Its Game Time! Four Powerful Lessons in the Game of Life


I turned 29 last week, and if statistics are right and I die on or around my 78th birthday, I am almost 40% done. In a numbers game, that is pretty close to half way. This had me thinking about when I played basketball in high school and college. I thought most about the half time events in the locker room.

Whether we were winning or losing at half time, the whole team gathered in the locker room and the coach would give us a talk. There were two major topics we discussed. One was to reflect on what went right and wrong in the first half, and the other was to decide what our strategy was in the second half so we could win.

Thinking of that and my life, I decided to reflect on how I wanted to feel going into the locker room at halftime.

Stay Disciplined. At halftime, I definitely want my coach to say I was disciplined. Now that I finally figured out the direction I want my life to take, I have been pretty disciplined about accomplishing my goals. I deserve to continue on that path and honor my desires with persistence and patience. Often coaches ask their players to be and stay disciplined in carrying out the game plan they have developed. So far, my game plan has worked well. Now I need to keep on it and finish well.

Take more risks. Life rewards those who take risks. This is all about trusting yourself. If you cannot take a risk on yourself, you are going nowhere. Use your instincts and intuition, make decisions and see what happens. When I played basketball with my brother, he LOVED diving on the floor for a loose ball. There were days he succeeded and days he didn't. Sure he got bruises and floor burns, but that was the risk he took. We won a few big games because of that risk, and that was worth it in itself.

Enjoy the game. I remember my high-school coach saying: "go out there and have fun." Those words ring true today as well. We deserve to have fun in our game of life. Aside from the winning and discipline, what good is it if it isn't fun? My wife always reminds me it is the journey that is more important than the destination. So I am going to make sure that I am having fun along the way.

Cherish your team. I look around at all the people who will help me succeed in my game of life, MY team. My Mom, Dad, Brother, Wife, friends and family. If we neglect our team, there is no way we will feel victorious at the end. I have asked myself: How can I spend more time with them? Show my love for them? Help them in their game? Get to know your team. All athletes know that great team dynamics lead to victories. Even a well played game that is lost, sill has great feelings and stories.

Those are the things I think about as I approach my half time of life. It may be the last 5 minutes for all I know. I have decided to make whatever time is left, the best.

CHALLENGE This week I challenge you to look at your game. What is your game plan that you have developed? What risks are you taking? What is one thing you do on a daily basis to have fun? Who is someone on your team you can contact RIGHT NOW to let them know you appreciate them? Who is your coach?

Jeffrey St.Laurent graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BS in Exercise Science. He holds current certifications from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) as a Personal Trainer and Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant and from the American Red Cross for Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Additionally, he is certified through BodyTrainingSystems as a Group Fitness instructor and National Trainer & Presenter. Jeff travels throughout North America giving workshops and providing continuing education to health clubs, personal trainers and group exercise professionals on exercise science, motivation and improving teaching / coaching skills.

Jeff is certified by one of the most highly acclaimed coach training institutions in the United States, The Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching, iPEC Coaching. His passion for helping people from his health and fitness background has turned into a fierce desire to EMPOWER people to do it themselves through coaching.


MORE RESOURCES:

Yahoo! Sports (blog)

Peter DeBoer's Devils: How coach's philosophy, rivalry with Tortorella have ...
Yahoo! Sports (blog)
But their coaches have defined each of them. Jacques Lemaire's trapping Devils in 1995. Larry Robinson, the players' coach, whose stunning conference finals tirade sparked the Devils' 3-1 comeback over the Flyers and eventual Cup win in 2000.

and more »


New York Times

Orlando Magic fires coach Stan Van Gundy | NBA
The Seattle Times
The Orlando Magic announced it fired Stan Van Gundy and agreed to part ways with Otis Smith, ending Van Gundy's five-season tenure as coach and Smith's six-season stint as general manager. By The Orlando Sentinel and The Associated Press No comments ...
Magic fire coach Van Gundy; GM Smith will not returnAllentown Morning Call
Golden State's Malone among possible Van Gundy replacementsSI.com
Orlando Magic fire coach Stan Van Gundy, part ways with GM Otis SmithCBSSports.com (blog)
The Ledger -SB Nation -Orlando Sentinel
all 660 news articles »


Yahoo! Sports (blog)

Former WVU coach dies on golf course
Jamestown Sun
Former West Virginia football coach Bill Stewart, who was hailed as Rich Rodriguez's successor but wound up leaving the school in a messy split, died Monday of what athletic department officials said was an apparent heart attack. He was 59.
Former West Virginia coach Bill Stewart dies of apparent heart attackYahoo! Sports (blog)
Coach Bill Stewart Passes AwayWest Virginia University Mountaineers

all 452 news articles »


coaches 052312
ESPN (blog)
By Adam Rittenberg | ESPN.com Every good conference boasts some coaching villains, and the Big Ten has several men who fill the role. No one will confuse the Big Ten with the SEC, where all 12 coaches have voodoo dolls of one other and dart boards with ...

