November/December 1989 - Vol 3 Num 6 (Second Look) by Sports Spectrum

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FEATURES

Getting It Done

RACTICE, practice, practice. Every coach has spoken-every athlete has heard- these words countless times. T he use of repetition drill s to enhance competitive pe rformance is fundamental to sports. In individual and team competition a like, players are expected to.give their best effort when called upon . . or not at a ll. And discipline and consistency in practice often make the difference between those who fulfill their potential and those who remain armcha ir quarterbacks. Now don't get me wrong. The re is nothing wrong with be ing an avid fa n, and serious sports participation is not for everyone. But anyone who wishes to go beyond a casual sports experience must dec ide whether the price is worth paying. The great ones decided to pay. Superstars of the dynasty teams can all reflect on stories of lonely hours in the field or on the court. Of practicing

long after the ir teammates had gone home o r wh ile their friends were off having fun. Whether in sports or piano lessons or school work, each of us has at some point made the decisio n whether to continue to give our best. T he athletes in thi s issue of Second Look are no exception - they are paragons of consistency. T hey have dedicated themselves to countless hours of work and sacrifice to develop and refine their skills. And they have applied them with diligence and devotion. The results speak for themselves, yet these competitors wi ll agree that winning championsh ips is not the foc us of their dedication. Instead they are motivated consistentl y to be the best they can be, even if that isn' t the best in the world. Early in her professional career, Betsy King risked a complete cha nge of her golf sw ing in order to become a better player. Hall of famer Raymond Berry's experience as a foo tball player and coac h illustrates that hard work a nd dedication can make up for a lack of raw talent and can improve perfo rmance in both an indi vidua l player and a team. And stock car driver Darrell Waltrip talks with Kyle Rote Jr. about the tensio n between rac ing to win and racing to fini sh consistently. When Ralph Waldo Emerson penned tl1e famo us phrase "Consiste ncy is the

hobgoblin of little minds" nearly 150 years ago, he probably did not have the world of sports in mind. Recentl y, hi s words were even used to promote individua l express ion in sporting attire. But in the are na of athletic perfonnance, consistency is tantamount to success. Coaches and athle tes a li ke know the value of g iving a ll you have to become the best you can be. I hope you' II think about this as we take a second look at consistency.

-Dave Burnham Dave Bumham is chairman emeritus of the lllfemational Sports Coalition, an association of sports ministries from around the world. He also appears regu larly as a teacher on the television program Day of Discovery.

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: COVER, DAMIEN STROHMEYERIALLSPORT; p. 2 {upper left) Michael Forrest; p. 2 (upper right), pp. 4路5, p. 6 {top) , p. 7, p. 24, Oamien Strohmeyer/AIIsport; p. 2 (lower right), p. 9 {left), p. 10 {right), Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated; p. 3 {left center). pp. 12-14, Jim Gund/AIIsport; p. 3 {top), pp. 16-18, Rick Stewart/AIIsport; p. 6 {bottom), Indianapolis Colts; p. 8, Pittsburgh Stealers; p. 9 (right). p. 10 {top left), New York Yankees; p. 10 {bottom left) , Los Angeles Dodgers; p. 11, Atlanta Braves; p. 15, Allen Steele/AIIsport.

The Patriots' Ray of Hope Raymond Berry is calm in the NFL storm By John Carvalho

The Wonder Years They were building strong team s many ways By Sara L. Anderson

DEPARTMENTS

11 Trivia Quiz Some steady sports stumpers By Rick York

Her Majesty the King

Training lip

Betsy King's reign in the LPGA By Rick Wattman

Thinking Swing With Ed Oldfield

Back on Track

Never Say Die

Darrell Waltrip's new team shifts into high gear With Kyle Rote Jr.

A model of consistency for life's big race By Dave Burnham

19 For Athletes Keeping Your Eye on Top Performance By Wes Neal

Volume 3, Number 6 SECOND LOOK MAGAZINE A DISCOVERY HOUSE PUBLICATION PUBLISHER Martin R. De Haan II: EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dave Burnham: CONSULTING EDITOR Ralph Drollinger: MANAGING EDITOR Rick Wanman; ART DIRECTOR Steve Gier: PRODUCTION Craig Grinde: MARKETING DIRECTOR Craig Finkel; PRODUCTION MANAGER Tom Felten: COVER PHOTO Damien Strohmeyer/AIIspcrt SECOND LOOK is published six times a year by Discovery House Publishers. Discovery House Publishers is affiliated with Radio Bible Class. a nondenominational Christian organization whose purpose is to lead people of all nations to faith and maturity in Jesus Christ by teaching principles from the Bible. Printed in USA Copyright © 1989 by Discovery House Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan. B1ble quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken lrom the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. SECOND LOOK is produceO by New Focus, Inc., Vanir Tower, Second Floor, San Bernard ino, CA 92401 . Subscriptions are available lor $15/year by writing to SECOND LOOK subscriptions, Discovery House, Box 3566, Grand Rapids, Ml49501·3566, or by calling toll free. 1·800-283-8333.

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CONSISTENCY â&#x20AC;˘ COVER STORY

The Patriots'

RAY OF HOPE

Once a top-flight receiver, Raymond Berry is now seated in coach. But he's first class all the way.

being seen and not heard are lon g past. Bill Walsh has moved from the San Francisco 49ers to the broadcast booth. Tom Landry was removed from the Dallas Cowboys sideline prior to the 1989 season. Can Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins and Chuck Noll of the Pittsburgh Steelers be far behind? Today's coaches are more vocal and more visible. They stalk the sidelines, haranguing players, officials,

BY JOHN CARVALHO OAMIEN STAOH MEYE RIALLSPORT

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came ramen, and anyone else who dares interfere with the pe rfect execution of their game plan. And when the wheels come off, nothing-whether clipboard, headphones, or first-down markers-is safe. Onto these side lines, in the midd le of the 1984 season, stepped Raymond Berry, as head coach of the New England Patriots. (He prefers Raymond to Ray.) Quietl y and unemotionally, he strolls along the Patriots side lines. Sometimes he'll jot down a thought in a small note book he holds in the hands calmly folded behind his back. Maybe he' ll menti o n some thin g to ve te ran quarte rback Ste ve Gro ga n , w ho ca lls m an y of the P atr io ts pla ys whether he's playing or not. Basically, all is q uiet. "But wait," you might protest. "Ben路y has it easy! He'd be a little more emotional if he had to coach a Jim Mc Mahon, or if he faced the media pressures in New York or L:A. No wonder he 's so calm; nothing ever happens in Foxboro, Massachusetts." Consider, however, that Berry has maintained his consiste nt compos ure throug hout a 5-year te nu re that has incl uded: - A crushing 46- 10 loss to the Chicago Bears in S upe r Bow l XX ; (" It was more than a le tdown- it was a public e mbarrassment," Be rry recalls.) 1 - A drug scandal that broke two days afte r the Super Bowl, in whic h six Patriots were named in the Boston Globe as drug users-<:onfirmed, the report c laimed, by Be tTy himself (something Be rry denies); - Shaky tea m ow ne rship , unti l the financ ia ll y strapped S ull ivan famil y sold the Patri ots to 6

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As coach for the Patriots, Berry has instituted the same discipline and work ethic that he practiced as player. His Hall of Fame career exceeded everyone's but his own expectations for his 13-year sojourn in pro ball.

