In the book The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath share that when looking back at an experience, people remember two things: the peak and the end. As we analyze the experiences that we give (and take part in), I think coaches and athletic directors are well served to take a close look at what “peaks” they build into their athletes’ experience as well as how they end that experience.
For athletes and coaches, there are naturally occurring “peaks” that happen throughout the season. A last minute comeback win over a crosstown rival, or earning a trip to the state tournament both serve as landmark events in the memories of those who have experienced them. However, I have found that relying on these that serve as peaks to an athlete’s experience is not enough.
Reflecting on both my experience as a coach and athlete, some of the most treasured memories that I have are experiences that were independent of win or championship. As a coach, one of the best memories that I have is a retreat where we took our team to a remote town on the Deschutes River. We camped on the river, coaches cooked breakfast, practiced at a field with a cinder track that overlooked the Deschutes River canyon and of course we took the team white water rafting. We had a good season going 6-3 and barely missing the play-offs. I have to think some about which teams we beat and which we lost to but I remember vividly that retreat and I’m sure our players do as well.
Coach Pete Carroll said in this book Win Forever that he aims to fascinate his players every day. This is easier said than done but if we start a season off with a plan of how we can create an experience our players can’t live without, I believe we may have some success doing so as well as some fortunate accidents.
Where there are peaks, there will also be valleys. Another important aspect of intentionally building a championship experience is to identify and fill in the “potholes” that occur during the season. Embracing these as “growth opportunities” is helpful from a mindset perspective. It’s okay to have bad experiences from time to time but the important thing is for us to not repeat them and to reduce them from happening in the future.
Whether you take your athletes on a team retreat, have a karaoke contest or build in competitions to determine who eats first during team meals, these seemingly superfluous experiences are many times what we will remember 10 years down the road. The more of these opportunities you create, the better your experience will be.
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