The 5 Key Attributes that Separate Great High School Athletes

Over the last several years I have had the privilege of working with many great high school student-athletes. Many of them I currently work with. When I say great, I mean great. They have received big time awards and accomplished incredible feats as individuals and with their teams. Of course, I have also worked with many really good players that were on the cusp of great, but seemed to lack various attributes. It could be one thing or a few things. Talent is vital but it’s a small piece to being truly great.

I have become more and more intrigued by what separates the truly great athletes. How are they able to rise above their peers that may be as talented or more talented? I am specifically looking at high school athletes in my research but it is obvious that this also translates to athletes at even the highest level.

Through my research of the vast number of student athletes I have worked with over the years, I have come to the conclusion there are five key attributes that separate great players from the other players around them. I first compiled the attributes of these players, and then selected what I think are the most important. Below are the five key attributes, ranked in order of importance.

1.       The desire to prepare: I put this at the top of the list because I don’t think it can be topped. I have a saying that I often tell athletes and parents, “Most kids say they want to play division 1 and professional sports, but very few are willing to work to get there.” Recently, I watched a documentary on Jerry Rice and his teammates shared a story about going to the practice facility the day after they had won the super bowl and Jerry Rice was there running sprints and conditioning. Jerry Rice had also won the MVP in that Super Bowl. This desire to work hard and prepare is not a common attribute. One of the most highly recruited kids I have ever worked with had a 6 day a week schedule of various things he did to make himself a better athlete and a better baseball player. He wasn’t the most talented kid I have ever worked with but is on the fast track to playing professional baseball someday because he has a desire to prepare and work, unlike anyone else. Preparation also breeds confidence.

2.       Confidence/Swagger: Many people may take this as cocky or arrogant. I do not. There is a big difference. Confidence and swagger are all about the mental game. Knowing or thinking they are the best player on the field brings a presence about them. I often talk with college coaches about the presence players have on the field. This can go in waves depending on how well the athlete is playing but the great ones rarely shy away from anything or lack confidence. It takes a lot to get them down or shake their confidence. This confidence also brings kids up in the most pressure packed situations. They see the pressure as a pleasure and often succeed in those situations. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been scouting games where the great players come through or rise to the occasion in big situations. They know they will succeed because they have confidence. It’s a special player that can be expected to come through and they get it done, time after time. It’s not just about handling the pressure; it’s about enjoying it and thriving on it. There is a difference.  This still comes with a major respect for the game and the people around them.

3.       Passion for the game: Without a love and a passion for the sport, there is nothing. Don’t be misled here though. Many kids love a sport and have an incredible passion for it but don’t like to practice, they don’t like to get in the weight room, and they don’t really like to do anything other than play games. Passion often drives the work ethic and desire to prepare but there are other things that drive that as well. There is nothing more pure than an athlete’s love for a sport. It’s an invisible aroma that bleeds from their pores. When someone is passionate about a sport there is a unique passion for winning. A passion to win coincides with a passion for the game. One of the greatest mentors in my life was my Grandpa and he always said, “If you don’t play to win the game, then there really isn’t a point in playing.” It may seem harsh but my Grandpa was not a hard person at all. In fact, he was very intellectual and soft.  I strongly agree with him though. The passion for the game needs to include a passion to win. That passion for the game is essential.

4.       Talent: This is fairly simple. To play at the highest levels, kids need talent. The specific kids that I looked at, all have immense talent. The talent is very important and it gives kids “tools” when college coaches are looking at them. It’s a gauge of how they may do at the different levels in college. With all of that being said, talent isn’t the most important attribute. It will only take kids so far. Many times athletes coast through sports their entire life until college and it actually sets them up for failure. At some point talent needs to be combined with other attributes to truly maximize ability. I talked with an MLB hitting coach one time about Delmon Young and he told me, “Delmon Young is one of the most talented hitters I’ve ever been around, but he holds himself back so much in other ways he will never become what he can be as a player.” It happens at even the highest levels where talent can only take a player to a certain point.

5.       Emotional maturity: I had a college coach that went to see a kid play a few years ago and left the field because he had seen the kid slam his bat and throw his helmet. He just left. Nothing else could be said to him. He didn’t need to see anymore of the player. The player was loaded with talent but didn’t control his emotions and it hurt his teammates and his performance on occasion. The offer that was likely coming to him was gone. He was lacking emotional maturity on the field. I look back at my baseball career and this was one of the attributes that I was missing until I got a bit older. It really held me back. I had some of the key attributes on this list but I held myself back with immaturity on the field and I didn’t know how to cope with failure. If I lost a game after pitching, I wouldn’t sleep. I’d lie in bed and think about every piece of that game that I screwed up and could have done differently. It fueled me but at the same time it wasn’t a healthy fuel. I had feelings of letting the team down and I didn’t know how to cope with all of these emotions. Once I was able to learn “failure” coping skills it made a big difference in my consistency as a player and my enjoyment of the game. The kids that have emotional maturity have a big advantage over those who don’t. Harvey Dorfman, the prominent sports psychologist, suggests that emotional maturity is the leading cause of success and failure amongst athletes at any level.

