Inspiring Your Assistant Coaches

I was blessed to be a part of an amazing Character Building Clinic this past weekend with coaches from all over the country. They were passionate about changing lives, they shared how their purpose in coaching is to help boys become men.

There was a buzz in the room that was truly contagious ... that you were excited to learn a few new things, a few new ways to help your players grow in virtue, grow in strength. I truly wish I would have had more time to sit down and simply listen to every coach in the room.

One of the lessons-ideas that hit home with me the most is that the character program that you have is only as strong as yourself and your assistant coaches ... that the players don't necessarily hear what you teach, they "hear" how you and your assistants act and live ... and that inspires them to take the messages to heart.

Sometimes we think that this activity or that tradition is going to really make an impact. Things don't change lives - people do. 

So the first step to making our programs stronger - is to help the coaches on our staff grow stronger in virtue. If we are humble enough to strive to grow and change ourselves, our players will see that and they will want to change as well. Humility is contagious!

Here is an awesome testimony from a 27 year old assistant coach. He talks about how he has grown personally by making an effort to mentor his players. Imagine having a staff full of guys like this. His Head Coach, Dan Duddy, has an awesome virtue program because he has helped his young coaches grow first. 

Watch the above video if you want to be inspired.

Virtue=Strength

Vice = Weakness