A look inside as to why Tom Brady is so successful.....
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/columns/story?id=3219092
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Poise in a hostile environment
Last Thursday, UCLA freshman Kevin Love who is from Oregon, returned to his home state to faces the Oregon Ducks. The student section was on him and his family the entire game, enough so that the Oregon AD had to apologize to UCLA and Love. Love finished with 26 points and 18 rebounds, not to bad for a freshman. Here is a great quote from him in dealing with the adverse conditions:
"I can't tell you if there was a better feeling in my whole basketball career than just walking off that court, taking the higher road and just feeling good about that game," he said. "Coming back from down seven with seven minutes to go and hitting those big shots in such a hostile environment; it was one of my favorite games ever to win."
1. He doesn't let outside influences effect his play
2. He loves playing in adverse conditions
3. He is a competitor!
Never accepting 'NO'
Great article on Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker, who was turned down by numerous Division I schools, not selected in the NFL Draft, and cut from the San Diego Chargers. Needless to say, he has turned out alright....
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3214646&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3214646&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab1pos1
Monday, January 28, 2008
Rollercoaster Weekend
This past weekend was definitely an emotional rollercoaster for the team. Friday night the Titans scratched and clawed their way back from a 15 point deficit with 7:00 to go in the game to win by 4. The guys showed alot of heart coming all the way back like they did. The easy thing to do would be to just say it wasn't our night or 'we'll get them next time' but when you have worked as hard as these players have, it is difficult to surrender. Great job Friday night!
Saturday night we probably felt what Benson did on Friday night. Having a 16 point lead in the 1st half, the Titans lost a tough one by 3 points. Give credit to Kearney for having the toughness to keep battling even when things looked bleak for them. This was a tough one to swallow. Hopefully we learned some valuable lessons with this game. We could make lots of excuses but it is important that what you accept in victory you must accept in defeat.
I saw a story about a year ago on ESPN that involved the famous boxing trainer Teddy Atlas. Atlas talked about what he called 'The Gray Room' for boxers, which is the moment of truth for a reeling boxer. The boxer has a choice: he can retreat to the darkness, surrendering to his opponent, or fight his way back to the light.
This can be used in any other sport or more importantly any part of life. When the tough teams enter 'The Gray Room', they know that in order to break through, they must make the choice to continue to battle, never surrendering to their opponent. They must have a voice inside their head that pushes them to new heights, breaking down any barriers that were previously in the way. Championship caliber teams have the ability to fight through adverse conditions on a consistent basis. We have done a good job with this all year, and continue to strive to reach this level on a consistent basis!! There are only a handful of teams that will improve the rest of the year. These are the teams that can successfully break through 'The Gray Room'!
We look forward to preparing for a very good Papillion-LaVista team on Saturday night. The players remain focused on the task at hand: striving to play hard, play smart, and play together!
"4 is to 1 as mental is to physcial" - John Wooden
-Coach Cooley
Saturday night we probably felt what Benson did on Friday night. Having a 16 point lead in the 1st half, the Titans lost a tough one by 3 points. Give credit to Kearney for having the toughness to keep battling even when things looked bleak for them. This was a tough one to swallow. Hopefully we learned some valuable lessons with this game. We could make lots of excuses but it is important that what you accept in victory you must accept in defeat.
I saw a story about a year ago on ESPN that involved the famous boxing trainer Teddy Atlas. Atlas talked about what he called 'The Gray Room' for boxers, which is the moment of truth for a reeling boxer. The boxer has a choice: he can retreat to the darkness, surrendering to his opponent, or fight his way back to the light.
This can be used in any other sport or more importantly any part of life. When the tough teams enter 'The Gray Room', they know that in order to break through, they must make the choice to continue to battle, never surrendering to their opponent. They must have a voice inside their head that pushes them to new heights, breaking down any barriers that were previously in the way. Championship caliber teams have the ability to fight through adverse conditions on a consistent basis. We have done a good job with this all year, and continue to strive to reach this level on a consistent basis!! There are only a handful of teams that will improve the rest of the year. These are the teams that can successfully break through 'The Gray Room'!
We look forward to preparing for a very good Papillion-LaVista team on Saturday night. The players remain focused on the task at hand: striving to play hard, play smart, and play together!
