Owner's Rep in Real Estate Development: Instrumental in Project Success

Steve Bentley is a high net-worth individual living in Los Angeles, CA. He identifies a parcel of vacant land near his home that he believes would be ideal to build a multi-family project on. Without really looking at any other properties or running any detailed financial projections on the development, he acquires the property.

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Owner's Rep in Real Estate Development - Instrumental in Project Success

Steve Bentley is a high net-worth individual living in Los Angeles, CA. He has been making a good living for years running the family business that he inherited from his parents. Although, Steve considers himself to be a savvy investor, putting his earnings away in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and the like, he feels that he needs to diversify his portfolio a little bit more. When the market went south in 2008, Steve's returns on his investments did as well. After researching alternative investments, he has decided to get his feet wet in real estate. He knows a couple of people in the business and is aware of the potential returns of a successful development. He identified a parcel of vacant land near his home that he believes would be ideal to build a multi-family project on. Without really looking at any other properties or running any detailed financial projections on the development, he acquires the property.

Once the property acquisition is complete, Steve hires an Architect to design his vision. You see, Steve is under the impression that all he needs to complete this undertaking is an Architect and a General Contractor. The Architect is quick to alert him that there is much more needed for a project of this magnitude. Not only will he need his Architectural Services to design this 42-unit stick-frame condo structure over podium parking, but he will also need a Planning Consultant to get the project entitled through the governmental authorities; a Structural Engineer to design and engineer the structure; a Civil Engineer to design all of the site utilities and earthwork since his parking has to run subterranean; a Geotechnical Engineer to perform tests on the soil which the building foundation will sit; an MEP Engineer to design and engineer the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems; an Interior Designer to design the finishes of the residential units and common areas so they are saleable; a Landscape Architect to design the outdoor hardscape and landscape; an Acoustical Consultant to make sure the sound transmissions coming into the condominiums are code compliant; a Waterproofing/Roofing Consultant to make sure the building design does not allow any water infiltration that could potentially lead to future lawsuits; an Elevator Consultant to design the elevator system; a Building Insurance Inspection Consultant because the insurance provider requires them for condominium work; and since this project is in a neighborhood that is trying to lobby for lower density, he even needs a Political / Community Outreach Consultant to deal with opposition of the local Not in My Backyard ("NIMBY") contingent.

Steve knows that he is not certified to do any of this work on his own and does not want to get sued for a construction defect in 10 years. As such he decides to hire all of these entities but doesn't know how he can possibly manage all of them. Steve has no experience in construction, let alone design and engineering. Additionally, he has blown through his budget for soft costs, which were essentially busted to begin with. As such, he decides to try and manage all of them on his own. Several months into hiring all of the consultants, as well as a General Contractor, things start to fall apart. The consultants are not producing their deliverables by the deadlines promised, the drawings reflect conflicting information, and Steve cannot even manage to get an appointment to submit the drawings into plan check with the city. The contractor forgot to submit his insurance certificate before mobilizing onsite and one of their workers was injured when performing structural excavation, city inspectors have already written several correction notices due to unsafe conditions, the contractor's hard costs are getting carried away, not to mention they are submitting numerous change orders because there were so many holes in Steve's contract with them. Everything is a huge mess and Steve needs help fast. It is now apparent that he needs an outside consultant to rectify these issues and manage the project on his behalf. In hindsight, he should have brought someone on board, possibly even before he submitted his offer on the property.

Introducing the Owner's Rep

Herein lies the need for the Owner's Representative in the real estate / construction industry. The Owner's Representative, also referred to as the Owner's Rep, OR, or simply Project Manager, is sometimes an overlooked asset that can be included in any project undertaking. The Owner's Rep bridges the gap between ownership and all other entities involved with the project. They control the design and construction process, making sure that every decision is made in the Owner's best interest. A true Owner's Rep is well versed in development as well, managing the entire development process and not just design and construction. More often than not, an Owner's Rep has a background in development themselves, so they know what it takes to pull off a successful development project and maximize their client's Internal Rate of Return ("IRR"). In turn, the Owner's Rep can use their ownership experiences to solve problems and offer creative solutions that directly affect the bottom line.

