LEADERSHIP
BUILDING LEADERS
BUILDING WINNERS
THE SAVAGE WAY
“LEADERSHIP IS AN ART FORM THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED ONLY THROUGH
STUDY, ORGANIZATION, PLANNING, AND POSITIVE ATTITUDE TRAINING.
BEFORE WE CAN INFLUENCE THE FACTORS THAT CONTROL OTHERS’ LIVES,
WE MUST BE IN CONTROL OF THOSE SAME FACTORS IN OUR OWN LIVES.”
--EXCERPT FROM IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
by JOSEPH PACELLI
1
A CHAMPION’S PLEDGE
1. I strive for perfection.
a. Good is not enough. Only through excellence can I
achieve greatness. Excellence is contagious.
2. I pay attention to details.
a. “Take care of the little things to make big things
happen.”
Jimmy Johnson
b. “No detail is too small—everything is important.” Lou
Holtz
3. I constantly try to improve.
a. “He who stops being better, stops being good.” Oliver
Cromwell
b. Always search for a way to get better.
c. Success = continuous and never-ending
improvement.
4. I give all that I’ve got.
a. Giving 100% every day is the surest road to success.
b. Have the mindset of EXCELLENCE, accept nothing
less—it’s contagious and habit forming.
Signature: ___________________________
VIOLATIONS TO THE TEAM COVENANT
Any violation of the covenant of the Team could result in
dismissal from the team.
1. Any unexcused absence from practice.
2. Any embarrassment to the team by misconduct on
campus or in the community.
3. Any violation of the Honor Code:
Never Lie,
Never Cheat,
Never Steal.
4. Any involvement with illegal substances.
5. Repeated tardiness.
6. Any behavior not conducive to the overall well being of the
team.
The strength of an organization is based on the strength of
the bonds between members of the organization. The basis
of these bonds is TRUST.
The above are violations of trust, and if we can’t trust you—
we have to cut you; and if you can’t trust us—we should quit.
TRUST IS A MUST.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A WINNING ATHLETE
There are certain characteristics which are essential if one is to become a
successful athlete and leader. The following listed characteristics are found
not only in successful athletes but also are prevalent in the lives of people
who are at the top of their chosen profession.
1. DRIVE: One must develop a burning desire to win. One must set and
maintain high goals for himself and his team. To attain athletic excellence
one must be willing to endure and overcome difficult and unpleasant
situations if it will improve himself and his team.
2. AGGRESSIVENESS: An athlete must be aggressive to win! One must
make aggressiveness a habit and be willing to use force to attain ones
goals. An athlete must be willing to make an unprovoked attack upon his
opponent.
3. DETERMINATION: An athlete must be willing to practice long and
hard on skills and conditioning until exhausted. One must be willing to work
out by himself and persevere, even in the face of great difficulty and
ridicule from fellow students. One must be patient and unrelenting in his
work habits, and never give up on the idea of improving and winning.
4. RESPONSIBILITY: An athlete must accept responsibility for his
performance and actions. This means at times one must accept blame and
criticism even when not deserved. One must be able to recognize his own
weaknesses and mistakes and accept them for what they are (a learning
experience). An athlete accepts the fact that one must endure physical and
mental pain and be willing to play with this pain.
5. SELF-CONFIDENCE: An athlete must be confident and sure of himself
and his abilities. When armed with self-confidence, one can handle
unexpected situations well, and be sure of his ability to deal with anything
and anyone. One must also have confidence in his teammates and
coaches.
6. EMOTIONAL CONTROL: An athlete must be emotionally stable and
realistic about athletics. An athlete cannot become upset easily or allow
ones performance to be affected by ones feelings. A winner does not
become easily depressed or frustrated by bad breaks, bad calls, or
mistakes.
“A PERSON CAN’T BROOD OVER ONE MISTAKE, OR WASTE TIME
FEELING SORRY FOR HIMSELF, OR TAKE ON ANY SORT OF
PERSECUTION COMPLEX. TODAY I REALIZE THAT ONCE YOU HAVE
MADE A MISTAKE, YOU MUST ACCEPT IT, PROFIT BY IT, AND THEN
TOTALLY DISMISS IT FROM YOUR MIND.”
