No foul mouths on this field, on NYtimes
- Jimmy Graham on Carroll's Seahawks = "here, they feel like you guys are already men and we're going to treat you like men. It's literally all positive reinforcement."
- Gervais' psych and emotional input possible as Carroll built a team that valued keeping an open mind.
- Carroll and his staff are "supportive and nurturing"

How to increase mental toughness: 4 secrets of Olympians and Navy SEALS, on Bakadesuyo.com
1. Talk positively to yourself.
- Optimists have the view that bad things are temporary, bad things have a specific cause and aren't universal, it's not their fault.
2. Set goals
3. Practice visualization. Don't seek perfection, try to see problems you may encounter and how to solve them
4. Use simulations

Billy Bean on making better decisions... , on farnamstreetblog
- When he hired he looked out of sport to someone who didn't have his biases - Paul dePodesta was a Harvard Econ major.
- Remove the emotion from decision making - your own experiences are tied to an emotion. Take blind eye and look at things fresh. Don't make assumptions.
- Always analyze your process, make sure you weren't correct through serendipity but because the process is good and you are doing things properly.
- "I think, if anything, we certainly didn't fear failure, because we felt like going a traditional path was certainly the surest of failure based on revenues and the payroll we were on"
- Always analyze your foundation as culture and tradition are ingrained quickly. If you wrongly assume you are correct, it can really go awry.

Importance of friendship groups in sport, on SCUK
- understand young people's motivations for coming
- take time to understand friendship groups
- Encourage more/bigger/new friendship groups
- Allow time for social (media) breaks

The Rocky Road of Excellence, on changingthegameproject.org
- You must risk being uncomfortable to achieve something worthwhile
- Alan Stein = "Do the habits you have today match the dreams you have for tomorrow?"
- As coach, give players and team accountability. Hold to high standards. Make it tough, then be there after to debrief and understand outcome.

Greetings from Cub Med, on si.com
- Joe Maddon's Cubs Spring Training they seek to go about work with a collegiate confidence, a rapport in which the joy of playing together is greater than the burden of having to meet expectations individually.
- "Embrace the target". They welcome expectations.
- Joe Guru stressed Individuality and Authenticity. Spring Training isn't about reps but to think properly.
- 1st week Maddon has meetings with all players and he gives players the freedom to be most relaxed self.

Jameis Winston: What I learned, on MMQB
- A lot of what we did was just developing good habits

Drills. Why not? on rightbackonthebench
- Games based training works due to amount of touches, "players practicing everything the need to improve at football - practicing assessing the football situation, making a decision based on that assessment and then executing that decision all at the same time"

Is your feedback process false and failing?, on Coach Logic
By Allistair McCaw.
- A lot of coaches not consistent enough in providing honest feedback - regardless if nice or not.
- Many talk of 5:1 ratio in favour of positive comments, AM is more like 3:1 as need to be honest and realistic
- Eastern Euro coaches brutal honesty compared to US or UK
- Not 'criticize' but 'information'.
- Feedback centres around
1. Timing of it
2. Feedback based on facts, with proof
3. Feedback that is honest
- Lying to athlete and self if not giving the info they need
- "You don't improve with criticism, rather you improve with the right information"
- Effective communication 80% how delivered and 20% what.

Old Trafford kids buying into my philosophy, on DailyMail
- Louis Van Gaal - "I think being a teacher is part of my function as manager"

Reading the Game, by Ed Smith
- Team sports could do with more mentors and fewer touchline tyrants
- Standard assumption in sport that solution to under-performance is to focus on effort. Professional athletes as often try too hard as too little
- Best way to enhance team is, nearly always, to raise performance of individual players. Skill is the ultimate currency.

The X Factor, by James Counsilman, on foxsportspulse
- The Coaching X Factor is ability to see what needs to be done and doing it: cut through all the detail and get to the heart of the matter
- Great coach must have two basic abilities - good organizer and good psychologist

Pete Carroll Embraces Everybody, on Seahawks.com
- Let players experess themselves - "helping players be the best they can be"
- Not to do with sports, more parenting, mentoring and coaching.
- Person has much greater chance of reaching true potential if true to who they are
- Pete Carroll very demanding, but DEMANDING AND SUPPORTIVE

