“Most teams self-destruct, as opposed to getting beaten by someone else.”
Tara VanDerveer, Legendary Stanford Women’s Basketball Coach

How many games did your team self-destruct this past season instead of forcing your opponents to beat you?

"The players have to know what you stand for.
What are your values?
We want these guys to really love the process.
When you talk about these values you can write ’em on a wall,
but if they don’t come alive every day then they’re not real.”
Steve Kerr

"I am confident because I put in the work. So, once I step into those big competitions, like the Olympics, my inner dialogue is more like, ‘You can do this. Have confidence. And think back to everything you’ve done in training is for this moment now.’" Simone Biles

AS A LEADER, WHAT YOU TOLERATE
becomes your team's STANDARD.

Whatever you deem is good enough
becomes your team's STANDARD.

Whatever bad behavior you ignore
becomes your team's STANDARD.

Whenever you don't hold someone accountable
becomes your team's STANDARD.

#CultureWins

Team leaders and captains serve as the guardians and caretakers of your team's culture. Like the safety guardrails on a treacherous highway, your team leaders must keep your team on the road to success instead of running into the ditch, or worse, off the side of the mountain.

TRUE SUCCESS is being able to look in the mirror at the end of the day and know deep in your heart that you gave it your all, that you did the right thing, and that you honored your teammates, your coaches, and your sport by how you trained and competed.
#CultureWins

ACCOUNTABILITY MEANS:
✅ Do what you say you will do.
✅ Hit the standard you need to hit.
✅ Play and fulfill your role.
✅ Consistently produce results.
✅ Understand your ripple effect.
✅ Be there for your teammates.
✅ Follow through on your commitments.
#CultureWins

YOU DECIDE
#CultureWins

"Your best player has to set a tone of intolerance for anything that gets in the way of winning."
Jeff Van Gundy

Who's Got Your Back?
Anyone can support athletes and coaches when they're winning.

The true tests of loyalty are these:
Who has your back when you're losing?
Who is in your corner when others are fleeing?
Who sticks up for you when you're not in the room?

That is true loyalty.

Championship Cultures Require Alignment
Alignment between ADs and Coaches
Alignment between Coaches and Athletes
Alignment between Athletes and Athletes
Alignment between Vision, Values, and Standards

"You gotta get the right people in place. Our culture was built on 3 things: work, being selfless & trusting each other. We wanted to get people, not just players, but on my staff and throughout the building that could embody that every single day and buy into it." Michael Malone

The best captains are
all about their TEAMMATES.

The best coaches are
all about their ATHLETES.

The best teachers are
all about their STUDENTS.

The best leaders are
all about their PEOPLE.

Who are you all about?

#ItsNotAllAboutYou
#ItsAllAboutThem
#CultureWins

CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURES
⛔️ Avoid and Eliminate Box 1 People
🗣 Coach and Develop Box 2 People
✂️ Confront and Cut Box 3 People
🧲 Attract, Play, and Promote Box 4 People

YOU WIN WITH PEOPLE
In the long run, you win with good people.
You win with people of character.
You win with people who share your vision, values, and standards.
You win with people who have your back.
Recruit these people
Reward these people.
Retain these people.
#CultureWins

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS:
✅ win close games
✅ manufacture wins
✅ win when behind
✅ win when ahead
✅ win ugly
✅ win in dominating fashion
✅ win when no one gives them a chance
✅ win at home
✅ win on the road
✅ win when healthy
✅ win when injured
✅ win no matter what

COACHES AND CAPTAINS
Your job isn’t to be liked—it’s to be respected.
Don’t let your team cut corners, make excuses, or disrespect each other.
Accountability isn’t punishment; it’s the path to greatness.
Hold them to your team's standards and watch them rise. #CultureWins

“I was so much better prepared to take my game to another level. I prepared so well for the entire season that everything just flowed. It was better than I could have expected. It proved that commitment and hard work really do change things.” Natalie Novosel

"When we started winning championships, there was an understanding among all 12 players about what our roles were. We knew our responsibilities and capabilities. Those were the kind of things we had to understand and accept if we were going to win championships.” Michael Jordan

“You are not going to win without talent.
But you can lose with it too.”
Lou Holtz

When you invest your whole heart and soul into something...
losing is extremely painful and
winning is so satisfying!

Don't be one of those people who holds back.
Who gives less than their best effort.

Give it your all
and risk failure
but also set yourself up for success.

IT TAKES WHAT IT TAKES
you can't short cut it
you can't wish for it
you've got to work for it
you've gotta choose hard
you've got to perform to a championship standard
you've got to expect it from yourself
you've got to demand it from your teammates
WILL YOU INVEST WHAT IT TAKES?

"It comes down to three building blocks within our program: toughness, togetherness, and find a way." Dawn Plitzuweit

"Culture Wins."
John Beilein

“I don't want to survive and advance,
I want to conquer and dominate.”
Geno Auriemma

"If you learn to use it right, the adversity, it will buy you a ticket to a place you couldn't have gone any other way." Tony Bennett

“If you want to be a champion, you have to build a team around the guys who care about the only stat that matters. It’s WINS. Just WINS." Shane Battier

EMBRACE THE TRUTHS OF SPORT
🎯 The game doesn't care who's supposed to win.
🎯 Your season reveals what you did in the offseason.
🎯 Talent is important but it isn't enough.
🎯 The video doesn't lie.
🎯 It's never over until it's over.
#CultureWins

Don't just match your opponent's intensity,
exceed it.

Don't just survive and advance,
thrive and dominate.

Don't just do the bare minimum,
be the first one in and the last one out.

Don't just hope you will be successful,
know you will succeed by doing the work.

#CultureWins

HOW TO WIN AT SPORTS AND LIFE

When you make a commitment,
follow through.

When you give your word,
keep it.

When you have a role,
play it.

When you need to perform,
produce results.

When people count on you,
get the job done.

When you make a mistake,
own and correct it.