Disc in - Chasing after the Plastic Disc

Walcott on booze

2008-09-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

Walcott said, " When you are done with your career, you can have a drink. I don't drink at all. I never have done."

" At school, people have a mick at me for not drinking at parties, but that didn't bother me. It's only a short career and the way you are off the pitch makes a big difference."

Very very down-to earth.

Why we cannot get rid of that mental barrier, especially against certain teams

2008-09-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, it is about pride. It is the ego. I kept thinking to myself. My team is full of talented players. They are passionate about the game. Then why do they always crack under pressure? It is about their ego. It is the standards that each player set for themselves.

I quickly get the book egonomics and read through the first 2 chapters. True enough, I got my answers. Allow me to share with you.

1. Ego can make the individual better or worse. Competition blurs our focus. I remember reading this. If you keep an eye on winning, you cannot keep both eyes on your opponent. If you keep both eyes on your opponent, you cannot focus on your performance. When the comparison gets personal, the level of internal competition leads to behaviours that make individual less effective.

In 4 different group experiment, team members withheld information from the team leader assigned to make decision. They give inaccurate information to the team leader when they perceived the decision maker to be ULTRACOMPETITIVE. Just remember, the opponent seems larger or better doesn't make us any weaker or 'lesser'.

2. These comparisons could be due to the following three reasons.
a. Wrong Goal. What are we comparing? The number of wins we have over this opponent? Sustainability? No. of members in the club? Financial status? Are we envy of the opponent?
Envy is a strong motivator, but a weak navigator.
The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on improving all the time.

b. Goal set too high. High expectations can lead to initial motivation but it can also be discouraging and expensive in the long run. Can we beat Pyro in the next tournament? Frankly speaking, not even near...

c. We get comfortable where we are. Are we really that good? There are so many teams that look good out there who can beat us anytime. Look at some local clubs. If we put our foot off the accelerator, they will overtake us. Did you see the Philipines' Youth Team. Men, 2 more years and the Philipinas could be in two semis-finals. Are we capable for more? You bet. The enemy is ourselves. The enemy of Great is Good. We need to constantly improve. How? Shiok must be a learning club.

We need to achieve Personal Mastery at all levels. The beginners, the aspiring players and the leaders. Every player must take charge of their learning and improvement. Once a week training is not sufficient. If you feel like slacking after Opens, you are the worst professional player ever. Yes, you can rest. But why waste all the efforts, especially if you have peaked during opens. Don't allow your body to crumble and go to waste.

We must make sure every player has the same mental model and shared vision. Shiok's vision is very simple. Always do our best, develop players to their fullest potential and contribute actively to the community. If every player can achieve that, then team learning can take place and Shiok can move forward together. We cannot allow laggers. They are a pain to the team and the team has to slow down to wait for them. We should get rid of weeds asap.

Lastly, we need to create our own future. We create our own directions. If you find yourself playing a few sports, you might need to sit down and consider which one is the best for you. As working adults or even students, it is not possible to be the best in both sport. You can only play and train hard in one game. You will definitely sacrifice the other game. Choose one and be the best you can be. Focus.

Shiok's destiny is in our hands.

Youth Olympic Games 2010

2008-09-05T02:12:00.000-07:00

Check this out.

http://www.singapore2010.sg/day/index.htm

Very cool, corporate video.

Managing Stress- Ultimate at the highest level

2008-09-05T00:51:00.000-07:00

How many times do you see people crack under pressure? Can you handle failure like how you handle success? What is your reaction when you face adversity? Do you have the adversity quotient(AQ) to pick it up and move on from there? As leaders, do you have what it takes to control yourself, pick it up from the failure and inspire your team to move forward?

We are not full time athletes. We need to balance work, study, family and other commitments. Full time athletes do crack under pressure. Can use some tips from these athletes and apply to our game?

5 essential Cs to mental strength
1. Composure.
2. Concentration.
3. Confidence.
4. Coping with challenges.
5. Cohesion.

