Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
063 - Energy Is Not An Accident: Tools to Flip to Switch at Practice
90 Plays12 days ago
Energy doesn't just happen. As coaches and leaders, we have the power to transform practice from a stress-filled obligation into a sanctuary where athletes leave the world behind and unlock their potential.
What You'll Discover:
- Energy Primers: spark engagement before practice even begins.
- Competitive Dynamics: challenges that tap into your athletes' natural drive.
- Psychological Anchors: intentional huddles that create flow state and team unity.
- The Mentor Mindset: How to be the thermostat, not the thermometer.
- Build, Don't Break: Reinforcing competence and confidence through purposeful intensity, not shame spirals.
This isn't about gimmicks or fake hype. It's about understanding that your athletes bring life to practice—relationships, stress, uncertainty—and as leaders, we can redirect that energy into focus, connection, and growth. The field becomes their sanctuary when we create the environment for transformation.
Take advantage of the weather.
Training - Old Bull Program - 7 Day Free Trial - https://bit.ly/old-bull-train
Education - Why They're Not Listening: Coaching the Modern Athlete - http://listen.captainsandcoaches.com
#CoachingCulture #PracticeMakesPurpose #TransformationalLeadership #Athletedevelopment #EnergyManagement #SportsCoaching #TeamCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #CoachingTips #MentorMindset #StrengthCoaching #SportsLeadership #CoachLife #TeamEnergy #PracticeOptimization #CoachingPhilosophy #AthleteMindset #PerformanceCoaching #CoachingTools #LeadershipInSports
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Captains and Coaches Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Energy doesn't just happen. It's a choice. It's contagious, good and bad. and We as captains and coaches have the power and responsibility to make sure that we start each day strong. Welcome to the Captains and Coaches podcast. We explore the art and the science of leadership through the lens of athletics and beyond. I'm your host, Tex McQuokin, and today we are back talking about practice.
00:00:25
Speaker
Yes, practice and a strong start. Bring in the action, bring in the juice, bring in the energy. And I'm not talking about the fake manufacturer getting in their face.
00:00:36
Speaker
We're talking about behavior, changing the decisions, helping the mindset that our athletes are in to start each
Tools for Energy Management and Training
00:00:44
Speaker
day. They're bringing their stress, they're bringing life to practice, to our training environment and allowing it to then disrupt our potential, our flow, whatever we have on tap for the day.
00:00:58
Speaker
So what I'm going to be covering are different tools to then you as a coach, you as a leader, to step in, identify what's going on with the energy, and then redirect it so we can use it on the field.
00:01:11
Speaker
High school, college athletes, they show up with the stress that they just went through with school, life, relationships, everything. We want to help them understand that the weight room, the field, the court,
00:01:24
Speaker
This is their sanctuary. it's their opportunity to leave it all behind and focus on the team, focus on their potential, focus on the goals that they've set out and we as a unit have set out for each other.
00:01:39
Speaker
Such a valuable time. And I'm going be ah using tools that we talked about in previous podcasts from transformational programs coaching to the mentor mindset, and then making specific examples.
Transitioning in Coaching Levels
00:01:52
Speaker
When I transitioned from my Division III coaching level as a sport coach, lacrosse coach, into a Division I strength and conditioning coach at Georgetown University, I went into that school opportunity with a lot of assumptions.
00:02:07
Speaker
I assumed that these were scholarship athletes, Division I athletes, and they cared. They wanted to debris be there. Every day they would bring an enthusiasm to the training.
00:02:21
Speaker
I was way off. And then now throughout my career stepping into more and more Division I weight rooms, stepping into military opportunities, that assumption, i've I've now seen it, nope.
00:02:33
Speaker
I as a leader, I as a coach, I as a teacher, presenter, I need to establish the expectation and enthusiasm that we're going to bring each day.
00:02:44
Speaker
So here are some opportunities to to change that. In respect to practice or the training schedule, I almost want to lead off with music. Whether it's picking a captain or having the team vote and hard charge some energy to select what music we either walk out to for practice or play during our training sessions.
