Sport and the Growing Good

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.”

Donovan “Donny” Dooley owns and runs “Quarterback University,” where young quarterbacks are trained and developed “52 weeks a year.” In the growing industry of private skills development in youth sports, QBU has emerged as one of the football leaders in the Midwest. In this episode of the SGG podcast, Donny and I discussed: 1.  Learning the cerebral side of quarterbacking at a young age as he grew up in Detroit. 2.  Less than 1% of young quarterbacks making it. 3.  His parents’ influence on his and other kids’ lives through football. 4.  Detroit's PAL, inner-city black quarterbacks, and the early beginnings of QBU. 5.  Being a mentor, friend, and critic to his players. 6.  “What are you gonna do when you meet you?” 7.  The private coaching industry – and his concerns with parents. 8.  Parents as social media promoters of their kids. 9.  Providing access for inner-city families. 10.  His relationship with high school coaches. 11.  When counseling his players on how to make college choices, “don’t chase the logo.” 12.  Success stories off the field. 13.  His continuous learning from trusted leaders in the field.

Jim Delany served as Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference for over 30 years. Jim played basketball for Coach Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina. He is recognized as one of the most influential leaders in all of sports. Jim learned from, worked with, and helped shape a long list of great coaches. In this episode, we discussed: 1.  His remarkable direct and indirect lineage, which includes the likes of: James Naismith,  Ernest “Prof” Blood, Jim’s dad, Jack Dalton, Joe Lapchick, Dean Smith, Larry Brown, Eddie Fogler. 2.  Why his dad advised him to pursue law school. 3.  Coaching as “an art not a science” – which makes it difficult to predict who will be good at it. 4.  The value of experience… and the misleading indicators that the NCAA tournament can provide. 5.  Being an extrovert – who likes to “joust and laugh” – and growing up in a diverse, complex community. 6.  Sharing ownership of ideas and initiatives and building a culture of collaboration among competitors. 7.  Dean Smith as an innovator and builder of a “community of trust.” 8.  Why UNC won the close games. 9.  Why Coach Smith designed some defensive schemes to give up easy shots. 10.  Being passionate, curious, frank, prepared, and creative every day. 11.  Learning the “gestation period” for ideas. 12.  Guiding, supporting, and leaning on his Big Ten team. 13.  Re-committing to physical activity in his 60s. 14.  Learning from others (Gavitt, Byers) – and “not needing to make every mistake yourself.”

Craig Bundy is an Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Famer whose impact on players, teams, and communities transcends the football field. Coach Bundy “sees the big picture” in sports, focusing on not just wins and losses, but upon the ways we can grow the good through teamwork and competition. In this episode of SGG, we discussed: 1.  The impact that his high school football coach had on his life. 2.  Becoming a head high school coach “way, way too early.” 3.  What he learned when he left coaching to try a career in sales. 4.  Learning the game at the University of Illinois and other stops along his journey. 5.  When yelling is necessary. 6.  Seeing the big picture when working with kids. 7.  Communicating with parents. 8.  The Best Buddies partnership. 9.  The “Team Together” concept – which emphasizes selflessness. 10.  How service-related work can contribute to winning on the field. 11.  The unique role of football in individual and community lives.

Jeff Duncan Andrade is widely revered as a leading professor and dynamic speaker. He’s also a public school teacher, author of books and articles, and the founder of a school. But did you know that he was also a championship-winning high school basketball coach and, before that, an elite athlete? In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  How travel basketball opened the world (and universities) to him beginning in middle school. 2.  How sports revealed his “inner math and science nerd.” 3.  Developing an identity, becoming a better person, and having fun in sports. 4.  What he wished coaches would have helped him understand. 5.  The end of his college athletics dream…and Dr. Harry Edwards’ life-changing hour with him. 6.  Why he (literally) burned his college sports gear. 7.  The good and bad aspects of the trend toward more coaches being “institutionally detached.” 8.  Why schools should recruit teachers of color with coaching backgrounds. 9.  Why he asks leading university schools of education if they have consulted with their football and basketball coaches. 10.  “Presence is profound.” 11.  The multigenerational “community participation” lessons that schools should learn from sports and churches.

Paul Chryst is the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin. He’s led the team to great heights, both on the field and off. Recognized as a leading mind in the game, Coach Chryst serves as a model from whom other coaches in Wisconsin and beyond can learn. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  Shattering the backboard during a high school basketball game. 2.  Noticing high school football programs that have organized “systems” and passion around their programs. 3.  His impressions of the benefits and potential problems associated with the growing private coaching industry. 4.  Being the “young guy in the staff room” for many of his formative years as a coach. 5.  What he looks for when hiring young coaches. 6.  How he organized all the coaching information he picked up over the years. 7.  Deek Pollard’s motto: “It’ll feel better after it quits hurting” … and Coach Chryst’s emphasis on working hard and having fun together. 8.  Why he wanders among the players during each day’s pre-practice stretching time. 9.  Starting over on Sundays each week during the season. 10.  Listening to other coaches, and asking the right questions at the right time. 11.  Continually seeking new and better ways to coach and lead. 12.  “Football brings us all together, but at the end, if all we have is football, then we’ve missed something.”