Champe and Sahaj were wondering my thoughts on this post: http://champeman.blogspot.com/2017/11/demanding-best.html
The short answer is I mostly agree with what Champe is saying, though I don't feel any particular level of despair. The longer answer is below.
----
Raising The Bar
(This is intentionally a lifting reference)
First of all, I have a ton of thoughts about this topic both generally and specifically in reference to NUT. I think Champe is asking the right kinds of questions here. My thinking on goals setting and team/individual expectations has changed a lot in the past 8 months, some of my current thoughts are going to be different than when I first started coaching.
I'm going to reduce his post to a few questions/ideas and cherry pick lines that I like. Champe talks about:
1. Without an external mentor providing setting a high bar, complacency and comfort with current ability level is pretty typical. Even Champe, someone who is extremely internally motivated, sometimes needed that bar to be set for him externally (his step-dad, Bruns).
2. So how, as a coach or leader, do you get your players to demand the best of themselves?
3. Demand for one's best has to come from someone they believe is in the arena with them.
4. Why is demanding the best something to strive for?
5. "...to reach the next level of competition...we have to get better at playing frisbee"
6. On acceptance of failure, the standard of not losing, and creating an environment in which players are used to/comfortable with losing games.
1. Without an external mentor providing setting a high bar, complacency and comfort with current ability level is pretty typical. Even Champe, someone who is extremely internally motivated, sometimes needed that bar to be set for him externally (his step-dad, Bruns).
I think this is an extremely important idea. I think it is the responsibility of the coaches to set this bar for the players at the individual level. It's critical to understand both what motivates the player externally, and how to elicit internal motivation. An aspect of setting the bar is that feedback needs to be honest, correct, and with an actionable plan for improvement (basic example: Champe you are fat, if you were fit you'd be good - KB). This ties directly into relationship-based coaching aka "being in the arena with them" (because you are!). So the coaches should understand what the team needs, and set an accordingly high bar for individuals with a constant eye for building motivation.
Thought #2, from "Training Soccer Champions" by Anson Dorrance: It is the coaches responsibility to hold the team accountable for their level of play. The biggest challenge of coaching has to do with the mental responsibility of maintaining this high standard, of having uncomfortable or awkward conversations when they are needed and making sure the team gets as much out of practice time as possible. A lesser coach may miss or forgo this encounter due to the awkwardness involved, and the team will be worse for it.
2. So how, as a coach or leader, do you get your players to demand the best of themselves?
Another important question. Probably one of the quintessential questions for any leader of any team. At the most basic level, players need to understand what "their best" is, and they need to want to achieve it. Coaches should help players with understanding what their best looks like through individual feedback and support. Coaches can also work to elicit the individuals desire to perform to that level. I think this 2nd piece is about the fundamentals of motivation and stages of change.
Motivation:
"Human beings are motivated by purpose, autonomy, and a drive towards mastery."
Stages of Change:
1. A case for change (I/we are not great & losing, I/we want to be great & win)
2. A compelling picture of the future (I/we could play great ultimate)
3. A sustained capability to change (I/we can develop our skills)
4. A credible plan to execute (I/we can use my/our skills and win)
(Legacy, James Kerr.)
The message is:
- [x] is our team's purpose
- here is where we/you are today
- here is where we/you could be
- here is how we/you get there
- here is why we/you want that
Each of these steps must be completely honest. Providing incorrect or dishonest feedback helps no one.
I think the culture of improvement and growth is incredibly important for creating a healthy basis for this motivation to grow.
3. Demand for one's best has to come from someone they believe is in the arena with them.
Coaches who do not have good relationships with players are going to struggle massively with communication and the development process. Players are humans and must be treated as such. It's really important to have strong trust between players and coaches so that the critical constructive feedback cycle works properly. Love this point.
4. Why is demanding the best something to strive for?
The obvious answer is because it is necessary to be a great team. The 2nd layer answer is because this is a skill that has massive carryover to all other aspects of life. Investing your whole self into something and really pouring yourself into it is a recipe for a rewarding and successful life. If you are capable of doing something well, you should do so, all the time.
5. "...to reach the next level of competition...we have to get better at playing frisbee"
I am all about this idea. I think this is completely true. It is so obvious, but is seemingly glossed over all too often. Specifically with reference to NUT, if we want to go further in the post-season, we simply need to get better. Not just a little better, a lot better. We should not try to "steal a bid" or "get a crazy upset", we should level up our own game and be a legitimate contender for the kind of outcome we want. If we want to be a great program that goes to nationals regularly, the level we are attempting to reach is a level where we are consistently earning a bid for nationals through our regular season competition. The nation is filled with talented, hard-working teams, and ascending to this level is not an inevitability. It is a matter of developing truly great individual players and truly great teams. If we want to champions, we need to train like champions and believe like champions.
6. On acceptance of failure, the standard of not losing, and creating an environment in which players are used to/comfortable with losing games.
A number of thoughts here. Firstly, simple acceptance of failure should be unacceptable. Failure is inherent to attempting something challenging, but it must not simply be accepted, it should be addressed directly and worked on.
