WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

For those that had an opportunity to watch the Miami Heat’s remarkable comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, there was one big lesson to be learned … and this was to “Seize the Moment” when opportunity presents itself!

Doesn’t matter what your game performance looked like in the previous minutes. It always comes down to your Mindset, your Discipline and your ability to Block out all Distractions! There are no better examples than to look at two of the Heat’s most accomplished veterans – Chris Bosh and Ray Allen.

Before touting their accomplishments, in recent weeks, media talk was rampant that Bosh would be traded if the team lost out to the Spurs in the Championship Finals. Some accounts were labeling his play as ‘soft’. Even his hometown fans were booing his play on the court. As for Allen, he has been a frequent seat warmer on the bench during his team’s last two playoff series. So one would expect his shooting rhythm to be off kilter somewhat.

At Tuesday’s game, Allen had missed four of his first six shots, including his first two attempts from 3-point range. But despite his misses, Allen put himself in position to be on the court at the most critical stage. Down by three. He rose up and buried the game-tying shot, his only 3-pointer of the game, with 5.2 seconds left in a season that was ticking away to its end. If you stayed with the game to the overtime conclusion, you would have also seen Allen make two very clutch free throws in OT to eventually help the Heat seal the win at 103-100.

Said Allen on his shot that prevented San Antonio from winning the NBA Championship in regulation play:  "I had to get myself in a position where I was ready. Once the ball came off the rim, I just knew to get to the 3 point line. We needed a three. Two points isn't going to cut it. So my mental checklist is really to have my legs ready and underneath me, so when the ball comes, if it comes, I was ready to go in the air. Once I get my legs there, I let the ball go. I'm going to give myself the best chance to make it."

Added LeBron James: "He's got ice water in his veins! Ray can be 0-for-99 in a game and if he gets an open look late in the game, it's going down. That's just the confidence he has in himself.”

Allen’s shot doesn’t happen, however, if Chris Bosh doesn’t fight through the clutter of bodies jammed around the net in the waning seconds of regulation to snare the biggest rebound of his career - and flip out the basketball to Ray Allen who was standing open from the far corner - the Spurs were going to be crowned NBA Champions!

Know going into that moment, Bosh’s game performance was adequate at best. Offensively, he was 5-12 shooting from the floor and was criticized by the fans and broadcast media for not being more aggressive around the net. Even more concerning to those watching the game was how Tim Duncan of the Spurs just dominated the paint against Bosh. Everyone saw Duncan run wild and score 25 points in the first half alone. With the clock ticking down to the end of the season (that would have been classified as a major disappointment) and the hometown fans leaving the arena by the thousands, Bosh found a second gear at the ‘put-up or shut-up’ time in the game to not just rebound the ball but to have the court awareness to also see Ray Allen open at the corner and get him the ball.

"Offense, it wasn't going for me. That's going to happen sometimes,” said Bosh. “But you still have to be in some kind of rhythm and help the team out in some kind of way during the game. I just wanted to stay with it and play good defense."

Then as the remaining fans and Heat players were rejoicing in Allen’s magic, the Spurs had one last shot to take the title in regulation. And there was Bosh, again, coming to the rescue and keeping the Spurs away from celebrating a title, by blocking Danny Green’s last second shot attempt at victory.  During the OT with the Heat now clinging to a one-point lead in the closing seconds, Bosh, for the third time in a matter of minutes, sprung out of nowhere to get a hand on Tony Parker’s shot to help preserve the Heat’s unimaginable comeback win!    

"I think part of being a great athlete is continuously proving yourself to doubters,” said Bosh. ”I don't think that will ever go away. There's always another hurdle to jump over until you retire."

It doesn’t matter if you’re the starter or coming off the bench, leave no regrets when you get your opportunity to perform!

All the best always!

Jim Loria

----------------------------------------------------------
"Continuous effort -- not strength or intelligence -- is the key to unlocking our potential" – stated by Liane Cardes

----------------------------------------------------------
“When you expect success, your mind focuses on success” – stated by an unknown author

----------------------------------------------------------

"Nothing on earth can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude" – stated by Thomas Jefferson, American Founding Father who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and our 3rd U.S. President

----------------------------------------------------------

“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves” – stated by Edmund Hillary, one of the world’s greatest explorers

###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

“Changes are what makes life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful” – stated by Eddie Nogay, a New York high school volleyball player who played with one arm

Greetings! Everyone in life has a checklist of some sorts starting with their teenage years. Most would look something like this …

ü  Play sports during high school. Check!

ü  Help my high school team reach the playoffs. Check!

ü  Attend High School Senior Prom. Check!

ü  Celebrate 18th Birthday with friends. Check!

For this week’s subject matter, the story ends right there but in many ways, it truly just begins! I am hoping that this story will inspire those of you that felt disappointment from last week’s Major League Baseball Draft or for some of you feeling dejected because of a lost season due to injuries or maybe from a feeling that you simply lacked progress with your on-field development?

Meet Eddie Nogay. He was just 18-years-old and lived to exceed this age by all of just one minute. Seriously!! This young man was considered one of the best volleyball players in the New York City public schools who gained national attention in 2013 when he began competing in games with only his left arm. His (dominant) right arm had to be amputated below the shoulder after a Sarcoma (which is a malignant tumor made of cancerous bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, vascular hematopoietic tissues) was found to be forming in his right elbow during the fall of 2012, but he refused to stop competing in volleyball and eventually helped spark his teammates to reach the playoff quarterfinals this past year.

