Sport and the Growing Good

Michael Harris is the head football coach at Madison Memorial High School. He has achieved great success, including leading the Spartans to an undefeated 2019 season. Coach Harris is widely respected across the community as a positive leader on and off the field. On this SGG episode, we discussed: 1.  A significant life challenge that he experienced in 8th grade – and the important role that a coach played in helping him through it. “He recognized that I was longing for a sense of belonging.” 2.  Playing football at UW-Whitewater. 3.  “There are some kids who need football more than football needs them.” 4.  The importance of sharing his own story with the team – and asking the players to share their own stories. 5.  His team’s four core values: courage, integrity, positive work ethic, and unconditional love. 6.  “I want them to leave here as better people.” 7.  The importance of being in the building as a teacher at the school. “The students want to see how you respond to uncertainty or uncomfortable situations…It’s up to us to be ambassadors in the building.” 8.  Pausing during his team’s games to ask younger children, “what do you see here?” 9.  The importance of routines and rituals, including his game-day distribution of black-eyed peas to his team. 10.  The importance of life-long bonds being formed through sports.

Bo Ryan is a Hall of Fame basketball coach, who achieved great success at multiple levels of the game. Notably, Coach Ryan led UW-Platteville to four national championships and the UW Badgers to more victories than any other coach in school history, including multiple Big Ten conference titles, and two Final Fours. His awards and accomplishments are too numerous to list and his impact on the game throughout the US is widespread and lasting. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  Watching his dad’s influence on young people as a three-sport coach in Chester, PA. 2.  How his dad kept things simple in sports – not trying to trick anyone or play favorites. 3.  Coaches being in it for the kids, not themselves. 4.  Always learning and working toward getting understanding between coach and players. 5.  “It’s not so much what you say, but what you accept.” 6.  Why “walk-throughs are a no-no.” 7.  The “voice in the locker room when the coaches aren’t around” can mean 5-10 more wins a season. 8.  The value of experience – you can’t learn a lot of these things in a book. 9.  Growing up across the street from Coach Jack McKinney. 10.  The role of camps as a developmental opportunity for young coaches. 11.  “Do what you do, and do it better than what the other team can prepare for. We have never tricked another team or coach into a victory.” Stick to the absolutes. 12.  The great compliment that Coach Wooden gave him. 13.  Keeping players focused and “present” amid high-pressure, big-hoopla game environments. 14.  “The best teachers are the ones that always make the students feel like they’re the ones that got the answers.” 15.  How video from his UW-Platteville days helped some of his Badger teams learn. 16.  The “impact of a hard cut”… an example of how each small part affects the whole unit. 17.  “Spreading your wings” to learn from different types of coaches and settings. 18.  “Getting five defensive players to guard three offensive players” and being guided by a few simple concepts.

Dick Bennett was one of the great coaches in Wisconsin basketball history. In part 2 of our SGG conversation, Coach Bennett discussed: 1.  The “brotherhood” among coaches. 2.  How his son Tony and bible study influenced the formation of Dick’s beliefs and core pillars: humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness. 3.  Modeling his life and ways of coaching after Christ. 4.  Getting “players you can lose with” – those who will stay the course during difficult times. 5.  How do you get players to play defense like that? “Every night!” (…and pay attention to the ball pressure) 6.  A lesson from Vince Lombardi: Execution comes through repetition…and keep it simple. 7.  The third great coach in the Bennett family. 8.  Wisdom from Ben Hogan on how to get really good at something. “It’s every day.” 9.  “Stay the course, push them – without being nasty.” 10.  His annual summer gathering with former players. 11.  The importance of the time you spend with players, especially at the high school level: “They’re like sponges.” 12.  Owning up to mistakes and apologizing.

