Tiger’s Quest to “Overcome” and the Neutral World Around Us

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Like most of the world, I sat and watched Tiger Woods speak as he embarked upon the quest to “overcome” his personal failings. My opinion is that he did the best that he could possibly do at this moment in time. Much more significant to me however, is what we can all learn from Tiger’s “transgressions,” and also from the wide range of reactions that followed his first public appearance in about three months.

When Tiger’s state of mind is low, he is not capable of seeing life clearly and he is prone to lapses in judgment.

First, as I initially discussed on December 4th: http://www.inner-sports.com/okay-my-take-on-tiger/, the time is now for Tiger to understand that errant thinking and its ensuing impulses, signal “out of bounds,” not a call to action. As Tiger indicated, it is indeed necessary for him to address the pain inflicted by his errant behavior, but it is far more critical that he understands its source. Believe it or not, the temptation to stray is actually not the real issue here; a failure to realize that one’s state of mind determines one’s ability to regulate urges… is. Trust me, when Tiger’s level of well being is high, the thought of betraying his wife, comes and goes. When this level is low, he is not capable of seeing life clearly and he is prone to serious lapses in judgment. Thus, he has no choice but to succumb. Just reflect on the mistakes you have made in your own life. I guarantee that your faulty judgments, and resulting poor behavior, were far less about the situation you were in than about your level of well being the moment you encountered the situation.

Without the free will to choose, Tiger lacks the resources necessary to draw upon personal insights and move past errant emotions in his own way.

In addition, unless Tiger comes to see that he can only look within himself to find enduring answers, I am certain that this deviant pattern will manifest itself (perhaps in another form) yet again. While therapy or even Buddhism might set the wheels in motion, without the free will to choose, Tiger lacks the resources necessary to draw upon personal insights and move past errant emotions in his own way. In other words, relying on the judgments and guidance of the external world, in order to solve internal quandaries, can only work for so long. Instead, the answer solely lies in understanding how our own thoughts and state of mind, in the moment, affect the reality that we create for ourselves. It actually is this simple, and once understood Tiger will find it impossible to misread his internal feelings. For, they are perfectly designed to steer each of us away from trouble in our own individual manner.

How we view an external circumstance has nothing to do with the circumstance itself, and here lies the key to navigating smoothly through life.

There is one other related concept at work here and it has little to do with Tiger Woods the person. I know that it is quite obvious, but isn’t it amazing how many different judgments exist on the varying elements of Tiger’s speech? In the immediate aftermath I heard comments like, “he was genuine” or “he was arrogant.” “He spoke from the heart” or “it was an infomercial.” I mean, we did all watch the same broadcast didn’t we? Then this morning, I heard the identical sportscasters who offered opinions one day, offer different opinions the next. Well, doesn’t this paradox illustrate just how neutral the outside world (in this case Tiger’s plight) really is?

In truth then, we are all no different from Tiger in that how we view an external circumstance has virtually nothing to do with the circumstance itself. It is all about our own state of mind at that particular moment. And the sooner we come to understand this uncomplicated truth, the easier it will be for all of us to navigate smoothly through life…. Here lies the true message to Tiger, and to the masses, in this whole sad mess. I just hope that for his family’s benefit, the experts counseling Tiger are insightful enough to allow him to see it.




Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

What All Teams Must Know About the Negative Effect of Judging

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

I have often cautioned, through writings on this blog, about falling into the habit of judging others. To be honest, while I suppose I should practice what I preach, I often “judge” the habit of judging. For, I understand the potential damage that looking down on someone else can inflict on a relationship, organization, or team. I have mentioned that an individual usually becomes angry and resistant when judged, and so called deviant behavior only gets reinforced. I have also said that those who judge others simply fail to recognize their own errant state of mind in the moment, since a person will never judge when their level of psychological functioning is high. In this writing however, I want to specifically demonstrate the far reaching negative effect that judging a team member, or colleague, can have on your team or organization.

Brett Favre was a “train wreck,” while Donnie Warner “had guts.”

When Brett Favre was a rookie quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, head coach Jerry Glanville judged Favre to be irresponsible on and off the field. In fact, Glanville looked down on his “raw” quarterback from Southern Mississippi right from the start. When his feelings about not drafting Favre were overruled, Glanville even said that it would take a “plane crash” for him to get in a game. Then, when Favre missed the team photo that year, Glanville dubbed him a “train wreck” and following the 1991 season the Falcons traded Favre to Green Bay. Well as they say, the rest (at the QB position for both teams and the subsequent career paths of Glanville and Favre) is history.

To the contrary, way back in the summer of 1970 at the University of Michigan, a freshman named Donnie Warner knocked on the door of head football coach Bo Schembechler’s office. Standing 5’9” and weighing 170 pounds, Warner asked for a meeting with the not yet legendary second year coach. You see, it was Warner’s desire to try out for the football team. Schembechler had quite a busy schedule but reasoned that any young man who had the guts to make a personal request like that, deserved at least a few minutes of his time. Schembechler listened to “little” Donnie Warner state that he wanted to play offensive guard for one of the biggest and best college programs in the country. And when Schembechler told him how big the Michigan offensive line was, Warner’s response was “okay, then I’ll play defensive line.… middle guard.” So, flash forward to his senior year….Warner has earned a full scholarship, is starting at middle guard, and is one of the captains of the team! Until the day he died, Schembechler considered Donnie Warner the greatest football player that he ever coached at Michigan.

When we judge and then act from this egotistical place of insecurity, we will always get in our own way and stumble.

I suppose the message that I am using football history to impart, is that if you are a coach or leader of any organization, you just might be in the presence of greatness (Favre and Warner) but are far too distracted by your own limiting thoughts to notice. Glanville was so busy paying attention to what was wrong with Brett Favre, that in spite of his obvious physical attributes, Favre’s potential was withering away in Atlanta. On the other hand, Schembechler was so busy focusing on what was right with Donnie Warner that, in spite of having no tangible physical attributes, Warner became one of the most impactful players in the history of Michigan football. Schembechler was even quoted as saying that “nothing demonstrates the value of giving a guy a chance (not judging) more powerfully than the story of Donnie Warner.”

It is therefore essential to realize, that when we judge and then act from this egotistical perspective of insecurity, we will always get in our own way and stumble. Glanville’s record as a pro head coach was 63 up and 73 down. While his subject of ridicule, Favre, has re written the NFL record book at the quarterback position. Schembechler’s record at Michigan was 234-65-8, and the while this total is pretty amazing in itself, the enduring relationships that he developed with his players away from the game is what he is truly remembered for.

If we are tempted to judge, the way out is to see the positive possibilities for the future.

So, the next time you find yourself in a low state of mind and are tempted to look down on another, I ask to think about the real life stories of Glanville and Favre, Schembechler and Warner. Realize that judging someone else says a lot more about you than it does the person in question, and once you buy into the habit of negatively labeling others, it’s difficult to turn back. If we are tempted to judge, the way out actually lies in seeing the positive possibilities for the future. For, if you can hang in there and resist the ego’s negative pull, I can assure you that faith, and then hope, will become a reality before you even know it…… Just ask “raw” Brett Favre and “little” Donnie Warner!



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

The Only Way To Decide

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

This morning, I had a young hockey playing client and his father come in to see me. A senior in high school and an excellent player, this young man was badly struggling with the decision to go to prep school next year as a post graduate, or to go play in the USHL, the leading junior hockey league in the United States. You see, in the world of college hockey these days, virtually all coaches require that their recruits take an extra year (or two) between high school and starting their college careers. So, while his college plans were all set for a year from now, what to do next year had become a major see saw battle in his and his parents’ heads. They believed I could help shed some light on the predicament.

“Let’s talk about how I can help you uncover the answer for yourself.”

After we chatted for a while, the young man came right out and said, “Coach if you were me, what would you do?” I quickly responded, “Well, since I’m not you I have no ability to answer that question, but let’s talk about how I can help you uncover the answer for yourself.” I then said to the father and son, that I am going to take a quarter out of my pocket. I am going to flip the quarter and if it comes up heads you’re going to prep school, if it comes up tails, off to juniors you go. I pretended to reason that since the family had gone back and forth on the choice about a hundred times, the only way to solve the apparent dilemma was to leave it up to chance. Hence, I flipped the coin high into the air and much to my delight, before it landed back in my hand, the young man blurted out, “I hope it comes up heads!”

The outside world has made decision making far more complicated than it has to be.

Now, there are two essential lessons for all of us to learn from the events of this morning. One is that if you are a coach, teacher, or even a parent, your calling is to never make a direct decision for your player, student, or child. In truth, the best leaders serve to bring out the inner wisdom in those they mentor. The method used is solely up to you (I have no idea where I came up with the coin trick, by the way) but remember, while part of your role is to help produce quality listeners, your role is never to produce quality followers. Second and most importantly, whenever we intellectualize the pros and cons of a decision, the answer will always get clouded. I suppose that it’s fine to think things through up to a point, but sooner or later your intuition, inner knowledge, or heart must be consulted. Unfortunately for all of us, the outside world has made decision making far more complicated than it has to be.

Our most enduring ideas or thoughts only occur via insight.

