Last year soon after Star Wars: The Force Awakens was first being promoted I began to watch the first three Star Wars movies with my children. Not the first three but the GOOD “first three”. I refuse to ever gaze upon Jar Jar Binks again. I wanted to get caught up to speed with Skywalker, Vader, and Chewbacca knowledge so I could truly appreciate the new installment released in December of 2015.
Christmas arrived at light speed which meant light sabers were requested by my two oldest children from Santa. After Santa’s gifts were unwrapped I heard my five-year old daughter scream – the result of a toy saber slash from my 7-year old son.
I realized I needed to control my young Padawans (Jedi in training). That’s right…I know what a Padawan is, mostly because the Star Wars Level 1 book details characters and is a popular choice of my 3 year old before bed.
A light bulb went off…wait…a Light “Saber” Bulb: Was I Obi-Wan Kenobi and was it my duty to train my young Padawans to use the FORCE for good and not evil?
My brain started doing what my brain does…and before I knew it, I realized that the Jedi could help people become better coaches.
As a coach, you tend to call other coaches for advice, insight, or just to vent about your team. A while back, a program who hired my Find A Way Consulting was struggling with “growing pains” of their young team which included a lot of losing.
In thinking about young teams my mind kept coming back to the success I had while coaching and building my team at Green Bay. Our staff put together one of the best teams in the history of the school.
How did we do that? What was the magic? Were we more talented? Did we out coach everyone?
Our talent was arguably better. And I think we did a good job coaching the team, but there were several coaches in the league that were very good. However, I think we capitalized on our talent and in the final analysis I think that player consistency was key to the success of our championship team and program. It was the most important thing. We became champions over time, not overnight.
Whether it be my children and their young classmates and teammates or a professional team with a bunch of rookies, the key coaching principle is the same – consistency. It’s nearly impossible to put a winning team together in an instant. You don’t wake up on third base and think you hit a triple. It takes time and proper planning.
Teams and players seem to want quick success more than ever before. Too often today we see parents and players run to another team, blame the coach, blame the other kids, or start up an entirely new team.
The great Jedi Master, Obi-Wan didn’t believe in this mindset. Obi-Wan builds dynasties, not one hit wonders like Right Said Fred did with “I’m Too Sexy”.
Obi-Wan believed in consistency in his coaching of young Padawans. He believed in finding the right talent and learning where they fit. He believed in knowing their weaknesses and in keeping the “dark side” out where he could. (See “Keeping The Dark Side Out” post).
At the end of the 2015-16 NCAA basketball season there were over 700 student athletes that transferred by June. I am not here to debate why these people are transferring. Heck, I transferred. I’d like to think my reason was pretty solid being that my dad was the head coach and my 2.3 points per game may have gotten him fired! I am sure a lot of people who transfer think their reasons are justified as well.
The transfer number is simply crazy. Consistency is a rarity. Having consistency does not just mean having the same players. At Green Bay we had several transfers. But in the end we kept the players that mattered. Sounds harsh, but it is true. Players are going to leave, but you have to fight to keep the ones that truly are special. Special doesn’t mean the best player. It does mean the player that fits a role on your team. You must build a team of players who know their role, accept their role, and want to become a star in that role.
Allowing your team to grow and develop over time into your vision as a coach is not immediate, but it is rewarding. Having a consistent message and work ethic is vital. It enhances itself when you have player consistency from year to year.
It goes hand in hand with parenting. My team consists of a 7,5, and 3 year old. I know that I have three stars “All-League” players. Having the ability to have a constant message to my three kids is so important. I cannot be inconsistent in my teachings to them. I remind my three-year old every hour to “go potty”. She has gotten better at it over time although not quite mastered it yet through the night. The last thing I need or want is to lose her to transfer and have to start potty training all over again!