00:03:07
Speaker
During the training sessions, we have different blocks. We've got our warm-up block. We've got our strength power block. We've got our conditioning, our condo. So now I have the opportunity before each of those segments to recharge and bring the music to it.
00:03:21
Speaker
There's also an opportunity to establish what kind of music team we're going to be. And those of you that have played on teams, you understand this. What music are we playing on the speaker that we bring onto the bus?
Using Music and Drills for Team Motivation
00:03:34
Speaker
What music are we playing over our speakers at home? One of the the most memorable experiences I have as a lacrosse player in college is going to different universities and just listening to the music.
00:03:48
Speaker
At Salisbury, the team walked out with the the death march from Star Wars. It was hilarious. it was I mean, they they certainly earned that that respect.
00:03:59
Speaker
So our my senior year, we had one dude in charge of music, great flow, great DJ, and he took a Snickers commercial clip I'll do you the justice of throwing in there, where we sounded off the feasting horn before we took the field and ran out. So hilarity, that was more of our team's style for music to get excited than the ah Darth Vader March walkout song.
00:04:31
Speaker
Who's to say what worked for who? We had some good wins. Salisbury did a lot of good things, if you're familiar with them. But music and yeah setting the tone... great opportunity there and notice that the coach you handed it off to the team that was an opportunity to have some autonomy and get it going each day i also had have the opportunity to start each practice now with some form of of relays and sprint i've talked about it multiple times within the as an energy primer the motivation drill where we're 10 yards apart
00:05:07
Speaker
And we are hooting and hollering. I'm to sprint from cone one to cone two. I'm sprinting hard as fast as I can. And my team is just, they're getting up for me. They're cheering. They're saying my name, a high five. The next person takes off towards the the opposite line.
00:05:23
Speaker
And the rest of the team is getting going. I love that tool to introduce it on day one, every single season that I'm coaching at practice. And then bring it back when we need the energy.
00:05:36
Speaker
So establish the expectation of what the motivation drill is when we have high energy on day one and then grab it back when when
Maintaining Energy and Engagement in Practice
00:05:46
Speaker
we need it.
00:05:46
Speaker
So if that could that form of sprint, the 10 by 10 sprints is not on tap for the training day, but that the the juice is not there, rather than just yell at the kids and, ah, why can't you get up?
00:06:00
Speaker
Motivation drill, line it up. We'll find a ah different time to make up the conditioning or ah different speed work that I have planned elsewhere. But this is our opportunity to dial in.
00:06:11
Speaker
and then i also love this there's mini games so it's still just warming up or uh before practice i always get there 30 minutes before and and get a sense of the guys the energy the feel then there's a game i love it's a little foot tag so establish boundaries some schools have the four by four remember four square squares so give them boundaries whether it's one square or two squares or three that they can navigate, and then it's a little hop foot tag or two footot ah foot foot tag.
00:06:43
Speaker
But we're just we're having fun. We're getting into competition. Even Rochambeau for ah sprints, or there was a popular social media deal where it was, you know, spin the bottle and whoever it lands on, they got to pick up the tennis ball, the rest of the team sprints away, and they get to peg them.
00:07:01
Speaker
So easy day at lacrosse. We got tennis balls all over. So just get in groups of four. for You can flip the stick, spin the bottle, whatever you got out there, water bottle.
00:07:11
Speaker
And then we get a ah short burst to sprint there. But it's it's disguised as a competition. It's disguised as a game to get guys hyped and motivated. So those are energy primers mixed into the warm-up or just pre-practice that if I see guys just not there or body language,
00:07:31
Speaker
is out let's get him back in and music there So I always try to be contagious in my energy as well. So if it's down, I feel it's down, then i'm going to try to raise that up positive.
00:07:46
Speaker
So that that's in a positive sense. I'll probably get into this at a ah later podcast, but now very common practice. Coaches, I know you have the ability to get above the energy because sometimes when kids bark back and talk back, you come over the top of them.
00:08:03
Speaker
So use that awareness and your power for good here. So instead of just coming over the top for bad things they do, if they're down, come over the top in the energy and enthusiasm that you want to see modeled from them.
00:08:17
Speaker
All right, now I want to introduce some competitive buy-in. So we had the fun game where it's just pegging each other but I want to apply points. so I want to tap into the competitive nature of the athletes that we're working with.
00:08:29
Speaker
So find different relays, different... I mean, our field, we had a track around it. If you have that track, find different small relay races that aren't going to take away what you have from practice.
00:08:42
Speaker
If you're playing on a a football field or a basketball court with yard markers, with line markers, Let's get into that. So it could be something as simple as a relay race, or you can make it skill-based.
00:08:55
Speaker
If it's a fun way to work in some high-energy horse or trick shots, it gets their body moving. It gets them focused on a task. That same focus and level attention, that's the expectation I have during practice.
00:09:08
Speaker
It's just I'm trying to teach them something. There's a difference between, ah there is i don't feel there's a difference between teaching them something focused and game focused. It's just a matter of how the student athlete chooses to get there.
00:09:23
Speaker
And it's up to me to decide that as a coach. first first goal wins type games where we're just going to go quickly and then it may be one minute, maybe two minutes and finding different ways first goal wins.
00:09:36
Speaker
Ultimate Frisbee, we got a whole field in in my part. We break up the teams if we get 20 and 20. Hey, first and ah first touchdown. forget what it is in full Ultimate Frisbee.
00:09:48
Speaker
First touchdown wins. maybe maybe it lasts one minute, two minutes, and the guys that are winging it, ah then we can cover a lot of ground quickly, and then that sets a tone for the practice.
00:10:01
Speaker
So find different first goal wins styles um and and getting creative in that respect. And then ah captain's challenge, I like to call these rabbit drills, where one person is initiating the movements, initiating the sprints, or initiating the drill.
00:10:22
Speaker
An example, if it's, I like to set up cones, like 5-10-5, but a couple extra cones. So imagine cone 0, everybody starts on cone 0, then there's cone 1, 2, 3, and 4.
00:10:36
Speaker
Everybody starts on 0, the captain, the rabbit, has the autonomy decide when to start the sprint, and then which cone to stop at, and it's always minus 5 yards, minus one cone finish, like a 5-10-5.
00:10:52
Speaker
So if the rabbit up front, they decide to start and sprint to cone two, that's 10 yards away, then it's minus five. They're going to sprint to the five yard line and finish strong.
00:11:05
Speaker
or then we rotate the rabbit goes the end of the line we're in groups of five and we just get five quick sprints out i can spread them out on the field or just do one big line either way i'm accomplishing my goal of focus i'm reacting to something and getting somebody in charge of something that is a decision maker usually pick the rabbit first who's got the worst body language or he's not not even listening. I'm thinking of Anchorman right now in the beginning when the boss is like, Ron, are you listening?
00:11:38
Speaker
No. that That kind of kid, i'd task him and empower them, give them the responsibility of ah his the rest of his teammates' performance, so moving in first.
00:11:49
Speaker
So that'd be a form of of captain challenges, rotating them, and it starts to give responsibility to the guys, especially if they're just not their headspace at that day.
00:12:02
Speaker
Keeping it rolling. Psychological tricks. Here is the fun part of all of it. um I like to introduce anchor rituals. Things that we do no matter if it is a practice, no matter if it's a training session, or if it's a game.
00:12:17
Speaker
The biggest anchor that I've come to love is a circle in the end zone. Circle away from everybody. We're not on the sidelines where the coaches are or some parents helping out.
00:12:28
Speaker
We're not by the stands. We're in the end zone where it's just us. We circle up and we establish an intention for the day. In the beginning of the season, I coach in feeding that intention to help them understand how to ah lead this ritual.
00:12:44
Speaker
And the... Little things that we can introduce, the team clap if it's ready, ready, and break. You've seen that a thousand times on this podcast if you've been listening. Or lock in.
00:12:55
Speaker
This is where we're in the circle. Sticks are down in the middle of our circle. And we just wrap around each other's arms. Some guys are going over. Some guys are going under. And we're all locked in to one team, one unit.
00:13:09
Speaker
That's an example of an anchor ritual that, hey, that means we're getting started. and we're locked in. I like the the metaphor there. But that that's just what I use. So I want you to find an anchor ritual for the team and the energy.
00:13:25
Speaker
And ritual is such a great spark part of the psychology of sport. Aim to teach them the value and the connection this is to getting into your flow state and being not too high up in your energy, not too low.
00:13:42
Speaker
and just ready to listen, learn, and move.
Visualization and Storytelling as Coaching Tools
00:13:45
Speaker
And then on top of that, outside of ritual, there's this surprise factor where we throw in any form ah of of novelty.
00:13:54
Speaker
This is fun. If I have offense and defense, Switching sides to start practice today. Offense, you're going over to the defense side. Defense, we're shooting today. Defense, we're doing this. So find some fun way, and I'm not talking about blowing up your practice plan, two, three, four, five minutes to get them involved. If you're a defenseman, now you get the opportunity to to shoot.
00:14:18
Speaker
If you're defensive tackle, now you get the opportunity to be the offensive lineman or throw the ball or have some fun within that. So find a fun way to just mixed up rules, ah mixed up positional drills, whatever it may be, that's novel, it's new, and they have to live in somebody else's shoes for just a few minutes.
00:14:39
Speaker
ah Fun spark there. And there's also visualization next up. So if we're locked in within my huddle, I like to hand it off to the captains eventually. But if there's some point in the season I need to return to the circle in that end zone, now i would lean into and value visualization.
00:15:01
Speaker
So instead of just coach talking at them, all right, lock in, close your eyes. Here's here's where we are. We're in the second quarter. We just gave up three in a row.
00:15:12
Speaker
Good team's answer. What's our next lineup? What's our next opportunity? How are we going to respond? Emotionally, how are we going to respond on the field? How are we going to respond as a team?
00:15:24
Speaker
So help them ah spark visualizations. And at that stage, I am a-okay with a leader walking through. i as a coach can paint the picture of the scenario.
00:15:35
Speaker
If a captain wants to to start to lead the visualization practice, awesome. If they're not there ah or they they don't feel confident in that moment, then I as coach can help lead the proper walkthrough.
00:15:50
Speaker
I don't want any shame spirals here. The proper walkthrough of a visualization practice that leads us to a win on the field, especially when it comes to ah big game. So layering in some mindset there, especially as a ah mentor, I can mentor and guide the the mindset.
00:16:09
Speaker
And, you know, I'm demanding excitement and but at the same time teaching them how to be level-headed and find a flow and create that flow for themselves until they're able to to take the reins.
00:16:23
Speaker
um And, you know, try, fail, laugh. If we can do that in practice, we're having a great time. Hence the novelty in switching up positions and having fun with it.
00:16:34
Speaker
It allows us to to get back to why is it when I'm playing a different position, it's okay to fail when I'm not mine. Or in my mindset, it's okay for me to fail and then try again and just keep on being loosey-goosey and running.
00:16:49
Speaker
Versus I take it too seriously when it's my position, my responsibility. Ease in the tension, baby. Chubbs Peterson, greatest fictional coach of all time. So ah things to think about. All right, winding down here. I've i've shared a lot of coach-driven energy and purpose in practice. I mentioned I show up 30 minutes before.
00:17:12
Speaker
i'm just there. I'm just being myself, being high energy. I'm talking to them about their day or what's going on outside of school. So being that thermostat in there. And I mean, you can tell, you spend enough time with individuals, you start to see when they're off and being off is okay.
00:17:30
Speaker
they now need a mentor to step in and i'm not telling them to to uh not feel suppressed down shut it off and go out there and play i'm allowing them to understand that this is this is our sanctuary now we can be free being free to to make mistakes to try to give that effort is not suppressing and shutting down.
00:17:54
Speaker
It's discovering tools that work to solve the problems in life, whether yes it's socially, relationship-wise, ah with authority, trying, failing, getting back up again.
00:18:08
Speaker
All of those opportunities we have in life, how we should act, we're learning to do that on the field, in my mind. As long as I'm there as a mentor, leaders are there as mentors to help guide and shape them,
00:18:21
Speaker
versus shame them. So helping them understand that we have this opportunity and i as a coach am there to lead it. Usually when the the energy and the enthusiasm isn't is not contagious. There is a wall there, and this is where storytelling comes in.
00:18:39
Speaker
This is where we have an opportunity to share or our life experience with them. Because more often than than not, it I mean, it could be something on the field. they just It doesn't click.
00:18:51
Speaker
This play doesn't click. This opportunity doesn't click. They're not clicking with the teammate. Or it could be something outside. and now i can rely And now I can hand off some life mentorship for them that is that is appropriate and respectful to help guide them and navigate this situation and scenario so that they can focus on lacrosse rather than than me just yelling at them to focus on sport.
00:19:18
Speaker
Then they're failing outside of sport. Then they're failing in sport. And it just starts to, well, I'm not going to tell coach anything because they're just going to And then we lose that kid.
Building Resilience and Confidence in Athletes
00:19:28
Speaker
And unfortunately, we may blame them versus what is going on externally that we did not step in and give them the tools to help.
00:19:36
Speaker
All right. And I do this all the time. I did this as ah an athlete and stepping onto the field and my teammates that still listen, they're going laugh at this. But every day i took control of that huddle and every day I said, take advantage of the weather.
00:19:51
Speaker
And that was the frame and the mindset. We had some beautiful weather in Virginia for the majority of the year, but there are certain days we did not. It was snowing. It was freezing. It was cold. We had to go out there for two hours and shovel shovel the whole freaking field for then the girls team to go out and practice and play.
00:20:10
Speaker
And then more rain came, that froze, and then it was our time to play on the frozen tundra at Marymount University. Take advantage of the weather. Those challenging situations that we put ourselves through, it prepared us for the cold, the wet, the rainy, the freaking 100 degree humidity practices and games.
00:20:32
Speaker
So every day, that was the mindset and approach that I delivered to the team. Take advantage of weather. I set a challenge. Every day set a challenge and intention for your practice. If you're out there leading these practices on your own, go with go with what is on top of your mind.
00:20:50
Speaker
Aim to help guide your team and get them in the right mindset to then allow the rest of the world to just float away and focus on the the the people right in front of them that matter the most.
00:21:04
Speaker
um So that's that's a form of inspirational motivation. We talked a lot about that in Transformational Leader ah episode a couple of pods ago. And we're we're connecting your effort into something bigger.
00:21:18
Speaker
And that's what I love. There are circumstances that are outside of our control. We're not going to let it affect who we are and how we play. Just not going to do it. We know exactly who we are and where we're going.
00:21:31
Speaker
Let's go. Take advantage of the weather. So...
00:21:36
Speaker
Yeah, i man, I love this stuff. I'm going to practice here shortly, so I'll apply it. And and this this next one, High Mentor. I want you to think of this as building, don't break.
00:21:48
Speaker
Not bend, don't break. Build, don't break. What does not ah kill us makes us stronger. So we're incentivizing and applying energy. And I'm finding different criticisms externally, and it may be internally, I'm finding different criticisms externally that...
00:22:06
Speaker
the different scouting reports. So I'm doing my homework. I'm well connected within my sporting community. So finding out what other coaches are saying about our players and I'm using that as fuel for them.
00:22:17
Speaker
So finding a way to help build them up and I'm not just telling them somebody said this, I'm telling them what was shared about them and then exactly all the work that they've put on and done and to turn that into a strength.
00:22:33
Speaker
Maybe it's not yet a strength. Then we're going to lean into their strengths and that's going to counter what they think they're coming with for you. um So finding different ways to build and not break.
