Ethics And Morals | Billiard Coach - Mike Fieldhammer

PoolSynergy 2011: Team Intangibles

Posted on 15. Jan, 2011 by Mike Fieldhammer.

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Team Intangibles

The intangible rewards of being on a proper team.

If you’ve never been on a proper team, here are things you are missing out on.

Each thinks of the greater good for the team and puts team needs before individual needs.
Complete trust in one another.
Know there is an understanding between all that needs not to be uttered.
Never question another’s intentions or desire.
Belief that each is there to lift up and push each other ahead.
In spirit, we’re connected.
A smile, nod, or pat on the back means much more than others can fathom.
Recognition that each one brings unique gifts and talents and shares them freely.

These things and others that can’t be put into words bond us into what is truly a team. Greater than the sum of its parts, an entity that is an honor to be a part of.

A recap of our team winning the BCAPL Team Championships I wrote for a prior PoolSynergy column is here.

To see all of the PoolSynergy TEAM’s columns, visit Gary’s summary page HERE.

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Thirty-One Tips: 12. Don’t Take Funny Money

Posted on 12. Jan, 2011 by Mike Fieldhammer.

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Guard against accepting funny money. Buy a counterfeit pen. A couple of seconds when selling a cue or settling a bet could save you hundreds of dollars. Pop into an office supply store and snag a pen for less than ten bucks. Folks should understand and might be impressed that you’ve got a safety procedure in place.

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Thirty-One Tips: 7. Be Honest

Posted on 07. Jan, 2011 by Mike Fieldhammer.

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Don’t sacrifice your integrity and reputation for a one time score. In the years to follow, keeping your reputation in-tact is much more valuable. You’ll also feel better about yourself when you look back on your life.

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Coffee, Red Bull, Monster, now Cocaine?

Posted on 19. Oct, 2010 by Mike Fieldhammer.

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My energy drink of choice is coffee. I’ve been hooked on the world’s most popular drug since my days at Augsburg College. I love everything about it. I love the smell of it in the container on the way home from the shop. Sometimes I purposely forget the coffee beans in my car overnight for an olfactory treat when I hop in the next day. I love the ritual of grinding beans, heating water, and plunging my press pot. The savory first sip soothes my soul every morning.

Smell that?

I am one of the few who drink coffee in the pool rooms during tournaments. I believe a pool room isn’t a pool room if it doesn’t offer coffee to its customers. It’s the only time I partake after midday.

Bitter-Sweet love of caffeine.

Energy drinks seem like they’re the new Mountain Dew of pool players. I don’t object to them, I’ve tasted a sip or two just to see what the buzz was all about. People can drink what they like. I just choose to drink soda less than one per month. I digg coffee.

I was in high school when Jolt Cola was launched. It was and is what most energy drinks are now, soft drinks with added caffeine or other stimulating substance. I’m surprised to learn that Jolt Cola is still around, now renamed Jolt Energy Drink.

The original and a recent can of Jolt.

JOLT was created in 1985 as a refreshing alternative to coffee, a.k.a. The Espresso of Colas. JOLT really was the original “energized” beverage in both name and product. Included on every can and bottle was the memorable slogan “All the Sugar and Twice the Caffeine.” JOLT became an instant hit and fueled a generation of college students, software developers and anyone needing a quick pick me up.

Red Bull was introduced in 1987 and I don’t know when it was first used as a mixer with alcoholic beverages. It seems to me that mixing a stimulant with a depressant is a bad idea. The caffeine content of current energy drinks and energy shots can range from that of coffee to more than five times that of coffee. High schools are beginning to ban these energy drinks. It could be due to the arms race of product names. Now there’s a drink named “Cocaine.” No kidding.