🏆 10 Lessons for ALL Coaches

🔗 LINKS OF THE WEEK

🎥 Video: Coach K’s Most Important Leadership Lessons

🎙️ Podcast: Coach Collins and I discuss the 7 Mistakes Made by New Coaches in this week’s Basketball Leadership Podcast episode.

📖 On the Web: Study: How sideline sports behavior affects young athletes.

TOGETHER WITH HONOR THE ATHLETE

Use personalized recognition to transform team culture, boost player development, and secure lasting success. Learn more: HonorTheAthlete.com

💭 ONE THOUGHT
🏆 10 Coaching Lessons Learned

I have been blessed as a coach.

I started coaching in college, as a varsity assistant in football and as a head middle school basketball coach.

I became a varsity boys basketball coach, replacing a HOF coaching legend at age 26. I coached for seven years, became a principal, and have been back doing both for 11 years.

Over these 18 varsity years, we have won 74% of our games, 11 conference championships, and two section championships. More importantly, we have had great kids go through our program, and they have become wonderful adults.

In total, I have had 30+ years of coaching both boys and girls at all levels. I have also raised two kids who were both 3-sport athletes. Both were on state tournament teams, and my daughter is a current college athlete as a D-2 golfer.

I have learned A LOT about Coaching and Leadership in these 30+ years.

Here are 10 of the most important things I have learned as a COACH.

1: It Always Starts with Relationships - We are in the people business, and the people matter. Get to know your players. Ask them questions, listen to them, and be vulnerable. Let them know you care. Let their parents know you care.

Relationships matter in tough times.

2: The Rule of 3’s - Simplicity matters in coaching. Less is almost always more. How do you simplify? Work in groups of 3's. When you are presenting a concept, try to always group it into 3s.

An example? Our defensive philosophy is No Paint, Contest, Rebound.

Always remember that simple wins and, more often than not, less is more.

3: Communication is Vital - Live by this mantra, "Where this is a void in communication, negativity fills it."

Communication is vital as a coach and leader. While you want to keep things simple as a coach, you want to over-communicate. Always remember that communication shows competence.

4: Culture is Every Day - The #1 job of any coach is to build their culture. Every Day.

Culture never arrives. It is built each and every day with the daily decisions of what you allow and what you emphasize. Kids are kids - they will push the envelope.

Every Decision Matters.

Here is more from the king of culture, former Villanova coach Jay Wright.

5: With-It-Ness - This is my favorite word as a leader. Do you "get it" as a coach or leader?

It is the art of coaching.

Do you make the right decisions as a leader? What do you allow and emphasize within your culture? Some get it right away, and some never seem to get it.

6: The Process is the Prize - A season is a journey. It is like writing a book. A win or a loss never defines you. You are never as good as you think after a win, and you usually do not play as badly as you think after a loss.

Trust the process.

7: Leaders Build Leaders - Player-led teams win. Good coaches know this. When things go wrong in a season, it can usually be pointed to a poor culture or poor team leadership.

Know this.

Good coaches are purposeful in developing their team leaders.

8: The Standard is the Standard - Every team wants to win. Every team practices. Every team thinks they work hard.

The difference in great teams is always the standard at which this is done. This is ultimately what separates good teams from great teams.

9: Win the War, Not the Battle - Great coaches know how to pick their battles. They know what is truly important.

They do not get hung up in the little battles that may take time and energy. They focus on winning the war and picking the right battles.

10: When the Stars Align - Finally, when you are in this long enough, a few times in a career, if you are lucky, the stars will align.

You will have great player leadership, positive energy, no injuries, enough talent to win, and the ball bounces your way.

Remember these years!

PRESENTED BY THE TEAM LEADER OS

Teach your players how to LEAD.

This is why I created the Team Leader OS: The Ultimate Leadership Resource for Coaches. A practical and flexible leadership program for coaches to use with their team.

What is included?

• 20 Lesson Team Leader Training Manual (with video) to use with athletes year after year.

• Train the Trainer course for coaches.

• Over 200+ minutes of video and 300+ pages of leadership resources for coaches.

• Over 20 bonus leadership video lessons.

• Lifetime access.

• So much more…

Click here to learn more. The Team Leader OS.

📜 TWO QUOTES

𝐗 THREE POSTS FROM OTHERS

📚 BOOKS, COURSES, & FREE RESOURCES

• Team Leader OS - The ultimate course to systemically build your team leaders year after year. Flexible, practical, and built by a coach for coaches.

• Paperback books on AMAZON - Culture WINS, Culture WINS 2, Coaching GOLD, and Great Teams Better Leaders (Vol 1)

• All eBooks and FREE Digital Resources - Find many free resources and all of my books and courses.

• Super Bundle (big discount for all four eBooks!) - Want all four of my books at a big discount? Check it out.

Find all FREE books and resources at gberge.gumroad.com.

👀 LOOKING FOR MORE?

When you are ready, here are a few ways I can help you:

1. Interested in Sponsoring an Issue? Reply to this email or click here: Sponsor Great Team Better Leaders.

2. Are you seeking a Culture or Leadership workshop for your team or school? Contact Greg for more information.

Contact Me: Greg Berge, [email protected]