As one can see from the litany of tasks mentioned earlier in Steve's case, there are a myriad of moving parts to a development project, many of which may be a daunting undertaking for most small property owners to handle on their own. If the Owner chooses, the Owner's Rep can manage every aspect of the project, ranging from approvals to lease-up, something that individual Contractors or Consultants don't have experience handling either. Hiring an Owner's Rep is crucial and will allow the Owner to focus their time and resources on more important issues.

Acquisition

A very experienced Owner's Rep can even be brought on before the acquisition of the property, to help the Owner with things like property selection, acquisition analysis, economic studies and due diligence. They may also provide financial support, assisting in the identification of various forms of traditional and non-traditional financing sources and then help evaluate and analyze each of the options. The compilation of feasibility reports may also be necessary for decision making and reporting to various partners such as equity, banks, and appraisers, which include market research, detailed financial analysis, entitlement summaries, and justification for "go/no go" decisions. The Owner's Rep may also put together and update the project pro forma and even lead the project through the typically complex entitlement process, providing coordination with the city officials, land-use attorneys, and Architects involved.

Design

When it comes time to start the design process, the Owner's Rep will assist in selecting the design team, typically at a minimum consisting of all of the players mentioned in Steve's project above. They may create and issue a formal Request for Proposal ("RFP") to go out to several different firms, or they may rely on past relationships to select a firm that best suits the particular project. Once the project team is formed, the Owner's Rep can lead the effective collaboration towards a common goal. Again, the Owner's Rep is typically involved in every aspect of the process and spearheads the flow of information among Architects, Designers, Engineers, Planners, Consultants, Contractors, Vendors, Property Managers, Sales Staff, Lenders, Governmental Authorities and of course, the client. Due to the number of players involved in the process, the Owner's Rep should have a commanding influence to lead this synchronized effort to crystallize the design concept so that it can be built in the field. This point in the project is the ideal time to start exploring/visiting the value engineering possibilities. Value engineering is a technique in which the value of a system's outputs is optimized by crafting a mix of performance and costs. In most cases this practice identifies and removes unnecessary expenditures, thereby reducing the cost. The Owner's Rep should work with the consultants to remove these unnecessary costs and put the money in places where it should be spent.

This may also be an opportune time to perform a LEED analysis if the client wishes to go in that direction. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ("LEED") Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council ("USGBC"), provides a suite of standards for the environmentally sustainable design, construction and operation of buildings and neighborhoods. Several Owner's Representation firms have LEED Accredited Professionals ("LEED AP") on staff, which have the capability of analyzing a design and driving it to LEED certification.

Procurement

The Owner's Rep may prepare and maintain a Master Cost Report if the client so chooses, which includes the hard and other related development costs, such as acquisition, design & engineering, permits & fees, legal, FF&E & OS&E, administrative, sales, and marketing costs. This budget should include allowances for any anticipated cost exposures.

Prior to construction, the Owner's Rep can interact with the proper authorities who have jurisdiction to secure the necessary project approvals and permits. Having the design team do this alone may prolong the process as they do not exhibit the same urgency due to their lack of ownership in the project. Many times an Owner's Rep is needed to facilitate this coordination effort in a timely manner. They will also orchestrate all of the contractor bidding and trade buyouts. Whether the plan is to use a General Contractor, several prime Contractors, many direct Subcontractors, or any combination thereof, formal RFP's should be issued and sent to at least three different contractors for each trade to ensure sufficient coverage through competitive bidding. All returned bids should then be thoroughly vetted and a comprehensive bid comparison presented to the client prior to awarding any contract. After this "apples-to-apples" bid comparison has been compiled for a particular trade, negotiations will commence to establish a complete scope of work that is cost effective.

Many times, in order to save costs, materials and equipment may be bought directly through a purchase order to the client. Similar to the trade work above, pricing should be obtained from at least three vendors to ensure sufficient coverage through competition.

Construction

The Owner's Rep should prepare and maintain a Master Construction Schedule which incorporates all construction activities, procurement, material lead times, submittal lead times, approvals, permits, inspections, tenant relations, logistics, sales, marketing and turnover to the end-user. Weekly meetings should typically be held with the General Contractor and Subcontractors to review three-week or six-week look-ahead schedules.

