A+hletics

By Malte Kramer




















For All My Team Mates



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Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction

Winning at Life
Lifes Stat Sheet
Your Why
Work Smart, Not Hard
Kill em with Kindness

Confidence and Communication
Self-Discipline
Organizational Skills
Study Habits

Essay Writing Done Right
Skim Reading
Research and Citation
Memorization Shortcuts

Smell the Roses
All of the Lights
The Social Media Trap












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Introduction

I wont waste your time. If I did, I would be going against
one of my key principles presented in this book: use time
consciously. Therefore, if you already know why you should
read this book, and why I am the right person to have
written it for you, go ahead and skip this introduction.

My name is Malte Kramer. I recently graduated as the 2014
Valedictorian from Pepperdine University while playing
NCAA Division 1 Basketball on scholarship. Simply put, I
know how to play in front of thousands on Tuesday, and
ace a final on Wednesday. Consistently. I finished with a
4.0 GPA. That means in four years of College I did not
receive a grade lower than an A. No, not even an A-.

In 2010 I came to America to play basketball while working
towards a college degree. I was neither athletic nor
talented enough to earn a scholarship to a four-year school.
I went to Cuesta Community College paying the out-of-
state tuition with my own saved up money. I paid to play
basketball for a Community College. Let that sink in. Just
two years later Im the Valedictorian at a prestigious school
with an acceptance letter to Stanford Business School in
my hands. Ive been called a genius and a nerd, but never
by anyone who really knows me. People who dont know
me tend to assume that I must either be freakishly
intelligent or lacking any kind of social life; a basketball-
playing Einstein or a loner who lives with his books. Theyre
wrong, on both accounts. I dont have any gifts that you
dont have, like seeing numbers as colors or a
photographic memory. And I didnt give up my social life in
College either. The truth is, I spent more time exploring
Malibu beaches and LA nightlife than many of my
teammates. I spent most of my time with friends, I dated
lots of girls, and did all the things one should experience in
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College. I had so much fun, its hard to explain. I could tell
you stories, but then this book would probably never get
published or worse, be deemed inappropriate for student
athletes.

If youre a student athlete I can relate to you. I was in your
shoes for the last four years of my life. Ive been through
the 5 am workouts, the losing streaks, the fights with
teammates, and I know what it feels like to be benched. I
had to battle back from knee surgery by spending 3 hours
in the training room every damn day, on top of the regular
team practice regiment. I know the disappointment of a
close loss, and the feeling after a big win like youre on
top of the world. I still hear the squeaking of the sneakers
when I go to sleep. And when people ask me what I do, I
still answer Im a basketball player. So if youre worried
about this book not being applicable to you, let me put your
mind at ease. I am just like you, with a slight difference: I
know how to win at academics.

So what prompted me to write this book? In a word:
teammates. Ive had over 200 of them over the years, and
many of them are now my best friends. The amount of
good people I have had the fortune to be around is nothing
short of amazing. And yet, I see so many of them struggling
with life away from basketball. Many of my former
teammates make more dumb decisions than free throws.
One got caught drinking on a dry campus and was
suspended. One became academically ineligible because
he forgot an assignment. One lost his scholarship because
he couldnt pass a general education course. One didnt
know how to manage his money and ended up broke after
an 8-year professional career in Europe and was forced to
move back in with his mom. Ive seen people smarter than
me fail, Ive seen better athletes than me end up nowhere.
Many times I have thought that these failures could be
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prevented. This book will provide you with the knowledge
that they dont teach you during freshman seminar. I will
give it to you straight, and by doing so allow you to
overcome the obstacles you will face as a student-athlete.



Im not a genius. Im not a gifted athlete. How did I
excel at both?
By using a mindset, a skillset, and a number of techniques
that can be taught.

Can you develop and use them?
Absolutely. Thats why Im writing this book.

Will you only get As from now on?
Probably not, but you will have the tools to maximize your
athletic AND academic potential.