If there ever was an athlete who deserved the label of a “hero” or a “fighter” it was Eddie Nogay. He was not a professional athlete. He received no signing bonus. He was an everyday student who filled his days by competing in sports. But things started to spiral for the worse for him when the calendar year turned 2013. One of Eddie’s lungs collapsed in January, a condition that would need two surgeries to correct. Yet, he still managed to suit up with his teammates and play despite his missing one of his limbs.

In early April, Nogay’s cancer-stricken lungs collapsed for the second time in four months. Still, after having surgery, all he could think about was getting back on the volleyball court again. After discovering the collapsed lung, Eddie’s doctors told him he could no longer play. But his one last wish according to his coach was to play in his team’s playoffs. Last month, without anyone knowing he was coming, Eddie showed up minutes before his team’s first playoff game on May 7th.

“The two teams were going through warm-ups,” said his coach Kim Tolve. “We find out Eddie kind of snuck into the school through the back entrance, and he comes walking into the gym with his uniform and knee pads on, with a smile on his face and a letter in his hand (which was a medical waiver). And that just got the guys all fired up. It was hard to hold back the tears.”

In true storybook fashion, Eddy then helps his team score their very first point of the playoffs and his team goes on to win game one!  “I’m so proud of him,” Nogay’s mother, Natalya Kan said. “Before he was diagnosed, I never knew how much volleyball meant to him. No matter how much he has pain, he wants to play.”

Here is a young man, obviously devoted to playing the game of volleyball, yet  many days he would wake up in a hospital with a tube that would pass through his stomach and into his lungs to drain the bloody fluid. He would battle through the many blood transfusions given to him. He eventually knew that there was no medicine out there that could help eradicate the cancer. Rather than be angry, what does Eddie do? He thought up an idea to print T-Shirts and give to each of his teammates that would commemorate their first playoff division victory, which he paid for himself!  The design on the front was of a heart-shaped volleyball with a special inscription on the back that read “HEART IS WHAT SETS US APART!”

"Throughout the whole situation, Eddie told his coach: “I’m going to make a difference. When my arm was amputated, I'm pretty sure people didn't think I was going to play. But I'm going to make it happen. I'm not going to sit around and let the disease kill me”.

And now there was only one last goal remaining for Eddie to achieve in his young life. To live to celebrate his 18^th birthday!  Eddie’s mother and brother had planned a birthday celebration for him at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center on June 3^rd. They even invited more than 50 of Eddie’s high school classmates and friends. Once everyone gathered by his room, there would be no party. Eddie’s condition wouldn’t allow it. Instead everyone found themselves giving their final goodbye to their friend and inspirational fighter who would pass away ONE MINUTE after his birthday came to an end at 12:01 AM on Tuesday, June 4th.

Fellas – when you wake up every day, take a deep breath and take advantage of your opportunities given to you in life … and leave no regrets!

My best for you always!

Jim Loria

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Success is just not making money, a good name and fame, but also standing firm after failure with more energy, spirit, enthusiasm & courage to face what's next" – stated by an unknown author

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

“To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like” – stated by an unknown author

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Courage is being scared to death...and saddling up anyway" – stated by the great John Wayne, legendary actor and director

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It is never easy to keep reaching for dreams. Strength and courage can sometimes be lonely friends...but those who reach walk in stardust"- stated by an unknown author"Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - Harriet Tubman"Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." - Harriet Tubman

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity” – stated by Keshavan Nair, Author – Lessons from the Life of Gandhi

###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

"I love how you are with your teammates. Stay that way man, stay that way. This is going to be your league in a little while. I appreciate you giving us this year" – words from Tim Duncan, spoken to LeBron James after San Antonio defeated Cleveland for the NBA Championship back in 2007 when James was just 21 years old.

I have written well over 150 stories and sent too many of you over the last three years. If there’s ever one person that sums up every single human element and lesson I’ve tried to bestow upon you during this time, it would be LeBron James! I have never seen a player overcome the obstacles he has … and just in the last 13 months? Go back prior to the start of last year’s NBA playoff season, James was still carrying many labels. Some thought he was not able to perform in the clutch. Some thought his game seemed to shrink under pressure? Before that he was literally crucified and hated by America let alone the city of Cleveland and state of Ohio for exercising his right to explore free agency?

Through it all, he grew up. He learned some valuable lessons. Sought help from other professionals to better his game. He actually turned one of sport’s biggest negatives into one amazingly positive one! Today, he has truly earned the moniker “King James” and as dominant of an offensive talent as he is, what makes LeBron even more awe-inspiring is that for a player of his stature, he might be the BEST TEAMMATE in any sport and perhaps the most giving of one’s self? And that is a rare, if never seen before combination from a global superstar and icon!

As an example, prior to the Miami Heat’s Game #7 series-clinching win over Indiana on Monday, it was reported that James delivered an inspirational address of sorts to his team during their morning meeting and shoot-around. Then he stood up and volunteered to guard Paul George, the Pacers’ best offensive weapon (who was averaging 21.5 points per game in the Miami series playing up against a less than 100% Dwayne Wade as the principal defender). James’ motive was to allow Wade to take a breather on defense and use what strength he had left in his body to focus on his offensive game and be able to use his legs to drive with more authority to the basket.

“Any little pressure I could take off D-Wade, I wanted to do that,” James said. “I told him, I’ll take Paul George. I’ll allow him to focus on his offense and not have to worry about stopping Paul George every possession and allow him to get out in transition and get a few cuts and get to the line. I think that was huge for him.”

And to make sure James’ strategy would work, LeBron went out of his way to get Wade some buckets right at the start Monday night. “First play of the game, I called a play for D. Wade,” James said. “Even though he didn’t shoot the ball, he got a touch in the paint. Just make him feel a part of the offense. I called a couple of sets for him early in the game. Just get a feel for it. He showed early in the game he was in a good rhythm, started to attack the lane, started to make his free throws.”

"LeBron was like a coach on the floor," Wade said after the game. "To call sets, to put us in situations where he felt like I would succeed early on was pretty good … he understood”.

What blew me away from Monday’s outcome was that not only did LeBron shut down and smother George’s offensive game (he held him to 2-of-9 from the floor and “7 points” before this player fouled out of Pacers’ biggest must-win game of the year) yet he managed to score 32 points himself and worked both ends of the court relentlessly! Even better than that, James’ selfless play as a teammate helped spark Wade to pump in a series high 21 points for himself!

"He's the best player in the world," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said of James after the series. "Maybe the best defensive player in the world too."

And yes, the NBA is HIS League now!  But in order to achieve this plateau, he had to overcome his fears just like everyone else.  He got the memo and realized that he wasn’t born to be a villain or a bad guy. In the last year he found himself and how much that distractions only lead to wasted energy. He found peace in his mind! With every one of my stories, that is the key word – winning the battle of your mind! When you do, that is what triggers the skill from your neck on down to unleash its natural abilities within and allow you to perform out on the field! And then there is the part of being a helpful teammate! Don’t ever forget that lesson as well!

ALL THE BEST MY FRIEND!

Jim Loria

-------------------------------------------------------------

PLAYERS: PHIL JACKSON ON KEYS FOR A TEAM TO BE SUCCESSFUL: “Commitment to Giving”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Follow the three R’s: RESPECT for Self! … RESPECT for Others! … RESPONSIBILITY for all your Actions!” – stated by Unknown Author

-----------------------------------------------------

“The Past is your Lesson; the Present is your Gift; the Future is your Motivation” – stated by an Unknown Author

-------------------------------------------------------------

“Sooner or later, something seems to call us onto a particular path – this is what I must do, this is who I am” – stated by James Hillman, American Psychologist

###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

In less than two weeks, many of you reading this will be eligible for the Major League Baseball Draft and preparing for the multiples of team interviews that comes with the process. This is your life’s version of the job interview! There are many of you that have already advanced past the draft stage and found your home in the pro ranks. There are some of you that will become draft eligible in another year.

No matter your status, may this piece help you today or in the future? Take me as an example: I’ve worked in sports team management for 36-years with a large emphasis on corporate client relations. Basically I’ve had to sell myself first before the customer ever would consider buying into my team’s sponsorship opportunities. You are no different. Professional Scouts know every aspect of your talents out on the field. They’ve applied a grade to your current-day skill level but now they want to assess your personality, mindset and learn as much about your family stock as possible.

That is where these pre-draft interviews helps the Pro Scout evaluate you further. These gatherings are going to serve as your tie-breaker in the draft. Many of you can move up the ladder based simply on how you present yourself!

It all starts with your appearance and first impression. Here’s where you need to give off the impression that you are a Big Leaguer! So iron your clothes, polish your shoes and clean your fingernails. When answering questions, be truthful and speak positively with a tone that is crisp and says “I AM YOUR GUY!” Make sure your voice has an audible level that can be heard through the clutter of noise often heard at a restaurant. When you first shake hands, do so with confidence! Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ at all times!  Most importantly, focus your eyes on the people across from you. Again, you are auditioning and selling your candidacy to one day be a Big Leaguer! All of these little things stated above can increase your draft position as well as your net worth!

There’s also the reminder that you live in a world of technology. Many Pro Scouts are already scanning through your Facebook and Twitter pages to get a read on your character, maturity and even friends you associate with away from the field. To succeed at the Big League level, you might as well now start calling yourself a Corporation. You are a BRAND IMAGE and the Major League team does BUY INTO YOUR IMAGE from the moment they announce your name on draft day.

You are a walking (and photographic) resume every day! Never forget how important that first glimpse of You and how it can become your deal-breaker!

My best for you always! 

Jim Loria

-------------------------------------------------

“How a man plays the game shows something of his character; how he loses shows all of it” – stated by Frosty Westering, former Pacific Lutheran University football coach

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism” – stated by Norman Peale, minister and author, who’s best known for his books on Power of Positive Thinking

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Skill and confidence are an unconquered army” – stated by George Herbert, French PE Teacher

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“At any given moment you have the POWER to say ‘this is NOT how the Story is going to End!’” – stated by an Unknown Author

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You have to be an even better person than you are an athlete” – stated by Manny Upton, father of Atlanta Braves’ players Justin and B.J. Upton

###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

"I told you -- never think you're not good enough" – words Ed Harvey always told his son, Matt, at an early age playing the game of baseball

Like me, I am sure you have been following the early exploits of New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey. At the age of 24, he has already infused the Mets franchise with a confidence that seems contagious, particularly when he is on the mound.  Many fans have already labeled him "The Real Deal!"  

