The Athletic

Why do athletes, like Carlos Alcaraz and Steph Curry, juggle? It's not just a cool trick. Juggling can alter the brain and enhance cognitive function. 💭 🎾

In this week's edition of The Athletic Peak newsletter, we have a leadership lesson from Andy Reid:

Sterling Sharpe was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. He said something interesting during his speech:

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is returning to his alma mater, Weber State University, to serve as the general manager. He announced the new leadership role while hosting the Weber State Basketball Alumni Classic in Ogden, Utah. It comes just two weeks after agreeing to return to the Trail Blazers on a three-year deal. “Success doesn’t come overnight, especially in today’s ever-changing basketball landscape,” Lillard said via a Weber State news release. “College athletics is constantly evolving, and building a strong program requires time, trust, and commitment." Lillard is following in the footsteps of other NBA players who have stepped into similar roles. Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry agreed in March to serve as assistant GM at his alma mater, Davidson College, while Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young will serve in that same role at the University of Oklahoma.

Josh Johnson has played for a record number of National Football League (NFL) teams. He has seen a lot of great leadership and a lot of not-so-great leadership. We asked him what all the great leaders he’s been around have in common, and what he thinks is the biggest thing the public gets wrong about leadership… Johnson: “Their effectiveness of communication to each individual, their ability to be open to new ideas and their ability to make them their own but still be able to acknowledge that it didn’t come from them. When you’re a leader, you might have blind spots. You have to be able to trust the people around you to see those blind spots. When they tell you something you haven’t thought about, the best leaders I’ve seen know how to take those ideas that someone is bringing to them, make sense out of them and apply them. A lot of people want to see what they think a leader should be versus what the leader is. We all have the opportunity to show what type of leaders we are in our everyday lives, in some form, whether it’s family, work, friendships. That’s what I see the best leaders do: They’re the same with everything. Not just at work, you know?”

The Pro Football Hall of Fame welcomed four new members on Saturday: Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates and Sterling Sharpe. Here are our favorite takeaways from the inductees’ speeches: Jared Allen: Find your why Sterling Sharpe: Learn how to follow and then you can lead Eric Allen: Surround yourself with the right people Antonio Gates: Embrace redirection

In this week’s edition of The Athletic Peak newsletter, we’re taking a look at how Ichiro Suzuki believes he became a Hall of Famer.

How former National Football League (NFL) quarterback Jordan Palmer built his businesses ⤵️

The Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed five new members on Sunday, and each induction speech contained plenty of life lessons. Here are our favorites from the inductees: Billy Wagner: “Obstacles are not a roadblock, obstacles are stepping stones.” Dave Parker: Relationships matter most. Dick Allen: Stay curious. CC Sabathia: Fear is temporary. Ichiro Suzuki: Pay attention to the small things.

This week's edition of The Athletic Peak Newsletter is all about walking! Read more: