Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

3 Ways to Win Your Top Coaching Candidate

GUEST POST BY DAN CHRISTENSEN

In the hyper-competitive world of modern college athletics, a single hiring decision can have a major influence on your entire university brand. And the coach interview has evolved from a simple Q&A into a high-stakes executive negotiation.

The reality of the current landscape is simple: your top candidate is interviewing you just as much as you are interviewing them. If you want to move from a “maybe” to a “yes”, before they leave the room, you need to treat the interview process as a strategic operation.

Here are three ways to ensure your top candidate says “yes” to the job.

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Anything to Help

“Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” (Saint Francis of Assisi)

This winter there was a snowstorm resulting in a 50-car pileup on the Ohio turnpike, which included some fatalities and dozens of motorists stranded in the freezing weather.

Some administrators from a nearby school district didn’t just see the news and feel sorry for all of those people.

No, they saw an opportunity to make a bad situation a little bit better.

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Leaders Growing Leaders: John Gray

Today’s guest on the “LEADERS GROWING LEADERS” series is John Gray, athletic director at Kankakee Valley HS in Indiana. 

During the “Leaders Growing Leaders” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network, Jamy Bechler talks with leaders about how they are growing and developing other leaders.

The series tries to examine how various leaders are making the people around them better and building a stronger, healthier culture.

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Leaders Growing Leaders: Mike McGurk

Today’s guest on the “LEADERS GROWING LEADERS” series is Mike McGurk, athletic director at Lee’s Summit North HS in Missouri and President of the NIAAA. 

During the “Leaders Growing Leaders” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network, Jamy Bechler talks with leaders about how they are growing and developing other leaders.

The series tries to examine how various leaders are making the people around them better and building a stronger, healthier culture.

[Read more…]

2021-2022 Student-Athletes of the Year

 

Student-Athlete of the Year Award Winners Announced

The Leadership Playbook announces the 2021-2022 Student-Athlete of the Year Award Winners

Akron, OH:  TheLeadershipPlaybook.com has announced their 2021-2022 Student-Athlete of the Year recipients. The award honors those individuals who exemplify sportsmanship, positive leadership, or good teamwork.

The 2021-2022 Student-Athlete of the Year recipients are …

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Leaders Growing Leaders: Don Baker

Today’s guest on the “Leaders Developing Leaders” series is Don Baker, Cobb County School (GA) District Director of Athletics.

During the “Leaders Growing Leaders” series on the Success is a Choice Podcast Network, Jamy Bechler talks with leaders on how they are growing and developing other leaders.

The series tries to examine how various leaders are making the people around them better and building a stronger, healthier culture.

[Read more…]

Piles of Mail

“First get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats, and then they can figure out where to drive it.” (Jim Collins, Good to Great)

During the summer of my first year as an AD, we hired a brand new secretary. On her first day, she put all the mail that had been piling up for the last month into a big black trash bag and threw it in the dumpster.

In all fairness, it looked like a big pile of trash with all of the catalogs from equipment, award, and apparel businesses. But there were a few letters and other important stuff mixed in.

Obviously, I was not happy. However, she was just trying to help out and we were in the midst of redecoration and redesign of the athletic department so she thought this was right in line with what we were trying to do.

Regardless, I went dumpster diving and also learned a great lesson.

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Episode 142: Karissa Niehoff, NFHS Executive Director

Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff is the executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is the first female to head the national leadership organization for high school athletics and performing arts activities and the sixth full-time executive director of the NFHS, which celebrated its 100th year of service during the 2018-19 school year. She previously was executive director of the Connecticut Association of Schools-Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for seven years.

In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • The state of high school athletics (recorded prior to Covid-19)
  • Advice for how parents can help their kids best
  • Challenges & opportunities facing high school athletics
  • Qualities of great coaches
  • … and so much more!!!

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Episode 019: IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox

Bobby Cox is the Commissioner of the Indiana High School Athletic Association. He became the 8th commissioner in Indiana history when he took the reigns in 2011. Prior to that appointment, he had served as assistant commissioner since 2000 administering the sports of football, boys’ golf, boys’ and girls’ track and field, and wrestling.  Previously, Cox was a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Football Rules Committee serving as the Chairman of the Research subcommittee from 2008-2011. Additionally, Cox served as a member of the NFHS Coaches’ Education committee from 2002-2006 and as an advisor to the Commission on Sports Medicine of the Indiana State Medical Association. Prior to joining the IHSAA, Cox had spent the previous 21 years as a teacher, coach, and athletic administrator in the Carmel Clay Schools.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
  • What parents can do to help develop their kids
  • Common traits that the best coaches share
  • The future of high school sports

[Read more…]

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