Bart Starr—Quarterback—Green Bay Packers
7. SELFLESSNESS: An athlete must be willing to sublimate ones
individuality for that of the team! One must be totally committed to the team
and the team’s victory. The newspaper will read “INDIANS WIN” or
“INDIANS LOSE.” An athlete wins or loses with his team. IF WE PLAN ON
WINNING, WE HAD BETTER PLAN ON WINNING TOGETHER.
Remember, “WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE TEAM HAS TO BE GOOD FOR
ME, AND WHAT IS GOOD FOR ME HAS TO BE GOOD FOR THE TEAM!”
8. MENTAL TOUGHNESS: An athlete must accept strong criticism without
feeling hurt. One must not become easily upset when losing or losing
playing badly. A winner must be able to bounce back quickly after facing
adversity.
9. COACHABILITY: A winning athlete must respect coaches and the
coaching process. One must be receptive to coaches criticism, advice, and
instruction. An athlete only improves when he responds and makes an
honest effort to correct mistakes pointed out by the coach.
10.TRUST: An athlete must accept people at face value. A winner believes
what the coach and teammates say, and he does not look for ulterior
motives behind their words or actions. An athlete must be free of jealous
tendencies, and attempt to get along with teammates.
YOU CAN TRUST YOUR COACHES
1. To be loyal to you in all areas.
2. To be totally honest.
3. To provide the leadership and training necessary to achieve our goals.
4. To work you harder than you have ever been worked before.
5. To assist you in anyway possible, now and after you graduate.
6. To treat you as a man.
7. To love and respect you.
8. To make all decisions based on what is best for the team, and then what
is best for the individual.
9. To do everything possible to make this the best place to go to school and
play sports.
10. To help you mature and grow as a man.
11. To help you reach your goals.
WE COACHES TRUST ATHLETES TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS
ACADEMICALLY,
ATHLETICALLY,
SOCIALLY
1. We expect you to do something worthwhile with your life.
2. We expect you to have great expectations:
ANTICIPATE HAVING:
A GREAT DAY!
A GREAT PRACTICE!
A GREAT SEASON!
A GREAT LIFE!
3. We expect you to:
a. Get an education
b. Give your total effort
c. Make the most of what you have
d. Love your teammates unselfishly
e. Respect your teammates
f. Practice to the best of your ability
g. Be totally honest in all your dealings
h. Be extremely loyal to your school, teaches, coaches, teammates,
families, and friends
i. Be prompt
j. Be courteous
k. Always encourage
l. Be emotional and enthusiastic
TYPES OF ATHLETIC LEADERSHIP
1. ACTION: Is you attitude toward work and the manner in
which you work. Good or bad, someone will copy you. Right now
you have a chance to display this by working on your own.
2. DEMONSTRATION: Is using your skills to show other players how to
execute certain techniques. Coaches will call on you from time to time to
demonstrate drills. You should also do this on your own to help individuals
improve themselves.
3. LISTENING: Is paying close attention to all times a coach who
is talking or demonstrating. This is an area where most athletes fall down.
It takes courage to pay close attention when you are tired. There are also
players who are not interested and talk to others while an explanation is
being made. You could be one of the most important leaders on our squad
by being a good listener and making it clear that you will not condone
inattentive actions by other players.
4. VERBAL EXPRESSION: Is expressing your feelings to others verbally.
This is good. However, you must speak frankly and be sincere about what
you say. You must never be embarrassed by being “gung ho”. Lip service
not backed by action on your part is very harmful. You must practice what
you say or it becomes obvious you don’t really believe what you say.
(Practice What You Preach)
LEADERSHIP GUIDE
There are many people who are capable of offering leadership but don’t
because they aren’t sure what to do or how to do it. We should remember
that there are many different ways of exerting leadership. Regardless of
what type of personality you have you can be a leader on our team if you
really want to. To become a team leader one must be committed to the
team. Commitment means to “BIND TOGETHER FOR STRENGTH”. It is
the glue that allows new seniors to take on important leadership roles and
all other ask. “WHAT CAN I DO FOR THIS TEAM”?
