What makes a successful sport team? (It starts with culture.)
Author(s)
Matthew Bergdorf
Strength & Conditioning Coach, Special Operation Forces, app Alum, MA Sport Coaching
A real-life account from a seasoned strength and conditioning coach.
Hello there, fellow coaches!I’m a strength and conditioning coach.I have workedwithin avariety of settings, movedfrom coast to coast,andI’velearned a thing or twoaboutwhat makes asuccessful sports teamalong the way. Quick spoiler alert: this often includes creatinga positive experience andcultureof trust and respectamongthe athletes, teams, and clients you work with.
I am currently a strength coach in the tactical settingwith the United States military. Ican’tdisclose exactly where or with whom I work,as thecommunicationsmanagerhas advised menot to.I know, it’s not ideal, but it’s a drawback I’ll take given that working with the military has been the most rewarding experience in my coaching career thus far.
The key to success is more than just a training plan
When it comes tobuilding a successful team, there are many angles we can consider. Sometimes, strength coaches get caught up in the set, rep,orloading scheme. Others will eliminate a specific type of exercise,or demonizecertain exercises,because they’vehad a negative experience withit (or theydon’t feel thatknowhowto coach iteffectively).
We couldstart a longdebate about which method is best to improve thephysical strength and performance of athletes.Or,we could dwell on the wish that we could just recruit “better” players. However,ifyou’re like me, youmay not have the power or bandwidth to simply recruit better players. So, what do we dowhen we can’trecruitonly5-starathletesfor a division 3 unfunded sport?
What does your organization value?
First, let’s considerthree things regarding the organization you coach at:
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the ecosystem
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the coachingstaff
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the culture(and how this can affect theoutcome)
Here are a few important questions to ask yourself:
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What are the values ofyour organization?(Sometimes the stated values differ from the values that are carried out.) Do they value high-quality performance from their sportteams each year?
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Whatis the physical space like?Is it conducive to promoting a positive experience for all involved?
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Who makes up thecoaching staff? Is it peoplewhowanttocoach?Is it a teacher whoneeds the additional income?
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How qualified is the sportsmedicineteam? Are they fully integratedwith the coaching staff and team?
These are all important considerationswhen trying to improve athletic performanceand build a successful team.
We can look at Alabama Football as an example.It isclearwhythisfootballprogramis always ranked numberone. The schoolvalues thisprogramhighly, andallocates resources in order for itto be the bestin the country.The Athletic Director hires qualified, experienced coaches from around the country.It’s afully funded programwith a robustsports medicine staff, including nutritionists and cognitive specialists. These are all reasons why Alabama is the premier place to play football.
So, what led them to greatness? I have a few speculations:
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The philosophy behind theentireorganizationhasremainedthe same since the beginning.They don’t joke around.They do what they say.
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They don’tcut cornersin preparing the team for success both on and off the field.
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They arestaffed with highly qualified coaches.
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Theteam environment is top notch.These players are given the opportunity to improve all life skills, not only football-related skills.
To continue lookingat the Alabama football example, let’sconsiderthe coaching staff.
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What is it about this staff that gets the best out of these players?
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How is it that they are successful yearafter year?
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Why is it that the school investsso much into the coaching staff?
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Do the philosophies of each coach exemplify the expectations?
These are all questions to consider when interviewing for a coaching position. By asking these questions, you can more easily filter out any organizations that you may not want to be a part of.
Creating a strong culture starts with YOU [the coach]
There are many ways to create a strongand inclusiveculturewithinyour team,some ofwhich I hope to tackle within thisblog post.Having gained insight from my own failures and triumphs throughout my 10-year coaching tenure, I feel compelled to share.
The very first thing a coach can do to help adopt a strongteamculture is to look inward,beginningwith yourowncoaching philosophy.WhenI made mistakes as a coach, it wastypicallybecause I was trying to be something I was not. Even though I spoke highly about my coaching philosophy(which was nicelywritten down), I came to realize that it was all talk. I never truthfully “lived out” my philosophy.
One day,Iwascalled outfor thisby a professional athlete. They saidto me,and I quote,“Bro, you say one thing,andexpect a high standard,but you can’t even hold yourself to this standard.So why do you expect this of us?”
This shook me. And he was right. Iexpectedgreatnessfrom these athletes,whilein my own lifeI was making somepoor decisions. My training was solid, but my nutrition was terrible, my finances were a mess, my relationshipswere suffering,and I wasn’t taking care of myself.I held myself to a mediocre standard at best.
Irealized I would never be able to createapositive teamcultureifIdidn’t participate initmyself.Why is it that I wanted the best for others, but neglected to take care of the one person I spendthe most time with: me?
I had tochange my approach to coaching, and to life.Inshort,it was timeto create a new philosophy, one thatImyselfcouldfulfill every day.
The work that is necessary to cultivate a strong team culturetakes time and effort.
The first step is to emulate the culture that you want to create.For me, this meant the creation ofa solid nutrition and wellness plan.With that sort of planin place,I could more honestly speak to these values, and expect others to place value on their ownhealth and wellness.
Being strong is fun.Living ahealthy,low-stress,andfinancially stablelifeisevenbetter. Inthepast, I couldn’tshow up as my best selfbecauseI brought my stress and worry with me every day.As a result, my coaching suffered, and this impacted the team.
With my new coaching philosophy, I vowed thatI wouldn’t force my team to do anything that I wasn’t willing to do myself.I alsomade it a point toaddress each athlete by their namedaily.My goal was to create a culture in which the athletes felt that their coach cared about them as human beings.I pushed each athlete on the team to be the best they could be, both on and off the field. I expected greatness, but this time around, Icould hold myself to the same standard.And that changed everything.
A coach’s jobshould includecultivating a strong cultureandmaking animpacton the athletes and teams they serve.This responsibilitybringswonderfulexperiences along withit andcan alsoinducesome difficult challenges.
To coach is to motivate, mentor,supportand challenge
Coaches have many lessons to teach,while learning our own lessons along the way.We experience athletes struggling, and in these moments,weaim to support them and help them through.There may even be instances when coaches need to show some tough love to help anathlete grow. Coaches carry the responsibility of keeping their athletes motivated, especially when confronted withalong arduous season.
Want to know more about how to keep athletes motivated? Check out the full blogposton athlete motivationhere.
Thisrolecomeswith challenges,successes,andunknowns (I never anticipated that I wouldhelpan athletethrough rehab).We are there to help athletestrain to gain muscle,to helpthemattainthe best physical condition, and ultimately achieve their goals.
All things considered, improving athletic performance requires you to take a tailored approach with the X’s and O’s. Stick to that plan and hold steadfast through the season.Does the entire enterprise surrounding the club expect greatness?Does the coaching staff sharea singular goal?Does your coaching philosophymatch your personal and coaching standards? Do you put the work in to ensure the growth ofa strongculture withinthe team?Do you help guideyour athletes throughtheseason,both on and off the field?
If you can covertheseaspects,yourteam willworkmore effectively together and ultimately become more successful, regardless ofwhich players have beenrecruited to the team.