The Owner's Rep should also maintain a working history set of all project documents in the field, including drawings, specifications, requests for information ("RFI's"), submittals, sketches ("SK's") and all relevant tracking logs. Every RFI response needs to be posted onto the drawings to ensure not only proper quality control in the field, but also a complete set of as-built drawings that can be turned over to the client at the end of the job. Additionally, the Owner's Rep should review and provide insight to every submittal, RFI and SK that comes through to make sure everything is warranted and properly clarified. In addition to document control, the Owner's Rep should also provide quality control in the field. In most cases a Superintendent should be part of the OR's staff, walking the job every day, from start to finish. This supervision is key to having a successful project that is built per plan and spec. It is also imperative to have a Superintendent to manage the field labor so that manpower stays at a consistent and productive level.

The Owner's Rep should make sure that each contract carries a complete scope of work in order to minimize the amount of change order requests coming in from the contractors. When they do arise, a thorough review and negotiation will take place to determine the validity of the request prior to approval.

The OR's superintendent should work with the Contractors as they prepare and go through the many inspections required by the authorities having jurisdiction during the construction process with the end goal being to receive final building certifications.

Accounting/Cost Control

As invoices, or monthly applications for payment, come in from the Contractors, the Owner's Rep should review prior to recommending payment to client. It is beneficial to work with each of the Contractor's in preparing their schedule of values during contract negotiations to maintain a proper breakdown and format that is consistent and comprehensive for the client during billing. During these billing periods, the OR should also request and gather all conditional and unconditional waiver and release of lien forms from all Contractors, Subcontractors, and Sub-Subcontractors for progress payments and final payments. If payments are made correctly, this will protect the client from having mechanic's liens recorded on their property.

Every month, as part of the Master Cost Report, a complete cash flow analysis and draw schedule should be updated and presented to the client, projecting costs on a month-to-month basis so that the client has a clear and realistic schedule of anticipated expenditures and bank draws. This service can range from general oversight and direction as to timing the cash with request, and move all the way to full control of the project's cash management in a fiduciary position.

Project Close-Out

As construction nears completion, the Owner's Rep should provide a punchlist of all completed work. A punchlist document will be generated listing those items of work which have been observed as incomplete or requiring correction. The contractor then finishes the items on this list before Final Completion may be declared and final payments authorized. Also, near the end of the project, the OR will gather and compile books of all applicable product manufacturer and workmanship warranties, along with all applicable operations & maintenance ("O&M") manuals for the end-user. In residential construction, these can be put together to be turned over to the individual homeowner, the homeowner's association and/or the property management firm.

For a residential project, one must be cognizant of the Department of Real Estate ("DRE") requirements. The Owner's Rep should be involved with all DRE Filings, creating an itemized checklist of all relevant requirements and then tracking each of these items to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks as a project approaches its various tract map and condo permitting processes.

Sales/Marketing

Some Owner's Representation firms may have the staff and experience to aid the client with sales, marketing, and/or lease-up, either directly or indirectly by providing oversight. They can help identify a competent and appropriate sales team and establish sales and marketing strategies to be used for the project. Particular importance should be placed upon helping the client devise a sales and marketing campaign which helps the project differentiate itself from the competition and attract the right type of customer to the sales team.

If there is a "for-lease" component to the project, an Owner's Rep may be able to source and procure various potential tenants for a client, as well as negotiate the terms of their lease. A savvy Owner's Rep can provide a detailed lease analysis, abstracting and reporting in-place or proposed lease documents, making sure to identify the major deal points and lease clauses which impact the financial results and flexibility of the project.

Conclusion

In broad terms, the Owner's Representative will be the direct representative of the client, spearheading all aspects of the job and recognizing and solving conflicts. When complex issues arise, they will explore all options available, distill the information, and provide the client with a concise set of options, clearly defined, along with a recommended course of action.

