The Power to Succeed in Sports, Fitness and Life

Praise From Readers

“Frank Urefe showed, through personal experience, the qualities required to achieve your sports goals. Its contents are suitable for everyone, especially those learning new sports skills, finding sports jobs and desiring to become college athletes and sports professionals. I recommend this book to all ath-letes, coaches, sports agents, scouts, recruiters, fitness trainers, and those that play key roles in reshaping the sports world.”

— Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, President, Sports Management Worldwide

“At Athletes USA, we are always looking for people that can help with the athletic scholarship process and motivate our athletes to allow them to reach their potential. Frank’s book helps give athletes the motivation to achieve their sports dreams and goals. It’s a fantastic read and we believe it will teach athletes how to reach their full potential.”

— Chris Vidal, CEO, Athletes USA -The Sports Scholarship Agency

“Frank Urefe hits the nail on the head with his book, ‘The Power to Succeed in Sports, Fitness and Life.’ This is definitely a ‘must-read’ book for the sports career minded person! Through Urefe’s personal experiences in the sports world as an athlete and sports professional, he gives you an up front and personal view of the sports world and how to achieve your dreams. Hats off Frank!”

— Ed Kobak, President, Global Sports Productions

“Frank’s insightful thoughts and applications to a successful sports career is pure genius. Most parents and kids find themselves getting half truths and partial information before making an attempt to apply for college scholar-ships. Through the process, they fail to athletically achieve their goals and dreams. This book is a roadmap of how it can happen for you and your chil-dren. A must-read book for the career sports minded family.”

— Michael Herman, CEO, CR Marketing Solutions, LLC

“This book is well written and very insightful. It gives genuine insight of the linguistics and strife of sports. Frank scratches curiosities that inspiring athletes, coaches, parents and fans would like to know and need to know. You can tell that the author is speaking from experience and knowledge. Coaches, players, sports agents of all levels and in different sports should be able to find this book helpful and easy to read.”

— Jonathan “Buck” Johnson, Founder & Chief Director, Big 16 Sports Network, USA

“I have read Frank’s book three times and I love it. Each time I read the book, I learned something new. It touched on everything that a parent should know about preparing their child for the next level in their athletic future. In my opinion, this book should be on the ‘Best Seller’s’ list for sports educa-tional material. You did a great job.”

— Velree Walker, Assistant Manager, Bally Total Fitness, USA

“I read this book and found it to be incredibly informative and interest-ing. The author is passionate about sports and obviously did tremendous amount of research for the book. For those interested in starting a career in the sports industry, this is an absolute must-have book. Overall, it’s a great guide not only for students and sports agents but also for fans. This book has made me a more informed fan and I recommend it.”

— Suzie Moyo, Publisher and Founder, SistaSister Magazine, Canada

“This book is educational and it can help young athletes establish their path to success. It is also an excellent handbook for coaches.”

— Joshua Opolot, Public Relations Officer, Uganda Hockey Association

“Playing college basketball was my dream since I first picked up the ball at the age of four, but as I got older and older my thoughts of achieving this dream started to dwindle. At the age of seventeen, severe toe and ankle injuries prevented me from playing my senior year in high school and I ul-timately ended up giving up hope of ever playing college basketball. Four years later, I was lucky enough to meet Frank in person where he told me that it’s never too late to achieve your sports dreams. He proposed that I should read his book. Prior to reading Frank’s book, I had completely given up on ever playing basketball again. I thought I was too old and no col-lege would want to recruit a twenty-one-year old, when they can recruit an eighteen-year old, straight out of high school. But the more I read, the more I started to believe that I could achieve anything I wanted through discipline, hard work, and positive thinking. So here I am now, working out everyday, bringing myself closer and closer to achieving my dreams and all thanks to Frank. I’ll be traveling to the United States this summer to check out different colleges that can grant me a full athletic scholarship. I would recommend this book to athletes of all ages as it helps motivate you to push yourself harder and harder everyday.”

— Shahin Saati, College Basketball Player

“After I finished reading this book I got answers to all my questions. It is the guide to success in the sports world, and I recommend every athlete to read it. It doesn’t matter what sport you play or perform, the book is simply amazing. It is highly detailed and straight to the point. For me personally, I think this book should be called ‘The Encyclopedia of Sports.’ I learned a lot of important information from it, which helped me to make important deci-sions in my life. Thank you for sharing your experiences and knowledge.”

— Eddy Brown, International Soccer Player

“For anyone who is interested in making a career in the sports industry, I can definitely say that reading this book is a phenomenal way to start.”

— Varinder Sidhu, Inspiring Sports Agent

“I have read ‘The Power to Succeed in Sports, Fitness and Life’ and I found out that the book had valuable information for young athletes for the most part. Whether you are an athlete or not, the principles in this book can be applied by anyone especially those who would like to achieve specific goals in life.

Parents with young adults can use this book as a reference guide to inspire their kids to participate in intercollegiate sports and eventually becoming professional athletes. This book helps them realize their full potential and enable them to understand that the opportunity to become successful in sports is wide open. This book teaches them that they can motivate them-selves to take the necessary action needed to achieve their dreams. Frank Urefe is very inspiring, calm, and patient. He provides excellent advice for youths to stay in school and never give up on their dreams.”

— Sheila Thomas, Parent and Financial Service Manager

“What an amazing book! I found it to be very edifying. I believe it is a book that will help you, not only to achieve your sports dreams, but to achieve whatever your dreams are. I want to encourage everyone to read this book and it will definitely help you to succeed in whatever your goals are. Just fol-low the guidelines. To Frank, the author, keep up the good work, you are an amazing writer and I believe that with your talent, great things will happen for you in the future.”

— Patrice Sharpe, Trinidadian Women’s Ministry Director

“I read Frank’s book, along with my three daughters. The book was very interesting and motivating. The book motivated two of my daughters so greatly that they joined the gym and started working out. I have tried to motivate the girls for years. I think that all young athletes should read this book. It was very inspiring. Frank is a wonderful human being. He is soft spo-ken with words of wisdom. He is very compassionate and has great concern for others. Thank you Frank for giving us the opportunity.”

— Laura Jesso, Single Mother and Home Care Manager

THE POWER TO SUCCEED IN SPORTS, FITNESSS, AND LIFECopyright © 2010 © 2009 © 1997 by Frank A. Urefe

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any form whatsoever, without prior written permission of the publisher or copyright owner except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Publishing History1997: First edition, self-published in Canada titled: “How to Achieve Your Sports Dreams”2009: Second edition, revised and published in Canada by DaySprings Publishing2010: Third edition, revised and title changed to: The Power to Succeed in Sports, Fitness and Life

Published on November 30th, 2010 in the United States bySportsMoni/Sports Dreams NetworkMiami, Florida, USA

For information, contact the author at [email protected]

To order copies visit www.sportdrim.com

Printed and bound in the United States of AmericaPublished simultaneously in Canada

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010913722

ISBN: 978-0-615-39878-5

Cover designed by: Robin Krauss, Linden Design www.lindendesign.biz

Third Paperback Edition

Legal DisclaimerThis book is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information concerning the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or any other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The information/analysis contained herein represents the experiences and opinions of the author, but the author and publisher are not responsible for the result of any action taken on the basis of information neither in this work nor for any errors or omissions.

Contents

DedicationAcknowledgmentsThe Author’s NotePrologueIntroduction

Part One: THE SPORTS INDUSTRY AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE

Chapter 1 The Sports IndustryChapter 2 Set GoalsChapter 3 The Learning ProcessChapter 4 PracticeChapter 5 Positive ThinkingChapter 6 ConcentrationChapter 7 DesireChapter 8 Use Your MindChapter 9 Have Self-ConfidenceChapter 10 Be PatientChapter 11 Have FaithChapter 12 Be AggressiveChapter 13 Self-MotivationChapter 14 Perseverance

Part Two: COLLEGE SPORTS

Chapter 15 Athletic Scholarships You Have a Chance

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Opportunities Are Available Approach and Contact Recruiters College Eligibility Penalties For Violation Protect Your Eligibility My Eligibility Problem Your College Education The Best Route to Take The SAT®, ACT®, TOEFL®, and IELTS® Test The Rules and Regulations Write Letters and Send E-mails College Athlete Interview Questions Watching Players In Action The Proof of Your Athletic Scholarship Award Using Recruiting Services International College Student-Athletes The Academic Requirements Learn The Fundamentals and Technicalities Read Widely and Watch Sports The Visa Application Process

