Category: Uncategorized

My 2 Cents

Thanks to John Keiser for sharing.

Good Morning Everyone,

“It ain’t over ‘till it’s over.” – Yogi Berra,

As most of you know, I am a sports fan. And, I also believe that there are amazing comparisons between sports and business. I have had a week to think about the recent Super Bowl and reflect on what actually happened. If you were not one of the 100,000,000 people that watched the Super Bowl or the commercials, the New England Patriots came from behind to beat the Atlanta Falcons in the first Overtime game in 51 Super Bowls. But how does this Super Bowl compare to business? Here are a few ways that I saw

· Yogi was right. Yogi Berra is a Hall of Fame baseball player, coach and manager. He also was a D-Day Normandy Beach Survivor. And he was a unique philosopher. It’s not over until it’s officially over is what his quote meant. . No matter what the score is. In the Super Bowl, at one time Atlanta was leading by 25 points. No team in the previous 50 Super Bowls had overcome that big of a lead to win the game. ESPN stats at one point in the game, gave New England less than 1% chance of winning! But as Jim Carey so accurately stated in his classic movie Dumb and Dumber….”so you’re saying there’s a chance!”. The Patriots believed there was a chance to win because there was still time on the clock and they were not done. That belief is needed in football, life and business. We owe it to ourselves, our teams to give it everything we have until it really is over.

· Attitude: there have been many stories about the Super Bowl in the last week. One that amazed me was that of Julian Edelman. While he made an amazing catch in the second half, perhaps his greatest impact was during halftime. It is reported that he was telling team mates “what a story we are going to make” and how “this will be something that our kids will talk about when we come back and win”. Remember, at this time the score was 21-3 and the game may have been even farther apart than the score indicated. But the attitude of Julian Edelman and the belief of others was very simple: They were still capable of winning. Couple that belief with the fact that the game was not over yet, and you have the makings of a comeback. Now, they definitely have a story to tell……

· Adaptability: The Atlanta Falcons were the more aggressive team. They had been all year. That is how they played the game for the previous 18 games. And, that is what got them to a 25 point lead in the Super Bowl!. Many would say, that that same aggressiveness is also what lost the game for them. There were times when the circumstances of the game – and winning the game- no longer warranted that same style. It is good to be committed to a style, a model, a way of doing things. But it is also good to remember that these are just methods of achieving higher goals and are not the ends in themselves. Champions know how to adjust, without compromising who they are.

· It’s one game: While it may be the biggest game of the year, and this may have been the most memorable Super Bowl ever, it’s one game. We live in a time when these games can define people, teams and even cities. But what amazed me was the head coach of the Patriots saying in a post-game interview that he “was 5 weeks behind in his preparation for next year”. He just won the biggest game of the year, but he was already focusing on next year. Why? Because this was one game and not the only game. There will be more games to play. More games to prepare for. And, more games to win. In football, life and business, we should enjoy our successes, but not live in them. Repeat champions don’t. They succeed. Enjoy. And prepare to succeed again.

Sports and business have similarities. Both are competitive. And what helps teams win in sports is exactly the same thing that helps players and teams win in business. The Patriots are an example of that.

Today, act like a New England Patriot.
Make a difference today
Love Clint Hurdle

Perserverance

It’s a RARE PERSON who doesn’t get discouraged in the face of adversity. Whether it happens to us or to a friend we’re trying to cheer up, the answer to overcoming adversity lies in one word: PERSEVERANCE.

The value of courage, persistence, and perseverance has rarely been illustrated more convincingly than in the life story of this man. His age appears in the column on the right.

https://d1yoaun8syyxxt.cloudfront.net/ki128-027b0ae6-065a-4b34-8fe4-0c2e03653cee-v2

That’s the record of Abraham Lincoln, and today is his birthday.

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try. Failure is not in losing the game, but in not getting off the mat when you are knocked down.

How do you respond to adversity?

Do you get:

-Encouraged or Discouraged?

-Frustrated or Fascinated?

-Turned Off or Turned On?

Today and every day, use adversity to make yourself stronger. Every setback is a setup for a comeback.
Make a difference today!

From Brian Cain

Thanks to Clint Hurdle for sharing!

If you want something different…

“You don’t just wake up one morning with a new house, a new relationship, a new job or a new life. The ONLY way to create something you want, is to do the work, and the work takes focus and persistence. It is never about wishing or hoping, but only about doing. And you have to have that ahh haa moment where you realize YOU, and only you, are responsible for the life you have. If you want something different, get cracking and create it.” ~Chandra Alexander

Thanks to Clint Hurdle for sharing!