Victor Kiam, the commercia l spokesman who says he was so impressed with the Remington shaver, " I bought the company!" - The expec tations o f Boston-area fans, who are certa in that dimi nutive quarterback Doug Flutie can repea t fo r th e Patriots the hero ics th a t brought him the 1984 He isman Trophy while he was at Boston College. Through it a ll , Berry has mainta ine d an e ven keel. He poi nts out tha t in 1986 New Eng land won 14 games, and became the fi rs t w ild-card tea m to wi n three p layo ff games on the road , which earned them a spot in Super Bowl XX. He worked q uietly and fervent ly behind the scenes to he lp his players deal with the ir drug prob lems long before the story broke. He treats Flutie wi th the same respect and fairness as the other men on his roster. And he refused to complain about the Sulli van famil y's finances, even as it hinde red his ability to mai ntain a wi nning program. The even keel is not front-page news. If Berry had reac te d emotionall y to any of these e vents, that would have been startling. He has built a reputation for consiste ncy throughou t his life. In fact, Be rry's life resembl es a straig ht li ne, leadin g inexorably toward his c urre nt role. At this line's o rig in , however, is no t des t iny- la de n talent. Rather, it is rooted in simple desire. Berry has p ushe d that line towa rd its goal th rough hard work and discipline. As a high school football player in Paris, Texas, Berry was ta ll , sk inny, and awkward- more Jerry Lew i s th a n J e rry Ri ce . If hi s fat h er, M a rk

Raymond Berry-"the finest coach I ever played for," his son claims- hadn ' t been head coach for the Pari s Wildcats, Raymond Berry might never have set foot on a football field. But he did, and the hard work began. Berry ran track for 3 years to improve his speed and j umping abilit y. He didn ' t make th e starti ng team , however, until hi s senior year, and even th en caught only 12 passes and scored one touchdown. No colleges came calling, so he pl ayed a year at Schrei ner Institute, a junior college in Kerrville, Texas, and did well enough to earn a scholarship to Southern M ethodist U ni versity. Berry's work ethic accompanied him to SMU, as did his mediocre stats: 33 recepti ons and one touchdown in three seasons ( 1952-54). Not surpri singl y, the Baltimore Colts waited until the twentieth round (eight beyond the lim it of today 's NFL draft), to choose him. For th e Colt s, B erry was not an immedi ate superstar. " I did barely manage to hang on by my toenails at Baltimore for about 2 or 3 years, and graduall y began to learn to pl ay," he recalls.2 But beginning in 1957, Berry hooked up w ith Johnny Unitas to form football 's first deadly quarterback -rece i ve r tan dem. By th e tim e Berry reti red in 1967, he had caught 63 1 passes (almost 600 f rom U nitas) for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns-the league's all-time leading receiver at the time. He led the NFL in receiving three seasons in a row ( 1958-60) and was named A ll-Pro three times. So what turned Berry from a slow (4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash), nearsighted bench warmer w ith a bad back into the game's best wide receiver? Even after 9 yea rs of hard work with lessth an-spectacular results, Berry didn ' t waver in hi s discipline and his commitment. His work habits were legendary. Berry would practi ce 88 di fferent moves that he fi gured he would use i n running pass routes. He constantly kneaded Silly Putty to strengthen his fingers; as a result, he only fumbled one of his 63 1 receptions (and he jokingly complains that it was actually an incomplete pass). He designed and built a net to help him practice jumping high and di ving low to catch bad throws. Berry's mental preparation was just as complete. In college and in the pros, if his team was playing at night, Berry would spend the day i n a darkened room, to prevent night blindness. On plane tri ps to the west coast, he would pull a pai r o f blinders down over his eyes to help him maintain his east coast sleep schedule. Even after team meetings had adjoumed, Berry would stay to study fi lms. A s a p l ayer , Be rry was al ways ca reful t o observe curfews and avoid drugs or alcohol , but thi s related more to his personal discipline than to any rel i g i ou s commitm ent . . . until 1960. Through the influence of Colts teammate Don Shinni ck , Berry began a personal relation ship w ith God th ro ugh Jesus C h ri st. W hil e m any Chri stian s find di sc i p line and inn er streng th through their fai th, Berry brought and applied his

IN THE FICKLE WORLD of the National Football League, Raymond Berry knows each week could be his last as head coach of the Patriots. Yet Berry's goal is not to stay coach, but to be the best coach he can be while he is there, contributing all his talent, knowledge, and leadership. While running track in high school to improve his speed, Berry had no way of knowing he would ever make the starting team . .. or play in the NFL. He could have given up at any time and never realized his potential. And as a coach, there is no guarantee his team will ever have another winning season. But that doesn't keep him from working to overcome every obstacle. What if you never become great? Is it enough just to strive to be your best and to consistently give all you've got? Perhaps the fulfillment comes from doing your best, not from the recognition, rewards, or success you might accomplish by it. â&#x20AC;˘

personal disci pline to his faith. It has resulted in a strong commitment to his relationshi p w ith God. T hat commitment encouraged him to welcome a vacation from football after he, as an assistant, was f ired with the rest of the New England coaching staff, followi ng the Patriots' 2- 14 season in 198 1. Berry had spent 14 years as an assi stant at th e professional and college l evels, and he was ready for some time off. " I didn ' t miss football at all ," says Berry of the 3 years he spent away from the game. "Coaching can be a very narrow existence because it demands so much time. It was extremely ref reshing to trave l and see everything from a different perspective."3 On returning to the Patriots in 1984, this time as head coach, he brought his work habi ts w ith him. A s a player, Berry had practiced falling on fumb les. As a coac h , h e hel ped th e Patriot s improve from eight fumble recoveries in 1984, to 24 in 1985. He also helped revi talize the career of w ide recei ver Stanley Morgan. In 1986, his tenth season, Morgan set cl ub records w ith 84 receptions and I ,49 1 yards. The hard work has translated i nto victories on the playing field . Berry is the first Patriots coach to w in more than 10 games two seasons in a row ( 1985 -86). New England finished above .500 his first four full seasons as head coach, and heading into 1989 the Pats had won more than 60 percent of their games under Berry 's leadership (46-30). But each season brings its own pressures. New England failed to make the playoffs in 1988, losing it s fin al gam e to th e D en ver Bro ncos. Entering the 1989 season wi thout an established starting quarterback among the three on the roster (Flutie, oft-i njured Tony Eason, and Grogan), the Patriots faced instabi l ity at a crucial position. One publ ication even rated Berry one of the three most likely candidates to be fired in 1989. Berry probabl y isn' t losing sleep over it. He has never had the best o f ci rcumstances. He merel y works as hard as he can, no matter what the situation, and lets things work themselves out. But that 's part o f footbal l. In Berry 's words, " People watch a football team struggle and hang in there, and they see a football team accomplish things that nobody thought they could .... I think all these things say to them , ' I can do that too; there's somebody doing it, and wherever I am in my situati on, there i s an example, there i s an inspiration to me, that I can do it too. ' "4 Some may take heart watchi ng a football team stri ve; more can be inspired watching Raymond Berry persevere. â&#x20AC;˘

J o/111 Carvalho , form er managing editor of Second L ook maga zin e, is director of public

information a t Azusa Pacific University. I. S poelsl ra, Wa1son. "Joy Amid Pressure." Sharing the Vic10ry. November/December 1986. p. 3. 2. Ogle sby, Carl , "God, Foo1ball , and Raymo nd Berry. " Boston Magazine, November 1986. p. 204. 3. Oglesby, op. cit .. p. 205 . 4. t1Jid.

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CONSISTENCY. • FE~TUR~ , ·. · ,

