The Athletic

Former Royals owner Ewing Kauffman: “You will be amazed at the personal happiness that you will get from (helping others).” From neighborhood pick-up games, high school team rivalries, to NFL tailgates, football plays a large role in Thanksgiving Day traditions around the country. No matter the level, the game requires unity and togetherness from everyone involved. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, it can provide us with opportunities to see what Kauffman means by that quote, and help our teammates in different ways, which can mean more than just a win. We want to hear your best Thanksgiving football traditions! 🏈 Comment below your favorite ⬇️ ⬇️

“Peanut butter and….JAAAAAAM!” John Buck heard those strange words from his own dugout during a game – everyone in the ballpark heard those words. Buck was a young catcher at the time, a prospect for the Houston Astros, a guy who wanted to make the big leagues that spring and took himself and his job seriously. “Too seriously,” he admitted. During a spring training game, Buck got jammed by a pitch on the inside, and from his own dugout heard his own pitcher, Jose Lima, yell across the field: “Peanut butter and JAAAAAAAM!” Everyone laughed. Buck did not. He was embarrassed. He still took himself so seriously. “Too seriously,” he admitted. But many years later, Buck called that moment a “core memory,” and it still gave him goosebumps when he told the story about Lima, his former teammate who sang and danced and joked and generally had a good time all the time, even when he pitched horribly. Why was that moment seared in Buck’s memory? “Because of what it meant and what it did,” Buck said. “Like, hey, don’t take yourself so seriously. Let’s have fun.” Buck played 11 seasons in the major leagues and made an All-Star Game  – a long and productive career. And when he needed some perspective, he thought about a little peanut butter and JAAAAAM.

Can you guess which NFL defensive coordinator uses food as a way to connect with his players? From heavy pans of banana pudding to homemade gemelli in a blush sauce, The Athletic’s Dan Pompei uncovered one NFL team’s secret connector, distributed by their defensive coordinator. His players said they appreciate his honesty and tough love. "He challenged guys to be better, but he did it in a way that didn’t demean anyone,” one player said. "It was like, ‘I know there’s more there. And I believe in you.'” Said another: “He’s going to be on your tail like white on rice.” But they also appreciate the way an aluminum pan of food, made by his wife, will appear in their lockers when they need it most. 

What is Patrick Mahomes’ mental approach and how can we learn from it? The Chiefs’ superstar QB explained his mindset to CNBC in 2021: “No matter what the situation is, you have to make sure that you’re focused on the five to six things that can help impact the play in the best way possible.” Mahomes credits his “five or six things” approach to Paddy Steinfort, a mental performance coach he met while at Texas Tech. We called Steinfort and asked him to explain how the rest of us can benefit from the same skills Mahomes uses: Identify the essential things you need for success For Mahomes, Steinfort said it might be, “OK, when I’m the best quarterback I can be, here’s what I do. Regardless of the play call, regardless of the scoreboard, regardless of the weather, I know that when I line up under center, here’s two or three things that I’ve got to do every time.” “If we get really good at coming back to those,” he added, “then we’re giving ourselves the best chance of not getting in our own way and letting our talent and our hard work come out.” Be intentional with your focus “If you've done something once,” Steinfort said, “it means you’re capable of doing it. If you can’t do it repeatably, it means something is getting in the way.” So how can you train your mind to focus on only the important things you need for success? Steinfort said meditation is one way, but it’s really about being intentional with your focus and rewiring your mind. “You set an intention to one thing, and every time your mind drifts off to something else, you notice it and you bring it back,” he said. “Whether that's your breath, whether that's the feeling of whatever part of your body you might be tuning into or it's a thought, that's the way to train (your mind).” Come up with a process to refocus when obstacles distract you Steinfort said all kinds of obstacles — like a bad call in a game or a headache at work — can knock our attention away from where it needs to be or change our mindset. “Every time you notice one of those obstacles,” he said, “you systematically put a plan in place so that it doesn’t knock you off again and you relentlessly work through that process.”

Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians and Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers were named the Managers of the Year in their respective leagues last night. For both of them, it was their first year on the job with their teams.

Lessons on Leading from Harvard Men’s Hockey coach, former NHL player Ted Donato Donato said one of his greatest challenges was his transition from playing in the NHL to coaching college hockey. Now, he’s one of only three coaches in Harvard’s program history to surpass 300 wins, and he recently won the James Herscot '58 Coach of Excellence award, recognizing him for his leadership and commitment to his players. Here’s what he learned along the way ⬇️ 1/ As a leader, be true to yourself from a personality standpoint. 2/ Remember who you’re guiding and find a balance. You have to make sure that you don't give your team too much credit, but you also can’t accept too many things. 3/ When it comes to mentoring people, their character is more important than how good they are at their job. 4/ Value opinions and look for feedback from those with experience. 5/ Understand there's all sorts of personalities on a team and know that oftentimes you must reach people in different ways. 6/ Tough conversations are necessary, but approach them as genuinely and authentically as you can. 7/ Give yourself grace and recognize that some lessons are learned through experience.

Quote of the day: