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Steal This Article!

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“Thou Shall Not Steal.” I remember learning the commandment as a kid in Catholic school. Seemed pretty clear to me at the time, but now as an adult, I’m considering telling my kids they should be stealing, and stealing the really valuable “high end” stuff. I mean, I want my children stealing the right things! After all, Father Bill used to tell us, “The only place you can steal and get away with it are on the baseball field or the basketball court! Steal anywhere else and you’ll deal with Sister Mary Helen!”

On Episode #9 of the Jim Huber Podcast, we spoke with Damian Lillard’s college coach and skills trainer Phil Beckner (Listen/Subscribe Here) about what Damian did to go from an unknown quantity at Weber State to an NBA Franchise Player.

Phil described Damian’s process and the mindset they had to develop to achieve his goal of playing in the NBA. Phil made it simple for Damian, he had to outwork everybody in the country. Period. To make the NBA from Weber State, he had to be willing to outwork the guys at KU, Duke and Kentucky. Without a pedigree and at a small school, the only way to beat the blue bloods was to outwork the blue bloods.

“Damian had a willingness to work on things that he was not good at or was uncomfortable with. Basics, footwork, ball handling, finishing around the rim, working hard on his weak hand. A lot of kids want to skip this step and say “Damian’s doing it, I’ll steal this drill and be like Damian!”

We talked about the tendency of players and trainers to steal drills from this player or that player online, and then expect to start playing like that player on the floor at game time. It doesn’t work that way. Kids do it because they want instant results from the latest KD, Steph or LeBron Secret Drill! Sadly, no such magic exists.

Working all those hours in the gym and watching an unknown go to NBA Superstar gave Phil a unique frame of reference about what made Damian special. It wasn’t the drills Damian would steal, it was the fact that he was stealing the work ethic of the greatest players in the world, he was stealing their discipline, stealing the habits that made Steve Nash, John Stockton, Tony Parker the greatest at his position.

It wasn’t the drills that made them superstars, it was the way they approached the drills, the way they took care of their bodies, the way they studied film, the way they treated the towel boy as well as they treated the team owner that made them superstars. Kids today are stealing drills off the internet, but they aren’t stealing the right stuff.

It wasn’t gadgets, complicated drills, or talking basketballs that took Damian Lillard to the NBA. It was him, Phil, and a trashcan, working on pick and roll basketball. It was hours and hours in the film room, stealing moves and mentality from Nash and company. It was the modeling his life after the greatest who have ever played the game that allowed his ascent.

Sister Mary Helen might frown at me as I say this, but kids it’s okay to steal as long as it’s the good stuff! TVs, iPads and Laptops are way out.  A healthy lifestyle, great attitude and tireless work ethic? Have at it and pass it on by inspiring the next generation of players to “steal” from you someday!

Coach Beckner shares a ton of great information in his interview.  Click Here to Listen to the Entire Podcast. 

 

#16 Alex Cervasio “Social Media Madness, A Coach’s Guide to Survive and Thrive”

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Why You Should Listen?

In recent years, social media has grown rapidly.  Services like Twitter, Facebook and Intagram have provided opportunities for people to speak in real time for everyone to see.  It seems like a great idea, but unfortunately it can be costly if not used appropriately.   Coaches are constantly attempting to find the balance between implementing rules, bbeducating players and placing restrictions on usage during the season.   This year, Dabo Swinney banned all Clemson football players from using social media during the season.  It has worked out really well for them, but that is not the best option for every program.

All of this can be a daunting task for coaches that didn’t grow up with the technology of today.  I can completely understand because I didn’t get a computer until I was 20 years old.  Today, kids are getting laptop computers at the age of 10.  So what should a coach do to make social media a benefit instead of a detriment to their program?

We brought in social media expert Alex Cervasio, with CVAS Consulting, to build out a plan that will assist coaches, parents and players to maximize the benefits of social media usage.  Alex has setup social media strategies for Billy Donovan, George Raveling, Kevin Eastman and many others.  He is sought out by the top coaches and leaders within the basketball community.

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In this Podcast, Alex goes over how you can build an online presence with the proper social media strategy.  This can be done even if you are working on a limited budget.  He gives simple strategies to educate student-athletes on social media usage that will help protect the program’s culture.  He educates parents as well how to instill good habits at young ages within the home.  There is so much great information throughout his interview.  Our hope is this podcast will help coaches, parents and players use social media in a constructive way!

