The More You Pour Into Your Players, The More They Have To Give

Home / Blog / Blogs / The More You Pour Into Your Players, The More They Have To Give

The More You Pour Into Your Players, The More They Have To Give

“What’s down in the well, comes up in the bucket.”

We’re sure you’ve heard this countless times, but it’s one of those great quotes which we need continual reminders of.

The Naval Seals have a saying, “You don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training.”

The Seal teams are the very best for a reason, they don’t leave things to chance. They don’t wait for the moment to arrive, and then act.

They prepare in advance.

While we may not always have to most talented teams year in and year out, we can still get the most out of them. However, we as coaches must intentionally pour into our players.

The more we do, they more they have to give.

In the incredible leadership book, Legacy, author James Kerr shares the following formula for leadership and success:

Performance = Capability + Behavior

As we prepare for the upcoming fall sports season and school year, it’s crucial to keep this formula in mind.  We have the ability as leaders of our programs to increase our players’ capability and behavior by what we pour into them.

Better people absolutely make better leaders.

As leaders, we can live our lives with integrity. We can live out integrity every day in practice by staying true to our values. When we do, our players WILL follow suit.

When we are able to improve each individual player, we exponentially improve our teams. As coaches we should do the following to enable our players to take charge:

  1. Define our goals (program, season, player)
  2. Provide resources needed to improve
  3. Provide continuous feedback
  4. Focus on techniques & strategy
  5. Increase the amount of reps on skills desired
  6. Increase focus and intensity during practice reps
  7. Repeat until it’s automatic

Our legacy as coaches is what we teach.

When we’re intentional with what we pour into our players, our players have more to give.

When the leaders improves, everybody wins!

P.S.

Coaches, we can’t wait for you to see what we’ve been working on all summer. Stay tuned for a big announcement which will help YOU pour more into your players!

Have fun and #LeadEmUp

Get Part 1 Free

Get access to part 1 of the Green Team Framework FREE!

Green Team Framework

Other Posts

Podcasts

1 Thing Every Athletic Director Must Have

1 Thing Every Athletic Director Must Have

In this episode, we break down the three levels of athletic directors, from the ones who are just doing a job to those who are truly driving a culture of excellence. You’ll also discover the one essential trait every great AD must have to build, sustain, and lead a winning program. Whether you’re an AD, a coach, or someone working under leadership that feels checked out, this episode will give you language, clarity, and conviction about what it really takes to lead athletic programs to the next level.

Real Leadership Talk for Today’s Athletes

Green Room Ep. 6: Earned, Not Given – The Leadership Battle

Watch the full video here: leademup.com/greenroom

In this episode, we dive into what it really means to fight for leadership on a team, not with words, but with actions, consistency, and courage. Leadership isn’t a title you’re handed; it’s something you earn every day by how you show up, hold others accountable, and protect the standards that define a winning culture.

Download the Green Room Player Reflection Template, a simple PDF that coaches can use to have their players reflect on the episode. It’s perfect for sparking discussion and capturing key takeaways.

Download here: leademup.com/the-green-room-player-reflection-worksheet/

Get Part 1 Free

Get access to part 1 of the Green Team Framework FREE!