SHOT IN THE DARK

SPORTS HEADLINE-NY Giants WR Plaxico Burress was suspended for the remainder of the season in the aftermath of an accidental shooting in a New York City nightclub where he shot himself in the thigh. Burress was not seriously injured but was subsequently arrested for having an unregistered, loaded concealed weapon in a public place and faces up to 4.5 years in prison.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-As a business owner, whenever one of your employees does anything in public, good or bad it is a direct reflection of your organization. How you respond to it will go a long way towards public perception of your company and how other professionals who seek to work for or with you will judge you. By making a fully informed, measured response to any situation you position yourself as being fair to your employees while holding them fully accountable for their actions. A strong, stable, well run organization is often a victorious one!

EXCITING PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

Daily Game Plan for Victory happily announces a new content sharing agreement with FasttrackScouting.com. Their site is a high school sports recruiting website offering athletes, parents and coaches videos, profiles, photos and more. Visit their sites, Company Website: http://www.fasttrackscouting.com/index.php
Recruitment Blog: http://www.fasttrackscouting.com/ftsblog/.

Below is an interview with Founder and CEO Erika Rossi-Raia. Erika has been the President of Fasttrack Scouting since its launch in 2003. With over 12 years of experience in professional sports she created Fasttrack Scouting to help bridge the comunication gap between athletes and coaches during the college recruitment process. She oversees all business, technology and marketing operations for Fasttrack Scouting, Inc.

Prior to Fasttrack Scouting, she was the Corporate Services Supervisor at RDV Sports responsible for the development and management of corporate sponsor contracts, special events, corporate marketing campaigns and sales materials for the Orlando Magic, Orlando Solar Bears, RDV Sportsplex and Orlando Miracle.

In addition to her work at RDV Sports, Erika has had the privilege of serving as a public relations consultant to NBA, WNBA and NFL athletes including Dominique Wilkins, Anthony Bowie, Darius Washington, Darrell Armstrong, Mike Miller, Robert Harris, Vince Carter and many others. Erika is originally from Evergreen Colorado and graduated in 1996 from Central Michigan University with a degree in English and Advertising. She currently resides in Central Florida with her husband, Vinny.

Tell me about your blog and the inspiration for it. FasttrackScouting.com is a high school sports recruitment website offering athletes and coaches live streaming video, videos on demand, recruitment tools, sports profiles, action photos and more. The FasttrackScouting.com/ftsblog features recruitment tips and articles for high school athletes and their parents to learn more about the recruitment process and how they can achieve their collegiate goals. I worked with professional athletes for a number of years and realized that the market was saturated with expensive recruitment services that were ineffective. I wanted to be able to provide professional tools for students from all economic backgrounds and athletic abilities using state of the art technology.

Why is it important to give young athletes this information? There is soo much information out there and most coaches and parents do not know the requirements and steps it takes to get recruited. Less than 5% of college bound athletes are actively recruited by college coaches. The other 95% have to self market themselves to get noticed. I also believe in the power of positive thinking. If your goal is to play at the college level then it is my job to show you how to do that.

What developed your passion for sports? I have 3 older brothers that eat, sleep and breathe sports. When my friends were watching cartoons I was watching football, basketball and baseball. I was not as athletically talented as my brothers but I did play JV basketball and was a Varsity cheerleader in high school.

Who or what from the world of sports inspires you? I know how tough it is to play at the college and professional level. I have seen great players go unsigned or undrafted and I have seen average players rise to the top of the prospect list. In sports, anything is possible. There is nothing set in stone. Everything is constantly changing. I am inspired by athletes that hustle no matter what the score or point spread is. These are the athletes that don't act in anger when they are down but instead listen to their coach and encourage teammates to contribute and come up with a plan to do better the next time.

How are you able to apply lessons learned in sports to other areas of your life? If you can learn how to motivate yourself, ask for help when you need it and work well with others you will be successful in whatever field you choose. I have overcome a number of challenges working in professional sports and starting my own business. Early in my career I was afraid to ask for help from my coworkers because I thought my employers would think I was not capable of doing my job. I learned very early on that not only could I accomplish a lot more by working with others but I had more fun being a part of a team.

