Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.
The Hall of Fame basketball coach Tom Izzo likes to say, “A player-led team is always better than a coach-led team.” The best teams have athletes that step up and take a leadership role. The best teams have athletes that take ownership in the culture and are invested in the process.
This doesn’t happen if the coach is a control freak, micro-manager, or the only voice in a program. The best teams have athletes who are leaders. The best teams have strong leadership.
As a head coach, you can’t be the entire program. You need assistants and you need captains that can help you lead the program towards success.
Great team captains make your job easier as a coach. Everyone knows this, but having strong team leadership is not as simple as a well-meaning wish and a snap of the fingers. Most coaches know what kind of captain and leadership they want, but oftentimes it doesn’t play out that way.
“You either get bitter or you get better. It’s that simple. You either take what has been dealt to you and allow it to make you a better person, or you allow it to tear you down. The choice does not belong to fate, it belongs to you.” (Josh Shipp)
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At 27 years of age, I was the youngest women’s basketball head coach at the NCAA level. Four years later, I was allowed to take my talents elsewhere.
How kind of them to let me voluntarily resign.
No matter how you spin it, I was fired.
There are no small parts — only small actors!
This phrase has been uttered countless times when it comes to acting, but it also applies beautifully to your team. You could easily say there are no small roles, only small athletes.
A car is made up of many parts, from the chassis to the motor to the tires to the lug nuts. Even though some may appear more important than others, each component of a car plays a vital part to its’ operation. An expensive luxury car doesn’t get very far if the $5 spark plug isn’t working properly.
The leadership expert and author John C. Maxwell says, “We all need someone to help us in our pursuit of intentional growth and the right mentor helps you take massive leaps forward.”
Even coaches need coaches. Maxwell talks about “intentional growth”. This is when you make the conscious decision to make yourself better.
One of the best ways to do this is with a mentor.
As a coach, you want to be successful and do all you can to achieve positive outcomes. However, sometimes you unknowingly block your team’s success.
As a coach, you’re constantly trying to lead your team as far as you can each season. This is true regardless of your resources or talent.
However, some coaches are blessed to be a part of programs that have high-performing individuals. High-performing teams usually have individuals that are more talented than most, but as coach, your role is to get the most out of them.
Carol Bruggeman was a long-time Division I coach at Michigan, Purdue, and Louisville. In fact, she was tasked with starting the Purdue softball program from scratch when she was just 28 years old. She’s been the Executive Director of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) since February 2016 and has done great things to grow the game of softball. In addition to her role with the NFCA, Carol is also a TV analyst.
Click here to see more about Carol
Joanne P. McCallie (“Coach P”) is one of the most highly decorated coaches from her time as a college basketball coach. In her 28 years as a head coach at Maine, Michigan State, and Duke, she won more than 70% of her games, had three National Championship game appearances, and won National Coach of the Year honors in 2005. Coach P also was the only women’s coach to lead two different programs to 30-win seasons, as well as the only women’s coach to work alongside both Coach K and Tom Izzo. She battled mental health issues while coaching, which led her to write the great book, Secret Warrior.
Click here to see more about Coach P.
This story originally appeared on www.GoRedHawks.com on November 19, 2012Usually, five days is more than enough to prepare until a big game is played, a paper is due, or a special anniversary or holiday.
But how about having only five days’ notice that you will be a first-time dad?
That was exactly the scenario Martin Methodist women’s basketball coach Jamy Bechler encountered three years ago as he and his wife, Tabitha, received the call from Bethany Christian Services, an adoption agency based in Nashville, Tenn., that they would have the opportunity to become parents. [Read more…]