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BY SARA

ANDERSON 8

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H, FOR THE DAYS when a pion s hips a nd two Super trip to the ballpark representBowl s in t he ' 60s). Rare r ed a sanctuary o f tradition in still, because this streak came an uncertain world. At least from th e coll egia te ra nk s, at the park yo u knew you'd were John Woode n 's UCLA get a great hot dog. Athletes B ruin s, who brou g ht th e playe d on g rass in stead of Wizard of Westwood I 0 smoking it. Stad iums didn't NCAA titles in 12 years. need a ir co nditi o ne rs . The True monarchies like those referees and umpires "called of the Ya nkees a nd Ce ltics 'em as th ey sa w 'em" a nd h ave go ne th e way of th e had only to contend with Leo t wo- po in t con ve rs ion. So, Durocher, no t tho usa nds of ju st what a ll owed those sc reamin g fa ns watc hin g teams to co ns iste ntl y co ntend, ask title-hungry Tampa ins tant re p lays. And w he n September came, the Yankees Bay, C lip pe rs, Braves, a nd were the featured attraction in North western Wildcat fans? the Fall C lassic. Acco rdin g to m e n who If the Yanks didn ' t coin the contribu ted to some of th e greatest teams of all time, the word dynas ty as a s por ts te rm, a t leas t th ey gave it factors were numerous. PlnSOURGH ST£ El ERS m ea nin g. T he ir s uccess is NEW LOOK: Now a Steeler assistant, Jon "The re can be no continum o re eas il y no te d by th e Kolb viewed his team's four Super Bowl ous, successful winning pronumber of times they didn't victories from the trenches, leading the gram w itho ut ta le nt ," say s c harge for Terry Bradshaw and company. w in th e A me ri ca n Leag u e Woode n. In other words, the Part of Chuck Noll's first draft class in pe nna nt- o nl y seve n times 1969, he was the top-rated offensive lineBob Ueck e r A ll - Sta r s be twee n 1936 a nd 1964wou ldn ' t give Casey S te nge l man for the 1970s "Team of the Decade." than b y th e nu mbe r th ey and company goose bumps. won. And out o f tho se leag ue c hampion ships, The good tea ms worked hard to get and c ulti onl y fi ve times did they fai l to win the World vate talent. Series. If you ' re struggling with this ra mblin g Dr. Bobby Brown, Yankee third baseman and now American League President, remembers, " In arithme tic, that 's 17 World C hampi onships in 29 years. Love 'e m o r ha te 'em, the Yankees left those days they d idn ' t have a draft-every amate ur playe r was fa ir game. The Yankees, for three their mark on baseball. T he Bosto n Celt ics also ho ld a s pot amon g or four decades, had outstandi ng scouts, and they bona fide dynasties . If you think they've been kept the fl ow o f tale nt with in the system com ing toward New York." tough in the '80s, just recall their I I c hampionships in 13 years (1 957-69). Add to the list the The Brook ly n Dodgers o f the la te '40 s a nd Montreal Canadie ns ( II Stanley Cups in the '60s '50s- the Boys of Summer- fue led the ir ri valry with the Yankees and won six National League a nd '70s), the Pittsburgh Steele rs (fo ur S uper Bowls), the Oakland A's (three consecuti ve World pennants in I 0 years, also on the strength of the ir Series), the Green Bay Packers (four NFL cham25 farm teams. L OOK

A blast to the past of legendary sports dynasties

Jon K olb, off ensi ve lineman for the Steelers each other. The team members had great respect f or each other." during their glory years, acknowledges the imporThat respect showed itsel f in a number of ways. tance of quality players in the team 's success. Brown remembers that "with the Yankees there "We had very good people at every position," he was never an attempt to show up teammates or do says, po inting to t eamm ates headed f or and any thin g that would di mini sh from the perforalready ensconced in the Hall of Fame (including mance of another player." Terry Bradshaw and Mel Blount thi s year). A lthough the talent spoke for itsel f , it wasn't Good coaching didn ' t hurt ei ther. Brown notes t hat quality minor l eague management meant al ways the stars' indiv id ual stats th at proved t hat a Yankee brought up to the majors wa s their worth. " I 've seen [Mickey] M antle bunt to well-schooled in the fundamental s. A nd Ralph win a particular game," says Bobby Ri chardson, Drollin ger, center o n UC L A's 1975 NCAA former second baseman for the Bronx Bombers. He also recalls Billy Martin, whom he was being Championship team, gives Wooden great credit for the B ruin s' success. "Coach was a man of groomed to repl ace, showing him how to turn a principle and he wou ld not do uble pl ay. O f M artin he says, "O n the fi el d, th ere comprom ise. Discipline was th e backbone of t he p rowas no one with more of a gram . T here was a definite team concept. " lin e, and you d idn ' t cross Oakl and had its share of the line." super-stars in the earl y '70s, Wood en say s he did n 't but Sal Bando , thi rd basebelieve in a lot of rules, "but man on th e A's Series' w inwhen I had a rule I made it ning team remembers, " You sti ck. " One Woode n ru l e had a number of stars, but stated th at players should be they didn ' t act like it when clean-shaven before games, i t came to w inning a ba lland one year Sidney W icks game. There were situations and St eve Patter son had w here eve r y body paid a p ri ce- i f it was bun t in g, grown ex tra-l ong sideburns. Photo day came and Wooden break ing up a double pl ay, to ld th e manage r s not to playing hurt , getting runners give them thei r gear and uniove r by hitting th e oth er forms. way-that just seemed natu"S i dn ey as ked , 'Why ra l to our pl ayers." not?' " Wooden recalls. " Sooner or later we had to " I said, 'You know why. I f ask o ur se l ve s why [we HEINZ KLUEWEIEAisPOATS IllUSTRATED you wan t to wear them, go won]," Kolb says. " It came CLOSE SHAVE: UCLA's roster and team ri ght ahead and wear th em. dow n to thi s: we wo rk ed photos might have been different that A nd i f you want to play bashard and prepared and pulled year If Coach Wooden and two of his star ketball at UCLA, you have I 5 in the same di rect i on. You players had not met face to face over some lengthy issues. (Sidney Wicks, 35; mi nutes to get them cleared don 't have to like each other, Steve Patterson, 32; Curtis Rowe, 30) up. Make up your mind. ' but you do have to respect

PRESCRIPTION YANKEE: AL president Dr. Bobby Brown attended medical school while playing third base for the Yanks in the '40s and '50s. Brown batted .439 in four World Series, before retiring In 1954 with a .279 1ifetime average.

