Sporting Culture – It’s What You Do That Matters.

Published by Wayne Goldsmith on July 8, 2020July 8, 2020

Over the past 25 years I’ve been asked to work with sporting organizations all over the world and help them build and grow a successful sporting culture.

And no matter how many times I do it, I am stunned at the lack of understanding of what a sporting culture actually is – and how simple it is to develop a good one.

Sporting Culture………It’s What You Do.

Human beings are built and designed to do three things:

1. To think;
2. To talk;
3. To act.

In terms of building and growing a sustainably successful sporting culture, all that really matters is what you do – your actions alone determine your outcome.

Thinking does not change sporting culture.

And talking about it doesn’t change a thing.

It’s all about what you do – your actual behaviors – that makes all the difference.

The Critical Step: Putting actions, standards and behaviors behind the words.

The critical step is this – and the step that most sporting organizations do not do, is to identify relevant actions, standards and behaviors which will bring their organizational values to life.

For all sporting organizations, there are important situations and critical moments when the actions, standards and behaviors of athletes, coaches, management and staff need to reflect the organization’s values.

For example, it is important that players “live” the organization’s values in social situations, meeting sponsors, meeting fans and talking to media. It is important that players “live” the organization’s values in the gym, during on field training and during recovery and injury management activities.

When it comes to bringing your sporting culture to life, focus on helping players, coaches, support staff and everyone connected with your organization to learn and understand what your values actually “look like” and to learn to live the behaviors that are conducive of sustainable success.

This podcast discusses how to build, grow and sustain a successful sporting culture and provides simple and practical advice for coaches and sporting leaders about bringing a values based organization to life.