CTC-18 "Empowering ALL of Your Players" Chris Cornett

Chris Cornett joins the show with some solid insights on coaching your whole roster.

His coaching stops include:

Cooper HS Track
Camp Ernst Basketball
Ludlow Football
Ludlow Track

Topics mentioned:

Power of encouragement
Getting buy-in even from role players
His top leadership lessons over the years 

Transcript

spk_1:   0:00
This is the coach to coach podcast episode number 18 Game time and What's Going on, Guys, welcome to the coach to coach Podcast, where we believe every kid deserves a coach that cares, and every coach deserves someone in their corner. I'm your host, Nate silly with the Northern Kentucky Fellowship of Christian Athletes. And this podcast is made possible by all of our donors. Are board members, sponsors, volunteers, everybody that contributes and makes things just like this possible. We're so grateful to each of you who contribute to this movement and everyone that takes timeto. Listen, we're so, so grateful and value your time, and we have a really strong episode lined up for you. Today. We're interviewing Chris Cornett. Chris actually just came on staff with us full time with FC A, and there's a great reason for it because he has a great heart. He has an incredible resume of coaching experience of across multiple sports. About 12 years total of coaching experience has been all over, nor the Kentucky has served a different capacities, has some great stories about empowering athletes, making sure every person on your roster feels needed and note, and a valuable part of the team. Well, hey, I don't want to wait any longer. Let's hop right in our conversation with Chris Cornett. All right, guys, we're here with my man. Chris Cornett creates. How's it going today, man? Do allow me and excited. I know somewhere licious might have met you along the way along the path, but what is a curse? It is kind of like journey. Up until this point, you've had your hand in several different things. But how did you get into coaching? And I'll go ahead and pull the curtain behind? We just brought Chris on his F C. A staff was an area rep uber so jacked, and part of the reason I want to do this interview is that, but you could get to know him a little bit. So, yeah, Christians tell us a little bit about your journey.

spk_0:   2:08
Your journey's been great. I ever since a kid you know, playing playing kickball, basketball, baseball in the park always loved athletics, Start playing basketball is a young kid in middle school and high school. It came a little bit of my identity being wearing a jersey or wearing the tie on game days kind of building me who? Waas. So it's

spk_1:   2:29
always had a

spk_0:   2:29
huge impact on my life. I've always liked competing, competing just about everything, including folding towels on my wife. There's a lot that stems from just, you know, having that athletic background. I wasn't the most athletic kid I didn't have. You know, I was in a class that was pretty pretty competitive. Pretty good. So it's always fun to just always be competing. When I graduated, you know, there was athletics played such an important role in my life that I wanted to give back. And so I began leading young life at Ludlow High School. We had just started school and I was trying to find a way to just meet students. So we began coaching some cross country down there. I'm not a runner, but I faked it for a little while just to meet some students. And that stemmed into track.

spk_1:   3:16
That was with Chris, right? Uh, that was,

spk_0:   3:18
uh no, that was Chris Gillis. Chris, right? Was I think he was an assistant that have not came on the next year, is an assistant coach. Gillis was over there. He was such a wonderful guy. He he was, you know, believer. He helped us out meeting students. He kind of gave us access to schools. Huge blessing to be a part of that. But that stemmed into the following fall getting a football job or, uh, volunteer position. And and it was just so much fun to be around athletes again. And the way they're they're varsity works is it's freshman through senior. You know, it's a smaller school. So that dynamic of just coaching someone who his first year coming out playing football, you know, that was my story was I didn't play organized football until freshman year. I found out that I could be successful at it, so that became, like, my favorite thing to d'oh. But then through that, you lead Thio other coaching jobs. And that was all about 2006 to about 2012 and 11. I got married to my wife, Emily June 11 6961111

spk_1:   4:25
way. July 31st.

