My friend, and one the most inspirational people I’ve ever known, Kenny Gramas. He died in a skiing accident in 1992 while working at an orphanage in Europe. I recently told a group of football captains: “Your job is to inspire your teammates.” Later, when talking to their coach, I said: “Your job is to…
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Photo by Cristina Glebova on Unsplash I recently asked a client to list the names of people who really helped and impacted him during certain life stages: 5-12 yrs old, 13-21, 22-30, 31-50, 50+ My client took a few minutes and jotted down some names. We then discussed those people, how they helped him, and…
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The most frequent question I get asked when working on performance with athletes is: “How can I stop the negative self-talk in my head?” This question cuts right to the core of one of humanity’s most perplexing afflictions. There’s no denying the power of a great story. It’s what draws us into movies, TV shows,…
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Photo by Eric Russom A few weeks ago I was invited speak at Eaglebrook School in Deerfield Massachusetts as part of their “Hillie-Chase” speaker series. My former player and assistant coach, Tim Winslow – an Eaglebrook and Governor’s alum – had asked me. It was my honor to speak to the school community about lessons…
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Four weeks ago, on Sunday morning, March 3rd, I had just left my house for a walk with my dog Coach, when old friend Rippy Philipps called. “Biddy, I have terrible news. Billy had a heart attack this morning. He didn’t make it.” He was a very close friend whom I saw frequently and spoke…
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Last week, I led a college team I work with in a gratitude exercise. This is something I typically do early in the season when the group is forming and is part of how I approach mindfulness/mindset training for athletic teams. When you’re working with 50 male college athletes, the idea of expressing gratitude can…
Read MoreMost coaches and competitive athletes follow a similar pattern: Plan, Execute, Adapt. They do this over and over again as each new opponent shows up on the schedule. The planning phase can differ in its complexity, depending on whether it’s a team or individual sport, the level of play (Youth, High School, College, Pro) and…
Read MoreDedicated to the ideals that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. embodied . . . My brother-in-law Chan Reis gave me a book for Christmas. It’s called “How to Know A Person, The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” by David Brooks. Having read several of Brooks’ books, including The Road to Character…
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Photo Courtesy – Elemental Media Last Friday, I spent an evening Christmas caroling with my 2 children, extended family and about 150 other folks in the packed “Orchard Chapel” in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. Leading us in song was Rev. “Bobby” Thompson, who’s baritone voice set the bass tone amidst the bucolic stillness. His Oh…
Read MoreIn sports, the most successful teams build a culture of inclusion, trust and altruism. Teams simply can’t win consistently without embodying these and other key values. It doesn’t matter the sport, the league, or the level – the common denominator is that excellent teams put a premium on building a positive culture. Sure, being in…
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