From youth leagues to the pros, the number and intensity of unsportsmanlike conduct incidents by coaches, players, parents and other fans has increased dramatically during the past five years. Brawls in the bleachers, on courts and playing fields have become the rule rather than the exception. Violence and threats of violence are chronicled almost daily.

A severe shortage of officials is noted in response to the way those professionals are disrespected in every state, further exacerbating the already difficult job state high school associations have to facilitate meaningful education-based athletics programs for the students and communities.

Fingers can be pointed in multiple directions as to why this lack of discipline has become so prevalent. The breakdown of the nuclear family, win-at-all-cost mentality and social media explosion that perpetuates the “me” mentality all have played roles in undermining the work of coaches and athletics administrators. It’s clear that replacing these negative behaviors with positive outcomes by emphasizing, teaching and requiring transformational coaching is incumbent on school leaders.

In Tennessee, the high school association’s motto is clear and concise. Born out of a time when unsportsmanlike incidents and ejections were on the rise and as talk of increasing penalties circulated, Ronnie Carter, the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) executive director at the time, reminded the group to think in terms of positive steps. That led to the adoption of the following motto: “Just Do What’s Right!”

Current TSSAA Executive Director Mark Reeves was asked about his thoughts on transformational coaching:

“I lead to develop resilient students of integrity through the platform of education-based athletics. It is a fair question to ask why this is my purpose statement when I don’t work with kids everyday. However, I believe our most important job at the state office is to provide systems of support for those who are in the trenches every day changing kids’ lives through the life lessons they teach. Education-based athletics is noble work. Athletics directors and coaches have such a powerful platform. In order to maximize impact, it is critical that they display the characteristics of integrity, empathy, resilience and unconditional love to their students.”

In working through the challenges in education-based athletics as it relates to character and sportsmanship, the following concepts should be considered for inclusion in a school’s athletics program.

The Hearts Exercise
The Hearts Exercise is a connection tool designed for team members to share their stories with photos/images of their lives. There are four components, which include Early Childhood, Recent Events, Public Self and Private Self. Images can be placed on cardboard boxes or presented electronically with a PowerPoint presentation (one to two slides per category) providing an opportunity for each individual to share their experiences. This exercise builds camaraderie, creates a culture of empathy, and enables coaches and players to get to know each other outside the arena of competition.

One Page Culture Reports
Led by the athletic director, one page culture reports are a description written by each coach defining a team’s culture. Once the reports have been collected and reviewed, the athletic director identifies common language that is shared among all programs to craft and share a holistic perspective.

Each coach sets the tone for their players, programs, community and stakeholders by the expectations they set for themselves and the communities they are called to lead. Coaches must be intentional in their pursuit of character, climate and culture, while also prioritizing the core values that they have identified as the most important to develop in their respective programs. Following are additional tools administrators, athletic directors and coaches can employ as they purposely take time to teach transformational coaching.

Think Like a Rookie
Sometimes, it is wise to return to the past to understand the future. Do you remember your first day on the job as a coach? Adrenalin flowing and fired up, you carefully planned every moment for the life dream you’ve finally realized with the help of mentors along your journey.

Do you remember feeling vulnerable, yet 10 feet tall and bullet- proof in the same moment, wanting to ensure you covered it all with perfection? Hold onto those feelings. Ensure you feed that passion by associating with those you admire, respect and who will lead you in a positive direction. Associate with professionals who will hold you accountable to keep your priorities in line. The influence shared from one coach to another is powerful and is replicated in those with whom you share it, who live those priorities with their athletes. In turn, those athletes influence their family and community because of the values they’ve been taught. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

An Everyday Interview Mentality
Think about the opportunity you had when you interviewed for your dream job. You were up early, preparing mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, arriving early and giving it your all. While delivering responses to the questions posed, you modeled your best self, while also communicating a litany of the appropriate example and influence you would have on the lives entrusted to your care.

Realize it or not, you’re still interviewing for your job every moment. Your actions, behavior, body language, and especially your words are always on display, both on the job and everywhere you go. How you act and react is viewed by those who you know are watching and those you have no clue who are seeing and hearing everything you do. It’s incumbent on coaches to carry that weight with honesty, integrity and caring, compassionate character. Earn your job every day. In large measure, what you give away comes back to you.

Transformational coaching is more than the “win-at-all-cost” mentality. When you realize you’re intentionally interviewing for and earning your job every day by the way you carry yourself with everyone you encounter, your impact will be immeasurable. Always remember that if what you did yesterday is still important to you today, you haven’t done much today.

The True Measure of Successful Coaching
When coaches began their coaching journey, few, if any, gave thought to what that journey would look like in the twilight of their lives. Without question, everyone aspires to be successful, but what should the definition of success be? Is it victories on the scoreboard? How about the number of championship rings and coachof- the-year awards? Is that all there is? If so, you are missing the true measure of successful coaching.

You will know just how successful you were when you see the kind of people your players become. You will get indicators of what kind of job you did when players reach out to you long after that final horn, as they text, email, call or come by to tell you how much it meant to be coached by you and the lessons they learned from you along the way. In that moment, transformational coaching is its own reward.

Are you willing to sacrifice victory on the scoreboard for life principles that really matter? Do your core values stand strong in the face of pressure from public opinion? Would this closing story happen in your program?

Coach Dal Shealy was the head football coach at Carson-Newman College in 1972. Later in his career, he became the president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He made it clear that if you missed a practice, unexcused, you were suspended from the game that week. If you repeated that offense, you were removed from the team.

Qualifying for the NAIA National Championship to be played in Texas, a 55-man travel roster was required. A group of players, many of them starters, were angry that one of their friends wasn’t making the trip and boycotted the Monday practice in protest. When they returned on Tuesday, their lockers were empty. “But it’s the National Championship,” was the retort from those who went AWOL. “The rule is the rule,” was Coach Shealy’s response. Carson-Newman lost the game, 21-18, but he taught a transformational life lesson that will not be forgotten.

As you make a daily impact at school, don’t forget to prioritize family time at home. It’s easy to get so caught up in all that’s on your plate that you find everyone asleep when you walk through the front door at the end of the day. Cherish every moment with them, being mindful that time is the final currency and tomorrow isn’t a given.