He has compiled a 5-0 record during his first ten outings this year and is among the National League leaders in ERA (1.93) and strikeouts (74) for a team that has posted a 17-27 record after 44 games. Since his arrival in New York last summer, Harvey has shown a maturity and poise on the mound beyond his youthful years and is someone that seems to never accept less than perfection from himself.

But it wasn’t always that way. What intrigued me to tell you this story about Matt Harvey is that much of his motivation to succeed today was born out of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. Then, he was arguably considered the best high school pitching prospect in the country but a drop down in his velocity and fear of a high asking price to sign prior to the draft forced teams to pass on him early on. It angered Harvey deeply that he was skipped over 117 times and to see 23 other high school pitchers taken over him that year before the Los Angeles Angels called out his name in the third round.

Harvey felt personally insulted. A chip on his shoulder was developed no doubt. He would turn down the Angels’ contract offer and accept a scholarship opportunity to play for the University of North Carolina. As he would soon adjust to the Division I demands of class and athletics, Harvey’s mindset was still occupied and somewhat clouded over the fact that he really was hoping to sign and play pro ball right away. “It was really bad,” Harvey says about his attitude he took to school with him as a freshman. “I’m surprised they didn’t give me the boot. I turned down a million dollars and had no money and a crappy Jeep when I could have been driving anything I wanted.”

After a period of time at UNC, Harvey admitted that he messed up his mechanics and began to overthrow and got himself out of kilter. He would throw one pitch at 94 mph, and the next at 85 and with inconsistent stuff. Some pro scouts said he began to look more like a “fringe player” than a first-round prospect into his sophomore year. The Tar Heels even sent Harvey to the bullpen for a few games that season and pitch in relief situations. "It's a little tough to explain," Harvey said of that 2009 season when he walked 42 batters in 75 innings and posted a 5.40 ERA. "Everything just got completely out of whack."

Some say that Harvey had changed his workouts over the winter break prior to his sophomore year, becoming bulky and tight when he needed flexibility and fluidity. It altered his delivery, his fastball and his command. "He was trying to throw with his muscles instead of his delivery," recalled UNC pitching coach Scott Forbes. "He was mechanical and didn't have that good loose arm swing."

The adjustments took time, and Harvey recommitted with Forbes, working through repetition-after-repetition back at UNC rediscovering his natural mechanics and rhythm. He tweaked his workouts and regained his flexibility. By mid-fall, the fastball popped again in the mid-90s. Harvey’s Dad even told his son to "pitch like you forgot what happened!"

The one game during Harvey’s career that transformed him and changed his mindset to believe that he was a player who could pitch in the Big Leagues took place in the spring of his junior year when he struck out 15 Clemson hitters in an unheard of 157-pitch complete game. Harvey says now that this one game helped him find himself. He was locked back into his motion, more confident in himself than ever. It was a breakthrough. "That night I realized I could do this for a long time. I threw a lot of pitches but got stronger. I felt pure power at the end. Looking back on it, that’s when the confidence started coming. I knew at that moment I was ready to move on." He closed out that Clemson game with his fastball still buzzing to the plate into the mid-90s!

Following the 2010 season, the Mets chose him seventh overall in the first round, signing him for just over $2.6 million. After a year-and-a half in the minors, Harvey got called up to the big club on July 26, 2012 and proceeded to strike out 11 Arizona Diamondback hitters in his debut. The Mets won and Harvey’s stature seemingly has grown with each start although he is trying not to be swept up into the recent grassroots campaign of “Harvey-mania!”

“Major League Baseball has always been on my mind,” he says. “Not just being here, but playing here a long time and being the best. Even at a young age, I wasn’t going to accept mediocrity. I feel like I belonged here. This is where I’m supposed to be.”

Says Mets’ teammate David Wright of Harvey: “He’s embraced the spotlight and embraced the stage. He welcomes it! It’s important for a young starting pitcher to have that mentality, ‘I’m better than you.’ It’s not so much cockiness as an extreme confidence. He has that mentality where he believes he can go out there and dominate you. And more often than not, he does.”

No matter how much talent you may possess, it truly is all about an athlete’s personal mindset that determines who succeeds or not! Never forget that fellas!

MY BEST ALWAYS!

Jim Loria

---------------------------------------------------

MICHAEL YOUNG OF THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES ON HARVEY AFTER GOING HITLESS IN THREE AT-BATS: “He’s the real deal. His stuff is firm. But what really impressed me was his command. A major league hitter can time a jet engine. It doesn’t matter how hard you throw it if you can’t command it. He throws four pitches he commands – just pinpoint accuracy.”

