Sport and the Growing Good

Andy North is a two-time U.S. Open champion and one of the most respected names in golf. After his long, successful professional career, he’s enjoyed a great run at ESPN – along with a wide range of other pursuits on and off the course. Andy’s also a loyal, lifelong supporter of the Wisconsin Badgers. Andy joined the SGG podcast, where we discussed: 1.  His dad’s background as a coach – and the innovations he made capturing video and focusing on the mental sides of the game. 2.  His dad’s lessons about the difference between “just goofing around” and “purposeful practice.” 3.  The value of playing a team sport for individual sport athletes. 4.  Being a “good player on a bad team” and being a “bad player on a good team.” 5.  The injury that catapulted him into golf. 6.  Lee Milligan’s long-time influence in his life. 7.  The competitive fire of his friend Michael Jordan…and the fire within all great competitors. 8.  How many golfers get too “bound up technically.” 9.  His college coach understanding “if you need help, come to me” as opposed to trying to get overly involved in changing kids’ games. 10.  Differences between his generation of athletes and today’s athletes. How playing multiple sports assisted in “learning how to use your body.” 11.  Keeping things simple. 12.  The importance of knowing yourself as an athlete. 13.  Helping UW football team’s kickers. 14.  “The great players are the guys who can go out there with nothing (on an off day) and figure out a way to get it done.” 15.  Not letting others know you’re nervous and talking yourself into everything being ok. “Get to where you enjoy being there.” 16.  Visualizing his next day’s round as a method of preparation. 17.  The value of “figuring things out” without an entourage of supporters. 18.  Common attributes of the great coaches he’s been around. 19.  Byron Nelson’s comment that to be good in golf “you have to be really, really smart or really, really dumb.” 20.  Making it through ongoing injuries, mentally and physically – and “never-ending” rehab. 21.  What he learned about working on TV from Hubie Brown and John Madden – “they told me something I didn’t realize.” 22.  “Empathy” in coaching (including the example of his dad communicating with his high school players’ girlfriends.) 23.  “Sometimes the smartest thing a coach can do is sit down and be quiet for five or ten minutes.” 24.  The young coaches he’s impressed by.

Jerry Petitgoue is the head basketball coach at Cuba City High School in Wisconsin. He is the all-time leader in wins in Wisconsin (over 900 wins!), he’s won three state titles, been elected to multiple halls of fame, and received countless other awards. After more than 50 years of coaching, he’s still going strong, serving as executive director of the robust Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association – and was even voted as the Wisconsin state coach of the year in 2020. 1.  Getting his work ethic from his parents. His father was a miner and his mom worked in a factory. 2.  His high school coach, who only recently passed away. 3.  His advice to new coaches: “I would take all the psychology classes that I could take” and “I would have a mentor.” 4.  Learning to play Euchre from his grandfather. 5.  Being a teacher and coach in Cuba City. 6.  Why younger coaches should have “someone with gray hair on the bench” as a mentor. 7.  “I want to coach kids the way I would want to be coached. And I look at them like my sons.” 8.  Stirring up interest in the game by distributing mini-basketballs to newborns at the local hospital. 9.  The importance of being a teacher in the school where you coach. “I wanted to be the best history teacher I could be.” 10.  The importance of being able to read body language. 11.  How his year of studying broadcasting in Chicago helped him as a teacher and coach. 12.  Balancing coaching and family (how Hudl has helped). And the important role his wife Joan has played in his life over the years – including with the WBCA. 13.  The life lessons learned through athletics. “You get yourself up off the ground and you compete.” “A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.” 14.  Continuing to learn the game with other coaches, including good friends Will Rey and Jeff Boos. 15.  Keeping things simple. 16.  Keeping things engaging and fun (even telling pre-game knock-knock jokes).

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.