What Doe Discipline Mean To You?

Discipline.  What does that word mean to you?

To a little kid, it means punishment.  Do something wrong and you get "disciplined."  I got spanked (not often).  Only once by my dad (I drew a snowman on the wall of my room with a crayon--I must have been 4 or 5).  Only once at school and it was more a swat on the butt by a teacher that was also my preacher's wife, Mrs. Rainwater, and it was more a hurry up and take a seat in the bleachers in the gym (don't you think I remember those pretty well?).

By my mom?  Too often to remember.  I must have misbehaved at Sunday night church a lot.  We had a willow tree behind our house.  I can remember many Sunday nights when my mom would tell me to go cut a willow switch and then would wear my backside out with that thing. 

Must have worked.  I've never been arrested.

For today's kid, it is more likely to be Time Out, or some variation thereof.

For younger teenagers, being it might be a privilege denied or a possession withdrawn.  Later, it might be loss of driving privileges.

All under the title of "discipline."

I've heard a lot of college coaches talk about discipline.  In the recruiting process, it's something that parents want to hear.  They want to know that their child is going to learn "discipline" from this coach.

To the parents, that probably means that their son or daughter is going to be held accountable, that they are not going to get in trouble.  To the coach, it probably means that their player is going to work hard and do what they are told.

Don't get me wrong.  I believe those are good things.  I just don't think that's what discipline is at all. 

Discipline, to me, is what you do when no one is watching.  Discipline is getting up at 4 AM to workout because you might not get to later in the day.  Discipline is eating what is good for you instead of what you crave, especially when no one is with you.

Discipline is doing the right thing, every time.  Especially if there would have been no consequences in doing the wrong thing.

A college coach promising to teach discipline is a bit hollow to me.  What they are teaching is reward and punishment.  Late for a workout?  You're going to be running extra.  Miss a practice?  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  What happens to you then has nothing to do with discipline.

What you learn from that is that there  are consequences to your actions.  That you meet the expectations of others or you are punished.  And again, those are good things.

But real discipline (again, in my opinion) is self-imposed.  It is living up to the expectations that you have for yourself.  It is setting the standards by which you want to live your life.

You learn discipline by repeating good acts, by doing the right thing, over and over and over until it becomes second nature. 

It's Here!!!

Here's your news flash:  The high school football season is upon us.  Really.

Wait!  What?  Football season?  It's the middle of July!

Yep.  Middle of July and it's here.  After a dead period that just ended.  Shorts and t-shirts this past week.  Add helmets this coming week.  Full pads the week after that.  Football Jamboree August 11th.   

Just like that, summer is over.  Oh, we've got plenty of hot weather to go yet.  August and September can both be real scorchers.  And that's part of what I'm going to talk about today.  Dealing with the heat.  It really isn't something that we can take lightly.

Helping your young athlete acclimatize to the heat is important.  The air conditioner set to the lowest setting isn't helping with that.  Adjust the temperature in your home and in your car up a bit.  It won't hurt you.

Fluids are essential.  If an athlete waits until they get to practice to hydrate, they are already behind.  Proper hydration is an all day thing.  Start drinking in the morning and don't quit until bedtime. 

Drink both water and sports drinks with emphasis on the latter.  All that makes you run to the bathroom too often?  Great!  That's what we want.  That means you are fully hydrated. 

You want to perform at your best?  Hydrate.  You hate cramps?  Then hydrate! 

In sports or in the real world, if you are overheated the best thing you can do is submerse in cold water.  We keep a watering trough at most of our schools that we fill with cold water and los of ice.  When your core temperature reaches critical levels, the best thing we can do for you at that point is to cool you off.

Last week I was talking to a physical therapist in another state.  He was conflicted after dealing with a young athlete with a serious concussion.  This father of four young boys asked "with all we know about concussions, how can you let someone play contact sports?"

He was asking as a father and as a physical therapist.

My answer?  First, I said, "active children become active adults."  It's true.  And anything that involves movement can mean a fall and an injury.  It doesn't have to be a contact sport.  I've seen concussions on a tennis court.

Second, "sports are life lessons."  Our playing fields are a living seminar on teamwork, effort, discipline, leadership, and on and on.  Sports may be the best place to learn those things.

Lastly, I said "our job is to enable people to pursue their passions, making sports as safe as possible because of our expertise."   Like I said last week, it's not my job to tell you what you can't do unless it negatively impacts your health.

