As uncomfortable as it was to sit through, I feel like the Lance Armstrong Story should be essential viewing for every student-athlete. Not because he actually is the cold, heartless, lying, cheat that his closest friends have been trying to tell us he was for years. No, our kids need to see this so they don’t make one basic mistake.

The mistake of making the power of the story more important than the value of the truth.

We’ve been doing it for centuries and it’s not likely to end any time soon. The least we can do is stop pretending we’re shocked by the eventual fallout.

I call it the Santa Syndrome.

Essentially, it’s the ability for us to convince ourselves that a lie is not actually a lie, if it helps create a larger story that everyone actually likes more than the truth.

Think about Santa Clause. We justify telling this elaborate fable to our own children because we think the value of story outweighs the deception. It’s harmless right? How many kids are actually traumatized by the truth about Santa?

Santa’s not really the problem. The problem is the idea that, at some point, a lie stops being a lie because it supports a wonderful story that people really want to believe in.

That was Lance Armstrong’s reality.

In his Oprah confessional, he used the words narrative a lot. That’s what he believed his life to be. A fairytale life, made up of vast amounts of victory, celebrity and philanthropy. A fable in which he was the hero and we were the audience, desperate to believe the fairytale was real, even in the face of mountains of evidence to the contrary.

The sad thing is, Lance actually believed his own story. That’s the only way I can begin to comprehend how he could lie to everyone from his family to the government to journalists like Rick Reilly, for years without even flinching.

Character is one of the three foundations of our BLU3PRINT program. One of the projects requires our student-athletes to define their legacy. They need to answer the question “How will people remember me?” and explain how coaches, teammates and fans would describe them long after they are done playing sports.

At the end of the project, theres one key point we want them to leave with..

Legacies are made by heroes, not hardware.

We mostly focus on those heroes, studying and defining the character traits that make them successful. But sometimes we need to look at the result of clouded vision, deep character flaws and a bad leadership. Sometimes we need to see the affects wanting to believe in a fairytale over the truth. Sometimes we need to examine those people who may appear successful but in reality, are just the opposite.

Sometimes, we need Lance Armstrong.

High praise which he has definitely earned. Three national titles (one with LSU). Three BCS titles games in four years. The only coach to have won a BCS title at two different schools.

Saban’s disciplined regimen for the young men at Alabama is certainly a major factor. But he also has an ace up his sleeve that other programs can no longer afford to ignore.

Trevor Moawad, Director of the IMG Performance Institute has also been coaching the Tide football players. Improving their mental performance and leadership since the day Saban arrived. Coincidence? Not a chance.

Read more at SI.com: Mental conditioning coach Moawad gives Alabama unique prep edge

Before CGI enhanced bodies, Arnold was the awe-inspiring, real deal.

Like millions of other teenage boys (and grown men) around the world I pretty much idolized him. He represented everything we wanted to be. Superhuman body, cool accent, witty, fearless, essentially invincible. In his movies he really didn’t care about fame or money or girls, his only focus was completing his mission. You always knew that despite incredible obstacles, nothing was ever going to stop him.

I had no idea just how much art was imitating his life.

The short film Arnold’s Blueprint, lays the foundation for the unbelievable story of Schwarzenegger. From a normal Austrian teenager, destined to marry a Heidi or Gretel, to the world’s most amazing physical specimen. And that was only the beginning.

His real life mission was more impossible than destroying head hunting aliens, or preventing nuclear holocaust. Yet despite the ridiculous odds, he accomplished everything he set out to achieve.

Get a glimpse into the extraordinary vision and discipline that fueled Arnold to phase one of his goal.

That’s a shocking number. It’s a statistic that all of us who lead student-athletes need to keep top of mind. Maryland Gazette writer Jennifer Beekman (@jen_beekman) writes a great article about how the role of role of sports psychology is becoming increasingly important. But is mental training alone the answer? Or should we be finding a way to make youth sports less stressful and more enjoyable?

Check out the full article here: Games of the mind

What does this mean for us a performance coaches and mentors? There are a number of insights but here are the two most important for the student-athletes we work with.

