I was going through some of Coach Eric Musselman's old blogs and came across this one:Over the last 10 years, I've tried to make a note of every time a player said, "Coach always says...".
I'd see an article, highlight it, and toss it in a file.During that time, I've come across hundreds of examples across every sport. It's a simple reminder of what messages players retain and recall, sometimes years after they've left the field or the gym.Here's a selection of them.
Coach always said...
"If you are not doing it the right way, why are you doing it. Learn how to do it the right way and practice it the right way."
"You'll be remembered by your last performance."
"Toughness is a skill."
"If you do the little things right you’ll win."
"The more things you can do, the longer you'll be around here."
"What you put in is what you get out."
"You don’t improve during the playoffs. You improve at practice."
"The season is a marathon not a sprint. What matters is that our team gets better with each game."
"Offense sells tickets; defense wins championships."
"You have to go hard on every play because it could be the difference in the game."
"In every crisis lies opportunity."
"The mental is to the physical as 4 is to 1."
"Good things happen to good people who work hard."
"If you get a five-point lead, push it up to 10. If you have a 10-point lead, push it to 20."
"Turn the page. Good stuff, bad stuff, just turn the page."
"We're not playing our opponent. We're trying to beat the game. The opponent is just another hurdle."
"Forget about the last play. Think about the next play."
"Finish."
"Mismatches don't beat you, uncontested shots beat you."
"Make the easy play."
"The pain of regret is worse than the pain of disappointment."
"How do you want to be remembered?"
"Not to be afraid to win."
"The first one on the floor gets the ball."
These are some of my favorites, but click on the link to Coach Musselman's story for the complete list of nearly 200:
