7 Character Development Lessons – Best Stolen Ideas – Part 2

“You don’t handle people, you work with people” -John Wooden, when asked how he was going to handle one of his players

One of the favorite questions I ask every coach I interview is: ‘What is the best thing you have ever learned or stolen from another coach?‘
7 Character Development Lessons:

1. You’re not developing an athlete, you’re developing a person
2. It’s not about you being a great coach, it’s about you knowing and developing young men and women
3. ‘It’s not what you get from playing, it’s who you become because you play’ – Character development is the key in coaching.
4. Make whoever you are talking to feel like the most important person in the room
5. Talk TO/WITH your players, not AT them
6. Ken Stuursma shared a story with me about a conversation with an old-time cowboy, Lou Skeridan – who taught him that kids come to you with their hearts wide open, and you have 2 choices:
   1. You can build into it and make their heart bigger, or
   2. You can crush that and make their hearts smaller
7. Robert Murphy shared a story about Coach Mike Denney – He taught Robert the importance of character and creating a family environment. He lived it too – he recruited Robert out of high school, and Robert chose to go to his rival – and yet every time he saw him he always came over and shook his hand and said hi.

Love ’em up! Next week we’ll share great ideas on practice formats.