Leading From Where You're At!

[00:00:12] Welcome back to another edition of Unleashed Athletics with Brian Bond. I'm your host, Brian Bonn. And, man, the last couple of episodes have been beauties. Great interviews, one from Justin Dillard, the other one from Greg Copeland. And, man, getting insight from other people really just reinforces what this podcast is all about. This podcast is about learning. It's about growing. It's about understanding what you should be getting. And those two were bangers to begin. And that pumps me up. Pumps me up because we have more interviews coming this week. We're going to go solo, but got some good lineup ahead. And you're really going to enjoy some of the voices that we're going to bring onto the show. And we're also going to bring on some people who lead industries in certain areas. So we have a college recruiting service that we're going to bring on here and let them speak into what that process should look like and why they do what they do. And hopefully that is good for all listeners who are listening. And, uh, we continue to build on what's already been built. Uh, this week actually stems from a conversation with a coach that I had. And, man, I'll tell you what, one of the things that I've learned, and it was through coaching that I learned, it was you've got to check in with head coaches. [00:01:41] You got to make sure they're doing okay because, uh, leading from the top is hard. It is. [00:01:48] It is unforgiving and it is lonely. And when you're not checking in with those coaches to see how they're doing and making sure that they're staying strong or that they have a voice to lean on, things can go crazy for them. They can start to play a wild mind game in their head. And anyway, I was reaching out to a coach to see how they were doing, and they kind of came back with an interesting response. And the response was really about the team chemistry and how difficult the team chemistry was. And they are a very successful program. They have been a very successful program, but they lost a lot of seniors. And so those leaders, those junior leaders who are stepping up or those sophomore leaders who are stepping up into the leadership position just aren't quite prepared yet. Coach can see it. Coach can feel it. He, he understands it, but he's having a tough time navigating that. And so this episode actually has less to do about the coach and more to do with the players because the players have a grave responsibility of not just thinking that it's their turn now, but what are they going to do to enhance the culture, what are they going to do to teach the people who haven't been a part of that team yet how to do the way of that program, whatever that program might be? And so as I got into the conversation, it was like, man, I'll tell you what, as much pressure as coaches put on themselves, the players better start taking some ownership into why, into how, into what they are going to do to leave their imprint or their legacy onto the program. And if they're not doing that, if all they're worried about is getting on the field or winning or whatever it might be, they are quickly going to get to a place where they only worry about themselves and they only trust the ones that they know. And that's a dangerous place to be. No matter what sport it is. When you start relying on only what you know, it's downhill from there. And so here's, here's kind of the thought of today's episode. The thought of today's episode is you've got a lead from where you're at. Whether you were on varsity the year before, whether you were a starter or not the year before, whether you were a JV player or not the year before really doesn't play a valuable skill set for you. What it does is it leans into opportunities and moments that you may have experienced that others might not have. And you can speak into those moments, but your leadership as a player is a daily thing. [00:04:48] You have to put your very best effort into what you're doing, and you have to support your coach to the very best if this thing is going to work. Okay? So leading where you're at is actually about teams have been established. You're there, you're a part of that program. But now what? And it's those daily habits. If coach asks you to run, stretch and throw every day before they really start practice, you should be the one leading it, period. [00:05:21] And if it's not you, you've handed it off to somebody else. And they're going to take that seriously because, you know, what the coach has done or is doing is putting you in the best situation to try to win games, to try to build culture. And so you have this responsibility on your shoulders. And some people say, well, I'm not the, I'm not the starter. They won't listen to me, do it anyway. [00:05:45] Be the leader of whatever it is you want to lead at and be the very best at it and hold people accountable to it. And yeah, it might get ugly. They might think you're annoying. They might think that, oh, you're such a kiss up. You do whatever coach wants you to