GONE TOO SOON

SPORTS HEADLINE-Today marks the one year anniversary of the murder of Redskins safety Sean Taylor in his Miami home. Taylor, his girlfriend and his baby daughter were asleep in the overnight hours when a group of young men broke into what they had anticipated to be an empty house to burglarize it. Taylor was recuperating from a knee injury and didn't accompany the team on it's road trip. Taylor was shot and killed while trying to protect his family from harm. Taylor, a Pro-Bowl standout on the field and well loved by his teammates was 24 years old at the time of his death.


PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-Life is short. Oft times too short. It's nothing short of tragic when a life ends too early. One of the most difficult things to deal with in the aftermath of losing someone unexpectedly is the feeling that you didn't say all that you wanted to say to them before they were gone. With Thanksgiving being around the corner make the time to tell people how you feel about them. I've been blessed to have been able to tell my father on recent Father's Days that he is my hero, my role model and how much I've always admired and strived to be like him. In addition to giving thanks tomorrow, also give love, share love and tell those around you how much you love them.

BEST OF THE BEST

SPORTS HEADLINE-Florida State University safety Myron Rolle won a prestegious Rhodes Scholarship Saturday before boarding a jet to join his teammates in a 37-3 upset victory over the University of Maryland. Rolle is an aspiring neurosurgeon and now must decide between a career in the NFL (he is projected to be a mid-round draft pick) and a 2-3 year scholarship to Oxford University in England.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-We have all been blessed with gifts, talents and abilities that are unique to only us. It's possible for all of us to maximize them and reap all of the rewards that they will bring. You have to look internally and ask if you are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to bring your potential to fruition. In order to be extraordinary you have to push your self past what ordinary men do. Some are born with it, some discover it and some work very hard to achieve it, but there is greatness is us all.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-Choices, choices, choices. Rolle has 2 options that most young men would love to have. The ability to live out a dream and play a sport at the highest level or to receive a scholarship that is often a precursor to industry leaders, visionaries and world leaders. Whichever path is chosen, there will be those that second guess. Professionally you will face similar decisions, perhaps at a smaller level, but nonetheless vitally important to your future. When making a professional decision carefully weigh pros vs. cons as well as short term and long term goals. While many opportunities may appear to be a once in a lifetime chance, making the right move will put you on the ultimate path to victory.

PERSONAL FINANCES-Rolle is the textbook definition of being well rounded. This also applies to how you should manage your finances. Despite the gloom and doom that surround any financial news these days, there are numerous vehicles for you to invest your money and watch it grow. It's wise to have some in a stable long term investment like an IRA, 401K or CD but also invest in the stock market which can be volatile but could yield a faster return. Being balanced and having a stable, well rounded portfolio is vital to long term wealth and stability.

GAME PLAN-Life has many rewards waiting for you. You have the opportunity to grasp the best that is out there if you have the talent, desire and work ethic required to go after it. The reason that most people don't achieve greatness is because they are afraid of it. The fear of success is real! Don't let doubts of I'm not talented enough or smart enough or strong enough deter you from the amazing things you can realize in your life. Be courageous, defeat the fear and grasp your victory!

HAVING SOMETHING TO SAY BUT NOBODY IS LISTENING

SPORTS HEADLINE-Dallas Cowboys WR Terrell Owens expressed frustration with his team's offense in an interview airing on NFL Network. Among the things Owens complained about were the predictability of the offense in recent weeks, the inability of his QB to get the ball to him and in inflexibility of the team's offensive scheme to adjust to what defenses are doing. Heavily favored in the pre-season, the Cowboys are 6-4 and have lost 3 of their last 5 games.


PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-The ironic thing is that Owens is probably right. The statistics back up his claims that when he is a larger part of the offense the team does win a larger percentage of their games. Here's the problem though. Owens has a long history of complaining in the press, putting his desires over the overall goals of the team and generally being a pain. It's a classic example of picking your battles. When things aren't going the way you envision them or how you see they can be better, is it always the best tactic to speak out at the top of your lungs? Sometimes you're much better served in the long term by buckling down to do all that you can and give a little extra to those around you to try to improve the situation. You'd rather be the occasional voice of concern than the constant source of negativity.

Dolezar (MLB.com) Interview Part II

Part II of my interview with MLB.com Editorial Producer Jon Dolezar..

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3. Jon, we used to work together at CNN Sports/CNNSI, what lessons were you able to draw from that experience to apply professionally as you developed your career?

Considering that it was my first job out of college -- and, in fact, you hired me as a post-graduate intern at CNN Sports for the Summer of 1996 while you were running the intern program -- I guess a great deal of what I continue to practice to this day in my professional life was shaped both during my time as an intern and then as a full-time employee there, too. That was the summer of the Atlanta Olympics, so there was obviously a great deal going on around town. It was thrilling to be a part of the launch of CNN/SI in December 1996, and to see how much hard work goes into getting a fledgling network off the ground. Unfortunately for us, it was never able to gain much traction and couldn't slay the ESPN giant.

But working at CNN was an amazing experience that taught me so much. Journalism is a pretty cutthroat and intense business, and I learned that focus and discipline are required to last in this business. I also learned from a lot of negative things that I try to avoid now that I'm in the position of helping out younger folks who are just starting in this business. The negativity, backstabbing and just general lack of respect that some people have can really turn folks off to a career, and they aren't going to want to go to war for you if that's the case. So I guess I took both positive and negative examples that I continue to carry with me to this day.

Mostly, though, I fondly recall the many enjoyable people that I met and got to work with there, and how much fun we had on a nightly basis. That taught me that an enjoyable attitude in the workplace goes a long way, and the close relationships that you form with your co-workers can get you through tough times (of which there were many at an upstart cable sports network that ultimately only lasted six years).

4. Talk about the role you think organized sports plays in developing winning characteristics in young adults and into their adulthood.

This is a particularly timely subject for me since my two boys are now both getting involved in youth sports. I've helped coach their teams in both baseball and soccer, and few things that are more rewarding and enjoyable to me than to share my love of sports with youngsters. I love the friendships that form through sports among the kids, the confidence-building that takes place, obviously the physical conditioning element of it, but the most important part for me is just getting to spend quality time with my kids. So many of my best memories from my childhood revolve around moments in sports that I got to share with my parents, and the chance to be there to build similar moments with my two boys is so valuable and moving to me.

As with most kids, I played sports throughout my adolescence and high school years, and those memories and experiences continue to shape me to this day. I still vividly recall sayings that my high school football coach used to use regularly, and I try to apply them to my everyday life. Sports is definitely a metaphor for life, but I've always been surprised by how easily I can apply those lessons of teamwork and leadership that I learned in middle school and high school to my current life working as a journalist.

GOING OUT ON TOP

SPORTS HEADLINE-Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina decided to retire after an 18 year career spent with the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees. Mussina had one of his finest years in 2008, winning 20 games for the first time in his career. Mussina retired with a career record of 270-153.

PERSONAL FINANCES-This is a great lesson that many of us learn too late. We've all had a stock, CD, bond or real estate investment that we held on to just a little too long. It's impossible to know when an asset is at it's peak but even when we've gained immense return on our investment we often times want just a little more. We get greedy when we've already gotten more than we had initially hoped for. Be smart and get out while the getting is good when it comes to your money. You'll always be a winner when you opt to get out ahead of the game.

Format Update-Jon Dolezar (MLB.com) Interview Part I

Thank you to the loyal followers of my Daily Game Plan For Victory Blog. In keeping up with efforts to provide fresher and different content I am adding a couple of features. I will be resuming the traditional format once a week starting next week and also adding 2 new features. I will do more 'mini blogs' that will focus on just one aspect (personal, professional, financial) that reflect daily events and also posting interviews with members of the sports world.

