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  • Selecting Strategies: As you navigate through the various strategies, we suggest that you try to select at least one 2nd Dimension and one 3rd Dimension strategy for each of the seasons (as applicable): pre-season, in-season, post-season, and off-season.

    Navigation: The menus at the top display the "Most Popular" strategies for the 2nd & 3rd Dimensions. The "Previous" and "Next" buttons at the bottom of each page will allow you to go through all of the strategies in alphabetical order. Use the "All Strategies" button to see a complete alphabetical list of all strategies.

    You can use the "View/Submit Your Plan" button at any time to see which strategies you currently have added to your plan. Once your planning is complete, use the same button to submit your plan and complete this exercise.

    Save and Continue Later: The "Save and Continue Later" link below will allow you to email yourself a link to this form that keeps your progress. If you use option, you will have up to 30 days to complete this exercise before the link expires and your progress is lost.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

     

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  • *Required Fields
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes  
    Confidence    
    Emotions    
    Team Cohesion    
    Goal Setting Yes  
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity Yes  
    Character Yes  
    Significance Yes  
    Self-Worth Yes  
    Values Yes  
    Purpose Yes  

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Overview

    Think of creative ways to keep your transformational purpose statement within view daily as a constant reminder of WHY you do, what you do. As an example, one Athletic Director even airbrushed his Transformational Purpose Statement on his office wall! Now it's your turn to think of some great ideas, but here are a few suggestions:

    • Frame your 3D Coaching certificate and hang it in your office
    • Print your purpose statement on your practice plan templates
    • Keep your purpose statement on your computer/mobile device screensaver(s)
  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation   Yes
    Confidence    
    Emotions    
    Team Cohesion   Yes
    Goal Setting    
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity   Yes
    Character   Yes
    Significance   Yes
    Self-Worth   Yes
    Values   Yes
    Purpose   Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Overview

    As you seek to enact your 3Dimensional Coaching strategies, it's essential to view parents as allies in this process. As we communicate our Transformational Purpose with clarity, we need to also help parents understand their role in each dimension as it pertains to the athletic experience as well. The following video can be used in the following ways to help "align the sails" of parents and coaches.

    • Play the video at your parent meeting and watch it all together
    • Email a link of the video to parents and have them watch it on their own
    • Use it as a training resource for yourself, then share these ideas with parents

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.

  • Click here for a direct link to this video on the 3D Institute website.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation   Yes
    Confidence   Yes
    Emotions   Yes
    Team Cohesion   Yes
    Goal Setting    
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity   Yes
    Character  
    Significance  
    Self-Worth  
    Values   Yes
    Purpose  

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Overview

    Every kid is different, and you can’t coach them all the same. This simple strategy will help you gain valuable insight into the lives of your players that will help you coach them more effectively.

    How helpful to you would it be if you were to ask the parent(s) this question:

    “Tell me one thing about your child that would help me to coach them well?”

    Tell the parents this should have nothing to do with the first dimension. Instead, have them tell you about their temperament, relationships with siblings, or special characteristics that need to addressed/acknowledged/honored.

    This strategy can help in the following ways:

    1. It can shed light on the relationship that exists between parent and child
    2. It creates a partnership between coach and parent. The parents now feel properly valued
    3. It sends a powerful message to parents that their child is valued beyond performance
    4. It helps you coach the individual athlete better.

    Suggestions for implementation:

    • Hand out notecards at parent meeting and collect them
    • Handwrite letters to parents and ask for a specific way to respond
    • Email parents and have them respond
    • Ask this question face-to-face in individual meetings

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

Save and Continue Later
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation   Yes
    Confidence  
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion   Yes
    Goal Setting    
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character  
    Significance   Yes
    Self-Worth  
    Values  
    Purpose  

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Overview

    Announce to the team that you are going to have "an extra practice" on a day they are anticipating to have off. Then tell them that the "extra practice" will be cleaning their room at home. Tell them you expect them to do it the same way you want them to always practice: with great attitude and effort. For some of them this will a short practice. For others it will be the longest practice they’ll have all year! Tell them that you will later be randomly contacting some of their parents to find out if they “made it to practice and how well they did.” Let them know that skipping this extra practice will count as an unexcused miss and will incur the same consequences as any other miss.

    Be sure to process this as a team the next time you meet. Find out how they felt after it was done. Find out what their parents reaction was. Point out that this is what it means to be a part of a community: to serve others. Remind them again that greatness is found in serving and that you want them to be great both in sports and outside of sports.

    Parents will appreciate your efforts and you will only strengthen your partnership with them in the process.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation   Yes
    Confidence   Yes
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion  
    Goal Setting    
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character   Yes
    Significance  
    Self-Worth  
    Values  
    Purpose   Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • All of us are battling an entitlement mentality with today’s athletes that makes the primary motivation for playing sport extrinsic. This simple strategy takes the primary focus off of external awards and trophies and places an emphasis on the intrinsic value of playing sports. Having athletes reflect upon the lessons they learned through sport will help them establish global/stable attribution in their lives and give them the opportunity to communicate how their character has been impacted by being in the program.

    Overview

    Have the seniors on the team write a letter to their parents explaining to them the present and future benefits of being on the team. At the end-of-the-year awards banquet, allow the seniors to come forward with their parents and read the letter to them before handing a framed copy to them.

    The budget for post-season awards has just shrunk immensely, and the banquet has become a celebration of something so much greater than just the win/loss record of the season at hand. Attendance at the banquet will likely increase because more family members will want to be a part. Overall support for the program will rise because coaches will be able to put on display for the community the first-fruits of their transformational purpose in coaching.

    Watch this video from Unit 6.5 to review Jeff's story about the impact of implementing this strategy.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation   Yes
    Confidence  
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion Yes Yes
    Goal Setting    
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character   Yes
    Significance  
    Self-Worth  
    Values  
    Purpose  

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • To establish team cohesion, we need to have group-relational strategies to help the team come together. This team cohesion strategy can also serve as a great opportunity to impart character. Remember, part of a coach’s job is to put kids in trying situations and help shepherd them towards perseverance, proven character, and hope. With this strategy, in a short period of time camaraderie can be forged and character can be strengthened as teammates learn to stick it out together.

    Overview

    One high school basketball coach told us about an annual canoe trip that always brings his players together. Before they leave, each player is asked to bring some canned vegetables from home. The coach brings a big pot from the school along with some beef stock. The team usually leaves on a Friday afternoon and then enjoys the rest of whatever daylight is available to ride down the river. The first night, they combine all of the ingredients and warm up the stew while setting up their tents. If it's not raining, the weather is usually hot and humid. As the kids fill up their bowls, they tend to complain about the poor conditions and the stew, which barely gets touched. At the end of the second day, the team eats a little more than the previous meal. The conversation picks up and the kids no longer seem to mind their less-than-desirable living quarters. The next morning, the players finish off the rest of the stew for breakfast and enthusiastically talk about how good it tastes. The coach never ceases to be amazed at the drastic change in attitude between the first day and the third day.

