.🥊 Getting Punched in the Mouth (and Getting Back Up)

📖 What I Am Reading: Getting Filthy by Perry Husband

Now that we’re finally outdoors, I’ve been deep into Getting Filthy—Perry Husband’s no-nonsense breakdown of Effective Velocity (EV). It’s not about fluff. It’s about tools that work.

⚾ EV isn’t about just throwing gas. It’s about how location and speed together create timing problems for hitters.

🔹 A pitch outside looks slower than one inside—even at the same speed.
🔹 Changing location changes reaction time.
🔹 Misses are part of the game—learn your Miss Tendency and make it a weapon.

We don’t need perfect pitchers. We need pitchers who understand how to get outs. That’s what we’re training for this spring.

🎥 What I Am Watching: Court of Gold (Netflix)

This doc had me thinking hard—Court of Gold follows Team USA Basketball’s journey to the 2024 Olympics… but it’s not just about basketball.

The takeaway? Dominance isn’t guaranteed anymore.

🇺🇸 Team USA isn’t feared like they once were. The world has caught up.
👀 International teams like Serbia are coming hard—with a plan and a mindset.

🏀 What stood out most to me was how Kevin Durant stepped up—not just as a scorer, but as a steadying presence. He wasn’t trying to be flashy—he was trying to hold it all together. That resonates with me right now. As I guide a young Hard Bulls roster and prep the national team for A-Pool, I feel that same weight. Leadership isn’t about saying the most—it’s about showing up when it counts and anchoring your crew through chaos.

But here’s the real lesson Court of Gold offers:
Even the most talented teams can lack alignment.
You feel it when roles aren’t clear, when big voices go quiet, when energy gets scattered.

That’s why I’m doubling down this spring on clarity, identity, and accountability. Because we can’t afford to wait for someone else to lead.
The standard starts now.

As a national team coach and someone prepping the Hard Bulls—a squad of young wolves who want to earn their way in Austria’s top league—this hit home:

🔑 If you don’t align your culture, your talent won’t save you.
🔑 If your role isn’t clear, your potential becomes wasted.
🔑 If you’re not ready to face the grind—you’ll get exposed.

We’ve got potential, but that doesn’t mean a thing if we don’t build the habits to match it. The league, the world, the season is coming! Are you ready?

💡 What I Am Learning: Mike Tyson Was Right.

Last week, I got hit. Not metaphorically—literally.

🥴 11 stitches. Tongue split. Surgery. Wire splint. Screw in the jaw.

And all I could think of was Tyson’s full quote:

You don’t rise to the occasion. You fall to your training.

I guess I am lucky it happened on the last day of my 75-Hard Challenge, as I was mentally equipped to handle it. In turn, that’s why I’m teaching our players the Triangle Theory to handle adversity like a fighter:

🔺 Cope – Command – Counter

Coping means managing the emotional hit—through good sleep, journaling, breathing, nature, and letting go of what you can’t change.
Command means holding your ground, staying assertive—not aggressive, not passive—just solid in who you are.
Counter means getting back up with a plan. Taking the fight back to your opponent. Playing offense.

Everyone gets hit. But not everyone gets back up and swings.

✍️ What I Am Writing: Practice Plans That Reflect Who We Are

Now that we’re outside, I’ve had to rewrite the script—literally.

We’re working with limited daylight. That means every minute counts.
I’ve been building practice plans that are:

✅ Rooted in our team identity
✅ Sharp, focused, and tempo-driven
✅ Designed for clarity, not chaos

No wasted reps. No wasted roles. Just work that matters.

This team is being shaped daily—not by our words, but by how we show up.
We are not prepping for a smooth ride.
We’re prepping to get punched—and keep swinging.

💬 What About You?

What hit you recently—and how did you respond?
What’s your version of Cope – Command – Counter?

Shoot me a reply—I want to hear how you're training for your next punch. 👊

Until next time, stay grounded, stay gritty, and stay ready.
We don’t flinch. We fire back. 💥