ALABAMA/GEORGIA FOOTBALL AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE

There was an excellent write up by Bruce Feldman at SI.com recently where he looked at the football teams at Alabama and Georgia and how those two programs defined discipline. Feldman writes about the importance of discipline and how it specifically has a direct bearing on an organization's culture.  You can read the entire article here.

A few takes aways were the definitions of discipline from members of the staff:

“The ongoing definition around here is to do what you’re supposed to do, when you’re supposed to do it, the way it’s supposed to be done—all of the time,” says Alabama’s head strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran, who has been with Saban for all six of his national titles, including his first while at LSU. “That is Coach Saban’s definition, and it is ingrained into my head.”

Crimson Tide offensive line coach Brent Key arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2016. His definition: “Doing the right thing all the time, and doing the right thing when you don’t want to do it.” Key, 39, says his definition of the word has changed from his younger days, “when discipline meant being punished or spanked. But to me now, discipline is internal.”

“Discipline is accountability,” says Alabama defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, Saban’s ace recruiter since 2015 who was promoted when Tennessee hired away Jeremy Pruitt this winter. “You have to consistently operate to our standard on a daily basis, and that’s where players and coaches hold each other accountable and continue to prepare in the game manner, no matter who we’re playing.”

Feldman also talked about the importance of making sure that recruits knew of the importance of discipline and what they would be getting into:

“During the recruiting process we are very up-front with them, and those guys are smart enough to know what they are getting themselves into,” Burns said. “In my position specifically [Burns has since moved to an off-field role after 11 years as running backs coach], they know that we’re going to play a lot of guys, so I want them to understand that, and to come to work every day and not let that affect them. We have been really fortunate to have the right personalities to do that. We’ve always had one guy that sets the tempo in terms of what it takes to be a running back at the University of Alabama and not to be selfish. Play your role. Take it very seriously. Be ready for the moment. When I first got there, it was Glen Coffee, and he took care of Mark Ingram, and then Mark took care of Trent Richardson, and then Trent took care of Eddie, and Eddie Lacy took care of T.J. [Yeldon].”

The interesting aspect that Feldman shared from the Georgia staff was the attention to detail -- even thought every day meetings to make sure they were all on the same page:

“No detail is left un-talked-about,” Georgia offensive coordinator Jim Chaney says. “We dot every I and cross every T. It sometimes might be a little uncomfortable to talk about, but it’s gonna be talked about. Kirby is diligent as heck about all that.”

Awkward as they may be at times, these conversations become the norm. “It’s had every day,” Georgia quarterbacks coach James Coley says. “I always felt like when you walked in staff meetings, you were there to get your players better. Everybody’s trying to get better, but now you’re saying to yourself, ‘How can I get better in this staff meeting?’ Because you really get better as a coach. Coach Smart has done a great job helping us all get better as coaches."

BUZZ WILLIAMS TABC CLINIC NOTES (Part I)

A day following an off day, Virginia Tech has an “Early Bird.” Might watch video, walk through something or do individual work...during season if will be about opponent, us, short and teach...in off-season if will be about life — not basketball.

Everybody in our program is the head coach of something...they are in charge of something.

Coach Williams has a “Head Coach in Charge of Time.” He also has a “Head Coach in Charge of Calendar.” Team and Coach William’s calendar are updated daily.

“If you struggle getting up early, you’re probably not very good.”

Likes to start day with quiet time — reading books.

Circle of influence in recruiting...how many “spokes” are there to the wheel — what is your plan in building a relationship with each.

Coach Williams uses W-C-E-T

Write

Call

Email

Text

Monthly contact list — changes monthly

List changes about 10% each month

Consistency in relationships

Can never achieve greatness unless you can max your pettiness.

Writes 2 thank you notes daily.

Sends team a “Teaching Text” every Tuesday.

Utilized Greg Brown type note card

Charts:

Man Offense

Zone Offense

Special Situations

Short Clock — obsessed with short clock plays

Scouting Reports on their way out...don’t give written reports to their kids.

Left Brain...Right Brain...Wires Crossed

Ways to learn:

   Write

   Visual

   Audial

   Do It

First coach Coach Williams worked for said “If I every catch you without pen & paper you’re fired.”

