Energy

Energy..... I can remember my old coach always saying " Fake it until make it" or "Faking it is contagious"; I hated hearing it, because I didn't believe it at the time. I mean I was tired I just finish running a suicide, and the last thing any athlete wants to hear is Fake it until make it. As a coach when your players lack energy in practice, it really destroys that practice. Energy is the attribute that does not require skill, it requires a commitment to yourself, to your team, and to your coaches. I have seen players receive more playing time, because when they come in the game there like  a spark plug. They create so much energy that their teammates only choice is to join in on the fun. You are not too cool to have energy, talk trash, or simply get your teammates motivated. Energy is starts with you, and it does not require skill only commitment. Commit to your team by being the spark plug.

Program Commitments

Program Commitments : Have them and make them visible
Season Commitments:Each season is different..Adjust and Adapt...
Stop all Negativity
What are you playing for? Who are you playing for?
Find a way to  make your team play together, and for each other.
What is your team's culture?
What is your team's core values

Have you worked as hard as you think?

It is the later part of the pre-season, and what we have established so far is the amount of work you put in during the off-season.  If you are not satisfied with your quality of play, then how hard have you worked in the off-season to play the way you expect. It is equally important as a player and as a coach to asses your level of commitment periodically to really ascertain if you could have done anything better.  As a coach have you provided your staff, and players with what's necessary to succeed in this upcoming year. Are you documenting what is going according to plan, and what is not going according to plan. Are your players performing the way they should. It is important to understand what your team needs, but more importantly what, and how each individual responds. As a former student athlete, I cannot express how important it is to understand how to motivate your players. The work ethic of this generation is so different; players no longer aspire to go in the gym by themselves, they usually have a trainer of some sort. So now as a coach you now become their trainer, so stop asking why can't you go in the gym by yourself, they do not know what it is to work hard, and understand what it takes to be that athlete. These are just questions that are necessary to perform the way you expect to perform in this season.  So I would start by asking myself have I worked as hard as I think?

Nick Saban the culture of his program

Nick Saban Culture

·       Culture the core value of what my team will be built on!

o   Effort,

o   Mental Toughness that can be sustained,

o   Be responsible for your own self determination

·       What is being successful?

o   Consistency in Performance

o    Pride in Performance

o    Perform at a standard that is important to you

·       It takes success to build on success!!!

·       There is no continuum to success!!

·       Sports are a metaphor for life; play the next play all the time!!!

·       The greatest opportunity to learn is when you make a mistake; you will either learn from the PAIN of DISCIPLINE or the PAIN of DISAPPOINTMENT

·       Character is an accumulation of your thoughts, habits, and priorities on a daily basis!!!

Mental Toughness

Mental Toughness is the very attribute every athlete needs to posses, but most do not. It is the very definition of talking to yourself instead of listening to yourself. Our mind has a way of playing tricks on us;  your mind naturally stays either in the past or the future! Rarely do we focus on right now, the present, how can I improve in this moment. The answer is simple, but the process is not. There are a lot of books on winning the mental game, and I will list one I recommend  at the end of this post, but rarely do we follow through; Why? If someone gave you the key to be a millionaire why are there so few, because we do not want to go through the process. It's not enough to just go to skills-training, it's not enough to play in the game, its just simply not enough! You can not be Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant without being mentally in a state of mind of understanding the process. Mental Toughness is a ongoing process, it can not stop because it is no natural to keep your mind in the present, so it will take work, commitment, and dedication of staying in the moment.
Mental Toughness= the Present moment.

1st book I recommend for you as a young student athlete- Mind Gym

Drew Brees " We need to get mentally tougher

http://www.wwltv.com/videos/sports/nfl/saints/2014/12/07/20066513/

What coaches want defensively

Defense its a word you hear over and over when coaches talk about winning championships.  I remember my college coach asked me what do you prefer offense or defense; I said defense because I loved the challenge of being able to stop the best player, I was aggressive and welcomed every challenge.  In most cases high school players rarely understand a defensive concept, because their coach lets them get away with it because they are the best player. In college those players struggle because they do not understand the  very concept of defense; help-side, jump to the ball, on the ball, on the line, up the line, press defense, zone defense, gambling for steals, helping your teammate etc.  As a collegiate coach if a player can score and play defense she is the talk of the tournament or game. I recently spoke to a friend of mine, and she spoke about a former player of hers named Lauren Holiday, who would defend you 94ft., and dare you to try to get by her. This is a shotout to all the high school defenders, the pride you take in your defense now will aid your development faster in college. Here are a few qualities coaches look for in defenders:

Quick feet
Ability to anticipate
Ability to recover
Do not reach for the steal every time
Jump to the ball
Listen
Use your feet, and not your hands

What coaches want cont'd

Understanding what your coaches is want is not easy, it will take constant communication with your head coach or position coach. It is imperative if you do not understand the offense or what your coach wants from you to schedule a meeting and find out what you need to do.  However, if you are not taking initiative to understand the offense i.e. watching film, getting extra shots up, or meeting with your position coach periodically, do not be surprised when frustration arises from playing time.  These are other qualities coaches want in a player:

Coachable
Attitude
Self -motivated
Understand their game
Understand their teammates
Student of the game
Work-ethic
Understand the importance of Study Hall, being eligible
Healthy player- takes rehab and stretching seriously