A Coach's Diary

"I’m fascinated with coaches that can perform in the storm without losing the big picture. It seems like the only way that happens is to have a game plan.” - Chris Petersen When the storms hit and the boat starts rocking, how do you stay on the boat? Storms are a key part of everyone’s life. They test your strengths and commitment, and they expose your weaknesses and gaps. When the storms hit and the boat starts rocking, you will see four types of people: People throwing themselves off. People throwing other people off. People settling down and waiting for the storm to pass. People saving people from being thrown off and helping bring people back in. Former college football coach Chris Petersen once said, “I’m fascinated with coaches that can perform in the storm without losing the big picture. It seems like the only way that happens is to have a game plan.” Having emotional stability is the foundation for that game plan. Emotional stability is the ability to maintain a balanced a...

“Average players want to be left alone. Good players want to be coached. Great players want to be told the truth.” - Doc Rivers Do you like being coached and receiving feedback, or do you run from it? Tony Robbins is one of the most successful motivational speakers in the world. He gets paid millions and millions of dollars to motivate people. I met a person who had a relationship with him, and he said one of the things that makes Tony great is that he DEMANDS feedback. He said some people want feedback, but the best of the best demand it. How? After every speech, Tony asks two questions: What is one thing I did well? What is one thing I could’ve done better or differently? NBA coach Doc Rivers once said, “Average players want to be left alone. Good players want to be coached. Great players want to be told the truth.” If you want to be the best you can be, you can’t just ask for feedback; you have to demand it. Every person needs to have a truth-teller in their life whom they can trust...

Steve Kerr has won a total of 9 championships as a player and a coach, so few people in basketball know more about winning and culture than Coach Kerr. In an interview with Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley, he was asked how to build an effective culture. Before he started coaching, Coach Kerr said he visited several coaches, and NFL coach Pete Carroll asked him, “How are you going to coach your team?” More important than Xs and Os are the kind of culture you want to build, the values you want to have, and how you want to make them come alive. Carroll asked him, “What is the most important thing in your life? What are the most important values in your life?” Coach Kerr said, “[Your athletes] have to feel the authenticity of you.” When you have genuine, real values and make them come alive, that is when the culture starts to form. Coach Kerr came up with four words that defined him and his approach to life the most: joy, competitiveness, mindfulness, and c...

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” - Billie Jean King Someone once told me they have voices in their head constantly asking themselves, “What are you going to do?” When something bad happens, that voice asks, “What are you going to do?” When they lose, fail, or get called out, it asks, “What are you going to do?” I’ve noticed a lot of the people around me tend to ask the same question when they see me struggling, making mistakes, or being held accountable: “What are you going to do?” Do you know what champions do? The next right thing. They lean on the work and stay committed to the plans they have created for themselves. Billie Jean King is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, and she is famously known for her advocacy for women’s rights, including beating male tennis player Bobby Riggs in a match that was called “The Battle of the Sexes” that was watched by 90 million people worldwide. She knows a lot about overcoming adversity and obstacles. She once said, ...

“There’s no substitute for hard work. If you work hard and prepare yourself, you might get beat, but you’ll never lose.” Nancy Lieberman Nancy Lieberman is a basketball Hall of Famer and is one of the greatest figures in women’s basketball. But Lieberman had a rough upbringing and many tough obstacles she had to overcome. In a TEDx Talk, she said, “My life has been riddled with Nancy-can’t Moments. Nancy can’t do this, Nancy can’t do this, Nancy can’t do that.” She said you have to beat the Mind Monsters - the voices that tell you what you can’t do and shouldn’t do, but her mantra has been: You have to see it, say it, and be it. This is how she reinforced her confidence, self-esteem, and decision-making. This mantra helps overcome the Mind Monsters and live with confidence. She won championships in college in as a professional, and she became a head coach in the WNBA. Then, when the NBA created the D-League, the Dallas Mavericks named her the first female head coach in a men’s professi...

“Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.” - Vince Lombardi You can’t always control whether you win or not. Sometimes, your opponent is too big, strong, experienced, and good to overcome. But that should never impact how you show up, do your job, add value, and compete. Legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” Coach Lombardi was known for his demanding coaching style and relentless pursuit of excellence. This quote says that the pursuit of greatness and excellence is just as important as the result. Your will is a strong intention or desire to do something. When your will is strong enough, you will wake up or show up early, you will do your job with integrity and excellence, and you will find ways to add value. My favorite athlete of all time is Michael Jordan. He was blessed with a lot of talent and world-class athleticism, but he was also blessed with an intense will to compete and get better. When Jor...