"The Breakfast Club" - Empowering Others

Most people have heard of Michael Jordan. Most people know he lead the Bulls to 6 NBA Championships. One of the ways he did this was by making those around him better. This article I am sharing with you today is from an email sent to me when I was playing basketball at the University of Ottawa in 2000. We were one of the worst teams in the country that year. We had a lot of talent, but we were all individuals (typical of underachieving teams).

This email was sent to a select few on the team and the end of the year...and I believe it was the catalyst that turn the Ottawa U basketball program around, from last in the country to a 7th ranking in Canada!
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What is The Breakfast Club?

Most guys dreaded their two-hour practice from 11 to 1. But a small group of guys, who really wanted to push themselves, formed this Breakfast Club thing. They’d work out a few times a week before practice. Then, when they were done working out, some time between 9 and 9:15, Michael’s chef cooked them breakfast. That’s how it really became the Breakfast Club. Those guys sat down to eat breakfast together, and then they’d go the Berto Center for practice.

Where did The Breakfast Club meet?


Michael had a full gym in his basement. It just made sense to work out there, because the team practiced at the Berto Center, which is about 15 minutes from Michael’s house. When did they? Three to four days a week, Tim actually drove from downtown Chicago to Michael’s house. They’d put in a good, hard hour of lifting, starting between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. They didn’t do heavy lifting, but instead a lot of agility work, quick reps, light weights—just stuff to build strength they could carry throughout the year.
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This was not about the extra workouts, or the breakfast with Michael...it was about one guy saying, "I can't take this team to the top on my own". I have to show them how to be better than me...what it takes to go the extra mile...and what is means to be a team.

1. Spend the time and helps those around you grow.
2. Lead by example (from my last blog)
3. It starts with a small few, but will quickly grow