Posts tagged coaching

Went to the Rink – Been Quite Awhile

Feb03
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

The other day, I was asked to attend a ice hockey practice by a parent to watch their son. They asked me to see what he could work on to get better. I used to coach ice hockey for over 20 years. I love the game.  I had not been out to the rink in over a year or so. I was excited to go to the rink. Couple of hip replacements and not being able to really skate – makes going to the rink difficult.  Off I went and sat in the stands. When I walked into the rink, there was that usual rush, smell and sights. Definitely brought back some great memories. My mind was racing for that hour or so. I watched the player and for that matter practice overall. Something jumped out at me right away…

Watching another coaches practice can be an eye opening experience. I have seen a lot of practices on all levels. When you watch another practice, you can always pick up something that you would like to use in your practice. This practice was a pretty good one. There were some very good things going on our there. Almost every player was moving at all times – my mark of a good use of ice time. Teachable moments were being applied to individual players and the team as a whole. What happened next, was the gauntlet drill. Checking in hockey is one of those items that is important to teach the proper technique. For those that don’t know the gauntlet drill is supposed to help the player with puck control while  receiving a body check. It usually is done along the boards with the player with the puck skating with the puck up the line of the other players wait to check the player into the boards.  Most coaches use the drill to get every player used to receiving a check… Getting other players to check more… This particular drill has to be well supervised. Coaches need to insure that proper checking technique is used. What typically happens is not good. Hands start to raise up towards the head. Players move in close to each other (not giving the player time to recover). Hence someone gets hurt. In this case, it was the teams best player that suffered a concussion when the biggest player used his size and improper technique to smash the players head against the glass. It was not the first check that was improper, but the drill ended when one player got hurt. There were a number of opportunities to have a teachable moment before the injury, but every player and coach was excited about the crushing checks that were being delivered.

With all of the focus on concussions in football and hockey, it is time for coaches to make sure that they are protecting their players and teaching proper technique. I used to tell the parents, “checking is a part of the game. It happens. I will do my best to teach each player the proper way to give and receive a check. Realize, the best part of my responsibility is to teach players how to play in a safe environment and have fun doing it!” If we were to use a checking drill, it was in a controlled and safe way. Never will you see my team run a gauntlet drill. We may have a one on one situation like that, but it will have a coach watching and instructing after each check.  I used to get mixed emotions from some parents on that. The gauntlet has been around a very long time (I used to have to run it). Many of the parents remember their experience. My only comment was did anyone ever get hurt? Where the checks always properly delivered? We will check, but we will do it right!

I met the parents after the practice and gave them my observations. I asked them, if they told their son that I was coming to watch him practice. They said “no.” Practice is important. Sacrifice is important. Does he shoot pucks at home? Does he do stick handling drills with a golf ball at home? How much effort do you think he is putting into hockey outside of scheduled practices? They said some, but not a much as he could. I didn’t want the parents to think that he should only be focused on hockey. He is  young and needs to experience life. He should set goals around how much time he will work on shooting, passing, fitness, stickhandling and studying the game – outside of practice. Have him record his time on what he is working on. He then can see if his work is paying off in playing time, effectiveness on the ice or just how he feels about what he is doing. I stayed till the player came out of the locker room. Asked him if he felt that he gave his all in practice? He said, not really. Stressed to him the importance for him to take advantage of the ice time given. Work hard and excel every time you take the ice. Passed along to the player the same things that I told his parents. I felt honored that I was called. I thanked them all for that honor and wished them well.

Now, I am wondering if I need to get back to being involved…

Photo Credit: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Posted in Hockey - Tagged , , ,

Emotions in the Workplace?