spk_0:   4:28
Yeah, 2011. We get married and my wife and I, my wife, was leading young life with me at Ludlow. We decided High School Ministry for her And for me, this wasn't wasn't wise. So we stepped out began kind of praying Where were God wanted us. Next we started leading warship at a little church in Ludlow trying to see if that's the place where God had us. And at the time I was a firefighter and I was working at University Hospital and I get a call from the vineyard in Florence asking me, they're asking me like we're looking for a youth pastor. So I started giving them names of my friends who are very qualified to be youth pastors. No, no, we want to interview you. And I honestly thought I was being pumped like I thought, actually, come out. Be like I got you. But this is about September will be interviewed there on it really felt like this was a good fit. Like God was doing great things of the vineyard still is very long. Founding pastor was still there, and so he was really porn into me, J. T. Schultz and accepts. See, a member was my mentor for two years, and so I end up getting hired and taking the position in 2012 February of 2012 a soon as I got into the position, I immediately just started calling Boone County schools and ended up getting a track job over a Cooper High School with coach relating Ham and Coach Tiki began just meeting it invested into students. And, of course, that led to a football job in 2012 S o. You know, athletics and coaching has always been just such an important role in my life. I'm not a I'm not a really big Xs and knows no guy. I'm not a really big stats guy. I'm really big into empowering athletes in every coach stuff. Coach, with every head coach coached with has kind of understood that, and I could watch film. I can tell you a little bit of tendencies I can. I can break down some stuff, but it's not what what wakes me up and makes me want to coach. I want to coach because I like seeing athletes have better form, feel more valued, feel like they're being invested into, even though you're not the starting quarterback, you know, starting linemen, they therefore string wide receiver, you know they are valued. I had a coach when I was a freshman in basketball. I made the basketball team, and I think we think we have 14 guys. And I'm pretty sure I was the 14th guy. I took a charge tryouts, and I'm pretty sure

spk_1:   6:49
that was the difference. Okay, Gotta have

spk_0:   6:51
him. He took the charge, so no, but he he, uh he cared for that. What would like the third string? And are the guys that run the bench Justus Muchas He cared for for the guys that were starting and handle on the ball a lot. He we would start watching film and he would point out the bench all the time and said, Look at the body language of our bench, How excited they are. Those That was a lot of times me and my buddy Justin played a lot, but we were always just really excited. We just love the game. We look computing. And when our teammates did something right, we were so excited. And so Coach O'Connor, he was from Texas And that moving back there hey, never left my mind. And so, guys, I always kind of drew to those guys that weren't as good, but they were kind enough to make it really not going up the black. I drew them because that was my story, that I could make. The team was competitive, but you know that extra bit. It just wasn't always there for me. But, you know, I wanted to coach and tell athletes and show athletes like it doesn't matter. You know, half you're getting the ball in play or if you're you know, you're the main guy team. What matters is that your value to become a better person out of this, This teach you discipline, work ethic or so much in sports that

spk_1:   8:06
you can still contribute to the Seems

spk_0:   8:08
absolutely. I mean, it is so important to have guys on your bench that are just on it in your corner and just excited, you know, Like I said, I loved it when some of our guys would just get on a roll when I'd be standing up cheering for a long time. I was just excited because, you know, I like seeing my friend succeed, and I like that practice, you know, fooling around and making them better. It's, you know, it's kind of one of those lost dynamics of athletics that you know, you're not the one with your name in the paper whenever you kind of get a little discouraged. But there's a reason those names from the paper sometimes, because what happens at practice self From that Cooper coaching job in 2012 we got to go. I got to lead a leadership camp. We just caught a transformation. Sports where we talked about like servant leadership, perseverance, obstacles, things like, You know, we went to this acronym and this 2012 team just caught a fire and they end up going to the state championship. Really incredible run, we end up, believes in. I mean, just just remembering the way the school, the way those athletes just bought in tow. The acronym of Living at 212 Degrees, which is the degree that the water boils and steam can power a locomotive and how much power there isn't just going the extra degree. So after that, I stayed around Cooper coaching track and still doing some leadership stuff with Cooper football team coach Borchers was always been just a huge support to me and my ministry's you know, he he let my student ministry has come up for an overnight and play in the gym. He got out Dodge balls and basketballs and stuff. And so you know, and he really understands why do coaching? And I do love the aspect of watching film in game plan, but it is awesome to see, you know, an athlete feel valued. But I kind of shuffled back and forth that coach from club ball of all for a little while just trying to meet some students, had a friend who she was really good volleyball player, played in college. I needed some help because she was traveling and I coach volleyball. KD could went back to Ludlow coach, Middle school football coach, varsity coach. Seventh grade basketball just kind of wraps around coach. And, like I said, just trying to empower athletes mean as many kids

