In sports, a talented player who is just starting out in the game is known as a “prospect,” someone who is on the verge of accomplishing great things for his team. But if he doesn’t live up to his promise on the playing field, he soon becomes “suspect,” a person who is failing to live up to his potential. When this happens, his performance must improve or he is off the team.
I watched this happen with J.J. McCleskey when he was a sevenyear veteran with the Arizona Cardinals. When the tremendously talented J.J. was unable to complete the season four years in a row due to nagging injuries, he became suspect. His coach told him, “I don’t know what you’re doing in the off-season to get ready for the game, but whatever it is, you need to change it or you will have to start looking for another team.” I discovered that J.J.’s problem was repetitive hamstring pulls due to overstriding and improper training practices. After working with me during the off-season, J.J. was able to play the entire sixteen-game season. In fact, he was better in the last four games than most guys were in the first games of the season, and he ended up being a Pro Bowl alternate that year.
We all start out in life as a prospect, with a balanced physical, emotional, and mental system. As we age, however, our experiences tend to throw us off balance to varying degrees if we don’t learn to compensate. As the stresses of life and work add up, our health and stamina tend to decrease and we begin to lose the focus necessary for maximum performance levels. Even when we have tremendous experience and knowledge, we can still become suspect.
The following Performance Assessment Questionnaire serves as a tool to help you evaluate where you are now. Read each statement and check “never,” “sometimes,” or “always,” depending on how accurately the statement matches your current lifestyle performance levels. The eventual goal is to check off “always” for most questions. The areas where you check “never” or “sometimes” are the ones that need attention.
I watched this happen with J.J. McCleskey when he was a sevenyear veteran with the Arizona Cardinals. When the tremendously talented J.J. was unable to complete the season four years in a row due to nagging injuries, he became suspect. His coach told him, “I don’t know what you’re doing in the off-season to get ready for the game, but whatever it is, you need to change it or you will have to start looking for another team.” I discovered that J.J.’s problem was repetitive hamstring pulls due to overstriding and improper training practices. After working with me during the off-season, J.J. was able to play the entire sixteen-game season. In fact, he was better in the last four games than most guys were in the first games of the season, and he ended up being a Pro Bowl alternate that year.
We all start out in life as a prospect, with a balanced physical, emotional, and mental system. As we age, however, our experiences tend to throw us off balance to varying degrees if we don’t learn to compensate. As the stresses of life and work add up, our health and stamina tend to decrease and we begin to lose the focus necessary for maximum performance levels. Even when we have tremendous experience and knowledge, we can still become suspect.
The following Performance Assessment Questionnaire serves as a tool to help you evaluate where you are now. Read each statement and check “never,” “sometimes,” or “always,” depending on how accurately the statement matches your current lifestyle performance levels. The eventual goal is to check off “always” for most questions. The areas where you check “never” or “sometimes” are the ones that need attention.
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