Nick D'arcy out of Beijing Olympics

I have just been reading the various comments on the decision to kick Nick D'arcy off the Australian Olympic Swimming team. It is interesting to view people's attitudes that in fact he has been treated unfairly and that his behaviour outside of swimming should not have any affect on his ability to swim for Australia. Mmmm, interesting.
I believe we should all take responsibility for our actions. If there is an unpleasant situation arising, rather than pointing the finger and saying it's not fair, it's time to take a good hard look at oneself and ask, "How did I create this!" This question could be asked of short term situations, such as Nick D'arcy's, or perhaps even your long term situation - how did I get to this point in life!
I am passionate about athletes being better role models for the benefit of the whole community. Athletes represent their sport whether they are in the sporting arena, at training, or out on the town. They invariably have signed contracts agreeing to represent their sport and to avoid disrepute. When things go wrong, and they attract negative attention, they are in fact breaking their contract and will have to face the consequences.
If you are siding with the likes of Nick D'arcy, Ben Cousins, Wayne Carey, Barry Hall, etc and think he should be given a second chance, where else in life do you have that attitude. When you are competing in your sport for the gold medal, there is NO second chance. You have to perform on the day. Why not get in the habit - live like there is no second chance, because maybe you won't have one!!

State of Origin Qld vs NSW - how can the odds be so wrong

Queensland went into the first Rugby League State of Origin match for 2008 as outright favourites. Big bets were being placed and going by the media, I even thought it might be worth a wager. Lucky I didn't. In sport, there is rarely a 'sure thing'.
So what went wrong? How can a team with such a range of talented players go on to lose. This is a team that was so good that the likes of Scott Prince missed the team.
Did Queensland players start believing all the media hype and figured that they had it won before they even stepped on the field? Did Queensland players forget that it is their actions that determine their results, and that the action on the footy field was where the game was going to be won/lost.
Did NSW decide to prove the media wrong? Did they decide to take matters in their own hands, believe in themselves (even when others wouldn't) and came out prepared to do whatever it takes to win?
Speaking to you as an athlete, it's important to realise that having positive thoughts and self-belief can drive you to success. However, This can only happen when you act on those thoughts. That you take that self-belief out on to a playing field to play like a winner and create opportunities to win.
The meaning one gives to various situation, such as media reports, will have a huge influence on how your think and feel. This in turn will affect your action and therefore your results. A champion is better at creating the right meaning and drive that will move them towards consistent and winning results.
Whether you believe what you read or not, you will be right.

Feedback - Breakfast of Champions (Ken Blanchard quote)

What is the best style of feedback to get better results? Coming from a sporting background I know the commonly accepted 'constructive' feedback model. This is the feedback which tells you what you are doing wrong - the constructive part referring to the fact that when you improve this aspect of your technique/game, then you will improve. Unfortunately, as far as mindset goes, this feedback CAN put the focus on the error or problem. Post feedback, you can suddenly be thinking don't do this, or worse still take it all personally and think "I suck!" or "I can't do anything right!"
In "The New Psycho-Cybernetics" Maxwell Maltz comments how excessive negative feedback can in fact inhibit performance. This is especially true when an individual is sensitive to the feedback.
Having come from a background of 'constructive feedback' I was initially sceptical when I started using the Feedback Sandwich model. This entails telling someone first what they did well, then what they need to do to make it better, and finishing off with something good. When I first started hearing the feedback I thought, I'm tough, give it to me straight. Then I started to appreciate hearing all the things I did well, and realised how more 'constructive' this was. Even the part that needed improvement was offered wholly as a solution (rather than what I did wrong) and it felt encouraging and uplifting.
I now see the old method in a different light, and it really appears to be more destructive than constructive. Many athletes I know tend to be good enough at doing this to themselves already, that they don't necessarily need a coach to knock them down any further.
For example, after a golf drive off the tee would you prefer to hear A. You didn't contact the golf ball with the head at the correct angle OR B. You hit it cleanly, and a good back stroke, and when you angle your head like this, you will achieve a better line.
The main point I want to get across is to think how you are giving feedback, either to yourself or others. Are you considering what you did well AND working out how do do it better? Are you building yourself and your team up to greater success?

Two Pinnacles of achievement meet at Everest

The Olympic flame, representing the pinnacle of sport, was lit atop another pinnacle of human achievement, Mt Everest, just a couple of hours ago. It is a poignant moment for those who aspire to reach either of these great heights share a common mindset. It's a mindset of commitment to do whatever it takes to reach a goal, it's a mindset of purpose and it is a mindset of self-belief, knowing that oneself has got what it takes to do what it sets out to do.
I was inspired today by a fellow results and performance coach about how he was committed to singing the national anthem at this year's State of Origin match at Suncorp Stadium. Don Bemrose writes of the importance of DECIDING and COMMITTING and the success that follows as a result of these chief TWO ingredients to getting what you want in life.
This very same day I was talking to a lady that felt she had failed to reach certain goals in the past because they hadn't been "realistic". That is just another word for 'excuse' or "I coulda, woulda, shoulda". If you are questioning whether a goal is realistic or not, then you are not committing to making that goal happen.
A champion who makes it to the Olympics, to the top of Everest or to singing a national anthem is committed to doing whatever it takes to get there. What can you decide to do today and commit to achieving? Declare it here so that others can hear your commitment.

Attitude of Gratitude & John deMartini

I listened to Dr John de Martini at a BusinessSwap breakfast. John spoke of "The Riches Within" and one thing that I took away that morning was further distinction on the importance of gratitude in your life. By being grateful for what you have in your life, you attract more of that and more.
Afterwards it made me think, once again, how to relate that to sport. I thought of athletes and teams who hit rough patches in their progress - perhaps an unexpected loss, a result that is less than desired or short of a goal. It is often usual that the athlete or team will look at the result for what it isn't - it's not a win, it's not a step towards qualifying for Beijing, it's not a good result.
What if that same athlete/team chooses to look at what there is to gain from the result and start to be grateful for the learnings. Focus on how this very result can propel one further to one's ultimate long-term goal. What was done well in the competition? What was learnt? When this is done, one can leave with greater self-esteem that is empowering towards building towards a better result next time.
Yes, we may be disappointed with the result but quickly, very quickly, turn that disappointment around and focus on the have versus the have-not.
As Jim Rohn says "There is no better opportunity to receive more than to be thankful for what you already have."