spk_1:   10:18
as possible. You can't burn that one time, too. Yeah,

spk_0:   10:21
yeah. Can't birds from for a few think three years, two years coaching coach Franklin over there. That old athletic director now system principle floor anti is such a good friend of mine, said in 2012 at Cooper. He's got me the job just talking to Coach Borders. So it was awesome. Toa have his support. And, yes, the camp burns was a big part of what I did is that was a lot of fun. You know, those athletes, they're freshmen now that I started coaching their freshman at Cooper Selby head and they got a game on Friday Cooper than going to some old leaders just just to see this guy's cause me. And they're they're special Bebe kids. So, yeah, that's my journey. And now this is my first full year since November. Some of son was born November 28th so that would've been basketball season, so I didn't coach it all. And then this past basketball season, my first full years. It's since high school that I haven't coached something. I

spk_1:   11:15
think we had it up. It was 12 full years of coaching experience. A lot that is, that's good. I

spk_0:   11:21
got kind of grandfather in case it has the 64 credit hours and 21 year old rule. And when I was 18 they kind of just made me a volunteer for a while. So you don't get paid, but you know you're here, you'll be able to count. So that was It was cool,

spk_1:   11:36
right? D'oh! Well, I know one of the one of the themes Air one of the Touchpoints topic wise that we usually hit on these types of conversations is even kind of mentioned, like the balance between the tactics and X's and O's, but also the relational side of players I know that's also true for coaches just in their in their own personal balance. Or it might have been the best word, but trying to pursue health in all areas, whether in season and out of season. How do I How do I take care of the home win at home? And then also how Doe I went on the field, And a lot of times it could feel like an either or scenario. And I told him, Get why that is, and we believe you could You could do both. It's just gotta be very intentional. So maybe what? What are some maybe one or two things that you kind of picked up along the way that set you up to succeed on all fronts

