5 Game Changing Resources Every Coach Needs

What if the reason your athletes aren’t sticking around isn’t the drills—but the culture? Build one they’re proud to belong to → https://coachfreetraining.com

If you’re building more than just a team and if you want athletes who are locked in, resilient, and actually excited to show up—these 5 tools are game-changers. In this video, I break down how they’ve shaped the way I coach leadership, culture, and mindset without piling on extra hours or stress. 📘

👋 I'm Coach Bre — a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long-time head volleyball coach with 4 state championships. I’ve seen firsthand how the right tools—not more time or stress—can create a thriving culture. Whether it's bouncing back from tough seasons or building confident leaders, I’ve been in the trenches—and these are the resources that changed the game.

✅ Here’s what I cover:
The underrated booklet that sparked a leadership shift in my team
How one captain's guide helped clarify expectations and empower leaders
A zero-prep mindset system that your team can actually stick with
The culture framework that helped repair trust after an unexpected fallout
Practical steps to turn vague culture goals into real, visible habits
The mental game method that finally stuck—and why most miss it

🎯 This isn’t just about culture tips—it’s about giving your athletes the clarity, confidence, and mental edge they need to show up and perform. 

00:00 Introduction: The Importance of Team Culture
00:18 Coach's Experience and Background
02:30 Resource #1: Bruce Brown's Leadership Pamphlets
05:01 Resource #2: Wolf Pack by Abby Wambach
07:39 Resource #3: The Culture System by JP Bin
10:36 Resource #4: Gold Medal Squared for Volleyball
13:10 Resource #5: Plug and Play Elite Mental Game
16:51 Conclusion

💬 Coaches – comment below: What are the tried and true resources you can't live without?

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🔹More of our secrets in this playlist! → https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYeP0oZHlVGnxJfK4m7ViFejx8r3hnHWL&si=2dTJGyqzt0aGyR-r
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Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!