Part Three: PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

Chapter 16 The Professional Sports World Business Mentality Creating Opportunities Professional Athlete Interview Questions Find Corporate Sponsors Early Endorsement Opportunities Be The Right Match Find a Representative You May Need a Sports Agent Find a Mentor The Sports Agent Duties Becoming a Sports Agent Sports Agent Assessment Sports Agent Training The Road to Certification Get a College Degree

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Sports Jobs Are Available Millions of Dollars Can Be Made Avoid Going Broke and Filing For Bankruptcy Success Often Brings Attention Drugs and Alcohol Abuse Charity and Foundations

Part Four: SUCCESS FORMULA

Chapter 17 The Keys to Succeed in Sports The 3Ds Formula Can Make Something Happen Determination + Desire + Discipline = Success

Chapter 18 The Final Game Plan The Power Plan to Success The Practical Steps

APPENDIXAppendix A: The World’s Most Popular SportsAppendix B: The Richest and Highest Paid Sports ProfessionalsAppendix C: Sample Draft Letters and Player’s Profile Appendix D: Sample Letters and AgreementsAppendix E: Sponsorship and Advertisement OpportunitiesAppendix F: Reviews and CommentsAppendix G: Speaking Engagements and OrdersAppendix H: About The Sports Dreams Network

References and Recommended Reading

About The Author

1

Dedication

“The best thing about sports is the sense of community and shared emo-tion it can create.” — Bob Costas, NBC American Sportscaster

“Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together.”

— Phil Jackson, NBA Basketball Coach

To my beloved sons, Oromena and Obaro, you enjoy playing and watching competitive sports, while reminding me frequently how much you love the game of basketball. I enjoy the precious time I spend teaching you the fundamentals of the game, the importance of getting good grades, exercising and staying in shape, and knowledge about the sports industry. My dream now is to see you play professional sports in the near future. Dad-dy loves you very much.

To my late father, Hon. Emmanuel O. Urefe, it’s been over three years since you passed on. Your children and the entire family miss you greatly. I pray your soul continues to rest in peace.

To Coach Jerry Hemmings, former Bobcats Brandon University basket-ball head coach, I appreciate your efforts in developing my athletic skills as a player and giving me the opportunity to play the game. Deep down within me, I wanted to complete my college career under your coaching program. I was naive and never understood the rules and regulations of intercollegiate sports. I am older and wiser now. My life has changed since we last spoke and after I left the Bobcats. I learned that Keith Vassell, former teammate, has been appointed as head coach. I look forward to seeing you again.

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THE POWER TO SUCCEED IN SPORTS, FITNESSS, AND LIFE

To athletes, coaches, sports agents, administrators, directors, sports fans, writers, broadcasters, and other sports and fitness professionals around the world. This book is truly written for you and hopefully, it meets your expec-tation and becomes your guide and source of motivation. If it does, please make the effort to recommend it to others.

To millions of talented athletes in Africa, Caribbean, South America, Asia, the Middle East, and other third world nations as well as in the inner cities of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and countries in Europe. I am committed to providing you with the resources to achieving your sports and fitness goals. You are all invited to join the Sports Dreams Network.

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Acknowledgments

“I believe in God. He is the secret of my success. He gives people talent.”— Noureddine Morceli, Algerian Olympic Gold Medalist

“Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work.” — Vince Lombardi, American Football Coach

Writing this book was fun and exciting because it was my first book and a project that revealed the essence of who I am.

No one accomplishes anything worthwhile alone. There were special people who supported, and inspired me, either directly or indirectly, to build a fulfilling sports career and continue writing and publishing books.

First and foremost, I would like to thank my God for everything, His guidance, protection, and direction, especially in times when I am alone to make important decisions in my life.

I thank and appreciate my immediate family, relatives and close friends who have encouraged me over the years to never give up on my dreams. I would have loved to mention their names, but the list will be endless. I trust that you know who you are.

