Influence for Today's Coaches

How much pressure do you deal with everyday in your career? Does it origin lie in the job or does it originate with you? How do you work through pressure? Have there been times when the pressure was to great and you had to make a decision or get help? As a coach do you have resources to deal with pressure? Do you feel it's a sign of weakness to admit the pressure is just to much? If that happens where will you turn?

Are your players content with past success? Are they prepared for your level of practice and play? How will you convince them their past success means little? What will you do when a player reaches their potential? Do you rank your players? Do you share that with the player? the team?

Are your players skills where you need them to be? How do you develop your player's skill? Do you rank their skills? Have you tried a Skills Olympics? A Skills Competition under the lights? An early morning session once a week? Do you have a Skills Coach? What would you include in your skills assessment?

Where do you turn personally for inspiration and motivation? Have you ever contacted a former coach or mentor for solutions or experience? What would you say the key to reaching your players is with respect to your message?

Have you used Good, Better and Best in describing player decisions? Do your players have permission to make the Best Decision even if it comes with a risk? Are you highlighting decision making in practice? Is your demeanor and words on the sideline encouraging players to make the best decision or play it safe?

Are your coaching decisions consistent? Would you ever make an exception based on ability and the importance of a particular game? Would you do the same for a less skilled player? Have you ever had a decision come back with unintended consequences? At what point will you stand firm on a decision(s) based on the team's standards or expectations? Is your credibility on the line when you bend or relax an expectation?

Do you use a mentoring system with new coaches at your school or club? Where do your mentors come from? Is there a program for the mentors to follow? How do you qualify your mentors? What is the standard? Why would a new coach not want a mentor? Has your program been successful?

Have you experienced a losing season? How did you approach the following season? What areas of concern contributed to losing? Did you identify them? Was it more your approach with the team, or just a lack of commitment and talent with the players? What tough questions did you ask of yourself? What changes did you institute in the program? Did they prove to be a success?

What situations did you have to deal with this season? How did it impact your players? What characteristics or traits helped you in this tough situation? What will next spring look like for your team? What plans are you making? What are your priorities for the spring? Were there lessons you learned personally that will make you a better coach? What were they?

Do your players have Self-Discipline? Are they able to be in control in most every situation in a game, in the classroom and outside school? Where did they learn it? From you? What examples of self-discipline have they witnessed from you? What is your demeanor on the sideline? Have you taken time to teach them what Self-Discipline is, how it impacts their ability to play and how it can impact their life?