From Coach Aaron Weintraub: Humility Breeds Consistency

Here's another look from Coach Traub at a key ingredient to have the consistent performance that we all want:

"I look for role models. I've met or studied many high achievers who appear to have earned the right to be satisfied with what they already know. However, the highest achievers are consistently the people who are the most eager to learn more. For example, Michael Johnson didn't stop improving when he became a World Champion sprinter. It was his continuous drive to be the best he could be that allowed him to set World Records and stay on top for his entire professional career (all 19 of his medals in the Goodwill Games, World Championships, or Olympics are Gold Medals). It's an interesting fact of life that the people who need the most humility usually have the least, while the people who seem to need it the least usually have the most.

Life really is, as author of Peter Pan Sir James Matthew Barrie says, a "long lesson in humility." I've been learning... Experience teaches that when I am performing great and I get over-confident, something will happen very soon to cause me to lose my "flow." If I am not open to criticism, someone else will surely learn what I missed and pass me on the way up the ladder. If I am not respectful of others, I will forfeit my chance at the teamwork it takes to approach my own potential. Even in individual sports, I am much more powerful with the support of others. If I am not intense in my approach because I start believing this won't be that difficult, I will not give a best effort performance. If I lose my sense of urgency because I don't think the opponent is capable of humbling me, I sometimes get lucky - or I often pay a hefty price and lose when I easily could've (most would say "should've") won. Why take that chance?

Does the importance of humility defy the importance of confidence or interfere with aggressiveness? Not at all. Great athletes are confident, aggressive, and humble. They respect that giving a best effort performance is always difficult. Life and performance are balancing acts, but champions don't fall over because they maintain a hunger to learn and an eagerness to work. It is their preparation that allows them to consistently perform at a high level. Performance will always have ups and downs because people, by definition, are imperfect. However, with a disciplined, humble approach, great athletes achieve superior consistency because their dips in performance are shallow declines, not deep "slumps" while their peak performances occur more frequently and last longer. Their humility breeds their consistency!"

Put another way ... Selflessness breeds consistency. Humility is closely related to losing one's self in a cause greater than one person. Think about it.

To be the player you want to be ... to have the team you want to have ... be THAT guy.

Stay humble. Stay hungry. Make it about a mission larger than simply yourself.

And then watch where God takes you.

See you on the field,

Coach Rut

ESPN.com on Trevor Bauer

"Bauer performs a long toss in the outfield shortly before his starts, can be seen stretching with a javelin-like device in the bullpen ... "

Yes, that "javelin-like" device is the shoulder tube that we use. Trevor Bauer, the NCAA strikeout leader, is now in the CWS final series vs. South Carolina. What do both Bauer and the Carolina teams have in common? Both have been influence by Ron Wolforth and the Texas Baseball Ranch.

The entire SEC has bought into training explosiveness and its member teams are employing Coach Wolforth's methods in one form or another. As for Bauer, he has trained at the ranch for years, yes, coming all the way to Magnolia, Texas from California.

We've been doing our share here, as well ... in our stretching, training, bullpens, ladders, sprinting instead of long-distance running, long-toss, developing athleticism, etc., etc.

So ... maybe we are primed for a World Series run of our own ...

The full blog entry from ESPN.com is here.

See you on the field,

Coach Rut

John Wooden is still teaching

I just finished a great little book -- Wooden, A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off the Court by the late John Wooden with Steve Jamison. I think Coach Wooden was the greatest coach of all time, in any sport, and this book reinforced that opinion.

Coach Wooden was, in many ways, way ahead of his time. He was talking and teaching the mental game before modern sports psychologists knew what the mental game was. It's funny, because a lot of the foundation of his unparalleled coaching success is rooted in old-fashioned American values and wisdom. I was struck by both how profound and simple he was.

The following are excerpts of some of my favorite quotes from this book, which I highly recommend that you check out:

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Character is what you really are. Reputation is what people say you are."

"Early on, I came to believe you should learn as if you were going to live forever, and live as if you were going to die tomorrow."

"Seek individual opportunities to offer a genuine compliment."

Regarding the desire to win, the correct question is: "Did I give my best effort?"

