WHY WE PLAY - Colorado High School Sports...

M I N N E S O T A S T A T E H I G H S C H O O L L E A G U E

w w w . m s h s l . o r g

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WHY WE PLAYHigh school athletics and activities

are a valued part of our culture. We

value these activities because we

know that students who are involved

acquire something meaningful

through their participation. But have

we ever looked closely at how they

benefit? What do the students who

participate in school athletic and

activity programs actually receive?

Decades of research shows that

participation provides students with

experiences they can draw upon for a

lifetime. Valuable life lessons can be

learned from participating on a team—

lessons such as:

• working through adversity;

• finding the courage necessary to

move outside one’s comfort zone to

learn something new;

• overcoming failure; and

• developing confidence and growing

as a human being.

The potential for this growth only exists

if we are aware and if we are intentional

and recognize that something deep and

lasting is possible for the students who

participate. We must realize that

through participation there is an

incredible potential for growth to

occur—growth that, if fostered, will

impact that student for a lifetime.

WHY DO WE PLAY? We play to give

students MORE than physical skill

development. We play to give them

MORE that leads to COURAGE,

CONFIDENCE, FAILURE, BELONGING,

and GROWTH.

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When students are connected to an

experience and have a relationship

with an adult who really cares about

them, belonging and a sense of security

follows. When we intentionally create a place of

belonging, the conditions are right for deeper, life-changing

experiences where work can be done collectively to reach a

common goal; where everyone has a role; where students

can be themselves and are also aware that

they are part of something greater

than themselves; and where

learning, growth and

connection are the purpose.

WHY WE PLAY — we playto give students MORE.

We play to develop thehuman potential ofthe students whoparticipate.

We have to define our purpose. We

have to focus on more than surface-

level outcomes. We have to shine the

light brightly on the real reasons WHY

WE PLAY—the human growth and

development of the students who

participate. We have to become

intentional about developing the

student’s potential and providing

them with skills that will sustain

them for a lifetime.

www.mshsl.org

It takes courage for students to show up

every day in this public arena called high

school activities. It takes courage to be the

students who wait for their turn to get

into the game, to take the last shot, to be

put into the game to throw one pitch with

the bases loaded or to stand center stage.

It takes courage to show up and perform

knowing mistakes will surely occur, to enter

into a public arena where failure is inevitable,

and to move outside of one’s comfort zone and

risk something new.

When did students learn that mistakes and

failure are negative and should be avoided, that

somehow they should achieve without failure? Much of

their willingness to risk trying something new is determined by

how we as adults respond to their efforts: the point guard’s risk to

drive the lane with the left hand instead of the dominant right, the

lead in the one-act play who is willing to stand center stage and

deliver the line, or the goaltender who takes the risk to leave the

comfort of the blue-painted crease to challenge the oncoming

shooter. All of these risks take the student out of his or her comfort

zone to the land of uncertainty, where there is a good chance that

failure will occur. Our response to their efforts, and to their risks

and their failures will either encourage them to try something new

or convince them to stay locked safely in a risk-free comfort zone.

Confidence is born out of trying. Trying is

attempting something new; it is the struggle

to overcome difficulties; it is striving for

something more. A willingness to try is what

puts students into the arena. The skill

development of students occurs when they

try and fail, and then try and fail again,

sometimes hundreds of times. We need to

celebrate, not discourage, a student’s

willingness to try.

Participation in high school athletics and activities

provides students with more than an outcome on the

scoreboard and physical skill development. It prepares

them for more than the game or competition.

Participation provides students with the skills

necessary to be prepared for life.

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WHY WE PLAYBy Jody Redman, Associate Director, MSHSL

WHY DO WE PLAY? For many in our sports culture there isonly one answer to this question—we play to WIN. I am goingto suggest that there is some value in this answer.

• Do we play so a high school student can developphysical skills, score 1000 points, and get a collegescholarship—YES.

• Do we play so a team can win a conference title—YES.

• Do we play so high school students can have theexperience of getting to and winning a statechampionship—YES.

But these reasons are not enough. The students partici -pating in our programs need and deserve more. As importantas our culture makes winning, scholarships and awards, thesetypes of achievements don’t sustain a student’s life and theydon’t develop their human potential.

WHY DO WE PLAY—we play to give students MORE.

When we are intentional, the MORE leads to the developmentof important life skills like:

• being responsible;• striving for excellence;• learning from mistakes and failure;• helping others succeed;• overcoming adversity; and• being a contributing member of a team.

MORE—how do we intentionally provide students with morethan physical development and become intentional about theirgrowth as human beings? In the book InSideOut Coaching, JoeEhrmann poses four questions that provide us with a pathwayto become an intentional coach.

Why do I coach?As a coach, our role in education-based athletics is to

establish a clear coaching purpose. The purpose of the highschool sports experience—WHY WE PLAY, is often only definedby the outcome. Many of us sit with our team at the beginningof the season to set goals. Most often these goals are only skilland performance based with absolutely no discussion or timespent on the students’ growth as human beings. They includereaching certain physical benchmarks within an aspect of asport; winning a conference title; or getting to and ultimatelywinning a state championship. Goals are important becausethey give us direction—they give us a destination. They also canget in the way of our purpose.

When we don’t clearly define and understand our purpose,our highest goal—winning— becomes our purpose and we willdo anything to achieve it. It is our responsibility to understandthe difference between a GOAL and a PURPOSE. In education-based athletics the coach’s purpose is the human growth anddevelopment of every student on their team.

Why do I coach the way I do?To understand why we coach the way we do, we have to

look at our coaching philosophy. Are we transactional or trans-formational? Joe Ehrmann defines a transactional coach as one

who uses players as a tool to meet personal needs for valida-tion, status, and identity. He defines a transformational coachas a person who is other-centered, who uses their power andplatform to nurture and transform players.

Our coaching philosophy was born from our personal expe-riences with those who coached us and from those whom wehave coached with. Good or bad, transformational or transac-tional, it is what we know. To understand why we coach the waywe do, we must journey inside of ourselves and examine whowe are emulating and why. We must ask the question are wedamaging our students or promoting their human growth anddevelopment. We must look at our own narrative and thenclearly define our coaching purpose.

How does it feel to be coached by me?Our role as coaches in education-based athletics is to

understand how it feels to be coached by us. Do we provide asafe place for students to really show up as themselves— a place of belonging? Do our actions promote growth or limitit? One of the most important things a coach can do for theirstudents is to create a safe place where connection and belonging occurs and mistakes and failure are welcomed andexpected.

Failure is a significant part of what we want students to experience in our program. We want students to fail as that isthe only way they will experience something new. When a stu-dent fails or makes a mistake and the coach screams, yells andbelittles the student, they will respond by staying tucked safelyinside their comfort zone and do only what they know, they willnot take risks, and will not put themselves in a place wheregrowth can occur. If we want students to stretch themselves,we must create a safe and trust-filled environment.

How do I define success?Our role as coaches in education-based athletics is to define

success by more than the outcome on the scoreboard. Weplan, we prepare, and we play to win but it is not our purpose.We provide students with the opportunity to be challenged, todevelop and to grow through their participation on a team. Thisinvolvement is the place where the potential for growth lives,but only if we are aware of our purpose and are intentional andonly if we define success by more than the outcome on thescoreboard.

Becoming IntentionalWe have to define our purpose. We have to focus on more

than surface level outcomes. We have to shine the light brightlyon the real reasons WHY WE PLAY—to grow the students whoparticipate. We have to become coaches who are intentionallydeveloping the student’s potential and providing them with skillsthat will sustain them for a lifetime.

WHY WE PLAY—we play to give students MORE. We play todevelop the human potential of the students who participate.Begin your journey by reading InSideOut Coaching by JoeEhrmann and then join the WHY WE PLAY conversation on twitter@mshsl_coaches.

Joe Ehrmann, the coach profiled in the national best-seller Season of Life, explains how coaches at every level,from Little League to high school to NCAA Division I andeven the professional leagues, can use sports to trans-form lives.

