Be Who We Be

“Be who we be. If we be who we ain’t, we ain’t who we be.” I said this to my team once in a pregame speech. What I wanted them to understand was that if we expected to be successful and reach the goals we set for ourselves, we would need to consistently be at our best. We needed to do the right things to the best of our ability as often as possible.

Consistency is a common hurdle teams strive to get over as they compete at the highest level. Coaches talk about it every day, every practice, and every game. Sometimes it sinks in and sometimes it doesn’t. I like to compare the process of consistency to the mile run. Each of the four laps in that race is totally different. The first lap you’re off to the races. You have high expectations for your team’s performance, a lot of energy, and plenty of ideas. The second lap is the first opportunity you have to monitor your progress. You evaluate your start and wonder if you are running at the right pace. Am I doing the right things to be successful (recruiting, developing staff/players, etc.)? If you’re behind you need to speed up. If you’re ahead you should keep a steady pace.

The third lap is the hardest because you know there is an end to the race but you hurt so much you really can’t think about it. Even if you are doing the right things you know it’s going to take time to see results. Unforeseen obstacles crop up that can distract you from your mission. Sometimes the obstacle can be the progress you make. How do you and your team handle prosperity? Alabama coach Nick Saban was once asked at a press conference how much time he expected to give his second string quarterback against their next opponent. To put it mildly, he had some harsh words for the media. Saban spoke about what he called the “success flu” where people become complacent after achieving a goal and they stop doing the “work.” On the final lap you can see the finish line tape. Finally there are some tangible results for your efforts. You win more games than you lose, recruits start contacting you first. People compliment you on your team’s performance and don’t second guess you as much. There’s still much work to be done, but at least you can see success on the horizon.

Consistency can be the most difficult concept for teams to embrace. Every program at every level struggles with it. When you feel yourself getting frustrated understand that success is a process. I know that can be hard in this age of instant gratification. But Rome wasn’t built in a day and it takes time to sustain championship habits. And remember also that every once in a while your kids do hear, they do perform and are successful. And that is what keeps us coaching.

Learn more about Helen Williams and her coaching online here.

Find her on Twitter: @coachlikamother