Enjoy this episode of The Jim Huber Show!

What You will Hear In This Podcast

  • 0:22- Who is Alex Cervasio
  • 0:32- The Importance of Talking to Kids Where They are at Today
  • 2:08- John Calipari the King of Social Media
  • 3:33- Coaches Need to Realize that Different Departments have Different Goals
  • 4:09- Social Media Tools to use to be Efficient in Posting Information Online
  • 6:10- The Services that Alex Provides to Help Coaches Online Presence
  • 7:13- How Can a Coach Gain an Advantage with Recruiting on Social Media
  • 8:32- With a Limited Budget Anyone can Setup an Online Presence
  • 8:55- Website Design and Management can go a long way in Recruiting and Getting a Better Job
  • 10:03- What Social Media Rules Should Coaches put in Place for their Program
  • 11:02- Kids Need to be Taught how to Learn from Social Media
  • 11:30- Who Should Kids Follow on Social Media
  • 12:32- Who Should Coaches Follow on Social Media
  • 13:11- Techniques to Implement to Educate Kids on how to use Social Media
  • 14:40- Ohio State Football Example of not Reacting to Games on Twitter
  • 16:05- How to use Social Media in Promoting Events
  • 16:55- Realizing that you can’t Take Back What you put out on Social Media
  • 17:32- Loss of Scholarships and Jobs due to Ignorant Posts on Social Media
  • 18:28- Ways Coaches can Follow Players’ Activity on Social Media
  • 19:26- What Parents can do to Prepare their Children to use Social Media Properly
  • 21:15- Best ways to Contact Alex Cervasio
  • 21:55- The Trifecta with Alex Cervasio
    • Movie: “Empire Strikes Back”
    • Book: You Will Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi “Teaches you to realize that something positive can come from every possible moment you have with people. You could meet your mentor, the love of your life, someone that is going to hire you, etc. Every interaction there is potential for growth and it is a new opportunity.”
    • Best Piece of Advice: “If you are not going to do it, don’t expect someone else to do it for you. If you are going to create tomorrow you have to do it on your own.  Don’t be afraid to fail.  If you are going to fail, fail forward.  The little failures will be learning opportunities tomorrow.  Fail Hard, Fail Often, but make sure you Learn from it and move on.  Take the failures and turn them into future successes.”

Follow on Twitter: @cvas

View CVAS Consulting services at www.cvasconsulting.com

Contact Alex Cervasio at alex@cvasconsulting.com

I’d love to know your thoughts after you check out the interview. What resonated? What did you learn?

Hit me up @jimhubershow or reply back to this email

Remember: “Let’s Make The World Better Through Sports”

4 Steps to Developing a Smarter Team

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Every year of my coaching life it’s a new battle to get a group of kids to learn the playbook.  It is rarely easy, although some teams I have had were easier than others.  It’s incredibly frustrating to call out a play and watch it break down in a critical situation because someone didn’t know what they were supposed to be doing.  It can be frustrating to have a terrific playbook, and a team that doesn’t know how to execute those plays.  Coaches have nightmares about this stuff, we awaken in the dead of night dreaming of missed assignments, blown screens and games thrown away.

In the Jim Huber Podcast #15, we went to one of the smartest human beings on Earth for answers on creating a smarter team.  Jim Kwik is renowned memory expert that folks like Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and the team that created Google have hired to maximize their brain’s learning potential.

2014 Jim Kwik

Quick story on Mr. Kwik, he was a child that had suffered a traumatic head injury as a boy that impaired his learning.  After struggling mightily and falling behind in school, he literally began ignoring traditional methods of learning in school and began instead to focus on mastering the process of learning itself.  He decided he had to “learn to learn” all over again, and the results were astounding.  Jim can now meet an audience of a hundred people, have them tell him their names and 2 numbers, and then recite it all back to them in any order they would like.  His mind, once labeled as “slow” is amazing.

Most of us rely on traditional teaching methods in practice to master our plays. Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.  The thing is, repetition takes time, and as you know with a limited practice schedule time is of the essence.

We asked Jim about his FAST method and how it might apply to learning and mastering a playbook and teaching a team to execute what they have learned on the hardwood.  The method also applies to learning skills, say shooting or footwork as well.