Bear in mind then, if we allow it, the right choices in life will simply come to us. Most of us unfortunately believe that individuals, who seem to navigate smoothly through life, do so via use of the intellect. The truth however, is that many intellectuals struggle mightily in their personal lives. To the contrary, our most impactful thoughts and ideas actually occur via insight. And like the above example, when we are not even trying hard to figure something out. Thus, what occurred to me this morning is that both coaches and players have profound requirements to live up to at decision time. A coach’s job is to subtly bring forth a player’s own ever expanding inner knowledge. A player (and all of us) must see that the only path to enduring choices is through the magical power of insight. I hope that both sides can now clearly see that a productive decision can never come from an overworked or uneasy personal perspective … and never from someone else.



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

An Often Overlooked Secret to Avoiding Injury

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Wayne Gretzky weighed only 170 pounds during the better part of his hockey career. He obviously played a bruising sport, was often the focus of the opposition’s “tough guy,” and during the course of the season, logged an incredible amount of ice time. While Gretzky did have teammates that watched his back, he wasn’t however, one of those athletes who protected himself by spending countless hours in the gym or weight room. How then would you explain the fact that he was rarely injured during the 22 years that he played professional hockey?… As the number one tennis player in the world, Roger Federer plays a grueling schedule in which his body is put to the test, tournament after tournament, often reaching the finals against now younger and equally hungry rivals. What then is his key to consistently staying healthy?

Players with the keenest of mental games naturally conserve energy during play.

The answer lies in the overlooked truth that players with the keenest of mental games naturally conserve energy during play. Clearly, when you are conserving energy your body is far less susceptible to injury compared to those players who are consistently fatigued. While this notion might seem obvious, let’s take a closer look at why athletes, who play the game in a relatively fluent state of mind, rarely spend time on the disabled list…. Quite simply, players get hurt when their minds are not present to the task at hand. Much like when we fail to live in the present moment in our daily lives, when an athlete dwells on a past mistake or looks ahead to what’ s coming, he or she will get sloppy. When we get sloppy we open ourselves up to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and in the wrong physical position. You can figure out what often comes next! So, while the gift of living in the present moment has clearly allowed both Gretzky and Federer to consistently excel, it has also served the essential purpose of allowing them to stay in the game to do so.

Players who “grind it out” or rev up their bodies will be more vulnerable to injury, as compared to those who play with a lightness or ease.

Moreover, there is one other important factor at work here that should not be overlooked, and is unfortunately often confused by coaches. That is, players who force themselves to get psyched up for a game, or who believe that success will come from grinding it out or revving up their bodies, will ultimately be more vulnerable to injury than athletes who play their game with a lightness or ease. And please don’t make the mistake of separating lightness and ease from hustle. For, players who compete with a natural resiliency and effort are those who operate from a clear and unencumbered (light) state of mind, and thus tend to stay healthy. Brett Favre, anyone?

A modern example of a pro athlete who exhibits this type of mind set is another fine hockey player, Zach Parise of the NJ Devils. I have had the good fortune to work with Zach over the past two years, and one of our primary focuses is this very concept. In other words, if you have ever watched Zach play you know that he is virtually all over the place out on the ice. I mean he never stops hustling, no matter what the game situation is! And unlike Gretzky, Zach is more than willing to throw his body around. Why then is Zach rarely injured? Now, a rigorous off- ice training routine is indeed part of the explanation, but more significantly, Zach is learning to play the game from an unbounded place of freedom in action. This lightness allows Zach to be more conscious in his effort as the perceptual field expands for him. As a result, he often finds himself in a positive position to make a pass or score a goal, but also to avoid being open for a hit (or to be in an errant physical position when he is hit) that might lead to injury.

A “bound up” or “tight” level of psychological functioning will lead to a “bound up” or “tight” level of physical functioning.

Finally, I am hoping that in this post I have provided food for thought for sports teams, training staffs, parents, and individual athletes. For, while it is truly necessary to train your body to avoid injuries, understanding your mind for this overlooked purpose is at least of equal relevance. Clearly, a bound up or tight level of psychological functioning will lead to a bound up or tight level of physical functioning, thus leading to the susceptibility for injury. Think about your own life, when we are uptight, worried, or just down, we tend to lack energy and often fall victim to illness. Therefore, if a player wants to consistently stay on the field of play, my suggestion is to develop an understanding not only in your physical attributes, but also in the principles that allow for an unencumbered, free flowing and keen state of mind as well!




Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

What Everyone Can Learn (and I was reminded) About the Power of our Thoughts

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Last week my family found out that my son Ryan needs Tommy John surgery; quite an overwhelming piece of news for a senior in high-school, to say the least. In this post, I want to talk about my reaction, in particular one thought that raced through my head, as soon as the doctor relayed the news. For, I believe that the following personal insight provides the perfect illustration as to what the principle of thought truly is and what it can lead to…if we don’t understand its influence in the first place.

My thought was downright deceitful and embarrassing.