Jan05
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

One of the most difficult tasks for a manager is dealing with emotions in the workplace. Partly because the organization as a whole, would like to keep emotions, especially negative ones, out of the workplace. I have worked for managers, VP level folks, that would have us all check our emotions (negative ones) at the door, before we walk in. Just not feasible. We all are feeling people. Whatever you see, hear or touch usually gets a reaction or emotion from you. Good or bad emotions – they all happen. A little story telling now. I happened to be in a senior level meeting, when we were discussing morale within the departments. Many of the works that came out were fear, frustration, anger, and dissatisfaction were used. The VP stopped the discussion and told us, “enough about these emotions, I don’t want to hear about them. You need to get morale up. That is your job, make it happen.” I am not one to sit and not say anything. I lightheartedly said, “Beatings will continue to morale goes up.” Some laughed, others sat quietly. I quickly pointed out that we (the leadership team) needed to validate their emotions. We needed to understand what was at the root of the emotion, rather than ignore them. VP looked at me with anger. I quickly added, that I probably sparked an emotion with those statements. Before you punish, let’s think… Defused situation (I just knew, I was going to get killed).  Emotions are there…

How do you as a manager deal with them? As a manager, at least a good manager, you have to be able to see, hear and help. How do you set this up for your people?

  • You need to develop an open, trusting environment. People have to have the ability to speak freely. With no fear of reprimand. Start with the individuals on the team first, then make sure you take it to the complete team. Start small, then go big.
  • Know you people. Think of the fear emotions… Some folks can deal with it themselves, they “fear” they may fail and they buckle down and do whatever is necessary. Others may shutdown. Recognize what works for each person and get to moving forward quickly.
  • Push through the uncomfortable. Sometimes dealing with emotions can be uncomfortable. It happens. You as the manager need to make sure that you deal with the situation as early as possible to lessen the effect long term. Role play that discuss with a mentor, be honest and push through – you will be surprised at the end of it.
  • Be real and yourself. Slow down.. The first thing that most people do is react. Slow down and think it through first. I know this is a broken record when it comes to be a manager. You have to set the example for your team. All eyes are watching you all the time. Make sure that you are being real. If you are having one of those days (like your folks), acknowledge it with them. Maybe they will have some insight for you! Last time I checked, you managers are people too.
  • Ask others if they are feeling the same way. When in the team setting, go ahead and ask for additional information. Some folks are more vocal than others and sometimes we think it is just them. If you ask, you maybe surprised to see that more folks are in the same boat. Just afraid to speak up first. Once on the table, it can be worked.

Don’t think that emotions are not going to play in your teams. Be ready, be prepared and don’t be afraid. The sooner you confront, acknowledge and validate, the quicker moving forward can happen. All negative emotions can true to a positive, if handled properly. Same is true for positive emotions (passion). If you play that one up too much on your “rising star” – the rest of the team will be deflated or be negative toward that person. This is a very tricky subject, probably why that VP wanted nothing to do with it. You have to deal with it…

Posted in Leadership, New To Management - Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Leadership Lessons from College Football

Nov11
2011 1 Comment Written by Steve

Over the past few years, we all have read the disturbing news about college football programs in the middle of a scandals. The latest one is Penn State. I never want to kick a person when they are down or perceived to be down. That is not my style. What kicked off this scandal is the worst thing imaginable. I have coached youth sports for most of my adult life and when I hear what happened, it make my stomach turn. Just terrible! I hope that the alleged victim’s get all of the help they need to get over these horrific acts. My intention is not to look at each set of scandals and place blame or point a finger at people. If we learn nothing from what has happened over the past 5 years, we should learn to how to handle leadership within the programs that most of America watches with a passion.

Here are some things that I believe that should be considered:

  • Setting up very discreet reviewed time limits. Most programs or employees have yearly review of performance. I think within that particular review the overall review should not just be able wins, loses and where did you end up within the BCS ranking. It is time to really demonstrate leadership… Develop a package that is about graduation rates, GPA for student athletes, social and moral code of conduct and really focus on life learning. It is all about accountability for everything a program should stand for. These reviews should be tough and really focused.  Stand up and celebrate your successes.. Work on those items that missed the mark.
  • Succession planning. It is time to make sure that within every program there is a real and developed succession plan. Setting up your program and keeping it for the long haul is really how well the program develops the talent that they have and attract. In this day and age, with coaches moving to head coaching positions all over, succession planning could be a difficult task. If you have the right people and take care of them, they will stay. If not, than they will take the lessons learned and apply those to another institution. Which if done right, just means another great program will start up. Everyone wins…
  • Hold everyone (up and down the organization) accountable for the overall organization! For college football, that is being accountable to the university and what the code the university stands for. The football team (players and coaches) are not the university, but need to be a reflection of the university.

It amazes me how many coaches have written books about leadership and then we watch them fall from their soapbox. Ever leader has to take a look deep into themselves and be proud of every aspect of their actions. From all indications, coach Wooden was spot on in his teachings and actions. That is one example that I have modeled my coaching after. Don’t get me wrong there are lots of fine examples out there. Some really recent coaches that are doing the right things, right. I just hope that they can keep their course and not let someone or something distract them from complete success.

Posted in Hockey, Leadership, Observations - Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leaders Born or Created?

Nov08
2011 2 Comments Written by Steve

The few days back, I saw a tweet go out that asked are leaders born or can they be made. Just two days ago, I overheard a discussion at the local Starbucks on this topic. I have heard many different arguments over the years. I go with both! When I was coaching youth sports, I get the opportunity to witness first hand those young folks that are born into leading. The experience that I am going to share comes from coaching youth hockey ages 7-10. There was always one or two players that just stand out from the other players as leaders. Many of my peer coaches would say that they are their best players and lead by example. Which probably is the case more times than not, but I had a few rare players that were not the best players but were the best communicators and team mates. At those ages, they did not really have any time to learn how to do that, they just did it. It comes natural. When I look back and then look towards today – those leaders are still leaders, just doing it in different places.

I do think that some training and coaching of people to be leaders is possible. In the workplace, you get to interact with many different folks, some standout for their potential in leading a team. From  my experience I have seen both sides of the spectrum. Those folks that have the ability, but really want nothing to do with leading. They prefer to just do what they are doing. Other folks want to be leaders, but frankly, don’t really demonstrate the initial abilities or characteristics necessary. Having discussions with both sets of folks is interesting. For me, I want to make sure that my teams are set up with secession plans. I want to develop my folks to help them achieve their dreams. Here is where I believe that training and mentoring comes into play. Everyone has a blind spot or two that needs attention. When you step into a management role and really want to do well, you need some training. You really need someone to help you with highlighting those blind spots and putting focus on the “right” areas. Training and follow-up will help lessen the blind spot. For me, leadership is something that is a life-long learning experience. There is always something new to learn or find out about yourself.

Leaders need to be honest, have a demonstrated track record of success, be excellent communicators, place an emphasis on serving those they lead, be fluid in their approach, have laser focus with a bias toward action. Some of those items come natural. Others can be helped along. So, when I hear or see that question about are leaders born or created, I go with both…

Posted in Leadership, New To Management - Tagged , , , , ,

Is Your Team Successful?

Nov02
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

One of the most frequently asked questions that I got during my training days of “New to Management” was around how do, as the manager, know if my team is successful or not? Great question for managers to ask. I used to think that I had a good team that was delivering their on the objectives in a timely and cost efficient manner was a very good indicator of how well things were going. Sounds good, but there is so much more. No one every really likes to answer a question with a question, but I wanted to use the complete class to brainstorm what a successful team could look like. Off goes the question… “what is your view of a success team?” Here is what followed..

  • A team that works together to accomplish whatever is set in front of them.
  • A team that works whatever hours are necessary to accomplish their goals.
  • Hitting their numbers, pushing product and doing a quality job.
  • The team gets along.
  • Someone in the team sees a problem and the team handles it.
  • Each member of the team is pulling their own weight.
  • Team is not afraid of failure, as they can accomplish anything they set their mind to it.
  • I as the manager, do not have to be “too” involved. The team understands that they are empowered.
  • Work gets done, on-time and within budget.
  • The team helps each other out.

These all sound pretty good, right? I can remember in my early days as a manager thinking if my team was to accomplish these or a subset of them, I felt pretty good. I used to hear from my management that my team was the best one of all of the teams in the department. That was not enough, as upper management to me, is not there daily or in the trenches when work is getting done.  As I gained more experience with managing teams, I started to really look underneath the surface and see how the team was really working together. Asking myself, how does the team accomplish the work that is set out in front of them? What is the overall commitment level of each and every team member? Do they really work together? What motivates the team members to do new and interesting stuff (innovation)? I started to develop my own scorecard for success of the teams that I led.