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Proper foc us, an eye-on-the-ball mentality rather "He said, ' We' re going to wear them .' th an concern for indi vidua l statistics, de fin ite ly " I said, ' We ll, I have great respec t fo r people he lped. Erskine remembe rs that the young Dodgers who stic k up for what they believe, even though I d isagree with the m . .. but we' re going to miss had to be focused because they had !-year conyou. '" tracts a nd were backed by an overflowing minor league system. " It was not a time we thought about The players shaved ; Wooden never brought the making history. We were concerned about keeping inc ident up again. our jobs." Woode n stresses a kno wledge of the game and "A team that's p lay-off bound has to be very teaching abilit y as important coachin g cha racte rconsistent," Kolb says. " Yo u do n ' t do as we ll istics. Good manageme nt and a kind o f intuition whe n you worry about other people. You can lose co uld be ad ded to th e li st. Ca rl Erskin e, w ho your focus on doing your best." pitc hed with the Boys of Summe r, says Dodger President Bra nc h Ric key " had keen insights into Some times that foc us on do ing you r best one NEW YORK YI\NKEES day at a time does more to bui ld a dynasty tha n a ptitude; he kne w who c ou ld le arn." He adds SECOND TO NONE: conscio us ly building one. "Now whe n a team that Rickey a lso ta lked to the players indi vidualOne of the greatest fieldwins the Supe r Bowl, it seems that everyone on ly about mo re than j ust baseba ll , inc luding cha ring second basemen in history, Bobby Richardson ac te r a nd s tro ng sp iritual the team writes books," Kolb earned five consecutive says, laughing. "Now they' re values. Gold Glove Awards (1961s uccessfu l ; now th ey've "There 's a lot more to win65). He also broke several m ade it. Fo r us the re was ning and losing th an the athWorld Series records le t es who are o ut o n th e never that feeling of ' We've including: playing in 30 consecutive Series arrived. ' co urt ,'' Dro llinge r say s. " It games (October 5, 1960" That goes back to [head has a lot to d o with leade r0ctober 15, 1964); 12 coach] Chuck No ll. I don 't As tea m ca pta in B ill ship." Series RBI, including 6 in think anybody real ized what Wa lton was abo ut to gradu one game (1960); and 13 Series hits (1964). was happening, in terms of a a te, a nd D ro ll inger was to sport s trad itio n, un ti l it was re place hi m at cente r, Wa lton, all ove r. It was a lways, w ho had p layed on two of ' We've got to keep this thi ng Wood e n 's c ha mpion s hip going,'" says Kol b. te am s, g av e thi s adv ice : " You ' ve got a good shot at Tha t a lso meant avo iding w inning [the NCAA's] ne xt co mpa ri so ns a nd revenge motivation. Wooden says he yea r. Ju s t re m e m be r on e thing . Whe n yo u're fee ling seldom scouted other teams. " You can learn fro m others, the pressure, just look over at but don 't try to be be tter than Coach Woode n 's face. He' ll so meo ne else," he says . be be liev ing in you." HEINZ KLUETMEtERISPORTS IlLUSTRATED "Never cease to try to be the Members of these winning very best you can be." teams ag ree that confidence CAPTAIN CALM: Four-time All-Star third led to winning, and winning baseman Sal Bando was the eye of the Ba ndo a ttributes some of Oakland A's storm in the 1970s. The rowdy the A's success to men ta l fostered more confidence. In 9 and mustachioed A's were as well-known out of the first l 0 years that for their clubhouse antics as for their play- toug hness that "comes with R ic h ardso n p layed in th e ing prowess, but were the first non-Yankee the everyday sche du le, the Bronx, the Yankees won the team to win three consecutive World Series. having to produce. Everyone is try ing to beat you, they' re pennant. " I didn ' t know anyrising to the occasion. You' re faced wi th challenges thing but winnin g," says the seve n-time All-Star. LOS ANGELES DOOGERS day in and day out because you 're on top. I don' t "That's what we were supposed to do." GOOD INVESTMENT: reall y th ink that's teachable. It's just part of you." T hink ing bac k to th e Dodge rs' g lo ry ye ars, Now a banker in .his " W hen you p layed for some thi ng sig ni ficant Erskine re members, " We'd come to spring tra inhometown of Anderson, every day, it usua lly sorted out the players who Indiana, Carl Erskine was ing, and it was almost a fo regone conclusion that a pitching star with the could play best under pressure and the players who we were go in g to w in th e N ati o nal Leag ue . Brooklyn, and later Los couldn 't," comments Erskine. "Almost every game Although we were fr ustrated by pe rpetua lly losing Angeles, Dodgers. In his ries, [they fi nall y to the Yankees in the World Se we played had a significance to the standings." 12-year career from 1948 pulled off the c hamp ionship in 1955] we didn' t It obv iously takes muc h more than a couple of to 1959, he won 122 come just to fill out I he schedule." games and lost only 78. highl y paid franchise players to build a dynasty. He set a single-game But it could happen again ... when they ban the Stay in g o n to p is o ft e n a rg ued to be mu c h strikeout record in the tougher than getting the re, but Wooden di sagrees. designa ted hitte r, tear the lights out of Wrigley 1953 World Series by fan" You learn so much along the way on what it took F ield, a nd f ind g rass t ha t wi ll g row in t h e ning 14 Yankees, includto get the re. T he pride, the tradit ions that have Astrodome. â&#x20AC;˘ Ing Mickey Mantle four times. In five attempts, been built up, subconsciously those things he lp as the Dodgers took the well as the talent," he says. "Once you get someSara L. Anderson , associate editor of Bristol crosstown series from th ing rolling, it 's much easier to keep it going." Books, former assistant editor of SportsFoc us the Yanks but once, But why did those teams stay near the top of the magazine, and a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, is a Brooklyn's first and only heap, when that isn 't as li kely to happen today? freq uent contributor to Second Look. world championship. 10

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15.

How many times was Kareem Abdui-Jabbar named the NBA's Most Valuable Player? A. 3 B. 5

BY RICK YORK

1. New York Mets manager

D. 7

Davy Johnson hit 43 home runs as a player for the Atlanta Braves in 1973. What is the most homes runs he hi t in any other single season?

18.

B. 18 23 D. 27

By which NFL team was Steve Largent, the game's all-time leading receiver, drafted? A. Seattle Seahawks B. Denver Broncos C. Houston Oilers D. Dallas Cowboys

2. Norm Cash led the

17.

A. II

American League in batting in 196 1 with a .36 1 average. What was Norm's highest average in any other of his 17 seasons? A..279 B.. 286 c. .299 D..305

10. How many ti mes did Wilt average over 20 rebounds per game for a full season? A. 5

3. Stan Musial began his career wi th the St. Louis Cardinals in 194 1 and spent 22 years with the club befo re retiring in 1963. In which year did "Stan the Man" first hit less than .300? A. 1944 B. 1949 c. 1957 D. 1959

4. Not counting Stan's first season when he had only 47 at bats, how many times did Musial hit at least .330 in a single season? A. 5

B. 8 C. II D. 13

5. How many times did Willie Mays hit at least 30 home runs in a single season? A.9 B. 10 C. II D. 12

B. 7

D . 10

11.

How many seasons did Oscar Robertson average more than 30 points per game? A. 3 B. 4

How many seasons did Hank yank 30 round-trippers?

D. 8

12.

7. How many times did Babe Ruth hit at least 40 home runs in a single season? A. 7 B. 8 c. 10 D. II

8. The statistics for my best season wi th the Boston Red Sox were: 23 wins, a 1.75 ERA, 40 complete games, and 9 shutouts. Who am I?

8. How many times did

9. How many seasons did

Hank Aaron hit at least 30 home runs in a single season? A. 10 B. 12 C. 14 D. 15

B. 6

Wilt Chamberlain average more than 30 points per game? A. 5

D. 8

How man y times did Bill Russell average over 20 rebounds per game for a full season? A. 7

B. 8

Going into the 1989 NFL season, who held the record for most interceptions by a strong safet y, with 5 1 career thefts? A. Donnie Shell B. Larry Wilson C. Willie Wood D. Ken Strong

18.

Which defensive back was taken with the th ird pick in the draft, the highest ever fo r a player of that position? A. Kenny Easley B. Ronnie Lott C. Johnn ie Johnson D. Bennie Blades

19.

Who had the longest run from scrimmage (91 yards) during the 1988 NFL season? A. Bo Jackson B. Eric Dickerson C. Greg Bell D. Herschel Walker

20.

What do NHL players Mark Howe, Reed Larson, and Dave Chri stian have in common?

D. 10

13.

How many times was Jerry West named to the NBA All-Star first team? A. 5 B. 7

D. 10

14. Prior to Pat Riley coaching the Los Angeles Lakers to back-to-back championshi ps, who was the last NBA coach to lead his team to consecuti ve titles?

Answers:

1. B. 18; 2. B. .286; 3. D. 1959; 4. D. 13; 5. C. II ; 6. D. 15; 7. D. II ; 8. Babe Ruth; 9. C. 7; 10. D. 10; 11. C. 6; 12. D. 10; 13. D. 10; 14. Bill Russell, Boston Celtics of 1967-68 and 196869; 15. C.6; 1~ C . Hou ~on Oilers; 17. A. Donnie Shell ; 18. D. Bennie Blades; 19. A. Bo Jackson; 20. All are American-born players with 500 career points. S E COND

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CONSISTENCY â&#x20AC;˘ INTERVIEW

After a major overhaul, Darrell Waltrip is tuning up his NASCAR team to continue his winning tradition

sport's all-tim e leading money winner and three-time NASCAR Winston Cup National Champion. He is fifth on the all-time victory list, and he has won races in every season since first visiting the winner's circle in 1975. Always a consistent finisher, Waltrip has turned in 11 top-five seasons during that span. In this interview with Kyle Rote Jr. , Darrell talks about his record-breaking success.

Kyle: You've had a tremendous career, with three national championships and your ability to win events throughout the '70s and '80s. What are the factors that have enabled you to perform so well over such a long period of time? Darrell: As a kid I dreamed of being a professional race car driver- ! was consumed by the idea. My success has stemmed from that desire, that commitment and dedication to being the best race driver I could be. But it took me until I was 38 years old to realize there are things in life more important than racing.

