Sport and the Growing Good

Paula Wilkins is the head coach of the University of Wisconsin’s women’s soccer team. After competing at Division 1 and national levels, she’s been a successful coach in major college soccer – at both Penn State and Wisconsin. Coach Wilkins is full of wisdom. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discussed: 1.  The advantages of playing soccer with boys until age 16. 2.  Her first soccer coach – and his long-term impact on her trajectory. 3.  The ways her college coach trusted her – and prepared her for a coaching future. 4.  The characteristics of successful youth soccer coaches – including honesty. 5.  Learning about recruits from opposing club coaches and opposing club players. 6.  Looking for a special talent/skill in a young player, and how the skill shows when times are tough. 7.  The changes she made in 2013-14, including improvements in communication. 8.  Defining effort. 9.  Her everyday habit of touching base with each of her players during warm-ups. 10.  Writing out each day’s practice plan and theme so players know what to expect before they begin. 11.  Letting former players know about their lasting impact on the program. 12.  Getting things in order before something bad happens.

Fran McCaffery is the head basketball coach at the University of Iowa. He was the youngest Division 1 head coach in the country at Lehigh University at age 26 and has enjoyed numerous successes and accolades at multiple stops in the ensuing years. Coach Fran is one of the best. In this SGG episode, we discuss: 1.  Getting noticed and supported at a young age in Philadelphia by Sam Rines, who ended up coaching Kobe Bryant. 2.  What he’s looked for in an AAU program as a father of four kids. 3.  The funniest teammate he’s been around – and the importance of humor on a team. 4.  Team personality as part of culture. 5.  Having purposeful conversations with players who are different – and knowing how to reach each of them in meaningful ways. 6.  Basketball not being “a game of perfect.” 7.  Getting through the long winter grind of the season – and locking in on hoops while class is out of session. 8.  Building confidence in players. 9.  Being there for players when the going gets tough.

Greg Gard is the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin. As a winner of multiple conference titles and numerous awards, he’s recognized as a leader in the profession. Those who work with Coach Gard admire his skill and steadiness as a leader in Madison. In this SGG episode, we discuss: 1.  His early interests in college basketball – and why he was initially an Iowa Hawkeye fan. 2.  His experience as an eighth-grade basketball coach. 3.  Attending Bob Knight clinics as a young coach. 4.  Coaches as teachers who pay attention to detail. 5.  The importance of interpersonal communication on teams. 6.  Being vulnerable as a head coach. 7.  Developing a staff that has diverse ideas, but a unified voice. 8.  His relationships with other head coaches, including Bo Ryan, Tom Izzo, Dick Bennett, and Matt Painter. 9.  The decrease in high school coaches working inside the schools. 10.  “Being where your feet are” – paying attention to the job in front of you – not other jobs you covet down the line. 11.  Researching the intangibles of potential recruits. 12.  Where he sits (and why) when he attends a high school game to recruit. 13.  Why he talks to secretaries and janitors at the schools he visits. 14.  Seeking quality family time as opposed to chasing “balance.”

Chris Bono is the head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin. He was a three-time All-American wrestler at Iowa State and was the NCAA champion at 150 lbs. Coach Bono has quickly developed the Wisconsin wrestling program into one of the best in the nation. In this episode of the SGG podcast, we discuss: 1.  Starting wrestling as a five-year old. 2.  The difficult position he was put into as a new coach right out of college. 3.  The importance of developing deep relationships with the student-athletes. 4.  His daily routine – which starts very early (4:15am). 5.  Pearl Jam. 6.  The importance of positive habits…but also setting goals and enjoying “little successes” along the way. 7.  Why he’s changing the team’s practice schedule for the season ahead (the importance of remaining adaptable and being willing to change). 8.  How he’s responded to failures over the years: “Keep doin’!” 9.  Forcing opponents to “wrestle our style.” 10.  What’s involved with being a head coach – the “CEO” of the program. 11.  Why he asks potential recruits to send videos of a match they lost. 12.  What he pays attention to when he watches a potential recruit compete and when the recruits and their families visit campus. 13.  Keeping up with the ever-changing ways that young people communicate technologically.

Steve Jones is the head football coach at Kimberly High School in Wisconsin. He has won multiple championships as well as state and national coaching awards. Coach Jones also teaches leadership courses at the high school and is recognized as a dynamic speaker on leadership development. In this SGG episode, we discuss: To learn more, refer to Coach Jones’ Twitter feed; a brief article and video about the culture of Coach Jones’ program; a short article describing a couple of his keys to sustained success; and short article describing his team’s formula. 1.  His family experiences growing up – especially learning from his brother with disabilities. 2.  The impact that a fifth-grade teacher had on his life. 3.  His daily habits: reading, taking care of his mind and body, early-day inspiration, making intentional contact with people who need him. 4.  “Leading by ‘intentional’ wandering around.” 5.  Servant leadership – what it is and how it takes shape on his team. 6.  Why he doesn’t talk about winning, rather the “habits of winners.” 7.  Kimberly’s camp for kids with special needs. 8.  Centering love in the football program. 9.  Planting seeds as a leader. 10.  The unique positives offered by football. 11.  The ultimate goal of the program. 12.  Kimberly football’s mental skills program – focus on “being present.” 13.  Getting players to find their “performance number.” 14.  His struggle to enjoy the process.

