This is the LAST video in my Good to GREAT series.  If you need a 'pep talk' to get you in the zone; then this is the best video for you to watch. Use these principles we've been talking about and start implement them! How bad do you want to succeed? Use this as a motivational tool to help you get there!

 

What makes the difference between a good team and a great team?

The past three weeks we've been talking about the FIVE STEPS that would take your team from Good to Great.  (Episode 1 Series 1)

We talked about how a team from the University of Washington, a rowing team that was seen as an underdog, went to Germany and shocked the world! (Episode 2 Series 1)

Last week we talked about how to play selflessly. Are you playing for the front of the jersey or are you playing for the back of the jersey?  (Episode 3 Series 1)

And today we're going to talk about the common thread that unites all of them. The common thread that unites all great teams and is at the base of all human interaction and that's communication.

Now, I'm not talking about the communication in game time situations when the pressures on ... those ARE important moments, right? wWe talk about being open, we talk about being effective and knowing how to say it and when to say it.

Those are all great things but I want to focus on something that not a lot of people talk about.

I want to focus on the moments that aren't seen as 'valuable' because those to me are the most valuable times and that's when you're at practice, that's when you're in pre-season when six weeks before the game when there's no pressure, what are you talking about at those practices? How are you conducting yourself? What are the standards? What's acceptable? What's not acceptable?

I can tell a lot by a player, athlete or team by how they talk to each other in those times.

"Oh, we got time there's six weeks to the first game." 

"Oh man, it's preseason we don't need to try hard."

That's when you start building the connections, that's when you start developing the mindset and that's what makes it easier so when you get in the game and you get in those pressure situations you have those practices ingrained. Its what makes those game time situations easier!

if you're talking about the party on the weekend or you're talking about everything else that doesn't matter, that doesn't pertain to your sport or to that practice then you are wasting your time. It's your responsibility as a teammate or as a coach to call that person out; to create a standard where that's unacceptable.

Bill Belichick, after winning the Super Bowl this past year said we're five weeks behind!!

What? Five weeks behind!? The season wasn't even over for them yet.

But that's the mentality you're competing against! Everyone... EVERYONE... wants to win!

Everyone wants the edge! So for you to sit in practice and not talk about how to be better, not give a hundred percent in all the drills then you're never going to compete at a high level because every great team has no days off! Even on the top of the days where they take rest because they need to give their body recovery time, they're reading books ... they're watching videos ... they're doing something that's going to get them better!

So what are you saying to those athletes that aren't matching that standard?

What is your standard in those times where there's no pressure?

That's when those bombs are really being created. If you look at the UCONN Women's Basketball team the thought of coming late to practice is not even an option... it's non-existent; that doesn't even come up. If you even have that thought you're not on the team.

That's the level of play that you're going up against so you can't afford to show up late, you can't afford to to leave early, you can't afford to not go a hundred percent in all of your drills.

How bad do you want it? 

Really, how bad do you want it?

How you do one thing, is how you do everything. That's what I tell my athletes all the time.

How you do one thing, is how you do everything.

How you practice today, is how you will play tomorrow.

If you give it 80% today, you're going to tap in 80% tomorrow. It's a mindset.. grow or die!

GROW or die.

Either you're growing every day or you're dying every day.

It's your choice. It's up to you. You don't have to perform at this level. You don't have to be this peak athlete, you don't have to come to practice early, you don't have to give a hundred percent.

If you don't want to then don't be on the team. Don't just do it for a jersey, don't just do it to say that you're on the team, don't just do it because you think it'd be a cool experience ... do it because you love it and let that passion speak for itself!

 There's an exercise that I do with all of my teams and we get phenomenal results. It's all about giving constructive feedback. This is what you're doing well, this is what you're not doing well, this is how you fix it and I know that that's hard to hear constructive feedback because it's painful.

All great athletes love to hear that information! Yes, tell me what I need to get better at!

If you're sitting there saying, "Oh yeah totally, I get this, I tell all my teammates this. I'm good I don't talk, I come early, I run full speed through all the drills... it's not me it's my team."

I'm going to challenge you to look inside yourself and really be honest with you for a second because the people that do that are often the people that need the most work. We're not all perfect we all need to progress in some area so ask feedback from the team.

Being really honest, creating that standard of what is acceptable for you ... showing up late is not acceptable. 

 Grow or die.

 How you do one thing is how you do everything.

Go make your team better! Go raise the standard!

Thank you guys! I appreciate your time!

-James Silvas

Peak Performance Coach