Always learning - 2 Coaching A-Ha Moments 🏆👑

Published: Fri, 04/21/17

'Let go of the outcome. When you let go of the outcome you dramatically increase your chance of achieving it.' - Brian Cain

It's fascinating how the more you know, the more you realize you need to know.

I've had 2 big coaching A-ha moments recently. I'll share 1 this week and 1 next week.

Last week I listened to Brian Cain's interview on the ABCA Call's from the Clubhouse Podcast. One of the best podcasts I've listened to, I highly recommend it. http://www.abca.org/resources/calls_from_clubhouse - It's episode 26.

In this episode he shared a story about core values. Here's an activity you can do with your players today:

Hand every player a 3x5 notecard. Ask them to write down 2 or 3 things that your team is known for. When outsiders describe your program, what do they say about you? Or, said another way, what are your team's core values.

This is a fascinating activity, because although your team's core values may be crystal clear to you, and maybe even your coaching staff, are they crystal clear to your players? Remember what George Bernard Shaw said:

'The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.'

Don't beat yourself up about the results of this activity. You will probably get a list of 30 to 50 or more ideas. Use this as a launching point for a discussion about who you are.

Then start the process of incorporating these core values into everything you do:

Tie them into your coaching points
Incorporate them into your goals for each game
Make your most important season-ending awards based on these criteria
Communicate them, communicate them, then communicate them some more

If you want to hear more about Brian Cain's methods of helping define the core values of a team, one of the recent WYC guests Randy Jackson shared some great stories: winningyouthcoaching.com/wyc-097/

Next week we'll dive into one of my new favorite books, Crucial Conversations.

I love hearing your stories and experiences, both the positive ones and frustrations you're having - just reply to this email and it goes straight to my inbox.

Make winning the right way your habit starting today,
Craig

Craig Haworth is the founder of Winning Youth Coaching, a site dedicated to helping coaches and parents make youth sports an awesome experience for the youth and the parents. He interviews coaches from around the world and posts them on his podcast, which currently has over 110 interviews and has been downloaded over 150,000 times. He writes a weekly note to coaches and parents. He is married to his high-school sweetheart and they share the blessing of 3 children and live in Franklin, TN. You can sign-up for his weekly note here, find him on twitter at @craighaworth1, or visit his website winningyouthcoaching.com.

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men"

- Frederick Douglass