San Francisco State KIN 331 T, TH Fall 2015

https://youtu.be/8CrOL-ydFMI

David Foster Wallace struggled all of his life with depression and loneliness and managed to write brilliantly. He managed to point out the less sexy and un-clever truths of human existence. This speech is widely praised and is a good introduction to his philosophy. He accepted his own limitations and pushed his own comfort in order to pull back the emptiness of popular culture and reveal the interior life of each day.

The Peak Performer I chose for this assignment is Allen Iverson. AI, rookie of the year, MVP, and so much more. In my opinion Allen Iverson was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He had the heart, the determination, the passion, and the skills to be the best NBA player he could possibly be. He worked hard and earned everything that has been given to him today. Allen Iverson did some things that he wasn’t proud of when he was younger which ultimately shaped him into the man he is today. He has been pushed down and gotten right back up. I admire him because he was not nearly as tall as the other guys in the NBA but never let that stop him. He was lightning fast and didn’t care who he was up against, he somehow managed to score on guys taller and heavier than him without fail. He even crossed over the GOAT, that’s impressive. He made me realize that you can really do anything if you put your mind to it and I looked up to him growing up. I included this tribute clip because many basketball players discuss how amazing Iverson was and I thought that everything they were saying was so relevant to him being a peak performer.

My choice of a peak performer would be the singer Adele. I chose her because she is one of my favorite music artists of all time. She has proven to have achieved success through two album releases, one other single, and multiple awards. I admire and respect her for the kind of person she is. She is not the type of person who craves for attention, especially through the media. She does not allow negativity to get in her way of achieving her dreams. As she has once stated, “I make music for the ears, not for the eyes”, in regards to the criticism of her weight. The clip reflects the epitome of Adele as an elegant and talented individual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qemWRToNYJY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vToybs1cuOo

The person I chose was Derek Rose, The reason why I chose him was because I know that he has been going through a lot of injuries that has halted his career in basketball. However, as a peak performer he does not think about backing down and this video is just a small clip of his motivation to wanted to be back to the gym as soon as possible due to his passion for this sport. I think that this is important in any peak performer because motivation (I believe) is is key to having success in your area of passion especially when it comes to sports.

The person I chose as a great peak performer is Alex Honnold. He is a prime example of a peak performer. He is a rock climber but not an ordinary climber, he does what is called free soloing. Which requires no safety equipment. He has set multiple records climbing tall faces of cliffs. He has to be in the zone absolutely 100% of the time during his climb. One mistake can mean the end of his life. He explains in the video that he does not get an adrenalin rush because he should be calm and collective at all times. Also that if there is a rush, it probably means something is wrong. Even when conditions are not perfect, he is able to keep calm and climb impossible walls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR1jwwagtaQ

For my Peak Performer, I chose Kayla Montgomery. After watching this clip last semester in my GWAR class, I truly saw what an incredible person she was and how she never gave up. She is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is an award winning distance runner. Ever since she was young, she was involved in sports, in the year 2009 she fell playing soccer, thereafter experienced a loss of feeling in both of her feet which appeared to be MS. At the age of 14, Kayla was diagnosed with diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
She decided to take up running, and was devoted to breaking records. She wanted to run fast, and she did. She trained hard and had the determination to succeed. She was not able to feel the pain in her legs, and at the end of each race, her coach was their waiting and caught her in his arms. Watching this video was eye opening and even brought tears to my eyes. Kayla is an
outstanding athlete, and did not let her disease get the best of her, a Peak Performer in my eyes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpA-FsKLA6A

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2TCjK4jRDfw

The peak performer I chose was Allen Iverson. In addition to being one of the best scoring point guards of all time, ” The Answer” was an elite competitor, athlete, and was perhaps the most influential person to the game of basketball. The road for Allen Iverson was never and easy one. Growing up in the streets of Virginia, Iverson has had to overcome numerous obstacles what would have crumbled the average person, including jail time and racial dice imitation before the age of 18. In terms of his basketball career, Iverson is an 11-time all star, Former MVP, Rookie of year, And 4-time scoring champion of the NBA. However, although Iverson has shown his brilliance and skills on the court, he is vastly overlooked and underrated due to his off the court activities and tough demeanor. This is why I have added this video so that people can get to understand one of the greatest basketball players of all time a little better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdv8ig2qBPQ

Adrian Peterson is a prime example of a peak performer. He is the Running Back for the Minnesota Vikings and is one of the greatest running backs to ever play the game. I say that because during one of his seasons, he suffered an ACL and MCL injury which forced him to undergo surgery. After surgery he went straight to rehab and within six months he returned onto the field. His returning season, he won MVP of the league. This shows that anybody is capable of standing back up after some set backs, even when those set backs are known for stopping people from bettering themselves.