    Watch this video from Unit 10.5 to review Jeff's story about the impact of implementing this strategy.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation  
    Confidence Yes Yes
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion Yes Yes
    Goal Setting Yes Yes
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character Yes Yes
    Significance Yes Yes
    Self-Worth  
    Values  
    Purpose Yes Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Perhaps the greatest opportunity we often miss as coaches is how captains are chosen and trained. Because the role of "captain" is a job assignment, there should be a job description for the position, an application and interview process. After the process of choosing captains there should be ongoing leadership training. What is needed on a team is clearly defined responsibilities and the authority to fulfill those responsibilities. The most important lesson that needs to be modeled and taught is that the primary responsibility of the captain is to serve the team and model the attitude and effort you are looking for in the rest of the team. All leadership is learned. Create a process that identifies the right ones (not the best ones) and then teach them the skills and attributes needed to lead/serve well.

    Overview

    The more thorough the training, the greater the return on investment of time and resources. When possible, weekly meetings with the captains/leaders to go through leadership lessons is an ideal situation.

    Recommended Resources:

    • Captains - 7 Ways to Lead Your Team
    • Habitudes Series (Values-based or faith-based)
    • The Team Captain's Leadership Manual

    Watch this video segment from Unit 18.5 to hear more about this strategy.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation  
    Confidence
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion Yes Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth  
    Values  
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • With the incredible advance and ever increasing availability of technology, we are struggling like never before to truly connect with other human beings while face-to-face. As we learned in the Team Cohesion module, the group has to connect on an individual-relational basis if we want to develop authentic team cohesion. Therefore, we need to have individual-relational strategies to help our players connect.

    Overview

    Although a complete ban on technology and various devices is likely unreasonable to enforce all the time, picking a few strategic times where you establish team rules to restrict their usage can be helpful. Throughout human history people have bonded over shared meals at a shared table. Don’t allow kids to be on their phones and missing the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with their teammates during team meals. If that goes well, maybe expand the rule to include the lunchroom, bus rides, or other strategic opportunities where individual-relational unity can be established. This simple rule, because of it’s potential to enhance relationships, may be a rule worth implementing.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

Save and Continue Later
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation  
    Confidence Yes
    Emotions   Yes
    Team Cohesion
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity   Yes
    Character Yes
    Significance Yes
    Self-Worth   Yes
    Values   Yes
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • All too often, despite our best efforts to honor them, seniors who are exiting a program can suddenly experience a sense of abandonment or exile from a community that they have invested MUCH time, energy, and effort into. A ceremony can serve as a healthy way to bring closure to this season of an athlete’s life, and serve as an equally healthy way to launch an athlete into the next season of his/her life with a strong reminder of the lessons he/she learned through his/her sporting journey.

    Overview

    The great thing about a sports season is that it is a microcosm of life. There is a definite beginning, a definite ending, a set of relationships, and a cause that is bigger than any individual.

    In InSideOut Coaching, Joe Ehrmann helps coaches to see the incredible opportunity that sport provides to shape the character/identity of young people through a strategic use of ceremonies. In chapter 10, Joe writes about how after he read Joseph Campbell’s classic The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he realized that sports could provide a modern-day version of what Campbell refers to as the “hero’s journey.”

    1. Answering the call to adventure
    2. A separation from the family
    3. A time of testing
    4. Instruction from a mentor coach
    5. Re-entry into the family/community

    The first four bullet points on the list above happen quite naturally as athletes step out of their comfort zone to join a team. Ceremonies can be strategically used for the fifth bullet point to mark the completion of the journey while allowing the coach a final opportunity to emphasize his/her transformational purpose.

    Check out InSideOut Coaching to see read more about how ceremonies to help you accomplish your transformational purpose.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation  
    Confidence
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity   Yes
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth  
    Values   Yes
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • The purpose of this exercise is to get to know each other better, appreciate each other's stories, and become aware of similarities on the team. This strategy will also help you as a coach get to know your players on a deeper level and to discern things you wouldn’t otherwise know about what has shaped their identity and value system.

    Overview

    All you need is a line (yard line, half-court line, chalk line etc.) and enough space to spread the team out along the line. Have all of the players line up on one side of the line. As a coach, ask a probing question or a statement that likely does NOT apply to everyone, and have everyone who it does apply to “cross the line.”

    For example, the coach may say, “If you have ever traveled outside of the country, cross the line.”

    Those athletes who have traveled abroad should step across the line, and those who have not should stay put. After each statement or question, everyone should return to where they started.

    After you complete the exercise, spend some time processing what they witnessed. What surprised them about their teammates? What did they learn? Does anyone want to make an explanation about why they crossed the line on a certain question? This simple exercise allows everyone to learn more about their teammates on a deeper level.

    To download sample questions/statements for this exercise, click here.

    Check out 101 Teambuilding Activities: Ideas Every Coach Can Use to Enhance Teamwork, Communication and Trust for more great team building strategies.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  • *Required Fields
  • The Fellowship of Christian Athletes has partnered with the 3D Institute to serve as a "Level 3 Partner." If you would like to learn more about the various opportunities that FCA provides for coaches and/or athletes, please select your areas of interest from the form below.

  • FCA Opportunities for Level 3 Growth

    Huddles FCA Huddles - Faith-based small groups to help coaches and athletes grow in the 3rd Dimension.
    Events FCA Events - A wide variety of short-term gatherings designed by FCA staff to equip and encourage coaches/athletes to grow in the 3rd Dimension.
    Training FCA Training - Our training framework helps coaches and athletes to grow in all three dimensions from a faith-based perspective.
    Resources FCA Resources -A wide variety of print and digital resources designed to help coaches & athletes grow in the 3rd Dimension.

    Check all that apply:


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation   Yes
    Confidence Yes
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character Yes
    Significance
    Self-Worth  
    Values  
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • To help athletes move from extrinsic motivation to intrinsic motivation, they need to become “self-modelers.” Also, when it comes building confidence in your athletes, it's helpful when they are able to see their peers who succeed at performing a task. This on-the-field strategy helps with both of these level 2 issues.

    Overview

    On your team you have athletes with different skill levels. When working on “individual” skills like free throws, blocking, tackling, hitting, pitching etc., have the athletes that know the skill well actually lead the individual practice (drill) time. First of all, the athletes will teach just like you taught them. Second, this generation learns quicker when they “see” one of their own teammates teaching. Finally, the one leading/teaching feels empowered. Their confidence level and their leadership capacity increases on the team. It is a “win-win” for everyone.

    As you think through your practice plan, especially while constructing the individual-task portion of the schedule, be deliberate to create opportunities for athletes who are more advanced at a specific skill to teach those athletes who are not as far along.

