Coaches don't carry 'magic beans' or 'fairy dust' to build confident athletes. Empower players to succeed. How?
Earn the right to win. "Confidence comes from proven success." - Bill Parcells Being a worthy competitor doesn't mean winning, just competing. It takes time to learn how to win. Build skill and athleticism.
Action: Be patient. There isn't a shortcut.
Ordinary effort won't produce extraordinary results. Ever. Exceptional players do 'unrequired work' that builds strength, conditioning, and skill.
Action: Offer extra skill sessions and/or teaching.
Find 'critical mass'. Urban Meyer understood that great teams needed great talent. He sought to disrupt the 10-80-10 distribution of players by demanding that the top 10 percent of players drag a teammate to workouts. The Navy SEALs had a recruit who failed the swim test by seconds. SEALs swim with a buddy attached by a line. They allowed the recruit a do-over with a strong swimmer who literally helped pull the highly committed recruit to a passing time.
Action: Think out of the box.
"Look for the helpers." Mr. Rogers had it right. Find mentors. Ask for help and prove our commitment.
Action: Network. Develop a list of online resources in addition to our HUMINT (human intelligence).
"Say the magic words." Tell the truth with a positive reality. Let players know how they can be more successful. Nothing is more powerful than telling players, "I believe in you."
Action: find reasons to thank players, families, and our network.
Lagniappe. Find intangible skills - toughness, discipline, effort, resilience.
This is an awesome quote from Clemson HC @Coach_Brownell on toughness 💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/5hN6lFqFMX
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) October 30, 2022
Lagniappe 2. Under two minutes of 'how they do it'.
Lagniappe 3. "If you watch the good teams in the NBA, the ball flies around." - Brian Scalabrine, Celtics analyst
