A Coach's Diary

As we leave 2019 and head into 2020, let's leave laziness, excuses and bad habits behind as well. Let's make a deal - we won't live by wishing; we will live by doing. Let's go to work this year on our habits and our goals.  Let's use this year to establish high quality habits that will propel us to live our best lives, for the rest of our lives. COACHES:  We won't just wish that our players come in early and stay late in 2020 - we are going to find ways to motivate and encourage them to do so.  We will make sure that we are ready and at practice early and staying late, prepared and ready to receive our athletes.  We won't hope that our players go hard in practice and are engaged - we are going to design engaging practices that is full of teaching and fun competition.  We are going to research ways to communicate to our kids throughout practices so that they stay engaged. PLAYERS:  We won't wish that we make that team, that we st...

PLAYERS:  Being mentally tough is one of the best skills that you can have.  Being mentally tough allows you to be completely present in the moment and allows you focus on what is most important. It allows you to be afraid and still play and act with courage.  When you are mentally tough, you know that you aren't perfect and that you will make mistakes.  When you are mentally tough, you will fight through and past the mistakes.  When you are mentally tough, you will learn from the mistakes. When you are mentally tough, you will try new things.  You listen better and more intently to your coaches because you want to learn and get better.  Then, you try and practice and try again what they taught you.  When you are mentally tough, you don't practice until you can do something - you practice until you don't mess up.  When you are mentally tough, you find ways to get better everyday.  You find ways to grow and grind and get...

Sue Enquist was a legendary softball player and coach at UCLA.  In the video below, she talks about the importance of valuing people and the process over results, the 33% rule , managing your strong and weak voice and being an engineer who builds a model around belief. Value People Over Results Don't load up on empty W's your entire career by thinking that fulfillment and happiness are all about winning and doing more on the field.  Winning is important, and we should be proud of our on-field/on-court success.  Just don't lose focus on how we get there or how we treat our athletes and their families.   Don't fixate more on winning and dominating and than on the people that you win with. Focus on how you get there and the people you get there with. Remember why you got into coaching and fall in love again with the idea of affecting others. 33% Rule Bottom Third - The people on your team or who work with you will suck the life out of you....

In the video below, NFL legend Deon Sanders talks about the importance of competing in practice and the importance of creating and living by the right habits. To become the best that you can be, you have to compete everyday in practice.  You have to push yourself and your teammates.  You will win some battles, and you will lose some battles, but if you just keep competing, you will keep improving. When you compete every practice, you are creating the right habits.  We are what we do, so our habits will dictate our success.  When you live by the right habits, you have a chance to be special. It's about how you practice and your habits.  Don't cut any deals with your teammates - go at eachother.  This is how you make eachother better.  Every practice is a game.  It's the chance to compete. Iron sharpens iron. Whatever you do, just do it consistently. Create habits.  Practice at a certain time to create habits....

One Killer Of Great Teams Is A Leader With A Fragile Ego. For the team to be the best that it can be, you have to have a talented and knowledgeable group of coaches who all bring great skills and ideas to the team.  The best teams share and effectively implement the best ideas, regardless of who the idea came from and regardless of who gets the credit. One Killer Of Great Teams Is Players With Fragile Egos. For the team to be the best that it can be, you have to have a talented group of athletes who are willing to work together and sacrifice for the good of the team.  The best teams put the best players in the best position to do their best, and they don't worry about who gets the credit for success because they know when the team wins, everyone wins. One Killer Of Great Teams Is Parents With Fragile Egos. For a team to be the best that it can be, you have to have a supportive group of parents who are willing to work together and teach their kids how to work toget...

Can you take character development into the most pressurized environments in athletics? When you grow a kid's character and emphasize character and personal development, the athlete always wins. The video below has really helped me refocus my purpose as a sports parent.  It's very easy for us to find our identity lost in how our kids play.  So much of my weekend levels of joy are based on the results of my kids' games.  This is not healthy, and this is not fun.  Like most kids, mines are inconsistent and so my weekend joy has been inconsistent. This video has taught me to emphasize and focus on who my kids are as people, and to re-purpose sports as another tool to help my kids live happy, healthy lives by learning how to set goals and work for them, by learning how to play well and work well with others, learning that how hard you work and how much grit you have has a positive correlation with success, and learning how to have a healthy relationship with...

Know what your purpose is, know what is most important to you, and know what you will emphasize and prioritize, and then focus your energy to aligning who you are and what you do with your purpose. It is not easy to prioritize character and winning, because the more success that you have, the harder it is to maintain your same moral compass.  But if you consistently emphasize the person over the athlete and character over winning, your athletes will do more of what it takes to win, they will find success, and their character will shine like a beacon in the center of the ring of performance. It's very important to know the reason behind what you are doing at any moment.  It's important to look at sports through the correct lens and get the purpose behind it right.  It's important to know your purpose for coaching, to know who you are as a person and as a coach, and to make sure that you rally your energy so that your energy is ...

This post was left on my Facebook page by Stan Granger, a wrestling coach.  Please ENJOY this amazing perspective. I am a 20+ year Coach. One of my son's best friend's father is a good friend of mine. The other day we were having a discussion about child development and parent involvement. As with any discussion about Youth/MS/HS sports between a parent and a coach it became heated. But it was no surprise cause we are friends and we have had these heated debates over the years. So I proceeded on as normal. The next day he shared this letter to our community that he had written on the heels of our discussion. "Open letter to the future wrestling parent, For those that don't know me, my name is Jim Lenon. I'm a former Holt wrestler, 1996 state championship team member, Holt Athletics Hall of Fame member, and one of the former Holt wrestling club coaches from 2005 - 2015. Now.....I'm just a high school wrestling dad. Coming up through the program ...

