6.6 Miles April 12, 2013
Posted by in : Uncategorized , add a commentYesterday, I attended the funeral of a young man whose life was taken at the age of 21. He lived in Asbury Park, NJ. Asbury Park is a small city on the Jersey Shore that wrestles with all the challenges of an inner city community: poverty, unemployment, crime, drugs, gangs and violence.
Yesterday (after attending the funeral), I had a business meeting with a talented, brilliant professional at the Starbucks in Sea Girt, NJ. Sea Girt is a small borough on the Jersey Shore that is “blessed with small town charm, rural beauty, and a rich community life with an abundance of recreational activities enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.”
The distance between Asbury Park and Sea Girt…just 6.6 miles.
How can two worlds be so close together…yet so far apart?
Bill O’Brien Endorses WIN for Student-Athletes February 6, 2013
Posted by in : Uncategorized , add a commentI was really excited to receive a strong endorsement for my newest book, WIN: Simple Insights to Help Student-Athletes Win the Game of Life from the 2012 Coach of the Year, Penn State’s Bill O’Brien.
Lee Rubin’s “WIN” is an inspiring book that all student athletes should read. With his own experience, Rubin writes up the winning play on how to succeed both on and off the field. - Bill O’Brien, Head Football Coach, Penn State University
Click on the image below to order your copy.
The Pain of Disappointment December 10, 2012
Posted by in : Leadership Tips , 1 comment so farTo end an undefeated season, my former high school football team (Manalapan, NJ) played in the Central Jersey state sectional final last night. This was their second consecutive year making the finals. This was their second consecutive year coming up short.
Clearly, everyone was disappointed…and disappointment HURTS! (We really thought this would be the year that we brought home our first state championship.)
What do you say to a person who’s made tremendous sacrifices to achieve a goal and now has to deal with the pain and disappointment of coming up short?
Here’s my advice:
1. CONGRATULATE THEM for taking the risk of setting such a big goal.
Understand this: Disappointment is the result of unmet expectations.
Most people set low expectations, or have none at all, to avoid the pain of disappointment. They refuse to take the risk of failure. Any time you have the audacity to believe you can achieve something big, you have already set yourself apart from most of your fellow human beings.
2. THANK THEM for having the courage to pursue such a big goal.
Lots of people WANT to achieve big things, but few are willing to put in the work to achieve that goal. While everyone else is chillin, these special individuals were making the necessary sacrifices and commitments necessary to get them closer to their goal.
3. ENCOURAGE THEM to set some new, big goals to pursue.
Once the tears have dried, and the time is right, tell them it’s time to get back on the horse. They can either try again to achieve the goal(s) that just eluded them. Or, if that’s not possible, they can take the wisdom acquired from their past experience and use it to navigate their way to their new goal.
Napoleon Hill is credited for saying, “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit.”
Don’t stop setting and going after specific, lofty goals.
Keep moving forward. Keep WINNING!
Testimonial: Bill O’Brien – Head Coach, Penn State Football October 17, 2012
Posted by in : Testimonials, Uncategorized , add a comment
I was honored to share a motivational message with the Penn State Football Team during pre-season camp. I am grateful to Coach O’Brien for trusting me with his team during a very difficult time of transition.
Here are his comments after my talk:
“We brought Lee in to address the team during a critical and pivotal time during our pre-season camp. He nailed it!
His message of personal and team excellence resonated with our entire team – including the coaching staff.
I highly recommend Lee as a speaker that will help your organization function at peak performance.” – Bill O’Brien
Testimonial: King Rice – Monmouth Basketball October 17, 2012
Posted by in : Uncategorized , add a commentI was fortunate to share a wonderful presentation with the Monmouth University Basketball Team recently. Check out Coach Rice’s comments after my talk:
“Lee started off our season with a bang with his presentation, “5 Components of Extraordinary Teams”. He connected with our players and craftily put them in the perfect state of mind for practice. He was funny, inspirational and practical. Lee is a tremendous resource for any coach looking to maximize the performance of their team.” – King Rice
Let’s Go to the Videotape September 10, 2012
Posted by in : Uncategorized , add a commentWhether they won or loss this past weekend, I heard coaches at every level (high school, college and pro) talk about REVIEWING THEIR GAME FILM to identify what they did well and what they could improve.