1. They need coaches to improve their performance.

When kids are beginning to learn a new skill, our role is primarily that of a teacher. Showing them step-by-step how to do something that they couldn’t do before. As they progress in skill and proficiency, our coaching role starts to shift. As our kids get better, improving performance begins to rely on much smaller refinements. Changes that student-athletes will rarely be able to recognize and implement on their own.

2. They need coaches to acknowledge their strengths.

We are all our own own worst critic. If we were forced to motivate ourselves 100% of the time, few of us would ever accomplish more than just the bare minimum. Simply because we underestimate our potential and undervalue our accomplishments.

Read the full article: You Are (Probably) Wrong About You by Heidi Grant Halvorson.

Leave a comment and let us know how you think this applies to your own student-athletes.

“Before every single routine, every single competition I try to SEE myself succeeding. I go through every routine in my head… I really believe that if you see yourself being successful, the likelihood of you actually doing what you see yourself doing is just so much higher.”

Watch as US Olympic gymnast Jonathon Horton describes how mental preparation is the most important part of his training.

Professional soccer player Ciara McCormack tells the story of someone did what was necessary to make it happen. One of her observations:

“I have learned that opportunities come to those with not necessarily the most ability, but to those that are willing to do something different to everyone else and who have the guts and the desire to make their dreams happen.”

Read the full story here – Make it Happen

When I first saw this, I was expecting something completely different. Either a a kid with a disability who was doing something extraordinary or an elementary school super genius who was doing something extraordinary.

Caine is neither one. He’s just an ordinary kid which is what makes his story so great. Ordinary kids are usually pretty uninteresting. But with a three ingredients they can become so much more.

A Big Vision.

Have you ever dreamed of owning a business, making a movie, flying an airplane? So what’s stopping you? For most people their dreams seems too big, too crazy or they don’t have the ____ (time, money, expertise..) to make it a reality. So they never even try. Believing enough in the vision to try is the most important step. When we’re building young leaders we need to be like Nike and encourage them to Just Do It. Even if they’re the only ones who can see what it is they want to achieve.

A Great Mentor

Caine’s Dad offers the perfect blend of encouragement, advice and motivation without doing the one thing most Dad’s (and leaders) are prone to do. Take over a daunting project and do it themselves. Instead, he let Caine work through his own ideas with amazing results.

A Little Patience.

The arcade wasn’t a hit when Caine opened the doors. In fact, he had no idea if and when it would ever be a success. That didn’t matter. What mattered was working on his project each and every day to make it what he wanted it to be.

Sometimes, it only takes one devoted fan to make all your hard work pay off.

As it turns out, Lin came crashing down due to a knee injury. Even though he’s out for the rest of the season, don’t expect him to just kick back and play Party Poker all day with his boys. The young point guard has clearly shown that he’s a baller, and a valuable asset the Knicks will miss in the postseason.

That’s really what makes this story so great. Despite the “expert” coaches, scouts and GMs not giving him a snowball’s chance, the kid proved himself on the NBA’s biggest stage. And the Knicks didn’t waste any time capitalizing on the Linsanity. Everyone got caught up in the frenzy, including the world’s biggest media outlets. Lin He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated two weeks in a row, then followed that up with the cover of Time.

Lin’s success on the court is not a fluke. For all of you diamond’s in the rough out there still waiting to be discovered, here are 5 tips to keep in mind while you are still unknown.

1. The only expert on you is you.

When we’re trying to make an impression on someone, the tendency is to invest all of our self-worth in the opinions of the people we’re trying to impress. The problem with that approach is that those people generally don’t know much, if anything about you: your intelligence, your work ethic, your motivation– all the intangibles that have drive your performance but usually take time for an outsider to discover. Don’t let someone else’s lack of knowledge discourage you. You just need to educate them.

2. Be open to wherever the journey takes you.

As an undrafted rookie, Lin was offered a contract from the Dallas Mavericks, last year’s NBA Champions, but instead decided to play for his home town Golden State Warriors. After bouncing around from California to China to Houston to the NBA D League, Lin finally ended up in New York City. The journey was frustrating but the current situation couldn’t be better. His coach’s offense is a perfect fit for his abilities, his teammates love him, and the bright lights of the Big Apple have turned Lin into one of the NBA’s most marketable athletes to an Asian market worth billions of dollars. I’m sure Lin didn’t plan his roadmap to success this way, but things certainly seem to have panned out.