or wants us to do, and it's like, yep, that's what I'm here to do. [00:06:04] I'm here to make sure that we're prepared for battle. And if Coach says this is what we're supposed to be doing, we're going to do that and we're going to do it to the very best of our ability. [00:06:14] That's your responsibility. Yeah. Coach can go out there, he can get in the circle, and he can hold your hand the whole time, but that means it's his program now or her program now, and that's not what we want. [00:06:28] Coaches want to be able to hand off the program. They want to entrust you, but it has got to be somebody that holds them, the whole team, accountable to what's going on. Right. And when things aren't going well. Yep. Coach could be right there to tell you all the things that are not going well, but it should be you. You should be looking your own players in the eye and be able to say, guys, this isn't good enough. We got to do better. We got to work harder. We got to do the small things well. Right. And again, it doesn't matter if you're the starter or if you are the player that hasn't gotten in all season. That that value does not matter in this conversation because the way that you practice and the culture that you're setting, it takes every person in order to do that. The old adage, right, of you're only as strong as your weakest link. That thing plays true. So if your weakest link is holding you to the highest accountability, imagine how good your program must be when you, as the best player who aren't holding people accountable, are listening to the person who is leading from where they're at. Imagine how much better your culture is going to be. [00:07:40] But this one's really for you. I mean, players stop looking at the coach all the time. [00:07:48] Yeah, they might put in a bad pitcher or they might put in a person that shouldn't be on the basketball court in that moment. Those things might happen. Those are out of your control and you shouldn't speak into those things. But the things that you do speak into, you can give your best effort every single time if you choose to. You can affect how a game or a week is going to go by, the influence that you put on practices in the weight room after school and when you guys are in study sessions, whatever it might be, you have a role to play there. But are you going to do it right? When things get hard, you just drop six games in a row. It's getting hard. Still going to do the right thing. Are you going to start questioning, it's not working. We got to try something different. Coach doesn't know what he's doing. Or is it? Guys, these games don't matter. [00:08:42] We need to win down the line. We need to get better today. [00:08:46] Right. And I'm not saying that winning doesn't matter, because it does. We, we go after this sport because we want to win every single time. But what I'm saying is you're going to go on a skid and that's not very fun. [00:08:58] But do you trust your process? Do you believe in the process and are you living that out on a daily basis? [00:09:05] And if you are, are you willing to stand up to the, to the best player on the team and say you're not doing it? [00:09:13] We said we were going to do this as a team and you're not doing it. And same thing. Hey, best player. Are you going to look to the ones that are jerking around during practice and be able to go, you're not making us better today. [00:09:25] Tighten it up. It's not good enough right now. Or are you going to make coach do it? Because if coach does it, it's just daddy yelling at kid. That's all it is. [00:09:37] Right. And, and I get it. Not everybody has a dad. Coach. The, the perspective is it's an older person yelling at a younger person. That's normal. [00:09:47] That, that is how people get people to do things when they're younger. But, man, peer to peer, there's nothing stronger than that. [00:09:57] When your best friend, when the number one pitcher, when the starting shortstop, all are willing to listen to the kid who holds the team accountable day over day. [00:10:10] That's a culture that you want to be a part of. And it's a coach's dream, by the way, when they're not having to do that and they're more focused on the X's and o's, that's when it matters. [00:10:23] That's when it can be a game changer. So with that said, what do you do? How do you have that conversation? How do you get all the players into a room and say, guys, we're going to do this together. This is an us thing. Now. Remove coach out of this. This is now us. We're going to do this thing. [00:10:41] It's one of my favorite things. And again, I don't like talking about my past very much, but when I was coaching, baseball. As the head baseball coach, I had a player who wanted to take over the Bible studies in our program, and I was really sketchy about it at first. It was one of those moments where it was like, man, I love doing that. That's my thing. I want that. And he was like, coach, it's time for us to take that over. And I had to remove myself out of that and let them take