"I'm not happy with it, but it is the coach's decision and I have to be there for my team," replied Hope Solo regarding not getting the start prior to the U.S. women's soccer team's semi-final World Cup match against Brazil.

Fair enough. I can understand not being happy about being sidelined for the most important match of your career. And she seemed to understand that she still had a responsibility to support her teammates and be prepared to contribute in a positive way.

After hearing her post-game interview, it is quite clear that she did not grasp that concept.


I watched her interview make the rounds on ESPN several times after the game was over and became increasingly disappointed each time I heard her bark those disparaging words. Publicly calling out your coach, no matter how wrong he was, isn't a good idea; nor is slighting your teammate--especially if she is one of the most decorated keepers in the world.

Prior to the game, head coach Greg Ryan said Solo is a very talented keeper who will lead this team many years into the future. Now that future has become unclear for the young keeper. I think Julie Foudy's comments were right on and I would venture to say that many members of the U.S. team agree with her:

"It is an unwritten code of conduct that you don't do that to a player. This is a coach's decision so, if anyone, she could have made Coach Ryan the villain but instead she chose to attack a player, Brianna Scurry. To make the decision to go in front of a camera, if I'm a player-I don't think I want Hope in goal behind me."

For a team that has always been far removed from controversy, the loss on the field and the heated debate off the field made it the most regrettable day in the history of the United States women's national team.

(Another great sports tip from guest blogger Jon Doyle of Baseball Training)

Here's a simple exercise you can do just about anywhere--even watching TV--that will strengthen your abs, and your entire core, in no time.

It's called the Plank and it's pictured here:



Simply hold your body off the ground and only your arms and toes are touching the ground. Be sure to keep your body parallel with the ground and do not let those hips sag. Pull your belly button in towards your spine to maintain a tight core.

Try to hold for at least 30 seconds and work your way all the way up to 60 seconds. Then you can try to get up to two full minutes.

(Jon Doyle is a former NCAA All-American baseball player who now works as strength and conditioning specialist. For more tips check out www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com)

Last month we addressed the importance of setting S.M.A.R.T. goals for ensuring a path to success. Whether your goal is to run a marathon, shed some pounds or help your team make the playoffs, staying motivated will get you there. I teamed up with Toby Guillette, the endurance sports specialist, to discuss strategies that will keep you on track to reach your goals.

There will always be obstacles along the way to reaching your goal. When you encounter hardships or setbacks, stay focused by using positive self-talk. Self-talk is the internal dialog that reflects and creates our emotional states. Your self-talk can influence your self-esteem, energy level, performance and even your health.

According to sports psychologist Dr. Andrew Jacobs, a study on negativity and positive thinking found that the average person requires 12 positive statements to overcome one negative statement. For example, if you say that hitting a certain pitcher is "too difficult," you have to say "I can hit this pitcher" 12 times in order to give you a better chance to make it.

So what is the solution? Use awareness and practice to change your negative self-talk. The first step in beating the cycle is recognizing how often you think negatively. The second step is substituting positive thoughts for the negative ones. Instead of telling yourself "I feel slow and tired" remind yourself that "I will keep my pace and finish strong."

In addition to saying the positive statement, visualize yourself being successful in your mind, and see yourself doing it over and over. Once you become aware of your negative thinking, and substitute the negative thoughts with positive ones, you will have a much greater chance at succeeding.

(Another great sports tip from guest blogger Jon Doyle of Baseball Training)

Everybody has heard the term "See the ball, hit the ball." So why do most hitters, coaches and instructors ignore this critical hitting aspect?

This is the most basic of hitting concepts. We all spend a great deal of time and resources on the mechanics of executing a quality swing. But none of that matters if you can't see the ball.
Your kid doesn't know if there is something wrong with his vision. He doesn't know if he needs glasses (or contacts) or if his prescription is too weak. He assumes what he sees is the way it's supposed to look. Before you hustle him off to another pricey session with a hitting instructor, get his eyes checked.

And make sure that instructor spends time on baseball-specific vision training, not eye drills that make you choose a color or have you sitting down looking at a computer. That's not specific to baseball.

If you're not training vision in your stance, then it's not specific to the sport and it will have very little, if any, carryover to the batter's box.

See the ball. Hit the ball. It's that simple.

(Jon Doyle is a former NCAA All-American baseball player who now works as strength and conditioning specialist. For more tips check out www.baseballtrainingsecrets.com)