In today’s ever competitive sports world, programs and more so coaches, are being measured only by their level of success on the court. Yet wins and losses should only be a very small part of how a program’s success is viewed. Recently I listened to Embry-Riddle’s head men’s basketball coach Steve Ridder speak on this topic. Ridder was formerly the Director of Athletics for 24 years (before their program moved to Division II). During that time the Eagles won 16 straight Sun Conference Commissioner’s Cup titles.
During his reign as the AD, Coach Ridder never measured a coach’s level of success by their wins and losses, it was a consolidation of these eight items:
- Academic success
- Community engagement
- Financial/fiscal responsibilities (Staying within the budget)
- Fundraising
- Team conduct
- Competitiveness on the court/field
- Sportsmanship
- Character development
Regardless of your record at the end of this season, if you are able to say that your program met or surpassed the standard for each of those eight items, then your season can and should be viewed as a successful one.