Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"All I'm saying is simply this, that all life is interrelated, that somehow we're caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. For some strange reason, I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. You can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality."
—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

5 Traits of a TEAM Player

Over the course of the past 4 weeks, I have been delivering the Positive Coaching Alliance message of becoming a Triple-Impact Competitor to Dallas ISD middle school athletes. We consider someone to be a Triple-Impact Competitor when they make themselves better, their teammates better, and the game as a whole better. Here are five traits that players can possess to make them better teammates, and int turn, make their teammates better.

1. Tenacity - A true team player has a "never-say-die" attitude. There is no quit in them; it just isn't an option in their mind. Nor should it ever be a fleeting thought in the mind of those around him. Team players continue to battle, giving every ounce of energy, until the final buzzer no matter what the scoreboard reads.

2. Selflessness - A true team player is willing to sacrifice for the greater good. This may be taking on a different role, such as coming off the bench instead of starting. It could be stepping up on defense instead of concentrating on scoring. No matter the situation, a team player is willing to do whatever it takes for the betterment of the team and set aside any personal agenda.

3. Tremendous Work Ethic - We have heard this called a "Blue Collar" player or a guy that "brings his lunch pail every day." A true team player simply puts his mind, heart, and soul completely into every possession once he crosses the lines. He never complains and just does his job. He also asks what else he can do to help the team in addition to his job.

4. Tank Filling - A true team player knows that his team is family. He understands that infighting and bickering is cancerous and will ultimately destroy the family. He works hard to maintain a 5:1 positive to criticism ratio. He is the first to run to a teammate that just dove for a loose ball or taken a charge. He shows his appreciation for great effort and lifts his teammates up when the chips are down.

5. Ownership - True team players are completely invested in the team. He understands that he is a small part of something greater than himself. He gives himself completely to making the team successful. He owns up to his mistakes using his mistake ritual. When problems arise, he works for a solution; not pile it on and continue to be part of the problem.

You Are A Player When...

You are a player when:

1. You don't care if you are the one who sets the screen or the one who hits the winning three, because fulfilling your role, whatever that role is, is most important.

2. You have a desire to excel for the benefit of the TEAM.

3. You have an unquenchable need to exceed past your limitations.

4. You play and know, without a shadow of doubt, that you competed like a champion.

5. You understand your commitment to your teammates.

6. You understand that basketball is a TEAM sport.

7. You finish playing and only your body leaves the floor; your heart and soul are captured within the game.

8. You will exchange your blood, sweat, and tears for the benefit of the TEAM.

9. You understand the irrelevance of individual awards.

10. You would rather encourage a teammate to success than benefit personally from his mistakes.

11. Your respect for the game and those involved in the game outweighs your personal pride.

12. You make mistakes and use them to learn from and improve rather than use them as excuses.

13. Your ability to make your teammates better increases each time you take to the floor.

14. You do the little things right even when nobody is watching.

15. You act to serve your teammates with unselfish motives.

16. You have a clear understanding of your role and strive to perform it better.

17. You have done all that you can and still fell that you can contribute more.

18. You know the difference between pain and injury; playing through the pain without creating a scene.

19. You give more than what is asked and take less than what is deserved.

20. Your effort is constant and your play is consistent regardless of the situation.

YOU THINK YOU CAN... AND YOU DO!!!

Lessons From Legends of Hydroplane Racing

Those of you that know me well, know that I am a HUGE fan of Unlimited Hydroplane racing. Growing up in the Seattle area, the first Sunday in August on Lake Washington was THE place to be; filled with the thunderous roars of these 30' boats powered by WWII fighter plane engines (now they are powered by helicopter turbines and sound like glorified hairdryers). At an airshow in Bremerton, WA when I was 4 or 5 years old, I was truly introduced to the hydros by a man displaying his boat and signing autographs that is now the winningest all-time driver in history.

The man was Bill Muncey; vivacious, good natured, and a master self-promoter. In his career spanning more than 30 years at the wheel, Muncey won a total of 62 races, 8 Gold Cups (the hydro racing equivalent of the Superbowl), 7 National Championships, and 4 World Championships. He has been inducted into the National Marine Manufacturers Association Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, and the Hydroplane and Race Boat Museum Hall of Champions just to name a few. Unfortunately, it was only 2 years after I met Muncey that his boat blew over and was killed in a race in Acapulco.

