The Best Sports Books of 2018

By John O'Sullivan
https://changingthegameproject.com/the-best-sports-books-of-2018/
November 26, 2018

Yes, it is that time of year again, time for our favorite books of 2018, and time to get the coaches, parents and athletes in our lives some good holiday reading material. The Changing the Game Project team is always reading, always listening, and always learning, in order to help you take your coaching, parenting, and performance up a notch. This year is no different, as we read and listened to so many great books. As a bonus, we were able to interview almost every author on this list on our podcast, and I have provided a link to the interview as well. Ready to go? Just click on the title or image and you will be transported to Amazon (these are affiliate links, it is the same price for you but we make a few cents per book which helps keep the doors open). Happy holidays!

Our 2018 Book of the Year:

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Ever since I read this book, my morning routine has changed. I had the honor of meeting James Clear a few years back when we spoke at the same event, and since then his is one of two weekly blogs that I ALWAYS read each week. He has finally compiled his best stuff into a book, and it is incredible (we also interviewed him for our podcast here). There is a reason this book resides on the NY Times Bestseller list, and it has profoundly influenced my own behaviors. Whether you are an athlete, parent, or coach looking to build some better habits and break some bad ones (aren’t we all?) this book is for you. It is also a great book to listen to on Audible (its free if you have never tried Audible before) so click here to check it out.)

Our 2018 Runner-Up:

What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen by Kate Fagan

I could not put this book down. As a parent of two almost teenagers, and as a coach of teenagers for over two decades, I believe I have a front row seat into the lives and struggles of today’s kids. But this book opened my eyes even further. It details the tragic story of collegiate runner Maddy Holleran, who took her own life in January 2014 by leaping off a 9-story parking garage in downtown Philadelphia. How could a young woman who seemingly has it all – sports star, academic success, popularity, good looks, you name it – take her own life. Author Kate Fagan was given access to all of Maddy’s emails, texts, social media posts, and more, as she attempted to reconstruct the life, and last days of Maddy. This book was un-put-downable. It is incredibly sad, and incredibly relevant to anyone working with today’s kids. (Click here for the audiobook)

Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:

https://changingthegameproject.com/the-best-sports-books-of-2018/

The Best Bosses Are Humble Bosses

By Sue Shellenbarger

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-best-bosses-are-humble-bosses-1539092123

October 9, 2018

After decades of screening potential leaders for charm and charisma, some employers are realizing they’ve been missing one of the most important traits of all: humility.

In an era when hubris is rewarded on social media and in business and politics, researchers and employment experts say turning the limelight on humble people might yield better results.

Humility is a core quality of leaders who inspire close teamwork, rapid learning and high performance in their teams, according to several studies in the past three years. Humble people tend to be aware of their own weaknesses, eager to improve themselves, appreciative of others’ strengths and focused on goals beyond their own self-interest.

Among employees, it’s linked to lower turnover and absenteeism. These strengths are often overlooked because humble people tend to fly under the radar, making outsiders think it’s their teams doing all the work.

More companies are taking humility into account in making hiring and promotion decisions. Researchers are developing new methods of tracking this low-key trait.

Hogan Assessments, a leading maker of workplace personality tests, plans to unveil a new 20-item scale early in 2019 designed to measure humility in job seekers and candidates for leadership posts, says Ryne Sherman, chief science officer for the Tulsa, Okla., company. The scale will prompt people to agree or disagree with such statements as, “I appreciate other people’s advice at work,” or “I’m entitled to more respect than the average person.”

“Most of the thinking suggests leaders should be charismatic, attention-seeking and persuasive,” Dr. Sherman says. “Yet such leaders tend to ruin their companies because they take on more than they can handle, are overconfident and don’t listen to feedback from others,” he says.

Humble leaders can also be highly competitive and ambitious. But they tend to avoid the spotlight and give credit to their teams, Dr. Sherman says. They also ask for help and listen to feedback from others, setting an example that causes subordinates to do the same.

More employers are also screening entry-level recruits for humility. That’s partly because it predicts ethical behavior and longer tenure on the job, says Adam Miller, chief executive of Cornerstone OnDemand, a Santa Monica, Calif., provider of talent-management software.

The apparel company Patagonia begins scrutinizing job applicants for humility as soon as they walk through the door for interviews. Managers screening new recruits follow up by asking receptionists, “How did they engage at the front desk?” says Dean Carter, global head of human resources for the Ventura, Calif.-based company.

POLL: HOW HUMBLE ARE YOU?

Do you agree or disagree with these statements?

1) I appreciate other people’s advice at work.

2) It’s not my job to applaud others’ achievements.

3) People lose respect when they admit their limitations.

4) I am entitled to more respect than the average person.

5) I do many things better than almost everyone I know.

6) It annoys me when others ignore my accomplishments.

