When Things Go Wrong

"When things aren't going well, it's not what a leader says, it's how a leader looks that matters."
Coach Mike Krzyzewski - Duke Basketball

Daily Thought - Integrity

"To be a leader a man must have followers. And to have followers, you must have their confidence. Hence the supreme quality of a leader is unquestioned integrity. Without it, no real success is possible whether it is in a section gang, on a football field, in an army, or in an office.“

 General Dwight D. Eisenhower

Daily Thought - Simplify

“Simplify your teaching and communication. This will reduce confusion. An athlete that is not decisive and confident in what he is to do will be hesitant and a hesitant athlete will fail.” 

Del Harris - NBA Coach

Daily Thought - Gary Patterson

"There is no such thing as everyone wins and gets a prize.  I think you need to teach them there is a winner and there is a loser in life.  That's the way it is and you have to learn how to win and the discipline of doing things the right way.  I think the sooner the kids learn that the better chance they have of being successful."  TCU - GARY PATTERSON

Hardest Teams To Prepare For

Florida coach Billy Donovan asked the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick who are the hardest/easiest teams to prepare for in the NFL.  His answer:

"The hardest teams to prepare for can disguise what it is they do by making everything look the same."

"The easiest teams to prepare for 'do what they do.' You know going into the game what they’re going to do."

Practice Intensity

“Once practice began, everyone was expected to operate at full throttle.  I wanted to practice at game speed.  We would never allow for anything but full speed and full effort in games, and I wanted us to practice exactly like we played.  I believe when you give athletes a chance to perform at varying levels of intensity, you offer an invitation for varying levels of performance. “  Pete Carroll

Why The Colts Chose Manning?

George Barna - January 8th, 2010

While driving I sometimes listen to sports radio. A show aired recently that was discussing pro football and the pending playoff match-ups. Not being a football fan I was about to change the station when an interesting statement caught my attention. A scout for one of the teams heading to the playoffs was describing the priorities, discipline and focus of all-star quarterback Peyton Manning, who has had an outstanding career with the Indianapolis Colts. The scout noted that when Manning graduated from college the Colts had narrowed their draft options to Manning and another outstanding, highly-rated collegiate quarterback.
To figure out who might be the best selection for their team, Colts executives set up interviews with both young men. Both prospects discussed their desire to win and their positive feelings about the Colts. The turning point in the Colts’ decision was the answer they received to one particular question: If chosen by the Colts, what is the first thing you will do? Young Manning’s reply, supposedly offered without hesitation, was “Study the playbook.” His competitor’s response? “I’m booking the next flight to Vegas so I can celebrate with my buddies.”

Daily Thought

“No student ever attains eminent success by simply doing what is required of him/her; it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required, that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction.”

Charles Kendall Adams – American Historian

Where Does Winning Football Begin?

Bill Belichick - "In a few places: the right attitude, commitment to preparation, and execution under pressure."

1. Attitude
2. Preparation
3. Execution

Servite's 4 Rules

Servite High School coach Troy Thomas said there are four rules Servite football players need to know.

No. 1: Love your teammates.

"When you love somebody, you are willing to sacrifice and put them ahead of you."

No. 2: Do your job.

"You might be the guy that runs the scout team. That's important. You might be on the bench. Be supportive. Everybody has to do their job on a team."

No. 3: Play as hard as you can.

"We talk about playing hard for 48 full minutes. That's what it takes to win."

No. 4: Be physical when you get there.

"When you get to the point of contact be more physical than your opponent."

Have Kids Changed?

The following question was asked to Kansas State University Basketball Coach Frank Martin by Jason King of Yahoo! Sports:

Q: Some folks believe that demanding coaches such as yourself are becoming more and more rare, and that people are too soft when it comes to dealing with kids these days. Would you agree?

A: “Absolutely, but it’s not a basketball problem. It’s our entire society. You know what makes me sick to my stomach? When I hear grown people say that kids have changed. Kids haven’t changed. Kids don’t know anything about anything. We’ve changed as adults. We demand less of kids. We expect less of kids. We make their lives easier instead of preparing them for what life is truly about. We’re the ones that have changed. To blame kids is a cop out.”

Daily Thought - Chip Kelly

"I think playing fast is a fundamental.” 

Chip Kelly

 

Players Expectations of Coaches

Tom Crean, Indiana University  Basketball Head Coach – “Players have four expectations of coaches: 1. Be competent. 2. Be sincere. 3. Be reliable. 4. Be trustworthy.”

