Stephen Sabo, MD’s Post

Here's my latest article for TSN - The Sports Network - Canada and National Lacrosse League (NLL)

Was this the greatest comeback we have ever seen in sports? 🏉 The 2023 Grand Final, with 20 minutes remaining Penrith found themselves 16 points behind, having only scored 8 points in the initial 60 minutes of play. The Broncos had their name written on the trophy, or so every fan thought. What we all didn't imagine, was the level of leadership shown by Nathan Cleary, in his 3rd consecutive Grand Final. he took the team on his shoulders & played what could only be described as the best 20 minutes of rugby league from an individual that we have ever seen. He kicked a 40/20 & was a key element in setting up two tries to narrow the margin to only 4 points. When, with two minutes left in the game, he took the ball to the line, dummied & cut through the line like a knife through hot butter. He then converted his own try, from under the posts to claim the Premiership for the 3rd year in a row 🏆 One of the key facets of leadership at Raw Selection is, if you want to lead - act like a leader. When I hear this, I think Cleary. He didn't lead by shouting & telling his team what to do, he led his team by doing what needed to be done. He lifted the team to a new standard, by being the standard. There's a lot to learn from sports that can be taken into business, the consistent effort to win 3 premierships in a row & to continue to have your standards when it appears all is lost, is definitely one of them. For my US connections, Rugby League is similar to American Football, but without the pads, forward passes & stoppages. I spent some time in Vegas to watch the opening round in April of this year, I'd advise you make the trip over next April as they are holding that event again. What sporting moment, turned your head & made you think about how you could lead your own team better? #leadership #teams #greatness

Progression is rarely a linear journey That does not mean the journey isn't worth taking As many of you know I now spend my weekends playing rugby for our local club. Our team is coming back after 5 years out of the league and I've returned to the sport I've not played since being a child. Our goal for the season was to field a team and grow as a team, creating a good base on which we can build for the future. We don't expect to dominate the league, we aren't delusional - but we put everything on the line for each other every chance we get. Follow our progress: 🔴 Preseason v Perthshire Eagles: 39-26 loss 🔴 Away v Waid: 56-24 loss 🔴 Home v Panmure; 51-10 loss 🔴 Away v Kirkcaldy 2XV: 110-0 loss 🔴 Home v Dunfermline 2XV: 47-36 loss 🟢 Away v Perthshire Eagles: 60-0 win I've had the pleasure of playing in every game, I hurt my back in the preseason opener, my wrist v Panmure and my knee v Dunfermline. Half the squad are carrying some sort of a knock and each week we need tapped up and strapped up to run out onto the field. Despite these knocks, I play for the love of the game, for the badge on the shirt and for my teammates. I'm playing alongside people I didn't know two months ago but we lift each other up. We learn together, as people have come in we've adjusted our lines, I'm now playing in a new position (Number 8), every day is a school day. Saturday's game was a huge win for us, 2 months ago we lost to this team over 80minutes, yet on Sat we won 60-0 despite the game ending early (game ended at 60min due to them having injuries and not wanting to risk more with the game out of reach). The win goes beyond the scoreline though, we could see elements of our training coming together - plays being call and ran, players interlinking more naturally - it was a huge improvement. Does this mean we will win next week? Nope, we will go out and give it our all. We may lose by a hundred points, but after the game, we pick each other up, go back to work and focus on the next battle If you ever want to check out the highlight's - follow Arbroath RFC on facebook. I spent years watching sports, always on the sideline. It wasn't until I laced up the boots and became a part of that team that I could see the parallels to the struggles we all face. This post was about Rugby, but it applies to so much more. I hope you can extract the value for yourself.

COLLOCATIONS RELATED TO SPORT To score a goal: to achieve a point. To win a match: to be victorious. To lose a game: to be defeated. To break a record: to surpass the best performance. To set a record: to establish a new best. To hold a record: to have the best performance. To take part in a competition: to participate. To compete in a race: to take part in a race. To train for an event: to prepare physically and mentally. To qualify for a tournament: to meet entry requirements. To miss a shot: to fail to score. To make a save: to prevent a goal. To block a shot: to stop a scoring attempt. To defend a title: to compete to retain championship. To support a team: to cheer for a team. To follow a team: to track team’s activities. To attend a match: to be present at an event. To watch a game: to view a sports event. To organize a tournament: to plan a competition. To host a competition: to provide venue and facilities. To referee a game: to officiate the game. To coach a team: to train and lead the team. To captain a team: to lead the team as captain. To form a team: to create a team. To play a sport: to engage in a sport. To take a penalty: to perform a penalty shot. To serve the ball: to start play with a serve. To hit a home run: to score in baseball. To catch a ball: to grab the ball. To throw a ball: to propel the ball. To kick the ball: to strike the ball with foot. To dribble the ball: to move the ball with control. To pass the ball: to transfer the ball. To tackle an opponent: to challenge to take the ball. To win a trophy: to receive an award for victory. To receive a medal: to be awarded a medal. To clinch a victory: to secure a win. To face a challenge: to confront difficulty. To overcome an obstacle: to deal with difficulties. To sustain an injury: to suffer physical harm. To recover from an injury: to heal after injury. To end a career: to retire from sports. To make a comeback: to return to competition. To enter a competition: to register to compete. To boost morale: to increase confidence. To face an opponent: to compete against someone. To cheer for a team: to vocally support a team. To perform well: to play effectively. To suffer a defeat: to experience loss. To achieve a milestone: to reach a significant goal. #IELTS #ieltspreparation #english #esl #grammar #vocabulary #collocations #elviranmalik