Transcript

1:04

Here's the truth. If your culture is not right, your players will not stick around. It doesn't matter how great your drills or your systems are, they will be out if they are not connected or feeling like they belong in your culture. But as a coach, it's hard to know what do we do to develop this culture in this leadership where it matters? As a head coach myself, for the past 14 years, I've won four state titles as a coach, and I have tested. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of resources when it comes to the books and the strategies and the drills and all of the things that you can use as a coach. And I've distilled it down to my top five resources that I would recommend to all coaches. They have withstood the test of time and I'm gonna be breaking them down and how they help with culture, leadership, and the mental game. Now, before I get into what these resources are, I do wanna give a shout out to a coach in our community. His name is John. He's actually a college volleyball coach. Who is using our program? Plug and Play Elite Mental Game for Teams. This is literally our plug and play system for coaches who want to incorporate mental training and they don't have a lot of time, right? They know that mental skills are important to develop mental toughness to how to come back from mistakes, deal with pressure, all those things. They don't quite have the time to. To do it right, which is, Hey, raise your hand. That's everybody. Okay. And so John is using our program and he said we had our first session today with the team and they're so excited to get started. We have five weeks of spring practice left to work through a good amount of the program. And he said, we've done a fair amount of this type of thing in the past, but it was a bit haphazard. So having a plan to work through is awesome. What I love about this and what John said is that, yeah, as coaches, we probably have actually done a lot of chat, GP Ting and Googling and Instagram and TikTok research to try and piece some things together for our teams. And I know I used to do that a lot and which is kind of what, where I stumbled across some of these resources, but honestly it's not, not great to do it in that way because one, it spends a lot of your mental energy trying to piece it together. And two, it's. Not really tested. You don't really know if what you're gonna do is working. So I love that John brought that up because our plug and play system is literally just a system that you follow and you don't have to think about it. It's already proven. You press play for your team, you lead a short discussion afterwards, and there it is. So if you wanna learn more. About plug and play, EMG. Head to our free training@coachfreetraining.com. I laid out some really easy mental training things that you can be doing in your practices, but also tell you all about plug and play EMG, and you get a discount at that training. All right, let's get into it. The five resources that I recommend. Number one, Bruce Brown's little pamphlet booklets. I have all of them. I believe. I believe I have all of them. Okay. The one that I recommend is actually not one that I have with me right now because I've given it to all of my leaders. It's called, um, captain's, seven Ways to Lead Your Team. So I actually have been using Bruce Brown's resources. Um, he is a former football coach. He's actually from the area where I live. Which makes it really cool. But he's, you know, nationally known as a coach who is really great when it comes to leadership culture, kind of all of those things. But I use him primarily for leadership development. Um, when I first took over, I actually used, I took over the program that I'm at right now. I, I use this one. The first steps in creating a successful team. This is where I first was exposed to this idea of like core covenants and how to incorporate those with your, with your players and what that looks like. But I have used all of his resources. Um, they're simple, they're little pamphlets. Like I said, the captain, seven Ways to Lead Your Team Takes your Athletes through like seven different ways to be a leader and what it means to be a captain. So I actually give. Um, all of my members of my leadership core, a book, uh, the the Seven Waste Lead Team, and it's kind of the training material that we use as they go through the season. So if you wanna know more about Leadership Core and how I structure that, um, check out this video that I'll link. Right now it's all about. Leadership core, how to actually develop leaders. And one of the ways that I actually develop leaders is by putting them in charge of a small group of people in my program. And they also, I called them the leadership core. And each member of the Leadership Corps has a little group that they're in charge of. And each member of the Leadership Corps is on our leadership council. And part of being the leadership council is that you get some leadership training. And so that's where I use Bruce Brown's, um, little booklet. We go through one a week and we just meet for a little bit. They read it ahead of time, we talk about it. It's just a good, like, jumping off place for what it means to be a leader. So that is, um, number one. Bruce Brown, you can look him up. Um, I've used him as well as like a guest speaker. He's came, come in now that is, uh, I don't know if he does that anymore. Um, just because he stopped, he kinda slowed down a little bit doing some of that and he doesn't, I don't know if he travels as much anymore, but, um, definitely his resources online. Like this are very helpful. Okay. Number two, this is a book that I kind of rotate through. I rotate, rotate through some things like every four years or so because of, you know, the new people coming in. I coach high school volleyball, so I want to expose, you know, new people to new things. And. This book, Wolf Pack by Abby Wambach, um, is a really short, punchy read for athletes. Now, not all of these resources are books, by the way. Okay?'cause books can be kinda boring sometimes. Um, but if you are looking for like little things to do with your team or this is a good like summer thing, I've done this, um, in the summer with some girls. I, I think I did it on the leadership core as well. One time I can, I alternate sometimes between, um, Bruce Brown's thing and this, and this is good because it's just like little short chapters. Um, and it kind of leans more into kinda what it means to be a female leader as