Brad Earnest

Chicago Rush Soccer Club ADOC , Lake Forest College Men's Soccer Assistant Coach

[Brad Earnest @BEarnest19]

https://t.co/ZU9MQYGmd9

[Don Williams @Don_K_Williams]

What are your thoughts on this take?? 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

[The Winning Difference @thewinningdiff1]

“The amount of points you score doesn’t determine whether you are playing good or bad. Your point total is never an indicator of how you play. It’s how hard you work and how good of a teammate you are,” Caitlin Clark
A true difference maker on and off the court.

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

Greg Olsen said, "Hard is good. The earlier you can learn to deal with hard, the easier it gets...because hard is coming. Whether we want to shield it from kids now or not, hard is coming."

You can't steal the struggle for other people.

One of the biggest epidemics today is people's "fear of failure."

They're afraid to start because they're afraid to "fail".

When you're afraid to fail, you become paralyzed.

You're too scared to take risks, to try new things, or to put yourself out there.

5 Ways For Them to Overcome Their Fear of Failure:
1. Change the Attitude About Failing - Failure isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of bravery. True growth only happens when you learn from your mistakes. Reframe the language and perception around challenges or "failures", make it exciting and enticing to try new things.

2. Emphasize Effort not "Ability" - Focus on the effort put into a task, rather than the innate ability. Praise the hard work and determination, not the outcome. Cultivating a growth mindset allows children to understand that abilities can be developed through dedication and persistence.

3. Keep Trying New Things - Encourage children to explore new activities and interests. This helps them understand that it's normal not to excel at everything. It also normalizes a "beginner's mindset" when learning and grow. They will understand that the value lies in the experience and learning process, not just in achieving success.

4. Go through Worst-Case Scenarios and Fear-Setting - Fear setting helps you to identify and confront your fears and the potential obstacles that may be holding you back. You think through the worst-case scenario and the steps to mitigate it. The process allows you to put your fears under a microscope and consider the potential benefits of taking action vs. “failing”.

5. Demonstrate Unconditional Support and Love - Children need to feel secure in the knowledge that their value and your love for them are not contingent on their successes or failures. It is not outcome driven. Showing consistent support builds confidence and to allow them to take risks and learn from their experiences without the fear of losing your approval.

There will always be setbacks.
There will be challenges.
But worrying about failure holds you back more than the failure itself ever could.
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Follow @coachajkings for more posts like this!

[Todd Beane @_ToddBeane]

SPORT PARENTS: Ask your own parents if the 4th game of your season when you were 11 determined your fate as a human being. If it did not carry such importance, then don’t be the parent that loses your head over the 4th game of your child’s U12 game this weekend. Please. 🙏 #TOVO

[Todd Beane @_ToddBeane]

Dear Parents…

The coach screaming incessantly on the sidelines is NOT necessarily more passionate or more capable than the quiet coach; he is just louder.

#TOVO

[Fascinating @fasc1nate]

Doctors at a hospital in Texas informed George Pickering that his son was in a state of brain death. They explained that his son showed "no brain activity" and the decision had been made to remove life support.

Pickering, however, was unconvinced by their assessment and resorted to extreme measures by drawing a firearm. He demanded that the doctors continue their efforts to save his son's life, threatening to use the gun if they refused.

This situation escalated into a tense standoff lasting three hours, during which Pickering faced off against the police while the medical team performed additional tests on his son.

The hospital was secured under lockdown as police negotiators tried to reason with Pickering, who remained adamant. In a pivotal moment, Pickering's son, previously declared braindead, responded to his father's request to squeeze his hand, indicating cognitive presence. Following this revelation, Pickering peacefully surrendered to the authorities.

George Pickering II subsequently served a prison sentence of 11 months. Remarkably, his son experienced a complete recovery.

[Mitchell Sowerby @msowerby94]

Let’s Goooo! 👊🏼

Can’t wait to get to work with this incredible organization. Something special is coming this year!

