Photo by John Strohsacker/Laxphotos.com
In listening to Mike Pressler you hear poise, consistency, intensity and precision. In some ways he sounds more like a chemistry professor than a lacrosse coach, intent on getting particular points across, focused on specific details. In listening to Mike Pressler you also hear a collection of coaching minds, an echo of how great achievements are won. In reflecting on Pressler, his team’s success, and bringing gold back to the United States, we put him in the company of his peers – U.S. coaching greats.
“You're looking for players whose name on the front of the sweater is more important than the one on the back. I look for these players to play hard, to play smart and to represent their country.”
- Herb Brooks, US Hockey Coach, 1980 Olympics
As the head coach of the U. S. Team, Mike Pressler had one goal in establishing the 2010 squad: Assemble a team of talented and selfless players who would embrace different but complimentary roles in bringing back gold. He achieved his goal, but to do it the entire tryout process was revamped. Rather than an application and single weekend of tryouts, only a handful of players were invited to a weekend at Bryant University. Several weekends of exhibition games followed, and players were winnowed down from nearly 100 to 23 over the course of months. In staying focused on assembling the best “TEAM”, Pressler and his staff set out to evaluate character. It was never in question whether players trying out had the chops to compete internationally. In many ways Pressler and his staff put lacrosse aside, choosing to focus on body language, reactions to adversity and success, strength of character, leadership, and unselfishness. By getting to know the players as people, watching their reactions, and listening to their interactions, the coaches began to put together a group of men who would win the gold with character and heart, not simply skill and ability.
"The essence of this whole thing is trying to become a good team. And becoming a good team is hard work... It requires the ability to have tough conversations, real communication. It requires an honest sense of roles and the ability for a team to come together, grow and see what's important."
- Bob Bradley, US Soccer Coach, 2010 World Cup
“I firmly believe that great players want to be communicated with,” said Presler “they want to know what you expect, want structure, want goals.” Put succinctly, “You must spend time with your people.” In the hotel, texting, emails, at lunch, on the plane, in the bus, Pressler set out to understand and know his players. He asked them to “evaluate themselves in between events. Max Seibald, how did you play? Ryan Powell, what do you need to do and what do we need to do to move this thing forward?” As the head coach, as the leader, Pressler made it his job to know his personnel, build trust, and walk together toward shared achievement. “When you know them, and you spend all that time with them, and they know you have their best interest at heart . . .”, Pressler continued, “. . . you’ve earned their trust.” The staff was brutally honest throughout, immediately addressing points tactfully with individuals and up-front with the team. There were hard times, and difficult moments. The loss to Canada in round-robin play forced the team to think about where it was going. But in the end, “there was great respect and great trust”, and as Pressler says, “with mutual respect and mutual trust you can accomplish anything.”
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Great Article. Great Job by the whole US team.
ReplyDeleteI played soccer for most of my life until I graduated from high school. After many years of playing the sport, I became good enough that I was named as a first team all state soccer player. Soccer and lacrosse are two totally different sports, but over the years I learned that every successful team, whether soccer, lacrosse, etc., is comprised of players who know the meaning of teamwork and use that while playing. Don’t get me wrong, I still think a successful team needs to have individuals with skills and abilities that out match their competitors, but what makes that team have an even higher chance of success is the execution of teamwork to put all of those skills and abilities together. In my opinion, I think Pressler’s way of couching gave the edge the U.S. team needed to be successful. Pressler’s attempt to understand the more in depth levels of teamwork and focusing that on building a family like relationship between the players is important in building the team into the next level. Any lacrosse team fighting for that first place medal will have skillful players, but by finding the connection between the players so they can put those skills together on the field is what is going to give that winning team the advantage. West Coast Lax makes a good point to in the last sentence of the first paragraph saying “The fact is that the guy was second guessed at every step and he WON, it’s a victory lap article for a guy who deserves it, who arguably sacrificed some talent level for team cohesion and role players and brought the thing home”. That’s my point exactly. You can have guys on the team with all the skill in the world but 9 times out of 10, that guy isn’t going to be able to take on the whole other team by themselves. The coach needs to be able to put together the best team of individuals who have a love for the game and play like a team should play, not to put out a few of the best players and hope they get a lucky breakthrough by themselves on the other team.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback and comments. I agree that the teams are infinitely more competitive when they're assembled to function as a team. When each player has a role, has an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the larger cause, everyone is engaged and focused on advancing the group.
