Top Sports Tips for 2010

Heed our sports experts' advice: You can’t win if you don’t sprint.

By SOBeFiT Staff; Illustration by Sean Freeman

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ANDRE DAWSON, “THE HAWK”
Former Major League Baseball All-Star player
   
1. The most important lesson I learned from my sport was discipline, dedication and determination—a recipe for longevity.


CHRIS CARMICHAEL
Cycling, triathlon and endurance coach, founder of Carmichael Training Systems and coach to Lance Armstrong
   
2. Everyone should try cycling. It’s easy on the joints and great for cardiovascular health. It burns a lot of calories, and there are many disciplines: road riding, touring, mountain biking, BMX, cyclocross, singlespeeds, townies, etc. It’s the sport that can change and evolve with you.
   
3. You can’t win if you don’t sprint.
   
4. Drink more water. It’s my favorite tip because it’s so ridiculously simple.
   
5. Don’t neglect recovery in sports and in fitness. Recovery isn’t just a day off—it’s an integral component of training.


FERDIE “THE FIGHT DOCTOR” PACHECO, MD 
Pro boxing cornerman, NBC commentator and personal physician to Muhammad Ali
   
6. Everyone should try tennis. And I’m talking about everyone, little kids, the 70-year old King of Sweden, everyone. Just the act of bouncing the legs and running after the ball is enough exercise for everybody.
   
7. If you can find an exercise that is fun, do it because exercise is not always pleasant. Anybody who says exercise is fun is crazy. Are you telling me push-ups are fun? Sit-ups are even worse.
   
8. Boxing is a major chapter in the book of how to survive and how to win. You are all by yourself. You are going to win or going to lose. You’ve got to suck it up, and you’ve got to figure it out. The best example was Muhammad Ali. There wasn’t a fight in the world that he didn’t figure out by the second round.
   
9. Clean your plate. Eat anything that nature grows, and try to eat a lot of it. Keep a garden.
   
10. Get eight hours of sleep. Go to sleep when you want to and wake up when you want to. And go home when you want to, even if you’re at a table with the President of the United States. 


LOU HOLTZ
Retired coach of University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish and sports commentator
   
11. Take pride in everything you do—the way you look, dress, play and even the appearance of your yard and house. You probably meet and talk to 100 people a day and they gain an impression of you from this personal contact. However, several thousand people will see you or your home and draw an opinion of you by what they see. Fair?  No. Accurate? Yes.
   
12. Know that people need love and understanding the most when they deserve it the least. Apply this to players, children and loved ones.

13. Take responsibility for your physical condition and expect sacrifices. Losers think it’s punishment. Running, lifting weights, etc., are critical to success on the football field, just as a healthy mind and body are necessary to living a full and complete life. This is your responsibility.

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