The keys to winning consistently and taking your program to the next level aren’t developed overnight. This week, TJ and Sam share how to cultivate a winning culture and set expectations.

Show Notes:
• Understanding player mentality and team focus
• Sustaining success
• The role of psychology in coaching
• Building trust
• Transformational vs. transactional
• Establishing core values
• Controlling what you can control
• Developing consistency

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Going into the upcoming season, you probably have a list of things you’re looking to change or improve on. In this episode TJ shares 4 things he’s going to be implementing and adjusting with his team to inspire ideas for your coaching.

Show Notes:

• Do you coach the same season every year?
• Hold true to time tested values 
• Be intentional about what is changing and what is staying the same
• 4 things TJ is Changing for his next season 
•  Practice plans and how you start practice 
• Starting practice with what will be your identity 
• Player Development
• Transition Defense
• Fire Drills 

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In order to maximize our coaching experience, this week we discuss the things we wish we had known as a younger coach from both the assistant and head coach perspective.

Show Notes:
• Only one real shortcut in life - mentorship
• Nobody is perfect
• Be clear and connected to your Why as a coach
• Bringing your gifts and talents to the table
• Learn the heartbeat of your team
• Unlocking people’s potential
• What defines your coaching career
• No is more important than Yes
• Bring people in 
• What is the best ROI?

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This week, TJ and Sam discuss the critical elements of running an effective basketball offense. They emphasize the importance of clarity in understanding roles, triggers for actions, and the pace at which the game is played. The highlight how clarity can lead to better decision-making and performance, while teaching triggers gives players the tools to react instinctively during games. 

Show Notes:
• Clarity is essential for effective offensive execution.
• Players must understand their roles within the offense.
• Help players react instinctively during games.
• Pace can vary; it’s not always about playing fast.
• Good teams have clear triggers.
• Adjusting roles based on player performance.
• High clarity leads to high performance on the court.
• Players need to think the game to play effectively.
• Understanding triggers can simplify decision-making for players.
• Effective offense requires a balance of clarity, triggers, and pace.

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There’s more to defense than the system. This week we discuss how you teach and implement your defense and getting your team bought into the details that make it work.

Show Notes:
• Teaching Defense Better
• Installing Your Defense
• Getting extreme clarity
• Don't leave home base 
• Having a communication system
• Give them the Why
• Developing terminology
• Slow it down to speed it up
• Player Development on the Defensive end
• Getting players to stay engaged and aggressive
• What should they be thinking and feeling
• Guarding 1.5
• Have to v. Get to
• Giving your players the problem to fix
• Teaching points from the group
- Rebounding, Identifying the threat, Anticipation, Physical without fouling, Post defense, Knowing what to practice, 2nd Jumper
• Closing thoughts

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If you want to maximize your practice time you have to focus on both the what and the how. In this episode, TJ and Sam share the 3 most important aspects of your practice plan to ensure you're not spinning your wheels.

Show Notes:
• Talking about “Practice"
• Where you're spending the most time
• What is your team's identity?
• How many things can you work on in practice?
• Discipline = Freedom in practice
• After Action Report on your coaching
• More sound bites less monologues 
• Culture happens in practice 
• Practice with urgency
• Counting the cost of saying yes to something 
• Constant pursuit of improvement

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A great way to maximize your upcoming season is by maximizing your team’s effort every possession. Though challenging, TJ and Sam share why it’s a worthwhile endeavor, and how to practically improve your team’s effort in practice.

Show Notes:

• Playing hard is a Skill
• T.J. McConnell - Playing hard as a skill 
• Coaching & Teaching it
• 2-Way players
• Effort and IQ not taught enough 
• Coach Speak vs Teacher Talk 
• Is your standard high enough?
• Practice shorter and harder 
• Helping players understand the importance

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This week TJ and Sam go through 9 coaching questions from strategic scouting decisions to lifting on game days, there’s a lot you to be thinking about before your season starts.

Show Notes:
• Wall up?
• Take out the other team's best player?
• Choose not to guard a player on the other team?
• Reminders v. complaining
• Crash the boards even harder?
• Lift weights on game day?
• Zone every BLOB?
• More time shooting in practice?
• Emphasize drills or competing?

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This week the topic is about embracing the grind of coaching, but more importantly how to work hard while being at your best. Instead of going into survival mode during season, TJ and Sam discuss ways you can set expectations, make small changes, and gain advantages in creative ways.

Show Notes:

• Are you a grinder?
• Is it worth it?
• Don’t deprive yourself of what you need to be at your best
• The cost of running a special program
• Do we need to be the last coach to leave the office?
• Gain Efficiency over time 
• Early Morning vs Late night vs Both
• Areas you could be depriving yourself
• The grind is the expectation 
• The “present” litmus test
• Small changes can lead to massive results 
• Small Habits and Deep Dives

Mentioned on the episode...
Links to Episode 516 with Todd Gongwer:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5vGRyqhWCmyuXNZLTb6CAs?si=9c50c3ad631f457d
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/id/podcast/episode-516-maximizing-your-leadership-with-todd-gongwer/id658885222?i=1000628379428

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This week, Chad Warner, assistant coach at the University of Minnesota joins TJ and Sam to discuss all things coaching. In this conversation they touch on the pressures and anxieties of coaching, what Chad's learned throughout his long and successful coaching journey, and what wins on the court.

Show Notes:
• Working through the stress of coaching
• Being transformationally driven
• Applying talent and people skills to your coaching
• Learnings from various coaches
• Changing offensive systems and why
• Staying ahead of the curve
• Being creative without overcomplicating it
• The value of having core values
• Being respected and liked
• Great teammates and great competitors
• The value of shot selection
• Being a set defense
• Playing fast
• Offensive rebounding philosophies

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