Justin Larson

Licensed School Counselor | Football Coach | Saint Thomas Academy | UWRF Football alumnus

[Justin Larson @jclarson8]

Ugly...but so awesome! 🏆 🏆 https://t.co/yc40wong5E

[Travis Wilson @TravisBOUND]

Countdown to Kickoff: 35 - State finals record for fewest total yards allowed, by Spring Valley versus Highland in 2000. #wisfb

[Zach Brandon @MVP_Mindset]

Most breakdowns in leadership fit into one of these three buckets for coaches.

A failure to define expectations and standards.

A failure to manage expectations and standards.

A failure to model expectations and standards.

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

A great read on UCLA’s Mind Gym exercises. 🏀🧠

Led by assistant coach, Tasha Brown.

3 core pillars:

1. Self-image
2. Self-awareness
3. Self-talk

Just because you have a negative thought does not mean you have to believe it!

[Josh Chambers @JoshChambers]

Sean McVay on creating "togetherness":

When you love the person next to you, effort stops being a requirement, and it becomes a reflex:

⚙️ Connection creates an extra gear.
🤝 Standards become shared, not forced.
❤️ Culture isn’t built in meetings, it’s forged thru relationships.

You rise to the level of the people you’re connected to!

[Zach Brandon @MVP_Mindset]

You don’t win a gold medal for positive thinking.

You don’t win championships for having a beautiful culture/values graphic on the wall.

You win because of the standards you practice and live every day.

[John Perry @jperry_nixa]

20 Takeaways we shared at the Chicago Glazier Clinic

1. Never Get Bored With the Basics

Championship programs don’t chase complexity. They master simplicity.

Block. Tackle. Protect the football. Take it away.

The best teams repeat the fundamentals until excellence becomes automatic.

2. Fundamentals Create Outcomes

You don’t get the ball security you want… You get the ball security you practice every day.

Priorities show up in the stats.

3. Great Teams Win the Week

Championship seasons are built on championship weeks.

Design your week intentionally. Practice with purpose. Protect your players’ energy.

Consistency beats chaos.

4. Efficiency Wins

The best practices are fast, focused, and intentional.

Short periods. High tempo.
Clear purpose.

Wasted time is wasted opportunity.

5. Safety Builds Trust

When families trust your program, athletes show up.

Smart practice structure
Player safety = Program growth.

Culture starts with trust.

6. Depth Is Built Through Recruiting Inside the School

Programs don’t grow accidentally. They grow when coaches recruit the hallways.

Find kids. Build relationships.
Give them a place to belong.

7. Special Teams Win Hidden Games

If you score a lot… You better be ready for onside kicks.

The teams that win the hidden yardage win the close games.

8. Discipline Beats Emotion

Great coaches don’t guess in big moments. They prepare decision frameworks:

• Two-point chart
• Kneel-down chart
• Situational planning

Preparation removes panic.

9. Practice the Rare Events

Games are lost in situations teams never practiced.

Fake punts. Onside kicks.
End-of-game clock management.

Rehearse chaos so chaos doesn’t beat you.

10. Creativity Still Matters

Good coaches run plays.
Great coaches understand psychology. Gadget plays create energy, belief, and momentum.

Football is strategy and emotion.

11. Build Your System Around Your Players

Don’t force players into your system. Build a system that fits your players. Adaptation is coaching.

12. Belief Is a Multiplier

When leaders believe, teams believe. When teams believe, performance explodes.

Belief spreads through a program like wildfire.

13. No BCD

Great programs eliminate three habits:

No Blaming No Complaining
No Defensiveness

Ownership is the culture.

14. Track Your Time Like a Professional

Everyone gets 168 hours a week. Winners don’t “find time.” They allocate it intentionally.

15. Leaders Seek Mentors

The fastest way to grow is to learn from people already doing it well. Go find the best.
Ask questions. Study their system.

Great coaches stay curious.

16. Vision Drives Everything

Every program needs a clear target.

“Our vision: Be the best program in the state of Missouri and intentionally build leaders.”

Clarity creates alignment.

17. Goals Become Real When You Write Them

People who write their goals are far more likely to achieve them. Carry them. Review them. Live them.

18. Technology Should Help You Learn Faster

Great leaders document everything. Record meetings.
Capture ideas. Review lessons.

Learning speed is a competitive advantage.

19. Recruit Every Year

Recruiting isn’t just for college football.

Every January 1:

Re-recruit your players.
Re-recruit your staff.
Re-recruit your culture.

20. Programs Win When Leaders Serve

The goal isn’t just winning games. The goal is building people. Football becomes the classroom.