Dick Bennett was one of the great coaches in Wisconsin basketball history. Coach Bennett mastered the “re-building of programs,” achieving success at every stop from small high schools to major Division 1 programs – including leading the Wisconsin Badgers to the NCAA Final Four. Coach Bennett has served as a mentor to countless players and coaches, and he impacted countless lives along the way. In part one of our conversation on the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  Reconnecting with his high school basketball coach, Jerry Grunska, who had a significant influence on Coach Bennett wanting to become a coach. 2.  Why high school was his favorite level at which to coach. “All there was to the job was a love of the game and a love for the kids.” 3.  Making early mistakes and learning on the job during his first years as a high school coach: “I don’t think I made it quite simple enough.” 4.  Taking a coaching class from Marquette’s Al McGuire, attending clinics around the Midwest – and sitting, listening to Adolph Rupp, John Wooden, and Henry Iba. 5.  Seeing the game the same way as Bob Knight – who almost became the Wisconsin Coach. 6.  The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. 7.  Advocating for Terry Porter in tryouts for various national teams. 8.  Having dinner with Coach Knight in Bloomington the night before playing the Hoosiers, and maintaining a long-term friendship with him. 9.  Coach Knight’s proposed “son swap” that never happened. 10.  Al McGuire’s advice about scheduling opponents.

Ben Askren was an accomplished college wrestler, winning two national championships and a Hodge Trophy. He then wrestled for the US in the 2008 Olympics and, later, achieved success and notoriety in MMA. These days, Ben is active on multiple fronts in the sport of wrestling, including his work with young wrestlers through the Askren Wrestling Academy. Ben joined the SGG podcast and discussed: 1.  Playing multiple sports as a kid. 2.  “The only thing you can really control is effort.” 3.  Giving kids responsibility and allowing them to experiment. 4.  Remaining open-minded. 5.  Performing in high pressure situations, the game is the same, don’t worry about what you can’t control. 6.  Competing under pressure. 7.  Building relationships first. 8.  “Think about the best coach you ever had.”

Bruce Larson is the head football coach at Somerset High School. He’s recognized as one of the best in state of Wisconsin and, actually, in the whole country, having won the Don Shula National High School Coach of the Year award in 2015. Coach is renowned for winning championships on the field and, more importantly, instilling life-long values and habits in those who play for him. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  Somerset as a working class community. 2.  Growing up on a dairy farm in Spring Valley, Wisconsin…where he learned to get things done. 3.  The impact of his high school coach, Bob Thomas – how he made his players feel and the time he invested in them. 4.  UW-River Falls coach Mike Farley. 5.  “Don’t worry about winning – just do it the right way and things will be ok.” 6.  Arriving at Somerset in 1987 as an assistant coach to Brad Nemec. 7.  When everything “fell apart” during his third year as head coach, writing down everything he didn’t like in the program. 8.  DW Rutledge and Dennis Parker, two of his coaching influences. 9.  “What you see is what you coach.” 10.  “If you don’t like it, change it.” The coach is the person in charge. 11.  Using Army values in his program. “Everything we do is built around that.” 12.  “What it comes down to more than anything is attitude.” 13.  “The world is full of educated derelicts.” 14.  The Friday morning routines with the team. 15.  The army transforming a person “into a machine” in 14 weeks. 16.  2002 state semi-finals vs Auburndale: kids falling back on what they know best. 17.  Making changes to the weight training program. 18.  The coaching advice to his sons – it starts with relationships. 19.  When “what you believe in got beat” it hurts. 20.  What makes Wisconsin football unique: tough, hard-nosed kids. Ass-kickers.

John Koronkiewicz served as a coach and teacher at Waupaca High School for 40 years. He spent 24 years as head coach of the baseball program and 32 years as head coach of the football program. He was elected into the WFCA High School Coaches’ Hall of Fame and also into the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame. “Coach Kronk” won many championships over the years and is respected by coaches across the state. Coach is admired by former players, families, and community members for his positive impact over the years. In this episode, we discussed: 1.Playing football for Wisconsin Hall of Famers Jerry Schliem and Russ Young. 2. Growing up playing sports on the farm. 3. His emphasis on creating a positive, fun environment during his initial years at Waupaca—and his emphasis on developing lessons that could be used for life. 4. Leaving the field in a positive mood each day. 5. “Attitude, character, enthusiasm, team.” 6. Playing the Beach Boys on Friday afternoons in the classroom. 7. Being yourself, not faking it, and having a passion for the game. 8. Creating the team as a “home away from home.” 9. Coaching as a gift. 10. Finding a niche for each player – and the coaches “owing it” to each player to get him on the field with a meaningful role. 11. Working in the best interest of the kids by being honest and caring. 12. Coaching as a service to others – not an enhancement of one’s own ambitions. 13. Continuing to learn, even amid long periods of success. “Losing can become a habit – as can winning.” 14. Building a program that the community could be proud of. 15. Doing the best you can and setting a good example for kids. 16. Being proud of and keeping friendships with past players and assistant coaches, including Amherst’s Mark Lusic. 17. The identity of Wisconsin football.

