PAU GASOL

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NBA player Pau Gasol offers some great insights here:

"It comes down to small things.  How do you react to critical moments?  Chemistry, togetherness, the bond between teammates, understanding the drive, the discipline on an everyday basis.  What are you willing to do to put yourself in the best position?  You can say they're small things, but they're actually pretty important things.  That's what makes the difference."

COACHES: ARTICLE ON BALANCING FAMILY AND COACHING

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Maintaining a balance between family and coaching is a challenge for any coach at any level, especially for those coaches in college or professional coaching.  Check out this important article that focuses on Georgia head football coach Mark Richt and his staff about the balance between coaching and family, linked here.

A THOUGHT FROM DAVE JOERGER

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Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger offers a great thought here:

"Our goal is to be elite, and we have to practice as such, and we have to play every minute as such."

CAN YOU INSTILL MENTAL TOUGHNESS?

This article on instilling mental toughness is back from 2012, but it is fascinating...check out the link here

THE 7 SECRET HABITS OF NAVY SEALS

This is certainly an interesting article from a former Navy SEAL about habits that lead to success.  Check out the article linked here

THE STORY OF OLYMPIC HOPEFUL LEIGH JAYNES-PROVISOR

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The few minutes it takes to read this story about Olympic hopeful Leigh Jaynes-Provisor in women's wrestling is definitely worth the time...check out this inspiring story linked here

JEN WELTER'S MESSAGE FOR YOUNG WOMEN

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Thanks to inspirational pioneers like Becky Hammon (assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs) and now Jen Welter (assistant coaching intern for the Arizona Cardinals), women are breaking barriers into men's professional sports.  Welter recently offered an important message for young women all over the country (link):

It shows them that anything is possible, and that's so beautiful. To me, unfortunately, I think the hardest thing in our society right now -- no offense -- is the media. We [tell] little girls all the time to be beatuiful and to do it all the wrong ways. We show them as accessories, for no other better way to put it. We teach them very early on to be pretty, marry well and then act badly, and you'll get on TV. And then that's what they grow up thinking that fame is or success is. I want little girls to grow up knowing that when they put their minds to something, when they work hard, that they can do anything regardless of those things.

 Adolescent female self-esteem right now in our country is at an all-time low. Adolescent females are more likely to accept drama in relationships, to be combative with their friends, all of those things, because we've shown them that image is more important than intelligence, that beauty is more important than talent. Until we pick up and show [young girls] women that are doing things because they're awesome and not just because they're pretty --  how else will they judge themselves? And pretty is a standard very few people can live up to because it's perfection, it's photoshop, it's Instagram, it's filters. I know I love the saying "I woke up like this," but I promise you, I don't wake up like that. Very few of us do.