High School Strength Coaching: Reaching the Big Time

2. Make The “Big Time” Where You Are

3. What is the “Big Time” ?

4. First known use 1910. Used to describe someone or something that is very successful. Highest level of activity, sport or profession where you can achieve the greatest amount of success or importance. The highest or most successful level in a career.

5. What does a “Big Time” strength and conditioning position look like?

6. It is an illusion that the “Big Time” is a destination and not a journey. Binoculars vs. Microscope

7. Avoid comparisons to other coaches, other situations, other schools, other weight rooms, other kids/athletes. Many spend their entire life looking for the “Big Time”

8. Wherever you are in life you can make it the “Big Time”.

9. The “Big Time” is not a place - it’s the center of your innermost thoughts, feelings and beliefs that define who we really are. We can make our lives “Big Time” regardless of our situations once we believe it and learn how to do it. “Big Time” is not something you get, it’s something you become.

10. You must ask yourself: Why do I coach? What do I hope to get from coaching? What are my priorities? Know your Why

11. High School Strength Coaching Is The “Big Time”

12. The most important coaches in a young athlete’s life are his high school coaches – for this is where the seeds are planted in a young athlete’s mind and body. Most of the time we don’t see the fruits of these seeds: But believe me, they will bloom in ways we don’t even realize. See your position as unique and significant.

13. State Championships “If you’re not enough without them You’ll never be enough with them” Be more excited about making a difference in the lives of your players than about winning championships.

14. 90 Year Olds – 3 Things done differently: Reflect more. (enjoy more moments) 2. Take more risks and chances. (Life is short) 3. Leave a legacy – something that will live on after you die. The most important legacies that you will leave as a coach are the people that you have impacted by your leadership, life, and presence. How do you want to be remembered?

15. Road to Success (pay value at end) vs. Success Road (pay value every day) The secret to life is the trip itself.

16. We must be powered by the excitement of personal achievement and the challenge of choosing to become one’s best self – not by comparisons to others.

17. Don’t focus on winning championships – Focus on developing champions. Cultivate Leadership – Character – Work Ethic – Grit – Belief – Selflessness.

18. Equipment is 20-30 years old. 9th graders are at a different school/have a different schedule. 7th and 8th grade centers do not have a program. 75-80% on free/reduced lunch (Free Breakfast/Dinner) At our school this year: drive-by shooting-overdoses-suicide-deaths-run-away-evicted-expelled Many parents have issues- dealers/users/not around/not educated. Many with academic issues – lack of parent involvement/support. Attendance issues – parents frequently take kids out of school or not aware they miss school. Affluency change affecting female sport participation. Many are in ENL programs/have IEP’s During breaks/summers, transportation can be an issue. Parents take kids to emergency care/hospitals vs. sports med. (2 weeks – no activity) School has lowered bar. (credit recovery/discipline) Frequent coaching changes. My situation:

19. We can all make a list. We have to decide whether to look at these as obstacles – or challenges.

20. Some days we encounter many more negatives than positives. We must learn to respond to them in a resilient and positive manner to understand how to win in life. “Life is a grindstone – whether it polishes you up or grinds you down – depends on the stuff you are made of.”

21. Our attitude not only affects us, but everyone around us.

22. We must feel good about what we are doing and take pride in our profession by doing our best. However, we are in a position, and at a level that doesn’t always get recognized or thanked for our efforts. We must have faith that what we are doing won’t always be appreciated until later. Understand that for every one athlete that shows appreciation in some way, there are fifty more who either thought it, but didn’t say it, or won’t realize the impact you had until later.

23. What is your vision for your program? You have to know/decide what you want your program to look like. Make what you believe in work – You don’t need to do what others do.

