How to Find Victories in a Losing
Season
Dave TikkerExecutive Director- WSSAAA
dtikker@mead.k12.wa.us
Why This Topic?
Our Patrons, Parents, and Athletes
Need to See Value in All Season, Not
Just Winning Ones
We have activities because of there
educational valueThe value is measured by our respective
communities during our seasons
 Ultimately they determine if that value is worth
the costs of the program
 What did the parents perceive to be the value
of your last season?
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Ultimate Goal of Educationally
Based Athletics
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Better Citizens
First Coaching Job
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Goals
Mistakes
Lesson Learned
 What
was the Value
 How do you put season in perspective
 Banquet is Everthing
My Worst Season
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5-5
Dr Stephens- speaks to the value of sport, not
winning
I don’t remember my record of the coach I loved the
most- I just wanted to be in the gym with the guy
because I wanted to go through the wall for him.
Only banquet I ever had at 9th grade with parents
Your Favorite Coach- Discussion
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1. What made them different?
2. Was it all about winning?
3. What did you learn from them?
4. Healthy Perspective and Balance?
5. Demanding yet fair?
Sports are a "Character Breeding
Ground”

Every situation, properly perceived, becomes an
opportunity
Helen Schucman
Undefeated season playing 5 kids more important
then the growth and your relationship with # 8
My #8 kid during my 0-10 season eventually
became my family doctor-
Reason he Played
Had Fun
 Liked his teammates
 I lifted him up with our relationship- made him
feel worthy
 Because I had earned his respect by
developing the relationship he found value
playing.
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Perseverance and Hard Work
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To here him tell it these were the character issues
that helped him through a very tough first year at
medical school
Glad he made it- saved my best friends life with an
early diagnosis
Victories in Sport
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Life Changing Relationships
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Resiliency
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Understanding we
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Being a better listener
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Understanding “Grace”
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Fun
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Fitness
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Commitment
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Work Ethic
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Challenge
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Improvement
Life Changing Relationships
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Whether you win or lose you are going to impact
lives.
Athletes are going to take something out of the
season- what would you choose to have them take?
How do you want them to see you 5 years from
now?
You were there for them and never gave up on
them.
Resiliency
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How do you bounce back from a 64-4 drubbing?
One practice at a time- with your teammates
Never, ever, ever, give up.
Definition of success: Picking yourself off the ground
one more time then you fall.
Understanding We
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The greater good and sacrifice that it takes from all
to get there is like no other feeling in the world.
To experience the concept of team is life changing
if the coach has a healthy perspective
Being a Better Listener
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Gives credibility and builds understanding
Everyone has a need to belong- nuture that by
being a better listener
Understanding Grace
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We all make mistake- everyone needs a second
chance
Humbling yourself at times is good for the soul
your kid who missed the winning layup- how do you
give that moment grace.
Here is how I always handled that:
Fitness
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Life altering if you can instill a continued discipline
for fitness, diet, and health.
All 3 of my daughters schedule in daily activitylearned about the value of that in sports
Work Ethic
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This goes along with commitment
I had the slowest, shortest, non-athletic point guard
in the history of basketball.
His basketball skills took him no where but his work
ethic and “never give up attitude” as made him a
tremendously successful business man.
Challenge
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Green and growing or ripe and rotting
Growth is optional based on your desire to work
What is your potential? Who helps you know that?
Improvement
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Henry Miller- Basketball
Kendra Collier- x-country
No one crushed their dreams- encouraged and
continued to improve
Many stories like that out there
Where do some generate the desire to improve
without an encouraging coach
Winning Isn’t reflected in the
scoreboard
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Most important part of the season?
School Based Athletics
22
“Kids First……Winning Second”
Gauging a Successful Season
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If we didn’t have state tournaments how would
gauge your season? The answer to that is what
gives us the educational value we put on athletics.