Setting a Strong Foundation for the Start of the Season

On today’s episode, we put the focus on things we can do as coaches to ensure a positive start to the season, especially in terms of staying aligned with the culture which we have worked on all year long and through camp.  

Going back and revisiting those things early in the season or before the week one kick-off puts the focus back on what has brought us to this point and reinforces the beliefs and behaviors that will take us through the long season.

It’s also an opportunity to build football IQ through dress rehearsals and to get the pulse of the team by establishing open lines of communication so that when any issues arise, there’s trust to work together to solve problems.

Doing these things puts your team on solid footing as the adversity that hits every team in some way is about to hit as it always does when the ball is kicked off.

First up is 2019 D2 National Champion Pete Shinnick. Coach Shinnick is 159-67 (.704 winning percentage) all-time as a college head coach, spanning 20 seasons with stops at West Florida, UNC Pembroke, and Azusa Pacific. He has earned Division II National Coach of the Year twice and became Towson's fifth head coach in its history in 2023. He talks about the beginning of a season being a time to review their culture with the team just like they do at the beginning of any phase of the year. It anchors the team in the culture they need to accomplish what they set out to do.

Next up is Head Coach at Austin Peay Scotty Walden. Coach Walden also believes in revisiting all the cultural beliefs and behaviors before they kick it off for the first time. He also explains the dress rehearsal they create so that everyone in their program - coaches, players, and support staff know exactly what they should do and where they should be on game day.  

We finish up with a 5x state champion head coach from Highland Spring HS in Virginia Loren Johnson. Coach Johnson explains the importance of sitting down with the leaders of the team to have open discussions outside of the football setting and how they also bring the whole team together to discuss how they need to do things and communicate throughout the season. Strong communication is at the core of a strong culture and team, so it’s worth the time to do this before the rhythm of the season hits.

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