The Psychology of Success: Strategies for Coping on the Big Occasion, on connectedcoaches
- Everyone has psychological breaking point
- Simulating pressurised situations and discussing scenarios that may trigger fight or flight response is critical
- Learn to expect natural bodily response and devise routine to stay calm
- Champions don't raise game in defining moments, they maintain it
- High threat situations sees perceived challenge increase through negative self talk and lack of self belief

No Pressure, No Diamonds: GRIT, on medium
1. No pressure, no diamons
2. Grit composed of willpower, mindset and passion
3. Someone always chasing you
4. Be your best when it matters most
5. Creative Grit - reframe exhaustion as a positive
6. This is Water - gap between thought and emotion, replace with positive thought
7. Fear is your constant companion

TED Radio Hour Podcast: The Money Paradox, on NPR
- Dan Pink talks about Candle Problem by Sam Glucksberg - incentives. With the first group they set norms, second group had financial incentive to be faster BUT they ended up taking longer
- Financial incentive dulls thinking and inhibits creativity: not aberration, constantly the same results appear. The "If-Then" Incentives either don't work or do harm
- "If-Then" Incentives gets attention and is easy to organise, but money narrows focus
- Approach better if based on intrinsic motivation:
AUTONOMY, MASTERY, PURPOSE
- "If-Then" have been effective but less so nowadays

3 Simple Yet Effective Ways To Teach Team Resilience, on fastcompany
- Resilience "process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress" - American Psychological Association
- 1. BE AN ALLY, NOT A CRITIC. Social support essential to buffer their collective stress
2. REMIND THEM WHY YOU'RE ALL IN IT TOGETHER
3. LET TRUSTED TEAMMATES CHOOSE THEIR DUTIES

The Semmelweis Reflex
= "reflex-like tendency to reject new evidence or new knowledge because it contradicts established norms, beliefs or paradigms

7 Ways To Embrace Pressure, by John Haime, on playerdevelopmentproject.com
1. Close gap between practice and play. Targets and goals in training.
2. Thinking ahead to what you can't control creates fear
3. Align expectations with ability right now
4. Build confidence proactively
5. Stick to the plan
6. Enjoy environment and activity around you
7. Remember why you play

"I desperately want to be coached", on MMQB
- "any time you are raising your team's intelligence level, you're going to be able to be a more well-rounded football team"

How the Rams built a laboratory for Millennials, on wsj
- Use of technology
- Cater to shorter attention span = short meetings (purely informational) then out for run through
- Relaxed wake up times
- Emphasis on how to get players to focus and listen
- Focus on visual cues

How Nick Saban used psychology to build a dynasty, on UKBusinessInsider
- Saban focuses on "The Process" = simple but profound way of breaking down a difficult situation into manageable pieces
- "The Process" born in 1998 with team under-confident before a big game. It focuses on step-by-step thinking. The average play lasts 7 seconds = win those seconds then have a break, no focus on the scoreboard or end result.
- Keeping an eye on past or future creates either anxiety or dangerous comfort
- Rosen = "the most destructive phenomenon in sports is relief. It's typically followed by a decrease in performance"

Pep Guardiola an innovator and lateral thinker, on Telegraph
- Written instructions given to players to change tactics. Pep = "I needed to switch four players around, and rather than point out instructions to them 1 by 1, better they communicate with each other"

The key to coaching success: Love, on Whitehouse Address
- Vince Lombardi philosophy included a focus on Love
- "Mental toughness is Spartanism, with all its qualities of self-denial, sacrifice, dedication, fearlessness and love"
- "Love is...loyalty, teamwork, respect, charity"
- Quality of a great coach lies in ability to forge relationships with players while being able to persuade and convince the individuals to enhance their development"
- Modern society requires modern coaching
- Young people want to be talked to, not shouted at. They want to be respected. Yet above all they want to be loved.

The science behind effective coaching, on growingleaders
- 4 tools "new school" coaches can utilize:
1. Strength-based coaching = focus on developing their strengths
2. Visual-based = Visuals increase engagement and learning
3. Trust-based = give benefit of the doubt. Equations rather than rules
4. Relationship-based = connect with players individually. Cultivate personal power rather than use positional power

Successfully coaching today's player, on GaryCurneen
- Modern players are = highly confident, technologically savvy, independent thinkers, love variety, expect fast results
- Coaches should prioritise = constant feedback, individualised program, enjoyment, meaningful relationships

"To know when to intervene and when to say nothing is an art", on ESPN
- Mike Hesson ethos: emboldening players while remaining unobtrusive
- Playing at highest level need not be prerequisite to coaching = "If you haven't played you need to be able to look, learn, watch and absorb".
- "If you can't pass on the knowledge you have, it doesn't matter if you played 100 tests or none"

Arsene Wenger details philosophy, on Guardian
- "I'm a facilitator of what is beautiful in man"
- "The only moment of possible happiness, is the present. The past gives regrets. And future uncertainties."

