"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
"Winning is not an automatic process. If you win, you do it on purpose. And more importantly, you do it as a team."Five Core Values of a Winning Team:1. Commitment - "No team has ever achieved extraordinary results without a 100 percent commitment to the cause and a common vision where everyone is pulling in the same direction."2. Contribution - "If our team is going to succeed, we each must contribute our all... Be committed to making a meaningful contribution to your team." As Joe Namath said, " If you aren't going all the way, why go at all?"3. Competence - "The strength of a team is impacted by it's weakest link. And that weakest player is always going to determine the load the is able to carry." Weak links affect teams in 3 ways: Loss of opportunity, Loss of morale, and Loss of productivity.4. Communication - Must be: Candid (open, honest, no hidden agendas, or secrets), Direct (Most appreciate directness given with their best interest at heart), Rapid (Don't sit on it, get it out there), Inclusive (Knowledge is power. Empower, don't imprison, the team), and Consistent (Avoid the knee-jerk reaction).5. Cooperation - "Longfellow once said, 'All your strength is in union. All your danger is in discord.' ... If I go to my team with a me-oriented attitude, I will never be successful. But if I go to them with an others-oriented attitude, it holds a whole different meaning."
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?
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.
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 PaternoA 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
"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."
"Winning is not an automatic process. If you win, you do it on purpose. And more importantly, you do it as a team."
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!
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.
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.