Regarding those who don't perform well under pressure, "They're thinking about living up to the expectations of everybody else instead of just doing the best they can."

"Mix idealism with realism and add hard work. This will often bring much more than you could ever hope for."

"The team is the star, never an individual player."

"We're all underachievers to different degrees."

"Understand that the harder you work, the more luck you will have."

On playing aggressively and to win, "The team that makes the most mistakes will probably win."

"I valued a player who cared for others and could lose himself in the group for the good of the group."

"I think neatness and courtesy make you feel good about yourself. I think individuals who feel good about themselves are more productive."

"Promise yourself to let your friends know that there is something special in them and that you value."

"Success is the peace of mind that comes from the knowledge that you did the best of which you are capable."

"You respect every one. You simply make the strongest effort to prepare to the fullest extent of your abilities. The result will take care of itself, and you should be willing to accept it."

"In great attempts, it is glorious even to fail." -- Wilfred A. Peterson

"I consider it (coaching) a sacred trust."

"I believe when an individual constantly works under pressure, he or she will respond automatically when faced with it during competition."

"Develop a love for details. They usually accompany success."

"If you get caught up in things over which you have no control, it will adversely affect the things over which you have control."

"You're just as good as any one, but you're no better than anybody."

"Industriousness and enthusiasm are the cornerstones of the pyramid of success."

"Enthusiasm ignites plain old work and transforms it into industriousness."

"In the many years before we won a championship I overcame the disappointment by not living in the past. To do better in the future, you have to work on the 'right now.' Dwelling in the past prevents you from doing something in the present. Complaining, whining, and making excuses just keeps you out of the present."

"You can't have poise and confidence unless you've prepared correctly."

"What is competitive greatness? It's being at your best when your best is needed. It's enjoying the challenge when things become difficult, even very difficult."

"It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it."

"Earn the right to be proud and confident."

"Don't permit the fear of failure to prevent effort. We are all imperfect and will fail on occasions, but fear of failure is the greatest failure of all."

"We are many, but are we much?"

"Make each day your masterpiece."

See why so many revered Coach Wooden? He will be missed, but his wisdom lives on ... and continues to make an impact.

See you on the field,

Coach Rut

THAT Guy

Here is the excerpt* I read to our team before our last summer ball games:

"On some teams there is a guy who leads. A guy who makes everybody better.

A guy that can bring everybody up.

There are MANY different ways to be THAT guy and it doesn't always involve having to be a "rah rah" guy.

But what it DOES require is being able to rise above yourself and your needs as a single player.

If you are STUCK on you ... you can't be THAT guy.

You must play and respond bigger than just a highly talented, gifted, self-absorbed prima donna.

Barry Bonds is not THAT guy. Jason Varitek is THAT guy.

Alex Rodriguez is not THAT guy. Derrick Jeter is THAT guy.

After a teammate's mistake ... THAT guy ... finds a way to pull him back in and help get his mind right.

After a personal mistake... THAT guy accepts full responsibility ... and says ... THIS WAS MINE ... NO ONE ELSES ... I'm OK ... I'll battle through this ... Right now I need your help ... Let's rally the troops, circle the wagons, blow the bugle ... and all pull on the same rope, the same way ... at the same time ... I'll start ... follow me.

THAT guy ... is constantly celebrating things he wants to see more of.

It doesn't have to be a big celebration ... it could be nothing more than a nod ... a wink ...

THAT guy ... is constantly reminding his teammates of their unique gifts, skills or abilities and that the time is NOW to execute them ... especially if things are heading south.

THAT guy is the first to recognize or notice the small contributions or sacrifices made by others ... and shows his appreciation for such.

When THAT guy is given credit ... he offers a sincere THANK you for the compliment and then proceeds to credit all those around him that lead to the accomplishment.

THAT guy doesn't throw others under the bus ... instead he pulls people out from under the bus.

THAT guy is infectious in his optimism and his belief about himself and the others around him.

THAT guy plays the part of the older, wiser brother.

THAT guy respects the game.

THAT guy plays the game with joy.

My advice to you ... learn to be THAT guy.

It will change your life."

Be THAT guy -- today.

See you on the field,

Coach Rut

*Special thanks to my friend and mentor Ron Wolforth for sending this along