>>> IF YOURE WATCHING THE
GAMES, YOU MIGHT BE FEELING
INSPIRED TO PURSUE YOUR ATHLETIC
DREAMS.
>> FORTUNE ESTIMATES ABOUT 95%
OF ITS FORTUNE 500 CEOS, 95% OF
THEM PLAYED SPORTS.
WE THOUGHT WED LOOK AT LIFE LESSONS OF GETTING IN THE GAME.
LESSONS OF GETTING IN THE GAME.
>> ABBY WAMBACH IS WITH US.
BUY IT FOR YOUR KIDS.
>> THIS IS A FANTASTIC DUO.
WE HAVE THE DREAM DUO.
>> WE ALSO HAVE AN
ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST WITH
US AND A NEW YORK TIMES
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR.
HIS LATEST BOOK IS CALLED THINK
AGAIN.
THE POWER OF KNOWING WHAT YOU
DONT KNOW.
GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF YOU
GUYS.
>> ABBIE, FIRST, HI FROM YOUR
PANTRY.
PLEASE PASS US WITH CHEESE ITS.
>> ITS ORGANIZED.
IM LIKE I HAVE ORGANIZATIONAL
ENVY RIGHT NOW.
>> THATS RIGHT.
MY WHOLE FAMILY IS STILL
SLEEPING.
IM ON THE WEST COAST.
WE JUST MOVED IN, SO WE HIRED A
WOMAN TO COME IN AND DO THIS.
>> IM LIKE PASS ME CREAM CORN.
WERE ALL WATCHING THE OLYMPICS.
I FEEL LIKE OLYMPICS BRING US
TOGETHER.
AND IM SURE YOU WHO GOT TO GO
COULD EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF
THAT.
NOW THAT YOUVE TAKEN YOUR
CAREER IN OTHER DIRECTIONS, WHAT
DO YOU TAKE THAT YOU LEARNED ON
THE FIELD THAT HAS HELPED YOU BE
SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR NEXT CAREER?
>> I MEAN, ITS HARD TO PINPOINT
ANYTHING, BUT IN MY RETIREMENT,
IVE LEARN THAD WHAT I GAINED ON
THE FIELD IN TERMS OF
SELF-ESTEEM IS PRICELESS, AND
THEN NOW I FIND MYSELF DOING
THINGS THAT I JUST EXPERIENCE
JOY.
I THINK ESPECIALLY WOMEN, WE
FORGET TO HAVE FUN.
AND SO IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET OUT, HOW
TO BE ACTIVE, DONT WORRY ABOUT
THE WORD SPORT IF THAT SCARES
YOU.
IT SCARES MY WIFE A LOT.
SO WE FOCUS ON THE WORD FUN IN
YOUR FAMILY.
>> THATS GOOD ADVICE.
>> HER ADVICE, WHEN YOU WERE ON
OUR SHOW, HODA AND I MENTIONED
YOUR ADVICE FOREVER.
YOU ASK YOUR KIDS AFTER THEY
PLAYED, DID YOU HAVE FUN?
IT TAKES SOME OF THE PRESSURE
OFF.
>> I LOVE THAT.
ADAM, YOURE NODDING YOUR HEAD.
I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING YOU
WERE A COMPETITIVE DIVER WHEN
YOU WERE YOUNGER BUT NOW YOU
WORK AS A PSYCHOLOGIST STUDYING
BUSINESS AND SUCCESS.
I HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I
DIDNT REALIZE 95 % OF THE TOP
CEOs WERE ATHLETES OR ON A TEAM.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE
CONNECTION AND WHAT THE REST OF
US CAN TAKE FROM THAT?
>> YEAH.
THERES EVIDENCE THAT NOT ONLY
ARE PEOPLE WHO PLAY COMPETITIVE
SPORTS MORE LIKELY TO BECOME
LEADERS BUT ALSO MORE LIKELY TO
BE GENEROUS.
THEY LIVE MORE TO CHARITY,
VOLUNTEER MORE.
I THINK THATS OBVIOUS IN TEAM
SPORTS.
ONE OF THE CRITICAL QUESTIONS IS
WHO DO YOU HELP OR HOW MANY
ASSISTS DID YOU GET?
I THINK YOU SEE IT IN INDIVIDUAL
SPORTS TOO.
IN MY DIVING DAYS, MOST OF THE
TIME I WAS STANDING AROUND WAIT
FOR MY TIME ON THE BOARD.
