Protect Yourself from Liability

Yesterday, I was honored to be a keynote speaker at the Washington State Football Coaches Association convention in Bellevue. I had the opportunity to talk with many coaches and their concern for liability issues is a major issue for them.

As a former basketball coach, I was stunned with the amount of extra work football coaches must do when it comes to equipment. I sat in on a couple of sessions specifically to learn more about the maintenance of helmets, and how important constant fitting is throughout the year. If you are a football coach, did you know that after your initial fitting for a kid at the start of the season, you need to re-fit within 3 days? The reason is actually very simple. As the kid gets into shape, he will lose some fat from his forehead and the chance that the fitting is no longer good is is very high. Not only that, he may go get a haircut because it's so hot and that changes fitting, too.

The bottom line was that helmet fitting must be an ongoing function for a coach throughout the season.

Dan

P.S. That's a good reason to go to conferences like this one. You never quit learning unless you don't make important educational opportunities like this a priority. Kudos to the association for an excellent event.

How valuable is your time?

I once asked a client what he thought his time was worth. He answered without hesitation – “$300 per hour”. Okay. I can buy that. If your time was worth $300 per hour, how much money do you waste a day?

This was never more evident for me than this past week when I had a SNAFU with my e-mail. Seems I was “hijacked” and had a bunch of SPAM spewing from my e-mail out something I learned that is called “port 25”. Well, Comcast didn’t like that, so they shut down port 25. From Wednesday morning on, I could receive e-mail but not send from my Outlook. Big problem.

It would have been nice if Comcast would have advised me. I guess that would have been too easy. After all, how many hours could I have saved had I knew WHY I couldn’t send e-mails?

Fortunately, I had a member of my Toro Team help me get through this hurdle. Without his help, I would have wasted much more time.

As a coach, you spend a lot of time preparing for your next practice and game. Be protective of that time by not allowing distractions to side-track you. Too many things can be thrown your way. Learn to delegate. Your ability to focus your time on the job at hand is critical. That’s why you have assistants. Make sure you learn how to let go of small tasks to focus your time on the more important items.

What’s your time worth?

Dan

P.S. One valuable way to spend your time is at my Panic to Power Boot Camp in Seattle on March 18. Why? Because your ability to inspire, persuade, and improve the condition of your players is directly proportional to your ability to be a dynamic motivator. You will walk away with strategies that will put you head and shoulders above your competition. What could be more valuable than that? To register now, click here…

Hot Pants...

Seahawks kicker Josh Brown has been outfitted with some "hot pants" for Saturday's game at Green Bay. Literally. His legs will stay a toastie 75 degrees regardless of the temperature at the frozen tundra at Lambeau Field.

I wonder what George Blanda must think...

To read the story, click here...

Dan

Amazing Grace...

“Having heard all of this, you may choose to look the other way…but you can never say again that you did not know.”

- William Wilberforce (1759-1833)

This past weekend, my family watched the 2007 movie, Amazing Grace. Amazing is exactly what it turned out to be.

I’m embarrassed that as a History major I had never heard of William Wilberforce. Wilberforce was the leading abolitionist in the early 19th century leading the charge against the British Slave Trade. His pastor, John Newton, was the famed Slave Trade Captain who reformed and penned the song, Amazing Grace. He was Wilberforce’s inspiration for the fight.

The movie accurately characterized the power that Wilberforce conveyed in his ability to speak and present. Though it took over a decade (in large part due to the war with France) Wilberforce never relented and finally won a great battle in Parliament. Had it not been for Wilberforce’s skill as a dynamic communicator and presenter, who knows how many more lives would have been negatively impacted?

What lives do you currently impact? What lives can you impact? Either personally or through your coaching career, your ability to communicate your message carries great weight. Your family, your friends, and your players gain value from you. Make the most of your gifts and change lives for the better, just like William Wilberforce did 200 years ago.

Dan

P.S. Want to get better at your presentations? Now is the time to register for my Panic to Power Boot Camp in Seattle on March 18. For more information, click here…