I know that I am called on very often to make the final decision on whether or not someone that has experienced a concussion can return to their sport.  It is not a role that I take lightly.  We are talking life issues here.  You can count on me to be conservative and make a decision based on the long term, not the big game on Friday night.

It's what I do.

Be The Encourager

Do you have somebody in your life that is always supportive?   Do you have that one person that is always encouraging you?  Even when you mess up?  Maybe especially when you mess up? 

I happen to believe that everybody needs that person in their lives.  And if you are lucky enough to have more than one...well, you are truly blessed.

I'm not talking about someone who always looks at things through rose-tinted glasses.  No, the person I'm talking about is not going to lie to you but they also aren't going to tell you that you can't do something.

This is a topic that I know too well.  I was told when I was in high school that college was not really in my future.  That "people like me" didn't go to college.  I guess I proved them wrong. 

I had a patient not too long ago that took a nasty fall.  Over 100' and landed on his feet only to drive his tibia 8" into the ground.  Yeah, nasty.

In addition to multiple breaks in his leg, he had severe injuries to his spine and was unconscious for several days.  It was recommended that his foot be amputated above the ankle.

He didn't agree to that.  Later, they recommended that his ankle be fused.  He didn't go for that either. He wanted to run again.  So he looked around for someone that would do his rehab that wouldn't put limits on him.  He found me. 

When he first walked into my office, he could barely walk.  He told me the basics of his injuries and asked if I was going to tell him that his dream of running again was impossible.  I told him it wasn't my job to tell him what he couldn't do.

After a lot of physical therapy he still couldn't run but he had taken a new job and the three hour round trip drive he was making to get here every day seemed too much.  He was quite motivated and a former gymnast so we agreed that he could continue with rehab on his own.

Jump forward several months and he shows back up at my clinic one day.  He asked me to step outside, proceeded to run across the parking lot (albeit with a noticeable limp), run back to me, shake my hand, and say thank you.  He had achieved his dream.

Too many people had told him that he would never run again.  He proved them wrong. 

I listened recently to the story of a professional dancer that lost her leg in the Boston Marathon bombing.  She was a bystander and not a runner.  Her story focused on the doctor that told that she would never dance again.  That person was apparently trying to get her to deal with reality. 

This wonderful young lady used that as motivation to not only walk again but return to her career, run a marathon of her own, and prove a lot of people wrong.

So who are we to tell people that they can't pursue their dreams?  Who are we to tell somebody that they can't do something?

I can tell you of several 5'6" or so linebackers that have played on state championship team at MHS.  Isaiah Thomas led the Boston Celtics to the NBA playoffs at 5'9" in a league where the point guards can be 6'7".  Too short?  Not at all.

So if somebody tells you that your dreams are impossible, eliminate them from your life.  Seek out those people that tell you that can.  As for those other people, prove them wrong!

My Story

Can't see.  Can't hear.  Varicose veins.  Walks with a limp.  High blood pressure.  High cholesterol.  Forgets things.  Has had 7 orthopedic surgeries.

Bikes 150 miles or so a week.  Does CrossFit.  Can dance all night.  Works 60 hours a week.  Has more energy than most 20-somethings.

What if I told you those two were the same person?  It's true.

This story is about me.  In avoidance of narcissism, you're gonna hear the good and the bad. 

My story really starts about the time I was 5, when my dad had his first heart attack.  Yes, you've heard that story here before, maybe too many times, but that's what old people do--they tell the same stories over and over again.

But that heart attack is so much a part of my life up until this point that my story has to start there. 

I don't remember much else about that far back.  I remember that my dad suddenly had to assume a sedentary lifestye immediately.  A short, wiry fellow with tons of energy, he was always doing something.  Always.  Then...nothing.

Heart care back then basically consisted of Coumadin and doing nothing.  And a low fat diet.  We would travel to a Kroger's in Knoxville for their corn oil margarine because that was the only kind that my dad liked.  No eggs.  No fried food.  Skim milk.  I never knew anything else. 

Later, another heart attack forced my dad to retire and my mom to go back to work.  Part of the heart care science back then was that you couldn't hold your arms over your head.  I remember building this 2 step contraption that allowed me to hang clothes on the clothesline to dry because my dad couldn't.

