Theo: teams work together
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Hey Theo do you like to win in sports? Do you? Well the listen up and I'll tell you how. Ready? Here's the secret...
1) Practice - you can never be "good enough"!
2) Share your game with your teammates - help them - show them.
Don't criticize your teammates when they make a mistake and they won't criticize you... because we all make mistakes.
It was a pleasure to watch you pitch last night. You looked so calm and in control the whole time. Even when a couple of errors on ground balls put runners on you stayed focused and you pitched your way out of it. I was so proud of you. Anna Roma came up to me and said - "Theo looks so good out there!" I said "He sure does. What do you expect? - He's my son!" I love you so much! Do you see how good you can do when you stay focused?
Always try and keep the idea of giving 100% in the front of your mind. Focus on that idea, whether your in school in class, or dribbling down court or pitching on the mound. That will give you your best chance to succeed. The other thing to do is relax. So take a deep breath and just relax yourself whenever you are starting to feel stressed. Being relaxed will help you think more clearly. So be focused and be relaxed and remember that I love you and I believe in you!
Workout all your muscles. Work out your brain as well as your body. Workout the whole Theo. Make him stronger and smarter. Apply the same ideas about exercise to learning as well as to strengthening your body. The same rules apply, regular practices, regular workouts. See the connections? Have a great day!
Keyspan Park!! Wow!!
Hard to believe I was watching you pitch there. What a blast! Will any other field feel good enough now? You seem so at home on the mound it's amazing and fun to watch you do your thing. After that monster home run in the second I wondered how you would handle yourself but you came right back and got the outs. Very calm. Very controlled. Very good. Excellent in fact! Keep it up!
Calm, control, focus, instinct, intelligence, skill, practice, and coaching. It takes all of it to succeed. No one does it on talent alone. You have that in spades Theo, now recognize what you need to add to it and get the help you need, do the work you need to do and grow and grow and grow yourself up! I love you so much!
Bernie Williams received an honorary degree from Iona College yesterday and he made a speech. He said that when he was a teenager he knew he "had the have the ability to outwork" the other prospects. It's important to recognize early in life that you have to work at what you love to be a success. In baseball particularly, losing is a big part of the game. It's no fun I know. It stings like crazy. But the best remedy is to keep working for the next game. To make yourself stronger, smarter, more experienced. Build on this defeat and do what you can do to make yourself a better player, a better person. You will have many more successes and many more losses. It's part of the game. But learn and practice and you will have more successes and a great life.
When you're on the mound and there's 2 outs and the first baseman boots the ball allowing a run to score - what do you do? You shrug it off, take a deep breath and go after the next guy. In basketball you get a steal, bring the ball down the court and kick it to a teammate under the rim who misses an easy shot - what do you do? You shrug it off, take a deep breath and keep playing hard - keep playing to win. If you're down by 10 in the 4th quarter? If you're up by 10 in the 4th quarter? You still keep playing hard to win. You protect the ball, play defense, go for rebounds and steals, take smart shots. That's what you do. I'll be in Boston tonight, but I'll be rooting for you. Have a good day!
Losing is always painful. There's only one solace you can take and that's knowing that you did everything you possibly could to prepare yourself and you held nothing back from your all out effort. If they are going to beat you, let them have to beat the best "you" there is. In sports they often say that the team that "wants it" more than the other wins. You know all this stuff - that you have to believe in yourself, you have to have the right attitude, concentration and effort. You know that. But knowing and doing are two different things. So don't put it off. Do what has to be done now because tomorrow may be too late. Then losing will really hurt. I love you!