I have said before that thought is the creative agent that directs us through life; the illusionary link between what happens in the world outside and the inner reality that we paint for ourselves. Now understand that Ryan is a pretty accomplished high school pitcher, and he has committed to play college baseball next year. When I heard the news, my first thought was sadness for my son; it’s not easy to miss your senior season in high school, especially when you love your teammates, coaches and your school. My next thought however, was downright deceitful and embarrassing to put it mildly. I actually thought that we shouldn’t tell his future college coach about the surgery until Ryan had the official college acceptance in his hands. I reasoned in the moment, that if the coach found out he might just pull his commitment and then what would Ryan do?

The thought popping into my head was out of my control, acting on it was the opposite.

Luckily, as I have discussed often, in an instant the above thought produced an awful feeling inside my gut and as a result, I knew what to do and what not to say to Ryan. For, while the errant thought just popping into my head was clearly out of my control, acting on it (or not) was completely the opposite. Quite simply, my insecurity in the moment, due to the elbow surgery and Ryan’s future, led me to see a problem with his college acceptance when I had no idea if one actually existed or not.

I “back burnered” the issue and found reason.

I then made the decision to “back burner” the issue, and several hours later two conscious scenarios played out in my mind. One was that both Ryan’s and my gut instinct told us that his college coach was a “stand up” guy, and that was one of the reasons he picked the school in the first place. There is no way this coach would pull his commitment. Or two, if we were wrong about the coach, then this situation was merely a good opportunity to realize our mistake before Ryan showed up on campus. And he will simply find the “right” school and baseball team in the next few months. So, the next day and with my mini thought attack behind me (and thus from a clear state of mind), I called the coach to inform him of Ryan’s surgery. Before I could even ask the question, the coach said the following: “Garret, I just want you to know that we made a commitment to Ryan and he made a commitment to us, no matter what happens with the surgery he’ll be right here beside me come next fall!” Well, those words just blew me away! I guess our intuition was right about the coach and thank god I knew better than to buy into my erroneous thoughts and feelings. Can you just imagine what could have happened if I had played victim to the innocent but awful thought from the start?

As a result, hope for the future.

Through this personal illustration I am asking you to step back, like me, and try to see your own personal thoughts for what they truly are and where they come from. That is, while your thinking is powerful enough to produce errant feelings, it is by no means powerful enough to produce errant behaviors. Consequently, although Ryan is certainly not happy about his upcoming operation (me either), the situation is already starting to show glimpses of positivity and hope for the future… All because of a brave young man, a true “stand up” coach, and my understanding of the power, or lack thereof, of my own thoughts.



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

Switch Hitting

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Several months ago when I was driving to where I’m not sure, a crazy insight about my 15 year old son’s baseball career popped into my head. I envisioned my son Jackson as a switch hitter. Now to be forthright he has fooled around in our backyard batting cage with this thought before, and he always plays wiffle ball home run derby lefty with success, so why not give it a real shot? Jackson is a pretty solid shortstop who dreams of playing college ball, and surely college coaches are attracted to players who can hit from both sides of the plate… Problem is that when I excitingly revealed my insight to my son, he thought I had totally lost my mind!

While at first glance it looked to me that the concept was intriguing to him, in the next instant Jackson reacted and blurted out all the reasons why this change wouldn’t work. He was too old to do it, he’s a natural righty and if switch hits then he would be forced to bat lefty 85% of the time (due to his estimation that 85% of high school pitchers are right handed), his high school coach would never allow it, and lastly, “Dad you must think that I’m not a very good hitter for you to come up with this suggestion now!” To put it simply, the young man had a major thought attack right on the spot. One negative thought led to another, then to another and pretty soon the brilliant insight that I believed would help had been transformed to a threat against his life!

Luckily, I know better than to try to reason with anyone when their state of mind is all over the place, and while I wanted to tell Jackson that I was simply making a loving suggestion, he didn’t even want to look at me in the moment. Calling in the thought police at this point would also pay no dividends because if I (or even he) tried to show him how off his thinking was or offer a solution, his revved up thoughts and our relationship at this point in time, would only get worse. Thus, I made the decision to get as far away from my son as possible, which was easy due to the fact that he wanted no part of my presence any way. The next morning the sun came up, my family had breakfast together, and we all went about our day. Several days came and went with no mention of the switch hitting incident at all. Then about a week later, I was sitting right here in my office and the following text message from Jackson came across my Blackberry: “Shane Victorino (the Phillies centerfielder) started switch hitting 4 years into his professional career!” That’s all he said. And that’s all he needed to.

