We’re well and truly into the swing of the 2019 season, but I think it’s always good to check-in and see how things are going, so here’s a list of my Top 10 tips that I’ve found contribute to having a successful season!

Before I get into it, the most important things is asking yourself; What does success look like for you? It’s hard to know whether you’re succeeding if you don’t know what you’re measuring. So take a piece of paper, or type it into your notes… what will success look like for you this year? How will you know you’ve had a great year? Is it about enjoyment? Or number of athletes you positively affect? Or number of trophies? Or making sure your coaching staff is bonding & vibing well together? It can be a whole array of things, so pick a few to help get your started; and then make sure your actions are getting you closer to that, not further away. Now for those 10 tips to help get you there…

  • 100% RESPONSIBILITY; Take 100% responsibility for everything. This doesn’t mean everything necessarily is your fault but if you act this way, the decisions you make are going to be very different to the ones you make if you’re blaming other people instead. In every situation there’s an opportunity to learn something, and taking full responsibility allows you to grow more from those as a person & business. There’s always some incredible gems to take from any problem, and if you look for them, every problem will make you grow more as a person.

  • WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU VALUE? Work out what you, as gym owner or coach, value, because as a person you’re going to be living those out, whether you realise it or not. And if there’s something you want to be important, but you’re not living as a match to that, it’s time to change some things. So be aware, connect with those values, and let them guide you. They are going to help you navigate situations. It’s easier to overcome problems when you have a framework to help you make decisions. So look at how you can embody these values as a coach & business owner. By embodying those things, we teach others how to do the same, and how to live them out within our teams.

  • HAVE A PLAN, but be flexible; this might be obvious to some, and maybe not to others, but striking the right balance for this is important. I’ve been guilty of this plenty of times; eg created a plan in my head that works perfectly, but I get there and one tiny thing doesn’t work- it can completely unrail you. You need to be able to look at any situation and be able to go with the flow, as this balance is really where the magic happens. Also, read the situation, what does it call for? Sometimes the ‘plan’ doesn’t perfectly account for this. Sometimes if I’m stuck I’ll ask myself… okay what does this situation require from me & I’ll take a moment to be quiet, take things in & listen. What areas could you do this better in?

  • COMMUNICATION IS EVERYTHING with your team and athletes; meet people where they’re at- have you ever had a conversation and found people aren’t taking it in? Or you just can’t get through to some people? Educate people; a lot of times we hear ‘oh yeah this parent did this or that’ … we all get frustrated & sometimes need to take a second to vent. But once that is done, come back to it & think ‘Did i meet them where they were at? Do they really understand our club, or our value or our processes?’ So take this opportunity to educate people, and the vast majority of times it will be a great conversation. I think we’ve only ever had 3 occasions where it’s come to us asking someone to not return, but it’s always parted on good terms. Parting ways isn’t a bad thing as long as you’re always be respectful, and learn something in the process.

  • CULTURE; it’s an extension of you. You can’t fake it; you need to do what is meaningful to you. Your coaching style should reflect you, not anyone else… yes grow as a person but be genuine. Compete against yourself; It’s the only real way you can measure success. When you put your focus on someone else, you’re giving away the power thats yours. So develop & cultivate your own strengths, and work out what they are for you, and your teams/club and let that be the culture you share within your club. It will be for some people, and not for others; that thats how strong communities are formed.

COACHING

  • PICK ONE WEAKNESS 
    Pick a weakness within your scorecard & work on that. As much as we all want everything fixed right away, know that things take time- everyone knows the saying Rome wasn’t built in a day…. I don’t know about you but running a cheer gym really taught me the meaning of this. But try your best to focus one thing at time.
  • THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
    Just when we think we’ve been thorough enough, something comes up to remind us there’s something more we could have done. ‘The magic is in the work you’re avoiding’- I love quotes and this one really resonated with me. Whats something you’ve been avoiding, that you know could make you better? 
  • ENJOY YOUR PROBLEMS & CELEBRATE YOUR WINS
    Have a growth mindset. We all have problems… there’s no point at which you go… aha we got through them all. Its so important… has anyone ever thought… ‘once I get here then’…? The trick is you have to learn how to be happy now. Appreciate your small wins & enjoy your journey – this is a marathon not a race. You need to do things that are going to be sustainable long term. Yes, sometimes you’re going to work super hard and be tired, but that should not be a 24/7/365 thing.
  • MAKE SURE YOUR TEAM IS ONBOARD
    Athletes or coaches; Having & nurturing a great team is one of the most BENEFICIAL things you can do. This takes some time though. Developing expectations, making sure everyone understands what they are and why. Learn what it is that you value in people, and work with them to help them get there. Keep learning, keep guiding, and keep setting out expectations for them, and making sure they’re capable of the tasks you give them. If they’re not sticking to things, check in with them regularly to ensure molehills done turn into mountains.
  • GROW YOURSELF
    And have a circle of people that won’t ‘jump in the hole’ with you. It can feel great to have people commiserate with you, and tell you you’re right when you’re upset, but are you really going to get far if you only have people that agree with you when you tell them how terrible things are? 
    You want people who can tell you the truth… but you need to also be open to hearing it too. Do you have even one person like this? 
    Start to try and grow that circle! 
    Read, listen and learn; do whatever you can to increase your knowledge and experience. Your business can only grow as big are you are!