I know there are many other attributes that play a role into making a good athlete great. In looking at the attributes we can easily flip this list into many areas of life too. Many of these attributes can be developed and worked on. If a high school athlete wants to develop as a player they need to look in the mirror and see what they do well and what they need to improve on and concentrate on improving the weak areas of their physical and mental game. That’s how they go from good to great.

 

Well Done Mo

Mariano Rivera's final appearance last night at Yankee Stadium is one of the finest memories I have ever had watching baseball. Rivera, affectionately known as Mo, doesn't just leave as baseball’s all-time saves leader, he leaves a stunning legacy of class and respect. I'm not a Yankee fan; in fact I'm far from it. I think Derek Jeter is overrated and A-Rod is a sham. I can't help but love Rivera, who day in and day out, did his job for 19 years and never missed a step in being one of the finest human beings to ever play the game and being almost untouchable on the mound.

Last night’s final appearance was a signature moment and why sports are so incredible. The emotions of seeing him leave the game last night brought me back to a night on September 6th, 1995 when Cal Ripken Jr. broke the unbreakable record of consecutive games played. That night I was gripped to the TV with my dad and my brother and enjoying the moment of Cal's hard work and dedication. There are great sports moments and then there are sports moments that you can remember where you were when they happened. As a 6th grader at that time and also a shortstop like Cal, Cal showed me how to play the game through his actions. That sort of impact is incredible.

I remember in 2001 cheering against the Yankees in game 7 against the Diamondbacks and the incredible Mo gave up the game winning base hit and I was jumping up and down giving high fives with my dad and brother. Mo left the game emotionless and in his interviews afterwards he handled them with dignity and class, as Mo always did. I was a terrible loser and I remember my dad saying to me, "He just gave up the game winning hit in the 7th game of the world series. That's how you handle losing." That has always stuck with me.

I have my chain of memories through Mo's 19 years that I'll never forget and others have their own stories. As Mo parts from baseball I will always remember everything he brought to the game and how much we can all learn from him. He has been a part of a lot of wonderful memories for me with my family and this was a fine way to cap it off. My hat goes off to the Yankees and the other organizations that have honored him this year, including the Twins. Baseballs foundations is  built on respect. Cal Ripken Jr. was the signature of how to play the game in the 80’s and 90’s and Mo took that torch in the 90’s and never let us down. Mo will leave with the utmost respect from any player and fan. Bien hecho Mo!

Is Randy Moss the G.O.A.T?

The greatest of all time, or G.O.A.T, is one of my favorite conversations to have. I have many opinions on a variety of positions and sports and I love the debate them. It is debated for every sport and every position. The greatest QB of all time, the greatest 3B of all time, or the greatest 100M sprinter of all time (which I care less about, but would be happy to get into that discussion). Of course, this writing is stemming from Randy Moss' comments yesterday that he believes he is the "greatest receiver of all time."

Some people are blown away by these comments and think he is an arrogant jerk for saying that. What was he supposed to say? What people don't understand is to even be mentioned in the same conversation as the greatest of all time at a position, the player has to believe they really are. Randy Moss has done plenty in his career to make those statements. This isn't Freddie Mitchell talking. Moss' numbers are incredible and he believes in himself and what he has accomplished. NFL analyst and hall of fame running back Marshall Faulk, who is considered one of the "nice guy" personalities in football, was interviewed yesterday in regards to Moss' comments and he agrees with me saying, "You know what? I feel like I'm the greatest running back of all time. I don't understand. What is he supposed to say?" Faulk later added "That's a big part of what makes them great." When referring to the greatest of all time and their confidence and swagger.

I have no issue with Randy Moss' comments. In fact, I'm guessing very few people watched his entire press conference. He was terrific. He was honest, he was polite, he was funny, and he was charismatic. In fact, Greg Rosenthal of NFL.com wrote an article this morning that was titled, "Randy Moss the big winner at Super Bowl Media Day." All people will see or hear about is likely that statement that he is the greatest receiver of all time and get offended because he is a jerk for making the statement. Interesting enough, Jerry Rice then responds to the statements Moss made by saying he himself is the "greatest of all time." I'm guessing if you asked Michael Irvin, Cris Carter, and Lance Alworth they would all say the same thing.

