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Sport and the Growing Good

Sport and the Growing Good

By Peter Miller

The SGG podcast examines how athletics contributes to everyday improvement in our society. We take an embedded approach to tell stories of the "hidden" people and practices on the front-lines of sport.
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#76: Wquinton Smith on Rufus King High School and Milwaukee football

Sport and the Growing GoodNov 17, 2020

00:00
30:10
#148 Coach Phil Jackson (10): A conversation with a top high school coach, Sara Rohde

#148 Coach Phil Jackson (10): A conversation with a top high school coach, Sara Rohde

Coach Jackson and I were joined by Coach Sara Rohde, the multi-time state coach of the year and leader of three-time defending state champion Green Bay Notre Dame girls basketball program.

1.     Sara’s background in education, coaching, and playing.

2.     Sara’s system – rooted in man-to-man defense and motion offense. Fast-paced.

3.     Work ethic, preparation. Strength and conditioning.

4.     Relationships as one of the most important ways of being successful as a coach.

5.     The futures program. Introducing kids to the game at young ages.

6.     Social media rules. Putting phones away and being present.

7.     The importance of parents in setting the foundation for kids on a team.

8.     Finding roles for all kids beyond scoring. The “dog tag” award after games for kids who do the little things and the dirty work well.

9.     Defining roles for everyone. “What can you do to help our team be successful.

10.  Using a “list of all the things your team is really good at and constantly refer back to that.”

11.  Using visualization.

12.  Parents as examples of leaders – the habit tracking activity.

13.  Valuing practice. Gathering at mid-court before practice to talk about practice.

14.  The NBA’s one on one tournament – what it revealed about the Knicks’ social fabric. “Keeping the competitive edge without creating conflict inside the group.”

15.  The “virtuous cycle” on teams. 

16.  Engaging and challenging players who “float.”

17.  Teams watching “how is the coach going to handle this?”

18.  Getting players to understand that they can reach another level.

19.  Keeping everyone engaged whether playing or not playing. Coach Jackson: “If players 9-12 are unhappy with their roles, you want to find another way to get them involved…Keep them happy, content, and involved. (Otherwise) it will create problems for the team’s chemistry.”

20.  The role of parents: Support the girls. Set clear expectations. Set a clear process.

21.  Getting ready for an opponent. Provide tendencies. Practice the plan.

22.  Coach Jackson: in scouting, distill it to three main points about a player and the essential idea that is the driving force of the other team: “This team does this really well. They have to this or else they cannot survive.” What is their essence?

23.  In preparing, sometimes focusing on mindset, hustle, rebounding – instead of being too technical. 

24.  “Thinking is not part of playing. You can’t think and play. You have to be instinctive.”

25.  How Coach Jackson staying positive: practicing meditation. “Letting thoughts float away” and “flush it down the toilet.”

26.  Chad McGahee: differences for individual players in getting in right mental space for games. Getting the work done in advance. You can’t think and play, you have to be instinctive. “Get out of your minds and into your bodies. Your bodies are ready.” 

27.  Wisconsin’s rich history as a “basketball haven!”

28.  Coach Jackson taking summer’s off to rejuvenate and connect with family. Spending the last part of summers visualizing the year ahead.

 

Dec 02, 202355:40
#147 Coach Phil Jackson (9): Sustaining success  

#147 Coach Phil Jackson (9): Sustaining success  

1.     Reading your team when things are going well. Understanding them. “Getting out of their way.” Winning gets to be habitual.

2.     The example of the Texas Rangers post-season run to the World Series championship.

3.     Little inconveniences bringing a team together in new, deeper ways (hotel example in bad weather). Maintaining a positive orientation: “Life’s an adventure, let’s go get it!”

4.     You can’t count on just “replicating what we had before.” Examples of players having off-season surgery that change what you have coming back on a team.

5.     You have to maintain vision for your team.

6.     “Dance of the wounded egos.” Guys overvaluing their roles on the team.

7.     “It’s all of us. It’s about how we all fit together.”

8.     As a coach something to think about: “Where does this person think he fits into our team effort? How can I make him feel important but also that we will go on regardless?”

9.     Getting away from the game after the season. Focusing on family. 

10.  Also using the off-season to envision what the team would look like.

11.  “We always held something back.” Reflecting in the off-season: “What are we going to do differently this year?”

12.  Allowing veteran players to teach newcomers what it means to be part of the group and “earning his credibility.”

13.  Losing assistant coaches to head coaching positions.

14.  Dividing players into groups with a particular coach who they’d get to know intimately. A mentor who would help them to get better.

15.  Jordan and Kobe having specific things they worked on in the off-season. Setting the model for other players.

16.  Keeping pace with a changing game. Growing as a coach. 

17.  Phil Nevin on rules changes that affected coaching baseball.

18.  Responding to the analytics movement.

19.  Mark Sweeney on staying in the game “mentally and physically” as he prepared each game. 

20.  Davey Lopes as an important coach to Mark.

21.  Maintaining “drive” on winning teams. Finding new motivations.

Nov 20, 202351:38
#146 Coach Phil Jackson (8): On Experimenting as a coach  

#146 Coach Phil Jackson (8): On Experimenting as a coach  

1.     Why it’s important for coaches to take time to commemorate noteworthy holidays and occurrences.

2.     Coach Pat Rice embracing systematic innovation in his football program.

3.     Choice architecture—Behavioral economics and Coach Kelly Sheffield.

4.     Developing a culture of experimentation.

5.     Intellectual humility.

6.     Finding the sweet spot between rigidity and constant change.

7.     Pre-studying before trying new things.

8.     Evaluating marginal gains and losses.

9.     Scrutiny from trying new things.

10.  The positive effects and experimental culture can have on the spirit of a team.

11.  The late 1960s was a time when “breaking the mold” was happening in many spaces.

12.  Tai Chi as a valuable contributor to sport.

13.  Experiments that don’t work.

14.  Tailoring your system to players’ attributes.

15.  Mindfulness and meditation beginnings as a player. Finding the breath and the quiet.

16.  Dean Smith and Bobby Knight’s comments on “turning off the lights and holding hands before the games.” Then contacting George Mumford to work with the team.

17.  The importance of the beginning of practice. “They will remember more from the beginning of practice.” Skills and drills.

18.  Homophily and propinquity in coaching and athletics. Examples from the game of basketball.

19.  The importance of language.

20.  Coach Ekker’s conversation with John Wooden. “changed, not the players.”

21.  Seeing the potential of the team. 

22.  The team “starting to use your language.”

 

Nov 10, 202351:54
#145 Coach Phil Jackson (7): On Leadership through conflict, “You never can step in the same river twice.”

#145 Coach Phil Jackson (7): On Leadership through conflict, “You never can step in the same river twice.”

1.     A recap of some topics we’ve covered in past weeks.

2.     Circling back to the Shivas Irons quote on coaching as a “serious and solemn act.”

3.     Being settled personally before being able to coach a group.

4.     “You never can step in the same river twice…Every incident, every process, every relationship with a team is always new.” 

5.     Being flexible and in the moment.

6.     Michael Jordan’s competitiveness and the associated challenges of keeping back-up guards.

7.     The Lakers wilting when attempting to finish games. Speaking about it directly. No response from team… so directly addressing it again the next day. Kobe defending himself. 

8.     “Sleeping on problems.” 

9.     Anger as “an opportunity.”

10.  Team play emphasis when coming through conflict. “We can do this together.”

11.  Role modeling during periods of conflict.

12.  Having conversations on the team about world events and things going on in society.

13.  Getting rid of ego.

14.  Demonstrating putting yourself second to players. “I sat in the front of the bus, but I got in the back of the line.” 

15.  Self-control is a leadership quality.

16.  Knowing when to step back as coach. Bill Cartwright’s example of leadership.

17.  Narcissism is challenging.

18.  Feeling alone as a leader. 

19.  Taking care of ourselves physically and mentally as leaders. 

20.  Doing the right thing at the right time. “Appeasing the basketball gods.” 

21.  Having someone who’s not part of the leadership who can be a valuable sounding board or pressure release.

22.  Coach Ron Ekker’s call for coaching education over the years.

Nov 06, 202346:07
#144 Milwaukee Bucks VP of Security Adam Stockwell: Leadership for safety and security in a changing landscape

#144 Milwaukee Bucks VP of Security Adam Stockwell: Leadership for safety and security in a changing landscape

1.     The seven pillars of Adams’ work.

2.     The high value of the players.

3.     The team’s 3-member security team.

4.     Interactions and security training with players.

5.     Game-day routines for Adam and his team.

6.     Arena and event security.

7.     How do you know what to communicate with whom?

8.     Arena operations center. Unified command. Everyone’s in the same place. Anywhere from two to twelve people.

9.     Balancing risk and customer experience.

10.  Hand-held communicator technology to aid communication on game days.

11.  “A happy customer leads to less issues.”

12.  “Frictionless screening.”

13.  Determining which technology is worth using. Having a partner to navigate new items. Asking, “Where has this already been deployed and proven?”

14.  Adam’s interactions and regular routines with President Peter Feigin. “Five key things.”

15.  The difference between law enforcement and security.

16.  Adam’s background in the Secret Service. “A gun-carrying event planner.”

17.  Partnering with law enforcement around big events.

18.  The value of breakfast meetings. “Breakfasts are a big deal for me. I have breakfast with people all the time. It’s a huge business tool…That’s a tool that I learned from the Secret Service. We can have formal meetings all the time, but the value of sitting down and having a meal with somebody or a coffee just to humanize things a little bit…that’s a big help.”

19.  Have people’s general tenors with security and law enforcement changed in recent years? 

20.  Transformative technology on the horizon. AI. Advanced facial recognition.

Oct 12, 202331:18
#143: Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Joe Prunty: Listening, player leadership, and everyday improvement (RCS)   

#143: Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Joe Prunty: Listening, player leadership, and everyday improvement (RCS)   

1.     What characteristics in a leader facilitate voices being heard? Listening. Having a vision, seeing things that other people don’t see. “Look at not what a team is, but what they can become.”

2.     Creating a safe environment where different perspectives will be respected and valued.

3.     What’s made Joe better? Having children. “Give them a foundation and then let them learn.”

4.     Observing and listening to other teams, including multiple levels to learn “What’s this generation like?”

5.     Coach Popovich. Creating environments where conversation naturally flowed. Critical thinking and healthy debate. “It’s ok to disagree.”

6.     Putting a leadership group together on the Great Britain National Team. “It was a microcosm of the entire team.”

7.     In leading a conversation, direct questions to specific players. It’s not a rhetorical question.

8.     Kevin Garnett as a skilled and nuanced player leader.

9.     Differences in player leadership depending upon the competitive context. David Robinson. Tim Duncan. Avery Johnson. Paul Pierce. Kevin Garnett. Joe Johnson.

10.  Getting better every day. On the personal side. “Did I do the right things by my family today?”

11.  Peaking at the right time. 

12.  Analytics paired with history and feeling.

13.  The stock market as a metaphor for the long-term growth of a team.

14.  The impact of behind-the-scenes things going on for teams.

15.  Work ethic. Dirk Nowitzki. Working relentlessly on unorthodox things. “The fadeaway, one-legged shot that is now a statue did not just happen.”

16.  “Knowing you can apply X, Y, or Z is not as important as being able to know when to apply X, Y, or Z.”

