9 Tips to Help You Get Your Team on the Bus

Here are some best practices that I’ve learned working with various teams. These are strategies to overcome adversity, build positive teams, create a positive culture and more.

1. First it’s essential to have your team read the book and really make sure they read it. Mark Richt, the head coach of the University of Georgia even tested his players to make sure they read the book. Truth is I’ve had coaches give the book to their players but the players don’t read it so it doesn’t do any good. But I’ve found when the players read it and internalize the story, the book becomes a part of them and their attitude and approach. This makes a huge difference and it’s much more powerful than just a speech. The best time to have them read the book is before the season starts and even before training camp.

2. Create a vision with your coaches for your team this year. It could be a goal. It could be a mindset of how you want to approach each day. It could be a symbol of a big goal you want the team to achieve. For example, the Jaguars goal was to be the most explosive team in the NFL. Mark Richt’s goal was to get to the George Dome twice which meant if they played there a second time they were playing for the SEC championship. He even made t-shirts with a picture of his goal and gave them to the players. A picture is a powerful tool to visual success.

3. Print and hand out bus tickets available at www.theenergybus.com at the start of training camp, share the vision with your team and invite your team on the bus. If they read the book they will know why you are doing this. Let the players know they have to hand in their bus ticket to let you know they are on the bus and committed to you and the team. This creates buy-in from your team.

4. Have them sign the Positive Team Pledge, available at www.trainingcamp11.com and commit to a no complaining training camp. Mike Smith head coach of the Atlanta Falcons created a no complaining training camp and made it clear that the team would not allow negativity and complaining to hold them back.

5. Also have each player submit and post their One Word vision for the year. This is the one word they will put on the front of their bus to drive them to be their best.

6. In the weeks that follow make sure you and your fellow coaches reinforce the importance of staying positive, sharing positive energy and not being an energy vampire. For High schools it’s important to also convey this message to parents as well. Print and post the free posters available at www.theenergybus.com to reinforce your positive messages.

7. Celebrate those who bring positive energy, passion and enthusiasm to the locker-room, practice and games and confront those who are being an energy vampire. Make it clear that you will not allow negativity to sabotage the locker room and team.

8. During the season, if the team loses, help them stay focused on the vision, united as a team and positive through adversity and challenges. I’ve found that the ability and willingness to stay positive in the face of negativity and adversity is the biggest benefit of The Energy Bus.

9. Finally, keep reinforcing the principles and ingrain them into your team culture throughout the year. Having worked with so many teams I’ve realized that it’s not the book that makes the teams successful. The book is just a tool. You can give a team a bus but if you don’t have a driver of the bus the bus doesn’t move. So coach, remember you are the driver. And the leaders on your team are drivers. And no matter what happen during the season, keep driving your team with positive energy, faith and belief.