How to Gain the Intangibles

Some athletes are gifted with an elite skill. They have the finest throwing arm around. They’re the top defender on their team. They can slug home runs with the best of them. However, other players may not have a noticeable greatness in their game, but they’re usually on the winning end of things. These players are often lauded for their “intangibles,” a word that only says so much about an athlete. However, players with intangibles are found on almost every championship team.

There are a variety of different ways that an athlete can end up with this honorable distinction. Sometimes it happens because they study the game or their opponent so well that they have a top-notch IQ for their respective sport. Other times, players are touted for their intangibles simply because good things happen when they’re in the game. Coaches would be wise to use team websites to teach young athletes about this breed of player that goes the extra mile.

A silver lining for the black and silver

There aren’t too many positive things to say about the Oakland Raiders, one of the least successful franchises in the NFL for several years. The glory days with John Madden at the helm are firmly in the past. However, coach Tony Sparano did find something positive about his team as their season came to a close. He told ESPN that rookie quarterback Derek Carr knows how to prepare for Sundays.

“He just has a bunch of great intangibles,” Sparano told the news outlet. “You never know until you get a player in the building what his real study habits are and how he’ll really handle the work week, the responsibilities that come with the work week, all those things. I guess that would probably be the best thing that came out of this.”

High school team in New Jersey surprises one critic with winning play

When a passerby told Kevin McWade of the Wildwood Catholic High School basketball team that the team would only win five games this season, he took it as a challenge. According to Shore News Today, the team has won seven of its first eight games this season under McWade’s leadership.

“He does all those intangible things, but beyond that, he does them day in and day out at practice, too,” coach Dave DeWeese told the news outlet. “He sets the example by doing the same thing every day. Whether it’s a practice, a shoot-around or a game, he’s all out all the time.”