAN WHO COVERED "HOOSIERS"

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Check out this fascinating article from Gregg Doyel about 103 year old Ron Gilbert, who covered the 1954 Indiana State Basketball Tournament Championship Game, known as the "Milan Miracle," which inspired the classic basketball film Hoosiers.  The link is here

A THOUGHT FROM STEVE JOBS

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"If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed.  The vision pulls you."  (Steve Jobs)

A THOUGHT FROM STEVE KERR

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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr offers an interesting thought:

"I think there's a standard that championship teams understand:  there's a bar set, and you're trying to reach that bar each night.  You're not so much playing against all these different opponents, you're playing against your own standard."

COACHES: TOM HERMAN ARTICLE

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Coaches:  this article about new Houston head football coach Tom Herman is definitely a must-read.  Check out the link here.

AARON RODGERS: "I LOVE BEING COACHED"

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Green Bay Packers QB and future hall-of-famer Aaron Rodgers was recently quoted in a Peter King MMQB article (linked here) as saying the following about being coached...and by the way, what an awesome attitude from Rodgers that ALL athletes, regardless of gender, sport, or level should follow:

"Like I said, I love being coached. I love talking football with smart coaches. I love the input, the dialogue, the conversation. I love feeling like I need to play well for my coach, like he is expecting me to play well. It’s fun to be able to make all those coaches proud.”

PJ FLECK ARTICLE

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One of the best young coaches in college football is current Western Michigan head coach PJ Fleck.  Recently, Forbes ran a very interesting article about Fleck, linked here.  Check it out...it's well worth the read.

JILL (OHM) FITCH

Check out this video about Le Mars native and former Lady Bulldog basketball player Jill (Ohm) Fitch, as she discusses her near-fatal moment last year as a police officer in Sioux City.  Jill is a true hero, and Le Mars is certainly proud of her.  Check out the video linked here

EVAN LONGORIA AND THE MENTAL GAME

This video on Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays from ESPN E:60 is a few years old, but it is still worth the time to watch it.  Longoria offers some insights into the advantages of establishing and keeping a mental edge in sports.  Check it out here:

OVERCOMING THE THREE "PERFORMANCE VIRUSES"

Take a few minutes and check out this interesting article in Forbes from Jason Selk, linked here