Cripes! Get back to fundamentals...: leadership

Showing posts with label leadership. Show all posts

Friday, August 7, 2009

Quarterback Building: Todd Sturdy

Heading into the weekend after the first week of "fall" practice, I am trying to offer something new here. As with any clinic presentation, if you can take away just one thing, whether it is just a new nickname for your 'slappys', find something you can take away and use for yourself.

So why not share some insight from a coach whom I have the utmost respect and admiration for, Todd Sturdy (now Washington State Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks coach). Coach Sturdy helped me years ago (while HC of St. Ambrose in Iowa, before I became a carpetbagger) develop as a coach and in developing an offensive philosophy by allowing me to spend unlimited time with him and his staff, as well as welcoming me to his Spring installation practices at St. Ambrose.

Sturdy's offensive philosophy seen both at SAU and EWU, is premised on a steady misdirection run game and quick passing. Sturdy has a penchant for one back formations and believes in using slots and additional backs to force the defense to even up their fronts. With fly sweeps, reverses, inside zone, stretch, zone option, and speed option, Sturdy strives to keep a defense off balance (predictable) and moving laterally.

When spending time with Coach Sturdy during Spring ball, he shared his method for developing his quarterbacks over the years, and how they have always been able to perform at a high level.

LEADERSHIP
The unmistakable quality of a quarterback is leadership. When bringing in recruits, Sturdy's method is quite simple, but effective.

Model - First a coach must model strong leadership with humble and assertive decisions, always putting the team first. One should note that this attitude is not that of masochistic self-denial, but of one with a vested interest to see objectives through, paying whatever price is required.

Reinforce - Continue to find ways to find situations where a quarterback can be decisive no matter how great or small. Don't wait until game night or practice to instill the decision-making you want your quarterback to exhibit. This mentality is a lifestyle, not something the player can turn on or off.

"[You have to] constantly praise good decisions, because everything with a quarterback is a decision. Recognize and acknowledge every good decision as it comes. A coach's job is to teach how to make good decisions".

Talk About It (constantly) - "You must develop a relationship with your quarterback. Get to know him - what motivates him, what his strengths and weaknesses are". The nuturing and mentoring element of the coach-quarterback bond should be one born out of trust.

The quarterback is the point man, the beginning and end to the team's success/failure. Because the quarterback assumes the mantle of leadership, he must be the one setting the tone of the team attitude required. Sturdy believes the competitive mantra of, "Not only do we have to do things correctly.....we have to do it better than anyone else" is what shapes his subdued leadership he requires of his quarterbacks. However, with this, it is important for the position coach to, "let him know he just needs to be 'one of the guys' because the position itself has enough pressure".

Here's to Coach Sturdy and his family's continued success in the Pacific Northwest.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Delegation of Authority (Using Assistants)

just bring me a juice box!

When we are TOLD what to do we often, as prideful men, reject it, no matter what it is because we want to maintain our autonomy and dignity. When we are asked what to do and given the choice to determine our own fate, we tend to buy in (even if its the very thing we would've been TOLD to do).

coach, let me get you a juice box!

Some thoughts I'll offer on managing your assistants to better serve them and the program;

1) Pick your battles / weigh the economics of responsibility;
What CAN they do? You likely have laid the groundwork of the Offense, Defense, and Special Teams. The frame has been built, why not let one of one of the most promising assistants to pick out the furniture? Maybe there is no incentive (monetarily / position), so it is going to come down to who wants to take on more responsibility. You may be stuck in a situation where assistants will do as little as possible because they just want a stipend and a good seat during the games (only you would know that). However, if a MAN is given the authority and responsibility, he will take interest and his pride usually takes over (to ensure the performance doesn't embarrass him)

This isn't just throwing someone the keys and told to lock up when he's done. I believe you'll have to be closely interactive with them ('what are we going to do about this?'/ 'what is our answer to that?' / 'what could go wrong?') This shouldn't be a blank check, but should be a stewardship position - "we need you to lead us in this area, we want to take full use of your knowledge and perspective of the game".

You may not be relinquishing the offense (naturally) but there are roles people can take responsibility for. Case in point, any monkey can run a defense (it takes a unique individual to actually screw up a defense).....now that you have a defense installed, why not just give them the burden of keeping it running? Another example, any assistant can run Special Teams, too.

I believe your main concern is HOW they see the position (their role on staff). What can you live with? If you give a guy the defense, you have to be willing to give up a 3rd down here, a touchdown there - and not freak out. Special Teams, that guy should be responsible for knowing the players and abilities to know what will be the best result in a given situation (reverse here? fake it now?). Just make sure you have the 11 ready to go. The "coordinator" title gives guys hard-ons apparently....feel free to invoke its power.

2) Define Expectations
Again, we can't just throw the keys to someone and say, "Drive!". He must define his costs & expenditures and justify the what and why (keep him within the budget of authority and responsibilities). Set clear expectations of what his job is. This is most important with regards to;
A) Scouting and Game planning -WHAT is this guy preparing for? Regardless of what you run, it is in response to your opponent. Your opponent is different every week. This guy has to be plugged in to scouting and the information to understand your opponent and provide answers for each situation.

B) Practice Planning - HOW is he preparing the rest of the TEAM? What is he declaring before practice that he NEEDS before the competition? ('speak up now, or forever hold your peace'). This responsibility will be a SHOCK to most of the guys you have on staff, but when there is plenty of warning of what is coming - there really is no excuse not to be organized or prepared (the true role of a coordinator).

C) Game Day Communication - WHERE do the pieces fit? How are the calls getting in? How are the other coaches fitting within this role (someone in the box? Someone signaling? Someone working rotations?) Let this guy define those.

So this becomes, "You're running this show - just need you to provide us the answers (for planning) so we can help you help us (this week)". If he can't come up with those criteria without shitting his pants, he isn't qualified to begin with (and may not need to be on staff).

3) Hold accountable for group results
It isn't the offense and defense...it should be the TEAM. If Bob is the DC or ST coordinator, the team of coaches should be meeting to define practices and game plans. Bob is going to have to articulate this to the rest of the staff. "What can WE do to help the defense better, Bob?" It shouldn't be a YOU / ME thing, it should be an US thing, where the staff works together and challenges each other. Criticism should be ENCOURAGED here. Rather than taking the approach of "damit, the defense ain't getting the job done - YOU SUCK!", (because, naturally, the guy will blame everyone but himself) present it to include all hands on deck. "how are we / what can we do to improve our performance?" (so that introspection analyzes how to improve the TEAM).essentially,

Sunday - "We play City High this week. Bob, what should we watch for this week? What is our game plan? What will work? What won't work? What is the 3rd and 3 play we have to watch out for within our 20 yd line, Bob?"
Wednesday - "Bob, how do we look this week? What are we opening with? Any concerns?"
Saturday - "Bob, good work - what went right? What could we improve on? What should we look for next week?"

Your guy(s) will either run from this or embrace it - but the bottom line they won't be able to hide anymore. Give these guys an arena to prove their worth. This is essentially telling these guys, "You can do what you need to make this work, but you have to be able to make it bullet-proof and be able to justify it to the rest of the staff" . This isn't a "do whatever you want" approach, it is "justify what your are doing to the rest of us, and that it is fail-safe, so we ALL can get on board".

Having said ALL THAT --- I don't think it has to be as black & white as a coordinator position. More importantly, there just needs to be more interaction with the staff. Do you guys meet together for game planning? Do you guys hang out together after practice?

Staff Cohesion is very important to make a team work.

Put someone in charge of scouting / tendency tracking. Put someone in charge of game day rotations....something ANYTHING where they are forced to provide a product for the team, that we all are dependent on them.