Strength Needs a Counterweight
How many of the words on the right side of the graphic in the IG post above from @bradstulberg are welcome in your program? How often do you hear your male athletes use those words when talking about themselves, their teammates, or your program?
I ask because I have a sneaking suspicion that the left side words spend a lot of time existing in your world. I would wager that they are probably even championed by signs, shirts and slogans you use often. And I’m not arguing that that is a bad thing either.
I’m simply arguing that the words on the right describe states of being that are just as important as the words on the left. I’m arguing that the words on the right are just as much ingredients to winning as the others are. The manbox has taught us to see those traits as soft...But, as the original author argues, there is plenty of space alongside their companions and much NEEDED space at that. In many of the comparisons, they are the balancer, the leveling out component someone needs to become well rounded. Consistency can become a trap without adaptability. Confidence devolves quickly to cockiness without humility. The examples are numerous.
So, the main question I pose today to staff’s reading this: If you leave no stone unturned searching for balance in your offense, defense, or training plan, why wouldn't you pursue that same balance in the character traits your program celebrates?
The goal isn't replacing one side with the other. It's recognizing that the best competitors learn to hold both at the same time.
Coach Prompts
Which words from the right-hand column would your players say are genuinely celebrated in your program—and which are rarely acknowledged?
Are there qualities your athletes privately value but publicly avoid because they don't fit the image of toughness?
How intentionally do your slogans, praise, and corrections reinforce balance rather than extremes?
Player Prompts
Which pair on this graphic feels hardest to hold at the same time? Why?
Which word from the right-hand column do you think takes the most courage to live out as a male athlete?
If someone watched your team for a week, which words from this graphic would they use to describe you?
If today's post made you wonder which traits your program consistently celebrates—and which ones unintentionally get left behind—don't guess.
Click here to run the free Decision Confidence Analysis™ and discover where your program is reinforcing healthy decision-making—and where hidden gaps may still exist.