spk_0:   12:22
on the family's out of the team? Sad, personal? Yeah, I wasn't the perfect model for it, for sure. My daughter was born. I was a head basketball coach at Lud Love for seventh graders. And I also, you know, when you coach Ludlow in whatever level you coach, you coach all levels. And if you're still you coach 67 and eight years doing the book for sixth grade and you're on the bench for eighth grade s. Oh, my daughter was born about halfway through the season, and you know, that's what I've learned through coaching. Is that preseason? Every coach is just on fire or excited. It's were scouting where we're moving athletes around, finding right positions, installing plays and just getting really excited for the season. Scrimmages were happening. It's about, you know, have that halfway point, maybe maybe 3/4 of the way through your season when the drag hits. And that's right When my daughter was born, so it was kind of just like going to practice and feeling like I'm letting my family down, that coming home feeling, Let the guys down, you have no energy. And, you know, it was just kind of one of those rough dynamics I've always seen. Especially coaching the varsity level. Yeah, that that if you're weak, ate right before playoffs and you're kind of, regardless of your records, you're just kind of in a drag, you know, you're you're seasons change in like it's getting colder out. So I've learned to have really good accountability tohave a mentor and or somebody else that that is gonna hold you accountable but also build you up. Have you know that reminder of wire coaching? I think a lot of coaches leaves that halfway through the season just because you get so focused on the scenarios. And if we win this game or they lose this game and you start thinking ahead and you kind of lose the focus of why you're coaching. So one thing that I've made a promise to myself if I do get back into serving as a coach some point or any any coach that I get to serve through F. C. A. I want to write down goals preseason and I wanna have checkups and it doesn't have to be a face to face. But, you know, you said you wanted your your athletes to know after every practice that you love him, that you care about him and you want you know you want to take, you know a part of the week just to serve them and, you know, just kind of resetting. Your goal was resetting your mindset throughout the season because your four weeks in and you're all your goals and all the things you says, it's running great. Your conditioning is still happening at that point. So you're staying on the discipline factor, and then once you get later in the season, they should be they should be in shape by they're not. They're not gonna be in any better shape. So you kind of lose that. That element of it adds, I've always seen that kind of make athletes kind of drag a little more, too, because they're getting tired. And so when athletes get tired and coach to get tired, it creates just kind of a rough, a rough dynamic. But, you know, just having. Like I said, if you have the sheet of paper on your desk or in your car, or you got some mentors and accountability partners just kind of saying, you said you remember, you wanna win games and so you're gonna do that or you're gonna you know. But you also said you want to make sure that athletes. But you also said you're gonna take your wife out on a day every week. You also said Sundays you won't watch Bill. You also said, you know, and just kind of making that a priority setting, setting strict goals and in, you know, the smart goals were great where you can just have it. Really, Um, I really measuring up to this because at the end of the day,

spk_1:   15:45
when you said Smart girls, I know some people You may have heard that maybe not that wasn't specific, measurable, actionable.

spk_0:   15:52
I think I

spk_1:   15:55
attainable. And then the last one's time bound are realistic, realistic. That's what it is that's realistic.

spk_0:   16:03
There might not be attainable. It's smart. Girls are important. It's important, especially like making the goals is one. But you know, there's a

spk_1:   16:11
visiting and having to be actually be a part of your rhythms. Yeah, yeah,

spk_0:   16:14
One of the most impactful books in my life was called The Power of the Other by Dr Henry Cloud. And you know, if you were one of the court's that's always stuck in my head. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far go with people. And if you don't bring people into your goals, then a lot of times your goals are run by you, which we don't have a lot of steam to do that. So the power of the other is so important. Having it doesn't need don't need a whole group. One person could be that other That helps push you but your own

spk_1:   16:42
personal willpower. Yep. And then you then just start rationalizing. And the next thing you know, it's got that's done like, you know, I'm quick to

spk_0:   16:50
that. Like I said, I was going to tell I love him, but I've done it three weeks. Whatever they're done, I love when they know it. I don't need to say any more more. You know, that's one of your goals or something you think is super important. Your team do it. But yeah, it's accountability is so key and even just like I said for me now having two Children. And you know, I see what some of these head coaches go through. And it's not just the coaching side of the film cyber. There's other things that go into it and you know, boosters and things like reasons, fundraising and you know your jerseys is so much that a coach has to deal with. So it's so important. Just set up really safe boundaries, especially knowing around weeks, seven weeks a in a football season. Or, you know, once you turn into January and basketball district's right around our urine district play, that's really important timeto to make sure that you know you have healthy systems and structures in your life to build you up while we're developing these athletes. That's huge, switching

spk_1:   17:53
gears a little bit. What would be you touched on in a minute ago? But how does your head of your faith impact your coaching? I know, you know. We're always have to be respectful boundaries, especially public school setting. But we've talked with several other coaches, and it's been really cool to hear just how what drives them or why they coach and have their faith in packs. It's just

spk_0:   18:12
one touch on that. Yeah, I created a foundation of athletics when I was younger, you know, it became my identity, and so if I didn't get it, we had these these gym bags that had our names on our man had and for Turkey foot. They had her name on it and they had Indian logo. Remember? My bag got ribs and I was crushed and I was like, Man was cooling my bag bridge.