17.  Having 27 years of experience vs. one year of experience 27 times.

18.  “Sometimes the best thing you can do as a leader is to step back and let them lead.”

19.  Learning from players.

Oct 10, 202340:26
#142 Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Terry Stotts: Sweat equity, professionalism, and trust (RCS)

#142 Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Terry Stotts: Sweat equity, professionalism, and trust (RCS)

1.     What did he look for in putting together his staff when he was head coach in Portland? Complementarity. “A little bit of everything.”

2.     Enjoying time with his staff in Portland. “The best part of my days were the coaches meetings. We enjoyed talking basketball and having a good time…The staff had a good blend of work ethic and sense of humor and knowledge and camaraderie. And I think the team felt that as well.”

3.     Differentiating roles on coaching staffs. Learning from Rick Carlisle. More and more teams specializing on staffs.

4.     Off-season time with the staff. Taking breaks. Giving autonomy. Making sure the gym was covered.

5.     Connecting with players at least once during the summer at their locations in order to develop relationships. “It definitely is more about relationship building. And, they are getting good work in too.”

6.     Routines with the staff during the season. Staying consistent so staff could organize their days.

7.     What is unique about Milwaukee? “It’s a first-class organization.” The facilities and arena “send a loud message to everyone…it speaks to the professionalism.”

8.     The importance of the physical design of the building in shaping how people interact in a team organization. (Propinquity.)

9.     “Sweat equity.” Tim Grgurich, pioneer of player development. “You’re building trust so that down the road you’re able to coach them better.”

10.  Differentiating relationships with players and coaches. “Some of it is organic.”

11.  Giving players space to vent. Assistant coaches as confidants. Players going through assistants to get message to the head coach.

12.  Coach Grgurich: “Players knew they could trust him.”

13.  “It’s nuanced. You have to do it your own way.”

14.  The personality of the team. In college, based on the coach. In the pros, based on the best players.

15.  Using humor. Playing games on the court. Keeping things loose. Reading the mood of your team.

16.  Mentoring. George Karl. “A lot of what I learned was from him.”

17.  The value of asking questions. “A lot of young coaches want to show how much they know rather than how much they want to learn.”

18.  Learning from different types of coaches and at different stages of your career.

Oct 10, 202321:55
#141 Coach Phil Jackson (6): How to give feedback.

#141 Coach Phil Jackson (6): How to give feedback.

1.     De-personalizing the feedback. Disassociating the person from the action when providing feedback.

2.     Players can be offended and defensive when receiving feedback. The system is the overriding key. “This doesn’t fit into what we do as a group.”

3.     “It goes beyond words.” Players physical responses matter.

4.     When providing feedback, you’ve got to be at the point of the action. Going up and down the court with the team in order to give immediate feedback.

5.     Video sessions. There can be tension. Be purposeful about defusing the tension – perhaps inserting short humorous film clip.

6.     Timing of feedback. Intuitive feeling. 

7.     Coaches who talk too much. There are 5,000-7,000 meetings that a player has with an NBA coach in a season… so, “There’s a lot to knowing the spirit of the activity. Knowing when to step in and when to allow.”

8.     When and when not to give praise. “There are players that need it and thrive on it… and others that it goes right over their head.”

9.     Issues with using the word “but” when giving feedback. “Sometimes it’s best to get right to the point.”

10.  The importance of periodic tactile feedback to connect.

11.  What makes a teammate effective at giving others feedback? 

12.  Sometimes with criticism, “just accept it.”

13.  Bill Cartwright’s subtle leadership when competing with Michael Jordan.

14.  When players are ready for feedback. The example of Kobe in game 7. “Just let it happen.”

15.  Active listening. Taking graduate courses in psychology.

16.  “It’s a valuable thing for coaches to just open things up and allow.”

17.  George Mumford as a valuable third party listener.

Oct 08, 202325:53
#140: Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin: Starting with character, competence, and creativity. (RCS)

#140: Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin: Starting with character, competence, and creativity. (RCS)

1.     How do you Put together your staff? Three “Cs”: Character. Values into action. Integrity. Doing the right thing. Competence. “You’ve got to know your stuff. That’s where you get credibility with the players.” We have to be great teachers now. Creativity. Keep players engaged. (and courage).

2.     Competence. Finding specialists, those with expertise in specific areas. Offense, defense, special teams. Giving them autonomy and freedom to do their jobs.

3.     Agreeing to disagree in meetings… but being united once we step on the floor.

4.     Value of being an assistant coach for many years. “I know the pitfalls and challenges facing assistant coaches.” Giving them responsibilities and empowerment. Autonomy.

5.     Value: Connection. What does it look like in practice? Thinking in “actionable behavior.” Fist bump, around them, pulling them aside. Birthday texts. Putting measures in place.

6.     Building relationships with players so that you can coach them.

Oct 08, 202312:41
#139 Milwaukee Bucks Sr. Director of Research and Innovation TJ Barra: Using data to put players in the best spot to succeed. (RCS)

#139 Milwaukee Bucks Sr. Director of Research and Innovation TJ Barra: Using data to put players in the best spot to succeed. (RCS)

1.     Building data systems and models that inform decision-making.

2.     Working with the GM, head coach, five analysts (draft, evals, tracking data, coaching support).

3.     Tools of practice: R, Sequel, Python.

4.     “As a group it’s important that the message we have is the same across the board. As a group we meet and discuss what are the pillars about what we want to measure, what we want to study.”

5.     “I want to hire people who are fully living the data that they’re working with.”

6.     How data use has changed.

7.     Data discussions with the coaches.

8.     Using data to put players in the best spot to succeed. Individualizing their programs.

9.     The complexities of basketball – and the possibilities of geospatial data.

10.  How much variance in the league is there in how teams use data? Impacts of leadership.

11.  Obstacles in getting data fully integrated into basketball operations.

12.  AI: How can it make day-to-day decisions more efficient? How can we leverage large data systematically?

13.  Game theory.

14.  Collaborating with Troy and other members of the support team to learn about players: bringing different expertise’s together.

15.  The Bucks Analytics Hackathon. Bringing in fresh eyes. Identifying young talent.

16.  The sports data science pipeline. 

17.  How does TJ continue learning? Talking to people from other sports, different industries. Monitoring broader advances in the industry – learning the new tools.

Oct 08, 202335:00
#138 Milwaukee Bucks VP of Performance Dr. Troy Flanagan: “The healthiest team usually wins the championship.” (RCS)

#138 Milwaukee Bucks VP of Performance Dr. Troy Flanagan: “The healthiest team usually wins the championship.” (RCS)

1.     Daily and weekly routines with his staff.

2.     Each player’s support team. Weekly reports.

3.     “The number one thing with them is trust. That you know what you are doing and that you’re preparing them…There’s different layers of trust.”

4.     Troy’s discussions of readiness with coaches and staff members.

5.     Discussing player health and HIPPA.

6.    Troy’s innovation: wearable technology.

7.    Using data to get a feel for player load.

8.    The most significant changes with data and technology.

9.    Hawkeye technology: a new era of 3D biomechanical models.

10.  Troy’s background working with Australian Olympic teams. 

11.  Learning to distill huge amounts of data into usable messaging for the coaches and players. “It’s really important that you don’t overwhelm them with lots of graphs and tables.” 

12.  “The art is finding out what to give them and what not to give them.”

13.  Individualized programs for each player.

14.  Actuaries on staff. Predicting fatigue. Identifying trouble spots.

15.  Evaluating progress. Is your team healthy and available? Bucks moving from the most injured team to the healthiest team. “The healthiest team usually wins the championship.”

16. “Everything they do is measured.”

17. “At the end of the day, are the athletes happy with the services they’re provided.”

18. Taking the work on the road.

19. Troy’s personal growth and development. Conferences. And, even more, “Bringing the experts to us.”


Oct 05, 202326:16
#137 Coach Phil Jackson (5), Increasing group intelligence on your team.

#137 Coach Phil Jackson (5), Increasing group intelligence on your team.

1.     Reaction to a student’s “turning point” experience.

2.     There’s usually an incident every year when the coach steps in and gives guidance.

3.     Why Coach Jackson spent a moment of reflection before each game.

4.     How the Bulls embraced Scottie Pippen when he was going through a difficult family time.

5.     “Non-action.” Not getting involved from an ego perspective. Step back from the initial reaction. 

6.     Group intelligence. Smart teams. NASA example.

7.     Letting a team fail. “Sometimes it’s good to fail…rather than inserting my impression of how to reset.”

8.     The intelligence of the group is not correlated with the average intelligence of the individuals.

9.     Why did Tex Winter say that some of the most troublesome players were the ones who came from engineering?

10.  “Mind smarts” vs. “body smarts.”

11.  Smartest teams: members contributed equally to discussion, they were able to read each other’s emotions, collective intelligence can be improved.

12.  Not judging a team too soon.

13.  Eye contact – differences found in some native communities.

14.  Touching. How it can help some players relax, be reassured.

15.  Allowing voices to be heard on teams. Calling on players who are not stars during meetings and video sessions. “What do you see here?”

16.  Player leadership. “It portrays itself on the floor…It’s pretty easy to see, because they see themselves as responsible for the other members on the floor.”

17.  “What kind of energy do you bring to the floor?”

18.  Motivational strategies. 

19.  “We’re playing this game for ourselves. For who we are…We want to dance together.”

20.  Developing a smart staff. Giving coaches voice in choosing who they work closely with.

21.  Strategically dividing up the time-out periods. Everybody participated.

22.  Keep showing the players that the staff is a team, working in concert with each other.

23.  “One breath, one mind.”

24.  Increasing meditation time periods at various points of season – including the beginning of the season. “It becomes contagious.” Relaxing into the group. Being absorbed.

25.  Building bonds through skills and drills. Using motion as a rhythm. 

Oct 04, 202348:43
#136: Milwaukee Bucks VP of Global Scouting Ryan Hoover: Searching for the humble, hungry and smart (RCS)

#136: Milwaukee Bucks VP of Global Scouting Ryan Hoover: Searching for the humble, hungry and smart (RCS)

1. How do young players’ paths differ in places like Serbia compared to the typical AAU player in the U.S.?

2. How do players work through their national teams and how do find or know where to look for these players?

3. How do players get into professional academies like Real Madrid? What implications does it have for these young players?

4. Overuse injuries in these players who are playing 4-5 basketball games. every day at such a young age?

5. Ryan’s typical rhythms and routines.

6. How do you react when you find talent?

7. Synthesizing data and information for the GM and coaches.

8. What distinguishes Bucks scouting (humble, hungry, smart).

9. The game expanding to Africa.

10. Risk mitigation in international talent evaluation.

11. Have superstars like Giannis and Jokic changed how the game is played in other parts of the world?

12. How Ryan’s college coach stepped in at a critical turning point…and how Ryan seized the opportunity.

Sep 30, 202329:24
#135 Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin: “Be curious.” (RCS)

#135 Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin: “Be curious.” (RCS)

1.     Impactful youth coaches.

2.     Having an identical twin – a constant teammate.

3.     Being named captain of his high school soccer team.

4.     Values: Transparency. Directness. Hard work. Collaboration. Two-way engagement. Constructive growth.

5.     Knowing people’s wants and needs. “What’s important to you?” 

6.     “It’s not a brain surgery industry.” There have to be solutions.

7.     “People are the number 1, 2, & 3 challenge.”