Naturally, his replacement filled his void, both in my mind as a fan (anyone who took over for "my guy" was worthy of my fandom) and on the race course. Chip Hanauer took over in the cockpit of the Muncey racing team. Hanauer went on to become the most successful driver since Muncey winning 61 races, 11 Gold Cups, and 7 National Championships. Hanauer, too, has been inducted into the very same halls of fame as Muncey. Chip is not only a great racer, but a really great down-to-earth guy who doesn't carry himself in the conceited manner of current professional athletes and racers.

BILL MUNCEY ON:

WINNING

"Others (drivers) are colorful. I'm not so interesting to watch but when that checkered flag goes down, I try to see that I'm there."

"People tell me it's a mistake to expect to win every race. I tell them if you accept responsibility to put on a good performance, dedicate yourself and prepare mentally, why, there's no reason you can't win every time out. I don't come here to lose."

"There's nothing pleasant about racing an unlimited (hydroplane). The pleasure comes after you win."

PREPARATION

"I don't believe in luck. If you're adequately prepared, you don't need luck."

"In the days before the race, I wander around the pits. I make it a point to find out how each driver is feeling, whether he's happy or confident or worried or scared or mad—and I file these ideas away for the race. See, I don't like to do anything casually."

EXECUTION

"I define, as accurately as possible, everything I'm expected to do - an can do - and then go out and do it."

"If you're going to do something, I think you've got to do your very best. Otherwise everybody's let down, including yourself. I'm a poor loser. When I lose I'm terribly unhappy, because I feel somehow I've failed. I haven't done what everyone had a right to expect of me."

DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

"I know there are people in other sports with my degree of success who are making 10 times the dough, but I have to question whether they're 10 times as happy."

TEAMWORK

"When you're in that boat, you're just part of a chain of elements which decide in the end whether you win, lose, flip, blow up or just go dead in the water. I'm no more important to it than a carburetor or a quill shaft."

CHIP HANAUER ON:

WINNING

"There's a feeling of satisfaction in winning doing what you love and making a living at the same time. I've gotten more than I ever have hoped for."

"There is only one success and that is to live your life in your own way and spend your days in a way that is of your own choosing."

"Having expectations about the end result is one of the surest ways of impeding your performance and sucking the joy out of the experience. Expect nothing, but give everything you have. You will most likely be pleased with what results."

PREPARATION

"I approached every race, as the most important race I will ever be in. It's a simply truth. The races which came before, had already been won or lost. The races to come in the future, may never be. I needed to win only one race in my entire life. The one I was currently involved."

"Change is inevitable. You will simply wither as a person and as an athlete, if you don't embrace change and try to anticipate what that change might, "look" like before it arrives. The first person to identify and adapt to the inevitable change, has a huge advantage!"

EXECUTION

"My philosophy on racing hydroplanes was that it was my life's work. As my life's work, how I conducted myself in it's pursuit helps define who I am as a person. What we choose as our life's work is not nearly as important as how we conduct ourselves in it's execution."

TEAMWORK

"Winning championships is the result of being associated with talented, dedicated people, working hard, hour by hour, motivating teammates to be their best and allowing yourself to be motivated by them. Then there's three additional aspects, communication, communication and more communication. Hard to beat any team. in any sport, that has refined the art of communication!"



** A very special thank you to Chip Hanauer for contributing to this blog post! Chip, you're the best and I hope that our paths will cross again in the near future. **

Hunting vs. Fishing - Chris Widener

I recently heard an interview of Chris Widener in which he spoke about business, specifically marketing and sales. He describes his thoughts on business approach in relation to fishing versus hunting.

Think about hunting for a second. The images that come to my mind are of stalking, hiding, sneaky, and camouflage. I also see a scared animal that, when fearing for its life, runs from the hunter instinctively.

Now, think about fishing. The images I see are definitely more peaceful and relaxing. There is a focused patience toward the goal. Not to mention that the animals actually come to you!