spk_1:   18:36
I know that sounds silly, but

spk_0:   18:37
when you when you wrap yourself up into the identity of athletics, there's the value will fail. I mean, it's just you're gonna mess up in sports.

spk_1:   18:45
On the matter of when I

spk_0:   18:46
love that about sports is because yeah, like you will, you know, you'll drop the padding out Sean, Jeffrey and the kicker from from the Bears. Like those guys, like some of the most like There you look a Twitter and it is going nuts. And so if that's your foundation, you will fall and you will hit a really dangerous place in your life because you will one point probably. Let your team down. Here, let your coach down. It's just human nature. We're not perfect people. So when you have a foundation of Jesus, you know, the king of Kings, the author and perfecter of our faith of guidance says, I'm saying yesterday, today and forever, that right there just kind of changes your mindset of identity. And so what? I'm coaching athletes when they make a mistake. I want them to learn from that because, you know, look at the woman called adultery. She's the most devastating moment of her life. She's embarrassed and she's in front of all these people in Jesus says, Hey, has no one continue after we asked him to cast their stones if they haven't sinned? And she's like, No, no one, sir. You know, I was nude. Y go and leave this life like when you make him a steak. Repent, Leave, move, move on! That's a lot of big part of my coaching strategy is Look, this is what you did wrong. I'm here to coach you to correct. I'm here to teach you to correct way to do this. Now go do it. I'm not saying you're I always remember that you dropped that pot. Not change of emotion. Remember you missing that lay up or you fall starting or whatever it is. None of that matters. It matters that you learn from your mistakes. So having a faith based platform because in the days when you do screw up yours having a bad day you're charging whatever you could always kind of go back to that found. I always describe it as you know, just like filling up your feel. Your full your fuel tank. You know, you've heard this before that if if you're not going to the Lord and getting filled up on a daily basis, then you're gonna run on fumes. And, like, no fruit comes in the power of flash on power spirits. That's what we operate in. And so when you're able to bring that into an accident on athletic environment, it really, I think, boosts confidence of kids. This is not mine. Did you look at Davos Sweeney? He says, if winning a national championship is the best thing and you in your life, that's sad.

spk_1:   20:58
You know, I'm like, Whoa, you know, every kid dreams of that. You know,

spk_0:   21:03
Clinton running out that all sudden, You know, this Lawrence kids like, Yeah, you know, I don't want a national James pretty good football, but that's not who I am. I'm a follower of Jesus, and this guy's changed my life. It is amazing when you're surrendered over too, something like that, and that really is your identity then you understand that God gave you a gift. He gave you a platform. I gave you an ability to do this stuff. You use it the best that you can. I'm a firm believer on all that Student athletes is so important. God gave us a gift of education. There's so many places that you've been in our hand around the world. Education is just It's just before they walk up footage two miles into a school that doesn't even have electricity and open windows and all that. But they, you know, ages 4 to 6 or in one insist, amazing that were given this incredible opportunity of education and then also this incredible, incredible opportunity of all these different sports that we can play and learn and become better. But if there was become your identity, if that's if you're playing it, Thio have the most yards of the most points in the game or, you know that has the fastest time. And you're not saying you know what? I've been given this gift or I have this talent that God's given me. Then you're gonna end up really empty sooner than later. No, it's good.

