Jim Loria / Sports Career Mentor

Every year in every sport, scouts from college to the pro ranks, usually analyze players in these two classifications – a “Tools Camp” and a “Stats Camp” . One of those two could be enough to persuade a school or club to make their decision to draft or offer a scholarship to a prospect?  I want to highlight in this piece, Buffalo Bills Quarterback Josh Allen , who is enjoying a Pro Bowl season and has his NFL club in position to challenge for a possible run at the Super Bowl.  Coming out of college at the University of Wyoming in 2018, Allen was viewed as an athletic marvel, a prospect with tremendous size (6’5”), arm strength and with such high upside by the "Tools Camp." Yet, the "Stats Camp" had doubts on his ability to succeed at the NFL level because he did not put up big numbers against what was viewed as subpar Mountain West competition at the time for a prospect considered possible first round material?  I’ve always been a believer when judging players...

“The separation of Talent and Skill is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel, who have dreams, who want to do things. Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft” – Will Smith  With the New Year just a few days away, it is always good to step back. Take a break and analyze where you’re at and where you’re going? Sometimes a certain spark is all that’s needed to light your inner pilot light and to help re-boot your mindset? I ask you to take time – actually to take 10 minutes and 46 seconds of your day  –  to sit and watch the video link we've provided below. It is from a collection of speeches given by famed Hollywood entertainer Will Smith . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlCjxT7qJJY His words are powerful and to the point. Remember that sometimes a change of perspective is all it takes to help a person see the light.  Jim Loria MORE QUOTES FROM WILL SMITH “Greatne...

“To be a success in the world of sales, a person must first build an emotional connection and trust with the customer. You must be prepared. Be genuine because likeability matters. Put your best foot forward. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression” – Jim Loria  This is all so true when speaking of my own daily job or whether a professional scout or college recruiter is sizing you up and or you are in negotiations with a Big League organization trying to capitalize on your recent accomplishments in your sport. In this day and age, if a club or school is going to walk up the aisle with you and put a ring on your finger for multiple years, they are now seeking more reasons to sign off on you as an investment.  As we’ve stated many times in previous stories, it is your “humanizing skills” that are going to separate you from the pack when it comes to contract negotiations, being drafted or recruited. Learn how to speak with clarity, smile, properly sit (in...

  Every day when Houston Texans all-everything defensive lineman J.J. Watt would walk out his front door at home to go to elementary school, his father, John Watt , would always say: “Act like Somebody today!”   Said J.J.: “As I got older I knew what my Dad meant - he didn’t want us to float through life. He wanted us to make a difference and have an impact. To be like no one else.” Then, before he left home to play college football in 2007 at Central Michigan, J.J. also recalled another talk his Dad gave him. It was about the importance of first impressions. He would say: “Every day up there, every practice, every workout has to be your Super Bowl.” ###

As the world environment continues to cause havoc on sports team schedules and in many cases, the ability for players to properly train and prepare for their new season ahead. I wanted to bring another perspective from someone who’s been in high-pressure moments, dangerous situations and has faced harsh challenges where your Mind has to stay focused on the matter at hand even if it is caused by a Pandemic?  Meet Jamie Clarke , a Canadian mountain climber and world adventurer. Over a 15-year period ending in 2008, he had climbed Seven Summits – representing the tallest mountains on seven different continents around the world. He also took on a 40-day, 600-plus mile (1,000-kilometre) journey by camel through some Middle Eastern deserts. Also on his resume is the fact that he’s attempted to climb Mount Everest and its 29,000-foot summit, four different times - twice reaching the highest point on the planet and twice he’s failed.  In mountain climbing, the two most essential th...

