Champion Behavior

The culture precedes positive results.

Champions behave like champions

before they’re champions;

they have a winning standard of performance

before they are winners.

– Bill Walsh

I paid my dues! I deserve to play!

Whenever our group gathers someone will invariably let go with "I paid my dues!" drawing a round of chuckles from those present.  The members of this group played on the same team years ago. We were a better than average team, but not an exceptional one. As can often be the case, the friendships established through competing together against others has lasted through the years. There are many good memories that bind us together. Great plays, championships won and lost. Fellowship before and after games. "I paid my dues!" is the single memory that most resonates with this group.

The team gathered throughout the preseason to work on technique, tactics, conditioning and developing an identity of who we would collectively be on the field of play.  We struggled through difficult practices, various bumps bruises and injuries, learning to play together against other teams. Well, most of the team did.  There was this one guy who signed up and paid to play, but was largely absent from preseason activities.

On opening night the team was jazzed with nervous energy. We were excited to get the season underway. We were pumped!  Ready to go into athletic battle with our buddies and see how we measured up against another team. I mean OPENING NIGHT, right!?

We came out strong and the game was going our way. Everything was clicking and we went up big early. Comfortably in control at the break our coaches were reminding us to stick with the game plan in the second half. We were to treat the second half as if the score were 0-0. Be disciplined and play as we practiced, as we had prepared to play and as we played in the first half.  That's when Donny stood up and proclaimed "I paid my dues! I deserve to play too!"

Well, Donny was the guy who skipped practices and other team functions. He missed out on so much preparation to play that I didn't even think of him as a teammate. He was more ... well, in the context of the team ... he just was.

As we prepared to play the second half the coach asked Donny to remain behind.  They had a short talk before joining us on the field.  About the only thing I remember is Donny looking very angry as we took the field.  After we won the game and were coming off the field congratulating one another I do not recall if Donny was present or not.  I never saw Donny in the context of the team again. What had been a friendly off-the-field relationship took on a decided chill.

Our coach eventually shared with us what was communicated to Donny at halftime of that first game. The message was an eye opener to me and I think to each of my teammates. After a fast start to the season we had hit a lull. No, not a lull, we were in a prolonged losing streak. This is when Ross, our coach, shared with us the gist of the message he had delivered to Donny.

Donny had paid his money for the right to be a part of our club, our team. This is what Donny meant when he had proclaimed "I paid my dues! I deserve to play!"  Coach Ross had a bit different idea about what it meant to pay one's dues.  He told Donny he would not give him anything that was not earned, including playing time. To give playing time to anyone who had not earned it through properly preparing to play would be lowering the club and team standards. When Donny had begun to explain he had to work, suffered an injury and had had other commitments, Coach Ross shut him down with a simple "No excuses."  Coach went on to point out that even being present at practices was not good enough. There would be no reward for merely participating. Everyone was expected to give a full effort every day.  Healthy and active or injured and inactive physically - it did not matter. You need to be attentive and contribute. There was no room on a successful team for laziness or mediocrity in effort given to the team. He ended by telling Donny that he had been disrespectful to him as the coach, his teammates and perhaps most importantly to the opportunity paying his monetary dues had afforded him.  Furthermore, by disrupting halftime of a team event with such a display of selfishness he had announced how unappreciative and ungrateful he actually was as it concerned representing the club and the team.

So, while the lasting impression we have of Donny is "I paid my dues!"  the lasting lesson Donny contributed to is monetary dues hold little to no value in team sports.  The actual dues that matter most in team situations are being present and contributing positively in whatever manner one can. Those were the expectations for our team. Those were standards we set and upheld.  No excuses. Just give the best, most intelligent, effort to the team each and every day.  Being present is not enough - ask "what can I do for my team" and do it.  Even when injured - conduct stretching, practice the team's communication, do rehab work in an effort to return to play or be a cheerleader offering encouragement to your teammates. Be active in the team process. Never take for granted the opportunity to be a part of the team.  Pay your (non-monetary) dues!

High Character. Leadership. Standards.