Widener suggests that the same mentality should be applied to business. Here are four pointers in using the fishing approach:

1. There has to be fish - The beauty of coaching basketball is that there are always kids that want to play. I don't see a shortage of "fish" for us coaches. Sometimes we are fishing in the wrong waters, but there are always kids wanting to play!

2. The fish have to be hungry - For college coaches, this is the direct correlation to recruiting, but for coaches at the high school and junior high levels this is important too. You have to build a relationship with your prospective players. What makes them tick? What can they bring to the team? What are their dreams and aspirations? They have got to want to play for you!

3. You need the right kind of bait - In regards to coaching, I read this as having integrity. Especially for college coaches during the recruiting process. You may have a great product (post-season appearances, developed pro players, great facilities, etc.) but the bait is still YOU! An appealing bait will attract fish, so too will a coach of integrity attract players.

4. Develop better bait - I hear this all the time from great coaches and truly believe this: You must keep thirsting for knowledge. Widener says developing your bait is working on your sales presentation. We as coaches need to do the same. What approach can I take to get my message across? What worked? What didn't? Are there other resources available to add to my program? Keep working on your craft.

Thoughts from "On Becoming a Leader" from Warren Bennis

Ingredients of a leader:
- VISION = Clear idea of what on wants to do.
- PASSION = Loves what he/she does and loves doing it.
- INTEGRITY = Self-knowledge, candor (honesty) and maturity; within integrity comes trust.
- CURIOSITY & DARING = Wonder about everything and take risks.

There is a difference between leaders and managers. Managerial skills are taught, while leadership skills are learned.

Descriptive words of a leader: Inductive, dynamic, understanding, ideas, broad, deep, experiential, active, questioning, process, strategy, alternatives, exploration, discovery, active, initiative, whole brain, long-term, change, flexible, risk, synthesis, open, imagination.

Descriptive words of a manager: Deductive, static, memorizing, facts, narrow, surface, rote, passive, answer, tactics, goal, prediction, dogma, reactive, direction, left-brain, job, short-term, stability, rigid,rules, closed, common sense.

Young leaders are told to:

1. Take advantage of every opportunity
2. Aggressively search for meaning
3. know yourself

Checklist for Potential Team Thinking Mistakes

My friends in hoop, I must apologize for not having posted in a couple of weeks. Been a busy time for old Coach G. Wrapping up an old job, familiarizing myself with a new job, looking for places to live in new city, etc. The most important focus of late has been the completion of my masters degree. Only 8 more days until that chapter is closed!

One of the current courses I'm completing is focused on the role of the teacher as an instructional leader. We deal a considerable amount with educational leaders, such as my favorite Michael Fullan. He is an unbelievable resource on the subject of change. I highly recommend him and have posted on Fullan previously.

One of the resources I found that might be useful to coaches, is the following checklist for potential team thinking mistakes:

1. Do we think only as individuals and press our views without really listening to any other suggestions?

2. Do we rush to find a solution to the problem/question instead of being clear about what the real problem/question may be?

3. Do we try not to waste time by avoiding thinking of alternative answers once we have a solution?

4. Do we fail to engage in real debate about other options which may exist?

5. Do we stifle originality, ignore change, and encourage complacency?

6. Do we react to some problems only in terms of self-interest, making collaborative thinking possible?

7. Do we get bogged down by internal politics and let the team meeting become a forum for power-play?

8. Do we go along with the majority view and never express an opposite opinion about which we feel strongly?

9. Do we pour scorn on ideas which we claim to have seen before or which we know won't work?

10. Do we admire fast decisions for their speed rather than wisdom and fail to make a serious risk-reward calculation?

Thoughts from Pat Croce & Lead or Get Off the Pot!

The "Triple-A" of building a passionate team:
- Attitude - It is contagious!
- Assets - Provide the necessary tools needed to maximize individual assets while removing the obstacles that would minimize them.
- Ambition - The belief that there is something personal at stake.

Be aware of the goals, roles, and tolls that affect each staff member.

