What does it take to be a winning youth coach? Listen in as Drew Maddux shares stories and discusses his journey to becoming a successful youth sports coach.
Drew Maddux is the Head Coach at Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) in Nashville. Maddux has a combined record of 240-44, while being ranked in the Top 10 each of those seasons. In 2008 and 2009, Maddux lead his team to the Region 5AA Championship. Maddux has acquired many coaching accomplishments being named the NBCA Coach of the Year in 2008, 2011-2012 District 10-AA Coach of the Year, 2012 Tennessean Coach of the Year, and 2012 Nashville Civitan Coach of the Year. In the 2011-2012 season, he lead to Lions to their first ever State Championship and finished the season an impressive 37-2. In 2012-13, Maddux lead the Lions to another State Championship with another 37-2 record. 2013-14 was yet another great season for Maddux and his program as the posted a record of 34-3 and went to the Final Four Drew has coached 4 Mr. Basketball award winners, 19 players that received college scholarships, and 1 NBA first round draft pick.
From 1994-1998, Maddux was a four year starter at Vanderbilt University where he scored an impressive 1689 points in his career, good for 11th all-time at Vandy. There he received several individual awards including All-SEC Freshman, USA Olympic Festival Team, First Team All-SEC, and Honorable Mention All-American honors. Off the court Maddux was just as impressive being an Academic All-SEC member as well as being recognized as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America in 1998. During his junior year, Maddux averaged a team best 16.8 points 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game as he lead his team to the NCAA Tournament.
Drew Maddux first started working with Elite Hoops in 2009 as a Camp Co-Director. Since then, Maddux has been instrumental in growing the Nashville market and in 2014, he will direct 6 NIKE Basketball Camps with over 600 players in attendance.
Twitter: @DrewMaddux; @EliteHoops
Facebook: /EliteHoops
Instagram: /elitehoops
Website: elitehoopsbasketball.com
Listen Now:
Quote
‘We were running the program with a fear-based approach instead of a freedom-based approach.’
Career decisions
- Drew had the opportunity to lead a large sales organization, but felt the calling to leave the business world and become a full-time coach
Identity being tied to athletic performance
- As an athlete growing up, Drew felt he was only as good as his last sports performance
- ‘My total mission in coaching is to release that identity-driven performance bug out of the lives of our kids and out of their hearts, and that they would understand and be able to perform with freedom and be able to experience all that they have been provided with.’
Joe Ehrmann’s 3 big lies being told to our kids
Coach Maddux teaches the boys he coaches about the 3 big myths/lies being taught about masculinity:
- Ballfield – a man’s worth is based on his athletic performance
- Bedroom – a man’s worth is based on his sexual conquests
- Boardroom – a man’s worth is based on his business successes
Coach Maddux contrasts these myths by teaching the real truths about what being a man is all about:
- Man was built to be in relationships with God, themselves, and others
- Man was built to be part of a cause that is bigger than themselves
To see more details about this see here: winningyouthcoaching.com/3-big-lies-2-truths/
My Cringe & ‘Ah-Ha’ Moments
- In Drew’s early years he remembers still being too focused on outcomes and placing his worth on the team’s win/loss record
- ‘We were running the program with a fear-based approach instead of a freedom-based approach.’
Creating a Winning Culture
HUGE IDEA #1
- Jim Collins book – Good to Great
- Every aspect of your program becomes about excellence – Coach Maddux began an early morning regiment with his coaching staff
- Jon Gordon – The Energy Bus – Get the energy vampires off the bus and surround yourselves with energy-givers and life-givers
- 4 Word Mission statement: ‘Christ-centered, Others focused.’
Teaching Children & Keeping it Fun
- ‘It’s not what I know, it’s what the kids know.’ So keep it simple. Be great at 1 or 2 things instead of trying to be great at a bunch of things.
Self-Confidence and teaching kids to achieve peak performance
- Boundaried Freedom – Create the culture and boundaries – and then give them the freedom to go make plays
Culture – Discipline/Rewards/Teambuilding
Discipline
- Life happens in the gray – every kid we serve have unique situations and unique families
- Long-term transformation only happens when you create the right habits
- Shared sacrifice with shared accountability
HUGE IDEA #2
Teambuilding
- Coach Maddux does not do cuts – if you want to be on the team – you are
- Coach has a goal to call every kid’s name to them at some point of every practice
- During circle time they’ll call out a few of their leaders to speak a blessing about another player on the team. This creates the culture built on loving each other, complimenting each other, encouraging each other.
- Manhood Mondays – every Monday during the season they have different coaches and players create a shield with 4 parts to share with the team:
- Tell a childhood story that defined them
- Tell a recent story that defines them
- How does the public view them
- Who their private self is
Winning
- Excellence and the pursuit of greatness should be a goal. The scoreboard doesn’t define this.
Best Stolen Idea
- Billy Donnovan, former Florida Gators and current Oklahoma City Thunder coach, the way he sets up his practices and team to be great passing teams.
Best Book
The One that Got Away
- Drew lost his last game his senior year for the state championship in overtime
- Drew lost a game at Vanderbilt to Kentucky at the buzzer
- Lessons learned: to keep the game in context, the sun does come up the next day
Elite Hoops Basketball
- Located in the Southeast – elitehoopsbasketball.com
- Teaches basketball skills and life skills – to live an elite life
- 3-on-3 leagues, camps
Parting Advice
- ‘Pick up the trash’ – Use the opportunities given to leave people, places, and things better than we found them
Ready to be an Awesome Youth Coach? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter: