Volume 10 Issue 110 ISSN 1526-8373 Special Sample Edition CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE Coaches Corner Urban Meyer: 21st Century Leadership Leads UF to Title University of Florida head football coach make sure they’re attending classes. This they execute a 3-point stance. The one Urban Meyer previously turned around player needs to re-examine his priorities. with the best stance can move on while the Bowling Green (2001-02) and Utah player with the ugly stance has to sweat (2003-04) which finished undefeated in his Red players are watched, but not through more drills. second year. Now he’s won the national as closely. This player needs some title in only his second season with the supervision. Even fun stuff like locker room tug of Gators. We profile Meyer’s motivational wars have winners and losers. According methods this month. Gold players aren’t checked and don’t to linebacker Brandon Siler: “You don’t have to attend study hall. A gold player really concentrate on how hard you are Urban Meyer’s list of motivational tactics has proven himself unlikely to skip class, working because you just want to beat the may be more intricate than his playbook. fail a test, or get arrested. dude in front of you.” The Florida Gator coach uses countless methods to encourage, energize and entice For a player who isn’t holding up their The drill called ‘Circle of Life’ stages one players to improve every aspect of their end of the bargain, Meyer gets creative player against another in a ring formed lives. He has the ‘Champions Club’, in his punishments. For example, if a by teammates. The players square off in ‘Circle of Life and Mat Drills’, ‘Hell running back doesn’t show up for class, a battle of toughness, with each trying to Lifts’, ‘Rookie Stripes’ and ‘The Pit.’ Meyer might order all the running backs, knock the other to the ground. One player the running backs coach and his whole grabs the other player somewhere near the When Meyer took over, his first goal was family to show up for a compensatory joint of the elbow, then they push as their to familiarize himself with players and study hall on a Friday night. teammates circle around them and yell see if they were “living right.” He hosted like hell rooting them on. The winner is several cookouts and began dropping by “If you feel responsible for letting down celebrated, the loser humbled. players’ apartments and dormitories with your whole position group, your position little or no warning. coach and his family – that’s pretty They have ‘Mat Drills’ with groups strong,” Meyer said. “I’ve had my six of eight where they do wrestling type Assistants put together detailed lists about year old son come with me to a study maneuvers where one player lays down their players. Meyer wanted his coaches hall and then tell the guilty player, ‘You and the other gets on top of him and to know names of girlfriends, friends, want to explain to this six year old boy holds him down. The object is for the one parents, majors, grade point averages, why he’s sitting here on a Friday night.’ underneath to get up and off the mat. They projected graduation dates and important Having to explain to a six year old why have a champion of each group. phone numbers. you missed class can be a much more powerful punishment that running stadium “The Pit’ is much more demanding. “You get so tight with your players that steps.” It’s an area of the practice field where they can’t let you down,” associate head strength coaches supervise drills designed coach Doc Holliday says. “They don’t to encourage players to practice through want to let you down. They’re going to Practices are all about daily competitions. nagging aches and pains. Players there play for you. That’s why we do all we do.” If the defense wins a certain drill by point sometimes carry rocks and sandbags, total (goal line scrimmages for instance), run stadium steps and endure seemingly The hands-on approach allowed Meyer they retire early to the locker room and a endless repetitions of sit-ups and push- to learn a lot about his players early. hot meal. The offense remains on the field ups. He even broke them down into three and stands behind a horizontal line. At academic categories: scarlet, red and gold. the coaches’ command, players have to do Meyer also implemented “hell lifts,” Scarlet players are monitored constantly to sprints. weightlifting sessions that usually begin Inside This Issue late Friday night and last into the wee Every day, every practice, every drill has a hours. * Concentrate with Absolute Focus..........................2 winner and a loser. Winners get rewarded. * Meyer profile continued........................................3 Losers get punished. Meyer knows that ‘Rookie stripes’ are black stripes that * Winning Ways.......................................................3 it’s human nature to avoid the shame of are put on the helmet