Win Forever Chapter 12, by Pete Carroll
- Lane Kiffin and Rocky Seto young coaches tried to emulate the older coaches around them, but were "acting outside of themselves"
- PC encouraged them to stay true to their personality to be "most authentic and effective coaches possible
Chapter 13
- "Learn your learner". Create connections and relationships, observe and listen carefully to communicate in a way that best suits your learner

The following was written for Coach Logic and the original can be found at:

http://www.coach-logic.com/blog/learning-to-improve-your-coaching-the-what-and-the-how/

As a coach it is important to prioritise learning within your plans for development and career progression. In my view, learning is about more than just getting your qualifications, it is about embracing the concept of learning across all aspects of coaching. Whilst not exhaustive, in this blog I’ll discuss some of the areas that coaches can apply learning to and how they may do it.

Formal and Informal Learning
Within all sports there is a clear pathway to demonstrate your learning and development as a coach in formal qualifications and CPD courses. Within my field of Rugby, the RFU has Levels of Qualification as well as CPD workshops that focus on specific areas of the game. Regardless of where you view your coaching ability to be, these are crucial steps for your career and boxes that need to be ticked. Increasingly, Premiership Clubs are also running their own Coach Development workshops and I have attended a number of useful events held by both Wasps and Saracens. Seek these opportunities out because you may pick something up, or just as likely, you’ll meet and chat to other coaches with a variety of experiences and ideas.
On this latter point, informal learning is easier than ever now with the rise of the internet and social media. Twitter has been particularly useful for me to find resources, research papers, interesting articles and to connect with coaches in various sports or research fields. As a result of this interaction online, I have met with some fascinating coaches and sparked ideas to improve my own coaching just through casual conversations. Quick tip (thanks @jattaylor), download the ‘Pocket’ app to your phone to save papers, articles etc that you come across so that you can sit down to read them at a convenient time.

Learn About Yourself
I would always advise young coaches to take up as many coaching opportunities as possible to get as much experience as possible. Experience in different environments, coaching different ages or maybe different sports gives you a wealth of information to process and apply as you move forward in your career. Most importantly, it enables you to understand who you are as a person and a coach, and how that can be best applied to improve your practice. In his book, “Win Forever”, Pete Carroll details how two young coaches started with his programme at USC. Lane Kiffin and Rocky Seto, he recalls, tried to emulate the hard-nosed coaches around them and were “acting outside themselves”. Carroll encouraged them to stay true to their personality to be the “most authentic and effective coaches possible”. Vince Lombardi once remarked succinctly, “You’ve got to do things according to your own personality”. Taking up different opportunities allows you to constantly learn whilst in varying environments. Scott Parker recently revealed to The Guardianthat “when you are pushed out of your comfort zone, that’s when you realise you may have to learn a little bit more”.

Learn About Your Learners
This sub-heading is another phrase borrowed from Pete Carroll but is something that I believe in strongly – it is crucial to establish meaningful connections with your athletes so as to engender trust, open communication, honesty and to understand ‘what makes them tick’. Move beyond the player to get to know the person, where they are from and how their life experience has moulded them. Careful observation before/during/after training or in social situations will give you great understanding. Observation combined with attentive listening will enable you to understand the person and communicate in a way that best suits them and helps them to develop.

Learn About Learning
I’ll be the first to admit that my ‘Learning Theory’ lectures at University didn’t rank among my favourites, however I see now how important it is to have a grasp of the concept of learning. Whether in educational, sporting, music or any variety of setting, people have to learn along the way so as to improve. How one person learns compared to another could have a very real effect on your coaching and having an understanding as to how you might cater to each individual will enable you to get the most out of your athletes. Recently I was listening to ‘The Hidden Brain’ podcast where the particular episode revolved around a former violinist, Maya Shankar. At one stage it discusses her teacher, Itzhak Perlman, and the way he would ask Maya to explain how she thought she could do better and what tools she had at her disposal. He explained “The more you learn to think for yourself and how to make decisions for yourself, the better it will be for future performance”. The crossover to coaching sports was obvious to me. Experience alone isn’t enough if you are unable to pass on the knowledge you have.
​
Learn to Reflect Whilst Living in the Present
Reflective Practice is purposeful thinking, making the considered effort to consider and recall what happened, the part you played and your view of it as a coach against the expected outcome (SCUK). It enables you to examine your experience and transform it into learning. Think critically and be inquisitive. However, once you have reflected on a match/session/event then take what you can from it and move on. Don’t allow yourself to be a slave to the past or the future as it will create either anxiety or dangerous comfort (Nick Saban). Like Saban, Arsene Wenger recently commented in an interview that “the only moment of possible happiness is the present. The past gives regrets and the future uncertainties”.

