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