Things You Don’t Want to Know About Sports (but they happen to be true anyway) Rick Albrecht, Ph.D. Grand Valley State University

Rick Albrecht (age 6) Watertown Cubs (1959)

These Slide Are Available On My Website...

Things You Don’t Want to Know About Sports (but they happen to be true anyway)

  You May Feel Uncomfortable   You May Disagree   You May Think I’m Crazy I’ll Probably Be Making Some Points That May Be New To You...

“Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.” --Franklin D. Roosevelt "All great truths begin as blasphemies." --George Bernard Shaw Please Try To Keep One Thing In Mind...

Parents and Coaches… It is not YOUR team It Never Was Your Team! It Is Not Now Your Team! It Never Will Be Your Team! Here’s the First Thing You Don’t Want to Know...

Go Back and Locate The Original Documents That Established The Team, League, or Organization Don’t Take My Word For It… Check It Out For Yourself

  Do you think it will say that the team exists so we parents have a place to go and yell?   Do you think it will say that the team exists so we coaches have a place to coach? Don’t Take My Word For It… Check It Out For Yourself

  For The Kids’ “Physical, Emotional, and Social Development”   For The Kids’ “Moral and Character Development” You’ll Probably Find That The Team Exists Solely FOR THE KIDS!

And perhaps most importantly... For The Kids’ “Fun and Enjoyment” You’ll Probably Find That The Team Exists Solely FOR THE KIDS!

YOUR TEAM hasn’t existed for 10, 20, maybe even 30 years. THIS TEAM belongs to these athletes YOUR JOB is to make sure the kids have a positive experience Parents and Coaches: Here’s The Painful Truth...

Winning and Losing is Not Really As Important As You Might Think Here’s Another Thing You Don’t Want to Know...

We probably wouldn’t worry nearly as much about what others thought of us…if we recognized how seldom they did. Here’s An Interesting Way To Think About It...

WinsLossesTies 1966: : : Football: The Four Years I Attended Sandusky High School...

6 Touchdowns were scored in the 2005 Superbowl (6 months ago). Who scored them? We Don’t Even Remember the the Most Important Events in All of Sport

L.J. Smith (Eagles) David Givins (Patriots) Mike Vrabel (Patriots) Brian Westbrook (Eagles) Cory Dillen (Patriots) Greg Lewis (Eagles) The 6 Touchdowns in the 2005 Superbowl Were Scored By...

MENWOMEN North CarolinaBaylor IllinoisM.S.U. M.S.U.Tennessee LouisvilleL.S.U. Who Were The Teams That Made It To The (2005) NCAA Basketball “Final Four” (Men and Women)?

Roman Sebrle (Czech Republic) 2004 Olympics (Athens): Who Won The Gold Medal in The DECATHLON -- Often Thought To Indicate The “World’s Best Athlete”

Who won the 100m (Men): Justin Gatlin Who won the 200m (Men): Shawn Crawford 2004 Olympics (Athens): Okay, Maybe You Only Think It Counts If “WE” (Americans) Win.

People Won’t Usually Remember Whether You’ve Won Or Lost -- But They Will Remember “How You Played The Game.” Always Remember...

Let Me Tell You Tell You a Couple Things I Remember From Playing “Little League” Baseball Here in Sandusky -- Over 40 Years Ago... A Personal Example...

Two of the best teams were: V.F.W. S.E. Michigan Gas Company What I Don’t Remember -- Who Won Those Games What I Do Remember Are The Adults -- Coaches and Parents Sandusky Little League: 1964

Long after an official’s ‘bad call’ is forgotten… People (especially your kids) will remember our reaction to it As Adults We Have To Remember...

Question: Would you rather play regularly on a losing team or “sit on the bench” of a championship team? What Our Kids Say About Winning...

Between 78-90% of kids say they would rather play regularly on a poor team than “sit the bench” on a championship team. Be Honest, Wouldn’t You? What Our Kids Say About Winning...

Since You’re The Only One Who Will Actually Remember... You Have To Be Proud Of Your Performance Always Remember...

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are, your reputation is merely what others think you are. -Coach John Wooden Honor, Character and Sportsmanship Are What Are Truly Important

Story of the “Red Shirt” Band of Lakota (Sioux Nation) Warriors Honor, Character, and Sportsmanship Are What Count

When our primary goal is “to win” we actually increase our chances of LOSEING Here’s Something Else You May Not Want to Know...

“Winning” is an outcome that is out of your control… You Can’t Make It Happen! Why Trying To Win Often Makes You Lose...

  Play of Your Teammates   Play of Your Opponents   Coach’s Strategy/Practice   Official’s Calls   Luck What Really Determines “Winning” and “Losing”?

(per year) TexasYankees Ave HR RBI Slug % Record Think About Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod)..

Too Often Used To Determine Whether You Consider Yourself a “Success” or “Failure” Another Problem With Setting “Winning” As Your Goal...

I Can Tell You That Research Says We Should Not Focus On Winning But You Shouldn’t Believe Me… Here’s What Some of The Winningest Coaches Have To Say...

De La Salle High School (Concord, California)   151 Consecutive Wins   An Overall Record of   More Perfect Seasons (17) than losses (14)   ESPN’s #1 High School Team in the Country 5 of the Last 6 Years

How Do You Win 151 Football Games in a Row? By NOT Setting a Goal to Win! “Everyone asks me how I’ve won 151 straight games… my answer is always the same… BY NOT CONCENTRATING ON WINNING. If you work hard enough, the wins will come. -- Bob Ladouceur, Head Coach

John Wooden, Coach ESPN’s “Coach of the Century”   10 NCAA Championships in 12 years   6 Times Voted “College Coach of the Year”   88 Consecutive Victories   38 Consecutive NCAA Tournament Wins   4 Undefeated Seasons

How Do You Become the Most Successful Basketball Coach of All Time? By NOT Setting a Goal to Win! “I never mentioned winning or victory to my players. I never referred to beating an opponent. Instead I constantly urged them to strive for the self-satisfaction that comes with knowing you did your best.” -- John Wooden, Head Coach

How Do You Become the Most Successful Basketball Coach of All Time? By NOT Setting a Goal to Win! “Did I win? Did I lose?” Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: “Did I make my best effort?” That’s what matters. The rest of it just gets in the way” -- John Wooden, Head Coach

When you get what you want in your struggle for self And the world makes you king for a day Bill Parcells’ Favorite Poem “The Man in the Glass”...

Just go to the mirror and look at yourself And see what that man has to say

Some people may think you're a straight-shootin' chum And call you a wonderful guy

But the man in the glass says you're only a bum If you can't look him straight in the eye

He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest For he's with you clear up to the end

And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test If the man in the glass is your friend

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of life And get pats on the back as you pass

But your final reward will be the heartaches and tears If you've cheated the man in the glass

Thank You For Having Me Back… Go Redskins!

Please contact me if you think I might be of assistance in the future: Rick Albrecht