Greg Graber (@GregGraber) is a mindfulness coach who has worked with a number of world-class athletes, coaches, and teams, including Josh Pastner (@GTJoshPastner) and the men’s basketball team at Georgia Tech (@GTMBB) and Shaka Smart (@CoachShakaSmart) and the men’s basketball team at Marquette University (@MarquetteMBB).
Greg is the author of Slow Your Roll: Mindfulness for Fast Times.
In this conversation, Greg and I talk:
-The first question coaches ask about mindfulness: Is it going to improve the team’s free throw performance?
-How not allowing kids to be bored kills creativity.
-“Coaches bring me in to work with players. Inevitably, I end up working with them.”
-A deep-dive into our love for the show Ted Lasso (with a s/o to @nerdnumbers).
-“All of us have been Nate.”
-Tips for being mindful on social media.
-“Don’t worry if most people can’t stand you, most people can’t stand themselves.”
-“Meditation is the ultimate portable device.”
-“I’m going to teach you to be the observer of your thoughts.”
-The great quote from Viktor Frankl: Between stimulus and response there is space. That space is where freedom lies.
-“Young people are more receptive to tools like mindfulness.”
-How will Ted Lasso end? Where is Coach Beard’s relationship with Jane going?
-Greg’s process when meeting with a team.
-“NBA scouts are looking for the athletic role-player.”
-“We have collective trauma from the pandemic.”
55. Concentrate on the step in front you, not the entire staircase...