Discipline - A Higher Form of Intellect

Discipline

I heard the great Temple basketball coach John Chaney say that "Discipline is a higher form of intellect." I love the concept.  While we are are blessed with varying mental gifts, any one can learn to discipline themselves and earn success. 

Tell a child how disciplined they are and let that fuel them to greatness. 

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

CoachKaufmann.com

NCAA College - Coaches

NCAA College Coaches

We see another major university that has violated NCAA rules and has been excluded from participating in post season tournaments, which is a goal for many of the teams and players.  We see this recurring theme where universities are placed on probation for violating the rules at the expense of the players, the fans, and the university, but how about the Coach?

We see the Coach move on to another university without penalty.  John Calipari had violations at UMass and Memphis leaving the schools to fend with the outcomes, while he moved to a mulit-milion dollar position as coach of the University of Kentucky basketball program.  Larry Brown current coach of SMU has a history of violations at UCLA and Kansas, and now SMU has just been hit a postseason suspension and scholarship reduction.  Often the cheating coaches head for the hills or the pros.   Both Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly violated the rules at USC and Oregon before heading to the pros. 

These coaches teach their players about discipline, teamwork, responsibility, and accountability.  It's time we held these coaches to the same standards as the players.  If a coach is leading a program that continually abuses the system and breaks the rules, the time has come to suspend the coach without pay, to place them on probation, and suspend where appropriate.

John Calipari was just elected into the Basketball Hall-of-Fame, Larry Brown is a member.  Seems hypocritical to punish the players and schools yet reward the coaches who seem to get rewarded with million dollar salaries and busts in the hall-of-fame. 

Time to ban the coaches and remove them from the HOF.  Build the program and they will come.

Let's hold the coaches to the same standards as the players and universities. 

All the Best,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

CoachKaufmann.com

George C. Scott - Patton

George C. Scott

George C. Scott was a terrific actor most famously known for his role as General Patton in the movie Patton.  Mr Scott was not a fan of the Academy awards and the Oscar commenting that it was nothing more than a meat market for actors. 

The movie Patton is a 3 hour biopic but George C. Scott's performance is so outstanding that times flies. He seems to be made for the role.  Scott asked the Academy not to nominate him for Best Actor, not only was he nominated he went on to win.  He did not show up to accept the award, another person associated with the movie, collected the Oscar on his behalf.  The next day Scott sent the award back to the Academy.   

Patton was a stubborn, determined general who was known for advancing and driving the enemy back.  His nickname was "Old Blood and Guts".  George C. Scott exhibited that same type of stubbornness when it came to the acting profession. 

Worth watching.  Best Picture, Best Actor.  Patton and George C. Scott.

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

CoachKaufmann.com

Interceptions - NFL

NFL Interceptions

Time for a rules change in the NFL on the way we measure interceptions.  Today, interceptions are charged to quarterback whether the pass is a bad pass or a good pass that was dropped by a receiver and caught by a defender.  We have errors in baseball that preserve a no hitter, and now it's time to update the way we track interceptions in football. 

When a pass is thrown to a receiver and the ball is one that clearly should be caught, but is dropped or deflected and then intercepted, that pass should be charged as an interception against the receiver. Similar to how dropped passes are tracked, balls that are dropped an intercepted can now be charged to the receiver instead of the quarterback. 

The NFC championship game Seattle vs Green Bay saw the Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson charged with four interceptions where clearly two passes were ones that should have been caught by the receivers.  Those passes would be charged as respective interceptions to each receiver, and Wilson would have been charged with two interceptions where the result was a bad pass. 

Time for a simple effective update to NFL quarterback statistics that will provide a more accurate representation of a quarterback's passing effectiveness. 

With Love,

Coach K

Liquify Your Vitamins

Vitamins

Many of us take vitamins to make up for the lack of nutrition we get in our daily meals.  When I experienced pain in my lower back one day, I thought it was food poisoning.  After the pain went on for several days,  I knew it was something else. 

The pain was so severe that I wound up in the emergency room.  As I stood hunched, the admitting nurse diagnosed my problem immediately, kidney stones.  One of the first questions, I was asked was whether I take vitamins.  Since I do take supplements,  I learned that digesting the vitamins can stress your kidneys and digestive system. 

I wanted to continue to enjoy the benefits of supplementation, but wanted to avoid the side affects. Today, when I take a supplement I either dissolve it in water or if it's a gel will bite down on the gel releasing the fish oil or other product.  Same with capsules, just separate the capsule and add to your water.  Whether its cinnamon or other product just add to your water, juice, or smoothie. 

This takes some getting used to, but once you start your tastes will adapt to the "earthy" flavor of the various supplements you use.  By aiding in the digestive process and eliminating these tablets, capsules, and pills from just sitting in your stomach, you hasten their ability to enter your bloodstream.  Hot water will aid in dissolving. 

One of the other things to do to minimize kidney and gall stones is to drink lemon juice.  Lemon juice cleanses the kidneys and liver and is an excellent detoxifier.  Be sure to drink it on an empty stomach since it can disrupt digestion.  Simply squeeze some lemon or lime into your water or tea and enjoy. It's one of the easiest and most effective health habits you can follow. 

Give it a try. Simply add you vitamin or supplement to your water, juice, or smoothie and enjoy the benefits of healthier supplementation.

With Love,

Coach K

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

The Christmas season comes closing out each year.  And while the American Consumption Machine switches into high gear, we are reminded of the simple joys of this time of year, namely giving. 

The enchantment of Christmas is the simple act of giving.  To share happiness and joy in giving a gift to family, friends, and even strangers is an act of generosity.  We do so in an effort to please someone other than ourselves, what a wonderful sentiment.  While we all like to receive gifts, the giver is the true beneficiary.  Better to give than to receive as it goes.

 Rising above our own inherent wants and needs, we sacrifice our time and money in order to bring even a moment's happiness to someone else.  The concepts of giving, caring, and love come to life as we share each other's company, friendship, and camaraderie.  

Our individuality is set aside and we gather to celebrate family.  We pause our busy lives to enjoy and share the gift of love, of caring and kindness,  the gift of giving. 

The gift of Life. 

Merry Christmas

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

CoachKaufmann.com

The Importance of the Family Meal

The Family Meal

The simple act of eating together as a family is a powerful ritual of family unity.  We we make time to sit together and eat either on a daily basis or at least weekly,  we make time to connect or reconnect with each other.  

In today's hectic life of busily running from one activity to the next, and continual electronic distraction from cell phones, computers, and the internet, we need to make space for elemental human connection.  Looking each other in the eye, sharing each other's thoughts, desires, views, and challenges.  The meal allows us to affirm our sense of family, our togetherness, our love and care for each other. 

So man of us eat based on our schedule and where we happen to be at any given time. Many meals consist of fast food or grabbing something from the drive-thru window, or eating a pizza in front of the television.  Take time at least one day a week, to sit around the table and eat together.  The meal can be simple, but be sure to put away the cell phones, and turn off the t.v.

Break bread together, enjoy each other's company, bask in togetherness, and celebrate the blessings of life in the moment. 

With Love,

Coach K

Tom Kaufmann

CoachKaufmann.com