First thing you do with a new play? Teach it to your staff.

When teaching, you must understand that different players will pick it up differently based on how they are wired.

Goal: improve retention rate

“My best gift is I can help people.”

Huddle: Draw — Hear — Walk Thru guys are dead in front of me and last ones he talks to coming out of huddle.

Has football based mentality in preparation:

   2 Days before playing routine

   1 Day before playing routine

Coach Williams has few friends in basketball coaching. Lots of his friends are football coaches.

If your kids or coaches are asking “What are we doing in practice today?” you’re a poor coach.

“The best coaches are the exact same everyday.”

Coach Williams likes coaching kids with problems.

Beware of “imposters on your path” — like winning and losing. Be process oriented.

Has manager in charge of pulling clips from the newspaper on his opponents.

Coach Williams likes to do everything in 4’s (keys to the game, etc.)

QUOTES FROM DON YAEGER'S "GREAT TEAMS"

Here are just a few great quotes from Don Yaeger's book "Great Teams:"


"Motivation is short, but inspiration lasts a lifetime."
-Ganon Baker

"Great competitors focus on daily improvement, with the mind-set to win each and every day."
-Bruce Bowen

"I think every leader must have a heart of service."
-Aja Brown

"I believe in winning the day and looking for small victories for my players, whether a great play in practice, a passing grade on an exam, or a personal best in the weight room.  I use these opportunities to reinforce behavior that was consistent with the culture I wanted to build."
-Jim Calhoun

"Promising something like playing time, is setting up disappointment and a breakdown of trust."
-Jim Calipari

"How your team complements each other is just as important as their individual skill sets."
-Jerry Colangelo

"When communication breaks down, mistrust and bad attitudes begin to develop.  I remain in constant communication with my players and staff to ensure they are all on the same page."
-Tom Crean

"Great teams know how to listen in a meeting and understand when feedback is required."
-Randy Cross

"My practices are called the 'competitive cauldron' because of my focus on competition and punishing pace."
-Anson Dorrance

"A shared culture will quickly show the new team member how he is expected to act...Personal agendas are not tolerated within the standards of a strong organization."
-Kevin Eastman

"A talented team will gie its best work every day, no matter what."
-China Gorman

THE GUARANTEED FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

I often have people ask me about my mentor Coach Dale Brown, whom I had the privilege of working for 13 years.  Coach has a reputation of getting things done -- massively getting things done. Little projects and big projects. He often seemed to be juggling a multitude of tasks as the same time and always completing them.

When people ask me what "management tool" did he use I always chuckle.  Was it a Franklin-Covey Planner?  Did he use Day-Timer?  What was his system?

Well, here it is:

He always had a yellow legal pad with him.  He would unpack it from his briefcase in the morning and take it with him in the evening when he left.  On it he would write things down that he had to do -- and then he would do them.

I know it sounds simple -- but that's what made it great.  As he completed a task, he would cross it out.  When he was done with a page he'd tear it out.  And repeat.

It's like the story I read this weekend from "Legacy" written by James Kerr:

There's a old story about J. P. Morgan, the banker and philanthropist, who was shown an envelope containing a 'guaranteed formula for success.' He agreed that if he liked the advice written inside he would pay $25,000 for its contents.

Morgan open the envelope, nodded, and paid.

The advice?

1. Every morning write a list of things that need to be done that day.

2. Do them.

COACH WOODEN ON PRACTICE PLANNING

As we quickly approach the first of our practice sessions, here are some great thoughts on practice planning from Coach John Wooden:

“I would spend almost as much time planning a practice as conducting it. Everything was planned out each day. In fact, in my later years at UCLA I would spend two hours every morning with my assistants organizing that day’s practice sessions (even though the practice itself might be less than two hours long). I kept a record of every practice session in a loose-leaf notebook for future reference. Prior to practice time, the secretary would type the entire daily plan onto a 3x5 index card, gave them to me, and I distributed them to all coaches and managers. Those cards informed every staff member of all activities and the exact time each would start and finish. As a result, coaches and managers were prepared to quickly transition from activity to activity without any wasted time. Every second is important…”

COACH MEYER ACADEMY NOTES FROM 1994

Coach Ari Fisher whom I worked with on the staff at LSU forwarded me some of his old Coach Don Meyer notes -- from the 1994 Academy.  As Coach Fisher said, "Amazing how this still holds true."

