Every great endeavor starts with an overriding purpose and a vision of something bigger than yourself. This “vision” will get no traction if it remains only your vision. Your vision must become theirs; in other words, the coach is responsible to create the Team’s Vision. Here are some key ingredients you’ll need:
- MEANING: Derive meaning from what you do on a daily basis. There are no “little things” – it all counts. Don’t wait on an event. Work and coach like you want to be coaching ten years from now
- BRAND: Create a BRAND for your culture, style of play, “This is who we are.” “This is what we do.” “This is how we play.”
- COMMITMENT: Players must be UNCONDITIONALLY BOUGHT IN – regardless of playing time, (i.e., most players buy in CONDITIONALLY – usually based on playing time.) They will buy in when they see the depth your level of commitment.
- PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: How do you measure Player Development? Practice IS Player Development! The game is played 5 on 5, not 1 on 1, 2 on 2, or 3 on 3. Each practice plan should be a work of art.
- RESOLVE: There’s going to be good and bad days. Show resolve when everything is falling apart around you. Pass only positives down (to players and assistants). Pass your negatives up. If there’s no one above you to pass your negatives to, then close your office door, get your crying over with and leave it behind the door when you go out.
- SUCCESSFUL CULTURE: It’s much easier to keep your eye on the TEAM VISION when you are surrounded with a Successful Culture. If you don’t have a Successful Culture, then you have to create one. There are many traits – here are a few:
- Players must be Accountable to team, school, and coach.
- No one is scared of Hard Work. Hard Work is attacked rather than avoided.
- Everyone and everything done is marked with Discipline.
- The good team culture breeds players with healthy ACLs – Aggressive, Confident, and Loose.
Everything you do as a coach is a brick in a building – whether you’ve planned that building or not. When it’s built, will it be something that you’re proud of, or will it be something that you hide or make excuses for? If you’re going to build, then BUILD TO YIELD – and that takes VISION. Let your vision build a factory with a successful culture that yields young men and women with their own Vision, Discipline, Resolve, and Commitment to Excellence. If so, the wins will take care of themselves.
