In preparation for writing this blog I researched leadership heavily. I did so with the intent to find correlations and predictions of leadership abilities from various factors. I wanted to find out if there were certain traits or characteristics that really defined the best leader. Meta-analysis after meta-analysis I kept stumbling upon the same answer, one that I had not expected. The answer that there was not one definitive answer. While one analysis will point to a certain personality type, another will support quite the opposite. Other research shows that levels of motivation are the most important character trait but can quickly countered by another arguing the importance of social skills. So what is it that really makes a great leader? What is it that gives one person the ability to influence over another? Why do some do so verbally and others lead by example? There is so much to learn about leadership on a multitude of levels. As complex and depth full as the research is, it do...

Q: What was your sport and how many years did you play? A: I played hockey almost simultaneously with walking. My dad flooded a back yard rink and I was skating by 3. I began playing organized hockey when I was about 5 years old. So in total I played every year for about 17 years. I also played soccer and fast pitch growing up, but hockey was my main sport. Q: Did you find it beneficial to play other sports as well? A: Absolutely. I am a strong advocate for athletes to play multiple sports, especially when you are young. There are a couple reasons for this. First off, a kid might end up falling in love with a sport they would have never initially played in if not given the opportunity. Strange to think what would have happened if Gretzky never put on the skates the first time or if Michael Jordan never picked up a basketball. Secondly, you are developing as an athlete not just as a “hockey player” or “baseball player” or what have you. The b...

If you look at any sport team, you will likely find many athletes that incorporate superstitions into their pre-game routines. Michael Jordan wore his University of North Carolina shorts under his uniform in every game of his professional career, insisting that they brought him luck. As a five-time MVP and six-time NBA Champion, it seems there may have been some method to his madness. Crossing borders onto the ice rink, Patrick Roy, one of the best goalies in NHL history, would skate backward toward his net and turn around at the last minute before every game. He believed this would “shrink the net”. (If that's not interesting enough, he would talk to his goal posts and thank them when the puck would ring off them!) New York Mets reliever Turk Wendell would brush his teeth in between every inning and requested a contract of $9,999,999.99 to compliment his uniform number 99. So what is the real story behind superstitions? Why do they develop? And the biggest question: do they help? ...