ReplyDeleteCoach Pressler gained the utmost respect and loyalty from his team and that is a great accomplishment as a coach. I think the dynamics of the team's ability to work together and give 100% to themselves, their coach, and a team as whole, is incredible and much of that solid foundation is because of their coach's dedication to build a strong relationship with his players. I think that his coaching tactics were extremely successful. He has an undeniable passion for coaching and a focus for success and we should be proud of what our US team represents.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how Pressler put together his team of athletes. I like how he put skill aside for a moment because obviously if the players were there, they had the abilities to succeed athletically, but do they have the ability to succeed mentally and emotionally? A team is more than just how you can get a ball across the field, its how you act, how you respond to your teammates, and how you respect your teammates. I think it is really important for everyone to be honest when a team is involved. Everyone needs to be up front about problems going on and also what good is being done. I know in my personal life I always like evaluating myself after an event. I feel it is important to be able to self-reflect and critique everything that has taken place and look toward the future. One of the most important things I feel a team should do is remember why they are doing what they have set out to do. For example, how Pressler let the players share their thoughts on what it means to each of them to be a part of the U.S. team and to wear those colors proudly. I think sometimes we get caught up in the politics of it all and forget what brought us all together in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point - successful teams usually remember why they are doing whatever it is that they are doing. If they keep that in the forefront of their minds, they rarely lose focus on their overall purpose.
ReplyDeleteAnd the composition of a team is important too. As you point how, how individuals work together is much more important than the individuals...but we forget about that sometimes.
I found this article very interesting because of not only the leadership shown by Coach Pressler to form a team of ‘teammates’, not just superstars, but also how Coach Pressler completed this task. Coach Pressler knew from the beginning how he wanted his new team to be composed of, and how to compose it. He showed great knowledge and leadership by sticking to his plan and making his eventual gold-standard team what it is. I found it very interesting how he made the team. By only choosing around 100 of the best, and then slowly dwindling that number down to some 23 is impressive; especially how he did it. Coach Pressler only picked the players who showed they could play side by side, and who could prove they had good character, along with unselfishness. Coach Pressler even used how players’ body language was to help form his team. I feel that by using all these different but in my opinion excellent techniques to form a ‘gold-standard’ team shows how much of a leader and successful coach Mike Pressler really is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Pressler did with his team. To me the most important part of leadership is being able to have your leaders and followers work together in order to accomplish a goal. If the US soccer team was not able to work together and play as a team they would not be successful. Yes, a team does need players that will score goals and that will play good defense, but if the team is not able to work together none of these things will happen.
ReplyDeleteIt was good for Pressler to make sure that no player got more spotlight than the others. This ensured that none of the players got cocky and it did not cause tension between teammates. I think that if I was in Pressler's position i would have made the same decision.
After reading this I feel that what coach pressler did with his team is an excellent example of leadership. He made sure that all of his followers had the same vision and that they worked together as a team. I beleive that if any leader can achieve this with their followers that they are destined to succeed.
ReplyDeleteIn order to be a great coach, your team has to trust you. I think Mike Pressler did just that and more for his team. He put his team first more than winning. To be a good team you have to have the heart and be able to work as a “team”. I think Pressler did a great job in forming his team. You can have all the skill in the world but you have to have the drive to achieve the goal.
ReplyDeletePressler did a great job of picking out this team. Most coaches go in to a tryout situation and look for the most talented players. Pressler knew that all the kids were talented, but he looked into who had the intangibles that it would take to win at that level. There were probably more than a few cases where more talented players were let go, while less talented players who fit Pressler's vision for his team were kept around. This is a great example of having a vision as a leader and staying committed to it. You see similar situations in all sports, is Terrell Owens superior talent really worth the trouble that he brings upon the entire team? Coaches and General Managers in other professional sports would be wise to take note of Pressler's approach to building a team and not just a collection of players. This leads into leadership quite easily, sometimes having a collection of the best employees isn't the best for your company, sometimes it's better to have the guy who doesn't do much but at the same time keeps the moral up and keeps everyone happy. Seeing the big picture of a group of people, rather than looking at each person individually is how Pressler was successful and how others could become successful too.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how many people are taken by Pressler's approach. Obviously he sought to create a dynamic team, as opposed to gathering a group of talented individuals. However, he did it in a way that proved successful and clearly inspired many here to think about team dynamics and the role leaders must play in assembling the best group. This last comment makes a particularly poignant point, as there were probably a number of talented and capable players who were left home, but the team still succeeded. Extending this thought, there always seem to be talented 'players' out there, how they fit into the team is of utmost importance - if they don't fit the dynamic, there are others who can get the job done.
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to find coaches like Coach Pressler these days. There are some good coaches who are respected by their team but are unsuccessful. I've seen teams that are successful but who lack the respect for their coach and do it all on their own. But a coach that can earn the respect of his team and inspire those to do great are the ones who fit the profile of a great leader.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the strategy used by Coach Pressler is an iportant one. It is important because skill and talent alone do not win tournements. Its important to have character guys in the locker room so when things become rattled at times, the team can overcome it. More importantly, I believe his style of picking players is essential to playing an international sport. Smart players are necessary because international ball entails much more mental work. Atmosphere, rules, and sometimes conditions can change the course of a game and players need to be smart enough to acclimate themselves to it. Ultimately, his style of coaching proved successful as evident by their gold medal. Congratulations and hopefully America can bring the gold home in a few other sports as well.
ReplyDeleteLove the comments - great insights. It's interesting to me how many folks are interested in Pressler's style of picking players. I wonder why this is not more prevalent if it seems like the obvious way to succeed?
