It takes discipline to make good choices and sacrifices. Discipline can be applied to a player when they understand the truth about the Discipline. Players will not accept disci- pline if the wrong motives or intentions are present. They can tell the difference. Therefore, truth is at the heart of all discipline.
It takes a lot of discipline to make critical sacrifices that lead to success. Making a sacrifice is not easy. It especially is not easy when the sacrifice to improve must take place daily. Discipline and commitment could be one and the same. They both play a valuable role in individual and team success.
There are two types of discipline when coaching. It is the discipline the coach hands down and the self-discipline that comes from within the players. Most players are not born with self-discipline. They develop it as they grow in character.
The coach’s forced discipline is good on some fronts and can create a certain level of success. There must be some imposed discipline from the coach for a team to succeed at any level. This discipline is mainly applied to the immaturity of players who have no, or very little, self-discipline to stay focused on their own. Even if players create a high level of self-discipline, they need the coach to be the authority and impose a certain level of control to the group to keep team continuity in place, as individual self-discipline differenti- ates among the individuals.
When the proper character is established in a player, they will begin to discipline themselves. This is what we call self- discipline and it is the ultimate goal for a player to reach. If a player has genuine self-discipline, you can bet that they have exceptional character qualities.
Individual self-discipline should be the goal of a coach. When the discipline comes from within individuals, they will carry the team to their destiny. Self-discipline is a journey and will be established and increase as individual character increases by the foundation of the Word. It is the "TRUTH" of the Word that creates character. That character, when matured inside an individual, creates discipline that will carry an individual to "THEIR" highest potential. The coach can basically provide fundamentals and teaching and sit back and watch HIS individuals flourish to their highest success level, which is our ultimate goal explained during the pre-season meeting.