  • The F in FAST is Forget.  To learn something new, we need to empty our cup (all that we think we know), and accept the new information.  If I want to learn shooting from Steph Curry, I have to be willing to let go what I think I know and truly take in the information he might give me.  Jim says, “If you want to learn something brand new you have to forget what you already know about the subject temporarily.  You can’t learn what I have to teach you if you don’t empty your cup.   People need to forget what they know and have an open mind.”
  • A is for Active in FAST.  Kwik’s research says that the way we traditionally learn, passively sitting or standing around being lectured to and hoping something sticks is a poor way to learn.  Active means getting your players to participate, ask questions, roll their sleeves up and get involved in the process by teaching others. Fantastic quote from Jim, “Learning is not a spectator sport, you have to get off the bench, because what you put in is what you get out.  You need to be active with your learning.”
  • S is for State in FAST.  Kwik describes “state” as a fancy word for the mood or feelings of your mind and body and says all learning is state dependent.  If your players are bored as you explain say a new offensive or defensive scheme, that boredom will become “attached” to the information and much of it won’t stick. Attaching meaning to the information, “guys, this is the scheme that will help us beat our hated rival this year”, might change the player’s state as they learn the information.  Thinking of beating that rival makes the information relevant to the emotional core of the mind as it learns, it gives it a reason to learn and absorb the info more fully.  Another way to change state is through physical movement as you learn.  Kwik quote, “Another way of changing your state is by changing your physiology or your body.  As your body moves, your brain grooves.  The people that are physically more active will remember more because you create certain hormones in your body and brain.  It allows you to retain things.”
  • T is Teach in the FAST method.  I suggested to Jim that it might be a good idea to have members of my team teach certain plays to the rest of the team.  He LOVED that idea.  “Teaching something to someone else will assist you in learning it quicker.  When that player learns a play in order to teach it to others, he or she will by necessity have to learn it at a higher level.  They will approach the play with an entirely different method and mindset than if they just stared at a playbook.” When you teach something, you learn it twice, and therefore teaching can be one of the highest forms of learning.

The amount of great info Jim Kwik shared in episode 15 of the Jim Huber Podcast was tremendous. In 18 minutes I became a better coach and teacher and it’s my hope that you will too.

Find information on Jim Kwik, receive a free gift and view his learning resources at  www.kwiklearning.com/jimhuber

 

The Question That Could Save Your Child’s Life

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When I look back, I’m amazed I’m here.

As a teenager, I have trouble counting all the occasions I could have gotten myself killed. I had more than one, “my whole life flashed before my eyes!” moments in those years. I drove too fast and cornered too hard, among other transgressions.

As I look back to how I behaved as a teen, I am alarmed as a Parent to think about the possibilities when my baby boys become teenagers.

When we spoke with former Boston Celtic Chris Herren, on #14 of the JHS Podcast, about his fall from grace, his battles with cocaine, alcohol and heroin (among many other drugs), we tried to dig down to what might have been done to change his path.

Chris told us how his Parents, his Coaches and his Teammates got on him about his behavior, “Chris if you fail another drug test you are going to be suspended. Scouts will know and your draft stock will go down.  But nobody asked me why I was willing to lose it. Nobody wanted to sit down and get to the root of it and ask what is going on that you would take a chance of it.  Why is powerful, it is emotion, why is the reason and we have to figure out the why.  If you get that answer you can work with it.  I tell kids it is ok to share with what you struggle with we can build off of that and move forward.”

Why is powerful. When our kids mess up, and they all mess up, our reaction is shock and anger. How could they have been so stupid in their actions? The tendency is to want to yell, punish, and then maybe yell some more. There is a place for punishment, and for consequences, but after talking to Chris, I’m seeing that there is a place for grace, and there is great power in “Why?”

Chris Herren with Nazzaro Center Teens

As a parent, I know a day could come when one of my sweet baby boys will do something that will endanger their lives as teens. I pray that this will not happen or if it does that they will survive their transgression and that I’m able to put aside my anger, show a little grace, and have the courage to ask them “Why?”

Chris was a kid that torn up over his parent’s divorce (alcohol played a role), and a kid feeling tremendous pressure from the game of basketball. He was a brilliant basketball player. He felt the eyes of all the coaches in the stands watching his every move as a 15 year old. He felt the weight of expectations from his entire community, that he would be as good as his older brother Mike, that he would lead the team to a State Title, that he would make the NBA. All that weight was on a 15 year old’s shoulders, and he wanted to escape.

So he rebelled. He smoked. He drank. He partied, and he got busted. He was lectured, he was yelled at, people told him they were disappointed in him because he had all this talent and was throwing it away. But nobody got right down to it and asked him, Chris, “Why?” Why are you doing the things that you are doing?

In an upcoming JHS Podcast, we will be talking with Steve and Lorri Zeller, the parents of Luke, Tyler, and Cody Zeller. All three kids are in the NBA. All three were nearly perfect academically in high school and college. All three nearly died in high school because of crazy, irrational actions. In reading their book, the way they handled those situations involved incredible acts of grace.

It’s not just “bad” kids that get into trouble in high school and do things that risk their lives. It’s most kids. It happens, and it’s part of life and it could happen to me someday as a parent. I’m so grateful for the honesty and wisdom that people like Chris Herren and the Zellers are sharing with me on the podcast. For me, I’m still scared about getting that phone call, but I feel more prepared about handling it.

When my kids mess up, I’m going to swallow that anger and I’m going to sit down and look them in the eye and I’m going to ask them, “why?” And I’m not getting up, or giving up until I get a good answer, because as Chris said, “Once we know why, we can work with that!”

I hope you’ll keep listening and together, let’s make the world a better place through sports.

Click Here to Listen to the Entire Chris Herren Interview

 

#15 Jim Kwik – FAST Learning; The Science Behind Building Smarter Teams

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Why You Should Listen?

As a Coach, we all want players who can memorize and execute their playbook under pressure situations.  As a player, we lose minutes sometimes because we do not know the playbook.

No one on Earth has a more powerful mind than the founder and CEO of Kwik Learning, Jim Kwik.  But don’t take it from me, ask the founders of Google, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and the hundreds of top leaders around the globe who have hired Jim to improve their mental abilities and memory.

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Jim’s story was powerful to me because as a child in first grade my parents were called into a meeting and told that I could not read and was a “slow learner”.  I was placed in a Hooked on Phonics course and I’m telling you that label “slow learner” was in my head most of my life.  Jim Kwik was labeled “slow” as well after a childhood head injury.  He struggled in school just as I did. We shared the same pain.

My solution was dogged hard work to manage a 3.2 GPA through high school and college.  Jim’s solution was to rewire his mind and “learn, how to learn.”  Obsessed with comic books, he imagined himself as a Super Hero with fantastic mental abilities.  At some point, his imaginations became reality and now the top thinkers in the world hire Jim to teach them how to unlock the potential we all have in our “Super Hero Minds”.

In this Podcast, Jim Kwik shares the secrets to his “powers” and how you can quickly empower your team to remember all the little things that make a BIG difference.  Imagine the confidence a coach has when he or she absolutely knows that the players can and will set up and execute plays at a higher level!  Our hope with this podcast is to make you a smarter coach, with a smarter team!

Enjoy this episode of The Jim Huber Show!

What You will Hear In This Podcast

  • 0:40- Who is Jim Kwik
  • 1:01- Jim’s Connection to Jim Kwik in Regards to Memory and Intelligence Improvement
  • 1:44- Jim Kwik’s Accident that Lead him to Create Breakthrough Techniques for his Brain
  • 2:38- F.A.S.T – 4 Keys to Help Someone Learn Quicker
  • 3:00- To Learn Something Brand New First You Need to Forget Everything You Know About the Subject
  • 3:37- You Have to Active in Learning You Can’t be Passive
  • 4:24- The Difference Between Note Taking and Note Making for Creative Learning
  • 5:45- All Learning is State Dependent
  • 8:04- Physical Exercises to Help You Build Your Brain Power
  • 8:17- When You Teach Something You Get to Learn it Twice
  • 9:22- Additional Classes that Should be Taught in School to Teach Effective Learning
  • 10:12- 20th Century Education Doesn’t Work in the 21st Century Learning
  • 11:18- M.O.M is the Three Steps to Take in Remembering Anything
  • 12:33- Creating a Reason Why to Remember is the First Important Step
  • 12:47- Remembering Something Doesn’t Have to do With Retention it has to With Attention
  • 13:22- Bill Clinton’s Strategy in Developing a Powerful Memory
  • 14:15- People Don’t Want Presents But They Want Your Presence
  • 14:58- The Word Listen can be Scrambled into Silent
  • 15:20- How to get Jim Kwik’s Resources and Learning Materials
  • 16:13- The Last M. Developing Effective Mechanics and Strategies are Important in Remembering
  • 17:20- Jim Kwik and Troy’s Discussion on Favorite Super Hero
  • 18:50- The Importance of Becoming a Thermostat in Your Live

Follow on Twitter: @jimkwik

Find information on Jim Kwik, receive a free gift and view his learning resources at  www.kwiklearning.com/jimhuber

I’d love to know your thoughts after you check out the interview. What resonated? What did you learn?