Will you stay academically eligible?
Yes, if you follow the guidelines presented in this book, you
will always manage to stay academically eligible. More
importantly, you will set yourself up for the life that is to
come when the knees give in (and they eventually will, trust
me).











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#1 Winning At Life

"The mind is everything. What you think you become."
- Buddha

Almost every athlete cares about winning. Its our
competitive nature that helps us endure endless hours of
boring practices, early-morning conditioning with the
occasional throw-up, and mind-numbing video sessions.
We dont enjoy everything we do to be successful in our
sport, but we do it anyways because we know it will all be
worth it. Without that competitive drive to win, there would
be no Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, or Michael Phelps.
There would be a lot of average and a lot of laziness. There
wouldnt be any great achievements, because no one
would be willing to go through the necessary steps needed
to deliver exceptional performance. We as athletes accept
that. We know without the pain, sweat, and tears we will
lose games, lose our scholarship, or lose our job. We know
that sacrifice right now almost always leads to reward in the
future. We accept that, and live it every day. Our
competitive drive to win enables us to develop an athletes
mindset, which is made up of discipline, endurance, and
determination. As a result, most of us already have the
mindset needed to succeed in life. The problem is most
athletes apply that mindset only in their sport, and not with
anything else they do.

The simplest way to succeed is to apply your athletes
mindset to all aspects of life.




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#2 Lifes Stat Sheet

"Men lie, women lie, numbers dont
- Jay Z

Consider for a second what would happen if you studied
with the same intensity you practice with. Or imagine you
put the same passion that you have for scoring into reading
books. You would never get a bad grade again, you would
finish at the top of your class, and when you were ready
you could go to any grad school in the country or score a
high-paying job. Hold up, youre thinking its not that
simple, my passion for my sport comes naturally because it
feels more important than anything else. I know thats what
it feels like, but think about it rationally for a second. Take
the fans out of it, your friends, family, the prestige of being
an athlete, and that childhood dream of making the
NBA/NFL/MBL, and just look at your life rationally. You use
stats to interpret your game, right? Lets use stats to
interpret your future. If youre an NCAA athlete your
chances of going pro are somewhere between 0.8% and
1.5% on average, depending on your sport. That means if
youre not absolutely killing it, you wont go pro. It sounds
harsh, but thats the reality.

Its hard for college athletes to accept these numbers,
because were used to beating the odds. The thinking
goes: we made it from High School to College, we beat the
odds there, why shouldnt we be able to do it again?
Besides, were conditioned not to doubt ourselves. Were
trained to have full confidence in our ability because that
helps us perform at a higher level. In addition, most of us
come from a community of supporters who tell us every day
how great we are. We feel special, so beating the odds
doesnt seem so hard. Were told everyday: if you dont
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believe it you wont achieve it. To reach plan A, most of us
neglect plan B, and when we realize that we need it, its
often too late.

However, some of us do make it. Lets say youre one of
the lucky few. You beat the odds and turn pro. You play,
and depending on your sport and health your career ends
somewhere in your thirties. That means you have another
40 years to live. Looking at your whole life, its not even half
time yet. Unless you made millions and invested those well,
you will need to get another job at some point. Keep in
mind that youre now behind the rest of your graduating
class by about 10-15 years, with no work experience. If
these stats dont prompt you to take your life apart from
athletics seriously, talk to a former pro and ask them about
their transition into the work force. I can almost guarantee
you it sucked.

Dream big, but never, ever neglect your Plan B.

