In the context of team sports, I believe the word leadership refers primarily to high character. That is, the people who are positive leaders think of and act intentionally on behalf of the team.  They commit to using their leadership abilities to engage in the call to progress in the process. This is accomplished by building up and strengthening the quality of relationships between teammates which in turn strengthens the quality of teamwork through the development of trust among team membership.

There is no such thing as a team not having leadership.  Every team has leadership. It is only the quality of leadership that can be called into question.  In the absence of strong high character leadership, self-serving negative leadership will be the standard.

Leaders set the standards by which the team will be judged. If the leadership will not adhere to the higher standards set for the team, there can be no expectation for the team membership to adhere to even the lowest of team's standards.  The higher the standards team leadership holds itself to the higher the standards they can reasonably expect to hold their teammates to.

The question then becomes, what are the standards your leadership will set for their team?

Standards and Success

If you do not hold teammates ACCOUNTABLE 

to the team's STANDARDS 

you not only hurt their chances for success, 

you hurt YOUR chances for SUCCESS.

Attitude. Work Ethic. Productivity

I've been pondering what makes one team more efficient and effective than another team. By no means is this a scientific undertaking, It is very much my musings on observations I have made about teams I have been a part of in one capacity or another.

Mission. Goals. Standards.

Teams with a clearly defined mission tend to be successful. The mission statement defines who we are and what we are about. Separate from a mission statement are a team's goals. These can and should range from short term goals to long range goals. The goals can be viewed as stepping stones toward fulfilling the mission. Standards are how we are going to go about achieving our goals. What behaviors are acceptable and which are unacceptable.

Communication and Respect.

Among the standards successful teams share are effective communication and respect.  All opinions are welcomed and valued. Beginning in the 1980's a cottage industry came to the fore that focuses on team bonding activities. Both the corporate world and the sports world has taken advantage of such activities to promote effective communication, conflict resolution, the organizational structure and decision making process. The underlying premise is every team member is acknowledged and valued for the contributions they make towards the team's goals and fulfilling the team's mission,

Cooperation and Teamwork

Together Everyone Achieves More. Effective teams have a spirit of cooperation and collaboration. All voices are heard in the decision making process. Team members who trust the decision-making process tend to cooperate even the when a decision is not entirely to their liking. When teamwork extends beyond the field and into every facet of the team buy-in to team philosophy, mission and goals comes much easier.

Appearance and Character

A former coach of mine was fond of saying, "If you want to be a champion, you need to look the part." At first I thought this meant we had to tuck in our shirts and pull up our socks.  I came to realize the dress code was only a very small part of it. How our team was perceived and how the team perceived itself was the lesson being imparted to us. Team rules and standards of conduct.  Conduct detrimental to the team mission, goals and standards cannot be tolerated. In short, the personal decision making process begins with, if your behavior or conduct would reflect negatively on the team, don't do it.

Attendance

My high school coaching mentor addressed attendance in one brief sentence, Attendance is mandatory and will be punctual. One unexcused absence or tardiness resulted in suspension. A repeat offence resulted in dismissal from the team. This might sound strict, but Coach understood that disruptions to the team caused by unexcused absences and tardiness reduced productivity. Unexcused absences affect and impact the entire team in a negative sense. Being recognized as a dependable teammate is a prerequisite to earning trust. Dealing consistently with misconduct in a manner positive to the team's mission, goals and standards directly impacts trust, respect and productivity.

Organization

In many ways it is how a team structure is organized that determines its Attitude, Work Ethic and Productivity. If the organization is sub par, then productivity will likely be less efficient than it should be. Ownership is a shared responsibility.  If the team is set up as a dictatorship with the coach in the lead role it will be difficult for team members to fully buy-in to his process because they will not view it as their process.  It's difficult to fully enjoy an experience when it's not yours to enjoy. Ownership or lack thereof also impacts ones motivation.  If you feel ownership of the team, you are much more likely to be self-motivated as team performance will reflect directly on you as a member of that team.

