Change It Up: 3 Tips To Turn Your Season Around

Stumbling out of the gate to begin a season is tough. You, your fellow coaches and your team put in months of hard work and preparation in order to get out to a quick start to the year and sprint into the playoffs — only now, the playoffs seem like a distant possibility.

But just because you’re beginning the season in a hole doesn’t mean your team’s championship dreams are completely dashed. A rocky start is a challenge, but not an impossible one to overcome.

It’s time to get off the schnide and turn your team’s fortunes around. Here are three tips to shake things up and get your season back on track:

1. Shuffle The Decks

Every team has that top line — that star combination you rely on as a coach to carry the team on the field and lead in the locker room. When things are going well, those star players get the recognition and respect; but when things are going not-so well, they get the blame.

If your elite players aren’t performing, if your top line isn’t producing, don’t beat a dead horse. It’s time to shake things up. There are times when things may get stale for your best athletes; maybe they’re bored with their combinations and need something new. Challenge them to live up to their potential by shuffling players around.

Splitting up the top players amongst the rest of the team may provide that boost you need for everyone, as it evens out the talent throughout your squad. Playing alongside superior talent may even bring out the best in some of the second and third-tier players. 

Even if your top line is producing together, changing things up could have a positive effect on the rest of your team.

2. Changing Of The Guard

There is likely a player or two on your squad who kills it every day in practice, but isn’t able to see playing time due to a veteran player occupying their position. When your team is underperforming expectations and your veteran players are struggling on the field, court or ice, a change of guard may do wonders for your team.

Early season struggles open the door for your back-ups and less experienced players to get a chance to shine. If the season’s going south, it can’t get worse, right? Maybe you noticed a certain back-up working extremely hard and improving, or a rookie who has been paying his dues and deserves a chance. Now is the time to see what they’ve got.

Who knows, you may find the next Tom Brady sitting on your bench just waiting for a shot. And if you do, that player’s success could be the spark your team needs.

3. Look In The Mirror

If shuffling your lineups around and installing new players isn’t adding any ‘W’s’ to the win column, it may be time to take a look in the mirror. Your team obviously needs a fire lit underneath it and as the coach it’s your job to light it.

It’s possible your team’s production issue may have something to do with that same playbook you’ve been using for close to a decade, or maybe your coaching style simply isn’t meshing with this specific group of players. Throw out some of your old coaching habits and reexamine some of your philosophies.

There’s nothing wrong with admitting it may be your fault. Remember the 2007 NFL season, when New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin looked all but out of a job midway through the year? Coughlin, famous for being a hot-headed disciplinarian, noticed his players weren’t responding to his style; so he changed it, and became a softer, gentler coach. How did his team respond? They beat the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

You don’t have to dramatically change your system or personality, but even the smallest tweaks may make the biggest differences. Mix in something new and creative on both sides of the field, court or ice and you may just inspire your players to make a miraculous turnaround.

Spend your valuable free time thinking of ways to motivate your team — not worrying about your team’s next apparel order. With Gladiator’s Protection Program, the ordering process is completely streamlined, taking the administrative burden off of your shoulders and freeing you up to do the things you do best: coaching your team.

When you partner with Gladiator, you are assigned a Program Coordinator who fully handles the ordering process from start to finish for your entire team.

Shake things up, turn your season around and save yourself the hassle of ordering team gear with Gladiator Custom Mouthguards, the industry-leader in custom mouthguards.