By Dr. Zachary Shutler Have you heard of North Carolina State Men’s Basketball Coach, Jim Valvano?  His story is the epitome of faith, belief, purpose, and optimism. When Jimmy Valvano was a child, he believed he was going to be a head coach. He had faith he would one day lead a team to a national championship. He had a defined purpose and unshakable optimism in this belief before he even graduated high school. One day, young Jimmy shared this ambition with his father. He was very clear in his belief.  He said, “Dad, one day I am going to be a head basketball coach for a division one ..read more

By Yesol An Imagine an apple orchard with trees that have an overabundance of apples. From an amateur perspective, this seems amazing because of the prospect of a large harvest. However, this can be detrimental. Having too many apples results in less nutrients for each one, resulting in small and less tasty fruit. To combat this, trees need to be pruned to the optimal number of young fruit on the branches. Now, think of each tree as a muscle group of the body while time and energy are its nutrients. If you try to incorporate too many exercises, each movement won’t receive enough time and energ ..read more

By: David Gardy Ermann[1] Super Bowl 58 featured the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.  Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a seventh-year pro and former first round draft selection, led the Chiefs to his fourth Super Bowl appearance.  Brock Purdy, a second-year pro and former Mr. Irrelevant (last player selected in the draft), led the 49ers to his first Super Bowl appearance.  Although on paper and from the game tape, the quarterbacks seem to have a number of differences in resumes and skillsets, they share at least one key trait: remaining calm in high-pressure situatio ..read more

By: David Gardy Ermann[1] Sunday afternoon’s NFC divisional round playoff match-up between the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will feature Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield as the starting quarterbacks.  Both players were once the first overall selection in the NFL Draft.  Goff in 2016 and Mayfield in 2018.  Although a playoff match-up featuring two former number one overall draft picks at quarterback would not seem out of place, neither Goff’s nor Mayfield’s careers have met the lofty expectations of that draft spot.  As their careers progressed, both players experienc ..read more

By Gary McChalicher, Justin Loudon, and Jim Davis Sports offer the most powerful learning environment on the planet, IF we decide to use that platform wisely. Power does not always elicit positive outcomes. While ‘sports gone wrong’ is still a daily headline, intentional, thoughtful coaching can teach lessons that last a lifetime. For those who are willing to go beyond strength and teach those lessons, the weightroom offers a unique opportunity to teach them. The season lasts three months, offseason training spans the rest of the year – in training, we have an extended teaching period. With a ..read more

Novak Djokovic has been ranked as the top tennis player in the world for 403 weeks over 13 different years. He has won 24 Grand Slam titles, including a record 10 Australian Open titles. He pushes back against the idea that his mental strength is a ‘gift’, acknowledging that he has worked hard for it. His focus, his resilience, his presence of mind in the midst of competition is something he has earned – a skill that requires deliberate training. He stresses that it’s a quality honed through hard work, comparable to training one’s serve or forehand. It does not happen automatically. In the hea ..read more

By Carissa Gump, OLY, MPA At a certain point in their athletic journeys, athletes inevitably confront the daunting inquiry: “Now what?” This pivotal question is not exclusive to seasoned professionals or Olympians but also resonates with young athletes at the recreational level, middle school, high school, and collegiate level as well. The timing of this question varies, arising organically for some and forcibly for others, due to factors such as injuries or the inevitable aging-out process in sports (Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology, 2004). When the moment arrives, it is crucial for the ath ..read more

By Carl J. Evans   Healing an injury will cause an athlete to confront challenges no amount of drills or practice could ever prepare them for. Still, one essential element of the healing process is often overlooked because it is hidden and shrouded in a stigmatized silence.   We need to talk about the psychological injuries that can co-occur with physiological damage.   When Pro-wrestler Triple-H (Paul Levesque) suffered a career-threatening complete tear of his left quadriceps, his eventual in-ring return was marred by wounds that didn’t show up in X-rays.  ..read more

By: David Gardy Ermann[1] Jimmy Butler is widely recognized for his indefatigable work ethic and for inspiring his teammates to succeed.  Erik Spoelstra, Butler’s head coach on the Miami Heat, referred to it as a “Hall of Fame work ethic.”  Kyle Lowry, Butler’s teammate on the Heat since 2021, described Butler as “one of those guys who competes at literally everything.  Cards, UNO games . . . he’s just the ultimate competitor.”  And Doris Burke, the NBA analyst, explained that there is an “incredible belief Jimmy Butler inspires in the guys around him.”  Butler’s work ..read more

Molly Gosline is the Director of SEL Consulting and host of the SEL Summer Institute in Cambridge, MA. The following transcript is from a PODCAST Molly Recorded with the nonprofit organization, Good Athlete Project (Episode 133). To join Molly and the top tier faculty of the SEL Summer Institute, find more info and register HERE. Molly Gosline: I’m so fortunate. I meet teachers from all over and I work with a lot of teachers who are already expert teachers in their content areas. Those are the high quality educators which might be glossing over this work. Some of them might say, “I already do ..read more