Building a Championship Team

At the USC John McKay Athletic Center Opening last Saturday, former Trojan Head Coach John Robinson spoke on "Building a Championship Team."

Robinson coached the 1978 Trojans to a national championship; he has a 8-1 bowl record, with 4 Rose Bowl wins. I enjoyed his talk and I thought his points related well to building any team or department.

1. Recruit Smart - Get the very best talent you can, but don't be fooled by just athletic ability. Athletic ability gets the kid the look. It's his/ her character that gets the offer. Robinson says he will take a little lesser developed athlete that he knows will come in and work hard and will add positively to the chemistry. For us the corollary is experience. Experience is important but character is number one.

2. Fundamentals - Teach the fundamentals and drill them constantly. Each practice session should have time devoted to fundamental skill development. You have to have a system for this in order to be effective. Do you drill service and facility fundamentals with your team? Is a portion of every meeting devoted to it?

3. Team First - You have to be willing, and you have to have players who are willing, to put their needs and desires aside for the team. Do you have people who are willing to do whatever it takes for the club and your team? Do they help with covering shifts and pitch in on club events? Are your people looking for ways to make each other better?

4. Build Relationships- Robinson noted this as a key element in having a championship team. Motivate your people individually and stay positive, always look for the opportunities to sincerely compliment a player. Spend time getting to know your people as individuals. You can only do this if you spend time together. Positive peer pressure from your "Team Captains" is also key. Often, peers can say things to each other that a coach can't. If your captains are on the same page with the coach, you are in great shape.

5. Lastly, be sure to tune into your people's non-verbal cues. Read between the lines, check their body language and dig a little deeper when you sense something is wrong. Let them know you care about them on and off the field.

I hope these points help you to build a championship team.