over on it. And it was the best thing that ever happened. I mean, I can attribute a state championship to that very moment where the players decided they were going to take ownership and start with the Bible study. And then it transferred over. Practices started going, hey, let's get up the line. Let's start moving our bodies. Coach, we got this. [00:11:35] All right, cool. Hey, time to clean up prep. Coach, we're already on it. Okay. Okay. Wow. I mean, these, these players went from children to adults overnight because they decided they were ready to take over. [00:11:53] So the question becomes, are you ready to take over? Are you ready to tell the players that this is now your team together, and you guys are going to do this to the very best of your ability? [00:12:08] Are you willing to take that risk? Are you willing to look somebody in the eye and say, when it's not good enough, I'm going to call you out on it? It's not because I'm trying to nitpick. It's because I love you that much. [00:12:21] I love you enough to tell you that if you're not giving your best, it's not good enough. Are you willing to do that? And if you are willing to do that, kudos to you. That's where you are. A leader leading where you're at has nothing to do with whether or not you're the best player or the worst player. Has everything to do with. With what's been entrusted in you, given to you. You are going to make the most of it. You know, I always laugh because there are so many different stories out there, but you always think about, how can I be helpful? And sometimes it's as helpful as making sure that there's water in the jug. Baseball players making sure that bases are out before practice begins. [00:13:06] Right? All those little things need to be accounted for. And when they are, it's a game changer. [00:13:14] And it's not kind of a game changer. It's a game changer. You're more efficient. People have roles. Your roles matter. The responsibility makes you better, so on and so forth. But don't miss it. [00:13:29] Don't miss the fact that you can lead right from where you're at, or you can complain from right where you're at. Do you think you can be deserving? [00:13:39] Right. I just want to stay championship. It's my turn to lead. I know how to do this. I was there. Well, for a lot of you. You were on the bench. [00:13:49] You watched it from the same place as everybody else. [00:13:53] So you got to earn that. [00:13:56] You don't get to just say that you won a championship. So now it's your turn. Because you were on the bench and you were a part of that team, you get to bring your memories with you, and you get to teach some of those things. [00:14:07] But the daily effort, the daily effort has to be reciprocated. [00:14:12] It needs to be done again, too. [00:14:15] That. That daily grind that you went through, it starts all over the next year, and kids need to see that so that they know what it looks like, but they also can bring in energy, as well. Each one of you are critical to the mass. [00:14:30] Each one of you play a huge responsibility into whether or not you are going to be a good team or a great team. [00:14:39] But you get to choose that. Point your finger all you want. Coach. Coach isn't doing it. Coach doesn't. He's losing the guys. Nope. You guys lost yourselves. [00:14:52] You guys lost yourselves. [00:14:54] Stop pointing it at the coach. Now, don't get me wrong. Sometimes coaches do lose it. [00:15:00] They are not good for that team. And I don't begin to believe that coaches haven't ruined an experience because I know it's happened. But to be very clear, when teams lose themselves, a lot of the time, it's because the players stop believing in themselves, and that can't happen. [00:15:22] There's a reason why you were all put on that team together, and there's a reason why you're gonna have to struggle together, and there's a reason why you're gonna have to win together. But a lot of it has to do with you. The coach can write a lineup card, but the way you guys respond is critical. The things that you're doing on a daily basis is critical. The friendships that you have outside the field are critical. [00:15:43] And if you don't buy into that, you haven't experienced the championship level caliber team. [00:15:50] And I'm sorry for that. But you can fix it. You can get on the ship. You can start riding the ship. Put it in the right direction, put it towards the best possible direction it can go so that it sails easy, so that everybody's on board. They're all in the right spot, rowing together. [00:16:09] Right. That's how you do it. So here's the thing. If you're going to lead, lead with conviction. Lead with conviction. [00:16:17] Don't stick up for some and not for others. Don't decide that some are good enough to do this, but not everybody. Don't start separating groups based off of talent level. You are one. You are bonded together. [00:16:32] You are glue. And when that glue starts to break down, it's big trouble. [00:16:38] You have that responsibility. [00:16:40] You need