Coaches have a tremendous platform, says JoeEhrmann, a former Syracuse University All-American andNFL star. Perhaps second only to parents, coaches canimpact young people as no one else can. But mostcoaches fail to do the teaching, mentoring, even life- savingintervention that their platform provides. Too many aretransactional coaches; they focus solely on winning andmeeting their personal needs. They see sports as a sim-ple exchange: the athlete performs to a coach’s demandsand in return gets something, usually praise or a positionin the starting lineup. Some coaches, however, use theirplatform. They teach the Xs and Os, but also teach the Ysof life. They help young people grow into responsibleadults; they leave a lasting legacy. These are the trans-formational coaches. These coaches change lives, andthey also change society by helping to develop healthy menand women.

Sports have become a secular religion, according toEhrmann. Tens of millions of children play sports, and millions of coaches have the potential to influence the livesof these children—and through them to touch their parents’ lives as well. Children can be diminished and dis-couraged by their sports experiences, or they can bestrengthened, uplifted, even in some cases redeemed.Sports can be a life-changing experience if coaches understand why they are coaching and redefine theirmeasurement of success.

InSideOut Coaching explains how to become a trans-formational coach. Coaches first have to “go inside” andarticulate their reasons for coaching. Only those who have

taken the InSideOut journey can become transformational.Joe Ehrmann provides examples of coaches in his life whotook this journey and taught him how to find somethingbigger than himself in sports. He describes his own InSideOut experience, starting with the death of hisbeloved brother, which helped him understand how sportscould transcend the playing field. He gives coaches the information and the tools they need to become trans - formational.

Joe Ehrmann has taken his message about extra -ordinary power of sports all over the country. It has beenwarmly endorsed by NFL head coaches, athletic directorsat major universities, high school head coaches, even busi-ness groups and community organizations. Now any parent-coach or school or community coach can readEhrmann’s message and learn how to make sports a life-changing experience.

InsideOut Coaching is written from the perspective ofa football player and coach. Many good coaching practicesare described and illustrated using examples from his experiences in coaching boys to men with a few examplesof coaching girls to women. It is important to understandthat good coaching practices transcend sport and gender.

The lessons in the book can be applied to all and byreading this book coaches might also use this informationto understand the perspective of some parents, boosters,and community members when athletics becomes thetopic of conversation.

As you read the book and participate in this confer-ence, our hope is that you become aware of the value participation can bring young people when a coach inten-tional becomes a transformational coach. Your impact asa coach has a ripple effect, either positively or negatively,that will be felt for a lifetime.

InSideOut Coaching

Joe Ehrmann

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introduction

THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATION-BASED ATHLETICS

INTRODUCTION

Learning Target: One Word Essential To Good CoachingExercise: One Word Essential To Good CoachingOutcome: Ice-BreakerActivity: Group Activity

Group ActivityIntroduce yourself and share one word to essential coaching.

Group ActivityThe Purpose of Education-Based Athletics.

What is the purpose of education-based athletics?

How are we different from club, AAU, college and professional sports?


WHY DO I COACH?

Learning Target:Awareness Of Why I CoachExercise: Define Coach Outcome: Define the meaning of coach.Activity: POD Question, Video

(Participant Guide – Page 3.1)

POD QuestionWhat are stereotypical words and images that define coach?

A coach is someone who?

POD Report

Desired OutcomeThe goal is to help coaches understand the deeper meaning of coach andthat it is defined by more than developing fundamentals and teaching thegame itself.


InstructionThe best definition of a coach is the very first one that existed. It’s from the1500’s and it is a covered carriage—a Stage Coach. It safely takes peopleof importance from where they are to where they want or need to go. Youas a coach, take people of importance from where they are to where theywant to or need to go. The coach has amazing power. That power can beused for either what is really good for kids or what is really bad for kids.Let’s look at both.

whyweplay 3.1

CHAPTER 3

(Participant Guide – Page 3.1)Definition of Coach

Coaches safely move people of importance from where they are towhere they want or need to go.

InstructionSummary of Main Teaching Points

1. A coach is a caring adult in a student’s life who helps them grow anddevelop as a human being.

3.2 whyweplay

whyweplay 3.3

Learning Target:Awareness Of The Difference Between Goals And PurposeExercise: Goals vs. Purpose Outcome: Define goals and purpose and understand the difference between them.

Explain how winning fits into the high school experience and why our coaching purpose must be about more than the outcome on the scoreboard.

Activity: Group Activity, Video


Group ActivityWhat are some examples of the goals that you had during the pastseason or will have during the upcoming season?

Desired OutcomeCreate awareness in coaches of the typical goals a team will set for theirseason. Reaching a goal is arriving at a destination.


InstructionMuch of the goal setting that takes place is based on performance, skills,achievement, statistics and wins or losses.

Goal setting helps us win a conference title, win games, or get to and win astate championship.

(Participant Guide – Page 3.2)Definition of Goal

The result or achievement toward which effort is directed or aimed,a destination.


Working toward a win gives us teachable moments to deliver the lesson.


• The GOAL of playing a game is to win

• We prepare, plan and play to win

• But winning is not our PURPOSE

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(Participant Guide – Page 3.3)Definition of Purpose

Our Purpose is the reason why something exists or is done.

It’s WHY we do it.

• Purpose gives students more than physical skills and wins.

• Purpose is the reason for the lesson.

• Purpose equates to skills that will help students overcome situations in their life.

Coaching Purpose

Example:

“I coach to help boys become men of empathy and integrity who willlead, be responsible, and change the world for good.” — Joe Ehrmann

Purpose

• The reason for which something exists

• The Purpose is WHY we are doing it

• The Purpose is the growth and development of the student

(Participant Guide – Page 33)

If we are not intentional about our purpose our highest goal (winning)becomes our purpose and we will do anything to achieve it.


VideoGoal or Purpose

• This is an extreme display of a coach who is only focusing on his goal ofwinning.

• He is operating only from his own ego.

• When we operate only from our goals it may not look this extreme.

• It may be less abusive but often is just as damaging.

InstructionInSideOut Coaching

“We have to set your sights on WHY—the purpose that keeps uscentered and focused on honoring the high calling of being coaches.”

— Joe Ehrmann

whyweplay 3.5

(Participant Guide – Page 3.3)Goal or Purpose

Am I operating out of a place of purpose or a place that centers onthe goals we have set?


Video - Part 1Goal or Purpose?

Consider the following scenario.


How would we respond if a student on our team made this choice?

Consider the following scenario.


Video - Part 2Goal or Purpose?

Conclusion


Group ActivityHow do we INTENTIONALLY support the students on our team?


Personal Reflection InSideOut Coaching

Open your book to page 109

(Participant Guide – Page 3.4)Page 109

“Too many coaches have no clear, concise purpose other than winningand choose a path uncertain of where they will end or how theirdirection will affect their players. You can’t navigate a ship by studyingthe wind and the waves alone -- you have to set your sights on a port, alighthouse, some WHY—the purpose that keeps us centered andfocused on honoring the high calling of being coaches.” — Joe Ehrmann

(Participant Guide – Page 3.4)Page 112

“Life is about relationships. It’s about the capacity to love and to beloved. What does it mean to be a man? It means having the capacity tolook somebody directly in the eyes and say, “I love you.” And then beingable to receive that love back.”

Page 113

“On their deathbeds evaluating their lives, the second thing people wantto know is what kind of difference they made in the lives of others, theircommunity, and their country. People want to know that they lived for areason, a cause, and a purpose that was bigger than themselves.”

(Participant Guide – Page 3.4)Joe Ehrmann’s Purpose Statement

Page 114

“I coach to help boys become men of empathy and integrity who willlead, be responsible, and change the world for good.” — Joe Ehrmann


1. Goals keep us moving towards a destination (winning) and they provideus with a platform to deliver a message.

2. We plan, prepare and play to win. But winning isn’t our purpose

3. Purpose is why we do something. We provide these opportunities sostudents grow and develop beyond just the physical skills of a game.

4. We have to be intentional support students when they make choices thatare center on our purpose, their growth and development as humanbeings.

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COACHING PURPOSE

Learning Target:Create My Coaching PurposeExercise: Establish My Coaching PurposeOutcome: Understand my own coaching purpose and what I want students to get

from me. Activity: Personal Reflection


Personal Reflection InSideOut Coaching

How do I define success?

Read pages 123-125


“I can’t say my purpose is to help boys become men of empathy andintegrity who will lead, be responsible, and change the world for good andthen define success by my win-loss record.”


