🏆 Leadership You Can See
Picture this.
A team drifts into warmups. Some kids jog. Some walk. A few look locked in, and a few look half awake. Coaches toss cones and balls around while parents watch quietly from the fence.
Nothing is said, but everything is communicated.
Before a whistle blows, before a word is spoken, before anyone teaches a drill, the tone of practice is already set.
The truth is simple: kids don’t listen first. They watch first.
And whatever they see in the leader becomes the pace of the team.
🧬 The Insight
Kids mirror what you model.
Not the speeches.
Not the pregame hype.
Not the motivational talk in the car.
They mirror your physical habits.
Your effort.
Your energy.
Your posture.
Your presence.
Their body language often becomes a reflection of yours.
In Lead for God’s Sake, the turning point wasn’t a new playbook. It wasn’t a better practice plan. It wasn’t a new system.
It was a shift in how the coach carried himself.
Once his heart shifted, his physical presence changed… and so did the team.
🏈 The Story
When the coach in Lead for God’s Sake hits rock bottom, it isn’t because of strategy. Strategy was never the problem.
He was frustrated, empty, and burnt out, and it showed.
His posture was tight.
His tone was sharp.
His players felt it.
Even when he didn’t say much, his body communicated disappointment and pressure. The team mirrored that tension.
But when he rediscovered his purpose, everything shifted.
He didn’t suddenly become a new speaker.
He didn’t create a new drill.
He didn’t reinvent his offense.
He simply showed up differently.
Looser shoulders.
Calmer tone.
More eye contact.
Gentler corrections.
More intentional encouragement.
And the team began to reflect that peace. Their effort increased. Their trust grew. Their physical energy matched the energy they saw in him.
The physical led the emotional.
The visual led the verbal.
The leader’s body changed the team before his words ever did.
🔁 The Shift
Your presence leads your athletes long before your words do.
If you want a team that works hard, models respect, and carries confidence, start with what they see from you physically.
Try these simple shifts:
• Stand where they can see your face
• Keep your tone calm even when correcting
• Show energy in the first drill of practice
• Move with purpose between stations
• Give visible, specific encouragement
• Let your posture say, “I’m with you,” not “I’m frustrated with you”
Kids follow what you show.
🧭 The Takeaway
Leadership is physical before it’s verbal.
Your athletes learn how to carry themselves by watching how you carry yourself.
Model the habits you want to multiply.
🏅 The Locker Room
Mindset Move: Lead With Your Body
This week, practice leading with your presence.
Show energy.
Show calm.
Show confidence.
Show connection.
Your athletes will copy what they see.
❤️ The Parents’ Bleachers
How you sit, cheer, react, and respond matters.
Kids read you even faster than they read a coach.
Try this sideline reset:
• Sit or stand with open posture
• Celebrate effort out loud
• Keep your reactions steady, not dramatic
• Smile when things go wrong
• Show your child that growth is more important than perfection
Your body teaches identity long before your words teach lessons.
⚡ BE THE CATALYST
Reply to this email: What physical habit do you want to model for your athlete this week?
Forward this to another parent, coach, or athlete who needs the reminder that the strongest leadership is often the leadership you can see.