8.     The accountability of leadership: “How do you grow your people?”

9.     “If you can’t measure it, it doesn’t matter.”

10.  Helping Milwaukee thrive: “It’s magnified in a small market.” 

11.  “We have this incredible platform.”

12.  “Thinking like a big market.”

13.  Disadvantage of small market: smaller media revenue.

14.  Technology and innovation.

15.  Bucks advantages: Best facilities. Best resources. Midwest value set. 

16.  The internationalization of the Bucks and the NBA.

17.  The international impact of Giannis.

18.  30% of NBA players are international.

19.  His everyday interactions with owners, GM, and head coach.

20.  “Jon (the GM) and I text dozens of times a day.”

21.  “We have urgency to solve things quickly…we don’t like to let things fester.”

22.  Empathy. Communication.

23.  Advice for aspiring leaders: “Research…Try to learn as much as you possibly can. And part of that is exposing yourself to people…”

24.  “There’s no finish line when managing people.”

25.  Meeting 100 people in his first 90 days as Bucks President. “Even the meanest people have a hard time saying, ‘no, I’m not going to help you’…Be curious!”

Sep 29, 202333:49
#134 Coach Phil Jackson (4), turning the mundane into the sacred.

#134 Coach Phil Jackson (4), turning the mundane into the sacred.

All teams face the grind, the mundane, even the doldrums, throughout the course of their time together. How can coaches keep spirits up, and "even make the mundane sacred?” Coach Jackson and Professor Miller discussed:

  1. The responsibility that players have for playing.
  2. The coach can bring some fun and joy to the season.
  3. Times of the season that can become a drag.
  4. Giving out books to players. 
  5. Giving players a “shield.” “Name your hero. Who motivated you? Favorite music?…”
  6. The “bulls-eye.” “What’s your relationship to the team? Where do you fit on the team? Using the bulls-eye as a discussion point. “Why did you place yourself outside of the circle?” Getting a personal relationship with the players.
  7. Collected silly fines as winnings for shooting games. Fun and competition. “It changes up the day or gives them some little incentive... just something different."
  8. Had rookies read "20 principles of good behavior.” Then got to know players’ reading levels and gave other books.
  9. Formal meditation session before videos.
  10. George Mumford assessing, “How are we doing as a group (in relation to the mid-line)?” Conversation starter. Get to know lives of teammates.
  11. Relating the 8-fold principles of Buddism to the offense.
  12. Inserting comedian clips into the video. Bring humor into it.
  13. Theme videos for particular opponents. Drawing from certain movies, etc. 
  14. Having players grit their teeth on pencils to demonstrate aggression. Led to laughter.
  15. Tai Chi in front of big mirrors. Be willing to try new things!
  16. Seeing an eagle fly by.
  17. “Be patient with me, because I’m going to try different stuff.”
  18. Giving players Sundays off. “It’s a day for you family. A day for your spiritual recovery.”
  19. Working closely with trainers to gauge players’ recovery and readiness.
  20. How to handle long lay-offs and keep players fresh.
  21. The Thanksgiving practice routine: Turkey Trot game. Keeping things fresh and fun.
  22. Using symbolism: “The Way of the Warrior,” “The Chase for the White Buffalo”
  23. Shields, arrows, prayer arrow, headdress all in the team meeting room.
  24. What is your space? How do you respond when someone comes into your space? Retaliation? Fight mode? Being centered.
  25. Rubber band snap for re-centering.
  26. Knowing Awareness Training (KAT). Players were having difficulty learning. 
  27. A simple touch to a player to re-center him, relax him.
  28. “I liked finding things that were unique… out of the ordinary. It was kind of experimental.”
Sep 29, 202336:14
#133 Coach Phil Jackson (3), the importance of having a system: “It brings people together and gives direction."

#133 Coach Phil Jackson (3), the importance of having a system: “It brings people together and gives direction."

What does it mean to “have a system?” Why is it critical to build from the ground up?

  1. Ron Ekker — a longtime coaching colleague who developed “the Monk System.” Author of the Intelligent Coach.
  2. Having a system is not unique to basketball. It applies to most all sports (e.g., rowing). “It transcends basketball, no doubt about it."
  3. How Tex Winter used a system successfully at Kansas State and eventually brought it into the NBA.
  4. "The system is important — but you have to be really patient. There are certain things about the system that require bonding of the players.”
  5. "Systems are one of the necessary items, because it brings people together and gives direction... it’s not about you… it’s about the system.” (e.g., evaluation and critique can be de-personalized — so can successes)
  6. "You need to have a system that you believe in.”
  7. Bill Fitch.
  8. “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. But you can take a system apart and teach parts of the system. And the skills and the drills that we would run brought all of those things into play. They were all connected.”
  9. "Everything has to be simplistic enough that it can be taught…And player must know that they are not going to disrupt everything just by making a mistake.”
  10. Some principles of a sound offense. It’s a full court game played from end to end. You need to play with speed but still under control. Spacing is one of the most important things. Offense should incorporate the skills of all players — shooters, passers, rebounders, screeners, etc. (avoid baseline drive — one of the only “don’ts”). Move the ball after two beats. Penetrate the defense. Practice drills were set up around all of these things.
  11. Building up from the ground. Show the system, what happens in the system. And then take it apart and teach the parts. 
  12. Peer pressure in getting buy-in to the system. Veterans who understand it. Keep the standard. The standard is the key. The coach must uphold the standard.
  13. The Celtics had only six plays for many years and kept winning. The system endures as individuals come and go. Sustainability. The Bulls second three-peat only included two of the same players as from the first three-peat.
  14. Getting players that fit your system. Recruiting, assessment. AAU and college games are “raw energy.” Hard to see who has poise and understands the game. The system requires deeper skillset. One example: Steve Kerr. Had been with some different teams and not playing a whole lot. But he was a great fit for the system.
  15. The system provides a clear foundation and direction that sets basis for spontaneity. Coach’s illustration (Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner Mind). “We have a certain structure that we use. But inside that structure there’s a freedom of movement and opportunity to do things that are spontaneous.”
  16. “The offense was not built for Kobe or Michael Jordan. They don’t need an offense. The team needs an offense. The team needs to have that structure that is defining for them. So that they have a standard to live by. Something that you can mark up against. Something that you can teach, if you are a veteran, to younger players that are coming in that gives you a certain sense of participation. There’s ultimately an esprit de corps that comes from that. There’s a certain unity in group that comes from having to go through that exercise of doing maybe mundane parts over and over again.” 
  17. Doing something at least seven times for neuron forming and muscle memory to occur. Golf in the Kingdom. "The inner self." It’s not a thought process. You don’t have to think it out. Your body knows what to do.” 
  18. “You’re not thinking alone. You’re thinking together. It’s a team thought.” Using meditation and mindfulness with the team. “One mind, one breath.” That’s what we want to play with: one mind. There’s a higher mind. That mind is the system.”
  19. Freedom through discipline. “Have a sense, what are the parameters, and then inside those parameters you have freedom for spontaneity and creativity.”
Sep 29, 202339:15
#132 Coach Phil Jackson (2), working with his coaching staff: “We had an exchange that was very genuine."

#132 Coach Phil Jackson (2), working with his coaching staff: “We had an exchange that was very genuine."

The distribution of leadership. Getting a strong staff, getting to know each other. Trusting each other and giving everyone meaningful roles.

  1. The small room at the Chicago Bulls facility where Coach Jackson developed bonds with Coaches Bach and Winter. Three desks, two doors. Monitors. 
  2. Scouting upcoming teams. Making videos with the video machine. 
  3. Doug Collins (head coach) would be working out and rehabbing his knee. Other coaches would be in the room for three hours in the morning and more hours in the afternoon.
  4. Conferring with each other, sharing knowledge. Conversations together about the game, its history and evolution.
  5. Tex believed the players needed to develop deep knowledge of the game.
  6. Exchanging “tricks of the trade” with each other (like letting air out of the balls to fit playing style).
  7. Johnny’s zone trap. “We’d go through the mechanics of the game."
  8. Johnny Bach named defensive coordinator, Tex Winter offensive coordinator. 
  9. “The exchange of ideas was a lot of fun.”
  10. Tex Winter, Coach Jackson, and the evolution of the Triangle offense.
  11. Coach Jackson asking Coach Gardner about how the Triangle played a role in their success.
  12. "All these stories just geminated" in that room.
  13. “I was curious and would listen to these guys who had been watching the game evolve since they were kids."
  14. Doing videos with Johnny. 
  15. “We had an exchange that was very genuine.”
  16. What we organized as a system was “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
  17. Teaching players the skills that would operate in the system. Drills and skills that fit into the system. “Everything fit into the system.”
  18. Defensive drills in the system.
  19. Knowing each other so well that trust was present.
  20. How his ran a time-out. “Going to your safe spot on the bench.” Assistants go to huddle. Then everyone stands and Coach Jackson addresses them. “Assistant coaches get to manifest their knowledge of the game."
  21. Allowing for and valuing disagreement. But then going forward with one voice.
  22. Why it’s dangerous when trying one-off copying of what others do instead of staying with your own set of rules.
  23. Our basic principle on offense was “go away from pressure.”
  24. “Be in the flow.”
  25. Using video tape to imprint ideas. (e.g., The way of the peaceful warrior). How to value your opponent to bring out your best self. Lakota perspective. “We’re lucky to have the opponent that’s creating more thoughtful play out of what we’re trying to do. And we don’t have to do it through resistance or overpowering or retaliation. We can do it in another way."
  26. Letting go. Scottie suggesting Ron Harper should guard Hardaway instead of Jordan. “That suggestion was perfect…That was a player stepping in…They know each other well.”
Sep 29, 202352:20
#131 Coach Phil Jackson (1): Giving players books, Golf in the Kingdom.  

#131 Coach Phil Jackson (1): Giving players books, Golf in the Kingdom.  

1.     Coach’s home golf course in Williston, ND.

2.     Giving players books: Why did he do it? How did he decide which book to give to each player.

3.     Shaq’s book report.

4.     Talking to Kobe about being a leader.

5.     Going from coaching in the CBA to the Bulls, Jerry Krause wanted him to wear the championship ring as a symbol, “I knew what it took to win a championship…I had some credibility.”

6.     Giving associate coaches room to speak.

7.     The impact of Tex Winter and Johnny Bach: “I learned a tremendous about about the history of the game from them.”

8.     “A lot of coaching depends on voice, on essence, on how you speak, the control that you have of the language, your ability to deliver a message, your ability to be a salesperson about what you are trying to have your team do.Those are the things that I think garner respect.”

9.     When correcting a player, “it’s not that I’m correcting you. I’m correcting the act that you need to change. I’m not demeaning you.”

10.  “You need to deliver messages with the respect that contains who you are.”

11.  The importance of building a “fraternal type of atmosphere where it’s brotherly or sisterly…You want them to have an atmosphere that’s warm and welcoming.”

12.  One of the most difficult things for humans is that you are not anything more than human. You make mistakes. And the mistakes you’re going to make are sometimes how you endear yourself to your community…The little things, stumbling over a word or how you dress…”

13.  Wearing a tie dye shirt to practice…and how it accidentally brought about relatability.

14.  “Maybe I can get a birdie on this hole…”

15.  Red Holzman. Alertness. “Being in the team, with the team.” 

16.  Simple lessons from Coach Holzman. “This isn’t rocket science.”

17.  Coach Holzman: simplicity and giving players voice.

18.  Coach as teacher.

19.  Turning point: Coach Holzman brought Coach Jackson in to help during and injured period (When Coach Jackson was only 23). Learning the middle path. Staying consistent. Bring energy.