    Watch this video segment from Unit 4.5 to hear more about this strategy.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation  
    Confidence
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion Yes Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character Yes Yes
    Significance Yes Yes
    Self-Worth Yes Yes
    Values  
    Purpose Yes Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • The most powerful group-relational strategies tend to be those which create opportunities for teams to serve others away from the sport. This 2nd dimension strategy will help the team bond closer together, but it will also help foster 3rd dimension growth by strengthening character and giving all who serve a since of value, significance and purpose beyond the playing field.

    Overview

    “I found a wonderful way to grow team cohesion on our college baseball team of 28 players. I wanted to create an opportunity for them to serve others, so I reached out to our local Salvation Army who was needing help sorting out all of the food that was donated for the Christmas giveaway season.

    "Many of the players were not to excited as they loaded the bus on that Saturday morning at 7:30 AM. As we arrived at the facility, we found a mountain of food thrown together in a heap on the floor of a dingy basement. I split the team into two groups: pitchers and position players. The pitchers were sorting the food from the pile and distributing it to the position players who encircled them with tables. One guy had the green beans, one guy had the corn etc. The food cans started flying and a couple of hours later it was all sorted into nice piles and placed into bags.

    “The players had to work together to figure out a efficient strategy, and they came up with a great one. Every guy felt great walking back to the bus. The team bonded in a way we hadn’t ever before we took the time to serve others. It feels amazing when you know you helped others. One of the kids that didn’t want to be there at the beginning said to me afterwards, 'Coach, what else can we do?'

    "What started out as a desire to use a group of young men to help others ended up being a powerful strategy to bring us closer as a team. From that point forward, we had a brotherhood.”

    Submitted by: Scott Ashton

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation   Yes
    Confidence
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion
    Goal Setting Yes
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity   Yes
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth Yes
    Values  
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Extrinsic motivation tends to be driven by the "3 P's": position, playing time, and POTENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP! The lack of understanding about athletic scholarships puts undue pressures on coaches and causes parents and athletes to play sports for the wrong reasons.

    Overview

    This free online Recruiting Academy course will teach parents/athletes how to create their own “Blueprint for SUCCESS” to help them pursue their ACADEMIC & ATHLETIC goals for college while educating them on the realities about recruiting.

    Topics include:

    • The Impact of Academics
    • Understanding Academic Eligibility
    • Physical Preparation for College Athletics
    • How to Market the College-Bound Athlete
    • All About the Recruiting Process

    This course also exposes parents and athletes to the 3D Coaching framework, and has the 3D Parent presentation video embedded in the course to help them understand their role in all 3Dimensions.

    "Guiding the College-Bound Athlete Seminars"

    Dynamite Sports is also able to offer educational recruiting seminars for your athletes, parents, counselors and coaches at no cost to your school. Click here for more information.

  • Download Athlete/Parent Handout

    Click here to download a handout for athletes/parents that shows them how to enroll in this free online Recruiting Academy course.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

Save and Continue Later
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation  
    Confidence Yes
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character Yes
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values  
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Creating opportunities for athletes to watch their peers succeed builds confidence. While we definitely want to create these experiences for 1st dimension objectives, this type of strategy helps athletes gain confidence to excel at serving others as well. When people learn to serve others, it adds to the team chemistry because of the group-relational dynamic. Finally, this strategy helps athletes focus on developing the character attributes of “goodness” as opposed to always focusing on “greatness” as Mark shared in the “Great to Good” teaching. This also teaches athletes to see goodness (moral character) in their teammates.

    Overview

    A good way to set this strategy up with the team would be to either model the “Great to Good” exercise that Mark Hull demonstrated in the “Great to Good” teaching, or play this video by Brett Ledbetter to illustrate the difference between “performance character” (greatness) and “moral character” (goodness).

    After athletes have a good understanding of the difference between performance character and moral character, once a week allow athletes to nominate their teammates for helmet awards/stickers for demonstrating moral character earlier during the week. The demonstration of moral character that the athlete is being nominated for could have taken place within the team setting or elsewhere.

  • Click here to save/print a PDF lesson plan for this strategy.


  • Please Note: You must complete the required fields on the "Most Popular" 2nd and 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this plan.

     

Save and Continue Later
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation   Yes
    Confidence
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values  
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • College recruiters have figured it out: if you want an athlete to commit to your program, you must enter into their home environment to find out about them and their family in a different light than just sports. Unfortunately, oftentimes this is done for transactional reasons just to get a kid to “commit.” Regardless of the motives of some college coaches, 3D Coaches can use this strategy for transformational purposes. If we want to motivate athletes from within, we need to be willing to capture their hearts by stepping into their lives away from the field.

    Overview

    The idea is simple: take time to go by and see athletes in their home environment. Make sure to gain proper approval or abide by the rules and regulations of your administration before visiting athletes away from the athletic environment. It might be smart to take another coach with you. Also, make sure the parents are home before you make the home visit. It’s also wise to have the parents and athletes together for the visit.

    If you coach a sport like football where there are numerous athletes on a team, you may need to split up the roster among the coaches and share the responsibility. While in the homes, talk about things other than the sport you are coaching. Your primary objective by stepping into their lives is to find out about THEM. If the discussion does become about the sport, use the opportunity to share your transformational purpose statement with the family. Home visits are not only a great team cohesion and motivational strategy, they allow you to model your transformational purpose in a powerful way by showing them you are willing to engage them on their turf.

    Watch this video from Unit 3 of Jeff explaining more details about this strategy.

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation  
    Confidence
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character Yes Yes
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values Yes Yes
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Character is forged in times of trial when people display the moral courage and inner fortitude to do the right thing even if it's unpopular or against conventional wisdom. This strategy helps coaches/athletes process through their value system and gives them an opportunity to display those values in times of competition.

    Overview

    An honor call applies in any situation where an athlete or coach can “right a wrong.” For example an honor call in volleyball can happen when, in attempting to block a shot, the ball skims off the tip of the blocker’s finger and goes out of bounds. The official doesn’t see it and awards the ball to the blocker’s team. The athlete then self-reports to the official that she/he touched the ball. This now costs her/his team a point and the ball is rightfully given to the opposing team. This can be applied to "flopping" in soccer and basketball, telling your athletes to point your direction on a fumble in American football, or any other strategy that is done to influence the officials to make the call go your way. These may be great strategies to help you win, but they amount to deception for personal gain. Why not just tell them how to cheat on their classroom tests so they can get a better score? It's the same thing.

    Honor calls protect the honor of the game and those playing the game. While introducing this idea, you can expect initial resistance. A good question to ask the athletes (and ourselves) would be, “How would we want the game to be called if there were no officials?”

    This strategy gives coaches a great opportunity to talk about the moral courage it takes to do the RIGHT thing. This discussion can easily open the door for a coach to talk about demonstrating moral courage in other situations outside of sports, like when they see someone being bullied or sexually harassed etc.

