Developing Your Winning Culture

The January 2015 edition of the Texas High School Coaches Association magazine had an absolute gem regarding developing a winning culture in your program.

Coach Angela Beck wrote a two page spread on her philosophy on how to create and sustain a success program.  I think it is very important to know what your vision and philosophy is, and it is equally important to be able to clearly communicate that when called upon.

Creating A Winning Attitude And Culture
You must be able to produce a 'winning attitude' - a culture of winning that will continue to bread success.  This attitude is how your team acts, plays, and lives.  It is a lifestyle that everybody in your program must buy-into and live by.  This culture and attitude is how you treat the people around you.  You must strive to treat everyone and everything with respect and you must try to leave each situation a better place than how you found it.

How To Inspire Your Team To Compete
She had a good quote in response to how she inspires her team to compete.  She wrote:

"I tell them that I don't inspire my teams to compete.  I inspire myself each and every day.  If I am motivated then my team feels my excitement and intensity and they mirror that in the way they play.  If you look at most successful programs at any level, they take on the characteristics of their coaches."

She encourages all coaches to be themselves, and to be their best self.  She also says its important to motivate yourself every day to be the best you.

Motivating Your Players
When motivating your players, it is also important to figure out what makes them tick.  Who does the player want to make proud and what is it that they have to prove.  Figure out why they play basketball, then your coaching and teaching will provide more meaning for them.

Their self-esteem and character are two of the most important foundations that you have to build upon.  We must find ways to build them both through teaching them the skills and helping them improve on the court, while also teaching them skills that will help them be successful in life.

Helping Them Get To The Next Level
Ask your kids what they want out of basketball and life.  Ask them where they see themselves in 4-5 years.  Then start talking to them and helping them live a lifestyle that will help them get there.  Talk to them about the habits that they need to play at the next level or to become what it is that they want to be.

Your Philosophy
She then describes her philosophy, which I thought was really good.  
-  "Academic excellence is a must.  We want them to have 80% as a minimum and require them to meet with their teachers and coaches if they go below that standard."
-  "Discipline is the foundation of squad morale and team unity.  Discipline is being on time, not taking short cuts, and doing what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it.
-   "Practice will include: warm-ups, fundamentals, team offense and defense, game preparation, competition, and fun."
-   "An aggressive physical conditioning program is the foundation for strong mental and physical discipline."
-   "The starting point is a 'sound defense,' where the players learn to make great sacrifices both on and off the court to meet the challenge.  Multiple defense are very hard to prepare for, thus puts pressure on our opponents.  We will never be predictable.  We want to stress you out trying to guess what we will run."
-   "Fast breaking is exciting and good for the fans and the players.  Our team will be highly organized in this effort, and we will also have several quick hit options in our fast break."
-   "Leaders are not just born, they are built.  It is our job to develop each leader.  We set aside weekly time with our leaders to talk to them about the team."

Kobe Interview: The Art of Leadership

Here are some notes that I took from Kobe Bryant's NBA TV interview.  Here is talking about his idea of what leadership is.

The real challenge of all leadership is how to get a group of guys and bring them with you.  If they don’t come along, sometimes you have to drag them along.  Leadership is lonely, but that is part of the sacrifice.  You can’t be afraid of confrontation in getting guys where they need to go.  There is a big misconception that in order to win, everybody has to have a great time, and put your arms around people and pat them on the back when they mess up.  

In reality, if you are going to be a leader, you are not going to please everybody.  You have to hold people accountable, even if you have to go through that moment of being uncomfortable.  Leadership is not personal; its about getting everybody in the group where they need to go.  Its not about the person, its about the action.  When you are able to separate the two and put your own ego to the side, then we can get somewhere.  You’re trying to get the best out of them, and you want them to be the best version of themselves, and the leader has to drive that.   

In the  moment, there will be times where they don’t see that.  You have to be comfortable driving them.  If you’re not, you will run into a team with a leader who is comfortable doing that and you will lose.  If you can handle the driving and pushing, they will end up in a place of success that very few people have ever made it to.

Geno Auriemma On The Balance Of Leadership

This is a great video on how you have to adapt as a leader in terms of how you drive performance. 

As a coach, you want to drive your kids as hard as you can to get the most out of them everyday and to help them reach their full potential as athletes and people.  The trip is trying to get to know and understand your players as individuals, learning what they are capable of handling, and learning the best ways to affect their performance.  Every person is built different, every person has a different threshold, and every person can handle different levels and pressure.  You have to know how much a player can handle and what is the best way to get the most out of that player, which sometimes isn’t driving them as hard as you would like.  Sometimes that means meeting them halfway so that you can keep them motivated growing.

