WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

This story is about an athlete that learned some hard lessons in year’s past and made such an about face change in himself and his game that he might be chosen his league’s MVP this year and crowned NBA Champion?

He is Carmelo Anthony of the NBA New York Knicks. Always his team’s top scorer in the pros whether it was for his past team in Denver or with New York. After seven years with the Nuggets, he forced his way out of Colorado midway into the 2010-11 season to play in the ‘Big Apple’ and was lashed out by the national media for his selfishness. Since his arrival, the Knicks went from a solid team to a dysfunctional outfit. The brunt of the media and fan backlash was targeted at Anthony because of his need to always have the ball. His style did not play out well in their coach’s system (who was fired) nor with the arrival of Jeremy Lin (who became an overnight global sensation) and seemingly stole the spotlight from Anthony. He found out that playing on the world’s “Biggest Stage” in New York (or anywhere for that matter) doesn’t mean anything unless you have TEAM SUCCESS. His personal and commercial appeal plummeted. No endorsements coming in. He was even shunned by the fans even though he is a local player that grew up in New York.

Anthony knew he needed to change his game and become a better teammate.  Where he absorbed these lessons came at the 2012 London Olympic Games as a member of Team USA. There he was surrounded by teammates like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, etc. He knew he would not be the primary. Not the scorer. There he would share minutes. Even more importantly, he’d have to learn to play team first ball and focus his attention on defense and blocking out the opposing players to help his teammates be put in better position on the court.

After helping lead Team USA to the Gold Medal Championship and coming back home to American soil, there was a significant change in Anthony, both the person, the teammate, and in his game. He seems to now focus on MAKING EVERYONE AROUND HIM A BETTER PLAYER. The results: The Knicks are second to Miami in the Eastern Conference standings in the early going (20-8 W-L record). He still is among the NBA’s top scorers (2^nd only to Kobe Bryant at nearly 30 points per game) but Anthony’s Knicks are now among the top echelon in overall team defense – a stat unheard of in recent years.

What were the lessons Carmelo Anthony learned from his time spent at the Olympic Games?

Winning Is the Only Thing That Matters

Carmelo knows that for him to pick up the accolades and respect of his colleagues in the NBA, he must get the Knicks to become playoff contenders and win a Championship. Winning must come first before personal glory as he found out at the Olympics. He is now doing the little things necessary to win and his teammates are noticing!

Respect the Coach

In all sports, the “star players” or the key returning veterans must CONNECT with their COACH and be on the same page Trust is another word. There doesn’t have to be “love and admiration” for the coach but in order for the team to have a chance to succeed, there must be RESPECT for the people in charge!

Trust and Empower Teammates

The only way the Knicks can ever win an NBA Championship is if all the pieces to the puzzle perform well as a team. Anthony is showing this year that he finally trusts his teammates. He can make the team better just by his actions of becoming a committed teammate!

This year, Anthony has garnered more praise from media and fans for the way he has become a team player and for showing more maturity both on and off the court. The past couple of seasons, the words TEAM PLAYER and Anthony just never seemed to go together. In addition to the experiences at the Olympics, many say the changes in Anthony also resulted because of the intense New York media criticism of him personally and then watching LeBron James change his game and evolve as a Miami Heat teammate, eventually winning his first Ring as the deciding factors.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS FELLAS – A GREAT QUOTE FROM PHIL JACKSON, THE LEGENDARY NBA HALL OF FAME COACH WITH CHICAGO AND LOS ANGELES – “The strength of the team is each individual member; the strength of each member is the team”

Wishing you a very Happy New Year! May 2013 be a year of great health for you. A year that brings you on-field success, many memories to cherish and inches you closer than ever to reaching your Dreams!

