Chris Wade

Director of Athletics at Crystal Springs Uplands School

[James Purchin @JamesPurchin]

"Be on time" isn't one of Pete Carroll's rules.

"Be early" is.

He won a Super Bowl with 3 rules total.

Rule 1: Protect the team.

Not the slogan. The mindfulness.

It's pulling a teammate out of a fight.
It's not hitting the guy late in practice.
It's the call you make when nobody's watching.

Rule 2: No whining, no complaining, no excuses.

Stolen from Coach Wooden

The point isn't to be upbeat.
The point is your self-talk runs the show.
Words come first. Behavior follows.

Rule 3: Be early.

Not on time. Early.

You can't be early by luck.
You thought about it the night before.
You set the alarm.
You knew the commitment.

Being early is a sign of respect you can see.

3 rules to run an NFL locker room.

Most teams have 12 values nobody can recite.

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Rick Pitino said it best.

Love without discipline spoils.
Discipline without love hardens.

You need both.

[Chris Wade @CoachC_Dub]

Check out our line up for 2026 Summer Camps. Come join us! https://t.co/kg9oaQ7X9s

[Daniel Donabedian @danield1214]

Joe Mazzulla explained why he often credits others rather than himself. Worth a listen:

“I think being a D1 basketball player, you grow up with this sense of entitlement, as if the whole world revolves around you. And…if I wanted to be a better husband, a better father, a better coach, I had to get rid of that type of entitlement.”

Q @JackSimoneNBA

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

“Too many kids today are afraid of failure.” - Doug Collins

What happens when kids never learn to fail?

They quit when it gets hard.

Because no one let them practice getting back up.

[CIF State @CIFState]

🏆🏌️‍♀️⛳Congratulations to Victoria Cui of Crystal Springs Uplands School - 2025 CIF State Girls Golf Individual Champion!

Results🔗https://t.co/qhAD7vsduQ

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

“Too many kids today are afraid of failure.” - Doug Collins

Failure isn’t the end. It’s the lesson.
It’s how you grow, learn, and get tougher.

Every champion has failed; they just refused to stay there.

[Alan Stein, Jr. @AlanSteinJr]

Kobe Bryant’s secret wasn’t flashy moves or hidden tricks. It was this:

“I never get bored with the basics.”

The best don’t chase shortcuts—they master fundamentals with relentless consistency.
Simple isn’t easy. It’s everything.

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Transactional vs. Transformational Coaching

Dan Hurley shared a story about asking Geno Auriemma for advice after a rough start last season.

Geno didn’t mince words:

“Listen, if the only gratification and the only part of coaching that excites you is winning the national championship, then you’ve lost your way, buddy! Where’s the joy in the things that you’ve always been about as a coach before you went on the championship run, like relationships with your players, like helping people get better, like making your team the best it can be.

Be a coach, man. This is when you really need to be a leader. This team isn’t as good as last year’s, so what the hell are you going to do about it? Are you going home? Are you going to let this thing unravel?”

That’s the tension every coach feels: Transactional vs. Transformational.

Transactional coaching is outcome-obsessed. It’s about the wins, the losses, the trophies. The problem? When results don’t come, your purpose crumbles with them.

Transformational coaching is different. It’s about people. It’s about growth. It’s about building something that lasts whether the scoreboard agrees with you or not.

And this is why mentorship matters so much in coaching. Left on our own, it’s easy to drift into a transactional mode without even realizing it. A trusted mentor can pull us back to center, and remind us why we started coaching in the first place.

To build relationships.
To develop players as people.
To make teams the best they can be.

Wins matter. But they’re not the why. The why is impact. The why is growth. The why is leaving your players better than you found them.

The process is the prize.

Stay grounded. Stay on the path. Always remember your why.

[Savanah Tujague @savanah2j]

This is one of the best videos I’ve ever seen.

[Crystal Athletics @gogryphons]

There’s still space available to sign up for Crystal Athletic Camps! Use the QR code to register!

[Crystal Athletics @gogryphons]

What a way to end a brilliant HS career. New PR, new @cifccs record 4:04.84, 10th fastest time in the nation, and a strong 2nd place finish at @CIFState meet 1600m for Ben B. ‘25. Congratulations to all of our @CIFState qualifiers. Hard earned & well deserved. #gryphonsrising

[Crystal Athletics @gogryphons]

🚨 ICYMI 🚨 Early bird pricing for Crystal Camps has been extended! Families have until May 11th to register and take advantage of early bird pricing. See details and registration link below. We hope you can join us. https://t.co/QNzDRI12Xx

[Crystal Athletics @gogryphons]

On Tuesday, the Crystal US Boys Golf team made it a 4-peat at the WBAL League Finals. Their score of 371 secured their 4th straight WBAL title. The team was paced by seniors Edan C (T-1) and Henry C (3). Up next, CCS qualifiers at Laguna Seca Tuesday. @wbal_ccs @smdailyjournal

[Crystal Athletics @gogryphons]

Come join us this summer at Crystal. We have a great lineup of camps all summer long! Come see what being a Gryphon looks like with our amazing scholar athletes and coaches. Scan the QR code or visit our camp site for more details and sample camp schedules. #gryphonsrising

[Crystal Athletics @gogryphons]

Crystal Boys Soccer advances to @cifccs D5 Final on Saturday. After a 3-1 victory against Saratoga. Their special season continues! #gryphonsrising

[Crystal Athletics @gogryphons]

Girls soccer are the 2025 @wbal_ccs Champions! They will move on to @cifccs this weekend. Great job ladies!

[Crystal Athletics @gogryphons]

@CIFState D3 Girls Volleyball Rd 1 in the Gryphon Den tonight. Come support, first serve at 6pm!

[CIF - Central Coast Section @cifccs]

Congratulations to Crystal Springs Uplands form winning the CCS Division V Girls Volleyball Championship over Summit Shasta by the score of 21-25, 26-24, 27-25 and 26-24.

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

Julius Peppers said, "Whatever it is that you do, do it with respect, integrity, passion, resilience, dedication, and gratitude. That alone will make you a HOF person."

Your character is what you do.
• It's your decisions.
• It's your actions.

🎥@NFL