Camano Island Retreat
This is a customized consultation at the Brown’s Camano Island home and guest cottage. Coaches and assistants or coaches and teams or AD’s and coaches. The time and topics will be designed to meet the specific needs of your program or situation. Dear Bruce & Dana, “I was a participant at a recent session you facilitated for the Quillayute Valley School District Board of Directors and Administrators. I wanted to take a moment to thank you for graciously opening your home to us and for sharing your expertise. I look forward to incorporating my learning into district and building initiatives and my continued work as a team member and a facilitator of teamwork among many groups. Again, thank you so much!”
Kind Regards, Patti Fouts, Forks Middle School Principal
Dana and Bruce,
“I just wanted to thank you both for your kind hospitality on Monday – you don’t know how much I appreciate it. I was looking forward to this trip for quite a while…your time, wisdom, knowledge and support will go a long way in the development of our program. I have very few mentors in my life who have impacted me with their words and actions – you have done this from afar and now personally….for that, I am very, very appreciative”.
Tim Corbin Vanderbilt University Baseball
Speaking with Athletes
Life Lessons for Athletes
Have standards, not rules. The clearer behavioral standards are defined, the better chance athletes will rise to them. In order for individual athletes and teams to reach their potential they must have clearly identified expectations for team behaviors. This presentation clearly defines the following characteristics in athletic, age appropriate terms; Discipline, Teachable Spirit, Mental Toughness, Accountability, Integrity, Selflessness, Pride and Humility.
Support Materials:
Booklets – Life Lessons and Compete (13 traits of elite competitors)
DVD – Life Lessons – Competitive Character Traits
Playing With Confidence
Understand what true confidence looks and feels like. What are you worried about? Discover the competitor’s mindset. Earn the right to be confident. Be at your best when your best is needed. Without the guts to take a chance, you can’t play. Learn to fight another round. Take action and develop a plan of attack. If you hang with dogs, you end up with fleas. Be an active participant in your own rescue. Release to your best self.
Support Materials:
Booklet – Playing With Confidence
“I want to let you know that your presentation yesterday was one of the most inspirational and honest presentations I have ever heard.” Amanda Bonarrigo – athlete Carlow College
“Thanks for speaking with our team and me in particular. I have taken what we have talked about and started implementing these things throughout my daily life, especially on the baseball diamond.” Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt University – 2011 1st Round draft pick, Oakland A’s
Speaking with Captains and Leadership Students
Captains, Seven Ways to Lead Your Team (for athletes in leadership positions and coaches)
Do not leave leadership of your teams to chance, teach and empower your captains how to lead successfully. This presentation applies seven principles of leadership. 1) Be the first to serve, 2) Be the first to lead by example, 3) Be a lifeline of communication between the coach and the team, 4) Be the first to praise others, 5) Be the first to protect and defend your team (loyalty), 6)Be the first to confront violations of your team standards (solving problems before they impact your team), and 7) Be the first to encourage and the last to become discouraged (mental toughness).
Support Materials:
Booklet – Captains, 7 Ways to Lead Your Team
Captains and Coaches Workshops
A half day workshop where coaches and team leaders work together to develop team values (core covenants), clear behavioral standards, clarify the captains role and be proactive with potential team problems.
Support Materials:
Booklets – Captains, 7 Ways to Lead Your Team and First Steps to Successful Team, Core Covenants
DVD – Full Captains and Coaches Workshop
“Thanks for all the tremendously insightful information you relayed to us yesterday. Personally, after receiving such valuable knowledge from you, my next job is to pass it along to my teammates and coaches”. Captain college lacrosse team
“Today’s workshop encouraged me to lead my team in the right direction! Inspired me to become a passionate, effective leader! I feel I was given so many tools that I can use in the following year/life to ensure I become an honorable leader. Thanks!” High School Captain
Speaking with Career Coaches
Life Lessons – Competitive Character Traits
Have standards, not rules. The clearer behavioral standards are defined, the better chance athletes will rise to them. In order for individual athletes and teams to reach their potential they must have clearly identified expectations for team behaviors. This presentation clearly defines the following characteristics in athletic, age appropriate terms; Discipline, Teachable Spirit, Mental Toughness, Accountability, Integrity, Selflessness, Pride and Humility.
