Mike Paramore

[Luke Falk @coachlukefalk]

Every training camp I had at Washington State University, Coach Leach would share the same story.
The story of two kids. The rich kid and the poor kid.

The rich kid has two choices. He can become spoiled, entitled, lazy, and expect everything to be handed to him because he has been given more. Or he can take every advantage of what he has been given—resources, coaching, opportunities—and use it to become even better.

The poor kid has two choices too. He can say, “I never had a chance. Nobody gave me anything. The world is against me.” He can feel sorry for himself and use it as an excuse. Or he can say, “I may not have what they have, but I am going to outwork everybody.” He can become tougher, more driven, and more relentless than everybody else.

It was a powerful message in a locker room full of people from different backgrounds, different families, and different life experiences. Some guys came from wealth. Some came from almost nothing. Some had every opportunity. Others had to fight for every inch.

But despite all of those differences, everybody still had the same choice.

You can take ownership and use what you have as fuel.

Or you can become victim-minded. You can look for excuses, blame your circumstances, become entitled, and convince yourself that because of what you have—or because of what you do not have—you cannot become what you want to be.

It is not about how you start. It is about what you choose to do with how you start.

The rich kid can waste what he has been given or use it to build something greater. The poor kid can use his circumstances as an excuse or as fuel.

In the end, greatness does not come from starting with more or less. It comes from which person inside of you that you choose to feed.

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[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

Kurt Warner shares the lesson that changed his entire career and it applies to everything.

He sat on the bench for 4 years in college. When a friend asked the coaches why he wasn't playing, the answer wasn't what he expected:

"The reason I wasn't playing was because I was not very good in practice."

His first reaction? Allen Iverson mode.

"Practice? What're you talking about, practice?"

But then he did the math.

"In college we play 12 games in 365 days. In the NFL we play 16 games in 365 days."

That's less than 5% of your year.

"95% of our lives are lived in practice. And the biggest impression we make on people, the way people can understand and really realize who we are, is what we do every day in practice."

This is the 95% Rule. And it applies to everything - sports, business, relationships, life.
1: Show Up With Your Best Effort - Compete and give your best every single day. People can't question how you show up - your effort, attitude, and actions. Consistency removes doubt.
2: Trust Is Built In Practice, Not Games - Trust is earned in the thousands of moments before it's given. Before you can be trusted, people want to know you're dependable. Every day. Not just when it matters.
3: Master Daily Consistency - Success isn't about intensity - it's about consistency. Your habits compound. What you do daily defines who you become.
4: Big Moments Are Earned In Small Moments - The little details make the biggest difference. Greatness starts with preparation - it's earned in the boredom of doing the work when no one's watching.

Excellence isn't an event - It's a habit.

Practice is where trust is built.

How you show up daily is who you really are.
(🎥 Passing the Torch Podcast)
(🎥 @kurt13warner)

[Brandon Chambers @chambershoops]

Combined effort.

[Mind_strategy @Mindstrate49850]

This is GOLD!!!

[Phil Beckner @PhilBeckner]

Just. Show. Up.

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Everyone wants to win.
But few have the will to do what it takes when it gets hard.

[Art of Life 🦋 @Art0fLife_]

Quote of the week:

[liminal @Liminal1988]

Nobody Cares. Work Harder

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Most games aren’t won.
They are lost.

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

Kirby Smart doesn’t talk about winning - he talks about his non-negotiables.

A masterclass on standards, toughness, and relentless effort.

(📌Bookmark for later)

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

Lou Holtz turned around 4 programs within 2-3 years using the same 5 rules.
• Arkansas: 5-5-1 to 11-1.
• Notre Dame: 5-6 to 12-0.
• South Carolina: 0-11 to 8-4.

Not with new talent or more money - just 5 rules.

Simple, repeatable, and powerful.

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

Nick Saban warned us.

Greatness isn't given or taken.

It's earned or lost by your mindset, actions, and systems.

[Alan Stein, Jr. @AlanSteinJr]

You only have 2 things in this world under your complete control:
💯 Your effort
💯 Your attitude

Mix those together and you get:
➡️ Preparation
➡️ Enthusiasm

Never let lack of either be the reason you fail. That’s unacceptable.

You can’t control circumstances, events, or what people say or do. But you always control your response.

That’s what the highest performers do: stop wasting energy on the uncontrollable and put all of their focus into what they can control.

🎥 Watch the full video here: https://t.co/DvMfWLdF4h

[Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom]

I keep coming back to this question:

Are you willing to sprint when the distance is unknown?

In 2021, Georgia Tech strength coach Lewis Caralla delivered this epic speech to the football team.

If it doesn’t light a fire under you, check your pulse…

He starts with a series of brutal truths:

• Winning isn’t loyal to you
• Winning doesn’t care about you
• Winning doesn’t care how sore you are
• Winning doesn’t care how hard you work
• Winning doesn’t care how much sleep you’ve had

But then comes the line that hit me:

Are you willing to sprint when the distance is unknown?

That mindset is rare.

It demands two things:

1. An unshakable belief in yourself
2. A deep conviction in the mission

If you have one without the other, you won’t last.

You need both.

From what I’ve seen, the greatest things in life are built by people willing to sprint when they can’t see the finish line:

The sprint to support loved ones when they need you most.

The sprint to create something meaningful.

The sprint to serve others and leave a lasting mark.

Your task: Identify those rare pursuits worth sprinting for when the finish line is hidden.

That, to me, is what winning really is.

"And why chase winning? Because the only thing that's guaranteed in life if you don't chase it is losing."

[Alan Stein, Jr. @AlanSteinJr]

There are 5 Core Commitments every player, coach, and staff member must live by if you want to build a championship culture:

1️⃣ Believe — in yourself, your teammates, your coaches, and the plan. Believe or leave.
2️⃣ Commit — commitment isn’t casual. You’re either all in or you’re out.
3️⃣ Prepare — preparation is the separation, especially in the unseen hours.
4️⃣ Execute — excellence isn’t a switch. Keep it on in everything you do.
5️⃣ Compete — not just with opponents, but with yourself. Get 1% better every single day.

With all else being equal, the team that does these 5 things best will always have the advantage.

🎥 Catch the full talk here: https://t.co/IW2lRCNJDW

[Alan Stein, Jr. @AlanSteinJr]

Mental toughness isn’t complicated. 💡

It’s doing the best you can with what you have, wherever you are. Full stop.

When you live by that standard, you automatically eliminate the three behaviors of the weak:
❌ Blaming
❌ Complaining
❌ Making excuses

True toughness is about accountability and action.

🎥 Watch the full clip here: https://t.co/DvMfWLdF4h

[The Winning Difference @thewinningdiff1]

Success is the worst teacher there is.
You fail your way to success.
You have to get scarred up.
You have to go through it, so you can get where you want to go.
You learn through failure and being uncomfortable. That's where the real growth happens. @CoachVenables

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

The greatest compliment you can receive...

[Jim Shapiro @jimshapiro]

Facts…

[Jim Shapiro @jimshapiro]

Yep. This.