Always look for moments to recognize staff members PUBLICLY!
3 Rules of Praise:
- Personal
- Punctual
- Public

The Dirty Dozen of Team Building:
1 - Praise in public, criticize in private
2 - Be more curious and less critical
3 - Pull and don't push
4 - Check integrity
5 - Foster positive emotions
6 - Strive to understand others
7 - Show confidence in people
8 - Promote charity
9 - Celebrate diversity
10 - Unleash potential
11 - Set the tone
12 - C.A.R.E (Compromise Apologize Recognize Empathize)

Six C's of Communication:
1. Clear
2. Concise
3. Consistent
4. Credible
5. Courteous
6. Current

** Life has no dress rehearsals and each of us has a responsibility to celebrate the journey. **

Lessons from the recording studio

Last Sunday I had a "first" in my life. I've always enjoyed playing music and have played in bands throughout my life, but I'd never recorded before. A friend of mine in my graduate classes, Tim Miler, is a songwriter and asked me to play on his new album. I agreed and I can now say that I was a professional recording artist!

The session itself was intense! The pressure in the studio was tremendous. I was a nervous wreck but excited at the same time. I'd played live on a number of occasions, but this was different. It is permanent and will be what people (hopefully) listen to again and again.

Here are some things that translated into my approach to coaching:

- Chemistry matters. Though the tension was thick, the other guys in the band and I are close enough that we were able to focus on our performance and each other to find a groove. Our teams are no different that way. Cancers on the team, no matter how talented, will more than likely bring the entire team down.

- Rehearse in the same environment you perform. This is difficult because studio time costs money, but can be simulated. We didn't do this and I had no idea what to expect. Needless to say, when I put on the headphones I entered a different world and got nervous. I used to think that with my teams it didn't matter where we practiced because the hoop is still 10 feet, the freethrow line is still 15 feet away, and the ball still bounces. This experience has changed my view. Put me in the environment, or at least simulate it as best as possible.

- Own up to mistakes, correct them, and move on. Because of the time factor, there isn't room to plod through mistakes. If you make a mistake you stop, tell everyone it was your fault, apologize, and take it from the top. This is one area where recording is like your drills in practice. No sense in doing it incorrectly. Admit it and correct it. If the mistakes keep happening, move on, try something else, and come back to it at a later time.

- Playing live, a quick recovery from mistakes is critical. Concerts and games are very similar. If you make a mistake playing in front of an audience, you just keep plugging away like it didn't happen. Often times I will come back with more intensity and focus. Our players need to be taught the same thing. Coach K has the perfect saying for this with "next play". That moment is over and you can't get it back. What are you going to do next?

- When its time to move on, play to strengths and find some success. One of the songs had a drum fill I just couldn't get. After the third take, Tim decided to come back to that song later. My strength as a drummer is funk music. Tim wrote a song in the style of Earth, Wind, and Fire meets George Clinton. He quickly chose that song to record next. It was easy for me to find the groove and we nailed it in one take. It felt really good. I saw success and the chemistry between all of us improved. We went back to the previous song and nailed it in one take. I think we can all see how this translates into our coaching both in practice and games.

- Time is precious. The studio charges by the hour and it is not cheap. Every take, every time the record button is turned on, you have to be right on it. Games are the same way. The clock is working against you and every possession is important.

- If the songwriter is confident, the band members will follow. My nerves were crazy in the studio. My palms were so sweaty that one of my sticks slipped out of my hand and hit the bass player in the head (no joke). I got rattled after that. Tim, who wrote all the songs and this is his album, was great. He called for a break, reassured me that I knew the material and told me I was a very good drummer. He essentially called a timeout, refocused my attention, and encouraged me. Pretty good coaching on his part!

- Properly channeled emotion is a powerful tool. Tim wrote a song in an early 80's punk style. It required me to play like Keith Moon from The Who (younger audience and non-rock lovers, just know he was a beast on the drums) only considerably faster. The first take was horrible! I got angry, threw my sticks down, and about kicked over my kit (would've been VERY "rock-n-roll" in concert, but not in the studio - plus I can't afford to replace my kit). The engineer, a drummer as well, called me into the booth and told me to put it in the drums. He told me, "It is an angry song so take out your frustrations on the drum heads." I did and the second take was right on the money. We can do this with our players too. Flip the script on them when they get a bad call or turn the ball over.