InstructionWhen asked “how did you do this season?” My response was, “ask me intwenty years.”

• Goals are short-term

• Purpose is a life-time


Personal Reflection How do you intend to affect your players for a lifetime?

CHAPTER 7


Personal Reflection Core Values

Using the list words below or your own, what are your core values asa coach?

Identify three words or use three of your own that are most important to you.

1. ____________________________ 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________

POD QuestionShare your core values and why these specific three are importantto you.

POD Report


Personal Reflection Purpose Statement

My Coaching WHY

Using the three words you circled as your most important core values,write your coaching purpose:

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AuthenticityKnowledgeGenerosityCourageResponsibilityHonesty

FamilyCommitmentOpennessHappinessEmpathySerenity

KindnessFriendshipConcern for OthersRespect for OthersHealthFairness

BalanceLoyaltyGenuinenessCreativitySecurityHumor

FreedomCompassionPerseveranceHarmonyExcellenceService to Others


Coaching Purpose

Joe Ehrmann’s Purpose Statement

I coach to help boys become men of empathy and integrity, who willlead, be responsible, and change the world for good. — Joe Ehrmann


1. Identifying our own coaching purpose keeps us centered on WHY we arereally coaching students involved in education-based athletics.

2. Our WHY provides perspective when difficulties with students andparents arise (playing time concerns, roles, wins and losses) and ifcommunicated allows us to refocus all involved on what this opportunityis really about—the human growth and development of their children.

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whyweplay 9.1

Charlie CampbellBrainerd High School

Years as AD at Current High School: 2Years as Coaches Education FacultyMember: 1st

Other Administration Experience: Nashwauk-KeewatinHigh School Principal (2 years); Greenway High SchoolPrincipal (2 years)Other Teaching Experience: Virginia High School SocialStudies teacher (3 years); Nashwauk-Keewatin HighSchool Social Studies teacher (7 years)High School Coaching Experience: Nashwauk-Keewatinand Virginia High Schools Head Football Coach (9 years);Nashwauk-Keewatin, Virginia, Nashwauk-Keewatin andGreenway High Schools Assistant Football Coach (4 years)

Neil FletcherChisago Lakes Area High School


Other Administration Experience: Blaine High SchoolAthletic Director (2007-12); North Branch High SchoolAthletic Director and Assistant Principal (1995-2007)Other Teaching Experience: Plainview, Buffalo andForest Lake High Schools Social Studies Teacher (1981-95)High School Coaching Experience: Buffalo High SchoolHead Boys Basketball Coach (1990-95); ColumbiaHeights High School Head Boys Basketball Coach (1985-89); Plainview High School Head Girls Basketball Coach(1981-83). Also assisted in football, track and field andbaseball at every school throughout the years.

Tom GraupmannNorthfield High School

Years as AD at Current High School: 12Years as Coaches Education FacultyMember: 4

Other Administration Experience: Northfield MiddleSchool Athletics Coordinator (8 years)Other Teaching Experience: John Ireland School – St. Peter, MN Phy Ed and Science Teacher (6 years);Northfield Middle School Sixth Grade Teacher (13 years)High School Coaching Experience: St. Peter Junior HighBaseball Coach (6 years); St. Peter High School VarsityGirls Basketball Coach (3 years); Northfield High SchoolVarsity Girls Basketball Coach (10 years), NorthfieldHigh School B-Squad Baseball Coach (13 years),Northfield Middle School Boys and Girls BasketballCoach (4 years)

David HartmannAlexandria High School

Years as AD at Current High School: 20Years as Coaches Education FacultyMember: 4 MNHCC, 8 ASEP

Other Administration Experience: Mankato StateUniversity Assistant Athletic Director (1 year); Universityof Iowa Intern (1 year)Other Teaching Experience: New Ulm Public Schoolsteacher (18 years), University of Iowa teacher (1 year)High School Coaching Experience: New Ulm Head BoysBasketball Coach (11 years); New Ulm Assistant BoysBasketball Coach (3 years); New Ulm Assistant FootballCoach (14 years)

Brian HegsethCentennial High School


Other Administration Experience: Region 5AACommittee (4 years); Region 4AA Committee & Chair (4 years); MSHSL Classification Committee (2 years);Region Rep (4 years); Metro Officials NegotiationsCommittee (4 years); Section Basketball TournamentManager (16 years); NWSC Gymnastics & WrestlingCoordinator (8 years)Other Teaching Experience: St. Paul AcademyElementary PE Teacher (6 years); Forest Lake HighSchool Health & PE Teacher (9 years) High School Coaching Experience: St. Paul AcademyHead Boys Basketball, Assistant Football and AssistantBaseball Coach (6 years); Forest Lake High School HeadBoys Basketball Coach (9 years)

Tim HermannWhite Bear Lake Area High School


Other Administration Experience: Austin High SchoolActivities Director (7 years); Champlin Park High SchoolActivities Director (1 year)Other Teaching Experience: Champlin Park High School,English teacher (10 years); North Dakota StateUniversity, PE lecturer (2 years); Plano East High School,Plano, TX (1 year); Park Center High School, Englishteacher( 9 years); St. James High School, Englishteacher (2 years)High School Coaching Experience: Austin High School,Head Football Coach (10 years); Champlin Park HighSchool, Head Football Coach (11 years), Assistant

MSHSL COACHES EDUCATION FACULTY

9.2 whyweplay

Baseball Coach (8 years) Montana State UniversityAssistant Football Coach (5 years); North Dakota StateUniversity, Assistant Football Coach( 2 years); Plano EastHigh School, Assistant Football Coach and AssistantBoys Soccer Coach (1 year); Park Center High School,Head and Assistant Football and Baseball Coach (9years); St. James High School, Assistant Football Coach,Head and Assistant Baseball Coach (2 years)

Dan JohnsonHopkins High School


Other Administration Experience: Athletic Director atPeru State College, NE (1991-96); Athletic Director atRanger High School, TX (1989-91)Other Teaching Experience: Peru State College (NE)faculty/administration (1991-96); Ranger High School(TX) - faculty/administration (1987-91); Northern StateUniversity (SD) Grad Asst (1986-87); Mabank HighSchool (TX) faculty (1984-86)High School Coaching Experience: Hopkins High SchoolHead Baseball Coach (1996-99); Peru State College(NE) Head Baseball Coach (1991-95); Ranger HighSchool (TX) Head Baseball and Head Football Coach(1987-91); Northern State University (SD) GradAssistant Baseball and Football Coach (1986-87);Mabank High School (TX) Head Baseball and AssistantFootball Coach (1984-86)

Becky LeuerNorth Branch Area High School(Retired)


Other Teaching Experience: North Branch Area PublicSchools, Physical Education, Health, First Aid and CPRInstructor (20 years)High School Coaching Experience: North Branch AreaHigh School: Head Volleyball Coach (25 years); HeadGymnastics Coach (11 years); Head Girls Track Coach(2 years); 9th Grade Softball Coach (11 years);Cheerleading Advisor (2 years)

Bucky MierasOrono High School


Other Administration Experience: Orono Middle SchoolDean of Students (3 years)Other Teaching Experience: Winona Cotter and OronoSchools Phy Ed and Health Teacher (9 years)High School Coaching Experience: Winona Cotter HeadGirls Soccer Coach and Head Baseball Coach (3 years);Orono High School Head Baseball Coach (9 years),Winona Cotter and Orono High School AssistantWrestling and Girls Soccer Coach

Brad O’DonnellSt. Clair High School


Other Administration Experience: Mankato Loyola HighSchool Activities Administrator (17 years)/Dean ofStudents (3 years)/Facility/Grounds Administrator (8 years)/Transportation Coordinator (5 years)/CrisisManagement Director (8 years)Other Teaching Experience: Mankato Loyola High SchoolPhy Ed Teacher (3 years)/ADPE Teacher (3years)/Special Education Consultant (3 years)High School Coaching Experience: Mankato Loyola HighSchool Assistant Boys Basketball Coach (2 years)/HeadGirls Basketball Coach (6 years)/Assistant BaseballCoach (1 year)/Head Boys Tennis Coach (1 year)