Hit me up @jimhubershow or reply back to this email

Remember: “Let’s Make The World Better Through Sports”

 

How to Get Parents to Join the Team, Not Destroy the Team

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In general, coaches would rather not have to deal with the parents.  They would like to keep them as far away as possible to not spend time with issues that arise due to frustration with team placement after tryouts, lack of playing time and their child’s role on the team.  In today’s society, coaches need to realize that it is inevitable that parents are going to get involved.  It can be disappointing because the parents are enabling their children by not allowing them to grow through the challenges they face.  Coaches need to realize that it is only a matter of time when it is going to happen.  Even today, it is crazy to think that Coach K is getting calls from parents.  So, you can imagine what is happening on the high school level.

In interview #13 of The Jim Huber Show, Jon Gordon discussed how a program can build a winning culture.  He firmly believes that to have a successful culture you need to get your parents feeling a part of it.   So you should consider them support staff and members of your team to get them to buy in and believe.  They are a part of your culture whether you like it or not, because parents are going to influence their children at home in a good or bad way.

Get them to be part of the culture early on so that they feel a part of it.  Jon is a big believer in having an initial meeting before the season begins.  In this meeting you need to equip them with everything they need to know about the program.  Here is a list of possible items to discuss.

  • Values
  • Standards of behavior
  • Expectations
  • Vision of Your Culture
  • Challenges and Obstacles That Can Occur
  • Consequences for Student-Athletes Making Decisions Against Your Culture
  • No Negativity & Energy Vampires

Don’t just rely on the initial meeting to keep your parents bought into your culture throughout the season.  It is very important to create a form of weekly communication.  Let them know that there is an open channel to visit about anything regards to the program’s culture.  You need to let them know that doesn’t include conversations about your child’s playing time or about other kid’s performance.   The majority of Coaches don’t like to talk to parents about playing time.  I encourage players and parents to not mention playing time in the conversation.  It would be  beneficial to talk about ways they can become a better player, how they can help the team succeed or assist in strengthening the culture.  It would not be a bad idea to have more than one meeting throughout the year.  This will allow you to keep everyone committed to protecting the culture.

Jon has seen leaders have tremendous success by getting the parents informed and getting them to think more positive.  You will be amazed by how they will be a part of your culture and support it when you include them in the process.   For this to happen make sure that you are transparent and up front from the beginning.

Click here to listen to Jon Gordon’s interview on The Jim Huber Show

#14 – Chris Herren “Kids and Drugs, Today’s Pressures and Tomorrow’s Solutions”

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Why You Should Listen?

Chris Herren first became a celebrity as a teenage McDonalds All American basketball star. Then disaster struck as a freshman at Boston College when a roommate offered him a single line of cocaine. The next 14 years of his life included addiction, arrests, the loss of his family and his basketball career. The fourth time he overdosed on Heroin, he crashed his car and died in of all places a cemetery, where he was resuscitated by a local policeman who recognized him immediately from basketball and told him, “I cannot believe your life has come to this.”

Seven years sober, he has now accomplished more as a human being than he ever did as a basketball prodigy. A new generation of youngsters now know Chris from the ESPN 30 for 30 Film, “Unguarded”. His honesty and vulnerability in telling his story has brought tears to the faces of hardened criminals when he speaks in prisons, and he has no doubt saved the lives of hundreds, possibly thousands of teenagers as he tirelessly shares his story around the country. Chris Herren is a man on a mission to make up for time and love lost.

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Chris is the founder of The Herren Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing treatment navigation, educational and mentoring programs to those touched by addiction and to educate people of all ages on the dangers of substance abuse. In 2012, The Herren Project launched a national anti-substance abuse campaign, Project Purple, to encourage people of all ages to stand up to substance abuse.