Another piece to all of this that makes it so interesting is the fact that Moss actually went on to explain why he thought he was the G.O.A.T. at his position. Moss talked about how he changed the game and changed how defenses had to cover him. It's true. Moss did change the game more then any other wide receiver in history. The NFL had never seen a wide receiver like Moss. A "freak" athlete that ran a 4.25 40 yard dash and could out jump a trio of defensive backs and come down with the catch. Former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden once said in reference to Moss' athleticism "He was as good as Deion Sanders. Deion's my measuring stick for athletic ability, and this kid was a bigger Deion."

Also, think about this for a second. Here is a list of some of the QB's that Moss has had through his career: Daunte Culpepper, Brad Johnson, Kerry Collins, Andrew Walter, Matt Cassel, Todd Bauman, Jeff George, Aaron Brooks, Alex Smith, and Randall Cunningham, just to name a few. Of course he had Tom Brady for roughly three seasons and can you imagine if he had Brady for several more? Rice's numbers would likely be smashed at this point in Moss' career. The majority of his career he has had below average NFL QB's to work with. Jerry Rice had 2 of the 5 greatest QB's of all time in Joe Montana and Steve Young throwing him the football the majority of his career. Rice played 20 NFL seasons and 13 of those seasons he had a QB that was a pro-bowler. Rice played with QB's that won 5 MVP awards, that is right, 5. Rice was also part of 3 super bowl winning teams. His supporting cast was terrific.

Then there is the head coach, which is rarely talked about in this Moss vs Rice debate. Rice played the majority of his career under Bill Walsh and George Seifert, two of the greatest offensive minded head coaches of all time. Walsh is the founder of the west coast offense that Rice thrived in. Moss on the other hand, spent the majority of his career under Dennis Green, Mike Tice, Norv Turner and Art Shell. Shouldn't that be considered when comparing Rice and Moss as the G.O.A.T?

Here is what is interesting. I actually believe Jerry Rice is the greatest of all time. He was amazing. I loved watching him. Even with all of the support around him, he made plays that few ever could after he got the ball. He showed up on the biggest of stages and performed. However; I do agree with Moss that he did change the wide receiver position in the NFL, more then any wide receiver in history. Moss revolutionized the wide receiver position and how defenses had to cover him. There is even the term "Mossing" when a wide receiver goes up and comes down with a ball with defenders around them. Jerry Rice's numbers are incredible, but Moss' are pretty incredible as well. Is it really that far off to consider Moss when talking about the greatest wide receiver of all time? I don't think so. Josh Alper of NBC's pro football talk sums it up best, "There haven't been many football players (all positions) that have been able to take over games by themselves the way Moss did when he was at his best." Bottom line, Randy Moss' statements yesterday were a part of what makes him great and he needs to be considered in the debate of the greatest wide receiver in the history of the NFL.

Supporting Lance Armstrong

I have always supported Lance Armstrong. It has been tough at times, but I believed in him. Lance was someone I looked up to. I admired his determination, his will, his work ethic, his resilience, his winning mentality. Yes, I knew his flaws. I knew he was arrogant. I knew he was cocky. I knew those things and I didn't care. From one cancer survivor to another, I admired him. He left cancer in his past and leaped forward becoming the best athlete he had ever been. In many ways he was actually a better athlete, he was a better cyclist. That always amazed me.

That's what I wanted to do as well. His book, "It's Not About the Bike" was one of the most influential books I've ever read. I read it when I was in and out of radiation and chemotherapy treatments for cancer. Lance was also in the midst of winning his 3rd Tour de France at that time. It inspired me to aim high once I was finished with treatments. I know other cancer patients felt the same way towards Lance. It's a bond that was, and still is, strong for me. It may be somewhat imaginary, but it’s real to me.

So when I watched the interview last night, I was unsure how I would feel. I was nervous for him. I continued to root for him to have good answers. I was surprised at how disappointed I felt as the interview went along. I felt so many emotions, good and bad. I didn’t know how to feel. I work with many high school student-athletes and have the privilege to help mentor them to become better people. How can I possibly support someone that disregarded so many people? That’s not what high character people do. Everything I believed in with Lance Armstrong was a sham.

It was, partially. His Tour De France titles, his denial of performance enhancing drugs, his cycling career, that part of Lance Armstrong was. As he talked through his interview, I started to realize how flawed he is. He stated it several times himself. What he did was awful. His defiant approach to being clean was arrogant and unquestionably wrong. No excuses.

