what a beautiful morning

Perfect golf weather, but then what isn't? Even the moon has some great golf opportunities, how do we get there again? Busy day, and gotta go get it started. Y'all have a great day!

another day two

Blogging in the morning means I have a busy day ahead. Lessons begin early today and go through until 5:30 this evening. How about lunch? I don't actually have much of a lunch today. But I do have a great protein shake and/or bar I can use to get the nutrition I need. I found these products 8 years ago, and they have never failed to satisfy me, on the golf course or off. I actually begin each day with a shake to make certain I am getting the nutrients to start my day off on the right foot and in the right frame of mind.

When playing golf, I maintain that having high octane fuel in my body, in the form of food, is still the best way to stay physically and mentally powered up to compete at a high level. Water and food at each hole helps keep the body fueled, but many people really need to test this out by drinking and snacking as they go around the course. I have my water bottle and healthy snacks with me all the way around. I have noticed that when I forget to hydrate and snack, I lose my focus, my body parts don't seem to coordinate and the mind/body/spirit connection get a bit muddled.

Have you ever had that experience in what you do? I recall getting very lethargic at my corporate job and not realizing it until I had to go back and redo some of my work, just to meet a dealine. As I look back on that instance, I know that if I had something I could refuel my brain with (water and good foods) that I would have beaten the deadline by doing the report correctly in the first place.

We don't realize we are dehydrated until we are thirsty - and then it's too late. We rarely pick up the fact that our sloppy play during a round of golf may be from lack of fuel in the brain. It is important to maintain our hydration and fuel levels during our round, as we cannot "catch-up", once we are depleted, until many holes later. The mistakes we make during the refueling period can be costly. Think back to a round you played, that may have been sabotaged by not having your water and fuel levels stay high throughout your round.

What do you use to stay on top of your fuel and water levels during your rounds?

Ah, LIFE

My good intentions were thwarted last week by something that was not in my hands. One of my favorite uncles passed away suddenly. It wasn't something unexpected, it's just that we never get to 'plan' for this to happen in a certain moment in time. That's a good thing.

However, I did not plan ahead and bring my computer along with me, so, I am starting over with the blog today. 21 days in a row. a new habit.

Oddly enough, it gave me plenty of time to reflect on things that are important. Family, for sure, from the most elderly, with whom I have lots of history, to the most tiny infant (2 months old, but not tiny by any stretch) with whom I just began bonding. I loved being around each of the people there, some with whom I talk daily, to those I hardly recalled, to some I had never actually met. Memories swirled around all day. We were able to watch a beautiful memorial video of Uncle Paul's life. Photos from his life as a child, a young adult, the wedding to my beautiful Aunt Ellen, some of their escapades before children and after, his travels around the world as a Rotarian and more recently with his beloved grandchildren. In every instance, it was about the smile, ever present and speaking volumes. He lived with a joy of life, a need to make a difference and to act beyond himself to help make the world a better and more beautiful place.

How does this experience affect golf? No, he didn't play golf, he played life - all of it! And he played it to leave the world a better place than he found it. One step at a time, one day at a time. How many of us can take those messages to heart regarding our golf game? What happens when we get ahead of ourselves, and begin to think out in the future? What kind of story do we tell ourselves? Can we step out and play with a constant smile? Do we begin to worry about an upcoming hole and forget to focus on this shot?

Stay in the momnet - do what is in front of you know - and keep smiling. We only really have THIS moment.

How did I get here?

My coaching journey is quite circuitous. Everything I have done has guided me in what I do now when I am coaching. I played sport activities ever since I can remember. I learned to throw from Dad, kick a ball - drop kick style, from Mom. Running was my usual speed. Putting a ball in a basket - who knows, but I recall some very raucous games in 5th grade. Recess was for playing - tetherball, four square, kickball, volleyball, softball. Then in 5th grade, we started participating in after-school sports. Volunteers were coaches, then as I got older, it was the P.E. teachers, coaching the girls after school. I had tennis from the rec department program, trampoline from the rec department program and even dabbled in trampoline at the YMCA, just to be certain (can't do a back flip, oh well, next) and didn't have any kind of formal sports activity and practice and try-outs until I got to high school. Tennis, basketball, volleyball and softball filled my school year. All the while learning and soaking up what the coach was saying, doing and asking of the team - of me. My first year in college brought more of the same - volleyball, basketball and softball (now we only had 3 seasons). I still played plenty of tennis, but not in a team environment. I enjoyed every minute of my intercollegiate career.

My degree in hand, (Human Performance, a fancy name for P.E.)  I set out to find a job in what my parents called "the real world". Retail led to office management - that led to electronics which led back to office management - and then on to programs coordinator and the to the golf profession. I knew I wanted to teach, but teaching in a school system was not my idea of teaching sports. So when I discovered that I could teach golf, and use my other business skills to get me in the door, I signed up. One day I was on the range, giving golf lessons, when a golf pro I knew askesd if I knew anyone who would like to coach a girls high school golf team. I told her I would give it some thought. Then I wondered why I couldn't do that? I had the time, I knew the game and the mechanics to help the girls learn. So I asked her if I could learn more about the gig.
We talked, I made a phone call, went for an interview and tada, I was a high school coach and happy to say, still am a high school coach. For 12 seasons, I have been "learning" how to put the team together, keep them together and go through the ups and downs with them. And hopefully I am "paying forward" to the athletes, whom I hope will coach when they get the opportunity. I know that "paying it back" to the women and men who coached me is one of the reasons I jumped in to coaching.

At the beginning, I had to get used to the rules at the school, pink slips for each match, uniforms had to match school guidelines, finding transportation (we now have a bus), learning to make cuts (that is my least favorite day), and staying inside a budget. Sometimes the rules change, and I learned those too. But ALWAYS, it has been about the girls. They are student athletes! I am more interested in their grades being maintained, and will go the the mat for them when a teacher wants to penalize them for missing a class for a match or tournament, mostly we like to be proactive and have them let their teachers know in advance when they will miss class, and what they have for homework so they can stay caught up. They know I have got their back, on the golf course and in the classroom.

I feel that the first thing a coach and team have to know is that the coach is going to call out the best in each player, and that the coach will give her best to them. We call it our honor code. I will be doing a new one with the team come August. The code is the basis for what we will accomplish, together, no excuses. I didn't have one in the early days. I was still trolling the hallways for a few kids that could give the ball a whack. Things have changed - great young players are now enrolling in our school. They are probably on many campuses that don't even have a girls program, and so play on the boys team in the spring. The code is just a way of making a team coalesce, and to me that is the beginning.

That is the condensed version of how I got to where I am today. As I go through my journey, I know that it is not my destination, but rather my destiny, to be able to coach in such a rich and rewarding environment. May you find your passion in working with others to bring out the best in them. What do you do? Can you coach others in that field? Do you work with teams? What would you like to share, or learn?

now you know - i missed a day

So now what? I must start counting at Day 1. That's what happens sometimes. So this may be my 4th post, but it is back to Day 1. Creating new habits may not be easy, but it will be well worth it. As a coach, I know only too well that it can be difficult to do 21 consecutive days of practice to create a habit. Is it a moment to blast someone for not staying on track? I prefer to get them restarted, as there is nothing productive that is gained by saying aloud what they have been repeating in their head. Instead, I find that reconnecting the heart to the dream is far more productive. It's the dream, the goal, that fires the coals to make the change to a new habit. Let's say I start to make a change in my putting. I find some time in my schedule each day to do the exercises that will take me to having the stroke of my dreams. I get to day three or four on enthusiasm alone. But then, I totally get sidetracked by a few unexpected events, and realize I missed a day. OUCH! I begin to lament the fact that I must begin again (I am not good at doing things over). My self talk, (that voice in my head), is pretty negative - I call myself names, get angry about having to repeat work already done. Sound familiar to anyone?

When coaching others, I must cajole them back to it being OK to start counting from today. And I have learned to be nice to myself too. I was going to keep practicing anyway, so what have I truly lost? Nothing.

As a coach, I may make the same moves my students do, but I have an extra set of viewers, to keep my eyes on the bigger picture and get everyone back on track. What do you do to get back on track?

