A true story of coaching philosophy, and why it matters:
"How are you going to coach your team?" [Pete] Carroll asked [Steve] Kerr.
Kerr, a bit taken aback, stammered, "You mean, like, what offense are we going to run?"
"No", said Carroll. "That stuff doesn't matter. You've played forever, and you'll figure out what plays to run and how you want to defend, pick, and roll and all that stuff. I'm talking about what your day is going to look like. What practice will feel like. What are the players going to feel when they walk into your building?"
In that moment, Kerr realized he didn't really have a plan or know the answer. He wasn't sure what the practice would feel like, what the culture would be like, or whether the players would enjoy coming to work every day. After playing under some of the best coaches of all time, he has just assumed those things would take care of themselves.
Carroll gave him a homework assignment: "When you get back to your hotel tonight, write down ten things that are important to you. What are the most important things to you. When you come back tomorrow, we are going to narrow down those ten things to four. Those four principles represent you as a human being."
And then Carroll gave him one final piece of advice, which has stuck with Kerr to this day and is critical for all of us reading this book. "It doesn't matter what values I have or John Wooden had or Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich," said Carroll. "It's what matters to you because, ultimately, your values have to reflected in the way you coach. That's what makes it authentic. and if you try to use somebody else's values, the players will see right through you."
When Kerr got back to his hotel that night, he thought long and hard about what really mattered to him. He also thought about what he had witnessed the few days, from the music blaring during practice to the meticulous preparation and attentiveness at team meetings. He thought about the intense competition in each and every rep of every practice activity and the relentless optimism and interaction between coaches and players.
"That's when it dawned on me," said Kerr. "Pete Carroll had built his team's entire practice routine around the energy, curiosity, positivity, and joy that defined him. His team was a reflection of him because every day was based on Pete's values, on what was important to him. And the combination of that wonderful culture and an amazingly gifted roster had helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. It all made sense."
Kerr returned to Carroll's office the next day and laid out his four values:
"That's great," said Carroll. "Now you have to build your whole day around those four values." Kerr asked what that meant. "Well, if competitiveness is a value for you," said Carroll, "you guys better compete every day. And if joy is a value, then you better have some fun. And if mindfulness is a value, then you better practice it." Kerr knew he had the final piece her needed to build his Warrior culture.
O'Sullivan, J. (2019, pp. 4-5). Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams. www.ChangingTheGameProject.com
Kerr, a bit taken aback, stammered, "You mean, like, what offense are we going to run?"
"No", said Carroll. "That stuff doesn't matter. You've played forever, and you'll figure out what plays to run and how you want to defend, pick, and roll and all that stuff. I'm talking about what your day is going to look like. What practice will feel like. What are the players going to feel when they walk into your building?"
In that moment, Kerr realized he didn't really have a plan or know the answer. He wasn't sure what the practice would feel like, what the culture would be like, or whether the players would enjoy coming to work every day. After playing under some of the best coaches of all time, he has just assumed those things would take care of themselves.
Carroll gave him a homework assignment: "When you get back to your hotel tonight, write down ten things that are important to you. What are the most important things to you. When you come back tomorrow, we are going to narrow down those ten things to four. Those four principles represent you as a human being."
And then Carroll gave him one final piece of advice, which has stuck with Kerr to this day and is critical for all of us reading this book. "It doesn't matter what values I have or John Wooden had or Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich," said Carroll. "It's what matters to you because, ultimately, your values have to reflected in the way you coach. That's what makes it authentic. and if you try to use somebody else's values, the players will see right through you."
When Kerr got back to his hotel that night, he thought long and hard about what really mattered to him. He also thought about what he had witnessed the few days, from the music blaring during practice to the meticulous preparation and attentiveness at team meetings. He thought about the intense competition in each and every rep of every practice activity and the relentless optimism and interaction between coaches and players.
"That's when it dawned on me," said Kerr. "Pete Carroll had built his team's entire practice routine around the energy, curiosity, positivity, and joy that defined him. His team was a reflection of him because every day was based on Pete's values, on what was important to him. And the combination of that wonderful culture and an amazingly gifted roster had helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. It all made sense."
Kerr returned to Carroll's office the next day and laid out his four values:
- Joy: after all, they got to play and coach sports for a living, and that should be fun.
- Competitiveness: the goal is ultimately to win a championship, so they must compete.
- Compassion: everyone is suffering in some way or another, and it's up to us to try to help people - no matter what we do for a living.
- Mindfulness: coaches and players who are mindful bring clarity of purpose to the team and perform the best.
"That's great," said Carroll. "Now you have to build your whole day around those four values." Kerr asked what that meant. "Well, if competitiveness is a value for you," said Carroll, "you guys better compete every day. And if joy is a value, then you better have some fun. And if mindfulness is a value, then you better practice it." Kerr knew he had the final piece her needed to build his Warrior culture.
O'Sullivan, J. (2019, pp. 4-5). Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams. www.ChangingTheGameProject.com