We raised bees but since my dad couldn't do any physical labor, taking care of them was my responsibility.  I "robbed" the hives of their honey, with my mom's help put it in jars, and sold it in front of our house on Highway 11, back then one of the main routes south and north through Tennessee.

Beekeeping was later my very first merit badge in Boy Scouts.  Scouting introduced me to some good men who filled a gap that my dad couldn't fill because of his physical limitations.  Scouting also provided me with some incredible leadership training that I would surely have never gotten otherwise. 

When I built my own treehouse in the backyard (out of rescued materials) at about age 12, my dad sat in a lawn chair at the bottom of the tree and talked me through it.  If I ever bent a nail, instead of beating it on in, my dad insisted that I pull it out, straighten it out, and do it again.  (Nails were not something you discarded.)

My dad always wanted me to be an athlete and football became my passion.  I quit growing in the 10th grade so I was never the star I had hoped to be but to this day, nobody ever took more away from the game.

My dad couldn't attend my games.  Too much excitement wasn't good for the heart you know.  My mom later told me that my dad would sit at home and listen to all my games on the radio, crying much of the time.  I can't even write that sentence without choking up a bit.

So I decided that I was not going to become a heart patient.  I would do everything I could to stay healthy.  Exercise?  Daily.  Eat right?  Perpetually.  Live a healthy lifestyle ?  Every moment I can.

All those things at the top of this column?  Yeah, that's me.  Too many candles on the birthday cake and not the best gene pool.  But one thing you can be sure about--those things aren't going to beat me.  The second paragraph is my testimony to that.  And to my dad.

More Little Things

Still thinking about all those little things that athletes can/should do to succeed.

Like always showing up ready.  Definitely a little thing.  But hugely important.  It's the mental preparation part.  Show up to practice ready to go.  Show up ready to play. 

I work with the MHS kickers a little bit.  Mostly I try and not mess them up.  But I do tell them to visualize what they are about to do, just before they do it.  Visualize your steps.  Visualize the contact with the ball.  And always, always visualize the ball splitting the uprights.

That works with other sports as well.  I never took a basketball shot that wasn't going in.  When it left my hands, it was going in the basket.  Obviously it didn't really end that way all the time but there is no doubt that it helped.

Do the little things like get enough sleep.  I confessed to failing in this one but several recent studies have clearly shown that proper rest is an important part of the training of an athlete. 

And acclimatizing to the heat.  Don't keep your house iceberg cold if your sport is outdoors in the heat.  It doesn't have to be drastic.  Maybe just a couple of degrees.  Same for your vehicle.  Maybe roll down the windows instead.

Little things like treating people nicely.  What's that got to do with sports?  It shows integrity.  And a life of integrity means you're going to be more reliable and thus a better teammate. 

I mentioned eating last week. The old nutrition saying is "garbage in, garbage out."  That adage has never been proven wrong.  If your diet is healthy, your body is healthy which means you can train harder and perform better.

Do you really need burgers and pizzas and all that fried stuff?  How about lean meats, plenty of fruits and vegetables, and fewer desserts and carbs?  Get past the habits and the cravings and you'll be surprised how well you feel and perform.

It's the little things.  Like showing respect.  Listen to your coaches.  They really want you to succeed.  Your success is their success.  Their job is to help you be better.

It's the same thing in the classroom.  Teachers have the same goals--to help you to succeed and get better in life. One of the great pleasures of being a teacher is when one of their students becomes a successful adult.

And by the way, go by and thank them for it.  A handwritten thank you note is nice.  Social media works. 

Do the little things like be on time.  Doing so is a measure of discipline and discipline and dedication are the cornerstones to athletic success in any arena. 

Maybe do a little extra after practice.  Run a few more wind sprints.  Stop to stretch.  Think about what you could do better tomorrow.

It's the little things.

Do The Little Things

I listened this week as Clemson Coach Dabo Swiney addressed his team at The White House.  Always inspiring and never boring, Coach Swiney talked about the "little things" that he asked his football team to do.

Obviously it has worked for them.  They were almost there last year and this year won the NCAA National Championship.  You might know that I'm a pretty big fan:  My son played football at Clemson and they treated him very, very well.

But it got me to thinking about those little things and what all our athletes might do to in that category to improve their chances for success. The littlest of those little things that I could think of was tying your shoes. 

Several years ago, football players were turning their socks down over their shoes.  It was really strange and then they would tape them to the front of their shoes. 