To Mark Pitzele, my project manager, I thank you for your contribution to ensuring that this book is published and distributed to different countries through the right channels. Mark has helped tremendously throughout the different stages of publishing a book—editing, designing, printing, binding,

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distribution, and order fulfillment.To Henry Agbozo at Daysprings Publishing, I appreciate your efforts

in turning the manuscript of How to Achieve Your Sports Dreams into a fully fleshed book. Henry resurrected my creative writing skills and abilities after years of abandonment. For doing that, I am thankful to him.

To Shadi Saati, I appreciate the time you took in reading through the entire manuscript, diligently looking for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. She did a wonderful job and made important corrections before this book was printed. Shadi showed how much she loves sports.

To Marshall Pawar, I am grateful for your devotion to this project. De-spite your busy schedule as a corporate lawyer, you still took time to peruse the manuscript and offered your comments and suggestions.

To Michael Geldert at Geldert Law, I thank you for your patience, time and efforts in ensuring that I am legally protected.

To Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, President of Sports Management Worldwide, who made it possible for me to begin my career as a sports agent—some-thing I have always wanted to do since I retired from professional sports. On behalf of the numerous sports professionals around the world, who have gone through your organization to become experts in their various fields and sports career, I thank you for sharing your foresight and knowledge.

To Richard Avery, Founder of Pro Sports Careers and certified NBA agent, for sharing your knowledge and information about the sports indus-try. It has helped me in understanding the sports business better. I enjoyed the numerous conversations we had about athlete representation and the sports world.

To Chris Vidal, CEO of Athletes USA, I appreciate your contribution to the sports industry and for giving me the opportunity to become one of your college scouts.

To Edward Kobak, President and Founder of Global Sports Production, thank you for the efforts you have made in publishing an up-to-date sports directory, and for letting the world know about my book, using the tools you have set in place.

To Jay Triano, the Toronto Raptors head coach, I remembered the op-portunity you gave me to become a member of the Simon Fraser University basketball team when you were head coach. Your advice and encourage-ment enabled me to recognize my potential.

I extend greetings to Clyde Drexler, the former Houston Rockets NBA player. We met during The Sentinel television show, an episode shot in Van-couver, British Columbia, Canada. You motivated me to achieve my sports goals in a positive way.

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Acknowledgments

To Garfield Richards, my former teammate and Southwestern Okla-homa State University basketball player, I thank you for your support and referring athletes to me, who would like to secure athletic scholarships and play professional sports overseas. I appreciate every effort you have made to help talented athletes. Please keep it up.

To Lou Rene Legge, my former Athletic Director at Douglas College, I cannot thank you enough for your help and support during my basketball career at the college. I remembered vividly when we won the BCCAA cham-pionship. We were at the finals, on our way to bringing home the CCAA championship trophy. Even though I felt nervous playing on national televi-sion for the first time in my life, our success was mainly attributed to the way you handled the athletes.

I would like to also express my gratitude to Labefo Uduafi, my club bas-ketball coach, who believed and had confidence that I could play the game at any level of competition. The role he played in ensuring that I secured full athletic scholarships still remains fresh in my memory. I cherished his favor-able recommendation letters that enabled me to leave the shores of Africa to pursue my dreams.

I recognize my former basketball college coach, Phil Ingersoll, at Semi-nole State College in Oklahoma. I appreciate his commitment to my devel-opment as a member of the Trojans. Accept my condolences for the loss of your child. Also, to Sean Beasley, former basketball coach at Douglas Col-lege. His first year as head coach saw us through to the national champion-ship in 1993.

To my former teammates, and coaches at Delta State Sport Council, Brandon University, Douglas College, Seminole College, and SSV Ratiop-harm Ulm. I thank you all for the unique ways in which you have helped to shape my future. I am sure some of you are currently in the big leagues, probably retired or doing something positive within your various communi-ties.

Bravo to all sports agent advisors, scouts, and instructors at Sports Man-agement Worldwide, especially those who shared their personal views and made comments about the keys to achieving success in sports including Velree Walker (Snellville, Georgia) and Marshall Pawar (New York). It was a wonderful learning experience.

