| The Dodgers had a breakfast a couple of
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| | sports and in life there are so many
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| weeks ago to tell their story about
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| | things that are completely out of our
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| off-season moves and the team they'll put
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| | control, but we individually have the
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| on the field for 2005. I was there to
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| | ability to choose our responses to each
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| listen to the new owner, Frank McCourt,
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| | situation - positive and negative. In
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| the general manager, Paul DePodesta, Hall
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| | essence, you can't control the actions of
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| of Famer, Tommy Lasorda, and the Dodgers'
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| | anybody else or the results; only
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| manager, Jim Tracy. They told a good
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| | yourself. Consequently, the focus has to
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| story about the Dodgers and what their
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| | be on what you can control.
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| plans are, but the most interesting
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| | Surprisingly, my 5 and 6 year old
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| aspect to me was something that was said
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| | basketball team that I coach had the
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| and its application to teaching kids
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| | answers. Since I was thinking about
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| about sports and ultimately, life.
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| | Milton Bradley and perfection, I decided
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| After the presentation was finished,
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| | to ask some of the kids their thoughts on
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| people from the crowd were allowed to ask
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| | the subject. First, each of them is
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| questions. One guy asked about Milton
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| | afraid of different things playing
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| Bradley and the Dodgers' thoughts on the
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| | sports. Some didn't want to miss a shot,
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| negative example that he sets as a role
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| | get a rebound off their head, make a bad
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| model for high school and younger
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| | pass or lose the game. So we talked about
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| ballplayers. You may remember, Mr.
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| | Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Kobe Bryant
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| Bradley has not always been a shining
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| | and others and how they made mistakes
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| example of good sportsmanship and is
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| | too. It became very liberating for them
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| currently undergoing anger management
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| | to realize that they didn't need to do
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| counseling as a result. To a person, each
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| | everything perfect to be a good
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| of the four Dodgers representatives,
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| | basketball player.
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| while acknowledging that there had been
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| | The more we talked, the better the kids
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| problems, defended Milton Bradley as a
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| | started to feel about themselves.
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| great guy who is often misunderstood; as
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| | Realizing that you don't have to be
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| a member of the Dodgers family, he
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| | perfect is a good thing, but does that
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| deserves a second chance and that
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| | conflict with what Jim Tracy said was so
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| everybody really does like him as a
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| | great about Milton Bradley: expecting to
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| person.
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| | get a hit every time at bat and to catch
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| The Concept of Perfection
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| | every fly ball? Not necessarily if the
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| To me the most interesting comments came
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| | focus shifts from being perfect to doing
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| from Jim Tracy. Not only did the Dodgers'
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| | what you can control. While my older
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| manager say that Bradley is somebody he
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| | teams that I coach focused on the
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| loves working with, he said he is an ever
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| | "results" of actions, it was again the 5
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| better player to manage because he is a
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| | and 6 year old kids who did a great job
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| "perfectionist". I'm paraphrasing, but
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| | in helping me understand what elements of
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| Tracy basically said that he loves
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| | a game can be controlled:
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| Milton's attitude because he never thinks
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| | 1. Fundamentals - there is no reason that
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| he should make an out when he's at the
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| | every kid can't learn to do things the
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| plate and he doesn't feel like there is
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| | right way. If the coach can teach a kid
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| ever a ball he can't catch in the
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| | to perform with proper fundamentals the
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| outfield. He expects and demands that he
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| | results will follow. The emphasis here
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| will be "perfect" every pitch, every out,
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| | has to be on first, the coach learning
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| every inning, of every game. After the
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| | the right things to teach, and then,
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| meeting, I talked to Jim Tracy about this
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| | insisting that the kids do it correctly.
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| idea of "perfect" as it applies to kids.
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| | Remember: Practice makes Permanent!
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| What we talked about was perfection: how
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| | 2. Focus - Every kid can think and have
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| is it good for a ballplayer, especially a
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| | their head in the game. Even the kid who
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| child, to expect to be perfect? More so
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| | can't make a basket can be in the right
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| in baseball, where failure is the
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| | place all the time.
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| expected norm; failing 7 out of 10 times
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| | 3. Hustle - Do your best and put out the
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| makes you a star. Everybody swings and
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| | most effort that you can on every play.
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| misses. The best players in the world
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| | Every coach should be working on kids to
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| regularly walk in runs, and errors are
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| | hustle, play hard and put out effort -
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| made almost every game. Why is perfect
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| | not on results.
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| the right goal? Jim Tracy had to leave
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| | 4. Teamwork - This plays into focus as
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| before we had a chance to finish the
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| | well, but working with your teammates is
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| conversation, but it did get me thinking
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| | something that every player can do,
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| about the goals and attitude we should
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| | control, and excel at.
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| teach our SportsKids.
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| | 5. Sportsmanship - There is never any
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| The Right Attitude - It's about Control
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| | reason to not be a good sport. This year,
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| Why would anybody ever tell there kids to
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| | I've seen far too many kids saying "bad
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| be perfect? Michael Jordan once said:
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| | game" instead of congratulating the other
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| "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my
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| | team on their effort. Be a good sport -
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| career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26
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| | always!
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| times, I've been trusted to take the game
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| | Measuring Your Results
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| winning shot and missed. I've failed over
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| | At the end of each game, ask the kids to
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| and over and over again in my life. And
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| | evaluate their individual and team
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| that is why I succeed." Babe Ruth had the
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| | performance. You'd be surprised at their
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| record for strike outs in a career until
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| | own understanding of how they did. Don't
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| his record was broken by another Hall of
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| | spend time on performance measurement,
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| Fame member of the 500 HR club, Reggie
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| | but on the non scorebook things that the
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| Jackson. Nobody is perfect!
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| | kids can control. We can't control the
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| If you can't be perfect, what is the
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| | results of our actions, but if we work on
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| right goal? In his fantastic book, The
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| | everything we can control, we won't be
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| Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,
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| | perfect, but we will be the best we can
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| Steven Covey talks about being
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| | be.
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| "response-able" for your actions. In
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|
