In New York, hockey always gets the short stick among sports fans and the media.  But hockey shouldn’t be dismissed simply as “that game from Canada.” Hockey is so different from the other sports—a composite of strategy, positioning, quick reactions and hard hitting at high speed—with teamwork a critical component for success.

After the 1994 Stanley Cup win, the New York Rangers enjoyed several additional successful years before collapsing as quickly as a frozen puck can shatter the glass that surrounds a rink. Then the NHL lockout season came along, forcing all teams to scramble to develop new competitive strategies under a new league salary cap.

Up to this time, the Rangers liked to sign aging stars for big bucks, only to have many of them flounder on the Madison Square Garden ice. But, just before the lockout, when Ranger management anticipated that a shutdown of the league would occur, they developed a strategy that has reaped rewards this season.

The Rangers began to concentrate more on the draft, selecting talented players with much upside from colleges and the junior leagues. They also started to mold these players at the minor league level at the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack (now known as the Connecticut Whale). Management and coaches instituted a team concept that had to be followed by every skater in the organization. Each group of skaters—three forwards and two defensemen—now functions as a “core unit of five.” From the first line through the fourth line, from the first defensive pair to the third pair, a skater in each core unit must support the others in the unit on offense and defense.

After the lockout, the new system became a key component of the next training camp. The “core unit of five” continues to be stressed daily with the Rangers and with its AHL affiliate.

The success of this strategy is evident on the ice. The AHL team, which has been one of the top-tier franchises in its conference for 10 years, has become even more successful during recent years. Its players easily transition into the Rangers’ on-ice style of play when they are called up to the NHL. After a long drought, the Rangers have made the playoffs during the last several years. This season, with the team clinching first place in the NHL Eastern Conference, the Rangers again are a serious contender for the coveted Stanley Cup.

The core unit philosophy instituted by the Rangers can be adapted for business. By strategically creating core units among your employees, you can empower your people to cover for each other, communicate clearly with each other and advance, or defend, the business together. Properly coached, the core units in your business, similar to those the Rangers place on the ice, will remain focused on game-day objectives and will keep the ultimate prize clearly in sight.

JCM

This was supposed to be a breakout season for the New York Knicks. But, things started slow, and the complaints against the new players and the coach became deafening after only a handful of games.

By chance, due to an injury to one player and a family issue affecting another, a player at the end of the Knicks bench was pushed into the starting lineup. Overnight, Jeremy Lin became a fan favorite and a worldwide attraction. He is a Linsation!

Raised and educated here, Lin traces his family roots to Taiwan. After starring in only a few games as the newest member of the starting lineup, the public demand skyrocketed for Jeremy Lin. He was watched around the world and Knicks games became must-see TV throughout Taiwan.

Lin became a hot topic of conversation on every sports talk radio show in New York, and his name also made the rounds on many non-sports talk programs and television newscasts around the country. Newspaper headlines continue to scream his name and he is appearing on the covers of sports and non-sports magazines. He even contributes directly to game attendance. In Toronto, which normally draws about 10,000 fans, 20,000 people filled the seats for a recent Knicks-Raptors game.

Sometimes it takes an injury (a headache forced Wally Pipp from the Yankees lineup and he was replaced, permanently, by Lou Gehrig) or some other unforeseen matter to allow another player, who is sitting quietly at the end of the bench, to jump in and contribute to a team’s success. Expectations usually are low for most replacements, but hopes always are high that less-skilled bench players will not hurt their teams.

The lesson here is that to ensure success, whether in sports or business, an organization always needs to have a strong bench with solid role players. Sometimes management may not appreciate all the capabilities of that person sitting at the end of the bench. The ability to contribute, though, should never be a surprise to the team.

While Knicks fans are astonished at what was found at the end of the team bench, Lin’s contributions were not unexpected by his coaches and teammates. They knew all along who was backing up the starting five, and that is why he already was wearing a Knicks uniform and waiting for his chance to contribute.

Do you know who is on your back-up team? My suggestion is that you shouldn’t wait for an emergency to find out if your bench players can contribute to your success.

Jim

If Yogi Berra watched Super Bowl XLVI he certainly would have stated that it was déjà vu all over again.

This month’s game was almost a replay of 2008’s Super Bowl XLII.

