Making a Move-New Blog address

So it's been a while since I last blogged to this site but I am excited to announce that I am moving and consolidating my blogs and topics to one location. My new blog address is http://liveinteresting.wordpress.com/. I will continue to blog on sports but also will be discussing financial topics, human behavior and life in general. I hope you join me for an amazing and exciting journey!

Spring has Sprung

SPORTS HEADLINE-All across Florida and Arizona, familiar sounds fills the air. The popping of balls in gloves, the crack of the bat and the joyful murmur of fans watching their favorite Major League Baseball team in Spring Training. This is a time where fans of all teams have a renewed excitement, a fresh season full of possibilities and promise on the horizon. Last year's accomplishments are building blocks for this year and last year's disappointments are further motivation for working harder, being smarter and striving for better in the upcoming year.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-Spring training is a great metaphor for life because each morning that you rise is an opportunity to 'spring' yourself towards further and greater achievements. Every day presents you with an opportunity to build on your works that you've already done or start anew with fresh and exciting projects or ideas. We have the benefit of always being 'in season' and don't have to wait for 3 or 4 months for the chance to build on our success or reverse course on things that may not have worked in the past. Don't wait 'til next season, start your spring training today!

All Eyes on Me

SPORTS HEADLINE-College football standouts are on display this weekend at the Annual NFL Scouting Combine where many NFL prospects perform in workouts in front of NFL coaches, scouts and front office personnel. This is often where players either make or break their eventual draft status. A great showing in your 40 yard sprint time can elevate you from a mid round pick to a first day draftee. A disastrous effort can cost you millions of dollars as a result of a slide for reasons on the field or off.

For example, University of Alabama standout offensive tackle Andre Smith entered the weekend as the premiere prospect at his position and a likely top 3 pick in April's draft. However, on Saturday morning it was announced that he had gone AWOL, did not show up as expected without communicating to anyone why or where he was. It turns out he took an early morning flight back to Atlanta to work out with his personal trainer because he felt he had done all that he needed to do for the teams in attendance. It may have been a simple misunderstanding, as his camp is saying, but to NFL coaches and executives who already had some questions about his effort and passion, that may be the deciding factor between him being drafted #3 or #23.


PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT-Understand what's at stake at all times. Things that may seem to be trivial or inconsequential in your mind may hold significant importance to those who are observing or evaluating you. The ultimate outcome of your actions may not have multi-million dollar consequences but the point is YOU NEVER KNOW. Always put forth your best works and efforts, whether they are in a major presentation or a minor homework assignment. Your future opportunities may very well rest on your activities of today.

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..

Message

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.