I want to leave you with two important thoughts below: They are to re-emphasize the importance that each step along your journey will always be about the "Process!" That every Hall of Famer in any Sport walked the same path before you and had to Start at the Very Beginning to make their Dreams come True.  The second is choosing your network of contacts wisely and do not allow anyone to play games with your Mindset?  THOUGHT #1:  Everyone wants to live at the top of the mountain, but all the Happiness and Growth you need to experience occurs while you’re climbing it! THOUGHT #2:  One of the keys to Happiness is to surround yourself with people that reflect who you want to be and how you want to feel. Energy is truly contagious whereas there are relationships that can be toxic and suck the energy right out of you! Jim Loria

Whether in sports or business, here are the "3" Key Pillars of ABILITY that Professional Scouts or HR Executives in the workforce look for in their prospects when drafting or hiring? > ADAPTABILITY > ACCOUNTABILITY > DEPENDABILITY Jim Loria

  1. Who am I?  2. Who do I want to be?  3. How am I going to get there?  Three of the most important questions every athlete (or individual) should ask of him (or her) self and never fear to renew them on a yearly basis?  Alec Ingold , a second-year starting fullback for the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL, did so midway into his collegiate playing days at the University of Wisconsin . This type of exercise changed his focus entirely and helped him pursue the one Dream he held dear to his Heart – to play football on Sundays in the NFL!  However, along the way, it was what Ingold discovered that I also want to bring to your attention. During his time at Wisconsin, he came in as a dual-threat quarterback who was asked to change positions on two different occasions – going from offense to defense (attempting to play linebacker) and then back to offense (learning the fullback position) to help fill a need on the depth chart.  He ended up carrying the l...

With the New Year fast approaching, this is a great reminder that you are about to be given another 365 days to fill in the next BLANK CHAPTER in the Book about your Life's Legacy! Make sure the pages you fill in will be memories your family and your future children will be Proud to read and tell future generations!  Invest in You now so that there are no SHOULD OF/COULD OF REGRETS in the future! Never forget this:  "Every person has two names in this world... The Name they inherit at Birth and the Name they make for Themselves as an Adult ... Yes you control the Pen!" Jim Loria

This all-important graphic goes with a terrific quote I once read:  "When I wake up in the morning, I have to decide  to either be an Example or an Excuse?"  Live with No Regrets!  Jim Loria

I want to touch on the Coronavirus issue that has affected not just the pro, college and high school schedules around the country but it has sidelined many athletes and definitely altered the way a player normally prepares for the games?   As you sit apart from your teammates and wonder when normalcy will kick back in, it's very important to keep a close watch on your own body and day-to-day Mindset? During this uncertainty, it can quickly shift gears into "Go Mode" or "Slow Mode?" Take a few minutes every evening to plan out your next day. Establish a personal accountability with yourself. Your body needs to feel as if you are Winning each and every day going forward! Consider, too, how you will want to reflect on this time in your next playing season? Do you want to think back and question why you let your drive to succeed slide a bit? Soon we will return to sports as we know it. The only person who can light your fire in the meantime is you. As the graphic s...

  “Legends are forged when Dreamers shut down the critics and tune out their fears. Pioneers don’t choose the road less traveled, they create a path that’s entirely their own. Legends stand out because they stood up and took the first steps toward their Dreams, no matter what stood in their way” – a quote from GQ Magazine

  WORDS FROM THE GREAT TIM DUNCAN, HALL OF FAMER & LEADER OF THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS SPOKEN TO THEN 21-YEAR-OLD LeBRON JAMES ON THE COURT RIGHT AS THE SPURS WON THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP OVER THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS IN 2007:   "This is going to be your League in a little while man. I appreciate you giving us this year!"  I have written well over 500 stories over the years. Always they are meant to be a teaching lesson to show an athlete or person’s that are trying to find their Passion in Life that even the greats in today's world have had to undergo some form of a makeover. That there will come a time when you have to rid the clutter out of your mind and begin to figure out who you are and your true purpose?  With this piece, I want to focus on LeBron James , who experienced a very turbulent time during his NBA career just ten years ago. It was just after he joined the Miami Heat in 2010. His game then was even more heavily scrutinized than ever before by the media ...

