🏆 30 Things Every Coach Should Know

I have learned many coaching lessons over my career. Here are my Top 30.

Author

Greg Berge
September 26, 2024

In partnership with

Good morning! A warm welcome to the 78 new subscribers who joined 13,000+ others this week.

Here's what's coming:

  • 30 Things 🏆

  • Jonah Oliver Gold 🥇

  • Coach K on the Will to Prepare 🆇

  • Read Time ~ 5 minutes.

But first, how are you developing your team leaders this season? It will make or break your season. That is why I created the Team Leader OS: The Ultimate Leadership Resource for Coaches. Develop your leaders, create a better culture, and WIN more games.

🔗 LINKS OF THE WEEK

🎥 Video: Saban on Coaching Character

🎙️ Podcast: Coach Collins and I discuss Culture in this Basketball Leadership Podcast episode.

🆇 ICYMI: What do the best coaches focus on? [LINK]

💭ONE THOUGHT

Billy Graham once said, “A coach will impact more people in just one year than most people will in their entire lifetime."  

This is so true.

Team sports are the ultimate lab setting for life, and, as coaches, we have a critical role and responsibility in helping our student-athletes learn many incredible life skills.

This school year, I enter my 30th year in Education, 10 as a teacher, 20 as a high school principal, and 30+ as a coach.

As we wrap up the first month of the school year, I am sharing my 30 lessons learned over a lifetime of coaching.

  • Which ones are your favorite?

  • What would you add?

30 Lessons Learned over a Lifetime of Coaching and Leadership.

1. Coaching is all about relationships. Work to build relationships with your players.

2. Play the long game with culture. There are no shortcuts to success.

3. Find a way to develop your team leaders. Don’t hope or wish for leaders.

4. After a win, you are never as good as you think. And after a loss, you never played as poorly as you thought.

5. When in doubt, less is more. The earlier you learn this, the better.

6. As the coach, you are the leader. Everyone looks to you. Lead by example in all you do.

7. How do I define culture? Culture is what you allow, culture is what you emphasize, and culture is every day.

8. Create your practices with a purpose. Remember, less is often more.

9. Try doing things in groups of 3. It is simple and easy for everyone to remember.

10. Energy givers make a team. Find ways to acknowledge and reward your energy givers.

11. Put your players in situations where they can use their strengths. A great life lesson that sports teach: “Be great at what you are good at.”

12. Communication is critical for coaches. Be clear, concise, and proactive. It is always better to over-communicate.

13. Remember, comparison is the thief of joy. Don’t compare yourself to others.

14. Be a lifelong learner. The best coaches constantly learn and improve. You never arrive as a coach.

15. There is no substitute for hard work. As a coach, model the work ethic and commitment you want from your players.

16. Culture is every day. You must think this way. If not, your culture will erode.

17. Find a supportive spouse. Coaching is challenging and time-consuming. 

18. Over-communicate roles for your players and team. Role definition is one of the most under-appreciated yet essential aspects of coaching.

19. Remember, leadership is a lifestyle. Be a servant leader.

20. Do not worry about trying to please everyone. It is impossible and will only cause problems for you as a coach and/or leader.

21. Be incredibly honest with kids and parents. Do not sugarcoat anything. It gets you in trouble. Honesty and transparency are critical.

22. Do yourself a favor and be very organized. Being organized shows your competence to others.

23. Celebrate the small wins. Use the game within the game to set goals. Meeting little goals allows you to reach bigger goals.

24. Focus on the process, not the prize.

25. Always celebrate WE over ME.

26. Think about your player's mental health. It is more important than ever.

27. Get to know your parents when their kids are young. These relationships are essential later on.

28. Failure is growth. Create this mindset. Control the narrative on the word "failure" with your players. 

29. The standard is the standard. All teams want to win, and all teams think they play hard. Remember, it is always the standards by which these things are done that matter.

30. Finally, enjoy the time with your players and have fun! Make Memories; it goes fast!

As you start a new school year, I hope you all feel the support of the coaching community. It is so essential that we work together to grow and develop all of our coaches.

Please know how important you all are in the lives of our students.

Remember, our kids need great coaches.

Good luck!

P.S. Did this post resonate with you? If you are looking for more like this, then check out Better Coach OS. It is a coaching goldmine with 10 modules, 32 lessons, and 5 hours of video—everything you need to be a great coach in one masterclass course.

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📜 TWO QUOTES

"My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If you run your race, you'll win... channel your energy. Focus."

Carl Lewis

“It’s not about reducing pressure it’s about building the capacity to embrace more.”

Jonah Oliver

TEAM LEADER OS

Player-led Teams Win! How do you systematically develop your team leaders? I created the Team Leader OS for this reason. It is flexible, practical, and easy to implement. It was made by coaches and for coaches.

Don’t wait and wish for your team leaders each season → develop them with the Team Leader OS.

𝐗 THREE POSTS FROM OTHERS

📚 BOOKS, COURSES, BUNDLES, & FREE RESOURCES

Bundles:

Courses, Curriculum, and More:

Books:

Free Resources:

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

👀 OTHER WAYS I CAN HELP

  1. Are you 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]

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