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Often times, when our thoughts, feelings, or even our relationships go astray, we feel the need to come up with a solution right on the spot. After all, if we don’t feel right, why wouldn’t you want to fix the feeling? The best solution however, is to actually do nothing in that moment, for all we really need is a little space to find the meaning and proper path to any apparent predicament. Our natural state of minds is truly crystal clear, and like a murky fishbowl, if we allow the sediment to sit, the water will eventual filter all on its own… All my determined son Jackson needed was a little time to discover, independently, that trying to find a way to do, is always better than finding a reason not to. Oh and by the way, he’s really smacking it from the left side of the plate these days!



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports.com. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

The Rock Game

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

When my brother and I were young boys we passionately competed in many sports. Eventually I settled into my true passion (at the time) of playing hockey, later it was amateur golf. Through all the contests, training, and practice however, perhaps the game that I went after with the highest degree of reckless abandon was a backyard baseball game created by my father; later termed (by my kids) the ‘rock’ game. The game goes like this, 2 or more players take turns fielding a play: a ground ball, a pop fly, a hard line drive. Each play is scored on a scale of 1-5. However if you make a super duper, once a season type effort, there is a chance for a 6. The game is played to one hundred and my father, then later me, served as the only judge. Complaining about a call or any negative language results in a 5 point deduction, and you must hustle and tap gloves with your opponent as you run on and off the field. How great a catch and throw you make is important, but persistence and creativity are weighed much more heavily. Oh and by the way, the game is called the ‘rock’ game because in our backyard there is a large flat rock where the players stand as they await their turn.

Assuming that you have the picture, one can only imagine what my brother and I went through whenever our father had time to oversee the battles. We are talking about blood, sweat, and even a few breaks and sprains! We competed so freely that, in the moment, nothing in the world mattered but catching, throwing, and hustling our rear ends off. Now flash forward 30 years, I am happy to say that when my sons where slightly younger (they are 17 and 15 now) they took this competition to a whole new level. For, baseball is their sport and current passion, and I am certain that the ‘rock’ game is one of the reasons why…

Sure our ‘rock’ game helps with the basics of catching and throwing a baseball, but far more importantly, my father was insightful enough to realize that in stressing effort, creativity, and poise, we would be learning far more significant life lessons. My brother and I uncovered in ourselves the art of being persistent, while at the same time knowing that it was potentially positive to make a mistake. And in learning how to keep our composure (or risk a 5 point deduction) in the heat of combat, we became aware that settling our minds gave us the opportunity to overcome any seemingly negative situation. This game is so etched in my mind that I can vividly remember competing full bore, but with such a sense of freedom and peace, that I cared and I didn’t care about winning at the exact same time.

I suppose the reason that I recall these impactful memories is not to dwell on them, but to illustrate how powerful reflection can be. I now look at this innocent game, created by my father, and realize how conscious we actually were in play and the unlimited lessons that were at our disposal. Today, when I watch my own children compete, even my daughter on horseback, I look out for signs that they are expressing their freedom fully. That they are indeed trying their best and want to win, but more importantly that they are composed with imagination soaring. The ‘rock’ game represents truth in competition for me and my family, pure wisdom in action. And looking back it set the stage for all the principles that I now hold so dear.




Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

The Book is Never Written

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Jordon is a fine young high school hockey player. As a sophomore he has worked his way up to his school’s varsity team that is competing in the state finals. In the exciting championship game, the score is 2-2 and there is 2:07 left on the clock when the unthinkable happens. In his quest to make a big play, Jordon reaches for the puck and accidently pulls down a player on the opposing team. The referee accesses a penalty for tripping. In disbelief, Jordon heads to the penalty box. His team must play down a man for all but seven seconds of the remainder of the period and perhaps the game. The coach complains and the school’s entire cheering section hurls insults at the ref. “How can you make that call at this point in the game!” “You stink, it’s not about you, let the kids play!’ As a result Jordon feels awful, he’s let his team, the coach, and the entire school down. He’s extremely upset as he skates to the penalty box to watch as his team’s penalty killers try to stop the opposition’s skillful power play.

But through the hysteria, something else happens to Jordon as he arrives at the penalty box door. He realizes that if he acts from a place of anger and also hurls insults at the ref, or bangs his stick, then he might be assessed an additional penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. His team will then be down for the first two minutes of overtime as well, if they make it that far. While still not happy with the ref’s call, Jordon sits calmly and notices something interesting. In their quest to score the decisive goal, the defensemen on the other team are both pushed way up into their offensive zone. If he gets the chance, maybe just maybe, there is an opportunity here. Jordon watches the clock as his teammates continue to kill the penalty: 20 seconds left, 15, 10, 5, penalty over, seven seconds to go score tied 2-2. Jordon jumps out on the ice, way behind the overly eager opposing defenseman. A teammate attempts to ice the puck, and guess what…? It lands right smack on Jordon’s stick. There are now five seconds remaining in a deadlocked state championship final game, and Jordon has the puck and nobody between himself and the opposing goalie. He sprints for the net, shoots for the top corner, and scores!

