A Coach's Diary

Great programs start with great leadership. They have a strong vision, effective and efficient systems and processes, and clear communication. The players have bought into the vision and their roles in the process. They appreciate and value their roles and they are appreciated by their coaches and teammates. The parents have also bought into the vision. They appreciate the time, energy, and leadership being provided by the coaches. They accept the roles of their athletes and they help their athletes accept and appreciate their roles as well. This continues to all of the stakeholders of the program - school administrators, sponsors, other family members, etc. To have a successful program, everybody has to be on the same page, bought in, and ready to play their part. One squeaky wheel can affect the whole wagon. It truly is a team effort!

When the leader is clear and consistent about his philosophy's core values, it frees everyone up to do their best.  It frees top leadership to treat its middle managers in a whole new way.  When everyone understands the vision, the goals, and the overall system, they don't need the top boss always telling them what to do.  They can figure it out for themselves.  And for the middle managers, the is means that instead of being mere instruments for relaying instructions delivered from on high, they can get creative and share their own ideas.  Once they have the chance to find their own voices, their identity is now at the forefront.  The door then opens to competing not merely for the next promotion but to maximize their own potential.  Imagine how much energy this generates.  When everyone gets to contribute his maximum effort, it is transformative for the whole organization. Taken from Win Forever by Pete Carroll

The following article was taken from Pete Carroll's book, Win Forever.   At USC  Pete Carroll introduced "Three Rules," which became foundational elements for our program. Rule 1:  Always protect the team Rule 2:  No whining, No complaining, No Excuses Rule 3:  Be Early Rule 1: Protecting the Team This rule is about each individuals conscience and it holds everybody in the program accountable to the program and to each other.  Every decision is important and every decision can either hurt or help you, your teammates, and the team. Rule 2:  You Either Do or You Don't - There Are No Excuses Self-talk can be powerful and ultimately can create anticipated outcomes.  The language of the culture reflects the attitude of the culture.  If you're a culture of complaining and excuses, your actions and performance will reflect it. Rule 3:  Being Early Requires Being Prepared Being early is all about being discipli...

I borrowed these notes from one of my favorite websites: Men's Basketball Hoopscoop at  http://www.mensbasketballhoopscoop.com/kevin-eastman-coaching-u-live-2013/ Kevin Eastman Coaching U Live 7-9-2013
 Constructing a Great Team (the DNA of championship teams)    ***Note*** he jumps all over the place, ex. Says there are 10 points, only does 8. 1) Coach in the moment, lead in the moment. - He shared the story about Doc Rivers having each Celtic, coach, trainer, etc give $100.00, then putting it in the ceiling of the Laker locker room. He told the team they would collect their money back in June at the NBA finals. 2) The best leaders always have their antennas up Never miss an opportunity to learn something you can use with your team. 3) We must invest in ourselves. 4) Never put a ceiling on your growth. 15 chairs Eastman placed 15 chairs on the court in a row, simulating a bench. He talked about building a team and where people...