How to Invest Your Time as a Coach in Today’s New Normal
More and more coaches are reaching out to each other, discussing how to best coach a team during this COVID-19 pandemic. We live in strange times. Who would have believed in February that by the end of April we would be: Ending the winter and spring season with no championships? Saying goodbye to our seniors with no graduation ceremonies? Working
How Student Leadership is Morphing for Generation Z
“I see leadership differently than my parent’s generation does.” Those are the words of Brandon, a college sophomore, who ended his semester at home when the entire student body at Vanderbilt University left due to COVID-19. The coronavirus is changing us, and Brandon believes it is only accelerating a change that was taking place already. These days, I hosted a virtual meeting
Ten Ideas to Help You and Your Students Get More Done at Home
Have you ever had a Saturday morning where you thought: Finally, I get a weekend to catch up on some projects! It seems we tread water all week, so we look forward to weekends to get some tasks done. And then, we reach Sunday night, and very few tasks, if any, are done. During this period of isolation during COVID-19, many
Do You Know What Your Student-Athletes Need from You Now?
I spoke to a couple of NCAA Division One coaches by phone last week. Both were holding up OK but were inquiring about how to manage their current reality as both student-athletes and coaches are separated, routines are upset, and so many are anxious. Recruiting looks different. Strength and conditioning looks different. Team discussions look different. Today’s student-athletes are from Generation
What’s Wrong with Social Distancing?
It was five weeks ago when we began to hear the term, “social distancing.” It wasn’t invented then; people have practiced it for centuries during outbreaks. But this was our own version in 2020. We heard that staying beyond six feet from one another would prevent us from vulnerability to the coronavirus. Sadly, I have witnessed a pitiful misinterpretation of this
What People Need Most from Their Leaders in Times of Crisis
There is a piece of content making its way around on social media right now that summarizes what every leader needs to remember as we endure this strange time in our history. "We are all in the same boat—but we are not all in the same storm. For some people, it’s sprinkling. This is a break. It’s a breather. It’s a rest.
The Biggest Lesson We Can Learn from This Pandemic
I just heard from a friend who lost a tenant in her apartment complex due to the coronavirus. The woman who died was only 41 years old. Suddenly, this outbreak has hit close to home for me. There is no clear historical precedent for the scale and nature of this shock. Some economists see the U.S. output falling by more in
Increasing Engagement with Students Who Don’t Fit the Mold
Did you see the movie The Peanut Butter Falcon? It was one of my favorite movies last year. It’s the story of three outliers who didn’t fit into the mold their situation demanded of them. All three were rebels, but one of them, Zak, a 22-year-old with Down syndrome who lived in an assisted living facility in North Carolina, was only a
How Will a Global Pandemic Impact Generation Z as They Become Adults?
Do you remember where you were when the Berlin Wall came down? Or when September 11th happened? I bet you do if you were around during these events. They were huge. But, do you recall where you were when you heard about COVID-19? Maybe not, because it was a gradual news breaker. It began as a news story from China in
The Importance of Sharing Responsibility with Your Kids
Have you ever heard your student, employee, or son or daughter say something like: That wasn’t my fault. (And you know it was.) Mrs. Vargus gave me a bad grade. (And you know it was earned.) He made me do it. (And you know it was a choice.) You don’t trust me. (And you wonder if you should.) Responsibility is something
What Parents May Learn from Teaching Their Own Kids
One of the many viral Facebook posts spreading around the country is a note an eight-year-old boy named Ben wrote about how things were going at home now that his mom has assumed the task of being his teacher during this period of social distancing. To sum it up, Ben’s not so sure his mother is cut out for home-schooling. Young
A Pandemic is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Note: Today's post is available for you to either watch as a vlog or read as a blog post below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdAjkeLiPOQ Many people I know are already complaining about the “interruption” of the coronavirus. Life is on hold. Classes have gone virtual or gone away completely. It feels like society is not making progress. But really—this is totally up to us. I don’t mean
The Most Important Responsibilities Every Student Needs to Own
Jalen is 17 years old and in his junior year of high school. Like many teens his age, he’s preoccupied with making good grades, taking the SAT and getting into a good college. When I asked him about other concerns normally on the minds of teens like him—he balked. Me: When did you get your driver’s license? Jalen: I don’t drive. I
How to Help Generation Z Break Free from the All-or-Nothing Mindset
Have you noticed what’s happening around our country? Psychologists call it all-or-nothing thinking. It’s when a person assumes: My life is either awesome or it’s terrible. My job is either fantastic or it’s disgusting. I am either beautiful or I am ugly. My classmates are either smart or they’re stupid. I am successful or I’m worthless. This year, we see it