It’s GAME DAY at the 4-Plex! Delano Softball takes on Southwest Christian at 4:30 PM! It’s YOUTH NIGHT - come out for a great game, poster signing, and treats after!
Who are your Team Anchors? ⚓️
1. Anchors excel in their roles
2. Anchors do whatever it takes
3. Anchors support all teammates
4. Anchors hold others accountable
5. Anchors keep everyone connected
6. Anchors can be counted on at all times
Find your Team Anchors!
Steve Kerr played for two of the greatest NBA coaches ever in Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich.
He was asked, "What made them both so effective as coaches?"
His answer was so insightful and explains so much about coaching and leadership 👇
Peyton Manning on Leadership.
"It is not just about you…the best teams I played on, the best players practiced the hardest."
Winning FOR each other is contagious.
It is what being a great TEAMMATE is all about.
🎥 Peyton Manning/Notre Dame Football
Coaching is Hard.
What makes a Great Coach?
There is so much.
It is a dynamic job, and few understand the complexity and dynamics of being a coach.
Here are 10 Traits of Great Coaches.
1: RELATIONSHIPS FIRST - Great coaches care about their players first and foremost. They work hard to build positive relationships with all players. They know relationships are the heartbeat of great teams.
2: CLEAR STANDARDS - The number one job of a coach is to build culture. Culture is: What coaches allow, what coaches emphasize, and consistent follow-through every day. Great coaches have clear standards and focus on maintaining these every day.
3: EMOTIONAL IQ - Great coaches, get it. Great coaches have “with-it-ness.” Great coaches can read the room, read their team, and connect with many different types of people. They have high emotional intelligence.
4: SELF-AWARENESS - Great coaches, know thy self. They know their strengths and weaknesses and try to fill these gaps with great assistant coaches.
5: ExXCELLENT COMMUNICATORS - Bringing a group together to achieve a common goal is challenging. Clear and concise communication is critical. Great coaches are master communicators.
6: MINDSET - Great coaches operate with a growth mindset. This mindset becomes part of the program's culture. It is a mindset that we can always get better. There is no such thing as failure, and the process is focused on.
7: MASTER TEACHERS - Great coaches are Master Teachers. They can simplify the complex and provide clear and concise feedback to their players.
8: HEALTHY COMPETITIVE MINDSET - Great coaches are competitive—they have to be. But it needs to be a healthy, competitive spirit. It cannot be a win-at-all-costs mindset. Great coaches embed the life lessons and struggles learned along the way.
9: HUMBLE - Great coaches know that humility wins. They can instill confidence in their players while keeping them humble. This is a critical balance in highly successful coaches and teams.
10: BUILD LEADERS - Great coaches focus on building positive team leaders. Building culture is a coach's number one job, but building player leadership has to be number two. Great coaches know this. They have a leadership plan.
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A reminder as the new year begins.
It's okay to...
...make time (all year) for human-connection activities.
...experiment w/grading.
...be flexible (to a fault).
...adapt curriculum (for fit).
...reset (multiple times).
...leave school at school.
...be real (human).
It is OKAY.
Gregg Popovich said, "Play the right way means play unselfishly, respect each other’s achievements, play hard, fulfill your role.”
It means building trust as a team.
Trust is earned, not given.
• Communication builds trust.
• Transparency builds trust.
Great teams create a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration.
They know that trust is essential to performance and production.
People want to know that you trust them and they can trust you.
How Gregg Popovich builds trust with his teams:
1. Build Relationships - He holds famous family-style dinners when the team is on the road. Everyone on the team goes out to dinner together (which isn't common in the NBA) for food and wine. These dinners are meant to bring everyone together, to get to know each other, to have fun, and to remember that life is bigger than just a game.
Takeaway: People want to know that you care about them, that you trust them, and that they can trust you. That happens when you invest time with each other and build bonds.
2. Communicate Openly and Actively - He is known for his brutal honesty with players. Tony Parker said that he would balance being tough with being genuine to build his trust. Tony said he would be hard on him and balance it out by saying, "We can't pass up this chance to win. I can't help myself, Tony. You have to be ready. That's why I'm hard on you." Pop is always communicating.
Takeaway: When you communicate actively and honestly, you establish a foundation of credibility and integrity.
3. Admit Your Mistakes - When Popovich was coaching LaMarcus Aldridge, he realized that he wasn't getting the best out of LaMarcus. Popovich took the blame before allowing LaMarcus to play more freely. Popovich said, "We broke bread a few times, talked about it, laughed about it, discussed what we thought needed to happen, and frankly 95 percent of it fell on me because I made an error in trying to change him too much."
Takeaway: Acknowledging your mistakes and taking responsibility demonstrates honesty, humility, and builds trust because people know you will do what is right.
4. Lead by Example - After the Spurs lost the heartbreaking 2013 NBA Finals to the Miami Heat, Popovich kicked off training camp with some military training and then turned on their Game 6 collapse. He played the game and they watched together. It was a defining moment to help them accept the loss. These moments helped them mourn and bond together, it gave them purpose for 2014.
Takeaway: When you lead by example, your actions align with your words and you build trust through your consistent behavior.
5. Be True to Your Word - Popovich's motto throughout the years has been, "Get over yourself." He builds relationships with players and gives to the team, but he doesn't do it for himself or the spotlight. He says, "You have to throw your ego out the door. It's all about the win. It's all about the work. It's about treating the people the right way. Period." Pop stays true to his word and his commitment to the team.
Takeaway: Keeping your promises and following through on commitments establishes reliability and fosters trust.
6. Be Consistent and Authentic - He is consistent in his approach and authentic to who he is. Bernie Bickerstaff said, "There's unique personalities everywhere and in every business and that's why everything is not the same. He's a very unique personality. The thing to me that you see it and you watch it is he'll cuss Tim Duncan out and then in the next situation, they're sitting down laughing. There's no grudges held. There's no ill intent. It's all about winning."
Takeaway: Consistency in your actions and character builds predictability, dependability, and trust because people know who you are and the values you stand for.
"We believe in people executing their role and caring about the team more than anything individually." - Gregg Popovich