The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Coaches

One of the most successful business self-help books in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. I recommend it as a "must read" by anyone interested in reaching his/her full human potential. The book presents an approach to being effective in reaching goals by following "true north." He divides the habits into three categories: independence or self-mastery (habits 1-3), interdependence (habits 4-6) and renewal (habit 7).

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
1. Be Proactive
2. Begin with the End in Mind
3. Put First Things First
4. Think Win-Win
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
6. Synergize
7. Sharpen the Saw

These habits are universal principles that lead individuals to being effective, no matter the endeavor - including being a coach. The idea of the habits of highly effective people has been applied to almost every industry in America. Wayne Goldsmith gives expert advice for sports coaching success and shared his perspective with The Ten Habits of High Effective Coaches.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Coaches
1. Make training more challenging and more demanding than the competition your athletes are targeting
2. Learn and develop as a coach at a faster rate than your athletes
3. Accelerate your rate of learning faster than your opposition
4. Enhance your creative thinking skills
5. Coach individuals - even in team sports
6. Ensure that every athlete that you work with out prepares (in every aspect) their opposition
7. Adapt your training plans and programs to optimize their impact on each individual athlete at every training session
8. Performance practice - not practice makes perfect
9. Adopt an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to talent development and performance enhancement
10. Lead

I will be taking the next few weeks to dig deeper on the habits of highly effective coaches by putting a wrestling spin on each one.

Thinking outside the box as a coach

This week marks the beginning of the high school wrestling season in Wisconsin. I was fortunate to take part in the starting process for a few schools this year. I saw some new, innovative ideas as well as many mediocre and stagnant approaches that are prevalent in our sport.

The best programs and best coaches are creative. They communicate well and have passion and commitment, however, they have the secret ingredient that's also available to everyone else: the desire to think outside the box.

Coaches and leaders discuss ideas to spur "outside the box" thinking. They're often interested in trying something new. They claim to be looking for real innovation, genuine creativity and ideas to give them an advantage over their competition or build a program with the numbers to compete with basketball, hockey and other opportunities offered in their community. However, most aren't really looking for something "outside the box." What they're really looking for is a way to continue selling the same thing in a different way. For something that makes their current "box" a little bigger so it can hold more of the same stuff. Or they want short term, quick fix solutions using the "box" analogy. They want some nice wrapping paper and a pretty ribbon to make the old "box" look new. Thinking outside the box often requires something entirely different than what we're used to.

Sport is inherently conservative and therefore it doesn't progress as quickly as it could. Many educated and capable leaders choose the status quo because it's comfortable and predictable. They opt to do things the way they've always been done. Many times, in spite of the best solution being obvious and readily available, we don't take it, preferring instead to adopt the solution that ruffles the least amount of feathers or causes the fewest waves.

Success in sports is about daring to be different, taking intelligent risks and taking the lead in introducing real breakthroughs by being unique, more innovative and creative than your competition. Coaches who chose comfortable complacency over celebrating creativity are hard pressed in the growth process. Doing what everyone else is doing is boring and results in mediocrity.

So, how do we think outside the box?

1. Look at other sports.
In most sports, coaches are stuck in their ways. If they consider a different approach, it's probably from another coach within their sport. Thanks to the Internet, anyone can find anything at any time for free, so the chances of finding a winning edge or breakthrough by looking within your sport is very low. Look at other sports, other coaches and other athletes outside your sport for athletic principles that can be applied to all areas of life and sport. Every above average wrestling coach watches the Technique Wave on FloWrestling. How many are picking the cross country coach's brain to understand periodized training at a higher level?

2. Look beyond sports.
Sports are a very small part of society. There are many other professionals who perform with precision in high pressured situations on a daily basis. There are great teachers who have mastered scenario based learning and differentiated educational plans in order to maximize the learning potential of every student. Anyone who is successful in an endeavor possess desire and drive similar to that of a successful athlete. They can all help take your coaching abilities to a new level. Take 20 minutes to view one of many TED Talks and you'll quickly understand that if you're only looking to sports to help you become a better coach, you've only just scratched the surface.

3. Look inside.
As human beings, we have an unlimited capacity to love and imagine. We're only limited by our willingness. Creativity is taking your imagination and dreams and turning them into actions and behaviors. Ignoring that "little voice" with all of the ideas and crazy thoughts is limiting your potential and keeping you from being the man or woman you were created to be. Who we are is on the inside, so let your light shine. Successful coaches use their strengths and ideas effectively. They don't try to be the person their coach or mentor was.

This is what it looks like to think outside the box:

Nissan - Wouldn't It Be Cool - Sentra 2013 from danDifelice on Vimeo.

The End of an American Icon: Hostess Brands

In 1930, the first Twinkie rolled out of the oven. The "Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling" made it's mark on American snack food history, but it's legacy is coming to an abrupt end today.

Hostess Brands announced that it is ceasing plant operations and laying off most of its 18,500 employees. It stated that it intended to sell off all of its assets, including Twinkies, and liquidate. This is a sad day for America.

