"Why the Best Are the Best"

Here's a short yet powerful summary of Kevin Eastman's Why the Best Are the Best.  

A sample from the summary:

Urgency:  “Now wins more often than tomorrow.” “Urgency is a habit…If we are intentional about doing things now, paying attention to what is happening now, executing fundamentals the way they should be executed now, and putting the energy into the game or project now, we will all be farther along in our journey to success. Maybe the best way to think about urgency is this: the more you put thoughts like ‘tomorrow and later’ before actions like ‘right now, immediately, at this moment,’ the more you will fall behind your competitors.”

What are three words for you?

Here are three words that have resonated for me.

Purpose: Victor Frankl in Man's Search for Meaning shared, "He knows the ‘why’ for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any ‘how.”

Sport demands one thing from players and coaches, "to give your best daily to put yourself in the best position to succeed."

What is your purpose?

Sacrifice: Coach Sonny Lane emphasized that winning demanded sacrifice. Elite conditioning allowed us to play the entire thirty-six minutes of basketball in the sectional championship in Boston Garden. Suicides at the end of practice helped. Sacrifice allows you to sacrifice the body when diving on the floor to keep balls in play. Sacrifice allows you not to play as much as you want, despite practicing as hard as you can for the team.

Excitement: Heart pounding, hyper-alertness, sweating. Those are the hallmarks of anxiety AND excitement. When experiencing the big game, choose excitement over anxiety. "This is awesome. We have worked so hard to get this privilege." Daughter Paula described the postseason as "the best time of the year."

It's not about holding a trophy at the end of the year...it's about a shared experience of greatness with your friends and teammates.

Another summary excerpt:

Lagniappe. Every coach looks for game-like activities to work on 'need' areas.