Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty

I've finally had an opportunity to read about the "Zen master's" life! Phil Jackson's life experiences have helped him develop the modus operandi that we've all come to admire. I enjoyed learning about what makes the greatest basketball coach of all time tick. His approach to dealing with difficult situations is truly zen-like. For example, working with a Dennis Rodman or a Ron Artest we all imagine is very challenging, but Phil Jackson makes it seem so easy and put together. He's a master of figuring people out, making them perform to the apex of their abilities, and having them reflect on themselves and dig deep to push their limits. It's amazing what his approach has produced. 

I learned about the Chicago Bulls. I learned about the LA Lakers. I learned about his time and own personal experiences with the New York Knicks. He shared his family life, conversations in basketball's management circles, and his own personal reflections. I learned about backstories of some of the most famous basketball players from reading Phil Jackson's account. The Chicago Bulls background was very much like The Last Dance on ESPN. Everything in this book was just so cool to read about. 

I think I was hoping to gain more than I did out of this book, but I don't think I did. And that's ok! I've read a lot about these paths towards success in other books, but these perspectives were so different and hit so close to home because of my deep interest in the sport of basketball since my youth. It was just good to connect the suggestions to the results that I've watched growing up. 

I wish I learned more about Phil Jackson's thoughts on humanistic psychology and Native American philosophy, as well as Zen meditation. But he only touched on some of these aspects as they related to his coaching. I think I expected more depth, but I can't complain because it was still interesting to read about. 

Overall, it was still a good read. And I've taken away a few leads to other things to read. One of the books Jackson referenced was Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice

by Shunryu Suzuki, so I've put it on my reading list. What is this zen about? We will see...

Check it out on GoodReads. 

Buy it on Amazon.

Queen of Katwe

The other day, we were searching for a movie to watch on Netflix. We tend to peruse the Drama section. And in going through all the pictures, we came across an unusual title for a Disney movie - Queen of Katwe. I say unusual because when I think Disney, I think of animated films and not documentaries.

We were drawn to this movie because of 2 words that stood out to us in the description. "Chess" and "Uganda" were those 2 words.

Having been to Uganda and seen the city of Kampala, where this story takes place, was the first draw. Then knowing it was about a game that I used to play constantly when I was a kid was the second reason to press "play." Finding out later that the Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o played a role in this movie was just an added bonus.

This drama based on a true story about Phiona Mutesi, a child of the slums of Kampala and eventual chess champion (played by Madina Nalwanga), was inspiring and truly encapsulated a quote referred to by Robert Katende, played by David Oyelowo that:

"The size of your dreams must always exceed your current capacity to achieve them." 

Given all the obstacles that Phiona had to overcome, her achievements are outstanding and should serve as an example to everyone that the challenges in life are a necessary struggle that will propel you to success if you are not "quick to tip your King."

The movie is also quite a tribute to the efforts and triumphs of Katende, who uses sports and chess as tools to mentor and encourage vulnerable children living on streets and in the slums of Uganda. Robert's true success is listening to his heart and devoting his life's education to improve the lives of others who come from a similar background. 

The Queen of Katwe needs to be on your movie playlist, if not already. 

eSports Is On The Rise

Last night I started to read about something new to me but not new in general. eSports. Kids and many of today's adults play video games. (I say "today's adults" because they are the generation that pioneered gaming systems 30-40 years ago.) And in the recent years, the video-gaming industry has turned what was once friendly competition into a money-making, competitive, league-forming battlefield.

Players are now considered "professional" depending on their "skill" level at beating their enemies or completing tasks / levels. And there are many, many players out there. So many, in fact, that tournaments are organized and bring hundreds if not thousands of players. But most significantly, the events bring spectators, enthusiasts, amateurs, and others to watch the fast-paced motion graphics on big screens in arena-sized locations. We're talking about millions of people involved here. eSports are taking on a life very similar to real life physical sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, etc.).

And the prize money is not insignificant. This is a link to the Top 100 games with the most prize money awarded over time. Clearly, there's plenty of cash to motivate players to improve their gaming abilities to be good enough to compete.

I suppose it's no real surprise that the money is there. I mean simple investment strategy tells us that you have to put money in to get money out. That is, you have to buy the equipment (games, consoles, controllers, graphics cards, microphones, headsets, etc.) to put in the time and practice, and once you've achieved that certain player level, you might reap the rewards monetarily. How good you are determines your Return On Investment (ROI).

But now that there are established tournaments all over the world and the frequency with which they happen is often, the idea of creating leagues and teams for profit must have been tugging at the purse-strings of investment related mindsets. It was just a matter of figuring out how to monetize the industry. And now it's been done.

The industry has been growing for the past couple of years already. Expectations are for the size and wealth of the players, investors, gaming designers, software companies, hardware manufacturers, and all the other peripheral positions is growing exponentially. Actual franchise teams are investing in their eSports teams. Even celebrities are getting in on the action. And it clearly makes sense. The investment is relatively cheap, the target market is growing (in population), and the returns are proven.

The target market grows in so many ways too. You have the gamers and spectators on the high side of the age range who continue to age (obviously) but with that comes more disposable income. And since they're already locked into the mindset, it's natural to continue to support something they've "grown" with. On the other side of the spectrum are the kids who are entering the gaming age. We know that there are millions of kids born each each. That just means the chances of developing a fan, a gamer, or an investor in the future is pretty good.

