Players First, Winning Second

# Players First, Winning Second

Every coach wants to win.

I do too.

I've celebrated championships.

I've experienced heartbreaking losses.

I've watched teams exceed every expectation.

I've also watched talented teams fall short.

Winning matters.

Competition matters.

Pursuing excellence matters.

But after more than 25 years of coaching, I can tell you this with complete confidence:

**The athlete must always matter more than the outcome.**

If we ever reverse those priorities...

We've lost sight of why coaching exists.

---

The Scoreboard Is a Terrible Teacher

Scoreboards only tell you who scored more points.

They don't tell you:

• Who became more confident.
• Who learned accountability.
• Who became a better teammate.
• Who developed resilience.
• Who discovered leadership.
• Who learned to handle adversity.

Those are the lessons that change lives.

The scoreboard cannot measure them.

---

Development Wins in the Long Run

One of the biggest mistakes coaches make is becoming obsessed with today's result.

They shorten the bench.

They stop teaching.

They avoid developing younger athletes because they're afraid to lose a match.

Sometimes that works...

For today.

It often hurts the program tomorrow.

Great coaches think differently.

They ask:

**"Will this decision help this athlete six months from now?"**

Not just...

**"Will this help us win the next set?"**

---

Never Sacrifice Fundamentals for Immediate Success

This is one of the hardest lessons for young coaches.

Sometimes an athlete gets a kill with poor mechanics.

Sometimes a player serves an ace with terrible technique.

Sometimes a team wins despite bad habits.

Don't let the result fool you.

Your responsibility is to coach the process.

If poor technique creates success today...

It will eventually create failure tomorrow.

Great coaches celebrate doing things correctly.

The points will come.

---

Every Athlete Deserves to Improve

Your responsibility doesn't end with your starters.

The athlete who rarely plays deserves coaching too.

The youngest player deserves coaching.

The least experienced player deserves coaching.

The struggling player deserves coaching.

Your job isn't simply to prepare six athletes to win.

Your job is to develop every athlete who trusted you with their season.

---

Winning Is a Byproduct

People often ask successful coaches,

*"What's the secret to winning?"*

There isn't one.

Winning is usually the result of hundreds of small things done well.

Teaching fundamentals.

Building trust.

Creating accountability.

Developing leaders.

Improving communication.

Holding high standards.

Helping athletes believe in themselves.

Focus on those things long enough...

Winning usually follows.

---

Ask Yourself Better Questions

Instead of asking after every match,

*"Did we win?"*

Ask:

• Did we improve?
• Did we compete?
• Did we communicate?
• Did we play the right way?
• Did we demonstrate character?
• Did every athlete leave better than they arrived?

Those questions build programs.

Not just seasons.

---

From the Sideline

One season I coached a team that wasn't expected to accomplish much.

We weren't the biggest.

We weren't the most athletic.

We certainly weren't the most talented team in the tournament.

But we made one commitment before the season started.

We would become exceptional at the fundamentals.

Every pass mattered.

Every footwork pattern mattered.

Every communication rep mattered.

Every detail mattered.

There were practices where athletes became frustrated because we kept correcting the smallest things.

They wanted to move on.

I wouldn't let them.

Months later, one of those athletes came to me after a tournament and said,

*"Coach... now I understand why you wouldn't let us cut corners."*

That moment meant more to me than any trophy.

Because she had learned something much bigger than volleyball.

She learned that excellence is built one small habit at a time.

---

Winning Can Hide Problems

One of the most dangerous things in coaching is winning for the wrong reasons.

Winning can hide:

• Poor technique.
• Poor culture.
• Poor communication.
• Lack of accountability.
• Weak fundamentals.

Losing often exposes those problems.

Great coaches don't wait for losses to improve.

They constantly evaluate the process—even after victories.

---

Common Mistakes Coaches Make

• Prioritizing winning over development.
• Ignoring athletes who don't play much.
• Celebrating results while ignoring poor technique.
• Measuring success only by wins and losses.
• Teaching athletes to fear mistakes instead of learning from them.

---

Key Takeaways

• Athletes should always come before trophies.
• Fundamentals matter more than temporary results.
• Every athlete deserves coaching.
• Winning is usually the result of strong daily habits.
• Great coaches evaluate the process—not just the outcome.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

Should coaches still be competitive?

Absolutely.

Players deserve coaches who want to compete and pursue excellence.

The difference is that great coaches refuse to sacrifice athlete development in order to win today.

What if focusing on development causes us to lose more matches?

Sometimes it might in the short term.

Over time, athletes who are taught correctly usually become stronger, more confident, and more successful.

Long-term development often produces long-term winning.

How do I know if I'm putting players first?

Ask yourself this question before every important decision:

*"Am I making this choice because it's best for my athletes... or because it's best for me?"*

That question has a way of revealing the right answer.

---

Continue Learning

• Coaching Is an Art and a Science
• Teaching Fundamentals Before Complexity
• Technique Before Results
• Building Trust With Your Athletes
• Developing the Complete Athlete

The best coaches don't build championship teams first.

They build exceptional people.

Championship teams often follow.