Listen to this episode of the Jim Huber Show to hear Chris speak in detail about the issues our teenagers face today with alcohol and drugs.  Chris gives great tips and strategies on how to prevent kids from going down the same path that he traveled.  He also lets you know how to help someone that is struggling with addictions.  There is so much beneficial information for coaches, parents and players that Chris discusses throughout the show!

Enjoy this episode of The Jim Huber Show!

What You will Hear In This Podcast

  • 0:20- Clips from Chris Herren Unguarded
  • 1:37- The Beginning of the Journey to Recovery
  • 2:54- It Doesn’t Have to be Rock Bottom to Get Well
  • 4:21- Finding Your Realness and Becoming Comfortable for Who You Are
  • 5:06- Blessed to be 7 Plus Years Sober and Saving Lives
  • 7:26- A Little Girls Courage Inspires Project Purple to Help Change Social Culture in Schools
  • 10:30- The Ages That Chris Started Talking to His Children About Alcohol and Drugs
  • 11:03- Parents Need to Understand That Kids Don’t Have to Use a Substance to Have Fun
  • 12:29- The Ways Chris is Building Self-Esteem With His Children at Home
  • 13:50- What was Chris Lacking that Lead Him to Alcohol and Drugs
  • 14:40- The Importance of a Parent Asking Their Child WHY They Need it
  • 16:33- Parents Need to Stop Being Naïve in Thinking That Their Child Will not Become Addicted
  • 17:09- Disappointment of Colorado Legalizing Marijuana
  • 17:40- How do Coaches and Parents Help Kid’s Not Fall into the Pressure
  • 19:15- Health Should be a Bigger Part of School Curriculums
  • 20:23- Humbled to be Speaking in front of a Million Teenagers, NBA, MLB, NFL and College Teams
  • 22:15- Chris Herren’s Daily Rituals to Keep Him Sober
  • 23:40- Heather Herren the Rock That has Kept the Family Together
  • 25:48- Ways to Follow Chris and Schedule Him to Speak to Your Group
  • 26:37- How Chris Coaches Kids in Basketball and Gives Them What He Didn’t Receive
  • 28:02- An Effective Way to Discuss With a Teammate Who is Struggling
  • 29:44- The Reason Organizations Should Bring Chris in to Speak

Follow on Twitter: @c_herren

Find information on Chris Herren and schedule him to speak at www.ahoopdream.com

I’d love to know your thoughts after you check out the interview. What resonated? What did you learn?

Hit me up @jimhubershow or reply back to this email

Remember: “Let’s Make The World Better Through Sports”

THE MAN WHO MADE JON GORDON START TALKING TO HIMSELF

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Millions of people around the world seek advice from Bestselling Author and Speaker Jon Gordon. NBA, MLB and NFL Coaches want to know what is going on in Jon’s brain when it’s time to build a culture that leads to championships (not to mention future employment!) During Episode 13 of the Jim Huber Podcast “Listen and Subscribe Here,” we wanted to know WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE JON GORDON HEARD IN HIS LIFE? 

After a thoughtful pause (Jon is a thoughtful guy!), Jon revealed that a Doctor, James P. Gills Jr, gave him the most impactful words and advice he had ever heard. Dr. Gills is one of the most amazing people on Earth that you’ve probably never heard of. After reading up on him, I can firmly say it’s a sad state of affairs when we can all name a Kardashian, but don’t know about a man like James P Gills Jr. Dr. Gills has performed more lens implant and cataract operations than any ocular surgeon in the world. A prolific author, he distributes 40 thousand free books a month, many to prisons around the country. His books trail only the Bible as the most requested book in America’s prison system. As an athlete, Dr. Gills is the only human on Earth to have completed a record setting six Double Ironman Triathlons, the last one in his fifties! For the uninitiated, yours included, take a full Ironman triathlon and double the distance of each event. That means a 4.8-mile swim, a 224-mile bike ride, and a 52.4-mile run. His other accomplishments are too many to list here.

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THE ADVICE DR. GILLS GAVE JON GORDON

“You need to talk to yourself, instead of listening to yourself.” 