---------------------------------------------------

“The person who masters himself through self-control and discipline is truly undefeatable. Conditioning your Mindset is the Key to your Success” – stated by an unknown author

---------------------------------------------------

"Confidence is only born out of one thing – demonstrated ability. It is not born of anything else. You cannot dream up confidence. You cannot fabricate it. You cannot wish it. You have to accompany it” – stated by Bill Parcells, legendary NFL Coach and ESPN commentator

---------------------------------------------------

PLAYERS NEVER FORGET: “Our greatest battles are that with our own minds” – stated by Jameson Frank, self-help author

###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

This week I am going to touch on a few topics. Each actually hit on a nerve with me and literally to millions of others around the country! Hopefully these stories will show you just how powerful a spoken word, a gesture or even your actions as a human being can be viewed by others! Sometimes the end results can be polarizing!

This first story is about a 12-year-old boy name Lee Eddins from Sacramento, CA. Six months ago, sadly, he was diagnosed with stage four leukemia. Doctors determined that his illness was terminal and announced to the family that their son had a limited time remaining at best.

The family moved Lee to a local hospice home in recent weeks. The boy loved basketball and football and in recent years had come to idolize Indiana Pacers’ basketball center Roy Hibbert. He told his family and doctors that his one last wish before he left this earth was to meet the NBA star. Word quickly got out to Hibbert. Even though the Pacers are knee deep into the playoff season, Hibbert was emotionally touched by the call-out and made a decision in the last week to fly out to Sacramento to see his young fan with the team’s AOK.

“I was very saddened and distraught," Hibbert would say in a TV interview with CNN when first learning of the young boy’s health situation. "I wanted to keep that boy’s spirit and memory alive and be part of his cause." Then the worst news of all took place. As Hibbert was heading to the Indianapolis airport last Thursday he received word that Lee had suddenly passed away. He still made a commitment to board the flight to Sacramento and went out to meet Lee’s family. "Once I heard he had a dying wish, I knew I had to do something more than just send him presents and Skype with him on the computer. He touched me without me even meeting him," Hibbert said of his 12-year-old fan. "The way he fought, his strength, I’ve dedicated the rest of my season to his cause."

The next story you may have heard – this involved Los Angeles Dodgers' outfielder Matt Kemp who gave his hat to a young fan. And his jersey. And his cleats. It was an act of kindness by Kemp that ended up being seen by millions of YouTube viewers around the world.

The story began with a 19-year-old Dodgers’ fan – who lives in San Francisco – that has been battling brain cancer for the last three years. The boy’s family put their money and resources together to latch onto front row seats for the May 5th game when the Dodgers would visit the Giants. Wearing a bright Dodgers’ blue hoodie, the young man’s attire caught the attention of Dodgers’ third base coach Tim Wallach who came to learn that the boy’s favorite player was Matt Kemp.

Wallach told the boy’s dad that he'd try to see if he could get Matt to stop by and say hello after the game ended. Not only did Kemp come by, personally shake hands and sign a baseball for his young fan but Matt surprised the thousands of onlookers nearby in their seats when he took off his cap, pulled his team jersey off his back and leaned over the seat railings to give them both to the boy as he wished him the very best! Then, Kemp undid his game cleats and passed them over to the boy as well.

“All professional athletes should take a lesson. This is what class looks like!” wrote Shawn Dempsey, a YouTube viewer of Kemp’s unplanned moment of human kindness!  Fellas, keep in mind that this all took place in a visiting team ballpark and right after a night in which the Dodgers lost their third straight one-run game to the Giants, their bitter cross-state rivals.

And then there was another form of public relations that caught many by surprise especially from a player that needs no apologies. It was Philadelphia Phillies’ pitcher Roy Halladay who made headlines by the ‘spoken word’ when he decided to hold court with the media last Friday prior to a game with Arizona (and just before he was to depart the team and undergo surgery to remove bone spurs and repair a frayed labrum and partially torn rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder).

This was a rare moment in professional sports that you never see. A player that decided to give a heartfelt apology to the fans over his poor season-long performance this year. According to Ryan Lawrence of the Philadelphia Daily News, Halladay spoke uninterrupted for several minutes, He published a brief excerpt of his talk:

“I've been thinking the last couple of days. That I just felt like I should address  the fans. I know there are people who are disappointed about how I pitched the last two years. I know there are a lot of people who are very supportive. So, one, I just wanted to thank them for their support. And my heart goes out to all of the people who spend all of their money and go out to the games and don't get to see what they want to see. I know I'm not the whole team. There are still a lot of guys out there and it's a fun team to watch. But I feel bad for the fans that I'm missing the time that I am. It's tough. You feel an obligation to the organization, to your teammates, to the fans to try to go out and pitch.”

I tip my cap to Halladay for taking such a rarely seen stand-up approach and for his honest, forthright and refreshing candor! He spoke from the heart and it was non-scripted. It was a different type of PR that was applauded by all members of the media and appreciated by the Phillies’ fan base!

As good of a teammate that you are on the field, do your best to be an even greater teammate to your community! There are thousands of kids with unique causes from all walks of life that would treasure just a minute of your time!

All the best!

