Hey Coach – where are we going?

You have your philosophy in place.  You know how you want to accomplish things.  Now it’s time to identify what you want to accomplish as the coach.  What are your program goals?  What do YOU want to accomplish with YOUR program during your tenure as coach?   These are not to be confused with team goals, which are set each season.  Program goals are the things you personally want to accomplish as the coach.

As Yogi Berra wisely stated: “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” You will end up somewhere as a coach—you might as well end up where you’d like to be.  Be proactive.  Identifying what you would like to accomplish gives you the greatest shot at actually getting there.

So to quote Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, let’s begin with the end in mind.  Take a moment and visualize your coaching retirement party.  Imagine a wonderful celebration where family, friends and former players gather to honor you as a coach.  Imagine it in as much detail as possible – the location, the people, the decorations, the sounds, the smells… Two of your former players will approach the front of the room and will deliver a few remarks and pay tribute to you.  What would these players say?  What qualities of character would you be remembered for?  What contributions would they mention?  What important difference have you made in their lives?  How do you feel about their words?  Look around at the other players in the room. Do you feel you have made an important difference in their lives?

Take a few moments and write down your reflections. What did you learn about where you want to go? What do you need to do now to align yourself with that vision? Be as specific as you can be? If you want your players to remember how you respected them and acknowledged them, how will you do that beginning today? What simple action today drives you toward your goal? If you want you players to acknowledge you for your x’s and o’s execution and how you are a great strategist, then be a student of the game. Make it your study. Whatever the case may be this involves practice and commitment. Small motivations will move you toward integrating the habit into your philosophy and your daily life.

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