Core Values: Operating philosophies or principles that guide an organizations internal conduct. Your team actions and behaviors should reflect your core.

Core Values: Operating philosophies or principles that guide an organizations internal conduct.Your team actions and behaviors should reflect your core values.

• Great coaches hold their players accountable to standards higher than victory.

• What do you stand for? • Good work habits or shortcuts? Poise or

temper? Teamwork or selfishness? • When we watch your team, what will we see

from your players?

Intentionally Teach Character

• Teaching character will cause your team to play at a higher level. - Michael Jordan should know, "Talent may win games, but teamwork

and intelligence wins championships." Teach character like you'd teach any skill:

• 1. Define-Set specific, age appropriate, clear and concise expectations.

2. Model-Show what your value looks like in an action setting. Demonstrate.

3. Shape-Rehearse potential problem situations. Praise good examples. Confront poor ones.

4. Reinforce-Positive verbal reinforcement for anything that comes closer to the desired behavior. Use names and the specific action you're reinforcing.

Define the Value

• Athletic Definition• What you want them to learn• Decide what is important to you and find ways to make it

important to them• Have team define first, ask where they’re at, to see

where you want them to go

• Age appropriate• Brainstorm with TEAM if time permits• Not just top down, but bottom up• It will mean more to them if they can be a part of

defining what is important

#1 COMMITMENT and WORK ETHIC

• Self Motivated: • Strong desire to improve• Eager to learn and seek information (“teachable spirit”)• Willingness to subject oneself to hard, productive work

• Goal Oriented:• Focused on a particular course of action• Persistent in pursuit of attaining goals/objectives• Resilient in ability to recover quickly from misfortune• High expectations

• Buy In:• A commitment to a specific course of action. A belief in the system • Selflessness and willingness to make sacrifices

Model the Value

• Demonstration• Blueprint of behavioral expectations• Show them “What it Looks Like”• Have them tell you “how should you respond”

• Rehearse Potential Problems• Body language• Managing Frustration• Reaction to Bad Calls• Poise in the face of temper or bad behavior

Shaping the Value

• Molding the Behavior• Shape what they are doing• What is acceptable and Not acceptable

• “Who showed great Work Ethic Today in Practice?”• “What specifically impressed you that they did?”• “Player X, great job today… did anyone stand out to

you?”• Leaders presenting concepts to team

#2 COMMUNICATION and TRUST

• Relationships:• Coach to Coach/Player to Player/Player to Coach• Productive, caring, supportive “working” relationships with all team members and coaches• Everyone has ownership: Coaches should be open and available; Veterans should listen, teach and involve all

members; Newcomers should strive to involve themselves and have a voice• Be honest, open, genuine and venerable • Be patient in that great relationships are built over time• Take time and make effort to know each other• Be inclusive

• Perspective/Acceptance:• Understand that we are not all in the same place (experience, maturity, security, priorities)• Accept and understand diversity and differences• Be yourself, and be comfortable with who you are and where you are at right now, we are all a work in progress• Keep things in perspective (minimize drama)

• Conflict Management/Resolution:• Solve quickly and directly (face-to-face, not electronic)• Strive for 2-way communication and understanding• Give productive feedback and examples• Keep conflicts between you and the other team member or staff person• Ability to speak, direct and accept information (including times of stress or when there is not time for

conversation/explanation)• Trust that all members approach and communicate out of care, concern and competitiveness and that someone cares

enough to want to help and work with you• Avoid taking comments/criticism personally; everyone communicates differently

Reinforce the Value

• MAKE A DAILY COMMITMENT TO VALUES• Spotlighting

• Positive reinforcement results in the strongest change• Have players recognize each other (molding)

• Quotes and Messages• Have your athletes give you quotes, write them up that day and

have them talk about what that quote means to them

• Awards• Greatest principle of motivation – Things that get rewarded, get

done, and will perpetuate themselves• Poker Chip• Puzzle

#3 CONFIDENCE & BELIEFThe ability to have faith in something; a positive outlook and to approach with hope and enthusiasm. A belief in yourself, someone or something.

