Wednesday July 29, 2009

Believe

Believe
Last night I was watching a Major League Baseball game when the announcer mentioned Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle had a perfect game through five innings. This was unbelievable considering he was coming off of a perfect game in his previous start. Wouldn’t you know it but as soon as I switched over to watch history, Buehrle gave up a walk to end his record streak of consecutive retired batters at 45. The next Minnesota Twins hitter got a single to break up the no-hitter and then a double by Joe Mauer ended the shut out.

It was another example of the single most fascinating aspect in sports which is psychology. The psychology of sports is my favorite topic because it is such a huge part of every sport. The human mind is the powerful tool on Earth and I love analyzing the different aspects of psychology as it pertains to sports.

This is at the forefront of Clemson football in its current state. This is what Dabo Swinney calls his biggest goal. This involves coaches, players, administrators, support staff, students and fans.

Dabo says he is trying to get over 100 football players and a complete staff to believe. If they believe then it shows on the field and the administration, the students and the fans start to believe. Wins and energy means high school prospects start to believe and recruiting even better athletes becomes easier.

This is one of the subjects he visited with University of Texas’ Mack Brown about. He has consulted Gene Stallings about it. Danny Ford, Bill Curry and others have given advice on the subject as well.

Lou Holtz talked about changing the culture at South Carolina. He was actually able to do it at several schools. Steve Spurrier asked, “Why not us?” And the answers are found in the mindset often times.

At some places it is easier than others but every coach has to win over the trust and gain credibility with all involved. Unfortunately, often times in today’s society, that believe comes and goes from week to week.

I hear it every week on the radio show. After a win the fans are excited and some believe that was the win that was going to get the program back on track. We have found our man, our quarterback or our focus. We will not lose again.

After a loss, the coach is an idiot, the second-team quarterback needs to be playing and our season is over because we may never win again.

I was asked by a Gamecock fan on the radio this morning if I thought message boards had any effect on the players. My answer was the cumulative effect of all of their surroundings has an effect. One day on my show Oliver Purnell made the point about the psychology of free throw shooting. He said if a player is asked about the low free throw percentage by his friends, his girlfriend, his professors, the people serving him lunch, his tutors and his classmates then eventually it becomes a factor. He said the mind is too powerful for it not to become a factor.

So how do you turn a program around? How do you get people to believe?

The answer is to win but how do you win without believing first?

Dabo’s first order of business last year and early in his head coaching career is to convince those within the program. His staff has to believe in what they are doing and then they have to convince the players to buy in and believe in the direction of the program.

This is difficult because young people can be easily influenced but they can easily lose confidence as well. Believing comes easy but it can leave easy also. Sustaining this believe by the players is a tall task.

If he can convince the staff and players and sustain that belief then everything else becomes much easier. The fans will fall in line if they see results. They are easy to convince because they truly want to believe anyway.

The administration is easy as it falls in line because they see the fan support and like the revenue produced and everything that comes with winning.

High school prospects are the easiest part of this equation because they are the youngest and the most easy to influence. If you win then these young kids will buy into your program. Your program becomes more attractive because of winning and all that comes with winning like TV, bowl games and championships.

So the high school prospects, fans and administrators are the simple part of the equation because they are so reactionary.

Now let’s go back to the hard part dealing with the original issue of getting the players to believe. You can get players to believe in one of three ways. If you have been successful in the past, you have credibility with players. They know you have done it before so there is a chance you can do it again. This is the thought behind hiring a Holtz, Spurrier or Butch Davis.

As second way to do it is through new schemes. Urban Meyer brought credibility to Florida because of his offensive scheme and success with Alex Smith at Utah.

But I think the third way is perhaps the best way. A coach can have players believe by being an inspirational leader. He can gain their trust by being honest. He can show them love by showing concern for them as people. He can inspire them to follow by leading by example and showing character, fairness and integrity.

In my opinion because you won at one place and time does not mean you will win at another place and time (Spurrier or Holtz). Also schemes come and go. So, long-term success is built on a solid foundation. It means showing the kind of people skills that can inspire others to follow.

Nick Saban was not so successful at Michigan State that the players at LSU automatically bought in. They bought in because of his leadership. At Alabama they may have originally bought in because of the success at LSU but his leadership is what will maintain success in Tuscaloosa. Pete Carroll was not ultra-successful in the NFL and it has been his personality and leadership that has maintained success at Southern Cal. Mack Brown’s people skills are more impressive than his x and o’s and that is how he has been successful in Austin.

These are simple concepts but also fascinating concepts because they are perhaps the single most important aspects of sports.

I believe in Dabo. I think he has the people skills to inspire others to follow him. He has convinced a lot of people so far. If he can continue to convince the players then others will fall in line and many more will become believers. If he cannot convince the players then he will have a hard time keeping even the most dedicated fan in his corner. This is much more important than any scheme.

The Brad Hughes All-State Insurance Agency

Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
*If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
*If you would like to add someone to the list please e-mail me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
*If you want the reason for the prayer to be added to the name please specify in your e-mails.
*Please let me know when it is appropriate to take the person off of the prayer list

Those who need our prayers include:
Finn Brookover, Mrs. Kathleen Bowers, Larry in Naples, FL, RTG-Pawsitive Tiger, Mary-Louise Pawlowski (John's daughter), Jo Ann Bachman, Frank Taylor, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard Gillespie and his family, Jim S, Christine Hepfer, Daniel Rosborough, Amy Murphey, Jack Huffman, Nancy Winkler, Dr. Nancy Strom Morgan, John Reeve, Eileen Woodrum, Ethel Southard, Vinnie Brock, Jean-Pierre Bailey, Kaitlyn L, Delores Weaver, Eric Boessneck, John Bowers, Jimmy Ness, Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, John Petrey, Chalmers Carr, Drayton Melton, Jeffrey Greene.