The USA Basketball Men’s National Team managed to secure a 98-92 victory over Australia in an Olympic warmup game, despite a late fightback from the Boomers. The US led by as many as 24 points in the third quarter, but the Boomers cut the lead to just 86-80 in the fourth. Despite the win, the USA had an eye-watering 18 turnovers, which Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker admits will not win them the gold medal. The team's weak points have been chemistry and lack of hustle, which have been viewed as the team's weak points over the years. The USA has won seven of the eight men’s basketball gold medals on offer since professionals were able to participate for the first time at Barcelona 1992. However, the team's weaknesses are evident, and it remains to be seen if they can overcome them in the upcoming games. What do you think are the key factors that will determine the outcome of the Olympic games? How can the USA overcome their weaknesses and secure the gold medal?

Sometimes when I get asked to do a key-note or conference presentation, the topic will be very broad on a subject like success in sport, common elements in sporting victories, top ten qualities of winners in sport etc. I usually start with list of some of the sporting organizations and groups I've worked with and learnt from since the early 1990s - which includes Premier league football , AFL, NRL, Super Rugby, Test level rugby, National Olympic teams, Grand Slam Tennis, Pro Triathlon teams, NCAA Div. 1 level college teams and others. I then ask the audience - "Knowing I've worked with all these teams and spent over 30 years learning from some of the best coaches, athletes and leaders in sport - what's the one question you must ask me"? What's that one question? (I'll answer it on the next post). #waynegoldsmith #wgcoaching #sport #sportingsuccess

Whether you are a Federer fan or not take time to listen to this. His commencement address at Dartmouth might be the best speech he’s ever given. A key part of the speech talking all about the winner's mindset and how it is about not dwelling on the losses but bouncing back to the winning track. Its a lesson for everyone - it's not about being perfect. it's about focusing on the next point, the next shot, and not dwelling on the last one. "Perfection is impossible. In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches. But what percentage of points did I win? 54% In other words, even top ranked tennis players win barely more than half the points they play. When you lose ever second point on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot. You teach yourself to think: 'Okay, I double faulted...it's only a point.' 'Okay, I came to the net and I got passed again...it's only a point.' Even a great shot, an overhead backhand smash that ends up on ESPN's top 10 playlist – that too is just a point. Here's why I'm telling you this. When you're playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world. And it is. But when it's behind you, it's behind you. This mindset is crucial – because it frees you to fully commit to the next point with intensity, clarity, and focus." #Sport #WinningMindset #Federer #Mindset

Blackburn Rovers Vs Derby County Match Report (Part 3) Second Half: There was a shift in mentality and approach for Derby in the second half which sparked hope in the newly promoted side’s hearts. Where they were a lot more aggressive when they didn’t have the ball, changing shape to improve their initial narrowness. They were then rewarded for their hard work from half time, up until their goal which came in the 67th minute, through a set piece goal. Then it all went downhill after that, due to Blackburn remembering a certain asset they had and used in the beginning of the game. Blackburn’s perspective: A lot of questions have to be asked of how they basically gave away possession and momentum for Derby during for most of the second half. Although they showed a good sense of defensive understanding between teammates, as they persevered through large spells of not having the ball. It looked as if they forgot how versatile a team they were, as they had 25-30 minutes worth of not using their 6’1 striker. He already showed that he can win them first balls and is decently reliable when playing into him, they just did not use their assets enough. Up until the introduction of another new addition to their striking department, Yuki Ohashi. As he came in the 65th minute, watched his team concede right away. Directly followed by Blackburn finally being more direct when they have the ball, using Yuki for him to make a lovely layoff into the winger who came inside, eventually leading to the goal. (Image 1) It was then an uphill battle for Derby as they were chasing the game, whilst being quite unstructured behind the ball, leading to a number of opportunities for Blackburn on the break. Summary: Overall, it was a tough opening fixture for Derby as they faced an established and hungry looking Blackburn. Although they showed glimpses of being able to cope when in possession as well as changing their shape when they didn’t have the ball. In regards to Blackburn, they managed the game decently well, while giving Derby too much of the ball for large spells during the game. Their approach and intentions both on and off the ball gives their fans a lot to be looking forward to during the season. This Is only just the beginning though, and a lot can change between match day 1 and 46, as both teams are in for quite a bumpy road ahead. #Football #Analysis #Championship