    Initial resistance will many times morph into unexpected joy because this is how the game is meant to be played (how life is meant to be lived.) Teaching athletes that honesty and integrity trump winning is a lesson that coaches need to teach. If a coach doesn’t teach these lessons, research shows that the longer athletes participate in sports... the more dishonest they will become.

    Click here to read a story about the impact of this strategy being implemented.

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes Yes
    Confidence Yes Yes
    Emotions Yes Yes
    Team Cohesion Yes Yes
    Goal Setting Yes Yes
    3rd Dimension Yes Yes
    Identity Yes Yes
    Character Yes Yes
    Significance Yes Yes
    Self-Worth Yes Yes
    Values Yes Yes
    Purpose Yes Yes

    *All of the boxes are checked because this strategy can be used to address any one of these issues based on the writing activity that is assigned by the coach.

  • Depending on the specific writing exercises and what primary purposes the coach wants to accomplish through this strategy, journaling can strengthen coaches and athletes in all three dimensions. For this strategy, athletes need some form of notebook. For serious performance development of high school and college athletes, The Athlete’s Workbook by Richard Kent is an excellent resource. For coaches, his book explains a process called, “Writing on the Bus.”

    Overview

    Journaling requires time. It offers the opportunity to put feelings into words and thoughts onto paper. Many elite level athletes journal to help them understand the relationship of performance to things like sleep patterns, diet, moods, emotions and fears. Research shows that putting emotions and fears into words on paper gives us a level of power over those emotions and fears.

    Journaling also helps athletes understand and chronicle the process of growth and change in all three dimensions. Because understanding is the basis of care, this process helps them better care for themselves and the team. As a coach this also gives you more information on how to better care for each athlete.

    There are so many different ways to use journals. For those new to journaling, it will require coaching and guidance. One way to get people engaged in the initial process is it to have each athlete design their own cover. Perhaps you can bring some magazines, tape, glue and scissors and have them cut out stuff that represents their story, what they value, and create a cover montage. Then, sometime during the season, each person should have the opportunity to explain what their cover means to the rest of the team.

    Suggestions for Implementation

    • Journals could be used while watching game film.
    • Have them write on the bus ride to a competition: "What are you thinking/feeling?"
    • Have them write on the bus ride home from the competition: "What went well? What things do we need to work on?"
    • Give them a weekly character attribute and ask them to write about it personally and where the see it in their culture and on their team.

    This strategy may or may not require more time. It could just be better use of present time like bus rides and film sessions, but it can also be an "outside of practice" discipline. In whatever way you use this strategy, here are some of the potential benefits:

    • Journaling can help athletes think more like coaches.
    • The exercise allowing athletes to explain their cover helps create value for the individual and gives insight to you as a coach and the rest of the team.
    • It is a gift you are giving to the athlete for a lifetime! They now have a written record of a season.
    • Coach-Parent problems are reduced as it creates a feedback mechanism for athletes to ask questions and seek clarity. This is a big issue for parents. It does not work to tell athletes to "come see you if they have a problem." They have problems, but they won’t come to your office. They can however, write it in a journal and allow you to read it.

    Watch this video to hear Mark Hull share more insights about this strategy.

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes Yes
    Confidence Yes Yes
    Emotions Yes Yes
    Team Cohesion Yes Yes
    Goal Setting Yes Yes
    3rd Dimension Yes Yes
    Identity Yes Yes
    Character Yes Yes
    Significance Yes Yes
    Self-Worth Yes Yes
    Values Yes Yes
    Purpose Yes Yes

    *All of the boxes are checked because this strategy can be used to address any one of these issues based on the resources a coach chooses to utilize.

  • To fulfill our Transformational Purpose in coaching, we need to address the whole of our athletes’ beings. This should include a strategy to help athletes to grow in all of the 2nd and 3rd dimension attributes. A great way to make sure that we intentionally cover all aspects of an athlete's being is to find the right resources and dedicate time and attention each week to teaching them.

    Overview

    Journaling requires time. It offers the opportunity to put feelings into words and thoughts onto paper. Many elite level athletes journal to help them understand the relationship of performance to things like sleep patterns, diet, moods, emotions and fears. Research shows that putting emotions and fears into words on paper gives us a level of power over those emotions and fears.

    There are countless resources that have been developed to help coaches teach 2nd and 3rd dimension issues. Hopefully, this course has helped you to value these types of resources at a new level. Watch this video to hear Mark Hull share a few more thoughts about this strategy. Then, if you decide to implement this strategy, sign up below to receive recommended resources by email from the 3D Institute.

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  • *Required Fields
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation  
    Confidence
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity  
    Character Yes
    Significance Yes
    Self-Worth
    Values   Yes
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • This strategy gives athletes an opportunity to demonstrate moral character and courage to their peers by being inclusive to all people, especially towards those who are marginalized. They will experience true significance by learning to show empathy towards others and by being a source of encouragement to those who need it most. As an extension of your own transformational purpose as a coach, athletes receive the opportunity to experience a greater sense of purpose beyond the athletic field.

    Overview

    NOBODY wants to eat alone. This is true of your athletes, and this is also true of everyone within the community you/they are a part of. Because athletes are typically afforded a significant amount of influence within any given community, they are also afforded the power to radically change the experience of others who are being ostracized by their peers.

    Before you implement this as a team, watch this story that demonstrates the powerful impact this simple strategy can have on others.

    Teach your athletes to empathize with others by having them contemplate what it would be like to be in the shoes of one who is alone at lunch. Then, establish a team rule that “no one eats alone” in the cafeteria.

    Check out the application video from Unit 17 to hear more details about this strategy.

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  • *Required Fields
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation  
    Confidence
    Emotions  
    Team Cohesion
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity Yes Yes
    Character
    Significance Yes Yes
    Self-Worth Yes Yes
    Values Yes Yes
    Purpose Yes Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • At the heart of most of the social ills that we are facing as a society are the issues of false masculine and feminine identity. The culture scripts men to equate their self-worth to their net-worth and women to see their beauty/body type from the outside in instead of from the inside out. These issues need to be corrected for young people to grow into healthy flourishing adults who are secure in their intrinsic worth.

    Overview

    Find a time during the season to have a conversation about the issues of masculinity and/or femininity with your athletes. The following video links provide great teachings on the real issues that young boys and girls are dealing with as they navigate the path to healthy adulthood.

    After you play the video(s), process the content of the videos with your athletes. Once the issues have been raised and discussed, have your eyes open for teachable moments throughout the remainder of the season to expose the lies of masculinity/femininity or correct behaviors that find their motive in false definitions of manhood/womanhood.

