Justin Blankenship

[Lee Greenwood @TheLeeGreenwood]

Nearly 10 Years Ago, Donald Trump started using God Bless The USA as his walk out song at every rally and event. Little did I know 40 years ago that my song would play a key part of such a historic presidential campaign. To President Trump and the millions of supporters, Thank You!

I am proud to have voted Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States.

https://t.co/VsRwKSrxJv

#GodBlessTheUSA #Vote #Election2024 #ElectionDay #FightForAmerica @DanScavino @realDonaldTrump

[Justin Blankenship @CoachJBWV]

@CUCoachHoward @CoachToddMay You did a great job there.

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

Bill Walsh said, "The culture precedes positive results...Champions behave like champions before they’re champions; they have a winning standard of performance..."

Success takes time, patience, and fortitude.

Your culture doesn't change overnight.

Bill Walsh's 6 Guidelines For Establishing Your Standards of Performance as described in The Score Takes Care of Itself:
1. Alignment - Identify the specific actions and attitudes needed for high performance.
Identifying specific actions and attitudes is crucial as it ensures everyone in the organization understands the criteria for high performance. It creates a shared focus, direction, and expectation for everyone.

2. Communication - Be clear in communicating your expectation of high effort and execution.
Clear communication of expectations is vital for execution and performance. It prevents misunderstandings and promotes a culture of transparency and accountability.

3. Ownership - Let everyone know that you expect them to possess the highest levels of expertise in their area of responsibility.
Expecting expertise in roles encourages people to take responsibility for their growth and own their area. This leads to a more capable and empowered workforce because they know that what they own and are responsible for.

4. Vision and Values - Teach your beliefs, values, and philosophy.
This creates a guiding framework that unifies your team. This shared sense of purpose not only fuels motivation but also helps everyone understand the 'why' behind their actions. It create a deeper commitment to the organization and team's success.

5. Connection - Teach "connection and extension".
This underscores the significance of building strong relationships and caring about people. At the end of the day, people want to know that you care for them. It drives connection, collaboration, and support for the people in the culture.

6. Accountability - Make the expectations and metrics of competence that you demand in action and attitudes from personnel the new reality of your organization.
Establishing clear expectations and metrics isn't just about setting high standards; it's about ensuring those standards become ingrained in the culture. By holding people accountable, you create an environment where excellence becomes the norm. It drives consistent and exceptional results.

“His leadership example of doing your job, treating others with respect, expecting people to do their jobs, and holding them accountable is a formula for success that will work in any good organization.” - Bill Walsh
- - -
Follow @coachajkings for more posts like this!

[Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness @coachajkings]

In 1994, John Lynch was a backup safety at Stanford.

He had barely played for 3 years and was ready to quit to play baseball.

But that offseason, Stanford hired Bill Walsh as its head coach.

One conversation with Bill changed everything.

Bill Walsh called John and said, "I watched the tape and you're our best defensive player. I want you back. I think you can be a pro bowl safety."

John Lynch said it blew his mind. He had only played 50% of the snaps last year. He thought Bill Walsh was just "recruiting and selling" him.

Bill told John to come to his office next week and he would show him.

John showed up and he was amazed.

John said, "In true Bill Walsh fashion, he not only told me, he showed me. He made a tape of 10 plays, 5 were Ronnie Lott (who Bill coached) and 5 were me. He would show a play that Ronnie made and then a similar play that I had made."

Bill said, "What do you think now?"

John said, "I'm all in now." He called the Marlins and told them he wasn't quitting football just yet.

John Lynch took off in his senior year. He even learned some great tricks from Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott when they would come by for practice.

Ronnie told him to visualize hitting through people. Imagine there are 4 people and that you hit through all 4 of them.

That advice along with Bill Walsh's belief was just the beginning for John Lynch and his future hall-of-fame career.

Takeaway 1: Your belief in someone or someone's belief in you can be transformative.

John Lynch had doubts about himself and his future, but Bill Walsh's belief in him changed his perspective. Walsh's recognition and assertion that Lynch could be great gave him confidence and a boost. Confidence comes from within, but we all have moments of needed external validation and support. That belief can dramatically change our self-perception and trajectory.

Takeaway 2: Having belief is great, but you still need to do the work.

While Bill Walsh's belief in John Lynch was a crucial turning point, it was ultimately Lynch's response that created his success. If you talk to any of John's teammates, they would say he was one of the hardest workers they ever met. True success requires personal effort, dedication, and the willingness to put in the work necessary to realize your potential. This story highlights that even when someone else recognizes your abilities, it's your own hard work and perseverance that will truly develop them.