• Both games involved the same teams – New York Giants and New England Patriots.
• Both games had the same head coaches – Tom Coughlin for the Giants and Bill Belichick for the Patriots.
• The same player was name most valuable player for both games – Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
• Both games had the same starting quarterbacks – Manning and Tom Brady of the Patriots.
• Both games were low scoring and close until the end – Giants beat the Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII and the Giants beat the Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI.
• The outcome of both games hinged on key plays during the last quarter.
• Both games turned quickly on outstanding catches – David Tyree’s center of the field grab during Super Bowl XLII and Mario Manningham’s sideline catch during Super Bowl XLVI.

The success these franchises enjoy on the field begins with ownership. The management style and the winning attitude begin with the leadership projected by the Mara family for the Giants and the Kraft family for the Patriots.

Their commitment to success, along with the predetermined goals, objectives and implementation of best practices, has become part of the corporate culture practiced by each franchise. The ownership of both teams constantly reinforce their respective philosophies for success and they ensure that these philosophies are weaved through the entire organizations, guiding office management, player development, the coaches, the players and even the on-field and locker room support staffs.

As with any business, some of the players may change each year and even some of the tactics might need to be altered to address emerging market conditions. But the game plan for success always remains constant, and it always begins with ownership.

Jim

He has to adjust his footwork. He needs to work on his passing. He is too heavy. His body is too thick. These are just some of criticisms, without even making a reference to his on-field praying, that were heard about and by Tim Tebow during the football season.

As a former athlete, I can understand all the questions and doubts that Tebow has faced during his first season in the NFL. Opinions and advice have come at him from every possible direction. So has the in-your-face media attention at such an early age, which is something I am glad that I did not have to face while concentrating on my game during college.

After leaving the lacrosse field and starting my career in the insurance field 30 years ago, I received a lot of valuable advice and countless suggestions from many people. I wrapped all of this into a neat package tied together with solid experience. Before venturing off to start my own firm, I made sure that I had built a strong foundation of knowledge, contacts and experts beneath my feet to give my business the chance at survival during the trying start-up years.

I did not focus on just one part of the insurance business. My game plan was diversification into personal, commercial and health insurance. As with any athlete, when one area of my game required a bit more coaching or practice, another strength in my arsenal continued to carry me down field to score the early points needed to build a winning business.

Tebow’s strength is his diversity. He is a fullback, a halfback and a quarterback all in one. He can throw, he can run and he is difficult to bring down. He can take a hit. To avoid a serious injury, he knows how to hit the ground. Understanding how to take the hit and how to fall in sports and business is as important as planning the game-day winning strategy. Whenever you are knocked off balance or whenever you fall — and you will fall — proper preparation will lift you for the next challenge.

Tebow has tasted success early during his brief football life. He won the Heisman Trophy during his sophomore year at Florida. After a 1-4 won-loss record this season for the Denver Broncos, he became the starting quarterback and helped put the team in the playoffs. As part of his experience, he now has a playoff game victory and a defeat in his arsenal. Both will prepare him for his next challenge.

Tebow already has gathered many fans and followers. He has garnered much attention in the regular media, along with the social media, for his play and his prayer. His name even has become part of the lexicon – “tebowing” quickly became the definition for a person bending on one knee in prayer.

He came to the NFL with a solid athletic and personal foundation that he attributes to his faith. He will continue to refine his football talents during these next several years. While criticized by some and mimicked by others for publically portraying his faith in God, he has used this to his advantage to build upon his successes and quickly recover from any failures.

My prediction is that people will be “tebowing” again as soon as he gets back on the field for his first pre-season game for the 2012-2013 season. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Jim

I graduated from Half Hollow Hills High School East in Dix Hills during 1977. My only thoughts at that time probably were about playing lacrosse in college, having the grades and talent to receive a scholarship, and yes, girls. It was the simple life of a teenager on Long Island!

I returned to Half Hollow Hills a few months ago. Older, wiser and now able to share my success with today’s local teens, I was honored to present the inaugural James C. Metzger Outstanding Player Award.

The first recipient, Matt Graziano, is exceptional. Matt is a six-foot-three-inch midfielder from Melville who now will play lacrosse at SUNY Albany. At Half Hallow Hills, he competed in lacrosse, soccer and basketball.

Matt played varsity lacrosse for three years. As a junior and senior he ran first midfield. During his senior season, he was team captain and scored 39 points, including 16 assists that tied him for second highest on the team. Considered by his coach to be a “human clearing machine,” once he had the ball on a clear he often would run out of the defensive end or make the critical pass to the open player up field.