To reiterate, the Owner's Representative is a critical team member to any successful real estate development project. As noted earlier in Steve Bentley's case, poor decisions can easily be made by property owners simply because they do not fully understand the issues at hand and have experience with the processes. Sound advice to any property owner or prospective property owner looking into any type of development venture is to consider including an Owner's Rep on the project team. More times than not, the client will discover that the time, money and hardship saved by having an Owner's Representative involved will more than pay for the OR's fee.

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Success Lessons From The Builders Of The Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge in New York cost about twenty-seven lives to build. The first man to die was the designer of the bridge John Roebling, an immigrant engineer from Prussia.

However, the bridge is an awe inspiring monument to the courage, skill, determination and perseverance of the Roebling family and the workers who risked illness and death in its construction

In 1869, John Roebling planned what would be the largest suspension bridge in the world. It would span the East River in New York to join the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. It would be over a mile long.

It took thirteen tough years to complete the bridge. Tragically, John Roebling missed those thirteen years. He injured his foot when it was crushed between a pylon and a ferry as he surveyed the area.

He refused anaesthetic as his crushed toes were amputated and then tried to cure his foot by dripping water on it night and day. The water may well have infected his toes. He eventually developed lock jaw and died in agony of tetanus.

Even while he was in hospital he demanded regular updates on the progress of the bridge. His condition deteriorated but he still helped solve onsite problems. His huge determination and incredible focus on the job in hand was passed on to his son and his daughter-in-law.

Washington had seen death and agony on the battlefields of the Civil War but his father's painful death still affected him hugely. He partly blamed himself:

"I feel that I perhaps made a mistake in not taking my father to a hospital at once. But my father had very decided beliefs, and looked upon hospitals as the abode of the devil - and upon doctors as criminals."

Washington Roebling took over his father's role as chief engineer on the project. He worked with the same energy and drive that had raised him to the rank of Colonel in the Union army during the civil war. Like his dad, he unwisely put work before health but one can only admire his dedication.

Washington directly supervised construction of the underwater caissons upon which the bridge's massive towers would be built. Because of this underwater work, he suffered several times with decompression sickness, or the bends, as early as 1872.

However, thanks to the intelligence, skills and close support of his wife, Emily, Washington continued to control the project. He sent messages through Emily to his chosen engineers who appreciated the understanding Emily had developed of how to carry out this hugely challenging engineering project.

At times, Washington used a telescope from his house on Brooklyn Heights to keep in touch with events on the banks of the East River but his main support and means of communication was his wife.

Emily had read and filed every scrap of news about the bridge since the beginning and had worked at her husband's side during the entire construction effort.

With Emily, Washington discussed the detailed blueprints, and with her he shared all of his own and his father's bridge building plans and dreams. Emily began to study many topics related to civil engineering so that she could support her husband. These topics included maths, the strength of materials and cable construction.

She possessed the winning combination of being able to work hard, communicate effectively and being able to learn the engineering skills necessary to achieve her husband's goals.

When a board of inquiry was convened by the American Society of Civil Engineers to determine if Washington Roebling should be removed as Chief Engineer, Emily's effectiveness in managing the work to that date convinced them that the Roeblings should remain in charge.

The bridge was eventually opened in 1883. The first person to walk across was Emily Roebling. Plaques honoring Emily's accomplishments are installed on both the Brooklyn and New York towers of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The bridge itself is a monument to the work of both John and Washington Roebling.

The story of the bridge is full of inspiring lessons about success. John Roebling took a risk by leaving Germany for the USA. The risk paid off. At the time Germany lacked the money and the will for big, new engineering works.

The US government, on the other hand, had put money aside to encourage building projects. Success often involves the risk of moving from a dead end to somewhere with more potential.

My own father was a civil engineer who moved from England to China where I was born at the start of World War II. The risk he took did not pay off as we ended up in a concentration camp but it certainly led to a character building experience for the whole family!

We were eventually rescued by American GI's. One of my most treasured possessions is a plane made of bullets given me by one of them. My father soon moved us on to Iran to work on the waterworks in Tehran. This move was more successful.

John Roebling built several remarkable bridges around the USA before he built up the knowledge and skill to successfully plan the hugely ambitious Brooklyn Bridge. People usually build confidence through starting small and ending big.