"4 is to 1 as mental is to physcial" - John Wooden
-Coach Cooley
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Keep on fighting the good fight!
The guys played really hard all weekend. The week started with a come from behind victory over Omaha Burke on Friday night. Down 10 at half and without starter Kendall Wehrle, it would have been easy for the team to pack it in and use excuses. However, the guys kept battling and picked up the intensity for a big victory to improve to 10-3.
Saturday night was a tough one. The Titans led by double digits early but could not hold on as the Junior Jays won a tough ballgame. Immediately, the loss was very draining for all involved. However, there were plenty of good things that came out of the game that we can build on in the upcoming weeks. The effort displayed so far has been as good as it has ever been for the Titans. We all just need to remember to keep things in perspective and keep fighting the good fight. Keep battling, keep encouraging, keep competing, keep the heads held high!
With a big game this Tuesday against a very good Omaha North team, there is no time to feel sorry for ourselves. I have no doubt that the guys will bounce back quickly. They are a very resilient!
Go Titans!
-Coach Cooley
Saturday night was a tough one. The Titans led by double digits early but could not hold on as the Junior Jays won a tough ballgame. Immediately, the loss was very draining for all involved. However, there were plenty of good things that came out of the game that we can build on in the upcoming weeks. The effort displayed so far has been as good as it has ever been for the Titans. We all just need to remember to keep things in perspective and keep fighting the good fight. Keep battling, keep encouraging, keep competing, keep the heads held high!
With a big game this Tuesday against a very good Omaha North team, there is no time to feel sorry for ourselves. I have no doubt that the guys will bounce back quickly. They are a very resilient!
Go Titans!
-Coach Cooley
Friday, January 18, 2008
The Leadership of Brett Farve
Article on Brett Farve and his leadership qualities
David Bohl of the Small Business Times has the story:
Here are a few pointers from Brett Favre's Playbook on Leading With Humility:
*When we lead with humility, we devote ourselves to "we" instead of me.
*Even when he was set to break records, Brett always maintained that winning the game for his team was more important than his personal accomplishments. That's a humbling sentiment if you stop to think about it. How many of us would trade winning one game for a chance to be remembered as the sole holder of a record? Sadly, not many. But that's exactly what Brett has brought to the game.
*Humility is about putting others first. When we focus on the betterment of the group instead of ourselves, we sacrifice attention, recognition, our time. We often relinquish our "moment in the sun." But we do this so that we may bring others to the place where we have arrived - a higher place of understanding. Imagine what kind of impact one single individual can have on human progress, simply by being other-people oriented.
*To lead with humility requires an understanding of our own, dual nature. How can a man be meek and bold at the same time? Well, just take a look at Brett's nature on and off the field. When he's playing, there's no greater competitor. He's tough, he's dedicated and he gives 100% to win. Off the field, he's the simple southern boy he always was. Rather than showing off or getting caught up in activities that have brought down so many other professional athletes, Brett steers clear of controversy, opting for the simple life of hunting, fishing and being with his family.
Likewise, men and women of substance know that no matter what kind of power their title or position brings, there will be periods when we must return to that state of being the student and not the teacher. This requires mental flexibility. When we are rigid in our outlook, closed to other viewpoints and staunch in our beliefs, we stagnate, run in circles, and stunt our personal growth. Deep down, we can sense when this is happening. Titles and prestige hold no fulfillment unless we can connect with our roots and our center of being. It takes an understanding of the duality that lives within every one of us. Are you willing to bend?
*Leading with humility means owning up to our shortcomings.
Brett Favre is one of the most respected leaders of any professional team. He's a man who probably knows more about the game of football than many of today's coaches. And yet, Brett - for all his fame - has never been above being coached. Compare that to the players that refuse to listen to their coaches, or worse, bad mouth them the minute the cameras are rolling.
Looking back a few years ago, many people thought that Brett should've retired. Green Bay struggled for wins and Brett seemed to be at the end of his career. To be sure, he could have walked away without regret. He had a Super Bowl win, the respect of players and fans, and was a cinch to make the Hall of Fame.