1. Learning from mistakes. Competition is getting stronger and stronger. Even if you are breaking the exisiting world record does not garantee you a spot on the podium. You got to even win your compeititors who are also breaking world record. But you need to quickly snap back after making an error and no dwell on past mistakes. Some sports allow us to do that. Ultimate is one of them. Weight lifting, swimmng and relays do not allow mistakes. But we can stop our negative thoughts to dictate our attitude. NO point blaming yourself. The worst action is to blame the team. Do you think they want to lose the game?

No point scolding players. Leaders take full responsibility for the team's loss. If you can do the above, your players will die for you.

2. Coping with pressure. Universal point. Some players stepped up and make it theirs. Others ran away or hide to avoid being called upon. Which one do you fit in? You need to go through all the "what ifs". Do lots of self-reflections and really know yourself. What am I lacking in?Identify the problems and take small steps to change it.

3. Set Goals. Think big but start small. Learn to distinguish what is within your control and what are not. Whenever pressure hits, negative thoughts fill your min first. No doubt. Learn to meditate and control your mind. Relax your mind. You can see good players not able to perform at the highest level. They are out of their comfort zone.

Are you having difficulty sleeping before the tournament? Use these techiniques to overcome it. After the game, you feel that it is not that bad and you are cursing yourself why you didn't rest enough. Maybe if I rest enough, I can do better!

Making decisions. There are no right or wrong decision in tactical or strategy. It's just different point of view. Respect each others call. Debate and talk it out...

Rest today, peak tomorrow. Learn to stress your body(training ) and take time to recover. Rest helps you to keep performing at your highest level.

First post after Singapore Opens - Can we groom enough players to replace ourselves?

2008-09-05T00:34:00.001-07:00

Great Singapore Opens. Great finals. Looking at the level of play during the finals, I must admit we are still far away from these players, individually and as a team. The Philipinas trained twice a week for the national team and twice for their club. On top of that, they play league every week. That is a total of five high quality training every week. In Singapore, we can even hardly meet to play pick up. Can we be committed and follow their system? Yes, certainly, but not until every player and club put down their ego and come together to play.

Decentralising the community and forming individual club identity is great. I never deny that. But for every policy, there are weaknesses and problems. Clubs start to have their own training or even pick up in their own truf. We used to have THE 'community spirit' and every Singapore player looks forward to Tuesday and Thursday pick. With the huge pool of hard core players, one will travel all the way from the east or west to play just because, he or she knows, there is bound to have people tossing around. Fast forward to now. Tuesday and Thursday are gone. Some clubs have training that clashes with Wednesday pick up. And the stupid security does not help at all. Level of pick up starts to get lower and veterans decided to give it a miss and call for their own club training. Looking at the size of the current clubs, it is not tough to call for their own training or pick. So where is the camaraderie of the community. Aren't we part of the Ultimate Community? Can we exist without the community?

Who is stepping up to ensure that we are replaced in the community? Who is ensuring that every player who is joining Ultimate receives the correct training and play with the right values?
For every player that is playing right now, we need the same number of beginners to replace us. We cannot leave this job to the JC teachers. It is not enough. How can we ensure that these youth players continue to choose Ultimate as the sport for them to pursue in their Uni lives?

I had a hard time trying to gather people. To unite people. Everyone want to play. As every club and players look to protect their own territory, they usually forget that in this small community there exist even more. How can we reach out to more people? Can we do it without the lure of financial benefits and focus on the greater calling? If Ultimate is your passion, then ask yourself what have you done to make it better for the next generation?

I am at the Beijing Olympics!

2008-08-22T01:49:00.000-07:00

Some of the photos taken from the Beijing Olympics. Very Very fun and defintely an experience of a lifetime.