Start With Process

Legendary High School Football Coach Bob Ladouceur, winner of 151 straight games
"My approach was all about process.  I didn't have any long-term goals. I just said to myself, 'Let's teach these guys how to win and what it takes to win, and then make it a day-to-day process.'"

Under Your Control

“The quality of practice greatly influences the outcome of games, and of great significance is that practice is something that your team can control.”  Brian Williams

Daily Thought - Tom Landry

“I don't believe in team motivation. I believe in getting a team prepared so it knows it will have the necessary confidence when it steps on a field and be prepared to play a good game."  Tom Landry

The Object Of This Game

Don Coryell:  "The object of this game is to break your opponent's will as quickly as possible."

I Believe In You

In all forms of leadership, whether you are a coach, a CEO, or a parent, there are four words that, when said, can bring out the best in your team, your employees, and your family.

“I believe in you.”  Mike Krzyzewski

 

Daily Thought - Bob Knight

"Coaching is a great balance between demand and patience. The coaches who are demanding -- constantly demanding -- are not particularly good coaches. The coaches who are extremely patient are not particularly good coaches. There's a balance between the two that I think is really important. Patience allows for development; demand brings about development at a rate that you have to have.“  Bob Knight

Difference Between Good Player and Great Player

"To be a good player on your team, you have to affect someone else on the team. You have to cause them to play better by the way you play. You affect other players with character and attitude. To be a great player, you have to affect your entire unit. If you are a great player, every player on that unit plays better when you are on the field."  Nick Saban

Daily Thought - Roy Williams

During practices I want to show my team everything that they an possibly be exposed to in a game and what to do against it.  I try no to do anything that doesn’t correlate directly to our next opponent.  I kid Jerod Haase all the time about how he and his former high school basketball coach used to run basketball camps and start out with a figure-eight drill.  I told him, “Why would you practice the figure eight?  That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.  You don’t do that in a game, do you?”
Roy  Williams, Hard Work

Daily Thought - Jack Welch

“You are not a leader to win a popularity contest - you are a leader to lead.”

 Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric

Daily Thought - Tom Moore

Someone asked the Colts great Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore if he was going to install any new plays for the playoffs.  He said, Hell No, if he such good plays for the playoffs he would have installed them during training camp.

Qualities of an Elite Coach

Qualities of an Elite Coach

Chris Petersen – Boise State

Integrity - Behaviors are choices.
         Honesty - Free from Deception

Humility - No sense of entitlement

Respect - Treating all people like they are important

Courage - Follow your conscience, not the crowd

Patience - Show self-control

Forgiveness - Let go of resentment

Commitment – Stick with your choice

Quest for Constant Improvement - Always try to find a better way. Have a passion for football, and for recruiting.

Positive & Enthusiastic - Bring people "Up." Have a sense of humor.

A Great Teacher - Become an expert in fundamentals and details. Be prepared, clear and concise.

Poised - Control your temper when frustrated. Be consistent.

Be Demanding - Hold people accountable, and be composed doing it.

Self-Starter - Be low maintenance. A head coach loves a guy who is one step ahead. High output.

Work Ethic - Grinder, but work smarter, not harder.

Organized - Simplify. Meeting room, office area is clean and functional.

Leader - Vision for your group. Be a role model.

Boise State Program Objectives

Become the Best Version – of ourselves, our program.

Add Value – to our players lives, help them become a better person.

Teamwork

Have Fun

Win

Building A Successful Program

7 Elements Important To Building A Successful Program

Bob Stoops

1.ESTABLISH TRUST – Players have to trust and believe in one another.  You have to find different ways to get the players close.  When I first got to Oklahoma, if we had eight players in the dining hall, we would have them sitting at seven different tables.  Now, you walk in our training table and you will see eight players at a table that only seats six people.  You have to find ways to get the players to care about one another.

2.ESTABLISH DISCIPLINE – All players want to be disciplined.  The coach has to be strong enough to give it to them.  I do not believe that all players should be treated the same.  You treat them the way they deserve to be treated.

3.ESTABLISH A WORK ETHIC – You must have a good effort.  To me the best compliment you can receive is when someone tells you “Coach, it is fun to watch your team because of how hard they play.”  I value that comment more than any other.  We grade effort.  We watch the tape of the game.  After we critique the film for assignments and fundamentals, we will go back and go through it quickly to see who is playing hard and who is not playing hard.

4.BE CONSISTENT IN HOW YOU TEACH YOUR SYSTEM – We want to let players hear the same terms over and over.

5.CREATE A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT – Make sure players have fun while they work.  Talk confidently and positively to players.  Eventually they will believe you.  You want the guy that isn’t so good to think he is great.

6.ACKNOWLEDGE PERFORMANCE NOT POTENTIAL – We are going to play players that play hard and make plays.  Don’t play potential – play players!

7.BE SURE THAT PLAYERS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY OF WINNING AND LOSING WITH THE COACHES  - Coaches take all the blame in the media.  I am talking about in the meeting room and one-on-one. 

Daily Thought - Kevin Eastman

Kevin Eastman, assistant coach Boston Celtics
"If your not beating your competition you better be learning from them.  What are they doing that you should/could be doing?"

Daily Thought - Geno Auriemma

“It’s about doing it in a way that it can’t be done any better.  That is the goal every day.”  Geno Auriemma

True Grit

 http://es.pn/fSUkUp
ESPN Mag article about quarterback's and wonderlic score.  Must read!

Daily Thought - Geno Auriemma

“I’m constantly striving for perfection.  When we are up 25 points and Barbara Turner gets the ball and without looking where she’s going charges into a player and gets called for an offensive foul, I’m livid.  You know why?  If she does that in a two-point game, it’s going to cost us.  ‘Well,’ you say, ‘it isn’t a two-point game. It’s a 25-point game.’  The young kids have a hard time with it, too.  When I start screaming at them, they look at me, and think, ‘Why is he killing me?  We’re up by 30.’  They don’t understand I’m coaching the Final Four two years from now.  I’m preparing them to stay mentally tough at all times, regardless of the circumstances.”  Geno Auriemma

Hoop Thoughts: THE BEST GIVE PRACTICE THEIR BEST

Hoop Thoughts: THE BEST GIVE PRACTICE THEIR BEST: "Thanks to Phil Beckner of Weber State for passing along this article by Eddie Matz of ESPN The Magazine: President's Day is a day most of A..."

Sign In Butler's Team Room

"GREAT TEAMS HAVE GREAT TEAMS"

Glazier This Week - 3/28 - 4/3

Live Webinars:
3/29 9pm Eastern
Youth Topic:  Practice Organization Tips And How To Deal With Parents
Jeff Scurran - Former HC Santa Rita High School, AZ

3/31 9pm Eastern
Maximizing Outcomes In Your High School Program Through Your Year Round Organization Plan
Johnny Tusa - AFCA Membership Development, High Schools

Internet Clinic
April 1st and 2nd
Odd Front Clinic
Osia Lewis - San Diego State
Bill Clark - South Alabama
Billy Crocker - Villanova

Daily Thought - Don Shula

"The important thing is not what Don Shula knows or what any of my assistant coaches know.  The important thing is that we can transmit to the people that we're responsible for.  That's what coaching is....the ability to transmit information."  Don Shula

Hoop Thoughts: BILL WALSH ON TRAITS OF A SUCCESSFUL COACH

Hoop Thoughts: BILL WALSH ON TRAITS OF A SUCCESSFUL COACH: "Thoughts from Bill Walsh on being the best coaching you can become as outlined in his book, 'Finding The Winning Edge.' • Be yourself. • B..."

Glazier This Week 3/21 - 3/27

Glazier Live Webinars
3/22 9pm Eastern
Empty Out of Multiple Personnel
Ian Shoemaker - St Cloud State - Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach

3/24 9pm Eastern
3-3-5 Variances, Zone Blitzes, Coverages, and Quarters
Lenny Rodriguez - Mt San Antonio College - Defensive Coordinator

Internet Clinic
3/25 and 3/26
Spread Offense
Noel Mazzone - Offensive Coordinator - Arizona State University
David Wilkerson - Offensive Coordinator - South Panola High School (MS)

Daily Thought - Ara Parseghian

Former University of Notre Dame football coach Ara Parseghian
"As coaches, we represent one of the few remaining organized systems for demanding discipline of young men.  Their education will not be complete if it does not include the discipline and generosity that can come from being a team member, if it does not include an awareness of responsibility to others.  We are "people coaches," not just "football coaches."

Daily Thought - Jim Wilson

Boy's lacrosse coach Jim Wilson
Loomis Chaffee School (Connecticut)
"I constantly stress process over outcome.  In other words, don't worry about the exam.  Just do your homework."

Coach Hoover's Football Site: Chargers Bunch Pass vs. Dolphins - AFC Playoffs - ...

Coach Hoover's Football Site: Chargers Bunch Pass vs. Dolphins - AFC Playoffs - ...: "The Dolphins and Chargers are back again in another playoff battle with a play not as well known as the Hook and Lateral, but nonethele..."