I didn't like it then and I don't like it now.  Today, I would refuse to let a player take the field like that.  Then, it was argued that it was a matter of self-expression and...well...what could be the harm.  I caved.

Let me digress a bit.  I don't let my football players "spat" their shoes.  Spatting is when you put athletic tape all around your ankle and shoe.  The problem is that it does nothing good. 

It doesn't protect the ankle.  It doesn't keep the shoe on better.  And it sure does get in the way if they have an ankle injury and I need to get down to the skin to examine the ankle.

So why do they do it?  They see the college and pro players doing it.  Don't get me started on why the pros might do it.  They will do anything that they think might give them an edge.  Anything.

Those football players should hardly be your role model for game preparation.  Check under the category of PED's (Performance Enhancing Drugs) if you want an explanation for that. 

So back to that sock over the shoe thing.  The season when it was all the rage (and I was privately seething about it), we were in the semi-finals.  Now I must tell you that I had argued that it was a bad idea primarily because it made your shoes slippier.

Guess what happens in that semi-final game?  We are ahead and only have to stop a final drive to win the game.  Our defensive back (one of those sock-puller-downers) slips, falls down, the other team throws across the top, and wins the game. 

Think one of my kids ever had their socks pulled down over their shoes again?  Oh goodness no.  Never. 

So use your uniform like it is meant to be used.  Tie your shoes.  And learn to tie them in a way that secures your shoe to your foot and allows you to perform at your best.

Other little things?  I've probably rambled about that sock thing too long.  But eating right means everything.  And it's not just the pre-game meal.  How you fuel yourself everyday affects how you practice and play.

I do have a problem with kids that adorn their uniform with everything except fringe and tassels.  I've seen athletes spend more time putting on all their sweatbands and pads here and there...why it's like a teenager getting ready for the prom.

Put on your uniform--it's what it's made for--and go play the game. 

What Gets You Up in the Morning?

Let me begin with a disclaimer.  Part of this is going to be a "do as I say, not as I do" type of thing.  Let's just say that I don't get enough sleep  and we'll return to that in a moment.

Probably the number one thing that gets me up in the morning is my dad's heart attack at age 45.  Let me explain. 

I was 5 when my dad had that first heart attack.  Soon after, he had to retire from his job and basically do nothing (heart care in those days).  I grew up determined not to follow that same path.  As a result, exercise and eating right have been a part of my lifestyle since a very young age.  Maybe it's why I went into healthcare.

So every morning when my alarm goes up and I might be tempted to hit the snooze button (for the record, I have no idea where the snooze button is on my alarm clock), I might think of my dad and the totally sedentary life he had to lead because of his heart and I pop right up and head in for a workout.

Oh, there are other reasons.  I love my job.  When that alarm goes off, I hop up excited about the possibility of what the day might bring and what problems the next patient might bring me to fix.

When that stops getting me all pumped, I'll retire.  (So all of you that see the bonfire on the birthday cake that belongs to me, I ain't quittin' any time soon.)  Think about it--I walk into an exam room for a new patient that I know nothing about, decide what is wrong and what needs to be done, then start them on the road to better health.

I've got a buddy that long ago retired but gets up way before dawn to get his exercise in.  He finds that if he does it then, he's got the whole day to do anything he wants.

Others I know get up because people are depending on them to be there.  My wife gets up because of responsibilities. 

I've always done my exercising early.  It removes most of the excuses.  If I had to depend on lunch hour or after work to get in my workout, it probably wouldn't happen.   So when my alarm clock goes off at 4 AM (yes, 4 AM), I head to the gym. 

My personal philosophy is that those earliest of hours belong to me.  Even when my kids were growing up, that was my schedule.  I could get my exercise in and still be there when they woke up. 

Back to that sleeping thing:  I know that 7-8 hours is the best for good health.  I don't get that.  Just because I don't get it doesn't mean that you shouldn't--you should!   Evidence of the need for adequate sleep is overwhelming.

So what's my excuse?   I don't know...it's complicated.  I have a problem in saying "no" so I'm always over-committed.  Part of it is the bicycle.  It's my favorite form of exercise but it takes a lot of time. 

And my patients are either in pain or dysfunction or both and I have a really hard time turning anyone away.  So my schedule is always packed.  There are many nights when I'm up late doing patient notes.

Anyway, that's my story.  What gets you up in the morning?