10 Skills Any True Coach Must Balance, by Dan John
1. Constant assessment
2. Constant upgrading
3. Ignore perfect - strive for (a) Pretty Good (b) Better
4. This isn't moral theology - there's time for everything just maybe not today
5. Everything works - for a bit at least. Did it get you closer to the goal?
6. Achieving a Goal Vs Success - enjoy the process
7. After the peak is the cliff - what will you do when you reach the top? Always plan the route down.
8. Self-disciple is a finite resource - communal support needed
9. Fundamentals trump everything else
10. Take a moment to thank those who came before you

Why are Team Sky so successful?, on BBC
- Brailsford: "Elite sport is like a treadmill - stop moving and you fly off"

Pete Carroll, NFL's Eternal Optimist, on si.com
- Where some people say 'worst possible decision', Carroll says 'worst possible outcome'
- PC has "very deliberately created a culture that encourages passion and perseverance - the two components of grit"
- Carroll is "what psychologists call an Authoritative Parent: warm but demanding, unconditionally supportive but with hig expectations"
- Less about victory, more about process
- Striving FOR something, not AGAINST something
- Encouraged different, individual personalities - a celebration of uniqueness
- He wanted to frame even the epic SuperBowl defeat as a teachable moment

Graham Henry: Learned to win the RWC, on guardian
- Culture comes first
- Check your ego. Anecdote of Tana Umage asking Henry - "what/who are the team talks for? Are they for you or for us?"
- Empower your players
- Be smart
- Confront your weaknesses
- Expect the unexpected

Embracing the adaptive capacity of our young learners, on footblogball
- David Epstein = "In our pursuit of better players we are making better 10 year olds but not better senior players. The developmental pathway that makes the best 10 year old isn't the same on that makes the best 20 year old".

The Sports Gene Ch1, by David Epstein
- Most people "simple reaction time" is 200 miliseconds (time for retina to receive info and then put muscles in motion). Elite athletes are the SAME.
- Janet Starkes created modern sports 'occlusion' test in 1975. The test was to show photos from volleyball match with ball just in or just out of the shot. Players look at the photo for a fraction of a second (too quick to see ball). Elite players FAR better to determine if ball in the photo. 
- Elite athletes seemed to have 'miraculously' photographic memory when it came to their sport
- Elite athletes CHUNK information - unconscious grouping of information into smaller and more meaningful chunks based on patterns they have seen before
- "perceiving order allows elite athletes to extract critical information from the arrangement of players or from subtle changes in an opponent's body movements in order to make unconscious predictions about what will happen next"
- Brain automation is hyperspecific to the practised skill
- "it is software, not hardware" eg learned, not genetic

Developing World Class Potential, by Mark Upton on medium.
- Notes from Maria Ruiz de Ona talk...
- Environment needs to be positive by very clear about purpose of talent development
- Genuine change will lead to confusion/doubt for a while
- Coach needs to learn to observe
- To produce confident players we must create challenging environment
- "We need doubt - it makes us think"

The Power of Not Punting, on campusrush
- Kevin Kelley's Bruins don't punt the ball. They "always play as if they are 10 points down with 90 seconds left".
- Comes down to careful use of odds and statistics
- "nearly every great football innovation has come out of an attempt to close a talent gap"

Whenever I have a free moment I am trying to catch up on various columns, articles, research papers etc - anything that may be able to help me learn and improve as a coach. I scribble down notes in my trusty note pad so that I can refer back to them. However, a few weeks ago I had a slight panic when I managed to leave my bag in a taxi - my main concern was for my two notebooks (one for reading, one where I plan/record/reflect on all my coaching sessions). Thankfully, TFL came through and I was able to get my bag back. However, it occurred to me that I needed to bring my notes into the digital age in case I was to misplace my bag again in the future. They aren't exhaustive or summaries, merely the small bits that I took from the reading. If I found it interesting, then maybe others might so this is the first blog entry comprised of some of my reading notes. 