Marc Skelton is an author, teacher, and renowned head basketball coach at Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School in New York City. His teams have won championships and his students succeed beyond their time at the school. In this episode of the SGG podcast, Coach Skelton and I discuss: 1.  Taking care of his students and players at the onset of the coronavirus outbreak in New York. 2.  Overlaps in teaching and coaching. 3.  Being authentic to “who I am” as a coach. 4.  The New York Times article about his team. 5.  His “Trojan Horse Theory” of basketball. 6.  Players making transitions to their post-basketball lives. 7.  The importance of self-care for coaches. 8.  What he’s learning these days. 9.  Watching Brad Stevens coach.

Mark Lusic is a teacher and the head football coach at Amherst High School in Wisconsin. By developing an intensive weight training program, developing deep relationships, and building a winning culture, he’s led Amherst to four state championships and built one of the most respected programs in the state. In this episode of SGG, we discuss: 1.  Learning from Coach John Koronkiewicz about how to listen and develop relationships. 2.  Does “scheme” win games? (no) What does? 3.  Make your average players good, your good players great, and your great players “studs.” 4.  What does the team talk about in the weight room? 5.  Developing a team identity, sticking to it, and putting time into practicing it. 6.  The 600, 800, and 1000 pound clubs.  7.  How kids develop confidence through weightlifting. (see excerpt from student essay below) 8.  Kids needing football more than football needs them. 9.  Asking kids to “pay it forward” one day. 10.  It’s all about the players. 11.  Why he asks his team, “Are you satisfied?” after each game. 12.  His annual “life review.” 13.  Knowing what to do on 3rd and 1. 14.  Being ok with not always knowing the answer right away. Excerpt from Amherst HS student essay on how weightlifting built his confidence: "I didn’t always believe in myself. It finally clicked last year. To understand how I found my confidence, you need to know that I have always been a scrawny kid. I wanted to get stronger, so I started going to the weight room in the mornings in middle school. However, I never really saw or felt the results I wanted. Every morning, I would see everyone lifting heavier than me. Even though I felt like giving up, I continued waking up extra early every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and lifting. This went on until Junior year. I knew I was improving, but I thought it wasn’t much. Junior year was when I figured it out. I stopped comparing myself to everyone else lifting. The only person I compared myself to was who I was the day before. I realized that I am myself, and no one else has any effect on me. Although I still don’t really look like it, I became much stronger than I ever had. I worked hard to improve myself every day. At the end of the year, we had max out week, which is when we do as much weight as we can for one rep for bench, squat, and deadlift. All I wanted since I started lifting was to make it to the six hundred pound club, which is where your combined maxes added up to at least six hundred. I managed to get 165 pounds for bench press. For squat, I maxed out at 225, and, for deadlift, I maxed out at 275. If you do the math, those numbers add up to 665 pounds. I finally accomplished my goal from middle school. I got my numbers written on the paper in the weight room and a t-shirt, which I wear proudly. My confidence spread through my life. I felt more confident with my school work. Whether it was someone I normally did not talk to or a complete stranger, I found it easier to talk to people. I also found it easier to ask for help. I always try to learn from my mistakes, but this helped me learn to ask for help, so that I did not have to make mistakes that could be prevented."

Josh Niblett is the head football coach at Hoover High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Coach Niblett’s teams have won multiple state championships and have been recognized as one of the top programs in the country. Coach Niblett is an educator who values the deeper life lessons that can be learned through sports. He described: 1.  Agape love – and what it looks like on a football team; 2.  Weekly “Mindset Wednesday” discussions with his team; 3.  How he sharpens his edge; 4.  His team’s core value of respecting cultural differences; 5.  The “lighthouse” effect of lessons learned from the team; 6.  Finding a common denominator among team members; 7.  The team's word of the year: “E.D.G.E.” 8.  What he still struggles with; 9.  How he develops personal relationships with individual players; 10.  Twenty years of Wednesday evening Bible study with his team and family; 11.  “Change pace, change place, change perspective;” 12.  Being honest with players; 13.  Hating losing more than loving winning; 14.  The books he recommends to developing coaches, especially the Program.

Coach Alvarez joins SGG to discuss readiness on the field and in the classroom. Coach Alvarez is the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin. Formerly, he was a championship winning coach at high school and college levels. Coach discusses: 1.  Finding the right fit in the recruiting process; 2.  How did he know which players to take a chance on? 3.  What did he expect of his assistant coaches? 4.  What supports young student-athletes need.

We can learn valuable lessons about coaching and sports from Jane Addams, the famous social worker and leader in the early 1900s. This episode of SGG describes four specific ways that today’s leaders can learn from Jane: 1.  Identifying the basic needs of your team in order to make bigger things possible; 2.  Developing and sustaining teams as “places of enthusiasm;” 3.  Starting with what is right in front of you; and 4.  Gaining “sympathetic entry” into team members’ lives – meeting them where they are.