A Coach's Diary

“Don’t let anyone tell you that being the best and having fun are mutually exclusive.” - Margueritte Bates Can you enjoy the pursuit of greatness? Margueritte Bates became the first-ever rookie head coach to win the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship when she led the UCLA Bruins to the 2022 national championship. Before that, she was the long-time assistant at Stanford. When talking about her transition from assistant to head coach and her broader philosophy about elite performance, Coach Bates said, “Don’t let anyone tell you that being the best and having fun are mutually exclusive.” If you want to be elite, you don’t have to be rigid, joyless, and exhausting. Of course, being elite requires a lot of hard work, and a lot of it won’t be fun, but is not the enemy of discipline, fun does not mean lack of standards, and positive energy can coexist with — and even fuel — elite execution. So work hard and have fun on your journey towards greatness! Question of the Day: How can yo...

“You have to fight to get what you want, but it’s also important to enjoy what you do.” - Katarina Witt Do you enjoy the chase? German figure skater Katarina Witt was a 2-time Olympic gold medalist and 4-time world champion nicknamed the Queen of Ice. She once said, “You have to fight to get what you want, but it’s also important to enjoy what you do.” Work hard, have fun is a saying I use a lot as a coach. You have to work harder than you know if you want to become a champion, but it’s important to have fun and enjoy the journey too. What does that mean? Success requires effort, discipline, and perseverance. Champions don’t happen by chance; they push through challenges, setbacks, and hard work. While working hard, you shouldn’t lose the joy of the process. Loving the journey keeps you motivated, prevents burnout, and makes the hard work meaningful. You reach your goals faster and sustain success longer when you balance relentless effort with genuine enjoyment. Question of the Day: H...

“Every single person, whether you're on the field, whether you're off the field, whether you're their equipment manager or trainer, whatever you are doing, you have a purpose. And my purpose was to make everybody better.” - Danielle Fotopoulos How do you make the people around you better? Danielle Fotoopoulos scored more goals in women’s college soccer than anyone in history, playing for both SMU and the University of Florida, and she was a part of the 1999 U.S. women's national team that beat China in front of a record crowd in the World Cup finale.  She now coaches, and she once said, “Every single person, whether you're on the field, whether you're off the field, whether you're their equipment manager or trainer, whatever you are doing, you have a purpose. And my purpose was to make everybody better.” You may or may not be the best on your team. You may or may not play a lot. But you do have a purpose, and part of that purpose is to help make the people a...

“You don’t need the most stars, hype, or rankings. You just need discipline, heart, and people who believe in you, and you need to believe in your own abilities. I hope this moment shows you chasing your dreams are worth it, no matter how big or impossible they seem.” - Fernando Mendoza Do you feel like you are being overlooked? Fernando Mendoza led Indiana football to an undefeated season, a Big 10 championship, and won the Heisman Trophy while also being a part of one of the biggest turnarounds in college football history.  During his Heisman speech, Mendoza said, “You don’t need the most stars, hype, or rankings. You just need discipline, heart, and people who believe in you, and you need to believe in your own abilities. I hope this moment shows you chasing your dreams are worth it, no matter how big or impossible they seem.” He shows it truly is not about where you start, but where you finish and what you are willing to do and through to get there. Question of the Day: When y...

“You have to understand that anything in the past takes you out of the present moment. Anything in the future takes you out of the present moment. The competition happens in the present moment.” - Mark Daigneault How do you stay even — not too high and not too low? Mark Daigneault is the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. After getting off to a great start the year after they won the championship, he was asked how they stay consistent. Coach Daigneault said, “You have to understand that anything in the past takes you out of the present moment. Anything in the future takes you out of the present moment. The competition happens in the present moment.” Instead of getting lost in what happened yesterday or worrying about tomorrow, stay focused on today. Ask yourself, “What can I or do I need to do today?”  Then, do that. Question of the Day: What is one thing today that deserves your full focus, without being influenced by yesterday or tomorrow?

“As long as you are green, you will continue to grow. As soon as you are ripe, you will soon be rotten.” - Drew Brees Do you think you know it all already or that you have a lot to learn? Drew Brees is a Super Bowl winning quarterback known for his accuracy, leadership, and preparation. He said his college coach once told him, “As long as you are green, you will continue to grow. As soon as you are ripe, you will soon be rotten.” Green is knowing you are still learning, growing, and developing, and being ripe means you think you’ve arrived or know it all. When you are green, you are curious and constantly finding new things to learn, and when you are ripe, you can be stubborn and stuck in your ways — and that’s when people pass you up and leave you behind. Which one do you want to be? Which kind of person do you want to be around—someone ripe or someone green? Question of the Day: When are you ripe, when are you green, and how can you be more green?

“When you put in the work and you're the hardest worker - sometimes it's ugly, but you just have to stack the days. If you keep showing up and keep working hard, good things are going to happen.” - Sophie Cunningham How do you keep showing up when it’s ugly? Sophie Cunningham is a professional basketball player known for her toughness and hard work. She once said after a game, “When you put in the work and you're the hardest worker - sometimes it's ugly, but you just have to stack the days. If you keep showing up and keep working hard, good things are going to happen." How hard do you work? How hard do you warm up? How hard do you go in the simple drills? Your work ethic is either a competitive advantage or a lid. She then said, “Everyone is going to fail, and I think if you’re not trying or not failing, then you’re not picking yourself hard enough.” Don’t be afraid to fail because greatness is on the other side of failure. Question of the Day: How do you keep sh...