🏆 Coaches are "Truth Tellers"

SPONSORED BY HONOR THE ATHLETE

Struggling to keep your athletes motivated year-round? Join this free webinar and discover proven strategies to foster motivation and engagement in your team both in and out of season.

💭ONE THOUGHT
Coaches are “Truth Tellers”

I heard this at a basketball clinic last fall.

“Coaches are among the last ‘Truth-Tellers’ we have left for our kids in our society.”

Wow.

That hit me.

There is so much truth to this.

Why do so many kids struggle with resilience?

Part of the reason is they are not allowed to struggle or hear what they need to hear.

Honesty matters. It builds trust.

And believe me, I am a growth mindset type of coach. I know the power of building confidence in kids and how our words matter.

Being a “truth teller” is not about minimizing a child’s potential. It is simply about being honest about their strengths, weaknesses, and team roles.

One of the biggest mistakes a coach can make is trying to sugarcoat the truth with kids or parents. It gets them in trouble.

And kids want honesty, just like they need routine.

But all too often today, kids hear everything about them and how good they are. Society, parents, and our world do that. How? Here are a few of the common ways.

1. Bulldozer Parents: Too many parents try to clear a path in front of their children so they do not face adversity. They get involved when they shouldn't and bulldoze adversity out of the way. Kids do not learn to “handle the hard things in life.”

2. The “Elite” Mentality: Look at the names of the AAU basketball teams; so many are on an “Elite” team. What impact does this have on kids or parents' perspectives on their children? Then, when they get to a high school season, they wonder why their child is not “Elite”? It has to be someone’s fault.

3. “Everyone Wins a Trophy” Mindset: Not everyone can win the game or the tournament, which is okay. Competition is all about this, and we need to teach kids how to compete. Losing is ok. We all learn more from a loss than from a win. But, the “everyone gets a trophy” mindset creates a false sense of competition and a reality of who we are. It comes back to bite kids later.

4. The Scholarship Parent: The false sense of parents who think their child will earn a scholarship in a sport. Everything becomes about the individual and not the team. Too many parents have no idea how difficult it is to play at the next level and what it takes. Too many parents are blinded by the truth or unwilling to ask “truth tellers” to help them.

And this is where coaches are needed.

Coaches are “Truth Tellers.”

Kids need honesty. We all need honesty. We need people in our lives who we trust and who will tell us the truth.

What can coaches do to be “Truth Tellers?” Here are 8 things.

1. Relationships: Build relationships with players and parents to earn trust to be a “Truth Teller.”

2. Honesty and Transparency: Be 100% honest about each player’s strengths and weaknesses. Be transparent in your decision-making.

3. Playing Time: Do not promise playing time. Ensure everything is earned on your team.

4. PAC Meeting and Parents: Be honest at your pre-season Parent-Athlete-Coach meeting. Discuss playing time, roles, and building a team.

5. 1:1 Meetings: Have regular 1:1 meetings with players. Discuss their role, what they are doing well, what they can do to improve, and what they need to do to earn more playing time.

6. Personal Development Focus: Emphasize the importance of character, work ethic, and resilience over just winning. Encourage athletes to develop qualities that will benefit them in all areas of life.

7. Address Mistakes: Confront mistakes or poor decisions promptly and constructively. Use these moments as learning opportunities to foster growth and improvement.

8. Reality vs. Perception: Help athletes distinguish between how things appear and how they are, especially in the age of social media. Teach them to value authentic experiences and feedback over superficial validation.

Summary:

Kids need “Truth Tellers” in their life. As coaches, this is a critical job we all have.

This is also one reason why those who participate in team sports become leaders in their future careers. They have learned to work as a team, be honest, and tell the truth when needed. This is why team sports are so crucial for the development of young people.

Be a “Truth Teller!

Good Luck!

P.S. Coaches, if you want more insight into becoming a better coach, check out my latest course, Better Coach OS. It has received great reviews. Coaching is so much more than Xs and Os, and this course, with ten modules, 36 lessons, and 5 hours of video, will help you be better next season. Scroll down to save $30!

📜 TWO QUOTES

BETTER COACH OS 🚨

This is the course that will make you a BETTER COACH next season. Thank you for subscribing to Great Teams, Better Leaders. Use the coupon code below to save $30 and get it for only $99!

Coupon Code = SAVE30

What is included?

Nine modules on the most critical aspects needed to be a great coach. 

1.  Why do you coach?

2.  Organization 101

3.  Communication 101

4.  Culture Wins

5.  Leadership Matters

6.  Building Commitment

7.  Motivation and Mindset

8.  Personnel, Practice Planning, & Strategy

9.  The Art of Coaching

Plus, a BONUS Module with three mini-courses on the Head Coach Interview, the Sports Parent, and 21 Lessons Learned in a Lifetime of Coaching.

𝐗 THREE POSTS FROM OTHERS

🔗 LINKS OF THE WEEK

🎥 Video: Watch Michael Jordan’s HOF enshrinement speech - classic!

🎙️ Podcast: Coach Collins and I discuss the concept of Cultivating Confidence in players in this Basketball Leadership Podcast episode.

🆇 ICYMI: Parents, do you yell at Refs? Time to self-reflect.

📚 BOOKS, COURSES, BUNDLES, & FREE RESOURCES

Bundles:

• The OS Bundle - Save $ when you get the Team Leader OS and Better Coach OS.

• Mega Bundle - Get ALL of my paid resources, save BIG $.

• Culture WINS Bundle - Get ALL of my Culture resources in place.

• Super Bundle - Bundle all four of my books and save $.

• Buy Two, Get One Free - My three most popular books.

• Culture Wins Book Bundle - Both books for a discount.

• ADs: Want site licenses for a school? Reply to this email for more.

Courses, Curriculum, and More:

• Team Leader OS - Develop your team leaders year after year.

• Better Coach OS - Masterclass course to be a better coach.

• Culture Wins Curriculum - Growing curriculum to use with a ‘Captain’s Council’ concept in your school.

• Culture WINS Mini-Course - A 37-minute Culture WINS Course for coaches.

• Pre-Season Playbook - 33 pages to prepare for your season.

• Off-Season Playbook - The season’s done, but the work is not.

Books:

• Culture Wins - 50 ways to build a winning culture.

• Culture Wins 2 - 50 MORE ways to build a winning culture.

• Coaching Gold - Winning insight and wisdom for coaches.

• Great Teams Better Leaders - Actionable ideas for coaches.

• Paperback books (AMAZON) - All of my books are on Amazon.

Free Resources:

• 300-Hour Club - Offseason program used by all sports.

• Pre-Season Perception Form - Use before the season begins.

• Motivation Playbook - 30 pages of my favorite messages.

• Coaching Wisdom - Wisdom gathered from over 300+ coaches.

• Team Handbook Template - A template for your handbook.

• Sports Parent Handbook - 20 commandments for sports parents.

• Team Leader Roadmap - Give team leaders a roadmap to lead.

• Great Teammate Rubric - What does a great teammate look like?

• 150 Coaching Acronyms - Gathered from my followers on X.

• 101 Coaching Phrases - Gathered from my followers on X.

• 100 Daily Doses of Culture - 100 phrases for coaches.

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

👀 LOOKING FOR MORE?

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]