π Good morning!Β βGreat Teams Better Leadersβ is written by Greg Berge. Have an idea or something to share? Just hit reply. I read and respond to every message.
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π ONE THOUGHT
The Truth About Coaching Kids Hard (From This Weekend)
If you watched the NCAA Tournament this weekend, you saw it.
Coaches getting intense.
Players getting challenged.
And people reacting online.
And like always⦠people had opinions.
βToo hard.β
βToo much.β
βNot how you coach today.β
But hereβs the truth most people miss:
Intensity isnβt the issue.
Understanding is.
What Great Coaching Really Looks Like
Great coaching is not about being loud or calm.
Itβs about being right for the moment.
Thatβs the job.
To counterbalance your team.
When theyβre flat β you bring energy
When theyβre frantic β you bring calm
When theyβre distracted β you bring focus
When theyβre doubting β you bring belief
You donβt coach your personality.
You coach the moment.
The Misunderstood Middle
People see a 10-second clip and make a judgment.
What they donβt see:
The relationship built over months
The trust earned through consistency
The standards that were clearly defined
The conversations that happened before and after
That moment of intensity?
It only works because of everything behind it.
Without trust, itβs yelling.
With trust, itβs teaching.
What Kids Actually Need
Letβs not overcomplicate this.
Kids donβt need softer coaching.
They need better coaching.
They need:
Honesty
Truth tellers
Standard bearers
Transformational coaches
And yesβ¦
Sometimes that comes with intensity.
And thatβs ok.
The Balance That Matters
Hereβs where coaches get it wrong:
They stay in one mode.
Always intense.
Always calm.
Always positive.
Always passive.
Thatβs not leadership.
Thatβs convenience.
Real coaching requires awareness. It requires feel.
It requires the discipline to ask:
What does my team need from me right now?
Because sometimes the best thing you can do is challenge.
And sometimes the best thing you can do is put your arm around a kid and remind them:
βI believe in youβ¦ now you need to believe in yourself.β
This is the βArt of Coaching.β
So how do you actually do this as a coach?
3 Simple Rules for Coaching With Intensity
1. Earn the right to be intense
Relationships first. Always.
If they know you care, theyβll accept the challenge.
2. Be intense about standards, not emotions
Donβt react. Teach.
Intensity should be purposeful, not personal.
3. Return to neutral quickly
Correct it. Teach it. Move on.
The best coaches donβt hold onto moments; they use them.
Charles Barkley said it best this weekend: π
Final Thought
Coaching is not about being loud or quiet.
Itβs about being what your team needs, when they need it.
Sometimes thatβs calm.
Sometimes thatβs fire.
But itβs always rooted in one thing:
Helping them become the best version of themselves.
Reflect:
When your team is off⦠do you match their energy, or do you lead it?
Good Luck!
Greg
P.S. If you want help building those standards and that trust into your program, everything Iβve created is in the Mega Bundle.
Itβs $149 today (over $400 off).
Lowest price of the year. Ends tonight.
π GREAT QUOTES
βThereβs no way around hard work. Embrace it. You have to put in the hours because there is always something you can improve on.β
βPressure is something you feel when you donβt know what the hell youβre doing.β
π LINKS FOR LEADERS
π₯ Video: Tom Izzo on the Process [LINK]
π ICYMI: βHear Meβ by Mike Tomlin [LINK]
π° Article: 4 Traits of Competitive Greatness
π LOOKING FOR MORE?
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Contact Me: Greg Berge, [email protected]