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.
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!
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.
Click Here to read the rest of the article
WIN is an Incredible Graduation Gift! May 29, 2012
Posted by in : Uncategorized , add a commentOrder a copy of WIN for each of your favorite graduates! It will help add tremendous value as they move on to the next phase of their lives.
Check out what others are saying about WIN:
After having a couple of conversations with my nephew on his plans after graduation, I came to the conclusion that he lacked direction and motivation. As a gift I decided to get him something he could always refer to. Your book is the perfect gift. - Tory
Put me down for five more copies! These are great gifts– so much wisdom for such a small price. - Tom
WIN is filled with anecdotes, principles and quotes that will help create a WINNER’S mindset.
Just $12.95 + s/h
Toot Your Own Horn May 10, 2012
Posted by in : Uncategorized , 5commentsAs an athlete, I was taught not to talk a lot of trash and brag about my skills. Rather, I was trained to let my ‘game’ – or my performance – do the talking.
However, once my athletic career ended and I transitioned into business, this principle got me into trouble. During interviews and sales pitches, I was unable to “sell myself”. I had not developed the ability to articulate my strengths, my skills and the value I could offer. I had many of the intangible skills that employers look for, but I had no idea how to communicate them.
There is never a need to brag or boast about what you’re capable of. But there is reason to improve your ability to articulate the value of what you bring to the table.
If you can’t get people excited about what you do, they’ll never buy.