Twinkies popularity soared in the 1950's because it sponsored the 'Howdy Doody Show.' It was also relevant in popular culture in the '60s. Archie Bunker from 'All In the Family' got a Twinkie in his lunch everyday. The Twinkie remained a part of television throughout each decade (remember Ghostbusters in the '80s?). Apu from 'The Simpsons' even stated, "You cannot hurt the Twinkie." Well, despite Bill Clinton insisting that it should be in the millenium time capsule alongside a piece of the Berlin Wall, the Twinkie is more than hurt. It's dead. Clinton said that it is an "object of enduring American symbolism." Ironically, it seems the conclusion of this confectionary creation of Hostess symbolizes America and its politics of today quite well.

It took more than 40,000 miles of plastic wrap to wrap a year's production of Twinkies. I always appreciated the little residue of gooey cake that stuck to that clear plastic wrapper. It was my favorite part.

Twinkies have a shelf-life of twenty-five days. The recipe for the Twinkie contains no dairy products, which prolongs its freshness. The rumors of Twinkies lasting forever aren't true. My boys had their first Twinkie today, so even if I were to stock pile, it will likely be their last.

Opening scene: an indoor playground

The Giggle Factory. An indoor playground full of runny noses and estrogen is where I chose to take the boys this morning. We go there occasionally so they can go down the slides, but they seem to be interested only in the snacks.

We were the first ones there this morning and enjoyed almost ten minutes of the entire place to ourselves. It was exciting to see Isaiah taking risks and Micaiah thoroughly enjoying himself. Then the flood gates opened.

As a preferred location for "play dates," when a mother of four rolls in, she's usually there to meet a few girlfriends who bring their children, too. Pandemonium ensues. Within 20 minutes, the Giggle Factory is home to over 30 kids and 16 parents (only 2 dads). Moms are frantically chasing their kids around the facility attempting to micromanage their activity and apply hand sanitizer to every square inch of exposed skin. One conversation near the padded stairs turns into tears because Mom is no less than smothering her rambunctious bambino. All at once, it seems, each mom throws up her hands and collectively decides to let kids be kids. A few moms head for the espresso bar for snacks and refreshments. My kids had been munching on Goldfish crackers back there since the others arrived, mind you. The women frantically dig in their diaper bags for spare change amidst the baby wipes and pre-packed snacks so they can buy something to take the edge off. They choose cappuccino, because vodka-tonic or margaritas aren't on the menu.

Kids being kids is a joyous sight. Genuine jubilation for life is difficult to ignore. I watch my boys climb, slide, jump and laugh without a care in the world. This is the life.

Then, in comes that mom. Judgmental stares emerge above the cardboard cappuccino mugs. Stares followed by more stares. You know who she is. The mom who lost all her additional "baby weight" during labor and probably wore 3-inch heels and skinny jeans home from the hospital. She's wearing slouch cuffed knee high boots and low rise silhouette True Religions that appear to be painted on. Where did she even fit a baby? Of course, she's accompanied by a crew of spiky haired little boys who double as a Gap models. They look more like accessories than her children. The mom who was wincing earlier from hitting her head on a pole in an area that was way too small for her makes a few snarky comments under breath, rolls her eyes and looks to the espresso bar to re-confirm that they don't have a top shelf of special drinks for the moms that aren't pregnant or nursing.

The other dad is lost on a smart phone, likely in a world of Fantasy Football updating his roster and my boys are already asking for round two of snacks when a "child care collaborative" group in matching yellow shirts arrives. The Giggle Factory has officially turned into a zoo. Almost 40 kids have morphed into animals. Isaiah observes the raucous, munching on Goldfish. How do I explain to him that this is actually normal behavior...for chimpanzees?

Three little boys gang up on a smaller boy and engage in a beating that looks like something from Robert DeNiro's A Bronx Tale. I almost step in to break it up. No one disciplines the three bullies, so I begin to plan my exit strategy in case these little guys start something with my kids. I think: if they so much as look at my kids, I might do something that I regret. I digress.

Seriously? Seriously. The dad who I thought was updating his roster in time for tonight's game on the NFL Network was actually summoning the troops for a birthday party. Enter more 3 year olds. I thought he was responsibly just letting his kids be crazy like dads do in these settings. I thought we were on the same page. So much for Band of Brothers. He wrote the names of the party goers on clear plastic cups. Head injury mom eyes the cups and reminisces about a time in her early 20's when she would use them for something else. That was long ago.

Another fight breaks out at the bottom of the red slide between two boys who tried to occupy the same space between the slide and the wall. There was scratching and clawing and then screaming and some laughing. A Bronx Tale is soon to become an indoor version of Westside Story on this playground. Sharks vs. Jets (I wonder what side Isaiah and Micaiah are on). Much to the chagrin of everyone over 6 years old, the instigator belonged to Knee High Boots. She was definitely out of her element and suddenly Head Injury felt like she was back in hers.

Isaiah patiently walks in my direction, "Daddy, can I have another snack."

In the back corner I hear rustling. Trying to make out what the little rug rats are saying, I imagine it sounding something like [queue music] "When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way. From you first cigarette till you last dyin' day."

"No, Buddy. I think it's time to go."