20.  Knowing how to handle players who were injured, including the mental side of injury.

21.  “What is the purpose of the game?” Love of the game. Giannis, Jokic as good models.

22.  What’s most important thing to look for in a coach? 

23.  Lessons learned from coaching Horace Grant. Staying positive. Transformational. “Coaches that stand on the sidelines and yell at players are probably not going to be successful if they’re berating their players. But the ones who can teach and want to teach it, are the ones who generate the most interest to me as people to hire as coaches.”

24.  Earning players’ respect.

25.  Growing up in a home with morning devotions. “I’ve maintained that type of practice my whole life.”

26.  Getting centered and fully present every morning.

27.  The importance of having a system. Having everyone play within the system. 

28.  Every player in basketball – like jazz – has a role, has a moment. 

Sep 29, 202301:01:37
#129 Verona soccer coach Dave Perkins learns, grows, builds bonds and won the state championship

#129 Verona soccer coach Dave Perkins learns, grows, builds bonds and won the state championship

Coach Dave Perkins led Verona High School to the state championship in 2022. He was also named the WSCA Coach of the Year and, in 2021, the Big Eight Conference Coach of the Year. Dave has a long track record of success playing and coaching at multiple levels, including club, college, and high school. Dave joined SGG to discuss his leadership journey, including what he's learned along the way, why he coaches, and what he aspires toward as a leader of young people.


Feb 27, 202343:21
#128: DSHA H.S. (WI) volleyball coach Caitie Ratkowski impacts lives and led her team to the state championship

#128: DSHA H.S. (WI) volleyball coach Caitie Ratkowski impacts lives and led her team to the state championship

Coach Caitie Ratkowski is the 2022 state champion (Division I) volleyball coach at Divine Savior Holy Angels (DSHA) High School in Milwaukee. She was honored as the 2022 AVCA Girls high school coach of the year. Among Caitie's many other awards was her 2016 induction into the DSHA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. Beyond her impressive success on the court, Caitie is committed to leading the people in her program toward holistic life success. She's impacted many lives through her coaching efforts. 



Feb 22, 202336:13
#127: Columbus HS (WI) football coach Andrew Selgrad won the state title and his program keeps building

#127: Columbus HS (WI) football coach Andrew Selgrad won the state title and his program keeps building

Coach Andrew Selgrad led Columbus High School to a 14-0 record and the division 4 state championship in 2022. For his efforts, he named Wisconsin Associated Press/Packers High School Coach of the Year. Coach Selgrad has a long track record as a coach in the state -- and even grew up on the sidelines when his father was a head coach. With a motto of "keep building," he focuses on "teaching the why," learning, trusting and growing every day.


Feb 21, 202330:45
#126: Kettle Moraine H.S. (WI) football coach Matt McDonnell’s program treats kids well and won state

#126: Kettle Moraine H.S. (WI) football coach Matt McDonnell’s program treats kids well and won state

Coach McDonnell leads the 2022 Wisconsin State football champions at Kettle Moraine High School. He is also a special education teacher at the school. Coach McDonnell focuses on treating the members of his team well. In doing so, he's cultivated a successful program where young people can thrive on and off the field. He joined us on the SGG podcast to discuss his journey and his perspective on coaching.


Feb 17, 202333:40
#125: Kaukauna (WI) H.S. softball coach Tim Roehrig fosters love of the game and wins championships

#125: Kaukauna (WI) H.S. softball coach Tim Roehrig fosters love of the game and wins championships

Coach Roehrig is a social studies teacher and the head softball coach at Kaukauna High School in Wisconsin. His team rides a 51 game winning streak and has won back-to-back state championship. Coach Roehrig's impact goes beyond softball victories. He's shaped a thriving community around softball. He develops rich relationships with players and families. Opportunities flow in, through, and beyond the Kaukauna softball program thanks to his leadership. We enjoyed a great conversation on the SGG podcast. Thanks, Coach Roehrig! 


Dec 23, 202245:10
#124: Bill Schultz led the way for the Miracle League in Dane County: "I see myself in them."

#124: Bill Schultz led the way for the Miracle League in Dane County: "I see myself in them."

Bill Schultz is the founder and leader of the Miracle League in Dane County, WI. He joined us to tell his own story of growing up with physical disabilities, staying resilient, and ultimately impacting many lives in positive ways. The Miracle League provides children with disabilities -- and their families -- with opportunities to play sports and have fun together. Bill's story is inspiring. Our SGG conversation included conversation about:

1. Bills sports experiences when he was young.

2. The coaches and adults who impacted him growing up.

3. His experiences as a manager in college.

4. His career.

5. How the Miracle league came to fruition in the Madison area.

6. What happens at Miracle League games.

7. A couple of "miracle stories."

8. What comes next.

Nov 07, 202252:50
#123: Pulitzer winning sports journalist George Dohrmann on the historical underpinnings of USA men’s soccer failures…and hopes for a better future

#123: Pulitzer winning sports journalist George Dohrmann on the historical underpinnings of USA men’s soccer failures…and hopes for a better future

George Dohrmann is senior managing editor for enterprise and investigations for The Athletic. Previously at Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times and the St. Paul Pioneer Press, where in 2000 he won a Pulitzer Prize, he is the author of multiple books. Play Their Hearts Out, George’s book stemming from a ten-year immersive journey with an AAU team, was winner of the 2011 PEN/ESPN Award and was named by GQ as one of 50 best books on literary journalism. On this SGG episode, we discussed:

1. There’s a picture of you coaching kids in soccer on your website. Do you coach? What’s your coaching style? (2:40)

2. What drew you to the topic of your new book, Switching Fields? (5:25)

3. Historically, what have been some of the signature differences between how men’s and women’s developmental systems have worked in American soccer? (7:47)

4. How UNC coach Anson Dorrance created a successful soccer program (10:27)

5. What was noteworthy about the development of American soccer in Southern California? (14:30)

6. Why have there historically been so few Black soccer players in the USA program? (20:40)

7. Who else has been left behind… and why? (21:30)

8. You documented some really horrible coaches in PTHO. But it sounds like you’ve found hopeful coaching models in these years that’ve followed. In soccer, what are the promising youth coaching practices that you’ve found? Would these translate across sports – including to youth basketball? (25:05)

9. Latino influence on coaching (29:10)

10. You’ve long been advocating for “junior NBA/WNBA leagues.” Why? Is this a logic of talent capitalization? How can we concurrently democratize healthy, high-level sport opportunity? (34:20)

11. Looking back on what you know now, would your analysis of the PTHO kids’ world change in any noteworthy ways?  What are the “big questions” we should be asking to make youth sports better in the US? (39:53)

12. What would he do differently if he could do Play Their Hearts Out again (43:10)

Oct 25, 202250:34
#122: Sidney Moncrief on using the private and public platforms of sports to work for justice

#122: Sidney Moncrief on using the private and public platforms of sports to work for justice

We continue our SGG conversations with Sidney Moncrief, whose perspectives on leading for justice are rooted in years of competing, leading, and learning at the highest levels. In this episode, we discussed:

  1. What Made Don Nelson special: he understood the value of having a good support team and he made sure to be authentic during his interactions with both his assistant coaches and his players to create sincere relationships with them. (9:08)
  2. “The wisdom that I had when I played came from humility and self awareness” (13:30)
  3. “When he became a leader on the Bucks he eliminated hazing because he wanted the new players to be able to come to him and not be looked down upon or pass judgment… he would just give them the facts” (15:23)
  4. “It’s easy for anyone to become insecure about a number of things and as a coach you really need to guard against that.” (19:38)
  5. The negative effects of social media on athletes. (24:47)
  6. His perspective of diversity, equity, inclusion throughout the sports landscape while playing at Arkansas. (28:30)
  7. Learning from his experience playing tennis with Sam Walton. (32:27)
  8. “When you're in your 20s you really don’t have the wherewithal, it’s all about ‘me’ and … you are not leveraging potential relationships to do good things for others” (36:00)
  9. “I don’t care how famous you are or how many followers you have, always speak from an educated perspective know both sides.” (38:24)
  10. You have to use both your public and your private platforms. (39:58)
  11. Learning from his conversation with Senator Kohl. (41:33)
  12. Learning about intentionality as a part of his GRIT concept. (43:00)
  13. How sports give him the platform today. (45:47)
  14. “Our job as older players is to make ourselves relevant… take current issues and collaborations to make things better. (46:39)
  15. The effect of his mom keeping composure during times of crisis. (48:28)
  16. Why coaches have to guard their players too much information. (52:23)
Oct 18, 202253:33
#121 Wisconsin Men’s Hockey Coach Tony Granato: “We’re all connected by sport.”

#121 Wisconsin Men’s Hockey Coach Tony Granato: “We’re all connected by sport.”

Tony Granato’s accolades and accomplishments in hockey are remarkable. A highest level champion of the game in every way at college, NHL and Olympic levels, Tony is recognized as one of the great teammates, competitors and leaders in the game. As head coach of the Badgers, Tony continues to positively impact countless lives each year. He joined SGG, where we discussed:

1. The shared passion for hockey among the Granato siblings. “NHL games” in the family basement. Core values and love developing in the basement.

2. Coaching principles “come from that basement.”

3. Benefits of free play. Learning about leadership and how to be a teammate.

4. Learning about courage and perseverance from his sister Cammi. “She fought through lots of barriers and obstacles.”

5. Learning from his brother Donny about overcoming hard things.

6. Learning about the core values of individuals that his team recruits.

7. One of Tony’s bell cows (models): Bob Johnson – “His enthusiasm and passion for hockey was what I thought it should be. He brought that spirit to wherever he was.” “His style was unique back then. Coaches were hard-nosed and tough. Stand-offs. Screamers and yellers…Badger had the opposite. He loved and appreciated players for who they were.”

8. Another bell cow: his dad. “He didn’t know hockey very well…But what I learned from him was love and care for one another. Respect and care for each other and the game.”

9. Positive mindset. Taking positive things from other players.

10. “I don’t want to be respected because I was a good player. I want to be respected because I was a good teammate.”

11. Personality of a team. “It has to be a natural thing.”

12. “Great character” vs. “great characters” in the game of hockey.

13. Values/principles of his program: work ethic; passion/love for the game and people.

14. “When you’re appreciated, you’re willing to go through the wall for somebody.”

15. Differences in international models of sport and development.

16. US Hockey’s new model for developing the game.

17. European focus on tactical and skill work.

18. Talent capitalization.

19. Starting points in leadership development: Core values. Compassion. Relationships.

20. “The part I’ve enjoyed most about my journey in sport is the fact that I’ve been able to share it with my brothers and sisters and dad and mom. We’re all connected by sport.”

21. His dad never pushed hockey upon him.

Sep 15, 202236:15
#120: Sidney Moncrief on leadership.

#120: Sidney Moncrief on leadership.