People high in humility tend to agree with Item 1 and disagree with Items 2 through 6.

Source: Hogan Assessment Systems

If staff members report disrespectful or self-absorbed behavior, “that can be a deal killer,” he says. Fostering humility makes employees at all levels feel free to suggest ideas, Mr. Carter says. Humble employees also are more likely to support the company’s mission of helping solve environmental problems.

In interviews, he asks applicants to tell him about a time when they experienced a major failure. “If they say, ‘Wow, let me think about this, because there are a lot of times when I’ve messed things up,’ that says a lot,” he says. “If they have to pick among a lot of humble learning moments, that’s good.”

Indian Hotels, operator of the luxury Taj Hotels in the U.S. and elsewhere, uses Hogan’s assessments, among others, to screen potential leaders. “Humility is an emotional skill leaders need to have,” says P.V. Ramana Murthy, global head of human resources for the Mumbai-based company. Humility gives rise to deep listening, respect for diverse views and a willingness to hear suggestions and feedback, he says.

The company also tries to instill humility in senior executives through coaching and a nine-month training program.

If you think you know which of your colleagues are humble, you could easily be wrong. Humble people don’t flaunt it. And many workers, including arrogant ones, try to be seen as humble and helpful to make a good impression, says Kibeom Lee, a psychology professor at the University of Calgary in Alberta.

Hogan’s new humility scale is based in part on research by Dr. Lee and Michael Ashton, a psychology professor at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. After reviewing personality research in several languages years ago, they identified a combination of humility and honesty, or what they called the H factor, as a stable personality trait.

It’s marked by a cluster of attributes that appear consistently in some people, including sincerity, modesty, fairness, truthfulness and unpretentiousness. The same people tend to avoid manipulating others, bending the rules or behaving in greedy or hypocritical ways. The H factor is included in a free online personality inventory they developed.

Workplace researchers often rely on subordinates’ reports to assess leaders’ level of humility. In a 2015 study of 326 employees working on 77 teams at a health-care company, researchers asked team members to assess their managers’ humility, based on a scale including their willingness to learn from others or admit when they don’t know how to do something. Team members also assessed their teams’ attitudes and performance.

Teams with humble leaders performed better and did higher-quality work than teams whose leaders exhibited less humility, according to lead researcher Bradley P. Owens, an associate professor of business ethics at Brigham Young University.

The performance gains held up independently of how much team leaders exhibited other positive leadership qualities unrelated to humility. 

Some challenges may call for a different leadership style. For example, employees facing extreme threats or intense time pressure might perform better when a leader takes a more authoritative, top-down approach, Dr. Owens says.

However, companies with humble chief executives are more likely than others to have upper-management teams that work smoothly together, help each other and share decision-making, according to a study of 105 computer hardware and software firms published in the Journal of Management.

Such companies also are likely to have smaller pay gaps between the CEO and other senior executives. These factors predict closer collaboration among all senior executives, which in turn leads to greater companywide efficiency, innovation and profitability, researchers found.

FAMOUS THOUGHTS ON HUMILITY

• ‘The greater thou art, the more humble thyself.’—The Apocrypha
• ‘After crosses and losses, men grow humbler and wiser.’—Benjamin Franklin
• ‘It is fatal to pretend. I prefer to do anything on the quiet rather than boast about it.’—Indira Gandhi
• ‘Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor vexation.’—St. Francis of Assisi
• ‘Life is a long lesson in humility.’—J.M. Barrie

MAKE MENTAL STRENGTH YOUR STRONGEST SKILL – THE ALL BLACKS WAY

By Maria Nokkonen
https://www.gameplan-a.com/2017/03/make-mental-strength-your-strongest-skill/
March 1, 2017


Gilbert Enoka

Much like a conditioning coach focuses on muscles to perform, a mental skills coach looks at what can be done with the mind to aid performance. This is the expertise of Gilbert Enoka who just kicked off his 17th year as the mental skills specialist for the New Zealand rugby team, the All Blacks. Known for their world-beating mental strength, the team has set a record with their three World Cup titles.

With his holistic approach to mental toughness, Enoka helps the current world champions to perform in big moments – but his insights on tapping to the mind’s potential go beyond the pitch.

Let’s talk brain power: What does it take to be an All Black?

Much like in business, it starts with character. If you don’t put the team first, you’ll never make it. We drive the notion of gratitude. When the ego grows too much, it squashes other things in the environment.

The team also has a rich history cultivated by a legacy of success. Our people understand that their role is to continue and enhance that narrative.

The All Blacks have an extraordinary team culture. What’s the secret?

You can have all the strategies in the world, but in the end, what will enable you to overachieve – or underachieve – is your culture.

We nourish the All Blacks culture every day by drawing from our rich Maori heritage. In our cornerstone philosophies, the team towers above the individual. You’ll never succeed on your own, but you will be successful as an individual if the team functions well.