Structure vs Free Flow

2008-07-28T02:08:00.000-07:00

There are several pros and cons to structure and free flow (samba). I think the most powerful strategy is to have a structure with room for innovation. Ultimate is really a game where you should not take risk. The higher your chances of completing a pass to your team mates, the higher your chances of winning the game. With a structure in your offence or defence, the players will be able to time their cuts and move to the correct position. However, sometimes, the defence will also be confused or the defence come up with a more unconventional strategy. This is where the offensive team needs to innovate and get out of the defence. If they continue to follow their structure, the offence will collapse. The best example is to insist on executing the vertical stack against the zone defence. I would acknowledge that if a team changes from vertical to zone offence, this is innovation!

I still remember playing the Japanese team in Perth. They are very structured and discipline (very very important in a structure). You know that where the next cuts are, but you cannot stop them as there are many options to that cuts and of course, the handlers know where the options are. They time their cuts so perfectly that they can get the flow once the dead disc leaves the hands of the handler. They just keep running and clearing. By the time they reach the middle of the field, the defenders will be panting and catching their breath. This is the time when they put the dagger into their opponents and score!

Too fast too furious. NO. Too fast too accurate. Too discipline too systematic. Looks like I need to take out the Toyota Way and the Toyota Culture to learn about the Japanese culture man...

I swear by these 36 strategies! Read it!

2008-07-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Ultimate frisbee strategies? Business strategies? The best strategies come from the ancient Chinese warfare. These strategies are not to be confused with Sun Zi's War Strategies. Learn about about Zhuge Liang.

Unspirited, no SOTG? It is how to use these stragetgies and how you react. If the opponents react, it gets into their head and create confusion. It creates hatred. It creates tension. A wise man who is not calm cannot think clearly. A tired player who cannot think clearly let the situation gets into their head and affect their game. It affected team morale. Yes, everyone wants to be spirited, but how many spirited players are there in the scene. Who dares to read the fine lines of the rules and get an advantage in the game. Knowing the rules is important, it's to protect yourself. Understanding the rule is crucial, it's to create an advantage for your team and take advantage of players who do not know the rules.

In my view, results are not important, it is the process. I call this game sense... Creativity at the maximum. We cannot study,memorise and just follow the rules. Most of the time... not all the time.

Please read the link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty-Six_Strategies

I understand there are players who are advocates for the SOTG. I am not against SOTG. In fact as an educator, I need to embrace it. However, I am challenging you to look at the situation differently and protect yourself. Off the field strategies are important too. It is the perception of the others that determine the outcome. Does that mean that if a player is unspirited once and he will not be able to get the SOTG award. ** Does that mean that if the player constantly receives the SOTG award, he is considered spirited? *<>* It's all in the perception, the mental model and mindset of the people.

Which means not matter how spirited I am in the field, I am viewed as a hypocrite and acting. It's true, it's damm true. It also means that if I am seen talking to players from another team, I am poaching them. It's true and it's damm very true. It's also about perception!

Morale of the story.
NIL. N.A.

Great Story to show why we must work harder than our opponents or competitors

2008-07-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

Adopted from The World is Flat.

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will be starved to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you better start running."

The untouchables fall into three broad categories. First are the one who are really specialized or special – incredible talent like Michael Jackson or Tiger Woods. Second, the people who are “localized” or “anchored”, these are your regular groceries store owners, local barber, taxi drivers, jobs that require a local presence and a personalized touch. Third, the “new middle class”, the former assembly line automation worker, data entry, analyst etc…

The following portion is perhaps what teachers should note and try to nurture their students into

The New Middles would need the following skills to survive and excel –

Great Collaborators and Orchestrators
The people who can connect and link people and cultures together regardless of their own background, and have a healthy respect for differences – someone who is a good horizontal collaborator, comfortable working in a global company and translating the product and service for the local market regardless where it is

The Great Synthesizers
This are the individuals who can understand multiple disciplines and platforms and be able to create new innovation and products – simple example, a fusion chef who can combine western and eastern cooking styles

The Great Explainers
These are good managers, writers, teachers, producers, journalists and editors who can see the increased complexity around the world and yet be able to explain it with simplicity

The Great Leveragers
The ones who can spot trends before the rest, grasp opportunities and use what is existing to create a new order of things, e.g. outsourcing in India, same process, different location

The Great Adapters
Individuals who are not restrain by “older” thoughts, always ready to change according to the demands of work and the environment, e.g. a marketing person who started 30 years ago first learning about advertising in newspapers and radios, then television, then now the internet

The Green People
Individuals who are able to optimise opportunities in research and production of sustainable and renewable energies.

