The Barrier Isn't Time
This was the final slide of an 11-minute TeamsOfMen session with my own high school boys basketball program yesterday. It was the capstone on a conversation that covered “Truth Hurts” as a false binary, “Your relationship is NOT a group project,” and this final examination of who our male athletes let into their “inner circle” and what would cause them to ask someone to LEAVE.
It was born of observations of our road trip last week, a couple instagram posts sent my way by staff (with the text “Coach, this is a TeamsOfMen clip”) and from a conversation with another coach in another state in another sport last week on text.
It really is that simple. But the simplistic nature of its creation doesn’t lessen it’s potential impact (nor, of course, guarantee it).
It required me to put together an 8 slide Canva show, roll out a screen with HDMI capability and have the guys in the bleachers as they came into practice. That’s the total “prep” work.
I lay this out not to brag about what I did, but to overcome the usual “I don’t have time” or “I’m not sure I could do that” push back I get from coaches when I ask them “What’s stopping you from executing stuff like this?”
We exist to help you do this work (from topics creation to best practices execution tips) but really, when it comes down to it, you have to overcome yourself. Whatever excuses you keep feeding yourself that keeps you from starting is no different from the ones you ask your players to overcome when you first get them in the weight, to post practice shooting or hill runs on their own in the summer.
“Take the first step. It’s the hardest. After that, it becomes the norm.”
Coach Prompts
What conversation have you been putting off with your team because you think it requires more time, expertise, or preparation than it actually does?
If you had 10 minutes before practice tomorrow, what topic would be most worth discussing with your athletes?
Which excuse is more common in your coaching life: "I don't have time" or "I'm not sure I know how"?
Player Prompts
Who currently has the most influence in your inner circle, and why?
What behaviors would cause you to ask someone to leave your inner circle?
What's a goal or habit you've been avoiding because you've convinced yourself you're not ready to start?
