One doesn’t become the “Sexiest Man Alive” overnight. People bestowed that title upon Mark Harmon during 1986. He was a star on the St. Elsewhere television program. By then, though, the actor was not new to the star scene. He had played college football and then portrayed a police officer with a dog partner in Sam (1977) and a helicopter rescue hero in 240-Robert (1979).

After attending a community college, Mark made the quantum leap to the big time at the University of California, Los Angeles. As the quarterback, Mark led UCLA during the 1972 and 1973 seasons. In his first game as a starter, his Bruins recorded a shocking upset over two-time defending champions Nebraska.

Mark was photogenic and now he was successful on the field. Plus, he was just a few miles away from the Hollywood studios. But, Mark needed a little more help to move him into his acting career. The push came from sister Kristin and Dragnet creator Jack Webb.

Kristin had married teen idol Rick Nelson and enjoyed a role on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Mark was just 12 at this time, so he was not quite ready for his primetime debut on television or the sports field. However, during 1973, after his star role at UCLA, a reboot show, Ozzie’s Girls, brought Ozzie and Harriet back to television. Through his sister, Mark nabbed a walk-on role. Kristin would enjoy only one other significant recurring role on television — portraying Jean Reed, the wife of Officer Jim Reed (Kent McCord) on Adam-12. But, that show’s connection to Jack Webb helped Mark.

Mark had turned down offers to play pro football. He dabbled with law school, worked at an ad agency and sold shoes. Finally, with his sister’s support, he sought advice from Jack, who secured guest spots for Mark on Emergency! and Adam-12. The football rolled from there – Sam, 240-Robert, St. Elsewhere and then NCIS along with plenty of appearances on other television shows and in films.

So, you just never know when or how a break will lead to a lifetime of success on or off the sports field.

The last year affected high school sports across the country. Games on the field, on the court and on the ice were postponed, rescheduled or cancelled. The pool, too, was not immune to the effects of the virus.

The girls swim team at Our Lady of Lourdes High School is grateful to nearby Beacon High School. The latter opened its pool to swimmers from four Dutchess County high schools while many schools and colleges closed pools to outsiders.

“From the bottom of my heart thank you very much” [for saving the season], said Lourdes senior swimmer Katie Thorn about Beacon’s coaches and school officials. “I don’t think they understand how much it meant to us to swim again. The swim team is like a family.”

Girls swimming is a fall sport in New York. The season was moved to March as schedules were juggled due to the pandemic. Lourdes competes in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. The team was permitted 90 minutes for practices or meets six days per week at the public high school. Quarantine for an extended period always was a concern but the team avoided this obstacle.

The six days in the water provided the girls with some sense of normalcy during this unusual time. While the Warriors lost the first four meets, the team completed the dual-meet season with a 4-6 record.

All dual and invitational swimming meets were conducted virtually. Masks were worn until swimmers were on the starting blocks. Swimmers competed in their home pools with times entered into a computer system to determine individual and team winners. The season allowed four Lourdes swimmers to qualify for individual events and the Lourdes relays at the Section 1 championships.

“It was an odd season,” concluded one-time Lourdes swimmer and third-year head coach Tom Bubel. A very common statement during an unusual year that has been repeated thousands of times nationwide by athletes, parents, coaches and officials.

Jayden Jenkins fell in love with football at an early age. But the young man always has been realistic, knowing that sports can only get a kid so far in life. Jayden quickly learned that education is key for career and life advancement.

As classes ended this past June at Stepinac High School in White Plains, Jayden announced that he planned to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point to play football and build a career in the military.

“I’m ready to leave,” Jayden announced at the time.

Jayden was raised in the South Bronx. He wanted to play basketball to follow in the footsteps of his father. But, when he was introduced to football by older cousins, he became hooked on the game by the age of six.

Through middle school, Jayden played for the Harlem Jets, the oldest and largest of the Jet’s community programs with more than 250 boys between the ages of five and 18. He was a running back and a scoring machine. He enjoyed the contact.

When it came time to explore high schools, Jayden noticed that many kids who played football at that level were built much larger than his slim frame. So, when he got to Stepinac, he hit the weight room, bulked up and practiced. He helped his school win two state championships.

Football has allowed Jayden to mature and become a leader, and he repeatedly has acknowledged the significant support he has received from coaches along the way. He also praises his parents, Ronald and Lanel, who kept him focused on education.

