Program Concerns

Wade Houchin
General Thoughts:

There is an abundance of information to cover at a parents meeting; especially for a new Head Football Coach needing to clearly establish the outline of his program. The format that I will adhere to the first year will be organized as a two-part meeting. During the first hour to hour and a half, I will present all the basics that must be communicated loud and clear. Following the general information meeting, I will extend an open invitation to any parents that want to stick around for a Q&A session, with my entire program document available for questioning and/or reference. I want to ensure that those who want and feel like they need a more personal connection/information leave satisfied with answers to their questions. I will stay as late as I need to that evening. Additionally, it has always been my plan to allow and encourage "in-home" meetings with families throughout the spring and summer, in an effort to more deeply connect with our stakeholders and develop a closer relationship with our players as well. I believe that getting into a student athlete's home can really give us coaches a better insight on where they come from, what kind of environment they go home to, and can provide valuable information on how they respond to different forms of motivation. Below is a list of what I would cover in that first 1 - 1/2 hour meeting. The agenda would be short in nature, but more thorough in nature (as is shown in the literature below) when being explained.

Agenda:

1. Welcome (give everyone an insight into who I am and how I operate)

2. Culture (present Culture Playbook with explanation)

3. 365 Calendar

4. Off-season Expectations (weight room, camps, clinics, etc.)

5. Coach/Parent Relationships

6. Player Commitment Signing Ceremony (This format will be similar to a college signing day. Players will choose with their parents to sign their commitment to the team in front of their peers and parents/guardians). Pictures will be taken and posted on our social media accounts.


THE PILLARS OF OUR CULTURE


EFFORT:


Required Behaviors:


1. Offer your best mental energy!


2. Offer your best physical energy!


3. Move past your comfort zone...and love it!


Outcome = This is the difference between winning or losing consistently


ATTITUDE:


Required Behaviors:


1. Look people in the eye and address them by their title.


2. Choose discipline over default behavior. (No BCD's, Do the Work, Don't Quit)


3. Use positive self-talk with your teammates and yourself when things get hard.


Outcome = We will know, and others will know that we set the tone for “above the line” behavior


TRUST:


Required Behaviors:


1. Do your job! – Trust without results is unacceptable…Results without trust is unsustainable


2. Talk to people, not about them...especially when there is a problem.


3. Perform the way you are coached! (technique, alignment, assignment)


Outcome = Individuals become a dedicated group that refuses to let each other down. Love becomes our primary motivating factor.


THE WHAT OF CULTURE:


What is culture? What is the purpose of culture? Culture is certainly a popular buzzword amongst teams, organizations, and businesses alike today, but how many entities have a plan and a specific system for generating culture? I do. We will implement what I believe to be the most powerful and life-changing culture building programs in the market today, "Focus 3's R Factor and Lead Now" programs. www.focus3.training/usafootball/


This program will provide our student-athletes and coaches with specific strategies that build and sustain culture year in and year out. Access to this program provides two elite programs, 16 skill courses, 80 chapter lessons, and 5+ hours of exclusive content to lead this journey. Average coaches use quotes. Good coaches have plans. Elite coaches use systems. I have a system and it's ready to go.


THE WHY OF OUR CULTURE:


Culture is what drives any group, team, or organization. It is what you practice, what you promote, and what you permit. It is not what is written on fancy signs, posters, mission statements, core values, or other propaganda. Culture is what is actually believed, behaved, and experienced by those in your organization. The purpose of culture is to drive behavior that wins. Culture is NOT created to make people feel good. Cultures that seek to please everyone, go against the physics of reality. You can't hold people accountable to a standard that doesn't exist. Average cultures simply do not produce elite results! Elite cultures start with elite behaviors from leaders. More talented teams underperform because of leaders, culture, and behavior than any other reason. Game plans and techniques will always struggle if the culture doesn't drive the discipline required to execute it. A strategy is common; Culture wins championships! The good news; there is plenty of room at the "elite" level because not many are willing to do the work to get there. I am committed to doing the work with my staff to become elite.


THE HOW OF OUR CULTURE:


Weekly culture training in the Spring for incoming seniors
Team culture training daily during summer workouts
Weekly culture lessons/themes with daily emphasis on specific behaviors that align with our personal and program standards.
Lead our players and staff through a program with timeless principals that are applicable to life far beyond the football field. We will build better sons, future husbands, and fathers.
Once established in our program, offer this training to athletes and/or staff across the district in an effort to help build elite culture across the entire district.


Mental Training/Psychology

The What:


Utilize the Peak Performance Sports system created by Mental Game Coaching Professionals Dr. Patrick Cohn and Jaki Hitzelberger, MA, MGCP.


www.peaksports.com/sports-psychology-football/


The Why:


Having a mentally strong team that can apply specific researched-based strategies will help give us an advantage over our competition and give us valuable training for the rest of our lives as we will inevitably face challenging circumstances. This is the actual implementation for those that believe sports can be a microcosm of life.


The How:


1. Follow the progression through the curriculum which includes:


The Confident Athlete


The Composed Athlete


The Focused Athlete


The Fearless Athlete


The Relaxed Athlete


2. Utilize my own personal experience leading players in the area of sports psychology as learned and practiced through my Master's program in Coaching and Athletic Administration program.




II. NON-NEGOTIABLES IN THIS PROGRAM


(Things that will not be tolerated - these are behaviors that LOSE!)





Complacency


Quite simple: Care about every day and maximize your potential in every opportunity. Nothing is guaranteed, and you can’t go back and re-do what has passed. Regrets are one of the worst experiences in life. Please do your best to live in that reality; you will regret it if you don’t.


Rite of Passage Due to Seniority


We are ONE team, not a group of grades, groups, or individuals. Freedoms and responsibilities are earned. We want hard working high-character football players, plain and simple. If you are good enough and are in accordance with team culture, you will play. Harassment or "hazing" of a teammate/s for any reason is not tolerated and will result in serious consequences.


Entitlement


This program is not concerned in the least who your parents are, how much money your family has, who your sibling/s were or anything related to you outside of your character and ability. Blaze your own trail!


Lack of Offseason Dedication


High school athletics are meant to be fun! However, the definition of fun can have many meanings. We define fun as: coming together as a team, enjoying each other's company, working together toward a common goal, and achieving our team and individual goals. Playing up to our ability is fun. Winning is fun. Creating lifelong memories with your best friends is the most fun.


That being said, those who choose to show up for our season without putting the time, energy, and effort into the offseason, both as a team and individually, will be at a distinct disadvantage. This type of complacent behavior shows your coaches and your teammates that you don't care enough about "us" to devote yourself to continual improvement. The message you receive will be returned as clear as the one sent. The offseason (especially the summer) is arguably the best time to grow as a team.


Participate in other sports and activities! Contrary to many "less than honest folks" out there, multi-sport athletes are the most recruited and most respected athletes in the minds of both high school and college coaches. Please run fast and far from anyone trying to convince you to specialize in one sport. Tell them to do some research...or actually talk to the best coaches out there. We highly encourage multi-sport athletes’ year-round. Multi-sports athletes enjoy numerous benefits that transcend all realms of competition and they continue to build upon positive life skills through their various exposures.


Weak Minds and Fragile Psyches


We are going to work hard in this program. Our players will be pushed to their limits physically, mentally, and emotionally. There is always a higher level of doing things and if we desire greatness in life and in the area of competition, we must achieve it when no one is around to watch, but us. Players will need to have thick skin (or develop some quickly) because we have high expectation for attitude + effort + trust. A lack of any afore-mentioned quality cheats our program out of our goals, fails to align with our culture, and will not be tolerated.


Players have to distinguish between a perceived attack on them and criticism of their performance. Bottom Line - players need to be able to handle constructive criticism without breaking down physically and emotionally. There will be plenty of praise to go around, but this is real life and sometimes the truth is not comfortable…wear it, own it, and move on. "It's never about the player, it's about the performance." If at all possible we cannot afford to play athletes whom we cannot trust in times of situational pressure and stress. Our players will simply be challenged to be their best and accomplish things they never thought possible. The process does not always resemble a fairy tale. Again, culture does not exist to make people comfortable. It drives the behavior that wins.



Parent Meetings


When concerns arise, I will encourage a meeting between the student-athlete, parent/s, and coach or coaches to come to a quick and satisfactory resolution. Unwillingness to participate in such a meeting will force me to conclude that my interpretation of any matter is the correct interpretation, and I will respond under that assumption. Meetings must be scheduled in advance. My open-door policy does not extend to parents. I desperately want you to be involved and be a part of “us”, but my players and their well-being are simply going to come before parent complaints, criticisms, etc. As will all things in life, clear communication solves most every problem. I will do my best to be proactive with you; please allow myself and my staff the freedom to be the professionals that we are.


SUGGESTED PARENT MEETING REQUEST PROCESS:


Ask yourself:


1. Does it really matter?


2. Can I control it?


3. Does my concern benefit my child in an appropriate manner?


4. Will sharing my concern change anyone’s opinion on the matter?


5. Ask yourself how you would handle the approach you are contemplating if the roles were reversed.


6. Give the matter a few minutes, hours, days, months…whatever is necessary to be able to come to a rational conclusion without the raw emotion of the issue still present.




* It’s no secret that parent-coach relationships can be difficult. I personally would like to welcome you into our culture because we need your support and you need our commitment to treat your child with respect and dignity. I’m not someone who has a hard time owning my shortcomings. I will not be perfect. I will make mistakes. Please know that I will make every effort necessary to do what I believe is best for my players on the field, but more importantly, in life. In the end, I believe we both want the same general things for your child; we simply may not always agree on the methodology…so let’s keep the intention in the forefront of our minds.

X. STRATEGIES FOR POSITIVE PARENT – COACH RELATIONSHIPS


Meetings


Philosophy - I will always be open to having a meeting with parents. However, there are appropriate times and places to have such encounters. More importantly, there are times when it is not appropriate to have those encounters… and topics that are not open for discussion. Our student-athletes should be able to explain to their parents any rationale for complaints and/or dissatisfaction, as they are responsible for addressing the Head Coach with any concerns when they arise…whether they are comfortable doing so or not! Please help us to reinforce these positive characteristics in our student-athletes. Parents should not fight every battle for their children, nor “clear the path” of obstacles in their way to provide a smooth path with little resistance. Such behavior, though done in love, teaches young people to be overly dependent on you as parents/guardians, and it reduces their chances for independence as adults.


*Research “helicopter” and “snowplow” parent descriptions…I suggest the writings of Tim Elmore growingleaders.com/tim-elmore/ . I have found his work to be both practical and inspirational for myself as a parent of four children.


Inappropriate Meeting Times:


a. Anytime before, during, or after a game. Emotions are highest during this time. You won't get the best me and I won't get the best you.


b. Before practice


c. After practice without prior scheduling


d. Anytime when I don't have time (i.e. I have somewhere to be at a specific time). Again, proactive communication and scheduling appointments in advance will go a long way to resolving most communication issues that may arise. I have a family to get home to when all my obligations are fulfilled at school and after practice. I have a wife that wants her husband home and four children that need their dad home every night. Please respect that.


Appropriate Meeting Times:


a. Any time or place that is agreed upon when you call, email, text to schedule. I must know in advance the purpose of the meeting. You may also count on me having an assistant coach present with me in more-less all individual meetings. An administrator may also be encouraged to attend, depending on the severity of the concern.


Parent Team Representatives and Booster Club


Parents will be asked to volunteer their services as "team reps" for each level of competition (Freshman - JV – Varsity). Parent reps will be in charge of organizing team meals for games. We will eat together as a team before all games, home and away. Meals will be small before games (I have specific plans for these). After games, meals will likely be prepared in homes with additional volunteers or purchased from a store or restaurant. Parents will pay a meal fee at the beginning of the year to help fund this program. This is another small step to building team chemistry and it provides our student-athletes with consistency and one less thing to worry about. I want them focused on the game, not on where they need to drive to after school to find food. Parent reps are also free to suggest ideas to help improve the program and they may serve as a sounding board for other parental comments and/or concerns. I want our parents to be involved in "us".


* If you are interested, please see the Coach Houchin or a designated assistant for more details


I will develop and intentionally pursue a positive working relationship with our school booster club. It would be my preference to have regular meetings each month, or quarterly at the very least in order to discuss our program goals, needs, and to work toward making our program top notch in the areas of safety, effectiveness, and support. We cannot be an elite program without a great partnership from people who have our programs’ best interests at heart. Let’s work together to give our young people the best possible experience this game has to offer!


Technology/Social Network Representation


We want to get our product out to the public. Today, the way to do that is to be highly involved in the areas of technology, media integration, and social networking. We will explore all beneficial avenues to market our program. There are many exciting avenues for the future marketing and exposure of our program that will help build "us" as a united community. I want those who are unable to watch us play, to know what we are doing and what we are about as a program.


Honesty (talk to people NOT about them!)


It is my intention and my desire to be as open and honest with you the parent/guardian as possible. Again, I want you to be a part of this program alongside your student-athletes. Therefore, it is essential that we are able to communicate without barriers. We both desire what is best for your child. We will not always agree on every matter, but my hope is to be able to garner mutual respect for one another while your student-athlete is under my leadership and care. Please integrate yourselves into our program, with our culture, our mission, and our values. Just please don't blur the lines between coach and parent. Your discussions "in the car" and at home make a huge impact on your student-athletes' perception of the program and our coaches. Realize that we as coaches have the best intentions for your child. We have and will put in far more time than you likely have... or ever will into this game. We are not going to show up at your job and tell you how to do it, so please refrain from doing the same. We are always working to improve, to make the best decisions we can, and truly want your child to have a great experience in this program.


Love


I'm in this vocation to build lifelong relationships that will help my players' impact this world for the better. Please come alongside us in this program to promote the same end goal. Make no mistake, your student-athletes should know they are loved and cared for by the time they leave this program. They will know that they had a valuable role on this team and that their efforts are/were deeply appreciated. We all devote far too much time, energy, and effort to this endeavor for it to be simply about the game experience. We will undoubtedly laugh together, cry together, and celebrate together because we care about "us".


Personal Professional Development

As a coach of your student-athlete, you have my promise to continue to strive to improve myself as a person, a leader, and a coach. I'm in

"football mode" all year long. I'm engaging daily in strategy, culture, leadership, and personal growth resources throughout the year. I'm

"nerdy" about attending clinics, networking with other coaches around the state and country, reading coaching books, etc. Please forgive

me in advance for being a little bit obsessive about this game. I love football. One of the highest callings that I have next to my faith and

family, is to lead young people within a football program and make it truly one of the greatest experiences in their lives.