Naismith Hall of Famer Sidney Moncrief – a former Bucks all-star and assistant coach – joined us (2nd time on SGG!) to discuss leadership across different eras. He identified a critical shift in player-coach relations that occurred in the early 2000s and offered broad insights on leadership across diverse settings. We discussed:

1. How do relationships look in the NBA? In the 1980s: Corporate. “There were no relationships. You were told what to do. In the 2000s “there was a new source of empowerment among the players.” At that point, if you were an assistant coach, your sole purpose was to develop a relationship with players. “They were no longer doing what you told them to do because you were the leader. They wanted you to earn their trust.”

2. The impact of the rise of AAU.

3. One thing that has not changed in coaching: “Once players know that you care…right away, the trust goes up. And the respect goes up.” What matters most: caring, transparency, honesty, integrity.

4. Coaches showed care behind the scenes.

5. Principles are important in action, not just in what you say. Great coaches “walk the talk.” (Don Nelson. Del Harris, Rick Majerus, etc.)

6. Sidney’s “Cs of Leadership:” Competence, Character, Consistency, Communication.

7. The 1980s was the era of excess in the league – not an era of social consciousness. “We had conversations behind the scenes. But if you had those discussions in public…it would have been detrimental to your career.” It was easier to have those conversations in the 60s and 70s.

8. The importance of “Magic vs. Bird” in shifting from team to individual branding.

9. “Coaches play a major role in giving players a base for being game changers in society.”

10. “You should never be afraid of stepping outside of the box as a coach.”

11. Don Nelson understood that he needed to get the star players on board with ideas first. “He would come to us and ask for our opinions…Great players must be part of your internal team.”

12. “Being a social justice person.” Sidney’s thoughts on order and action in a sports context – a sensitive and complicated matter.

13. Could Coach Eddie Sutton coach the same way today? “He made some adjustments but his standards never changed.”

14. “GRIT:” Growth, resilience, intentionality, tenacity.

15. Body language. Reading cues.

16. Authenticity. “The worst thing as a leader is for people that you lead to not know who you are and what you stand for.”

17. “Empathy should have no age limit.”

18. Having a purpose.

19. The diversity in the game.

20. Principled coaches are “setting their players up to be social game changers in society, to accelerate their life’s purpose.”

Aug 28, 202253:37
#119: Wisconsin Women’s Basketball Head Coach Marisa Moseley: “We expect to win in everything we do.”

#119: Wisconsin Women’s Basketball Head Coach Marisa Moseley: “We expect to win in everything we do.”

Marisa Moseley’s journey through college basketball includes remarkable success as a player, assistant coach and head coach. She joined SGG to discuss leading the Badgers program. We discussed:

1. What is a “bell cow”… and who were some of Coach Moseley’s bell cows?

2. Having “unfettered” access to Coach Auriemma.

3. Jay Wright. “You watch his teams and they’re so fundamentally sound…I was very much an admirer of the way he coaches and teaches.”

4. John Thompson. “How he transcended the game, how he was unapologetically black, how he led…how he was authentically himself.”

5. How do you decipher what’s “for you” as a coach?

6. Determining “our style” as a program. “I knew what kind of person I was as a person, as a coach, as a leader, as a teacher… But we needed to develop a style as a program.”

7. How program “style” affects all parts of the program.

8. Indicators of the Badgers culture: a loud gym, energy, open communication, helping each other up, quick pace, urgency.

9. Popovich: When you join this team, you don’t change us, we change you.

10. Consistency and high expectations.

11. Coaches who talk too much at practice.

12. Learning to let players play through mistakes. “It’s a delicate dance.”

13. The program pillars: Winning mindset, Integrity, Selflessness, Communication, Legacy.

14. Connectedness around the pillars. “If you are really, really connected, you have some of your best teams.

15. A simple gratitude exercise with the team.

16. What team members owe each other.

17. Deepest aspirations as a coach: “helping people become the best version of themselves.”

Aug 25, 202235:36
#118: Javonte Lipsey, a scholar and an athlete, studies servant leadership.

#118: Javonte Lipsey, a scholar and an athlete, studies servant leadership.

Javonte Lipsey was a five-time All-American track athlete at the University of North Carolina. After his decorated career, Javonte embarked on a doctoral research journey at Ohio State University. His dissertation study examined servant leadership in collegiate athletics administrators. On this SGG episode, we discussed:

1. Growing up in the loving Lipsey family that adopted seven children: “My existence in the family was created in their willingness to serve.”

2. Witnessing his father and mother as servant leaders.

3. The servant perspective “gave me a huge amount of humility” in athletics. “It’s about being part of a community that’s part of something larger.”

4. The impact of his high school coach. “He was much more than a coach…He was there through every phase of my life, not just on the track.”

5. Why he pursued the Ph.D.: “My parents told me that are two things to take with you wherever you go: salvation and education.”

6. What is servant leadership?

7. Doing what is right because it is right (as opposed to having ulterior motives).

8. Listening to hear, to understand, to serve.

9. One of Javonte’s research questions: What are the antecedents of servant leadership?

10. Another question: On a day-to-day basis in college athletics administration, what does servant leadership look like?

11. Third question: Are there experiences that helped shaped servant leadership behavior?

12. The research design.

13. Servant leadership is animated by humility.

14. Religious affiliation and servant leadership.

15. Exemplars of servant leadership: Tony Dungy, Muhammad Ali, LeBron James, Steph Curry.

16. “I challenge people to ask ourselves, ‘How can I serve others?’”

Aug 23, 202252:01
#117 Walter Dickey (part 3): Working in harness with another.

#117 Walter Dickey (part 3): Working in harness with another.

As I was editing the third and final SGG episode with UW’s Walter Dickey, I was speaking with former Big Ten Conference Commissioner Jim Delany and asked for his perspective on Walter. Jim described Walter as a “straight shooter” and “one of the most able and honest people that I ran across in my 31 years in the Big 10.” These words of high praise are included in the introductory remarks of this episode. And then, focusing largely on some of his key partners from over the years, Walter and I discussed:

1. Working together with Frank Remington. “He was incredibly generous with his time and his knowledge.”

2. Other partners from the Law School and Corrections over the years.

3. Lesson from Frank Remington: “Helping young people develop is a calling.”

4. “I’ve always thought the development of others was one of my principal responsibilities.”

5. Close observation and imagination.

6. Developing a sense of judgment. “If you’re going to develop a sense of judgment, you need knowledge of the system you’re working in.”

7. “The ability to understand people and empathize with people is vital.”

8. “Working in harness with another.” (more fun, better ideas)

9. Becoming a leader in athletics.

10. Working closely with Jim Delany. Loyalty and discretion.

11. Jim Delany’s skill in getting groups get where they need to go.

12. Different ways to disagree.

13. Beginnings of working with Barry Alvarez.

14. Working with Chris McIntosh. “I quickly realized how intelligent and perceptive he was…I took him everywhere.”

15. Transitioning away from being on campus every day. “It was hard…I spent my life poised for action.”

16. Realizing that “I’ve done my part.”

17. “The future will rise up before us.”

18. Family.


Jul 25, 202249:18
#116: Walter Dickey (part 2): Poised to learn, creating value, and helping others.

#116: Walter Dickey (part 2): Poised to learn, creating value, and helping others.

In the second part of our three episodes that focus on the great law professor, public leader and athletics leader, we discussed:

1. The importance of reading over the years. “It fed my curiosity and desire to learn…It helped develop in me a sense of idealism in the world and possibilities in the world…It led me to have some illusions about what was possible in the world.”

2. Keeping a journal every day: “What I think about. What we do.”

3. “I’ve done my part.”

4. Attempting to become more present.

5. “Poised to learn.”

6. A goal for law students: growth for the rest of their lives.

7. “The law in action.”

8. A sound structural education in law school. “The bones of the law.” Principles and specifics.

9. A metaphor for lawyer prep: playwright vs. critic.

10. Being both a law professor and the head of corrections.

11. “On the ground understanding.”

12. Developing trust as head of corrections.

13. The value of “unglamorous” jobs as a youngster.

14. The influence of Jesuit education.

15. Law and leadership as a “helping profession.”

16. “Creating value” as a leader.

17. The importance of communication as a leader.

18. Learning how to navigate multiple contexts as a leader. “Assess it. Look at it as carefully as you can. Then figure out what to do.”

19. “You can’t become too attached to your own view.”

20. “The anchoring effect.”

21. Diagnostic interviews.

22. Moral authority. “It’s earned. You’re not anointed with it.”

23. “A degree of humility is incredibly powerful.”

24. Living a balanced life. “The lives of our children and grandchildren are of first order importance.”

Jul 22, 202252:24
#115: Walter Dickey (part 1): Carefully observing the world and figuring out how to best proceed.

#115: Walter Dickey (part 1): Carefully observing the world and figuring out how to best proceed.

Walter Dickey recently retired from a long and distinguished professional life at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Among many other accomplishments and experiences, Walter was a tenured law professor; head of the Department of Corrections in Wisconsin; Chair of the Wisconsin athletic board; representative to NCAA and Big Ten Conference, and deputy athletic director. He’s published extensively and shaped his fields in many positive ways. But Walter’s much more than these achievements or positions. He’s been a son, brother, husband, father, friend, colleague, and mentor. He’s a man with broad experience, deep perspective. Walter says that he never spends much time thinking about his career or having been a leader, but in this three part series, we examine how this legendary UW leader has indeed lived an interesting and impactful life of leadership. In part 1, Walter described the time that he and his wife Mary spent in Ghana, just after he’d completed law school. He highlighted some of the impacts of that time in their lives and how it contributed to his development as an observer of the world. Walter then described the importance of partnership in his journey and he provided insight into how one of his key partners, Professor Frank Remington, went about mentoring with humility and generosity. Over the years it’s been a tremendous honor and privilege for me to get to learn from Walter – so learning more about his story was a very special opportunity for me. 

We discussed:

1. Deciding to go to Ghana – “the adventure of our lives” and the “turning point of our lives.”

2. Not being part of the “American Embassy crowd” in Ghana.

3. Living in Ghana: heat, a coup, grocery shopping, time, food, etc.

4. Being an observer.

5. “We were completely reliant on each other.”

6. Walter and Mary in Ghana: “We developed confidence in ourselves. And we developed trust and confidence in people around us.”

7. Returning to the U.S: No money, a Ford Pinto, a broadened perspective, and an uncertain future.

8. Why every American should take advantages of opportunities to live abroad.

9. “I’ve never thought of myself as having a career.”

10. Learning to live amid doubt and uncertainty in a condition of not knowing (Shakespeare).

11. Contrasting Oedipus & Socrates coming to a fork in the road. Socrates reflected and considered where the two roads might go.

12. Mary: “As the future rises up before us, we’ll figure it out.”

13. “Carefully observing the world and people around me. And then figuring out how to best proceed.”

14. The raw materials of leadership: observing and active imagination (and reading).

15. What Walter learned from reading as a youngster: the triumph of virtue after struggle. Idealism.

16. C.S. Lewis: reading teaches us that we’re not alone.

17. “Solving problems is fun. Spouting off theoretical things isn’t, at least to me.”

