Click the tweet to see Mark’s quote.
If you’re not familiar with this man, consider this your introduction.
His schtick?
Coach’s goal is to make themselves redundant as quickly as possible.
Redundant is a fancy word for “not needed”
I put a system in place for the junior team to talk among themselves between periods.
Hint: Learned that from Mark
If I’m making speeches in November, December, and into March… I fucked up.
And if I’m talking in August, September, and October, I’m sure as fuck not speaking first.
Why? Here’s Mark:
Kids are smart, kids can solve problems, we used to do it in the 90s on the playground.
Create the environment, teach them the tool to use in this situation, then… Let them use the tool.
Is there a time for me to step in, teach a slight adjustment, and steer the conversation back into something constructive instead of destructive? Yep. It’s not black and white… But, huge but…
But like Mark said, they need to talk first so you can learn where they ‘need’ clarity. This is needs-centered coaching.
Let’s do a 2-for-1 lesson deal. Here is a 2nd one.
Different and Better is Scary to the Old Guard
Talking about stuff like this, and dummy runs, and how coaches are less important than we think, gets me thrown out of interviews…
Explain to a coach that you don’t make intermission speeches to a guy that has been throwing trash cans and delivering top-down messages for his 20-year career, he ain’t gonna want a piece of you. It’s different, it’s threatening.
I’ve tried to bring up one esoteric, weird, or different and better idea in every interview for the last 2 years to qualify them. If they are open and start asking about that. If their ears perk up, that’s a good sign for me.
If they get defensive, look at me like I’m nuts and ghost me after the interview, it was for the best that we don’t work together.
I’m not chasing a job, I’m attracting one.
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P.P.S
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