    Masculinity Videos:

    • Be A Man by Joe Ehrmann (free TedTalk)
    • The Mask You Live In by the Representation Project (Buy, Rent or Stream on Netflix)
      Other Masculinity Resources: InsideOut Coaching by Joe Ehrmann | Playbook for Manhood by Frank DiCocco

    Femininity Videos:

    • The Sexy Lie by Caroline Heldman (free TedTalk)
    • Miss Representation by the Representation Project (Buy, Rent or Stream on Netflix)
      Other Femininity Resources: Real Beauty Video Campaign by Dove.

    Watch this video below to hear Mark Hull share a few more ideas about why this is an essential strategy for a 3D Coach.

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes Yes
    Confidence Yes Yes
    Emotions Yes Yes
    Team Cohesion Yes Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity
    Character Yes Yes
    Significance Yes Yes
    Self-Worth
    Values
    Purpose Yes Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • This strategy will take more planning and preparation than most, but it will foster growth in numerous 2nd and 3rd dimension categories.

    Overview

    Identify and connect an orphanage who is in need of people to serve. Oftentimes a local church or service organization can help with this process. After identifying the needs of the orphanage, acquire the necessary items (paint, brushes, cleaning supplies, etc.) you will need. Also, take plenty of your own equipment (balls, bats, etc.) to play with the kids. Then acquire transportation to & from orphanage.

    Take the team and staff and serve real needs of the orphanage including light construction (i.e. mending fences, upgrading aging porches), painting walls, grounds maintenance etc. The facility owner/operator should discern their needs before you arrive. During each day, be sure to schedule time to “play” your sport with the kids; teaching clinics, small games, and maybe some limited competition. In the evening, close out the day processing with your players and coaches and have them express what they have learned about themselves through this opportunity.

    This strategy can be the most IMPORTANT and POWERFUL tool to develop selfless players. It is a great intrinsic motivator that helps each player to become a total team player. It helps with confidence for athletes and allows the emotion of joy to be expressed by all. Teams often come back from these types of experience and become totally committed to every area in the 1st dimension. From experience, the weight room comes alive, practices become engaging, and attitude/effort increases to a much higher level. This strategy applies to all socioeconomic groups of players ranging from the “entitled” to the “less fortunate.” If you want to be great, you must first learn to serve. This strategy teaches this principle in action, not just mere words.

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence Yes
    Emotions Yes
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • As Dr. Duke taught in the session on Motivation, we need to find ways to step into the home life of athletes. Although this strategy isn't about literally stepping into their lives in a physical sense, it still allows coaches to make a relational deposit into the lives of their athletes away from the sport.

    Overview

    As I was going through the teaching on Motivation, I reflected on what Jeff said about visiting athletes in their home environment as a way to motivate them intrinsically. I was currently coaching our daughter’s 8U basketball team, and it didn’t seem feasible for me to visit the girls in their homes, as it was near the end of the season when I heard this teaching. Since I could not physically make it to each of their homes, I decided to make my voice heard in their homes in a different way, through hand-written letters.

    It took a couple of hours during a weeknight to write each of the girls a short note of encouragement. I was sure to keep in mind the things I’ve learned about creating a ‘growth-mindset’ from Dr. Carol Dweck’s book Mindset, a summation of which you can find on this video.

    I know how excited my 8-year-old daughter is when she receives something in the mail, and I figured this would be a great way to excite the girls, let them know how much I care for them, and also would be a great way to send a message to their parents that we are seeking to be transformational with their daughters.

    I mailed the letters, and was excited to see how the girls reacted at the next game. Within a couple of days, I started receiving Facebook messages from many of their parents telling me how thankful they were that I was coaching their daughters.

    One particular girl on our team was out for basketball for the first time. All season long, when the ball was passed to her she was very hesitant to dribble, drive or shoot. She would always look for the first opportunity to pass the ball, and wanted nothing to do with "taking a risk." In my note home to her, I told her that I believed in her and wanted to see her "drive to the basket and shoot at our next game." At the next game, this girl drove to the hoop over and OVER and even scored her first points of the season!

    College-recruiters have figured out that they need to hand-write letters to recruits in order to demonstrate that they “care” about them. Unfortunately, most of the time this is a transactional tactic to get kids to commit to their schools. Why not use this strategy to be transformational in the lives of our kids? Since college-recruiters do this, I think this could work at any level of sport. It is a simple strategy to connect with our athletes on a deeper level.

    Submitted by: Amy Simmons

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation
    Confidence
    Emotions
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity Yes
    Character Yes
    Significance Yes
    Self-Worth
    Values
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • As 3D Coaches we need to have group-relational strategies to connect the group relationally. The best way to do this is to create opportunities for your athletes to serve away from the athletic environment. This strategy allows athletes to give themselves to a cause that benefits others and is greater than the team. It affords athletes the opportunity to tie into significance by living out the virtues of faith, hope and love.

    Overview

    On game days, 13 of our football players walk over to the Nursing Home and eat lunch with the residents. Wearing their game jerseys, they spread out and join the residents at their tables.

    This began as I was biking home from an early August practice. The Nursing Home is right next to the High School. I saw a man sitting out in the sun as I was riding by. I felt a tug on my heart and pulled in and started to talk with him. He asked me where I was coming from and I told him, from football practice. He lit up and said, “How are the boys looking this year?” We spoke for another ten minutes and both us had our days brightened. As I peddled away, I sensed God telling me to start something really cool. The school administration loved the idea and we’ve been sharing lunch on game days with some really awesome people since then.

    I’ve been told that some of the women at the Nursing Home are asking to have their hair done on Friday mornings before the football players visit. I’m in the coach's booth up in the press box for games. One night as I was walking up before the game, a guy I knew stopped me and thanked me for sitting with his mom at the Nursing Home earlier that day. The community loves our football team.

    Our players just understand that: "This is who we are. This is what we do. We use our strength to serve others." We believe that it is helping to build young people who consider the needs of others. It carries on to the field as they understand that a caring team plays better than a selfish one.

    Submitted by: Tom Mulderink

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  • *Required Fields
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes Yes
    Confidence
    Emotions
    Team Cohesion Yes Yes
    Goal Setting Yes Yes
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity
    Character Yes Yes
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values Yes Yes
    Purpose Yes Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • One Word helps coaches/athletes place an intentional FOCUS on developing a certain aspect of their own character formation. It helps them process through their value system and gives them an opportunity to strengthen their commitment to it. The One Word strategy helps guide coaches/athletes to think about their own purpose beyond sports, and then gives them a focal point that allows them to move towards fulfilling that purpose. This strategy could also be categorized as either an “individual-relational” or “group-relational” strategy for team cohesion depending on how it is processed within the team setting.

    Overview

    One Word is a SIMPLE strategy that is potentially as POWERFUL as it is simple. It should be done with the coaching staff as well as the athletes.