Jayden learned that many kids, especially in his Bronx neighborhood, aren’t as fortunate to have his drive, coaches who care and two involved loving parents. He credits football and basketball for keeping him off the streets and out of trouble. He credits his parents for helping him strive for success in the classroom.

As his high school play improved, Columbia, Sacred Heart, Army and Navy watched him. Nothing, though, felt right until he visited West Point. The size of the school and its atmosphere made him feel welcome.

“I was shocked,” he said when he learned that he had been accepted at the U.S. Military Academy. “My parents told me my time is going to come.”

While all the major professional and college sports leagues and associations have postponed game schedules and public events, the various leagues, associations, teams and players have not abandoned the countless staff members and arena employees who, so quickly, lost their major sources of income and family benefits. The sports world also has come to the rescue of medical and emergency personal who are on the front lines to battle the coronavirus.

In our corner of the world, the Yankees immediately initiated a program that supports its staff and vendor employees at the stadium. The Mets, too, have joined with Major League Baseball to address income shortfalls and family health concerns during the crises.

On the gridiron, the Giants are funding a program at the Meadowlands YMCA that provides free childcare for emergency response personnel for 10 weeks. The YMCA has continued to operate its daycare program in consultation with medical personnel for the children of these essential workers. The funding expanded the program to up to 42 children. The Jets are engaged by providing financial support for the COVID-19 Community Fund for low-income residents offered by the United Way of New York City.

The NBA, involving the Knicks and Nets, launched NBA Together, expecting to raise more than $50 million “to support people impacted by the coronavirus and community and healthcare organizations providing vital services around the world.” About $30 million has been pledged by teams and players. The program is supported by four pillars that focus on the latest global health and safety information, sharing guidelines and resources, working on mental and physical health, and keeping people socially connected. The league also is collaborating with fans, asking them to share stories, photos and videos focused on small acts of kindness.

All NHL teams, including our Rangers, Islanders and Devils, also are providing financial assistance for team staff members and arena workers.

With the suspension of all athletics, we certainly have a huge void in our social lives. As you can see, though, the sports world has not remained idle, joining forces with others (while maintaining social distance) to help people across the country and worldwide.

Let’s be patient and let’s support our family, friends and our communities when we can. Join me in looking forward to good days that certainly are within reach.

Did you hear about David Ayres? If you don’t follow hockey, you may have missed this wonderful moment, the most magical night of David’s life.

More than 15 years ago, David was an aspiring NHL goalie. A few weeks ago, at the age of 42, he finally played in a game. He was the winning goalie for the Carolina Hurricanes in a 6-3 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs. David, though, was not on the Carolina roster at the start of the game.

David works a regular job, coaches kids and suits up as Toronto’s practice goalie. He also drives the Zamboni at the Toronto arena and he serves as the game-day emergency backup goalie. When both goalies on a team leave a game, the emergency backup at each NHL arena quickly signs a contract for $500, suits up and gets on the ice. He could play for the home team or the visiting team. He could play for one shift or the remainder of the game.

The starting Carolina goalie on this night left at 6:10 of the first period with a lower-body injury. His replacement was body checked and left the game with 28:41 remaining in the game. Enter David, who made eight saves on 10 shots, recorded a shot on goal that appeared on the score sheet and then was credited with the win.

The Hurricanes players entered their locker room laughing, cheering loudly and chanting “Dave! Dave! Dave!” Their winning goalie was the last to leave the ice and then he was stopped halfway up the tunnel. David had to return to the ice, because he was named the first star of the game.

When David finally got to the locker room, he was doused by sprays of water by his new teammates. In the Toronto locker room, the Maple Leafs coach was unhappy with the loss but he felt good for David. The Toronto coach once had been David’s minor league coach.

While playing in the minors, David had faced a very serious medical issue. He underwent a kidney transplant with his mother as his donor. David’s career became secondary as he just was pleased to be alive.

Following David’s NHL debut, the Hurricanes announced a donation would be made to a kidney foundation to honor their goalie. His game-used goalie stick immediately appeared in the hockey hall of fame. The governor of North Carolina announced that David now was an honorary member of the state. David also made the rounds on television in Canada and the U.S.

“What a moment for him that he can have the rest of his life,” Hurricanes coach and former NHL star Rod Brind’Amour told his team and the media. “That’s incredible. That’s why you do this.”

David left the arena that night carrying a case of beer and his game-worn Hurricanes No. 90 jersey. He said he is going to look at that jersey every day.

Rasmus Dahlin, a defenseman, was the first overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft. At that point, he had played defense full-time for just one year.

Rasmus’ rise to become the top pick at the age of 17 at a position that still was new to him placed the spotlight on the importance of long-term athletic development—develop the athlete first and then allow the player to focus on specialization.

To accomplish this in hockey and for any sport, parents should allow their children to experience a variety of athletic programs. When the player decides to concentrate on a specific game, then a coach should allow the young athlete to experience all angles of that game. The best way to learn is for an athlete to play multiple positions.

So, how can coaches and parents support our young athletes? Here are some thoughts, with a couple of examples from brothers Anthony and Nick Bernardo. A while ago, Anthony (who also participated in lacrosse and track) and Nick (who enjoys and still plays baseball) decided to concentrate on hockey. Their subsequent success on the Long Island ice hockey scene has been showcased for a number of years with the PAL Junior Islanders.

• Encourage young athletes to try multiple positions. Learning, understanding and then executing the responsibilities of each position helps build game knowledge and player confidence. Anthony has played left and right wing on his hockey teams. As a right-handed shooter, he has learned that he can create more plays in the offensive zone from the left side than from the right side.

• Let players “feel” the game from different positions. Players develop empathy and understanding for the challenges faced by teammates when they personally obtain a different perspective.

• Each position is responsible for specific assignments within a game. The opportunity to adjust to different roles improves a player’s awareness as the game unfolds. As a forward, Nick realized that his team’s defensemen were not rushing the puck up ice to help generate offense. Now, as a defenseman for eight years, Nick concentrates on moving the puck quickly to the offensive zone after taking care of his responsibilities in the defensive end. Today’s hockey is more dynamic than ever and a defenseman such as Nick knows that the position spends less time skating backward and more time joining the rush.

• Encourage each player to contribute to the team concept. While some young players will be adamant that they only want to play one position, teach them the benefits of adapting their abilities to different positions. They will broaden their game knowledge, improve technical skills, build confidence and raise their compete level. This opportunity also allows players to begin to think about the team and it provides a coach with game day flexibility to cover for injured, ill, or otherwise unavailable players.

All the players, along with the manager and coaches, were introduced to the fans at this year’s opening day at Yankee Stadium. Danilo Valiente received polite applause. But, for the many fans who were at the park or watched the ceremonies on television, Danilo Valiente was an unknown wearing a pinstripe uniform.

Was he a new player? A new coach?

“It was just like a dream,” he told reporters later. “I was standing there thinking: How could I be here? What am I doing in this place? I could feel the tears coming down my face. It was the biggest thing that ever happened to me.”

Here’s the story about how the 47-year-old Danilo got to that place, how he heard his name on the public address system at Yankee Stadium and how he found himself standing along the first base line with the manager, coaches and players.

Danilo played ball in Cuba until he was 25 years old, reaching the equivalent of that country’s Class AAA league. He was told that too many good players were ahead of him, so he decided to become a coach. He also managed, leading the Boyeros club to the 1996 championship. One of his pitchers on Boyeros would become a Yankee—Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez. Danilo then coached for an even more prestigious club but had to supplement his meager earnings by working at a hospital. During all this time, he learned the art of throwing batting practice.

He married an American woman and moved to Tampa. Soon after, his wife died and Danilo needed to become more immersed in baseball to address his grief. He even found the nerve to approach Mark Newman, a senior Yankees official, during one of Newman’s morning walks around the Yankees spring training and minor league complex in Tampa. He requested a position with the Yankees organization. It took a while, but Danilo eventually was hired. He worked in Tampa and with three of the Yankees minor league teams. The players raved about his ability to throw batting practice, which has become a highly-prized specialty, and he was promoted to the big league team last September.

So, you ask, how was a batting practice pitcher selected to be introduced at Yankee Stadium prior to the home opener?

A day earlier, the Yankees were flying to New York when one of the players called Danilo to the back of the airplane for a brief discussion. The player told Danilo that not only did he deserve the promotion but that he also deserved to be acknowledged. The player said that he had informed management that Danilo should be introduced at Yankee Stadium. Danilo was told to be ready for the opening day ceremonies.

Derek Jeter was that Yankees player who made it happen for Danilo to be introduced before 48,000 fans at Yankee Stadium. Upon hearing the story, one longtime baseball fan repeated what many people have said about the Yankees shortstop for 20 years: “He gets it!”

Perseverance by Danilo and leadership by Derek led to an experience of a lifetime. These are two great lessons for you to follow each time you begin your workday.