24. Once you have that picture, you must share that vision with your administration, coaches, athletes, and parents. Program-promotion vs. self-promotion. We vs. I Ours vs. My/Mine How do you come across to the entire staff?/How would they describe you? (Admin/Teachers/Other Coaches/Secretaries/Custodians) (Book sharing)

25. Establishing the culture of your program. Culture take-aways: A culture consists of the unwritten rules. Culture allows new programs to be successful – programs don’t change cultures. If a culture changes too quickly – it can easily change again. There is a difference between the climate and the culture. Culture doesn’t move easily – climate does. Leaders affect the strength of the culture.

26. Bad leaders usually only affect the climate. If coming into a new program – you must bust up the culture – make people uncomfortable – in order to create a new culture. A strong culture doesn’t mean a good culture. Compliance is a false positive to culture change. Strong culture – no one notices – it is part of the identity. It is faster and easier to make a bad culture than a good culture. (2-3 change, 3-5 build) The opposite of continuous improvement is continuous comfort. (tea cup story)

27. The enemy of continuous improvement is perfection. (History of success creates a fixed mindset – unwillingness to “mess with it” “That’s not how we do things around here”) Mission and vision stories work better than statements. The only place culture can be is in ones head – not a sign on the wall. How people change – get friend to say – We can do better – Let’s try this – It made a difference.

28. Your most important job as a leader is to drive the culture. Positive leaders drive positive cultures. You can’t just create a culture where people “hear” about what’s important. You must create a culture where people “feel” what is important. You must create a culture where people don’t just hear your talk, but rather feel your walk.

29. Focus on the fruit and ignore the root and the tree will die. Continue to care for the root and focus on the culture/process/people and purpose – then you will always have a great supply of fruit.

30. Success in life is a choice. Are we a thermometer or a thermostat? We don’t have a good day – We make it a good day!

31. How coaches can shape team culture: Compliment – in ways that align with vision, values and standards. Praise behavior that you want to see repeated. Challenge – all of your athletes to be more than average. Comfort – At this age especially they will have issues that will require an understanding adult. Confront – when they fall out of line – because you care.

32. Additional ways to create a positive culture: Be contagiously positive. Be consistent. Communicate well. Find a way to connect. Be committed to your athletes. Show them you care. Value and model character.

33. When students are asked to pick the most influential teacher – their reason why they made those choices include: They made learning fun. They challenged me. They were supportive. They were helpful. They got to know me.

34. Questionnaire Name parents or guardians? Name and age of brothers/sisters? Who else in family is very involved with you? Who is the most influential person in your life and why? Who are you most proud of and why? Describe the happiest event in your life. Describe the saddest day in your life. What are your goals in life.

35. 9. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you? What is your greatest personal athletic moment? If you could have dinner with any 3 people dead or alive who would they be? When was the last time you cried and why? What awards have you won? What is your most prized possession? What is your favorite activity?

36. 16. What is your least favorite activity? What is your nickname and how did you get it? What is the best book you have read? What is your favorite hobby outside of sports? What word in the dictionary would your picture appear next to? If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why? 22. What did you dream of being when you were young, and why?

37. “People are most energized when they are using their strengths for a bigger purpose beyond themselves.” “When you plant yourself where you are and decide to make a difference and live with a purpose, your greater purpose starts to reveal itself to you.”

38. “It’s your commitment to the process, your growth and your purpose that drives you to reach your goals, and will determine what you accomplish.” “Don’t seek happiness – Live your passion and purpose and happiness will find you.”

39. “The future belongs to those who believe in it, and have the belief, resilience, positivity, and optimism to overcome all the challenges in order to create it.” “We are positive, not because life is easy. We are positive because life can be hard.”

40. “We all have a positive-versus-negative battle going on each day. Every moment and every situation presents to us an opportunity to see and experience the positive or the negative.” “Your certainty, optimism, belief, and faith must be greater than all the negativity, fear, and doubt.”

41. Ghandi said: “I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.” – and neither should you. “We don’t get burned out because of what we do . We get burned out because we forget why we do it.” “Learn to talk to yourself rather than listen to yourself.”

42. Make The Big Time Where You Are Frosty Westering Strange Secret of the Big Time Frosty Westering The Power of Positive Leadership How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World Jon Gordon