and more »


ESPN

coaches 052312
ESPN (blog)
By Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com Coaching villains are supposed to rip the hearts out of opposing fan bases. They're supposed to send chills down the spines of those dressed in the wrong garb. They're supposed to wreck the enemy.
SEC: 7 most important staff changesCatsPause.com

all 4 news articles »


USA TODAY

Pacific coach Thomason to retire after next season
USA TODAY
(AP) – Pacific basketball coach Bob Thomason has announced he will retire after next season. Pat Sullivan, AP Pacific coach Bob Thomason has won six regular season Big West championships. He's been coaching at Pacific since 1988.
Veteran Pacific coach Bob Thomason to retire after 2012-13 seasonYahoo! Sports (blog)

all 57 news articles »


FOXSports.com

Melissa Bowerman loses coaching job
FOXSports.com
Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman's daughter-in-law was dismissed as the volunteer track coach at a small Oregon high school after escorting a 17-year-old boy to the prom. Melissa Bowerman, 41 -- who had been coaching the Condon/Wheeler track and field ...
Ore. coach, 41, takes teen to prom, loses postUtica Observer Dispatch
Nike founder's daughter-in-law resigns coaching position after escorting boy ...KIVI-TV

all 257 news articles »


coaches 052312
ESPN (blog)
James D. Smith/Icon SMI A recent poll ranks Mack Brown, left, and Bob Stoops as the most disliked coaches in the Big 12. Stoops hauled in 39 percent of the vote, while Brown checked in with 37 percent. They couldn't be any more different in personality ...

and more »


Meet the ACC's coaching villain
ESPN (blog)
By Heather Dinich | ESPN.com In keeping with the theme this week of “coaches we love to hate,” ESPN.com is looking for some villains today. The truth is, the ACC is comprised of a bunch of nice guys. (Maybe that's the problem.) Jim Grobe?

and more »


Oklahoma City Thunder Coach Scott Brooks never gave up on his dream
Washington Post
As he sat up on a lectern in Oklahoma City on Monday night, eight wins from coaching Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the league's most enthralling young team to a title, I had one thought: Many of us say we would do anything to play in the NBA for ...


Google News

Acne - Advertising - Aerobics & Cardio - Affiliate Revenue - Alternative - Attraction - Auction - Audio Streaming - Aviation - Babies & Toddlers - Beauty - Blogging & RSS - Book Marketing - Book Reviews - Branding - Breast Cancer - Broadband Internet - Muscle Building - Careers & Employment - Coaching - Coffee - College & University - Cooking Tips - Copywriting - Crafts & Hobbies - Creativity - Credit - Cruising & Sailing - Currency Trading - Customer Service - Data Recovery - Dating - Debt Consolidation - Debt Relief - Depression - Diabetes - Divorce - Domain Names - E-books - Ecommerce - Elder Care - Email Marketing - Entrepreneurialism - Ethics - Exercise - Ezine Marketing - Ezine Publishing - Fashion & Style - Fishing - Fitness Equipment - Forums - Games - Goal Setting - Golf - Grief Loss - Hair Loss - Happiness - Hardware - Holidays - Home Improvement - Home Security - Humanities - Humor - Innovation - Inspirational - Insurance - Interior Decorating - Internet Marketing - Investing - Landscaping & Gardening - Language - Leadership - Leases & Leasing - Loans - Lung, Mesothelioma & Asbestos - Management - Marketing - Marriage & Wedding - Meditation - Mobile & Cell Phone - Mortgage & Refinancing - Motivation - Motorcycles - Music - Negotiation - Network Marketing - Networking - Nutrition - Organizing - Outdoors - Parenting - Personal Finance - Personal Tech - Pets - Philosophy - Photography - Poetry - Politics - Positive Attitude - PPC Advertising - Press Release - Pregnancy - Presentation - Psychology - Public Speaking - Real Estate - Recipes - Relationships - Sales - Sales Management - Sales & Teleselling - Sales Training - Satellite TV - Science - Security - SEO - Site Promotion - Small Business - Software - Spam Blocker - Spirituality - Stocks & Mutual Funds - Strategic Planning - Stress Management - Structured Settlements - Success - Supplements - Taxes - Team Building - Time Management - Top7-Or-10-Tips - Traffic Building - Vacation Rentals - Video Conferencing - Video Streaming - VOIP - Wealth Building - Web Design - Web Development - Web Hosting - Weight Loss - Wine & Spirits - Writing - Writing Articles - Yoga

Top
Main Home Email Category Home