Support Materials:
Booklets – Life Lessons and Compete
DVD – Life Lessons – Competitive Character Traits
Captains and Coaches Workshops
A half day workshop where coaches and team leaders work together to develop team values, clear behavioral standards (core covenants), clarify the captains role and be proactive with potential team problems.
Support Materials:
Booklets – Life Lessons, Captains 7 Ways to Lead Your Team and First Steps to Successful Teams, Core Covenants
Book – Proactive Leadership, Empowering Team Leaders
DVD – Full Captains and Coaches Workshop
Captains, 7 Ways to Lead Your Team
Do not leave leadership of your teams to chance, teach and empower your captains how to lead successfully. This presentation applies seven principles of leadership. 1) Be the first to serve, 2) Be the first to lead by example, 3) Be a lifeline of communication between the coach and the team, 4) Be the first to praise others, 5) Be the first to protect and defend your team (loyalty), 6)Be the first to confront violations of your team standards (solving problems before they impact your team), and 7) Be the first to encourage and the last to become discouraged (mental toughness).
Support Materials:
Booklet – Captains, 7 Ways to Lead Your Team
Book – Proactive Leadership, Empowering Team Leaders
The Power of Your Words
A coach’s words can either be encouraging or destructive. This presentation is a step-by-step method for working with challenging behaviors, for changing attitudes and developing mutual respect.
Support Materials:
Booklet – Teach Attitude First, Working with Challenging Athletes
DVD – The Power of your Words
The Impact of Trust
When athletes trust their coaches and when teams trust each other it has a tremendous impact on performance. What allows someone to be trusted? How can coaches improve the level of individual and team trust? What cause coaches to be distrusted and how does that impact performance? When trust is present, teams have a much better chance of reaching potential.
Support Materials:
Booklet – The Impact of Trust
DVD – The Impact of Trust
Playing With Confidence
Understand what true confidence looks and feels like. What are you worried about? Discover the competitor’s mindset. Earn the right to be confident. Be at your best when your best is needed. Without the guts to take a chance, you can’t play. Learn to fight another round. Take action and develop a plan of attack. If you hang with dogs, you end up with fleas. Be an active participant in your own rescue. Release to your best self.
Support Materials:
Booklet – Playing With Confidence
There Was This Coach…. Motivational Concepts
There are six motivational concepts that separate teachers and coaches. Your success as a teacher/coach will be in direct proportion to your ability to plan, teach, relate and motivate. Your goal should be to get your students/athletes to do everything they are capable of and to enjoy it.
First Steps to Successful Teams
Establishing Core Covenants and Building Your Inner Circle This presentation is an in-depth look at the first things that must be done when building a team – Guiding Principles (establishing Core Covenants, an identity and vision with actions) and Pride (establishing an inner circle based upon shared joy).
Support Materials:
Booklet – First Steps to Successful Teams, Core Covenants
Book – Proactive Leadership, Empowering Team Leaders
Teaching Character Through Sport – Using Themes of Character
From my book, 1001 Motivational Messages, this is a guide for coaches to teach positive character traits during the season using a thematic approach. How coaches can teach a value, turn belief into behavior and help develop athletes of character. An application model for teaching themes of courage, integrity, sportsmanship, enthusiasm, work habits, confidence, etc. as themes of the week.
Support Materials:
Book – 1001 Motivational Messages
Team Building through Positive Conditioning
This is a completely different philosophical and application method for conditioning. It is a powerful way to build teams, and turn a potentially negative aspect of practice into a positive. Stop using conditioning as punishment or using fear based motivation and get your team into better condition than you thought possible.