WITH KYLE RoTE JR. SECOND

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There's nothin g wrong with being dedicated, with doing your best at II 0 pe rcent, if you have the right moti ves and the rest of your life is like it should be. But it's very difficult to be a professiona l at anything, athlete or whatever, and still keep your life balanced. Kyle: What helps you keep that balance without sacrificing your competitive edge? Darrell: In my opinion, the family is the most important factor. To hav e a wife that stand s behind you, e nco urages you, and supports you, makes a big difference in your success. And I had that support from my mother and fathe r when I was a kid, all the way through my career. Kyle: In an individual sport like tennis, a player's deve lopment might depend on being exposed to top competition, hav ing a good trainer, or using the right equipment. Are there parallel factors in motorsports? Darrell: T he thing that makes our sport different from others is that I can be the greatest driver in the world, but if I'm not surrounded with the best crew and the best car and the best sponsorships I' ll never get the opportunity to prove it. It takes a lot of good people. They're all specialists, from the transmission builder to the guy who d oes the e lectronics. You've also got to have a good car owner--one who has the financial ability to weather the bad times as well as enjoy the good. There's a joke in our sport: "How do you make a small fortun e in rac ing? Start off with a big one." The point is, no one can do it on his own , so you've also got to have corporate sponsorships. You te ll the m, " We have the best drive r, and he's a good spokesman for your product. If you ' ll give us two-and-a-ha lf million dollars, we' ll put your name on the side of our car." But the sport has become so expensive that we can't even make it with a single sponsor anymore, so we have three. Kyle: On race day, even though you have all the elemen ts in place, you ' re still out the re on the track with your life in your hands, where even the slightest mistake can literally push someone into eternity. What are some of the unwritten rul es that you and your fellow drivers follo w? Darrell: Unlike football , where you can tell when there 's a clip, or an illegal formation, racing situations are unpredictable, so there are a lot of gentlemen's agreements. For example, you don't spin a guy out to win a路race. When those unwritten rules are broken, we can have major catastrophes on the racetrack, and occasionally somebody gets hurt. Kyle: What happens in those situations? Darrell: We ll , we' re in the blame business-it reall y comes down to that. You c an hav e th e fastest car out there and be driving we ll with a chance to win, but you can be taken out by a fellow competitor because he made a mistake. Then you ask, "Did he do it intention ally, o r was it an accident?" That's the tough thing about getting along with other compe titors and dealing with a sanctioning body that oversees everything. They make the final decisions, and th ey don't always see things the same way you do. Te levi s ion has rea ll y he lped the s ituat ion 14

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It's very difficult to be a professional at anything and still keep your life balanced

Daddy is all smiles when daughter Jessica visits the "office" (above), but he's all business when facing the job of getting more from his machine

though, because we can go back and look at the call. It's made everyone more accountable. And it has also made racing a little more controversial , because many times you can go back and actua lly place blame right where it belongs. Kyle: We' ve talke d about factors you have some control over, yet there are often situations where a sudden flat or an oil slick can cause unforeseeable proble ms. How do you deal with uncontrollable circ umstances that can cost you a race? Darrell: Those situations are so much like life. T hey make you reali ze that you ' re not really in control of any thing. The thing you 're mos t in control of is your attitude. If you have a bad attitude a nd you think "Why is this happening to me?" you ' re not going to be a very good athle te, a nd yo u ' re not go in g to be very s uc c ess fu I. You 've got t o put w hat happened las t week behind you, learn from it, try not to let it happen again, and start every race as if it was the first race yo u we re ever in. That kind of e nthus iasm- the attitude that you 're going to win this race--can make a big difference. Kyle: Even with occasional accidents and equipme nt failures, you manage to finish an awful lot of races, and usually near the top. Yet it seems that winning eve ry race is not necessaril y th e highest priority. What is your racing strategy? Darrell: I'm a money driver, Kyle. Early in my career, when I owned my own car and had my own team, I realized, "D.W., if you're goi ng to eat every day, leading races is exciting and there's a lot of glory to that, but fini shing races is the most important thing." After going broke owning my own car, I fi gured the best thing I co uld do is driv e my car right to the limit. If you push too hard, you can take yourself out of the race. Whatever the car is doing that clay- for example, if it's not handling weii-I just back off and dri ve it right up to the edge, but not any further. Races are very unpredictable-you really need to have a feel for what you can do without hurting your car. Then if things change during the race, what you can do might be better than anybody else can do. I' ve won a lot of races that way. Kyle: We've often seen in sports that life off the

AllEN STEElEIALlSPORT

field, or away from the track, can have a tremendo us impact on how you perform. With the s uccess you ' ve had, Darrell, how do you balance the demands o utside the s port? Darrell: Every year th at becomes harder and harde r. The thing that's changed the most in our sport over the last 5 years is the demands that are Âˇput on the drivers' time. Sponsors and car manufacturers want us to do appearances fo r the m. The n we ' ve got testing of the cars. And after each week, we ' ve got a race to run. Ou r season sta rts in February and ends in November. During the summer months from May to Se pte mbe r, we ' re o n the go every week, 7 days a week. You j ust can' t do it without a lot of s upport. The people who work in my office he lp relieve some of the pressures o f phone calls, and they set up my schedu le. We also have o ur own ai rplane to help a ll ev iate some of the trave l hass les. That a lso allows my wife Stevie and our daughter Jessica to go with me just about every week. Yeah, we' re stay ing in a hote l, and I'm at the racetrack all day. But at least when I come back to the hote l, they' re the re. I try to make it the best I possibl y can w ith the demands I have to meet. Kyle: How are you able keep all th at in pe rs pective- to set the kind of goals and give the kind of dedication to the sport that you want to have? Darrell: It's hard; and some times you get burned o ut. At the e nd of a season, everywhere you turn the re's so me body say in g , " D arre ll , yo u go t a minute?" Sometimes you want to say, "No, I don ' t have a minute. I' m booked up for the nex t 20 years, and I don ' t have a minute." But you have to sit down and get your perspective right. I' m not very good at this, but my wife he lps me ou t. She grabs me by the arm periodically and sits me clown and says, "We need to read the Bible together." It he lps us get our feet back o n th e g ro und a nd dea l w ith the pressures of where we have to go and what we have to do. Kyle: A few yea rs ago you virtua ll y starte d over with a complete ly new team. Wasn ' t th at quite a ri sk?

The track at Darlington cleaned up on Darrell's efforts to win his third major race of 1989, and the $1 million bonus prize that went with it

Darrell: Yes it was. I left Junior Johnson at the end of 1986, whi ch had been a tremendous time in my career. That was the best car in the sport at the time. I' ve a lways wan ted to have my own team- I just couldn ' t afford it. So Rick Hendri ck, who I dri ve for now, said he'd finance everything and I could run the team as if it were my own . You couldn ' t ask for anything better than that. We designed what everyo ne called 'T he Dream Team ," but it turned o ut to be a nig htmare. The year 1987 was a very difficult time in my life. I was going thro ug h a career c hange at 40 ye ars of age, when you want to think you ' re pretty stable. And here I was sta rtin g ove r with a brand-new race team th at was not havi ng any success and was actua lly d ri ving me up a wall. Stev ie , who was pregnan t, co ul dn ' t go to the races, so now I'm going to the track without my strength. She's at home in bed and I' m a t the racetrack wi th a bunch of people who are dri ving me crazy. But with support fro m a lot of folks, we weathered that storm in ' 87. Rick and I reorganized the team, and at the end of '88 I could see a light at the end of the tunne l, and it wasn' t a train for a change. Now my team is almost whe re I want it to be, the success is starting to come back, and the consistency is there again. Kyle: One last questi on, Darrell. Even with the airp lane ta king you to races, you must drive at some time o ff the track. What kind of driver are yo u on the stree ts of Franklin, Te nnessee? Darrell: As a kid, I was a te rrible driver. But I leam ed fro m my mistakes, and I soon found out that it was a lot better for me to get paid to drive fast than it was to pay so mebody e lse because I drove fast. Since then I' ve been very fortunate- ! haven' t had any accident s on the highway of any sig nificance, and I don ' t think I've had a ticket in about 25 years. â&#x20AC;˘ A fO!mer pro soccer player and three-rime win ner of ABC-TV's "Superstars" competition, Kyle is also a TV spo rts commenraror and speaker from M emphis, Tennessee. His inter views with sports perso nalities appear in ea ch issu e of Second Look . SECON D

