Back Away from the Smartphone and Let’s Talk!

Back Away from the Smartphone and Let’s Talk!

June 8, 2015

By Chris LeGates, TCS Co-Host

It has been a great honor and privilege to have spent most of my life playing sports, coaching sports, and basically thinking and talking about sports all day. Being part of a team is one of the most satisfying feelings that I have ever had. The euphoria of winning with a team is like nothing that any drug or drink or potion can ever emulate. The work that goes into being successful includes every member of the team regardless of their role. There must be mutual respect and nothing more important than the goals of the team first, and the mastery of self, and how it benefits the team second. I have been very fortunate to play and coach on championship teams at the club, high school, college, and professional levels. The one common denominator with all of these teams was chemistry. Chemistry is not something that a coach can put in the playbook or something that you can achieve in training, it has to come naturally. How it evolves is up to the members of the group. By learning what drives and motivates the others, you can find respect for each other that will help elevate the group’s ability to succeed. I can admit that I have played on teams where the players were splintered and withdrawn. Those teams never achieved what they were capable of, as our play was disjointed just like our relationships. The one team I may be most proud of came in my final year of college at the University of Hartford. We were the conference champion and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, losing a heartbreaking, four-overtime game to eventual National Champion, Virginia. We were successful because we were true team players, all pulling for each other regardless of their role. We did this with a team roster that returned about 90% of the players from the debacle that was the season before. Granted, we added a now-legendary coach and three outstanding players, but the difference was in the chemistry. I finally took the time to get to know the guys I spent hours with every day. What made them tick? What was their family life like? Why were they reading a certain book? The respect the group developed, by taking the time to learn about one another, is no doubt the reason we were able to go farther. 22 players do not have to be best friends and go to dinner together. However, they must have common respect for each other so that when they put on that uniform, the name on the front is far more important than the name on the back.

Put down the phone for a little while and really get to know the people you play with, and those that coach you.

So you may be asking, is he through with all the memory lane stuff?  Well, yes and no! Mark and I had Tom Stebbins, Head Diving Coach at UCLA on TCS podcast 008 last week. Tom was an exceptional guest and we thoroughly enjoyed the interview. Tom told a story about how when his team travels they spend very little time communicating because the student-athletes now get on the bus or the plane and the headphones go on immediately, and in silence, they stare at the screen. Tom went on to say that prior to the social media revolution, players and coaches would talk to each other. They found out about each other’s families, what they liked to do, what they were studying and so on. I started to think about my own experiences as a coach and I could not agree more with Tom. I thought about trips we took where we talked about history, politics, current events and we got to know each other on a much more human level. These were not just players, they were intelligent women who had a view and an opinion on things that mattered. I was not just the guy who was barking out instructions to them every day, I was someone who had compassion for them and the world. Teammates simply talked to each other more – not by texting, by having actual conversations. They got to know each other better and had a respect for each other that transferred to the field. For me, many of those relationships are still intact today. Twenty plus years have passed and that group I played with at Hartford are still very much in contact with one another. That experience as teammates changed our lives forever. Coaches and teammates can influence you in so many ways and can help inspire you to be your best. Put down the phone for a little while and really get to know the people you play with, and those that coach you. Tom mentioned in the past, by getting to know his players on a higher level, he was able to push the buttons that he knew could get the best performances from his student-athletes. He feels some of that may be lost with today’s student-athletes. While I am in full agreement with Tom, I must admit, I became guilty the last few years of getting on the bus and checking my phone to see who texted me, what the results of other matches in the conference were, etc. So, my advice to coaches and student-athletes alike: To get the absolute best out of each other, back away from the smartphone and let’s talk!

TCS is always here for you, so please do not hesitate to contact me at info@tacklingcollegesports.com with any questions or comments. We will be announcing our next guest and podcast in the coming days. We hope that you are enjoying the TCS podcasts, website, and blogs. If you are, we ask that you please share us with your friends, family, and colleagues.

Good Luck and ALWAYS #BeYourBest

Chris