Brayden Ware 🤘’s Post

This past weekend I won a state championship on staff with the Johnston boys soccer team. It was the program's second title in as many years. A true dynasty in the making. After reflecting on the experience, I came up with 6 key takeaways contributing to the team and program's success. 1. A clear, simple, and consistent message yields results. Don't overcomplicate things. We knew our strengths and we played to them. Whatever the opposition threw at us, we knew what made us great. 2. The journey is never linear. Numerous injuries to key players. Back to back losses in the middle of the season. Unfair sanctions placed on the program. Adversity breeds champions. The obstacle is the way. 3. You need buy-in, commitment, and desire. These factors are intrinsic to success in any endeavor. It starts at the top with leadership and trickles down. Nobody in the world cares more about the success of the Johnston soccer program than head coach, Jimmy Frizzell. He has an aura about him on gamedays that everyone in the locker room can sense and it undoubtedly contributes to the performance of the team. 4. Attention to detail makes all the difference. At practice, throughout the season, there is a penalty kick bracket challenge. The guys have fun with it, but it also ensures we as a staff know who our best kick takers are. Our semi-final match was decided by kicks & because we were prepared for the occasion we advanced to the finals. Attention to detail. 5. Gamify and compete as often as possible. Why? It maintains and upholds high standards. No one likes to lose or let others down. Competition forces individuals to rise to the occasion. It makes things more fun and raises the intensity of seemingly basic drills. 6. Appreciate and recognize high performance publicly. We had our banquet to put a bow on the season earlier this week. Amidst celebrating team accomplishments and milestones, individual high performers were recognized and celebrated for their contributions. This builds a winning culture. As I read back through this list, it is apparent how applicable these 6 takeaways are to a team's success in business too. The lessons are universal. I am feeling grateful for the memories, experiences, and lessons this Spring season provided, & already looking forward to pursuing the 3-peat next year! Special thanks to the program's parents for the new office poster. #Drags #Back2Back #Champs ⭐⭐

Momentum works both ways. My 12-U softball player is only 11, and her whole team is 11 and 10 year olds, so we often play against teams with bigger players. What I have found is that we can hold our own if we play clean defense and cobble together some timely hitting. A few hits and good catches, and the girls ride the wave to a close game and the occasional win - regardless of how good, or strong, or big the opposing team. But then there are the bad innings. One missed catch, and errors become an infectious disease running through the whole team. Negative momentum. I watch as one mistake introduces the fear of more mistakes into the players, and suddenly no one can make routine plays. This past weekend had 3 back-to-back games, and depending on the inning, it felt like we had 2 teams...the one that played to their full potential, and the other that was too focused on the negative to perform. As a dad, I know the mistakes are temporary, and resiliency is learned by weathering death-spiral innings, but I wish I could accelerate the learning curve for our team. Somehow motivate them to be the goldfish and focus on the next batter and believe they can defeat any team. But there are some lessons you can learn from others, and some lessons you have to experience. I hope that any of you shaking off a dropped ball this week take inspiration from my daughter's softball team. Each new game brings new opportunities, and you're only a few lucky hits away from a big inning. #DadBusiness

🤣 In the world of baseball and softball, this quote captures the essence of the sport's unpredictable nature. 🌪️⛈️⁠ ⁠ It reminds us that both positive and negative in-game outcomes are inherent to the game, and every player will experience both highs and lows throughout their developmental journey.⁠ ⁠ As coaches, it's essential to instill resilience and perspective in our players. ⁠ ⁠ Instead of dwelling on setbacks or becoming overconfident in victories, let's teach our athletes to embrace the ebb and flow of competition with grace and determination.⁠ ⁠ Whether you're on top of the world or facing adversity, remember that it's all part of the game. ⁠ ⁠ Each experience – whether as the dog or the fire hydrant – presents an opportunity for growth, learning, and character development.

One of the defining take aways from my college basketball coaching career is that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it. This has been so impactful on both my personal life but also my professional life. If you solely focus on the things you can control, and stop worrying about things that are outside your influence, then you are going to find yourself happier and more successful. Full stop. People who fail to focus on the controllable, and instead focus on outcomes often find themselves blaming others, complaining about circumstances and defending from a place of ego/weakness. This is why you constantly here about "process" from elite athletes and elite teams. It's also why you see the teams/athletes/coaches fixated on the referees during games are often the teams/athletes/coaches that are struggling to win series in the playoffs. So are you going to focus on what you can control or are you going to blame and complain about things around you? Because one will lead to happiness and growth and the other will leave you grumpy and stagnating.

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring training today! As someone who has been involved in #HumanResources for almost 20 years and baseball since I was four, I’ve learned many valuable lessons from America’s pastime. ⚾ In baseball, as in business, teamwork is essential. Each player has a unique role to play and must do their job to support their teammates. ⚾ Good communication and trust between players allows them to work seamlessly together. ⚾ Like in baseball, there will be successes and failures in business – it’s how you bounce back that matters most. Gotta have a short memory! ⚾ Persistence and hard work are necessities to get ahead. Managing adversity builds resilience for tougher challenges down the road. ⚾ And good leadership is pivotal, someone who can bring out the best in others and lead by example. If we can channel baseball’s emphasis on continuous improvement, strategy and competitiveness, our business (and team) will thrive. Can’t wait for my first dog and a beer and a Sunday day game in the sun. Let's go New York Yankees!