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I S

OL F. That casual game of relaxation and escape. A leisurely walk over beautifully manicured landscapes, sharing the company of polite competitors in the quite serenity of lakes and trees and singing birds. Gol f. That game your doctor tells you to quit because it gives you high blood pressure. Chasing a little white ball around a field with a stick. Hauling what seems to be several tons of equipment up hill and down dale under the relentless, blazing sun. Fi ghting the temptati on to toss your driver into th e woo d s after an errant shot, or to wrap yo ur pu tt er ar o un d the neck of an unfortunate passerby. Of the more than 23 milli on peop l e who play golf in the United States, only a few hundred ar e fortun ate enough to make a livin g at what M ar k Twain call ed "a good walk spoiled." But not many sw ing a clu b with the skill and consistency of Betsy King. A nd none came close to her prowess on the L ad i es Pro fessional Golf A ssociation tour in 1989, the year of the King. Oh, she's had good years before-she has won at least one tournament every season since 1984. B ut in 1989, King was the undisputed Queen of Gol f. She domi nated play from the word go, gi ving notice by winning the year 's f irst event by six strokes. A fter Betsy made victory in the U.S. Open look easy, one writer qu ipped that nothin g short of a stray meteor or a broken limb could stop her.' A nd even with fi ve stitches in her finger (" I was cutting a bagel. I ' m such a klutz sometimes." ), she still managed a second place tie at the Rail Classic in September. Most of her competi tors on the L PGA tour hope, not to stop her but onl y to stay close. When Betsy King j oined the tour in 1977, after graduating from Furman University with a degree in physical education , she was already a seasoned compe titor. A lthough it would be 7 years befo re she captured an L PGA titl e, th e soft -s poken nati ve of Read ing, Pennsyl vania, consistently played well enough to fi nish among the top 20 money winners in 3 of her first 6 full seasons on the tour. When she finally won her first official event in 1984, her march toward prominence in the game commenced in earnest. She captured two additional titles that year on the way to topping the money list and being named the Rolex Player of the Year. In the last 5 seasons, she has

won more tournaments than any other player on either the men's or women's tours. Not a bad preface to 1989, during which she turned in what is arguably one of the best performances in the history of the tour. Before the season ended, she had redefined success in the L PGA , surpassing and extending the single season earning mark by over $200,000. K ing had 15 top-ten f ini shes in 15 start s, stretching f rom May through September, the longest such streak in recent memo ry. On th e strength o f her co nsi stent putting, the 5-foot-6, blue-eyed blonde became the player to beat each week. But winni ng tournaments and money are not the reasons Betsy K ing play s go l f. " I don't really set goals," she says. " I don't plan to win 'X' number of to urn aments or 'X' amount of money. I give 100 percent every week, j ust working on my game. If I get too tired , I take a week off. So keepin g m y c ompeti t i ve edge i s no t somethin g I am very concerned about, because I j ust go out to pl ay m y game as well as I can." A nd th at has been bett er th an anyone el se in l ad i es' gol f. "There's no r eal secret to being a top player," demurs K ing, who has tw i ce been awarded the Golf Magazine Player of the Year title by the vote of her playing peers. " You just keep doing what works, what gets you there." In spi te of this uncomplica ted attitude toward her L PGA dominance, Betsy Kin g is never quite content with her game, even though it is the hottest on the tour. " Golf is such a humbling game," she says. " It 's just like life. Just when you tl~in k you have it licked and you have it going well , it jumps up and bi tes you." So she works hard. A nd long. A nd others have noticed her dedicati on. After a decisi ve victory at the Jamaica Classic, Betsy went to the dri ving range as usual. "Even though she had won," says her caddy Carl Laib, "she was still practicing after all the other players left. One of them asked, 'She won. So what i s she still doing out there?"' " I just want my game to be as good as it can be. And about the only thing I can control in that respec t is the preparation," she says. " My faith relates to golf in regard to preparation and gi ving I 00 percent, because that's what God expects of me." K in g, who i s an ac ti ve parti ci pan t of th e LPGA Christian Fellowship, tri es to moderate the competi tive

HER MAJESTY THE KING Betsy King's steady game was a royal pain to her opponents on the 1989 LPGA tour

BY RICK W AITMAN

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nature of professional sports. " I don ' t com pare myself to othe rs, because that's meaning less to my re lat ionship to God and even to golf. All you can do is what you can do." Comparing yourself to others adds to the pressure of competitio n, whic h Betsy feel s can be destruc ti ve, especia lly to young people. And she disagrees with those who teach at sports camps that if you want something badly enough you can get it. " That is just not true- there are no guarantees of tha t at all ," she says. "The truth of the matte r is that God wants us to be as c lose to our potential as we can be. We still t\ave to work hard, but that's all He expects of us." In reac hing for he r potential, King c ites the turnaround in her game when she was introduced to he r teac he r, Ed O ldfie ld , in 1980. " Be tsy has worked very hard. She's a very dedicated'player and a very good student," says the veterah teaching pro. "And she is a role model for the rest of the players in the world to understand that you can change your game and get significantly better than you are." " Whe n I started with Ed, he made some pretty radical changes in my swing," recalls King, the 1987 winner of the Yare Trophy for low scoring average. " He has the rare ability to look at your swing and te ll you not o nly what you ' re do ing wrong but also what you need to do to change it. " " I basically revamped her whole game, which I tend to do with most of my players," says Oldfield, who also coaches Donna White, Jan Stephe nson, and Alice Mille r, among othe rs. " It 's a slow process, but in order to be one of the best players in the world you have to have sound basic fundamentals, and it takes time to make those changes." King's trust a nd patience wi th his instruc ti on have certainly paid off. While some might say, " If it ain ' t busted, don't fix it," Be tsy continues to seek Oldfie ld 's adv ice, at least once a month. Two days after winning her first tournament in 1989, she was o ut tak ing a golf lesson. And she had another right before the U .S. Open, wh ich she also wo n. " Most people wou ldn 't conside r seeing a go lf professional a couple days be fore a major

R ICK STEWARTI ALLSPORT

NO SMALL FEAT: King took the cup going away at the 1989 U.S. Open

"She knows she has to keep on top of her game to be consistent" - Coach Ed Oldfield

tournament," says O ldfield. " But that tells the story of whe re Betsy King is. She knows she has to keep on top of her game all the time in order to be consistent." In Betsy's mind, the pressure to win is not as g reat as the pressure to improve he r game and play up to her ability. In that respect, even a major tournament is just another e vent. " I go out and do the best I can each week," she says. "When I' m on the co urse, I t h ink thro u g h my 'swi ng thoughts' (see Training Tip), regardless of the si tuation. Whether the shot is to win the tournament or just to make the cut, I always concentrate on my tec hniq ue. And whe n I bogey a co uple of holes, it's sti II the same- 1 focus on each shot and think about the mechani cs." Oldfield repeated ly schools his players to maintain so und , fund amen tal techniqu e. "They a re thinking mec hanics every shot they're out there, whether it's a tournament or a practice round," he says. "My players don 't j ust go out there and play with what they've got. They' re still striving under a ll conditions to make a good golf swing." For Betsy King, the striv ing has produced signifi cant results. Earl y in 1989 she became th ~ fifth LPGA player to surpass $2 million in career earnings, placi ng he r among impressive peers. Sharing the d istinct io n a re Pat Bradley, Nancy Lopez, Amy Alcott, JoAnne Carner, and the sixth arrival, Patty Sheehan. " But she could care less about the money," says Laib. "She j ust goes o ut to be the best player she can be. I know that sounds corny, but in my opinion she is the best player out the re. Just look at what she's done over the last 4 years or so-she is the picture of consiste ncy." " I c an't expec t to play well al l th e time- nobody can," says Betsy. " But I can do my bes t all the time, regardless of the resul ts." It seems she has been doing just that. And as the c urren t Queen o f Golf, her best has obviously been good e nough. â&#x20AC;˘ I. "Long live the K ing !" Go({ World, July 21, 1989, p. 15.