    One word is different than goals and resolutions. One word is a chosen focus, a word that you journey with for a season or a year. Athletes are taken through a guided 3-step process:

    1. Look In in silence and solitude, reflecting on things they should change, remove or start. Write down answers and then identify a word that represents those answers.
    2. Look Up. Looking up is to connect with God in your own personal way such that you sense that you receive a word. The word could be an action, a character trait, a discipline or a value. To discover this word a powerful question to ask would be, “What needs to be done IN me and Through me on this team this year? This season?”
    3. Look Out. Live your word. Figure out ways to keep it in front of you and pick at least 3 people who will be a support team to hold you accountable. Basketball teams have all written their word on a team ball. Tape it inside your helmet. Write it on your shoe…Be creative!

    Coaches can also consider having a One Word for their team. Pull your leaders together to walk through a process of discovery on this. The more involvement the more ownership.

    This strategy has been used by high school, college and pro teams. To buy the book, click here.

    Success Stories: Click Here.

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence Yes
    Emotions Yes
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth Yes
    Values
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • As we learned about in the session on Motivation, an effective way to create intrinsic motivation is to implement a strategy for modeling. This allows for peer-modeling in a powerful way because kids are afforded the opportunity to model seeing and verbalizing what is RIGHT for their peers. This feeds into the other 2nd dimension applications as well. By helping athletes focus on the positive, kids are less likely to internalize negativity and evaluate their self-worth based on their performance.

    Overview

    After practice and/or after games, have the athletes speak to specific things they saw done well. This can be anything from running a play properly, how opponents were treated, or specific demonstrations of the three things athletes control: attitude, effort, how they treat others.

    This can be an especially effective activity after a game. The tendency of coaches after games is to point out specific things that went wrong. This is unhelpful for 2 reasons:

    1. Unless you are going to practice them right away they will be forgotten thus it becomes a time to vent your frustrations.
    2. At best it isn’t helpful and can put your athletes in a negative mental framework.
    This strategy helps athletes notice and encourage others in their roles on the team.

    Bonus: Think about how you can involve the parents passively in this. One of the first questions the parents ask when they see their children after the contest is, “What did the coach say?” One of your first questions that you are asking is, “I wonder what the parents are telling them?” Invite the parents to stand in a circle around the team and LISTEN to what their athletes are saying. You now have set the tone for the conversation. You have now helped the parents to engage in supportive conversation after the game instead of critiquing performance.

    From experience, athletes love this. At first they may not be very good at this, but it's because they haven’t been taught to see what they or others are doing well. Most of our coaching tends to be fixing the imperfections.

    This helps those that tend to be critical to also see the good, even if they are small things. You can even coach the athletes who “get it” to look for good actions from those who are starting to demonstrate attitudes and actions that come from discouragement. This teaches your team to be encouragers.

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  • *Required Fields
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence Yes
    Emotions Yes
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting Yes
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity Yes
    Character Yes
    Significance Yes
    Self-Worth Yes
    Values Yes
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Overview

    It sounds simple, but do you carve out time to read as a strategy to grow in the 2nd and/or 3rd dimension? 3D Coaches are leaders, and leaders should be readers. If we want to coach athletes out of the "overflow," we need to keep feeding the reservoir of our own heart first. Reading the right books is one of the strongest "To" strategies that we can employ.


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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence
    Emotions
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity
    Character
    Significance Yes
    Self-Worth
    Values
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Overview

    Team service projects are a great way to create team cohesion and help athletes use their influence towards significant causes. This strategy was created by Andrea Simmons, a 10-year-old girl who was inspired to make a difference after learning about Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech at her school.

    Watch this video to hear her story of inspiration, then check out the music video for the song she wrote called "Shoes4Soulz." She wrote this song to raise awareness and to inspire people to donate shoes to people in need. She hopes coaches and their athletes will help her make a difference by including this team service project as a level 3 strategy for their teams.

    Hear the story behind Andrea's vision.
    Watch the Shoes4Soulz music video.
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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence
    Emotions Yes
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • This strategy creates joy, and as Dr. Duke taught in the teaching on Emotions, joy always elevates attitude and effort. When kids are having fun on the playground, they're motivated to play hard even though there are no extrinsic rewards like trophies or potential scholarships. By creating strategies that bring elements of the playground to the practice field, we can undermine unhealthy extrinsic motivation and by allowing the joy of the activity to be the primary reward. Also, an atmosphere of joy helps to cultivate an atmosphere of where relationships flourish. This group-relational strategy helps the whole group experience joy together.

    Overview

    When practice becomes too hot (environment) and mundane (complacent), coaches often revert to trying to regain great attitude and effort through various methods of using words (yelling, pleading, threat). Because joy is the emotion that promotes great attitude and effort, add an activity like this to your practice for a few minutes and watch what happens. Have the slip-n-slides near the practice fields and ready to go. As practice becomes complacent, STOP and gather the athletes. Have them take off their shoes/cleats and tell them to run and attack the slip-n-slides in whatever manner they choose. After just a few minutes, gather the athletes and begin/continue the practice schedule with wet gear. Watch what happens to the attitude and effort of practice with players and COACHES. Strategically build this time period into your practice schedule.

    These types of strategies allow the athletes to re-engage "play" and creativity in ways that always seems stimulate the joy of being outside and playing “hard.” Every child loves playing in water it seems, and they will do so with great attitude and effort. Observe the smiles on players and coaches faces. You'll see the attitude and effort at practice raise to a great level as this simple 5-10 minute activity reinvigorates the whole team.

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence Yes
    Emotions
    Team Cohesion
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Overview

    This strategy is usually done on a Saturday morning during the school year or mid1morning and early afternoon during summer time. Simply put, younger kids are taught the basics of the sport by high school athletes under the direct supervision of the coaching staff. If there are times of competition, the kids are coached by the athletes. Very rarely are scores kept.

    The kids get to develop a relationship with younger children and they see the influence they have on these kids. It makes them more accountable for the own behavior and choices they make in their own lives. It also helps put "play" back into sports since we don’t keep score.

    Submitted by: Tim Thomas

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  • *Required Fields
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence Yes
    Emotions Yes
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity Yes
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth Yes
    Values
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • One of the three key ingredients for establishing confidence is speaking words of verbal encouragement. This simple strategy helps athletes focus on the positive they see in their teammates and verbalize it. It creates an atmosphere of joy, and as Dr. Duke taught in the Emotions video teaching, joy always elevates attitude and effort. For the kids in the "spotlight," it helps them to become less likely to evaluate their self-worth based on aspects of performance. Instead, it allows players to feel accepted by the community (team) and helps them establish an identity based on who they ARE, not merely what they DO.

    Overview

    After practice take one of your athletes and put her/him in the “Spotlight.” Ask individual members of the team to say the person’s name and tell the person in the Spotlight what they appreciate about her/him. It can be something they specifically did to help them personally, or an observation of how they helped someone else. Or, it can be a character attribute that they consistently demonstrate.

    Tips:

    1. Make sure the statement is directed TO the person and not ABOUT the person.
    2. Coach your athletes to look each other in the eye when delivering and receiving the statements.
    3. Coach your athletes to look each other in the eye when delivering and receiving the statements.
    4. Coach athletes to be specific. When an athlete says “Jill, I appreciate the way you help people.” Ask them to be specific. For example, “Jill, I appreciate the ride home that you’ve given me when my mom wasn’t able to pick me up.”
    This strategy produces an atmosphere of appreciation. A sense of value is given to those who don’t get the applause from playing time. This teaches the performers to see the value of those on the team who aren’t as skilled at in the first dimension. Remember, people don’t quit when they feel they have value.

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation
    Confidence
    Emotions
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity Yes
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Along with individual-task and group-task, a 3D Coach needs to have an individual-relational and GROUP-RELATIONAL strategy. Creating opportunities for your team to serve others is a great group-relational strategy. This strategy allows coaches the opportunity to tie the purpose of the team to helping others in need and it gives athletes the experience of being a part of a cause greater than themselves. Many athletes desire to be identified as “great” because of their ability to perform in the 1st dimension. An unhealthy pursuit of “greatness” feeds a performance-based identity that ultimately will let them down once their days of performing are over. This simple strategy helps athletes re-frame their desire for greatness by associating true greatness with serving others.

    Overview

    In college, every spring our coaches would reach out to area churches to create a list of widowers and elderly folks in the community who needed help with some very basic lawn/home care like raking leaves, cleaning out gutters etc. Also on the list would be various service projects in the community like picking up trash along streets/highways, touch up painting park benches and other small projects. After they compiled the list of projects, they would pick a Saturday in the spring to complete the project.

    A few months before the actual Saturday when we completed the projects, Coach would have a team meeting where all of the athletes were instructed to bring with them 10 home addresses of friends and family members. During the team meeting, each player hand wrote 5 letters to send to 5 of the addresses, and Coach had a form letter to mail to the other 5 addresses. The form letter read something like this:

    Dear _____________.

    On Saturday, April 23rd our football team will be completing 5 hours of community service for elderly couples and widowers in our community. We will be raking leaves, cleaning out gutters, cutting grass, painting, and doing other various chores that these people are unable to do on their own. We will also be taking on service projects in the community like picking up trash along the city streets.

    Although we will be doing these chores at NO COST to any of our community members, we would like to use this opportunity to raise funds so that our football team can buy some of the extra equipment we have need of. Would you partner with our team by sponsoring me at an hourly rate as we perform these services?

    Example: $5 X 5 hours = $25

    Thank you for your support of our team.

    Sincerely _________________

    After each athlete hand wrote 5 letters and the 5 form letters were addressed, these letters were mailed out all across the country. Over the next few months, checks would come in from all over the country and we would raise significant funds while waiting for the Spring Clean-Up day to arrive.

    On the day of the Spring Clean Up, we would break into teams of 5-10 people to go complete the service projects. Coach was deliberate about forming the groups so that they were as diverse as possible. This was so that players got to serve with others who they might not normally interact with. After working all morning, we would meet at a local park and have a big team BBQ.

    In the eyes of the community, this was a very positive thing. The people who were served were overwhelmed with gratitude, and everyone else in the community were inspired to see influential college athletes serving others. This always created great team-cohesion because it served as a strong group-relational strategy.

    Submitted by: Wes Simmons

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence Yes
    Emotions Yes
    Team Cohesion Yes
    Goal Setting Yes
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity Yes
    Character Yes
    Significance Yes
    Self-Worth Yes
    Values Yes
    Purpose Yes

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Everybody loves a great story. Stories have the ability to raise our spirits, encourage and motivate us, and to teach us valuable life lessons. Depending on what stories are told, they can have a powerful impact on all of the various aspects of the 2nd and 3rd dimensions.

    Overview

    Story telling has always been a powerful tool for learning. Stories can ignite listeners' imaginations through use of language and visual imagery. Here are some suggestions for how to incorporate story telling into your program:

    1. Think of your own life narrative and the powerful lessons you have learned through the trials of life you've experienced. Share those stories with your athletes and pass on the wisdom you have gained.
    2. We don't truly know each other until we know each other's stories. As a team cohesion strategy, have each athlete write their life story out, and share it with the team.
    3. As a team, read a great book like "Season of Life," and process it as a team. (Season of Life Player Study | Coaches Guide)
    4. Find inspirational Sports Movies that tell a great story with meaningful life lessons and process the movie's message as a team.
    5. Order books like "Developing Character Through Motivational Fables" which provide short stories that can be read aloud to a team and provides questions that goes with each story to help a team to process the lesson.

    Stories are a powerful resource for communication and for delivering a memorable and inspiring message. As 3D Coaches, let's tap into the power of telling stories in an intentional way so we can help our athletes learn the meaningful life lessons they offer.

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  • *Required Fields
  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence
    Emotions Yes
    Team Cohesion
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Coaches need to have a level 2 strategy for dealing with the emotions of the athletes on the team. This strategy helps to create the positive-helpful emotion of JOY and to combat the positive-harmful emotion of COMPLACENCY. Also, the spirit of the play comes alive in athletes when they experience elements of the playground at practice. The self-rewarding nature of play helps to combat unhealthy forms of extrinsic motivation and entitlement.

    Overview

    All team sports have the need for great cardiovascular conditioning. Sports like basketball and soccer have greater need for anaerobic conditioning. This creates the need for lots of high intensity movement (sprints and quickness) for as long as possible before rest (anaerobic) is needed. To increase the anaerobic threshold coaches must have “conditioning” periods in their practice schedule. In basketball, we commonly call this period “suicides”, line-drills, 24 second drill etc. Line the players up on the baseline and run to the first free throw line and back to the baseline, then to half court and back, then to far free throw and back, and then baseline to baseline…and this is ONE suicide. Coaches do as many as needed, sometimes dribbling or touching lines as they go Most kids dread (complacency) this time in practice but endure or grind though this. Many times players do not give maximum effort because of this complacency and coaches revert to screaming or hollering to motivate them because of the need to be in great cardiovascular shape (1st dimension). When you see this, we want to eliminate the emotion of complacency (hurts performance) and replace it with the emotion of joy.

    During the conditioning period identify three athletes to be “it” (just like in tag game as a kid). On the whistle, have the rest of the players take off and start running, moving, jumping so as not to get tagged by the “its”. The players must stay within the court (sidelines and baselines).

    Watch how hard the athletes will run, jump, move in all different directions not to get tagged by "it." If they get tagged, the athlete has to come over and run traditional suicides on the sidelines. Watch the joy return to the faces of the athletes and watch the intensity of the conditioning period go to new heights. You can then incorporate “ball dribbling tag”, half court tag, etc.