18. Working for UW Law Professor Frank Remington, who was “incredibly intelligent, observant, and humble.”

19. Diagnostic interviews: “a legal physical.”

20. Frank Remington as a mentor. “Humility was his hallmark.”

Jul 15, 202201:00:35
#114: NFL player turned professor: Travis Dorsch reflects on his journey through sports and describes his “integrated perspective on youth sport”

#114: NFL player turned professor: Travis Dorsch reflects on his journey through sports and describes his “integrated perspective on youth sport”

Travis Dorsch is an associate professor at Utah State University, where he studies and teaches about youth sports. Professor Dorsch’s work influences the broader field in multiple ways – especially in our move toward adopting more holistic understandings of the youth sports experience. A former NFL football player and now father of young athletes, Travis brings a well-informed perspective to the table. On this SGG episode, we discussed:

1. Travis’ experiences as a multi-sport athlete in Bozeman, MT.

2. Some of the coaches who impacted him during middle and high school years.

3. Playing sports in Bozeman.

4. How Travis’ experiences as an athlete led him to a career studying sports.

5. What is an “integrated understanding of the youth sports system?”

6. What he means when he says, “I think parents are trapped” in the youth sports environment.

7. Advice Travis has for parents of young athletes. (intrinsic motivation)

8. Advice Travis has for more mature, gifted athletes. (surround them with good people and be willing to let go)

9. Families’ financial investments in youth sports. One interesting finding: The more money we invest can lead to increased pressure, less enjoyment, and increased likelihood of kids dropping out of sports.

10. Why we need to think about siblings in sports.

11. How Travis’ professional and personal experiences come together.

Mar 28, 202239:17
#113: Before they were champions: Wisconsin Volleyball’s Grace Loberg, Gio Civita, and Danielle Hart reflect on their journeys through youth sports.

#113: Before they were champions: Wisconsin Volleyball’s Grace Loberg, Gio Civita, and Danielle Hart reflect on their journeys through youth sports.

Research shows us many benefits from participating in athletics. But each young athlete’s pathways is different. Three key members of the UW national championship volleyball team, Gio Civita, Danielle Hart, and Grace Loberg, joined SGG to discuss some key aspects of their remarkable journeys through sports.

1. Grace’s initial volleyball experiences with her mom and at school in 4th grade. “It was not good volleyball, but it was so fun!”

2. Danielle started volleyball in 7th grade. Volleyball became an important part of her life during challenging times. “Volleyball became the outlet for me.”

3. Gio’s volleyball experience as a child in Italy. Sports were separated from school. “If you decide to be in sports, it’s like a job.”

4. How sports affected sibling dynamics in their families. Grace: “It was a challenge for my parents balancing everything.”

5. Multi-sport participation decisions, including the importance of supportive coaches who make it work.

6. Factors to consider when choosing a club team.

7. Specific youth sports moments that led to broader opportunity.

8. What coaches are looking for when they recruit young athletes.

9. What caught Coach Sheffield’s eye when he was recruiting her: The way she supported her teammates.

10. The importance of a coach delivering feedback to Danielle.

11. Coaches who do (and don’t) understand the developmental stages of their athletes.

12. Coach Sheffield’s thoughtfulness about “every single thing.”

13. Fostering joy in youth sports.

14. Mental and psychological aspects of getting through injuries. Danielle: Embracing the broader view of the team. Developing empathy. Building leadership skills. Staying connected. Taking it day by day.

15. Gio on going through injuries: “It opened other doors in the long run.”

16. How can we make youth sports better? Danielle: make it less expensive. Grace: scale back the pressure. Gio: balance/integrate academics and athletics.

Mar 23, 202249:36
#112: UW-Madison’s Dr. Julie Stamm studies brain injuries and youth sports.

#112: UW-Madison’s Dr. Julie Stamm studies brain injuries and youth sports.

Julie Stamm is a faculty member in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her book, The Brain on Youth Sports: The Science, the Myths, and the Future, makes a major contribution to the broader field of concussion research. Dr. Stamm continues to conduct cutting-edge research and will make a major positive impact on the field with her scholarship and multi-dimensional perspective. In this SGG episode, we discussed:

1. Growing up a 3-sport athlete in Mosinee, Wisconsin.

2. The role and impact of sports in Mosinee.

3. Playing against Candace Parker at a Chicago basketball camp.

4. Her pathway to becoming a researcher and scientist…including being impacted by one young athlete’s concussion.

5. How being an athlete shapes her approach to research.

6. Understanding what concussions are.

7. Peaks and plateaus in brain development intersecting with sports experiences: “There’s a lot going on in that 8-12 (year old) range…And that’s also a time when lots of kids are getting started in sports.”

8. The multiple forms of “repetitive impact.”

9. The implications of repetitive impacts…even those that don’t result in concussion symptoms: “These hits aren’t without consequence even though we don’t see it right away.”

10. Myth: contact sports impacts aren’t as bad in youth sports. The “bobblehead effect” and the number of impacts.

11. Hits per event are similar in youth and high school football.

12. Why she wrote the book. And why she wrote it in an accessible fashion.

13. Bad argument: Contact sports are safe enough. “Is safer than ever safe enough?”

14. The limits of helmets. “No helmet will prevent concussions.”

15. Myth: You have to hit/play the way the pros do in order to make it to college and/or the pros. (not true!)

16. “At the younger ages we should promote having fun in sports.”

17. Flaws in common “toughness arguments.”

18. How we can best communicate about and implement important research on concussion in youth sports.

19. The role of coaches in changing culture around safer contact sports.

20. Her ongoing research projects.

Mar 15, 202239:17
#111: Grand Park Sports Complex (Westfield, IN) Director Matt Trnian: “If you build it, they will come.”

#111: Grand Park Sports Complex (Westfield, IN) Director Matt Trnian: “If you build it, they will come.”

Matt Trnian started as an intern at Grand Park. He moved up through the ranks and now serves as Director. Matt joined SGG to discuss his leadership journey. He also discussed Grand Park’s evolution…including what’s next for one of the nation’s premier sports and events facilities. We discussed:

1. A common theme among his best coaches from growing up: a focus on developing better people.

2. What he learned from his head high school football coach, Mike Elder: Accountability and investment in each person in the program.

3. Starting as an intern at Grand Park. Matt’s aspirations and responsibilities.

4. Key stakeholders and events along the way, including the Indianapolis Colts holding training camp at Grand Park.

5. Early resistance to Grand Park. “It was easy to be skeptical…It was an unproven product at that time.” (Many of the critics have changes their minds.)

6. Influencing broader community development.

7. Grand Park’s research and development hub. “We’re trying to stay on the cutting edge.”

8. Matt’s observations of the youth sports industry.

Mar 12, 202228:05
#110: Readiness revisited: Some concerning trends in sport participation

#110: Readiness revisited: Some concerning trends in sport participation

Several years ago, we wrote about an "NFL ready" football player, Ed Oliver. He's achieved success with the Buffalo Bills. But readiness questions in the sports pipeline persist for millions of young people around the country. Beyond physical readiness, we must consider academic, social, and other types of readiness. Participation is one aspect of life readiness that is overlooked. The more we can keep kids engaged in high quality sporting environments, the better. Trends in participation at youth and college levels are troubling -- and must be addressed. In this SGG episode, we identify some of these trends. And we launch a series examining participation and readiness in the sports pipeline.

Mar 04, 202216:24
#109: Cal Tech Athletic Director Betsy Mitchell on balance: “I never wanted to be known as only a swimmer”

#109: Cal Tech Athletic Director Betsy Mitchell on balance: “I never wanted to be known as only a swimmer”

Originally from Marietta, Ohio, Betsy Mitchell escaped Buckeye territory to become one of the great American swimmers of her day. She is a multi-time national, world, and Olympic champion. Betsy’s post-swimming career includes graduate school at the University of Texas and Harvard, coaching at Dartmouth and, now, as the athletic director at Caltech. She is a respected leader in college sports. Betsy joined the SGG podcast, where we discussed:

1. Betsy’s introduction story to sport: A rejection from t-ball and a sign at the YMCA for swim lessons.

2. Donna Lopiano’s influence on Betsy at the University of Texas. “She was always pushing me to do more.”

3. Key characteristics of good coaching: Keeping it fun. Using sport as a tool, not as an end in and of itself. Keeping balanced.

4. Her perspective on sport. “This is only part of me. Yes, I see myself as an athlete. Yes, I’m a swimmer. But I’ve always had such a rich ‘other life’ – and I credit my parents for that.”

5. “The training was hard. But they just set the table and allowed me to come into it.”

6. Her college coach Richard Quick: “You guys have talent. It’s yours to harvest.”

7. Always being aware of being a good leader. Being service-oriented and inclusive as a leader – even as a younger person.

8. “This was never just about me…I realized it was very representative.”

9. When she first started as a young coach at Dartmouth. “The women that were there didn’t see me as an Olympic swimmer. I was just their leader, just their coach. It was very collaborative.”

10. Books/authors that have impacted Betsy: Jeff Janson. Jim Collins. Brene Brown. “Lincoln on Leadership.”

11. “I don’t think that my way is the only way.”

12. Asking more questions than making big statements.

13. Creating a learning environment for her staff. A three-pronged approach: 1) hiring willing learners, curious people; 2) Funding ongoing learning; 3) We just talk about it all the time.

14. Why Betsy does not like coaching conventions. “I would rather have them take a Harvard business class online. Or take four coaches who you really admire to lunch…”

15. As a leader and coach: “You have to be good enough to always give the ‘why.’”

16. Betsy’s daily routines: 1) Exercise. “That’s my grounding feature…I do it for my own health but also to be seen…I make sure I work out here at least a couple times a week…So that I’m available, but also so that they see me. That I validate their own priority about their health.” 2) Being out and about. “I do not sit in this office all day.” Being intentional about checking in with people. “Not even about work…’how’s it going? How can I help.’”

17. A learned skill as a leader: “I try not to react. I try to respond.”

18. Her love of adventure…and the importance of adventure in her life: “This is play. The broad notion of play. Play is essential…It’s a way to fill your soul. To have a dynamic life.”

19. Purposeful travel: “Immersing myself in what I do not know…Go where you do not know and where you are in the minority.”

20. Always having an identity as being more than just an athlete. “I never wanted to be known as only a swimmer.”

21. On the importance of leaders and coaches ensuring that student-athletes have balanced lives: “We have to serve young people in that. Because they can get lost later.”


Jan 31, 202230:01
 #108 Olympic legends Bonnie Blair Cruikshank and Dave Cruikshank at Milwaukee’s Pettit National Ice Center.

#108 Olympic legends Bonnie Blair Cruikshank and Dave Cruikshank at Milwaukee’s Pettit National Ice Center.

I traveled to the Pettit Center in Milwaukee, home of DASH, to learn about competing, coaching, and leading from two speedskating legends. Bonnie Blair Cruikshank is one of the most successful Olympic athletes of all time, having won five Olympic speedskating golds and countless other medals and championships. Dave Cruikshank was also an Olympian, a world champion, and one of the elite skaters in the world. This husband and wife duo inspired a generation of Olympic athletes. They continue to take the lead in promoting speedskating and Olympic sports in the United States and beyond. DASH is a premier training organization that prepares highest-level athletes to reach peak performance. I sat with Bonnie and Dave in the DASH training space – located on the second level of the Pettit – to learn from these remarkable people. On this SGG episode, we discussed:

1. Dave’s early and ongoing attraction to speedskating: “I liked going fast. And I still like going fast.”

2. The mentoring that occurred across generations in the U.S. speedskating community – leading to many Olympians and world champions.

3. The impact Olympian Cathy Priestner had on Bonnie’s early path in the sport. “She took me under her wing…It was a neat building of a great friendship…That relationship was a very big part of my journey.”