3. Stay confident.

A lot of people are wondering if Lin’s game will get sidetracked with all of the trappings of fame swirling around him. It’s a valid concern, but Lin was actually a popular player in Golden State, despite barely getting any playing time. Which scenario is more likely to affect to negatively affect your performance? Praise and adoration, or being cut, criticized and ignored? If Lin kept his confidence when nobody believed in him, he should thrive with his new celebrity status. Staying focused on the goal, grounded in his beliefs, and confident in himself arethe reasons he has turned his struggles into success.

4. Be Consistent.

This image says it all. Lin’s countless hours in the gym are the reason he’s helped turn a team on the brink of collapse into an exciting contender. The idea of overnight success is the biggest myth in life. Success takes more time than most people are willing to commit. But when they do commit, the payoff can be huge.

5. Be prepared.

While success may not come overnight, recognition does. Sometimes it happens in a split second. When someone else sees in you what you’ve always seen in yourself, you need to be ready to seize the opportunity and run with it. Don’t worry about how you’ll perform. You’ve put in the work and cultivated your self confidence from hours of focus and dedication. Your game will take care of everything else.

Joslin Green is the Founder and President of PLAY3RSPORT, the Leadership Academy for the Next Generation of Athletes. Connect with him on Twitter @JoslinDGreen

I’m currently playing soccer for West Virginia Tech but I am a Canadian citizen. I originally wanted to take Criminal Justice and become a police officer when I got back to Canada.

However after my first semester and 16 credit hours’ worth of classes I realized I was not actually as interested in Criminal Justice as I thought was. Maybe it was all those episodes of The Wire. Whatever the reason, it became clear as the year went on that being a police officer actually wasn’t the right occupation for me.

The reality is that the average college or university student changes their major 2 to 3 times throughout their time at school. So for all of you high school athletes and parents, here are three things to keep in mind as you consider a major and a school, especially in another country.

1. Will the major get you to where you want to be?

As I mentioned, I thought I wanted to be a police officer so I decided on criminal justice. After graduation, the plan is to return to Canada and start a career in my hometown of London, Ontario. Here’s the problem. I found out near the end of my semester that when I return to Canada my major would not be honored due to the differences between the US and Canadian government and legal systems. If I would have continued for 4 years, unaware of this fact, I would have come out with only a minor in psychology (which was recommended to accompany Criminal Justice) and no major at all. Be aware of all of the requirements for your career and make sure your major includes as many of those requirements as possible.

2. What are some minor (or major details) you want your school to have?

When I first started to think about which school I wanted to go to, there were several features I had in mind. I was actually not looking at the athletics first. Yes, it was a factor for me but the education was the first priority.

My mother always said to me growing up “Soccer will help get you an education but focus on your education first. If you ever get injured and cannot play you will always have your education to fall back on.” Look at the different aspects of the schools you’re considering and see if they match up with the career you wish to have when you finish your education. Big school or small campus? Warm weather or cold? Lecture hall or intimate classroom setting?

I went with a small school because I love being in a class where you can get one-on-one attention from a teacher who actually knows your name, rather than just being another student ID number. Location was another big thing. Do you care how far away you are from home? I am about an eleven hour drive from home so I fly home for every holiday. That is an added expense you really need to consider.

3. What do you LOVE to do?

When I realized that criminal justice was not for me I decided on a physical education major with a sports management minor. Even though I am not one hundred percent sure of the job I wish to have in the future I know FOR A FACT that I want to work within sports.

So what do you love? Do you love how organisms works (biology), or how people have lived (history)? Do you love to read or write (english)? Think of it this way, if you are going to be in a career for the rest of your life, you might as well be doing something you love to do. I know for myself, if I am going to get up at six or seven in the morning I had better be getting up for something I really like to do. Choose what you love and what makes you happy!

Hopefully my experiences this year will help you with the process of choosing a school or major. Feel free to pass on this information along to anybody who may be going through this stage right now.

Bridget Leach is a Playersport athlete and a Canadian varsity soccer player for the West Virginia Tech Golden Bears