Enforcing a standard of behavior and respect of the locker room is yet another area where coaches can create a culture of success. Recently I started a short series for “team sport” coaches on some of the important elements of team sport success. However, I focused on areas that many might not usually think of as the most important things. So much of…
Why Bench Behavior Is More Important Than You Think
Teaching players how to properly behave in all situations of sport is just as important as coaching game strategy. This is the first of a few posts on elements that lead to team success or failure which sometimes get overlooked as being of primary importance. I have also done a short video version of the post…
Planting Seeds as Coaches and Teachers
Scott Rosberg explains how the metaphor of planting seeds and harvesting crops relates to coaching and teaching our youth. He has also added a short video touching on some of the key points in the post. Enjoy! “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” Robert Louis Stevenson…
Failure IS an Option!
Most people attempt to avoid failure. In the realm of athletics, however, failing can be the key to finding success. The 1995 movie Apollo 13 is about the ill-fated NASA mission that saw an explosion aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft which caused the mission’s goal of landing on the moon to be aborted. As the NASA…
Building Your Coaching Staff Chemistry #3 – Criticizing Your Assistants in Front of Your Athletes
This is the third in a series of posts I am doing on developing great chemistry on your coaching staff. These posts come from my new eBook and new workshop called “Building Your Coaching Staff Chemistry.” It is from the chapter in the book called “Head Coaches Working with Assistants.” It is on the concept of…
Building Your Coaching Staff Chemistry #2 – HC/AC Relationship – Micromanagement
This is the second in a series of posts I am doing on developing great chemistry on your coaching staff. These posts come from my new eBook and workshop called “Building Your Coaching Staff Chemistry.” It is from the chapter in the book called “Working with Your Assistant Coaches.” It is on the concept of ‘micromanagement”…
Building Your Coaching Staff Chemistry #1 – Characteristics of a Good Coach
Do you have great chemistry on your coaching staff? Do you have positive, working relationships with everyone? How about your overall athletic department? Do all the coaches in the entire program work together in a spirit of collegiality, selflessness, and servant-leadership? Is everyone on the same page trying to help all kids in all programs have…
Playing Time Ideas Part 2 – Playing Time Philosophies
This is post #2 in a series on one of the biggest issues, if not THE biggest issue, that team sport coaches will deal with during their years as a coach – playing time. Today’s post is about the concept of establishing a playing time philosophy for your program/team. You may be wondering, “Why do…
Playing Time Ideas for Coaches – Part 1
This is the first post in a series on one of the biggest issues, if not THE biggest issue, that team sport coaches will deal with during their years as a coach. The issue, of course, is playing time. Today’s post is a short overview of the situation, and then the rest of the posts…
The Most Thankless Job in Sports
This summer I was asked by our high school’s girls’ basketball coach to referee some summer scrimmage games they were playing against a couple other schools. While I have done my share of refereeing scrimmages, intramural games, and youth camp games, I am not an official. I am a coach. I have coached for 30+…