Daily Thought - Matt Painter

MARCH MADNESS - Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter

"I've never coached someone who had no discipline off the court who had it on the court."

Glazier This Week 3/14 - 3/20

Glazier Live Webinars:
Tuesday 3/15 9pm Eastern
Running The Inside Zone - Nate Shreffler/Hillsdale/OC

Thursday 3/17 9pm Eastern
3-4 Defense vs The Spread - Jim Herrmann/NY Giants/LB Coach

Structure of Practice

"I'm a strong believer that the structure of your practice is the singulary most determining reason for your success or lack of success as a coach."  Bob Knight

Mike Leach Offense Concepts

From a 2005 article in the New York Times by Michael Lewis

Jim Schwartz - "They weren't scoring all these touchdowns because they had the best players.  They were doing it because they were smarter.  Leach had found a way to make it work."

Pregame, asks players to do 3 things:  Mike Leach

1.  Do Your Job

2.  Play Together With Great Tempo

He had been harping on tempo all week: he thinks the team that wins is the team that moves fastest, and the team that movest fastest is the team that wants to. He believes that both failure and success slow players  down, unless they will themselves to not slow down.  "When they fail, the become frustrated," Leach says.   "When they have success, they want to become the thinking mans-football team.  They start having these quilting bees, these little bridge parties at the line of scrimmage."

3.  Your body is your sword.  Swing your sword.  (Physical)

To Leach, coaching football requires the same talent that he was going to waste on the law; the talent for making arguments.   He wanted to make his arguments in the form of offensive plays.

At the start of a game, he's unsure what's going to work.  So one goal is to throw as many different things at a defense as he can, to see what it finds most disturbing.  Another goal is to create as much confusion as possible for the defense while keeping things as simple as possible for the offense.

What a defense sees, when it lines up against Texas Tech, is endless variety, caused, first, by the sheer number of people racing around trying to catch a pass and then compounded by the many different routes they run.  A typical football offense has three serious pass catching threats; Texas Tech's offense has five, and it would employ more if that wasn't against the rules.  Leach looks at the conventional offense - with its stocky fullback and bulky tight end seldom touching the football, used more as blockers -and says, "You've got two positions that basically aren't doing anything."  He regards reveivers as raffle tickets; the more of them you have, the more likely one will hit big.  Some go wide, some go deep, some come across the middle.  All go fast.

Mike Leach - "There's two ways to make it more complex for the defense.  One is to have a whole bunch of different plays, but that's no good because then the offense experiences as much complexity as the defense.  Another is a small number of plays and run it out of lots of different formations."  Leach prefers new formations.  "That way, you don't have to teach a guy a new thing to do.  You just have to teach him a new places  to stand."

The Texas Tech offense is not just an offense; it's a mood: optimisim.  It is designed to maximize the possibility of something good happening rather than to minimize the possibility of something bad happening.

Mike Leach - "There's no such thing as a perfect game in football.  I don't even think there's such a thing as a perfect play.  You have 11 guys between the ages of 18 and 22 trying to do something violent and fast together, usually in pain.  Someone is going to blow an assignment or do something that's not quite right."

Mike Leach - "Our notion of balance is that the five guys who catch the ball all gain 1,000 yards in the season."

E.J. Whitley, an offensive lineman - "If on you're on this offense, you expect to score.  Most offenses on fourth down are coming off the field.  On fourth down we expect a play to be called.  Because we haven't scored yet."

Craig Hodges, quarterback - "The only information he asks for at halftime is the distribution.  He doesn't even care about the score.  If Y has caught 5 passes and Z hasn't caught any, he wants to figure out how to get the ball to Z.

Mike Leach - "You try to get the ball in everyone's hands because then it makes the whole offense harder to keep track of. 

Mike Leach - "Get those fat guys up front and make them run.  They're already a little slow.  By play 40 they'll be imobolized.  That's the risk of playing 330 pound guys.  You get good push, but if you got to run around a lot, you get tired.

Hard Work and Togetherness

"Hard work and togetherness.  They go hand in hand.  You need the hard work because it's such a tough atmosphere to win week in and week out.  You need togetherness because you don't always win, and you gotta hang tough together."  Tony Dungy

Daily Thought - Lou Holtz

"I won't accept anything less than the best a player's capable of doing, and he has the right to expect the best that I can do for him and the team."  Lou Holtz

It's What's Best For The Players

Tom Moore, Indianapolis Colts
"There are lots of systems, there are tons of systems.  But the trick is not systems, the trick is players and making sure you take something that the players can do and not get into, 'Well, this is mine and this is what we're going to do.'  It's what's best for the players."

Daily Thought - Bill Belichick

“What this game is about is whether or not you can execute under pressure in critical situations.”

- Bill Belichick

Daily Thought - Lou Holtz

“Nobody wants to be mediocre in life.  The mediocre are the top of the bottom, or the best of the worst, or the bottom of the top, or the worst of the best.”  Lou Holtz

Daily Thought - Anson Dorrance

"Competition is key to developing players. The only practice environment in which you truly develop a player is a competitive arena." Anson Dorrance

"Competitor of the Week Jersey"

Northern State men's basketball coach Don Meyer has a great phrase: "It's not what you teach, it's what you emphasize."

One of my fundamental coaching philosophies is competition.  We should always be competing, not just on game-day but throughout the week in practices.  In order to better "emphasize" this fundamental, I'm going to give a weekly award (jersey) to the player who is the competitor of the week.  They can wear the jersey all week to practice, sort of like a badge of honor.

I'd love to hear ideas from other coaches of ways they reward/emphasize player performance.

Daily Thought - Vince Lombardi

"The difference between a good coach and an average coach is knowing what you want, and know what the end is supposed to look like. If a coach doesn't know what the end is supposed to look like, he won't know it when he sees it."

-Vince Lombardi-

WHAT IS YOUR VISION? 

Daily Thought - Jerry Sloan

In an interview following his resignation yesterday as Head Coach of the Utah Jazz, Jerry Sloan was asked, "What was your favorite part of coaching?" 
His response, "Watching players compete.  There is a difference between playing  hard and competing.  You can play hard and be satisfied with losing.  A competitor has to beat the other guy."

10 Thoughts About Leadership

By Jon Gordon     www.JonGordon.com

1. People follow the leader first and the leader's vision second - It doesn't matter if the leader shares a powerful vision, if the leader is not someone who people will follow the vision will never be realized.  As a leader, who you are makes a difference.  The most important message you can share is yourself.
2. Trust is the force that connects people to the leader and his/her vision - Without trust there is a huge gap between the leader and the vision.  Without trust people will stay off the bus.  However if people trust the leader they will hop on the bus with the leader an help move the bus forward towards the vision.
3. Leadership is not just about what you do but what you can inspire, encourage and empower others to do.
4. A leader brings out the best within others by sharing the best within themselves.
5. Just because you're driving the bus doesn't mean you have the right to run people over - Abraham Lincoln said "Most anyone can stand adversity, but to test a man's character give him power."  The more power you are granted the more it is your responsibility to serve, develop and empower others.  When you help them grow they'll help you grow.
6. "Rules without relationship leads to rebellion" - Andy Stanley said this and it's one of my favorite quotes.  As a leader you can have all the rules you want but if you don't invest in your people and develop a relationship with them they will rebel.  This applies amazingly to children as well.  It's all about relationships.
7. Lead with optimism, enthusiasm and positive energy, guard against pessimism  and weed out negativity.
8. Great leaders know they don't have all the answers.  Rather they build a team of people who either know the answers or will find them.
9. Leaders inspire and teach their people to focus on solutions, not complaints.
10. Great leaders know that success is a process not a destination - One of my heroes John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, never focused on winning.  He knew that winning was the by product of great leadership, teamwork, focus, commitment and execution of the fundamentals.  As a leader focus on your people and process, not the outcome.

Three Rules For Coaching

Three rules for coaching:  1.) Surround yourself with people who can’t live without football.  2.) Recognize winners.  They come in all forms.  3.)  Have a plan for everything.

Bear Bryant

Daily Thought - Cael Sanderson

"My dad was my wrestling coach from little league through high school.  He taught my brothers and me that our effort was more important than our results.  He expected our best effort all the time, in every competition and practice.  He called doing your best "fighting."  When we went to competitions, Dad would say "we didn't come here to win, we came here to fight."  That is the same mind set that I had going through college, through the Olympics, and now as the Head Wrestling Coach at Iowa State.  I am very grateful that my dad taught me this at an early age.  Regardless of the circumstances, you can 'fight' and a 'fighting attitude' will help you be your best."  Cael Sanderson
Olympic Gold Medalist
Undefeated 4-Time NCAA Champion

Daily Thought - Pat Summitt

"You can't always be the strongest or most talented or most gifted person in the room, but you can always be the most competitive. There are bound to be days when you run into someone who is better than you. What can you do about it? You can compete, that's what. You can put forth so much effort that you cut your opponent down to size and force him to play below his abilities. Competitiveness allows you to influence your opponent." Coach Pat Summitt, Tennessee Women's Basketball in Reach for the Summit

USA Football February Magazine

http://issuu.com/bridgeforth/docs/usafb16

Click on the above link for February 2011 edition of USA Football Magazine.