[The Winning Difference @thewinningdiff1]

“I told the guys they were going to be treated like men. We're going to be respectful as a coaching staff. We're going to tell you the truth, and everything we do is going to be positive. It's going to be positive reinforcement and positive feedback. I let them know that. I don't want my coaching staff cussing out players or demeaning players because that isn't helpful,” @DRyans59

Leadership makes a difference.

[Don Williams @Don_K_Williams]

Want to be better than most of your peers?
Try this!
There are 168 hours in a week.
Take just 5% of those hours (or 8hrs per week) to work on a project that you want to improve on
Go to a wall
Juggle
Create your own games with a ⚽️
Work on fitness
Study 🎥

Can’t find the time?
Im going to suggest that maybe you don’t want this as much as you say you do.
Food for thought.

[Don Williams @Don_K_Williams]

🗣College definition
EFC= Expected Family Contribution

It’s a number that is assigned to a player when FAFSA is completed

The # represents the amt the govt expects that person to pay for college

EFC 0 means $0 expected
EFC 5000 means $5,000 expected
@SRUSA_Official
#CollegeSoccer

[NBACentral @TheDunkCentral]

“When I finish my career, I really wish nobody knows me…I really don’t like this life because, at the end of the day, we are just basketball players…It just feels sad, whenever you go to the bar, restaurant, some game, people are just taking their phones out and trying to record you. I think that’s really, I’m going to say, rude. It’s not that I’m out showing myself; I’m just who I am.”

- Nikola Jokic

(Via https://t.co/dsV9nV2ktK / h/t @awfulannouncing )

[Don Williams @Don_K_Williams]

D1 = Legit
D2 = Legit
D3 = Legit
NAIA = Legit
JUCO = Legit
College Degree = LEGIT

Don’t compare yourself to others ... Stop chasing the division and find the #RightFit!

“You’re running your own personal race, and that’s really all that matters.” -Tim Corbin

Not sure 🤔 how may different ways we can say it, but those of us that know will keep saying it until it sinks in

It’s only the top 7% that end up playing in college

Be humble, yet proud of your accomplishment if you make it to the next level
@SRUSA_Official

[Tim Dean @RealTimboSlice7]

Cannot wait for this opportunity! Now time to get to work! #FlyJaysFly

[Don Williams @Don_K_Williams]

So many conflate women’s ⚽️ & men’s ⚽️ when it comes to how players are recruited, so to help folks understand the differences:

Here are some but not all of the differences & resulting outcomes in #collegesoccer recruiting for men’s & women’s ⚽️

Male 🇺🇸 keepers are far less in demand (there is a surplus) than female 🇺🇸 keepers of which there is a shortage

🇺🇸 Women’s & girls soccer is currently some of the best in the world

🇺🇸 Men & boys are not & have never been

Men often keep growing physical by 20-22
Women often stop growing physically by 15-17

Approximately 30% of all male players in the NCAA ⚽️ are Internationals while it’s only 12% on the female side

There are approximately 300 more Women’s ⚽️ teams across all divisions than there are men’s

There are millions of more athletic scholarship 💵 available for Women’s ⚽️ players than for mens ⚽️ players

Many men’s ⚽️ coaches wait to fill key roster spots until early spring when Intenational full pro academy players are released from their clubs.
This is rarely seen in the women’s game, just not as much💰 at stake

There is a large surplus of male ⚽️players worldwide (I’d go so far as to call it a excess), while on the Women’s side there is a true shortage

In my experience, it’s largely because girls are generally being far pickier than boys in their pathways & many tend to be prioritizing other things over ⚽️, when push comes to shove

There are many more internationals on the mens side playing NAIA, JC & lower DII levels, many take years 3 & 4 to move up to higher level DII’s & all levels DI, that this heavily affects male 🇺🇸 freshmen recruiting

We don’t see the same impact on the Women’s side, we see, many if not most 🇺🇸 girls & scorn any JC & NAIA’s & many DIII’s, which leaves a void at those levels.
Male 🇺🇸 players do this too, but not in the same ratio as on the women’s side

On the Women’s side of JC & NAIA, DII & DIII’s (no scholarships), many Women’s ⚽️teams across the nation are carrying rosters of 15 or less & quite a few games are played with less than 11 women on the field & scholarships are left unclaimed

We rarely see this on the mens side

Need more information or help?
https://t.co/iSVyrggjoJ

[Mary Seiffert @mckseiffert]

Yesterday I got to sit down with a friend to process & celebrate the journey of completing the USSF A-Senior course this past year. Such a good reminder of the importance and reward of taking on challenges that take hard work & that include some risk and fear! Lots of gratitude💕

[Luton Town FC @LutonTown]

We all hope and pray for our leader and captain Tom Lockyer, who is thankfully responsive and has been taken to hospital.