If you want something bad enough, there will be problems, adversity, obstacles, and challenges that are trying to keep you from getting it. You have to have a boatload of determination and the right attitude.  You have to have an agressive attitude that says, 'If anybody can do it, I can.' You have to be willing to do what it takes to get what you want.  Have a determined attitude that won't let you quit and give up, and don't let any loss or setback hold you back. Don't give in or abandon what you do because things get a little tough.  Weather the storm and keep moving forward one step at a time. You will be amazed at what you can do if you won't have a give up attitude before you ever give it your best. 

Have you ever been frustrated because your athletes can't perform certain skills that you feel like they SHOULD know or be able to do but can't? Assumptive coaching assuming that the athletes that we get already know how to do something.  It's very dangerous to assume that anyone already knows anything, and we shouldn't punish or belittle our athletes because they weren't taught something that we feel like they should have been taught. I got my start in coaching at a junior college in Oklahoma.  I was fortunate that the head coach that I worked for broke down the game each year for all of our players to the basics.  We would spend the first few weeks working on triple threat, shot fakes, jab steps, jump stops, and lay-up footwork like we were at a camp for beginners; we even had the guys get in lines like we were at camp the first week to teach the basic fundamentals.  My head coach said that he never assumed that any of these college athletes knew anyth...

Like most athletes and coaches, I HATE losing.  I hate losing and I hate the thought of losing.  Just the thought of it actually gives me anxiety.  I used to cry after every loss as a kid, and even as an adult, I can privately shed a tear or two after I lose a tough game. I was listening to a podcast by Jon Gordon featuring author Donald Miller and they talked about the power of storytelling, the elements of a great story, the journey that all heroes must take and how losing is an important part of the hero's journey. Almost every hero, or anybody who has achieved something great, has experienced a major loss or has made a really big mistake in their life that they have had to bounce back from.  Michael Jordan got cut from his high school varsity basketball team. Tom Brady didn't get drafted until the 6th round.  Steph Curry didn't receive any offers from major college basketball teams.  All three sports heroes experienced major losses and or setback...

“You want to be liked?  Sell Ice Cream. You want everyone to criticize you, think you’re an idiot, and believe they could do your job better than you??? Coach basketball!” - Quote by Dana Altman This could be said for most sports. Criticism just comes with the territory, and we have to learn how to manage it so that it doesn't drive us crazy and drive us out of the sport. Build a community of coaches that you can share thoughts, feelings, and ideas with that can keep you motivated and inspired to keep going. Learn how to keep the negativity on the court so that you aren't bringing it home and allowing it to affect your family. Don't let a few chirps from the stands keep you from doing what you love, keep you from doing what you believe in and keep you from changing lives. A lot of good coaches are leaving the profession now because of what they are receiving from the stands. We have to stick together to keep the good ones going. Parents, please see the...

The Best CHOOSE To Do The Right Thing No Matter How They Feel. They Know That Growth Isn't Comfortable.   They Don't Wait Until They Feel Good To Do the Right Thing.  They Just DO the Right Thing. The best do the HARD stuff, especially when it's not easy or they don't feel like doing it. Its easy to work hard when you have had enough rest, the temperature is great outside and all of your friends are waiting for you in the gym.  It's easy to do what's right when you know the drill when you have mastered the skill, when you know that you can beat your opponent, or when you know what is going to happen.   If you do what's right because it feels right, this is still a very good thing, but it means that you have already grown in that area. If you do what's right even when you don't feel the best or the most comfortable, that means that you are growing. There are some things that we do now that are very easy that used to be hard...

This sports journey is tough and it is full of moments that will test you.  Moments that will test your love for the game, moments that will test your belief in yourself, and moments that will test your character.  There are moments that will make you question who you are as a person and what you believe in. Some seasons you are the best player out there and some seasons you struggle to get off the bench. Some games you can't miss, and other games you can't do anything right. Some days, everybody loves you and some days even your parents can't look you in the eye without showing frustration. Keep your head up and know that you are not the first person to struggle and you won't be the last.  Life is filled with moments that will tear you down, and if stick with it, there will be moments that will build you up higher than you can imagine. Your will, your faith, and your purpose has to be bigger than your challenges. You will face challenges ...

Basketball trainer Tim Martin works with many NBA, college and high school stars.  He does a great job of teaching different moves that can get you free to score.  One of his most notable athletes is NBA star Trae Young.   Here I have posted a couple of videos, and my notes, from when he worked with Trae Young.  One is an offensive video where he emphasizes how to play on your toes and keep your feet moving.  The second is a defensive video where he emphasizes cutting the offensive players body I'm half by sitting on their active foot. Both videos are great resources for both players and coaches. CHANGE OF DIRECTION AND REACT ON REACT OFF THE DRIBBLE Keep your feet moving.  As long as your feet are moving and you can control tempo, you have a chance to make a play. When you see chest, cross and counter. Long, quick, explosive strides.  Not short, choppy strides. Long, explosive step like track. Shoulders low, ball low. Go f...

In the book Soup by Jon Gordon, Nancy was hired on as the new CEO of the Soup Inc.  She had to turn around a failing company that was filled with negativity and declining performances. It really is a great read about how the power of relationships and building the right culture can change even the most toxic and negative teams and working environments. Gordon wrote that the leader of the team creates and drives the culture, but every great team has many 'pot stirrers' who do the work of stirring the pot with a shared vision and purpose.  The leaders must set and share the vision, but it is the positive energy of your people that will make this vision a reality.  When you create the 'pot stirrers,' make sure that you are communicating with them, encouraging them, inspiring them, and developing them.  You can't just give them the vision; you have to make sure to help them ( Soup, page 110) Two of the things that Nancy and her team implemented were  ...