TRAINING TIPS S.A TEACHING GOLF PRO, Ed Oldfield wouldn 't trade places with even the greatest players. "They win perhaps four times a year. By helping others become better, I'm a win.__.._. ner every day of my life." He offers these tips to help develop a basic, sound swing: Supervision: The most important step is to get someone knowledgeable to look at your swing. You can 't make a significant change in your swing, get it whe re it should be, and stay there the rest of your life. Eithe r you overdo it, or you think you 're doing it and you ' re not doing it. So you need constant supervision. Dedica tion: Supervision must be combi ned with a lot of dedication a nd hard work. One without the other is no good. Swing thought: R ight before each and every swing, run

through a " recording" of what your last lesson was, and think mecha nics. With your foc us on making a good golf swing, you can let the ball go wherever it goes. Putting : To develop a complete game you must become a great putter. A young man who won the national amateur c hampionship a few years ago said he practiced putting fo r 2 hours every day, and he had n 't missed a day in 2 years. No gimmicks: There a re no secre ts to a basic golf swing. It is a very complex motion to take the club head from 0 to 100 miles per hour in a matter of seconds, from the top of the bac kswing to contact with the ball. Unde r regul ar supervision, you work first on what you do worst. Then keep refining and improving your skills until you develop a sound , fundamental swing. â&#x20AC;˘

THINKING SWING

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CONSISTENCY • FOR ATHLETES

VISUALIZING YOUR BEST Working hard to bring consistency into view

BYWESNEAL Wes N ea l is a respect ed writer with a unique perspective on sports competitio n . Currently living in Branson , Missouri, Wes is the author of The Handbook on Athle ti c Perfecti o n. A frequent collfriblllor to Second Look magazine, in this co lumn Wes looks at a key facto r t o con s ist ent sports pe1Jormance. F

WERE

the word champion into a fo rmul a fo r s po rts accomplish ment, h would definite ly stand for hard wor k. It is o n e of the most important factors to athle tic performance . As an athlete, you must have a positive attitude toward work , to g ive your bes t regardless of the c ircumstances. In fac t, you can· experience a top performance every ti me yo u wo rk o ut or co mp e t e. G iv ing your best is no t the same as ph ys icall y be in g a t your best. Yo u won ' t always be in top phys ical fo rm - so metimes you ' ll be mo re tired tha n a t other times, or y ou mi g ht be nur s in g a n injury. A top pe rformance , however, is g iving what you do have, not what you might have o n a no th e r d ay. T he quality of effort is consiste nt. You can never give what you

don't have- but you can g ive eve r y thin g yo u d o h ave, every time. To do th a t , yo u mu st b e prepare d. T hat 's w he re th e hard wo rk comes in . If you aren 't committed to putting in the e ffort at practice, you ' II have little chance o f giving a g ood pe rforman ce w he n faced w ith to ugh competit ion. T he Bible e ncourages us to hav e thi s att itude w he n it s ay s, " Wh a te ve r yo u d o , work at it with a ll your heart , as working for the Lord, not for m e n . . . " (Co lo ss ian s 3:23). For the C hri sti an a thlete , tha t means running each

work each day covers a mul titude of shortcomings in tal en t. It is not uncommon for the m to ho ld prac ti ce unde r the lights until the team gets a play rig ht. A Valdosta """'j~.._ athlete's pe rformance is evaluated not on what he could do if every thin g was going hi s way, but on what he shoul d be doing w ith the skills and abil ities he currently has. It's to the credit of these coaches who expect the best out of the ir athletes, that entering the 1989 season Valdosta 's record was 650 wins, 135 losses, and 32 ties. A former player evaluated the team this way: "Everybody had good players. It was the teams that worked the hardest, paid attention, and didn 't let up that won!" You can give a top perfordrill , o r working on a condimance every time you work tioning prog ra m, as if Jesus were physically the re watc hout, by giving everything you ing you a nd pulling for you, have. And look fo r the extras you can do to keep developrega rdl ess of w he th e r th e ing your abilit ies. Focus on coach or anyone else can see the e ffort. g iving the bes t yo u hav e to g ive, regardless of how muc h The Valdosta Hig h School footba ll prog ram in Georgia that is each day, without worr y in g a bout th e res ult s . ha s estab lished itself as one Re s ult s w ill take c are of of the best programs in the U nit e d St ate s . In 74 years th em se lves, as th e Va ldosta Hi g h School foo tba ll tea ms the school has had o nl y five have d isc ove re d over th e losing seaso ns, and not simp ly beca u se it has a l ways years . Keep putting in the ha rd work a nd g ivi ng your had th e be st a thl e tes. T he best effort, and you ' II also be two me n who have coached Va ld os ta fo r m o st of the ir ex pe ri e nc in g top pe rfo rmances mo re consistentl y! • g reat seaso ns know tha t hard SEC O N D

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Consistent performance means quality you can trust

it's the lowest scoring average in professional golf or the highest batting average in Major League Baseball, consistency is one of the marks of a good athle te. S ure, every competitor has off days,

2 0

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but a pattern of inconsistency signals a short or unsuccessful career. While some sports can tolerate a player's up and down streaks, the mos t va lu able athle tes are those who can produce day in and day out. When you think of consistent athle tes, several names come to mind, like Magic Johnson, always finding the open man on the fast break; No lan Ryan , for years throwin g hi s turbocharged , 90-miles-pe r-hour fastball ; cycl ist Greg LeMond, demonstrating that the Tour de France is not simpl y an e ndura nce test of speed, but also of conAn th ony s ist e ncy ; Munoz, be ing na med All Pro as offensi ve g uard for 8 years by app lying the basics of skill and strength in every game; Jere miah, the Old Testament prophet. How did he get on the list? Jere miah never played in a Super Bowl or a World Series, but he faced some unique challenges as a runner. "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?" (Jeremi ah 12:5). His c hoice to keep " running" against some outrageous odds provides a timeless pattern of consiste ncy. Jeremiah was a prophet who lived in diffi c ult times. Many of his contemporaries hated his message and made his life difficult whenever they could . At times Je remi ah fe lt di scouraged and wanted to quit. But God said, "If you think thi s is tough, how are you going to e ndure when an army w ith horses co m es against you?" It's not easy to outrun horses. Yet Jeremi ah chose not to give up a nd was consiste nt through a lifetime of d iffic ult ies and discouragement. His people had forgotten God and had gone after other gods. They had raised up idols, worshiping them in their homes and in their fields. Lust was a daily staple in thei r search for ful fillment. Against thi s tide, Jeremiah consistently said, "Stop, look where you' re going. It will only end in destruc tion. " Je re miah steadil y offered his warning (a message worth our attention today), even though the people refused to listen.

BY DAVE BURNHAM

llLUSTRATtON BY STEVE GIEA

路----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~ 2 1 SECOND LOOK

As I examine the life of Jeremiah, I discover that he remained faithful for more than 40 years. He is described as persistent, a steady performer, someone who came back again and again. Jeremiah was consistent whether running against men or horses, a c hampion under fire. Likewise, an athlete mu st be consistent if he or she wants to excel in a sport. And consistency is a lso one of the great lessons of life: learning to meet standard s consistently that will build life and not destroy it. How did Jeremiah do it? What were the principles that gave him guidance and courage? In sports and in life, consistency is born out of learning and mastering the fundamentals.

Basic 1: JEREM I A H ' s

firs t basic was to know God and His Word. The first chapte r of Jerem iah states that God had a plan fo r the young man's life. He was appointed to be a prophe t (Jere miah I :5), a spokesman to bring God 's message to the nations. Jeremiah asked , " How can I do that? I don ' t know how to speak a nd I' m suc h a yo uth. " But God said tha t He wou ld send him, and that Jeremiah should speak whatever He commanded him to speak. Knowing God through His Word, the Bible, and wha t He ex pec ts of you is th e foundation for achieving consistency in life.

When an athlete "chokes," it's really aform of fear.; the fear of failure

Basic 2:

GOD TOLD Je re miah, "Do not be afraid" (Jeremiah I :8). Fear paralyzes, whether in the midst of battle or in the middle of a game. Whe n an athlete "chokes," it 's reall y a form of fear: the fear of failure. It hinders a swi ng or paralyzes an arm , but it actuall y begins in the mind and heart. As God encouraged Je remiah, He also to ld hi m w hy he d idn ' t have to be afra id: " For I am w ith you and wi ll resc ue yo u ." Confidence in God's presence removes fear.