The Passionate Personalizers
These are people who are always willing to go that extra mile to give different and excellent service, the personal touch is something that cannot be outsourced mechanically.

The Great Localizers
The ones who can adopt, adapt to new technologies and bring them to their own home country and localize it .

Everyone must learn how to learn. Do you know how to learn? Can you learn the skills or throws yourself without someone to guide you?

You need the passion and curiosity to excel.

Play well with others and be a team player.

Lte's see mroe craetviity ...

A Short Story about me

2008-07-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Something for you to know about me.

http://www.schoolbag.sg/archives/2008/07/from_flab_to_fit_and_it_takes.php

Chess and Boxing!

2008-07-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

This is what I call innovation. Random connections!

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1821639,00.html

Mandela at 90 and his secrets of his leadership

2008-07-14T04:10:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting article. If you want to improve your leadership qualities.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1821467,00.html

Common traits of the best athletes who gets better and betters

2008-07-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

There are common traits of an athletes which make them successful and this can be also be applied to your business or personal life.

The common trait among elite athletes is mental toughness. Eveything starts from the head. This aspect is crucial to the athlete's sucess especially when everyone is of the same standard. Mental toughness is also important when the pressure mounts during crunch time, especially universal point or rubber set. How many times did you see elite athletes living up to the occasion and performing at their best, while others simply 'give up' when they are down?

Elite athletes eat, breathe and strive under intense pressure. They manage their pressure to ensure that they perform at their optimum. They track their goals, never lose sight of them even when the going gets tough. They drives ahead of their competitions to ensure that they stay at the top.

The best of the best develop inner focus. They are self-directed, concentrate on their own performance and excellence. For some athletes, even personal tragedy do not affect them. They are the expert to compartmentalisation.

Elites rebound from defeats. They do not engage in self-flagellation.

Most olympic athletes, focus on the long term goals and careful planning for the short term.

They reinvent themselves after they become the benchmark and never allow any competitors to overtake them.

Lastly, they celebrate wins! This is not only an emotional reward. These athletes analyse their success factors, focus in their expertise and develop their soaring self-confidence.

Summarise from Havard Business Review, Graham Jones, How the best of the best get better and better.

Proudest Moment of my Life

2008-07-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

I would like to share my happiness and pride with all my friends who know me.

http://938live.sg/portal/site/938Live/menuitem.43735da1634c4377d21b2910618000a0/?vgnextoid=ba6a967a9220b110VgnVCM1000001f0aa8c0RCRD&vgnextchannel=18d2638896593110VgnVCM100000e101000aRCRD&mcParam=18d2638896593110VgnVCM100000e101000aRCRD

This award will continue to motivate me and do my best for the pupils and the education service. I wish that the publicity can inspire more PE teachers to join Shiok.

I delicate this award to my parents, my wife and all my friends who mould and shape me for the person I am today.

Communication to anyone on and off the fields

2008-07-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Communication is very important whether it is on the field, off the field or work place.

Good communication follows the ABC rule.

Accurate - Check your facts, include all relevant information, proofread, do not assume and be timely

Brief - Keep sentences short, use simple expressions and non-technical language. Who cares what is ATP-PC when they are sprinting up the slope right?

Clear - Use plain simple English or Hokkien. Write in an easy or natural style. Handwriting must be neat, if not, use a PC.

