One Dad's daily reminder to his kids

As a parent, I really enjoyed this article about how Nick Sanchez, father of USC QB Mark Sanchez, raised his kids.

Here's an excerpt from the story in the Orange County Register:

Every day before they left for school or he dropped them off somewhere, Nick Sanchez would tell his sons: "Be a leader today."  

One of his tactics was to have them state their multiplication tables, talk about their science projects or spell words while shooting free throws or dribbling with their off hand. The idea behind that?  "Being able to multitask," Nick Sanchez said, "and to place them (in) a stressful situation so they're able to think on their feet and make decisions."

Nick Sanchez isn't sure where he picked up his taskmaster tendencies -- although it's worth noting that the Orange County fire captain was a sergeant in the Army.

He pushed his kids hard, on the field and in the classroom.  While riding in the car, Nick would ask them what they did in school that day. He wouldn't accept "Uh, nothing" for an answer, insisting that they elaborate.

Whatever the activity, he asked them "to achieve above and beyond what they felt was their best."