Finally, to all my readers, I thank you for sending your personal thoughts and comments about how my book has helped in achieving some of your goals. Your reviews and testimonials are invaluable and they ignite the pas-sion within me to keep writing.

To those whose names deserved mentioning and have escaped my

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memory, I extend my gratitude. You have the power to achieve your goals. The author also makes grateful acknowledgement to the following:Penguin Books Canada Ltd for permission to reprint and quote from Vi-

sion of Excellence by Mark Tewksbury. Copyright by Mark Tewksbury, 1993.WRS Publishing for permission to reprint and quote from Quest of Suc-

cess by Dr. Steven Ungerleider. Copyright by Steven Ungerleider, 1995.

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The Author’s Note

“I have failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed”

— Michael Jordan, Retired Basketball Player

“The challenges and setbacks that I faced throughout my sports career

inspired me to start writing for the first time in my life. If you don’t let go

and forget about mistakes and games you lose, it will bring you down

and affect your performance in future competitions. You only need to

promise yourself not to make the same mistake twice.”

— Frank A. Urefe, Author’s Quote

THE SPORTS DREAMS Network is a powerful tool that helps to reach out and communicate with athletes, coaches and sports brand part-ners. I am honored because despite all the millions of books out there, you took an interest in reading my book. I encourage you to follow its principles and instructions. There is a wealth of knowledge and information in it.

Over the last sixteen years, I have observed and conducted research on the lives of many successful sports professionals, as well as clubs, teams, sports ministries, agencies, associations and other sports organizations around the world. I have a desire to help others avoid mistakes, excel and succeed in sports, fitness and life. Discover your true potential and make a difference in the sports world.

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Understanding Your Experience Experience is one of the best ways to acquire knowledge. In fact, many

scholars would argue that the only source of knowledge is experience. In this book, I shared my experiences. I understand whatever you are

going through in your sports and fitness life because I have experienced it. I understand what it means and how it feels to get dropped from a

team without any warning and get traded from one team to another. I have experienced it.

I know how it feels when others don’t believe in you as much as you believe in yourself. I have experienced it.

I understand how it feels to desire to want to win a championship, yet it doesn’t quite happen because you were down by a few points and all you can do is look at your teammates, coaches or managers, trying to find out what went wrong. I have experienced it.

I know how tiring it can be when you are trying to lose weight or stay in shape in preparation for the next playing season. I have experienced it.

I have also experienced how it feels for an athlete to be falsely accused.As an entrepreneur, I understand challenges faced from running a sports

business. I have experienced failures in my life, and I understand what it takes to succeed and what it means to be successful.

When you are tired of sports politics, unsure of what is going to hap-pen next and fear the unknown, most professional athletes start to think of retirement and begin to search for other things to do. As an experienced or retired sports professional, sharing your knowledge to help others succeed should be the ideal thing to do.

There Will Be Distractions and ChallengesWhile professional sports can bring fame, wealth and riches, it never

lasts forever. Sustaining injuries and encountering legal issues can shorten your active sport life and snuff out your sports dreams. Personal relation-ships can be a distraction. For example:

Being sued for child support, going through separation or divorce can distract you from performing well in competitions.

Wrongfully accused and going through legal proceedings for an offense you didn’t commit can make you lose focus and distract you from achieving your sports goals.

Chasing money when you should be focused on your education and de-veloping your skills and talents can take you off track from your purpose.

Losing college eligibility without understanding the NCAA, NAIA, NJ-CAA or CIS rules, and going to play professional sports too early has its con-

13

The Author’s Note

sequences.In professional sports, incidents such as injuries, separation, divorce,

and law suit can occur in both your business and personal life when you least expect them to happen. These incidents can also be caused by the choices and personal decisions you have made in your life. Take what I share with you in this book and apply them into your life. You should be able to have a rewarding college career and eventually sign a sports contract if you follow my advice. Your talents and skills can get you there, but it is your at-titude, passion, network and associates that will determine if you are going to succeed or not.

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Prologue

“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy”

—Wayne Gretzky, Retired Canadian Hockey Player

“There’s a lot of heartache because you don’t always win. You need loads of determination.” —Pat Cash, Retired Australian Tennis Player

SINCE previous editions of “How to Achieve Your Sports Dreams” was published thirteen years ago, there has been a need for updates. On No-vember 30th, 2010, the book title was changed to expand its readership and keep up with the events taking place within the sports and fitness industry.