Best of Mike Tomlin

"I live by a cliche if you will; I'd rather say 'whoa' than 'sic em' and I've had to say whoa a little bit and that's ok."

"If you want a team to be championship caliber, it starts with division dominance."

"My mentality is singular in that I want to be world champs each and every year, so that's what we work toward.  I have a tough time acknowledging levels of success short of that.  That's just how I'm wired."

"Big men on blades of grass.  The most violent team is going to win."

"Hungry is a word that I've been analyzing here of late.  It's not hunger that drives me, it's not hunger that needs to drive our football team.  Hunger and thirst are things that can be quenched.  We have to be a driven group, we have to seek greatness."

"Steeler football is 60 minutes.  It's never going to be pretty.  Throw style points out the window, but these guys will fight to the end.  We didn't blink."

"Iron sharpens iron."

Daily Thought - Mike Tomlin

"The standard is the standard."  Mike Tomlin

Below are a few examples of adversity the Pittsburgh Steeler's have overcome to make an appearance in Super Bowl XLV:

Ben Roethlisberger 4 game suspension

Trade of WR Santonio Holmes

Injury losses to T Willie Colon, T Max Starks, DE Aaron Smith, P Daniel Sepulveda

Fines and frustration of James Harrison for helmet to helmet hits

Midseason change in kickers from Reed to Suisam

Despite all that, the standard never wavered.

Why The Head Coach Should Coach The Offensive Line…

A post from youthgridironcoach.com
http://goo.gl/fHgFB

You decide if you agree or not.  At any rate, I believe often times offensive line play is overlooked.  The best teams focus on this area.  Don't neglect this important part of your team.

Hall of Fame Coach Would Trade In All His Victories

http://bit.ly/fEq1QP

Nice article about coach Bob Hurley and the impact he's had on players lives. 

3 Factors of QB Success

Attended a quarterback clinic last night by utahqbschool.com.  According to Coach Smith, the 3 biggest factors in determining a quarterback's success are:
1. Decision Making
2. Timing
3. Accuracy

Overcoming Obstacles To Play In The NFL - Tony Dungy

http://t.co/fGIAVCE

Coaches,
Check out the link above.  Some nice examples to share with your players about overcoming obstacles and perseverance.  Thanks to All Pro Dad for the link.

Characteristics Of Great Players

A must share email I received today.  The following list is from Kevin Eastman, Boston Celtics assistant coach.  Here is part of his bio:

• NBA Assistant Coach for the 2008 World Champion Boston Celtics (7th season)
• 22 years as a an assistant or head college basketball coach
• 9 years as Division 1 Head Coach (UNC Wilmington and Washington State)
• 3 years as small college Head Coach (Belmont Abbey College)
• former Nike Basketball National Director of Player Development for the nation’s elite College and High School Players

Characteristics of Great Players
Just got to thinking how fortunate I've been to be in the NBA and observe all the great players -- but not from a “wow" standpoint.  I get to see how they operate and what makes them special.  Among many other things, here's a list of separators:

• They have tremendous focus on the floor and whenever a coach is talking
• They want to know anything a coach can give them that will improve their game; always willing to learn
• They want to get their work in every day
• They go every bit as hard in practices as they do the games
• They stay on the practice floor or in the drill until they get it right
• They know the little things often separate them from the rest of the players in the league; they pay attention to details
• They can’t stand players that don’t work
• They very seldom sit out of practices
• They don’t mind being corrected and coached when they know the coach is right and the coach is telling them the truth
• They want to hear the truth
• They are committed to all aspects of their game -- their skills, their bodies, their training, their conditioning, the food they eat……everything
• They hold themselves personally accountable
• They will also hold their teammates accountable for their roles
• They despise losing
• They understand that great players need great teammates; they appreciate team basketball

Daily Thought - Warren Buffet

"It's better to hang out with people better than you.  Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction."  Warren Buffet, CEO Berkshire Hathaway

Same principle as the mule in the Kentucky Derby.

Mule In The Kentucky Derby

Once upon a time there was a farmer who entered his mule in the Kentucky Derby.  People were amazed!  One of his neighbors said, "Surely you don't think that this old mule has a chance in the world to beat those thoroughreds, do you?"
"Of course not," the farmer replied.  "But I think he'll profit from the association."

Coaches, a mentor can be an invaluable benefit.  There are many coaches who are willing to share and offer advice.  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  Surround yourselves with others who are better, more experienced.  You can profit from their "association".

The Hard Is What Makes It Great

In A League of Their Own, a movie about a women’s professional baseball team during World War II, the star catcher Dottie Henson told her manager Jimmy Dugan that she was quitting the team because, “It got too hard.”

The manager said, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it were so easy everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”

"The hard is what makes it great."

Daily Thought - Kevin Eastman

"To enter into the world of great in anything you undertake CONSISTENCY has to be part of the DNA.  Great does it every day!"  Kevin Eastman
Kevin Eastman is an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics.  Some of the things he shares via Twitter are absolutely amazing.  Follow him on Twitter for coaching tips and advice.  @kevineastman

Importance of Reading

Thought I'd share a few quotes I read this morning about the impact reading can have on one's life:

“I really had a lot of dreams when I was a kid, and I think a great deal of that grew out of the fact that I had a chance to read a lot."  Bill Gates

"I knew there was a way out. I knew there was another kind of life because I had read about it. I knew there were other places, and there was another way of being."  Oprah Winfrey

"The person who can read AND DOESN'T has no advantage over the person who can't read."  Mark Twain 

Daily Thought - Bill Gates

“Great organizations demand a high level of commitment by the people involved."  Bill Gates

2 Ways To Win

"Football is always a game in which there are two ways to win - be better or be smarter."
Tim Layden Blood, Sweat and Chalk

Doc Rivers On Coaching

“I love coaching. Even when it was bad I loved it. I love the winning and I’m miserable when we lost any time, but whether we were good or bad, whether we were the favorite or the underdog, I still convinced myself we would win. I thought we’d win every game I’ve coached. You get your heart broken every night when you lose, but to me it’s a joyous job. Miserable joy, but it’s great work."

Steelers Expectations

Wanted to share with you something I heard last night on Sportscenter.  Steeler's Chris Hoke basically said, "We don't hope to win in Pittsburgh, it's an expectation."

Here are a couple more quotes along those same lines:

"High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation." - Charles Kettering

LOW EXPECTATIONS = NO DISAPPOINTMENTS

"Our expectations are to win every game. I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen, but no one ever rises to low expectations.” Chip Kelly

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS? 

Webinar Tonight - Glazier

If you are a Glazier season pass holder, there is a Webinar tonight at 9pm (Eastern Time Zone) presented by David Wilkerson of South Panola High School.
Topic:  Quick Passing Game Out of Empty

All youth coaches can register for scholarship and get Glazier season pass for free.  Any coaches above youth level can purchase season pass for individual $99. 

Daily Thought - Pat Summitt

"Discipline is about more than just punishment.

Discipline is the internal structure that supports your organization. Used properly, it can help you maintain order without ever having to actually do the unpleasant work or punishing people. It is the basis of leadership.

Discipline is the only sure way I know to convince people to believe in themselves.

Discipline is the internal mechanism that self-motivates you. It gets you out of bed in the morning. It gets you to work on time and it tells you when you need to work late. It drives you. It is essential to success, whether individually or in a group.”

Pat Summitt

Glazier Clinics Youth Scholarship

Glazier Clinics is making all of their online content available to Youth Coaches for FREE.  You simply need to apply for scholarship at glazierclinics.com and they email you a log-in and password.  FREE access to online clinics, webinars, instructional videos, clinic notes, etc.  Take advantage of this FREE service.

Daily Thought - David A Feigley

“The importance of winning has been considered by virtually every adult involved in youth sports.  Clearly, there can be too much emphasis on winning; however, those who advocate the position that winning is not important often miss the point that without an attempt to win the contest, the activity is no longer sport.  The essence of sport is striving to win; without that attempt, the activity is of a different nature.”  David A Feigley, Ph.D.   Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

THE TOP 10 THINGS WORLD CHAMPIONS KNOW THAT YOU DON'T

The following is taken from Brian Cain's "Peak Performance Newsletter":

Having worked with world champions in The Ultimate Fighting Championship, the Olympic Games, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and in the National Football League, all of these world champions, and those who win national championships at the collegiate level or state championships at the high school level, know things that most competitors don't. I want to share with you ten of those things they know, that you probably don’t.

1. Acting Changes Everything (ACE)

The ACE card that they have up their sleeve is a key weapon in the world champion’s toolbox.  What does ACE stand for?  ACE stands for Acting Changes Everything. Those athletes understand that they're not athletes, they're actors.  See number two.

2.  Force Yourself To Act Different Than How You Feel

It is a lot easier to act yourself into feeling than it is to wait around and feel yourself into action.  So if you are not confident, that is OK, just act confident, if you are scared, that is OK, just act as if you are not scared. The Karelian Bear Dog chases the grizzly bear not because he's bigger or stronger, but because he believes he's bigger and stronger.

3. Losing Is Not An Option

World champions know that losing is not an option, it’s essential.  In order for you to become a world champion, you're going to lose.  You’re going to lose because you're competing against the best of the best. And when you get higher and higher in levels of competition, talent and physical skill means less and less because everyone has got it. It's inevitable that we'll eventually lose so know how you should respond when it happens.  Learn from it and leave it.  Failure is positive feedback.

4. Confidence Is A Choice

Being a champion is also about learning how to respond when you are faced with adversity and how to respond when you don’t feel good.  Do you respond with confidence?  Remember confidence is a choice. You see, champions don't wake up one day and say, “Mmm, well the sun and the moon and the stars are all lined up today, so I will be confident”.  It doesn't work that way with champions.  Champions make the choice everyday to jump out of bed and be confident. They know their 'ABCs' are to 'Always Behave Confidently' because confidence is a choice.

5. What Will Other People Say? What Will Other People Think?

There are ten deadly words that if you say them or believe them you will crush your performance.  If you're trying to be excellent, if you're trying to get to the top of your field, if you listen to these ten deadly words, you are going to sabotage your career.  Those ten deadly words are, “What will other people say? What will other people think?” It doesn't matter what other people say. It doesn't matter what other people think. In your pursuit of excellence, people are going to try and pull you down and talk trash about you because you are better than they are.  When people stab you in the back or say things about you behind your back it is because you are in front of them.  Be more concerned with your character, what you know is true than what other people say or think about you.

6. Champions Are Made, They're Not Born

Very few people are truly committed to the pursuit of excellence. Get used to looking yourself in the mirror, and answering to yourself. Because every night, when that head hits the pillow, that’s the person you’re going to answer to. Other people are going to tell you, you can't do it.  That you’re not big enough, fast enough or strong enough.  Or even worse, you may be surrounded by a bunch of yes people who tell you that you’re the best when you are really quite average. You just can't listen because champions know it doesn't matter what people think because champions are made – they're developed - they're not born, and ANYONE can be a champion if they are committed to excellence and follow the fundamentals.

7. Motivation Is A Daily Decision

To stay motivated, you've got to surround yourself with things that motivate you.  Do you have a vision board posted in your office, room, car or locker that shows you what you want to accomplish?  Consider this advertising to yourself.  Coke and Pepsi are the two most famous soft drinks and that is largely due to the fact that they saturate the market and your head with advertising.  You want to advertise to yourself on a daily basis with vision boards, photos of your next opponent, quotes or goals written on your bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker and by reading a little a lot from good books.

8. Your Time Is Now

Your time is the present moment. 1984 Olympic gold medal winning Team USA Hockey Coach Herb Brooks said it best in the great movie; 'Miracle' when he said “Your time is now.” The time is now, the place is here. Your career is the sum of your today’s.  The only factor that is the same amongst all MMA fighters in the world is that they have 86,000 seconds in a day to either spend or INVEST in the development of their potential.  Maximize your time management and priority management skills and you will get the most our of your days.

9. Stop Counting Down The Days And Start Making Those Days Count

World champions also know that you don’t count the days till the next fight, but make the days count.  They set long term goals of where they want to be at the end of the year, but commit 100% to the days goal, to the here and now.  They realize that yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift that’s why we call it the present.  They live for today and get the most out of today because they know their career and life will be the sum of their today’s.

10. WIN = What's Important Now

Right now today. What are you going to do today to get better?  What is your goal for today?  Do you see a pattern developing here?  Through out each day there are going to be distractions, fish hooks that rip you out of the water while you are searching for your goals.  When you get side tracked, get off the wrong exit on your way to work, realize that you must get back in the moment.  That winning is an end result that takes care of itself if you win the moment, you win the moment by remembering What’s Important Now!

 11. BONUS

The BONUS eleventh thing that world champions know that you don't is the  Opponent Is You. Your toughest opponent in life will be to master yourself. And once you become a master of the mental game, you give yourself the best chance to become a world champion.

If you really want to master the mental game, pick up Cain’s new book Toilets, Bricks, Fish Hooks and PRIDE: The Peak Performance Toolbox Exposed and get more tips and techniques to unlock your potential and start fighting your fight.  Visit www.briancain.com for your copy today and to sing up for Cain’s free newsletter.