[Danny Schaechter 🏝️🏈🐾 @CoachDShack]

William & Mary WR High Point Competition Drill

[Chris Parker @chris_parker222]

10 ways to Build Positive Team Culture
Coaches are always attempting to build a positive team culture. Here are 10 ways you can help build it:

1. Define what “winning” looks like. Positive teams aren’t vague. They know the standard. What do we value? What behaviors match our values? What does being a great teammate mean? Culture improves when expectations get specific.

2. Celebrate people doing it right. Most leaders only speak up when something is wrong. Recognize great effort, recognize improvement, and recognize behind-the-scenes work. What gets recognized gets repeated.

3. Build small traditions. Traditions make a team feel special. Could be helmet stickers, shoutouts at the end of meetings, special meals with themes, or something else. Traditions create identity.

4. Protect positive energy. You must eliminate negativity. You can’t build positivity while allowing constant complaining. Limit complaining and address toxic behavior fast. Negativity spreads faster than motivation.

5. Consistent language. Have phrases that are said throughout the program that build the standard. Eliminate “that’s not my job” and "these kids..." from vocabulary. Culture can be shaped by consistent language.

6. Value people. People don’t want to be managed; they want to be valued. Culture rises when people feel seen. Use first names, ask about their family, and remember the small personal details they share. People will run through a wall for leaders who notice them.

7. Hold everyone accountable. Nothing kills culture faster than favoritism. High performers still get coached, and leaders on the team still get corrected. Don't give anyone a pass. You don’t have a standard unless it applies to everybody.

8. Create ownership. The best cultures are built by the players. Assign leadership roles, give responsibilities, and create systems that give real duties. Ownership fuels pride.

9. Have clear expectations. Confusion creates frustration. Clarity creates confidence. Culture can be killed by lack of understanding. Prepare and make sure you have clear and concise expectations for everything in the program.

10. Develop people and not just performance. If all you build is performance, you lose people when things get hard. Celebrate progress. Celebrate the climb. One of the simplest culture builders is to remember: Don’t embarrass people you’re trying to develop.

[Justin Larson @jclarson8]

@MVP_Mindset Thanks for hosting yesterday, I really enjoyed it! I came away with some good ideas and nuggets to build on with our team. PLEASE offer more sessions in the future, I’ll be there!

[Coach Vint @coachvint]

If you are a head ball coach, this is gold right here! “Your culture is the worst of what you allow.” And you can’t escape it.

[Matt Walker @MattWalkerDU]

Finally re-watched our game on ESPN…I said right after the game it was the best half of DEFENSE I’ve seen in awhile…I now change my statement…best DEFENSIVE performance I’ve EVER seen…This Cobra Kai defense led the country in takeaways,held NC to less than 20 points for the first time in a 101 straight games, and shut them out in the second half. No one does that. Jake Wissing (DC) and this defense WON this National Championship! The Top Gun offense gets lots of attention, but Defense won the Natty!

[Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow]

CONGRATULATIONS TO WISCONSIN-RIVER FALLS

They beat North Central to win their first D-III title

#PMSLive

[Coach Vint @coachvint]

‼️Every coach and leader should listen to this.

📢The success Indiana has achieved has not been an accident.

💪This is a 45 second synopsis of how you become elite.

[Mason Robinson @coachmaerob]

How you play without the ball shows how much you love your teammates ...

Watch the clips ... this is a guy who loved his teammates. #RIDEOUT

[Dr. Jim Afremow @goldmedalmind]

#TheChampionsMind 🏆 #Standards

[MFCA-The Keepers of the Game @WeAreMFCA]

To promote and recognize academic achievement by Minnesota high school teams, the MFCA names Academic All-State Team Awards each season.
To be eligible for the award, the head coach must be a current member of the MFCA.

Congratulations to the Class 5A Team Winners!

[Zach Brandon @MVP_Mindset]

Every time you choose an excuse, you train your mind to expect less of yourself.

[Cadet Broadcasting @cadetbroadcasts]

After completion of an undefeated regular season last night, here is an interesting stat for the STA football program. Since 2018 the Cadets regular season record is now 56-6 (only 6 games in '20 season).
That's a 90% winning percentage!!!
"CADET EXCELLENCE"
@AllThingsSTA

[Dr. Jim Afremow @goldmedalmind]

#TheChampionsMind 🏆 #freedom

[The Winning Difference @thewinningdiff1]

Don’t confuse your role with your value.
Championship players don’t count minutes - they make their minutes count.
Great players don’t chase playing time.
Great players chase excellence.
Because roles change but the standard never does.

[Jeff Janssen @janssenleader]

CHOOSE YOUR HARD
#CultureWins