Jim Loria

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Here’s an example of LEADERSHIP from Seattle Seahawks rookie QB Russell Wilson … After the Seahawks defeated San Francisco last Sunday, he went to his teammates in the locker room and said: "We got work to do tomorrow boys. Come in and get your lift in.'' Even though it would be Christmas Eve day, he set up a workout schedule for his teammates to do Video Tape analysis at 8 AM and Lift at 10 AM. That's what leaders do.
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“Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It’s dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great” – stated by Billie Jean King, Tennis Legend and Hall of Fame member

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“Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't” – stated by Jerry Rice, NFL Hall of Famer and all-time leading wide receiver

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“The power of WE is stronger than the power of ME” – by Author Unknown

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“Don't talk about it, be about it” – stated by Jim Rohn, Self Help Author and Motivational Speaker

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Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

“To be a success in the world of sales, a person must be knowledgeable about their product, their industry, their competition and their marketplace. To make the sale, you have to first build an emotional connection and trust with the customer. You must be prepared. Be genuine because likeability matters.  Put your best foot forward. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression” – Jim Loria

 

This is all so true whether this speaks of my own daily job, whether a professional scout or college recruiter is sizing you up and or you are in  negotiations with a Big League sports organization trying to capitalize on your recent accomplishments on the field. In this day and age, talent is necessary but if a club is going to walk up the aisle with you and put a ring on your finger for the next 3-5-7 years, they are now seeking more reasons to sign off on you as an investment.

 

For the last month, I was following very closely the Zack Greinke free agent negotiations. Back on Dec. 11^th,  he signed the richest contract in MLB history for a pitcher that can throw a baseball from the right hand side (6 years, $147-million).  The organization that made this enormous investment: the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Why? That is the purpose of this week’s story. It all started with what was expected to be a casual meeting between the player, his representatives and the club’s management & baseball operations team. A typical feel out meeting and to exchange pleasantries was what the Dodgers figured. So much so that the club actually scheduled this gathering for just an hour.

So in comes Zack Greinke, who at age 29, is still in the prime of his athletic career. He arrived at Dodgers Stadium with his wife, Emily, but did not bring her into the meeting.  He also did not bring anyone else for that matter…. Not a friend. No agent. No entourage. No lawyer. Just himself. He sat across from the Dodgers’ general manager Ned Colletti, their team president Stan Kasten and field manager Don Mattingly.  This maneuver by Greinke STUNNED the Dodgers’ brass! 

"We've all been doing this for a long, long time," Colletti said. "I don't know how many free agents I've talked to that have come to visit or we went to visit. I can't remember one that didn't bring an agent with them, or friends and a representative with them, so if the questioning got a little tough they'd have a fallback for him.

"To have the candor like Zack did and to have somebody who had enough confidence in himself to stand on his own - it was impressive,” continued Colletti. “There's so much more than pitching this kid is about and he was able to express it and express it without a filter or a crutch to hold him up.”

 

What also blew the Dodgers away from this first meeting with Greinke – which eventually lasted three hours – was that they found Greinke to be so highly analytical and completely refreshing. He described in detail how he would approach their hitters. He discussed the players in their farm system and compared their strengths. He even talked about basketball and the Orlando Magic (his favorite team) – which impressed Kasten, a former long-time NBA executive with the Atlanta Hawks.

After this lengthy first meeting came to an end, Colletti recalls: "When Zack left that day, we all said: 'We've got to figure out a way to get this kid here.' Because he's sharp, because he's about so much more than just the pitching. It was just pure."  Added  Kasten: "From my notes, I wrote back a memo to Dodgers’ chairman Mark Walter after the meeting with my two-word conclusion: `Beyond Impressive.'"

Fellas, as we’ve stated many times in previous stories, it is your “humanizing skills” that are going to separate you from the pack when it comes to contract negotiations, being drafted or recruited. Learn how to speak professionally, smile, properly sit (in an office meeting or at dinner), dress (wearing clothes that are crispy and wrinkle free), handshake (firmly and like you are in control of the meeting at hand) and maintain a Big League image of You on your social networking sites. Combine those elements with an ability to show off your “boyhood enthusiasm for the game” and there’s no doubt that any organization will want to INVEST in YOU and do so significantly!

All the best & Happy Holidays next week! Enjoy this special time of year with your family and THANK YOU for allowing me into your everyday world!

