Gold Medal Sportsmanship: Alicia Sacramone

Alicia Sacramone (United States), originally uploaded by jodfevic.

Good leadership is like good sportsmanship. One of the most important lessons to be learned in victory and defeat is the need to be gracious, win or lose.

Alicia Sacramone's performance on the balance beam in Beijing presented a great test of her sportsmanship and leadership abilities, particularly after the competition ended.

The captain and her teammates on the US Women's Gymnastics team have endured more pressure from the distractions created by international politics than any other team thus far in the Beijing Olympics. With a few exceptions, commentators seem unwilling to acknowledge the impact of these matters on the athletes.

China was honored with the torch. They have succeeded in grabbing the world's attention with spectacular displays. Carrying the torch involves responsibilities as well, including advancing the principles of good sportsmanship.

Sportsmanship is about more than the outcome of the game. It's also about how the game is played, under what conditions, and how coaches and athletes choose to respond. When the emphasis of coaches, athletes, parents, officials, fans or the media is focused on winning at the expense of everything else, there is nothing of value left to be learned when a team does not get the top prize. Nor is there much of lasting value to achievements gained on an uneven playing field.

Good coaches ensure that the right lessons are learned so that athletes can perform better the next time. Others, including the media, play a role in either supporting these learning opportunities or hindering them, not just for the athletes but for all who are observing. In that regard, they're carrying the Olympic torch as well.

Under such scrutiny, athletes who maintain their composure and behave with dignity in spite of a loss, under conditions beyond their control, are to be commended.

For all those involved in influencing youth, the Olympic games, and these circumstances specifically, present teachable moments about good sportsmanship. These lessons translate into other life circumstances. Similar circumstances may be encountered in the workplace and in relationships with others.

In sportsmanship and leadership, Alicia Sacramone gave a gold medal performance.


Note: Alicia's interview with Andrea Joyce following her performance is here. If you use Mozilla and have problems accessing it, try opening it in Internet Explorer.

What One Person Can Do

A sixteen year old growing up in inner-city Pittsburgh in the mid-sixties, who is just about flunking out of school, passes by the doorway of an art studio. There, he sees a potter at work. He's drawn inside and the course of his life changes forever.

"I said to myself, if I could ever
bring that light into my neighborhood--
bring it to people who deserved it
as much as anybody else,
and who would respond to it
as wholeheartedly and
as creatively as anybody else--
then I was halfway home."

- Bill Strickland

Reducing Screen Time

"forsythia evening", originally uploaded by placeinsun.

When was the last time you took an evening walk with someone?

If you've done so recently, you've noticed how rapidly the outdoor scenery is changing. Aside from watching the spring buds evolve into blossoms, the sunsets have been spectacular. This photographer managed to capture both.

This week, some people are making efforts to reduce or eliminate all forms of screen time. "TV Turnoff Week" is part of a larger effort aimed at reducing the amount of time children and families spend in front of any screen.

Whether it's a TV, computer, cell phone, game, etc., screens are in our faces almost constantly. Activities involving screens, when taken to excess, are linked to serious health and learning problems in children.

Furthermore, interacting with screens tends to isolate people from one another. When not managed, these activities can reduce quality communication that is essential to building and strengthening relationships and, in some cases, also compromise trust.

Try turning off these devices in favor of family meals and other group activities, physical exercise, reading, walking the dog, experiencing nature or just enjoying the company of another person. We promise to have something interesting for you to read when you return.

Military Genius

"You WANT me on that ball......", originally uploaded by Yankees Man.

"You WANT me on that ball....... you need me on that ball. We use words like honor, code, loyalty, and fetch. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something.....our homes, families, and balls. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to those who rise and sleep under the blanket of the very freedom and enjoyment that I provide, and then question the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said 'thank you', and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you either pick up a weapon, stand a post, or buy a Mastiff. Either way, I don't give a darn what you think you are entitled to."

"A FEW GOOD DOGS", by Yankees Man

I wonder if the Colonel's got coup d'oeil, too?

Resilience

"Resilient", originally uploaded by ooki_op.

"Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries." - James A. Michener

Juggling: A Metaphor for Life

"Six at Once.", originally uploaded by chefranden.

Kids are resilient.

They'll try something difficult regardless of the reasons adults may not. If they look silly, get bruised, have setbacks or fail while learning and adjusting, they roll with it as being part of the process, learn from it and bounce back. The reward of getting it right is worth the effort.

The greater the challenge, the more difficult it is to try and keep trying to get it right. Some challenges can be more like juggling swords rather than little wooden blocks. But we don't go from one level of ability to the next in an instant. It's a process.

In "Lessons from the Art of Juggling" Michael Gelb and Tony Buzan suggest that if we want to grow we need to step out intentionally toward challenges, and do so with a model of excellence to guide us. With the benefit of wise instruction, we minimize the risk since we're shown how to avoid pitfalls and mistakes. We learn from mistakes by recognizing where we can or did err, and following the right way. An excellent guide inspires to keep moving forward.

"When we do the best that we can,
we never know what miracle is wrought in our life,
or in the life of another." ~ Helen Keller

Singin' in the Rain: Five Ways to Deal With April Showers

"puddles are fascinating things...", originally uploaded by m.eg_s.