He takes Brianna Stewart for example: if he meets her halfway, she might become half the player she is capable of.  However, she might not be built to do things exactly how he wants them done, and the stubbornness of driving her to that might cause her to break down.  There is a constant struggle and tug of war between trying to drive performance the way that you want, and trying to meet the athlete where she is so that you remain in a space where you can still motivate and impact performance positively.  It’s a constant juggling act, but there is a fine line in that balance that, as a leader, you are always jumping back and forth over that line.

Towards the end, he says that a huge question that coaches have to grapple with every year is whether its easier for a team of 12 completely different players to try to adapt to meet the needs of one coach, or is it easier for one coach to adapt and meet the needs of 12 players.  I think that you have to have your certain ‘non-negotiables,’ a value(s) or characteristic(s) that you demand from your team.  Mine is ‘when its time to go hard, you have to give me everything you have and being willing to fight for me, and me for you.’  I can’t coach without that.  I think that is the essence of competing: competing with yourself to become the best version of yourself, and competing with your opponent.  There is a lot of gray area in other places, and that is where the tug-of-war takes place, but I draw a line in the sand in that area.

What are your ‘non-negotiables,’ and where are you willing to give some ground and meet your athletes half-way?

Byron Jones And His Breakout NFL Combine

I ran across a really cool article at Business Insider about an NFL prospect out of UCONN who less that 2 years ago was interning in Connecticut political offices and just recently had one of the best NFL combines of the year.

Byron Jones, a cornerback out of UCONN, was a normal college kid positioning himself for life after graduation.  He worked for a Connecticut state representative as a college sophomore during Spring Break, and he parlayed that into a summer internship with another Connecticut congressman a few months later.  

While he was preparing more for a career in politics than a career in the NFL, Jones had a work ethic and leadership skills that are marketable in any career field.  State representative Joe Aresimowicz, whom Jones worked for during his sophomore year Spring Break, had this to say about Jones:

"He has this incredible work ethic. He also has this grasp of how to get people to work together, that was on display almost immediately. He was giving some pretty sound advice to some of us who have been doing this for quite a while."

A switch from safety to corner in between his sophomore and junior seasons helped him see his career take off.  His incredible work ethic that he displayed that same summer paid dividends as well.  While he was interning in DC, he found time to workout with the George Washington University women's basketball team.

 "I had to wake up at 5 (a.m.), worked out at 7, had my job from 8 to 6. It took an hour and a half to get back because D.C. traffic is so ridiculous. And then I'd run from like 8 to 9. By 9 o'clock I'm done. Eat first, of course, but then go right to sleep. So a lot of it was built up internal motivation just to be a better player and I found myself out there every day doing it, grinding."

Everybody has a different journey towards success.  A few years ago, Byron Jones thought that he had much more of a chance at success in the political field than on the NFL field.  But, his strong work ethic, his ability to communicate, and his ability to lead helped him get the most out of himself and he has grown into a potential NFL draft pick.  

When you work hard and do things the right way, success has a way of finding you - even if its from an unexpected source or path.  And it doesn't hurt if you can set a combine broad jump record of 12 feet 3 inches, you can come within half of an inch of a combine best vertical leap with a jump of 44.5 inches, or you can run a 4.3 40 yard dash.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/byron-jones-breakout-star-nfl-combine-2015-2#ixzz3SdETQMS3

Russell Wilson Treats 'Every Day as if It Was His Game Day'

Here is an excerpt from a really good article on Russell Wilson at Inc.com.  I have read several articles lately on Russell Wilson, and many have a central theme that mentions his professionalism and work ethic when it comes to his craft.  Here, one of his trainers gives three examples of how Russell Wilson grows himself and stays sharp at all times.  You can find the article in its entirety here: http://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/russell-wilson-trainer.html

1. He practices the art of getting out of his comfort zone. "I was amazed by how quickly he adapts to the different environments that he's put into," says Brooks.

Though Wilson's powers of acclimation impressed Brooks, the trainer points out that adapting to new environments is a skill Wilson works on actively.

2. He challenges himself and others to be at their best, even though it is technically off-season training. "He prepped for every day as if it was his game day," says Brooks. "His approach was a lot different from what I've seen, based on his self-motivation and his leading others." 

As an example, Brooks says Wilson would constantly build up his EXOS cohorts (Tate, Ward, and the other pros training with them) so "they'd go up to his level." Early on in the sessions, Wilson led by example. He was the first one in the weight room each morning and the first one back from water breaks.

