Coach to Coach: The Mindset of Excellence

At the end of the 2013 season, I remember watching 15-0 North Dakota State win their third straight FCS title. An ESPN reporter got to Head Coach Craig Bohl in the end zone for the post-game interview. At the end of the interview I heard coach Bohl say, “We pursue perfection and along the way we touch excellence”.          

It takes an incredible attitude to push for something so unattainable that it can never be reached and then ultimately settle for the by- product. Excellence is coach Bohl’s by-product? That’s an amazing mindset.

Pushing for growth by pursuing the untouchable, he is driving his players to learn through effort. The process of pursuing perfection will become the flavor of excellence we taste on our tongues. Stay hungry for perfection and we will dine on excellence. Of course we all know that NDSU won a lot of games. Maybe it’s easy to have a mindset of excellence when everything translates to championships.

What about the pursuit of perfection in a program that’s losing? Can a coach have the same mindset in a losing program? How do you define the term losing program? At Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins (CO), I witnessed the definition first hand. They weren’t a losing program because of their record (yes, the record was bad). They were a losing program because the past coaching staff set limits on the possibilities. It was a place filled with excuses like “we are too small, too slow, we got a bunch of rich entitled kids, etc.” Fill in the blank. The definition of a losing program is when you, as a coach, can no longer drive your team with growth through challenge. When you define the young men on your team by the won-loss record, you have officially crossed the line and become a losing program.

To be a program that touches excellence, you must be a coach that has no limits. A coach that believes losing is simply an opportunity to grow and growing up from boyhood to adulthood is winning. When Fossil Ridge hired a new coach, he immediately came in and infused hope into the program by identifying what his kids did have. He would often remind the players of their assets and not their shortcomings. In return, he got a first-year running back that would break the school record and a group of players that shocked the state. It was interesting to see how he changed the culture. He never mentioned “we need to change the culture” he just charged forward and took action. No words necessary. No talk, just action. He had no preconceived limits on where his team would go. He began an amazing transformation. Brick by brick, he is building something special.

The Road

Football is not a game of secrets. Coaches learn most of what they know by playing, watching mentors, studying or a mixture of all three. One commonly agreed upon element remains elusive – effort.

Effort equals satisfaction because through effort, potential is realized. There is no better way to describe it than from the words of Coach John Wooden, “Never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others and never cease trying to be the best you can be because that is under your control. If you get too involved or engrossed in the things you have no control of, it will adversely affect the things in which you have control of. Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: did I give my best effort? If so, you may be outscored but you will never lose”.

Coach Wooden had a clear and simple philosophy, “Get a little better every day and over time we will be a lot better.” That is a mindset for excellence. Don’t whine, don’t complain, don’t make excuses just get out there and do the best of which you are capable. Hold everyone in your program to this standard.

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

People with a fixed mindset avoid failure by shying away from challenge. They cower in the face of setbacks and they don’t view effort as the key to accomplishment.

But people with a growth mindset look at challenge as opportunity. They learn and grab inspiration from highly successful people. They use setbacks as springboards for comebacks and they view effort as the key to achieving their potential. Are you contained within the limits of your body? Or, are you ready to stretch yourself beyond your limits into a place that would surprise and inspire the others?

As the offseason continues, ask yourself what kind of mindset you have, not only as a coach but as a human being. We teach our youngsters life lessons through this incredible game of football. Let’s not forget the lessons the game teaches us. Losing and winning are both pathways to learning. Never turn down a challenge. Never fear failure. Effort is the road to excellence. I challenge you to answer this question in the upcoming season. “At our very best, what can we accomplish?” Envision your team performing at their very best and honestly write down what that looks like. Then go out and give them a practice and a training schedule that reflects your answer to that question. Can you get better every day?  What must be done to get better today?

To Conclude

As the journey for the upcoming season begins, keep this in mind: thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, habits become character and character becomes destiny. Destiny can become excellence if you remember that not one single thing has ever been created without intention. Do your very best, every single day. 

About the Author: Tim Mitchell has been coaching football from the youth league level to the high school level for over 20 years. A Sports Psychology Consultant,  he is currently a mental skills coach and performance expert for the U. S. Army.