…88 consecutive wins, 10 NCAA championships, 38 consecutive NCAA tournament victories, eight undefeated PAC-8 championships and 4 undefeated full seasons. At 99 years young, John Wooden is the true Final 4 Phenom!
My most prized possession on my bookshelf is an original (1972) well-worn, copy of They Call Me Coach, the classic autobiography of legendary coach John Wooden. When I first read this amazing book (way back when) I was struck by the emphasis on the word “They” in the title. Other people called Wooden “coach”, he didn’t. Wooden wanted to be known as a teacher. This notion stayed with me and continues to shape my coaching and parenting.
I also discovered Wooden’s Pyramid for Success in this little book. The pyramid is a graphical representation of Wooden’s philosophy that success is built block by block. Each block in the pyramid is a key principle to achieving life-long success in every area of life. I’m shocked at how few coaches in my workshops know about the Pyramid of Success. Please Google it and download a copy for yourself!
In They Call Me Coach, Wooden tells us his own story in his own words. It focuses on his 27 years coaching the UCLA basketball team and offers insight into “success” both on and off the court. Wooden’s dedication to his craft made him “America’s ‘winningest’ coach”.
They Call Me Coach covers everything from the basics to important life lessons like “The team that makes the most mistakes will probably win. There is much truth in that statement if you analyze it properly. The doer makes mistakes, and I want doers on my team — players who make things happen.”
This classic is a must read for every coach!
You’ve accomplished the first big step—getting your philosophy on paper! Now it’s time to up the ante a bit. Here’s the “I dare ya” part. Now it’s time to give your philosophy life by sharing it with other folks. Share your written philosophy with your players, their parents, your administrators and anyone else who will listen. Hand it out – often. Let everyone associated with the program know what you stand for and what’s important to you as a coach. Why? Because they will hold you accountable when you get off course. One of my least favorite yet most powerful moments as a coach occurred when one of my players pointed out that my behavior was not in alignment with what I had written in my philosophy. Ouch!
Your coaching philosophy is the foundation of your program. It not only guides you and your staff, it also sets the stage for your administrators, parents and athletes—it tells them what they can expect from you. Once those around you know what you are up to, they can and will hold you accountable. This may sound scary—it is, yet it will make you a better coach.
Sharing your philosophy early on reduces the chance of having misunderstandings that can sabotage the season and smother the fun. It clearly establishes the foundation upon which your season will progress and articulates your guiding principles to all constituencies you contact throughout a season. It ensures that your athletes know what to expect from you and what you expect from them. In the end, it ensures a good fit between athlete and coach, and in so doing, clarifies for administrators and parents what your program is about.
So here’s your assignment:
- 1. Share your written philosophy with your team. Give them each a written copy and then discuss it with them and answer any questions.
- 2. Distribute copies of your philosophy to all the parents. When you select a team, by default, you select a group of parents. It’s essential then that your athletes’ parents clearly understand your philosophy and expectations before the season begins.
- 3. Give the administration a copy of your philosophy for their files. An administrator’s job is to provide you with the support and resources to manifest your vision and build your season/program. If your administrator understands your philosophy, she can defend or refute any situation brought to her during the season.
So, I dare ya…get going!
Traveling without a map is risky business. Not impossible, but you get to your desired destination much more quickly when you have accurate directions in front of you. For this reason I ask if you have a formal, written coaching philosophy? If you answered “No,” you’re not alone. I ask this question at every coaching workshop I lead, and perhaps one or two hands may go up. So my question, “Do you have a coaching philosophy?” is an important one. If you’ve coached more than one day in your life, you do. Every coach has a coaching philosophy, whether it’s written succinctly or not. Every coach demonstrates their philosophy each time they run a practice or coach a game. Whether intentional or not, their actions and words embody their philosophy, and given the attention it deserves, it can lead you in the direction you want to go and grow in.
So you ask, “If I have one, then why write it down?” Good question. Coaches are well served to have a written coaching philosophy that functions as a de facto “mission statement.” Writing it down requires you to clarify your values and consider how you want to proactively shape your coaching legacy. Most significantly, having a carefully considered philosophy informs decision-making whenever you are faced with difficult decisions that inevitably arise during a season, such as how to respond to a star player who yells at a teammate or whether to play an athlete who hasn’t been working hard in practice. Rather than react to such issues on a case-by-case basis, you can make simple, consistent decisions that align with your philosophy.
A written coaching philosophy is the cornerstone to developing one’s art as a coach. It guides your on- and off-field actions. Your philosophy creates the context for everything you do as a coach. Here’s a powerful question to ponder on a regular basis: “Does my behavior, my actions and words, align with what’s most important to me as a coach?
Ready to write? Here’s a powerful 4-part exercise to develop your coaching philosophy. This exercise was developed in association with the Positive Coaching Alliance (www.positivecoach.org) as part of their Mentor Coach program. Start articulating the map you intend to follow. It will take you about 30 minutes to complete and a lifetime to master!
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