Coaches Toolbox

Making a Difference

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The Starfish Story

I received this story several years ago in a frame at the end of our season from some of the graduating seniors. I definitely feel that it is worth sharing. If you have seen this before, it is definitely worth reflecting on again.

A young boy walked along a stretch of beach skimming shells into the waves, The boy noticed the distant figure of an old man.  Curious to see what, the man was doing, he dropped his shells and ran through the sand.

As he approached, the boy noticed the man repeatedly stooping to pick up objects and throw them beyond the breaking surf.  The boy also noticed that the sand was strewn with thousands of starfish, washed ashore by the out going tide.

The boy watched the man repeat his actions to returning starfish to the cool waters before the became lifeless, baked by the noonday sun.

The boy spoke.  “I see you throwing starfish into the ocean old man.  Why are you doing that?”

“To make  a difference,” replied the man.

‘Surely,” said the boy, with thousands of starfish all over the beach what possible difference could you make?”

The man smiled knowingly as he reached for yet another starfish.  As he tossed it far from the shore, he said,”It makes a difference to this one, son – it makes a difference to this one.’

The boy left the old man and thought about his words.  As he walked along the -beach, once again alone, he began picking up objects – tossing them into the sea. However, instead of sea shells this time, they were starfish.  The boy was returning them to their home.

He learned a powerful lesson that day.  He discovered that he too could make a difference.


Toughness for Coaches Part 2

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This is the second part of an article from University of Washington women’s Head Coach Mike Neighbors. Here is a link to the first part of the article: Are you as tough as you want your athletes to be?

TOUGH coaches are VISIBLE
TOUGH coaches are accessible. They don’t hide out in their office. They don’t barricade themselves in a locker room. They are seen.

We have all been witness to coaches who grab the microphone to celebrate with a jubilant crowd following a big win only to see the same coach escape the nearest exit to never be seen again that night following a tough loss.

TOUGH coaches are visible win or lose.
TOUGH coaches lead from the front.

This one works rather counter-intuitively. You should actually be MORE visible when your team is struggling. You should be the first at practice to show your players you are in it with them. You should be LESS visible following that big win, big play, or winning streak.

Remember Jim Valvano running around the court looking for someone to hug following their National Championship win? Your athletes don’t need you then. They need you when they are struggling.

TOUGH coaches are afraid of no news more than bad News

TOUGH coaches seek out information. They want to be aware. They want to be told first and don’t want to be surprised by someone outside their program on issues inside their program.

Athletes must trust their coach to handle bad news. If they trust you to handle bad news, they are more willing to share it. If you blast them the first time they do, you can bet they will be reluctant to do it again.

A tough coach can handle the truth (there is my Few Good Men mandatory reference).

If you handle bad news early in a season with a team or early in the career of an athlete, you will build trust that lasts forever. Betray that trust and you may never hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth again.

We have experienced situations growing up where we were told it was better to tell the truth than lie only to be harshly punished for actually telling the truth.

It is a fine line, but one you must walk masterfully to be TOUGH.

TOUGH coaches surround themselves with people smarter than them

TOUGH coaches are not threatened by people smarter than they are. In fact, they seek them out and surround themselves with them. This is one of the easiest TOUGHNESS qualities to spot. If the head coach is the only person that ever talks in a huddle, they probably have not done this. If the head coach is the only person that has a voice in practice, they probably have not done this.

Coaches with TOUGHNESS understand that having smart people surrounding them produces a multiplying effect rather than adding effect. These smarter people provide vital information that then allows the experience of the head coach to take over. These smart people supply the head coach with knowledge they have that the head coach can then turn into actionable tactics.

Smarts can also be substituted for talent or skilled.

TOUGH coaches that have this environment are free of time consuming details that can easily bog down a program. TOUGH coaches can focus on the most important 20% of things and allow the talented people they have surrounded themselves with to focus on the other 80%.

TOUGH coaches adapt to times without compromising core values

TOUGH coaches are facing their greatest challenges in this area. The iY Generation is the first to attend 12 years of schooling in a world that did not require a teacher/coach to provide them with information…they have always had access and the know how to use the Internet.

Technology has changed and continues to change at a rapid rate. The second I got proficient at Facebook, here comes Twitter, then Instagram, and SnapChat, and…

The iY Generation is also the most entitled generation of all-time. It’s not their fault we have made the choice to give everyone a ribbon just for showing up. It’s not their fault cuts from teams weren’t allowed until high school (if ever). It’s not their fault that so many rules are in place for them regarding equal playing time and fairness to all who sign up that they no ZERO ZERO ZERO experience with dealing in adverse conditions. Few of them have ever been given the authority to be a leader. Fewer of them were allowed to fail without a parent or loved one stepping in to fight for equality.

