GET OUT OF THE RUT

By Adam Cummings Head Football Coach West Plains High School

We’ve all been there - stuck in that rut of doubt. Are we where we are supposed to be or doing what we are supposed to be doing, both in our career and in life? Coaching is hard and there are many different elements of the profession that can wear you down if you aren’t proactive about addressing them. In almost 20 years of coaching, I’ve seen myself go through cycles and seasons of being “stuck.” To be honest, I’ve been blessed in my career to have worked for and with amazing coaches, coordinators, principals and superintendents. I’ve definitely had it pretty good, if not better than most, in that regard. Had it not been for many of those individuals in my life, my story would be much different than it is today. Even with all that support and encouragement, I have struggled at times. I would like to share with you three lessons I have learned along my journey as a Texas High School Coach. These are things that helped me from getting stuck, or at least got me out of the rut. These things are not necessarily scientific or researched, but they are practices that I have learned from others and have used myself.

Remember Your Why

It’s important in coaching to know your “why,” your purpose, what drives you each day. For me it’s seeing kids reach their potential and using what they’ve learned in athletics to propel them in life. Part of it is knowing this purpose, but part of it is remembering it each and every day, and using it to keep you focused and motivated to impact those you come into contact with. When we forget to stay focused on our “why” we can get burned out and lose sight of why we had passion in the first place. When we understand and remember our purpose, it makes the difficult things seem less and the daily victories seem

more. The daily grind isn’t as much of a grind when we have a purpose to motivate our efforts, and we see it’s not just busyness, but intentional work to make a difference. This is definitely easier said than done. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, so it’s important to take time out of the day to reflect and focus. Whether it be meditation, prayer, journaling, or simply thinking and reflecting, it’s important to remember your “why.”

Surround Yourself with Great People

Of all the things in my career that I have done, the one thing that I think I have done the best at is I have surrounded myself with great people - people that lift you up and make you a better person, a better coach, a better husband, a better father. People that motivate you and support you, are the ones I am talking about. Most of the people I am referring to are in the coaching profession for me, but there are many that are outside of it as well. It’s important to have people you can lean on, confide in, bounce ideas off of or simply hang out with. It’s important to have mentors, advisors, and veterans that have been there and done that, so you can seek their guidance and wisdom. If you’re a head coach, it’s important to hire great people first, and great coaches second. Having great people on your staff makes each day better. When great people work together they are going to keep in mind what is best for kids. We had a very unique situation at West Plains this past year as a new school - we were able to hire our entire staff. We were able to go out and identify the right fits for our staff and hire people based on very specific qualities. I have to admit, in my approach to this I borrowed

from Coach Lee Wiginton at Allen when he started the Midlothian Heritage program. We used “four pillars” that were the foundation of what our program would represent. In every interview and hire we made, that person had to meet the standard of each of those pillars. By having this tool we were able to bring in people that were like-minded, but brought unique gifts to strengthen each of these pillars within our program. As great as that was, what I did not anticipate was how tight knit this group would be and how dedicated to the brand they are. It makes a huge difference when great people work together well, but are also friends outside of coaching. For me, having a spouse that gets your why and is supportive in our profession is important as well. My wife is my biggest supporter. She has been there from the beginning and has always been a rock for me in difficult times. I can’t stress enough: find that partner that gets you and understands the importance of what you do. Whether you get to hire them or simply pick them, surround yourself with great people.

Lead with Love

I listened to my good friend, Coach Todd Winfrey from Canyon, speak at the 2023 Leadership Summit on this very topic. It was one of the best lectures, and one that really resonated with me. In 1 Peter 4:8, Peter encourages us to “keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” The application of this verse and the same message that was delivered in Coach Winfrey’s presentation was to choose love in all that we do as coaches. No matter the group or the situation, come from a stance of love and let it be obvious to all who interact with you. By doing this it helps to push out the negative

and toxic noise that can sometimes creep into our lives and weigh us down. We all deal with difficult people, whether it be certain kids, parents, co-workers, etc. By approaching each interaction with love, we give ourselves the opportunity to have a clear mind and heart when dealing with them. I have found over the years (more so as I’ve gotten older), that coming from a position of love can help to keep an open mind and perspective about dealing with tough situations. My encouragement is to love your kids, love your coaches, love your school, love your family and also important, love where your feet are. Our attitude is better when we lead this way, and thus, our energy and passion can become contagious. When we lead with love, we tend to be more positive and optimistic; which again can impact those around you. Leading with love helps me keep things in perspective. It helps me to tie my “why” to my actions as a coach, as a husband, and as a father.

In Closing

Coaching is the best profession in the world because we have the opportunity to impact hundreds of lives and truly make a difference. It is also a very difficult profession because we are constantly living in a fish bowl. All eyes are on us, waiting for us to make a mistake; and everyone has an opinion about the decisions we make. Much of what gets pointed out is negative, while much of the positive gets overlooked or ignored. The weight can seem heavy at times, and if our focus is off we can find ourselves stuck in a rut. My hope is that by remembering your why, surrounding yourself with great people, and leading with love, you can avoid getting stuck or at least minimize the time in the rut.