Bob Hurley coached the St. Anthony’s team in Jersey City for 50 years – 45 as head coach. He is recognized as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the game, having won innumerable championships and being one of just a few high school coaches to be voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In this episode of the SGG podcast, Coach Hurley discussed: 1.  Growing up playing sports at St. Paul’s in Greenville. 2.  High school coach Jack McCoy giving him a chance to play in a summer basketball league. 3.  Becoming an athletic director at age 19. 4.  The impact of being the oldest of four children. 5.  How the “recreation man” helped improve his self-esteem. 6.  “The anonymity of fighters” – the unrecognized people who lay the groundwork for us all. 7.  Behind the scenes moments that helped shape David Rivers’ future. 8.  What he prioritized when consulting his players on college recruiting decisions (quality of school and a coach “on the way up”). 9.  Why it’s important to maintain contact with his former players during their first semester away at college…and his perspective that a “high school coach is coach for life.” 10.  Basketball being “over-coached and under-taught.” 11.  Keeping the gym open for young kids and teaching them the game via the Hurley Family Foundation. 12.  Advice from Chuck Daly to pay your dues as a young coach: “It takes five years to get comfortable.” 13.  Why he pushed so hard to make his players better.

Mike Zdebski is the head football coach at Hamilton High School, the biggest school in Arizona and a traditional football force. Before beginning at Hamilton, Coach Zdebski spent 29 years on the sideline in Michigan, where he achieved at the highest levels and was elected to the Michigan High School Football Association’s Hall of Fame. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  The scale of high school football in Arizona, including high-level media attention. 2.  The friendships he developed through football. 3.  Learning the game while coaching with Pat Fox. 4.  Giving assistant coaches opportunities to continue learning while he was at Walled Lake in Michigan. 5.  Why he took over as head track coach… and encouraged his football players to run track. 6.  Identifying college coaches to learn from – including Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen – and the importance of developing trusting relationships with them. 7.  Using Zoom to promote learning for his football staff. 8.  Weekly leadership meetings for his players. 9.  Once a month team-building activities – centered on community service and fun. 10.  Reading together as a team. (you win the locker room first) 11.  Weekly team meetings. 12.  Why he took on a new challenge…and some of the specific elements of turning around a team that had experienced difficult times. 13.  Building a youth program. 14.  The impact of personal training on young football players. 15.  Providing support to his players in contacting colleges and supporting them through the recruiting process. 16.  Why there’s no need for “rah rah” speeches before games – but how important routine and focus are in developing mature teams. 17.  “Learning to be yourself” as a coach.

Marques Johnson is a commentator for the Milwaukee Bucks on Fox Sports. Marques had a distinguished career as a player: from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, to UCLA, and then in the NBA. One of the great players of his generation joined the SGG podcast to talk about his dad, some of the famous coaches he played for, and other coaches he’s observed over the years. We discussed: 1.  Marques’ father’s background coaching in Natchitoches, Louisiana and his “basketball bible.” 2.  Learning the game from his dad and competing at Sportsman’s Park (now called Jesse Owens Park). 3.  Growing up with future NFL great James Lofton. 4.  What he and his friends learned by playing the game with a ball of aluminum foil. 5.  Playing for Crenshaw High School’s legendary coach Willie West. 6.  Coach Wooden’s saying, “You don’t treat every player the same, because they’re not the same.” 7.  Coach Wooden’s meticulous notes after each practice. 8.  What Coach Wooden did for the only time before the title game in 1975. 9.  Don Nelson’s willingness to ask players for input. 10.  The Bucks’ 1983 sweep of the Celtics and why Coach Nelson didn’t want to “poke the bear.” 11.  Keeping a team “even keel” and keeping emotions in check through the ups and downs. 12.  Coach Mike Budenholzer’s growth as a head coach including the use of strategies such as “breaking bread,” “daily vitamins,” and knowing how to keep players’ best interest at the forefront. 13.  How he’s changed the ways he works on basketball with his own kids over the years – “it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”