"Sometimes I think the lesson is it takes other people to believe in you before you can actually believe to that level in yourself." - John Lynch
- - -
Follow @coachajkings for more posts like this!

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Jay Wright was a Culture King!

Why?

Here are 5 quotes that help define Coach Wright as the King of Building Culture.
@CoachJayWright @NovaMBB @NovaAthletics

1: STATUS - “We have a saying that everyone’s role is different, but everyone’s status is the same. It’s a reminder that no matter how bright the spotlight gets, we are all part of something much larger than ourselves.”

WE > ME. Be a star in your role.

2: ATTITUDE - “The most important characteristic any of us have is our attitude. It’s a concept that permeates everything you do. We all bring our attitude to every situation.”

Attitude is everything. Be an energy giver.

3: SIMPLICITY - “We're not complex in what we do X-and-O-wise, but we do spend a lot of time on how we react mentally to every situation.”

Simple wins, and less is more. Great teams have mental toughness.

4: HUMILITY - “If you think about how good you are as opposed to what the next challenge is going to be, then you’ve already lost. We have to stay humble.”

Be humble in all you do. Gratitude matters.

5: CULTURE - “After we won in 2016, the goal wasn't to win another [national title]. The goal was to keep our culture strong. We knew that for us, that was the best chance of winning it again. If we tried to win it another way, we weren't going to win it anyway.”

Culture WINS. Culture is every day.
_____

Follow me @gregberge for more Actionable Ideas on Coaching, Leadership, Culture, and Teams.

Join 8900+ others and subscribe to my free weekly newsletter. The subscription link is in my profile.

[Revocruit Transfer Portal @TP4PT]

Breaking: Howard transfer forward Seth Towns has been cleared by the NCAA for his 8th season of college hoops.

Towns has been in college since 2016 and earned 2 degrees thus far.

Career Path
2016-17: Harvard
2017-18: Harvard
2018-19: Harvard (Injured)
2019-20: Harvard (Injured)
2020-21: Ohio State
2021-22: Ohio State (Injured)
2022-23: Ohio State (DNP)
2023-24: Howard

#TP4PT #TransferPortal

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

Have you heard dis information?

[Simon Ateba @simonateba]

Imagine being @JoeBiden. Your son makes millions of dollars from foreign entities but does not pay taxes because that would mean disclosing that he is engaged in foreign lobbying. With the millions of dollars and no serious job, he becomes a drug addict and illegally obtains a gun. All he tells them is that he is the son of the US Vice President, and he claims that part of the money will go to the "Big Guy." He promises them access to his dad and top US officials. They hire him without any qualifications and pay him millions of dollars.

Eventually, the information comes out, and the Justice Department has to investigate. The investigation drags on for five years, and eventually, they strike a deal with him to plead guilty to two misdemeanors of tax evasion so that the government would not prosecute him for illegally possessing a gun as a drug addict, a serious crime that has sent tens of thousands of Americans to prison for years.

Imagine being the same father who, as a senator, drafted a draconian anti-drug law that sent tens of thousands of black people and others to prison, confiscated all their belongings, and gave a big speech boasting that the drug addicts should all be taken off the streets. Now that your son is one of them, when you're asked about his case, you say you're proud of him and he has done nothing wrong.

Imagine journalists and commentators like @joenbc justifying it on television, singing your praises when their own child would have been in prison long ago for the same crimes. Imagine the people who believed in the rule of law watching the two-tiered justice system so brazenly displayed.

America is in crisis. May God help us all!

[Justin Blankenship @CoachJBWV]

Do you remember when you joined Twitter? I do! #MyTwitterAnniversary

[WV MPACT 2023 Girls @WVMPACT2023G]

COLLEGE COMMITMENT - Natalie Blankenship
2023 Guard Natalie Blankenship @Natalie90506415 committed recently to play basketball at Potomac State College (WV) @PSCCatamounts. Natalie was a big part of our team last season. Proud of what she has accomplished. 1/3

[Robert F. Kennedy Jr @RobertKennedyJr]

Fox fires @TuckerCarlson five days after he crosses the red line by acknowledging that the TV networks pushed a deadly and ineffective vaccine to please their Pharma advertisers. Carlson’s breathtakingly courageous April 19 monologue broke TV’s two biggest rules: Tucker told the truth about how greedy Pharma advertisers controlled TV news content and he lambasted obsequious newscasters for promoting jabs they knew to be lethal and worthless. For many years, Tucker has had the nation's biggest audience averaging 3.5 million — 10 times the size of CNN. Fox just demonstrated the terrifying power of Big Pharma.