Firstly, I must thank Jamie Taylor (blog here), Sporticus (blog here), Si Nainby (blog here) and Stuart Armstrong (here) among many many others for their posts, their sharing of articles and papers. All have contributed greatly to my reading and learning since I became a coach full-time in January 2014. This 'series' of blogs will pale in comparison to the work they do, however hopefully it may contain something of interest for some coaches.

by Damien Hughes on Liquid Thinker
- the story of Sir Alex Ferguson who used Bill Beswick when talking to his players about three bricklayers. The first bricklayer is solely interested in building the wall and getting it finished. The second bricklayer is there because it is his job and he wants to earn the money for building the wall. However the third bricklayer sees the bigger picture and takes pride in building a cathedral so that he has something to show his kids. The players were then asked which bricklayer they would be in the upcoming training session and season. 

10 Creative Rituals You Should Steal, on Dailygood.org
- Number 10. Engage in 'morphological synthesis' whereby you segment your thinking process into parts. Pick four to five adjectives or characteristics and brainstorm (eg for me, how might we adapt to not winning any scrum or line outs for the whole season). It encourages you to flip between extremes and explore the outside boundaries so that you can see your sport more creatively.

Telegraph article on New Zealand and Gilbert Enoka
- When thinking clearly and your attention is fully engaged then you are able to make your best decisions. This is referred to as BLUE HEAD THINKING.
- Distraction and intrusive thoughts = RED HEAD THINKING
- Under pressure, ability to think clearly decreases so you rely on emotion and instinct. Therefore you don't pick up on the necessary cues to make good decisions.
- Moving from RED to BLUE requires an anchor to refocus attention and re-engage in the moment. All the NZ players have an individual anchor.
- Culture breeds mental strength - nourish who you are, where you came from and what you are about to become.

Greg Schiano Article on MMQB
- Modern athletes require constant motivation and stimulation. Coaches need to be able to live within this organised chaos.
- As part of this, Schiano bought into the Chip Kelly philosophy of no meetings lasting longer than 30mins to ensure they are focused and efficient.
- Real success is leaving a legacy
- "I didn't know what I didn't know, which is dangerous"

No Days off: Nick Winkelman on blog.champssports.com
- "I'm the driving instructor. My job is to teach them how to drive their car more effectively."

The Power of Positive Coaching - Pete Carroll, on MMQB
- Carroll has a clear vision of how he wants to run the programme
- he seeks relentless competitiveness and the constant quest to identify and maximise the uniqueness of every player and coach.
- commitment to a NURTURING environment that allows people to be themselves whilst still accountable to the team
- Treat each day/session as if something positive is about to happen
- The importance of FUN and COMPETITIVENESS
- Sessions themed to specific aspects of the game
- Can you explain your coaching philosophy in 25 words or less?

The Essence of Pete Carroll's "Win Forever Philosophy", on Seahawks.
- winning forever more important than winning the next game. Constant focus on COMPETING, MAXIMISING POTENTIAL and MAKING THE MOST OF OPPORTUNITIES.
- Help players and coaches to realize potential and be as good as they can be.
- "To accomplish the grand, focus on the small"
- Win forever = ALWAYS COMPETE.

Always Compete: Examination of Pete Carroll's Philosophy, on fieldgulls.com
- The benefit of always competing = FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
- Approach every game with the intensity of a Championship game. This approach tries to avoid an overreaction to the result such as a decrease in motivation after success.
- The ultimate expression of his philosophy would be that players continually play one way - as if they are about to play a Super Bowl.
- Carroll stresses the importance of TRUSTING THE PROCESS. Don't worry about future events, focus on having best day possible today. Let go of the past both positive and negative.
- Training must be as fun as possible with a competitive element and to build confidence

The Seahawks Success Formula, on Forbes
- less focus on winning/losing, more focus on being at one's best - PROCESS OVER PRODUCT.
- 'Training is where we become/make us'

Pete Carroll's Positive and Profound Approach... on NBC Sports
- Belief system comprises of three rules:
1. Always protect the team
2. No complaining, no excuses
3. Be early
- BUILD CONFIDENCE, GAIN TRUST
- No such thing as a big game
​- Confidence and trust lead to focus.