- Have fun! Remember that we do this because we enjoy it. Remind your players of this. Remind yourself. It is a joyous thing to be able to play and to share with others!

Cornell - An Exercise In Team Unity

I think it is safe to say that we are now familiar with the "Cinderellas" of the NCAA Division-I national tournament now. Having spent three years at low/mid major schools, I have a tremendous amount of respect, love, and admiration for teams like Northern Iowa and Saint Mary's. Being that I coach at the Division-III level without athletic grants-in-aid (or what is most commonly referred to as scholarships, even though they are not based on academic merit) I have even more appreciation for Cornell getting to the Sweet 16 due to the fact they are operating under those same stipulations with considerably stricter academic standards.

One of my favorite things about this Cornell squad is their unity. Watching them last week was a source of joy. They seem to truly enjoy being together and playing together. They move with a sense of purpose, of which most of the time that purpose seems to be helping their teammate. Whether it is setting a good screen to get a teammate open or rotating on the weakside of the floor defensively, these guys are there for each other. This ultimately leads to a well-oiled machine that is wonderfully efficient; they are shooting almost 60% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc in their two tournament games.

It is not just on the basketball court either. These young men are tight off the floor as well. In David Fox's article for Yahoo! Sports, he describes how much fun the team has together and their inside jokes. A quick read, but just a lot of fun: Cornell laughing all the way to the Sweet 16. Another great article on how well these players get along off the floor is from The New York Times', Pete Thamel: Cornell Counts on Closeness Against Kentucky. It is my sincere hope that once I have the opportunity to coach my own team, that I can foster an environment like the one Steve Donohue and his staff have created.

Life Lessons vs Philosophy?

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you probably already know what a huge fan of Rick Reilly I am. He has some amazing insights into the world of athletics as well as a tremendous wit. Today's ESPN article from Rick Reilly was very poignant in regards to sportsmanship and the role of a coach.

The article can be found HERE. In it he talks about the #1 team in high school basketball, Houston's Yates High School.

I love to win. I don't think there is a coach alive who doesn't. I love winning in a convincing fashion even more. You know the wins; your players play hard, they execute with precision, the five players on the floor working together like a fine Swiss timepiece. I love being able to walk out of the gym feeling like the team really accomplished something together.

The flip side of this is I have some compassion. I know what it feels like to be on the other end. I even feel guilty at times after a 25+ point win. Some of you reading this may feel like that is showing a sign of weakness, but is it really? By running up scores, what is that truly teaching players?

Most coaches say that athletics is a tool to teach their players about life. Do we really want to teach our players that life is about degrading others? That life is about kicking a man when he is down?

I remember watching one of my wife's games a few years ago. She was in her first year as a head coach having taken over a very down program. Her team was playing one of the best teams in the conference. The opposing team was up by 60 some odd points with less than 5 minutes to go, pressing and had 3 starters still in the game. I watched the players on my wife's team and their body language after the game had finally come to an end. Those poor girls couldn't hold their head and shoulders up with the help of an industrial crane.

While I believe that coaches should not sacrifice their philosophy, I truly believe that character is more important than any gameplan or style of play.

Defensive and Supportive Climates

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit with my very good friend, Dr. John Masterson. Dr. Masterson is the former provost at Texas Lutheran University, co-author of Communicating In Small Groups; Principles and Practices, and one heck of a lead guitar player (check out http://www.theharleys.org/). We were discussing how coaches communicate with their teams and he mentioned a book entitled Defensive Communication by Jack R. Gibb. The following is a quote from Dr. masterson's book giving a list of behaviors that Gibb describes in his book as fostering defensive and supporting climates:

DEFENSIVE CLIMATE (Dr. Masterson says, "Don't do this...")

• Evaluation: Use of "you" language calls into question the worth of another person
• Control: Efforts to get others to do what you want them to do.
• Strategy: Planned communication - for example, saying something nice before criticizing someone.
• Neutrality: Emotional indifference - the unspoken attitude that "you'll get over it."
• Superiority: Attitude that you're better than the other person.
• Certainty: Taking dogmatic, rigid positions; "Don't bother m with facts, my mind is made up." Those who behave this way are usually more interested in winning an argument than solving a problem.

