Leadership Plan 1
Running head: LEADERSHIP PLAN
Leadership Plan
Jeff Rutledge
Concordia University Irvine
Leadership Plan 2
Vision Statement
“Training Champions for a Lifetime.”
These words are painted on the walls of our wrestling room. Keeping the statement
visible supports the coaching staff and athletes to keep an all-in mentality during a grinding daily
regimen. We acknowledge that all of the blood, sweat, and tears that are shed during training
have a more significant meaning than getting our hand raised at the end of a wrestling match.
The vision for Lincoln Southeast wrestling is to become citizens of society that standout with a
championship effort toward their specific life’s “calling.” Lincoln Southeast wrestlers will
become:

Productive and law-abiding citizens,

faithful and supportive husbands/wives, sons/daughters, brothers/sisters, uncles/aunts,

loving and caring parents, and

moral leaders within the community.
Mission Statement
The Lincoln Southeast wrestling program is passionate about providing opportunities for
individuals to mature and become the best they can be in all phases of their lives. The
coaching staff is devoted to providing competitive and enjoyable experiences that will develop
the athlete physically, emotionally, and socially.
The Lincoln Southeast wrestling program’s main objective is to help young people
develop. We strive to fulfill the Greek concept of arête. Arête means aspiring to excellence in
every area, be it athletics, academics, or the arts (Ehrmann, 2011, p.70). The adversity of
wrestling provides multiple opportunities for athletes to grow in excellence. Additional
competitive and enjoyable experiences are designed for athletic preparation.
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The best wrestlers are physically developed. As we pursue to becoming the best we are
capable, a strong work ethic is essential to developing physically. Wrestlers follow a prescribed
training regimen that will develop their athletic prowess in the areas of body awareness, strength,
agility, flexibility, speed, and endurance. A high level of fitness will allow for athletes to
successfully apply the technical skills taught through a systematic approach.
The one-on-one aspect of wrestling challenges the athletes to mature emotionally. The
courage that it takes to step onto the mat and participate in a combat sport requires a tremendous
amount of courage. Being mentally prepared and emotionally stable before competing may be
just as important as the physical preparation. Athletes will be put in stressful situations during
practice, which will mimic the competition they are preparing for. We also discuss strategies on
dealing with self-defeating thoughts such as fear, anger, anxiety, self-consciousness,
perfectionism, stubbornness, lack of motivation, and distractions (Mack, 2001).
Head coach of Penn State University, Cael Sanderson stated, "Wrestlers compete as
individuals yet the sport builds camaraderie like no other." A team that is able to reach this level
of solidarity standout. We provide opportunities for our athletes to socially interact in a positive
way. The coaching staff model positive interactions and encourage athletes to do the same. A
yearly team retreat, spaghetti feed, and summer picnic along with countless other informal
interactions provide opportunities for athletes to develop socially.
Core Values
Legendary football coach, Lou Holz, had three simple rules for his athletes to follow:
1. Do right.
2. Do everything to the best of your ability.
3. Make sure people know you care about them. (Harrity, 2012, p.84).
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Core values guide our work and interactions to accomplishing our mission statement. It
is important for athletes to know and be able to articulate a program’s core values. I made minor
adjustments to Coach Holz’s simple rules and began teaching them to my athletes. These rules
are transcribed into our program’s core values of Character, Discipline, and Honor.
Character: Always do what’s right
If an athlete has difficulty knowing what’s right, I ask them to reflect, could this action
eventually embarrass my family, my teammates, or myself? If the answer to any of the previous
three is yes, or even maybe, they can assume the action is wrong. Character is the act of putting
ethics into action. It is what you do when no one else is watching. While many principles of
character are discussed throughout our core values, we focus on two under the term character:
honesty and self-control.
Honesty is acting with integrity. Integrity is your good name. It is helpful to think that
whatever we do our names are stamped behind the action. We must make sure our actions are
truthful. Dishonesty or cheating means you are giving up on yourself. You lose a piece of
yourself each time you violate your personal sense of what is right and wrong (Krzyzewski,
2006). This violation makes it easier for us to repeatedly deceive others. Pretty soon your good
name is tarnished and society no longer trusts nor respects you.
Self-control is remaining mentally and emotionally balanced at all times. Having good
self-control is helpful both in life and in athletic competitions. I always stress to my athletes to
live with a WIN attitude. WIN is an acronym for What’s Important Now? There are many
things in life and athletics that we cannot control (ie. sickness, injuries, referee calls, etc.). It is
best to have a short-term memory when these hardships strike. It’s more productive to focus on
the things that we have control over rather than dwell on mishaps from the past. Having a WIN
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attitude will help us keep our composure no matter what the situation. Keeping our composure
will allow us to think more clearly and act in a way that will be more productive in the long run.
Discipline: Do everything to the best of your ability
One of the greatest coaches of all time, John Wooden, stressed to his athletes the
importance of giving their best effort. He convinced them that doing their best was the only way
to attain true success. Likewise, our core value of discipline is modeled around the arête
concept. Whether in the classroom, on the mat, playing field, or interacting with family
members every action needs to be done to the best of our ability. We must understand that every
action impacts another actions, which eventually develop into habits. If we are lazy in the
classroom that habit will in some way transfer into athletics and other areas of our lives. It is the
duty and responsibility of each athlete to give his or her best effort in all facets of their life.
Honor: Love the people you are surround by and let them know it
To love another person is to put their interests above your own. We are called to love.
As we interact with one another, it is important to acknowledge the fact that everyone wants to
feel a sense of belonging and acceptance. Give everyone respect and recognize their value. It is
also important to be able to show others you care about them. Learn to be generous, kind,
forgiving, and compassionate. Be quick to offer people encouragement and praise. Do not be
afraid to use the L word.
Conclusion
Our society holds athletics on a very high pedestal. Athletic coaches have a gigantic
influence on future generations. Coaches can either break young people’s psyches or build their
souls (Ehrmann, 2011, p. 74). It is a great responsibility to have this type of influence. One of
my greatest desires is that the above statements will truly guide me into being a transformational
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leader. At the end of my coaching career, I can think of no greater joy than to watch my former
athletes live moral, compassionate, and productive lives.
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References
Ehrmann, J. (2011). InSideOut Coaching. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Harrity, M. (2012). Coaching Wisdom. South Portland : Sellers Publishing.
Krzyzewski, M., & Spatola, J. (2006). Beyond Basketball: Coach K's Keywords for Success.
New York: Warner Business Books.
Mack, G., & Casstevens, D. (2001). Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence. New
York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Martens, R. (2012) Successful Coaching, Fourth edition. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.