Today I have an interview from Jon Dolezar, an editorial producer for The Official Website of Major League Baseball, MLB.com. Jon is a former colleague of mine and has lived and worked in the sports media for more than 10 years with previous stops at CNN Sports, CNNSI and SI.com. Please enjoy part one of my two part interview with Jon.

1. When/how did you develop your passion for sports?

I've been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. I would say that my passion was developed at the first pro sporting event I ever attended -- a Milwaukee Bucks game against the New Orleans Jazz (dating myself, clearly, with that mere fact) on March 14, 1979, which the Bucks won 158-102, their highest-scoring regulation game ever and largest margin of victory ever. My father likes to recall that I spent most of the game asking (I was 4 1/2) "What's the score now, Daddy?" Just his luck that it would be the highest-scoring Bucks game ever! Seeing the speed, grace and fluidity of an NBA game (words that were applicable to the late-1970s NBA that surely wouldn't be used to describe today's version of pro basketball) just captivated me so much, and I pretty much worshipped all things Bucks during most of the 1980s, as they were on their run on nine straight Central Division titles.

Even before I had attended a game, though, I enjoyed listening to them on the radio. In fact, when my parents asked me when I was 3 years old what i wanted to be when I grew up, I replied: "Jim Irwin." Mr. Irwin was the play-by-play announcer for the Packers and Bucks games on WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee, and even by age 3, I was already obsessed with sports. Most 3-year-olds played with blocks and balls, I listened to sporting events on the radio. So from as early as I can remember, I've followed sports and wanted to be somehow involved in it. That led to me majoring in journalism in college and working toward becoming a journalist, which was the best way that I could stay involved in the game given my inability to hit a curveball, knock down an open 3-pointer from the wing, outrun a linebacker or skate with a speedy goal-scoring forward.

Additionally, growing up in Wisconsin in the late 1970s and early '80s, I saw some pretty awful football, but witnessing the dedication of Packers fans -- even through those terrible David Whitehurst/Lynn Dickey years -- made me realize that the passion and the camaraderie of sports were almost as important as the outcome itself. Note I said almost, since once your team starts to get decent, your mind-set changes a bit. It turned out to be a heck of a lot more fun when the Packers got decent in the late '80s and early '90s, but at the time, we didn't know any better back when they stunk every year, so we still cheered our hearts out for those terrible Packers teams anyways!

2. Is there something or someone from pro or college that you draw inspiration from on a regular basis?

I draw inspiration from any athlete who is passionate about what they do and goes about their business in the right way. Having covered sports for 14 years now dating back to my college newspaper days, you begin to get a bit jaded about the games/results after awhile, and the stories and the personalities begin to shine through. So I'd much rather watch a great Tom Rinaldi piece (shoutout to a former CNN/SI co-worker of ours) on some no-name athlete with a great backstory than to watch a puff piece about a famous athlete that most sports fans already know plenty about.

ESPN ran a piece the other day (http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3696478&categoryId=3060647) on D.J. Gregory, a man who has cerebral palsy and had a dream to walk every hole of every PGA golf tournament this season. Stories like that are the essence of sports to me, as great or likely even greater than watching what Tiger Woods did on Sunday at the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines this past June. You can clearly draw inspiration from watching an amazing once-in-a-generation athlete like Tiger perform his craft at the highest level, but seeing someone like D.J. Gregory achieve a dream of his own and overcome some serious physical limitations is a much more inspirational story to me.

I still love to watch the games, obviously, but as I get older (and now that I have two boys of my own), the backstories of athletes intrigue me much more, both from a personal or a professional standpoint. I guess I'm getting soft in my old age.

