Leadership in Coaching: Organizing
Your Program
written by Ed
Fry, Athletic Leadership Instructor, Clemson University
 "Excellence
is not by accident, it is by design."
There are three things that you will
always find in a successful program. These are (1)
organization, (2) the teaching of fundamentals,
and (3) discipline. The first part of this
three part series deals with organizing every aspect of your
program in order to give you, the coach, the best chance to
be successful. Whether you are a going into a new coaching
situation or rebuilding an existing program, it is helpful
to have a good idea of where you are going; to be forward
looking; to begin with the end in mind. A great place to start
is with a mission statement.
Writing a Mission Statement
A well written mission statement is
a brief, but powerful expression of why your program exists.
It clearly defines for everyone your purpose. It conveys a
commitment; a seriousness of purpose to your players. Mission
statements are great public relations tools. Administrators
and board members love them!
To write your own mission statement,
simply ask yourself, "What is the bigger purpose for
our program? What are we really here to do?" Then, in
ten words or less, write down a statement summarizing your
thoughts which conveys the heartbeat of the organization you
are working so hard to build. Below is the mission statement
I developed for my program. It is a statement that expresses
our athlete-centered approach, and that our program exists
for a purpose well-beyond just winning basketball games.
Tamassee-Salem Eagles Mission Statement:
"Our basketball program begins, continues, and ends with
our players."
Writing a Vision Statement
Next, take your mission statement and add human value. What
are the qualities, or core values, you want your program and
your players to be known for long after you are gone? Ask
yourself, "How do I want to be remembered as a coach?"
This is written in the form of a vision statement. Below is
my vision for our program, which expands and explains the
mission statement by adding the qualities we value and promote
through our words and actions.
Tamassee-Salem Vision Statement
"At Tamassee-Salem High School, we will develop a basketball
program which is looked upon as a source of pride by our players,
coaches, school, and community. Our program will be one which
constantly strives to improve in order to better serve our
players, and promotes qualities which are necessary to be
successful long after their playing days are over. These are
commitment, accountability, discipline,
sacrifice, and understanding the relationship
between effort and achievement."
Program Goals
Program goals are your long-term
goals for the program. These goals can be lofty, but need
to be progressive and realistic. I recently finished a successful
tenure at a high school in South Carolina. In the season prior
to my arrival, the basketball team went 1-20, with the average
margin of loss of 25 points per game.
Not long after settling in at my new school, the athletic
director explained to me that a big reason I was selected
by the search committee was that my short-term, intermediate,
and long-term goals for the program were far more realistic
than others who had interviewed for the job. He said that
the other coaches came in with remarks like, "If you
hire me, we will win the state championship!" When I
was asked about my goals for the program, I told the committee
that after 1-20 and losing by 25 points per game, our first
goal would be to teach our kids how to compete! Once we became
competitive, night in-night out, our goal was to win consistently.
Season Goals
Think in terms of what it is you want to accomplish this
season that will help you get closer to your program goals.
If you are taking over a program which is in disarray, your
primary goal this season may be to simply "get your house
in order." If you have a veteran group with some talent,
it may be to win your conference, region, or the state tournament.
Regardless of the potential of your team this year, have several
goals to which your kids can aspire. Jim
Calhoun, Hall of Fame Coach of the UConn Huskies, frequently
advises coaches to ask themselves, "What four things
is your team going to do well this year?" How would you
answer that question?
Game Goals
Game goals provide a very specific map to your team as to
how they can be successful, not only in tonight’s game
but in achieving their goals for the season. These goals should
consist of what you, the coach, consider to be the key elements
of winning. The goals should remain the same from game to
game. This constant reference will sell the players on their
relevance and importance. They also emphasize quality of performance,
rather than playing to the level of your competition. The
elements which make up these goals would obviously be stressed
in your practice sessions. You must talk about them every
day. For example, these were our game goals:
- Commit fewer turnovers than our opponent.
- Get more steals than our opponents.
- Take more charges than our opponents.
- Shoot a higher free throw percentage
than our opponents.
- Convert more fast breaks than our opponent.
- Convert more offensive rebounds than
our opponents.
Individual Goals
We give our players a 3
X 5 card the first day of practice. It serves as their
"goal card." We cover the importance of having a
dream, and they are encouraged to reach beyond their current
grasp. We stress the importance of putting their goals in
writing, and having a well thought out written plan to help
them visualize their goals.
After they have had time for serious thought, we ask our
players to list one or two goals, in three key areas of life,
which they would like to accomplish in the next five months
(the approximate length of basketball season). The three areas,
listed as headings on the card, are (1) personal
life, (2) academics, and (3)
basketball.
It is explained that the order is important as it reflects
priorities in one's life. Personal life includes personal
health and fitness, relationships with friends and family,
and the player's spirituality. If the player's personal life
is in disarray, he is going to struggle in other areas. If
his academic performance is poor, he may lose his opportunity
to play basketball altogether.
The players tape the card in their locker, where they can
see it every time they visit. We talk about the goal cards
often throughout the course of the season as a team, and ask
the players about their progress toward the accomplishment
of their goals when we meet with them individually at different
points of the season. The concept of the goal cards has been
one of the most worthwhile additions we have ever made to
our program.
Conclusion
Coaches are leaders, initially, because of position. Moving
beyond that basic level of leadership requires careful planning,
thought, and a desire to provide those we coach with a program
which is well organized and teaches values that will help
them succeed in sports and in life. Next time, we will discuss
the second thing always found in successful programs, the
teaching of fundamentals.
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