well. Like when we are walking this line of like, be bold and confident, but don't be too loud, don't be bossy. Like kind of those dichotomies that a lot of girl athletes. Deal with this is a great resource because Abby dives into all of that. It's a lot. Also does a good job of what it means to be like an inclusive leader. What it means also to be a leader who like, um, leans into her own personality. And so the other thing that I love, there's a whole chapter in here on how to lead from the bench so that even if you're not like starting why your presence matters. And so this is good not just for your leadership core, like, and by the way. All of your athletes on your teams are leaders in some way. So I love this just as like a short thing that teams can go through, but also I sometimes just like pull things out of here and like write'em on the board and you know, we start our practice all together with the whole program. And so taking little nuggets out of here as like talking points for, um, you know, what it means to not just be a leader but have a strong culture that's inclusive and. Um, you know, just really strong is this is a good resource for that. Okay, so those are two that I would put into like kind of the leadership bucket. Bruce Brown's resources and Abby Wambach book, Wolf Pack. These are good ones, um, to start with. Okay, we're gonna move on to the culture bucket. And I heard Betsy buttery, uh, say this the other day on her. Her podcast, I believe it was hers, um, that, or maybe it was one of her, her emails that she sent. But stories we tell become the culture that we keep. That's, I think that's it. The stories we tell become the culture that we keep. And so when we say like, what is culture that really, it comes down to like, how are we talking about. The program, what is our experience? What are the individual experiences of the athletes in the program? Because the stories that they tell, what they talk about with each other, what they talk about with you, like that actually becomes the culture. And there's a few things. I mean, there's a lot of things that influence culture, but um, if we're not intentional with culture, then it just becomes what it is and we kind of leave it up to chance. And you have to design your culture the way that you want it. Uh, in order to make it strong. And one of the resources that I have used a lot is the Culture System by JP Bin. So JP Bin, along with Betsy Butterwick, actually, she's a communication specialist by the way. Um, they both have little bonus trainings inside our program. Plug and play Elite Mental Game for Teams, which I'll talk about in a second. But JP Bin is, he is great when it comes to how to kind of lay out tangibly. What it means to have a strong culture and what systems are in place. And this is actually where I learned how to develop what we now call the Player Impact Plan in our program, which basically helps define, define each player's role and impact, um, and how to communicate that. So there's not any like confusion. Um. You know, all athletes know exactly what their role is, what's expected of them. It's shared with their parents. And so I have a whole video on Player Impact Plan as well. So I'll link that. Um, but this is where it came from, from JP Norman's culture system. So he has a book, but he also has a program, um, that I also purchased and went through. There's a lot of content in there. Um, but I just kind of pulled out the things that a lot of it I was already doing, but pulled out the things that were. Applicable to what I needed. But if you're looking like, well, what, what does it actually look like to implement, like systems to support a culture that I want? This is a really, really good, um, starting place. So he also has a book that came out recently around like how to deal with, um, teen parents. I think I have it up on my bookshelf here somewhere. Um, but, or not just teen parents, but how to deal with parents and how to have. Healthy relationships with your players' parents. So if you're like me and you at the beginning of your coaching career, just wanted to avoid parents like the plague, and we're like, Nope, we're no conversation. You know, we don't talk. Um, and then quickly realized like, that's not the way to go. He lays out some really good, um, tips of, had him on the podcast as well, talking about like how to have good relationships with your parents, that you're really on the same team. Okay, so, um, culture system. The other little note that I'll do about, that I wanna tell you about that is I had a tough season. Um, it was after we won our second state championship in 2022. I had two players quit after, and that was like a big blow. I, I'm like, what? We just won state for the second year in a row and why are you quitting? Um, and there's a lot that goes into that story. I actually share that, um, on our YouTube channel. As well, like kind of my thoughts about that. But one of the main things, as much as like that those, the decision from those players was like, there was a lot that went into it with parents and, and all of that. Um, that wasn't good. Um, I also had to take a look at my own, my own culture and, you know, what, what systems I had in place to support these athletes and where my blind spots were. And one of the resources that I leaned on was. The culture system and the Player impact plan that came out of that. And I started implementing Player Impact plans in 2023, and they've just made a huge difference when it comes to clarity. So just a note on that. Okay. The other, in the co in the culture bucket, this is kind of, this is volleyball specific. So if you are not a volleyball coach, um, you can tune this out. But there are some things that apply to all, um, sports, but for volleyball. Gold medal squared. And I am not affiliated with gold medal. Gold medal squared, nor am I with Bruce Brown or Abby Wambach or jp. Like none of these resources are things that I like get a kick back on or anything. But gold medal square, this is like, um, their coaching manual, but I have been using them and they're basically like. A, a volleyball coaching system, um, philosophy, like all of the skills they have, like broken down by keys. It's research based, stat based. I'm a very, like, I like having like analytics and stats and things like that, so to help inform coaching decisions, but. Um, the reason why I like GMS Gold Medal squared, and I've been doing it, um, since, gosh, it's been over 10 years, um, is because it