spk_1:   22:18
The identity pieces such a previously huge part of my story a lot. It's part of everybody's story. It's kind of a journey. Who am I? Why am I here? And I've learned a little bit along the way, just talking to different people, where, especially the coaching setting there are ways it's not even doing more. But it's just how you correct or how you coach can make a big difference in a kid's life where if they have a mental breakdown or they made the wrong read or some sort of thing mentally that they messed up. You have two choices. It's Hey, you made this mental mistake. Here's what What were you seeing? Okay, look, this is that when he goes here, you go into this coverage or whatever it is for your sport. And let's let's fix that mistake. This is one thing you did that was a mistake. Let's fix it. Here's how to do it so you could be better. Or you could go into your freaking head case, man. But the u R blank versus Okay, you did this very different. It is really subtle, but one is actually speaking identity over them. Like you are a head case. You will make more mental states over and over and over, or hey, you're a good player. You're a sharp kid. You just have this one mess up. Yeah, and we're gonna help you through it very different. It's it's subtle, but I've seen both play out and I've seen him received very, very differently because one the kid totally touched his tail, Put the head down or whatever. And the other one, while might not feel good. I mean, if you're getting after somebody, it's still Hey, I know you care about me enough to make me the best player I could be. I just think it's huge how we're speaking identity in the kids. Yep, regardless of faith, even is a big

spk_0:   23:49
deal. Yeah, it is not uncommon for a coach to kind of go ballistic sometimes happens or something happens. It's just a natural reaction. It's especially when you're competitive and you're in a tight game or something going on and you kind of, But it is amazing to see when a kid or when a coach loses their mind and their kind of yelling, you can see him kind of going nuts pulling their hair out on the sideline. And that kid kind of make eye contact with the coach, But the coach kind of stop and clap. You're okay. You're okay. We got you. Your team's got you. You're okay. It's fun. Yeah. I watched video of out Sean Jeffrey after that play, and all of his teammates go to keep your head up your fine, you know, and, uh, these things happen. You're right. And as coach is so important to remember that in a year will probably remember that play, you know, maybe maybe something big is losing a divisional game. Okay, but that's a such a rare case, and these little games that we have these things. But, you know, it's also important. I've had been around coaching staffs that will do that. They'll jump a kid and then they'll pull inside. Hey, forget like understand? That was just a reaction. I love you. You know, here's here's why that happened. But I love you. I'm not mad at you at all. And athlete really does value that because kids, you're right. They dio you do kind of coward. And, you know, one of the things F c a says, is two of the most powerful words in the world. Or, Coach says. And so you're always trying. As coaches, we don't realize the weight and authority we carry just with kids go home thinking, you know, when they're working out. How come you don't like this? Yeah, you know, we're at home with our families, watching Jeopardy, Have fun And the athletes are just thinking about us. So, you know, really having that that solid, like relationship and being being a coach that is able to identify kids that struggle with correction and because it's kind of changing a little bit. But, you know, it's fun to see coaches lose her mind and build a kid right back. I mean, it's amazing because it's it's kind of, you know, you do it a lot sexier when you're putting something together with your spouse building a bookshelf or something, and you just you don't look. We did it. We did it together. We got habits. Okay?

spk_1:   26:02
Yeah. We've barely survived a couple of I ke a project. Some of the things you've been to see You want to touch you. But you said that, Betsy, your last year was a Connor, and then he'd been in a lot of different schools. So along the way, either plan or other coaches that you've coached with its private 50 of them, but who were one or two coaches that have really impacted your life in your country,

spk_0:   26:29
freshman year coach O'Connor. I'm telling you, this was a life changing deal. I had were in middle school from 6 to 8 grade. We lost three total games. We're really good team. We lost the chamber Shit game, eighth grade. We went to overtime and just one of those tough losses that, like I'm 31 years old

spk_1:   26:47
and still salty, should've started the clock like this is all these

spk_0:   26:51
little things freshman year, You know, you go from middle school to high school and it's just completely different. Bog and the varsity coach. Is that your at your tryouts? And there's 40 50 kids trying out for 12 jerseys, and you know there's kids from other schools coming in now. It's no longer Turkey for kids. But then we had kids from different different middle school stopping by. And so you're like Pan. I was 12 man a turkey foot. Now we're at another guy's so but all through the season I make the team freshman year and all through the season he just harped on teamwork on just understanding roles. He was my math teacher. Eso like I had a every day and then every day again after after school. And so we had a really unique relationship because he would just push me so hard in class but also pushed me so hard in practice. And he kind of pulled me aside very early in the season. Was like or not you. You're gonna play. I'm gonna get you in Roman law game. You have to make these guys better. You have to show up every day and just give some guys the toughest day of their life. I took that. It's like that's my role. That's, you know, I'm ready. I'm gonna show up, make people, and I'm a a lot of you mad because I just will go hard. You know, sometimes I was that was that walk through here? Oh, you know, just you know, everyone's going soft on my note full speed. But even during practice, remember doing some rebound drills and of our starters I just beat them and they would get frustrated because, you know, I was I had this fresh energy. They've been running on