Joel OlsonForest Lake Area High School


Other Administration Experience: Forest Lake AreaHigh School Athletic Directors (11 years)Other Teaching Experience: United States Air Force (4years); Special Education (LD and EBD) teacher atPlymouth Middle School (1 year), Barnesville High School(2 years), Detroit Lakes Middle School (1 year), NorthBranch High School (4 years)High School Coaching Experience: Barnesville andNorth Branch Middle School Football Coach (5 years);Robbinsdale Armstrong, Barnesville and Detroit LakesAssistant Wrestling Coach (6 years)

Matt PercivalEastview High School


Other Administration Experience: Eastview High SchoolAssistant Principal and Administrative Assistant (14years)Other Teaching Experience: Rosemount and EastviewHigh Schools Social Studies Teacher (5 years)High School Coaching Experience: Rosemount andEastview High Schools Head Softball Coach (9 years)/Assistant Softball Coach (3 years); Rosemount andEastview High Schools Assistant Boys Hockey Coach (9years); Eastview High School Head Girls Hockey Coach(1 year); Rosemount High School Assistant Boys Soccerand Girls Tennis Coach (2 years)

Eric RodinePrior Lake High School


whyweplay 9.3

Other Administration Experience: Four PeaksElementary (Apache Junction, AZ) Dean of Students (1 year); Apache Junction High School (AZ) AssistantPrincipal/Athletic Director (2 years)Other Teaching Experience: Thunder Mt. Middle School,Apache Junction Junior High, Desert Shadows MiddleSchool (AZ) Social Studies Teacher (10 years); ThunderMt. Middle School (AZ) Media Specialist/ReadingSpecialist (2 years)High School Coaching Experience: Apache JunctionHigh School (AZ) Assistant Baseball Coach (2 years);Apache Junction High School (AZ) Softball Coach (7 years)

Dan RoffFridley High School


Other Administration Experience: Minneapolis EdisonHigh School Athletic Director (8 years)Other Teaching Experience: Minneapolis Public SchoolEnglish/Language Arts (10 years); Minneapolis EdisonPhy Ed Teacher (8 years)High School Coaching Experience: Minneapolis EdisonHead Football Coach (3 years); Assistant Football Coachat several schools (13 years); Minneapolis Edison HeadWrestling Coach (9 years)/Assistant Wrestling Coach(3 years); Minneapolis Edison Head Girls Track and FieldCoach (10 years)/Assistant Boys Track and Field Coach(8 years); Minneapolis Edison Badminton Coach (3 years)

Ted SchultzMinnetonka High School


Other Administration Experience: Minnetonka StudentActivities Director (3 years); Bloomington JeffersonActivities Director (1 year); Bloomington School DistrictAthletic Director (5 years); Cannon Falls High SchoolActivities Director (4 years)Other Teaching Experience: Cannon Falls High SchoolSocial Studies Teacher (5 years)High School Coaching Experience: Cannon Falls HighSchool Football Coach (4 years); Cannon Falls HighSchool Assistant Football Coach (1 year); Mankato StateUniversity Graduate Assistant Football Coach (1 year);Bethel University TE Coach (3 years)

Kelley ScottCoon Rapids High School


Other Administration Experience: Coon Rapids HighSchool Assistant Principal (1 year)

Other Teaching Experience: Anoka Hennepin ALCTeacher (1 year); Crossroads Alternative High SchoolTeacher (1 year); Coon Rapids School Within a SchoolTeacher (2 years); Coon Rapids High School SocialStudies Teacher (6 years)High School Coaching Experience: Anoka High SchoolSophomore Football Coach (1 year); Coon Rapids HighSchool Varsity Football Coach (9 years); Coon RapidsHigh School Sophomore Basketball Coach (1 year),Blaine High School Sophomore Basketball Coach (2years); Coon Rapids High School Assistant Track andField Coach (3 years); Coon Rapids High School HeadTrack and Field Coach (5 years)

Troy UrdahlSt. Anthony Village High School


Other Administration Experience: MN State HighSchool Coaches Association Vice President; St. Anthony-New Brighton Schools Director of FacilitiesOther Teaching Experience: St. Anthony Village HighSchool Social Studies Teacher (2002-07)High School Coaching Experience: St. Anthony VillageHigh School Varsity Baseball Coach (2002-present)

Jeff WhislerRoseville Area High School


Other Administration Experience: Mahtomedi ActivitiesDirector (15 years); Region 4AA Committee Member;MSHLS Board of Directors (2006-10); MSHSL BoardPresident 2010Other Teaching Experience: Mahtomedi High SchoolSpecial Ed Teacher (1991-97); Hill-Murray High SchoolDean of Students/Director of Admissions and Alumni(1987-91); Mahtomedi Special Ed Teacher (1984-87);District #832 Substitute Teacher (1983-84); Lincoln (RI)Special Ed Teacher (1980-83); High School Coaching Experience: Head Boys HockeyCoach (15 years); JV Girls Hockey Coach (4 years); B-Squad Baseball Coach (4 years); Head Girls Golf Coach(3 years)

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Bernabei, P., Cole, Ma., Cole, Mi., Cody, T., & Sweeney, W. (2010). Top 20 teachers: The revolution in americaneducation. New York: Top 20 Press.

Ehrmann, J. (2011). InSideOut Coaching: How sports can transform lives. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Ehramnn, J.(2013). Coaching Champions Coaching Clinic: Resources for Developing a Coaching Purpose. Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Brown, B. (2012). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent,and lead. New York: Gotham Books.

Brown, B. (2010). The gifts of imperfection. Minnesota: Hazelden.

Brown, B. (2007). I thought it was just me (but it isn’t). New York: Gotham Books.

Brown, S. (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. New York:Penguin Group.

Chamine, S. (2012). Positive intelligence. Austin: Greenleaf Book Group Press.

Gilliland, S. (2011). Making a difference. Charleston: Advantage.

Gongwer, T. (2010). Lead…for God’s sake. Illinois: Tyndale.

Gordon, J. (2007). The energy bus. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kelly, M. (1999). The rhythm of life. New York: Fireside.

Robinson, K. (2009). The element: How finding your passion changes everything. New York: Penguin Group.

Smoll, F. & Smith, R. (2002). Children and youth in sport: A biopsychosocial perspective. Dubuque: Kendall/HuntPublishing Company.

Tough, P. (2012). How children succeed: Grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character. New York: HoughtonMifflin Harcourt.

Wagner, T. (2012). Creating innovators: The making of young people who will change the world. New York:Scribner.

References

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WHY WE PLAYExpanding Our View, Twisting Our Lens, Redefining Our PurposeImportant Questions to Consider

By Jody Redman, Associate Director, MSHSL, andTroy Urdahl, AD & Baseball Coach, St. Anthony village

With the start of another school year, we are provided witha fresh start and an opportunity to provide great experi-ences for the students we coach. As we begin this newyear and reflect on this opportunity please take a momentand ask yourself the following simple question — “Why DoI Coach?”

Why Do I Coach?To positively impact the students who participate on our

teams, we must start with and identify our coaching purpose. In doing so, we purposefully identify the road wewant to take, to get to the place we want to be, instead ofending up down an unintentional path, wondering how wegot there.

We spend a considerable amount of time on the tech-nical and tactical aspects of the sports we coach, but thereis so much more to consider. Joe Ehrmann, author ofInSideOut Coaching, states, “Coaching shouldn’t start withthe X’s and O’s but with the Y’s. This WHY should be aclear and concise statement defining the impact we aretrying to make in our players’ lives. WHY directs the expenditures of our time, energy, and effort and providesa final destination. Answering the question ‘Why do Icoach?’ can help a coach identify selfish agendas and de-velop a purpose that transcends personal, vocational, financial, or ego-driven needs. WHY prompts us to answerthe questions of when and how to use the power of coach-ing to affect players for their lifetime.”

A clear coaching purpose will assist us in focusing onthe students we are entrusted with rather than on the X’sand O’s and winning and losing and will make us aware ofthe true value that comes from coaching opportunities. Wehave to get intentional, twist the lens and focus on theWHYs of what we do.

Why Do I Coach the Way I Do?Coaches have an incredible opportunity to dramatically

influence their students’ lives. Take a moment and thinkback: How did your high school coaches impact you? Wecan all name the coaches that we couldn’t wait to spendtime with and those whose practices dragged on, thosewho were heroes in our lives and those we despised. Whydo you coach the way you do? How have the coaches inyour past impacted the way that you coach today? Look inthe mirror. Good or bad, how much of how you coach isbased on what you learned from them?

Ehrmann defines the coach who strips away fun as aTransactional Coach, one who uses questionable tactics, manipulation and threats to achieve their goals. “Whenplayers perform well, they are rewarded. When they don’t

perform well, some kind of punishment is inflicted, be ityelling or the withholding of praise, playing time, or participation.”

The coaches we aspire to be are TransformationalCoaches. Ehrmann defines these coaches as those who inspire, motivate, and produce positive change in their student-athletes. They understand the needs of young people and “offer individual support and encouragement foreach player and have a clear vision for the desired impacton their players’ lives. And not surprisingly, a Transforma-tional Coach, even in organized athletics, allows and encourages young people to simply play.”

Spend a few moments and think about the coaches youplayed for and identify the experience. Was it a Trans ac-tional one in which you only got something when you provedyour value and worth, or was it Transformational, an experience from which you consistently grew? Now thatyou are the coach, what type of experience are you pro-viding the students who play for you?

What Does It Feel Like to be Coached by You?

Identifying whether we are Transactional or Transfor-mational will determine how it feels to be coached by us. Students who have played on a team will remember thetime spent with their coach and have stories and memoriesof their experiences. Through every experience and inter-action, we are creating pathways in our students for futureresponses, solutions, and attitudes. Positively or negatively,we will forever be a part of each person’s life that we havehad the privilege of coaching. We are modeling how to interact, how to treat others, how to deal with conflict, howto help others succeed, how to show appreciation, how todo our best, how to do things we don’t want to do, andhow to work with other people. We are leaving our imprinton the students we interact with for a lifetime.

What will our coaching legacy be with the students whoplayed for us? Will it be a legacy of Transaction or Trans-formation? Will it be defined only by the outcome on thescoreboard or more intentionally by the process and thepath that we experienced together? Much of this is deter-mined by defining success.

How Do You Define Success?Success can be determined in many ways. Unfortu-

nately in our culture, it is most often defined by the out-come on the scoreboard. Our job as educators is to makestudents aware of additional possibilities. Ehrmann urgesus to “ define success before we measure it. If we measure

Continued on Page 9.6

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ourselves against ourselves, we can determine if we aretruly successful. This is especially important in our ‘win atall cost’ sports culture where success is defined only bywinning and in the vast majority of situations, we are left tofeel that we didn’t measure up.” Focus your definition ofsuccess on the aspects of coaching we can control: im-provement in performance rather than our record, provid-ing a fun environment for participation, and making ourstudents better people, not just better athletes.

Twisting the Lens on the Question ‘How’d Ya Do?’

Teaching students to answer the question ‘How’d YaDo?’ with more than “we won” or “we lost” is the first stepto creating awareness in them on how to define success.By focusing on the following WHY values as the outcomeand a new way to answer the ‘How’d Ya Do,’ question, weteach them the true purpose of participation:

1. To have fun2. To learn3. To help others succeed4. To improve5. To conduct yourself well6. To appreciate the opponent7. To do your best8. To learn life skills (Star Qualities)9. To learn from both winning and losing

Redefining Our FocusAs coaches, we know there are important lessons to

be learned through participation in high school athletics

programs. By expanding our view, twisting our lens and redefining our purpose, we can provide a positive learningexperience that will influence the students on our teamsfor a lifetime. Face it — with less than three percent of ourstudents going on to play college or professional sports,we are not providing these opportunities to help them getscholarships or professional careers. A greater and moreimportant purpose of our programs is to provide opportu-nities to make ethical, caring, empathetic people. It is anincredible opportunity and responsibility, one that we ascoaches need to approach with conscious intent. We havethe power over young people to either do a tremendousamount of good or a tremendous amount of harm.

• If students who played for us can define winningand losing as an outcome of the WHY and not thepurpose of the WHY, then we as coaches havebeen successful.

• The key is being intentional, utilizing teachablemoments, and holding ourselves as coachesaccountable to the WHYs.

Choose intentionally, define your purpose, reflect onhow it feels to be coached by you, and why you coach theway you do. Commit to making success about the WHYvalues and not the final score. Give students the positive ex-perience we as coaches longed for as young people in-volved in high school athletics.

This article is the first of a four-part series. Thesecond will take an in-depth look at the WHY values of “How’d Ya Do?”

Continued from Page 9.5

The Resources in this article are from InSideOut Coaching, by Joe Ehrmann and How’d Ya Do, a Top 20 Training Concept.

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The following article is the second of a four-part series in The Prep Coach focusing on the importance of whatwe do as coaches and the value of participation in educational athletics.

Preface by Bubba Sullivan, Northfield High School Head Football Coach

A few years ago we decided to be intentional about the values and characteristics we wanted our football play-ers to learn. We realized that whether we won all of our games, lost all of them, or finished somewhere in between,that we were able to say we had a successful season—that our players learned and practiced skills that they couldcarry into life. We believed the true measure of our success should not be wins and losses, as so many in societyfeel, but instead our success should be measured by the quality of the students experience and by the lasting valuesand traits they developed. We decided to be more intentional and put a plan in place on how to do just that.

This past year, it was a student who helped remind me of what high school athletics are all about, I’d like toshare my story with you.

Part way through this year’s season, as we struggled to win on the scoreboard, I found myself feeling the frustration and doubt that a competitive coach feels when they don’t win many games. We were 1-4 at the timeand I was worried that our players might be looking forward to the end of the season. I was talking to our seniorcaptain, Max Weaver, and asked him how he felt the season was going. He said, “Great Coach.” I was surprisedand asked him what he meant. He said, “Coach, the guys are working hard, keeping positive attitudes, and we arehaving fun playing together every day. We have been competitive in every game, we never give up, and the gameshave been a blast.”

We finished the conversation and I realized that Max just helped me improve my attitude and he saved my sea-son. He reminded me that what was really important was the experience that the players were having, regardlessof the wins and losses. He reminded me that by intentionally teaching character traits and measuring our successbased on the development of those traits, we could consider each season a success regardless of the record.

We are going to work our tails off and start next season with the hope and expectation of winning many foot-ball games. Who knows, maybe we will win them all…or maybe we won’t win many. We know one thing for sure—we can have a successful season either way if we remember to focus on the right things.

WHY WE PLAYJust Fine or All In— The Choice Makes a DifferenceBy Jody Redman, Associate Director, MSHSL, and

Troy Urdahl, AD & Baseball Coach, St. Anthony village

Sports are a valued part of our culture. We valuesports because we believe the students who are involvedacquire something meaningful through their participation.But have we ever looked closely at how they benefit? Whatdo the students who participate in our programs actuallyget? When the game is over and the score is final, whatdo they win?

Participation in sports provides students with experi-ences they can draw upon for a lifetime. Valuable life lessons can be learned from participating on a sportsteam—lessons such as working through adversity, becom-ing disciplined, finding the courage necessary to move out-side one’s comfort zone to learn something new, andworking as a member of a team. The potential for thisgrowth only exists if the coach is AWAKE. Awake coachesrecognize that something deep and lasting is possible whena student fights through failure. Awake coaches understandthat when a student takes a risk and makes a mistake thatthere is an incredible potential for growth to occur—growththat, if fostered, will impact that student for a lifetime.

In the book Top 20 Teachers, the authors share thatthe most effective coaches “are as intentional in developinglife skills and habits in students as they are in developing

the backstroke in swimming or the wrist shot in hockey.” Atevery practice and in every game there is an opportunity toteach students a multitude of lessons through their par-ticipation. But this won’t happen if the coach is ASLEEP —unaware of the power coaches possess to make a lastingimpact and where development of the whole student is leftto chance. We as coaches have to be awake — aware,alert and willing to focus our attention on more than win-ning and the development of physical skills and insteadfocus on what students really should be getting from us:the development of life skills.

AsleepAs coaches and educators, are we awake or asleep?

Do we falsely assume that the students who participate inour programs are learning valuable life skills and positivecharacter attributes simply because they are a member ofour team?

If we ask students after a competition, “Hey, how’d yado,” will they only answer with “we won” or “we lost” or pro-vide us with some personal statistic. Or have we made theeffort to create awareness in them that so much more ispossible?