So why did he stick around after having accomplished so much? Because he wasn't finished. During those years it's true that Brett wasn't getting much protection from his offensive line. But he was also making mistakes that he wouldn't have made in his glory days. Even so, he didn't want to go out like that and he didn't want his team to continue on that path. Brett worked harder, owned up to his shortcomings and dedicated himself to getting the Packers back to their winning ways.
The opposite of humility is pride. Where would the Packers be today if Brett Favre had let pride rule the last leg of his career? How many times in our lives have we offered Pride the upper hand... refused to admit that we could have done something better, didn't give it our all, could stand some improvement, or maybe we were actually wrong about something? Where did that get us in the end?
When we take stock of our shortcomings and own up to our weaknesses, we open the doors to self-betterment. When we let our egos "sit this one out" in favor of accepting constructive criticism, we emerge stronger in the end. That's humility at work, making us more powerful, helping us grow and become all the richer for the experience.
*Humility involves knowing that you already have everything you need.
Today, Brett Favre is playing smarter football. He's taking his career one play at a time and his focus is still on winning rather than breaking records. He can still bring it when he has to, but as always, he relies on his team to win games. And even though the Packers are playoff bound and the records are falling, he's still out on the field - not trying to be the best, but doing the best he can. What kind of player are you?
David Bohl of the Small Business Times has the story:
Here are a few pointers from Brett Favre's Playbook on Leading With Humility:
*When we lead with humility, we devote ourselves to "we" instead of me.
*Even when he was set to break records, Brett always maintained that winning the game for his team was more important than his personal accomplishments. That's a humbling sentiment if you stop to think about it. How many of us would trade winning one game for a chance to be remembered as the sole holder of a record? Sadly, not many. But that's exactly what Brett has brought to the game.
*Humility is about putting others first. When we focus on the betterment of the group instead of ourselves, we sacrifice attention, recognition, our time. We often relinquish our "moment in the sun." But we do this so that we may bring others to the place where we have arrived - a higher place of understanding. Imagine what kind of impact one single individual can have on human progress, simply by being other-people oriented.
*To lead with humility requires an understanding of our own, dual nature. How can a man be meek and bold at the same time? Well, just take a look at Brett's nature on and off the field. When he's playing, there's no greater competitor. He's tough, he's dedicated and he gives 100% to win. Off the field, he's the simple southern boy he always was. Rather than showing off or getting caught up in activities that have brought down so many other professional athletes, Brett steers clear of controversy, opting for the simple life of hunting, fishing and being with his family.
Likewise, men and women of substance know that no matter what kind of power their title or position brings, there will be periods when we must return to that state of being the student and not the teacher. This requires mental flexibility. When we are rigid in our outlook, closed to other viewpoints and staunch in our beliefs, we stagnate, run in circles, and stunt our personal growth. Deep down, we can sense when this is happening. Titles and prestige hold no fulfillment unless we can connect with our roots and our center of being. It takes an understanding of the duality that lives within every one of us. Are you willing to bend?
*Leading with humility means owning up to our shortcomings.
Brett Favre is one of the most respected leaders of any professional team. He's a man who probably knows more about the game of football than many of today's coaches. And yet, Brett - for all his fame - has never been above being coached. Compare that to the players that refuse to listen to their coaches, or worse, bad mouth them the minute the cameras are rolling.
Looking back a few years ago, many people thought that Brett should've retired. Green Bay struggled for wins and Brett seemed to be at the end of his career. To be sure, he could have walked away without regret. He had a Super Bowl win, the respect of players and fans, and was a cinch to make the Hall of Fame.
So why did he stick around after having accomplished so much? Because he wasn't finished. During those years it's true that Brett wasn't getting much protection from his offensive line. But he was also making mistakes that he wouldn't have made in his glory days. Even so, he didn't want to go out like that and he didn't want his team to continue on that path. Brett worked harder, owned up to his shortcomings and dedicated himself to getting the Packers back to their winning ways.
The opposite of humility is pride. Where would the Packers be today if Brett Favre had let pride rule the last leg of his career? How many times in our lives have we offered Pride the upper hand... refused to admit that we could have done something better, didn't give it our all, could stand some improvement, or maybe we were actually wrong about something? Where did that get us in the end?
