Author: Don Showalter

Leadership Lesson: Teach Work Ethic, Stay Humble, and Surround Yourself With Good People

(Editor’s Note: The article is adapted from the upcoming book Cornfields to Gold Medals: The Story of Coach Don Showalter and 15 GOLD Lessons from a Life of Leadership)

(3 Minute Read)

Coach Showalter glances at his phone as he and his coaching staff circulate across the dormitory. The digital display read 2:55 AM. At 3:00 AM, in unison, each coach knocks on a door and in their coaching voice shouts, “Get-up! Get-up! Time to rise!” Within a few seconds, teenagers appear; eyes squinted as they adjust to the light; brows furrowed, perhaps an annoyed expression but likely more in an inquisitive nature, curious about the early wake-up call. The coaches hand them a piece of paper with directions to follow, but no explanation. The youth retreat to get dressed as the coaches made their way to the commons area, a large open space outside the dormitory.

2017 USA Basketball Men's U16 National Team vs Canada (6/18/17), Formosa, Argentina.
2017 USA Basketball Men’s U16 National Team vs Canada (6/18/17), Formosa, Argentina.

It was 2018 and the USA Basketball Junior National Team was in the middle of an eight-day training camp at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO in preparation for the U17 World Championships in Argentina. The teenagers are 16-17-year-old elite-level athletes, the best in the United States. The directions on the piece of paper state to be outside in the commons area by 3:10 AM in full workout gear. As the athletes converge on the commons area they are met by the coaches and another gentleman, unfamiliar to them. At 3:10, Coach Showalter orders all athletes present into a plank position, a core strength exercise. The athletes stay in the plank position until all their teammates are present, as a few stumble in late.

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End on a Positive

(3 Minute Read)

The whistle blows signaling the completion of the drill.  Some of the nation’s best young athletes, 16 and 17-year old basketball phenoms gather around Coach Showalter.  The setting is the USA Basketball U16-U17 Junior National Team Training Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Flanked by the physical size of the young men, Showalter gains their attention.  He offers feedback on the recently completed drill, then gradually steps back presenting his hands to the two players nearest him. At the same time, he encourages the rest of the huddle to do likewise.  The young athletes and support staff lock hands and begin to form a large circle.  They all face each other, looking towards the center of the circle, each person linked to another player or coach.

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It’s Not What You Teach – But How You Teach It

Jason, 16, a gifted athlete and an accomplished youth basketball player scans the court.  Three blue practice jerseys highlight his teammates. They are spaced about the half-court with the letters USA in white across their chests.  Each talented.  Each player is elite.  Jason is playing with the best young basketball talent in the United States as a member of the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team.

The basketball, moist with perspiration, rests – held captive in Jason’s hands. Tanner, one of four defenders inches closer – crowding Jason.  Tanner’s teammates, decked in white jerseys with USA letters in blue, align themselves to protect the basket. Sweat drips off Tanner onto Jason.  Jason is unfazed, his body already covered by a stream of salty liquid.  The air dampened by perspiration and exerted breathing, emits a stench unique to the arena of sport.

Image courtesy of Keith Johnston from Pixabay

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The Foundation of an Effective Practice Session

Introduction
A sport practice is confined to a specific moment, shared by a particular group of people, all pursuing a common goal.  The types of drills (i.e. skill development), strategy (i.e. competition preparation), and conditioning (i.e. physical and mental training) are determined by the type of sport and the level of competition.  Coaches are the orchestrators and key ingredients to an effective practice.  They plan the activities, serve as the lead teachers, and motivate athletes to come together as a team.

The basic elements for effective practices can be developed and nurtured by coaches of all levels (i.e. youth, high school, college, professional).  In this article, four key elements for developing an effective practice are discussed: 1) establishing standards of performance, 2) designing activities with a purpose, 3) creating a safe learning environment, and 4) communicating clearly.  An example of all (4) elements in action is also provided.

 

Establishing Standards of Performance
An effective practice session is built on a culture of high expectations, centered around standards of performance.  A standard is a measurable objective that pushes athletes to rise to a higher level of performance.  If a tennis coach requires an athlete to demonstrate competence in where they place a specific number of serves, they have established a standard of performance in executing a particular skill. When a volleyball coach demands that all players wear team assigned practice gear each day, a standard of performance aligned around team unity is created.  The performance standards a coach establishes are based on the coach’s values.  The values of the coach originate from their personal background, previous athletic experience, and development as coach.

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Building Team Culture: “Mind Candy” for Coaches

Introduction
Coaches are responsible for creating environments that are safe, challenging, and provide rewarding experiences for all of their athletes. These environments are often referred to as team culture. Developing a successful team culture is a key characteristic of an effective coach and essential for long-term athletic achievement.  Three-time national championship and current Ohio State University football coach, Urban Meyer emphasized the importance of the coach in creating a team culture that leads to desired results: “…leaders create culture, culture drives behavior, and behavior produces results” (Meyer, 2015, p. 65).

There are many techniques coaches can use to build team culture.  A quick Google search of, “building team culture in sport,” reveals over 88 million results.  If you narrow it down by sport, for example, “building team culture in basketball,” over 33 million options appear.  While latching on to an idea following a random internet search may yield results, it’s more effective to examine what master coaches do.  Mastery in coaching occurs when a coach exhibits effectiveness and expertise in teaching sport (Gilbert & Trudel, 2012). In other words, a master coach demonstrates the ability to improve athlete performance while also finding success on the scoreboard.

Don Showalter, Head Coach and Director of Coach Development for USA Basketball’s Youth Division exemplifies what a master coach looks like.  Throughout his 42-year hall of fame high school coaching career and his work with USA basketball, Don has demonstrated effectiveness and expertise in teaching sport.  As a high school coach, Coach Showalter won over 600 games and in 2009, was named the National High School Athletic Coaches Association National Coach of the Year.  During his tenure as the head coach of USA Men’s Basketball U16 and U17 National Teams, he amassed a 55-0 record and won nine-straight gold medals (USA Basketball, 2017).

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