This Book Is Written For YouBy picking up a copy and reading this book, you must be an athlete, a

coach, an agent or a person who has specific goals to achieve. Perhaps you are a parent who wants your kid to excel in sports. Maybe someone gave you this book because they know that you are a sports fanatic. As you flip the cover, your favorite sports celebrity may ring a bell or flash through your mind. Perhaps, you want an athletic scholarship to pursue an undergradu-ate education and try to make it to the next level. You meditate daily on what it will take to excel in your sport, but you don’t know how to market your sports skills and make scouts aware of your athletic abilities. You would like to play in the big leagues, but certain qualities are lacking to achieve your goals. You have thought about becoming a sports agent or securing

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a job within the sports industry, but do not know how to begin. You never knew that, even though you are an amateur athlete or coach, you can ap-proach companies for sponsorship and sign endorsement deals to promote companies’ products and services. Your weight, fitness, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a concern to you.

Whatever your reason for reading this book, I believe it will steer you in the right direction.

The Categories of Readers Although anyone can read this book, there are categories of people that

will benefit greatly from adhering to its principles. Some of the specific types of people this book is written for are: people who want to begin a new sport but don’t know how to start. In chapter 3, you will find out that learning the fundamentals of your sport is the first step, then identifying and overcom-ing your weaknesses follows.

It’s for athletes who have graduated from high school or college and wish to secure a full athletic scholarship at the next level. In chapter 15, you will discover how to go through the recruiting process.

It’s for athletes who have exhausted their college eligibility and have no representation and no idea of how to get to the next level of competition. Do not worry; you will learn how to succeed, overcome setbacks, approach professional teams and sign a playing contract.

It’s for professional athletes who wish to continuously improve their game, potentially earn more money or better understand what it takes to live a better and more fulfilled life. You will see how to have an effective sports career.

It’s for those who need the motivation to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In chapter 6, you will learn how to lose weight without di-eting. Losing weight is about changing your habits, lifestyle, and beliefs. It is about creating time, making sports, exercise, and workout a vital part of your life.

It’s for coaches and personal trainers who would like to motivate their players and clients to reach their exercise goals and objectives. Motivation comes from enhancement of self-esteem, positive talk, preaching, sharing, and understanding.

It’s for individuals or organizations who would like to become coaches, administrators or sports agents and manage the affairs of professional ath-letes. In chapter 16, suggestions are given on how to secure a job in the sports industry.

It’s for non-athletes who want to achieve specific goals. Life is a sport,

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Prologue

and the principles in this book can be applied to every other area in your life.

We all have dreams we wish to pursue, and this book is written for any person who wants to change and enhance his or her life, guided by specific universal principles known to enable a person to achieve success.

Most athletes strive for self-improvement in their sports performance and have specific goals that they would like to achieve. If you are one of these athletes, this book is written for you.

Do not expect this book to offer quick solutions and an easy way out. Setting goals and taking action is needed. You might have the natural tal-ent, ability and athleticism, but your lifestyle, habits, and mental toughness will determine if you are able to focus without distractions to achieve your ultimate goal.

Empowering Sports Phrases Most of the principles you will encounter in this book are not new. Many

of us have seen and heard about them many times over and over again, on television, at home, school, work, fitness centers, during training, and in many books. However, it is my own personal account as a former profes-sional athlete and the combination of the experiences of other achievers using real life and concrete examples that I hope you will find useful.

No matter the level of competition, athletes need a high dose of motiva-tion and inspiration to achieve their goals. Just like the intake of food and water that nourish the human body, athletes are often told:

Set goals.Be strong.Don’t quit.Work hard.Take action.Be focused.Be positive.Get in shape.Be persistent.Do your best.Fear no one.Be a team player.Play your position.Keep track of time.Don’t procrastinate.It’s all in your mind.

Be positive.Play defense.You can do it.Be committed.Never give up.Be passionate.Be aggressive.Be competitive.Be ready to play.Be ready to fight.Follow the plays.Protect your reputation.Take one game at a time.Be patient and don’t rush.Be quick, you are too slow.Keep your eyes on the ball.