  “At any given moment you have the POWER to say ‘this is NOT how the Story is going to End'” – stated by an Unknown Author  “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” – stated by Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States in 1933  “What will your career be -- Excuses or Results? Can’t be both”  –  stated by an Unknown Author  “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you. They’re supposed to help you discover who you are” – stated by Bernice Johnson Reagon, song leader, composer, scholar and social activist in the early 1960's  “I don't measure a person's success by how high they climb but how high they bounce when he or she hits bottom” – s tated by United States Army General George Patton  “No matter where you are in life right now, no matter who you are, no matter how old you are – it is never too late to be who you are meant to be” – stated by Esther & Jerry Hicks, inspirational speakers and authors

Yes... Never lose Hope! It's what you Bank On each and every day - Jim Loria

  How could pro scouts screw up on an athlete that has now won six Super Bowl rings, is a lead-pipe lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and possibly may go down as the greatest Quarterback in the history of the NFL? In the year 2000, this player was passed over by every NFL team until pick number 199 when the New England Patriots called out the name "Tom Brady" as their choice in the sixth round.  Now from a scouts perspective, Brady entered his California high school years as a slow-footed beanpole so said a report. They said Brady had a Division 1 arm but a Division 5 lower body. Not very impressive in a sport that emphasizes size and speed. But he was super-competitive and wanted to excel. So he did more than attend regular practices. He went the extra mile by attending quarterback camps in Arizona and Southern California. He even spent personal time with a throwing guru who ran a school for quarterbacks.  Before he graduated, Brady sent out video tapes of his gam...

  Never allow your surroundings to get you down. Look at the Trees. They can lose their entire make-up but Confidently know that they will BLOOM again! Keep after your Dreams! - Jim Loria

This week's piece will serve as a reminder that for all the equity an athlete can build up in a season or career, it’s that one ill-timed mistake that can derail his or her Dream in a split second and tarnish a person's name or even ruin their financial earning capabilities. I bring this to light after reading the news that the late Len Bias was going to be enshrined into the College Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021 . When I worked with the Washington Capitals   NHL team in the early 1980’s, Len was a basketball sensation at nearby University of Maryland .  In his senior season, he was widely regarded as the best college basketball player in America and a can't-miss talent. A two-time ACC Player-of-the-Year and twice an All-ACC First Team selection. Bias was taken by the then NBA Champion Boston Celtics with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1986 Draft. Right after the Draft, Bias flew to Boston to meet the Celtics' organization and media members and also to sign o...

 

  Here is a special Poem that I once shared with a group of high school and college athletes across America who were playing for the opportunity to one day perform at the highest level of their chosen sport.            Jim Loria "You are the handicap you must face, You are the one who must choose your place, You must work to where you want to go, God has equipped you for life, but He Lets you decide what you want to be. Courage must come from the Soul within, You must furnish the Will to Win. So figure it out for Yourself, my Lad. You were Born with all that the greats have had, With your Equipment they all Began, Get hold of Yourself and say: 'I Can!'”  (Author: Edgar A. Guest / 1881-1959)

  Quite a few years ago when I began mentoring several hundreds of college and professional athletes, I pieced together what I had viewed as a collection of 21 Suggestions to follow that would help lead an individual to Success in Life! Enjoy!  Jim Loria  1. When the time is right, Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery rather than what you do in your sport. 2. Find a diversion outside of your sport that you enjoy and is worthy of your time and talent. 3. Give your teammates more than they expect. 4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know. 5. Be forgiving of yourself, teammates and others. 6. Be generous with your time; become a community leader and make a difference with those less fortunate. 7. Have a grateful heart. 8. Persistence, persistence, persistence. 9. Discipline yourself to save money and invest wisely. 10 Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated. 11. Commit yourself to constant im...

  This piece was one of the toughest articles I’ve ever written! It came about from a tragic situation that took place during a horrific flood that hit the Toowoomba city in Queensland,  Australia in 2011. This story involves a family of two brothers – Blake (10)  & J ordan (13) Rice and their Mother (Donna) . The mother was innocently driving to a store to buy school uniforms for her children when a massive amount of rain water broke through the central business district of their city and began to flood the area.  The family car became stuck in the floodwaters and the tide was quickly rising up at warp speed. The mother then made a desperate call to the local emergency services while standing and holding onto her kids from the top of their vehicle.  As the intense flow of water now went up and over the rooftop, it also swept the family off their feet and out into what would look like a makeshift river. Donna was quickly out of sight and nowhere to be foun...