After all of that, I’m still rooting for Lance Armstrong. I’m giving him a second chance to prove me right. I believe in people and I believe in forgiveness. Even with athletes who are held to a higher standard of living because of their influence. What Lance Armstrong has done with the Livestrong foundation trumps everything for me. He has to truly care about people to work relentlessly for a cure even after he is considered cured. He is no longer fighting for himself, he is fighting for others. He has been the single most impactful person in history when it comes to fighting for a cure for cancer. You can’t fake that.  After all, actions speak louder than words.  Since the inception of the Livestrong foundation, the non-profit organization has raised $470 million. They provide support in cancer education, funding treatments for less fortunate, building awareness of rare cancers, leading the way in advocacy with our government, among many other causes. Lance has led that the way the entire time, until he recently stepped down in light of the recent events.

Lance Armstrong knows comeback stories better than anyone.  I’m rooting for Lance to grow from this experience by learning from his mistakes and becoming a better man. I'm hoping some day he can lead the way again for Livestrong. I think Lance is learning that his ability to impact lives is not about the bike. It never has been. 

Winning the Recruiting Game, Vol. 4

This is the final writing in this series. I could really go on and on with writings about what I would recommend for the recruiting process but I want to keep it concise. The process today is more about technology and being proactive then ever before. The process continues to get more and more competitive and things need to be done to give the student-athlete an advantage, or to simply keep up with what other student-athletes are doing.

I can't this simple fact enough. The recruiting process happens once in a lifetime. I really dislike talking to parents that have many regrets at the end of the process. Nobody wins in those cases and it happens a lot. Develop a plan, set goals, then go after it the best that you can so that at the end of the road there will be no regrets and you have done everything you can to reach the goals of the student-athlete.  

Winning the Recruiting Game, Vol. 3

I am continuing the series of how to win the recruiting game with this third writing in the series. Today I wanted to write about the importance of a good evaluation video. I have been passed many videos by college prospects that fail to show their skills and abilities. This can be very detrimental to the athlete. Having a proper evaluation video might be the most important aspect of recruiting, from a promotion standpoint. It's simple, college coaches are extremely busy and will either like what they see or discard the kid as a potential prospect.

The video is all about showcasing what the athlete can do. College coaches have very little time so when they see the video, that will most likely decide whether or not they want to look into a kid further. If the evaluation video has content that is grabbing and showcases skills well, then the coach is much more likely to pursue the athlete, or at least try to gather more information on the athlete. A good evaluation video should include a skills portion that is filmed with very specific drills for the sport, and of course good game film. The video should be ten minutes or less. If you have more then that, that is great but have one video for initial viewing for coaches and if they ask for more, then you can send it.

I like to share examples based on my experience and this blog will be no different. I am currently working with an athlete that had passed along a video to a college coach, prior to me working with them. The video wasn't done poorly, it just didn't showcase the skills to the athletes' skills. The coach responded to the athlete, "thank you for the email but based on our evaluations we don't feel you would be a fit for our program." After starting to work with the athlete I shot a skills video and put together the game film to go along with it. In total it was a nine minute video that was completely different then the previous one. I contacted the coach and sent the video again. It was a completely different outcome, they loved the athlete and eventually offered the athlete a scholarship. There are many steps after the video that need to take place in the recruiting process. Without a good evaluation video, the interest from college coaches will be minimal. 

Winning the Recruiting Game, Vol. 2

In the last blog I talked about the importance of developing a plan that is based on merit and credibility. As I continue with this series I would be foolish not to discuss simple things that may seem obvious. Based on my experience, there tends to be a difficult balance of looking into the future and being able to enjoy the journey in getting there.

Yesterday I sat down with a college football prospect I am working with, and his dad, as he was preparing to head off to a camp. I gave him many pointers on what to expect and how to handle himself while he was there. The last thing I asked him was "why are you going to this camp?" The real answer to that question is he is going for several reasons. He wants to get in front of coaches that are very interested in him playing for their program, he is going to work on his skills and fundamentals, and he wants to gain experience feeling pressure while he is performing, to build mental toughness. Knowing him well, the one thing I reminded him was that he is going to this camp because he loves to play football and simply wants to be playing football over the weekend. It's that basic, he loves to play football. That's really the bottom line answer to that question. He thought for a moment and completely agreed.

This balance is difficult. There is so much looking into the future at schools, the big dreams, and ultimate goals. It is crucial to enjoy the journey. If you aren't enjoying the recruiting journey then something needs to change. There are challenges and difficulties in most recruiting journeys but if the kid is starting to look more into the future then what is taking place presently, they most likely aren't going to be able to enjoy the ride. Enjoying this once in a lifetime experience also allows kids to relax and they tend to play better. One thing I often say to kids when I first start working with them is, "it's going to be a fun ride." I really believe it should be.