We teach a lot of great kids. A former player's mother said, "she's every bit as good and helpful at home as she is on the court." But what inspires today's youth? Here are some suggestions.
Model excellence. Children see our example and follow it. They see our level of commitment and preparation. They value our attention and time.
Be here now. Pope John Paul II said, "the future starts today, not tomorrow." What happens today is the foundation for tomorrow. But it's not enough to make the team; contribute. Act like you deserve to be part of the team. You do!
Share the truth. Players want to hear the truth. Kevin Eastman explains how NBA players want and need the truth. "We didn't mince words or names when we talked to our team... We wanted the correction to be direct, honest, factual — but not demeaning." If we want to be a solid, consistent team, then we must shoot better.
"Catch people in the act of doing something right." Praise the praiseworthy but don't
give false praise, either.
Energize. I remember my summer at Officer Indoctrination School (OIS, Newport, RI) where our platoon leader, LT Unruh constantly energized our group. His energy helped push us through the daily routine of classroom work, military drilling, exercise, room and personnel inspections and more.
Speak greatness. In the Legacy Builders, Rod Olson describes speaking greatness. Empower our players. Sometimes a single word matters. Replace "that was good BUT" by "that was good AND..."
Be realistic. In Mastering the Market Cycle, Howard Marks writes, "That’s one of the crazy things: in the real world, things generally fluctuate between “pretty good” and “not so hot”. With young players, that's especially true.
Add value. Gregg Popovich preaches, "technique beats tactics." Building skill adds the most value for players and teams.
Ask for more. Create higher expectation and accountability...holding each teammate to a higher standard. It won't ever be perfect.
"Two is one and one are none." Teamwork is the ethos of the Navy SEALs. The buddy system is their reason to be.
"Never be a child's last coach." Never remove hope or joy from players. If players feel compelled to quit a sport because of us, we're doing it wrong.
Build Them Up. Find a reason to share, "I believe in you."
Kim Kotecki of Escape Adulthood suggests dream chasing and a childhood bucket list.
Addicted to social media. Maybe Inspire My Kids has something for you.
Do you have a Jar of Awesome? I do.
Have you done Shawn Achor's 21 day challenge to find more happiness?
We inspire our players through the lives and the truths we share with them. It won't be easy, just worth the effort.
Lagniappe: The details (from Shawn Ellis) of the Sean Achor 21-day Challenge
Shawn developed what he calls the “21-Day Challenge,” in which you pick one of five researched habits and try it out for 21 days in a row to create a positive habit. Doing so actually rewires — or trains — your brain to be more positive.
Here are the five habits to choose from:
- Three Gratitudes: Pause to take note of three new things each day that you are grateful for. Doing so will help your brain start to retrain its pattern of scanning the world, looking not just for the negative inputs but for the positive ones.
- Journaling: Similar to the gratitude practice, but in this case, detail — in writing — one positive experience each day. This will help you find meaning in the activities of the day, rather than just noticing the task itself.
- Exercise: Exercising for 10 minutes a day not only brings physical benefits, but it also teaches your brain to believe your behavior matters, which then carries (positively) into other activities throughout the day.
- Meditation: Take just two minutes per day to simply breathe and focus on your breath going in and out. Doing so will train your mind to focus, reduce stress, and help you be more present in this moment.
- Random Acts of Kindness: This can be something simple, and Shawn suggests writing one positive email to praise or thank someone each day. Not only does it benefit the recipient, but it also increases your feeling of social support.