After years of studying expert coaches in graduate school, I arrived at my own Coaching philosophy: to positively impact the world through Love, Effort, Attitude, and Discipline (LEAD). The character traits within LEAD are cornerstones in the philosophy’s of arguably the all-time best coaches including Phil Jackson (NBA), Vince Lombardi (NFL), Nick Saban (NCAA football), and John Wooden (NCAA basketball); and can also be linked to performance excellence in athletes. The purpose of this section is to examine the proven research from the field of sport and performance psychology as to why these traits lead to performance excellence. It reads as a research paper because it is one! It was written and defended as my final dissertation in earning my doctorate in sport and performance psychology. 

Theory of Performance Excellence

Self-determination theory (SDT) uses the acronym “CAR” (Competency, Autonomy, Relationships) to best describe the psychological needs of an athlete. If the athlete believes he or she is good at what they do (competent), feels one has a sense of control instead of being driven by the circumstances (autonomy), and has the ability to relate or connect with those who they are working with (relatedness) (Mahoney, Gucciardi, Gordon, & Ntoumanis, 2017), he or she is only then able to achieve performance excellence. According to (SDT), one views participation as self-determined and are inspired by the sheer pleasure of the activity only if one is able to relate or connect with those who he or she is working with (Williams & Krane, 2015). Maslow (1970) adds that an individual can only achieve self-actualization or reach his or her true potential after he or she has met basic human needs including that of feeling loved (Mathes,1981). Gucciardi, Hanton, and Fleming (2017) add that self-actualization is linked to the development of mental toughness. Therefore, when people receive love and support, performance is elevated (Cameron, 2012).

SDT also states that an individual must believe they are good at what they do (Su’a, 2015). Based on reversal theory, the coach can foster the skill of competence in the athletes under his or her supervision by using a process-based approach where success is defined as a constant improvement rather than the end result (Burton & Raedeke, 2008). While many believe that “intelligence or natural ability is the best-documented predictor of achievement” (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews & Kelly, 2007), concentrating on effort builds self-esteem, a lasting work ethic (Woolsey & Portenga, n.d.) as well as faster improvement than if one has an outcome-based focus (Thompson, 2003). Additionally, creating a motivational environment in which athletes view that their coaches reinforce high effort contributes to the team’s achievements and leads to performance excellence (Williams & Krane, 2015) such is the case with transformational leadership.

The coach-athlete relationship relies on each other and can be either positive or negative. A coach would be wise, however, to display transformational leadership tendencies, as it is associated with greater athletic performance and improved intrinsic motivation in athletes (Hoption et al., 2014). Transformational leadership is concerned with promoting positive leadership and studies how followers are being led and is based upon the notion that team leaders (e.g., athletes and coaches) can develop their followers (e.g., athletes and teammates) into leaders (Hoption et al., 2014) and can be a critical competitive advantage for sports teams. Research indicates that an athlete led by a transformational coach is characterized by the athlete’s view that the coach reinforces high effort, cooperation among team members, learning and improvement, and the perception that everyone on the team (regardless of ability level) contributes to the team’s achievements (Williams and Krane, 2015). 

Feelings of happiness and optimism actually fuel performance (Achor, 2011). A coach can promote happiness by creating and designing a culture based on positive psychology and feedback (Buettner, 2017). Positive psychology is “proven” and “deeply rooted in science” (Biswas-Diener, 2010, p. 146) and is beneficial to an athlete’s personal life and athletic performance due to its focus on what is right with the individual and its emphasis on other positive aspects of human flouring (Biswas-Diener, 2010). According to Gordon (2016), positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level, and positive people are able to make better decisions under pressure and are more resilient when facing Stress, challenges, and adversity.

Research supports athletes’ preference for a positive coaching practice (Williams & Krane, 2015). According to Leonard (1992), a positive player/coach relationship gives a team the winning edge. As evidenced in the Gottman Index, a ratio of five positive statements to each criticism an individual receives is needed to produce peak performance (Cameron, 2013). Additional benefits of positivity as applied to an athlete or team include “lower turnover, fewer absences, lower incidence of drug or alcohol use, faster recovery from injury, increased motivation, more likely to resolve conflict through collaboration, better decision making efficiency, and increased creative thinking” (Biswas-Diener, 2010, p.41-42).

The characteristics of love, effort, and attitude are linked to performance excellence; however, what factors allow individuals of lower or equal intelligence and ability to be able to achieve more than their peers with more raw talent? Why do first-round NFL draft picks “bust” and overlooked individuals such as Tom Brady succeed? Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews and Kelly (2007) found that “grit” or the ability to persevere with passion to achieve long-term goals (Duckworth, 2013) was a significant predictor of success over and beyond intelligence or raw talent and that most prominent leaders in any field share the quality of grit. The process of daily discipline helps athletes become better faster, as individuals on the path of mastery (the journey of continual learning and improvement) tend to work harder and stick to the task longer than if a coach focuses on the scoreboard (Thompson, 2003).

You can buy Levi’s book at: https://a.co/d/0bpaBfYi.

Things That Have Made Us Think

One of our favorite podcasts is “Way of Champions” by John O’Sullivan. Their June 26 episode was with a D3 soccer coach named Dr. Jay Martin. It is a great listen.

Doug Gottlieb is the new head men’s basketball coach at UW Green Bay. He has never coached at the college level. He has coached some youth stuff and has had a radio show and done college basketball broadcasting for the last twenty years. He recently tweeted out that one of the most important parts of their culture is that the guys like each other. What do you think? How important is that?

Rob Ramseyer Dr. Rob Ramseyer

Dr. Rob Ramseyer is the Co-Founder of the Impactful Coaching Project and Vice President of Athletics and Strategic Expansion at Friends University, overseeing 24 teams and serving on the President’s Cabinet. Under his leadership, the department has achieved significant success across all areas, earning him honors such as the KCAC Director of the Year and the NACDA Athletic Director of the Year. He resides in Wichita, KS, with his wife, Charlie, and their four children.