Jim Loria

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“The secret to changing your life is in your intentions. Wishing, hoping and goal setting cannot accomplish change without intention. What is needed is a shift from the inert energy of wanting to the active energy of doing and intention” – stated by Wayne Dyer, Self Help Author and Motivational Speaker

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Every day when Houston Texans all-everything defensive lineman J.J. Watt would walk out his front door at home to go to elementary school, his father John Watt would always say: “Act like Somebody today!” Said J.J.: “As I got older I knew what my Dad meant - he didn’t want us to float through life. He wanted us to make a difference and have an impact. To be like no one else.”

When he left home to play college football, Watt’s parents used to always remind him of the importance of first impressions: “Every day up there, every practice, every workout has to be your Super Bowl,” they would say.

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 “Some opportunities only come once. Seize them. Go out and start creating. Live your Dream and Wear your Passion” – stated by an Unknown Author

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“I never wanted to be one of those people, who looks back and says, ‘I wonder if?’  If I have a goal, I’ll go out and set forth to achieve it. When something is your passion, it becomes everything. You put everything into it without hesitation. No questions. No doubts. Nothing to stop you” – stated by Kim Fitchen, Cross Country Runner and member of three U.S. World Cup Relay Teams 

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Houston Texans’ Rookie DE  Whitney Mercilus speaking on his experience preparing for the NFL Combine last year when he was playing with the U/Illinois: “I spent a lot of time working on my interview skills with the help of my agent. I learned how to communicate effectively with coaches during the combine. They had me in media training so I could learn to create a brand and sell myself as a football player.”

 

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Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

“OPPORTUNITY TAKES JUST ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A LIFE. ONE WRONG CHOICE TO RUIN IT!” – Jim Loria

“It is our choices ... that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” – stated by J.K. Rowling, British Novelist and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series

Greetings!

For the second week in a row, the sporting world was stunned by the news of another professional athlete taking the life of a human being while erasing (possibly) his own career in the blink of an eye.

Let’s look at the Dallas Cowboys’ football player – Josh Brent – who was charged with “intoxication manslaughter” in the aftermath of last Saturday’s devastating car accident that killed his teammate Jerry Brown. This life-changing incident took place just hours before Brent’s teammates were going to board a plane and fly out to Cincinnati to play the Bengals in a must-win game that had playoff implications on the line for the Cowboys’ franchise. 

Here was a player taken in the 7^th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. When he arrived in Dallas, Brent was not even allowed to drive a car because of a past DUI charge that occurred while in college (he served 60 days in jail). He played sparingly in his first three seasons for the Cowboys and just this year finally worked his way into the starting lineup due to injuries suffered on the defensive front line … finally reaching a childhood dream … only to now possibly throw away his entire career down the drain.

After a night out at a club, all Brent had to do was call the number from the ‘Safe Rides Solution’ program organized by the NFLPA that provides each player and team with a courtesy ride home when needed. Now his athletic career and freedom have been put into the hands of a judge that could sentence Brent up to 20 years in prison for the charges stated above.

Another incident I want to touch on, took place 26 years ago. During my lifetime, this may have been arguably the greatest tragedy in American sports history, when Len Bias passed away less than 40 hours after being selected No. 2 overall in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. This player was so dominant of a college basketball player that he drew comparisons to Michael Jordan.

At Maryland, he was twice the ACC Player-of-the-Year.  He was a true All-American – both as a person and in game action. Considered a neighborhood hero to so many kids. After flying to Boston hours after his  draft selection to meet the Celtics’ brass and media, Bias would return to Maryland at night to celebrate his newfound career with friends and then later with an unidentified group of people  at an off-campus gathering near the university. Within hours of this party, Bias died of cocaine intoxication.

The sports world is no different than society in which we all live and share our own hopes and dreams. It doesn’t play favorites with people that choose to do knucklehead things. For the athlete? Why does someone, who has put in so much blood, sweat and tears to accomplish their dream to  play in pro sports, somehow then decides it time to roll the dice and let their guard down. It only takes one mistake, small or large, to either stain a career and the person’s earning capacity or to end it all in a blink of an eye.

Every day, you get the opportunity to walk out on the field and make a new memory for thousands of faithful followers. To become that next hero. To live a charmed life because of your athletic skill. To bring a home a monthly paycheck that the largest body of the American population could never earn in a lifetime! Fellas, don’t be that next tragedy. Please do not ever screw up your opportunity!

MY BEST ALWAYS!

Jim Loria

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 “If a man has a talent and cannot use it, he has failed. If he has a talent and uses only half of it, he has partly failed. If he has a talent and learns somehow to use the whole of it, he has gloriously succeeded, and won a satisfaction and a triumph few men ever know” – stated by Thomas Wolfe, best-selling American author and journalist

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“To the question of your life - you are the Answer; and to the problems of your life - you are the Solution”  - authored by Joe Cordare, Author

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You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay? Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change" - Jim Rohn, Author and Motivational Speaker

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“A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose – a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve” – stated by John Maxwell, Leadership Trainer

 

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Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com

WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL PIECE!

Greetings!

I had another subject matter in my mind that was going to be my theme of this week but last Saturday’s senseless acts in which an NFL player murdered his girlfriend (the mother of his 3-month old child) and then committed suicide right before the eyes of his coaches and general manager on the grounds outside of his field of employment … made me switch gears.

I know this is a heady subject matter. I know in this ever-changing universe where we are all continually bombarded with social media messages, national headlines, blogger commentaries and just everyday pressure to perform – both athletically in your world and on the job in mine – that we’re losing sight of reality and what’s most important - family, friends and your own personal well being. 

Through the aftermath of that personal tragedy, Brady Quinn, the quarterback of today for the Kansas City Chiefs, actually made the most sense and moved the needle with his post-game comments. He said: "We live in a society of social networks, with Twitter pages and Facebook, and that’s fine, but we have contact with our work associates, our family, our friends, and it seems like half the time we are more preoccupied with our phone and other things going on instead of the actual relationships that we have right in front of us. Hopefully, people can learn from this and try to actually help if someone is battling something deeper on the inside than what they are revealing on a day-to-day basis."

Quinn's message was applauded by people in all walks of life. Sherry Turkle, a psychologist and sociologist at MIT, had this to say: ”The technology that enables us to craft and share our identities is also undermining our ability to really know one another and ourselves. From social networks to sociable robots, we're designing technologies that will give us the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.  What I'm seeing is that people get so used to being short-changed out of real conversation, so used to getting by with less, that they've become almost willing to dispense with people altogether."

Fellas – as you continually develop your career, the inward pressure you feel will mount each year as you inch closer and closer to reaching your dreams to play in the Major Leagues. We all feel those same anxieties, even for us in our normal working world. Yet, no matter an individual’s chosen career path, we all share the same human traits – that is we are fueled by recognition and rewards. No matter what income or fame that is achieved, we all need a support system in our lives that needs to be in place in order to succeed. A real-life cheerleader! During the journey that awaits you my friend, please PROMISE ME that you will never DRIVE YOUR CAR in the game of life without a passenger to help you with encouragement, guidance and support! That can be family, teammates, coaches or friends from your own walk of life. 

Cheering for you every step of the way!

MY BEST!

Jim Loria

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21 SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS!

Here is my magic formula to help you achieve true happiness in your everyday life!

1. When the time is right, Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery rather than what you do on the field.

2. Find a diversion outside of baseball that you enjoy and is worthy of your time and talent.
3. Give your teammates more than they expect.
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
5. Be forgiving of yourself, teammates and others.
6. Be generous with your time; become a community leader and make a difference with those less fortunate.
7. Have a grateful heart.
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
9. Discipline yourself to save money and invest wisely.
10 Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
12. Commit yourself to quality in all aspects of your life.
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or  prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
14. Be loyal.
15. Be honest.
16. Be a self-starter.
17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
18. Do not blame others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
20. Take good care of those that brought you to the position you enjoy today.
21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.

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By: Jim Loria
E-Mail: loria@sfstampede.com