Thought it might be TODAY!

Jenn was feeling something different. We thought maybe it might be time to add to the family this morning, but nope- false alarm. So now she is at Wal-Mart with her mom and Jae. I'm sticking close to the phone though- I will keep you posted- cuz I know your dying to hear:)

Bailee and I spent most of the morning making a thing that you hang from the crib and the baby can reach for or just watch it- not sure what they are called. It is an octopus with strings hanging from its legs with smaller fish on the string- it's not that we are too cheap to buy one (what ever you call it) we are just being creative.

Consistent philosophies rise to the top

Have you noticed that all the professional sport organizations that build for the future, draft to fill a need, not to just fill seats. They also keep players around. They build leadership from within. It is obvious the owners, presidents/GMs, and coaches are leaders- but they let the build leadership in the locker room. Jordan, Brady, Magic, Bird, Gretzky. Manning, Duncan, and Jeter just to name a few all lead and take care of business in house.

The reason this is so important is because they learn to take on any issues as a team. They don't let one member hang out to dry. They build confidence within. When games are on the line the leaders step up and take over. They take pressure off the other players, or at least lessen it, and give confidence that they can pull it out.

There were several games that the Patriots should have lost this year, but they always made the big plays when it counted most to pull it out. Now why is it that other teams presented with the same opportunities to win a game in the clutch fail to do so? I think it comes down to confidence, players doing their jobs well, and putting the team first.

When you look back several years to the Lakers when they had Shaq and Kobe they were pretty dominate- but mainly because they had better talent in key positions than everyone else. yet they still had some key role players with championship confidence and leadership that helped to push them over the top (Robert Horry, Ron Harper, AC Green, John Salley).

I guess my point is that when you look at the big franchises they will have maybe one or two big time stars, but most of the players are solid role players that play for the team. If you look at the Spurs- other than Duncan and possibly Tony Parker you would not consider many of their players great players. They all fit a system and play hard for the team.

If you were to take Tony Parker off the Spurs and put him on the Minnesota Timberwolves he would probably get lost in the crowd. On the Spurs his talent shins because he plays well within the system and knows his role.

Championship teams are built by finding the unselfish players that will play for the team first and are willing to stick around. They take care of issues in the locker room and not in the news. They are lead by great leaders and respect each other.

Because I am such a fan of athletics I like to look at what makes great teams so great. Just my two cents.

The warm up before the warm up

I can't tell you how sold I am on the importance of Foam Rolling, using a stick, or using some other form of myofascial release before beginning the active warm ups.

Personally when I use the stick or foam before I actively warm up or stretch I immediately have better posture and alignment. I see it with the athletes (at least those that do it well). You can see the mobility immediately improve.

My daughter Jae is playing basketball now at a church league and does other active things. She is starting to develop some knots in her thighs and it will effect how her knees feel at times. She has other issues with her feet that need to be dealt with but that's something to deal with later. When I have her do the stick for a few minutes before and after she always feels better and have greater motion with less or no discomfort.

If you are not using some form of myofascial release now you need to get on it. It will make a huge difference.

WAIT! The phone- that could be Jenn in aisle 9 at Wal-Mart giving me the news that it is time to go get child number 3. Talk to you later....

Yours in Speed,

Lee