Coach 360

Your athletic program won't look like the one in the next town over, the one is another district, or really any other program in existence. In fact, your program this year won't look like the program from last year. Why? Because your athletes this year don't look like your athletes from last year. The athletes are what make your program different. That's why you build relationships with your athletes, coach them based on their individual strengths, and create game and practice strategies based on athletes' needs and abilities.

In this interview with Head Softball and Assistant Volleyball Coach Kristina Stephens of Bells High School, we break down why it's always the athletes who are (or should be) at the heart of the athletic program. They are the reason why we are here, so let's treat them that way!

Key Takeaways: Coach each player differently. Build relationships with your athletes. Let athletes know you are there for them.

To learn more about our 2Words Character Development curriculum, please email Colton at [email protected] or visit www.2words.tv/gameplan.

Can you describe your coaching style in five words or less? The key to consistency in your coaching is knowing how you coach. You have to have a clear picture of what you want to accomplish with your athletic program, so that you can pass that message on to your coaching staff. Once the coaching staff gets it, that vision will trickle down to your athletes.

In this episode of the Coach 360 podcast, Colton talks to Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Ricklan Holmes of Tyler High School about self-knowledge and consistency in coaching.

Key Takeaways: -Understand that correction is to make you better. -Be willing to understand and work with your coaching staff. -Be consistent.

To learn more about our 2Words Character Development Curriculum, visit www.2words.tv/gameplan or email Colton at [email protected]

Athletes perform better when they are confident in themselves and trust in their coaches. So how do we, as coaches, help our athletes get to that point of confidence and trust, so our athletes can go on to reach their full potential in sports and life? During this interview with Head Volleyball Coach and Girls' Athletic Director Clark Oberle of Decatur High School, Colton and Coach Oberle discuss how to build confidence in our athletes. Some of the suggestions you will hear about include: making practice fun and personal, helping athletes focus on their individual roles, and teaching athletes the dedication needed to sacrifice for their team.

Key Takeaways -If you focus on building your athletes, the wins will come. -Each player has a role, and they more they focus on that role, the more confident they will be. -Athletes will try their hardest when practice is fun and personal.

To learn more about the 2Words Character Development, visit 2words.tv/gameplan or email Colton at [email protected].

When your program is founded on the vision, standards, and values that you live by, you give the athletes in your care an opportunity to learn how to be great men and women. It's not just the big ideas like: Be better than you were yesterday, Don't settle for good enough, and Treat others with respect. Those ideas are communicated through sports, but it's not the big ideas that actually hit home; instead, it's the daily repetition and living of those ideas that makes the difference in your athletes' lives. During this interview with Head Football Coach Carlos Lynn of Cedar Hill High School, Coach reminds us that we only have a small window of time to impact our student-athletes, so let's pour as much good into them as we can in the time that we have.

Key Takeaways -The world is full of average; be above average. -Be better today than you were yesterday. -Focus more on the game of life.

To learn more about our 2Words Character Development program, visit www.2words.tv/gameplan or email Colton at [email protected].

Many coaches will not stay with one school or district for their entire career. Circumstances with the school or your family, as well as your own ambitions, can all lead you away from your current athletic program and athletes. It's a natural progression, and there may come a point where you have to make the hard decision to leave the student-athletes that you have poured so much into. When that time comes, remember that kids are kids, and they all need a good coach to pour valuable lessons into them. In this interview with Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach Brian Herman of Marble Falls High School, Colton and Coach Herman dive into ways to make connections with students and leave them with a legacy of toughness and discipline when your time with them is over.

Key Takeaways -Do the best you can where you are. -Reward kids for exhibiting toughness and discipline. -Make connections with athletes, build relationships.

To learn more about the 2Words Character Development Curriculum visit www.2words.tv/gameplan or email Colton at [email protected].

Being an athlete is a major commitment. You don't get time off from it. Even if you are injured, you support your team from the bench and you uphold the team values off the pitch. Our student-athletes need to understand that whether or not they're wearing the jersey, once they join our team, they are an athlete, and there are expectations for that - Expectations that they put character first, learn from their mistakes, and demonstrate self-discipline. During this interview with Coach Ged Kates of Birdville ISD, we are reminded that being an athlete doesn't stop when we leave the field and being a person of character doesn't stop when we're behind closed doors.

Key Takeaways: -There are no days off when it comes to being an athlete or a person of character. -We're all one decision away from the worst decision of our lives, so let character always be your guide. -Kids want something to believe in, something to demand something of them, and someone to love them.

To learn more about the 2Words Character Development Curriculum, visit www.2words.tv/gameplan or email Colton at [email protected].

Coaches and athletes are motivated by a scoreboard. Sometimes that scoreboard reflects the game results, but sometimes it reflects an A/B honor roll percentage. The difference is in the focus of the athletic program. Are we in it just for the on-field wins and trophies? Or, do we understand that there is something more important than sports going on here?

In this interview with Coach Ray Zepeda, District Athletic Director of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Coach Zepeda explains why the focus should be on academic excellence and how wins in the classroom lead to wins on the field.

Key Takeaways - An athletic director's most important function is to provide service and communication to coaches. - Success begets success. When you're successful in the classroom, you'll be successful on the field. - Coaches must hold their athletes accountable to supporting the school's academic mission.

To learn more about the 2Words Character Development Curriculum, visit www.2words.tv/gameplan or email Colton at [email protected].

Coaches aren't successful unless their athletes are successful. That's why we push our athletes so hard in practice and off-season. That's why we yell and assign burpies. We want to see them grow and succeed. But, as Coach Rod Blount of Navarro ISD reminds us during this interview, there's more to helping our athletes become their best selves than just yelling. We've also got to love them. If we love our athletes well, they will run through a brick wall for us. Love is how we make the greatest impact in our role as coaches.

Key Takeaways -A coach isn't successful unless his or her athletes are successful. -Always look for the best in your situation instead of what's next. -Push your athletes to be the best version of themselves they can be.

Learn more about the 2Words Character Development Curriculum by visiting www.2words.tv/gameplan or emailing Colton at [email protected]

If we expect our athletes to keep returning day after day, game after game, and year after year, they need to want to be here.

Coach Gerald Brence of Plano ISD asks coaches to remember that our athletes want encouragement, fairness, and organization. If we can give them that, we can make athletics the highlight of their day.

During this interview, Coach Brence also discusses the four traits that he believes the best coaches possess.

Key Takeaways: - Athletes need to want to play. - Athletes desire organization, encouragement, and positive coaching. - New coaches can learn a lot from veterans if they check their ego at the door.

Learn more about the 2Words Character Development Curriculum at www.2words.tv/gameplan or email Colton at [email protected]

Trust has to be built before you can make any major changes after you transition to a new-to-you athletics program. See, the program is new to you, but it's already been established by others. If you try to bring in a wrecking ball on day one, it's going to ruffle feathers. Sometimes feather-ruffling is necessary, but you won't know until you observe the status quo.

In this interview with Coach Zack Hudson, head football coach of Mabank High School, Coach discusses how to get a feel for a new athletic program after making a transition.

Key Takeaways: -Check in with the community before making changes to a new-to-you program. -Set clear and concise expectations for athletes. -Athletes can and should hold each other accountable.

To learn more about the 2Words Character Development Curriculum, email Colton at [email protected] or visit www.2words.tv/gameplan