He showed lazer focus on the project even when he was dying. He made the wrong choice with hydrotherapy but he made the right choices for the bridge. Probably no other engineer in the United States could have planned this bridge. Mastering skills makes the master, or mistress in Emily's case, invaluable.

Washington showed the same focus and skill as his dad. He shared the dangers of his men in working in the caissons. This is the mark of great leaders like Alexander the Great and Nelson who both suffered injuries along with their men.

His determination and leadership led to the completion of one of the great bridges of the world. He overcame one obstacle after another to do this. This including dealing with the shoddy wire he was supplied with by an unscrupulous merchant. Successful people do not give up in the face of crippling problems.

Emily showed what one determined and intelligent woman can achieve. She did what most people would think was impossible. When she did not know what to do, she did not give up. She simply learned the skills necessary to carry on. She had enough confidence to learn on the job.

Her courage, confidence and intelligence were exceptional in a century when middle class and upper class women were looked on as mere ornaments. She clearly did not accept this view.

In recent times on the internet, Sharlene Raven took over the internet business of her husband Scott when he was struck down with illness. Both Ravens produce great products which I know I can trust.

Most successful people learn to rely on the help of others for their success. They also ignore the limits placed upon their abilities and achievements by the views of others.

To succeed we need to learn the skills and knowledge which are relevant to the goals we are pursuing even if we learn on the job. In fact, it is quite often more easy to learn on the job than in an ivory tower away from the dust and dirt of reality.

We need to believe that we are the people who can carry the job through. We need to work, like John and Washington, with focus and energy whether we feel like it or not.

Both the Brooklyn bridge, its builders and the Roeblings are an inspiration to the world.

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Three Key Success Words Beginning With A

Recently, I read some articles by two of my favourite self-help gurus, Chris Widener and Mike Brescia, which inspired me to write about three words beginning with the letter 'A'. These words have nothing to do with alcohol or cars.

The three words 'Act, Again and Anyway' can remind us of three powerful ideas which usually accompany success.

Human beings can both think in some detail and can take massive action focused on a particular goal unlike many animals. However, too many humans do not keep the right balance between thinking and acting.

Some are dynamos who love to take action but their actions often lead up blind alleys or take you in the wrong direction. You all know the scenario where you have been given a lift and gradually both you and the driver realize that neither of you have studied the maps thoroughly enough.

I once ended up going north in the UK when I should have been going south. On this occasion, my dynamic friend who was driving majored on action but flunked on planning. He kept up a steady sixty miles an hour driving on intuition and a very vague knowledge of the route. Fortunately, I spotted the signs to Newcastle when we should have been viewing signs to Dover and the south.

We did an about turn and eventually reached home in Kent! We had a good laugh at the time but might not have been so merry if we had actually ended up in Newcastle.

On the other hand, you have people who never leave home because they spend too much time worrying about the best routes. These people think too much and plan too much. The same happens in any activity whether it is driving or going in to business. Some people think too much and never act and others act without thinking.

On the whole, it is probably better to have a bias towards action rather than thinking. At least, if you act, you can find out that you are going the wrong way and take corrective action. If you just think, nothing much happens.

It is at the least arguable that not enough thought and planning took place before Iraq was invaded. The UN majored on thinking and talking while the USA and UK majored on action. A little more communication between the two groups might have improved the chances of a happy outcome.

My computer trouble shooter, Danny Burke, reckons that action should take up 75% of our time and thinking should take up 25%. Certainly, it is worth reading some at least of the instructions before trying to install some software or hardware on your computer!

Taking action can relieve stress. If you are worried about something, taking action of some sort right now can relieve the anxiety. Are you worrying about being in debt? Take action and buy less. Cancel all the magazines you never read etc. If your house is cluttered, stop feeling overwhelmed by it all and take action to sell or give away or even throw away unnecessary items.

The next key word is 'again'. Accept the fact that repetition is the mother of progress and positive habits. Understand the fact that some actions need to be taken again and again and again and again until they have become skills or habits

Mike Brescia mentions a great hockey coach who led the USA hockey team to victory against a more experienced and more skilful Russian team in 1980. The coach's favourite word was 'again'. In other words, practise that skill again and again until you can perform it with your eyes shut.