Matt is the perfect recipient for this first award. In many ways, he reminds me of myself on the lacrosse field at that age — a workhorse during games to succeed offensively when matched against excellent opposing players. Matt has the athletic ability to excel at the Division I level at Albany. To grasp the next rung, he must apply himself and push himself.

The school’s coaches, especially lacrosse Varsity Head Coach Gordon Hodgson, have been outstanding when communicating to players and parents about the benefits of playing high school athletics. They explain to them that hard work and dedication is required to be successful on and off the field.

Much of my success in business is attributable to the lessons I learned on the sports field. In recent years, I’ve been able to give back to the college where I was an All-American lacrosse player by establishing programs that support Hofstra University students and student athletes. Now, I am grateful that I can do the same at my former high school.

The opportunity at Half Hollow Hills to support my school, my sport and Long Island teen athletes was made possible by school trustee Eric Geringswald, the administration, the coaches and the parents. It is good to be back in the game, especially where it all started for me.

Jim

I hadn’t seen Tom Rotanz for more than 30 years. We used to glare at each other through the cages on our lacrosse helmets as we faced off against each other in high school and then in college.

Tom was an All-American player at Ward Melville High School in Setauket. His team was 1976 Long Island Champions and 1977 New York State runners-up. He also played at Suffolk County Community College and then Adelphi University. He was an All-American defenseman during his entire college career.

When I played against Tom, the competition always was fierce. But we always had respect and admiration for each other on and off the field. That combination of fierce competition along with the respect and admiration for a player on the other team lasts a lifetime and carries over to other aspects of life long after we leave the field.

Even though Long Island isn’t that huge, in all these years our paths did not cross. We travelled in different circles – Tom became a fabulous teacher and lacrosse coach while I concentrated on growing The Whitmore Group.

That changed a few years ago, when I attended my nephew’s high school lacrosse game. Tom was scouting my nephew’s team.

After renewing our friendship and reliving some of our head-to-head battles from the field, I learned more about Tom’s passion for coaching young lacrosse players. He learned about my business success and my continued interest to help today’s high school and college athletes. Now, through a new training product – The Power Shaft™ – that he designed, we finally have the opportunity to play on the same team.

The Power Shaft (www.ThePowerShaft.com) allows lacrosse players to train and perfect their game any time of the day and any time of the year in the yard, in the park, or on the practice field. With my connections on the marketing side, more of you soon will learn about this product and how it will help your budding athletes improve their game.

There is a time for everything. This, I strongly believe, was the time for Tom and me to reconnect. Finally, after 30 years, we are wearing the same jersey, and it is today’s young lacrosse players who will have opportunities that we never had or never thought were possible.

Just as with baseball, spring is the time for businesses to re-evaluate returning talent, determine which rookies may require some more seasoning and to bring on board a veteran bench coach who will share valuable lessons with the team.

As the season begins with an economy that is trying to circle the bases without getting caught in a run-down, The Whitmore Group has added the consulting services of a valuable veteran to its roster.

Harry Pontone is a long-serving executive from the funeral services industry. In our dugout, he, will provide us with more than 60 years of business and management expertise to support our insurance underwriting and management programs for companies in the New York area and nationwide.

A licensed funeral director who graduated from the New York School of Embalming, Harry will share with us his career stats as a five-tool player in the areas of marketing, sales and management. He will help The Whitmore Group expand its casualty underwriting for funeral homes, other funeral-related businesses and businesses in other industries.

Harry started his career by working for his father, who founded the South Brooklyn Casket Company during 1931. Along with his brothers, Harry operated and expanded the business to include additional services such as personalization, merchandising and business planning. He dedicated his entire career to providing services in the death care industry with compassion.

Harry is the greatest salesman I ever met. He’s been a mentor to me and, for many years as one of our earliest clients, he has believed in the insurance program we developed for the funeral industry. His marketing and client service expertise, whether for the funeral business or for any line of business, along with his commitment to ensure that people’s wishes and needs are understood and respected, have been a tremendous asset to us since we first met. His experiences will be even more valuable to us now as we continue to improve our underwriting programs and services for all business sectors locally and across the country.