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#3 Your Why

The rational approach can help us develop an
understanding for why working hard apart from Basketball
is worth it. However, for most of us understanding
something rationally and being able to apply it every day
are two entirely different animals. That includes me. If all I
had was the logical understanding of why I should succeed
apart from Basketball, I could never have developed the
drive needed to get to where I am today. The real reason
that will end up driving you to success is your why. Its the
fundamental explanation for why you do what you do. Its
the underlying motivation for your work. Its not rational and
its unique to every person. Its a feeling, a fear, a
worldview, an emotional connection, or a relationship. For
me its the fear of not using my potential, the fear of looking
back at my life when Im old realizing that I was average
when I could have been exceptional. The fear of not
making the most of my time on this earth gives me strength
and motivation. During my senior year at Pepperdine, our
Coach Marty Wilson asked everyone to tell their why to
the entire team. For many of us the why was a family
member. A common answer was: The reason why I do
what I do is my mother. I want to make her proud because
she raised me, and I would be nothing without her. A
couple of us said their why was wanting to be a role
model, for younger siblings, the people in their
neighborhood, or their home country. Some said their why
was God. Whether we realize it or not our why is the
strongest motivation we have. Most of us apply it whenever
it gets tough. When were ready to quit we think of the
person, the goal, or the love that has gotten us here, and
we decide to fight through. If your why is to be a role
model for the kids in your neighborhood, strive to inspire
them by having a meaningful career off the court as well as
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on the court. If your why is your mother, make her proud
by graduating with honors.

Expanding your why outside of your sport will be the
most powerful step you can take to succeed.































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#4 Work smart, not hard

Dont mistake activity for achievement.
- Coach John Wooden

In academics, smart work will ALWAYS beat out hard work.
You have limited time so you will have to focus your efforts
on the areas that count. Prioritizing is simple: you just have
to know what is due and rank it by importance. Always
work your way down, important tasks first. Look at your
syllabi and determine what matters most for every class
youre in. Your final research paper is worth 45% of your
grade, while homework accounts for 5%? Maybe skip a
homework assignment to get ahead on the research.
Always do the extra credit. Always participate in class
discussions if theres a participation grade, unless you
need to sleep to be refreshed for a test in the next class
period. Then by all means, sleep. You get the point. I cant
tell you whats right every time. Just dont be mindless
about what you spend your time on.

Before I do anything I always ask myself: Is what Im about
to do going to get me better results, inspire me, or help me
reach my goals? If it isnt, I dont do it.












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#5 Kill em with Kindness

If I had a penny for every time a teammate blamed a bad
grade on personal dislike by a professorwell, Id be rich.

The thing is, most of the time they were right.

Its no secret professors like some students, and dislike
others. All too often it appears random and unfair, and
sometimes it is. However, most professors just dislike the
students that dont show them respect. Professors are
experts in their field. Theyve spent years acquiring the
necessary knowledge. So they take offence to people who
dont value their wisdom and intellect. If youre usually late,
sleep through class, and dont show any interest, chances
are your professor wont show you much love.

Your professor controls your grades the same way your
coach controls your playing time. Your performance
matters, but they can always bench you for any reason.
Getting your professors on your side will not only help your
grades, it will also provide you with influential supporters for
your career later on. During my senior year I was contacted
multiple times by large companies interested in hiring me,
because my professors had referred me to their friends.

Making your professor like you doesnt take much effort or
time. The key is to be respectful and not look down on
them, especially if youre a star on campus due to your
sport. Youll have to break the conception of athletes being
arrogant pricks, so start by introducing yourself personally
to your professor. Be kind, and show that youre trying. Sit
in the first row, and answer a question here and there. Most
importantly, let your professors in. They generally want to
help, but they need a good reason. My junior year I had my
hardest class Applied Econometrics at 8 am. Our
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workouts from 5 to 7:30 left me drained and tired and I
often fell asleep during class. After the second time I fell
asleep I went up to the prof after class and told him that me
falling asleep wasnt a sign of disinterest but rather of
fatigue from the hard practices. He told me he appreciated
me telling him that. After that hed always make jokes about
me falling asleep whenever I saw him outside of class.
When I applied to grad schools he wrote my letter of
reference, which played a key role in getting into Stanford.