Some of my martial arts students practise their forms or patterns again and again until they know them well and can make their techniques look effective and powerful. Others need to learn about the word 'again'. They can just about manage to stagger through the form with hesitations and pauses for remembrance. They have stopped practising too soon and need to learn how to put up with the boredom of repetition.

Affirmations will only work if they are repeated. Without repetition, they will not enter the subconscious mind and start affecting your daily actions. Too many people want instant results and will do anything to avoid boredom. They soon give up on their daily affirmations.

The third word 'anyway' is one of my favourites. When the doubts arise about any action that you are not keen to take, take action 'anyway' and decide after the action has been taken whether it was worthwhile or not.

When I do not feel like going for a walk but I take action and walk 'anyway', I am always glad that I walked. The benefits of walking had been clouded temporarily by a feeling of lethargy.

Last weekend, I did not feel like attending a martial arts seminar. I attended 'anyway' and learned some incredibly useful principles and techniques. The seminar was worthwhile to say the least and I could so easily have missed out on it. I am going to another seminar next weekend and then two 'boot camps' late in November and early December.

I will probably not feel like going and concentrating for several days on end but, if I go 'anyway', I can almost guarantee I will not regret it. Of course, there may be an occasional seminar which turns out to be a waste of time but you will never know until you take action and go 'anyway'.

Test the power of the triple 'A's if you do not already do so and see for yourself what a difference these three words, 'act, again and anyway', can make in your life. Take action; embrace repetition and do it anyway.

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Success Tips From Five Different Sports

Self improvement gurus often compare sport to life. Sportsmen and coaches do the same. In sport, life is compressed into one location and one short space of time. Golf takes longer!

It is much easier in sport than in normal life to see the impact of attitude, belief, energy and skill on who succeeds and who fails. We can see the same success lessons being taught again and again in one sport after another.

Vince Lombardi is world famous for his perceptive quotes. He saw clearly how American Football can give us success tips about life in general:

"Football is a great deal like life in that it teaches that work, sacrifice, perseverance, competitive drive, selflessness and respect for authority is the price that each and every one of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile."

I was surprised to see that Vince Lombardi had left belief and confidence out of the list above. I need not have worried. He was fully aware of the power of confidence:

"Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence."

He also stresses the power of belief. It must be accompanied, however, by other qualities like the willingness to pay the price of success:

"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."

Lombardi motivated the players of the Green Bay Packers who had been the laughing stocks of the league and turned them into League champions who won one final after another. They started with little confidence and ended up believing that they were worthy world champions.

The England cricket team, in the Ashes tour of 2006/7, also became a laughing stock. They lost game after game to the Australians as they struggled in the heat down under.

The only relief for English supporters came from English comedians like Al Murray

One night after yet more defeats, he asked if anyone in his mainly English audience was Australian. One man had to own up as he was wearing the Australian colors!

"Are you an Australian? Well you weren't in the team! "

He hadn't finished:

"We, English, invented cricket, mate. You wouldn't have anything to do in that tinder box down under if it wasn't for us! "

The England team did not believe they were a joke even if the Australians were laughing. They kept on trying hard even when they were losing and, eventually, their persistence paid off.

After three months of losing to the Australians, England won a one day match against Australia in early 2007. The English could now enjoy a joke or two as the Australians left the pitch with their heads hanging low.

Things became even better for England. They next beat New Zealand and reached the finals of the Triangular series. They faced the Australians again and would have to beat them twice to win this one day series.

The Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, alleged that the England team had become too cocky after just one victory over the Australian team that had dominated them for months.

However, Ponting was the one who underestimated English talent and determination. England beat Australia again in the first match of the finals. There was some brilliant play from English players like Collingwood.

England then went on to win the next one day match and had thus won the whole one day series. The main English hero in the finals was Collingwood, the man who had been mocked by the Australians for getting an MBE for his cricket after England won the Ashes in 2005.