[Justin Blankenship @CoachJBWV]

@jarron_glick @WVBlueChipHoops @CoachDyeAB Congrats. Been hoping you would get this opportunity.

[Joe Albright @JoeRiter1988]

Spring Rankings: 2023 Stockrisers https://t.co/jSB4naw2AA @sydbaird23 @AbbyMcDonough7 @lizhblankenship @halliebaileyy @childers_avery #wvgirlsbb

[Justin Blankenship @CoachJBWV]

Congratulations Sawyer Tomblin @Sawyer12_04

[MetroNews Sports @MetroNewsSports]

Class AAA All-State Boys Basketball List:

https://t.co/Pfz9QK1XW2

#wvprepbb

[Justin Blankenship @CoachJBWV]

Congratulations
Natalie Blankenship @Natalie90506415
Taylor Maddox @tpmaddoxx
Elizabeth Blankenship @lizhblankenship

[MetroNews Sports @MetroNewsSports]

Class AAA All-State Girls Basketball List:

https://t.co/isDehRhXog

#wvgirlsbb

[Justin Blankenship @CoachJBWV]

Congratulations Sawyer Tomblin @Sawyer12_04

[Lootpress @lootpress]

All-State Basketball: Shady’s Braden Chapman earns Class AAA captain honors
#wvprepbb
https://t.co/RShOgDWEf1

[Justin Blankenship @CoachJBWV]

Congratulations
Natalie Blankenship @Natalie90506415
Taylor Maddox @tpmaddoxx
Elizabeth Blankenship @lizhblankenship

[Lootpress @lootpress]

All-State Basketball: North Marion’s Toland captains Class AAA girls
#wvgirlsbb
https://t.co/y7QTmzGXve

[Justin Blankenship @CoachJBWV]

Great kids that have worked really hard. All three of them are very deserving of all-state honors.

[WV MPACT 2023 Girls @WVMPACT2023G]

Congratulations to our players on being selected to the 2022-2023 West Virginia Class AAA Girls Basketball All-State team. All three of you had great senior seasons.

Natalie Blankenship @Natalie90506415
Taylor Maddox @tpmaddoxx
Elizabeth Blankenship @lizhblankenship

[Justin Blankenship @CoachJBWV]

Congratulations Sawyer Tomblin @Sawyer12_04

[WV Prep Basketball @wvprepbb]

2023 Class AAA all-state team 
First Team as Selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association:

Braden Chapman, Shady Spring, Sr. (Captain) 6-1, 18.9 

Ammar Maxwell, Shady Spring, Sr. 6-2, 14.1 

Zycheus Dobbs, Fairmont Senior, Jr. 6-4, 21.2 

DeSean Goode, Fairmont Senior, Sr. 6-8, 18.4 

Luke Johnson, Ripley, Sr. 6-11, 22.8 

Evan Parr, East Fairmont, Sr.5-10, 16.7 

Eli Robertson, Herbert Hoover, Sr.6-4, 22.7 

Reece Carden, Scott, Sr. 21.3 

Second Team 

Malachi Watson, Elkins, Sr.6-3, 14.3 

Easton Shanholtz, Hampshire, Sr. 6-7,  
Scotty Browning, Logan, Sr. 6-0,  

Cam Manns, Shady, Sr. 6-4, 13.1 

Cole Chapman, Shady Spring, Sr. (Captain), 6-0, 9.8 

Braden Thomason, RCB, Sr. 6-0 

Harley Sickles, North Marion, Sr. 6-4 

Dane Hatfield, Herbert Hoover, Soph. 17.8 

Honorable mention 

Brady Anderson, Ripley; Bryer Bailes, Nicholas County; David Burdette, Lincoln; J.T. Veltri, Grafton; T.D. Bodkins, Philip Barbour; Noah Broadwater, Keyser; Isaiah Casto, Ripley; Eric Chapman, Point Plesant; Colin Cross, Weir; Jenson Fields, Hampshire; Cade Goode, Ripley; Cyrus Goodson, Independence; Jordan Gray, Hampshire; Cory Harper, Elkins; Jared Hissam, Oak Glen; Jaedan Holstein, Shady Spring; Matt Light, Midland Trail; Noah McKim, Liberty-Harrison; Isaac Meddings, Wayne; Ross Musick, Winfield; Nathan Riffe, PikeView; Ty’Mir Ross, Berkeley Springs; Isaac Setser, Scott; Corey Shumate, Independence; Sawyer Tomblin, Lincoln County; Damarr Turner, Weir; Donovan Washington, Keyser; Jake Wiseman, Sissonville.