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No matter what the challenge, we just never know how things will ultimately turn out. Most of the time, the final work of art takes on an entirely different shape than the artist has planned! One secret to contentment is to find the worth and meaning in anything (and I mean anything) that has happened. When the penalty was called above, wayward thinking abounded. The coach, the fans, and even Jordon in the moment, perceived the circumstances as disastrous. After all, who could blame them, this was the state finals. And while the initial thought of disappointment is quite normal, Jordon somehow realized that the chance for something better truly existed. Like the title of this composition, the book is never written and a door is never truly closed. Grab onto this truth, settle your mind, and allow yourself to experience just how awesome the twists and turns of life will be!



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports, LLC. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

Strive For Pro Ball or Get Out?

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Last night I received a disturbing call from the parent of a highly recruited high school baseball player that I have had the pleasure to work with. He told me that he and his son had attended a recruiting camp at a well known and respected university, and the first thing that the head baseball coach said to the group of about 30, is that if you don’t want to be a professional baseball player, you should leave the room immediately. Now I have listened to some overzealous coaches in my day but this statement is truly bewildering to me, and probably not for the reasons that you think. Let me explain.

First of all, there is nothing wrong with having a dream. If your dream is to play pro ball…then if you’ve never had a dream you’ve never had a dream come true! However, what the coach is overlooking is that there are many, many successful and well known collegiate athletes who dream other goals in life. Former Florida State safety Myron Rolle, put his senior eligibility on hold in order to accept a Rhodes Scholarship and study in Oxford, England. Rolle dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon and thus, serving others. “I want to help impoverished nations build up their vaccination programs,” he said in 2008.

Now if head coach, Bobby Bowden, had told Rolle not to come to Florida State because his priority wasn’t playing in the NFL, the team, the player, and in the future, those in dire need of vaccinations, would all have missed out on a wonderfully productive experience and opportunity. To be clear, I am not diminishing the goal of playing professional sports, not at all; my opinion however is that athletics present a wonderful prospect for lessons and growth, so let’s keep the focus on the feelings and experience along the way. The goal of getting there will take care of itself, what a player does when they get there is a far more important issue.

In addition, of equal concern to me, in the above example you have a respected and well intentioned coach whose vision for his recruits is dangerously distorted and confused. While from where I sit I cannot possibly know the reasons why, I can virtually guarantee that when he finds a moment of quiet and in turn truly reflects on the message, he will realize that there is something very “off” about it. Many university and professional coaches today (and some high school coaches as well) are allowing external issues surrounding the position: money, adulation, winning on the scoreboard, to regulate their thinking and actions. When this situation occurs, a coach will always get in his or her own way, say something (like above) regrettable and ultimately fail. Coaches, like players, need to start recognizing the thoughts and feelings related to an insecure state of mind and refuse to react from this place.

My dear friend and Head Hockey Coach at the University of Maine, Tim Whitehead, is known for his poise and calmness, yet trust me, he is equally susceptible to the same negative or even insecure thoughts. One of the main secrets to Coach Whitehead’s success is his ability to maintain the presence of mind to remember the self created origin of thought, only pay attention to avenues of productivity, and in turn have a consistently positive impact on the lives of his recruits. Who by the way, almost always become his players!



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports, LLC. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

Political Correctness in Youth Sports and the Special Olympic Legacy of Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

At Inner-sports we often talk with teams, players and coaches about the clear states of mind necessary to truly become more competitive, persistent, focused, and confident. And while our mission is to help players find productivity and enjoyment through sport, we firmly believe that winning is important and it is clearly appropriate to possess the burning desire to beat your opponent. The problem, from my perspective, is in the world of youth athletics today, this message is often blurred and confused. Today’s “everyone gets a trophy” mentality is distorting the true lessons and opportunities for growth that competition actually provides. That is, there is a big difference between “it being okay” to lose and “you being okay” if you happen to lose.

Said another way, when a young athlete understands the principle that external circumstances, a lost game for example, cannot regulate their life, it becomes quite clear that while you may be upset about the outcome, the lost game has no ability to define you as an individual (neither does a win by the way). In stressing concepts like equal playing time, “just do your best- the scoreboards not important,” or “we’re all winners,” youth sports leagues and parents are attempting to control the innocent participant’s thought process. If your son thinks and thus believes that winning means something, who are we to tell him that it doesn’t! Effort and the desire to play are natural to us all, so my suggestion is that we stay out of our young player’s ways. Instead, let’s provide the freedom for our kids to get on the field, stage or any type of creative outlet, use their imagination, hustle and go for it. Trust me, lessons and attributes to be remembered such as sportsmanship, respect, and compassion for opponents, will emerge in the right place and time for each individual.

