Off-Season & Leadership Development: Starts the Day Equipment Is Turned In
The off-season begins for us one week after the season is over and all equipment has been turned in. This gives our athletes a week to themselves.
This portion of our Leadership Development will take you through your off-season and into the summer months leading up the start of the upcoming football season. During the off-season your foundation is built and your championship run begins. During the off-season you will ask your coaches and athletes to “Leave No Doubt” that they have done everything possible to make themselves champions.
Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “What lies behind you, and what lies ahead of you is of little importance when it is compared to what lies with in you.” So, the question you must answer did the coaches and athletes “Leave No Doubt” what lies within your team this off-season.
Attitude
The longer we live, the more we realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say and do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home…. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.
By Charles Swindoll
The first phase of the off-season deals with Character development. We will discuss later our 17 Laws of Leadership characteristic traits which are traits upon which the foundation for your football program might be built upon. The projected foundation is built upon the Performance Pyramid” inspired by John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success”. The foundation for our football program is Belief, Resolve, Discipline, Courage, Perseverance, and Unity. The apex is the top of the pyramid and built upon the final brick and that’s the “Ability to Make Plays”
Last but not least, the success of any program is one’s ability to communicate; and realize that in order to run a top-notch program requires the input off all those involved and the willingness to share in the success and failures, the ups and downs of those who sacrifice the time, and provide the internal commitment to the future of this country, our young people.
The Foundation
Must push your athletes to invest and to start the team building as “One Team Pursuing One Dream.”
Main objectives of an off-season program should be built around the following examples:
Mental Toughness – this can be developed and expected.
Learn to deal with pain and to never except defeat. Do all the little things right all the time. Put your players in a position that challenges them in the
off-season.
Defeat all negative thoughts. “When your body says no – your heart says go!” Make your drills competitive and challenge them.
Physical Strength and Quickness
Weight Room – Benefits, this is where Championships are Made.
Agility and Mat Drills.
Intensity – Must teach the 150% attitude
Everything is done with a high level of enthusiasm and competitiveness –
Push each other.
Never be satisfied.
All out effort – All the time – 150% effort every minute accept nothing less.
Expect more from yourself as coaches and players.
Unity – Only as good as the last coach or last player with the least role in the program.
Always talk “Us” and “We”, not “I” and “Me”. Make being on the team the greatest experience of your life. Must make assistant coaches feel important as well.
Hard work together equals Unity of Team. Encourage each other to work harder – the harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.
The Difference Between Them and Us.
We do work harder, 150% effort all the time – Outwork the 110% opponent. Discipline – must live with it, must expect it, must do right 150% effort all
of the time.
If a 150% effort equals hard work then we can accomplish it.
As a team we will sweat the small stuff. The little things we do will make us Champions.
Our Success – Our Attitude – Our Work Habits are things we can control, choose to be in control of our destiny. Never allow our opponent to dictate
your destiny.
The following philosophy on success was obtained some time ago and has always remained with me and I feel applies to our everyday existence. Success must come from communication and support.
Leadership Is Not Optional
Leadership is not optional; it is essential to the success of any team or organization. The following information will be emphasized during our two week session for teaching the 17 Laws of Leadership and Team Building after returning from Christmas break.
Play football (games and practices) with great desire.
Do a great job 150% of the time.
Set a good example on and off the field.
Have an outstanding will to win.
Be first on the field – practice and games.
Be last off the field – stay after practice and work for extra time.
Get the team up when things are going badly
Call team meetings or just tell the team we are all in it together.
Play and practice with the little hurts.
Help younger plays become true team players.
Be loyal to your coaches and teammates.
Stop the crybabies and complainers.
Building Character and Leadership
This section of Part two will take you through your off-season and into the summer months leading up the start of the upcoming football season. During the off-season your foundation is built and your championship run begins. During the off-season you will ask your coaches and athletes to “Leave No Doubt” that they have done everything possible to make themselves champions.
The first phase of the off-season deals with Character development. We will discuss six characteristic traits which are traits upon which the foundation for your football program might be built upon. The projected foundation is built upon the Performance Pyramid” inspired by John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success”. The foundation for our football program is Belief, Resolve, Discipline, Courage, Perseverance, and Unity. The apex is the top of the pyramid and built upon the final brick and that’s the “Ability to Make Plays”
Give everything in your body and soul for the team.
About the Author of this post:
Jerry Campbell has over 30 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, and various position coaches. He has written numerous football coaching articles in various publications, is the author of over 30 books on coaching football, and has produced 12 coaching video series. Additionally, he is a nationally sought after speaker on the coaching clinic circuit.