Falmouth boys in state basketball final | CapeCodOnline.com
GO CLIPPERS! Unfortunately, I missed my chance to play (hockey) at Boston Garden because I transferred out of Falmouth High the year my team went to the States, but I’m so excited for these kids right now.
High school sports are awesome. Congrats to Coach Lundberg - he’s a great guy.
Be sure to watch the awesome layup at the 2 minute mark and click through to read the whole story.
Lacrosse, per NCAA definition, is a “spring” sport. I know it’s February and there’s snow on the ground outside my window, but games have started so to me, it’s spring.
Five years ago, I’d be cranking through classes all day before a team lift (always legs on Monday), then I’d put in 2.5 hours battling through drills on a turf field on the roof of the Brown gymnasium, (Yes, on the roof. No, it wasn’t cool. It was cold, windy, and half the field was covered in building exhaust… ok, yeah, we sort of relished it), then we’d head inside to watch game film for 30 minutes and finally sit in the ice bath to soak up the soreness.
The coolest part was I did all of this surrounded by 40 other guys who all had the same mission as I - win game #1. Then #2, #3, #4 and so on…
These days, my competitive career is entirely different.
I probably stay more active in lacrosse than my teammates on the NYAC. Already this year I took a trip to Miami to play in a tournament. I had a blast playing with some other amazing players, the competition was solid and I even took an 80mph shot in the ribs that has been painfully reminding me of the trip for a month now. (Seriously, this bruised rib is one of the most nagging injuries I’ve ever had).
And last weekend, I headed back to Brown with some other alums for a preseason scrimmage against the current Bears team (Unsurprisingly, Providence hadn’t warmed up since I graduated. Wind chill had the temp around 7 degrees). Still, it was a great day and us veterans were able to pull out a close win over the young pups.
The win was fun for a moment, but there was still a fundamental lacking for me and I’m realizing how much I miss the bonding of a team working towards a common goal and the inherently high level of competition on a daily basis.
Sure, when my NYAC team starts up soon we will all be focused on winning our 4th straight A.L.L. Championship, but we don’t even practice. We just show up on Sundays and play. It’s easier on the calendar, but I know deep down every teammate of mine, and every true competitor out there, needs that battle and that feeling of true team.
But since my lacrosse career won’t last forever, I’ve assembled a new team (different “sport”), uber-competitive, we all have the same mission… and this game is played 24/7.
Op-Ed Columnist - The Sporting Mind - NYTimes.com via @jpbrunelle
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’ve learned so many valuable lessons in my athletic career that help me in my career and personal life. I think everyone can benefit from the rigors of sport.
I love sports. Awesome video by Nike:Take It To The Next Level - Directors Cut (via @bryanbeshore)
lunchtime entertainment: this f*ing polar bear blows up Earth!
UAF Nanook Hockey Opening Vid (via @nromeo)
Lou Holtz on W.I.N. - What’s Important Now?
Truly simple advice for anyone, but as a startup it really rings true. If you find yourself loosing focus, just ask yourself this question and find the answer in small chunks.
What’s important now? Raising an investment? Releasing a new feature?
Too big - those are the end goals. What’s important now is getting the meeting with that angel. It’s writing that first line of code…
It’s the smallest step you can make toward reaching your bigger goals. Take baby-steps, but take LOTS of them and build momentum.
Seriously, “ask yourself this question 25 times a day” as Lou suggests, and you’ll start winning every day.
This past weekend I was fortunate enough to hear famed college football coach Lou Holtz speak at the US Lacrosse Convention while there representing HomeField. He was both inspiring and hilarious. If you have a chance to hear him speak, do take it.
In his speech, he laid out a few rules for life and told story after story from his coaching career. While it largely focused on coaching athletics, his talk is applicable to life in general and from my seat - a startup founder trying to lead my team to success - I applied his thoughts to entrepreneurship.
Lou’s Rules of Life Entrepreneurship
1. “Do right.”
This is a classic. It’s so simple. In entrepreneurship, you’re spread thin trying to do a million things at once. You’ve got to figure out what your users want. You’ve got to figure out how to run a business. You’ve got to make a lot of mistakes. If you can have one guiding principle, “Do right.” is as good as it gets. It’s similar to Google’s “Do no evil.”
I learned this one early. My dad used to say “do the right thing.” Even when you make a mistake, if you were trying to do the right thing you’ll be all right.
2. “Do everything to the very best of your ability.”
In a startup, you have to do this. If you’re not working your hardest and doing your best work, someone else will come along and eat your lunch. If you’re not at your best, then why should a customer use your product? If you don’t prepare and bring your best to every meeting, then why should your co-founders?
Being “good” isn’t enough. Being the “best” is the only thing that matters.
3. “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”
This goes back to people - co-founders, employees, customers, partners, investors, competitors (yup, even them), and most importantly, your family/friends/loved ones (they’re a part of this roller-coaster ride, too and you can’t treat ‘em like crap because they have to like you). You have to treat everyone well. The world is too small and life is too short to be a grump.
It doesn’t matter if your customers gave bad feedback, if your meeting didn’t go well, or if your competitor launched a similar feature. You can’t take it out on the people around you. If anything, they’re the ones who are going to help you make the next play.
Tomorrow: “W.I.N. - What’s Important Now?”
i haven’t seen Avatar yet but i’m totally excited about this… it could really transform the way we watch certain sports (here’s looking at you, Lacrosse).
Haha… Great pic of my buddy Bobby Farrelly, MVP of the AT&T Legends Classic hockey game at Fenway Park.
via BostonHerald
