Changing Culture

When I started we had a lot of upper class men with the mentality that they did not have to show up because they never have in the past and still played. We tracked attendance in the weight room (we don't have a strong body/weight class so everything is after school) and for all spring and summer practices. We gave out shirts to those who were consistent in the weight room and those were the only one's eligible for 7 on 7. When fall started, for every practice missed over summer and spring, players had some sort of extra duty. This quickly made them realize they should have been at practices because they hate doing extra. We also allowed those who had been there to check out gear first, and pick their numbers first (this is most important to some kids).

My advice would be to keep doing what you're doing and focus on those there. If it's the underclassmen there, which it normally is, you're setting yourself up for a great year two because they will already understand your expectations.

I was in a similar situation last year and it was terrible. We had a bad season but a normal season based on what they have done in the past. I thought it would never get better but it finally has (at least the culture). We have set records for both fundraisers we have done so far. We have about 98% in the weight room everyday after school. If they do miss they come the next morning to make it up at 6:30am and everyone has done so. No one has just skipped weights. If they have missed it was because they missed school. They have a completely new energy about them and next year if they keep up what they have done so far we will set new records for our program in the weight room. I have never seen a team so excited about the weight room and I came from a program that was very good every year.

I agree with what wolfden said. Hold them to your standard everyday. Eventually they will meet it or leave the program. I struggled with this at first because I wanted to have good numbers in the program regardless of anything else. I learned the hard way that sometimes there is addition by subtraction. Don't get me wrong, I still want good numbers but I want to get them the right way. When they are there tell them the things they are doing well as a team and build on those. Get them excited about small victories from within the program. Try not to be too negative and trust me some days it will be hard! Be involved in the community and get to know the right people. I think this is as important as anything. You need people in the community to buy in and say good things about the program. And recruit the hallways!

Good Luck!

This may sound silly, but I know it would have helped me personally as a player in a weak program if any of the new coaches (4 coaches 4 years) would have ever sat down and showed us just how weak we were and explained to us how hard other teams were working. As part of a losing program, we really had no clue that it was because we didn't have an off season lifting program, that we didn't work as hard as other programs, that we didn't advantage of opportunities to get better etc.

This is coming from someone who was "advanced" enough in football to make all the defensive adjustments and audible calls as an OG/OT / OLB/DE. I put the safeties where they belonged, I made the offensive audible calls, I coached in the program the next season etc. I "knew" football, was president of the Honor Society, graduated with appoints to 2 Academies yet honestly had no clue why we sucked. Now looking back it would have been so simple.

To me as a first year coach you try real hard to have a great off-season and summer but the real culture change begins the moment regular practice starts. It is the first time that everyone is required to be there.

Before the first practice have a full team meeting where you lay out the vision, rules, expectations everything and then be ready to back them up the first moment the meeting ends until the moment you retire as a coach.

In my experience it takes about 2.5 years to completely change the culture and see the benefits of a sound weights program.

Few things I have tried:

1. Call football meeting at lunch. Post weight room results. Then bring in pizza and Gatorades. Call out names of who gets to eat and who doesn't based on weight room effort.

2. Identify your two deep. Have position coaches call, tweet, email whatever to get the kids that will make a different to show in the weight room. Each coach should only need to chase around 3-5 players in that case.

3. The second an incoming frosh sets foot on your campus get him signed up and in the system for your weights program.

4. Convince lower level coaches to give up practice time to teach IN SEASON lifting.

5. Post weight room top 10s for every lift on the door of the weightroom (this way the rest of the school sees it as well). When a kid enters the top 10 or moves up make a big deal about it.

My experience is bad teams issues usually start in the weight room. Be prepared to coach the weightroom as hard as you coach practice. Never assume kids will put the correct weight on the bars or that they will complete their lifts. The days of just opening the door and counting guy is over.

Communicate expectations. Follow through.
Determine what you need to change immediately, and what can wait.
Know what you can live with, your negotiable items, and what is non negotiable for you.

Culture eats change for lunch. I'm going through this right now, trying to change culture of being bad to one of being ok, and then to being good. Best record since 2001 is 5-5, 5-6 if you count the one playoff year in 2005.

I figured that the best place to really get started was in the weight room during the off-season. That's just ended last week and now we've started spring/May practice, first session was today. I've got kids lifting, had pretty decent average turnout, I learned a lot about how to run a weight room. But some were not coming to weights and when I asked I was told they were lifting with one of the dads - ex-Marine, currently in jail operations, he's built and knows his way around the weight room. I kept telling them that the team is being made in this weight room, not that weight room. It's starting to sink in, the other players know it. And it seems I got a couple of other kids that are lifting for looks. They look marvelous, but seem to be lacking in the power that the other kids are showing.

I haven't felt that even though I'm the HC that I had the horsepower to make big changes. That's now ending since we are now into our Spring practices - Thou shalt have no workout other than that which is posted.

You try and change everything and everyone kicks you in the chin. Get inside, work it slowly (but not too slowly), and one day you wake up and it's just the way you want it.

I think any change of head coach ultimately results in a culture change, intended or not. Everyone is different. I know you are asking about a bad place, so I think many of these points are good advice. It takes time. I went in on the other end. I came into a decent place and of course you look for things that you can improve to help them be better, take them over the hump, etc. It's been rough and it may not work. Some places like the way they are and are content with it. I have been told many times the culture here will not change. I can see some of it working after 2 years of being here, but things are at work to keep them from completely working. It may or may not change. In the mean time we fight the good fight and keep going and hope that it works out. And that, like in a bad situation is all you can do. Good luck.

Older kids seem to get declining commitment here in general. A lot of kids quit here Jan of junior year. A few more over summer going into senior. We always have a lot of younger guys and 4-5 seniors tops. We were supposed to have 11 seniors this year... I'll be SHOCKED if we have 6 by fall.

In small schools I think hoops and football working together is a necessity.  Big thing I like about our new situation is our B-Ball coach will tell his kids he would like them to play football, lift weights, etc.  We also tell the kids who play both, they can do both.  For example, our conditioning runs from 3:30-5:00 and open gym generally doesn't pick up til 5:15-5:30, so we have had kids lift with us and condition and then go play pick up.  Obviously, you try to avoid crossover as much as possible though.  Like the poster said what kid wouldn't wanna shoot basketball instead of lifting heavy weights?

Culture is going to be built by design or by chance. You choose which of those will be the way culture is built in your program. Kids will rise to the level of expectations you set for them. Set high expectations, they will achieve them. Set low expectations, they will achieve them. The key is, you must live your culture. If you want them to achieve, you have to achieve. They have to see your drive, passion, and enthusiasm.

What do you want your culture to look like? What do you want your program identity to be? You get to choose. You can't wait until August to build championship culture. If you want to build culture you have to build it today. Now. Meet with your team and lay out your vision. Be short and to the point. Then set your core values. These are the four or five non-negotaibles of how your program will live. Trust, Accountability, Toughness, etc. etc. 5 core values is plenty.

Set simple standards of performance and hold them accountable. Meet one on one with all returning players who will be seniors. 10 Minute meetings to get to know them and let them get to know you. Have a senior team building activity. Get them drawn in and let them know this is bigger than you or them. They have a chance to help build a foundation they can be proud of.

Let your kids know you care about them and will be there for them. Then, earn their trust. Be clear and consistent. Be passionate and enthusiastic, set high standards, and hold them accountable. Be honest with them. "It's because we care that we will tell you the truth."

You choose the culture, and the culture can be changed. I have been a part of a turnaround at a couple of places everyone said it couldn't be done. It all starts with culture and it starts and ends with you.

Some kids will rise to high expectations (or as I called them because I was an English teacher, "Great Expectations").

Others will quit instead.

can you explain your process for quitting?