It’s Not You. It’s Me.

After Bayern Munich’s thrashing at the hands of Real Madrid there has been much chatter. From the demise of tiki-taka to the demise of a coach sure to go down as a revolutionary of our game.

Pep Guardiola has heard it all.To his credit one of his first statement was quite telling,

“It is my fault.”

Remarkable in an age of blame and excuses that there still exists a few who will take ownership and still lead during the difficult times. What can this teach us?

You are a coach and while you may not be making the big bucks, like Mr. Guardiola or especially if you are a volunteer coach [like so many of us are]. There is still responsibility that you have signed up for. You truly need to own the results and performances of your team. Despite your lack of certification or coaching education and even though you were signed up by your partner to coach the kids, you now have an obligation based on the trust of the young people in front of you.

What that obligation is:

• to support your kids develop in the game, as people and players
• to deliver your very best effort
• to focus on them
• to make them feel important and to help them learn, no matter their level
• to help them achieve the levels they want
• to deliver more than they expect

What this obligation isn’t:

• it isn’t just showing up to make sure they don’t get hurt
• it isn’t simply herding cats
• it isn’t an opportunity to put your goals above the players
• it isn’t an opportunity to support one person/family/player over another
• it isn’t your time to help your kid gain

Play Better was dreamt up to force a higher sense of obligation. It was thought through so players would feel responsible to something bigger than them. It was conceived to support and enhance their desire to train so players and teams could strive for their goals.

It was designed to support you, the coach, own your team’s development.

So we begin our responsibility as coaches by asking how we will measure our success? How will you alter your training to reach those goals?

The performances are your fault. They are yours to own. They are yours to deliver, through your team, but never to revel in.

Own their results and support them become the best they can be.
Then own the reward you feel inside.
That’s your fault!

Go. Play Better.

What metrics will your team be focused on first? Does your team have a page to track those gains? Get into it today.