COMMITMENT
1. Will cost you.
2. Only counts in tough times.
3. You will know if you are really committed on decisions you
make while all alone.
4. The rewards for total commitment do not come
instantaneously, but the rewards come after a lot of sacrifice,
effort, disappointment, and heartache, and the real rewards
for total commitment will last a lifetime.
HOW TO BE A LEADER
The only real requirement you must have is a sincere DESIRE TO BE OF
HELP TO YOUR TEAMMATES. A false effort will immediately be
recognized as such. This type effort will have a more harmful effect than
helpful. Sincerity and enthusiasm are contagious.
AREAS OF LEADERSHIP
The following information is given in order for you to be familiar with the
many places your actions and attitude will have a bearing on our team.
OFF THE FIELD
1. CLASSROOM: Your intelligence is not a factor in the type leadership
you may show in the classroom. The things that determine teachers’ and
students’ attitudes toward athletes are not based on intelligence. You are
expected to be on time, be courteous, be attentive, and make an honest
effort in class work. Also, don’t our athletes in your class to have a negative
effect on the classroom environment.
2. COMMUNITY: Because you are an athlete, you will be watched more
closely by the public than an ordinary student. Your actions will be the
guideline for what people think of athletes, not just you. We will hear much
more about our worst than our best. Therefore, our worst athlete’s
behavior must be good. Points to watch are:
DRIVING—abide by all laws, do not “hot rod”.
COURTESY—be polite to all you come in contact with.
LANGUATE—do not use profanity.
3. FAMILY: Your parents will be pleased for you to be an athlete if you do
not use practice or athletic activities as an excuse for not doing your share
of work at home. Invite them to attend booster club meetings, games, and
practice sessions. Don’t use athletics as an excuse for not making good
grades. Make your parents a part of the thrill of athletics.
4. CHURCH: You can truly influence the lives of young people if you
become active in church work. Take advantage of the opportunity to join
the “Fellowship of Christian Athletes”. Remember your reputation is the
same as those you socialize with.
DRESSING ROOM BEHAVIOR
1. PRIDE IN FACILITIES: You must visibly and verbally show that you
are proud of our facilities and expect all people using them to take
proper care. The equipment you wear is the best money can buy.
Proper use and care of the equipment will insure the same by our
younger players.
2. CONDUCT: The dressing room is a place to change clothes, shower,
store equipment, and receive treatment for injuries. It is not a place
for “horseplay”. Make our dressing room a relaxed and pleasant
environment.
PRACTICE TIME
1. PUNCTUALITY: Always be on time for the start of practice and drills. A
senior should be the first all of the time.
2. COACHABILITY: Attempt to do exactly as your coach tells you.
Unnecessary questions or a poor attitude toward a coach’s corrections or
criticisms will cost valuable time as well as create dissension on the squad.
3. HELPFULNESS: Be ready to help other players with techniques they do
not do well. Do this before practice, after practice, or at times when you
may do so without distracting from a drill.
4. EXTRA EFFORT: Ask for help on weak points before and after practice.
No matter how good you are, you will never stop improving. Extra effort
also means never complaining, learning more than one position, or
generally doing a bit more than the minimum.
TRAINING HABITS
1. ABSTINENCE: You must never smoke or drink alcoholic beverages.
You may fool the coaches temporarily, but you cannot fool yourself or your
teammates at all. FAILURE ON THIS POINT OF LEADERSHIP WILL
RESULT IN POOR TEAM MORALE FASTER THAN ANY OTHER THING.
2. CORRECT VIOLATERS: It is your responsibility to inform any player
violating rules, regardless of who he is, that he must discontinue what he is
doing.
3. REPORT TO COACH: You should report any violator who is guilty of
his second violation to the head coach. We cannot have anyone on our
squad who will not pay the price of training.
GAME PREPARATION
1. TEAM MEETINGS : Be on time for all meetings. Study your scouting
report carefully and discuss it with other players. Be critical of your play in
films and look of ways to improve yourself. NEVER miss a meeting.
2. MENTAL PREPARATION : Football is a contact sport that relies heavily
on morale. Although each person prepares himself slightly differently,
general team preparation will be as follows:
Monday through Wednesday—Mental preparation during this time entails
only good practice work and learning your opponents thoroughly.
Thursday through Friday—The practice work is over. You should know
what to expect from the opponent and how to play against him. These two
days we must prepare our team for physical contact. Each player must
prepare himself, but the following are factors that must be present for this
preparation to take place:
a. Be serious when talking about the game.
b. Be sure all social activities are off the night before a game.
c. From the pre-game meal until game time, cut all conversation to a
minimum and let each player have those four hours to himself.
Silence allows you to think.
TEAM MORALE
This is the area where senior leaders make or break us. Your actions in this
area must be right. Morale is a constantly changing thing. It will either get
better or worse. It will not remain the same. You will either be a player who
plays in every game or you will be a back-up. There are few great players
who do not have good back-ups behind them to push them for their
position. This means that we will probably have only as good a team as our
back-ups. As head coach, I can assure you that no first team player will
keep his position on the basis of ability to play. Players will be picked by
effort and playing to their full capabilities. A loafer will never play,
regardless of how great his ability or potential may be.
Our Junior Varsity team will be composed of mostly freshmen and
sophomores with maybe a few juniors. They have the job of running the
opponents plays against the varsity each week on Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday when they don’t have a game on those days. This is a tough
job and they must do it well if we are to be well prepared. An occasional pat
on the back and a word of thanks will go a long way in making them realize
their value to the team. If they are loafing, some of our seniors should talk
to them before or after practice as a team, and encourage them to do their
part. This outline should give you an insight into the many factors involved
in having a great team. How well you use this information will determine
what type of team we will have this year. Actually, good leadership by the
seniors this year will pave the way for following years. Poor leadership will
leave us in the process of starting from scratch again next year.
LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
Leaders must possess the following essential qualities:
LOYALTY
COURAGE
DESIRE
EMOTIONAL STAMINA
PHYSICAL STAMINA
EMPATHY
DECISIVENESS
ANTICIPATION
TIMING
COMPETITIVENESS
SELF-CONFIDENCE
ACCOUNTABILITY
RESPONSIBILITY
CREDIBILITY
TENACITY
DEPENDABILITY
STEWARDSHIP
RESPONSIBILITIES OF A LEADER
-Leaders are responsible for establishing the atmosphere in which they
lead.
-Leaders can and must influence and control the spirit of their peers.
By their own actions, not their words, do leaders establish the morale,
integrity, and sense of justice of the subordinates. They can not say one
thing and do another.
-Leaders must establish a high spirit of mutual trust among subordinates.
-Leaders must attach value to high standards of performance and have no
tolerance for the uncommitted.
-Leaders must expect continual improvement in subordinates based on
new knowledge and experiences. Leaders must encourage creativity,
freedom of action, and innovation among their subordinates as long as
these efforts are consistent with the goals of the team.
-Leaders must provide direction to their subordinates.
-Leaders must teach their subordinates that which is expected of them.
-Leaders should never misuse power.
-Leaders make great personal sacrifice for the good of the team.
-Leaders must encourage healthy competition among their people.
-Leaders must understand that the spirit of the law is greater than its letter.
-Leaders must never shed honor, morality, and dignity.
-Leaders must hold a strong conviction of duty above all other ambitions.
RESPECT
1. Respect is an extension of a positive, optimistic
attitude.
2. Respect begins with a person having respect for
himself.
3. Respect for team members breeds togetherness.
4. Respect has no ethnic, racial, or social barriers.
5. A team with respect for one another, win together.
6. Respect is a two-way street between players and
coaches.
7. Make no mistake—football is a team game.
8. Signs of disrespect have negative influences on a
team.