As the custodian of the culture, I make sure everyone has a sense of belonging. When you walk to the pitch, you should feel you belong to this place and that it’s fed and nourished by the people. Too many organizations focus on the vision and values when they should feed a sense of belonging instead, especially if you’re working with a myriad of cultures.

Elite athletes excel in high-pressure situations. Can you share some strategies for thinking clearly under pressure?

There are no magic bullets, but you shouldn’t complicate things either. It’s as simple as understanding your current reality and determining your task. If you stay focused on the process and don’t get overpowered by things that are out of your control, you can navigate through the day.

If I’m an athlete preparing for the World Cup Final and think, “What if we lose? How will my country react?”, it might defeat me. But if I pull back and say, “I’ll get out of bed, do my stretches, have breakfast, go to this meeting,” I’m proceeding step by step.

In business, you’ve got a meeting to nail, a deadline to meet, things to create. If you start thinking about all the possible consequences, you will feel overwhelmed. Dial it down and deal with the first thing on your list. Take control one moment at a time.

Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:

https://www.gameplan-a.com/2017/03/make-mental-strength-your-strongest-skill/

Players reveal the 40-year secret to Russ Rose's unprecedented success at Penn State

By Vicki L. Friedman

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/24566214/the-40-year-secret-penn-state-volleyball-coach-russ-rose-success

September 3, 2018

Russ Rose with a scoop of 'Russ "digs" Roseberry' ice cream at The Creamery (Mark Selders)

Russ Rose isn't big on hoopla when it's all about him.

On Friday, Penn State recognized its volleyball coach for his 40 years running the program with a luncheon attended by dozens of his former players. On Saturday, the 105,232 in attendance at Beaver Stadium for Penn State football's 45-38 overtime victory over Appalachian State roared in appreciation during a first-quarter break to recognize Rose's accomplishments. After a sweep of Texas A&M at Rec Hall Saturday night, the Nittany Lions hosted an ice cream social with their fans, who took home a commemorative gnome of the legendary coach.

Maybe the winningest coach in Division I volleyball history with 1,251 victories (and counting), seven national championships and 17 Big Ten titles would rather skip the commotion, but this was one of those rare times when nobody listened to him.

"When you think of Penn State, you think of Russ Rose," says Simone Lee, a starter on last year's final four team. "He's built an empire."

The cast of that empire includes 44 All-Americans, four of whom were national players of the year. It also encompasses players like Jen Burdis, a recruited walk-on who accounts for four of the 191 times one of Rose's players has been named All-Academic Big Ten. What's remarkable is the white-haired, bespectacled 64-year-old relates as easily to today's Beyoncé fanatic who is boasting about her next Insta post as he did to the pioneers who sewed the numbers on their uniforms when he took over the program in 1979.

"He's not on Instagram or Twitter. I don't even know if he knows what that is," Lions freshman Gabby Blossom says. "He has better advice than any person I've ever met. He's been around; he's dealt with everything there is to deal with, which makes him easy to talk to. He connects with us better than anybody could ever imagine."

Rose often quips, "Don't go changing," and players past and present insist he hasn't, citing the handwritten letters he writes in a digital age, the cigar he whips out after significant wins and an unbridled candor Nittany Lions of multiple generations embrace.

Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/24566214/the-40-year-secret-penn-state-volleyball-coach-russ-rose-success

Inside the Discovery of Mike Trout

By Buster Olney

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24221790/mlb-discovery-mike-trout

July 29, 2018

Editor's Note: To watch Buster Olney's complete E:60 profile of Mike Trout, stream it on the ESPN app or desktop now by clicking here.

Greg Morhardt was the Los Angeles Angels' scout assigned to oversee the Northeast corridor a dozen years ago, and on a beautiful, late-summer day, he watched over a flock of high school age ballplayers in New Jersey. When somebody mentioned that the last name of the muscular kid with the football-player build standing out at shortstop was Trout, Morhardt immediately wondered whether he had a connection with the teenager.

More than two decades before, Morhardt had played minor league baseball with a Trout, Jeff Trout. He was fast, Morhardt recalled, and a really good hitter, someone who might have had a little time in the big leagues if he had hung around pro ball a few more years. But Morhardt had been present when Jeff met Debbie Busonick, and Jeff and Debbie married, moved beyond the uncertainty of minor league baseball and returned to Jeff's hometown in southern New Jersey to raise a family.

That was the last Morhardt had heard of his old teammate. Now Morhardt was at a ballfield tracking this teenager with the last name of Trout -- in Jersey. It had to be more than a coincidence, he thought. "Is that Jeff Trout's kid?" Morhardt asked somebody else at the workout, and he was told, yes, that's Jeff and Debbie's son. That's Mike Trout.