Five things to do with a kid over a rainy weekend:

1. Have an indoor picnic.

2. Visit the library: Check out books, movies or music.

3. Bake cookies, or try a new recipe.

4. Take a walk in the woods or a nearby park: Dress for mud puddles. Collect leaf, bark and branch samples and identify trees.

5. Learn to juggle. Yes, juggle. Here's an inexpensive way to make your own bean bag balls. Gather supplies and make them on Saturday, and you'll be juggling by Sunday. Then again, there's always the bean bag fight option.

Life is about using the whole box of crayons.

"Life is about using the whole box of crayons.", originally uploaded by mbrinamen.

Did you know that our capacity to learn is virtually unlimited? Most people underestimate the capabilities of themselves and others and believe that potential is limited. While we may have strengths in certain areas, our capacity is not fixed at birth.

Michael Gelb explores the potential for human capacity to improve through training in "How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci". While his book focuses on thinking, he cites research indicating that intelligence is found in areas beyond those that are traditionally measured by standardized tests. Seven or more areas exist, including:

• Logical-Mathematical
• Verbal-Linguistic
• Spatial-Mechanical
• Musical
• Bodily-Kinesthetic
• Interpersonal-Social
• Intrapersonal

These were later spliced by the same researcher into twenty-five subintelligences, including moral and spiritual.

We may think of these areas for potential growth as being our box of crayons.

You are unique among the six billion people on the planet with something to contribute. Why not use all your crayons?

Courage: Alferd Williams Lives a Dream

"A Rainbow, bursting though....", originally uploaded by Right Eye.

Alferd Williams kept his word.

At the age of 70, he's fulfilling a promise that he made to his mother years ago: He is learning to read.

There's more to the soundbites about the humble man who sits in classroom of first graders on a stool that is meant for someone a quarter of his size. Alferd has faced unusual circumstances, the kind that would make most people shy away from such an idea.

But he's not like most people. He seems neither concerned with what people think, nor interested in the fame and recognition he's received. He's simply focused on fulfilling a promise, motivated by a deep, lifelong need within to learn and grow. So when Alferd saw that the possibility to realize his dream was within reach, he pursued it.

Still, it wasn't easy. Alferd had to overcome obstacles that mounted over the years. After Alferd's father died, his mother needed him to work in the fields of their family farm, harvesting cotton, in order to help feed his eleven siblings. He had to forego a formal education, but always wanted to learn to read. Over the years, there had been other times when Alferd reached out for someone to help him, but he was unsuccessful. He needed someone who wouldn't make him feel stupid, foolish or inferior.

As he kept walking to and from school with the children in his care, Alferd noticed how their teacher spoke to them. He wondered whether she would be willing to teach him. But the history of failure and confronting obstacles had taken their toll.

It took a long period of observation before he got the courage to seek her out. "In two years, I never heard her treat a kid bad,” Williams said. “I thought, ‘This is a person who could teach me to read.”

When Alferd finally asked, he didn't receive an immediate "yes". But the very next day, she agreed. By volunteering in a first grade classroom, Alferd has become a servant-leader, teaching the children lessons as he learns with them.

The kids show enthusiasm and gratitude that Alferd is with them. The teacher says he's a role model, whose presence is an inspiration. She notes that he "has a never ending smile", adding, “Alferd has totally changed the way I think about teaching school.”

Character: Not The Outside

"Character: Not The Outside", originally uploaded by ErinsWorld.

"If we will make the right choice, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our world into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., April 4, 1967

Influence

"Through the trees", originally uploaded by Cordileran.

"It is better to be alone than in bad company." ~ George Washington

Influence. It's what shaped George Washington's life decisions that eventually led to his becoming President of the United States.

Washington lost his father at the age of 11, and had to cease his formal education to help support the family. His half-brother Lawrence,who was 14 years older, became his mentor.

Through the influence of Lawrence, George learned to become a skilled outdoorsman. He may have developed an early interest in leading men by hearing Lawrence's accounts of military life. The experience and skills he gained led to an opportunity to join a surveying team. The knowledge of the region that he learned as a surveyor helped George immensely years later when he trained and led troops.

Lawrence also introduced George to his extended family who took a great liking to him, and through their influence he was able to pursue a position in the militia. He took on greater responsibilities after his brother died, as he left him his estate, Mount Vernon. Before he was 20 years old, Lt. Washington was commanding a military regiment, and understanding the impact of his influence on others.

Influence is also what led to the planting of several thousand trees in Washington, D.C. that became the annual "Cherry Blossom Festival", an event that provides spectators with a gorgeous display at this time of year.

A 24 year effort on the part of one woman with an idea, a plan and the ability to influence, culminated in her correspondence with the First Lady, Helen Herron Taft, wherein Eliza Scidmore outlined her vision for 300 Japanese flowering cherry trees to beautify the Tidal Basin.

Mrs. Taft immediately loved the idea, and a few days later was able to secure the commitment of 2,000 additional trees. Today, over 3,500 cherry trees of different varieties embellish the Nation's Capitol along the Potomac.

Most people have never heard of Eliza Scidmore or Lawrence Washington. Yet they left their mark by their influence on others.

Influence is what we're under every day, at all times, and what we're always doing. It's important to be aware of influence* when we're involved in motivating others. When we act, especially when we handle challenges, we have an opportunity to be a positive influence on their lives.

* Things for leaders to consider: Who was the greatest positive influence on your life? Who is influencing your life now? Are those influences compatible or not? How is that impacting your life? What kind of influence are you on others?