9. Successful teams are a family of ONE.
10. Rule of Thumb: No one embarrasses anybody in
front of their peers or public ally.
11. One formula for building respect is developed
through an attitude of:
PLP = Players Love Players
CLP = Coaches Love Players
PLC = Players Love Coaches
CLC = Coaches Love Coaches
12. RESPECT must be EARNED, not assumed OR
DEMANDED.
TEAMWORK
TEAMWORK divides the work and doubles the success.
It is the fuel that enables common people to attain
uncommon results! Being part of a team, we accomplish
more, faster. Support, compassion, and caring will inspire
everyone to keep pace, and then, lead—in spite of pressures,
hardships, or fatigue. It is a reward, a challenge, and a
privilege to be a contributing member of a team.
3 Steps to Building Your Best Team
1. Learn to care about, like, and love each other and build
personal involvement.
2. Learn to believe in each other and build personal
commitment.
3. Feel secure in the group and build a common
ground/reference ensuring a successful “Mission
Accomplished.”
Coming Together is a
BEGINNING
Keeping Together is
PROGRESS
Working Together is
SUCCESS
THE REWARD
Personal Satisfaction
The reward is to become part of a dynamic, continuously
improving team where you, as a player, is accepted,
challenged, recognized, respected, and appreciated. You
belong to a team where you are the difference. It is the glue
that allows new seniors to take an important leadership role
and all others to ask, “What can I do for this team?”
COMMITMENT
1. Will cost you.
2. Counts the most in the toughest of times.
3. You will know—if you’re really committed—on decisions
you make while all alone.
4. The rewards for Total Commitment do not come
instantaneously, but the rewards come after a lot of sacrifice,
effort, disappointment, and heartache. However, the real
rewards for Total Commitment will last a lifetime.
Great Involvement = Great Commitment
Great Commitment = Great Success
THE FOUR ACES
To perform at our peak level of efficiency it is
imperative that we focus on only what we can control.
To focus on anything other than our own personal
sphere of influence is a dangerous distraction.
Superstars are always focused and never distracted.
The following four areas of focus are completely
under our control:
A WARENESS : To achieve peak levels of performance you
must have awareness of every aspect of your time. Never go
through the motions—know your assignments.
C ONCENTRATION : The ability to focus on the task and
technique at hand, and be apathetic to any distraction is
the sign of a star. Play each play one at a time.
E FFORT : Any man of success in any field knows that
HARD WORK WORKS. The greater the effort the greater the
reward.
S YNERGY : The team effort is greater than the sum of the
individual effort. Synergy occurs when everyone on the team
performs like an ACE. The attitude of “We not me” and
enhancing your teammates’ performance are the keys to
synergy.
SYNERGY
1+1=3
WE NOT ME
AND
EVERYBODY
IS THE KEY
ATTITUDE
1. More athletes fail through faulty mental attitude than in any
other way.
2. Attitudes are habits of thinking. You have it within your
power to develop the habit of thinking the thoughts that go to
make up a winning attitude.
3. The foundation for the proper attitude consists of
developing the habit of thinking positive thoughts.
4. Tell yourself constantly that you can do something and you
will. Tell yourself you can’t and your subconscious mind will
find a way for you not to do it.
5. A desire to win and a desire to prepare to win are
important ingredients of a winning attitude.
6. Before you can scale the heights of athletic greatness, you
must first learn to control yourself from within. Be your own
master. Control your emotions.
7. An athlete with a good attitude is coachable. He welcomes
criticism, constantly seeks to learn, and avoids criticizing his
coach or teammates.
8. True success depends on teamwork, and the winning
attitude puts the good of the team ahead of anything else.
9. Whether you create a winning attitude is entirely up to you.
10.What is your attitude TODAY?
PERFORMANCE LEVELS
ACES: The top level performance. A True Winner!
CHOKER: Wants to win but doesn’t believe he
can.
MAD MAX: Wants to win but blames everyone
else if he doesn’t.
JOKER: Wants to win only if it’s easy. Avoids
challenges to protect ego. When it gets tough, he
quits.