Noah Fossner was previously a coach at Univ. of Massachusetts.

Charles Giunta was previously the Assistant Athletic Director at Fairfield Univ.

By: Dr. Colleen Hacker

The popularity of growth mindset literature over the past few decades has had a positive effect on people's lives. However, a significant and potentially deleterious misconception has also emerged, one that suggests encouraging and focusing on effort and improvement are all that matter. Instead, as Dweck points out (2008; Dweck and Yeager 2019), the process and learning from successful and less successful strategies is critical to achievement. It is not enough to put posters about effort and growth on the wall or write down moments of your own effort achievements. Coaches, teachers, and employers have bought into a simplistic version of the growth mindset and often say "Don't worry; you'll get it if you keep trying" or "Great effort! I love that you went for it." Certainly, effort is necessary and essential, but it is not the only requirement of a growth mindset. Emphasizing effort without an effective strategy is a mistake that is eerily similar to that which we made in previous generations when we provided participation trophies. In that case, showing up equated to giving effort. In fact, Dweck (2015) commented that what keeps her awake at night is fearing that the mindset concepts, which developed as a counter to the failed self-esteem movement, would be used to perpetuate that same philosophy. Performers need a broad repertoire of effective strategies they can employ to learn and improve. It is good to try, but to give effort without thinking about what strategies worked or did not work does little more than improve self-esteem. Self-reflection and situational analysis are equally critical elements

A growth mindset does not mean that anyone can accomplish any-thing they want; it is not a self-belief model, and it is not cheerleading for yourself or someone else. Instead, a growth mindset is about generating multiple strategies for success and being willing to do the work, sustained over time to bring about change and greater competence. The value of Dweck's (2016) work is in the details. Performers benefit from developing a growth mindset because it encourages them to recognize the solutions that are useful and accurate, and it encourages them to always be willing to generate and implement new remedies or strategies for problems that have yet to be mastered.

Absolutely, appreciate the work you have put in so far, but, if you have not yet solved the problem, then ask yourself what you have tried, how it worked out (or not), and what you can try next. Imagine you are trying to solve a math problem but cannot seem to find the solution: What have you tried and what you can you try next? Now, think about trying to get past a pressing defense in basketball or racing a mile against an opponent you have not defeated before. What did you try before? What else can you try? How will you change your approach? What else do you need to practice? Where do you need to practice? That is the magic sauce. Developing the appropriate belief system or mindset is like a noun in a sentence. It matters, but without a verb, the sentence is incomplete. You must believe that you can improve, develop, and grow, and then you need to identify actionable steps that will bring about that growth (see the following worksheet).

Developing a Growth Mindset After Adversity

The purpose of this worksheet is to help you develop a growth mindset when faced with setbacks, rejection, or failure.

Directions

Answer the following prompts as completely as possible.

1. Think of a moment when you experienced a significant failure or setback. Describe that moment in detail: What happened? When did it occur? Where did it take place? Who was involved? Why was it a failure? How did it occur?
2. Using the example you described in the first prompt, describe three strategies you could have implemented that might have led to a different outcome or result. Answer the question "What could I do differently?" Identify who, what, when, where, how, and why for each strategy. Be as specific as possible.
3. Write down at least one person from whom you could solicit feedback for each of the strategies you identified and identify one question you might need answered before you implement this new technique or strategy.

From C. Hacker and M. Mann, Achieving Excellence: Mastering Mindset for Peak Performance in Sport and Life (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2023).

Originally Published in: The Leadership Playbook

Integrity is the building block and most basic tenet to all other traits. If you are not an ethical person with a solid foundation of doing the right thing consistently, then you will not be a person of integrity. Integrity is the sum total of all our everyday choices. The more consistent we are with our everyday choices, the more integrity we have. Take the story of golfer Bobby Jones.

From 1923-1930, Bobby Jones won 13 major championships in golf. His record was unmatched until 1973 when it was finally broken by Jack Nicklaus. In a championship match that he was playing in, Jones drove the ball into the woods. As he was looking for the ball, he accidentally nudged it. Although no one saw him move the ball, he penalized himself one stroke (according to the rules), which caused him to lose the match by that margin. Afterward, when reporters praised him for his integrity, he responded that they might as well praise him and congratulate him for not robbing a bank.

In Martin Luther King's famous I Have a Dream speech he talks about people being judged by the content of their character. The true measure of a person's character is what they would do if they knew that no one would ever find out. The West Point honor code states,

"A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."

Your integrity is the most valuable thing that you possess. Here is an older poem from Dale Wimbrow, entitled The Man in the Glass about your integrity and how ultimately, you know whether you have it or don't

The Man in the Glass

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
and the world makes you king for a day.
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your father or mother or wife
Whose judgement upon you must pass,
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eyes.

He's the fellow to please – nevermind all the rest,
For he's with you clear to the end;
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you've cheated the man in the glass

  ]]> https://coachesinsider.com/lacrosse/integrity-2/feed/ 0 125319 https://coachesinsider.com/lacrosse/odds-decision-making-drills-with-deemer-class-first-class-lacrosse/ https://coachesinsider.com/lacrosse/odds-decision-making-drills-with-deemer-class-first-class-lacrosse/#respond Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:01:46 +0000 https://coachesinsider.com/?p=124220 Watch as Coach Deemer Class explains and shows practice videos of "Odds" decision-making drills. He first discusses shot-clock drills with 2v1s using a mini-net. Then, he explains his arc 2v1s with a 6x6 net. It’s important to recognize the talents of each of the players and to perform these drills to enhance player abilities.