Persistence in bad times had turned despair into victory and celebration. The good news is that if you keep going and trying hard you can move from laughing stock to hero in both American Football and in cricket. The England team now believe they, too, can become world champions.

Persistence works in soccer too. Many defeats or draws have been turned into victories as teams kept trying until the bitter end. Chris Coleman, the manager of Fulham, a premier league team based in London, commented on the way his team scored many of their winning goals in the last fifteen minutes of full time:

"We have a lot of energy and belief and hang in there".

Practice also works in soccer. In February 2007, Manchester United were playing Reading in the fifth round of the FA cup. Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Manchester United and is considered by many to be the best soccer player in the world.

Youngsters love to imitate his footwork. They sit at home watching his every move on TV. So do many adults!

The cameras focused on him in the warm up before the game. He was practising the tricky, flashy footwork that is his trademark. Ian Wright, a great England striker, commented: "What kids must understand is that he is practising all the time".

Near the end of the second half the commentators noted that Ronaldo used the skills he had been practising to set up the first goal of the game which was scored by Michael Carrick.

However, Reading kept working hard and their defender, Brynar Gunnarsson, scored an equalizer. Reading players began to believe they could win the game which now became exciting but ended as a hard fought draw.

Gunnarsson was asked what was the secret of the way that Reading caused one of the greatest teams in the world so many problems. He replied: "We work very hard for each other. If you want to call that a secret, that's our secret."

Jonny Wilkinson also practises relentlessly and puts in plenty of overtime. He has kept his self-belief and hung in there when his future seemed bleak. Jonny is the rugby union hero who scored the winning points for England in the final of the world rugby union championship in 2003.

His final kick of the final match put Australia in second place and made England champions of the world.

Since then he has had 11 injuries covering nearly every part of his body. These injuries have preventing him playing any rugby at all for his national team. He did manage to get in 40 minutes of play in 2 years for his club!

However, Jonny kept hoping that one day he would play again for England. He lived out the saying of the Romans:

"Dum spiro, spero. While I breathe I hope."

Jonny kept doing rehab and training and hoping for the best. Eventually, he played again in February 2007 against Scotland for the Calcutta Cup. He was named man of the match after England won the match and the cup.

Jonny was back to his best and inspired the whole team to an easy victory. In the next Six Nations match he scored the points which gave England victory over an improving Italian team. He has put a smile back on the face of English rugby.

Jonny, like Ronaldo, never stops practising. Recently, he practised his goal kicking for two and a half hours in the snow when other players were probably relaxing elsewhere.

On 11th February 2007, Ireland played France in the Six Nations Rugby Union Championship. . Keith Wood a former great Irish player said that what was important was "Attitude! Attitude! Attitude!"

He also said that Ireland needed to be unbelievably aggressive to win the match.

In the first half the usual intense will to win and aggression seemed to be missing from the Irish team. But in the second half, the usual intensity was back and the Irish began to dominate the French.

They were in the lead near the end but lost concentration for a moment allowing France to score a match winning try. France, the reigning Six Nations champions, won the match and destroyed Ireland's hopes of achieving a grand slam i.e. beating all of the other six nations.

The power of expectation and self-belief is clearly evident in every sport there is. The world master of golf, Tiger Woods, is more concerned about his mental attitude than he is about his swing. He has always taken great trouble to program his mind for success.

"My mind is my biggest asset. I expect to win every tournament I play."

To sum up:

We can learn success lessons from every sport as all sports hold up a mirror to life.

If you believe in your ability and are willing to work hard and give up some of the things you enjoy, you can experience the far greater pleasure of achieving worthwhile goals.

If you persist in your efforts and just hang in there, you can stop being a laughing stock and turn the tables on your critics.

If you practice relentlessly like Ronaldo and Wilkinson you can achieve skills that will amaze your friends and, possibly, a much wider audience.

Realize that attitude is often more important than skill and that it is important to act for as long as possible with intensity and energy to achieve your goals.

Above all, you must expect to succeed every time you attempt to achieve a goal.

Sports men and women are the most obvious heroes and heroines of modern times. Modern media allows us to observe them on a daily basis. They can both entertain us and teach us the way to succeed in our own lives.

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