Influence for Today's Coaches

What is your coaching status? Will you stay in that lane? Who can help you move up? Who is the most successful coach in your conference or area? Why are they successful? Have you talked with them or asked what's their secret? What former or admired coaches could give you insight?

What positives can you draw from last season? Would you consider it a success? What do you hope to accomplish this season? What would your players say about last season? Should we make wholesale changes? How can we nurture young players early in their career?

Who is influencing your players ability to play? What messages are they sending? Will it impact your player's game? Are they listening to someone else more than you? How can you deal with it? What messages are you sending from the sidelines? Do your words have meaning? How will you approach a player who is independent in all they do, regardless of what you say? If the parent is the cause, what wil...

Do you award an MVP to your team? Has it ever caused dissension? Did it change the player in a positive or negative way? What was the reaction by teammates? How would you deal with an MVP who's attitude drastically changes in a bad way? Do you feel comfortable handing out that award? How can you help an MVP who's clearly indifferent with teammates?

What will be different this coming season? What will be the same? What are your team goals? What do you hope to accomplish? What's the key to reaching your goals? How would you describe your team? What's the key to your leadership being effective?

How are you working with your team during the Coronavirus? How would you rate their emotional stability? What is their biggest question or concern? Are you in contact with them weekly or more often? Have you given them assignments, tasks or challenges to complete? Are your leaders assisting? What ideas do they have? Do you feel you need to have all the answers? What is your mental outlook through...

What coaching decisions outside the game are most challenging for you? Are you able to hold all players accountable? Have you ever delayed accountability to allow a player to play? How did other players react to that decision? Are you consistent in your decisions?

Have you been confronted after a game? Blamed for a loss? Criticized over a starting lineup? Second Guessed on a substitution? Most of us would answer yes. It goes with the territory as a leader in sports or business. How will you react? Are young coaches prepared to face this challenge? Do we lose potential great coaches in the process? How is your school or club grooming new coaches to be prepar...

Wish you all the best as you work through personal challenges of this global virus with family, team and those who depend on you. I pray you are safe.

Are your players able to work through mistakes? What emotions are they feeding? Are they positive or negative? What steps can they take to reset their thoughts? Are you as their coach contributing to negative emotions? How do you react to their play when its less than stellar?

What's your player's mindset at key moments, game situations, practice or perception of their ability? Are you able to change it if it's less than positive? Where does the avoidance, inability or inaction originate? What will it take to turn it into a positive?

Does your school train coaches? What training have you been a part of? What components did it cover? What about Integrity and Character? Working with parents? Do you have a personal model for solving tough situations?

Are you ready to move up the coaching ladder? Do you have the necessary qualifications? Would you take a lesser role to prove yourself? Will you family support a move or return to school to earn the qualifications? What are you willing to give up or sacrifice to achieve your dream job?

Are you able to share the day to day stress of coaching? Who can you confide in? What situations have been the most stressful for you in your career? Have you ever considered quitting? Do you have a mentor or someone at home who understands your struggles? Do you have challenges you're unwilling to share?

Have you later regretted words you spoke to your team? How do you recognize and deal with moments of frustration and anger? Are their personal steps you can take to regroup or calm yourself before addressing a player or your team?

How can you connect to your players? What role does consistency play? Should you adapt to every personality or just be yourself? What are your keys to connecting?

Will you hold players accountable? Will it be based on a player's status or ability? Are your players part of forming the team's expectations? What questions should you consider concerning accountability? What happens when we make exceptions or delay accountability? Would you let the team vote to allow a player to play? Will it damage your coaching credibility?

Are you now or have you been as assistant coach? What questions had to be answered before you took the job? Is your dream to be a head coach? What challenges have you dealt with? What would you share with others concerning being an assistant? What roadblocks or dead ends have you experienced?

Do you have faith in your players? Do they have faith in you? How can you earn their faith? Will you be able to build confidence and trust with your players? What are some examples you've used to build trust and confidence?

How will you lead your team to success? What's your definition of success? Have you considered Trust, Loyalty and Respect as pillars of a team's success? What attributes would you list as necessary for your team's success? Listen as we share our ten and see if any match.

What distractions do your players deal with everyday? How can those distractions influence their performance? How can you as their coach impact those distractions? What traits do you possess that could be attributes in solving these distractions? What creative solutions have you tried?

What sets your team apart outside the lines? Is your team known for serving and helping the community? Do you recognize those players who rarely enter a game? Do you meet every player who attempts to make your team and thank them? Are you involved with youth clubs in your area? Is your team active with charitable organizations? Do players recognize or thank teachers in your school?

How will you deal with that season ending loss? Are there takeaways that can help us next season? Will you ask tough questions of yourself to improve? Were there decisions left unanswered? What will be different next season? How can you best serve your team? What do they need to buy into your team's culture?

What words or phrases do you use to challenge your players? Are they always receptive? Could they same words apply to you and your coaching career? Does your AD or DOC challenge you? What have you done to become a better coach? Do you have resources for coaching education?

What vision do you and your staff have for your team? What vision does the team have? Do you have a process to lead the team to a vision? Will players have input in forming the vision? Why is that important? What roles and responsibilities will be established by the team? Do you have a vision of what you want to accomplish in your career? Who can help?