Jim Allegretto

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@khalythai Does anyone know who this band is?

[Susan McLaughlin @SusanMcLaughli2]

In September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a History teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks in her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

'Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.' 'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. Kids called their parents to tell them what was happening and by early afternoon television news crews had started gathering at the school to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk-less classroom. Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniform, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

[Clint Hurdle @ClintHurdle13]

During one of the worst losing streaks of my career, our team president walked into my office.

Keli McGregor. One of the best men I've ever known.

He could have come to vent. To question my decisions. To ask hard questions.

Instead, he said: "Cut to the chase, Clint. What's next?"

I looked him in the eye and gave him two words: "Shower well."

The Colorado Rockies were struggling badly that year.

Pregame preparation was solid. Scout meetings, early work, attention to detail. All of it was there.

But at game time, the tires were flat.

I told Keli: the game did everything it could to us today. We just couldn't meet its demands.

Now it was time to reset.

"Shower well" means exactly this:
• Watch the frustration circle down the drain
• Shampoo, rinse, repeat and get the grime of today completely off your mind
• Walk out clean, go home, and actually rest

Leave it at the ballpark. The game is over. There's nothing left to solve tonight.

Keli nodded. Asked if he could share it with the whole organization.

I said sure. And then it hit me. This isn't just for baseball.

Bad day at the office. Grumpy boss. Missed deadline. Traffic on the way home.

You can carry all of that through your front door.

Or you can shower well.

I've never seen a single problem get better because someone dragged it home with them.

The reset is a discipline. Same as preparation. Same as showing up.

Either we win. Or we learn.

The only real loss? When you don't take a single thing out of a hard day.

So tonight, whatever kind of day it was, shower well.

Tomorrow is a new at-bat.

Stories like this one are at the heart of my "Coach the Heart" Keynote and Workshops.

If you lead people, whether in business, sports, or anywhere in between, tap the link in my bio to bring this conversation to your team.

I think you'll be glad that you did.

@Rockies

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Mumme

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Bama. Thanks again, Coach!

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@proinexcel 2100

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Drills. Thanks Coach!

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@Super70sSports Absolutely true! I had a couple pair myself!

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Manuals

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Florida. Thanks Coach!

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Seahawks. Thanks!

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Spread

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Winning

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Thanks Coach!

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync Streak

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@Super70sSports Me too. I couldn't wait for this!

[Riley Jensen @RileyJensen]

30 years ago I was the starting QB at Utah State University. My senior year I got benched. For the next 15 years I walked around feeling like a certified loser. Then I read this quote from Pat Summitt:
'Winning is fun… Sure. But winning is not the point.
Wanting to win is the point.
Not giving up is the point.
Never letting up is the point.
Never being satisfied with what you’ve done is the point.'
It snapped me out of it. If you’re still carrying a sports setback, a benching, a missed opportunity, or any “I’m not enough” story… this is your permission slip to drop it. The game isn’t over. Your story is not yet written. You are still a work in progress. The point is you keep wanting it. You keep getting up. And you listen to that quiet voice that says, "I will try again tomorrow."

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CoachLync @TDPublishing Hoodie

[Jim Allegretto @JimAllegretto]

@CFBAlerts_ PSU