Always be courteous and considerate when communicating. Power does not come from your position, it comes from the respect you receive. Shouting or screaming is not encourage, but if you are addressing yourself, go ahead.

Courtesy also means replying promptly. Late replies are a no no... Remember to give your attendance...

Mental Strength is stronger than the Physical Strength

2008-07-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Who is good at playing mind games? The EPL managers? The players? Politicians?

The trash talking is really useful sometimes to get the point across. Some teams claim that they are the underdogs. Some teams praise the opponents before the game. Others simply talk about other things totally not related to the game. We use to do that in Singapore, especially the old Ultimate Website where players from other teams will gather and thrash talk before Singapore Open. Of course, all of them come to Singapore looking forward to beat a TEAM. Nowadays, this does not happen anymore. Maybe the website is not frequently visited by the players. Maybe there isn't a team for them to beat now. Maybe Ultimate is maturing in Asia.

It is very difficult to not get emotional during the game. Human are afterall emotional creatures. When the team is losing, what is the natural thing to do. Keep quiet. When the team is up, the team or supporters cheer louder. Does that happen in the EPL? Can we create a culture that the team cheers whatever the situation or circumstance? Can we train this? How?

How do we train a team and every individual players to play 100% at every point? Asians are so used to the mentality that we should always conserve in case anything happen. In case of this, in case of that. Come on. There is no in case, it is the present which is now...

Finally, I am officially appointed HOD PE, CCA & Aesthetics

2008-06-18T23:21:00.000-07:00

Went through the interview this morning. It was a breeze. After 3 years of no pay, no allowance, covering duties as a HOD, I am finally officially appointed. Who set this rule in the first place?

The best answers when you are being asked a number during training

2008-06-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

4 is the number!

Four-ever. We can run forever coach. Make sense?

Mixed Strategies - Summary for easy reading

2008-06-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

Some information I read on the web. I have included some of my ideas too.

1. Use less men when opponent is going up wind, i.e. play 3-4.

2. Use the advantage on your team and emphasise on your opponents' weakness, especially when they do not use their women much.

3. Keep all-round excellent male player on the field

4. Women who can do these on the field are assets especially in mixed game - huck, poach, play cup and handle during zone.

5. Men needs patience while playing in mixed and vary the throws to suit both gender'

6. Man handlers need to consistantly break the mark, play D on transition which happens more frequently in mixed games

7. Accomdate a range of skills and develop a variety of throws (long throws to women and man are different.)

8. Field awareness from all players, especially female going deep. Men to clear out/cut back when the women go deep or risk their defenders poaching and getting the D.

9. Women must play at the same intensity as the men.

10. Get the biggest and quickest guy to mark the disc to create mismatch (think trap zone)

11. Maximise your player's strength and teach/appreciate space awareness

12. Froce straight up for a few points/stall count for teams that depend on focus set plays and horizontal.

13. Step up the intensity on marking.

14. Play your game. It is better to lose playing your game, then to lose playing into your opponents game.

15. Pull plays to female handlers.

Shiok's History

2008-06-10T01:43:00.000-07:00

I always use Singapore as a metaphor for Shiok. Think about the history of Singapore and you will see the relationship between the way Shiok and Singapore is formed. There are something common when Singapore gained independence. There are a lot of hatred and disparity. Shiok is also made up of 'immigrants' from many clubs. As the club is fighting for survival during the initial satge, there is a need to rule it with an iron fist. Of course, when there are changes, something will emerge and others will vanish.

When the club expands, the newer members need to know the history of the club. Taking an example of introducing National Education in our curriculum, there is a need to have some form of patriotism in the country. This is very similar to the patriotism to the club and understanding how the club has progress throughout the years. The hardship, loss and wins are important milestones. As a club, we should look ahead and stop thinking about the past. There are wins and losses. We should use these opportunities as learning experiences and move on to greater heights.

