Blue Collar Brotherhood

Honor, Courage, Commitment, and Loyalty became the four pillars of Islander Power. They were defined and discussed every day in the weight room. Our athletes were expected to exemplify each of those values in every drill, every activity, every workout, and practice every day. As significant as these were, they were not the only values that were included in our structure. If we were to become uncommon people capable of achieving uncommon things, we would need to include other character traits as part of our way of life. Again, I understood that we would need to keep things simple and concise so that our athletes could internalize and live each core value as well as the supporting complimentary values. Everything must be interconnected and part of the overall culture. The siding of our cultural structure would include Excellence, Attention to Detail, Uncommon Work Ethic, and Toughness. Excellence would be our standard of behavior, conduct, and measure of success. Again, a common definition was required. We defined excellence as achieving greatness by exceeding the standard. What is greatness? Getting an “A” on an assignment, completing every repetition on a set, winning a game? No doubt, each of these examples might meet the definition of great! However, in my mind, I knew our average athletes needed a higher goal to strive for if we were to achieve the things that we desired, so we added the phrase “exceeding the standard.” Those three words elevated our expectations beyond the simple outcomes recognized as success. Winning a game, completing a set, and getting an “A” are certainly desired, but the real measure of success is how one arrives at those markers of success. It is the journey…the process that matters. Going beyond what is necessary to achieve a basic measure of success is exceeding the standard. It encompasses how we behave and treat people along the road to success. It includes how diligent we are in obeying the rules and standards of behavior. It includes upholding the highest moral and ethical behaviors. It demands that one is never satisfied with meeting the minimum requirements, of doing just enough to achieve the marker of success. It would not be enough to merely score more points than our opponent. Exceeding the standard demanded that we complete extra reps in the weight room and practice field. It demanded that we executed every rep, workout, and practice consistently with the rules and regulations defining appropriate behavior and technique. Ultimately, exceeding the standard demanded that we live and behave in a manner consistent with our 4 Core Values every minute of every day, regardless of where we were at and who might be watching. Attention to detail, uncommon work ethic, and toughness were the remaining supporting character values/traits that would be demanded in our culture. Each of these was independently discussed, posted throughout the weight room, and used verbally as motivational cues and reminders during training sessions every day. It's obvious that they all fit very nicely under the umbrella of “Excellence” and “Exceeding the Standard.” However, in a world that emphasizes “don’t sweat the small stuff” and “good enough is good enough,” it became immediately obvious that our culture would need to challenge these standards of mediocrity every day. If we were going to establish a culture in which every individual sets aside self and serves those around them, we would need to recognize that everything that we do and every choice we make has an impact on others. When others count on us to be difference makers, there are no small or insignificant details. Every detail, no matter how small, has the potential to produce positive or negative consequences. Overlooking or shrugging off what seems to be a minor thing can result in a failure that impacts another person. The interesting thing in life is that effort and mental/emotional toughness are essentially details. How hard we work and how much of ourselves we pour into a task is critical to our personal success as well as our team success. Coaches and players can recognize a suboptimal effort. Many times, the observable evidence of a subpar effort is obvious. However, I would argue that in most cases, the difference between a 100% effort and a 90% is so subtle that most don’t recognize it. The only person who truly knows if they poured 100% of themselves into a set, repetition, play, etc, is the person themselves. The only person who knows if they gave up because of a mental/emotional weakness is that person. These are the details. One’s actual effort and mental/emotional approach to a situation is, in reality, known only to that person and, as such, may appear to be a minor detail in the grand scheme of things. But the reality is that there are no such things as minor details when others are counting on you. The difference between 100% and 90% can mean all the difference in the outcome. It is not a minor detail! Every detail is critical. Even the small, quiet details of what is going on in our own minds. Doubting and/or giving up when things are tough can impact the outcome for the whole team or family. So, every day in the weight room, we would emphasize that there are no minor details. Everything, no matter how big or small, regardless of whether it was obvious and observable or hidden in our minds, is a detail worthy of our best effort of exceeding the standard.