53

The Prize is in the Process

Ryan Davis

Colorado State University

Head Strength Coach
-

n this day and age, too many people want to get the prize without the
process; they have the "microwave mindset." People want to put

things in the microwave for 30 seconds and see the finished product.
Think for a second. Before microwaves, the most etficient way to

heat something up was an oven. The oven required time. It required

There was a process. And if we're being honest, most of the time,
patience.
the food was better than the microwave version.

Today, we battle a sense of entitlement with athletes. They are

often impatient, having everything at their fingertips. We live in a world

where things are quick. They don't require a great deal of work or patience.
In my opinion, this lack of patience and process breeds entitlement and a

need for immediate gratification.

I have been working for Coach Bobo for the last three seasons and
the thing we always tell our team is that the prize is in the process. I give
credit to Jocko Willink for providing what we feel is the perfect metaphor to

describe what our program is about: pushing the rock.

results without the strain. We want our athletes to

People want

embrace the strain. Imagine taking a rock and having to push it up a

ntaln, one grueling step after another. There are lessons to be learned

113
 You see, its
not about getting to e
with everr step. top. It is
step. Everysimply aboy
u n c e of you into
on
Ounce
sew o
putting every you 1nto the next step, E.
focusing
new challenges, and regardless
of the challenges, we
we have to day bin
e willing to
we have into pushing that rock just
put everything one
more
single time a new challenge 1s thrown at you and
and you step. Even
nushine the rock one more step, there is a certain Overcomeme itit hby
growth that happeny
internall which makes the next challenge just a little bit easier ens
to
through. push
When vou learn to embrace the process of
pushing
dailv challenges, you will callous your mind
and spirit in a through thothose
face adversitv head on and not fold or tlinch when
way that you
it hits, can
nat, my
the prize. We try to
impart this
knowledge tO triend
every one off our
our athletes
because it prepares them for the road ahead. if
you can
get a team
this war, day in and to foeus
day out, and the right opportunity meets the proCesc
Tou may be playing or competing for
More championships on a
consistent basis
importantly, you know you are
preparing your athletes for the
challenges they will face in the real world.
Keep pushing the rock.

Athlete Huddle
What are some
things you are
going
through to have to find
tind way to
a V push

Coach Huddle
What will you do
to get better? today to get your
athletes to push and take that one step
 55
Ir's All About Effort

Bob Alejo
Director of Sports Performance - Power Lift

kay, look at me. Today was a great day. We got better. Here's
what I liked about today. Here's how we improved: I saw a lot

of concentration at the platforms, heavy weights being lifted,

and you encouraging one another. I saw really strong folks

encouraging teammates with less strength than themselves, as if only the

effort mattered and not the weight. I gave you the workout, you followed

what I asked you to do, and I can honestly say that today has been the best

far.
you've put forth so

Remember, and I tell my own children this: "It's all about the
effort!" Really, when you think about it, it's the only thing you can control:
how hard you try. Results are secondary to me because without effort,
results are impossible anyway. If you go as hard as you can, lifting, practice,
school, and you meet up with a momentary disappointment, you tip your
hat and come back to fight another day. If your effort is poor, short or

untocused, you will never know what could have been. After today, your
body and mind will not be the same. Tomorrow, because of the intensity

and mind you had before.

you put into today, you will have a body never

Get ready for it. I'm excited for you.

the pace of our work.

This is where we can improve: the tempo,
Stil a bit short. Things happen a bit faster at this level, and I want you to be

117
 vant o
onn the bar before

weight
you
want
your set.
what after.
Know immediately

prepared
for it.
unload
the bar diec.
your
Partners,
help
load
and
much,
but enough gh
make aa c
to make
to
fference.
not
Small
things,
urselves as champions every day,
t e a m m a t e .

Think
of yoursel
listen to
me.
study,
s t
Now, dress,
ess,
the way you
the way you go
you
the way
you walk,
hold your teammates
hold your the same
The way Most
importantly,

about your
business.
2006
NCAA National Championship men's
NCAA

on
the
a
coach
of 2006.
anuary of 2006, the beginning of
standard. I was
Barbara.
Barbara. In January
ta
Santa
UC themsel
team
from
referred
reterred to themselves and their
soccer
sure
sure they
they
made
made
they as thew
nes as they could.
spring
quarter,
day, as many
times After
every
teammates
as
champions
on,
session we
we always broke it
always broke it do
do
or a weight training
conditioning he commitmen
commitment grow as the
practice, the
You could
see
"Champions!
with the cry of August arrived, it was all too
and when
came into focus,
view of that goal much more intense. No talk oe

it became that
the season,
real. During matches. No talk of what Seed
ed
number of
conference, any or
winning the a loss, Onlu the
t o u r n a m e n t . No
discouragement after
in the
they wanted it work? I don't know.
The one
the national title. Did
intentionof winning
themselves "champions" every day,
know for sure is this: they called
thing I became champions.
double-overtime in the snow, they
and in

standard and good things will happen.

Hold yourself to that same

Go and have a great day!

Athlete Huddle

How do you desctibe yourself? How do you see yourself?