But the fact is, that is who we coach and are starting to hire in the work force.

TOUGH coaches have found a way to adapt without compromising their core values. The stubborn old “my way or the highway” coaches have been replaced by the leaders who can still hold their players accountable to the time proven values that equal success.

Some would argue that some of the TOUGHEST coaches of all-time would have a difficult time coaching in today’s world. While there is plenty of evidence and examples of tough minded coaches who have fallen from grace, I disagree. The TOUGHEST would have adapted. It’s the weak coaches that refused to adapt that ultimately found themselves doing something other than coaching.

TOUGH coaches routinely mentor “over achievers”

TOUGH coaches consistently have athletes that leave their program much better than they entered it. A TOUGH coach has mastered the skills it takes to push a player beyond the limits that the player has set for themselves.

The TOUGHEST coaches do it year in and year out. And it’s not an accident. And it’s not a coincidence when it happens at the same school repeatedly. (Keeping the coach there becomes the tough part for administration however).

TOUGH coaches can help their players through adverse situations that over achievers must overcome to be successful.

When a TOUGH coach meets a TOUGH player great things are possible.

TOUGH coaches get the most of practice time

Every coach on the face of the earth as 24 hours a day and 365 days per year to coach their team. It is the only commodity that we have equality in. The richest school district or athletic department may have nicer uniforms or a fancier gymnasium, but they can’t buy more time.

TOUGH coaches use this commodity especially well when it comes to their practice time. There is no wasted time. There are no wasted movements. There is a plan.

Those plans may vary widely. I have seen 1000s of practices and none of them have ever been exactly the same.

The actual time factor can also vary widely. Some coaches may use three hours while others may only use half that. Regardless of the actual time utilized, the results are consistent.


My Name is Coach

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Scott Rosberg – 2015

My son, Morgan, calls me, “Dad.” It is my favorite name that I am called. I love hearing him call me “Dad.” I also realize that it is the most important name that I am called. While to just about everyone else in the world my name is “Scott,” I am “Dad” to Morgan, and I take the responsibility that comes with that name very seriously.

Other than “Scott,” “Dad,” and probably a few choice names people have called me through the years, the other name that I am most often called is “Coach.”  Many years ago John Wooden wrote a great book called They Call Me Coach. The book is filled with many lessons that he learned throughout his life that made their way into his teaching and coaching of young people. The title, They Call Me Coach, is a good title, for it makes the reader zero in on the concept of who he is and how the title that people called him shaped his life. While this post is titled “My Name is Coach,” I am not claiming to be able to make John Wooden’s title or his ideas better or even add to them. Rather, this is my response to a thought that hit me numerous times over my career, and it has hit me hard recently. A few months ago, I was told by our school’s athletic director that I would not be re-hired as the varsity boys’ basketball coach. This post is about one of the thoughts I had as I realized that, for the time being, I am an “ex-coach”

As this new reality hit me, I realized that there is no such thing as an “ex-coach.” Once you are a coach, you are always a coach. This has been made clear to me at other points in my life when I stepped away from coaching for short periods of time. I started coaching at age 20, and for over thirty years, there have only been a few years where I have not coached in some fashion. Each time I stepped away from coaching for a while, I never felt like I was out of coaching. I was constantly watching sports with a coach’s eye, reading books by coaches, watching videos, and even attending coaching clinics. So the fact that I wasn’t coaching at those particular times didn’t make me feel that I wasn’t a coach.

But there is something even more powerful that hammers home the concept of “once a coach, always a coach.” People call me “Coach” whenever they greet me. Other coaches, teachers, administrators, parents, community members, and of course players who I have coached through the years all address me as “Coach.” When I talk to former players, the greeting is always, “Hey, Coach.” This happens often with players who have graduated. To them, I am not “Scott,” I am “Coach.” I have only had a few ex-players in my life ever address me by my first name, even those who are in their 30’s and 40’s now. I would have no problem with them calling me “Scott” – it is my name that everybody else calls me. However, just about every one of my players still calls me “Coach.” There are a few reasons why this happens. One is that they are uncomfortable calling me anything but “Coach” due to the respect that they have for me. Another is that they also have a level of respect for the title of “Coach.” Finally, one of the main reasons players still call me “Coach,” is that is my name to them. That is all they have known me as, and that is all they would ever consider calling me.

