As a coach, I always aim to improve my communication skills. While I have a firm grasp on my philosophy, as well as the team culture and style of play that I want to see, it is nothing if I cannot get the message across. As John Wooden would say: “You haven’t taught until they have learned.” Emphasizing a team culture helps youth adopt a different mindset, assuming the dominant characteristics of the group. Character skills are malleable, like intellectual and athletic ability (Tough, 2012, p. 97). Key words can be repeated in huddles and used as positive self-talk. It …
Dean Smith’s Coaching Philosophy
A couple of discussions inspired me to reflect further about Dean Smith and delve deeper into his coaching philosophy and leadership style. Certainly, this post may have been timelier had I published it at the time of Smith’s passing in 2015 but I feel that the thoughts remain relevant because of his lasting impact on the game. When I began coaching, I was drawn to Smith’s methods because of his winning track record and the fact that he was one of the limited numbers of coaches who had published a book that was easily available in the 1990s. To me, …
Star Trek Leadership, Part IV: Overcoming the Odds
Leadership assumes many forms: some lead by example and others delegate while standing by the side, some issue precise instructions and others leave room for creativity, some focus solely on the outcome and others emphasize following the correct process to get there. During the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Peak Performance,” diverse crew members must act as leaders and determine what philosophy suits them best. A Starfleet battle simulation places Commanded Riker in charge of the antiquated U.S.S. Hathaway. Accompanied by a skeleton crew, Riken is given forty-eight hours to prepare for a war games exercise against Captain Picard …
David & Goliath
The publication of Malcolm Gladwell’s fifth book, David & Goliath, has left him perched atop the bestsellers list, delivering his sermon about how David, in the Blink of an eye, crossed a Tipping Point in his battle with Goliath and became a historical Outlier. The newest book can best be described as food for thought, curious examples illustrating peculiar situations rather than concrete analysis. While this tenet of Gladwell’s writing style engages people and broadens his audience, it also contributes to a work that is often muddled and occasionally memorable.
Courage, Adversity and Things We Can Control
When faced with a situation that is less than ideal – a disruptive classroom, a challenging timetable, a coach with a different style, a team that is short on talent and ability or a slacker blogger who only posts once per month – student-athletes can choose to remedy the situation or wallow in the status quo until it worsens. The perceptive individual separates the domains that they can control from those that they cannot and focuses solely on the latter. The outcome may be out of their hands but they can always change the process. Don’t wait for a sudden …
Resilience and Environmental Factors
The recent World Cup has proven to be an excellent opportunity to showcase resilience (or lack thereof). Asamoah Gyan may have missed a penalty shot over the net because of the high altitude or the defective Jabulani ball but he still needed to compose himself, take control of the situation, and score another penalty minutes later. Resilience allows individuals to persevere in the face of adversity. Sport and play helps youth experience “to experience social competence, empathy, caring, problem-solving skills, critical and creative thinking, task mastery and a sense of purpose and connectedness” for the rest of their lives (Henley, …
French Open 2009
The triumph of Roger Federer’s win is not in the compilation of fourteen Grand Slam titles but his recovery from adversity and the adjustments and evolutions that he has made to his game. Rafael Nadal has displayed phenomenal athleticism and power during his six Grand Slam wins but he has never exhibited the consistency shown by Federer in three areas: Consistency: Federer has always played the entire year and wins during each season. Like Tiger Woods – another blue chip brand name athlete – he wins about half the time. Federer has made every Grand Slam semi-final for the past …
Extraordinary Events
What is the overall effect of an extraordinary event on a single team? The death of Alexei Cherepanov during a game triggered an eight-game slide for Avangard Omsk in the K. The Superbowl champion New York Giants lost four of their last five games after receiver Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg. Teams can collapse when a key player is suspended or experiences a breakdown on the court. Yet other teams rally together when they experience a critical injury. What is the difference between a positive and a negative outcome in the face of adversity? A lot of a …
Adversity and the Toronto Maple Leafs
For the third time in four seasons, Mats Sundin has returned to the Maple Leafs after a serious mid-season injury and questions arise regarding his influence on the team. Based on anecdotal evidence – the 2002 Playoffs and November 2006 – it seems as if the Leafs do worse when their captain dresses: 2002 Playoffs Arm Injury Last Five Games Before the Injury (4/12 to 4/23):Record: 4-1-0 (8 pts)Points per Game: 1.60 ppgGoals Scored per Game (for – against): 3.20 – 2.20Shots on Goal per Game (for – against): 29.2 – 29.8Power Play: 12.5% (3 – 24)Mats Sundin Productivity: 2 …