498: Ted Rath - "Do Your Habits Today Align With Your Goals Of Tomorrow?" (VP of Player Performance For The Philadelphia Eagles)

Ted Rath the VP of Player Performance for the Philadelphia Eagles. Prior to coming to Philadelphia, Ted spent three seasons (2017-19) with the Los Angeles Rams as the head strength and conditioning coach. In 2017, Ted was named the Strength Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, an award voted on by the league's strength and conditioning coaches. Los Angeles finished as the healthiest team in the NFL based on adjusted games lost due to injury. *At the time of this recording, the Philadelphia Eagles are currently the only undefeated team in the NFL.

Notes:

Do your habits today align with your goals of tomorrow? What is your daily process? If you set big goals, what actions are you taking to get closer to achieving them each day?
The greatest players LOVED being coached. They demand it and are seeking it. Do you? Are you seeking out a coach? Are you asking for it? What processes do you have in place to get feedback, learn, and get better?
How to Lead Others:
- Most of us want 3 things
  - To feel APPRECIATED in their environment.
  - To feel PROTECTED by those in charge of them.
  - To feel that they are a part of something BIGGER than themselves.
- Do this through connecting. To connect, you must have trust. To build trust, you must be vulnerable. Once you allow yourself to be vulnerable, you can earn trust.
- Be an active listener. Listen to connect instead of listening to reply.
The greatness of quarterback, Jalen Hurts:
- Sets high standards for himself: The standard is the standard
- Loves being coached
- Constantly works on his craft
- Stoic: He's calm, consistent, and poised.
Ted was part of the decision-making team when deciding the next head coach for The Eagles:
- Nick Sirianni's five core values: connecting, competition, accountability, intelligence, and fundamentals – connecting is always first.
Getting Fired: "It was my 7th year with the team. We had gone to the playoffs the prior year 2014 in Jim Caldwell’s first year. In 2015 we started out rough at 1-7 through the first half of the season. We played in London that year, and before leaving for the airport we fired our OC, OL, and asst OL coach. Through the staff shuffle, I ended up helping coach Special Teams during the second half of the season. Our Equipment Manager told me during practice on the first day in London as they were setting up my headset. We ended up finishing strong and going 7-1 in the second half of the season (our only loss was the Thursday night hail mary that Aaron Rodgers completed to Richard Rodgers). After we came back home from London we fired our team President and GM. At the end of the year, the new GM told me he had to let me go to make it look like they were making significant changes in the media."
"The climb is about one step at a time."
The obstacle is the way:
- Discipline and perception let you clearly see the advantage and the proper course of action in every situation, without the pestilence of panic or fear.
- Control your emotions and keep an even keel.
- How you react to every situation is YOUR CHOICE. Find the opportunity in the obstacle.
- Self-Discipline must be combined with logic while working through obstacles. Be honest with your self-assessment.
Failure is part of all successful team and individual journeys:
- You don't need to fear it, you just have to refuse to let it beat you
  - We either WIN or LEARN
  - Fail Forward
  - Trials in life will not define you... How you respond to them will.
  - Persistence helps you get what you want, but CONSISTENCY helps you keep what you have earned.
- Consistency creates trust.