And technology is constantly improving. We're getting better computers, improved graphics, and faster internet everyday. The world is becoming smaller, faster, and more capable all the time. This all makes the gaming industry that much more capable of supporting the inevitable gold-rush-like boom that will continue for the next few years.

I'm very interested to see where this goes, both in the short term and the long term. As one of today's adults, it will be one of those things that we'll look back on and say, "I was around and conscious of it all when this movement started." And my hope is that I too can get in on the action in the near future and make a future for myself with that. Anyone want to take a risk too? (641)

Growing (Old) Pains

Two Wednesdays ago, I was playing basketball, as per my normal Wednesday night ritual these days, and in a competitive game I was defending someone who was posting up. And in the midst of a bump on the back-down, I felt a twinge in my lower left abdominal area. I didn't hear anything, but I definitely felt something sharp.

Over the next few days, the pain continued to increase. I thought it was nothing. I get bruises, jammed fingers, cuts, and all sorts of minor ailments all the time. This was nothing new. I figured it would just heal over the next few days.

Two weeks later, I was still in pain. Each day that passed, the intensity of the pain increased. The severity was at a point where the rest of my body was compensating for that one area in an effort to not disturb it. My back began to hurt. My muscles were aching from the poor positions I put myself in to avoid the sharp pains in my side.

The pain I was experiencing was starting to scare me. So I did the worst thing you can possibly do to yourself: self-diagnose. If you're not a doctor or nurse or medical professional, don't try to be one and analyze yourself. You'll only create fear. In my quick research online (webMD / MayoClinic) the possible causes of my pain were plenty. But the one that I zoned in on was having an enlarged spleen. I had narrowed it down to that by reading descriptions of all the possibilities, then shifting / poking / extending / twisting / turning all the potentially affected body parts to see if the reactions fit the characterizations.

Eventually, I had no choice but to go see a doctor. I had been trying to avoid it because I have a high deductible plan through my wife's insurance and I'd rather not pay out of pocket right now while I'm unemployed. Anyway, he listened to my story, felt the affected area, asked me some questions and concluded that I probably have a severe contusion that would take a couple of weeks to heal itself. And the worst case scenario is that I may have a fractured rib along with it. Only an x-ray could show a positive conclusion. That would take 6-8 weeks to heal on its own, and there's nothing that can be done to aid the healing process.

In the meantime, I am to take an anti-inflammatory for up to 10 days to help with the pain caused by the inflammation, and, if I decide to, get an x-ray. Although, that would require spending money out of pocket again. And why spend that money if I know that there's nothing that can be done about it anyway?

I wrote all of that just to complain that it's hard to grow old. Haha. Our bodies are no longer what they used to be. Smh. You can't just beat yourself up / play hard / go full force and expect your physical health to rebound the way it used to. Our bodies have to be much better maintained with nutrition to match. And in the event of injury, the process is slower and harder than before.

I still thoroughly enjoy competing at sports. I don't want to stop just because I've gotten hurt. I've battled back so many times from random sports related injuries (ie. bruises, jammed fingers, broken finger, fractured wrist, herniated disc, etc.), some that required surgery (shoulder - torn labrum). In many cases I've had to undergo physical therapy. But each and every time when they ask me, "what is your goal?" My response has always been, "to play sports like I used to before the injury." (633)

Sports Over Time

When I was growing up, I played probably every sport there was available in my youth. I was an outdoors kid too; we went camping, rafting, biking, hiking. But in terms of playing sports, there was Tee-ball, then baseball, soccer, football, and of course basketball.

I was in love with playing and watching basketball. I watched the NBA on TV every weekend. I watched NBA Inside Stuff with Ahmad Rashad. I listened to Marv Albert and Bob Costas commentate. I collected basketball cards. I had jerseys. I wore Reebox Pumps. I played it in gym class. I went to the park on Friday afternoons. I played in the school yard after school.

I was in the recreational leagues, then the middle school team, then the Freshman team, then JV. I played intramural basketball in college. I played in different cities and in different tournaments. And then I played in corporate leagues after work hours as an adult. It was my first sports love. 

But lately, say maybe the past 3 to 5 years, my interests have shifted. I've tried my hand at golf. It's a fun individual sport and a good way to let off some steam, but it's expensive. Tennis is another sport that I've put some time into. Bought a couple of racquets, tennis balls, and found local courts to play on into the evening hours, but my endurance and my backhand needs work. Then I trained for a triathlon. Swim, bike, run. I accomplished it. And I continued to do those exercises at the gym. But it's getting boring and repetitive. I'm sure I'll be keeping it up because it's a great way to stay healthy. Every once in a while, I throw in some time on the heavy bag and box for a while. That's a lot of fun. 

It seems like over time, the sports that I find interesting and prefer to participate are those that are less contact with others. They are more individual sports and more about mental toughness and self discipline. This realization comes as I watch a soccer game on TV. I suppose the excitement of team sports I save for watching, rather then playing. Contact sports are for a younger man. And as I get older, I find it more important to keep my body functional and healthy. 

What am I watching these days? I'm watching a lot of soccer, a good amount of boxing, and some baseball. 

Who am I supporting?

Sports will always be a part of my life. There are so many lessons to be learned, battles to be won, and support to be given. I will always look to sports for example, for encouragement, and for excitement. God knows that we'll always need excitement especially the older we get.