I’m 49 years old but I still cringe when I hear someone call me “Mr. Walsh.” I always introduce myself as Bob, to players, families, any new acquaintances. I have a lot of friends with kids in their teens who call me “Mr. Walsh” and I’m not comfortable with it. Probably because I don’t want […]
Five traits I’ve found common to the best leaders I have ever coached. Curiosity The best leaders have a natural curiosity about the needs of those around them. They have the ability to focus on their own responsibilities, yet remain interested in what is going on with their teammates. It’s not necessarily that they just […]
“Leadership is not a person. It is a process of consistent action.” – Shea Ralph
“We don’t have any signs up that say, “Win a National Championship” or “Win the SEC Championship.” … I tell the players that outcomes are distortions. Let’s just focus on the details. As soon as you worry about winning as opposed to the next play, that’s when you get in trouble.” – Nick Saban
A very interesting excerpt from Nick Nurse’s book Rapture: Other aspects of Mudra’s guidance are not as easily grasped because they really challenge coaching orthodoxy (Nurse is referencing Darrell Mudra and his book “Freedom in the Huddle”). For example: Do not expect your players to be selfless. Do not even expect them to always put […]
Love the message and the composure. Perfect example of a conversational tone to coach your players.
It’s interesting watching the NBA playoffs to see the way the coaches talk to their players. All of the mic’d up segments give good insight into the approach the NBA coaches take. It’s very much a conversation when they are talking to their teams, with a measured tone. There really isn’t a lot of emotion […]
Chris Paul Played JV Basketball. Now He’s Playing in the NBA Finals. Before he was the Point God, he was a junior-varsity point guard—for two years Chris Paul is having one of the greatest, unlikeliest seasons of his career. MARK J. REBILAS/REUTERSSHARE Tim Fuller became the coach of a high school’s junior-varsity basketball team in 2001, […]
From Scientific American Mind Magazine in 2007, talking about the “New Psychology of Leadership.” Effective leaders must understand the values and opinions of their followers – rather than assuming absolute authority – to enable a productive dialogue with team members about what the group stands for and thus how it should act. No fixed set […]
You hear it all the time in basketball coaching circles. The move to the next chair over – from the assistants spot to the head coaches spot – is a big leap. It’s completely different, and something you really can’t get used to until you make the move. I’ve always found that description as being […]