Serena: The Princess and the Pea
You are the best ever. You lost because you were beaten by a better player on that day. That is what happens in sport. It is about today. Your rhythm was thrown off because of any extra day due to the...
View ArticleRoger vs. Novak Once Again
We tennis fans are so blessed when Grand Slam finals are contested by #1 vs #2. In this era we have seen it many times as Roger, Rafa, Novak and Andy have faced off. And we are often presented with a...
View ArticleNovak: The Master of Preparation and Resiliency
The final between Novak and Roger was, once again, an extraordinary match. Roger, constantly working to find the opportunity to strike with his offense. Novak, covering just about every spot of the...
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A Winning Day Despite a Loss and, Today, a Chance for a Gold Ball
I played a long time friend, Michael Beautyman, in the quarterfinals on the hottest, most humid day of the week. The short story is that he got the better of me 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Nearly 3 1/2 hours of...
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Gold in the Louisiana Delta
I often write that I have redefined winning in a way that almost every match has wins. The sweetest of wins is when all that is important to me comes through in the big matches, the finals of the...
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Great Friends Make for Great Teams
Charlie Hoeveler and I have been friends for nearly 25 years. Our mutual respect for one another continues to grow. There is nothing better than playing doubles with someone that you love to spend time...
View ArticleForgiveness on the Courts
Todays match was totally different than our last one. Yesterday we were in total synch, both of us playing great at the same time for the length of the match. We played well together for the first set,...
View ArticleMama Said There’d Be Days Like These
Doubles finals at the ASICS World Championships…Charlie and I got crushed. 6-0 6-0 on Center Court. There is little to say other than the ball just didn’t bounce our way today. We played ok but our...
View ArticleSerena: A Champion’s Champion
I blasted Serena after the US Open for her attitude towards Roberta Vinci and the US Open crowd after her defeat cost her the Grand Slam. I wrote to her in my blog: Serena: So now, a better story for...
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The Story Model of High Performance Meets the University of Michigan Tennis Team
Amazing day in Ann Arbor on Monday. Presented my storytelling model for high performance to the #24 ranked Wolverine tennis team as they prepare for the NCAA championships. These young men gave me...
View ArticleDo You Lose Confidence?
Do You Lose Confidence? I have debated the idea of confidence with sports and business clients many times. I have often taken issue with the idea that we lose it if not performing well. The story I...
View ArticleNobody Had a Better Story Than Ali
Stories work like this. You write about who you aspire to be. Your write it as if you are that person. You reinforce it over and over again. Every day. To anyone who will listen. Especially to...
View ArticleWatch Wimbledon and Raise the Level of Your Performance
We watch sports because we have an emotional connection to the players. We like and don’t like players. We care how they do. There is more there to watch. We can become better versions of ourselves by...
View ArticleNovak: A Champion’s Champion
A Champion’s Champion What a delight it was to witness Novak Djokovic’s ascension to the top of my Champion’s Champion list. In his loss yesterday to Stan Wawrinka, Novak reached rarefied air. Never...
View ArticleStories Can Take Your Games to Another Level
I am all about stories. And everyday, in my work, I hear people’s stories. Some stories are very good. But mostly I hear more negative ones. That is what we do. We focus on what is not quite right in...
View ArticleEncouragement and Instruction…Everything Else Interferes
“There are only two kinds of self talk when competing that are ok. Encouragement and instruction.. Everything else interferes” My first two matches were, on first glance, uneventful. When things go...
View ArticleClosing it Out Against the Top Dog is HARD
Closing it Out Against the Top Dog is HARD For many of you who have followed along in these many journals I have written over the years, you are aware of how I view Brian Cheney. He is the top dog. He...
View ArticleMy Favorite Tournament
National Grass Court Championships Every fall I get the opportunity to experience playing on a grass tennis court. My memories of playing on the grass started when I was 37 when I got to play at...
View ArticleThe Sweetness of Playing on Grass
There is nothing like it. All the players in all white clothes. The smell of the grass that is cut each night. The spongy feeling of walking on a big lawn. And when playing…it is quiet. Like no other...
View ArticleIt Never Gets Old
It Never Gets Old All of us, before a match, like to get a short warmup in with another one players still left in the tournament. Steven Radigan, a player from Connecticut that I competed with when I...
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