(Part II to be continued on Friday)

TRADING PLACES

SPORTS HEADLINE-ALLEN IVERSON SET TO DEBUT FOR PISTONS
Veteran guard Allen Iverson returns to the Eastern Conference Friday night when he takes the court for his new team, the Detroit Pistons after being traded there earlier in the week. Iverson, the 2000-01 MVP and four time NBA scoring champion, was traded to the Pistons in an attempt by team president Joe Dumars to shake up the core of a team that has faltered in the Eastern Conference Finals the past 3 seasons.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-
Ever been in a rut? You just feel like you are going through the motions, not really making any headway in any area of your life. You do the routine, see the same things, hear the same songs, eat the same foods and just feel blah. You need to create change for change's sake. Doing simple things like taking a different route to a familiar destination. Commit to trying one new place to eat or type of food each week or month. Take a class for a hobby you wouldn't ordinarily consider. Making these sublte changes will give you a boost of energy that will carry over into other aspects of your days.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-
Some businesses think they have it all figured out. They have created the best process, the best product or the best service and they are going to corner the market. Most of those businesses fall well shy of the success they beleive they can acheive. It's been said that the best idea is a borrowed one. There are endless opportunities in business to develop partnerships or strategic alliances and trade concepts, information, strategies or experiences in order to create wins on multiple fronts. What you consider to be common knowledge and of little value can be of great value to someone who has yet to come to the same realization as you and vice versa. Keep an open mind to sharing and experience victory on many levels.

PERSONAL FINANCES-
There are few things that are more exciting than seeing your money make money. In the 1990's, individuals got rich, then poor, then rich again by day trading stocks. Day traders would spend their days buying and selling stocks, researching opportunities to make a quick strike and hoping to avoid a catastrophic loss. The era faded a bit with tougher economic times but the core concept is solid. Merely investing in a stock and letting it sit there is one strategy to employ, but in order to maximize your money work closely with your broker and/or fiancial advisor to deftly buy low and sell high and come out on the winning end of your trades.

GAME PLAN-
Life is full of chances to change things around. There are times that just making a change for the sake of change is appropriate but as a rule you always want to make a change for positive results. Look at where you are, where you want to be and what's it going to take to get you there. Implementing the right changes may be what it takes to lead you to victory!

YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN

SPORTS HEADLINE-LEFTWICH RALLIES STEELERS TO VICTORY OVER CHILDHOOD FAVORITE TEAM
Late in the 2nd quarter of Monday's NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Washington Redskins, Steelers starting QB Ben Roethlisberger injured his right shoulder and hand after hitting a defender's helmet while throwing a pass. After halftime, backup QB and DC native Byron Leftwich entered the game and proceeded to throw for 129 yards, a TD and led his team to a 23-6 victory.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-
Close your eyes for a minute. Think of what defines your childhood, your old friends, your old neighborhood, your memories-good and bad. This is what shaped you to become the person you are today. As we go on to our adult lives, our childhood memories always stay with us, but tend to slowly fade. Take some time to reflect on those days. Try to reach a childhood friend you hadn't spoken to in years. By virtue of today's social media outlets like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc. it is easier than ever to reconnect.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-
Most businesses start with lofty goals, big plans and high expectations. Establishing your business as an industry leader in your local market gives you a blueprint of how to replicate it on a larger scale. It also allows you to make mistakes and learn your way on a more forgiving plane. If you are a locally owned business, you will often find a little more support and latitude than if you are a national player that comes in with heightened expectations. Start by owning your backyard and watch your territory grow from there.

PERSONAL FINANCES-
We've heard a lot in the last few months about "Wall Street" and "Main Street" but what's happening on your street? Your financial victory starts at home with basic core concept of establishing your personal budget. Sitting down and looking at what comes in and what goes out of your household is the foundation of establishing a solid plan of savings, spending responsibly and building towards your financial victory.

GAME PLAN-
The cliche says home is where the heart is. Home is not a physical structure, it's a feeling of security, serenity, comfort, ownership, pride and respect. Sometimes it takes us a while to find our sense of 'home' as we seek it in material possessions, seek it out in groups or organizations, trying to find out where we belong. I'm a big believe in 'going back to basics'. Re-establish those things in your life that enrich your soul and spirit, things that bring you joy and incorporate those as part of your daily lives.