Here’s my question…Do YOU WATCH “GAME FILM” of yourself?
What mechanisms and tools do you use to review previous performance so that you can improve and WIN?
Check out my page WIN for Student-Athletes on FACEBOOK
Book Excerpt: You Can’t Win ‘Em All September 4, 2012
Posted by in : Uncategorized , add a commentCollege football season is here! Unfortunately, many of my favorite teams – including my alma mater (Penn State) – started the season by losing their first game.
Here’s an important excerpt from my upcoming book, WIN: Simple Insights to Help STUDENT-ATHLETES Win the Game of Life, that deals with how to respond after a tough loss!
You Can’t Win ‘em All
Very few teams go undefeated for an entire season. In professional sports, the teams that eventually win the championship almost always suffer a loss at some point throughout the season. So, even the best teams have bad days and lose.
I don’t like losing. I never did. My dad told me that I came home from school one day in the first grade crying and upset because my teacher beat me two games to one in checkers. It may be OK for a first-grader to throw a tantrum because they lost, but that same behavior is not acceptable for someone your age!
This may sound strange, but I have come to appreciate the value of losing. There are critical lessons to be learned when you lose. In fact, I grew as an athlete more from watching my mistakes on film than I did admiring the things I did well.
When you don’t do well on an assignment or test, you now have an opportunity to go back, learn what you need to learn, and try it again.
Make sure that you don’t fall into the trap of blaming others, like your coaches, teammates, and officials, when you lose.When you don’t take responsibility for your actions during a loss, you can’t learn and grow from the experience.
Every loss/failure carries with in the seed of improvement.
WINNERS Embrace Adversity August 16, 2012
Posted by in : Uncategorized , add a commentAdversity is an ugly word in our society. We are always looking for ways to make our lives more comfortable.
With adversity comes pain and discomfort. Because humans generally dislike both of these, most people look for ways to mask the pain and retreat to a place of comfort.
Winners are different.
They don’t run from the pain. They don’t hide.
Instead, they survey the situation to find an opportunity to learn, grow, and develop. Winners actually embrace adversity and become better as a result of it.
Tuesday night, I got an opportunity to speak to a group of young men that have faced their share of adversity – the Penn State Football Team.
Let me tell you…they inspired me more than I could have inspired them.
Faced with unprecedented challenges…They didn’t run. They didn’t retreat. Instead, they’ve come together and have chosen to grow from these challenges.
They are already WINNERS in my book!
Testimonial – Andy Talley (Villanova Football) August 9, 2012
Posted by in : Testimonials , add a commentI had the privilege of spending two nights sharing with the Villanova Football Team in July. Here’s a testimonial from Head Coach Andy Talley. Go Wildcats!
“Recently, Lee spoke to our football team for two straight nights.
Drawing on his experience as a student-athlete, leader, corporate professional and family man, Lee was able to convey his stories and communicate the underlying message so that it is not only crystal clear but relatable to each and every player. Our players were hooked from beginning to end and the impact was immediate and obvious.
Lee exceeded my expectations by reinforcing the core values that we preach to our players every day. Any team will be a better team after hearing Lee’s messages.”
Coach Andy Talley
Head Football Coach, Villanova University
Op/Ed: Good Lessons from a Despicable Teacher June 25, 2012
Posted by in : Uncategorized , add a commentFollow the link to an Op/Ed piece I did for Headline News’ website in response to the Jerry Sandusky verdict.
Good Lessons from a Despicable Teacher
I learned a lot of valuable lessons from Jerry Sandusky. I used to be proud of that fact. And now, I don’t know what to do about it.
As the starting free safety from 1991-1993 and defensive captain of the Penn State football team during my senior year, I interacted closely with Jerry Sandusky. I was the guy who ran to the sideline during timeouts and between quarters to get direction from the then-famous, now infamous defensive coordinator. During the halftime break, he would analyze the first half and make the necessary defensive adjustments.
During one conversation, I asked Jerry if he recruited players based on his defensive philosophy or if he built his defensive scheme around the talent he recruited. His answer was “both.” He continued that while it is important to establish and develop a scheme, there are times when your personnel demands that you make modifications to that structure. This wasn’t just a football lesson. It was a lesson in leadership.
