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Building program culture is a fickle thing. It takes time, effort, and a lot of moving pieces. However, it can be the key to taking your team from good to great. 

There are a lot of different concepts we can focus on as coaches when it comes to choosing what to focus on for culture. So here are four concepts we think could help make your program the best it can be. 

#1 Influential Leadership OVER Authoritative Leadership 

As we know, there are moments during our time as coaches where we need to assert our authority over the players. Whether that’s because of a teaching point, discipline, or making decisions, there are those moments. However, staying in this mode of leadership for too long can hurt your relationship with your players, and therefore hurting your culture. Being able to use influential leadership can be an impactful way to help your players grow their game, and grow as people. Check out this clip below from Phoenix Mercury lead assistant coach Crystal Robinson share some great insight on leadership.

Video: Influential Leadership

#2 Core Values

Figuring out the core values of your program makes the act of building your program ten times easier. Building your program on a foundation of good core values allows for the flourishing and growth of a solid program. However, writing four words down on a sheet of paper and calling it the core values won’t do anything. Coaches and players have to believe and embody these values in order for them to take hold in your program. Check out Matt Doherty below share his thoughts on Core Values.

Video: Core Values

#3 Filling Your Player Box

Tasking your players with a program standard can go a long way. Whether it's on the court, or off the court, it can play a role in facilitating what's tolerated and what's not. Like in the video, it can be giving high fives during practice, or maintaining a good gpa. However, these standards should be encouraged, and not controlled, or else it will never happen, and never fully be embodied by the players.  Boston College Head Coach in the video below shows what they do to promote toughness!

Video: Player Box

#4 Organization 

Breaking down practices and making them as intentional as possible allows for the most growth as players, coaches, and your program as a whole. Creating the best practice plan possible that is set to make each player better creates respect between players and coaches.

As we know, the best practices aren’t four hours long. Coming in with a detailed plan for short-term and long-term allows the opportunity for optimum growth.  Coach Noe Cantu shares what his team does to create purposeful practices.

Video: Time and Organization

As coaches, it’s easy to think big picture when it comes to building the best culture possible, but focusing on the little things, day by day, is what will create that program culture that we all strive for. 

Always keep improving, 

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