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Issue 355 - Challenge Don't Promise (Geno Auriemma Part Three)


Wooden's Wisdom - Volume 8	Issue 355
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CHALLENGE DON'T PROMISE (GENO AURIEMMA PART THREE) John Wooden Video Clip (64 sec.): Competitive Greatness Geno Auriemma is the Head Women's Basketball Coach at the University of Connecticut. His teams have won eleven national championship; the most in the history of college basketball. Coach Auriemma has challenged recruits with a competitive opportunity not promised them playing time or a great experience. In 1991 Geno was able to land the top high school prospect in the country, future Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo, who would lead Connecticut to a 35-0 season and their first national championship in 1995. Here's how Lobo described Auriemma's recruiting approach: "He basically said, 'You'll get what you earn. He was more honest with me than anyone else." In 1996, Auriemma was able to sign the USA Player of the Year, Shea Ralph, who would help UConn to another National Championship. Here's how Ralph described Auriemma's recruiting approach: "Well, Coach Auriemma was the only coach that told me if I was really, really good I'd have a chance to play a lot, and if I wasn't, I wouldn't play at all." In his book Geno: In Pursuit of Perfection, Auriemma described recruiting Diana Taurasi who would lead Connecticut to three consecutive NCAA Championships and become the all-time leading scorer in the history of Women's Professional Basketball: "The first time I see her, I know. She has it all—the talent, the confidence, the presence, the toughness. I call her to let her know we are interested, and at first she sounds kind of blasé. She is the best player in the country and she's getting calls from absolutely everybody. I tell her a little bit about our program, and then I say, "Diana, if you work really hard, and do what we ask of you, you have a chance to be really good." All of a sudden, it's like a light switches on. Suddenly she becomes very animated and conversational. Later, Diana tells me she is tired of everyone telling her how great she is and how special she is. "Coach," she tells me later, "you were the first person who didn't guarantee me everything. You were the first person who said I'd have to work to be good." Coach Auriemma's Challenge Don't Promise approach to recruiting is great, whether you are coaching a team or running a business. Sometimes a business will recruit future salespeople, employees or managers with "blue sky" exaggerated, potential future results in earnings or promotions. When recruiting promises don't materialize, disappointment and distrust occur, sometimes with the employee and employer blaming each other. The other negative result of promising instead of challenging is that it can create an entitlement mentality where the player, employee or child expect just to be given certain things not earn them. This outlook does not encourage a strong work ethic. As Abraham Lincoln said: "The worst thing you can do for those you love is the things they could and should do for themselves." Do you Challenge or Promise? Click here for personal development exercise: Issue 355. Click here for Printable Poetry: Issue 355. Yours in Coaching, Craig Impelman www.woodenswisdom.com Follow @woodenswisdom	COACH'S FAVORITE POETRY AND PROSE Equipment (Part Two) You are the handicap you must face, You are the one who must choose your place, You must say where you want to go. How much you will study the truth to know, God has equipped you for life, But He Let's you decide what you want to be. Courage must come from the soul within, The man must furnish the will to win, So figure it out for yourself, my lad, You were born with all that the great have had, With your equipment they all began. Get hold of yourself, and say: "I can." Edgar Allen Guest (1881-1959)
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