    Coaches often report that they have never seen greater attitude and greater effort during their conditioning periods. Athletes rediscover the joy of running. For years, you could hear athletes asking each other before practice, “I wonder how many suicides are we doing today,” with a look of drudgery. Now, they go to practice and athletes are asking the coach, “We are playing tag to day aren’t we?” Conditioning goes to a new level because joy (helps performance) replaces complacency (hurts performance).

    Other Resources

    Check out Running Games for Track & Field and Cross Country for more fun ways to raise the level of joy through cardiovascular training.

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  •   "To" Strategy "Through" Strategy
    2nd Dimension    
    Motivation Yes
    Confidence
    Emotions Yes
    Team Cohesion
    Goal Setting
    3rd Dimension    
    Identity
    Character
    Significance
    Self-Worth
    Values
    Purpose

    *Because many 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, these checklists are not likely inclusive of their full scope of impact. We have limited the focus of these lists to the most obvious applications to help with the planning process.

  • Coaches need to have a level 2 strategy for dealing with the emotions of the athletes on the team. This strategy helps to create the positive-helpful emotion of JOY and to combat the positive-harmful emotion of COMPLACENCY. Also, the spirit of the play comes alive in athletes when they experience elements of the playground at practice. The self-rewarding nature of play helps to combat unhealthy forms of extrinsic motivation and entitlement.

    Overview

    In a team sport where you have different types of positions (football, basketball, lacrosse, etc), schedule into your practice a few minutes of role (position) reversals. For instance, in football, end with “goal line” (10 yards & in) scrimmage but have the skilled positions play offensive line and offensive linemen play the skill positions for 4-6 plays. Defense can do the same. Let the players come up with their plays. For instance, your quarterback is playing left tackle, wide receivers are playing guards, etc. Your left tackle is the quarterback, your guards are the running backs, etc. It is hilarious to watch the left tackle take a snap from the slot receiver and hand the ball off to your guards on a dive play behind the drive blocking of a wide receiver. The players will laugh and banter with each other just like being on the playground as a kid in a “pick up” football game. This allows those that never get to touch the football (linemen) a chance to “score.” What you never heard on the playground as a kid was this, “Pick me and let me play right tackle and never touch the ball again for the rest of my life”.

    If it's basketball, let the guards play in the post and your post players handle the ball. Be creative to apply this principle to your sport. Coaches use this strategy when they see the emotion of complacency. Complacency is a “feel good’ emotion that hurts performance. As coaches, we can’t stand complacency and many times our “go to move” is to holler and get mad for not getting better at practice. The opposite emotion of complacency is “joy.” Joy always enhances performance and is an emotion that feels good. When you see complacency, usually on long practice days, include one segment of “upside-down.” The emotion of joy replaces the emotion of complacency and practice jumps to a higher level. The 5 minutes invested in this re-energizes the WHOLE practice. We don’t have to yell or scream to motivate but rather have a second dimension strategy to use emotions as our ally!

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  • To help make sure both the 2nd & 3rd Dimensions are being addressed within your program, we are requiring that you complete the required fields* on each of the "Most Popular" 2nd & 3rd Dimension strategies before submitting this planning tool. It is not required that you implement these "Most Popular" strategies, but we want you to at least look at them. You can add as many of the other strategies as you want as well. As you navigate through these options, we suggest selecting at least one 2nd Dimension and one 3rd Dimension strategy for each of the seasons (as applicable): pre-season, in-season, post-season, and off-season.
    Most Popular Level 2 Strategies
    • Lunch Room*
    • One Word*
    • Spotlight Drill*
    • Tag, You're It!*
    Most Popular Level 3 Strategies
    • Display Transformational Purpose Statement*
    • FCA - A Level 3 Partner*
    • Masculinity/Femininity Issues*
    • Recommended Reading*
    Other Level 2 & 3 Strategies
    • 3D Parenting Video
    • A Question to Ask Parents
    • An "Extra Practice"
    • Banquet Letters to Parents
    • Canoe Trip
    • Captains/Leaders Training
    • Cell Phone Limitation
    • Ceremonies
    • Cross The Line
    • Follow The Leader
    • Food Kitchen
    • Guiding The College-Bound Athlete
    • Helmet Awards
    • Home Visits
    • Honor Calls
    • Journals
    • Lesson Plans/Theme Of The Week
    • Mission Trips
    • Notes Home
    • Nursing Home Outreach
    • Put Ups
    • Shoes4Soulz
    • Slip-N-Slides
    • Sport Clinics
    • Spring Clean-Up
    • Story Telling
    • Upside Down Drill
    *Because most of the 3D strategies have multiple level 2 & 3 implications, they don't easily fit into an "either/or" category.

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    You have selected the following 2nd & 3rd dimension strategies as part of your 3D Coaching strategic plan. You can find lesson plans for each of the strategies linked below. These lesson plans include a list of the various level 2 & 3 applications that are associated with each selection. They also provide more information to help you successfully implement these strategies into your program.

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  • Display Your Transformational Purpose Statement

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  • 3D Parenting Video

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  • A Question to Ask Parents

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  • An Extra Practice - Clean Your Room

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  • Banquet Letters to Parents

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  • Canoe Trip<.p>

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  • Captains/Leaders Training

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  • Cell Phone Limitation

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  • Ceremonies

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  • Cross the Line

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  • FCA - A Level 3 Partner
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  • Follow the Leader

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  • Food Kitchen

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  • Guiding The College-Bound Athlete

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  • Helmet Awards

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  • Home Visits

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  • Honor Calls

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  • Journals

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  • Lunch Room

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  • Masculinity/Femininity Issues

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  • Mission Trips

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  • Notes Home

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  • Nursing Home Outreach

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  • One Word

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  • Put Ups

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  • Recommended Reading
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  • Shoes4Soulz

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  • Slip-N-Slides

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  • Sport Clinics

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  • Spotlight Drill

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  • Spring Clean-Up

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  • Story Telling

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  • Tag, You're It!

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  • Upside Down Drill

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  • Notice: You cannot submit this form until you complete the required fields on the following list of "Most Popular" level 2 & 3 strategies:
  • Display Transformational Purpose Statement - *Contains Required Field
  • Display Transformational Purpose Statement - No Action Needed
  • FCA - A Level 3 Partner - *Contains Required Field
  • FCA - A Level 3 Partner - No Action Needed
  • Lunch Room - *Contains Required Field
  • Lunch Room - No Action Needed
  • Masculinity/Femininity Issues - *Contains Required Field
  • Masculinity/Femininity Issues - No Action Needed
  • One Word - *Contains Required Field
  • One Word - No Action Needed
  • Recommended Reading - *Contains Required Field
  • Recommended Reading - No Action Needed
  • Spotlight Drill - *Contains Required Field
  • Spotlight Drill - No Action Needed
  • Tag, You're It! - *Contains Required Field
  • Tag, You're It! - No Action Needed
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