EP 104: The Best Coaches Do This

Hey Coach,

Real talk: whoever has the highest standards in your program should be the one leading it.

If that's not you, that's not a failure. It's just your next area of growth.

Even after years of coaching, I still catch myself letting things slide that I shouldn't.

Key Takeaways

• Standards come first. Before you install a new play or add another drill, make sure your standards are clear and enforced in practice, pregame, and daily operations.

• Identify who already holds high standards. Don't elect captains based on popularity or potential. Look at who is already operating at the standard you want—then elevate their voice.

• Focus on the middle 80%, not the bottom 10%. Most of your energy goes to the players who drain it. Instead, pull one or two players from the middle group into your top tier. That shift will change your culture faster than trying to fix the bottom.

• Cut bad teammates, not bad players. If someone in the bottom 10% is dragging down effort, energy, or focus, they need to go. Holding the line is sometimes the seed you plant. Letting them stay guarantees nothing changes.

• Find your one thing. At this point in the season, pick the highest-leverage focus for your team—probably spacing—and drill down on it. Don't keep adding. Tighten what matters most.

Listen to the full episode here:

One Teaching Cue or Question

"Do you want this as much as you want to breathe?"

Use it when a player says they care, but their actions don't match.

One Action Item

Evaluate your roster today using the 10/80/10 rule:

• Top 10%: players already at your standard

• Middle 80%: inconsistent but reachable

• Bottom 10%: energy drains

Pick one player from the middle 80% and create one specific moment this week to pull them toward the top.

Why This Matters

Standards don't slip because of one bad day. They slip because you stop enforcing them. Late in the season, when fatigue sets in and habits get loose, the team with the clearest, most consistent standards wins.

This isn't about being harder, it's about being clearer.

And if you're not the one holding that line, someone else is setting the tone in your program.

-Tyler

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