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If we as coaches are asleep—unaware and unrespon-sive to the needs of our students—then our students willnever know the extent of what is really possible. InSideOutCoaching author Joe Ehrmann asserts that “one of thegreat myths in our culture is that sports builds character,as if doing a handstand, running a race, hitting a curveball,or simply suiting up are sufficient to strengthen a youngperson’s moral fiber. Unless a coach teaches and modelscharacter and encourages its development in athletes, it ismore likely organized sports will spoil play and underminethe development of the very character and virtue they claimto build.”

AwakeTo develop better people, not just athletes, we must be

intentional—we must be awake. The greater call of a coachis to be awake—mindful of what students in our programsare really getting. Our main role as a coach is the humandevelopment of every student on our team. Winning is theby-product of something bigger, an awareness in us thattransforms a game of throwing a ball through a hoop intoan opportunity to create caring, empathetic, responsiblemembers of society. When coaches are awake, they takethe student’s learning of physical skills and Xs and Os to thenext level. They concurrently teach them the Ys, the last-ing values acquired through the learning of those samephysical skills.

Defining Success with “Y” ValuesConsciously creating a game plan is necessary to trans-

form a student’s experience from only Xs and Os to value-filled Ys. Asking the right questions, creating awareness,and providing experiences with greater depth are key tobeing successful. When this happens, success will nolonger be measured only by the outcome on the score-board or the acquisition of a new physical skill. Instead, thetrue measurement of success will be seen in the studentswho learn the valuable life lessons participation in educa-tion-based athletics provides.

So what are the desired outcomes of participation? Thefollowing are some crucial outcomes of education-basedathletics as presented by Top 20 Training’s concept How’dYa Do (www.top20training.com):

To have funFor many adults, recreation is more like ‘wreck-reation’.We are driven as we play games to compete with a necessity to win and prove our worth. What is it thatmakes a grown person swear and throw a golf clubwhen that little white ball doesn’t go straight? Our playis often not about having fun, but rather about gettingstressed out. Awake coaches have a responsibility todirect practices and co-curricular activities in such amanner that young people have fun. This doesn’t mean,of course, that it’s only fun. Hard work, adversity, dis-appointment, and not getting everything a kid wantsshould also be part of the experience.

To learnAwake coaches realize that sports and other co-cur-riculars are part of the overall educational experienceof students. They help young people discover the pow-erful life lessons that are available in these activities.Some of these lessons will help students work more effectively with others throughout their lives. Besidesfocusing on touchdowns, rebounds and musical instru-ments, they open youngsters up to these possibilities bysharing things they themselves are learning and askingstudents what they are getting from these experiences.

To improveWe cannot improve by only doing what we can alreadydo. Awake coaches who expect improvement encouragestudents to take healthy risks and stretch outside theircomfort zone. This expectation helps students overcomethe fear of failure and the fear of making mistakes.

To help others succeedIt must be the expectation of every student that theylearn to help others succeed. Coaches must convey thatexpectation to their students. They help them becomeaware of the importance of this and provide opportuni-ties for it to happen. By helping young people help oth-ers succeed, coaches guide their students toward themost direct route to their own success. Think about thepower of this outcome—it is those who lift othersaround them who will become great future leaders.

To conduct yourself wellMany times in the heat of an athletic contest, players,coaches, and fans lose sight of their values and act inways that tarnish their reputation. Embarrassing behavior on the court, on the sidelines and in thestands has unfortunately become too common in manyathletic events. As a rule, players, coaches, and spec-tators regret those negative behaviors after the contest. It is important that coaches are vigilant abouttheir teams’ and fans’ behavior during events. No matter how the ball bounces or how the officials’ callsgo, awake coaches must always do their best to main-tain dignity, composure, and perspective.

To appreciate the opponentOpponent does not mean enemy. Yet if aliens fromouter space observed many of our athletic events, theyprobably would not notice a difference between thesetwo words. Often fans, athletes, and coaches treat opponents as if they are the enemy. As coaches strivingto improve, we should be looking to learn from our opponents and appreciating skills or qualities they bring to the competition. The awake coach knows thattheir opponents offer challenges and opportunities to develop physically and mentally. They also offer friendships that are built on mutual respect and canlast for a lifetime.



whyweplay 9.9

To do your bestJohn Wooden defined success as “peace of mind,which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowingyou did your best to become the best you are capableof becoming.” Wooden’s purpose was not to coach hisplayers to be better than someone else or comparethemselves to others. He coached for more than win-ning. He coached his team to be the best that theycould be as a team. The fact that UCLA won 88 consecutive basketball games and twelve nationalchampionships resulted from Wooden’s mantra ofbeing “the best you are capable of becoming.”

To learn life skills (Star Qualities)Coaches should understand that blocking and tacklingskills are of no value to young people once they stopplaying football. However, the Star Qualities that students can attain in sports and co-curriculars arevaluable for a lifetime. It is the awake coach’s role tohelp students develop internal strengths, social skills,and problem solving skills that can make a positive difference in their lives during their school years andbeyond. It is important that the children who are participating learn not only the sport skills being taught,but also the important qualities of confidence, self-discipline, courage, and teamwork.

To learn from both winning and losingWinning and losing are significant events in students’lives. Awake coaches realize that both winning and losing offer wonderful and potentially dangerous resultsfor young people. Students who experience winning benefit by learning that they have what it takes to besuccessful. This can help develop their confidence andmotivate them to strive for even greater challenges. Onthe other hand, winning has such a high value in ourculture that it can create pressure on youth to win atall costs. Furthermore, the emphasis on winning canresult in young people believing that their inner worthonly comes from achievement.

If guided properly, kids can benefit from losing. Los-ing provides a healthy perspective. It keeps us humbleand highlights areas where improvement can be made.

However, losing without having significant experiencesof success can diminish a student’s confidence. It candevelop in a student a reluctance to try things in the future unless success is assured. The fear of failing orlosing can keep kids in their comfort zone. As coaches,we know there are positives and negatives gleaned onboth sides of the winning and losing ledger; we must beintentional to ensure our athletes have the same understanding.

What did we get? It may be a cliché, but the enemy of “the best” is not

“the worst.” The enemy of “the best” is “just fine.” The experiences our students are having may be “just fine” butcan we make a commitment to give them more? Can wechallenge ourselves to kick it up a notch, see our role ascoaches differently, provide more for our students, and be“all in”? You can choose to accept “just fine” or you canchoose to be “all in” and commit to being awake and making a difference.

Be committed and give your students more this sea-son; give them experiences that will be the foundation forwhich they will build a successful life. So when asked at theconclusion of a practice, game or season, “What did weget?” you can answer by saying, “My students got an experience that prepared them for more than a game.They acquired the skills necessary to be prepared for life.”

This article, written by Jody Redman, MSHSL AssociateDirector and Troy Urdahl, St. Anthony Village Activities Director and Head Baseball Coach and is the second offour articles to appear in The Prep Coach this year. Thenext issue will focus on the role failure and mistakes playin the development of our students.

Weekly lessons have been designed for coaches to teachthe “Y” values discussed in this article. You may findthem on the rotating front page of the League’s websiteunder the Education header at www.mshsl.org. We encourage you to utilize this resource as a starting pointor as a supplement to develop the “Y” values in the students on your team.


9.10 whyweplay

WHY WE PLAYDaring Greatly by Embracing Failure

By Jody Redman, Associate Director, MSHSL

It takes courage for students to show up every day inthis public arena called high school athletics. It takescourage to be the students who wait for their turn to getinto the game, to take the last shot, or to be put into thegame to throw one pitch with the bases loaded. It takescourage to show up and try a new skill knowing mistakeswill surely occur, to enter into a public arena where failureis inevitable, and to move outside of one’s comfort zone.

Roosevelt captures the essence of showing up in thesecond line of the above quote: “The credit belongs to theman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred bydust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly.” We wantstudents to enter into the arena and strive valiantly. Wewant them to fully engage in the opportunities that arebeing provided to them. There is so much to be gained butthis can only happen if we provide them with a safe placewhere they can show up and try.