I still remember the first time I was ever called “Coach.” I imagine the young man who called me “Coach” for the first time doesn’t even remember me, but I have never forgotten the moment it happened, and I even remember the young man’s name – Matt Schuning – because of how powerful the moment was for me. I was student-teaching, and I was helping coach the freshmen boys’ basketball team. Matt was on the freshman team, and he was in my freshman English class. It was the day after our first practice, and Matt walked into the room and said, “Hey, Coach.” I was stunned. Here was a kid calling me, “Coach,” after one day of me being his coach. I thought, “That’s cool! I’m a Coach!” And then it hit me – “Whoa! I’m a Coach. These kids are looking up to me. They are taking their cues from me. They are listening to what I have to say and watching how I act. Holy Cow! I better do things the right way. I better behave properly. I better be a good role model. I better not screw this up!” I was 20-years-old, and the concept of “responsibility” had just hit me in the face with one 15-year-old boy calling me “Coach.”

That was 1981. For 34 years, I have never taken the title, the responsibility, or the importance of what I do for kids as a teacher and coach lightly. I have never taken the name that I am known by to so many people – “Coach” – for granted. Whether or not I ever coach again, I know that my name is “Coach” to thousands of people out there, and I have a huge responsibility to live up to being called “Coach.” Other than “Dad,” there is no greater name that I will be called. I have always loved and will always love being called “Coach,” and I will always keep in mind the great responsibility that I owe to that name. I hope any of you who are called “Coach” love being called “Coach” as much as I do. I also hope that you, too, will treat the name “Coach” with the dignity and responsibility that it deserves.

Do you remember the first time you were called “Coach”? Do you remember how that made you feel? I would love to hear from you in the comments section here or below this post on my website – www.coachwithcharacter.com.

About the Author of this Article

Scott Rosberg has been a coach (basketball, soccer, & football) at the high school level for 30 years, an English teacher for 18 years, and an athletic director for 12 years. He has published seven booklets on coaching and youth/school athletics, two books of inspirational messages and quotes for graduates, and a newsletter for athletic directors and coaches. He also speaks to schools, teams, and businesses on a variety of team-building, leadership, and coaching topics. Scott has a blog and a variety of other materials about coaching and athletic topics on his website – www.coachwithcharacter.com. He can be reached by email at [email protected].

Scott is also a member of the Proactive Coaching speaking team. Proactive Coaching is dedicated to helping organizations create character and education-based team cultures, while providing a blueprint for team leadership. They help develop confident, tough-minded, fearless competitors and train coaches and leaders for excellence and significance. Proactive Coaching can be found on the web at www.proactivecoaching.info. Also, you can join the 200,000+ people who have “Liked” Proactive Coaching’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/proactivecoach. Scott can also be reached through Proactive Coaching at [email protected].


The Definite Dozen

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This list is adapted from legendary Coach Pat Summitt.

TO STAY HERE:

  1. BE COMMITTED TO YOUR ACADEMICS – Know your catalog … make a plan … get a degree. Go to class every day. Be on time. Sit up front. Take good notes. Do all extra work possible. Plan ahead and talk to professor when we travel or you are having a problem. Get tutors when you need them.
  2. BE COMMITTED TO HAVING CLASS – Treat teachers, trainers, support staff, chapel workers, Marriott workers, and all you meet with respect. Treat other people the way you want to be treated. Moody people are rude. Remember to smile, to say please, thank you, yes sir, and yes ma’am, and give people the benefit of the doubt.
  3. BE COMMITTED TO DOING THE RIGHT THING – We have plenty of school rules … know them. Realize if you just try to do the right thing you will be OK. Try to do the next right thing right and you are as close to perfect as any person can be.
  4. BE COMMITTED TO THE PROGRAM – We realize that our players are in a fish bowl at lipscomb. Every word and action will be watched. Our program’s reputation provides many opportunities yet brings many responsibilities. We must be committed to build on to the tradition of our program and respect those that have gone before us and paid the, price to build the program.

