Showing affection to our kids is a very important thing for us, as parents, to do. It communicates love and security to them. And trust me dads, if you don’t step up and show your daughters affection now, some other man will do it for you eventually.

Here’s a few more thoughts…

Unfortunately in prison you will rarely find an inmate who has come from a two-parent home and who’s father was very involved in his life. Here are a few more thoughts…

Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden passed away last week.  Many of the young basketball players of this generation wouldn’t know a lot about Coach Wooden but he was one of the best.  Not only did he turn out championship teams and develop young men into great basketball players, he helped them become better people as well.

I had the chance to hear him speak several times and he had an impact on the way I coached football.  Coach Wooden always talked about competing against yourself–that is, not worrying about your opponent but playing up to your potential every time you stepped on the playing field.  He also felt that if you demonstrated teamwork and played smart you would outplay individual talent that didn’t play together.  For me starting out as a young coach, those were great principles to build on. But the most important thing I learned from Coach Wooden was that it’s really not the championships that you win as a coach but it’s how you impact your players as people that really counts.

As I said, most of the young basketball players today wouldn’t know much about the championship run that UCLA had in the 1960′s and 70′s but they are benefiting from how he coached and the impact he had on the game of college basketball.

We’ve all heard that when it comes to where you spend your time, when you say “Yes” to someone you say “No” to someone else. Sometimes our family-time suffers from our jobs or other things. That’s why it’s so important to find time for your family. By the way,  a “busy schedule” is no excuse…

I love to fish. That’s probably not news to you. I love fishing because it is a lot of fun but it also provides tools and lessons to teach our kids life lessons. Here’s a few..

A lot of people tell me that I am very approachable. Really, I think it’s all about being available and sincere. You can be that way too..

Since going on this book tour for my latest book, The Mentor Leader, I’ve run into many old teammates and friends from all around the country. However, this past Sunday was extra-special for me. We were in my hometown of Jackson, Michigan and I was able to see Mrs. Dorothy Beach, my kindergarten teacher. She is 91 now, but still going strong. I was in her class in 1959, but I still remember that year. I especially remember when she took the class on a field trip to her farm. Great memories. When I saw her on Sunday I thanked her for getting me off to a good start in school. Man, it was good to see her. Here is a picture from Sunday.

It seems that nowadays kids are exposed to more than what I feel like I was exposed to as a kid. Our kids are growing up too fast. As parents, we can’t act like it’s not happening. It is up to us to make sure that what they are taking in is truth and what we would want them to know.

My third book, The Mentor Leader,  released today. Some of you may see me on my book signing tour during the first two weeks of this month, but I won’t be able to visit every state. Because I can’t get to everyone I want to encourage you to enter to win a signed copy of my new book and a Monthly Grand Prize on my Facebook Page. Winners will be chosen daily, and one person each month will win the Monthly Grand Prize, which includes a signed football, books, and much more! The contest starts today on August 3 and continues through December 31, 2010. So visit my official Facebook page and click the ‘Enter to Win’ tab at the top of the page for more details!

Hope you enjoy the book!

-Tony

Being a Coach has given me some unique opportunities to be a part of some great people’s lives. Growing up, both my Mom and Dad were teachers who went the extra mile for their students and for our family. They were my first examples of mentors and that taught me about leadership. When I was in junior high, I had an assistant principal who showed me what it meant to really care about me as a person – not just a student. Let me tell you how his influence impacted life.