I chose “ItsJudysLife” from youtube, a makeup guru who also vlogs daily with her family. I chose them becomes every year, they hold a fundraising event called “#Dancember” wherein for the entire month of December they encourage their followers to send them videos of them dancing in which they feature in their daily vlogs as well as to donate to a cause or a charity that they sponsor each year. I would categorize them as peak performers as they use their success and influence for a good cause. I have followed them for a few years now and they have definitely positively influenced many lives for simply sharing their daily lives with people and using their influence for the benefit of others. Judy’s husband, Benji, also emphasizes success in the same definition that we have used to define success. He also has another channel where he partnered with another influential youtuber to teach people how to utilize videos in order to better their business, channel, social media platform, etc. From every vlog I have watched, this couple, along with their family and friends, have emphasized what truly is important in life and how to be succesful, not only as a youtuber, but as well as in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0djzNQBp9hc

I chose Dominick Cruz who is the former Bantamweight Champion of the UFC. I chose Dominick because he is one of the most talented and intelligent fighters in the UFC, and his story has the potential to be one of the greatest redemption stories in all of sports. Dominick Cruz is known for his unorthodox fighting style, fast footwork, and analytical skills. In 2010 he won his championship at WEC 53 and due to the merger with UFC also won the UFC Bantamweight Championship belt. He successfully defended his title against current flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, as well as avenged the only loss on his record when he defeated his long time rival, Urijah Faber. After the fight, it was clear that the rivalry was far from over, and a third fight was scheduled in 2012. However, a month before the fight Cruz tore his ACL and was forced to pull out of the fight. After a slew of injuries, Cruz was forced to vacate his championship and a new champion was crowned. While injured Cruz became an analyst for the UFC, breaking down fights and evaluating fight tactics. It is certain that the sport has evolved since the beginning of his career, but Cruz has proven his ability to analyze fighters remains unchanged. In fact, it is one of the reasons Cruz has remained a threat despite his years of injury. Throughout these tribulations, Cruz has never doubted his abilities and remains certain he is a contender for the championship. In fact, because of his outspoken claims as the only true contender for the belt, he is scheduled to fight the current Bantamweight Champion T.J. Dillashaw on January 17. It is his innovative skills, his unshakable confidence, and his perseverance that make him a peak performer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT0eFp3qgro

Kobe Bryant is one of the best basketball players in the world. Even though he is older now and doesn’t have the same skills, he is still looked upon as one of the greatest. His skills, personality, drive, passion, and competitiveness have made him one of the most liked and disliked players in the NBA. Kobe’s father was in the NBA when Kobe was a little boy. He moved from Italy to Philadelphia where he went to high school and became a high school star. Kobe used his hard work and determination to show his haters that he is one of the best. He has the confidence and is willing to do whatever is needed in order to win. With these attributes, he has become one of the greatest clutch shooters. Everything that Kobe does shows that he is a Peak Performer. This video shows that his confidence and willingness to win pays off at the most crucial times during games.

https://youtu.be/RcMCA_sJuTo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-S-j1aq0QA

I chose George St Pierre because I feel he is a well rounded fighter in MMA. He held the Welterweight title for six straight years and has only lost two fights. He always comes prepared to his fights and is a very humble person. This clip shows highlights from most of his fights through out the years and you ca see just how versatile of a fighter he is. I think he is a good example of what it means to be a peak performer.

The peak performer I chose is Kron Gracie, the son of the
famous Rickson Gracie. I got the pleasure to meet Kron Gracie and he is now a family friend. I have learned so much from him about jiu-jitsu. Kron Gracie is
known for going in for the kill. He does not believe in the point system in
jiu-jitsu, only submission. We are taught that in jiu-jitsu, both defense and
offense both are good. We learned that there is no losing in jiu-jitsu, it is
either you win or you learn. Kron has taught me that no matter what, no matter how many times I get tapped out, I should always keep striving to get better and to keep training. Through him, I became lot more aggressive in my game and people can see it when I compete or when I just spar at the academy. Kron has this saying, “stay cool under pressure.” This means a lot to me because when I am competing, I tend to tense up and forget everything. Now, I am able to settle down, breathe, and think of what I want to do and what I need to do. One day, I want to be like him. Train a lot, work hard, and always, go for the kill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNpy_7OyRD8