Coach Huddle

What does i t mean to be a champion? W h a t kind o f champions a o you

want your athletes to be?
 61
Leadership Is E a r n e d

Zach Mathers

Traier
- Universitv ae

Athletic
S&C/Head
Director of Sioux Falls

A promotion? A title
to lead?
someone
the right
That gives election. Not even vears
not even a n

W
takes times. You
A rank

taken. It

can
or degree? No,
of experience. Leadership
cannot

pick
be

eam
assumed.

captains,
cannot

It can
be

only
given.

but you cant

It cannot

be earned. And thar

pick leaders,
be

Leadership emerges.

leader Is to not persuade others to follow. Ir

The key to becoming a
lies in becoming someone they want to follow. Make yourselt trustworthy.
Make yourself consistent.

A leader serves. He's not too good to get dirty. He puts others tirst.

A leader stands at the front. He's the first into battle, the first to embrace
danger. He never orders someone else to take a risk he wouldn't. A leader
sees himself as a team player, not a general. He works alongside others, not
above them. He celebrates victories as results of team effort. A leader 1s a
builder. The more confidence
he constructs, the more
creativity he
encourages, the more successful his team. He never tears down. A leader
not only
lays plans but takes action. He's not afraid
of being imperfect. a
leader leads a leader can be led. A leader
and
embraces good ideas, even
they challenge his own.

130
 Athlete Huddle

leave out? What makes a

good leader? What leadership
did I
What
see in your coaches?
do you
qualities

Coach Huddlee

coaches?
b e t t e r serve your fellow
How c a n you
 Investment and Ownership
Bryan Miller
c i a t e S&C Coach & Sports Science Coordinator.
United States Naval Academy

thletes, 1nvesting in your personal development is similar to

investing in the stock market. There are always multiple and

A unforeseen tactors that may positively or negatively influence

Tour ROI. Needless to say, both the stock market and your daily
rraining results are highly volatile. It's common to put a lot of money into

ctocks when you have the available capital, but then to forget about the
investment, not checking your daily yields until something bad happerns: a
big loss or even bankruptcy.

This is exactly how many of you start your otfseason training. You
have great intentions initially, but you soon get lazy and complacent as the
becomes harder. You slack ott until a wake-up call brings you back.
Maybe your head coach doesn't like your effort. Maybe your teammates
start passing you up. Maybe I call you out for not taking ownership of y
Situation.

lo ensure you're staying disciplined and on track, lve placed

SEveral stock market symbols around the borders of your weekly workout

Sneets. They represent what you are investing in each day. In the middle of

your sheet is a dollar bill, This is your ROI. Every week, the size of your
r n will indicate your level of success; if your efforts and training results

80 p. you'll earn more. If not, you won't. Either way, both you and your

143
 hard you ve
trained each eek and you
re.

exactly how
will know Your willin.
net worth.
ingness to
teammates

obtain the m o s t
to
will alwar's be competing succesS.
vour
determine
process
will
Own your

Athlete Huddlee

atfect your ROI

What are the factors that positively o r negatively

Coach Huddle

Are vou matching your players daily investment in your program?

 68
Building on the Rock
Chad Smith

Director of Strength & Conditioning -

Florida International University

ne story I tell my athletes is about taking your time and

house down to the rock, the foundation. I tell this

building a
or
story at the beg1nning of either our winter training program
summer training program, usually after
a challenging workout.
illustration of our why, our process. We learn and gain
Itprovides a good
confidence through struggles.

need to build our house on the rock.

I tell them we

There are two types of people in the world, people who spend huge

amounts of money in rushing to get their

houses built as quickly as possible
to build their houses
and people who take their time, maybe even years,

properly.
about
their houses built right away don't care
The people who want

take time in paying attention to every detail

TOundations. They don't want to

they hire people to expedite

obstacles during construction;
Or
1acing daily house can be
is how fast the
process for them. Their main
concern
nat
it off to their peers.
the finished product and show
Duilt, so
they can enjoy don't care
whatthey want, and they
hey want an immediate fix. They
want
are built on
get there. These people's homes
now many shortcuts it takes to

145
 because ther :

dont
know that, t do the
But they
ground.
top
of the
work themselves.

These
Ihese people do
people care abou
other type.
the bedro
Then
there's
all the way to
to bedrock. It
challenge
to dig
down

heus
akes
It's a
you build a
foundations.

and a lot of
hard
w o r k . But
when

from those L
yourself
learn
time, patience,

face every
challenge
personally, you
a lesson. Ever
llenges
when vou
mistake you
make
teaches you
buildin.
Ock
,k
personalv. Every
weakness,
not justin
what you're ling, but in
identity solutions, Yo
eliminates
address
rou problems.
You grow.
vourself, as well. You identify house stronger. You
build
, mess
how to make your
shows you
Every failure
start o v e .
tear down, and
up,
you (who've alread
process,
those around y
All throughout your
But you know something they don'
houses) may be laughing.
finished their

You know storms

are coming.

the strength of
Storms always come, and
when they do, they test

not preparing your

house tor a sunny day. You're
what's been built. You're
When the winds begin to blow, the houses built
preparing for the storms.

or collapse. But not yours.

You've
above ground will eventually tly away
house will
the strength of every last piece. You know your
spent time testing
stand because you built it on the rock. And as hard as the work was, you'll
tear
have no regrets when your house is
the last one standing. You won't
any storm.

Athlete Huddle

Which type of person are you? How can you tell?