Vocal Leaders

1. Vocal Leaders Involves 6 Main Characteristics: • Commitment • Confidence • Composure • Character • Encourager • Enforcer

2. Vocal Leader: Encourager (75%) Refocuser Team Builder Unifies team around a common goal. Establishes and focuses team on a common goal. Helps teammates understand, accept, and feel appreciated for their roles. Brings team together and builds team chemistry. • Helps teammates stay mentally tough when faced with adversity. • Emotionally intelligent to sense mood of team. • Refocuses teammates when they are down or distracted. • “You’re ok. Don’t worry about it. Get the next one.” • “Get your head out of your ass and start playing.” • Communicates a sense of optimism and hope. • Control the controllables; Focus on the present, the positive, and the process; Play with perspective; Focus on the Message, not the Messenger (feedback); Take responsibility for mistakes

3. How To Get Your Team To Commit To A Common Goal • Establish a Common Goal: • Divide your team into three groups. • Each group discusses and answers the question “What could we achieve if we play up to our potential this season?” (10-15 minutes) • Groups get back together to share their answers AND their reasons why they think they are possible. • Together the team writes their goals: Must be realistic and challenging.

4. How To Get Your Team To Commit To A Common Goal 2. Clarify the Commitments and Standards You Need To Get There. • Once you have established a clear and compelling goal to pursue for the season, you then need to discuss the commitments and standards it will take to get there. • Get your team back into 3 groups: Answer the question ‘What are the 10 most important commitments we will need to make to each other throughout the season to give us the chance of reaching our goal.” • Groups share their thoughts with the team. • The team then comes to a consensus agreement with 10 or so commitments.

5. Examples of Commitments • Consistently give our best effort in sport and in school. • Respect our teammates and coaches and handle conflict constructively. • Take care of our bodies and stay away from alcohol and other drugs. • Understand and accept our roles and play them to the best of our ability.

6. How To Get Your Team To Commit To A Common Goal 3. Create a Mission Statement and Commitment Contract. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCo-_QAGKTg&list=SP73A950492030240B (Mission Statement) • Type the commitments onto a piece of paper and give one to each team member. • Each teammate then signs the “Commitment Contract.” • Hang the “Commitment Contract” on the locker room wall. • Each teammate will display the “Commitment Contract” in a visible location. • Add teammates pictures to the contract; shrink the contract down to wallet size and give each teammate a copy.

7. How To Help Your Teammates Accept Their Roles “Sometimes the player’s greatest challenge is coming to grips with his role on the team.” ---Scottie Pippen • Getting people to accept their roles depends on two factors: • Clearly defining their role. (Coaches job) • Showing appreciation for their role. (Job of Vocal Leader an the Coach)

8. How To Show Appreciation For Roles. • It is the job of the Vocal Leader to help the people who don’t get to play as much feel they are still an important part of the team. • Vocally acknowledge and praise the big and little things they do. • Need more praise and attention than the starters. • Call attention to the effort they give in practice and the support hey give from the sidelines. • Let them know you appreciate their words of encouragement. • In media interviews, look to mention the people who don’t always get a lot of attention or credit.

9. I long ago learned that publicly acknowledging the people who don’t get a lot of the limelight does wonders for team morale. You must make these people know you not only are aware of their efforts, you appreciate them.” ---Rick Pitino

10. Show Appreciation With Awards • Practice Player of the Week: Award given to the player who was the best performer in practice during the week. • Nails Award: Award goes to the player who was mentally tough as nails. • Glue Award: Award given to the player who did a great job of putting the team first and was the glue that bound the team together. • Game Balls, Special Forces Player of The Week, Currahee.

11. Team Bonding • Vocal Leaders look to set up opportunities where your teammates can hang out and get to know each other better outside of practice time. • Build bridges between the various subgroups on your team. • Do not let cliques exist at your team bonding activities. “A sure thing to break down a team is little cliques. The veteran players must make an effort to socialize with the younger players and the less popular players. It’s easy after you have broken the ice.” ---Julie Foudy, U.S. Soccer National Team

12. Team Building Activities and Ideas • Team Retreat: Team “Day Activity” or plan a team overnight event to kick off the season. • Team Dinner • Family Pictures: Teammates bring in pictures of their family and each is given 5 minutes to introduce their family to the team. • Service Projects • Movie Night • Support Squad: Pair up each teammate every week. At the beginning of the week the two meet to answer and discuss 3 questions: • Challenge me to… • Support me if I struggle with… • If I get frustrated/discouraged, remind me to…

13. Assignment • List 3-5 things you learned from this lesson. • Is team chemistry important to you? Why? • What are some problems that get in the way of good team chemistry? • What do you do to build and maintain team chemistry?

14. Vocal Leader: Enforcer (25%) • Courage to confront. • Holds self and teammates accountable to high standards. Demanding. • Constructively confronts undisciplined teammates. • Handles conflict in a firm, fair, direct, and consistent manner.