I WAS GIVE MY TEAMMATES TIPS.
ITS PREPARATION FOR THE OTHER
FOCUS THAT MAKES PEOPLE BETTER
AT ELEVATING THE PEOPLE AROUND
THEM.
>> AND THAT GENEROSITY WE SEE IN
ABBIE AND HER WIFE.
WHEN WERE TALKING ABOUT PUSHING
OUR KIDS, I THINK ITS SOMETHING
THAT WEVE TALKED ABOUT.
WE HAVE YOUNG KIDS.
WE DONT WANT TO OVERDO IT.
WHEN OUR KIDS SAY WERE DONE, WE
DONT LIKE SOCCER, BASKETBALL,
WHEN DO WE KNOW ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
AND JUST LET THEM QUIT?
I MEAN, QUIT IS A WORD WITH A
NEGATIVE CONNOTATION?
>> RIGHT.
AND THIS IS AMAZING YOU ASKED.
GLEN AND I JUST RECORDED AN
EPISODE ON OUR WE CAN DO HARD
THINGS PODCAST ON THIS EXACT
THING, QUITTING.
FOR ME, IVE HAD TO LEARN A LOT
FROM MY WIFE IN THIS.
I STRUGGLE TO QUIT THINGS.
YOU CANT BE A PRO ATHLETE
FOREVER.
FOR ME THE BRAVEST AND MOST
POWERFUL TOOL WE HAVE IS THE
ABILITY TO LET GO OF SOMETHING
THAT IS WRONG FOR US.
SO THAT IT CAN MAKE SPACE TO
STEP INTO SOMETHING THATS MEANT
FOR US.
WHEN WERE TALKING ABOUT OUR
KIDS QUITTING, WE HAVE TO CHANGE
THE WORD IN THE NEGATIVE
CONNOTATION THATS ATTACHED.
>> WE DO.
>> AND ADAM, ON THE FLIP SIDE,
WHERES THE BALANCE BETWEEN
ENCOURAGING AND PRESSURE?
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO SAY
WHEN?
>> I THINK THE KEY IS TO
REMEMBER THAT NOT ULTIMATELY
PERFORMANCE.
ITS PROGRESS.
I WANT OUR KIDS TO KNOW THAT THE
PERSON THEYRE COMPETING AGAINST
IS THEIR PAST SELF.
AND THEIR GOAL RIGHT NOW IS TO
RAISE THE BAR FOR THEIR FUTURE
SELF.
AND I KNOW SOME PARENTS PUSH
BACK ON THAT AND SAY IF MY KID
IS NOT WINNING OR IS NOT THE
BEST, SOMETHING IS WRONG.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE PARENTS TO
THINK AGAIN.
THERES A CLASSIC STUDY OF ELITE
SWIMMERS AND TENNIS PLAYERS,
SHOWING THEY WERE NOT THE BEST
WHEN THEY.
WHAT MADE A DIFFERENCE WAS
HAVING AN EARLY COACH THAT MADE
PRACTICE FUN.
THATS THE POINT OF DID YOU HAVE
FUN?
>> THATS THE BEST QUESTION.
ABBY, I KNOW YOU COACH SOCCER.
YOURE COACHING SOME OF YOUR
GIRLS.
I WONDER LOSSES.
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN IT?
ITS NOT FUN.
ITS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LEARN.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUR TEAMS?
AND I THINK YOU COACH.
IM MAKING THAT ASSUMPTION BASED
ON YOUR INSTAGRAM.
>> LOOK, I THINK THAT LOSSES ARE
INEVITABLE, BUT WHAT
DIFFERENTIATES CHAMPIONS AND
PEOPLE WHO JUST CANT GET OVER
THEMSELVES IS THIS IDEA OF THIS
VICTIM INSIDE OF YOU.
RIGHT?
WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO GET OUR
POWER BACK.
SO WHEN LOSSES COME, AS THEY
WILL, EVERY PERSON WILL
EXPERIENCE LOSSES.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO IT?
THAT, FOR ME, IS THE WORK.
ITS NOT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS ON
THE FIELD.
ITS HOW YOU RESPOND TO
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS ON THE
FIELD OFF OF IT.
>> WILL YOU COME AND FOLLOW US
AROUND AND STAND ON OUR
SHOULDERS.
>> I WANT YOU TO COACH ME.
>> IS THAT OKAY?
>> THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, ABBY.
YOU CAN FIND HER BOOK AND ADAMS