Posts by Joan Courtney
A Coach With Fortitude
White haired Jimmy Johnson is well known as a FOX NFL Sunday football analyst, working alongside Curt Menefee, Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Michael Strahan. But his story didn’t begin there. Jimmy began as an assistant coach in college football in 1965, eventually becoming a head coach at Oklahoma State University in 1970. While there,…
Read MoreEveryday Heroes
After a home game the Detroit Lions lineup is typically served a post-game meal in the tunnel leading to the locker room at Ford Field. The food is well flavored and filling, satisfying to large men who worked hard on a physical level for 2.5 or 3 hours. The players look forward to the grub…
Read MoreSpider Webs and Your Mind
Spider webs have a special significance for me. As they glisten in the sun, the beads of dew sparkling in the light like asymmetrical diamonds on a necklace, they carry a message. Their thin structure belies their strength. Even though they are spun from thin strands of silk, they can support the weight of the…
Read MorePersistence Pays Off
Sometimes stamina and endurance is what it takes to succeed. Since she was a little girl, 4’8″ Felicia Perez had wanted to play football. Not just as a kicker. Or a safety. She wanted to be a middle linebacker and fullback, which would put her in the pileup every time she’s on the field. Felicia…
Read MoreGive Up? Or Keep on Going?
It’s a few games into the season. Some teams have yet to win a game. Players on these teams are less and less confident in their skills and abilities. And it shows in their playing. Coaches wonder if they should throw up their hands and begin to plan for the next year. Fans are disgruntled.…
Read MoreInternal Motivation
It’s easy to push myself when I’m challenged, when I’m disrespected. When I was in my 20’s, a co-worker bet I didn’t have what it took to run 2 miles a day over lunch for 30 days. That I didn’t have the internal fortitude. He threw down the gauntlet. I was off and running the…
Read MoreMake Something Out of Nothing
When Saquon Barkley was playing football at Whitehall High School in Pennsylvania, he was the same size when everyone else was growing. His 5’7″ 155-pound body was not exploding with growth as his fellow teammates. He was one of the best track and field stars but knew it was only to improve his football prowess.…
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