to lead from where you're at. [00:16:43] And I promise you, when you start to do that, you will see an immediate change. The coaches can only do so much and then it's on you. So what are you going to do leaving this? Are you going to do the right thing? Are you going to be the cheerleader when you're on the bench? Are you going to be the one holding someone accountable when they're not doing the right thing? Are you going to force the issue when they don't know signs or plays or whatever that might be? And are you going to be the one that gives your very best effort every single day? [00:17:15] Every single day? [00:17:17] Because that's what leading looks like. You can talk about all the memories, but the memories are gone. Those things are in the past. And now it's time to look at where we're at right now. Are you ready to lead? [00:17:34] I heard something. It's a little biblical. [00:17:36] I heard that if you are, if you're sprinting as fast as you can forward and you look to your right and your left and you see anybody sprinting or with you, that, you know, those people are equally yoked with you. And I think about that in this very instance where like, if we're running towards Jesus and I look to my right and my left and I see my baseball players and they're all running at the same speed with me. That's a team I want to be a part of. Let's run towards glory every single day, right? That's what it's all about. Do those little things. [00:18:10] That's a monster thing, but do all the little things and watch how the speed of the team all moves together. [00:18:17] That's when it becomes fun. That that's a team that everybody wants to be a part of and do the work. If you don't know somebody on your team, get to know them. Don't act like they're not a part of the club. They are. They're just as much as the in the club as you are. Doesn't matter if you've been on the team for two years, three years, four years, that. That doesn't matter. You guys are all a part of the same team now. It is a brotherhood. It is a sisterhood. Work towards that. And finally, I say this, that when you know things aren't going well, you gotta stop. You gotta go do a breakfast, a dinner, a night over at somebody's house, and you gotta talk through it. You gotta work through it so that you guys can get back on the same page. And when you do that, you will see an immediate adjustment. On the field, there is a sire of relief from everybody, because everybody's shoulders are up. They're all uncomfortable. Oh, my goodness. What's going wrong? And when you have that conversation, it releases the shoulders. It drops them down. Your ears are higher, you feel better, you trust your teammates again, do that work, I promise you, it'll pay off. It's a hard conversation to have. It is hard to tell somebody that the team is in jelling and we're not doing enough. But if you really want to lead, difficult conversations are a part of that. You gotta be willing to invest in the deepest level, and sometimes the hardest conversations are the deepest level, but the payoff is huge. So with that being said, players, it's time for you to go and lead. [00:19:52] Wherever you are, whoever you are, whatever team you're a part of. Take charge. If it's one thing each day, if it's five things each day that you need to do really well to lead from where you're at, do those things. Be a great cheerleader. Clean up practice, start practice. Hold people accountable when you're not playing. Be the best cheerleader in the world for the person that took your spot when you are playing. [00:20:17] Make sure you're picking up the people around you who are having a tough day. Make sure you thank your coaches, your families, your parents, your supporters. Make sure you're taking care of all those different people. All those little things go a long, long way. They really, really do. But you can absolutely lead from where you're at, no matter if you're the best or the worst player on the team. What a great power that we've been given if we choose to use it. So I leave you with that. Some hard work inside of there for players, and I hope you hear that clearly. But worthy is the cause. For sure. [00:20:52] Worthy is the cause. I'm excited to have our next guest, Scott Hormon, on with us. He is the head baseball coach at Parker Lutheran here in Denver, Colorado, and known that man since I played high school baseball. So known him a very, very long time. But he is a wealth of knowledge and a joy to be around and a guy that I have really gotten to know over the years and looking forward to the conversation and sharing it with you guys. But for now, thanks so much for watching another edition of Unleashed Athletics with Brian Bond. I hope that you're enjoying this content, and as always, thank you for sharing it. Thank you for telling people about it. And if you have questions, topics or anything else, you can hit any of my social media and drop me a DM or just write directly to me. I'd love to hear from you and take on topics. Thank you and we'll see you soon.