Later on, once rapports and personalities were established, Wilson, like any leader with people skills, used more vocal encouragement with those whom he felt it would motivate. "He would speak with guys individually before a session started, and he would encourage them," says Brooks. 

Interestingly, Wilson's encouragements are reminiscent of a practice habit that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has shared.

According to Bruce Feldman's superb book The QB: The Making of Modern Quarterbacks, in 2013 Rodgers was watching Purdue quarterback David Blough during a drill. "Well, what do you think I need to work on the most?" Blough asked him. Rodgers replied:

You're staring down your target. You're throwing one-on-ones, so, of course, you're gonna stare down your receiver, but challenge yourself. You've got all the arm talent in the world. You know you're throwing to this guy, but why not stare down the middle of the field and know what timing he's going to be on, and then, on your last step, look over at him and deliver the ball. Find a way to challenge yourself even if it's on a little routine drill or routes-on-air (against no defenders).

Aside from the chief takeaway of Rodgers's advice--challenge yourself--note the manner in which he delivers it: He compliments Blough and says he grasps why Blough had not been challenging himself previously. In other words, he teaches without reprimanding or preaching.

3. He remains mindful that it is still the off-season, and that intense training must not lead to burnout. "He also works hard in the recovery state of things," explains Brooks.

That is, on recovery days, Wilson would not slack off. He would diligently show up for massage treatments and therapy sessions. "He'd still treat it as a normal training day," says Brooks. 

Gregg Popovich on Mike Budenholzer's Atlanta Hawks

“It’s about the program, the process.  It’s about putting a group together that believes in each other.” Pop on the Hawks

Core Values

My job as a coach is to help everyone in my program have a great experience with me and help them become the best version of themselves.  To do that, I have created 13 characteristics that will help myself and the people I lead in my program become the best versions of themselves.  I will have a value based system where these characteristics drive our growth as people and basketball players.

Diligence
Doing your job expeditiously, on time, to the highest standards possible, regardless of what is demanded or expected.

Preparation
Being prepared for whatever comes your way gives you the ultimate confidence and peace of mind when the time comes for you to do your job to the best of your ability.

Sacrifice
What are you willing to give up to be successful?

Service
Always seek ways to make the world better than how you found it.

Fight
You have to either be willing to fight for what you want or deal with what the world gives you.

Energy and Enthusiasm
Nothing great can be accomplished without energy and enthusiasm.

Consistency
Anybody can be great once or twice, but being consistent is a true difference maker.

Integrity
You must be honest and fair.

Dependability
There is nothing better than having people around you that you can depend on to do their job diligently.

Loyalty               
We all need somebody that we can trust, through the good times and the tough times.

Growth-Mindset
Understand that we all have the ability to grow into the best versions of ourselves if we are willing to endure the process.

Love

Love is what ties us all together.  Giving love and receiving love is what gives us life and keeps us going.

Sense of Urgency
If you wait for something to happen, somebody will beat you to it.

Accountability
You have to be willing accept responsibility for your actions and be willing to accept the results of those actions.

Commitment
When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.

"Just Be Solid"

Bill Self On Motivation and Practice

Here, Bill Self says that 'losing' is his biggest motivation.  Not winning, but the threat of losing is what drives him to succeed.

He also tells a story about how Jerry Tarkanian contributed much of his success to practice.  Tark told Self one day that he felt that a major reason why his teams were better than a lot of other teams was that they practiced more than everybody else.  Self's response was that Tark had better players.  Tark then said that his players weren't always better, but that they practiced more.

The Value of Camaraderie

Here, The Grantland guys talk about the value of the 'camaraderie' the Golden State Warriors have and its role in their early season success.  Bill Simmons goes on to talk about their unselfishness, how they pull for each other, and how the bench stands to celebrate their success.

It is important to find ways to build camaraderie and togetherness in your team's culture.  Of course, everybody is not going to always 'like' each other.  But if you can get guys to truly celebrate the successes of their teammates and enjoy the process of growing, building, and winning together, it can be just one more competitive advantage that will greatly help your guys out.

Rebecca Lobo on What Makes Geno Auriemma Great

Former player Rebecca Lobo on some of the things that make Geno Auriemma great as a a coach.

He demands excellence from everybody in his program at all times. He holds every play and person to a high standard everyday in practice.  He also knows how to motivate his players and the different personalities on his team to get them to perform at their highest level everyday.