  • Getting the work done in a timely and cost effective manner – this still is the overall measure of success. That never changes as this is the most visible to the complete department. Getting your work done. If you don’t you won’t be around much.
  • Gauging the overall free flow of ideas and information – having great discussions about how to improve, how to do stuff better, or what is really happening. Having a team that shares the good, bad and ugly when it comes to team self reflection. Doing this in a constructive and not threatening manner. Working the problem rather than focusing on the individual.  The discussions were pretty lively and listening to them build on each other’s thoughts, made me see that a complete diverse team is better than a set of individual’s. Where I worked we used to do a yearly plan for the upcoming year. I used to include my complete team in this exercise. Set up some basic assumptions (budget and rev 0 goals) and what the team work together to set the plan together. The overall ownership of that plan was strong among the team. I usually had to point out that we must not try to do too much, we realize that year over year stuff happens, we must be flexible.
  • Balanced workload – for all team members. It is an easy thing to say, but in practice very difficult to manage. Here is where the manager really has to know what is going on with each individual on the team. Is there too much work being loaded up on all, too much on a few or not enough on some. The team members want to do a good job, they really want to receive praise and better raises and doing more work than the others seems the easiest way to demonstrate worth. Not good for the team.
  • True development plans in place for everyone. “True” development plans require much work from the individual team member and the manager. The team member needs to be honest in what they want to do, how they do it and what do they want to be when they grow up. What is their passion? The manager than becomes the coach and helps to develop a plan that works for the individual and the team. Sometimes the individual’s passion is not within the team overall direction. The manager has to make sure to balance and do the best in every situation. I have had to help get new positions for my team members to insure that the best of the employee, team, department and company were winning.

Some of these items can be measured by metrics, but most of them are more on how you know the team is doing. Spending time with the team in different ways. Being an observer during meetings – rather than talking 100%. Facilitator during planning meetings – rather than telling what will get done. Walking around the office, listening to the team working together – rather than sitting in your office. Asking questions and listening to the answers – rather than assuming you know what is happening. It is easy to take control as the manager.. You may even think that is why you are the manager. Observe, listen and act when necessary – that is truly what your team wants.

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Motivating Your Team (Workplace or Sports)!

Oct21
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

Over many of my posts, I try the lessons of my experiences in managing and coaching sports teams to highlight a particular subject better. This post is more on motivating your work or sports team. What is motivation? Simply put means to “move” to a goal or end point. Motivation is part of the standard management jargon. Leaders are required to motivate their people. How is that really done?

For me, I see two very clear and different approaches.

  • Carrot and Stick Approach – Dangle that carrot out in front of the donkey (employee) and try to get him to where you want to go. Looking at what carrots we have as managers – you have raises, promotions, stock options and cash awards. Or you can use the stick (corrective action plans, written warnings). Each method may cause some movement. Effective? I doubt that any leader can really motivate for the long haul. In sports, the leaders that stand out in my mind are Bobby Knight and Bill Parcells. Each has been a winner wherever they have been. Problem is, that approach without any changes gets old very quickly (also requires participants to like that style).  When was the last time we saw that level of belittling of employees? In the old days, I do remember some leaders motivating this way.
  • Working together to achieve success. I wrote a month or so ago that I really did not see that the manager is solely responsible to motivating the team. I stand by that. The team should work together to set up achievable goals, practice or train for success, track progress and celebrate success. I have been coaching for over 20 years. My initial coaching style was tied directly to what I had experienced as a youth. That hard charging, in your face, carrot and stick style. Over the years, that style has changed significantly. I think this is where the successes with my work teams help me be a better sports team coach. I have had to learn that not all players respond to that style (and over the years there are less and less players that do respond). When I look at coaches like Mike Krzyzewski and Phil Jackson – you see them more for an even different style. Not a carrot or a stick but one of encouragement.  In order for that to work, you must get to know your players, find out their strengths, help them overcome their fears or roadblocks and provide praise for their achievements. They set expectations of their programs, players and work hard to prepare. For me it seems to work both in sports and the workplace.

For managers, I think we need both items in our leadership toolbox. There will be situations that the old carrot and stick method to help breakthrough to a higher performance that could work. Use in moderation…  Setting the foundation for moving to our overall goals is really through the encouragement of our employees. Set solid expectations, help encourage through the good and rough times and achieve. Pull in your team and have them work with you on setting up that solid foundation that you are attempting to put in place. Discuss, listen and change as needed. As managers and coaches, we just need to recognize what needs to be done and do it.

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Motivating

Aug23
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

image from Flickr via jk_photos

I have been thinking about his topic for awhile, motivating your team. When I was asked in an interview about how I motivate more team, I tried to answer it this way. “Motivating the team is a bit tricky. I don’t think that the manager has the responsibility to motivate their employees. They need to create an environment that is motivating to their team. Motivation is more internal. I like to insure that my team has the work environment that helps them be motivated to do their best.” Okay, before you go and attack that answer – there is more to the answer – just coming a bit later on. When I think of it is the manager’s responsibility to motivate his employee’s – I think of my time as a coach of youth sports and my time as a company commander in a training company.  We all have seen coaches that are in your face – either cheering you on or screaming instructions to help get you to do what you want. I got some up close and personal experience watching drill sergeants motivate their trainees (see picture). Is that motivating? Would you like to have that be your manager’s style at the office? I believe that the successful coaches are the ones that have instilled an outstanding work environment that helps the player to motivate themselves. Much like my answer.

Getting back to my answer.. I really think there are some fundamental items that I like to insure that my team environment has…

  • Open and Direct Communications : How many times have you heard, “I didn’t know that?” Or maybe, “if they would just communicate with us, we could get that done?” Old school management.. Tell your employees just what they need to know, nothing more, nothing less. Well, that does not work! Never really did.. Be very open and direct in your communications. Tell them everything. What harm is there in doing so? This also will help your employees see that they can tell you stuff as well. There have been many times I have learned something from them that I did not think of – just because we had a open and direct communications.
  • Set a Good Example: As the manager, you really are out front and your team is watching and listening to you. It may sound silly, but how you present yourself in the beginning of the day will set the tone for your team the rest of the day. I know that not everyday is going to be perfect.. There will be something that happens (either at home or on the way to work) that will challenge you to be positive. You have to check all that before meeting your team.
  • Saying “Thank-You”: Doesn’t cost a lot to say thanks for a job well done. Times are tough this days, not everyone has a budget to help out with giving away cash, gifts or raises. Saying “thanks” goes a long way. I learned early on, that I truly perked up when I was given a thank you. Hand written notes, email or just hearing the words worked for me. I started insuring that I did the same for my folks (they like it too). When times get better – or when the time is right – step up that thank you to something more (gift cards, cash, lunch).
  • Give your time: What do you really have as a manager – your time. So, give that time to your employees. Work with them to build a solid working relationship. Help to understand what their passions and goals are. Help them develop and grow professionally. Your time will be well spent!
  • Get dirty: I used to really enjoy getting in there and helping out from time to time. When I was in manufacturing, we had a senior manager that made it a priority that all supervisors and managers would work on the manufacturing line at the end of the month. Clear your calendars, get trained and do the work that your teams do! I looked forward to it. Watching the senior managers work along side the team – was a eye opening experience for all. Roll up your sleeves and do what the team does.

When I left the interview, and was driving home, I thought of a couple of more items that I do that just did not come to me.

  • Look for some fun volunteer activities: I had this one time, that really rallied around one cause. We happened to have a team member that had a child with a disability. We wanted to help – so we decided to step away from the day to day work – to help out with the school that this team members child went to. Everyone was excited to help out. We had a great day! You could see your team in a different environment and watch their interactions. It was an eye opening experience for everyone. Plus we helped out a school in need. I am always looking for those opportunities.
  • Tie everything to the big picture (without losing sight of the little picture): Making sure to tie the work that the team is doing to the companies big picture. The little picture is really the team as a whole. We all like to know that we are working on something bigger than ourselves. Make sure to paint those pictures!

There is no silver bullet for motivating your employees. Don’t look for it. Spend time working on your team environment and maybe that will help you to increase the internal motivation of your employees.

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Rough Times – Leaders Needed More Than Ever

Aug08
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

What are rough times? For me, those were the times when in the corporate world everything was taking a downward spiral. Layoffs, cost cutting, restructuring and pretty much an upheaval of what was known as the norm. Are these times extremely difficult? Of course. Are there some positives to look at as well? Yes. Difficult and rough times are the times that leaders need to step up and really do some work. Turning those bad times into times that set a foundation for the future. This post is one that I want to focus my energy on that foundation… Give some tips and experience from what I have learned going into rough times…

How do you keep your folks motivated and working on what needs to be done? There have been many studies out there that say during rough times about 1/3 of the employees are engaged, 1/3 are looking for that next opportunity and the last 1/3 are not engaged. When you look at it from that standpoint, the simple facts are the engaged folks are staying for what they are doing, the disengaged folks are staying for what they get. Bottomline: when times do really turn around employees will be moving. We all know that the ones that you will probably lose will not be the ones you want to leave.

So, what should you do to really get everyone engaged in rough times? Keeping them motivated is definitely a challenge. Keeping them focused with all the uncertainty around them is difficult. Here are some of the things that I have experienced and shared over my time in those rough periods.

  • Communication - is definitely more important that ever. Maybe a better term would be to over-communicate. Being upfront and honest with your employees is critical. Think of the rumor mill or grapevine – during rough times it seems there is something need added every hour. You as the leader, need to address the fear! How do you do that – with open, honest and transparent communication.
  • Building relationship – taking that time to sit down with each employee and ask them what is on their mind. Find out where they are in the engaged, looking or disengaged category. Setting up regular 1:1 communications to address work, fears and concerns. Keeping them focused on the bigger picture, but not losing sight on their individual small pieces that make up the big picture.
  • Decision-making – insure that you, as the leader, are including everyone on the team in the decisions. Even to the point, of insuring that the lowest level are making those decisions that they should make. Rough times make it easy to have the decisions move up the ladder. Make a point, not to do that. Keep decisions where they should be.
  • Recognition - for the work that is getting done, especially in rough times. Many of the cuts and layoffs have passed the work of many to just a few… Take the time to come up with low cost “new” recognition for your team. People like to be rewarded for their hard work and efforts.
  • Check yourself – anyway you look at it, rough times can bring out the best and worst in people. Even yourself. Listen to yourself when in a critical or difficult situation. Are you acting yourself? If you are not right, you definitely will be demonstrating that to your employees.

Simple Reminder: For rough times (or not) – LISTENING, EMPATHIZE and CARING – you really can’t go wrong.


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Teacher Appreciation Week! What I have learned…

May02
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve
"Teacher Appreciation" featured phot...

Image via Wikipedia

Today kicks off Teacher Appreciation Week! I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you the lessons I have learned from teachers that apply to leadership. My wife has been teaching for awhile now.. She has been an outstanding teacher for many years (I am not bias in anyway). This feedback comes straight from the parents, other teachers, her administration and the fact that year after year her students come back to say hi or update her on their progress. Looking at what she does and how she does it is amazing. It got me thinking about some of the teachers I had when I was growing up and in college. So, here is a list of the things that I think leaders could learn from teachers:

  • Believe in their students. When did you do your best work? Most of the time you did your best work when you knew that your teacher, your boss or coach believed in you. Knowing that the person of influence believes in you makes it special to you. Your potential is tapped! My wife has high expectations of her students and she knows that they can do it (even if others don’t think so).
  • Care about their students success. Completely vested in the students success. I watch and listen to how much my wife cares about each student making progress or better yet exceeding standards. When the test scores come in – she is really excited to see their success. She also is a little disappointed (well, more than a little) when success is only at standard. She has to be reminded that look at the overall progress.
  • Love what they teach. The passion for teaching does not come from the money that is made! The passion comes from teaching subjects that they love. Sharing their passion for what they are doing to those that are in the classroom. Ever just sit in the back of a classroom and observe? Let me tell you the great teachers really excel are sharing their passion of that subject.
  • Make learning fun. I look at the creative ways that my wife takes lessons and makes them fun for the students. Learning can be fun! It does not have to be drill or ground and pound. Getting the lesson to be fun for the students sets up the learning experience better. For me, the best working environment is a fun environment. I want to come to that place…
  • Make learning very partical and useful. One small disclaimer – some subjects are much easier to do this with. The best teachers really explain what they are teaching in a way that the students understand. Once that lightbulb comes on – then that teacher knows they have a student hooked.

Watching my wife and other great teachers over the years, has helped me be better at leading my teams. I look at her classroom from the beginning of the year and thoughout the year til the end – look at the progress of the students, look at the maturity improvements and teamwork that is demonstrated – and say well done! Really, well done!

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Coaching Pitch

May01
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Steve

Yesterday morning, I made my usual stop at Starbucks after spending some time at the gym. I got to witness (overhear) a set of parents, their son and a potential youth football coach talking about stuff. Being a coach, for a very long-time, I really love to listen to coaches do their thing. This situation has happened to me many of times, so I thought why not sit and listen to a younger coach. I know, I was listening in on a very important discussion between a coach, parents and the player sitting there (in the middle of Starbucks). Should I have listened in? Probably not, because what I overheard really made me a bit angry. The young coach was probably doing what he thought would impress the parents enough to let their son play for him. From my vantage point, I saw a huge miss. (Let me apologize now for the length of this post, but I think it is worth it!)

Here are some of the topics:

  • The young coach was talking up his resume. From his younger playing days to high school… How he was a star high school athlete that just did not get any breaks to get a scholarship to play in college. I shortened it quite a bit… He moved to his coaching resume. Which consisted of assistant coaching at one of the local youth leagues and the past 2 as a head coach.
  • I was hoping to see if the parents would ask him for his coaching philosophy, but he sort of led them to it (in a round about way). He discussed how difficult the first year was – with not getting to really pick his team. He was handed a very rough and low in talent team. They did not win a game. The second year was
    better as he was really doing more scouting and recruiting of players to play for him. This year, he promised that he will win it all. He has that much talent.
  • Next up, the young coach circled back to his playing days. He was going to use what he did in high school to pass onto his players now. From looking at the family and their son, I think he was in 5th or 6th grade. Are they really ready?
  • The discussion overall, to me, was a sales job of picking that coach…

As said before I have been a coach for a very long time… When meeting parents of players and players – I have developed a short overall talking points to what to expect. Here is an overall breakdown:

  • Introduction – Simple who I am, where I come from, my experience (only the number of years or certifications) in playing, referee and coaching, and how I am excited to offer my experience to their children.
  • Coaching philosophy – I believe that it is my honor to be teaching the game that I love. I want my players to love the game and want to keep coming back, year after year. The overall experience is important. It is much more than the X’s and O’s.
    Safety is #1. Placing education and character development ahead of any wins. Our practices will both help the player master their sport, but most of all build confidence in their abilities (both in sports and in life).
  • Next up – I will discuss with the players in the room – their responsibilities.. Simple list of: Show up on-time. 40 minutes before practice and 1 hour before game time (since this is hockey – there is dressing time besides coach talk). Be ready to work hard. Be respectful to players, coaches, referee’s and parents at all
    times. Keep your grades up (parents can use hockey as a tool for keeping grades up, all I ask is, have them come to games (they get to sit on the bench) to see what they are missing). Don’t ever have a repeat offender – when they sit and watch.
  • Lastly – I discuss the parent responsibilities! This is important.. Simple list just like the players.. Of course, most of the players I have coached – don’t drive. So, the parents get the same be on-time. I usually talk about the zero tolerance policy (which is a bit more detailed than be respectful to players, coaches, referee’s and parents at all times). Since they know I will support them with grades or behavior issues – they just need to let me know. Please refrain from coaching your young athlete on the way to and from games. This one is tough for me, as I am a coach, but trust me – leave the ride to and from the game for “other” things. Lastly, if something is not going well – with practice, game situation or anything with me or my coaches, please do not confront the situation at the rink. Call me, email me and we can set up some time to meet or discuss on the phone. Cooler heads all the way around. Players, coaches and parents get into the heat of the battle of a game. The player is usually over with it, right after the game. Adults take more time to cool down.

I don’t usually talk about winning championships or titles or trophies, those are not what this is about. Sports to me, is about learning teamwork, physical exercise, applying sports to life lessons and building character. I want to provide the best experience for each of the players and parents that I get the privilege to coach. If you happen to win, well, treat that like having and eating your cake too…

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