January/February 2022 - 16

COACHING FOR SIGNIFICANCE
ten traits of a successful
ATHLETIC PROGRAM
By Bruce Brown & Rob Miller, Proactive Coaching
As we travel our country to speak, we get the
opportunity to observe a lot of different high school and
college programs. We have also learned that the two
main places we get invited are those schools that are very
successful and those that are struggling. Those who are
struggling have a strong desire to change their direction
and success - at the college level, it is often about keeping
their job. Those who are very successful are successful
for many reasons but one of them is that they are always
trying to get better. They are always looking for an edge to
keep them ahead of the pack.
Here is the final installment of the common traits of
successful athletic programs we work with. (The first five
traits were in the last article.)
6
..Positive Rites of Passage - Intentionally created
..positive traditions provide a path for athletes to be
welcomed, and to grow into leadership. Nothing that
could be considered hazing is ever-present. Is there an
intentionally developed plan to transition
your athletes from the time they enter
your program until they leave? (Incoming
freshmen; freshmen to sophomore;
sophomore to junior; junior to senior; senior
to exiting the program)
One Application Idea - Develop a big sister/brother
program with those in your junior class every year adopting
a freshman and staying with them for two years. The goal
is to provide a safe and enjoyable transition for the first
two years. Work with your leadership council on a specific
welcoming ceremony with your incoming athletes to serve
them and teach them the core covenants of your team.
7
8
..Consistent Performance Feedback - Coaches know
..how to balance praise and correction. Athletes should
be taught how to take correction as a compliment. Being
coachable and having a teachable spirit should be part
of your team culture. Everyone knows that performance
feedback is necessary for growth. Great team cultures
have coaches and athletes with a growth mindset.
One Application Idea - Make " Feedback is the Norm "
part of your team culture. Everyone in the program
expects it, accepts it, and embraces it.
..Trust - Players trust each other and their coaches.
..Trust is the single most important quality that
allows all the others to function well. To change the
level of trust on a team is to dramatically impact time,
efficiency, performance, and outcomes. Trust sets up an
ideal environment for learning. On a team with mutually
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PART 2
high trust, communication can be open, honest, direct,
transparent, and believed, players develop loyalty, they are
engaged, share the credit, trust their training, have high
accountability and the trust displaces fear so they compete
fearlessly. Very simply when coaches develop a high trust
culture, they have a better chance to win. Low trust teams
will struggle to succeed.
One Application Idea - Start with your coaching staff
doing a book study with " The Impact of Trust " booklet and
email me for a Trust Assessment Document that supports
the booklet.
..Master Motivators Create a Sense of Urgency -
..Successful teams have players and coaches with a
high energy level. Individual and team discipline is visible
in the focused attention and focused effort of everyone.
There is a feeling of " what we are doing right here, right
now is important. " There is engagement and details are
important. Only disciplined, motivated teams have a
chance to win championships.
One Application Idea - Find a highenergy
program, regardless of sport, and
go observe. Energy cannot be missed and it
is an eye-opener. Do not accept excuses of
why it cannot happen in your program. Make energy part
of your core covenants for both coaches and players.
10
..Impact the Player's Lives - Players in these
..programs treasure the experience so much that
they carry the lessons and values over - beyond the
season and into their lives. They build successful teams of
their own, using the methods they learned in your culture.
Players and coaches choose to stay connected after the
playing experience ends.
One Application Idea - To help maintain contact, keep
a list of all your players' birthdays and make an effort
to call or text each current and former player. It doesn't
take long to acknowledge special days and it keeps the
relationship moving forward.
The most successful programs have the most intentional
leadership and that starts with us. In perpetually strong
athletic programs, each of these strengths is done with
absolute intention and design. EXCELLENCE IS NEVER
AN ACCIDENT!
For support materials, go to our website -
www.proactivecoaching.info. For additional application
ideas email bruce@proactivecoaching.info. To bring a
Proactive Coaching speaker to your school or community
email rob@proactivecoaching.info.
http://www.proactivecoaching.info
January/February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January/February 2022
