Coach Wilkerson

WARRIOR CHALLENGE

SPIRIT MIND AND BODY

2 Things Bill Self does better than almost any coach in the country

1. Mental Toughness– He develops mental toughness in his players that translates to wins and championships. He runs super intense practices that force his players to band together. He also has a photographic memory. If you make a mistake at any time in the game or practice, he can recall it later and teach what needed to be done. This causes his players to have great accountability. He is not a dictator but he is definitely a general and all his troops are mentally tough.

2. Time, Score, and Momentum– He is incredibly prepared to put his team in a position to win. He knows when to call time outs. He is fantastic at getting a stop on defense after those timeouts. He is even better at getting a great shot on offense out of timeouts. He knows how to sub. He has the right players on the court in most situations. He already has a plan in place in late game situations. His players know what he wants done and they know how to execute it. Coaches can not make the baskets for the player. Coaches can put the player in winning situations and Coach Self is a master in this area.

2 Things Fred Hoiberg does better than almost any coach in the country

1. Spacing and Matchups– Coach Hoiberg has brought his NBA experience to the college game and his teams space the court as well as any team in the country. He puts players in space and then looks for matchups that favor his players offensive strengths. When he sees a player with an advantage, He immediately gets that player in space and lets him go to work. When you watch his team play you can see them go 4 out and 5 out to create optimum space. They are hard to guard because of his spacing principles.

2. Confidence in his Players– Coach Hoiberg has also brought a NBA mentality when it comes to player relations. He really lets his players play to their strengths. They play with a bravado that most college teams do not. His players know that their coach is behind them. They go for things and do things that most coaches would not release their players to try. As a result, they are always in games and win many games in clutch situations.

So Bill Self or Fred Hoiberg??????

Take your pick! Not only are they 2 of the best coaches in the Big 12. They are 2 of the best coaches in the Country!!!

My dad was a very successful High school and College basketball coach in Texas for many years. He was a master motivator and incredible tactician.

Something that has hit me lately is what he had his players chant at the end of every huddle. You know the thing where the coach says 1 2 3 and all the players blurt out a cool saying. He made all his players say this one phrase at the end of timeouts, end of practices, and all other times they huddled up. “WE BELIEVE”.

He asked me when I became a coach if I did the same and I have not. But that will change. Not until recently did I realize the power of what he MADE each player say. Belief is at the core of all success. Let me show you in a diagram what dynamic principle my father was teaching each one of his players.

Potential                                                  Action

Belief                                                       Results

Everyone knows they have potential.

In sports it is easy to see when some people have special potential in a given sport. But is only when those with potential put action to that talent or gift do we get results. The more action you put in (practice, training) the more results you get.

This all sounds like common sense and it is.

When you do not put much action to work, you see very minimal results. Now here is the kicker. Those who are super successful in life have got this one thing that most do not: BELIEF or FAITH.

You will only go as far in life as your faith or belief will let you. Potential is all for not if no action is taken. If no action is taken then there will be no results.

This is why some people are destined to succeed and some are destined to fail. Your belief in the talents and gifts that God has given you will determine what level your action will be. Your level of action will determine your results.

So if you take massive action and you get massive results then that will confirm your belief and it will recycle itself. But you must first believe in the potential or God given talent he has given you. On the flip side. If you take very little action, you will see very little results and you will doubt yourself.

It is the toilet bowl affect of the pessimists and the whirlwind affect of the optimists. It is the toilet bowl results for whiners and whirlwind affect for winners. It is the toilet bowl affect for failures and the whirlwind affect for the uber successful.

It is time to believe in who God created you to be. You are a winner! You have great potential! You have the ability to take massive action and see massive results. It is time to for your faith to rise in you! It says in psalms “that you are fearfully and wonderfully made”.

God did a great job when he made you.

So let’s all say it together now. 1…2…3…

WE BELIEVE!!!

“A snowflake is one of God’s most delicate creations. But look what happens to them when they stick together. Have you ever witnessed an avalanche?”

I am so convinced that there is something really special about being a part of a team. When you consider all the incredible life lessons that can be learned from being on a team that wins or loses. It can be God’s classroom if you let it. Let me give you two things that I believe make a good team Great, and a great team a Champion.

1. One for All and All for One

The first is a classic Bryan Adams song. “One for All and All for One”. Such a cliché but so true.

I was a part of such a team my sophomore year at Oral Roberts university. We actually liked each other and rooted for the guys that played in front of us.

Bill Self was our coach and he really did a great job with that team. Coach Self was a MASTER of getting us to pull together as teammates.  He pushed us so hard in practice and the bench players knew that if we lost, there was to going to be a blood bath at practice that next day. (Or even that night at midnight).

I was a bench player that year and I cheered and rooted for my teammates like crazy. All the bench players did. That created a family atmosphere and we really over achieved that year. We defeated Arkansas and Oklahoma State that year and received an invitation to play Notre Dame in the NIT as an independent school with no conference.

It was “One for all and all for one”, and it was probably my favorite team that I was on. Create a family atmosphere and root for each other!

2. Live the Golden Rule

The second is simple; treat your teammate like you would want them to treat you.

If you are a starter or star of your team, do you run more in practice than the last guy on the bench? Nope! Make sure you thank your teammates that do all the dirty work in practice but get no headlines. Make sure they know that you appreciate and respect them.

Stick together!!! When the going gets tough, the tough get going. How do you respond to adversity? Don’t bail on your coach or your teammates. Do not play the blame game. It’s in times of adversity that the greatest victories can be received.

Be a player that gets tougher when things go bad. Be a player that turns negatives into positives. Encourage your teammates and why not try encouraging your coach.

Be like a snowflake and stick together.

I wanted to give you 3 things that you can do that will help you during the workday.

1. Play great Music– If your workplace allows music; this is a no brainer! Music evokes emotion. You can choose music each day for your specific needs. Some days you might need a Pick-me-Up and some uptempo music will take you there. Some days you need to concentrate and some Classical music can help. Play Music and Choose Wisely!

2. Make your Workplace Smell Good– If you have an office, make it smell like Bath and Body Works!. I buy cheap cologne for $10 and spray it in the four corners of my office each morning. It is shocking how people will enjoy coming to your office.

3. Workout in your Workplace– I have dumbbells on each side of my desk. I have a set of 25lbs and a set of 12lbs. I can do all kinds of exercises right here in my office. I just do 10-15 reps of an exercise and then get back to my email or calls. I never do so many reps that I sweat. I am not ripped but I am on my way to being ripped!