The Athletic

With the NBA season starting tomorrow, we are pleased to introduce our brand new podcast ‘The Athletic NBA Daily.' Hosted by Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, MSM, and Esfandiar Baraheni. The show will provide a fast, entertaining recap of the most important games and stories from professional basketball. Check out Episode 1 now: 🍏: https://apple.co/48wzrdT 🎧: https://spoti.fi/3YunWAa 📺: https://lnkd.in/gvfisfwi

The Athletic FC Podcast was recently named the Sports Podcast of the Year at the British Podcast Awards. “This is a massive award for us and I’m really excited to see where we can take the show," said host Ayo Akinwolere, "especially with an eye already on the World Cup in the United States in two years.” Check out The Athletic FC wherever you get your podcasts. https://lnkd.in/dGgqsW7h

College football coach Hal Mumme used to ask his players what the most important play in football was. Some would say the deep pass. Others would might name a run play. Mumme would listen and tell his players, no, the most important play in football was the next play. His point: "In football as in life one has no control over the past. It’s the immediate 'next play' that deserves focus. If one can learn to operate in such a manner, it becomes possible to achieve success by stringing together great next plays.'”

3 leadership lessons from Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans 1. Your energy is contagious so keep it positive Ryan tells his team it’s a great morning/afternoon “at least 100 times” a day to set the tone in the building and on the field. “Every day, every meeting,” Ryan said. “I’m coming in loud, full of energy, just so our guys can feel that energy.” 2. Be positive – but also be real “I make sure there’s a balance,” Ryan said. “Sometimes I can see a guy’s face and how he’s looking. I take the time to pull him to the side and talk to the guy and truly, genuinely ask, ‘Hey, are you really OK? How are things going outside of football?’” 3. Always do what you ask of others The questions that Ryan asks of his players and staff, he also asks of himself: Are you getting better every day? Are you giving your best? Are you constantly thinking about how you can improve? “I do those things so it’s not just me telling someone,” he said. “I act it out as well.”

The best leadership lesson former college football head coach Hal Mumme learned: String together "next plays." "We asked our players what they thought was the most important play in football. Usually someone would say the deep pass or a draw. I would say, 'No, no, the most important play in football is the next play.' We would then proceed to sell that to the point that 'play the next play' became the team motto. In football, as in life, one has no control over the past. It’s the immediate 'next play' that deserves focus. If one can learn to operate in such a manner, it becomes possible to achieve success by stringing together great 'next plays.'"

"If you can just keep getting better behind the scenes — the invisible days — if you can handle your business then, it will eventually come to the surface and make a difference in the long game." — NFL QB Kirk Cousins on The Athletic's Scoop City podcast

Former MLB All-Star Bronson Arroyo found that doing these *3* things every day helps him be successful: 1. 100 pushups in 5 ½ minutes It really never gets easy, no matter how good of shape you are in, and it’s a mental challenge. It’s something I have to muster every day, and I like to have to muster something every day. It’s getting over that hump and forcing yourself to do that every single day. 2. Eat four eggs for breakfast It makes me feel like I’m going to be the same guy every day. You’re trying to have a stable life and a body that feels a certain way with a certain amount of energy and the same personality. You want your friends and family and people you’re around all the time to know who’s going to show up when you show up. 3. Sing one song with a guitar It keeps me in the mode of it, and 20 years is going to go by and you’re not even going to realize how much better you get because it’s going to be so slow.

USC assistant basketball coach Will Conroy finds this the best way to give constructive criticism to someone who struggles to take feedback: Always disarm them by using yourself as the example. Bad example: “Man, stop throwing bad f—-- passes.” Good example: “Fellas, we gotta throw better passes and I’m probably the worst at it, but we gotta take care of the ball.”

On Sunday, Jim Leyland entered the Baseball Hall of Fame. Here's his best leadership advice: "The best leaders are those that make a tough decision when others are unsure…You can’t be afraid to make a mistake."

The best leadership lesson former running back and coach Sherman Smith learned in his 25+ years in the NFL? "If you treat the people you lead the way they are, that’s what they’ll stay. If you treat them the way you want them to be, that’s what they’ll try to become. I saw the people that I led as future oak trees, not acorns."