Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
In April, 2022, basketball fans from all over the globe watched as the Kansas Jayhawks came back from a 15-point deficit at halftime to win the National Championship. As an avid and enthusiastic Jayhawks fan, I basked in the glory of that event in numerous ways over the past month. I’ve watched the replays, listened to interviews, smiled at social media posts, bought the t-shirt, and pondered all the things it takes to make a win like this possible. My friends and I who watch basketball all season have a saying: “any given team on any given night”. For me that is part of the thrill of college sports. Even with all the practices and all the talent and all the coaching, every team has an “off night”. So, what does it take to come from behind against an equally talented team to win the most prized trophy in all college basketball. I suggest that coaching is one of the things that makes it possible.
I’ve long been an admirer of Coach Bill Self. In all the seasons I’ve watched him coach, one thing stands out. He manages to take individual players who are superstars in their High School programs or Junior College or even other NCAA teams and put them together to create a team of players who play with and for each other and for the fans who cheer them on. I have seen him create this team bond repeatedly, no matter who comes to Kansas to play for the Jayhawks. How does he do it? Some of the interviews and locker room videos during March Madness may give a glimpse into how he does it.
Just prior to the Elite Eight game against Miami, Coach Self said this in an interview. “I think, first of all, I don’t want them to think ‘get through.’ I want them to think ‘attack it.’ ‘Get through’ is a defensive deal hoping to hang on to something. I want them to play like they’re going to take it. So that’s the mindset. And this team has had—there’s no guarantee that anybody is going to play good the next day. What happens today, even though you want to practice well, doesn’t guarantee success tomorrow. But the mindset of having a team that has some swagger about them, that likes the big moments, I think, gives me and them quite a bit of confidence.”
Coach Self’s pre-Final Four speech contained these words: “There is absolutely no pressure. My challenge to you is that you have as much fun playing as I have coaching. And if you do that, we’re going to have a great time. I guarantee it. You came to Kansas to play in this game. You can’t hope good things happen. You expect them to happen and they will.” In the promotional video of the Jayhawks arriving in New Orleans for the Championship Game, Coach Self says these words:
“I will say this: You guys will be loved forever. Take care of business tonight, and you’ll never be forgotten. You deserve to be here. You deserve to play in this game. You deserve to win. You’re not going to win by hoping it happens. You’re going to win by going out and playing one possession at a time. And as Nick Collison says, “play the moment; play where your feet are”. Your mind is where your feet are. Always thinking next play. I know you’re excited – you should be. . . . share the ball and the most aggressive team wins.”
Connection to Virtual Coaching
What does all this have to do with VECTOR Virtual Coaching? I think there are a few lessons we can draw from reaching such an important goal as a National Championship. First, Coach Self could not play the game for the team. He was the outside force who set up the practices, designed the plays, inspired the team, and gave in-the-moment coaching that addressed how to overcome the obstacles the opposing team were creating. VECTOR Coaches work with their coachees to discover what habits and strategies are needed to reach the coachee’s goal, and then the coach inspires the coachee to press on until the goal is reached. Second, Coach Self promotes a winning mindset. VECTOR Coaches know how to ask questions that reveal that “what is possible” notion for their coachees. Sometimes, we focus on what it will feel like if we fail, and that makes us scared to try. A skilled coach turns the attention to what it will feel like when we win. That mindset of being able to win, to achieve, changes the way we play the game or aim for the goal. Third, Coach Self told his team that hope was not enough. Being able to execute – to actually focus on the play in the moment and carry it out without looking back or too far ahead – is essential to winning. In the O-phase (Optimize Performance), VECTOR coaches remind their coachees the value of persistence and how showing up, pressing on, and applying the skill over time produces results. It is not in hoping; it is in doing that goals are reached. Finally, Coach Self encouraged his team to have fun. It is always fun to win, and even more fun when you really enjoy playing the game. Coach Self reminded the team that playing the game is what they came to do. VECTOR coaches can inspire their coachees to remember why they became educators – it is all for the students.
The final lesson we can take from inspiring, successful coaches like Coach Self is underscored by the fundamental element that is evident in every interview and every encounter you see between him and the team. That is relationship. This championship team was committed to winning because they loved Coach Self so much. It is clear that he pours himself into the individual players and to the team as a whole. VECTOR coaches are intentional about building relationships, even across the miles, so the coachee feels affirmed, supported, and upheld as they both work together toward achieving a common goal. That goal may not be a National Championship title, but it can feel like it after a semester of applying a strategy that finally produces student success.