A Simple, Powerful Mindset for Coaches

Hi Coach,

Before you dive in, two quick notes:

In today’s issue:

The mindset we approach our athletes with is more important than we often realize.

It can be the difference between a player reaching their potential and coming up short of what they’re capable of.

The beliefs we hold about our players shape the ways we communicate with, coach, and lead them.

Coaches are just like everybody else, quick to make judgments about other people with a lack of context, information, or based on one bad moment.

I know I’ve been guilty of it.

A few years ago, at a tryout for a 7th grade basketball team, one of the athletes said an expletive during a game, and I heard it.

In that moment, I made negative judgements about the player and what he would be like to coach.

Three years later, that same athlete was on a team I was an assistant coach with.

He turned out to be one of the most enjoyable athletes I’ve ever coached, and I still have a strong relationship with him to this day.

My judgments about him were dead wrong.

I would have been well-served to hold the same simple philosophy as Chiefs’ Head Coach Andy Reid (3x Super Bowl Champion & 4th Most Wins in NFL history):

“Don’t Judge.”

Reid has kept this simple phrase written on an index card above his desk for decades.

In the ESPN documentary The Kingdom, following the Chiefs’ quest for a three-peat during the 2024 NFL season, Baltimore Ravens’ Head Coach John Harbaugh (a former assistant under Reid), shared some insights into Reid’s philosophy.

"You meet players where they're at, then try to figure out where you can go with them,” said Harbaugh, “Andy was always looking for the best. His dreams for the player were bigger than the player's dream for himself."

When asked about his “Don’t Judge” philosophy, Reid said:

“I try to look at the positive in somebody first. We've all got our deals that we've been through. So I try to keep that door open. You've got to give people a chance.”

I will confess, my natural instinct is to find the negatives, flaws, and shortcomings in people, places, and processes. I’m guessing I’m not the only coach like this.

At my core, I’m an improver and a builder, so I’m constantly identifying where things could be better.

However, I’ve been better served when I approach people and teams with Reid’s philosophy.

Here’s to seeing the positive first and giving people a chance.

“Don’t Judge.”

Watch the 1-minute clip below 👇

A few thoughts on how this could apply in your coaching or leadership context…

Topics include:

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📝 Download the Notes 👉 Free PDF

Thanks for reading, I hope this serves you on your journey.

To your growth,

Luke Gromer, RYG Athletics | A NIKE Sports Camp Provider

P.S. If you’re interested in becoming one of our NIKE Sports Camp directors, reply “NIKE” to this email! You can see testimonials from over 100 athletes that attended our camps last summer.

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