00:22:46
Speaker
And we're we're reinforcing that competence. That's a little what I did there. All the work that they've put in for this this moment. It is your time. that Everything, every so every stress, every breakdown, every injury, every moment, every rep that you put into it has led you to this moment.
00:23:08
Speaker
We are here and we're focused on one goal. Kick an ass, whatever it may be. So finding ways to help reinforce all of the work that they've done and how competent they are, which then leads to confidence.
00:23:24
Speaker
And then... ah just teaching through competition. So i I, as a coach, I need to expose them to the stress level that I will have during games.
00:23:37
Speaker
So it's finishing practice with intensity. So they see the intensity that I will be bringing during game time. They'll they'll feel it. They'll hear it in the huddles, in the hammered expectations where I give them one, two, three things to focus on and then get them out into the field.
00:23:53
Speaker
And then I hold them accountable for those things. And if they if they make a mistake, hey, we're going to rotate somebody in there even though We said you're going to do five reps. You you made one, two, three mistakes.
00:24:06
Speaker
You're out. Here's what you're going to do the next time. Okay. And send you back in. So aiming with the intensity that I will have during a game, introduce it during practice.
00:24:18
Speaker
And, uh, That's going to help them understand the intensity and tensities that coach brings to practice, excuse me, that coach brings to games that I want them to also bring to games.
00:24:32
Speaker
It's not barking and chirping at each other negatively. No, it's it's high expectations. And if somebody makes mistake, we're going to correct it and then we're going to redirect it and use it on the field.
00:24:43
Speaker
All right. So we talked about music. We talked about mini challenges, foot tag, ah the spin the bottle game where we got to pick up a tennis ball and and peg them. So little little things like that, they're gimmicky, they're fun, and it's going to work until it doesn't.
00:25:00
Speaker
I suggest mixing those in, not relying on them. Just keep them in your back pocket. Maybe try it early in the season. But lean more into the transformational aspect of this where we are building purpose. We are expecting them ah to fail. It's inevitable. Failure is inevitable during the season. You're not going to go undefeated.
Feedback and Future Engagements
00:25:21
Speaker
So how can we help prepare them with purpose for those strifes and challenges that they're going to have. Creating the vision, giving them visualization practices, locking in as a team and leaning on each other, and then introducing the the fast pace and the intensity that that coaches will have during practice. I made it again.
00:25:44
Speaker
The mistakes are okay. The intensity that coaches will have during games so when they are met with that level, we don't get the fight, flight, or freeze. We also don't get shut down because they we MF them during practice. know They know the intensity.
00:26:01
Speaker
They can listen to what we have to say and then go apply it. So we can manufacture excitement. There's a lot here. I want you to try spiking the energy with these tools.
00:26:14
Speaker
Let me know in the comments, YouTube or Spotify, what tools you have to just bring somebody up and out of a funk Forget about the day and focus on the the opportunity and practice.
00:26:27
Speaker
What's in front of them. Take advantage of the weather. That's our show. Guys, I encourage you to head to captainsandcoaches.com. Subscribe to our newsletter. It's more articles, more expanding, more research on what I'm talking about here during the podcast and having fun along the way.
00:26:44
Speaker
We got some gear coming out, a lot of exciting stuff, courses, and fun. i I will also say this on the podcast because i'm I'm about to take a trip up to Notre Dame. I've got amazing opportunity to sit down for a ah round table with the Notre Dame football strength and conditioning staff if you have a question.
00:27:06
Speaker
Hit me on Instagram. What do you want to know? Lauren Landau, Fred Hale, his whole crew. What do you want to know of what they're doing with perennial national championship contender from the preparation side?
00:27:19
Speaker
I'll also be interviewing one of the lacrosse sport coaches. And guess what? They're working with the same people, which is why I love that school and following both programs closely. It's because the team is a multi-sport factory.
00:27:32
Speaker
Both teams. Cool. That is our show. Thank you for tuning in. See you next time. Thank you for helping us raise the game. And see you.