Athletic Wisdom For Students

by Greg Bell

As a student-athlete, you know how to conduct yourself on the field, score big against all odds in the last minute of the game, and savor the praise of your parents and friends. Your dream of becoming a college athlete, and going on to pro seems to be taking shape, but are you aware of the stats? Have you thought about the commitment it will take to stand out? Are you absolutely sure that you are so in love with the sport you are playing that you want it to define your adult life?

As a football player for twenty-five years, from junior high school, to college at the University of Notre Dame, and up through the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and Los Angeles Raiders, Gregory Leon Bell knows something about sports. He knows how to capture the attention of coaches and recruiters, how to earn a scholarship, how to select the right college and navigate the NCAA rules, and how to strengthen the skill set needed to elevate your game to the demands of the college arena. Bell also considers himself a pro at making the most out of life, despite coming from the inner city of Columbus, Ohio, and being a minority in more environments than you may ever have to enter in your own life.

Greg has spent as much time being a passionate mentor as he spent carrying a ball on the field. In Athletic Wisdom for Students, he provides youths with the road map to becoming a “first rounder,” such as treating every decision as an opportunity, striving for greatness, dreaming big, accomplishing goals, developing leadership qualities, networking for your life, and becoming financially savvy upon first paycheck.

122 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 4, 2016

About the author

Greg Bell, CSP, is a recognized thought leader, author of Water The Bamboo®: Unleashing The Potential Of Teams And Individuals, and founder of the Water The Bamboo Center For Leadership. As an innovator and keen observer of highly successful leaders and teams, he distilled his findings into the Water The Bamboo approach to success. Through his entertaining and content-driven keynotes and seminars, Greg has encouraged and inspired thousands of leaders and teams to identify and water their bamboo to create remarkable results.

Greg learned the virtues of discipline and hard work from his grandfather, a Texas farmer. Greg was the first in his family to graduate from college; he played basketball at the University of Oregon where he was twice named Inspirational Player of the Year. After receiving a political science and law degree from the University of Oregon, he practiced law within a large organization.

Personal events inspired him to re-evaluate his life and priorities, and he helped launch the Coaches vs. Cancer campaign for the National Association of Basketball Coaches—a non-profit that has raised over 50 million dollars for cancer research.

Greg has become a highly sought-after speaker and thought leader. He teaches Water The Bamboo through his books, blog, and over 80 speaking engagements a year to help leaders and teams unlock their unlimited potential for growth. Greg is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), the highest earned designation for the National Speakers Association and International Federation of Professional Speakers. Only 10% of speakers have earned this designation.

Starting as a personal mantra, Water The Bamboo has evolved through the daily practice and hard-earned success of the leaders, coaches, high-performing individuals, and teams who have embraced the philosophy. Greg and Water The Bamboo were featured on a Public Broadcasting special that aired on stations across the country.

Simply put, Greg is a problem solver who will help you and your organization flourish. Water The Bamboo is not a feel-good philosophy; it’s about seeing the world in a new and profound way for better results.

Greg lives, works, and plays in Portland, Oregon with his wife and three daughters, whose middle names are Grace, Hope, and Joy.