Support Materials:
Booklet – Team Building Through Positive Conditioning
DVD – Team Building Through Positive Conditioning
Building Positive Athletic Traditions
From my book, 101 Positive Athletic Traditions, this presentation shows the value of coach created traditions. Positive traditions are one of the things that create great memories, provide motivation to live up to standards, build pride, bond teams and communities, connect the past with the present, establish a history and also prevent hazing before it can start.
Support Materials:
Booklet – Traditions, Round 2
Book – 101 Positive Athletic Traditions
Transitioning Athletes from Youth Sports to High School
What responsibilities does the “feeder” coach have to the high school coach and what responsibilities does the high school coach have to the “feeder” coach so that athletes have the best opportunity for success. Work together for the sake of the athletes.
Support Materials:
Chapter in Book – Teaching Character Through Sports.
Coaching Stages
This presentation identifies five stages of coaching. Every coach is in one of these five stages. We look at each stage – the positives, the negatives and what it requires to move toward the highest level of coaching – coaching for significance.
Coaching Foundations– Keys for A Successful Season
The topics can be chosen from the following list: Athlete stages, coaching stages, practice planning, planning a parent meeting, gaining credibility, gaining trust, coaching your own child, teaching a physical skill (the rules of motor learning), keys to motivation, using punishment, working with challenging athletes, conditioning (how and how much), developing a team culture with athletes, coaches and parents, game coaching, establishing clear behavioral standards.
Support Materials:
Booklets – Youth Coaching, 4 Keys to a Successful Season, The Impact of Trust, The Parents Role in Athletics, Motivational Strategies for Coaches, First Steps to Successful Teams – Core Covenants
“AWESOME!!!! The only word to describe the last couple days getting a chance to hear you speak and share ideas with fellow coaches who are passionate about what they do. As I was on a morning run this morning at 6:30 am I was standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial thinking of all the history and thinking of the blessing of getting to stop in the midst of a busy year and recharge the battery – I was just thinking “WOW!!” What a privilege to get to work with young people and have the chance to impact their lives. And then to come back and be inspired to challenge coaches and ourselves to leave nothing to chance. To pray for guidance and plan for excellence in every way. Powerful stuff!”
Tom Rothenberger – National Jesuit Schools Conference – Washington DC 2011
Speaking with Volunteer Coaches
Keys for a Successful Season Youth coaching * Coaching your own child * Gaining credibility *Eight critical points during the season +Developing a culture that includes responsibilities of athletes, coaches and parents * Stages of being an athlete – keeping the joy in sports * Planning – season, practice, parent meeting * Teaching a physical skill – the rules of motor learning * Motivation without punishment
Support Materials:
Booklet – Youth Coaching, 4 Keys to a Successful Season
Speaking with Administrators
First Steps to Successful Teams This presentation is an in-depth look at the first things that must be done when building a team within your school or athletic department. Guiding Principles (establishing Core Covenants, an identity and vision with actions) and Pride (establishing an inner circle based upon shared joy).
Support Materials:
Booklet – First Steps to Successful Teams, Core Covenants
Short and long term Action Planning
Short –term planning is a 1-12 month plan to get your program and/or conference on a solid foundation. Long-term planning is a 1-3 year approach to accomplishing the goals and objectives of the organization.
Program/Institutional Evaluation
Comprehensive study to establish the effectiveness, the perception and the impact of the program, school, organization, or association.
Support Materials:
Booklet – Turning Around Athletic Programs
Feasibility Studies
Adding an athletic program to your institution or adding a sport to an existing program.
Game Planning for Sportsmanship
A look at the type of fan behavior we see in student and adult crowds today and how through creating expectations for your crowd, educating your crowd/coaches and setting up your competitive venue can create the positive environment that you want your school to be known for.
