Mike Matheny, the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, is always looking to learn more about what it takes to succeed—in sports and in life. A dedicated student of history’s greatest coaches, Matheny has also learned invaluable lessons from role models outside of sports.
He once took the Cardinals players and coaches to visit the Naval Special Warfare Unit in Coronado, California. Their visit occurred during Navy SEAL training and Matheny called it one of the most “eye-opening experiences” he’s ever had.
To become a Navy SEAL, it requires a level of physical exertion few of us could ever imagine going through. The very few servicemen who survive the first four weeks of grueling training must then make it through one final week-long test in which they’re only allowed four hours of sleep (two hours on Wednesday and two hours of Thursday). It’s no wonder that the few who are honored with the SEAL name are considered some of the world’s most elite warriors.
During his visit, Matheny learned something very interesting about what it takes to become a Navy SEAL… [continue reading…]
When John Wooden was growing up in the 1920s, one of the hardest obstacles he faced was when his father lost their family farm. In a perfect storm of negative events, a bad vaccination killed their hogs and a drought stunted their crops. This was a time before there was insurance for such things and the bank took the family farm.
Bobby Bowden is one of the winningest coaches in college football history. In his 44 seasons as a head coach, Bowden won two national championships, 12 conference championships, three national Coach of the Year awards, and nearly 400 games.
Joe Torre was a nine-time All-Star as a baseball player and he won four World Series championships as a manager. Throughout his storied career, Torre was known for his calm and stoic demeanor in the face of intense situations.
When Jim Tressel was the head football coach at Youngstown State, he once invited Bishop Thomas Tobin to address his team before a particularly big game. The talk he gave to the team was something Coach Tressel never forgot… 