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Raise your head up.Don’t be intimidated.Take care of the ball.Have self-confidence.

Don’t give up on your dreams.Understand the fundamentals.Have faith and believe in yourself.Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.

The list goes on and on. These phrases are more of a mental prescrip-tion that no medical doctor can provide. They form part of what gives you The Power to Succeed in Sports, Fitness, and Life.

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Introduction

“One of the things that my parents have taught me is never listen to other people’s expectations. You should live your own life and live it up to your own expectations, and those are the only things I really care about.”

—Tiger Woods, American Golf Player

“If you are trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I have had them; everybody has had them.But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

—Michael Jordan, American Basketball Player

THIS BOOK should inspire, motivate and guide you to success. Whether your dream is to simply start an exercise program, go to the Olym-pics, become a sports agent, secure an athletic scholarship, go all the way to the big leagues, or achieve success in life, you will find the principles that can help you achieve those goals. The strategies and qualities required to achieve success are similar and sometimes the same. Even when you are born with a specific talent or sport skill, those talents need development and mental characteristics such as patience, self-control, and faith.

Your determination, desire, commitment and passion for the sport allow you to go through the learning process and practice the mental ways to get what you want.

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Powerful Qualities and TechniquesIn this book, I did not stress the traditional and fundamental practices,

such as the number of repetitions and sets to be performed in order to en-hance improvement. I left fundamental practices and skills development to coaches and those who run sports academies. But I focused more on es-sential qualities and proven methods of using creative visualization that successful athletes have used during competition. I discussed the practical steps, and how you can combine it with the power of prayer and creative visualization, using mind-body principles, to secure athletic scholarships, sign sports contracts, secure sports jobs, lose weight, win championships and achieve your sports dreams.

Your state of mind and consistent use of positive visualization tech-niques are powerful. However, your physical skills and talents are what will eventually get you to where you want to be. With the level of competition increasing, it takes more than talent to be drafted into a professional sports league or become the best sports agent. Athletes who get along with ad-ministrators, coaching staff, have self-confidence and show positive mental attitudes often display the highest level of skills. They often make it to the professional leagues and eventually retire with honor.

Avoiding destructive habits such as drugs, alcohol, and womanizing can be challenging in an environment where it’s prevalent. This is why your spirituality needs enhancement and putting your dreams in prayer can help you off-load the burden and make your efforts seem easier. If you don’t be-lieve in prayers and meditation, you can skip sections that emphasize on these qualities.

There are several factors that contribute to an athletes’ success, which you will soon discover.

Many believe that an athletes’ lifestyle, dedication, hard work, vision, skills, aggression, passion, faith, commitment to the sport, athleticism, and even DNA or biological make-up are essential qualities to achieving success in sports. Others think that understanding the fundamentals of your sport, mental visualization, determination, perseverance, consistent prayer, hav-ing self-control, self-motivation, and discipline are more important. Some qualities seem more pronounced in an individual than others. However, having a combination of all qualities explained in the following chapters will give you a ticket to the game, a sure path, and the power to achieve your sports dreams.

Inspirational Poems and QuotesEach chapter begins with poems that were written during moments

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Introduction

I felt inspired. Recite the poems most meaningful to you, or try and write similar ones for yourself. You will even find inspirational quotes from hall of fame, prominent retired athletes, coaches, and administrators like Michael Jordan, Muhammed Ali, Mike Ditka, Bo Jackson, Steve Waugh Arthur Ashe, Tommy Lasorda, Wayne Gretzky, Paul Bryant, Pat Cash, and Vince Lombardi. The poems and quotes can motivate, encourage and reinforce the action needed to reach your goals.

There are several exercises to do which will help you establish and out-line a concrete plan to achieve your dreams. As you read, keep a pen and paper nearby.

Make every effort to complete the exercises. I have learned that if you leave tasks that need to be done for later, later never happens. Scribble notes in margins, underline parts that touch your heart. Make this book a part of your sports life.

Part One

THE SPORTS INDUSTRY AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO SUCCEED

Documents

The Power to Succeed in Sports, Fitness and Life