To end I will tell the story of Alex.  I was coaching a club team comprised of the very best players in the area. I hand selected this team not only on talent, but on attitude, character and maturity.  Still, early on the team was not performing at peak level. Then we faced a disciplinary issue involving a member of the team. We discussed the situation with the team captains. When an agreement was reached as to what the discipline would be our lead captain, Alex, took charge.  The captains, led by Alex, met with the individual. They described the conduct detrimental to the team and informed the offender of his discipline.  I thought we might lose the player, but we did not. He was not happy, but it came to be a turning point for both the player and the team as a whole. The team rose to new heights and went on to a tremendously successful season. The player who had committed the violation of team conduct became a very productive team member who contributed significantly to our success.

The team captains took responsibility and addressed the situation and individual on their own, but with full support of the coaching staff.  I spoke with the individual in question after the captains had addressed him, but this was only necessary so that he understood I supported the captains decision. I had their backs on this.

If we had not upheld the teams mission and standards at that point in time our season might well have been lost. Thankfully we had an organizational structure in place that allowed us to address the issue with positivity and within the framework of expectations and the standards of how we wanted our team to be viewed and remembered.

Conditioning and Training

Every team conditions and trains

 

It's not that you do these things

 

It's the standards your adhere to

 

while doing these things.

Captains and Standards

The Way We Do Anything

is the

Way We Do Everything.

Standards are so very important to a teams success so it makes sense the selection of the standard bearers, or Captains, is one of the most critical decisions to be made.  I know some coaches who allow team members to decide by vote who will lead them. Other coaches refuse to allow the players to make such a crucial decision fearing a popularity vote instead of a serious objective vote. Other coaches will take a blended approach - the team votes in one Captain and the coach appoints another Captain.

In the end, the standards set for the team and enforced by the Captains are the foundation that will be built upon. Hopefully the program will have strong traditions to help guide the Captains. If not, there exists the added opportunity for your Captains to build tradition through their leadership of their team.

One of the things my teams hear ad nauseam from me is to hold one another accountable. I urge them to not allow corners to be cut in even the simplest activities. They are constantly reminded that if they cut a corner in training, they will most assuredly cut a corner in the match for the way we do anything is the way we will do everything.

Your Captains should be the players who hold themselves to the highest standards and demand that everyone else adheres to those standards as well. Only then will you have a team capable of achieving to its full potential.

The same standards apply to all.

If you are regular follower of the CBA Soccer Blog you will know I am a fan of the University of Michigan. This dates back to my early childhood and the legendary American football coach Bo Schembechler.  I remember being captivated by the tradition he accentuated for and the honor he demanded of those who donned the Maize and Blue. I first heard the term "Humble Pride" used to describe how a "Michigan Man" was to carry himself on the field and on his walk through life.

"The fastest way to demoralize an entire team

is to make exceptions for the stars.

Everyone sees it; everyone resents it."

~ Bo Schembechler ~

You cannot have high standards

 

without

 

Dedication and Discipline

What's the difference?

With every camp season I discover new facets of the game to consider. This summer the differences between programs / teams seems to always be at the forefront of my thoughts. After a recent camp session I overheard two parents discussing the prospects for the coming season.  Their children play for a program on the upswing and the conversation was about the difference between where their program was, where it is now and those programs that are still clearly better.

They ticked off a list of similarities - conditioning, weight training, summer camp, preseason tournaments, skill sessions, two-a-days, kids playing club soccer, active booster programs to support the team. The list of similarities seemingly went on and on.  The sentiment was "We are doing everything other teams do so why aren't we experiencing the same level of success?"

Standards.

Yes, every team does the same things so it becomes about the standards set for doing those things.  What are the expectations when preparing to play and is everyone held accountable to those standards? What separates the really good teams from everyone else is the difference between what is allowed and what is demanded in meeting the standards set for a team.  The really good teams demand excellence where everyone else wishes or hopes for excellence as if it is something that can be granted. 

Many teams go through the motions or play at being excellent. They talk the talk but don't walk the walk. There is little accountability for meeting and maintaining levels of excellence and so their overall standards are much lower than those of the really good teams and consequentially so too is their quality of play on the pitch.

If your team wants better success, set higher standards and demand they be met by holding everyone accountable to them.