SUPPORTIVE CLIMATE (He says, "Do this.")

• Description: "I" language describes your own feelings and ideas.
• Problem Orientation: Communication aimed at solving problems: "Let's find a solution that works for both of us."
• Spontaneity: Here-and-now orientation; being honest rather than planning how to manipulate.
• Empathy: Emotional involvement; nonverbal behavior is important.
• Equality: Communication based on mutual respect; "I'm okay, you're okay."
• Provisionalism: Openness to receiving new information; showing some flexibility in the positions you take.

I think this is important to understand that our communication with our respective teams can and should utilize these techniques. Your players will take ownership in the program. Most coaches refer to their teams as family, then if we are true to our word, we must treat them in that same regard when communicating with them.

Terminology

Friends in basketball, I once again apologize for not posting last week. We were on the road, my laptop battery was dead, and I left my charger at home. Doesn't mean I couldn't post another day of the week, but I like to reserve Wednesdays for right now as a posting day. The day before the first game of the week is a great time to reflect on what I feel is important in my own philosophy and to share with you.

That stated, I don't remember where I was reading about the use of terminology in the past week, but this past weekend it really hit home. One of our young, less experienced assistant coaches had the responsibility of scouting and doing walk-through on one of our opponents. During the course of the walk-through, he used terminology that was inconsistent with terminology used in our program as well as just flat out incorrect terminology. I could sense that this young coach was losing the team; slowly but surely. The team was trying hard to listen, but I could see that this coach was losing credibility with every misspoken word. Without any fanfare or drama, I quickly alerted this young coach to his mistake.

So my best suggestion is to meet as a staff, especially early in the season, and determine what terminology the staff will be using. Come up with a glossary of terms that will be frequently used in teaching your own team. Case in point: some coaches prefer the term "pick-the-picker"while others prefer "screen-the-screener". Both have the same meaning, but can lead to confusion when one member of the staff uses the former and another member of the staff uses the latter.

It is also important to define other terminology. One of the big mistakes this young coach made last week with our team was that he was calling a stagger screen on the baseline, a "double ball screen." The players KNEW it wasn't even a ball screen, but the coach continued to use the term. Because of this coach's inexperience, he was nervous and just picked a random term. When I notified him, he was embarrassed, but realized his mistake and remembered our terminology.

Some things to think about when putting your glossary together:

Keep it consistent. Once you choose your terminology, stick with it. Don't deviate. You don't want to confuse your players.

Keep it simple. Don't over complicate it. Stick to simple words; the fewer syllables, the better.

Define areas of the court. As with the "screen" or "pick" situation above, determine what you and your staff will call parts of the floor. Is it the "key", the "lane", or the "paint"? Is it the "hash mark" or the "28-foot line"?

Share your glossary with your players. Make sure that they know what it is you are trying to communicate.

These are only a few ideas. I challenge you to think about the terminology you wish to use with your players and staff.

Mental Discipline by Coach Meyer

As the season hits the "home stretch", mental discipline becomes the separator of the good teams and the great teams. I am very proud of my post players in regards to this as they have really taken to the idea that it takes something special between the ears to accomplish great things. We have discussed this frequently and they have truly responded in a major way. Many of the 12 points Coach Meyer mentions in the following, our posts have bought in to.

It's How You Play the Game: Mental Discipline
1. Communicate with teammates vs. talk with opponent (or officials, opposing school crowd, opposing coaches, etc... They all have the same mental effect.)

2. Taking a charge vs. backing away from a charge.

3. Calling out and communicating assignments on the freethrow lane vs. violations at the freethrow line.

4. Take charge or block shot to a teammate vs. wild leaping or goal tending.

5. Smart foul vs. dumb foul

6. Intense position pressure defense vs. wild lunging defense.

7. Poised offense vs. anxious offense.

8. Use the glass or grab the ball vs. don't use the glass or tip.

9. Inside game vs. outside game perimeter lapse.

10. Make lay-ups vs. miss lay-up and they score.

11. Positive one; look for ways to win vs. negative one.

12. Great effort each possession vs. great play syndrome.

Don't let weak people bring out the weakness in you.
Intensity and technique lead to hustle plays.
Play against the game.