Simple and profound. To complete a Double Ironman in his fifties, Dr. Gills could not afford to listen to that inner voice we all have, that voice that expresses doubts, fears and  the reasons that we cannot go on. Instead, he prepared words that he would say to himself during the incredible stress of the Double Ironman. Jon told us that Dr. Gills would memorize and recite scripture as his body pushed it’s human limits, in order to keep it moving forward. The words he chose to say to himself provided fuel and energized him to achieve what would seem to be impossible. Failure is not meant to define you it is meant to refine you, to be all that you are meant to be.  That LOSS, stands for Learning Opportunity Stay Strong.  The challenges we face are not challenges they are opportunities.  See every challenge as an opportunity to learn, to grow, to improve and to ultimately get better.  Jon then asked us, “What are you fueling up with on a daily basis to keep you going?” 

POWERFUL WORDS

It seems obvious after you hear it, but how many of us talk to ourselves with powerful energizing words, as opposed to listening to that inner voice of doubt and fear? Humans are often driven and controlled by their inner fear of failure. To overcome that fear, stop listening to your inner voice and talk to it instead. Pick powerful words that mean something to you, and the next time that inner voice starts whispering the reasons you will fail, shut it up with the reasons you will succeed.

Click Here to Listen to Jon Gordon’s Podcast

Click Here to View Jon Gordon’s Resources 

Click Here to Learn More About Dr. James P Gills, Jr.

Click Here to View Dr. James P Gills, Jr’s Books

#13 – Building Culture with Jon Gordon “You Win in The Locker Room First”

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Why You Should Listen?

 Jon Gordon‘s best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, and college coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and non-profits. He is the author of The Wall Street Journal bestseller “The Energy Bus,” “The No Complaining Rule,” “Training Camp,” “The Carpenter” and many others.    His tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox and Friends and in numerous magazines and newspapers.

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Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds Masters in Teaching from Emory University.  He and his training/consultant company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations and teams.

Listen to this episode of the Jim Huber Show to hear Jon speak in detail about the book “You Win in the Locker Room First” that he co-authored with Coach Mike Smith (Former Atlanta Falcons Head Coach).  The book draws on the extraordinary experiences to explore the seven powerful principles that any business, school, organization, or sports team can adopt to revitalize their organization.

YouWinInTheLockerRoomFirst

You will also learn how to get parents to support your culture, how not to let “Energy Vampires” destroy your culture, the need to fight for your culture, how to get players to emotionally feel, how to “Love Tough,” etc.  There is so much beneficial information for coaches, parents and players that Jon discusses throughout the show!

Enjoy this episode of The Jim Huber Show!

What You will Hear In This Podcast

  • 0:46- First Steps to Take to Build a Winning Culture
  • 1:43- The Importance of Getting the Parent’s Support
  • 3:15- How to Get Parents to Buy In to Your Culture
  • 4:22- The Importance of Staying the Course as a Parent to Support The Process
  • 4:51- When Should a Parent Speak up on Behalf of Their Child
  • 5:18- Coach K Reaching Players Through Feeling Instead of Hearing
  • 6:50- Mission Statements Are Pointless Unless You have People on a Mission
  • 7:10- Creative Ways That Can Get Your Players to Feel and be Passionate
  • 8:47- Billy Donovan Uses the 7 C’s to Become a Connected Team
  • 11:03- Miami Heat Changed Focus from X’s and O’s to Culture and Connection
  • 11:27- The Importance of Transformational Coach in Developing Better People
  • 13:12- The Pressure of Winning Causes Organizations to Take Short Cuts
  • 14:20- Make Sure You Have a Great Character Development Program
  • 16:08- Jon Gordon’s Favorite Book That He Has Written
  • 17:10- The Success That Teams Have When Reading Books
  • 19:00- Ways to Deal With an Energy Vampire
  • 20:38- Lose Your Ego and Serve Others to be Great
  • 21:44- Mike Smith and Atlanta Falcons Lost Sight of Daily Processes Due to the Pressure of Super Bowl or Bust
  • 23:27- The Value of Focusing on Inside Out to Maintain a Successful Culture
  • 23:40- Ways to Not Allow the Win at All Cost Pressures Tear Down Your Culture
  • 25:06- There Are Times You Have to Fight For Your Culture
  • 26:48- Earn the Right to Love Tough
  • 18:24- The Trifecta with coach Jon Gordon
    • Movie: “Rocky”
    • Book: The Carpenter “Encompasses the Most of What we Have Been Talking About, That Probably Represents it the Best” – If I Gave Them One Book it Would be the Bible
    • Best Piece of Advice: “You Need to Talk to Yourself, Instead of Listen to Yourself. If You Listen to Yourself, Then You Hear all the Negative, the Fear, the Doubt, the Complaints.  If I Talk to Myself, I Can Feed Myself with the Words and Encouragement.  I Need to Keep on Moving Forward.”   James Gills

Follow on Twitter: @JonGordon11

Find Information on Jon Gordon and purchase his books at www.jongordon.com

I’d love to know your thoughts after you check out the interview. What resonated? What did you learn?