Performance:

Basic 3:

OMETIMES fear on the football field ca n be a good thing. It ca n g ive a defensive back that ex tra surge of adre1ialine he needs to catch a receive r and break up a pass. But fear can a lso freeze an ath lete in his tracks. And a fear-frozen defender is an open invitation to a TD for his opponents. Like athle tes in competition, we encounter fear every day: Fear of death from the loss of a loved one . Fear of financ ial ruin when faced wit h a comp any layoff. Fear of reject ion in relationships. T here 's only one remedy to a ll our fears. It's discussed in God 's Word, the Bible. In I John 4: 18 we are told that "perfect love drives out fear." T his type of love comes onl y from God. He loved us so muc h that He

"gave His one and on ly Son , that whoever be lieves in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3: 16). God's Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross to take away our sins and to give us freedom from our fe ar. This forgiveness and freedom can begin with a simple, heartfelt faith which says: Thank You, God, f or giving Your Son, J esus Christ, to die f or my sins. I desire the fOJg iveness that You have pro vided through this act of perfect love. Please remove any f ear from my heart as I learn to love and trust You completely. I thank You f or hearing me and loving me. The Second Look staff is ready and will ing to help you wit h ques tions about God and your spiritua l life. Write to us at Second Look, Box 3566, G rand R apids, MI 4950 1-3566 . â&#x20AC;˘

FEARLESS FOUNDATION FOR CONSISTENCY

SECON D

LOOK

The Model:

AFTER learni ng the basics, it's vi tal to have a model that demonstrates consiste ncy. For Jeremi ah, the sovereign God of Israel was the ideal standard. And God is still the perfect mode l today. The phrase "again a nd again" is used several times in this book to emphas ize God 's consistency (for example, Je re miah 25:4). It is actua lly a s ing le, empha ti c word in th e o ri g in a l Heb rew lang uage of the Old Tes tament. It s us ua l con text is to identify that God Him sel f had warned Israel "aga in and agai n," pleadi ng w ith the people to return to Him. It shows that He is consisten t. Knowing that God is fa ithfu l and consistent encouraged Je remiah to co ntinue, eve n in the bleakest c irc um stances. During one of the worst times in hi s li fe he c ri ed out in Lamen tatio ns 3:22-24, "Because of the Lord 's great love we are not c onsumed , for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning . . . . The refore I will wait for Him." coNsisTENcY d e mands proper ac tion taken re pe ate dly. God said to Jeremiah, "Ge t yourself ready! Stand up an d s ay to the m w ha teve r I co mmand yo u" (Je re m iah I: 17).

GOD GAVE Jeremiah an assignment- to take His Word to the nations.

" See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot a nd tea r clown , to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jeremiah I: 10). That 's quite a job description! You might call it a game plan for a ll the clays o f his life. Sometimes he didn ' t unde rstand every detail of the plan, and he ofte n had questions . But learning the fundamentals of knowing God, not being afraid, and havi ng a clear assignme nt guided him each step of the way. These basics provided the foundation Je remiah needed. God furthe r enabled him to carry out his assignment consistently by providing an example for the prophet to follow.

Jerem iah knew the basics. He had been given an assignment and God was his model, but now he had to go into action. Je remiah was responsible to go and speak. The rest of the book of Jeremiah illustrates that he was consistent in this difficult mission, whenever and wherever God told him to go and to speak His message. The prophet's life was fa r from easy-consistency doesn 't mean a lack of difficulty. At one point, Jeremi ah was physicall y beaten and place d on public displ ay in the stocks. It was almost mo re than he co uld bear. He said , "God, I 've done what you wanted me to do and look what has happened. People don ' t liste n, and I'm a public spectac le." In c hapte r 20 , ve rse 9, Je remia h conside re d , " I will not mention Him, or speak anymore in His name." Jeremiah thought it was time to quit. The next part of the verse, however, shows the heart of a true prophet, ex hibiting the mark of consistency. " [God 's message] is in my heart like a fire .. . I am weary of holding it in." Jere miah could not quit. God's constant presence reminded him to finish his assignment, and Jeremiah could not rest until he obeyed. I recall giv ing a talk at a chapel service for the Cleveland Browns during the ir training camp. As I ta lked a nd liste ned, I heard groans and c riti c isms about the rigors of practice. So I spoke on thi s text from Jeremiah, that if you grow weary running with men, what will happen when the horses come? Trai ning camp is a good re minde r tha t there a re go in g t o be some hard day s a head, the "horses" of major competitors, difficult c irc umst a nces, b ad ca ll s, eve n injuri es. The t op ic ga ine d the playe rs' attention, and some stopped to think abo ut life iss ues beyond th e demand s of camp. One young line backe r came up to me follo win g the m essa ge a nd said, " What the prophet learned is what I need to learn in saving m y marriage. Some times I think I ' ve got difficulties now and I want to quit, but what will I do when real heartac he comes? I want to be faithful and co ns iste nt. Do you think God could help me?" Wh at a privilege it was for me to sha re that Jeremiah had found the strength to continue, not in himself but in ·a persona l re lationship with God. Today God has given us the Bible and the model of His Son to guide our lives. As the apostle Paul said, " I can do a ll things th rough C hri st w ho stre ngthens me" (Philippi ans 4: 13). That doesn't mean I can win a ll of my games. It means I can e ndure all kinds of circumstances because Jes us C hrist will g ive me a strength a nd a meaning and a model for life. If you 've ne ver fo ll owed th at mode l in your ex_per \·e nc e, lea rn th e b as ics o f knowing God throug 1 faith in Jes us Christ and the biblical princ iples He uses to build a life. Le t the model of God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, be a g uide for your life and the n put it into acti on. Follow and obey. You can BE CONSISTENT. •

BIBLE STUDY

ASECOND LOOK AT CONSISTENCY In many ways,faithfulness is synonymous with consistency. If you are faithful to do things, it means you are consistent. This great character quality results in many blessings, so let's look at what the Bible says about living your life with consistency.

1. Look up 2 Timothy 2:2. How does this verse indicate that the faithful or reliable man is the consistent man?

2. Read 3 John 1-8 . Does consistency mean more than things like working o ut at the same time each day? Does consistency al so mean that you act according to what you believe? Why or why not?

3. What are some benefits of consistency as seen in these verses : • Matthew 24:45-47 • Matthew 25 :2 1

4. How important do you think consistency is accoding to I Corinthians 4:2?

Is it easy to trust people you find to be inconsistent? What usually happens to inconsistent people in sports? In life?

True or False: "Consistent character comes from consistent discipline as a child." Look up Proverbs 13:24; Proverbs 22 :6; and Hebrews 12: 11 to help with your answer.

-Ralph K. Drollinger

CHALLENGING DISAPPOINTMENTS

-By Dave Branon

W HEN 1WAS in high school, I was what Pete Maravich called "a basketball android." I "lived, breathed, and ate" basketball. No one put in more time practicing than I did. And I was ready when tryouts came. My teammates had told me they thought I might start that year- a year we had a chance at the state championship. So, when the list was posted and my name wasn't on it, my whole world collapsed. After the initial shock wore off, I decided to use this disappointment as a challenge. I practiced constantly. My burning desire was to prove to the coach that I could play basketball. And that's exactly what I did- for 4 years in college. Mark also seemed to have failed when he deserted Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journey. Yet he didn't quit. He kept working and later return ed to effective service with Barnabas (Acts 15:39). Paul even mentioned that Mark was helpful to him (2 Timothy 4:11 ). Disappointments come to all of us. The test of our character is what we do about them. Do we let them defeat us, or do we trust God that they are for our good? The right attitude can change disappointments into challenges and failure into consistency. Adapted by permission from Our Daily Bread Campus Journal, ~19~9. This helpful devotional series is available free of charge from Radto Btble Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49555. •

SECOND

LOOK

Does practice really make perfect? Second Look Box 3566 Grand Rapids, MI 49501 -9963

Nobody's perfect. Yet every athlete would like to play consistently. And no matter how well-prepared you are, sometimes the game just doesn't go right. B ut practicing the basics over and over can be awfully boring. So how much practice is enough? And how do you measure con sistency? With scores and records? Or by perfo rmance that fulfi lls potential?

Second Look magazine addresses a variety of life's difficult questions - like consistency- with a fres h approach.

The rea/Issues In sports ... and life

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