Team attitude: Philippians 2:1-5

Success Lessons from Papa John

There is something about this guy that amazes me. He seems so down to earth, and yet he seems dead set on world domination at the same time. I would love to have someone say the exact same thing about me. Here's some advice John Schnatter recently doled out to Brenna Fisher in a recent article:

The Do's and Dont's:

DO:
- Love what you do. Schnatter says, "If you have a passion and you're proud of it, you'll do a good job." I think we're all passionate about the game. That shouldn't be an issue for most coaches.

- Be the best in your class and offer the best product. "We want to be the best pizza delivery company in the world and we think we can be," he says. We as coaches are pretty limited in the area of physical product. Our product is ourselves and our teams; our character and teaching.

- Teach people leadership. "It is very fulfilling to watch people grow," Schnatter says. I think this is why I like this guy so much. He invests in his people. We as coaches need to take this same approach. Sure we want to win, but think past wins and losses. Invest in your players and they will in turn invest in the program. A great resource for this Is Jeff Janssen!

DON'T:
- Give up hope too early. I recently read on twitter, Kevin Eastman touched on this. He said, "Coach your team every day -- even if losing games -- don't let the result keep you from your job!! Hard to do some days -- but necessary!!" (I consider myself EXTREMELY lucky to have spent 5 years working for Coach Eastman; such a great basketball mind)

- Be afraid to confront the facts (especially the ugly ones) and tackle challenges. The efficiency rating I posted earlier is a great objective tool to assess the facts. Another great nugget from Coach Eastman on this, "Continue to evaluate what you are doing for your team every day; are you getting the most out of your ability? Are you doing your job completely?"

- Be arrogant. Schnatter states, "When companies start to fall apart, it's because they think they're smarter, they're not open and they don't watch trends." There is a lot to be said about character. Being arrogant will eventually catch up to you.

Goal Achievement - Making Your Case

This is something that I share with my post players. It can be translated from on the court to the classroom and obviously to the business world. I remind our guys frequently that if it really is important to them, they'll find a way. I like the way this is explained in that they have to answer the question of why it is important to them. The answer has got to be more specific than just "because".

From Success magazine's February 2010 issue:

Is Your "WHY" BIG ENOUGH?
Make your case to achieve your goal.

If someone you love calls you with an emergency, you rush to help, right? It's because your "why," or reason your reason for doing it, is clear and important. You don't have to give it much thought. Your actions are almost automatic.

When your reasons for doing something are big enough, you will have the motivation to make sure it happens. If you want to run your first marathon, publish a book, break your sales goal, spend more time with your family or take your business to the next level, you first have to answer the question: Why? Your answer builds your case for staying disciplined.

1. Write out your why. Ask yourself, "Why do I want X?" and write down your answer.

2. Be specific and clear. Example: "I want to be able to bench-press 200 pounds, because then I will be in better shape." Or, "I want to work harder on my business to land that big account." Include how your life will improve if you hit your goal.

3. When you find yourself slipping on your goal, remember or reread your why. Or use it as your personal mantra.

Once you make your case strong enough, you will win your personal trials.

Character Coaching - Part 3

Speaking of Coach Wooden, first off let me say happy 99th birthday, Coach! Second, two of my favorite things combined on this historic day marking the greatest coach of all time's 99th year, an article about Coach Wooden and the writing of Rick Reilly.

Reilly writes a very quick tribute to Coach today. It is amazing the impact Coach has made on the world! As I stated in the previous post, if people would model themselves after Coach Wooden, this world would be a beautiful place.

Happy birthday once again, Coach, and thank you for showing us the way!

ESPN Rick Reilly Article

5 Steps of Character Coaching

Had the opportunity to listen to Rob Miller from Proactive Coaching this week. He was gracious enough to come to campus and speak to our student athletes and the following day spent time with our coaching staff. Rob is fantastic! He did a great job and was very informative. Here are the 5 Steps of Character Coaching:

1. Clear and Concise Vision - Make sure it is abundantly clear to everyone in your program what direction you are headed in. Communication break downs can be as cancerous to the team as anything.