• Preparation:• Gain knowledge, understanding and experience• Surround yourself with a positive support structure• Set high expectations • Demonstrate ability; work with discipline and attempt to prepare the same way, over and over• Take ownership; you have an immense amount of control over how you prepare• Acknowledge your own success; point out positives for yourself• Gaining confidence is a process (to be worked on daily, as in any other skill)• Align your words and actions; your heart and your mind

• Success:• Confidence is carried gracefully, not arrogant or boastful• Expect that you can and will succeed• It’s not just about you; take pride in the accomplishments of the team and being part of something bigger than yourself

• Mental Toughness/Recovery:• Let mistakes/adversity go and focus on the next play• Eating dirt is a necessary process • Everyone will go through a slump• Learn to fail and keep trying• Don’t be afraid to take risks• Manage your emotions; be an energy giver…not an energy taker• Be determined & resilient

• Build others up:• Recognize accomplishments and moments of excellence in others• Give constructive feedback in a positive way• Celebrate what is good in each other• Show respect. Bringing others down only shows insecurity/immaturity

#4 COMPETITIVENESS• Will to Win:

• Embrace opportunities to compete, make themselves and everyone better• Willingness to take risk, not afraid to fail• Hates to lose, takes losing personally• Thrives in challenging environments and in pressure situations• Intensity - Channels emotions in a positive and productive way • Swagger - Strong belief in their own abilities• Comfortable being uncomfortable• Can vs. Can’t mentality• Focuses on strengths & what they are good at, while working to minimize weaknesses• Wants to win each drill, each game, each sprint• Passionate• Invincible – Bad Ass attitude• Mentally strong

• Desire to be the best:• Resilient• Doesn’t whine or make excuses• Drive - Competes with themselves • Supports and appreciates those who want to be the best• Relentless - Always striving for more• Understands that they can’t do it by themselves and need others to win• Winning and team success overshadows personal/individual accomplishments• Doesn’t focus on fair/unfair…just gets the job done• Unsatisfied - Always thinks that they should/could do more• Desire comes from within and is Contagious

• Want to be measured/evaluated/compared:• Finds competition enjoyable and fun• Values day to day challenges• Result oriented, likes keeping score• Embraces and accepts that you must fail to succeed. • You have to know where you are at, to know where you want to go• Achieving standards/goals is a daily investment and step-by-step process

#5 CHARACTER: ACCOUNTABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY

• Preparedness:• Effortful study: taking challenges that lie just beyond one’s competence. • Disciplined: Striving to do things the right way all of the time• Ownership: Be willing to do more than what is directly asked of you• “Show up”. Emotionally, mentally and physically present and ready/willing to receive feedback as a compliment• Organized, detailed and task oriented• Manage your time

• Integrity/Reliability: • Accept responsibility for your actions & do not blame others for your misfortunes• Consistent in your words and actions: Keep your promises• Reliable & dependable: someone who can be counted upon• Honest & trustworthy: Always tell the truth, even if it is embarrassing• Be Selfless: Accept whatever role you earn and continue to embrace opportunities to do/be more. Make someone else

better for the greater good of the team• Character/Lifestyle:

• Principled: Determine your values and morals• Decision making: Be aware that you and your actions are a reflection on all of us• Example: a positive role model • Influence: be impactful on others in a productive way• Support Structure: Surround yourself with people who support your efforts as a student-athlete and understand your

time commitments and priorities. • Composure/poise: Don’t freak out over small issues or create drama when none should exist. Control the things that

are within your control• Respect: Show appreciation to and for the people that are working hard to help you be successful• Personality: Be likable, accepting, helpful, caring

Team Progression • Individuals

• Team members looking out for themselves, a collection of people dressed alike

• Friends• Like each other, everyone gets along, but relationships are still only on the

surface

• Caring• Team members have a genuine and deep caring for each other on and off the

court, can speak honestly to each other

• Demanding • Team members have developed the trust to be able to pull more out of each

other in a competitive way with relationships strong enough to know that it comes from a place of caring

• Self Monitoring / Standards enforced on and off the court• Team members hold each other accountable and accept responsibility

The Truth is….

• Athletics does not teach character, coaches and parents do– Coaches who intentionally, purposefully incorporate character into

their practices, strategies, and coaching style• 70% of all young people stop competing in a team sport by age

12– The #1 reason young people give, is they no longer have fun

• If expectations become greater than their abilities, it will be a long season• Discuss expectations and goals with your team members individually• Have players share their expectations and goals with their parents

• “In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities – integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don’t have the first one (integrity), the other two will kill you” - Warren Buffett

Character Web Sites• www.asep.com American Sports Education Program• www.character.org The Character Education Partnership• www.charactercounts.org Character Counts!• www.goodcharacter.com/Sports.html Character and Sports• www.josephsoninstitute.org Josephson Institute of Ethics• www.positivecoach.org Positive Coaching Alliance• www.sportsethicsinstitute.org The Sports Ethics Institute• www.sportsmanship.org Citizenship through Sports Alliance• www.championsofcharacter.org NAIA Champions of Character• www.proactivecoaching.info Proactive Coaching• www.ncys.org/mytp/home/index.html National Council of Youth Sports