TO PLAY HERE:

  1. BE COMMITTED TO HARD WORK – Our program is built on the concept that hard work pays off. We believe that we work harder than anyone else … and because of that we always deserve to win. There is a reason we are the best … we work at it.
  2. BE COMMITTED TO BECOMING A SMART PLAYER – Our players must be ready to learn. We believe we work smarter than anyone else … We must develop players who understand the game. Our players must be good listeners andlearn by watching. We must make good decisions, we must play with poise. We prepare mentally for practice and games.
  3. BE COMMITTED TO OUR TEAM ATTITUDE CONCEPT – We must have players who believe in our team concept. Our program is built on the concept that the team/program is bigger than anyone player … We need unselfish players.
  4. COMMIT YOURSELF TO A WINNING ATTITUDE – Our players must be-committed to winning but understand we don’t measure our success by winning alone. Each time we play we evaluate ourselves on reaching our potential. The test for our team is to play against the game not just our opponent. We never quit. We always are looking for a way to win.

TO WIN HERE:

  1. BELIEVE IN OUR SYSTEM – commit yourself to our philosophy, to our system of play. Be a sponge and soak up the con cepts of how we play. learn your role … then accept your role and do it the best you can.
  2. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF – Play with confidence … think positive … realize you are a great player in a great program. Don’t get down when you play poorly … you were chosen to be here … be a leader. lead by example.
  3. BELIEVE IN YOUR TEAMMATES – Communicate with each other … help each other. Remember the strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack. Encourage each other and support each other. Don’t ever forget the importance of the shell around the team. Be a friend. We understand that we are all different – be tolerant of team mates and others.
  4. BELIEVE IN YOUR COACHES – Understand that your coaches are trying to help make you better people and players. Ask questions … don’t whine and complain. learn to take tough coaching.You must believe that the coaches are doing what they think is right for the team and you.

I hope these thoughts Pat Summitt quotes will be a useful resource for the team building and leadership aspects of coaching basketball.

There is no such thing as self respect without respect for others.

Individual success is a myth. No one succeeds all by herself.

People who do not respect those around them will not make good team members and probably lack self esteem themselves.

Being responsible sometimes means making tough, unpopular decisions.

Admit to and make yourself accountable for mistakes. How can you improve if you’re never wrong?

Loyalty is not unilateral. You have to give it to receive it.

Surround yourself with people who are better than you are. Seek out quality people, acknowledge their talents, and let them do their jobs. You win with people.

Value those colleagues who tell you the truth, not just what you want to hear.

Communication eliminates mistakes.

We communicate all the time, even when we don’t realize it. Be aware of body language.

To make sure that they are getting her message, Coach Summitt has asked her players to respond to a correction in practice by saying “rebound,” and to being praised by saying “Two points.”

Make good eye contact.

Silence is a form of communication, too. Sometimes less is more.

Discipline yourself, so no one else has to.

Self discipline helps you believe in yourself.

Group discipline produces a unified effort toward a common goal.

Discipline helps you finish a job, and finishing is what separates excellent work from average work.

Do the things that aren’t fun first, and do them well.

See yourself as self employed.

Put the Team Before Yourself.

When you understand yourself and those around you, you are better able to minimize weaknesses and maximize strengths. Personality profiles help.

Success is about having the right person, in the right place, at the right time.

Know your strengths, weaknesses, and needs.

Be flexible.

Teamwork doesn’t come naturally. It must be taught.

Teamwork allows common people to obtain uncommon results.

Not everyone is born to lead. Role players are critical to group success.

In group success there is individual success.

Make Winning an Attitude.

Combine practice with belief.

Attitude is a choice. Maintain a positive outlook.

No one ever got anywhere by being negative.

Confidence is what happens when you’ve done the hard work that entitles you to succeed.

Competition isn’t social. It separates achievers from the average.

You can’t always be the most talented person in the room. But you can be the most competitive.
There is nothing wrong with having competitive instincts. They are survival instincts.

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts the most.

Change equals self improvement. Push yourself to places you haven’t been before.

Handle Success Like You Handle Failure. You can’t always control what happens, but you can control how you handle it.

Sometimes you learn more from losing than winning. Losing forces you to reexamine.

It’s harder to stay on top than it is to make the climb, Continue to seek new goals.

By clicking on this link, or the image at the cover, you can read some excerpts from her book.
Reach for the Summit


Thankful for Teachers, Coaches, and Leaders in Our Lives

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Thankful for Teachers, Coaches, and Leaders in Our Lives

by Scott Rosberg

Editor’s note from Brian: This is being posted at Thanksgiving, but I believe the message is significant year round

The posts I am writing this month when we celebrate Thanksgiving revolve around the concept of things we have to be thankful for. Last week I wrote a more personal post about things and people for which I am thankful. Today I want to ask you to consider a group of people in your life who I believe you should be thankful for. I want you to consider the teachers, coaches, and leaders who you have studied or followed and the mentors who have guided you. Are you thankful for the contributions that they made in your life?  Have you told them?