When it comes to playing well and being great, losing an individual game is external. If NUT wanted, we could go to 3 low-tier tournaments during the regular season and go undefeated, a perfect 21-0 record heading into the post-season. We could potentially end the season with a record something like 31-1, falling at regionals to team x. This is not the way to develop and grow the program, this is a surefire path to complacency.
By going to more difficult tournaments with better opponents, we are challenging ourselves to play better against better opponents. Great opponents are the best true feedback loop for us as individuals and as a team. We'll gain a real understanding of how to get open, how to defend, how to place throws, etc. Our standard of play will be elevated above what it would be if we didn't push our level.
We must play every game with the intent and a deep desire to win. Regardless of opponent, no game is out of reach, especially not at the college level where turnovers are plentiful and competition varies a lot game-by-game. Our desire should extend down to the micro level, where we are battling to win each moment of each point of each game. If we play incredibly well and lose, this is of far more value to us than us sleepwalking through a game and winning, in my mind.
I think one of the most powerful ideas that Chuck brought to NUT was a nuanced approach to process vs outcome and commitment to team-ness. He wrote a note a couple years back that really resonated with me:
"We were under a lot of pressure [last year], and it was visible. We were upset instead of joyous to play. And our team had expectations of performance which made it seem like a goal was just something that was supposed to happen instead of something worthy of celebration. We were fragmented. We were individuals.
I want us to:
- Be invested in the man, not the player.
- Be committed to the process, not the outcome. (i.e. "it's unacceptable to get beat or lose" is the wrong message).
- Recommit to Humility
Last year there were some damaging beliefs that crept into our minds:
1. We believe we "should" win some games.
2. We believe that our best player needed to play great for us to win big games.
3. We believe that only nationals or winning (or no turnovers or getting a block) is acceptable.
These ideas exist on many teams, even high-caliber teams. All of those ideas contradict humility. Let me explain for each:
1. We don't deserve any wins, and we're not focused on wins. We have the opportunity to earn it every time we step on the field. That's it. We come to each game humble, and we respect our opponents and always believe in our teammates, especially when our brothers make mistakes.
2. No individual is greater than the team. No one needs to single-handedly lift the team to victory.
3. It is none of our business what the results of our efforts are. We are committed to each other, and we are committed to the process. We get better every time we are together, we give honest and clear feedback, and we stay committed to each other. Captains/coaches need to keep the tone positive no matter what because being negative IS ARROGANT. We don't know what is supposed to happen, so when we get upset with what is happening, we are essentially saying that we DO know what's supposed to happen and that this isn't it. We don't commit to a result. We commit to each other and the process. That's it."
- Chuck
The short answer is I mostly agree with what Champe is saying, though I don't feel any particular level of despair. The longer answer is below.
----
Raising The Bar
(This is intentionally a lifting reference)
First of all, I have a ton of thoughts about this topic both generally and specifically in reference to NUT. I think Champe is asking the right kinds of questions here. My thinking on goals setting and team/individual expectations has changed a lot in the past 8 months, some of my current thoughts are going to be different than when I first started coaching.
I'm going to reduce his post to a few questions/ideas and cherry pick lines that I like. Champe talks about:
1. Without an external mentor providing setting a high bar, complacency and comfort with current ability level is pretty typical. Even Champe, someone who is extremely internally motivated, sometimes needed that bar to be set for him externally (his step-dad, Bruns).
2. So how, as a coach or leader, do you get your players to demand the best of themselves?
3. Demand for one's best has to come from someone they believe is in the arena with them.
4. Why is demanding the best something to strive for?
5. "...to reach the next level of competition...we have to get better at playing frisbee"
6. On acceptance of failure, the standard of not losing, and creating an environment in which players are used to/comfortable with losing games.
1. Without an external mentor providing setting a high bar, complacency and comfort with current ability level is pretty typical. Even Champe, someone who is extremely internally motivated, sometimes needed that bar to be set for him externally (his step-dad, Bruns).
I think this is an extremely important idea. I think it is the responsibility of the coaches to set this bar for the players at the individual level. It's critical to understand both what motivates the player externally, and how to elicit internal motivation. An aspect of setting the bar is that feedback needs to be honest, correct, and with an actionable plan for improvement (basic example: Champe you are fat, if you were fit you'd be good - KB). This ties directly into relationship-based coaching aka "being in the arena with them" (because you are!). So the coaches should understand what the team needs, and set an accordingly high bar for individuals with a constant eye for building motivation.
Thought #2, from "Training Soccer Champions" by Anson Dorrance: It is the coaches responsibility to hold the team accountable for their level of play. The biggest challenge of coaching has to do with the mental responsibility of maintaining this high standard, of having uncomfortable or awkward conversations when they are needed and making sure the team gets as much out of practice time as possible. A lesser coach may miss or forgo this encounter due to the awkwardness involved, and the team will be worse for it.
2. So how, as a coach or leader, do you get your players to demand the best of themselves?
Another important question. Probably one of the quintessential questions for any leader of any team. At the most basic level, players need to understand what "their best" is, and they need to want to achieve it. Coaches should help players with understanding what their best looks like through individual feedback and support. Coaches can also work to elicit the individuals desire to perform to that level. I think this 2nd piece is about the fundamentals of motivation and stages of change.