4. Bonnie training pretty much on her own in Champaign, IL during her early days on the U.S. team.

5. How and when Bonnie knew she had to make coaching changes during her career.

6. Dave being coached by a 4-time Olympian in Northbrook.

7. Dave: “I didn’t really start training until I was 16. I was on my first Olympic team at 18.”

8. Coaching rule of thumb: “If we get hit by a bus, you should be able to take care of yourself. Our job is to educate you and give you as much knowledge and information on technique, training, sleep, nutrition, and preparation as we can. We will help guide you, but it’s your journey.”

9. His athletes keep journals. (What’s in the journals?)

10. Bonnie on the lack of performance training research: “We were flying by the seat of our pants.”

11. Why a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as pre-race meal made sense for Bonnie. (insights from special ops leaders)

12. The importance of getting to know your athletes.

13. Coach and athlete as “caddy-player relationship.”

14. “How can you get the most out of your players if you don’t know them?! It’s staggering to us that that communication is not taking place in a lot of sports.”

15. Cybernetics testing: Bonnie and Dave’s two tests were the hardest they’d ever done. Why? “Because we can hurt. We can take a lot of stuff. We put up with a lot to get where we want to go…If I know I want to race really well, I know there’s some stuff I have to do to hurt mentally and physically.”

16. Right-sizing commitment and sacrifice in sport. Bonnie: “If you want to take it to the absolute levels, there’s absolute commitment.” Constantly “checking ourselves” when it comes to deciding how hard to push.

17. Dave’s early goals: D-1 soccer and pro soccer. Didn’t have concrete Olympic aspirations until six months before his first Olympic trials.

18. Bonnie: “I think my dad saw something in me.”

19. In her third race (ever!), Bonnie placed 8th in the Olympic trials.

20. Bonnie: “We never went on family vacations…We went to Chicago every weekend for races…That’s what we did as a family. I never knew anything different…Skating was the thing that I loved the most.”   

For more episode notes from the Bonnie and Dave interview, refer to sportandthegrowinggood.com.




Jan 29, 202258:40
#107: Madison Memorial HS (WI) Coach Steve Collins: “Things change. You better adapt with the times.”

#107: Madison Memorial HS (WI) Coach Steve Collins: “Things change. You better adapt with the times.”

Steve Collins is a teacher and the head basketball coach at Memorial High School in Madison. His long track record of success includes multiple state championships and coach of the year awards. Coach Collins is also known for his broader work in the coaching world, including a business, active social media presence, and multiple podcasts. He joined the SGG podcast and we discussed:

1. Learning from his dad, his brother, and Madison East basketball Coach Boyle.

2. The Great Swami

3. Coach Boyle: “He had a lot of confidence in me.”

4. “When I speak at clinics, I ask coaches to close their eyes and imagine the coach that was their most influential coach and why…It’s never Xs and Os. It’s an interpersonal thing that made them feel complete…How did he make them feel? I try to remember that when I’m coaching too.”

5. Human beings want to feel loved and they want to have meaning.

6. The importance of having close relational connections with the team: “It’s the secret sauce. It’s what’s most important.”

7. “Taking a piece” of each coach he worked for.

8. Developing a blue print for building the Memorial program: scouting, summer camps, youth program… and a future NBA player.

9. The importance of having smart and supportive administration in a school.

10. “If I was coaching the same way I was 25 years ago, I would be unemployed…Things change. You better adapt with the times.”

11. “You have to adjust. You have to see your surroundings. See your players. See what their strengths and weaknesses are. And as a teacher, you always want to accentuate the positives and work on the negatives.”

12. Having a growth mindset as a coach.

13. Being willing to “throw out” plays and schemes that aren’t working.

14. High school coaches can’t recruit players to a system – so they need to be willing to recognize what they have talent-wise and appropriately adapt.

15. Delegating roles among a coaching staff.

16. The two most important days for a coach: the day you choose your team and the day you choose your staff.

17. Is there still a place for clinics? Yes, for bonding. Less so for content.

18. A perspective lesson from Covid: “Let’s enjoy the time we have!”

Dec 29, 202140:30
#106: Arrowhead H.S. (WI) soccer coach Jeff Staus leads the way in "Letting Kids Fly"

#106: Arrowhead H.S. (WI) soccer coach Jeff Staus leads the way in "Letting Kids Fly"

Jeff Staus is a highly successful varsity soccer coach at Arrowhead High School in Wisconsin. He is also the leader of “Let Kids Fly” (LKF), a unique youth soccer program that is rooted in choice, accessibility, limited travel, character development and fun. In the contested space of youth sport, LKF presents an appealing model from which communities throughout the U.S. can learn. In this SGG episode, we discussed:

  1. His parents’ hands-off approach during his childhood sporting experiences.
  2. The two questions he encourages coaches and parents to ask: “Did you have fun?” and “Were you a good teammate?”
  3. More dynamic leaders at the high school than ever before. Working hard on “making good people and creating leaders.”
  4. Concerns with the professionalization of youth sports.
  5. How LKF started.
  6. The free play model that was used by many of the top players and nations.
  7. The number of kids signed up for LKF in its first four sessions: 125 – 225 – 300 – 500+ (rapid growth).
  8. “Free play Thursdays” at LKF practices.
  9. The benefits of free play.
  10. Deliberate practice on Mondays. A games approach to deliberate practice.
  11. Developing as a player. Developing as a person.
  12. Documentary: In Search Greatness.
  13. Providing kids choices in sports. “Do as many things as long as you can.”
  14. The rationale for seasonal registration.
  15. A “flipped classroom on the soccer field.”
  16. Soliciting parent participation.
  17. Accessibility to free play and to a healthy culture of sport.
  18. Affordability as a means of accessibility.
  19. Supporting kids who want to play collegiately.
  20. Impacts of sports travel on families. Why LKF sends all teams to same tournaments.
  21. Character development. The intentional embedding of character.
  22. Fun.
  23. Looking for teachers and parents as coaches.
  24. An obstacle: building the program in the broader competitive club soccer environment.
  25. Not worrying about the naysayers.
  26. His visions of success.
Nov 24, 202158:13
#105: Coach Brian Bott: Consistency, relentless effort, love and ownership at SportsadvantEdge

#105: Coach Brian Bott: Consistency, relentless effort, love and ownership at SportsadvantEdge

Brian Bott is the founder and leader of SportsadvantEdge, a leading athlete development business with multiple locations throughout southern Wisconsin. Brian was previously the strength coach at Wisconsin and he’s worked with elite athletes at multiple levels. In this episode we discussed:

1.  Key influences on Brian: his father, Coach Shelton, Dean Matsche. “You need people you can trust.”

2.  The importance of honesty in coaching. (avoiding blaming, complaining, and defending)

3.  “As a coach, our job isn’t to be our athletes’ friend. Our job is to earn their trust.”

4.  “How close are you getting to what you’re capable of?”

5.  “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

6.  Three guiding pillars of SportsadvantEdge: 1) consistency; 2) relentless effort; 3) love and ownership.

7.  Parents taking the love of sports away from kids.

8.  Defining the process and setting goals.

9.  Always learning and adapting.

Nov 14, 202139:21
#104: Packers Vice President of Communications Jason Wahlers on the importance of consistency, unflappability, and steadiness (RCS10)

#104: Packers Vice President of Communications Jason Wahlers on the importance of consistency, unflappability, and steadiness (RCS10)

Jason Wahlers, is Vice President of Communications for the Green Bay Packers. He joined the team in 2011. In addition to overseeing communications, he heads up public affairs and community outreach. Jason joined SGG to share about his background and his leadership work with the Packers. We discussed:

1.  The value of working in minor league baseball. “I had an opportunity to do a little bit of everything.”

2.  “You learn pretty early on that you have to put your time in in this business…It’s not enough to just love sports.”

3.  The importance of consistency, unflappability, steadiness in his PR work.

4.  Relationships with the media. Being available, direct, and honest. “If you can give them time, return calls. It sounds so simple. It’s the right thing to do…Don’t waste their time.”

5.  He spends most of his time with football communications.

6.  Making sure players, coaches, and others are prepared when they step in front of the media.

7.  To be prepared in my role, you have to know what’s going on. It’s a constant monitoring of the many media platforms.

8.  Not being a “meeting person.”

9.  A benefit of working for the publicly-owned Packers: “We’re given the freedom to work.”

10. The inaccuracy of people thinking the Packers are a simple “small market team.”

11. His long family attachment to the Packers.

12. Jason’s learning and growth over recent years.

13.How sports provide a venue for meaningful conversation among diverse groups.

Nov 03, 202135:07
#103: Indiana’s Fred Glass describes how Jesuit principles guided his leadership over the years.

#103: Indiana’s Fred Glass describes how Jesuit principles guided his leadership over the years.

The long and distinguished leadership story of Fred Glass is well documented. He is widely credited as one of the best athletic directors in Indiana University history. In his forthcoming autobiography, he describes the importance of rooting leadership in clearly defined values. Similar to the great Packers coach Vince Lombardi, Fred’s leadership principles are closely tethered to his Jesuit education. In this SGG episode, we discussed:

1.  His initial exposure to Jesuit education: his father and Brebeuf High School.

2.  Borrowing from the Jesuits as he sought to build IU athletics.

3.  The messy situation that Fred walked into as AD at IU.

4.  Healing the department before he could build it.

5.  Grad at graduation. Five characteristics that Jesuit schools want to inculcate into students as they graduate. “It’s everywhere…Every teacher has to drive these values into their students.”

6.  Everything IU Athletics did was around the pillars: Play by the rules. Well in mind body and spirit. Achieve academically. Excel athletically. Be part of something bigger than ourselves – and more integrated with the university.

7.  “If you are not a values based organization, then you don’t have much of a chance to succeed.”

8.  The difference between “GPS” and a “compass” to guide you. “Your value system is your compass.”

9.  Fred’s “living rules:” his father, Fr. Paul O’Brian, Herman Wells.

10.  “Comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”

11.  St. Francis: “Preach the gospel and use words if you have to.” And, “Seek not so much to be understood as to understand.”

12.  “A lot of people are not listening so much as they are waiting to speak.”

13.  Never interrupting other people.

14.  “Interested is interesting.” The value of asking others questions about themselves.

15.  The hardest thing about being an athletic director: firing coaches.

16.  Ignatian discernment and detachment as useful tools in getting through difficult times.

17.  “Take criticism seriously but not personally.” If you reflect on it and it’s accurate, then there’s a great opportunity to fix it. If you reflect on it and it’s not accurate, then who cares?”

18.  “Seeing God in all things.”

19.  Getting criticism – and respect -- for the positions we hold, not who we are. “You’ve got to be careful not to believe all that BS people are saying about you.”

20.  “Surround yourself with people who will tell you the truth.”

21.  Fred’s vocation: leadership.

22.  The difference between asking “what’s next” vs “what’s at the end.” Choose what offers most opportunities downstream. And be open to the journey.