We tell our students, athletes, and their parents how teachers and coaches play such an important role in kids’ lives. They provide knowledge, guidance, counseling, and nurturing for so many young people every day. They are selfless. Their whole professional life is about serving others. Teachers and coaches are there for you when you need them. So we tell our kids to thank their teachers and coaches for all that they do.

Today I want you to consider, as a coach/leader yourself, who has done the same kinds of things for you in your professional life. Who has taught you strategies, tactics, and the fine points of how to coach/lead? Who has helped guide you at times when you were struggling? Who has helped you with your coaching/leadership style? Who has been an ear for you when you needed to bounce ideas off someone, had questions about a certain situation, or had a tough problem that you were dealing with? Who sparked something in you that you didn’t even know you had in you? Who has helped you become the best you are capable of becoming?

For most of you, there are many people who have had that kind of impact on you. Of course, there will be some people’s faces that will quickly jump into your mind. These are the people who have had the greatest impact on your career, the job you do, and how you do what you do. These are the “life-changers” that so many of us point to as being the most influential people in our lives. Certainly, our parents will fall into this category. But who are the other people in your life who have had the greatest impact on you becoming the coach/leader you are today?

As you contemplate who has had a huge impact on you, you will probably realize that there are others who have also contributed to who you have become as a coach/leader. These may be people who played a smaller role in your growth as a coach/leader, but who, nonetheless, have been influential in some way in you becoming the person you are today. They may have offered a tip, may have been an example of a certain way to deal with a situation, or may have been someone from back when you were younger who you realize has always been a part of how you live your life. While their role may not seem as large and influential as the people who immediately stand out as impactful to you, the accumulation of all of their contributions has ended up having a huge impact on who you have become.

I am going to issue two challenges to you to try to accomplish by the end of this upcoming holiday season. First, make sure you thank the people who have been so impactful in your life. Of course, this starts with those people who immediately came to mind when you were asked to think of the people who have had the greatest influence for you. But this challenge also includes reaching out to the other people who have had what may seem like minor influences on you, but when you add them all together, you realize their impact has been huge. Do not put this challenge off. The people who have had an impact on your life will be so grateful that you have recognized them and thanked them for all that they have done for you.

The second challenge could be even more important than the first. I want to challenge you to become one of the people that other people will point to as having great influence and impact on their lives. Become a catalyst for growth, development, and inspiration to help others become all that they are capable of becoming. Do all that you can to pay forward the concepts that so many others have done for you. Be the inspiration to become one’s best the same way someone else was an inspiration for you. And do this for a variety of people in a variety of circumstances. Be the coach who inspires kids to stretch themselves beyond what they thought they were capable of. Be the coach who works hard to create a positive experience for everyone in the program.  Be the leader who helps other coaches, teachers, and supervisors feel the confidence to try something new or handle some situation that they may have struggled with before. Be the friend who is there for someone who is facing a struggle that they are not sure how to get through.

True leadership is about serving. When you help others get what they want, overcome obstacles, and develop the ability to become all they are capable of becoming, you help yourself and your teams do the same. Gandhi put it so well – “Be the change you want to see in the world.” You have a great opportunity to change so many lives for the better because of your leadership role in people’s lives. Lead and inspire with honor, dignity, and compassion, and others will follow your example. By doing so, you will soon be the answer that someone gives when they are asked the question, “Who are you thankful for?” Go to the Coach with Character Facebook Page and let us know who you are thankful for in your professional life.

About the Author of this Article

Scott Rosberg has been a coach (basketball, soccer, & football) at the high school level for 30 years, an English teacher for 18 years, and an athletic director for 12 years. He has published seven booklets on coaching and youth/school athletics, two books of inspirational messages and quotes for graduates, and a newsletter for athletic directors and coaches. He also speaks to schools, teams, and businesses on a variety of team-building, leadership, and coaching topics. Scott has a blog and a variety of other materials about coaching and athletic topics on his website – www.coachwithcharacter.com. He can be reached by email at [email protected].

Scott is also a member of the Proactive Coaching speaking team. Proactive Coaching is dedicated to helping organizations create character and education-based team cultures, while providing a blueprint for team leadership. They help develop confident, tough-minded, fearless competitors and train coaches and leaders for excellence and significance. Proactive Coaching can be found on the web at www.proactivecoaching.info. Also, you can join the 200,000+ people who have “Liked” Proactive Coaching’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/proactivecoach. Scott can also be reached through Proactive Coaching at [email protected].