ReplyDeleteDan, I too wonder that same question. This article is a good example of how thinking outside the box when developing a team and coaching can do great things. Why don't other coaches and players look into these same techniques? Honestly I think it's too hard for most players and coaches to get into this mentality. Like someone said in the comments before, these players have the skills and know-how, that's not an issue, it's putting them together as a team. So many players nowadays focus so much on the "me" factor rather than the "team" factor, that it's hard to even present the idea. They key is kicking off this mentality from the start and that isn't always easy, which is why I feel a lot of coaches and players may rule out anything other than the rabid drive to win straight from the git-go. Coach Pressler is a prime example of how a coach steps in and says, "We're going to be a team. There's no ifs, ands, buts about it." It's not as easy as it may seem. Yes, we all as students commenting can point out the key factors and talk about how we would do it like Coach Pressler, but it's not that simple. It takes a strong willed person to lead the team the way Pressler does and not everyone can do it.
ReplyDeleteI watched this game and i felt Coach Pressler did a great job of leadership. He knew when his team needed the tools for success. I love how he chooses players for certain situations. That shows that he knows how to use his options successfully.
ReplyDeletesports is great because it can show how a persons raw natural talent isnt the only way to fully succeed. Obviously a athlete needs to be at a certain talent to play a sport at a high level, but as the NFL shows constantly, a persons 40 time or number of bench press reps, doesnt win super bowls. It takes a team coming together as a team, working as one to make a champion. One reason why most professional sport teams hold preseason training away from the home town is so the team can form their unique bond. Its something tht changes from year to year. Different teams have different chemistry. In a day and age where every athlete is being judged on every hundreth of a second, its great to see the human element show up and mean the difference between winning and losing. In business this same distinction can be made, its just harder to see, because we dont categorize everyone based on simulated performance tests like they do in sports.
ReplyDeleteI love how the article stated at the end of the second paragraph that the coaches put together a team of heart and character, not skill and ability. I like the approach Mike Pressler took here as he gained the respect from his players from day one. They knew that they could get along/work with Coach Pressler as they knew they had enough character to make the team to begin with. He directed them in a successful path as they won it all, making us realize that it's not always talent that wins you championships. Team chemistry was the main goal and was obtained through the right individuals around the right coach. I also give Coach credit in that he trusted his intentions and thoughts towards these players and idea and didn't give up on what he believed.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about this article is the quote by Bob Bradley. Bob Bradley, in my opinion, is a very good coach and leader, and his insights into the leadership are unmatched by many other coaches. For any coach, it is not necessarily vital to understand the game completely, but it is completely necessary to understand the team dynamics. At such high levels of play, the players know what needs to be done, but it is the coaching staff’s efforts determining in what manner the team will accomplish its goals. What really caught my interest was, “It requires an honest sense of roles,” that was stated by Bradley. I have been on many soccer teams and have worked in groups, and I believe this is one of the most important values a teammate can have. If a teammate has a skewed sense of their role, the entire team will fall apart. It is not necessarily each members duty to figure out their own roles; it is the leader’s duty (in this case the coach) to communicate which members will be filling which roles. Sometimes a member may not accept the role they have been given, and this presents challenges to the leader. But when this happens, communication is the key. The leader/coach needs to be able to not only convince, but establish the idea in the member that the duty they have been given is as important as any other’s job on the team or in the group. Once a member is able to realize their exact purpose in the group, the team can move forward and accomplish amazing things, as did Pressler’s winning team.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. At a certain level, athletes need less coaching about the nuances of their sport, and more direction in terms of what the team will look like and general strategy. I agree with your sentiments about a leader creating and communicating roles to each individual. Based on your experience, where have you seen breakdowns with this strategy, and how has it impacted the team?
ReplyDeleteThis article really shows what people should be more worried about today. You can be the best athlete in the world, but if you have the worst attitude, no leadership skills, you're selfish, etc. no one is going to want to play with you or have you play for there team. I think it's great that US Hockey chose the best 23 athletes then from there decided to look at who had the best character. Your character says a lot about you and how you can perform under high stress situations, some people just can't do it no matter how good an athlete they are.
ReplyDeleteNice insights - don't confuse hockey with lacrosse, as Coach Pressler and his squad are pretty focused on lacrosse. I agree with your general point - attitude is everything, and coaches who are willing to put a focus on bringing in the "right" players seem to find success.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an all-around great article; it's definitely my favorite. I play at a Division I sports team and can relate very well to it. My coach embodies this mindset of Herb Brooks almost down to the tee. His quote reads, “You're looking for players whose name on the front of the sweater is more important than the one on the back. I look for these players to play hard, to play smart and to represent their country.” My coach has not stressed enough the importance of our reputation as athletes to our school. As athletes, we can not do many thing the average college student can do. Imagine the scandal that would break out if well-known college athletes such as Andrew Luck had pictures of him with alcohol. Something similar happened with Michael Phelps years ago, when he was snapped in a picture smoking marijuana. As athletes, leaders, and role models to others, we must represent ourselves in a way that reflects positively on ourselves, our team, our schools, and institutions.
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