This is the time of year; football teams start preparing for the next season with spring practices. Colleges usually have spring practice in March and April, while high school spring practices are conducted in late April or May. Regardless of talent, team culture will be the main ingredient in preparing the team for success.
Culture starts with the leadership of the program. What is the head coach like? Is he a self-driven and ethical leader? Or is he an unethical and dishonest person?
Coach David Bailiff says culture will beat scheme every day. Culture is something created by a head coach and staff. It is probably the most important ingredient in building a successful program. It is a topic everyone needs to get a hold of because it will either build your program or it will destroy it.
Where you find strong, successful programs, you find a culture supporting this program. A program known for fighting and back talking officials will show up in the action of players and coaches in the community and schoolhouse. Culture is not something that changes overnight. It will take time and lots of effort, but the head coach must ensure team culture is implemented.
What exactly is culture? Webster dictionary says culture is the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. How does culture develop?
Start with why this is the right way. It is the right way because as the leader you want a program to represent your belief system. You must look yourself in the mirror daily and feel good about what you see. Are you a sell out? Are you only wanting to win games? If you are then the culture of the program will see chaos. The team will succeed only by talent.
Your why needs to have purpose. Players need to learn their why. A coach knowing why, can help lead players to know their why. A great philosopher once said if you know your why, you can endure anyhow.
Teach it the right way from the very start. Just like a teacher in the classroom. The way a teacher starts off handling a class from the first day will be the direction of the remainder of the semester.
The values, action, belief system, and discipline are discovered in everything happening with a program. We all have different views on handling situations. There is not one sure way to handle each situation, but how the situations are handled will define your program.
Players want to be part of a great program. Great programs have high visibility. Abiding by the rules are a must. Actions in everything you do is a must.
Look at the world today and you will see division. People do not love each other. Get in a locker room and see what happens when players love each other. The world goes away, and the upcoming battle is the focus in the room. A team loving its members will fight to a bitter end. This type of team has a never quit attitude. Consequently, their team culture is a culture of love. Love wins.
Thought for the week: “Commitment to the team; there is no such thing as in-between, you are either in or out.”
— Pat Riley
Dr. Jack Welch is a college football coach. He holds a Doctor of Education degree and has been a college and high school football coach for 39 years. He is author of the book titled Foundations of Coaching (2020). He can be reached at jackwelch1975@gmail.com.
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