Hit me up on Twitter: @jimhubershow or email me at thejimhubershow@gmail.com

Remember: “Let’s Make The World Better Through Sports”

#12 Alyn Thomsen – Call Me Flip! Remembering My Coach and Friend, Flip Saunders

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Why You Should Listen?

The death of Flip Saunders clearly hit the Minnesota Timberwolves very hard.  Losing Flip who made such a huge impact on the franchise and was the main decision maker has been a difficult challenge.  The loss of Flip has been hard for anyone that was fortunate to know him.  Former players have expressed their gratitude for the positive influence he had on their lives.

Kevin Garnett “Forever in My Heart”

John Wall “Coach Saunders guided me into this league. He believed in me and taught me what it takes to be a good player and a better man. RIP Coach”

Kevin Love “Flip you were one of a kind.  He was a great basketball mind and even better human being.  You had a great impact on my life personally and professionally.  RIP my friend.”

Thaddeus Young “Honored to have played for a brief time for Coach Flip. I learned a lot in a short period of time.  He had so much passion for his players.”

Fred Hoiberg “He’ll be missed.  There’s not one person you could talk to who would say one bad thing about Flip Saunders.”

Alyn Thomsen, was blessed to have the opportunity to play for Coach Flip Saunders at the University of Tulsa and La Crosse Catbirds.  In 1993, Alyn experienced one of the best years of his life winning a CBA Championship with Flip as the head coach.  Flip was able to help transform Big Al a 7 footer with potential into a person who had a successful professional career playing in the CBA and overseas.

Listen to this episode of the Jim Huber Show to hear how Flip was able to connect with Alyn and other players getting them to love him and give their best.  Alyn shares what Flip did to make him an offensive genius, ways Flip connected with his PG, lessons learned that he uses to impact his players in a positive way and much more…

There is so much beneficial information for coaches, parents and players that Alyn discusses throughout the show!

Enjoy this episode of The Jim Huber Show!

What You will Hear In This Podcast

  • 0:24- A tribute to Flip Saunders
  • 0:42- Introduction of Alyn Thomsen
  • 1:55- What Flip Saunders did to connect with his players
  • 3:48- It’s all about the Jimmy’s and Joe’s, not the X’s and O’s
  • 4:22- Big Al getting cut by Flip in the CBA but not giving up on his dreams
  • 6:22- Did Flip struggle with challenging players and confrontations?
  • 8:11- What were the keys to Flip’s Offensive Genius?
  • 9:14- Ways high school and youth coaches can implement Flip’s offensive philosophies
  • 10:33- The connection of Flip and his point guard to be on the same page and thinking three plays ahead
  • 11:10- Alyn’s transition from the CBA to playing in Portugal
  • 13:43- Flip didn’t hold grudges, was extremely laid back, but was very competitive
  • 15:31- Flip’s Harlem Globetrotters warmup to turn around a difficult season
  • 16:41- Flip’s quote that Alyn still remembers today
  • 17:38- What Al learned from Flip that he has successfully used coaching youth and high school kids
  • 18:46- Remembering celebrating with Flip after the CBA Championship
  • 19:23- The reasons you win championships
  • 20:10- Quizzing Big Al on the 7 footers around the world
  • 23:56- The questions not to ask tall people
  • 24:44- Don’t have any regrets, give your best and have fun
  • 25:15- Big Al’s every day commitment to make teammates better at practice
  • 26:29- Ways that a 10th person on a basketball team can help the team succeed

Follow Big Al Thomsen on Twitter @Bigal_tuhoops

I’d love to know your thoughts after you check out the interview. What resonated? What did you learn?

Hit me up on Twitter @jimhubershow or email at thejimhubershow@gmail.com

Remember: “Let’s Make The World Better Through Sports”