of each year’s * Pete Carroll's Important Lesson............................4 losing. newcomer, who gets it removed when he * Team Dinners Enhance Morale.............................4 * CRIME Goal Set Model/Avoid Cliches................5 “becomes a Gator.” * Preparing Seniors for Excellence..........................6 * Peak Performance Bullets.....................................6 The way a player lines up turns into a * Frank Lenti Interview...........................................7 competition. For example, running backs continued on page 5... * Rick Pitino's Team Building Story........................8 are each graded by coaches on how well Championship Performance Concentration 13 Ways to Concentrate and Achieve Mental Focus Athletes must learn how to regulate their B) Catch themselves and quickly bring 9) Eliminate the 2 main causes of pre- own pre-game anxiety levels. Here are 13 themselves back to that performance game stress. 1) The athlete’s self-talk tips to manage their pre-game jitters. focus. about the game, competition, magnitude or importance of the event in the standings, crowd size, etc. 2) Focus on 1) Teach pre-game psyching starting the 3) Be careful when you accuse your the uncontrollables. Examples include first day of the season. Mental toughness athletes of not concentrating. Every thinking about past events, winning training should not be a crisis intervention athlete concentrates before performance. and losing before the game even starts, thing. Teach your athletes to focus, block The issue is on what? If your athlete opponents’ skill level, parents, game out distractions, rebound from mistakes chokes or falls apart, then he/she was conditions, etc. and to handle pressure right from the start. concentrating – but on the wrong things. Don’t tell your athletes, “concentrate” unless you follow that by exactly what 10) Have athletes focus pre-game on the 2) Practice how to concentrate properly. you want them to concentrate on. one thing they can control. He can always Concentration is the heart of pre game learn to control his or her reaction to all psyching and peak performance. It is the other uncontrollables listed above. the foundation of mental toughness. 4) Integrate concentration into your daily Concentration is the ability to focus workouts. Get your athletes to regularly in on what is important and block out practice developing an awareness of when 11) Teach the athlete the here and now everything else. they start to drift from a proper focus, rule for peak performance. Athletes will and getting themselves back. Throughout better handle stress and avoid psych-outs practice routinely call their awareness to if they can mentally learn to stay in the This involves 2 mini-skills: A) Recognize this mental skill. “here” and “now” of the performance. when he or she is drifting from a proper Negative past thoughts will bring you focus. down and uncontrollable future thoughts 5) Make athletes aware of the mind/body of the outcome will do the same. The connection. Help your athletes understand athlete only has power, speed and control that the main difference between their in the “here and now”. What time is it best and worst performances has to do when you compete? The “now”. What with their pre-performance self-talk and place is it? The “here”. Championship Performance thoughts. That what they think goes into their bodies and can tighten their muscles and rob them of their coordination, 12) Have athletes control their eyes. 10612 - D Providence Road Suite 262 reflexes and speed. Focus visually only on those things that Charlotte, NC 28277 keep you calm, composed and confident. If a focus makes you uptight, deliberately Phone: (704) 321-9198 6) Teach the difference from a practice switch to something neutral or calming. FAX: (704) 321-0203 and game mentality. Peak performance is (For many athletes, spending too much about trusting and letting the performance time looking at the audience in the stands [email protected] happen. The athlete is not thinking and is is sure to diminish performance.) www.championshipperform.com on autopilot - utilizing effortless effort. Poor performance is about doubting, over- Championship Performance is thinking, analyzing, evaluating and trying 13) Encourage the use of pre-game published monthly (12 times a year). too hard. rituals. Help the athlete develop a ritual Subscription rate is $99. that is controllable, easy to repeat and compact. The ritual can then help the 7) Before games or meets, remind your athlete both control their eyes and ears The purpose and express goal of athletes that they have paid their dues and Championship Performance and stay in the “here and now” of the is to should just let performance happen. You performance. Rituals also help athletes help coaches attain the highest accomplish this by giving them one or two bind anxiety because they are familiar and levels of success.