Fike Baseball Hoodies

2017fikehoodie

For a limited time we have bright orange Fike Baseball hoodies available for purchase! The hoodies are $35 each, and you can get your name embroidered on the left shoulder at no additional charge. These do run a little small, so make sure to order one size bigger than normal

Payment for this item is due by Feb 11th.

Please contact Jim Moran to order: 816-225-2015 or coach1three@gmail.com

Super Bowl Squares Fundraiser

Fike Baseball is having a Super Bowl Squares fundraiser!

Cost is $10/Square. Payment can be made to player/parent, and is due by February 4, 2017. We will being paying out $100 for the first and third quarter, and $150 for halftime and final score.

Register here:
www.pigskinpickem.com/eipffdMnuM

Rules
At the end of each quarter, match the last digit of each team’s score with the corresponding number on the grid. For example: if the score was Team A=10 to Team B=3, you would use the numbers 0 and 3 on your grid. The player’s name in the square that intersects both numbers is the winner of that quarter.

If you have any questions please contact Joe Mortallaro at joe.mortallaro@gmail.com

Fike Coaching Staff Attends ABCA 2017

abca-2017

January 5th through the 8th the Fike Coaching Staff will attend the ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) convention in Anaheim CA.  This is “Continuing Education” for Baseball Coaches.  Jim Moran, Doug Lohman, Dave Benson Matt Hagerty and Robert Smith will be in attendance this year representing Fike Post 499 Baseball.

Four days of non-stop baseball are on deck once again in the first week of January!

The 2016 convention in Nashville was the largest ever with over 5,600 coaches registered and more than 330 companies in the ABCA Trade Show. We’re expecting a great crowd once again in Southern California.

Meetings, clinics, the ABCA Trade Show as well as several awards presentations and honors will highlight the 2017 Convention. Activities begin in full force on Thursday, Jan. 5, including committee and divisional meetings as well as the first day of the ABCA Trade Show and the all-new Expo Theater.

Second Vice President Rich Maloney (Ball State University) and Third Vice President John Kolasinski (Siena Heights University) have arranged an outstanding lineup of clinic speakers beginning Friday morning.

At the ABCA Trade Show, over 300 companies will be on hand to display state-of-the-art equipment and products, including coaching aids, apparel, field equipment, pitching machines and software. We have already heard about many new products that will be released at the ABCA Trade Show.

Two of the most prestigious events are the ABCA/Diamond Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year Banquet, which will be held on Friday at 6 p.m., and the ABCA Honors Luncheon, which will be held Saturday at 12:00 p.m.

Ten great coaches will be inducted to the ABCA Hall of Fame this year, along with the presentation of the ABCA/Wilson Lefty Gomez Award and the ABCA/Diamond National Coaches of the Year on Friday. The Honors Luncheon features several other presentations on Saturday.

Committee chairs will contact members regarding time and place of meetings, mostly held on Thursday afternoon. All divisional business meetings will take place on Thursday evening. ABCA members may contact their division’s chair regarding legislation. The ABCA Executive Committee and Board of Directors each meet twice at the convention.

For those who bring families or extend your stay for some vacation time, Disneyland is just a hop, skip and a jump from the Anaheim Convention Center and there is a discount for ABCA Convention attendees, which you will receive in your confirmation email. We have family activities listed at ABCA.org/VisitAnaheim.

Now is the time to make plans for Anaheim! Register quickly and easily online, by phone or by mailing in the form. The Advanced Registration rate of $90 runs through Jan. 4!

2017 ABCA CONVENTION TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Thursday, January 5, 2017
10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Member Registration & Check In
1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Committee Meetings
1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. ABCA Trade Show
2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Expo Theater Presentations
6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Coaches’ Divisional Meetings
9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Rookie Coaches Mentorship Meeting
Friday, January 6, 2017
7:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Member Registration & Check In
8:15 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Clinics presented by Wilson/ATEC
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. ABCA Trade Show
9:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Spouses Breakfast
10:00 a.m.-4:15 p.m. Expo Theater Presentations
6:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year Banquet presented by Diamond Sports
Presenting Lefty Gomez Award | Hall of Fame | Coaches of the Year
Saturday, January 7, 2017
7:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Member Registration & Check In
8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Clinics presented by Wilson/ATEC
9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. ABCA Trade Show
10:00 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Expo Theater Presentations
12:00 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Honors Luncheon presented by Diamond Kinetics
Presenting: Asst. Coach of Year | Meritorious Service | Honor Award
1:45 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Clinics presented by Wilson/ATEC
7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Pitching “Hot Stove” Discussion
7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Hitting “Hot Stove” Discussion
9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Rookie Coaches Mentorship Meeting
Sunday, January 8, 2017
8:30 a.m.-11:10 a.m. Clinics presented by Wilson/ATEC


LINKS: