The first week of practices are the perfect space and time to build a Champion Culture within your team.  A Champion Culture requires trust and rapport between the coaches and girls, the coaches with other coaches, and the girls with other girls.  A Champion Culture is earned moment by moment.  It is in the small details of your practice where we bring our true self.  It invites authenticity and openness for every person to feel valued, connected, and empowered. In this episode of IGNITE, we will explore the various ways to build trust and rapport within your team for the foundation of your Champion Culture.

Lolly Daskal, founder of Lead From Within, says, “Trust is built and maintained by many small actions over time.”  Trust is not a one-time activity.  Trust is formed with consistent behaviors over a period of time.  Trust makes a person feel connected and supported.  When we lead practices with the core values: integrity, reliability, and empathy, a space is created where trust is formed.  Integrity is doing what is “right,” being fair, and being honest.  Admitting when we have made a mistake, builds our integrity.  Standing up for others, shows our integrity.  Staying consistent with our words and actions, builds our integrity.  With my kids, I often times use the phrase, “I mean what I say and I say what I mean.”  This phrase states that we are honest with our words and will match our actions to those words.  It is putting confidence and security into the relationship.  Coaching is ultimately about relationships.  Building a good foundation of trust and security within the relationships of our team enhances our Champion Culture.  

Tony Robbins, the famous motivational speaker and author, says, “Rapport is the ability to enter someone else’s world, to make [her] feel that you understand [her], that you have a strong common bond.”  Active listening and showing genuine interest in our girls begins the rapport within our team.  Get curious about our girls.  Get curious about our coaches.  Ask open-ended questions to develop a rapport that speaks, “You are important and I want to learn more about you.”  Making one-on-one connections with each individual girl and coach throughout our practices respects privacy and creates an intimate space for the relationships to flourish.  The various activities within the GOTR curriculum help facilitate getting to know each other, but the small details we bring empowers the curriculum and makes practice more personal.  Within these personal moments and space, rapport is built with trust, empathy, and mutual respect.  Leading with honesty and a positive purpose strengthens relationships and creates a Champion Culture.

Our coach value, leading with an open heart and positive intent, speaks to others what is important to us.  Our relationships are the most significant parts of our practices.  Trust and rapport is the foundation to our relationships and Champion Culture.  Trust and rapport are built in the small, personal moments we have with each individual girl and coach.  We are off to a great start this season!  Continue to bring your true self that is aligned with your personal values and coaching values.  Build trust with your consistency and rapport with your commonalities.  Enhance the relationships with your star power and see mountains being moved in each of your girls and coaches!   

View the video series here: https://youtu.be/9PdrW_loUeQ?si=yA3kwwKzgJleSSkK

RESOURCE LIST TO IGNITE YOUR CHAMPION CULTURE:

• The Thin Book of Trust by Charles Feltman
• The Art of Connecting: How to Overcome Differences, Build Rapport, and Communicate Effectively with Anyone by Lara Ewing and Claire Raines
• The Circles All Around Us by Brad Montague