- Jim

At the U.S. Women’s Open a little more than a month ago, the debut for one player was marred by a couple of double bogeys and a triple bogey. She failed to find the fairway on one shot. She hit another into a bunker. The shot out of the sand rolled past the flag and off the green. She hit her chip about 20 feet past the hole.

This new player on the circuit finished the day at eight-over-par 78. Despite the problems and probably some jitters, she remained upbeat. “It was a lot of fun,” said Lucy Li. “I kind of struggled today, but it was great.”

Then she took a bite from a pink ice cream bar. As she continued to talk with the media, she occasionally giggled and grinned, revealing a mouthful of braces.

Lucy Li is just 11 years old, and on this day she beat a few other players who posted first-round 79s. More than a dozen players did not break 80.

One player said that while Lucy may look 11, she doesn’t speak as most 11-year-olds and she certainly doesn’t hit a golf ball the way other children do at that age.

At such a tender age, Lucy already knows how to place her game in perspective. “I learned that you’ve got to be patient,” she said. “One shot at a time. Try to get rid of the big numbers.”

That’s much the same way we operate around the office. We remain patient. We address one issue at a time with our clients. We try not to overwhelm them and ourselves with big problems.

When a workday is over, whether it was spent on the golf course or in the office, we all must remember to reward ourselves for a job well done no matter the outcome. Lucy already knows what to do. When she was asked about her plans for the rest of the day after her debut, she grinned and said: “Eat some more ice cream.”

My favorite is chocolate. What’s yours?

- Jim

After baseball’s spring training, David Adams, a second baseman, was released by the Yankees. Then came a roster of injuries, and Adams was resigned by the team as infield insurance. He played in the minor leagues until he was eligible for promotion to the big team during mid-May.

A chain of unusual events put Adams in the Yankee lineup at third base. Alex Rodriquez had off-season hip surgery. His replacement, Kevin Youkilis, was injured and eventually required back surgery that has disabled him for about four months. Other utility players were moved around the infield due to a disabling injury to the shortstop, Eduardo Nunez, who was keeping the position warm until the injured Derek Jeter could return from a twice broken bone.

Eventually the task at third was thrust upon Adams. His fielding was good, and his hitting started well—a .323 batting average with a couple of home runs and a handful of RBI in his first eight games. Then, things changed on the offensive side. His average plummeted to .191 and he still had two home runs and only a few more RBI after 26 games.

According to his manager, opposing teams studied him. Pitchers made adjustments on how they threw to him. Fielders were positioned to catch any ball he put in play. Adams never made the counter-adjustment, and he eventually realized the problem.

He put pressure on himself. He tried to accomplish too much and he shifted away from his strengths and what he could execute well. He realized he needed to simplify his approach to the game and again trust his plan.

The Yankees continued to juggle players as a few returned from their injuries. Adams was sent back to the minor leagues to work through his struggles.

Similar situations occur all the time in business. A company often must call upon an employee to fill a void. When that call comes, a worker must continue to make adjustments to a variety of unfamiliar conditions. A person who has confidence and can adapt well to new situations will, more often than not, remain with the top team.

Jim

During a Little League playoff game last summer, a boy with the Brewster team of Putnam County had to leave the dugout. An opponent protested his presence since he was not a roster player, and because his wheelchair created a liability issue.

Evan Sussman has had cerebral palsy since infancy. While he and the team were disappointed by the ruling, matters have turned out just fine for him and other players.

Soon after, Evan was allowed back in the dugout. He threw out the first pitch for the team’s next game. He and his teammates, and their families, received 20 tickets to a Yankees game from the local Stop & Shop supermarket, and then they received a matching donation of tickets from the Yankees.

Before the game, Evan was on the field during batting practice. He met the players and he fired strategic questions at manager Joe Girardi. “Can you tell me why,” asked Evan about a previous game, “you decided to switch the pitcher?”

The surprises didn’t end there. Rawlings heard about the story and sent Evan a personalized glove. Some things, though, had to wait for this season.

Evan’s mom, Karen Kushnir, is a special education advisor. When this all began, she was saddened by the circumstances. Then she spoke with officials of the Brewster Little League. The conversations led to the creation of the Brewster Challenger League for special-needs players. Many parents and students who wanted to help Evan and others like him in the community contributed their time to create two Challenger League teams.

Evan, his mom and others did not become discouraged on that day when Evan had to leave the dugout. Instead, they turned a disappointing situation into a new opportunity. Now baseball is providing more children in Brewster with the opportunity to have fun.

Jim