Coach to Coach – Principles for Becoming a Better Coach

As I write this article, we are only three weeks away from the official start of the 2011 football season. It’s the time when players and coaches alike are weary of countless off-season workouts and are ready to put the preparation and hard work to good use. With every clank of a 45-pound round, our players see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s the calm before the storm and the season rapidly approaches.

If you have read my previous articles in the Coach to Coach column, you are aware that I value relationship building and the psychology side of the game as much as the Xs and Os. I have spent years researching and learning the technical aspects of the game. However, the longer I coach the more I realize that the mental state of my players and coaches is as important as the offensive or defensive schemes we employ. I am in no way minimizing the effect of a great scheme executed in a precise manor. I strive for it and demand it from our staff and players. But the coach who understands that a player is at his best when he feels valued and appreciated is a coach who will win a lot of games as well as win the loyalty and love of many players. 

I want to share with you some ideas and goals that I have written down for myself for this upcoming year. I am convinced that I can become a better coach and these are the areas that I have identified as my 2011 focal points. It is common practice for me to write down the goals that I have for my teams and staff each year. I place them somewhere that forces me to view them every day. This season I have added five personal goals and principles to that list that I want to incorporate on a daily basis. I want to share these with you in the hopes that they will spark thought and action that will help you become the very best coach that you can be this season.  

5 Daily Principles to Become a More Effective Coach:

1. Encourage at least one assistant or fellow coach each day.  

Age or years of experience never nullifies the need to be recognized for excellence or hard work. In this society, we often treat the daily effort of those around us as expected and fail to recognize the small steps that that they make that lead to that great ascent that we take. A simple “Coach, you are doing a great job with your guys and it is showing on the field” will do more to energize a coach than a case of Red Bull. I used to subscribe to the idea that people need not be praised for simply doing their job. I was wrong. This year I will make an effort to encourage and praise members of my staff on a daily basis for simply doing their jobs. 

2.  Take the time to laugh with my players. 

“I just got one last thing. I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going”.
- Jim Valvano 

In one of Coach Jim Valvano’s heartfelt speeches he said that each of us should laugh every day. In the midst of the most trying of circumstances, Coach Valvano knew that laughter was a strong medicine against the horrible disease that would eventually take his life. God gave us the ability to laugh for a reason. Laughter is good for us! This season I will laugh with my players more often. There is no doubt that anger can be an effective tool and when used properly it is a necessary part of our coaching personalities. However, it is very easy to use and display this side of our personalities too often. It has been my experience that some mistakes and failures can be rectified quicker with laughter than anger. This season I will take Coach Valvano’s advice and will make it a point to use laughter more often than anger. 
 
3. Value the time of my players and their families.

Being the Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator allows me the opportunity to construct the daily practice schedule. The last period of the day is usually spent in a team offensive period and my players and coaches will tell you that I am famous for saying “one more play” over and over again (maybe some of you can relate). It’s not that I am trying to prolong practice. It’s just that there is always so much to work on. That being said, this season I am making it a point to end practice on time.
   

This winter I had the opportunity to hear Chip Kelly speak in Denver and I was impressed with his philosophy on practice. The simple idea is to get on the field, get your work done in a timely, enjoyable, precise manor and get off the field. No wasted time! I like the quote that states, “The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today’s work extremely well.” This season I am going to eliminate the “one last play” and implement the “make the most of the play” mentality. I will strive to get more done in less time. Efficiency in all that I do is of utmost importance.

4. Hold in high regard the players who
contribute daily on scout teams.

During a conversation at a coaches meeting, I expressed how much respect I had for a certain player on our team who makes every workout, every meeting and every practice knowing full well that he will probably not see the field on most Friday nights. This young man volunteers for every scout role and always brings a great attitude with him to the field. I only wish some of our players who have been blessed with great ability had the same drive and attitude as this young man.
   

This season, I am going to personally tell these type of players how much I appreciate their contribution to our team. At Foothill, it has become tradition to honor the scout player of the week with a work boot at our team dinner on Thursday night. But this year, I want to be sure to take the time to personally thank and encourage these players. The reality is that these young men may be observers of the game on Friday night, but their work ethic and tenacity will assure that they are major players in the more important daily game of life. I want there to be no doubt that I am a huge fan of their devotion and character. 
 
5. Never use demoralization as discipline or motivation.

I was not the type of player who responded to any of my coaches who chose embarrassment or demoralization as discipline or motivation. I have been witness to coaches who do use this type of strategy. My line coach in college subscribed to this technique on a daily basis. I always thought that he could get more out of us if he would build confidence instead of tearing us down. That’s not to say that a good old fashion butt chewing is not in order at times. I have been known to hand out my fare share of them. However, there is a difference between tearing down a person’s character and attacking a bad technique or habit that will result in poor play. This season, I will reinforce the fact that a team and a player who plays for the love of the game, their teammates and their coach will be far better than the team that plays in fear of their coach and in fear of the ridicule from their own football family. I can assure you that no one has ever climbed to the top of a mountain with a boot on their head.

It has been a pleasure to share with you my personal goals for the 2011 season. As you head into the upcoming season, remember that all of us may not win championships on the field this season, but all of us can play a major role in making our players into champions in the game of life. Enjoy the season and good luck to you and your team.