We don’t know the full extent of what happened and what the next steps are at this stage, but we thank Bournemouth and the medical staff on both sides for their immediate response, which was absolutely amazing.

We are sorry to all supporters present that players from both sides were in no state of mind to continue with the game after seeing their much-loved team-mate and friend taken off like that, and staff could not carry on with managing the game in such circumstances having had to deal with the situation.

We thank everyone for the wonderful applause and singing of Locks’ name inside the stadium at such a difficult time.

Now is the time for all of our players, staff and supporters to come together as we always do and give our love and support to Tom and his family.

Our thoughts are with him and them all. 🧡

[Brad Earnest @BEarnest19]

@LVHoosierGK I played college ⚽ w/a 35yo father of 2 (🇧🇷). He had his daughter young and eventually came to USA for education.

Every situation is different & who says you have to be a certain age to attend college

Now... To the point, is there docs saying they're paid above & beyond 🤷

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

In 1986, Bruce Smith finished his rookie year with the Buffalo Bills. It was an "ok" year, he had 6.5 sacks.

His coach said he was "overweight, self-indulgent, and had poor practice habits."

Bruce had potential, but he'd have to work for it.

That training camp changed everything for him.

He showed up to minicamp overweight at 310 pounds.

Bruce said, "I thought the scale was broken."

That was his turning point.

He said, "This is not good. I am never going to become the player I want to become unless I make some changes in my life and lifestyle."

So that's what he immediately did.
• He started to work out more to lost weight.
• He started to eat healthier and improved his nutrition.
• He studied the game on how to improve.
• He work on his mindset and mental game.

The changes that he made helped almost immediately. He played the 1986 season at roughly 275 pounds!

Those changes and that mindset would stay with him the rest of his career.

Bruce knew his goals and what he wanted to accomplish. He wasn't going to let not working hard or fear stop him from getting what he wanted, which was greatness.

The intensity in his workouts and nutrition would only increase from that point forward.

His workouts on the Stairmasters became epic. His strength and condition coach said that he would work out so hard on the Stairmasters that, "he would rust the chains."

The rest of his career, he played between 260-265 pounds with 6.1% body fat. That was unheard of for a Defensive End at the time.

Bruce Smith called his workouts a "lifesaver for him".

When he played, he was stronger than a 300 pound lineman and as fast as a linebacker.

That preparation, helped build his success for the rest of his career.

Bruce would go on to have a 19-year career with 200 sacks. He was the model of consistency during that time, he had 13 years with 10 or more sacks.

Takeaway 1: Your work ethic, consistency, and adaptability is what will separate you in life.

Bruce realized that he had to change and he started with his actions and behaviors. He did the work mentally and physically every day to be his best. He recognized his shortcomings and worked hard to overcome them. It was his consistency in his habits and work ethic that made the difference over time, truly an example of a growth-mindset. Success is often a result of continuous hard work, adaptability, and the willingness to go beyond comfort zones.

Takeaway 2: Commitment to excellence means showing up, doing the work, and doing what it takes to be great.

Bruce Smith's career longevity and record-breaking achievements underscore that commitment to excellence is the key to long-term success. His commitment and consistency to physical fitness, skill development, and mental fitness helped propel his success. Success isn't about fleeting victories, but about maintaining high standards and being consistent over time.

"There's no substitute for hard work." - Bruce Smith
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Follow @coachajkings for more posts like this!

[Don Williams @Don_K_Williams]

If you’re in the transfer portal
DO NOT
I repeat
DO NOT
trash the coaching staff of the program you’re leaving
Do not talk poorly about them to anyone!

There’s my advice, take it or leave it