When we take stock of our shortcomings and own up to our weaknesses, we open the doors to self-betterment. When we let our egos "sit this one out" in favor of accepting constructive criticism, we emerge stronger in the end. That's humility at work, making us more powerful, helping us grow and become all the richer for the experience.
*Humility involves knowing that you already have everything you need.
Today, Brett Favre is playing smarter football. He's taking his career one play at a time and his focus is still on winning rather than breaking records. He can still bring it when he has to, but as always, he relies on his team to win games. And even though the Packers are playoff bound and the records are falling, he's still out on the field - not trying to be the best, but doing the best he can. What kind of player are you?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Trying to reach that championship level......
Good article here on the Denver Nuggets and head coach George Karl trying to reach a championship level. It is never as easy as just having a couple of star players as Dave Kreiger of the Rocky Mountain News reports:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/15/krieger-karl-continues-stress-team-first-attitude/
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jan/15/krieger-karl-continues-stress-team-first-attitude/
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Staying Together
Tough loss for the Titans Saturday night against Central. Congrats to Central for a hard fought win. The Titan players showed alot of fight after being down as many as 14 points in the 1st quarter. Some teams might have just packed it in and called it a night. It was great to see the team fight until the final buzzer. The effort and attitudes were tremendous throughout the evening. Although it was a very difficult loss emotionally, the players know that if they continue to work hard and be great teammates, then the results will show throughout the year.
Whether it be a win or loss, let there be joy in the journey!
-Coach Cooley
Whether it be a win or loss, let there be joy in the journey!
-Coach Cooley
Friday, January 11, 2008
Good Article
There is no stopping this Iraq War veteran from running in the Seattle Marathon to honor is 48 fallen buddies.....
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2004030460_brewer23.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2004030460_brewer23.html
PLS 61 Omaha Bryan 60 2 OT- Fans your were awesome!!
What an unbelievable game last night!! A special thanks goes out to the parents and students, especially the Black Hole for bringing the energy to Titan Arena!
The players showed great resiliency throughout the evening, coming up with several clutch plays when we needed them. It took a great effort from everyone involved to get this victory. One of the best things to come out of the game was senior guard Ben Williams' comments AFTER the game. Ben was asked to talk to the Omaha World Herald and instead of speaking about himself the whole time, Ben spoke of teammate Sy Hueser:
"He's definitely our team leader," Williams said. "We got together when he
fouled out and we knew it was all on us. It was a good team win."
Great to see that out of a senior leader!!
Coach Hueser was speaking to our 8th graders earlier this week in practice and he mentioned that the 5 seniors have put in a combined 600 hours in the morning at 6:00 a.m. throughout their careers. When I think of this I remember what former Northern State player and current Northern Illinois assistant Sundance Wicks would write in his journal everyday:
WDTWT!- We Deserve to Win Today!
Our players were very deserving last night. Once again, thanks to all the fans out there last night. The players and coaches really appreciate the support!!
"Stay humble or we will crumble" -Marquette Basketball
-Coach Cooley
The players showed great resiliency throughout the evening, coming up with several clutch plays when we needed them. It took a great effort from everyone involved to get this victory. One of the best things to come out of the game was senior guard Ben Williams' comments AFTER the game. Ben was asked to talk to the Omaha World Herald and instead of speaking about himself the whole time, Ben spoke of teammate Sy Hueser:
"He's definitely our team leader," Williams said. "We got together when he
fouled out and we knew it was all on us. It was a good team win."
Great to see that out of a senior leader!!
Coach Hueser was speaking to our 8th graders earlier this week in practice and he mentioned that the 5 seniors have put in a combined 600 hours in the morning at 6:00 a.m. throughout their careers. When I think of this I remember what former Northern State player and current Northern Illinois assistant Sundance Wicks would write in his journal everyday:
WDTWT!- We Deserve to Win Today!
Our players were very deserving last night. Once again, thanks to all the fans out there last night. The players and coaches really appreciate the support!!
"Stay humble or we will crumble" -Marquette Basketball
-Coach Cooley
Welcome!!
Welcome to the T-Ball Blog!! This website will be for T-Ball players, fans, and coaches, along with all basketball enthusiasts. We hope to bring you a variety of different topics, along with giving you a day to day look of T-Ball. Enjoy!
-Coach Cooley
-Coach Cooley
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