Locker Room

I received a few emails as a result of last nights NCAA Championship game. Congrats to both teams on fine seasons-- UNC has emerged in college basketball as a program on its own planet.
The questions I received pertained to a coach's approach in the locker room before a game. CBS gave us insight into the pre-game talks of both coaches-- it has now become envogue for networks to get into the locker room for "reality tv". I like it in some ways because it brings coaches and players that are viewing into a very special place. I hate it for the same reason.

Anyone who has been in the locker room knows how special that place is for a coach and a team. The tempo for the night is dictated by the players' first impression of the coach. They can read fear. The can read positiveness. They can read lies. They can read read "this is the big game". Your face and body language say it all. I have always been an advocate of the concept that practices are dictated by the aprroach of the coach. Do you dress out? Do you come out relaxed? Do you come in unprofessional? It's no different than the game.

This first look at you is paramount- they are a wreck--When you come through that door and have an air of conviction and organization ... it sets the tone.

The question posed was "how important is the pregame talk for the overall success or failure of a team." The talk and the visuals that accompany it help narrow the focus for the group and directs their energies toward a common goal. The coach ... well, the team takes on the personality of its leader.

DD