Building a Character Based Athletic Program
Developing an Athletic Department Philosophy * Developing a Athletic Handbook * Hiring Assessment * Coach Assessment * Coach Training
Support Materials:
Booklets – Turning Around Athletic Programs and First Steps to Successful Teams
Books – Teaching Character Through Sport, Proactive Leadership, Empowering Team Leaders
DVD – Character Based Coaching
“Your presentation was GREAT, passionate and very timely”. Joe LeBoeuf, PhD, COL. USA, Retired, Director of the Coach K. Center for Leadership and Ethics – Duke University
“I met you last April in Banff Alberta at the HPEC conference. I went to both of your sessions and came home inspired! I worked on several different initiatives over the summer, to strengthen our program, and I have based them on a lot of the ideas you talk about. Like you say “Make a decision and have a vision”–and I really think I am doing that. I am actually super excited about the start of the school year and meeting with my coaches. So, I really must thank you for EVERYTHING that I learned in just those two brief sessions. Your talk and the five booklets gave me the motivation I needed to be not only a better Athletic Director, but also a better mentor to my coaches and athletes. I cannot thank you enough!”
Denise Power, M.Ed, Athletic Director, Havergal College
Mentor Coaching: An Actual Plan
The coaching environment has changed drastically over the last 20 years. Schools are often hiring non-teaching staff to coach and many coaches are not on campus other than to coach. Young coaches are becoming varsity coaches with minimal or no previous high school coaching experience. Many young coaches are leaving the profession due to catastrophic failures with ethic or rules violations, negative experiences with parents or simply due to being overwhelmed. Athletic administrators who want to provide programs that will create life-long memories for their students must find a way to address these new challenges. Our mentor coaching program will provide the structure to accomplish this goal. Most versions of a mentor coaching program simply connect a veteran coach and introduce him/her to a new coach and hope it works out. We can provide structure that will help prepare the mentor to lead, focus the mentee on the process and offer tools to ensure success. This is a proven program that moves beyond theory and into actual application.
Speaking with Parents
The Role of Parents in Athletics
A straightforward message from athletes to their parents about how adults can help their athletic performance, create good memories and demonstrate respect from the perspective of young people.
Support Materials:
Booklet – The Role of Parents in Athletics
DVD – The Role of Parents
DVD – Empowering Messages for Parents
Life Lessons for Athletes – Redefining the Term Athlete
Have standards, not rules. The clearer behavioral standards are defined, the better chance athletes will rise to them. In order for individual athletes and teams to reach their potential they must have clearly identified expectations for team behaviors. This presentation clearly defines the following characteristics in athletic, age appropriate terms; Discipline, Teachable Spirit, Mental Toughness, Accountability, Integrity, Selflessness, Pride and Humility
Support Materials:
Booklet – Life Lessons for Athletes and Compete (13 Traits of Elite Competitors)
Raising a Confident Athlete
Steps for parents to become a confidence builder. This is applicable for any performance activity.
Support Materials:
Booklet – How Parents can Help Build a Confident Athlete
The Recruiting Process – An Unbiased Perspective
Landscape: At look at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels as well at the NAIA, NJCAA, CIS and other organizations that sponsor intercollegiate athletics. 2) Opportunities: How many athletes really go from high school to college to play and what are the scholarships available at each of the levels. What sports and what type of colleges are looking for student-athletes. 3) Requirements: What do you need to have academically to play at each of the levels. What is a clearinghouse/eligibility center? When should I get started in the process? 4) Recruiting Process: Who can talk to me and when and when can I talk to them? Should I recruit the coach? Getting noticed? Do I need a recruiting service? Red Flags in the process.