It is my challange to all members of Shiok to know the club's short history. Everyone should appreciate the process that have brought us here today. The next leadership pipeline should know the history and bring the club to another level. We CANNOT self-destruct, believe that we are comfortable now and stay stagnant. If we have this mindset, it is time that we review the objectives of the club.

How athletes can perform at a level that we cannot comprehend

2008-06-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

How to Nadal produce those shots that tame Roger Federer? Roger is not playing badly, but Nadal is simply extraordinary at the grand slam finals. How is one able to produce just 7 unforced errors in 3 sets in a finals against the world number 1? It is true that clay is not the Fed express favourite surface, but 7 unforced errors is magnificent.

An article written by Rohit Brijnath in today's Straits Time mentioned and I quote him,

"I consider the speed required by Nadal to sprint across the baseline to the ball, the awareness he required to know where on the court Federer was, the precise angle and the acceleration of the racket head required to author a centimetre -perfect reply and the fact that Nadal might be required to sprint back to the other end of the baseline." He added what is amazing is that " Some of the shots Nadal played this tournament defied belief. If you then factor in his consistency, his ability to repeat the improbable, it becomes terrifying."

What I am really fascinated is that he is not under the pressure to perform. Don't forget that he is gunning for the 4th Championship in a row aganist the world no.1.

Why Celtics is able beat Lakers? How did they manage to keep Kobe quiet? And how Kobe allow them to keep him quiet?

Why is France held to a goaless draw against Romania, the lowly seeded team in the Group of Death? How did Holland, whose morale is at all time low after losing Robbern able to beat the World Cup Champions Italy at a huge scoreline? 3-0? You must be kidding.

Why are the underdogs who seem to have given up before the match with everyone writing them off, able to produce the results they are looking for? What is there to learn for Shiok through these examples? At the highest level, skills and fitness are no longer the factors for success. The mind is. The mind controls the body. Shiok should no longer be looking at Fitness and Skills at the superficial level. Mental training is one of the toughest asepct of the game. Of course, some players simply have the passion, the enthu and the character for sports. Some needs nurturing. However, as great players, everyone must bring their A game everyday, every game. Even at pick up.

Some qustions which I do not understand

2008-06-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

Why do they need locls for 7-11 when these shops are open 24/7?

Why do cockroaches turn to their back when they die?

Why are teachers not in the same professional status as doctors or lawyers? Is it due to the lack of professional knowledge in the profession?

Why the underdogs can win the hot favourites when the odds are staked against them?

Finally Back!

2008-06-07T07:45:00.000-07:00

Finally I am back. Bangkok is really a country of Smiles. The women will keep smiling and the poor is also smiling, but not as happy. Tired legs. Lucky there is cheap massage. 180 Baht for 1 hr foot massage. Wtf!

Ultimate Withdrawal. Don't know can get use to training again or not.

Vain Man in Action... Living the days of a model again... But now, look at what stress and Ultimate has done to me. How to model like that?

Our purchase in Bangkok. We have contributed a few hundreds dollars to Thailand economy. Happy can already.

Living in the country's tallest hotel is so SHIOK!!! Nice view and of course, nice view = burn a hole in the pocket.

How does Shiok Grow People?

2008-05-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Every club has structures and set plays. They have dedicated players, competent captains, crazy fitness coaches and a head coach.

Within the organisation, they are many structures and systems. But the players are the most important assets. Set plays cannot be executed without the players. League cannot be run without passionate players. Trainings are not intense or successful without dedicated players.

For a club to remain successful and sustainable, there are no other factors more important than our players. This is especially so in a voluntary organisation, where players need to pay in order to play! How can we keep our players engage and wanting to come back for more?

The reason is to boost the morale of every individual player. Every player is treated with respect, treated like a person in a humane way. They want to come for training and leave the training feeling good. They want to spend the weekend with friends. The synergy created can create a dynamic force that binds every member together. Feedback given should be timely, realistic and relevant to the player. Put yourself in the person's shoe. You do not want to be criticised too right? You do not like to be shouted at right? We are human after all, with feelings and pride.

Nobody want to do the job badly when we start. Everyone wants to do their best and perform at the best when they pick up the sport. As a newbie, the feedback one receive is positive. "Don''t worry, let's try again!" As we play more and more, longer and longer, the expectations begins to increase. "F***, catch that bloody disc! Can't you throw straight?" Our feedback becomes judgemental. We target the outcome instead of the player's development. Coaches have too much to tell and they forget about the coachee's level of knowledge and readiness to learn. We have too many voices in our heads. Keeping things simple sometimes can be beneficial as well.

Machine vs Garden system. Does our club operate like a machine or garden system? Machine system is cold, task oriented, needs oiling or overhaul, needs upgrade, no values or moral and becomes obsolete in this ever changing world. On the other hand, the garden system is interdependence, diversified, lively, allow growth, and even the old dies, it continues to support the young (fertilizers) and the system is sustainable. No amount of quick fix can be used to sustain this system. It takes time to grow initially. Once it reaches the right time, it will grow at an exponential rate! Is our club a garden? Do we take care of every organism in the system? Do we expect every player to behave and play in the same way? Of course not!

As a gardener, I see my role to help my player avoid burnout. They must take care of their PIES. Physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual well being. Players must know who they are. Their strength, gift, talents, capacity, values, purpose and develop them to their maximum potential. They also need to know their limitations, fears and shadows. Can you handle the truth?

Do not be who you are not! Live into a purposeful life and have a purposeful Ultimate career! What are you passionate about? What can I contribute to the club or community? What I can be the best at? These ideas are taken from the book Good to Great and they can be applied to the person as well.

People is our club's best assets. Contribute to the club and the club can serve your needs too.

A good coach imparts, a great coach transforms!

Do you prepare yourself mentally for every tournament?

2008-05-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

I believe everyone would agree with me that mental preparation is very important. You need to prepare your body and physical aspect of your game by training hard and maintaining your fitness at its peak. However, most of the time, athletes gave up due to weak mental strength. The body is giving you signals that you need to rest. For the weak minded, you gave in and the body shuts down. But one can see miracles do happen in extreme circumstances. The human body can perform at an amazing strength and speed when the person is met with adversity or danger. Mother saving their children during disasters, human breaking world records etc.

Most people believe that you need to prep your mind a few days before the tournament. May I suggest you change the mindset and consider this. Prepare your mind in every game you play, be it pick up, club training, fitness training, league games, league finals, tournament irregardless of importance. PLAY LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW. You never know when is your last game. Any freak accident will be career ending. My point is to always do your best in every game. Trust me you will not regret. I am even happy that I complete another training or pick up without picking up any major injury. Whether you win or lose, if you had put in your best effort, you will not regret it.

The worst case scenario is when you ask yourself, WHAT IF? What if I run a little harder during the game? What if I have train harder before the tournament? What if I did not make the rush decision to throw the disc? What if? Come on. There are many more examples which I can give. These are just excuses. There is no what if, if you have tried your best for every training or game, irregardless of the opponent or circumstances.

Start today. Do your best for every game. I am as busy as everyone of you. I might not be a scholar, a high flyer, CEO or a boss. I am just an education officer. I am busy too. If I can make time for every training for the past 6 years for which ever team I had played for, there is no reason why you guys can't. I never miss any league game which I had signed up for the past 6 years. I missed a total of 10 trainings for the past 6 years for all clubs. 5 were due to medical (sick) 5 were due to either work or personal commitment which is more important than Ultimate. There are not many commitments that more important than Ultimate other than my wife and family.

I have sprined my ankle twice in my Ultimate career. You got to learn to take care of yourself during the game and after the game as well. Health is taken for granted only after you inured yourself. For the 2 injuries, I lost all my fitness and half the distance in my huck. Is it worth it? Is Ultimate worth my time. You bet!