Oct 12, 202138:15
#102 Packers VP of finance and administration Paul Baniel: “Winning financially helps us to win on the field” (RCS9)

#102 Packers VP of finance and administration Paul Baniel: “Winning financially helps us to win on the field” (RCS9)

Paul Baniel is the Vice President of Finance and Administration of the Green Bay Packers. He’s a veteran of over 35 years in the sports and entertainment industry. Having joined the Packers in 2009, he’s one of the key leaders in guiding the franchise to new heights. Paul joined SGG as we continue our “Running a Championship System” series. We discussed:

1.  The role of sports in his life as he grew up the 7th of 10 children.

2.  As leader in Packers organization: Becoming a steward of a community asset.

3.  Stewardship: one of the Packers five values.

4.  Similarities between the Packers and Steelers franchises. “You definitely see a lot of parallels.

5.  Key phases of the calendar year: end of fiscal year; building budget; reporting. For facilities and IT, off-season is project season.

6.  “When the team is not in the building, that’s the time when we can change things in the team areas.”

7.  How communication plays out across his three departments.

8.  The Packers’ “mission, vision, values” approach.

9.  What Paul values in looking for staff members: independence, creativity, problem-solving.

10.  Servant leadership. If the team performs well “all the boats rise.”

11.  The challenge of seeking upward advancement in an organization where there is little turnover. “Sometimes you have to move out to move up.”

12.  Being introduced to servant leadership while leading at Potawatomi Casino…And applying the principles in his work with the Packers.

13.  Working with employees: “Tell me what you need and don’t beat around the bush.”

14.  Challenges and adaptations that he foresees for the future.

15.  How roots and identity influence Packers’ decision-making. “We try to display a good amount of humility in our organization.”

16.  Finding an edge as an organization.

17.  “Winning financially helps us to win on the field.”

Oct 01, 202140:37
#101: Packers VP Gabrielle Valdez-Dow: “You have to love the business of sports.” (RCS8)

#101: Packers VP Gabrielle Valdez-Dow: “You have to love the business of sports.” (RCS8)

Gabrielle Valdez-Dow is vice president of marketing and fan engagement for the Green Bay Packers. Her career in sports is long and distinguished, including work with the Baltimore Ravens, Florida Panthers, and AEG. As we continue learning about the multi-level leadership of the Packers, her perspective helps us to better understand the broader organizational context. We discussed:

1.  How living and studying in Oregon led her into the field of sports.

2.  Pearls of wisdom gleaned from her father: “love what you do.”

3.  Two influential professors on her journey: Rick Burton and Dennis Howard

4.  The difference between being a fan and the business of sports. “You have to love the business of sports.”

5.  Every day is different. “That’s the beauty of it.”

6.  Servant leadership.

7.  Being a kind of “air traffic controller” in her unit.

8.  Mission, vision, values. What’s noteworthy about the Packers? Stewardship. “Being a steward of our brand, no matter who you are, you are a steward of the brand…We drink the Kool-Aid from top to bottom. What’s best for the brand.”

9.  How she’s changed over the years: “I’ve matured. I’ve relaxed.”

10.  The character and culture is much different here…We don’t have an owner. Everything we do is put back into the team.

11.  Mark Murphy as a supporter of leadership development. Getting her a growth coach.

12.  Jill Ratliff, growth coach.

13.  “The biggest thing for me is listening.”

14.   Using Masterclass for growth for her staff.

15.  How fan engagement is changing.

16.  Getting players on “Call of Duty” and other new, innovative strategies.

17.  “Winning always cures everything.”

18.  The Packers’ community outreach efforts.

19.  Her everyday routines. Working out early. Do not look at email before exercise and morning time with husband.

On your resume: add a “personal” section in order to make connections

Sep 23, 202137:55
#100: Packers EVP and Director of Football Operations Russ Ball: “The only thing you can control in negotiations is preparation” (RCS7)

#100: Packers EVP and Director of Football Operations Russ Ball: “The only thing you can control in negotiations is preparation” (RCS7)

Continuing our Running a Championship System (RCS) series, we are joined by one the key leaders in the Packers organization, Russ Ball. Russ has a long and distinguished record in football – at both college and professional levels. His wise perspectives on leadership, collaboration, and negotiation are honed from years of experience with some of the top coaches and executives in the country. We discussed:

1.  His positive experiences as a high school football player, learning to win and be a leader.

2.  The impact of his high school coach talking to Russ talking to him while they jogged around the track together.

3.  Working as a strength and conditioning coach with Dave Redding. “He had a knack for finding what button he could push for each person…He knew about them…It was the relationship piece.”

4.  Marty Schottenheimer: “One play at a time.”

5.  The Schottenheimer coaching tree, including Tony Dungy, Bill Cowher, Bruce Arians, Howard Mudd…

6.  The Schottenheimer preparation process.

7.  The many roles Russ has taken on over the years, and how he’s learned through these roles.

8.  The value of collaboration and communication across the whole leadership team. “Leaders can’t be everywhere and see everything.”

9.  Relationships are at the heart of negotiations.

10.  “Much is lost for the wont of asking.”

11.  There does not have to be a winner and a loser in a negotiation.

12.  Honesty in negotiation.

13.  The importance of precedent.

14.  “Don’t make it personal. Don’t take it personally.”

15.  “It’s ok to disagree. It’s not ok to be disagreeable.”

16.  Showing someone that you care enough to have a tough conversation.

17.  The only thing you can control in a negotiation is preparation.

18.  “If you’re so busy and you don’t ever give yourself a chance… there’s no time to take a moment for creativity.”

19.  Marcus Allen’s example of work ethic and giftedness.

20.  “Don’t count the time. Make the time count.”

21.  What’s unique about the Packers: the ownership structure.

22.  “Our responsibility is to be a productive steward of what we have.”

23.  Ted Thompson’s words about the importance of the Packers to the fans.

Sep 08, 202155:41
#99: Packers shareholders Rudy and Quinn Banyai: Family, friends, and great times with their teams (RCS6)

#99: Packers shareholders Rudy and Quinn Banyai: Family, friends, and great times with their teams (RCS6)

Since his childhood, Rudy Banyai’s life has been touched by the Packers and other Wisconsin sports teams. His father took him to his first game in 1952. Rudy has worked for the Brewers since 1974 and has been a Packers season ticket holder for 45 years. He also used to work the sidelines when the Packers played at County Stadium. Rudy's son Quinn and the rest of the Banyai family has continued the Packer-rich family traditions. Quinn also worked at Packer games – and he even met his wife Malina (also a long-time season ticket holder) on a Packers road trip. As we learn about the broader leadership context in which the Packers operate, this great father and son duo of Rudy and Quinn joined SGG to discuss:

1.  Growing up in Bayview, playing sports on the playground.

2.  First Packer game was in 1952 at Marquette Stadium.

3.  Favorite players: Bobby Dillon (one eye), Billy Howton, Babe Parilli

4.  Babe Pirelli helmet: Running into a brick wall with a Babe Pirelli helmet on.

5.  Some favorite players: Paul Horning, Ray Nitschke. James Lofton, John Jefferson. Lynn Dickey. Brett Favre.

6.  Taking the bus (and walking up to three miles) to Packers games at County Stadium

7.  Listening to Packers, Braves, and Milwaukee Hawks games on the radio with his dad.

8.  First getting Packers tickets at the Stadium Bar.

9.  Getting Packers season tickets in 1976.

10.  Quinn’s first memory of Lambeau — 12 years old: Packers vs Chargers — getting John Jefferson’s high five.

11.  Getting dropped off to walk to games …with his address and telephone # in pocket in case he got lost.

12.  Working on the sidelines at County Stadium

13.  Ditka and Forrest Gregg arguing on the sidelines

14.  Telling the owner of the Rams, Georgia Frontier, to get off the field

15.  Joe Montana stories when he played for the Chiefs — having bratwurst for his pre-game meal when playing in Wisconsin and signing Quinn’s cheesehead.

16.  Has worked Brewers games since 1974

17.  Worked the locker room area too for football games.

18.  Bart Starr: The first thing he always did was went to his wife Cherry and gave her a kiss.

19.  James Lofton’s “J” on his autograph

20.  How he got a signed football from Jerry Boyarsky

21.  Brewers: Good friends with Pat Listach and Bob Whitman

22.  When he got Mike Matheny to get Hank Aaron’s autograph for him.

23.  One of the best guys from visiting teams: Nolan Ryan

24.  Brooks Robinson: he was a true gentleman

25.  Bob Uecker. “Are you learning, kid?"

26.  Taking a bus load of Pittsburgh Pirates to Lambeau Field with Dick the bus driver.

27.  “We talk about sports…That’s our conversations.”

28.  Quinn’s friendships through the Packers.

29.  Bringing friends down to Packers games: "They were so impressed by Lambeau Field…He still talks about it to this day.”

30.  How Quinn met his wife, Malina, on a road trip to a Packers game in New Orleans. “Despite a Packer loss, it was a big gain!”

31.  Being stockholders in the Packers.

32.  I’ve been with them so long, I feel part of the team.

33.  Lambeau Field: "People just want to go there from all different nations. It’s truly a great experience."

34.  The family’s Sunday morning routine: church, hot ham and rolls, crawlers. Italian beef.

35.  When the Bucks won the NBA lottery.

36.  Going downstairs to watch Packers games growing up.

37.  Growing up all the kids wore their Packers stuff.

38.  Going to a Packers game in 1952 and seeing a Packers player with his arm chained down.

Aug 31, 202141:39
#98 Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst: “Everybody has value” (RCS5)

#98 Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst: “Everybody has value” (RCS5)

Brian Gutekunst is the general manager of the Packers. A longtime member of the organization, he was named to his current role in 2018. He is one of the team’s key leaders. Brian joined SGG to contribute to our focus on Running a Championship System. We discussed:

1.  Learning the value of competition from his father, who coached at the collegiate level.

2.  His father as a teacher: “He recognized that he had them between ages 18 and 22.”

3.  Roger Harring UW-La Crosse. Rolen Christianson. Toughness. Work ethic.

4.  Mentor: Ron Wolf. Confidence. Aggressiveness.

5.  Mentor: Ted Thompson. Tough decisions in the day to day “with steadiness, integrity and grace.”

6.  How his own experiences with injuries impacted the ways he leads as a general manager. “Everybody has value.”

7.  “It’s good to have a diverse group of people who have different strengths.”

8.  How he organizes information. “Pack Track.”

9.  “The whole idea of gathering all this information is to make good decisions.”

10.  Why the Packers do not out-source data tracking. Keeping information “close to the vest.” And, when you outsource, quick changes can be difficult to make: “If we want to make a change, it’s within hours. Not within weeks or days.”

11.  The importance of the draft room.

12.  How do you track intangibles – individually and collectively? The value of the Packers’ nine scouts who are always visiting college campuses: “I don’t think anything can replicate boots on the ground.”

13.  “Until you get them into your environment…you never 100% know how it’s going to pan out with each player.”

14.  The value of internal development of staff talent. “We get to know the person…Coming from the outside in, it can be more difficult that way.”

15.  Setting boundaries as GM. Protecting time to sit down and watch tape.

16.  Key to facilitating difficult conversations: Over-communication. “If you don’t give them the whys, then they’re going to create their own.”

17.  The influence of Mark Murphy’s management by walking around: “He’s led by example and that’s taken root throughout our organization.”

18.  Mark Murphy, who in many ways functions as other teams’ owners do, has a deep understanding of the game – deeper than most owners. The impact of his everyday leadership – especially as juxtaposed with team owners in other settings.

19.  Ted Thompson: “I always wonder what it would be like if I could still pick up the phone and ask him, ‘What do you think?’”

20.  Self-evaluation.

Aug 25, 202135:00