Trying is natural. Trying is attempting something new;it is the struggle to overcome difficulties; it is striving forsomething more. A willingness to try is what puts our athletes into the arena. But as Roosevelt says, with tryingcomes failure: “there is no effort without error or short-coming.” Think about how much time it requires to mastera skill. The skill development of our students occurs whenthey try and fail, and then try and fail again, sometimeshundreds of times. Students who show up are going to fail.Sometimes this failure is met by a critic whose judgment isdiscouraging. We need to celebrate not discourage thisprocess of trying and failing.

When did students learn that mistakes and failure arenegative and should be avoided, that somehow they shouldachieve without failure? Consider a one-year-old who islearning to walk. When she falls down, she doesn’t beatherself up, she doesn’t get yelled at, and she isn’t ridiculed.She falls down and then she gets back up. She tries again,falls down again and eventually learns to walk. Did her ultimate success occur because the adults watching her effort judged her, screamed at her or gave her a sarcasticeye roll filled with disapproval? Just the opposite is true.They cheered her on and encouraged her to try and tryagain.

As coaches we have limitless opportunities to providemessages to the young people on our teams. Much of ourathlete’s willingness to risk trying something new is deter-mined by how we respond to their efforts: the point guard’srisk to drive the lane with the left hand instead of the dom-inant right, the gymnast’s risk to throw a double fly-away instead of the lay-out fly-away, or the goaltender who takesthe risk to leave the comfort of the blue-painted crease tochallenge the oncoming shooter. All of these risks take theathlete out of his or her comfort zone to the land of uncertainty, where there is a good chance that failure willoccur. Our response to their efforts, to their risks and theirfailures and to their willingness to leave their comfort zonewill either encourage students to try something new or convince them to stay locked in a risk free comfort zone.

The late motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said, “Failure isan event, not a person.” Yet at times our response to students when they make a mistake is communicated witharms outstretched in disbelief, a scrunched up angry expression, and screams that center on our disappoint-ment, disapproval and disgust. Our response makes it veryclear that the failure is the person. In the book Top 20Teachers, the authors’ state, “It is because of the fre-quency and likelihood of these responses that people fearfailure and mistake making. As a result, they fear movingoutside their Comfort Zone and handicap their learningand potential.”

We have a choice to be the coach or the critic. We either find value in failure and mistakes and our studentsgrow—we coach. Or we respond with negativity and thestudents on our team remain locked in their comfort zone,where they won’t take risks, they play it safe, and learnnothing—we criticize.

Our awareness of how we respond to a student whomakes the choice to show up is essential to keeping him inthe arena “so that his place,” says Roosevelt, “shall neverbe with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Performing in public takes courage. Traveling down aroad not yet travelled takes courage. It takes courage to try a new skill and to risk not knowing or understanding


"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where thedoer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose faceis marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again,because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of highachievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shallnever be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." — Theodore Roosevelt

whyweplay 9.11

something. It takes courage to show up every day. We ul-timately determine if our students will take the leap of faithto trust and risk failure simply by how we respond.

Take some time and reflect on how you respond to yourplayers when they fail and make a mistake. Based on yourresponse to their “error or shortcoming,” is it acceptablefor your athletes to take risks and stretch themselves or,based on your typical response, is it far better if they staysafely tucked inside their comfort zone?

Daring greatly means risking failure by stepping into thearena, getting into the game when others choose to sit it

out, and choosing to move outside one’s comfort zone totry something new. When you create an environmentwhere students feel comfortable and embrace mistakesand failure, the athletes on your team will follow Roosevelt’slead, will dare greatly and will show up.

This article was written by Jody Redman, MSHSL Associ-ate Director, and is the third article in a four part seriesappearing in The Prep Coach this year. The fourth andfinal article will focus on WHY WE PLAY.


9.12 whyweplay

WHY WE PLAYCreating a Place of Belonging


At the end of the eight-hour school day, students walkthrough the doors and gates of our gyms, rinks, pools,courts and fields to be a part of the high school sports experience. They show up with a backpack of ‘stuff’ theyhave acquired throughout their day: stuff that includesfriends, popularity, comparison, teachers, being in, beingout, academic content, who’s who, success, failure,clichés, boyfriends, girlfriends, acceptance and rejection,just to name a few. The reality for students is that much oftheir day includes uncertainty, where they stand in shiftingsand, where a firm footing is almost impossible to find.

Many students are looking for a place where they will beaccepted. They are looking for a place where they don’thave to pretend and they can show up as their authenticselves. They want a place where they don’t have to try tofit in. They want a safe place where they belong. Dr. Brene’Brown, author of Daring Greatly, states:

“Belonging is the innate human desire to bepart of something larger than us. Because thisyearning is so primal, we often try to acquire it byfitting in and by seeking approval, which are notonly hollow substitutes for belonging, but often barriers to it. Fitting in and belonging are not thesame thing. Fitting in is about assessing a situationand becoming who you need to be in order to beaccepted. Belonging doesn’t require us to changewho we are; it requires us to be who we are.”

When students are connected to an experience andthey have a relationship with an adult who really caresabout them, one who allows them to show up as them-selves, belonging and a sense of security follows.

Think about your own playing experiences. Can you recall a coach to whom you were connected—one who accepted you for you and created a safe place where youbelonged? If this was your experience, it didn’t happen accidentally. It happened because your coach understoodhis or her role and intentionally created that space. It happens today for students when we as coaches choose tobe aware of our students’ deeper needs and intentionallycreate a place of belonging.

When a coach is aware of their purpose and createsthis place of belonging and connection, it is called TEAM.When TEAM is intentionally created, students can walkthrough the practice door at the end of the school day andinstead of clutching their backpacks, they can put themdown. When this happens the conditions are right for stu-dents to experience more than what is on the surface—the game. When we intentionally create this place theconditions are right for deeper, life-changing experiences

where work can be done collectively to reach a commongoal; where everyone has a role; where students can bethemselves and are also aware that they are part of some-thing greater than themselves; and where learning, growthand connection are the purpose.

There has to be more. We have to provide studentswith more. We have to give them something that will livebeyond the span of their four years in high school. We haveto get below the surface and get to their deeper needswhere greater opportunities for growth and developmentexist. We must intentionally give students experiences thatare about more than just the game and instead are rele-vant to real life; real life skills that are necessary to workthrough problems, resolve conflict, be responsible, strivefor excellence, find value in mistakes and failure, help others succeed, be a contributing member of a group, andsee life through the lens of possibility. In order to get belowthe surface where the learning of these necessary life lessons takes place, we have to be aware of our role increating a space where students feel they can show upand be themselves. We have to understand what the word‘coach’ really means.

The very first use of the word ‘coach’ occurred in the1500's to refer to a particular kind of covered carriagethat moved people of importance safely from where theywere to where they needed to be. Our role as a coach in2013 needs to be understood in the same way. We needto create a TEAM—a ‘place’ of safety and belonging so wecan move people of importance—our students—fromwhere they are to where they need to be.

Every coach has the responsibility to create a safeplace where learning opportunities can occur. When wecreate a climate of belonging, we create a culture of possibility, where there are unlimited opportunities and potential for growth.

So at the end of the school day, when students cometo practice with their backpacks on we must rememberthe words of Dr. Brene’ Brown and be cognizant of ourcoaching purpose: to provide every student with a safeplace to belong, one that doesn’t require students tochange who they are; but only requires them to be whothey are. If we provide this place, students will not waiverin shifting sand, instead they will have firm footing with asense of belonging where it will be safe for them to not onlylearn a game but more importantly to learn the lessonsnecessary to assist them as they navigate their waythrough life.

This article was written by Jody Redman, MSHSL Associ-ate Director, and is the final article in a four part appear-ing in The Prep Coach during the 2012-13 school year.

whyweplay 9.13

WHY WE PLAYSometimes We Win…Sometimes We Lose


At the beginning of each sports season, teams identifytheir goals for the upcoming year. These goals keep themfocused, working hard and on a quest to win conference titles, and ultimately state championships. Goals help pre-pare our students to win games…but what happens whenthey don’t?

With the score tied, the goalie readies himselfto defend the final kick in the tiebreaker shootout.He rocks back and forth knowing that this kick willbe the deciding factor. If he fails, the game is over,and his beloved team will go home. If he succeeds,they will play on with their dream still alive.