Morhardt's reunion with the former teammate he called Trouter would have to wait, however, because Jeff was not hovering over his son that day. Morhardt and Jeff Trout didn't talk again until another day, another time. Jeff was not at a lot of Mike's high school workouts and practices, in fact.

Jeff Trout had set all the Millville High School records that Mike would break, he had starred at the University of Delaware, he had played four years in the Minnesota Twins' farm system, hitting .321 and posting a .406 on-base percentage in 1986, and he coached at Millville High School. But as Mike Trout advanced in baseball and began to draw the attention of Morhardt and other scouts, Jeff Trout made the decision to step back from coaching his son.

Major League Baseball will forever be played by a lot of young men whose fathers have coaxed and nudged them through every swing of every inning of every game. Truth be told, some of the same players have felt smothered by the omnipresence of their fathers, some of them haunted as they tried and sometimes failed to live out the dreams of someone whose love they cherished.

Mike Trout is not one of those players.

Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24221790/mlb-discovery-mike-trout

15 Traits of Unstoppable People

Unstoppable people keep their inner fires burning by developing the characteristics necessary to become successful.

By Deep Patel

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/317126

August 1, 2018

Unstoppable people are like warriors. They are always ready to take on the world. They are guided by a light from within, full of boundless energy and unwavering in their goals. They have learned to activate their natural talents and develop the skills necessary to achieve whatever they aim for.

How do they do this? Where do they find the stamina and strength to keep going? Unstoppable people keep their inner fires burning by developing the characteristics necessary to become successful. Here are 15 traits that will help you go from being a solid achiever to being a truly unstoppable person.

1. They believe in themselves.

Gutsy, bold, badass: use whatever term you like, but the bottom line is that confidence is key if you want to be unstoppable. You have to have the courage to put yourself out there in the first place.

You have to believe that you have what it takes. Mental challenges will be among the biggest obstacles you face -- the kind that make you question yourself and what you’re doing. Without a healthy dose of self-confidence, you’ll be tempted to accept defeat when you should be finding a way to bounce back from failure.

2. They develop a clear vision.

Every path to success starts with a vision; it’s what gives you direction. It’s your reason for working as hard as you do. Once you have a vision for what you want your future to look like, you need to set a series of goals to achieve this dream -- this is your plan for getting there.

Your vision is your mission, and should be something you have clearly defined and written down. It’s a chance to put your thoughts, ideas and values into action. It’s also the benchmark you can use to chart your progress, to see how far you’ve come and remind yourself where you’re going.

Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/317126

The Meyer Mechanism

The legendary coach understands anxiety. That’s why, at Ohio State, he’s created a culture of family, faith and trust

BY ROBIN CHENOWETH

https://inspire.ehe.osu.edu/2018/06/18/the-meyer-mechanism/

June 18, 2018

Talk about anxiety. Urban Meyer, ’88 MA, and his players know the meaning of the word.

Anxiety is what can happen, and sometimes does, when several million people are trained on your every move via ESPN. It’s what happens when you fumble the ball, and fans go from thinking you’re a superhero to assailing you on Twitter. It’s about being a hair’s breadth from making the playoffs, but not quite making the cut. (And everyone and his brother has a theory why.)

Football players, after all, are college students. And these days, their 18- to 22-year-old peers are a pretty angsty bunch. Their pressure cooker includes the term paper due the same week as midterm exams, fighting with a roommate and overdue car insurance.

But today’s college students also are stressed about politics, national security, school shootings and debt. Like their predecessors, they’re figuring out who they are, but in an era of omnipresent social media and technology, which thrills but dogs them.

Up to 40 percent of college students nationwide, in fact, report anxiety as a top concern. That’s different than 10 years ago, when depression ranked the No. 1 mental health issue on campus. The university in two years added 13 new counselors and staff to handle a backlog of stressed students. Some experts say this generation is on the brink of a mental health crisis.

And Meyer’s players have the added pressure to win games amid near-perpetual media scrutiny. Engaging in typical college-age “stress relief” could get them booted off the team.

So why do they seem so cool under duress? Everyone knows winning football games is about mental preparedness, right? The answer, Meyer says, is that he and his staff work tirelessly to channel potentially destructive anxiety into a positive outcome.

“We spend an inordinate amount of time teaching our players how to respond to situations. Situations academically, situations socially and obviously situations athletically,” he said.

“They’re at a football program where you’re expected to win every game by a large margin. And so that anxiety is not uncommon. As a matter of fact, it’s uncommon if you don’t feel it.”

“But I consider stress a blessing,” he said. “There are a lot of very successful people who care very deeply about what they do and still deal with anxiety and other issues.”

Meyer knows. He is one of those very successful people.

Click on the link below to read the rest of the article:

https://inspire.ehe.osu.edu/2018/06/18/the-meyer-mechanism/