In the last few months I've started as an Assistant Baseball Coach at my former high school. What drove myself to volunteer was my remembrance of coaches that had a positive influence on my life and created an environment for development. I'd like to highlight some of my thoughts since becoming a coach… Interestingly enough, they happen to overlap with being an employee, student, or more encompassing, a human. - Learning something new requires recognition. We often find ourselves completing our daily tasks, personally or professionally, doing what we know to do. Yet, we hardly give ourselves recognition when successfully completing a task for the first time. Many people just see it as something that had to be done. While this does contribute toward humility, we should internally celebrate ourselves, no matter how "big" or "small" the task was. This helps build self-confidence and creates a positive environment in our mind handling future circumstances. - During stressful times, it is easy to have the idea that in the moment, whatever it may be, is the "worst thing to ever happen" or is the "most difficult period of my life," which often leads us to feel defeated. If you were to practice introspection right now, though, one thing you would realize is that all the times you felt that way have something in common - you made it through them. You are stronger than you make yourself out to be - save that reminder. - We all make mistakes. In baseball we mark them as errors. In life, there is opportunity for errors every day, and we will make them. However, they present another opportunity - to learn. While we may get stuck replaying the moment in our mind to see where we went wrong, this does no good. It only removes us from the present and creates the potential for more errors! A wise mind will recognize the error once or twice, learn from it, and let it go. Learn to let go rather than latch on. - Have fun. Life, like baseball, is meant to be fun. But, like most things, have it in moderation.

This year, I enrolled my son in wrestling, a new challenge for him. I saw it as an opportunity for him to learn about accountability, resilience, and most importantly, himself. In youth team sports, blame seems to be a common pattern from what we have experienced. Whether it's the refs, coaches, or teammates, someone always seems to be at fault. It was time for my son to learn how to take accountability for his actions. It was time for him to notice his own contributions. I wanted him to learn full accountability of how he can respond. Does he get back up and try again or quit? Does he give it his all or is he to worried about what others will say? While this season hasn't been filled with victories, my son has gained something much more valuable - confidence. This makes him a better team mate. It has been a powerful reminder that adults are no different. We all need to undergo this kind of training, regardless of our age or profession. As we finish up meetings, projects, or sales calls, let's ask ourselves: Are we taking accountability, learning, and getting back up? Or are we quick to blame others? Remember, it's not about the wins and losses, but about the journey and the lessons learned along the way. The work we do in ourselves, contributes to the power we bring in teams! #accountabilitymatters #resilience #growthmindset #GRITT #TheRiverbendGroup #leadershipdevelopment #companyculture #takeaction #choice #accountability #getbackup #learnfromfailure

How Adversity Shapes Champions in Basketball 🎖 In the world of basketball, adversity isn't just a roadblock; it's a vital part of the journey that shapes champions. 🏀 Today, let's draw inspiration from the legendary Michael Jordan, whose initial rejection from his high school varsity team fueled his determination rather than discouraged him. He once said, 'I've failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.' This story isn't just about basketball; it's a lesson for all of us. Facing rejection or failure can be a powerful motivator to push harder, practice more, and come back stronger. Jordan’s career is a testament to the power of resilience and having the courage to use rejection as a stepping stone to greatness. Whether you're on the court or in the boardroom, remember that setbacks can be setups for greater comebacks. How have you turned a personal challenge into a victory? Share your stories of resilience and let’s motivate each other to rise above obstacles! Stay tuned for tomorrow's post where we'll explore the crucial role of teamwork in achieving basketball and life goals. #BasketballMotivation #Resilience #OvercomingAdversity #Leadership

Insight for today…. Back in 2006, twelve young men from Beaverton Oregon played together on a baseball team that went to the Little League World Series….the pinnacle of youth baseball. The mantra of this team was Dream... Believe... Achieve... I do not recall which parent came up with this motto, but it was a stroke of brilliance. We had this slogan on everything related to the team. The players, coaches and parents lived it in the majority of moments. There may have been something to this way of thinking, believing and acting, as the team made it to the US Finals. (Ultimately, the team tied for 3rd in the world) Pretty impressive for a group of kids from Beaverton Oregon. The glue that made it all work was every player had a role to play, and they believed in themselves, their coaches and the team parents. It was a cohesive effort focused on one outcome….the dream of winning the LLWS. Look what was accomplished with some applied belief. What would happen in your life if you believed in your dream and truly Lived and Loved every moment with Courageous Abandon? Allow yourself to Dream, Believe, Achieve… and you just might find out. #InsightForToday #flatlinerfitness #getyourfitonstayheartstrong #CoachBrad #1stphormathletesearch #bethe1

Sophomore year, high school baseball: my pitching record was 7-1 & I helped our team get to the district championship. But the next few years proved I was not that naturally talented: • Junior year I pitched horribly. • Senior year I was near average. • I stayed sub-par through my college career. After that sophomore year, I attributed all successes to our team. I couldn’t replicate my same results, so it had to be luck or others carrying my weight. We had an awesome group of guys, but I realized giving all the credit to others was an easy way to not address why I got worse when I should’ve improved. What made the difference? The off-season before sophomore year looked like this: 3-4 days a week • I worked with a pitching coach. • I neurotically practiced hitting pitch locations. • My training included resistance bands and plyometrics, specific to pitching. The off-season between sophomore-junior and junior-senior years, I did everything I thought I should have to become a better athlete overall. That included everyday running, lifting weights, and taking batting practice as I tried to both pitch and play first base those years. ... None of that training actually involved pitching. In order to become a strong pitcher, I worked on the discrete skills of one. I became a sub-par pitcher when I spent more time working on the skills of a generalist. Lesson learned: consistently practicing micro-skills is the only way to specific, steady outcomes. Generalist training may complement it, but specific training makes the difference. Look back on your greatest feats. What micro-skills did you train to get there? It’s not always obvious when we’re going through it, but reflect on it and you might recognize the significance they had. And what specific craft are you focusing on today to hit your next goal?