COACH MEYER: WHY I COACH

Back in 2005, I attended a Baden Coaching Clinic in Florida with a great headline of speakers including Coach Don Meyer.  I just came across these notes and thought I'd share a few with you today.  The first one I think is of great importance.  It doesn't matter if you are a head coach, associate head coach or the third assistant.  It doesn't matter if you are coaching on the junior high level or at a BCS school.  What matters is why do you coach.  Have you given it detailed thought?  If you have then you can start aligning your principles based on those answers.  Another Coach Meyer mantra is "it doesn't matter where you coach, it matters why you coach."

WHY I COACH
1. Teach toughness (life skill)
2. Teach team attitude (everyday)
3. Teach fundamentals
4. Teach life skills

THOUGHTS ON PRACTICE
Practice...one of the things you can control...not looking for pretty—looking to get better.

Hank Iba: “You must practice the game in the manner in which it is played.”

Joe Paterno: “It’s a coaches job to replicated game situations in practice.

ONE MINUTE ASSESSMENTS
1 thing YOU did well and WHY
1 thing WE can do better and HOW

3 STAGES OF COACHING
1. Blind enthusiasm
2. Sophisticated complexity
3. Mature simplicity

TEAM BUILDING
Physically touch 1/3 of your players every day. LaRussa—red fungo bat — converse with players at batting practice

“What motivates me? Being around coaches who care and love to teach."
-Don Meyer