Ten Years Gone

"Then, as it was, then again it will be And though the course may change sometimes Rivers always reach the sea."          - Led Zeppelin (Ten Years Gone) This Sunday, I'm going to tell you a little about my story. Ten years to this very day, August 23rd, my love of

Thursday Three (Lonesome Dove Edition)

Happy Thursday! I recently finished Larry McMurtry's Western classic, so I thought I'd share my three favourite quotes/excerpts. 1. "If you want one thing too much it's likely to be a disappointment. The healthy way is to learn to like the everyday things, like soft beds and buttermilk." -

AHP Renegades Coaching Values

Happy Friday, Today, I thought I'd share our internal coaching values. These nine principles are our guiding lights in terms of how we want to conduct ourselves as servant leaders. I'm proud to say I put this document together five years ago and I believe trying our best to live

Thursday Three

Happy Thursday! Glen Hansard passed away yesterday. I loved what he had to say here. Glen Hansard reflects on busking in Dublin and what makes people stop and listen. Recorded during our recent XS Noize Podcast conversation. Rest in peace, Glen. Full interview link in the replies. pic.twitter.com/

The Storm - Thoughts on The Odyssey (Spoiler Warning)

I enjoyed The Odyssey so much on Friday, I went back again last night. If you haven't seen the movie yet, stop reading. The movie is a remarkable feat in both filmmaking and storytelling. There's a particular scene (and theme) that has been rattling around in my brain. After spending

KISS Principles For High School Pitchers

Happy Saturday! I tweeted out this list on a whim this week, and it got a ton of engagement, so I figured I'd share it here as well. We live in a world of information overload, and for high school athletes it's amazing they have access to so many resources.

Teenagers Have Always Been Teenagers. And They Always Will Be.

"Is coaching players now, different than even 10-12 years ago?" I got asked this question by Matt Best on his podcast a couple months back. 0:00/1× The other day, I was flipping through John Wooden's book when something he wrote reminded me of the above conversation. In the

Good.

I'm in a reflective mood. It's Mother's Day. I decided to go help coach our Renegades Baseball Academy in a tournament over the weekend down in Okotoks. The team played quite well, competed hard but came up just a little short in the semi-finals. It's just before 4:00 on

Tuesday Pitching Thoughts

I remember watching Sunday Night Baseball, way back in High School (2007 or 2008), and something Curt Schilling (who then did the colour commentary) said, and it has stuck with me ever since. He talked about the first step in a young pitcher's development at the next level is the

Thursday Three

Good morning! Today, I'm going to share three quotes that I've had front and centre at my desk in my home office for the last little while. They serve as good reminders of how I want to live, and who I would like to try to be. "He has the

How To Lead? (From The Hard Thing About Hard Things)

Happy Wednesday! I wanted to share my notes directly from Ben Horowitz's book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things - Building A Business When There Are No Easy Answers. The book has been a tremendous resource so far, and I wish I had found it earlier. His chapter titled, "How

Keep Going. My 10 Favourite Quotes on Resilience

Happy (Masters Sunday)! Today, I have a top 10 countdown of my favourite quotes to inspire you to persevere! 10. "What is to give light must endure burning." - Viktor Frankl 9. "Life will throw everything at you but the kitchen sink. And then it'll throw the kitchen sink." -

Thursday Three

Happy Thursday! Here are three quotes that have particularly resonated with me lately. "The cause of most stress can be summed up by the word attachment. Freedom from stress does not necessarily involve giving up anything, but rather being able to let go of anything, when necessary, and know that

Stuff to Check Out: Ernie Clement's Player's Tribune Piece

I’ll never forget my mom’s response. She was like, “Ernie…. let’s be honest. You could be done playing baseball tomorrow. I mean, I hope not. It could happen, though, right?? So why not enjoy it??? Like, why spend this time being stressed? Spend it having fun.” Hi

Be Here Now - Right Here, Right Now!

"What better place than here? What better time now than now? All hell, can't stop us now!" - Rage Against the Machine In the 1999 movie, For Love of the Game, Kevin Costner plays an aging, once superstar pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. It is the end of a long,

Lesson's From Ray Dalio's Principles Pt. 2: The Designer & The Worker

"It's up to you to connect what you want with what you need to do to get it and then find the courage to carry it through." Ray Dalio advises to: “Think of yourself as a machine operating within a machine and know that you have the ability to alter

3 Lessons from Ray Dalio's Book: Principles (Part 1)

Ray Dalio is a hedgefund billionaire. His book, Principles, has been a tremendous resource as a business owner that I continue to review consistently. I'm grateful I found it right around the time I opened my gym back in 2017 because it truly helped me in a significant way. In

Beyond Mountains There Are Mountains

There are many lies we tell ourselves - and worse, believe. Lately, I've been having a hard time remembering that happiness and fulfillment can only happen in the present. This notion that 'once I get through this obstacle (whatever it may be)', or 'once I achieve this', then I

To Be The Penguin, Or To Not Be The Penguin?

"It's not always easy to follow the subtle, energetic information the universe broadcasts, especially when your friends, family, and coworkers, or those with a business interest in your creativity are offering seemingly rational advice that challenges your intuitive knowing. To the best of my ability, I've followed my intuition to

Confidence: The Goal of the Mental Game

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who feels afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” – Nelson Mandela If you're an athlete and you're reading this, we’re going to perform a little exercise here. I want you to

Thursday Three

I hope you're having a great week, and if you live here in Edmonton, you're staying warm! Here are three quotes that have particularly resonated with me lately. "Lots of people want to be the noun without doing the verb. They want the job title without the work. Let go

Tie A Knot At the End of Your Rope

I got asked the other day, "how did you keep going?". I wasn't really sure how to answer. I won't pretend to have an answer. I will, however, share something that works for me. There have been plenty of times when I've felt like Sisyphus. Why am I doing this?

8 Reflections After 8 Years of Gym Ownership

Yesterday, it hit me that it was eight years ago that I opened AHP. I'm a very reflective person by nature, so it was strange that it snuck up on me. In the beginning, AHP was simply a 500 square foot weight room inside of a batting cage facility. I

The Vision Answers Why

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche Arnold Schwarzenegger had a dream; then a goal; and finally - a fully believed in vision of himself standing on the stage one day, winning Mr. Olympia – a title given to the world’s greatest professional

Guest Blog Post From Connor Burns: Advice to My 18 Year Old Self

Happy Long Weekend! Today, I have a guest blog post for you - from my younger brother, Connor. He pens a letter to his eighteen year old self, right before he was about to start his college baseball career. Enjoy! This month marks 10 years since my first year of