spk_1:   28:29
you for being complacent. Yeah, so it was a lot of fun. And

spk_0:   28:33
near the end of the year, I got a little more playing time, just from from kind of accepting my role within getting a little bit bigger role in games in the postseason. He pulled 5% in the locker room and he goes, you guys in play. And here's the things you could work on A B C D. But I still very much love you guys, and he took us to Rafferty's. He scheduled it, paid for it all, and this is another thing they did. The meal was cool, but they stopped the part of me. That's a hate. It was our assistant coach to what they were like. All right, corner, Here's what we really value about you. When they went through it and then they went through every other player that didn't play like this is what we value about you and that right there to this day, like coach can first, most cogent Ludlow. Those guys who didn't play a lot. That's the kind of treatment they got. Because Connor just instilled that in me. He was very, very big on you know, you are. You're so much a part of this team. Even though you didn't, you know, we're on the staff book alive. Your minutes will imbue our and he was like, You need to come back. You need to come back and play. You're you're a really good basketball. And I believed him. I don't know

spk_1:   29:42
if I waas. He convinced me I was good.

spk_0:   29:47
I should start looking at, like, scholarship. But he just had is so much value to me, and I actually reconnect with him via Facebook. Not long ago, it was just really good. Just good for me to kind of tell him I'm coaching and, um, you know, you're a big part of that and he probably no idea. I was surprised you remembered me. It's if you don't know me. My I got a facial feature of my ears that are hard to forget something that's what coach was coaching was amazing in that coaching. In my being a coach I've coached. I can't name a bad coach that coach. I mean, I'm not saying that every coach coach is gonna hear this. I mean that Gillis is wonderful. Coach. Right? Was it was wonderful. And Coach Borders and Coach Hornsby, all these guys and Franklin that I've been head coach is over me. And now coach Tap houses down head Coach of Love, though we coached basketball together for a few years and some football together, too. But I would say the guy that I really just respect his humility and respect, how he coaches, I think he's got a really solid program. Is is coach Borders. Hey, supported me a lot in my journey as a pastor, but also in my journey and developing leaders. And so that's kind of a high value for him. He really wants athletes toe to be the best version of themselves and not just be guys that are X's and O's. We have a meeting pretty much every preseason, said Coach. What's the need? And he kind of knows exactly these guys just, you know, they're not humble. These guys, they have no teamwork. These guys, they think everything is a joke. He kind of He has a really good pulse on his team and his heart is to change it and to make it about teamwork, about building something bigger than themselves. But the aspect to not the other coaches didn't do this. But Coach Borchers really loves his other coaches. I mean, he just he just cares so much about them and he kind of Weir's like during the season. Um, my, my wife's grandfather passed away at practice. It was it was kind of a drawn out thing, but it happened and he followed up with me. You take your time and that's happen with several other coaches. Were usually take your time. You This is not This is not that important. What? You're this other thing friend. Yeah, he's always loved his kids very well up his bride. Very well. Eso I've always been kind of. That's kind of a guy that I kind of lean on. It's like me. He gets program, you know, he took on a school that was kind of drawn the short end of the stick for a few years because of the week redistricting. So he just kind of took it head on. And, you know, I just really admire his passion for people, his passion for the game because he is a really, really intelligent coach. It's really, really fun to be on his staff and, you know, at halftime, hear them scheme together and just hear Coach Borders. Input was always something that I I really valued. Thanks for