So where does Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the insightful founder of the Special Olympics who passed away recently, fit into all of this? Today’s youth sports leaders might be surprised to discover that, as Jack McCallum recently described in Sports Illustrated, Mrs. Shriver insisted that every Special Olympic athlete take his or her participation in the games very seriously. The inclusive nature of the events was not for one second, to forsake the joy, diligence, and tears of true competition. In direct contrast to some current youth leaders and parents, Mrs. Shriver recognized that the freedom to win or lose was exactly what these misunderstood and challenged athletes needed for their behavioral development. According to her son, Bobby Shriver, “everyone told my mother that mentally challenged kids would start to cry if they lost. To which my mother responded, ‘So what? That’s what everyone does.’ Her thought was: you compete, you exult if you win, you get sad if you lose, and you go back and try harder.”

Mrs. Shriver’s message is simple wisdom for the true competitor in everyone!



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports, LLC. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

Selecting a Teacher, Mentor, or Coach

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

I believe, first and foremost, that the essential ingredient in finding the right mentor is to look for that special person who helps draw out your own innate knowledge. There is a great difference between uncovering your own inner wisdom and adopting someone else’s beliefs. Too many coaches and teachers today are out there dictating to their players or students how to behave. And while their intentions are almost always good, they are helping to create unimaginative players with absolutely zero individuality.

To be clear, I believe that all teams and organizations need a set of guidelines and rules to be successful. Yet too often these boundaries are set because of a coach’s ego driven thoughts on how a team should be run. Just like their players, coaches should tap into their own inner wisdom and just be themselves; it is only then that the proper parameters for their team will be set. New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin, recently admitted that many of the requirements that he had placed on his players over the years just didn’t feel natural to him, yet his common sense was overridden by the need to be in charge. During a quiet moment during the off season, it occurred to him that it was now or never to listen to his inner voice. He kept some of his old rules, discarded others and thus created an environment of freedom and creativity for his team. Coach Coughlin then earned a new found respect amongst his players and the Giants pulled off the biggest upset in Super Bowl history.

The lesson to be learned here is that as a player you have to be careful not to fall into the trap of following someone else’s belief system. One of my mentors, Sydney Banks, once said, “If you take another’s belief and replace a belief of your own you might experience a temporary placebo effect, but you have not found a lasting answer. However, if you replace an old belief with a realization from your own inner-wisdom, the effect and results are superior and permanent.”

What Mr. Banks was telling us is that it is one thing to listen to the words of a wise coach and quite another to be a follower. Any good teacher, mentor, or coach understands that when you adopt another’s beliefs you stop thinking for yourself and thus become a follower. My opinion is that there are way too many followers in the world today!



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports, LLC. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

Finding a New Team from the Inside Out

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Dylan and Jake are two hockey players who just finished high school and are traveling throughout Western Canada looking for a junior team to play for prior to going to college. Because Dylan lives in Minnesota and Jake lives in Massachusetts, Dylan is ahead of Jake on his search. When Dylan finally arrives at the rink of one of his top choices, he is greeted by the team's general manager and says. "Good day sir. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I hope you don't mind that I ask you a question." The GM obliges.

"Could you please tell me what it's like playing here for your team?"

The GM says, "Sure, but first let me ask you a question. What was it like playing for your high school team?"

"Well, it was a pretty difficult place to play. The coach didn't really know the game. My teammates were mostly a bunch of complainers, and our fans expected way too much of me."

The GM then looks at Dylan and says, "Well young man, that's exactly what you will find here."

Disappointed, Dylan picks up his bags and heads for another rink in another town.

About 2 hours later, Jake shows up at the same team's rink and the General Manager is there to greet him too. "Hello sir," Jake says, and just like Dylan, Jake asks the GM what it would be like to play for his team.

Once again the GM says, "I will be happy to answer that question, but first I have a question for you. What was it like playing for your high school team?"

"Well, it was a great place to play. The coach really cared about us. My teammates were awesome and the student section was packed with cheering fans every game!"

The GM then looks at Jake and says, "Well young man, that is exactly what you will find here!"

With a big smile on his face, Jake picks up his bags, walks into the rink and is greeted by his new teammates.

Our experience in sports and in life is created from the inside out, not vice versa. The team you play for, your coach, or your teammates have no ability to regulate that experience. Believe it or not, problems do not actually exists in the world "out there," they exist in the thinking of the individual. The next time you are tempted to solve a supposed problem by changing something out there (the team you play for, a teammate, the position you play), first look at yourself and the thoughts you are carrying around on the issue. It is there that, like Jake, you will find the only long term answer.


Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports, LLC. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

What we can Learn from Mark Buehrle’s Behavior and his Perfect Game

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

I recently asked a group of baseball players I was speaking with about the so called tradition of not speaking or even looking at a pitcher as the game unfolds and he is pitching a no hitter or perfect game. In actuality, this tradition (or superstition) isn’t really effective as most pitchers ultimately lose their no hitter as the game winds down. So why is this protocol virtually the norm at every level of baseball? Unfortunately, way back when, some player or manager had a thought that leaving a pitcher alone was the key to success in this situation. Or, perhaps a pitcher, back in the day, simply wanted to sit quietly and in turn he threw that perfect game. The problem is however, that once a pitcher, or any player, allows an external circumstance (in this case the desire to throw a perfect game) regulate his behavior, he is headed down the wrong road. In other words, no matter what the situation, the answer you seek lies within you, not in someone else’s definition of how you should think or act.

So let’s look at Mark Buehrle and his behavior between innings. What he did was walk into the clubhouse and sit and talk to the training and equipment staff. As the game wore on he joked and had fun with teammates, both in the clubhouse and in the dugout. He was simply himself and refused to buy into the traditional paradigm practiced throughout baseball. That’s not to say that he didn’t think that maybe he should do what everyone else does in this situation, he very well might have; but Buehrle recognized that these types of thoughts are self created and nothing was forcing him to buy into them. He listened to the wisdom within that told him to “just be yourself.”

To be clear on this subject, understand that if you’re a pitcher and your internal thinking and feelings are telling you that sitting quietly is the path to your peak performance, then by all means listen and act that way. The beauty in Mark Buehrle’s behavior however, is that even though his state of mind was outside of the so called “norm” on this subject, he made the natural decision to go with his own gut. The rest as they say is history!




Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports, LLC. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

How can you Respect your Opponent and Want to Beat him Badly, at the Same Time?

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

This question was recently asked of me during my talk to the players at Baseball Factory’s Omaha Pro Select Training and Tournament in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It is certainly a great question and my answer might surprise you. Think about your opponents in baseball as being present to perform a generous service for your benefit. They are actually playing with you to help you drive passed your current skill level. So, if you actually think of competition as cooperation you can have it both ways: you can respect your opponents because they are there for you, pushing you along; while at the same time it is your job to play with maximum effort in your quest to beat them. Thinking about the game and competition in this fashion allows you to appreciate the opposing team, as you approach the game unbounded by any type of negative energy. In this state of higher consciousness, the game will simply comes easier as you see things more clearly on and off the field.

The next time you find your team in any type of tournament setting, try to look at the competition in this way: the role of each team you face is to throw tough pitches and hit hard balls at you until you master your own ability to handle these plays. When achieved, you move on to face an even tougher opponent and so on. By the end of the tournament, I can virtually guarantee that the team comprised of players and coaches who have looked at their adversaries in this respectful but competitive manner, will have moved through their opponents one by one, until there are none left standing!



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports, LLC. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.

Clear Thinking: Essential for Success On and Off of the Field

Guest Blogger: Inner-Sports

by Garret Kramer

Because at Inner-Sports we focus much of our attention on the principle of thought, I am often asked how players can use their thinking to enhance their athletic experience and to be more successful. The answer is fairly simple: recognize the truth that thought is the creative agent that we use to direct us through life. Your thinking will create your reality, so it is your choice how this power is used. Let me give you an example: as a pitcher at the youth and even the high school level, with every game comes a different type of pitching mound. Some are high some low, some are soft some firm, some have a deep hole at the rubber some hardly any. When a pitcher takes to the field at the start of the game he has the ability to use his thinking to make whatever type of mound he encounters, his favorite type. If there is a deep hole, great I get more push off. If there is hardly any, great I have more leverage….you get the picture.

Another way to put it is to make everything and everyone you encounter an ally in your quest for great play. That way no matter what you run into, think and thus believe that it is there to help you. It is amazing how confident and competitive you will be when you use your thinking in this manner.

Lastly, I want you to rest assured that like you, the top players in Major League Baseball will, at times, think negative or errant thoughts. The most “clutch” players however, possess a secret that the average guys haven’t tapped into. These players know that they are the creator of the “bad” thoughts and these thoughts aren’t real (as opposed to the average player who is a victim of his negative thoughts). This understanding allows the mind of the top player to quiet down in the midst of a negative thought, as clear thinking, positive feelings, and peak performance emerge spontaneously.



Garret Kramer is the founder and Managing Partner of Inner-Sports, LLC. Inner-Sports evaluates and then coaches athletes of all ages on the behavioral characteristics that lead to peak performance on and off the field of play. Inner-Sport’s evaluative partner has created the behavioral assessment used at both the National Hockey League and the Major League Lacrosse scouting combines. Inner-Sports and Garret work with Baseball Factory players at select player development events.