“I found your wisdom extremely valuable. Thank you for working on behalf of kids and helping us see things the way they are from the porches of their lives. Your wonderful advocacy for children and young adults is something we would all do well to model for our sons and daughters.” Rev. James V. Rehder, Pastor – Bellevue, WA
“I think “I love to watch you play” is going to lead to more graciousness in defeat and modesty in victory. I think if my reaction to wins and losses is the same, I will actually be personifying the lesson in which I was have struggled for so long to teach him. I have always loved watching my son play sports. But I have always dreaded the “aftermath” of his games. I don’t anymore. Now I can hardly wait to wrap my arms around him and tell him how much I loved watching him play. I cannot thank you enough for bringing that amazing presentation to our school”. Taressa Ranson Cypress, TX
“Please know that your presentation changed lives, families and improved the athletic experience today” Parent Wisconsin
“We showed the DVD The Role of Parents in Athletics. The feedback was TREMENDOUS – and had several parents ask how they could ‘get this thing in front of my spouse ?“ Barry Bokn Willamette HS
Speaking to Teachers
“There Was This Teacher…” Concepts of Motivation
There are six motivational concepts that separate teachers and coaches. Your success as a teacher/coach will be in direct proportion to your ability to plan, teach, relate and motivate. Your goal should be to get your students/athletes to do everything they are capable of and to enjoy it.
The Power of Your Words
A teacher’s words can either be encouraging or destructive. This presentation is a step-by-step method for working with challenging behaviors, for changing attitudes and developing mutual respect.
Support Materials:
Booklet – Teach Attitude First, Working with Challenging Athletes
DVD – The Power of your Words
“Our staff is always appreciate to have you speak to us and are motivated to connect your insights and message points with our work as educators and with our school improvement plan. We debriefed after the presentation and you could feel the excitement and energy as the staff shared key points that they could implement right away. It was motivating to see and hear!” Vernie Newell, Snoqualmie SD
Speaking to Businesses
The Seven Essentials of Great Teams (a half day presentation)
From my book, The Seven Essentials of Great Teams, another 1001, this presentation covers leadership, guiding principles, pride, communication, motivation, persistence and a positive, team-first attitude. How you can apply them to build teams of character and competence.
Support Materials:
Book – Seven Essentials of Great Teams (another 1001)
Seven Ways to Lead Your Team
This presentation applies seven principles of leadership.
1) Be the first to serve,
2) Be the first to lead by example,
3) Be a lifeline of communication between the coach and the team,
4) Be the first to praise others,
5) Be the first to protect and defend your team (loyalty),
6) Be the first to confront violations of your team standards (solving problems before they impact your team), and 7) Be the first to encourage and the last to become discouraged (mental toughness).
Support Materials:
Booklet – Captains, 7 Ways to Lead Your Team
Book – Proactive Leadership, Empowering Team Leaders
First Steps to Successful Teams
This presentation is an in-depth look at the first things that must be done when building a team – Guiding Principles (establishing Core Covenants, an identity and vision with actions) and Pride (establishing an inner circle based upon shared joy).
Support Materials:
Booklet – First Steps to Successful Teams, Core Covenants
Book – Proactive Leadership, Empowering Team Leaders
Motivational Concepts for Successful Leaders
There are six motivational concepts that separate leaders. Your success as a leader will be in direct proportion to your ability to plan, teach, relate and motivate. Your goal should be to get your team to do everything they are capable of and to enjoy it.
The Impact of Trust
When teams trust their leader and each other it has a tremendous impact on performance. What allows a leader to be trusted? How can leaders improve the level of individual and team trust? What cause leaders to be distrusted and how does that impact performance? When trust is present, teams have a much better chance of reaching potential.
Support Materials:
Booklet – The Impact of Trust
Improving Your Existing Team
How leaders can make positive changes to their current team. The presentation includes a leadership assessment checklist, creating a vision, who to bring to your team to add value and how to raise morale.