"Live with No Regrets" - Jim Loria

"Always remember life starts with a Dream. Bruce Springsteen at age 16 wanted to be in a band. His Mother bought him his first guitar because she believed in him. He fought through many failures but eventually found his way to the Big Stage. All it takes is a feeling that you can Achieve and someone to Encourage you along the way" - Jim Loria

"We have all been there. Days you just feel you cannot make it out the door. This is where it is great to have that 'Special Cheerleader' in Life who can Boost You Up to continue after your Dreams" - Jim Loria

"Every day You have to 'Saddle Up' and tear down the fences in front of you to get after your Dream" - Jim Loria

"Always remember: It's not the Shoes that completes your Look; Rather what you do in them that matters" - Jim Loria

"When you are ready to Climb Up and go after your Dreams, do not let anyone Pull you Down! Trust your Heart" - Jim Loria

"Never lose Hope! Let the words in this photo inspire you to pursue your Dreams" - Jim Loria

"Always Remember: That when You enjoy Life and Smile a lot ...The World has a way to Smile right back at You" - Jim Loria

"Sometimes you have to Swim up hill to find a better future. Just do not look back. Have the Courage to pursue your Dreams" - Jim Loria

"The words 'WHAT' & 'IF' … Separately they can speak of many doubts? Together, 'WHAT IF' gives you the Hope & Courage to battle through all odds and Never Stop Believing" - Jim Loria

"All you have to do is Stand Up... Be Confident in Yourself... Just One Smile ... You only need One Person to Notice... and your Entire World can Change" - Jim Loria

"Own your Day each and Every Day" - Jim Loria

"Life and Art are so similar. You are first presented with a Blank Canvas and over time, you keep adding new strokes to your work of art (called "Life"). Make it colorful and a lasting impression for others in your family to enjoy in the years ahead. This is your Legacy Portrait" - Jim Loria

"We all hold the KEY to what lies ahead tomorrow and every day thereafter. There is a big open world outside filled with opportunities. Keep after your Dreams always" - Jim Loria

"Life is truly a Process. Many times there are obstacles and barriers to deal with. This poor Turtle has to worry about predators waiting for him in the water? Just keep Believing that nothing can hold You back" - Jim Loria

"Yes, the biggest Test we take every day is called Life! It has no Boundaries. The only limits it has is what we place around ourselves. Have the Courage to go beyond your Walls to Explore the World and Pursue your Dreams" - Jim Loria

  "Be a 'Giver' and a 'Teacher' all at once! Be a Difference Maker to others in your lifetime" - Jim Loria

"You can uncover new Possibilities from here to the Moon! Don't Stop Believing ... in You most importantly" - Jim Loria

'   "Always remember - You have control of the Pen. It is in your Hand. Make your life a Best Seller" - Jim Loria

  "There can be a whole new world on the other side of the Fence that can change your life forever. Be bold enough to Climb Up when you are presented with a fresh opportunity" - Jim Loria

"Make the most of life's opportunities while young and able. Live with No Regrets" - Jim Loria

"Always keep your eyes open to new possibilities! Your life can change for the better in a split second. Have the courage to pursue your Dreams when that window opens up no matter how slight it may be" - Jim Loria

Greetings! For this week, I want to share with you some very relevant motivating quotes. Enjoy and keep Investing in You always!  Jim ----------------------------- “When I wake up in the morning, I have to decide to either be an example or an excuse" – stated by an Unknown Author ---------------------------- “I am the greatest Builder in the World. I am the Foundation of every Triumph. No matter what your position is, I can better it. My name is Enthusiasm” – stated by an Unknown Author ---------------------------- MOTIVATIONAL SIGN IN WEIGHT ROOM OF A PRO SPORTS TEAM: “Don’t confuse Routine with Commitment!” …. Always be conscious of playing the right way in practice and in games! ---------------------------- "Every time you state what you want or believe, you're the first to hear it. It's a message to you about what you think is possible. Don't put a ceiling on yourself" – stated by Oprah Winfrey ---------------------------- “If you play it safe in life, ...