Jan Blase

Teacher, Mom, Grandma and I love kids! Every day is a gift, that is why they call it the present. time to enjoy life

[Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein]

Dear Nebraska Fans,

Don't cry because it's over.

Smile because it happened.

See you before next season for Happy Hour in Lincoln.

Sincerely,

JR

[Michaela M @Michaela101213]

@kevinsjuts

[MarC Zavala @markyz99]

Still enjoying watching this. From the teammates cheering him on and getting excited with every make and the students rushing the floor after the game. Goosebumps.

[Jabe Wurtz @jabewurtz]

We aren't done yet. Our players fought and earned a trip to Lincoln!

Eric is one of the good ones in the media world. Thanks for your coverage of #nebpreps

[Central City Bison @ccpsactivities]

Congrats on the FIRST EVER state tournament appearance by Central City Lady Bison Basketball!! District Champs!

[Jon Beck @CoachJonBeck]

If your coach holds you accountable, you are VERY fortunate. A lot of coaches accept their players doing whatever they want, whenever they want with no consequences. Discipline/responsibility/accountability are life prep! If your coach cares that much, you’re lucky so respect it!

[Hoop Herald @TheHoopHerald]

This is awesome

Having the parents come out on Senior Nights to do the handshakes is a great idea

Gotta love Sports

(Via @RyleRaiderbball 🎥)

[Jan Blase @janbeaconblase]

@benjihoegh This is awesome.

[Jan Blase @janbeaconblase]

@Twagsfuneral Awesomeness

[Jan Blase @janbeaconblase]

@HuskerlandBob Great coach

[Jan Blase @janbeaconblase]

@CoachBurb @BurbachPayton @RNSportsCC Happy birthday Payton

[Jan Blase @janbeaconblase]

@afra_art56 amen

[Hoop Herald @TheHoopHerald]

This video should be shared a million times

You have to love the joy that this game brings ❤️

[Central City Bison @ccpsactivities]

It’s Frrrrrriiiiiddddddaaaaayyyy!

[Jan Blase @janbeaconblase]

@NebraskaOnBTN @SharpeGreg Prayers

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

ATHLETES: As you start your fall sports season, ask yourself...

What role can you bring to your team that will help your team succeed?

Here is one thing you can do...

Be a Spark Plug for your TEAM.

How do you do it?

Here are 6 Ways...

1: BE VERBAL
Winning teams Communicate on the court or field! “A quiet gym is a losing gym.” Be verbal. Talk for your teammates. Communication is contagious. It builds energy and Fuels a team!

2: TOUCHES, HIGH-FIVES, FIST BUMPS
The NBA once did a study on “touches.” Steve Nash led the NBA in “touches”…239 per game. He was the MVP. His team WON. In the NBA…Winning teams had the MOST Touches! Spark your team with Positive touches.

3: BE AN ENERGY GIVER
Winning teams have energy givers. They bring Positive Energy to every practice and every game. These players are critical to team success. Be an energy giver and be a Spark Plug for your team!

4: ➕ BODY LANGUAGE
Body Language Screams! Make eye contact. Sit up. Be alert. Nod in affirmation. Smile. Be confident. Positive body language creates positive energy! It is Contagious!

5: CHALLENGE A TEAMMATE
Sometimes, your teammates are not bringing the spark. They may not be playing Hard! Sometimes they need to be challenged. Leaders Challenge when needed. Be this Leader!

6: MAKE A HUSTLE PLAY
Want to get your team going? Dive for a loose ball! Take a charge! Make an extra pass! Set a great screen! Make a hustle play. Hustle plays are selfless. They show the team what is needed to win. They bring a SPARK!
____

Follow me for more at @gregberge.

Join 12,000+ others who subscribe to my free weekly newsletter.

🏆 Great Teams - Better Leaders 123.

The subscription link is in my profile.

[Restoring Your Faith in Humanity @HumanityChad]

She deserves to get famous for her bravery. 🫡❤️

[Uplifting Quotes @UpliftingQuotes]

Everyday is a gift, that is why it is called the present.

[Jan Blase @janbeaconblase]

@EricaKohout @LaneLindburg Awesomeness

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

Larry Bird said, "I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end."

Success comes from doing the work.

It comes from your work ethic and your preparation.

What changed for Larry is when a coach told him, "Larry, no matter how much you work at it, there's always someone out there who's working just a little harder - if you take 150 practice shots, he's taking 200."

Larry said that comment drove his work ethic and desire to get better.

He never wanted anyone to work harder than him.

He said, "I don’t know if I practiced more than anybody, but I sure practiced enough. I still wonder if somebody – somewhere – was practicing more than me."

How Larry Bird's Work Ethic and Practice Habits Prepared Him for Success:
1. Practice Harder Than Your Play
When you train hard, it becomes easier to compete because you have tested your mind, body, and skills.

Larry Bird's practice habits were legendary. He would wake up and shoot baskets first thing in the morning and then go for a run before practice. He would practice with the team and then he would shoot more shots, lift weights, and then run again. Coaches would bring their teams early to the Celtics arena to see him working out pre-game. One team even saw him running stadiums pregame.

2. Practice with Purpose
You have to spend time being intentional and practicing what matters.

Larry Bird would start each morning with 500 jump shots and he had to make 99 free throws in a row or he would start again. He would want to get up as many shots as he possibly could, but he kept shooting until the ball sounded right. There was no end timeline, the goal was excellence in everything he did.

3. Practice to Perform
The goal is a mindset of excellence. When you practice to perform, you're confident enough to overcome that feeling of pressure.

Bird said, "I never felt pressure...Because going into those games you never knew what was going to happen. I always had enough confidence in my game, and I put in the time and the hard work."

His former teammate Bill Walton said, "He wore that body out with the jumpers and the run and the movement and concentration and the focus, discipline and sacrifice. He had it all."

4. Practice The Fundamentals
Look at the fundamentals in your discipline and start with mastering those because creativity and innovation all stem from it.

In high school, Larry Bird didn't play against the best competition but he excelled in high school and college because he practiced the fundamentals. He practiced dribbling, passing, shooting, and positioning. Bird said, "You've got to have them down before you can even think about playing."

"You can make all the excuses you want, but if you're not mentally tough and you're not prepared to play every night, you're not going to win." - Larry Bird
- - -
Follow @coachajkings for more content like this!