Motivation:
"Human beings are motivated by purpose, autonomy, and a drive towards mastery."
Stages of Change:
1. A case for change (I/we are not great & losing, I/we want to be great & win)
2. A compelling picture of the future (I/we could play great ultimate)
3. A sustained capability to change (I/we can develop our skills)
4. A credible plan to execute (I/we can use my/our skills and win)
(Legacy, James Kerr.)
The message is:
- [x] is our team's purpose
- here is where we/you are today
- here is where we/you could be
- here is how we/you get there
- here is why we/you want that
Each of these steps must be completely honest. Providing incorrect or dishonest feedback helps no one.
I think the culture of improvement and growth is incredibly important for creating a healthy basis for this motivation to grow.
3. Demand for one's best has to come from someone they believe is in the arena with them.
Coaches who do not have good relationships with players are going to struggle massively with communication and the development process. Players are humans and must be treated as such. It's really important to have strong trust between players and coaches so that the critical constructive feedback cycle works properly. Love this point.
4. Why is demanding the best something to strive for?
The obvious answer is because it is necessary to be a great team. The 2nd layer answer is because this is a skill that has massive carryover to all other aspects of life. Investing your whole self into something and really pouring yourself into it is a recipe for a rewarding and successful life. If you are capable of doing something well, you should do so, all the time.
5. "...to reach the next level of competition...we have to get better at playing frisbee"
I am all about this idea. I think this is completely true. It is so obvious, but is seemingly glossed over all too often. Specifically with reference to NUT, if we want to go further in the post-season, we simply need to get better. Not just a little better, a lot better. We should not try to "steal a bid" or "get a crazy upset", we should level up our own game and be a legitimate contender for the kind of outcome we want. If we want to be a great program that goes to nationals regularly, the level we are attempting to reach is a level where we are consistently earning a bid for nationals through our regular season competition. The nation is filled with talented, hard-working teams, and ascending to this level is not an inevitability. It is a matter of developing truly great individual players and truly great teams. If we want to champions, we need to train like champions and believe like champions.
6. On acceptance of failure, the standard of not losing, and creating an environment in which players are used to/comfortable with losing games.
A number of thoughts here. Firstly, simple acceptance of failure should be unacceptable. Failure is inherent to attempting something challenging, but it must not simply be accepted, it should be addressed directly and worked on.
When it comes to playing well and being great, losing an individual game is external. If NUT wanted, we could go to 3 low-tier tournaments during the regular season and go undefeated, a perfect 21-0 record heading into the post-season. We could potentially end the season with a record something like 31-1, falling at regionals to team x. This is not the way to develop and grow the program, this is a surefire path to complacency.
By going to more difficult tournaments with better opponents, we are challenging ourselves to play better against better opponents. Great opponents are the best true feedback loop for us as individuals and as a team. We'll gain a real understanding of how to get open, how to defend, how to place throws, etc. Our standard of play will be elevated above what it would be if we didn't push our level.
We must play every game with the intent and a deep desire to win. Regardless of opponent, no game is out of reach, especially not at the college level where turnovers are plentiful and competition varies a lot game-by-game. Our desire should extend down to the micro level, where we are battling to win each moment of each point of each game. If we play incredibly well and lose, this is of far more value to us than us sleepwalking through a game and winning, in my mind.
I think one of the most powerful ideas that Chuck brought to NUT was a nuanced approach to process vs outcome and commitment to team-ness. He wrote a note a couple years back that really resonated with me:
"We were under a lot of pressure [last year], and it was visible. We were upset instead of joyous to play. And our team had expectations of performance which made it seem like a goal was just something that was supposed to happen instead of something worthy of celebration. We were fragmented. We were individuals.
I want us to:
- Be invested in the man, not the player.
- Be committed to the process, not the outcome. (i.e. "it's unacceptable to get beat or lose" is the wrong message).
- Recommit to Humility
Last year there were some damaging beliefs that crept into our minds:
1. We believe we "should" win some games.
2. We believe that our best player needed to play great for us to win big games.
3. We believe that only nationals or winning (or no turnovers or getting a block) is acceptable.
These ideas exist on many teams, even high-caliber teams. All of those ideas contradict humility. Let me explain for each:
1. We don't deserve any wins, and we're not focused on wins. We have the opportunity to earn it every time we step on the field. That's it. We come to each game humble, and we respect our opponents and always believe in our teammates, especially when our brothers make mistakes.
2. No individual is greater than the team. No one needs to single-handedly lift the team to victory.
3. It is none of our business what the results of our efforts are. We are committed to each other, and we are committed to the process. We get better every time we are together, we give honest and clear feedback, and we stay committed to each other. Captains/coaches need to keep the tone positive no matter what because being negative IS ARROGANT. We don't know what is supposed to happen, so when we get upset with what is happening, we are essentially saying that we DO know what's supposed to happen and that this isn't it. We don't commit to a result. We commit to each other and the process. That's it."
- Chuck
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