Jim Loria

------------------------------------------------------------

“The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it” - stated by John Ruskin, leading English art critic from the 1800’s Victorian era

------------------------------------------------------------

“When I wake up in the morning, I have to decide to either be an example or an excuse" – stated by an unknown author

------------------------------------------------------------

“The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be” – stated by Oprah Winfrey

------------------------------------------------------------

“WHEN I PASS AWAY, IF ALL I’M KNOWN FOR IS A ‘FOOTBALL PLAYER’, THEN I FAILED IN LIFE” – stated by Reggie White, an NFL Hall of Famer and one of the greatest pass rushers ever seen in pro football

###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

Right now the Chicago Bulls of the NBA  have become a shot in the arm for other team’s – regardless of level – that are facing an uphill battle, to never look defeat in the eye. That no matter where your team is seeded or how high of a hurdle you must jump, success can be attained! The one aspect of this Bulls’ team, that jumps out at me is their “belief” in one another and a willingness to  take on whatever role is needed to win! The Bulls have certainly laid out the Blueprint for other teams to follow.  

In all of my years in sports, I’ve never seen a team so shorthanded with such little margin for error that has overcome greater adversity to do the unthinkable? As you know, the NBA suits up ten players each night and then there are the Bulls, who are deep into the playoff season and doing so minus three of their key starters - Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich.

Every night a different player puts on a suit of armor and plays the role of Superman! On Monday, for example, there was the sight of back-up guard Nate Robinson getting 10-stitches after smashing his lip on the floor diving for a loose ball with Miami’s LeBron James and ends up pumping in 27 points. Here’s Robinson, one of the smallest players in a big man’s game (at 5-9), stomping his feet, waving off a screen and blitzing past Ray Allen for a game-clinching fourth-quarter layup that sent Heat fans home in silence (with a 93-86 loss).

It was the signature moment for a third-string player on a team that stands for GRIT playing against a team (like Miami) loaded with the BIG STARS! How can you not admire the scene of Robinson during Monday’s post-game press conference when he was holding an ice bag nearly as large as his head - who even had me pumped up - when he stated:  “Had to get stitched up and continue the battle! We're playing for each other. We're playing for the city of Chicago."

You talk about enamoring one’s self with a city! Then, who could forget last Saturday’s Game #7 playoff series clinching win against New Jersey when the Bulls’ Joakim Noah came up with a career statement game when it mattered most! He produced 24 points - his second-highest total of the season at a time when his team had no other options - and collected 14 rebounds. He also blocked six shots. "Before the New Jersey series, I didn't know if I was going to be able to play," said Noah. "I could barely walk." He was playing through pain after being diagnosed with an inflamed plantar fasciitis (which makes it very painful to walk, let alone run and jump out on a basketball court).

A fired-up Noah said after that game. “We’re a team of fighters. We keep getting punched in the face but we fight back. It’s going to take all of us sticking together through all kinds of adversity. This has been a real hard year. But I’m really proud of this team.”

Noah gutted it out with an injury to accept the responsibility of doing whatever is needed to be a leader of the team.  "In the last month, I must have done 40 or 50 different treatments," Noah said as soaked his feet in a bucket and had his knees covered with ice bags! "I don't know exactly what it is that has helped me. But it's a little better. I'm still playing through it."

Worn down by minutes and struggling with injuries, the Bulls have endured and excelled based on coach Tom Thibodeau's "Next Man Up" philosophy. If a player is in the game, Thibodeau expects the same from him as the player he replaced.

“Our chemistry is amazing,” said team veteran Carlos Boozer. “We play really well all together. That’s one of our strengths. We’ve been depleted. We play hard and grind and we’re a good team. 

For those of you that are inspired by motivational quotes, be sure to frame the Vince Lombardi message posted below. It’s exactly the message that’s fueling the Chicago Bulls to a man! They are fun to watch and putting out an effort that is a recipe we should all bottle up!  

All the best!

Jim Loria

-----------------------------------------------------------------

COACH THIBODEAU ON NATE ROBINSON: "He's about as confident as they come, and that's the thing that makes him good! If he misses a shot, he has a very short memory. He always thinks he's hot."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

“What you are thinking, what shape your mind is in, is what makes the biggest difference of all” – stated by the legendary Willie Mays, considered baseball’s greatest living player

----------------------------------------------------------------

"Every time a player goes to apply his trade he's got to play from the ground up — from the soles of his feet right up to his head. Every inch of him has to play. Some guys play with their heads. That's O.K. You've got to be smart to be number one in any business. But more importantly, you've got to play with your heart, with every fiber of your body. If you're lucky enough to find a guy with a lot of head and a lot of heart, he's never going to come off the field SECOND” – stated by Vince Lombardi, legendary Green Bay Packers NFL Head Coach

-----------------------------------------------------------------

In the end, it's extra effort that separates a winner from second place. But winning takes a lot more than that, too. It starts with complete command of the fundamentals. Then it takes desire, determination, discipline, and self-sacrifice. And finally, it takes a great deal of love, fairness and respect for your fellow man. Put all these together, and even if you don't win, how can you lose?" – stated by Jesse Owens, the great Olympic Track & Field Champion (won “4” Gold Medals at the 1936 Summer Games in Germany).

###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

How ironic is it that in the last week in which so many wounded survivors from the Boston Marathon continued with their battle to recover, a well-known New England student-athlete would enter the same Massachusetts General Hospital on April 24th to give of himself?

