Archives for December 2021

Coach at Every Position Part 12

Craft Detail Part 13

Inspiring Coaches Part 14

Inspiring Coaches

How To Win the Heart

Inspiring coaches captivate an audience. They have an instinctive way of communicating to the heart. I love listening to motivational speakers, sermons, and pregame speeches. I’m fascinated by open-air preachers who stand on street corners and speak for what they believe in. Their strategy or teachings may be questionable, but some have effective deliveries. They all make a radical attempt to reach the heart and can be music to the ear.

Music

We live in an amazing time of music. At any moment we can tune into Spotify or Apple Music and listen to what we choose. Those platforms even suggest music that we might like, based on what we currently listen to. Pandora Music was the pioneer in helping listeners discover new music. Music is therapy for me. It brings joy and gives voice to the human spirit. It too communicates to the heart.

The Voice

Public speakers, vocalists, teachers, and inspiring coaches all use their voices to move a room. They each have a way of talking or singing that brings personality to their words. The speech has a sound and rhythm that draws attention. The delivery has a cadence that energizes the atmosphere. It’s a swirl of particles that enter the soul through the senses. The change of beat and pitch with articulated words becomes mesmerizing. Music artists like Chris Stapleton, Adele, and Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull are awesome examples. High-profile podcasters like Lewis Howes and Rich Roll demonstrate this in their respective shows. Legendary Sunday Night Football commentator, Al Michaels, is a wizard with his play-by-play announcing. Their vocals and storytelling create joy for all listeners.

Crafting

Public speakers craft and continually shape their narratives. Coaches are no different. After speaking to their team, they will contemplate what adjustments are needed to help drive home talking points. The pregame, halftime, and postgame speeches are personally critiqued. Coaches frequently wonder if their message was articulated, perceived, and digested correctly. There is rarely instant feedback and every coach must lean into hope.

The Spirit

Before I stand in front of a crowd and begin to speak, I pray that God will give me the courage and strength to speak well. I ask that spirit will move through me and be delivered to my audience. I’ve done this in various ways. Many times, I have closed my eyes and bowed my head. Other times I have taken a deep breath and looked ahead at my audience.

Every time I speak to a crowd, my heart races, and self-doubt settles in like a fog. I always fight the urge to sink deeper into my chair and not rise. There’s always a desire to remain at the back of the room. Spirit is what shakes me from my spot and pushes me forward.

When speaking to a team or class, energy dances in the room. The beginning of every speech seems jumpy. It’s like accelerating an old standard Tacoma 6-speed down the interstate. Once up to speed though, I smooth out and enter a space where I feel united with the people. The moment becomes an experience with others and I’m no longer just speaking. I’m in “The Zone.”

The Zone

Operating in “The Zone” is a magnificent experience. People who create, often find themself in a state of magic, where performance becomes flawless. Some artists can remain in this state longer than others. Professional athletes operate in this space frequently. Writers, actors, musicians, and even speakers find this state of flow, where spirit moves and they become unstoppable. Inspiring coaches and teachers also enter “The Zone” with their presentations. They begin to captive an audience and win the heart.

The Elite Football Coach Blog Series

Coach at Every Position Part 12

Craft Detail Part 13

How Coaches Stay Organized

Coaches stay organized with proven day-to-day tactics. Wonderful teachers prepare and meticulously craft their detail. They have established routines that allow them to perform at a high level. The amount of preparation that goes into one football practice is staggering. It is impossible to run an effective practice without organization and direction consistently.

Practice Structure

There are many ways to run a practice. Effective practices include non-negotiable components for everything to flow smoothly and to maximize productivity. Written schedules can be created with Google Sheets. If there is one tool that every coach needs to be familiar with, it is this. It allows you to create organized practice plans. Our coaching staff used this as an instrument for creation. We compiled a massive library of schedules over years of preparation. We did not reinvent the wheel for each practice either. Sheets allow you to copy and paste what you’ve used. By doing this, you can modify those plans when needed.

There is an art to the perfect plan. Few things are more satisfying than creating a masterpiece. Each practice is broken into five-minute segments. Those segments make up periods. Some periods are longer than others. Coaches reserve time for the most critical work. The critical work morphs from practice to practice. Good coaches identify where deficiencies lie and focus on them.

Corporate Model

This method of scheduling practice is universal to other professional settings too. Break meetings down by time and organize them with Google Sheets. When I was Head Track and Field Coach for Madison Southern High School, I had a documented plan for every practice. I broke down each practice by event, similar to how a football practice plan is broken down by position. Corporate business meetings should have a detailed schedule to keep the conversation purpose-driven.

Collaboration

Google Sheets allow coaches to collaborate and plan accordingly. If organized correctly, each coach should have access to the document and will be able to modify it. They can input their specific drills and note what needs to be accomplished. It allows everyone to frame the practice in their mind and know what is coming. It eliminates surprises and helps the team stay on schedule.

If each plan is broken into five-minute segments, there must be a clock that everyone monitors at practice. The clock is an essential piece of the puzzle. It must be run by a trusted manager or coach who is constantly aware of what is taking place on the field. Practice organization is a key element to effective operation. Routines are created and players and coaches get in a groove. It establishes consistent end times, which allows everyone to leave at the same time each day.

Forward Thinking

This organization extends to calendars that include the agenda for the year. Forward-thinking, professional coaches anticipate when activities will take place. The off-season schedule must be set months in advance so players and coaches can plan accordingly. Parents need to know where rest periods are built in to keep balance.

Unite Strategy with Communication

Great leaders are organized and communicate clearly with those who work for them. They use tools that are proven to relay their message. Leaders effectively unite strategy with communication to create desired outcomes consistently. They meticulously craft their detail.

The Elite Football Coach Blog Series

Coach at Every Position Part 12

Wrap Up

You can download the Elite Coaches Blog Series in EBook format at the Youniversalife Shop. It is free to download, and you can access it anytime on your phone or other device. I have named it The Emerging Coaches guide. Feel free to share it with your staff or anything considering coaching. Thank you and enjoy!

Coach at Every Position

The Talent Evaluation of Coaches

A successful football team operates with a coach at every position. Talent evaluation is not limited to players. It extends to coaches as well. There are countless techniques taught across all positions. Each position group must have its teacher. With such a significant demand for coaches, the head coach & administration hold great responsibility in terms of hiring the correct coaches to lead players.

Self-Awareness

There is a hiring process like any other job. I believe there are several elements that a potential hire must exhibit. Many of those elements I’ve discussed throughout The Elite Football Coach series. In terms of reading into potential coaches, head coaches and their most trusted advisors are looking for self-awareness, number one. Does the applicant demonstrate a conscious knowledge of their character, feelings, motives, and desires? Players trust coaches who display a strong character. They look up to men who are poised and place players’ needs first. When surrounded by adversity, they need to respond with harnessed, but swift action. The talented are those who have self-awareness, which is the root system of performance.

Articulate Organization

In my time as a coach, the best coaches were those who could articulate their message clearly. Their delivery was on point and organized. An organization of thought and physical space is an indicator of quality performance. Evaluation of coaches can be traced back to the preparation for meetings, practice, and games. Talented coaches establish routines and approach their craft with a coordinated effort.

Job-Time

Coaches leave a track record of where they’ve been. Time spent with one coaching staff is a measure of loyalty and energy. Long-tenured coaches are loyal to a cause and believe in a direction. They are culture builders and have the proven energy to last. These coaches are tried and true in many cases.

Fill It To The Brim

Wins and losses are not always the primary indicator of success. Many things must align to produce wins. Talent comes in various forms. A diverse coaching staff that’s brimming with talent is essential. To produce talented players and consistently win, there must be a coach in every position.

The Elite Football Coach Blog Series

* I want to give a shout-out to Jennifer Hess for the amazing photo. She was able to capture so many memorable moments in my time as a coach. Follow her on Instagram @jjkzhess

A Knack for Talent

Finding the Elite Performer

Terrific coaches have a knack for talent evaluation. There are fundamental attributes that elite performers exhibit. It goes well beyond physical ability. For sustainable production, coaches must hone in on these key elements to determine who belongs on the playing field. Certain players know how to perform and can execute when called upon. We must identify who the playmakers are and place them in a position to execute.