spk_1:   32:47
sharing. Well, what would be just to kind of as a final touch point? What would be you have not been here will be one leadership principle or theme that you've kind of seen throughout your career. That's really been a big part of the journey. Or maybe something that you could tell Coach is just starting out. So maybe that maybe there are 18. Maybe they are that 21 limit or whatever. What would be? Maybe one thing you would tell somebody who is just getting into the business of coaching that man. If you If you cut a hole of this one thing early, you're gonna have even better experience than I

spk_0:   33:21
had. Yeah, it's just a game. You know. These things are just games. They're designed to have fun, to build, character, to help people, you know, learn discipline and work ethic. You know, when you go into you go in with this chest out. I'm gonna you know, I'm gonna end up being head coach or I'm gonna be the guy that saves everyone. And it's just a game. It's But it's one of the most impactful games that people complain. Just knowing that your role isn't to win the game. But your role is to develop the athlete hole, that the whole athlete not that not that make him faster. That's gonna happen. That's just happens naturally in sports. But your job is to when they leave practice. They know that they gave you everything they have. But they also contributed something or got better. Many has an athlete. You take that with you and it never leaves you so, young guy starting out or what? You know, I've always talked servant leadership. It's not about us as coaches. It is all about the athletes and build them up. We don't try toe you create these resumes that we've done these great things, we try to say, but you know, we don't want a lot of games that year. But you know what? Look what our athletes did off the field. Look what our athletes did or how they probably improved himself.

spk_1:   34:33
You can see the movement off, you know. Are they progressing? Are we set up better for next year? We didn't get what we wanted this year. Are we moving the needle or they developing, rolling

spk_0:   34:41
and one of the best quotes. I'm sure it's some pastor that said it, but I think it was John Maxwell, actually. But he said, one of the greatest contributions in life may not be what you do, but who you develop on with athletes. You. It's a unique Mitch. There's just a unique thing about him or not. They're not above anyone else. But there is something that comes to having to be a practice five days a week, sometimes six. And being in season appearing for the off season is a lot like a Christian. Be repaired in season and out of season during correct rebuke. Be ready and athletics. You, you do that, says coach. You have all these things you're saying that's a

spk_1:   35:20
great line. Most important thing you can do the most important thing in life may not be something that you do. That's someone that you bill into that such good stuff. Well, Chris, I really appreciate your sharing up again. I'm Jack to have you on staff, man. Be on our team and serving countries the best way we can definitely hit us. Operate a survey anyway, became whether it's with you personally as a coach, but also with your team, we have a couple of different options to just come come beside you. We just want to be a blessing. And our purpose is to help you fulfill your purpose of just that. Like we said, changing lives and winning ball games at the same time. Yeah, let's keep doing it. And I will talk to you soon. Well, there you have it, guys. Our conversation with coach Chris Cornett. He had some solid insight from his coaching days and just really empowering athletes all the way down the roster and maximizing the entire team and helping set cultures. He's done that on my list, so looked forward to him being fully on staff. He's raising his personal support team right now, he's about 40% of the way there and then we can turn him loose to go out and serve. You guys full time. Can't wait for him to be out about it and meeting with teams and coaches like yourself. Hey, well, if you listen this far, pretty confident you've had some value added. See during this episode, I'm bunch of to subscribe. Go ahead and hit that subscribe button on whatever app you're choosing. And that way you won't miss any of the episodes we have coming up in 2019. Our goal is to release two for month, whether interviews or some leadership teaching along the way, that's gonna help you in your journey. Also, if you could share this episode with at least one person that you can think of that might benefit from this material, that would be really awesome and meaningful to us and help us spread the word and to help more coaches grow on their journey as well. I also wanted to share real quick. Ephesians 4 12 came to mind because it calls us to not just tell people what to do but to develop leaders and a clip, others to do the work that you're also doing well until next time. Keep growing, keep learning and keep changing lives on your team and in your home