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- ๐ The 4 Levels of Competitors
๐ The 4 Levels of Competitors
The great ones are always looking to learn. They are always looking to get better.
Greg Berge
January 25, 2024
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Here's what's coming:
The 4 Levels of Competitors ๐
Bob Knight on Preparation ๐ฅ
Great โXโ video from Brad Stevens ๐
Read Time ~ 5 minutes.
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๐ LINKS OF THE WEEK
๐ฅ Video: Simon Sinek discusses competition and what we can learn from our competitors.
๐๏ธ Podcast: Check out my Podcast with the Reformed Sports Project.
๐ On the Web: A short read on the three most important reasons our kids need to learn to compete.
๐ญ ONE THOUGHT
The 4 Levels of Competitors
This past fall, on HBOโs Hard Knocks, New York Jets Coach Robert Saleh was talking to his team about competition.
He talked about the 4 Levels of Competitors that are found on every team.
One of the things that was so impressive to me was the number of veteran players who were taking notes during his presentation, including Aaron Rodgers.
The great ones are always looking to learn. They are always looking to get better.
According to Robert Saleh, there are four levels of competitors.
The SURVIVOR - The survivor gets by. They take the easy way out. They will do the bare minimum. If a coach asks them to do five reps, they do five reps. The survivor brings a minimalist mentality to the team. This minimalist mentality is contagious to others. Too many โsurvivorsโ can sabotage a team culture.
The CONTENDER - The contender needs external motivation to push them to a higher level. They will give you more, they will do extra, but it must be driven by outside factors. Maybe it is money, maybe it is a coach pushing them, or maybe it is a teammate that pulls them along, but it is not an internal drive.
The COMPETITOR - The competitor is driven and internally motivated to be their best. The competitor has a championship mindset. They are focused, have excellent habits, and have a drive to be the best they can be. They are constantly looking to grow and learn and are very coachable.
The COMMANDER - The commander has all of the great attributes of the competitor but does something more. They pull others along with them. They LEAD others. These players are the epitome of leadership. Their ability to influence others makes the team elite. Players like Tom Brady, Bill Russell, Carla Overbeck, and Michael Jordan were all commanders and elite leaders. The excellent book โThe Captain Classโ by Sam Walker talks in detail about these elite leaders and their impact on a team.
How do we get more commanders? This is a question that has driven me for my entire career as a coach. How do we build leaders on our teams? How do we create a culture that fosters the commander mindset?
Ultimately, this is what coaching is all about.
These two questions are why I have written my two books on culture, Culture WINS and Culture WINS 2. I wanted to give coaches simple ideas on how to continuously mold and develop the culture of their teams. After all, culture is Every Day. How do we, as coaches, mold our culture each and every day? Through daily decisions, consistent expectations, and daily coaching nuggets, we help mold our team.
This is also why I spent months developing the Team Leader OS, which includes all of the leadership resources a coach will need for their team. I wanted something systemic and flexible for coaches to grow themselves and grow their team leaders each season. The Team Leader OS includes the 75-page Team Leader Training Manual, over 300+ minutes of video resources for coaches and athletes, and much more.
Create more COMMANDERS on your team!
Watch the video below to hear Robert Saleh talk through his 4 Levels of Competitors!
Good Luck!
๐ TWO QUOTES
โThe key is not the will to win. Everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.โ
โYou can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.โ
๐ THREE POSTS FROM OTHERS
Brad Stevens on building confidence
โYou build confidence by doing really hard things over & over - cause thatโs your intent - thatโs your focus - your job is your focus.โ
โThe game honors toughness.โ
โ Jaycob Ammerman (@Jammer2233)
9:50 PM โข Aug 4, 2023
As an athlete, youโre only as good as your attitude. It doesnโt matter how talented you are, if you have a terrible attitude, you wonโt accomplish much in life.
โ Sports Psychology (@SportPsychTips)
11:01 PM โข Oct 18, 2022
Failure is not meant to define you. It's meant to refine you. The key is to get back up and keep going. Learn from it. Grow from it. Become better because of it.
โ Jon Gordon (@JonGordon11)
11:02 AM โข Jun 26, 2023
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โI have three pairs of Kane Shoes. I wear them every day when I coach. They are made for athletes as โActive Recovery Shoes.โ They are the most comfortable shoes I own. I cannot recommend them enough.โ - Greg Berge. |  |
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