Game 161, the Red Sox led 8-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning with a man on first. Revenue aside, it was a meaningless game. A sharp single to right sent the runner to third and the throw was wide. But left-fielder B.J. Surhoff backed up the play. Hustle didn't determine a playoff position, draft choice, or contract bonus. Surhoff embodied professionalism. Respect.
Serena Williams' MasterClass described her childhood summer routine. Daily practice 9-11 and 1-6. Saturday workouts 9-12. Sundays were off. Twenty-three grand slam titles later, the effort shows. 10,000 hours or not, practice paid. Not everyone agrees. "Johansson argues that deliberate practice is only a predictor of success in fields that have super stable structures. For example, in tennis, chess, and classical music, the rules never change, so you can study up to become the best."
Not a great 'natural' talent, Bill Bradley created an athlete. "Managing to get his hands on the keys to the high school gym, he created for himself a schedule—three and a half hours of practice after school and on Sundays, eight hours every Saturday, and three hours a day during the summer."
Kobe Bryant took 1000 shots a day in the summer. Larry Bird shot 500 free throws a day before school. The road to success travels a four-letter path, WORK.
The Coursera class on study advises the Pomodoro technique, twenty-five minutes of work and a five-minute break. That allows a mental 'recharge' before attacking the next segment. It also advises spaced repetition (not cramming) before the test and self-testing to prove knowledge. We regularly remind, "trackers are winners."
Serena Williams recommends playing with superior players. UCONN and other college women's programs compete against a men's practice team, highly selected to challenge them. The men who compete against the Phoenix Mercury know they have to compete. "If you are not bringing it against the Mercury, you will get beat down."
The Williams sisters had a great teacher, their father. He knew his daughters weren't as strong as most men. He told them they had to throw "like boys." Serena says, "I can throw the ball just as far as any quarterback."
Excellent players don't "go back to basics." They never leave.
Maybe you won't need a routine with deliberate practice and lifelong learning to get to the top of your field. Do you want to bet your career on it?
Lagniappe: "Confidence comes from proven success." - Bill Parcells
Lagniappe 2: High-low actions can open up interior scoring.
Lagniappe 3: "Roll and replace" creates other opportunities.The triangle offense can provide an easy to understand and execute flow into a high low action. Here is an example...full edits and breakdowns of the triangle offense are also on https://t.co/L22yyVXl7K pic.twitter.com/kRnvTaLwcy— Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) July 15, 2019