The person that I choose that exemplified leadership is the U.S. senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren. I had never before really kept up with politics, but lately with the presidential election, I have been doing a bit more research on the leaders of our country and Elizabeth Warren stood out the most to me. She has held a position in the Senate since 2012 and since then she has been the voice for the middle class families and investigating Wall Street and the bankruptcies. The video I choose that exemplified her leadership is actually a video on an attack on the Republicans and their decision in wanting to defund women’s health care centers. In this video she educated her listeners how Republicans have constantly have been wanting to hold back women’s rights in regards to planned parenthood. She was very passionate and committed to her belief during her speech. Elizabeth had a vision for the United States and women’s rights and she made it very clear that planned parenthood was not only beneficial for the health of the women in the United States, but also how still continuing planned parenthood would not affect the expenditures of the government because since the beginning of planned parenthood, it has been fully funded by medicare for the lower class families. Her knowledge and affirmative stance on her belief is the type of skills I would intrust in a leader. I continued watching other various videos of her and each time she spoke she exemplified that same confidence and knowledge.

https://youtu.be/4IH2SRYykW8

A peak performance that I chose to talk about is American Ninja Warrior Kacy Catanzaro. Kacy was the first female competitor of American Ninja Warrior that made it to the final round of the competition. I believe she is a peak performer because she is just 5’3″ tall and 100lbs. but is still able to compete at such a high level. This was amazing because in the clip that I posted, some of the obstacles seemed impossible to conquer being her size, but her drive to succeed led her to find ways to do so. Her performance in American Ninja Warrior has inspired more and more female competitors to join.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/XfZFuw7a13E

The person that I chose is Bruce Bochy, San Francisco Giant’s manager, because I believe that he is in his peak performance. As a manager, I believe that he is in peak performance because like the article Bochy does bring his player’s best ability out of them. Additionally, I also believe that Bochy is a peak performer because he is the only manager that was born in a different country, France, and still compared to other managers. Furthermore, in the article, out of the four leadership lessons, I believe that putting; “your people in a position to succeed” can be compared to our class the most. The quote can be compared to our class because as a human being people like to see results and for someone to put other people in a position that they will do well shows positive results and can increase a person self-esteem. Moreover, in the clip I would say one of the most important things that Bochy mentioned was that when a player is in a stump a coach should be the one to pick them back up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3mAQIjmwdHo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqmPXYTekKg

The peak performer I chose was Michael Oher. Some people
have heard of him, some haven’t. Most people have heard of him from the movie “
The Blind Side”. It’s a great movie that tells his life story about what he
went through. I remember watching the NFL combine and hearing his story back in
2009 when he was drafted in the 1st round by the Baltimore Ravens. I
looked into it, and shortly after, the movie was released about his journey to
get to where he is today as NFL Offensive Lineman. He to me is a peek
performer; he started from the bottom with having family struggles, not having
a parent there for him since about the age of 7. He was in foster care, and
sometimes would even leave those homes. He was on his own, wouldn’t go to
school, didn’t care about much, and was simply passed on to the next grade
level because he was a student athlete. He would sleep on the porches of friend’s
houses, ask families and friends for left overs so he could have a meal to eat.
Over time he finally got to attend BCS (Briarcest Christian School), where he
would finally start to focus on school, get good grades, and then finally found
his home on the football field. Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy took him in, which
now they are his adopted parents. They helped him in school, and also even
helped him with playing football. He became one of the top linemen to be
recruited out of high school for college. He went to Old Miss on a scholarship
to play football. Before he was able to
even attend Old Miss he had to get his GPA up, so he took some online classes
at BYU. After the completion of his classes he was able to sign his offer for
Old Miss. While attending Old Miss he was the starting left tackle, also know
as the blind side. The blind side is the backside of the quarter back. The
quarterback cannot see his back so the left tackle will protect the
quarterback’s blind side. He played all 4 years and then was drafted in the 1st
round with the 23rd overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens. He
currently is still in the NFL, protecting the blind slide of Cam Newton, while
being apart of the Carolina Panthers. Before signing with the Panthers in 2015,
he was with the Tennessee Titans after his career with the Ravens. To me he is a peak performer because he had a
goal and mindset and never gave up even with no family at a young age.

https://youtu.be/IRVWNkhsaq0

Jim Boeheim is one of the best coaches that basketball has ever seen. I can go into all of his accomplishments and honors, but I feel what really separates him from the pack is his loyalty. Some may call it stubbornness, but he has stayed at Syracuse ever since he took the job as an assistant in 1969 and became head coach In 1976. This is after a career as a walk-on at Syracuse as a student-athlete. He has thrived at every level, coaching the Orangemen to numerous Tournament appearances and a national championships, as well as coaching with the USA men’s national team. In that time, he has made a name for himself that is closely associated with running a 2-3 zone defensive scheme. Despite his personel and what type of player is on the team, he has been able to have success with all of his teams, rarely ever veering away from his defense. That is the true sign of a peak performer: being able to do something in your own unique way, staying true to what you believe, and having long-term success while doing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRxNnHgzUxE

The peak performer I chose is JR Celski. He is an olympic speed skater. When I first found out about JR, I was a sophomore in high school. I knew who Apollo Anton Ohno was because he’s been a long time speed skater in the olympics and this was JR’s first olympics. He started skating at a young age and moved states to properly train for the olympics. In 2009 when he was 19, JR was competing at the olympic trials. He had already secured his spot on the olympic team. During his 6th race of the night, JR was in the lead but when he was on a curve he slipped and ran into the wall. His right skate sliced into his left quad and nearly severed his femoral artery. The laceration required 60 stitches. This accident happened 5 months before the Winter Olympics. Initially JR thought that his olympic career was already over before he could even start. He did intensive physical therapy for those 5 months and was able to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. His first race he was also competing against his fellow USA team member Apollo Ohno. He is the definition of a peak performer. The accident was possibly a career ending experience and if his blade went in an inch deeper, he could have bled to death. JR didn’t let the accident overcome him. His goal was to be able to skate again and placing was another award for him but not the most important. His passion and persistence to never give up makes him a peak performer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD933IUKLuc

A peak performer that I chose is Philip Rivers. He has been the quarterback for the San Diego Chargers for eleven years now. Although many people do not consider the Chargers to be a good football team, as of right now Philip Rivers is the league’s leader in passing yards and as the video mentioned, “No team scored more on the Seahawks number one defense in 2014 than
the chargers”.

The Peak Performer I have chosen to share is not your typical ESPN high profile athlete, but actually a kid. Jason McElwain’s is one of the most inspirational stories I have ever came across. He has every quality that I strive to have as a coach, but his passion and love for the game is what really drives him. After being cut from the high school basketball team, he didn’t quit basketball, but rather becoming a coaches’ assistant. Setting up the clock, water, and anything else the team needed. After all his hard work and dedication the coach told him that he can suit up with the team on Senior Night, but with no guarantee of actually getting to play. In the 4th quarter he was given a chance to play, and capitalized. His first shot was an airball, but when he got in the zone, his performance on the court ended up stunning the entire school.

Take a look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngzyhnkT_jY

The Peak Performer I have chosen is Jordan Speith. At the age of 22, Jordan has become the number 1 and 2 player in the world. This is incredible considering his age, 22. He was rewarded with a 10 million dollars to add to his current prize money which adds up to 22 million dollars. He has the hardest work out before his matches which is shown through this clip. I am excited to see what this incredibly talented and hard working player he will become!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSpWyVyDgU0

I chose Kobe Bryant’s 81 point games as my Peak Performer. I had the blessed opportunity to see this game live in person. I believe this is one of Kobe’s peak moments in his career. When you observe these highlights you can easily tell how deep in “Flow” he is in his movements. He pulls up for covered jumpers without hesitation. He floated through the opposing team like there were gaps made for his body to move right through them. The team was also down all the way through to the third quarter until Kobe picked it up. I grateful and appreciative I got to go to this event and the chance to see such a performance live.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wV9CMVdY3dM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L88H2HWEXrw

The peak performer I have chosen to share is Barack Obama. I
consider him as my peak performer I have chosen to share is because he is such an inspirational person. He achieved what seemed impossible which is to become the first African American President in the history of the United States. He was able to convince the citizens of America that we have to look beyond race and tradition.

https://youtu.be/AN0YfF-e3Ws

I chose John Wooden. Wooden is my favorite coach of all time because I love the way he carries himself and has respect for himself and the people around them. He saw basketball as only one part of the lives of all of his players and encouraged them to maximize their potential in many areas outside of basketball. His famous “pyramid of success” is easy to understand and has many great values and life lessons. He is somebody to study if you are looking to improve your life.

I chose Michael Jordan’s game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals because even when MJ was feeling sick, he still played as if he wasn’t sick. This game is known as his Flu game. He shot 13 of 27 from the field,10 of 12 from the free throw line, 38 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and a block. He didn’t let his flu like symptoms get in the way from playing the game or bring his competitive spirit down. He pushed through each quarter and won the game.

MJ is a peak performer because he does everything in his power to be the best at what he’s passionate about. He clearly didn’t let his poor physical condition trump him from playing an important game in his career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIzrYcgfOH4

I chose Kerri Walsh pairing with Misty May Treanor in the final game for beach volleyball of the London Summer Olympics 2012 vs. as well USA team April Ross and Jen Kessy. Kerri and Misty being the dynamic duo they are playing together for their last time, they won it all. Winning the in the final taking the gold they continued with their third consecutive streak of taking the gold medal since Athens. I’ve grown up watching this pair strive and also have their downfall a couple of times. But as peak performers they are, they came right back up to the very top of hard work and dedication. These are two who I personally think they will forever be the one of the best peak performers in beach volleyball history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyXev4rrq10