🏆 A True North

In a world of chaos, disorganization, and confusion, leadership/coaching, is there to help guide us and point us in the right direction.

Author

Greg Berge
November 09, 2023

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  • The Locker Room Pulse 🏆

  • Thomas Jefferson on Luck 🥇

  • Great “X” insight from Coaching Advice 🆇

  • Read Time ~ 5 minutes.

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💭 ONE THOUGHT
A True North

Below is one of my favorite poems: "A True North" by Steve Jamison.

This poem best epitomizes the incredibly important role of "The Coach" in our society.

This poem describes the ultimate role of a "Coach" or "Leader.”

In a world of chaos, disorganization, and confusion, leadership and coaching are there to help guide us and point us in the right direction.

The Coach has to be our compass and our guide to help navigate the stormy seas of a season.

The Coach must provide the vision, set the standards, and create the foundation of the team culture.

The Coach must then develop their team leaders to help be the gatekeepers of this culture.

None of this requires knowing game strategy or X's and O's, yet it is CRUCIAL to team and program success. I talked about this in-depth recently on a Leadership Podcast I was on that was just released this week (Generation Youth Podcast with James McLamb).

So what coaching advice can I give ALL coaches? I wrote about this a while back. Here are 28 things I have learned in 28 years of coaching.

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

  2. Play the long game with CULTURE. There are no shortcuts to success. Remember, Culture WINS.

  3. Develop your 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 badly 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. You MUST lead by example in all you do.

  7. Culture is what you allow and what you emphasize.

  8. Create practices with a purpose. 

  9. Do things in groups of 3’s. It is simple and easy to remember.

  10. Energy givers make a team. Reward your energy givers.

  11. Put your players in situations where they can use their strengths. Be great at what you are good at. 

  12. Communication is vital. Be clear, concise, and proactive.

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

  14. Be a lifelong learner. The best coaches are always learning and getting better.

  15. There is no substitute for hard work. As a coach, outwork your coaching colleagues. 

  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. It is essential.

  18. Over-communicate roles for the players on your team.

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

  20. Do not try to please anyone. It is impossible and will only cause problems.

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

  22. Do yourself a favor and be proactively organized. It shows competence.

  23. Celebrate the small wins. Use the game within the game to set 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. Enjoy the time with your players. Have fun!  The natural highs and lows of coaching are what life is all about.  It is hard to match the pure joy that team sports provide!

Want to share these 28 pieces of advice online? Check it out from my X post earlier this year…👇

Coaching is an incredibly dynamic and challenging job. It may also be one of the most rewarding jobs that one can have.

To all coaches, THANK YOU!

📜 TWO QUOTES

“One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.”

– Knute Rockne

“Champions behave like champions before they are champions.”

– Bill Walsh

𝐗 THREE POSTS FROM OTHERS

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Contact Me: Greg Berge, [email protected]

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