As the ball is kicked, the goalie dives to theright. The ball goes to his left and settles into theback corner of the net. Realizing that he had madethe wrong choice, all that remains for the goalie isdevastation. He melts to the ground, his faceburied in the turf, his pain raw.

At the same time, the opposing team rushes tolift their hero into the air in celebration. Joy paintstheir faces with smiles and jubilant screams. Withpumping fists and arms extended, they celebratetheir good fortune. They will play on with the cham-pionship in their site and their state tournamentdream still alive.

Watching the devastated goalie, I can see theweight of the loss consume him. He did everythinghe was coached to do. He faced fear and judgmenthead on with both hands open. He stepped in frontof the net and made decisions that would ultimatelydetermine the outcome of his team’s hard foughtbattle. He accepted his challenge with great antic-ipation and determination. He did all of this, andstill his team will not play on.

The difference between these two teams being definedas winners or losers is contained in our culture’s narrowview of success. It is most often determined in one nano-second after hundreds of hours of dedicated preparationand hard fought battles. The outcome on the scoreboardpaints the final picture—one winner and one loser. If this isthe only way that a team can win, then the goalie and histeam are the losers. The scoreboard clearly states this.Their season is over.

What does this team that set goals and worked hard toaccomplish them get when they lose and their season isover? There will be no medals, no trophy, no fire truck to

escort them through town, and no championship celebra-tion. They are the losers. Can there be more than seasonending devastation for these young athletes? The answeris yes, but it is dependant on their coach and how he seesand responds to the loss.

In John Maxwell’s book, Sometimes You Win, Some-times You Learn, he states, “A loss doesn’t turn into a les-son unless we work hard to make it so. Losing gives us anopportunity to learn, but many people don’t seize it. Andwhen they don’t, losing really hurts. To become a learnerfrom losses—you need to change the way you look atlosses, cultivate qualities that help you respond to them,and develop the ability to learn from them.”

How do we as coaches take this incredible disappoint-ment that sports presents—the loss—and get to some-thing positive—the lesson. How do we seize the opportunityand ensure that something positive can come from losing?Lessons will be learned if we as coaches understand thatthere is a big difference between the goals that we set atthe beginning of the season and our coaching purpose.

Joe Ehrmann summarizes the need for a concise pur-pose in the following quote from his book InSideOut Coach-ing. “Too many coaches have no clear, concise purposeother than winning and choose a path uncertain of wherethey will end or how their direction will affect their players.You can’t navigate a ship by studying the wind and thewaves alone—you have to set your sights on a port, a light-house, some WHY—the purpose that keeps us centeredand focused on honoring the high calling of being coaches.”

The goals we set at the beginning of the season keepus on track and moving forward. Goals give us a destina-tion. Conversely, our coaching purpose is far more impor-tant than getting to a destination. Our coaching purposeprovides our students with a journey that will challenge andhelp them develop their potential as human beings—an ex-perience that will manifest in the development of our stu-dents’ inner lives. For this to happen, the coach mustunderstand their WHY and must make a conscious and in-tentional choice about how they will respond prior to theheat of the battle and prior to the final outcome on thescoreboard.

It’s the same choice that faced the young goalie in thepenalty kick situation. He made a conscious choice to goright before the shooter ever kicked the ball. As coacheswe must do the same. We must make a conscious choiceto be teachers of the lesson before difficulties arise andthe outcome is determined. Emmett Fox states, “Difficultiescome to you at the right time to help you grow and moveforward by overcoming them. The only real misfortune, theonly real tragedy, comes when we suffer without learningthe lesson.”

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The ability for coaches to suffer a loss and see throughit to the lesson is what makes coaches great teachers.Great teachers clearly see their students as more thanhuman ‘doings’—concerned only with their students’ per-formance and instead, they see them as human ‘beings’—concerned with the growth and development of theirstudents’ inner lives.

Our culture says the outcome on the scoreboard iseverything. And yet there is so much potential for some-thing deeper and more lasting if we can see more than justthe win or the loss. We want students to show up, presentthemselves, overcome obstacles, fight through adversity,find solutions, and create opportunities. We want and

expect learning to come from their playing experiences. Butfor this to happen, we have to be willing to accept loss forwhat it is—an opportunity for coaches to teach—and, assuch, an opportunity for students to learn and develop.When we take advantage of a loss and intentionally utilizeit to develop our students’ inner lives, something that willlive well beyond their playing days, we are preparing ourstudents to meet life’s challenges head on.

Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. When weare intentional and understand our coaching purpose—ourWHY—both can have a positive impact on the humangrowth and development of the students participating onour teams.


WHY WE PLAY—we play to give students MORE. We play to develop the human potential of the students who participate. Begin your journey by reading InSideOut Coaching by Joe Ehrmann and then join the WHY WE PLAYconversation on twitter @mshsl_coaches.

whyweplay 9.15

WHY WE PLAYWhy Do We Coach The Way We Do?


Have you ever given any thought to where your coach-ing philosophy came from? Why do you coach the way youdo? Joe Ehrmann, the author of InSideOut Coaching states,“When I started coaching I hadn’t thought through theneed to clarify why I was coaching or how I was coaching.I just coached the way I had been coached—or the way Ihad seen others coach—for better or, more typically forworse.” To become aware of how our coaching philosophywas formed and developed, we must take an in-depth lookat our life experiences—we must examine our past.

Ehrmann states the process of examining our past be-gins by answering the following questions regarding thecoaches who impacted us. In doing so, we can gain insightinto the values and beliefs we acquired from each of them.This in-depth look at where our coaching philosophy origi-nated begins by reflecting on and answering the followingquestions:

• How positive was our playing experience? How neg-ative?

• What did we learn from each coach? What do wewish we hadn’t?

• What were our developmental needs? Were theymet?

• How did the coach make us feel about ourselves?

• Did the coach shape and mold our character in apositive or negative way?

• How did the coach treat our teammates?

• Was there a consistent moral or ethical dimensionto their coaching?

• How do I feel about the coach now that I am anadult?

There is a higher level of awareness that occurs whenwe go inside of ourselves and look at our personal experi-ences. Taking an in-depth look at how we were influencedwill bring to light why we coach, interact and respond to thestudents on our team the way that we do.

The way we interact with our students reflects the wayour past coaches interacted with us when we were stu-dents. Our responses are habitual, a part of our routine,and come from those who influenced us. Ehrmann shares,“My coaching was a hodgepodge of unsorted, memory-

driven impulses thrown at my players. I gave little fore-thought to their effect or effectiveness. I did not look inside,account for my behavior, and adjust it before it reached theoutside and turned into lifelong, and sometimes hurtful,memories for my athletes.”

Is the way we interact with our students damagingthem or helping them to grow? Are we Transactional orTransformational coaches?

Do we see our students as human ‘doers’ whose worthcomes from their performance? If yes, we would be de-fined as a Transactional coach. We look for what we canget out of coaching and not what we can give; we ignorethe athlete’s developmental needs and instead define ourown success based on our students ‘doings’. Our identity,purpose and self-worth come from our students’ performance.

Coaches who see their students as human ‘beings’ op-erate from a much different place. These Transformationalcoaches believe young people can grow and flourish in andthrough sports. They intentionally create a place where students want to be, not because of what they ‘do’, but instead, simply because they ‘are’ human beings.

It takes caring, intentional, and transformational adultsto create a place where students are accepted simply be-cause they ‘are’. For this to happen, we must recreate ourcoaching philosophy by incorporating the positive things obtained from our past that should be carried forward, andby averting the negative things that damaged us when wewere students. We didn’t have a choice about who ourcoaches were, but we do have a choice about the kind ofcoaches we are. We must make a conscious choice aboutthe kind of coach we want to be and what we want our students to learn and obtain from us.

Becoming aware of why we coach, interact and re-spond to students the way we do and actively pursuing positive change to our own habitual responses will have alife-long impact on the students we coach. Educator FredRogers states, “It’s true that we take a great deal of ourown upbringing into our adult lives; but it’s true, too, thatwe can change the things that we would like to change. Itcan be hard, but it can be done.” Our students are count-ing on us to do what is hard and become intentional aboutwhy we coach the way we do. Our choices will have a life-long impact on the students we coach.

9.16 whyweplay

PURPOSE STATEMENTMy Why...

PURPOSE STATEMENTMy Why...

WHY WE PLAY - Colorado High School Sports...

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