Traits of Elite Competitors
This presentation is designed specifically for sales force. The tougher the market the better chance competitors will succeed
Support Materials:
Booklet – Compete, 13 Traits of Elite Competitors
“Bruce was the speaker at last week’s Herman Miller Sales SUMMIT in Phoenix and “the crowd went wild”. His life’s work has been coaching and now we know that there is tremendous overlap between coaching athletics and coaching a business team. He had the highest assessment of all our speakers. “A very compelling presentation by Bruce Brown…a gift.” “Bruce: dead on, instantly applicable” were two of many amazing comments.” PJ Anderson, West Area Learning Specialist
“If you can get Bruce to speak to any of your sites, GET HIM! For our leadership programs, we have brought in award winning professors, former CEOs of Fortune 100s, and bestselling authors, and yet Bruce has been the favorite EVERY SINGLE TIME. Matt Kincaid – Blue Rudder
Specialty Presentations and Consulting Services from the Proactive Team:
Mike Morgan
Tearing Down the Wall Between Music and Athletics
This presentation identifies and focuses on the stereotypes associated with music and athletics. You will learn the differences and the similarities of the two, what makes each unique and what Fortune 500 companies and College Entrance officials value in these two activities. You will also be surprised on how many musical athletes there are out there. Getting to win/win with both programs.
Partnering with Officials
During a sporting contest, how is it that we can all look at the same event but come up with different conclusions? That is the difference between perception and reality and the different roles that officials, coaches, parents and students play during any organized sport. This is an inside look at how officials operate and why they do a job no one else is willing to do. Officials are a critical part of the game and if we don’t take care of them, we may be officiating games by ourselves.
Scott Rosberg
The Sportsmanship Dilemma: Some Guidelines for Coaches
Sportsmanship is the hottest issue in youth and school sports today. This presentation focuses on the problems of poor sportsmanship in today’s sports culture. It offers practical advice for coaches on what they can do to help change the culture of sport and instill good sportsmanship in their programs. This presentation can also be geared toward athletes and parents.
The Head Coach/Assistant Coach Relationship: Learning to Work Together
The head coach/assistant coach relationship is a critical component to team and program success. However, there is not a lot that has been written on this important relationship. This presentation will help head coaches better understand how to develop good working relationships with their assistants, and it will help assistant coaches better understand their roles within the team and the program in which they work.
Playing Time: Guidelines for Coaches (or Athletes and Parents)
There is no issue in youth/school team sports that creates more controversy and emotion than playing time. This presentation can be geared toward coaches, athletes, or parents to better understand and deal with this issue in order to help all involved have a more positive athletic experience. Please let us know which audience or audiences you wish to address.
Establishing Your Coaching Philosophy
A philosophy is like a road map to a destination. Without one a coach will be lost. This presentation explains the importance of establishing, communicating, and living the three philosophies necessary for coaching success – general philosophy, sport-specific philosophy, and playing time philosophy.
Team Policies: Elements to Consider
Good athletic programs have standards and guidelines by which their leaders and teams operate. This presentation offers numerous ideas on what coaches should consider when establishing team policies, such as expectations, core covenants, and punishment. A “Sample Policy Sheet” is discussed.
Jerry Gaines
Equation of Life
As a lifelong educator / coach, it seems to me that the one request (demand) for which EVERYONE (in one way or another) seeks a POSITIVE response is “Tell me (please) who I am!” This presentation not only gives the listener a clearer sense of self, but more important, proves / identifies the incredible VALUE of each individual. The message is simple, clear, and powerful. It is applicable for virtually ANY audience, but is most appropriate for ages middle school to senior citizens, competitive athletes to businesses, teachers and parents.
Feedback of this presentation:
“Master teacher and very humorous!!”
“Great energy and crowd participation.”
“Awesome, funny and great info – He not only had my attention, he gained my trust.”
“I loved his sense of humor used to deliver such an important and impactful message – touched my heart.”
“Great job of reminding us why and where our focus should be – applicable immediately.”
“Excellence in everything, enthusiastic, uplifting – knowledge plus excitement.”
“A perfect closer for a long day – heartfelt, wow!”
“An excellent message of hope for all. Dr. Jerry is the G.O.A.T.”
“Great teachers (coaches) change lives. The greatest of teachers are equally influenced by their students. These teachers have a legacy that lives beyond them – the students they love have taken something from the teacher’s life and are applying it to their own. Significance in this special profession is about impact on those young people years after the last bell rang.”