🏆 What does Commitment look like on a Championship Team?

Author

Greg Berge
February 16, 2023

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Here's what's coming:

  • 5 Ways Championship caliber teams show their commitment.

  • A life lesson from Ferris Bueller 😁

  • Some Inky Johnson Gold 🥇

Let's dive in.

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 💭 ONE THOUGHT

What does Commitment look like on a Championship Team?

In successful teams and programs, it always starts with commitment. You cannot expect to win games consistently if your team is not made up of committed players.

Teammates have to be trusted and counted on. Culture needs to be built. This culture must start with commitment. As a coach, step one to creating your culture is to find and develop committed athletes. 

The research shows that in championship-level teams, at least 80% of the athletes are either committed or compelled. 

You see, commitment is often on a continuum. It can ebb and flow throughout the season. There are many reasons for this ebb and flow: playing time, injury, lack of success, confidence, role on the team, and more.

Yet in Championship caliber teams, the commitment level of teams is different. What does a Championship Level Commitment Look Like?

Here are 5 Ways Championship Caliber Teams show their Commitment.

1: Commitment to Each Other

Many say Bill Russell was the ultimate teammate. The ultimate winner. The ultimate leader. He was all about the team and all about making his teammates better.

“Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.” 

– Bill Russell

Bill Russell was all about TEAM. He was fully committed to being the best teammate he could be, and his entire focus was on winning. 

He played FOR his teammates, and they, in turn, played FOR him. 

Committed teams who play FOR each other and work to make others better are found in Championship Level Teams.

2: Commitment to Excellence

Championship-level commitment is focused on the process.

The process of excellence.

They are focused on daily habits. They have a 1% better mindset. They can ignore the noise around them.

They have tunnel vision on the task at hand.

This tunnel vision is NOT an external reward. This tunnel vision is a focus on the process. A mature understanding that the "Process is the Prize."

It is a commitment to EXCELLENCE.👇

3: Commitment to Hard Work

Championship-level teams have a "No Deposit - No Return" mentality. They have a "No Deposit - No Return" Commitment level. 

They know that there is no substitute for hard work. 

When things go sour, they can always resort back to the "blue collar" mentality that they have built.

If you always outwork your opponents, you will always have a chance. 

Most elite teams, players, and coaches have this commitment.

4: Commitment to Positive Energy

Energy is contagious.

Positive and Negative.

Winning cultures have a confident and committed focus on positive energy. They know that negative energy can derail a team.

What is negative energy: Blaming, complaining, whining, giving up, slacking off, doing the minimal, etc.

You do not see this negative energy in winning programs. It is a standard. It is not allowed. 

Team leaders and coaches address when it surfaces.

Commit to Positive Energy.

5:  Commitment to the Culture

Finally, championship-level commitment levels are committed to building the culture.

They "KNOW THY IMPACT" of daily decisions on their team culture.

Then know that their behavior and choices impact the culture of the team. Because of this, they have team buy-in and sacrifice their own personal wishes for the betterment of the team culture.

Commitment is Contagious!

There you go!  5 Commitments that are Found in Championship-Level Teams:

  1. Commitment to Each Other

  2. Commitment to Excellence

  3. Commitment to Hard Work

  4. Commitment to Positive Energy

  5. Commitment to Culture

Work to build these Commitment Levels with your Teams!

Good Luck!

📜 TWO QUOTES

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

- Ferris Bueller

A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear, who has you see what you don't want to see so that you can be who you have always known you could be."

- Tom Landry

🐦 THREE TWEETS

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Which team Commitment is most important to you?

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