Day 3 dawns

It's one of those wonderful winter mornings - overcast, but dry. I love playing golf on days like this. It's cool, so I wear a sweater or light jacket, could get away with shorts if I weren't going to be teaching until dark, and I don't have to wear gloves. As a good friend of mine reminds me, I still need sunscreen and sun glasses. Many older clients have had to have little spots removed from their faces and arms - they are likely spots from sun damage to their skin. We want to avoid that damage, as it may lead to skin cancer. Taking good care of the biggest organ of the body is no joke - it takes good care of us. I like to take care of my skin from the outside in and the inside out. What we eat, how we cleanse, what we wear (or don't wear) can all affect our skin. Not only do I use an exceptional sunscreen (why skimp on cheap, skin polluting, chemical laden and toxic commercial creams?), but I also make certain I maintain a diet high in anti-oxidants to protect my skin from the inside. I don't wear short shorts and sleeveless tops any longer so that I protect my skin in this manner as well. Hats, not visors, to proect my scalp. Please understand, I like a nice tan and getting my fair share of vitamin D - both do help protect my skin, but I also know that because I am outdoors all day, everyday during the year (especially summer), I have to take extra measures to maintain healthy skin. Who wants the wrinkles and dry looking skin that eventually come from over-exposure. If you want to know more about my skin health regimen, just ask.

In the meantime, what do you do to keep your skin healthy and protected? Do share. That's how we all learn.

day 2, already?

I like talking about beginning a new habit, rather than getting rid of an old habit. Blogging is my new habit and this is day two. Why am I counting the days? Well, it has been learned through many experiments, that it takes a minimum of 21 days to create a new habit. I set out a few years ago to create a golf swing I can count on, and my plan was to use a practice taught to me by my friend and mentor Gary Coelho (more on that at another time). I was going along great and got to day 15. Good for me - I thought so too. Gary had given me the secret to this 21 day thing - it has to be 21 days in a row. On day 15 it was raining, so I hadn't gone out to the golf course to work on my swing. That evening, as I lay in bed, I remembered that I had not completed the swing exercises I needed to do to stay on track with my 21 days. I bolted out of bed, put on my rain gear, and headed to my backyard to complete my 60 repetitions. I didn't have time to say, oh, I can start over tomorrow. I was headed to Temecula to work with Gary and I wanted to be finished with and beyond my 21 days when I arrived.

That kind of drive is what I find it takes me to keep going. I have to have a big enough "reason" to go the extra step, take on the challenge and finish it. 21 days sounds so simple, yet 21 days in a row is something that requires mindfulness. It would have been so easy to skip day 15, after all, I was already in bed, in my pajamas and warm and cozy. It was the drive of completing this exercise before visiting Temecula that got me out of my "comfort zone" and out in the rain at 10:00 pm.  I continue to appreciate having done so, as I have hit some pretty spectacular shots since.

What will you get up out of bed to do? How do you create your new habit? Making a swing change can take some time. What if I told you I could now help anyone willing to do the exercises I learnd from Gary, to make swing changes for their game? For full swing, short game and putting? Are you willing to put in 21 days in a row to reach your goals, what ever they may be?

By the way, my game really failed me on day 18 (commmitment check?), but once day 21 was over, I have never looked back on lack of confidence in my swing as a part of my game. What have you experienced?

new to this

Well, like many things we have accomplished in life, we must take a first step into DOING something to lead where we want to go. My first step into coaching happened many years ago. I mention this, because through coaching volleyball (a sport I played in college), I met a young student who later brought her two boys to a youth golf group I run. They both now play golf, one in college on scholarship, and the other on the high school team. Coaching has really shown me how things will come full circle given time and commitment to being there for others and ethically passing on your love of the game and the fun of sport.

I took several "first steps" from there, and now teach and coach golf for a living and for the love of it. Teaching the mechanics is one aspect of teaching, but not necessarily the the most important aspect of coaching.

I get to observe the awakening of a love for the game as the students become excited about the possibilites they identify and attain. Let's be real, don't we all want something that we feel accomplished in in our lives?

What do you think? What questions come to your mind? Please share your views too.