The line between being a champion or a chump is very thin. Isn’t it amazing that in one game, a coach can go from a genius to a complete idiot. The team that just won a big game is never going to lose again. The team that just fell apart is a bunch of bums who will never win again. The coaching roller coaster often takes us on a wild ride and we have to be well grounded to keep things in the proper perspective. Here is a truth for you...

Game planning is not the same for every opponent. Somewhere on every coach’s schedule is a team that is not only talented, but also has the reputation for being good over a long period of time. In Major League baseball it could be the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers. In the NBA, everyone still wants to beat the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

Our lives can change in an instant! Though consumed with our coaching responsibilities, life continues to happen around us. We tragically lose players and coaching friends to accidents or illness. In the middle of the season we may lose a loved one or face the decision of placing a family member in assisted living.

There is something magical about the beginning of a new season of Major League baseball. Stadiums are packed with enthusiastic fans; memories of days gone by are relived as former greats throw out the first pitch; and everyone puts aside the disappointments of the previous season and replaces them with the endless possibilities of what the new season will bring.

How many times have we heard a coach say, “Sports build character?” In his book, Inside/Out Coaching, Joe Ehrmann calls this one of the great myths in America. Most of us would probably agree that they can and should, but all too often the experience falls short of what it could be. Ehrmann goes on to say, “Sports don’t build character unless a coach possesses character and intentionally teaches it.”

Have you ever wondered what heaven is like? To a golfer, the closest thing to heaven must be the crown jewel of all golf courses—Augusta National. Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts created a golf environment like none other in the world. There is something about Augusta National that moves people in profound ways.

Kay Yow left a legacy! The legendary women’s basketball coach at North Carolina State won 737 games, coached North Carolina State to four Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championships, 20 appearances in the NCAA tournament and one Final Four in 1998...

John Wooden was one of the greatest coaches of all time. Nicknamed “The Wizard of Westwood”, his UCLA teams won ten national championships in a twelve year span, including seven in a row. Wooden was named National Coach of the Year six times. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, the first person to ever have this distinction.

Conference tournaments have concluded and the teams are set for this year’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. As March Madness begins, I’m reminded of how often games are decided by the ability to execute the fundamentals of the game. Making clutch free throws, getting the ball inbounds against a pressing defense and boxing out for a rebound can mean the difference in winning and losing.

Have you ever had a time in your coaching career when you began to think too highly of yourself? Maybe you won the “big game” against your bitter rival or completed an undefeated season. Maybe you received that coveted “Coach of the Year” award given by the local media. It’s so easy to fall in love with ourselves and our accomplishments. Usually, something or someone brings us back to earth from our prideful journey.

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” – Proverbs 27:17 Dr. Jeff Duke, of 3D Coaching Institute, states that the survival rate of a coach is just 3.2 years. In a time when quality coaches are needed more than ever, why are they leaving the...

“And now brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worth of praise." – Philippians 4:8 Coaches are very busy people! How often...