2. Words and Actions Must Align - Do not send mixed messages. You can no longer practice the "do as I say, not as I do". Take a self assessment. Be truthful to yourself. Ask a trusted colleague or friend to observe and report.

3. Know Exactly What Your Team Stands For - A quick gauge of this is to ask your conference opponents what they think your team stands for. If you don't know, your team won't know. What are the things you want to be known for?

4. Be A Coach of Significance - Do not settle for teaching the game and worrying about wins and losses. Have a deeper impact. As Frosty Westering, former Pacific Lutheran football coach, once said (and I've hear John Maxwell say many times as well), "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."

5. Be A Leader, Not A Manager - Don't be a boss or a buddy. As I phrase it, be firm but fair. Leaders innovate, develop, inspire, have a long-term view, answer the questions "what?" and "why?", originate, and challenge the status quo. Managers on the other hand administer, maintain, control, have a short-term view, answer the questions "how?" and "when?", imitate, and are satisfied with status quo.

Teamwork

My friends and colleagues in coaching, I must apologize. Time is of the essence lately. I haven't been good about updating the workshop. Between working, going to school, trying to write a thesis, and wanting to stay married... you can see that things have been a tad hectic of late. Please accept my apology and I will do my best to post more often.

With the season approaching like a barreling freight train, one of the issues I want to conquer with our team is building a sense of togetherness; coming together and working for that common goal. We have a balanced team in regards to age and class, but I still feel as if we are very young. I have compiled a list of quotes that I am delivering to our players on a daily basis. I hope that these may assist you and your team.

"He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own"
-Confucius

"The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say 'I'. And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say 'I'. They don't think 'I'. They think 'we'; they think 'team'. They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but 'we' gets the credit... This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done."
-Peter Drucker

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success."
-Henry Ford

"A boat doesn't go forward if each one is rowing their own way."
-Swahili Proverb

"A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle."
-Japanese Proverb

"One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team."
-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

"None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful."
-Mother Teresa

"Light is the task where many share the toil."
-Homer

"When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality."
-Joe Paterno

A group becomes a team when each member is sure enough of himself and his contribution to praise the skill of others."
-Norman S Hindle

"The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals."
-Rensis Likert

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results."
-Andrew Carnegie

"God created us to be interdependent. We were not designed to go through life alone. We become so much more when we come alongside others - and we make them better, too."
-John Wooden

Player Notebooks

With the start of school upon us, I figured I'd share with you some of the items I consider important in player's notebooks. This is definitely not a new idea, but one that I feel is extremely valuable. The use of player notebooks lends itself to multiple purposes such as organizational skills, time management skills, and making sure players have the necessary information to be successful. This obviously benefits the student athlete. Notebooks also can serve as a fantastic tool for us as coaches to monitor academics, inspire and motivate our student athletes, as well as keep them all on the same page within our systems.

My player's notebook will contain the following:
Contacts - This will include key athletic staff members, the coaching staff, players, and managers phone numbers and email addresses.

Time Management - A master calendar is included in this section. Key academic dates such as the last day to drop/add a class, registration dates, holidays, last day to pay bills, and final exams. Other key dates for the team such as practice times, games, and travel days are included as well.

In addition, a week at a glance sheet for a typical week is included. Players then would sit with a coach and block off times for class, practice, workouts, studying, meals, and personal time.

Academics - Grade sheets for every class. The grade sheets would have a table that players, with the aid of a coach, will fill in assignments from their syllabi, due dates, and the grade they receive. All assignments, tests, papers, and the like will be included. This will give coaches an idea of how players are progressing academically.

This section can also include study tips, school policies on plagiarism and academic guidelines, and various items in regards to academia.

Motivational - This includes players' directive affirmations (mentioned in earlier post - very good stuff if you haven't read it). This is also where players add inspirational and motivational quotes I give them.

Basketball - Players will add the team playbook and scouting reports. This is to be written by the players themselves. I will write and diagram plays, notes, scouting reports in the locker room and the players are responsible for writing this information in their notebook.

Misc. - Anything else that does not fit the above descriptions included here.

I am a big proponent of the player notebook system. It is a great way to teach lifelong skills and support abilities that will benefit your student athletes outside of the classroom. I encourage you to consider using some of these ideas.