Figure out who performs at a high level no matter the circumstance. See those that have a purpose in their eyes and toughness in spirit, who are not easily deterred. They are hardened by their failures and remain persistent. Players who have a backbone and stand for what is good. Those individuals should display unconditional love for their team and show heart. Teams can lean into and trust these people.

Imagination

In my time as a coach, the best players were creative. They understood the intricacies and used imagination to create. By thinking outside of the box, the game came to life. It’s as if they knew something others didn’t. They were able to come in the side door, while others came in the front. Vision for the alternative approach allowed certain individuals to outperform the opponent.

A creative strategy allows energy to flow freely. This energy sparks life into a program. I can recall countless times I’ve seen supremely creative players energize a practice or game with one exciting play. It is where momentum originates and inspires others. It creates an energy field that grows into a manifestation of victory. The greater by-product of the big play.

Energy Fields

Energy is also created in the locker room, meetings, and huddles. A creative idea or word of encouragement adds to the energy field. A moment of timely comedy can bring a room to life. Elite players attempt to add a positive charge to the given environment. They understand that there is something larger at work and that energy is always affecting outcomes. The elite performer has a constant state of self-awareness. They are always taking an inventory of their current state. These players can understand where they’re currently at physically, emotionally, and competitively.

The book Raise Your Game by Alan Stein Jr., discusses the concept of “closing the performance gaps.” Superior athletes know what needs to be done and act upon that knowledge. They actively close the gap between ideal performance and their current state. By “closing the performance gaps,” great players unconsciously permit others to close their personal gaps. They are contributing to the positive energy field and building team culture.

Coachability

Culture is the overall energy of an active space. Coachability contributes to the energy of team culture. Premier players welcome critical feedback. They understand that it is the vehicle to personal betterment and helps to “close the performance gaps.”

Coachability includes:

Listening
Body Language
Eye Contact
Receptive Dialouge
Actively Attempting to Change Behavior
Teaching Others to Reinforce Learned Behavior
Contributing to Positive Energy
Question Asking
Extinguishment of Pride

When less experienced performers can witness coachability in veterans, they too take on this behavior. Coaches should reinforce and celebrate this. When the coachable outweigh the uncoachable, terrific culture and victory manifest. At this point, it’s easy to have a knack for talent.

The Elite Football Coach Blog Series

* I want to give a shout-out to Jennifer Hess for the amazing photo. She was able to capture so many memorable moments in my time as a coach.

Bypass to the Community

A Story of Social Media Acceptance

A strategic social media game plan creates a bypass to the community. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are tools that should be embraced. For many years, I was resistant to the social media movement. I did not understand how it could be a vehicle for good news. I did not see what I was not ready to see. My approach and worldview were directionally different.

We have the freedom to utilize technology how we see fit. Coaches have a brilliant opportunity to establish their teams’ storylines through written content, pictures, and film production. Don’t be at odds, but seize the opportunity to engage with those who are eager to know. An active social media shines a light on vulnerability. We all experience vulnerability and that is what connects people.

Aren’t we all fearful of sharing our story and afraid of judgment in some capacity?

At the start, I was fearful of sharing content and afraid of judgment. I was reluctant to use Instagram because of the unknown and was intimidated by the self-constructed learning curve. With the help of Google and Youtube, I was able to improve my know-how and operate my first Instagram account. This gave me the confidence to create and build a voice that I’m able to share with the world. I’m now able to build something special.

Self-education distinguishes the amateur from the professional. I find that we are fortunate to have the internet to educate us on anything we choose. Google is an amazing resource for the motivated.

Create

I encourage you to dive in and begin creating. Showcase the unique thing you and your team provide. Be an advocate for good and give the community a peek into the day-to-day. Take pictures of smiles, hard work, and cool things. Film the hero athlete who walks unassisted for the first time since their ACL tear and celebrate their triumph with the community. Do not shy away from documenting the hard days. Then talk about unbelievably talented individuals. Create what is good and bring the program to life.

Tip of the Spear

Small market teams no longer have to wait on regional sports broadcasts to push the message. Typically, that message is created under a 24-hour window by someone who attended one practice and captured randomness. That message may or may not be a true representation of what the team is. Coaches can be the tip of the spear in message creation. Be the bypass to the community and start creating.

The Elite Football Coach Blog Series