gives my program a common language. And so that can apply to, all right, all, all programs, all all sports. So what happens, um, if you don't have something like this, you don't have like. Ways that you teach certain skills or um, ways that you structure practice, then it becomes everyone is just doing a different thing. And I see this a lot in clubs, um, as well, but also happens in high school programs where it's like the CTE coach is doing a random thing and a JV coach is doing a random thing. And then when they get to varsity, it's like. Totally different than what they experienced on JVNC. And I wanted to have a seamless approach to my program because I wanted players to like develop up into our city and not be like, oh, well on C team, we learned this way to do it, and now I'm doing it this way. Um, and it's completely different. So this gives us like a, a common terminology throughout our whole program. It also gives a really great way to structure practices so that we're not. Wasting any time in transitioning. So, um, every player has a number. We use a competitive cauldron, if you are familiar with that. So it helps rank players. Um, but you have to introduce that in a very, you know, specific way, especially if you're coaching girls, because that can easily go sideways. But it's very useful for us to help encourage competitiveness in our program. And so, um, everyone gets a, a number so that they're grouped and they play with and against everybody. And there's just great resources in here to, uh, you know, just help, um, really make this not just streamlined, but it's all. It's all rooted in stats and rooted in research and, you know, why do we pass like this? And it kind of explains all of that behind it and there's just so much less wasted time. Um, you know, there's purpose behind things. So I highly recommend, um, gold medal score for volleyball coaches, but for coaches who are not volleyball, um, just. A way that you have a common language and common common systems throughout your entire club or your entire program is kind of the takeaway there. Okay. The last bucket that I wanna talk about is the mental game. Obviously, I'm passionate about the mental game. I am a mental performance coach. It really is what has changed my coaching. It is my secret sauce. Um, it is what has allowed my teams to perform at a very high level. Um, for the past several years, we've won four state championships. And, um, yeah, I've had talented teams, but honestly, to be able to compete at that level for and sustain that level of, of success, like we need a little something, we need a little oomph. And that came down to the mental game. I can tell you story after story of how the mental game has saved us and allowed us to, um, perform at a high level. And so the last resource that I would recommend, I mean, I, I do it. With my team. I've been doing this for about six years, but it is plug and play Elite mental game for teams. So, um, I have our coach facilitation guide here, but basically plug and play Elite mental game for teams is the simplest way to make sure that you are checking that box and giving your. Athletes, the skills that they need to perform. I would say that like as a coach, it's our responsibility to give our kids this all of the tools that they need to be successful. I do not want it to be my fault that my athlete is not prepared physically or mentally for what they're about to face. And a lot of times, and this is how it happened before I started implementing mental training skills, was that we would get into situations. You know, we'd be in high pressure games and I had talented teams and we wouldn't lose due to lack of talent or physical ability. We would lose two mental errors. We would get down and then we'd get down on ourselves and we'd get down as a team and not be able to come back. Like that is not, that's a mental error we would get, you know? Two, we, we lost in reverse sweep styles, meaning like we were up, you know, two points away from winning and then we would lose the entire thing because we just could not come back. And so I had to look at myself as a coach again and be like, I am not training this side of the game. And so I went back actually to become a mental performance coach, started teaching these, um, skills to my team. And then I was like, you know what? More, more teams and more athletes need this. So, um, about six years ago, I co-founded our company. The elite competitor and basically, basically packaged all of these skills into a really simple, easy to, um, implement training system for coaches. And so, like I said, it's literally plug and play. You don't have to prep more. You already have a lot on your plate. So this is for the coach who knows that it's important, but they don't want to become a much performance coach or have to teach another thing or have to carve out like hours of their day. Takes 30 minutes a week if you follow the training plan. Um, five minutes a day of little. Uh, daily mindset routine. We call ours the three, two, and brave. Um, incorporating a snapback routine. That's like a failure recovery system. So skills when it comes to knowing, like how to respond to pressure, how to respond to setbacks, how to prepare mentally for a game. And the best teams and the best athletes do not just train the physical part of the game. And I know you know this as a coach, so plug and play EMG is like the simplest way to do it. I give you, i, I package it up. It's exactly what I do so that you can just press, play, lead a little short discussion, which also aids in like some team bonding and some com comradery. Um, and so if you wanna learn more about how to implement, plug and play with your team, go to that free training. It's at coach free training.com. That'll lay it all out for you, plus you get a little discount for, um, being at the training. Okay, so those are the five resources that I've really stood the test of time and I've tried a lot of different things. I'm curious, comment below, like what resources are, do you. Standby. Um, what are the ones that you're like, yep, this is a go-to for me, either when it comes to culture or leadership or mental game? Let me know in the comments because I'm also open to learning more and implementing more into my toolbox. But these are the five that I highly recommend when it comes to leadership, culture, and the mental game. All right, coaches, I'm Coach Bree. I am the host of the Coach Game podcast, and I'll see you in the next episode.