Suck Scum = pay dues, nothing is above you in the program (Wooden sweeping floor himself)  

Know why you coach = ask yourself what it would feel like to be coached by yourself

Ideas= you can’t use every idea; must use what fits within your personality and personal style of play 

Why am I coaching? = must have detailed, specific answer, nothing to do with x’s and o’s (Meyer/help build a foundation for life and how young people should treat others regardless of circumstance)  Listen to older coaches; even if you dislike them or their methods or system of play

Learn from games = NBA, high school, WNBA, D-1, 2, 3, JUCO, NAIA (tape as many games as possible)     

Young coaches problems= transition (defense), zone offense, press offense, rebounding….. 

Wooden = “Love and balance” avoids burnout & shows kids they aren’t tools but are human beings  

Mandatory reading = ‘Make the Big Time Where You are’ by Frosty Westering FB coach at Pacific Lutheran College   

Three golden rules of coaching = preparation, preparation, preparation, 

Reason to help others = because you want to or because it is right; not because it is nice or makes you feel good OR you hope someone does something for you; better to want them to pay it

Confidence = comes from trusting fundamentals, preparation, and knowing everyone else on team has the same feeling- it is done through teaching, practice under game conditions, and attitude of perfection, “demonstrated ability”- Bill Parcells  

Careful what you say = a life can be destroyed in the few seconds something pours out of your mouth.  There aint no rebound button on life.

Over check = ‘check, check, and recheck’.  Expect, Inspect, Accept 

Careful scheduling = must breed or create confidence before league or conference games.  With a good team, do not go overboard so kids will still be fresh and crisp mentally and physically during March 

Ownership = players call out drills, have a phone list for emergencies, communication paramount between players, coaches, and coaches to players      

Concept of how to play = uncomfortable pace, must be able to speed up or slow down equally well

Team building = winning is not enough, developing a team is most important

 

KRYA ELZY: THE PRINCIPLES OF BEING A GREAT ASSISTANT COACH

This past spring I had the privilege of presenting at A Step Up Assistant Coaching Symposium with Tennessee assistant Kyra Elzy.  Her topic was "The Principles of Being a Great Assistant Coach" and she absolutely nailed it.  Here are my notes from her presentation

1.   #1 job is to make HC look good
           Help your boss execute his/her vision

2.   Loyalty
          Keep your program’s business in your program

3.   Hard work
          Work like you’re going to get fired

4.   Reliable and responsible

5.   Trustworthy

6.   Energy and great attitude

7.   Consistent
           “What gives you the right to be moody?”
           Ride to work-mentally -- prepare for work
           Come to office ready with a servant heart

8.   Keep personal life personal

9.   Mentally and physically fit
           Need an outlet

10.  Always remember you represent your boss and your university at ALL times

11.  Think and anticipate what is next
           Plan ahead
           Know what the HC schedule looks like

12.  Know your head coach

13.  Nothing is beneath you
           Don’t have an entitled attitude
           No one wins if everyone has a privileged attitude
           Get your hands dirty

What value do you bring to your head coach?

Be so good that your boss doesn’t want to lose you.

LOMBARDI'S FIRST TEAM MEETING

Much has been said and written about Vince Lombardi's first team meeting with the Green Bay Packers, most notably that quarterback Bart Starr left the meeting and called his wife long distance to say, "Honey, we're going to begin to win."  But what was it in that first meeting that excited Starr?
 
In the book "America's Quarterback," writer Keith Dunnavant writes about Starr's recollection of that meeting.  My comments are listed in red italics:
 
After Lombardi walked around the room handing out new playbooks and took up a position near the blackboard, chalk in hand, he said, "We're going to take a giant step backward, gentlemen."

An indicator from Lombardi that he is process-oriented.  He was not going to rush to success.  He knew that he had to break them down and then build them into the team that we wanted.
 