It is no secret that I attribute my success in business to all that I learned as an athlete in high school and college athletics. I also engage in business with many others who have played sports at various levels. While Harry did not get his game from the sports field, he did me one better, or, should I say, at least two sewers better. He played ball the hard way – figuring out how to get out of the house with his mother’s broom handle so he and his buddies could play stickball in the streets of Brooklyn.

Welcome to your new team, Harry!

JCM

Take it from someone who competed on the sports field. Trash talk can be brutal. It can be intimidating. It can push you off your game, if you let it get into your head.

We’ve seen more than enough of it. We see it in football, basketball, hockey and countless other games and competitions from the pros down to the level played by our children. But if you have confidence in your abilities, trash talk will not affect your game. It even can become a source of on-field entertainment and provide a little levity to remove some of the pressure.

The same scenario is found in business. Success is achieved by conducting pre-game research, developing a game plan and remaining focused on the desired outcome. Rather than discrediting the competition or speaking too much about personal abilities, concentration needs to be placed on the needs of clients and anticipating outside influences. The objective is to accomplish the desired results.

The Whitmore Group team doesn’t do any talking until we listen to and understand the needs of our clients. We do not become concerned when our competition claims it can deliver equal or better counsel, products or services. We already know that we provide our clients with the best talent to help them achieve their desired objectives. We prove this to them every day, and at the end of every day, we always leave the field together as champions.

JCM

Meet the Newest Member of the Whitmore Team

Coming from the sports world, I like to work with people who have experienced similar competition and have converted their drive for success into wins. Athletes understand the ingredients of success — extensive training and preparation, skill development, teamwork or individual commitment, and executing the game plan on the field. They also understand what it takes to rebound from tough losses.

At The Whitmore Group, our team recently added Louis D’Agostino to the lineup. A graduate of Lawrence High School on Long Island, where he was a star running back and linebacker, Louis received the 1990 Thorp Award for most outstanding Nassau County high school football player. Louis also enjoyed a successful college career at Hofstra University and then at the University of Rhode Island, where he received three team MVP awards and first-team All-Conference and All-American honors. He also received the Laboufe Award for 1995 Male Athlete of the Year.

Though undrafted after college, Louis relied on his work ethic and turned pro with the New York Jets. He then played with the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the XFL and the Florida Bobcats of the Arena Football League.

After finishing his on-field career, Louis joined a leading New York City insurance firm. Then, after honing his skills in the field, he created Iron Cove Partners, an agency dedicated to servicing the unique insurance requirements of the financial services and securities trading industry. He delivers a broad variety of risk management and insurance related products for business and high net worth individuals.

Now, Louis has brought his competitive business acumen to us. Iron Cove has become a division of The Whitmore Group and Louis is a senior vice president and a member of our management committee. He also will continue to oversee Iron Cove Partners as its managing principal.

Besides Louis, we have other Team Whitmore players with competitive sports backgrounds. But sports isn’t a pre-requisite for success here. Some of our employees never have competed on the field, but they have faced various challenges from childhood to today in the form of science competitions, dance recitals, overcoming serious personal situations and finding solutions that support our clients.

The bottom line is that all our employees know what it takes to compete. By choosing our experience, skill sets and preparation, our clients join a winning team.

JCM

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This past December, the women’s basketball team at UConn set an NCAA record. The team won its 90th consecutive game, passing the previous NCAA record set by Coach John Wooden’s UCLA men’s basketball team during the 1970s.

While many in the sports world celebrated, others, unfortunately, downplayed this fabulous story and achievement for a variety of reasons – citing significantly different levels of competition, a gap of 30+ years that resulted in different playing conditions and the opinion that the men’s record was a more difficult hill to climb. None of this, however, should have come into play to dampen the success achieved by UConn’s women athletes. Their record may never be broken and their outstanding success needs to be celebrated.

As with sports, achievements in business should never be compared and measured against the success of others from yesterday or 30 years ago. Accomplishments never will be exactly the same simply because the players, obstacles and available resources never will match perfectly.

Instead, all levels of success should be acknowledged and celebrated by an organization. Management’s role is to infuse encouragement for a team or an individual, help them seek new levels of success and lead the celebrations when goals are achieved.

At The Whitmore Group, each team and individual achievement is embraced company-wide. The knowledge gained from the battle benefits all our employees. All success stimulates our competitive spirit, helping each of us reach new heights to serve our clients.

JCM