This is a story about COMMITMENT! About Cameron Lyle, a 21-year-old college senior and member of the University of New Hampshire Track & Field team, who donated his bone marrow to save the life of another human being he did not know. The story actually first took roots three years ago when Lyle made a decision to register with the National Marrow Donor Program. They told him that his chance of being typed as a donor for someone who wasn't a family member was one in 5-million.

Fast forward to March, 2013. That same program now contacted Cameron Lyle to inform him that his marrow had been matched with a 28-year-old man who was suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They asked if he would donate his bone marrow immediately not knowing of his college nor athletic commitments?

What caught my attention was that not only did Lyle recommit to a decision he had made three years ago, but it was the sacrifice he would make that gave me a lump in my throat! To deliver upon his commitment, Lyle would have to totally walk away from track despite having two meets remaining on the team schedule and forgo the chance to close out his collegiate career and compete at the American East Conference Championships!

He courageously made the decision to aid humanity over college athletics despite what he had learned during his period of research and consultation on the bone marrow procedure – which calls for a patient to be anesthetized and a large needle inserted into a bone to draw out the marrow. He was also told by doctors that he might be too depleted to raise even a bowl above his head for weeks, much less throw the discus, the hammer or the shot put, following the procedure.

It was a decision he calls a “no brainer!” "When they first told me, I was like, 'OK, cool. I'm definitely going to do it,'" Lyle said. "After that I kind of went to tell my coach and then I realized slowly that my season was over. It's just a sport. Just because it's Division I college level doesn't make it any more important. Life is a lot more important than that, so it was a pretty easy decision."

“I did think about what I was giving up,” Lyle continued. “But this person had six months to live and I have the possibility to buy him a couple more years.”

"I am beyond words proud. He is my hero," said Cameron’s mother (Chris) of her son. "When your children inspire you to be better people, you know it's come full circle and he's inspired his mom to be a better circle."

Fellas, we all have the ability within us to move the needle in our communities. Whether it’s assisting a charitable cause, visiting children at a pediatric hospital to offer encouragement or helping provide a meal for those less fortunate, take time to be a difference maker! When you sign up to represent your team in the community – no matter how tired or busy you are and small or large the event may be, you, too, can bring the same joys to the human race that Cameron Lyle did!

My best always!

Jim Loria

--------------------------------------

“Sooner or later, something seems to call us onto a particular path – this is what I must do, this is who I am” – stated by James Hillman, American psychologist

--------------------------------------

“I can give you a six-word formula for success: ‘Think things through, then follow through’” – stated by Captain Edward V. Rickenbacker, an American fighter ace in World War I,  race car driver and pioneer in air transportation, particularly as the longtime head of Eastern Air Lines.

--------------------------------------

“Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals above the crowd: a little bit more. They did all that was expected of them and a little bit more” – stated by A. Lou Vickery, Author

--------------------------------------

“The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become” – stated by A Unknown Author

###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

“COURAGE must come from the Soul within … The man must furnish the Will to Win … So figure it out for yourself, my lad … You were born with all that the Great have had … With your Equipment they all began … Get hold of yourself and say: “I Can!” – From the poem “Equipment” by Edgar A. Guest

Late last week when my copy of Sports Illustrated arrived in the mail, the one photo that was widely circulated from the recent Boston Marathon bombing was again front and center and placed on the cover position for the entire world to see. It’s a picture that spoke volumes! It was of an elderly man – a race participant – that is shown dazed and lying on the Boston city street trying to regain his senses after the bombing had just taken place.

For some reason, I decided to GOOGLE a variety of things to see if I could identify this person and see what he may have stated about this harrowing experience? I found that his name was Bill Iffrig. He was 78-years old from Lake Stevens, Washington and was competing in his third marathon race in Boston.

I found literally thousands of online news articles about the man and in languages ranging from English, Chinese, Arabic to Spanish. As I scanned through more headlines, some told the story of this white-haired man who got up after the blasts and ran the few remaining yards left to the finish line to complete his mission!
Those last few words “GOT UP AFTER THE BLAST AND RAN THE FEW YARDS LEFT TO THE FINISH LINE” stopped me in my tracks! What powerful words I thought!  I kept looking back at the SI Cover. Thinking to myself that here is a 78-year old man who was running a marathon – a 26-mile long course at that - knowing full well I couldn’t even pedal a bicycle that many miles regardless of age!

I instantly thought about the words COURAGE? RESOLVE? DETERMINATION? Words that can be defined in so many ways. Yet, here was a man that was literally yards away from a finish line anticipating the feeling of accomplishment then is suddenly greeted by a bomb blast that jolted not only the framework of nearby buildings but the mindset of the local population as well! Video and pictures from the scene show that Iffrig, wearing a bright orange tank top, had crumpled to the pavement from the shockwaves of the explosion.

"It was only ... feet away from me,” Iffrig would tell a reporter for the Seattle Times. “It was really loud. Then all this smoke was coming from someplace, and I wasn’t able to see too much. The force from it just turned my whole body to jelly and I went down. I thought, ‘This is probably it for me.’ ”

With the help of a race official, Iffrig would get up. He was determined to reach his destination and would proceed to walk the final 15 feet to cross over the finish line.  Amazing! Some people lauded Iffrig a courageous soul!

Every person seems to face that moment of crisis at one time or another in their lives. Some may be more dangerous than others. Some may be from a tragic injury suffered out on the field. Some may be from a health-related accident. What separates most from continuing on is COURAGE! That quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear and has the resolve to get back up and the determination to accomplish their mission much like what Bill Iffrig showed us last week.

Keep Believing in You always and continue to capture your Dreams!

My Best Always!

Jim Loria

------------------------------------

“Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world” – stated by Helen Keller, the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree
---------------------------------------

“You accomplish victory step-by-step, not by leaps and bounds” – stated by Lyn St. James, Indy Race Car Driver

---------------------------------------

“There is a lesson in almost everything that you do, and getting the lesson is how you move forward” – stated by Oprah Winfrey
---------------------------------------

CHRIS DUHON, DUKE GRAD AND ORLANDO MAGIC GUARD ON THE ROLE OF A PRO ATHLETE: “Sometimes you need to realize that there are different experiences in the world, other than just playing your sport. There are different people who have different types of struggles. You just have to be a part of that, and it gives you a better understanding and appreciation, and makes you understand how lucky and blessed you really are!”


###

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

It’s been a much talked about past few days. First we saw the gripping sudden-death playoff battle at the Masters last Sunday followed up less than 24 hours later with the tragic news of the Boston Marathon bombing. Within our world we all witnessed so much human emotion but the one common thread that shined through was
“Human Kindness” which came in all forms! That is my subject of the week!

First, there was the Masters Tournament where Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera elevated their national profiles to a world audience of sports fans not only for facing up to the enormous pressure and answering each other shot-by-shot during their rain-soaked  playoff battle, but it was for their genuine kindness to each other at the very end that became the main storyline! In some ways, athletic performance took a back seat to human emotion?

Afterwards, the national news media and people from all over the universe on Twitter and Facebook, hailed these two golf pros for the way their exhibited such sportsmanship and class that sometimes is as forgotten as living your life without a cell phone?  On TV you could see moments where Cabrera would give a ‘thumbs-up’ gesture to Scott and vice-versa after his opponent would match him great shot for great shot. Or the way Scott would go up to the fans and high five the onlookers to share in his jubilance!

Sometimes we all get caught up in the wins and losses of our own events but this is one match that I looked at both men as equal winners! More than likely as their careers continue to evolve, each will be remembered more for KINDNESS than for tournament victories!

As we all went back to our workplaces on Monday and shared some of our thoughts on the Masters, our freedoms that we hold dear to our heart, seemed to be stripped away! Yes, we were now witness to real human tragedy! Innocent people from all walks of life came together to run for a cause at the prestigious Boston Marathon and were met by two separate bomb explosions that tore apart the city landscape at the finish line, killing several and severely wounding hundreds of others. 

None of us know how we would react in moments like what we viewed in Boston? I remember a time when I lived in Washington, DC back in the 1980’s when an Air Florida jet crashed into the Potomac River on a cold wintery day just after takeoff. So many surviving passengers were left exposed to the cold water. A helicopter quickly arrived and sent a cable down to help uplift people and there was this one gentleman who anchored the line from down below and kept passing it to the women and children he would see. He saved many lives but gave up his in the process.

Human Kindness comes in all forms. I read reports of a marathon runner crossing the finish line and he continued on to the close-by Massachusetts General Hospital to give blood for the victims in need!  Think of all the men and women – your fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, that shed their fears at the marathon to step up to the plate in the heat of the battle to care and rescue their neighbors! You may have seen a picture of a former New England Patriots football player (Joe Andruzzi) who was a spectator at the race but amid all of the chaos, he quickly sprang into action and was seen carrying a woman to safety and for much needed medical attention. We once knew this athlete as a champion on the football field. From now on this man will be known more for his one heroic act of kindness!

As Monday’s shocking day was turning to evening, how ironic that on this day all of New England was celebrating Patriot’s Day (a civic holiday commemorating the anniversaries of the Battle of Lexington and Concord back in the late 1700’s and also Paul Revere, a Patriot in the American Revolutionary War best known for his famous Midnight Ride) that Ben Revere, an outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies would make one of the greatest catches in any era. The storyline wasn’t just about the “catch” but in the fact that this ballplayer, prior to taking the field, decided to honor the victims and those injured from the race by putting a large amount of white tape all over the outside of his baseball glove with this inscription PLAY FOR BOSTON!

Again, Human Kindness comes in all sizes, shapes and forms! Gang, never take for granted the luxury and freedom you have every day to wake up and live out your dreams! Take time to Smile! Enjoy what you do for a living. Be friendly because KINDNESS does have a reward!

My best always!

Jim Loria

-------------------------------------

“Emotion is like light. You can’t let it go out every window. You have to keep it contained” – stated by Larry Sanders, Milwaukee Bucks NBA Player

-------------------------------------

“The greatest threat to success is bitterness over who receives the credit in victory and the blame in defeat” – stated by Howard Bryant – ESPN Sports Reporters

-------------------------------------

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless” – stated by Mother Teresa, known for her lifelong dedication to the poor. Awarded the first Pope John XXIII Medal of Honor for Peace in 1971

--------------------------------------

“Remember that you were born with a divine purpose and destiny that only you can fulfill. Be your authentic self if you want to fulfill that dream that sleeps within your soul” - stated by an Unknown Author

###