Athletic Directors Toolbox

Coaching Like A Champion

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This article was provided by Coaches Network

Becoming a champion is about more than lifting a trophy. Champions embrace a lifestyle that goes far beyond success in athletics and strive for greatness in everything they do. By developing this type of mentality, coaches will be able to look past wins and losses and guide their athletes to success. Try emulating these 10 traits of champions that will help you inspire greatness.

In his book “The Way of the Champion,” Dr. Jerry Lynch describes this lifestyle as a choice. “It starts now by acting as a champion…committing yourself to the habits and ways of a champion, and choosing to engage in a lifestylethat demonstrates such qualities and characteristics on a consistent, daily basis,” he writes. A lot of coaches want to achieve great things, but they will need to make conscious choices every day in order to get there.

John O’ Sullivan of Changing the Game Project has used his years of coaching and mentoring experience to identify what it takes to be great. In an article on the website, O’Sullivan details 10 characteristics of champions to help guide you on your coaching journey:

1. Champions know that “Well done is better than well said”

As Ben Franklin suggests in this famous saying, champions lead by example. Use your actions every day to set the standard for those around you. Inspire your athletes and fellow coaches with your work ethic and drive to do things right.

2. Champions possess fearlessness

Never be afraid to fail. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn and provide valuable moments for any coach. When facing adversity or criticism, use this as motivation and have confidence in your ability to improve.

3. Champions have a tenacious focus on the process

Success requires a constant commitment to excellence. From daily decisions that nobody will see to long-term goals, stay focused on what is driving you forward. Find joy in the everyday grind because coaching is about the journey and not the destination.

4. Champions control the ‘controllables’

Don’t waste time complaining about things you can’t control. Whether it’s officials, field conditions, bad decisions, or cheating opponents, spending your time looking for excuses only distracts from the ways that you can make a positive difference. Take care of the little things and try to get better every day.

5. Champions see the opponent as their partner in achieving excellence

Your opponent should not be the enemy. Rather, those you compete against are fellow travelers on the journey of athletics. Embrace good competition. Motivate your athletes to be the best they can be and not to measure themselves against others.

6. Champions focus on what they can give their team

Instead of asking yourself what your team can do for you, ask yourself what you can do for your team. It’s easy to focus on winning records, but what’s more important is finding ways to benefit those around you. Be a giver and not a taker.

7. Champions have the will to prepare relentlessly

Regardless of winning any titles, champions continue to work as hard as they can to get better. This means pushing through the tough moments even when there’s no glory involved. Always look for ways to improve, even when no one else is around.

8. Champions are humble

No matter how many wins you accumulate, it’s important to always keep things in perspective. Never look at yourself as too big for a small task. Even if that means picking up equipment after practice or helping a player who may never get any playing time.

9. Champions don’t focus on winning; they focus on competing

Every challenge is an opportunity. Embrace the value that training and competing provide. When you start worrying more about the outcome than the process, you’ll lose sight of what’s truly important.

10. Champions understand that excellence is a way of being

Success is not something that you do. It takes hard work, sacrifice, commitment, and good habits. Celebrating the success of others, having a positive attitude, making yourself accountable, loving your team, and staying mindful of your decisions will bring you that much close to being a champion.

Click here to read the full article.

Do In Matches What You Do In Practices

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The following post is courtesy of Coach Tom Houser.  

Coach Houser is currently sixth all-time in coaching victories in Virginia with a career record of 267-47. He has been coaching travel volleyball since 1991, and his teams have qualified Jr Nationals 4 of the past 11 years. He is the owner of STAR Volleyball Services LLC which conducts numerous clinics around the country.  Click the link CoachHouser.com to gain access to more valuable coaching tools. You can also contact Coach Houser at [email protected]

In this post Coach Houser is sharing his answer to a question he received from another coach. The topic is “Doing In Matches What You Do In Practices”

Question:
Our conference tournament was last week.  We made it to the 3rd/4th consolation match yesterday.  We played a team that we had not played during the season (because there are 18 teams in our league).  The first set we won barely: 29-27.  The second set I put in all the other players b/c that’s our conference rule.  We lost only 22-25.  I was feeling pretty confident about the starters for the 3rd set.  Nope – they completely froze.  It was awful.  Of course, I’m now second guessing myself about everything I said/did both before and during the 3rd set.  This group of players just didn’t have the want.  I have until next August when we start again to learn the right words.  I’d like to be better at coaching a game.  Coaching skills and practices go great but I’d like to be better at motivating during games.

ANSWER:

The coach said, “better at coaching a game”??  Whether “the freeze” happens once a month or once a year, not getting the desired results in the final 10 minutes of an hour-long event happens in every sport, to every coach, and to every athlete.  

But, as she will be doing above, all of us coaches must analyze ourselves.  As we do this, please ask ourselves, “What would have made me play better at that age?”  Or, if you’re a male coaching females, “What would help my daughter play better at that age?”  If you can answer that question, then that’s what you say to your athletes.  That’s how you react to their struggles.

Let’s discuss practice.  This is my attitude, and I tell my players:   What we do at practice — how aggressively we hit, who we set, how tough we serve —  is what we do in matches regardless of the score, the pressure , the opponent, the noise, etc.  

Here’s an example:  I got the following text a few day ago from a dad of one of my last year’s players:  

“I caught myself using one of your sayings ‘do it again’. I was trying to push Logan’s team.  But, each time they made an error, even when I thought they made the right decision, they weren’t as aggressive the next time.  I was disappointed.”  

Yes that’s one of  my phrases that I learned from a coach who said, “the most important three words in coaching are ‘Try it again’ ”.   I recommend all coaches say the same thing. 

I call this method “sprinkling power dust on the players”.  There is no thinking, no worrying, just DOING!!

Now, I’m used to coaching 15s and 16s, and this is what I expect my athletes to do:  If they get a good set at 14-14 in the 3rd and don’t hit it, I’ll ask them why.  But also, if they rip the ball into the block and get stuffed, we will discuss that too! You may be saying, “So your players can’t please you?!”   No.  There are consequences to what they decide, and I expect my athletes to make the correct decision in the 14-14 situation because we’ve practiced it so many times.  Example, suppose that hitter gets a tight set in front of two blockers; then she is to keep the ball in play!  If she can that, then “Nice job!”  But, suppose the hitter gets a set that a few feet off the net and about a foot inside the court; then, she should HIT LINE!  If she misses that shot, I’m OK, b/c she did the right thing.  Then, suppose the ball is set accidentally — or intentionally — a little inside, then the hitter should crunch the ball cross.  If she misses that shot, I’m OK here also. 

People say, “You play like you practice,” but most of us believe that is referring to effort, intensity, etc.  And that can be the case.  However, your athletes should also make the same decision in matches that they make at practice with regards to their serving, hitting, setting, etc.

 

Winning Big Games

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This article was provided by Coaches Network

By Dr. Wade Gilbert

Coaches are never more cliché in their descriptions than when talking about their competition schedule. Some of the common ways coaches approach competition include the standard “We must play them one game at a time,” (as if there was any other option), to a slight variation of same theme “We can’t get caught looking ahead,” (nor, as the late Satchell Paige warned, should we look behind), to the old standby “Every game is a big game.”

But we all know that while such assertions are well-intended, they are also untrue. Some games do matter more.

Every season coaches must prepare for such special games, whether they are the annual rivalry game, an elimination playoff match, or a championship final. Anyone who has played or coached knows that emotions run higher than normal for big games. Some coaches will admit to preparing more intently and being a little more jacked up for such competitions, because almost certainly their athletes are. Yet others will attempt to deny the reality and claim that “we’ll treat it like any other game.” And among those, on the extreme high end of the scale, are the coaches who treat – and insist that their athletes treat – every contest like it’s the most important they’ve ever played.

Count U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team head coach Karch Kiraly among that latter group. I vividly recall Karch insisting that his team, which had just won their first ever world championship, approached every match like it was the ultimate match. So when it came time to actually play in the biggest game, he said “We had already played over 100 world championship finals leading up to that game.” This is the same approach used by coaches of the world’s most successful sports team, the New Zealand All Blacks. For them, every game is a big game.

Some big games do require special treatment by coaches simply because the circumstance – and the potential pressure associated with it – is so unique. When legendary high school football coach, Bob Ladouceur, prepared his squad for what would be a national record 73rd consecutive win for De La Salle, he and his coaching staff discussed the streak in terms never spoke of in the 72 games leading up to the potential record breaking game. There was no denying that the 73rd game brought a different level of pressure and arousal. Leading up to the big game the coaching staff discussed the streak in terms of a collective accomplishment, not only by the current athletes, but of all those who contributed to it before them. In that way, he diffused the pressure on any individual player and shone the light on the De La Salle football legacy rather than any athletes on the team who might be seeking personal glory. By the way, Ladouceur’s Spartans would go on to win many more big games, running the record winning streak to an amazing 151 games from 1992-2004.

Treat every game the same or prepare and coach a little different for special games? Which approach works best? The answer lies in understanding what your athletes need to help them perform at their peak on any given day. How athletes approach a big game is largely influenced by three factors: their belief in their ability to meet the challenge, how well they have been taught skills for coping with big game pressures, and their trust in the game-plan.

There is much truth in the old saying ‘success breeds success.’ With the right preparation, athletes should play like they expect to win every competition. For coaches this means making sure athletes experience ‘wins’ in practices even when the wins aren’t coming in games. Every practice should include competitive challenges that are just beyond athletes’ current ability but are realistically attainable with full effort and focus. Successfully completing these challenges builds confidence and resilience, particularly if it takes the athletes a few practices to meet the challenge. This approach works as long as the coach provides support and encouragement along the way, otherwise athletes may get discouraged and come to accept failure.

It also means setting a variety of achievement goals for competitions, such as number of shots on net in soccer, yards of offense in football, or free-throw shooting percentage in basketball. Win or lose, athletes can still experience success when they achieve some of their competition goals. These small ‘wins’ keep athletes focused and builds the self-confidence needed to believe they can succeed when the big game arrives.

Successful coaches put their athletes in a position to win big games by using other proven strategies such as:

– Sharing stories of past success and athletes’ proven ability to overcome tough challenges, either that the athletes themselves have experienced or examples from others who have faced similar big competition moments. Hearing stories from others who have embraced and passed their big game test helps calm nerves and builds confidence that achieving big game success is possible.

– Reminding athletes about strategies they have been taught for finding their pre-game individual zone of optimal functioning, such as deep-belly breathing, imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and positive self-talk (see resources listed at the end of this commentary for detailed guidance on how to teach these competition readiness strategies). Successful coaches don’t wait for big games to try or teach these valuable pre-competition readiness skills to their athletes.

– Preparing detailed game-plans based on deep knowledge of your opponent and what it will take to win the event. Knowledge of all the little details that are crucial for winning the big game builds athlete confidence because it equips them with a trusted plan for beating a tough opponent. Attention to the smallest of details leads to what is often referred to as ‘marginal gains’ or the 1% difference. Detailed game-plans that include strategies for gaining a collection of 1% differences give your athletes and teams the competitive edge they need to pull-off big game wins.

– Successful coaches also prepare contingency plans for responding to critical moments that may occur in big games, such as what to do if your team comes out flat, how to finish a close game or race when leading, or what tactical adjustments to make if losing late in the game so you can make a final push to overcome the deficit. A coach’s ability to make the right tactical adjustments in big games also depends on the coach’s knowledge of potential momentum triggers. The more a coach studies the tendencies of their own team – and those of their big game opponent – the better they will be at noticing and quickly responding to momentum triggers.
One of most memorable examples of how a coach used these types of strategies to help lead teams to big game success is three-time Super Bowl winning coach Tom Coughlan and his 2007 championship team. Heading into Super Bowl XLII against the record-setting 18-0 New England Patriots, coach Coughlan relied heavily on lessons learned from a close defeat to the Patriots just a few week earlier in the regular season. He used that game as an example to show his athletes that the Patriots were indeed beatable if they executed the meticulously prepared game-plan and trusted the pre-competition routines they used all season long.

The ability to coach athletes to perform at their peak in big games will be determined by how well you teach your athletes to cope with the inevitable self-doubts and momentum swings that occur in tough competitions. Success in big games has much to do with building athletes’ skills and confidence prior to when they are played, along with detailed game-plans based on the team’s strengths and the scout of your opponent. Championship coaches know that this approach is the surest way to earn the right to win when the big game arrives.

This article is adapted from an article on the Human Kinetics “Coach Education Center” website.  Click here to read the full article.

37 Tips for Assistant Coaches

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Coach Bob Starkeyis an assistant coach for the LSU Tigers women’s basketball team. He has an outstanding coaching blog that you should definitely add to your regular reading list: Hoop Thoughts. This post was originally posted on that blog.  Coach Starkey is a basketball coach, but there is great COACHING information that can be applied  any sport.

High School coaches won’t be able to apply all of the points, but will still have some takeaways.

Tips for Assistant Coaches

by Bob Starkey

Two of my favorite people in the world of coaching (and two of the people in my coaching circle of influence) are Felicia Hall Allen and Greg Brown. Felicia has been a game changer for our profession with the development of A Step Up Assistant Coaching Symposium for men and women’s basketball coaches. She also is an amazing motivational speaker and excellent team builder. We utilized her at LSU and she made such an impact in our program that we annually voted her a recipient of our Final Four rings. Greg Brown is someone I have know for years in large part because of my relationship with Don Meyer who Greg worked for. In fact, I often tell people that Greg worked for Coach Meyer and Pat Summitt when they were the winningest coaches in all of college basketball. Greg is an excellent teacher and continual learner.

The two of them combined for this post this morning. Greg had sent this list from an article he read to Felicia and she then emailed out to her contact list. It is an outstanding list and I wanted to share it on our blog:

TIPS FOR ASSISTANT COACHES

1. Ultimately, your job is to make your head coach look good. Being a head coach is much more about being a CEO than an Xs and Os strategist. Yes, the head coach will get most of the credit, but they will also get all of the blame. Their job is to win, have a detailed vision and to be the leader. Your job is to help them execute their vision. It’s not your show, it’s the head coach’s show.

2. Understand and teach the game inside and out. Know how to attack opponent weaknesses, win with the players you’ve got, teach fundamentals and research and teach the best drills to prepare your position group.

3. Traits head coaches are looking for in assistant coaches: loyal, hard-working, reliable and trust-worthy. Being a great recruiter can help you get and keep a job.

4. Not everyone on the staff will get along—there will always be jealousy, personal differences, age differences but in order to win you must be able to put that aside to work with each other!

5. Coaching is a family—build your network. Outside of your head-to-head competitions, consider other coaches as your co-workers, not enemies. Build a strong network. You will rely on them heavily throughout career.

6. Best way to move up from where you are today into a new position? Be the best at your current position! Treat your role and current school as your dream job, and work like it’s where you’ve always dreamed to be.

7. Assistant coaches on your staff (or your opponents) can be in the position to hire you one day—you are building a track record with not just your head coach, but assistant coaches and opponents. Keep it professional and courteous.

8. Always bring a great attitude to work, even if you are having down days. Keep your personal issues to yourself, the team would never accomplish anything if every coach and player brought their personal issues to the facility or complained about all of their problems. Manage your personal life, address problems, get counseling if you need to!

9. Your players will mirror you. You want them to do it right and pay attention to detail—you must take the lead and see that you take the little details serious, too. Do what you say you will do. Follow through!

10. It’s never “I,” “me” or “mine,” instead use “we,” “us,” and “our.”

11. No detail is too minor for the head coach. If they want to be kept up-to-date on an issue, keep them in constant communication with a quick text, call or email.

12. Your position group, recruiting efforts and off-field responsibilities need to be your top priority. Do not get distracted by the fluff that goes along with the job. Focus on what you are being paid to do: develop players, graduate players, win games, represent the university and sign new players. If you feel like you can handle it, ask to take on additional responsibilities or create a new job responsibility that falls into one of those categories that will ultimately help your team win.

13. Become a great evaluator of talent—you need to learn how to find the hidden gems who aren’t gracing every recruiting Top 100 list. You need to be able to “find” great players before every other coach. Find the players who fit your needs, who have raw talent, who can be developed reasonably quickly, and who have great attitudes and toughness.

14. Remember—you are ALWAYS representing your boss and university.

15. Understand and value that EVERYONE in program has a role. Everyone has different strengths, everyone can contribute something different and critical: coaches, players, trainers, doctors, academic counselors, marketing staff, interns, students, boosters, maintenance staff, housing.

16. Think ahead, anticipate what’s next. What will your head coach need today/this week?

17. Self-evaluate and scout your team and position group. What weaknesses are returning? Evaluate top teams at those skills—how and why are they successful? What do they do exceptionally better? What drills can you use to help your players improve?

18. When evaluating players it’s critical you rule out players who will be a waste of time in terms of leading you on a wild goose hunt. Don’t spend all of your time recruiting players who will never get enrolled into your university, who won’t finish, who won’t be happy too far away from home, etc. If you know problems will arise down the road, it’s best to find other players who have less off-field issues. The risk isn’t often worth the reward.

19. Nothing is beneath you—all hands on deck. Be wise with your time and put most urgent priorities first! Develop players, graduate players, win games, sign new players.

20. Appearance is important—never know who you will run into. Your days will be long, the stress will be high—being in shape will help you fight the mental and physical battles. Be well groomed, well dressed and energetic.

21. How can you separate yourself—what value can you add to a staff? What can you become indispensable at? Scouting, recruiting, relationships with prep coaches, developing players, leadership?

22. Scout opponents as if your job depends on it—at some point, it will! The smallest of details can make the biggest of difference when it comes to game planning and having your players prepared.

23. Keep a daily to-do list with the same key areas that need your daily attention: situations to monitor (class attendance/study hall/grades of your players), things to do, people to call. Repeat, repeat, repeat with the attention that you expect of your players with their fundamentals.

24. Be organized—organization brings direction to chaos! A prepared player never flinches, nor do prepared coaches!

25. If needed, help communicate for your head coach. You may have to return calls for them, take on delegated responsibilities. Remember—your job is to make their job easier and to make them look good.

26. With recruiting—it’s not about what YOU want in a player, it’s about what your boss wants in a player. Can the recruit play for and be successful under this head coach? Will they clash or flourish? Recruit players who will fit your head coach’s personality and style.

27. If you lack experience or talent, you can overcome your weaknesses by being hardest worker who brings relentless energy—in the same way that you teach your players that “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

28. Be who you are and believe in who you work for.

29. Never doubt the head coach in front of players or other members of the staff. When the negative talk begins internally everyone’s job is in trouble. If there is an issue with the head coach, approach them directly.

30. Most head coaches are excellent in three areas—on-field teaching, off-field preparations and recruiting. Most assistant coaches are only good at one or two of these areas, sometimes just masters of one. You must develop strong skills in all three areas to become a successful head coach.

31. Help your players do something that’s never been done before, even if it’s a small accomplishment. Bigger accomplishments will come after you begin achieving smaller, more manageable goals.

32. Develop a good relationship with your player’s parents—communicate! They need to be your allies, not your enemies! Deal with issues before they become unmanageable.

33. Have a ‘no gossip’ policy with your spouse—they shouldn’t be the town gossip about team issues. Like you tell your players, ‘What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room.’ If they can’t keep issues quiet, limit what you share with them.

34. No money talk amongst other coaches—your salary is what you have agreed to and signed for. It is a cancer to constantly discuss money with other coaches on staff.

35. What would a scouting report on your own team/unit look like? Be brutally honest with yourself on which weaknesses your players need to improve on. Build on what they are really good at, show them how to get better!

36. Get to know your Athletic Director and Associate/Assistant Athletic Directors, they could be in position to hire you one day or give you a key recommendation.

37. Get to know athletic department staff—at some point you will need their help, they are ambassadors for your program! Their jobs are important, get to know everyone and let them know you appreciate them.

The 5 Stages Of A Coach’s Career

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Editor’s note from Brian.  I saw this thought on another blog and thought that it fits in well with the message of this post:

Rocking Chair Statement
-As a coach, write a statement about what you want players to remember about you when you are old in a rocking chair on your front porch!

The following post was written by Coach Dawn Redd-Kelly and originally published on her coaching blog, Coach Dawn Writes

Let me tell you what I think about coaches: we’re crazy in our preparation and dedication, we work long hours and love it, we give up our nights and weekends, we mentor our student-athletes, we demand big things from them and even more from ourselves, we’re passionate in our belief in our team and our love for our sport, we believe in the power of sport to have a positive and long-lasting impact in our athlete’s lives.  So when I saw “The 5 Stages of Your Career” over at Bob Starkey’s blog, I wanted to expand on it over here.  It’s interesting to figure out what stage you’re in and those that you’ve already gone through…or have you circled back around to some you thought you were finished with?  Check them out and see what you think.

The 5 Stages of Your Career

1.       Survival: Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Coaches, you remember what this stage felt like don’t you?   Or maybe you’re in the middle of this stage now and feel like you’re flailing.  I remember being beyond clueless…that’s back when I thought I just needed to know volleyball to be a volleyball coach!  Turns out also I needed to formulate a recruiting plan, balance a budget, create practice plans, order equipment, manage assistant coaches, and make in-game adjustments.  Color me unprepared, but thank goodness for a veteran coach who took me under his wing.

2.       Striving for Success: You Want Folks to Recognize You Can Coach
Your motivation?  Winning, plain and simple.  You’re obsessed with conquering the competition and put in hours and hours of your time to make it happen.  Being the best is what drives you and to be the best, you need the tangible accolades that go along with that:  lots of W’s in the win column, all-league awards for your team, and maybe a coach of the year for you.

3.       Satisfaction: You Relax, Set Another Goal, & Want To Get Better
Now that you’ve achieved a few of your goals, you can relax and know that you’re a good coach and you have the respect of your peers.  You attend conferences to network and visit with old friends as much as you do to learn some new things…you’re getting established.  Each year you set new goals to accomplish that will push you and your team forward…you’re focused.

4.       Significance: Changing Lives For The Good
At this stage you’re more concerned with how you impact your teams and your legacy than you are with personal glory…after all, you’ve already accomplished a lot.  Now you want to make sure your teams understand the value of sport and hope that you’re teaching them how to be better people, not just better players.  With all of your experience and years in the game, you’re very knowledgeable.  And because of the success you’ve had in your career, this is the stage where people solicit your opinion and ask for your help with their coaching conundrums.

5.       Spent: No Juice Left, Can’t Do It Any More
The busses, the trips, preseason, recruiting, the hustle, the grind…you’re over it.  You’re ready to hang with the family and actually make it home before nine o’clock at night.  And your weekends?  You want them back.  Not even the prospect of that super sweet and talented recruiting class that you just brought in is enough to bring you back into the fold.  As much as you love your sport, you’re just not that fired up about the season this year…it’s time to hang it up.

So what stage are YOU at?

About the Author of this Post

Dawn Redd-Kelly is the head volleyball coach at Beloit College.  Her volleyball teams have earned the best winning percentage in school history.  She has coached at the high school, club, Division I and III levels…taking my first collegiate head coaching job at age 24 with the University of Rochester.  She played volleyball at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Coach Dawn Says: “I believe in the power of sport to teach winning and losing with grace, to inspire its participants to excel, and to create a common goal for the greater good.”