The first milestone in the transformation was a dramatic simplification of the offense.  As he asked the players to empty their sculls full of Scooter McLean's mush, they noticed that the new playbook was less than half size of the old one.  The point was clear: They were going to do a few things and do them well.

The great ones know how to make it and keep it simple.
 
In contrast to McLean's unnecessary verbose wording, which often left his quarterbacks overwhelmed, Lombardi introduced a new play-calling terminology boiled down to two digits: one number for the formation, another for the hole.  The new system transferred the calling of blocking assignments from the quarterback to the offensive lineman and gave the quarterback much greater latitude to react to the defense.

The importance in terminology that a coach/staff utilizes can make a major difference in teaching.
 
"This was such a radical change," said Starr.  "He threw out all the crap.  And you're thinking: Man, does this make sense or what?"

Less is more.
 
As he diagramed several plays, Lombardi was able to manipulate the chalk without losing eye contact with his players, a little detail that impressed Starr.

Great communicators know the importance of eye contact.
 
Then, in what amounted to a verbal mission statement, he clarified the purpose of his Green Bay Packers.
 
"Gentleman," he said, "we are going to relentlessly chase perfection...knowing full well that we won't catch it, because nobody is perfect..."
 
Starr sat on the edge of his seat, soaking up the message like a sponge.
 
"...but we're going to relentlessly chase it because in the process, we will catch excellence."
 
Perfection.
 
Excellence.
 
The words tumbled in Starr's mind as Lombardi paused and moved closer, close enough to see the fire in his eyes.  Starr would always remember the pause, the perfectly timed theatricality of it, the way it heightened the sense of anticipation pervading the room.
 
"I'm not remotely interested in being just good."

And in just a few words, he simply yet eloquently set the standard for his team an organization.

 

CREATING A MORE PRODUCTIVE DAY

I ran across this website and really liked the stuff I read -- especially this post by Eric Barker titled, "6 Things The Most Productive People Do Every Day."  I'm going to share a few excerpts but you can read the entire article here.

1) Manage Your Mood
Most productivity systems act like we’re robots – they forget the enormous power of feelings.

If you start the day calm it’s easy to get the right things done and focus.

But when we wake up and the fray is already upon us — phone ringing, emails coming in, fire alarms going off — you spend the whole day reacting.

2) Don’t Check Email In The Morning

To some people this is utter heresy. Many can’t imagine not waking up and immediately checking email or social media feeds.

I’ve interviewed a number of very productive people and nobody said, “Spend more time with email.”

Why is checking email in the morning a cardinal sin? You’re setting yourself up to react.

An email comes in and suddenly you’re giving your best hours to someone else’s goals, not yours.

You’re not planning your day and prioritizing, you’re letting your objectives be hijacked by whoever randomly decides to enter your inbox.

3) Before You Try To Do It Faster, Ask Whether It Should Be Done At All

Everyone asks, “Why is it so impossible to get everything done?” But the answer is stunningly easy:

You’re doing too many things.

Want to be more productive? Don’t ask how to make something more efficient until after you’ve asked “Do I need to do this at all?”

4) Focus Is Nothing More Than Eliminating Distractions

Ed Hallowell, former professor at Harvard Medical School and bestselling author of Driven to Distraction, says we have “culturally generated ADD.”

 

Has modern life permanently damaged our attention spans?

No. What you do have is more tantalizing, easily accessible, shiny things available to you 24/7 than any human being has ever had.

The answer is to lock yourself somewhere to make all the flashing, buzzing distractions go away.

5) Have A Personal System

I’ve spoken to a lot of insanely productive people. You know what none of them said?

“I don’t know how I get stuff done. I just wing it and hope for the best.”

Not one. Your routines can be formal and scientific or personal and idiosyncratic — but either way, productive people have a routine.

6) Define Your Goals The Night Before

Wake up knowing what is important before the day’s pseudo-emergencies come barging into your life and your inbox screams new commands.
Here’s Tim:

Define your one or two most important to-dos before dinner, the day before.

Bestselling author Dan Pink gives similar advice:

Establish a closing ritual. Know when to stop working. Try to end each work day the same way, too. Straighten up your desk. Back up your computer. Make a list of what you need to do tomorrow. 

Research says you’re more likely to follow through if you’re specific and if you write your goals down.