COMPETITIVE PHILOSOPHY

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COMPETITIVE PHILOSOPHY

• Damon Burton Bernie Holliday
• Vandal Sport Psychology Services
• University of Idaho

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WHY DEVELOP A COMPETITIVE PHILOSOPHY?

• Your competitive philosophy guides your everyday
  actions and helps you to make the right decision
  by deciding whats important ahead of time

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COMPETITIVE PHILOSOPHY FACTS AND MYTHS

• Developing a competitive philosophy is not a
  one-time process but an ongoing journey that
  requires frequent reflection and systematic
  updatinga constant work in progress.
• It has to be personalized to fit your experience,
  attitudes, values and beliefs as well as the
  society you live in.
• You cant borrow your philosophy from a coach you
  admire or from simply reading a book. It is a
  product of your experiences and values.
• You must cultivate and nurture your coaching
  philosophy and constantly work to make it better.

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DEVELOPING YOUR COMPETITIVE PHILOSOPHY

• self-awareness
• monitor thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
• ask others
• prioritize competitive objectives
• personal development versus winning
• How much importance do you place on each of these
  objectives?

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PHIL NIEKROS CAREER- CHANGING INSIGHT

• Niekro let his ego get in the way early in his
  career.
• worried about how much he pitched,
• what spot he occupied in the rotation, and
• whether he won.
• At 32, Niekro quit worrying about winning.
• pitched his best until 48
• 318 wins followed

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WHY COACHES/ATHLETES BECOME WIN-CENTERED?

• Pressure from media, parents, boosters,
  administrators and themselves.
• Living vicariously thru their athletes.
• Model their philosophy after win-oriented pro
  coaches and athletes.
• Easier to evaluate success based on winning
  instead of long-term development.

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CHALLENGE OF REPRIORITIZING WINNING

1. Do you compete for any of these reasons?
2. Is competition a personal ego trip?
3. Do you link your personal worth with winning?
4. Do you understand what Phil Niekro learned?

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JOHN WOODENS PYRAMID OF SUCCESS
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RETHINKING MARTENS MOTTO

• Rainer Martens American Coaching Effectiveness
  Program (ACEP) motto
• Athletes first, winning second
• Our revised motto highlights the relationship
  shared between personal development and success.
• Personal excellence The foundation for success

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PERSONAL EXCELLENCE MOTTO

• Your first priority is development and maximizing
  personal growth.
• Personal excellence also enhances chances of
  winning.
• Increasing physical, psychological and social
  development improves your probability of
  outperforming others.

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WINNING DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM

• Excellence-
  Win-
• Centered
  Centered
• Where would you put John Wooden, Bobby Knight,
  LaBron James, Barry Bonds?

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BILL SNYDER DEVELOPS THE TRUE COMPETITORS

• In turning Kansas State from the nations worst
  football program into one that won 11 games six
  years in a row, Snyder emphasized . . .
• getting better every day,
• improving as athletes, students and people
  instead of winning,
• evaluating success based on enthusiasm for the
  game, life-skill development, graduation rates,
  future career success, and character development

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TRUE COMPETITORS BRING THE MOTTO TO LIFE

• striving to win versus actually winning
• appreciating the journey versus the
  destination
• the challenge becomes practicing what you preach
• community-wide competitive philosophy development