Challenge Accepted: The Sports Community Rallies in the Face of COVID-19

Resiliency is one of the biggest things sports teach us. “The comeback is always greater than the setback” isn’t just a saying—it’s the mindset required to thrive. It’s no surprise the sports community has come together despite the adversity a pandemic presents. 

Here’s a collection of resources and inspiration we gathered over the past week to help you power through the challenges of COVID-19.

From the Web

Check out the latest and greatest content to help you tackle social distancing challenges.

1. Lessons learned through sports help athletes deal with the disappointment of cancelled or postponed events. (Positive Coaching Alliance) 
2. Actions every athletic administrator should consider during a pandemic. (Coach & A.D.)
3. Running is the social distancing-compatible escape in our new reality of quarantines. (Sports Illustrated) 
4. Quizzes and video games are a few ways to engage players during social distancing. (SoccerAmerica) 
5. Satisfy your need for sports by exploring the NBA and NFL’s digital viewing platforms for free. (Yahoo! Sports)

Straight from the Source 

Get useful tips and inspiration from coaches and leaders in the sports community. 

Turn Challenges Into Opportunities

From shoe flips to virtual clubs and Madden tournaments to volleying on, coaches are creating social media challenges to overcome their real-life challenges and connect with athletes and the wider sports community.

Control What You Can

As teams across the world shift to “Quarantine Mode,” coaches are doing their best to keep their athletes’ spirits up and maintain relationships. Here are a few words of wisdom from our coaching community.

Keep Goals in Sight 

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. Even Bear Grylls would be impressed with this young goalkeeper’s ingenuity.

Have a Listen

We asked our community to sound off on their favorite coaching and leadership podcasts. Add these five to your rotation this week. 

• Increase Your Impact – A podcast focused on helping you lead yourself so that you can lead others at work, home and in life.
• The School of Greatness – This podcast shares inspiring stories from world-class athletes and influencers to help you identify what makes people great. 
• Winning Mindset – A show dedicated to teaching you how to bring out your best when it means the most. 
• The Sport Psych Show – Hosted by sport psychologist Dan Abrahams, this show aims to demystify sport psychology for players, coaches and parents.  
• How to Become a Head Coach – This episode of the Coach and Coordinator Podcast features head football coach Thom McDaniels discussing how to effectively transition from an assistant to head coach, facing adversity and more.

Want to get more recs or share your own? Join the conversation.

In the Hudl 

Our latest resources to help coaches stay sharp.

Remote Coaching for Your Defense

Cory McCarthy discusses how to build team cul­ture and set the tone for your defense  when your ath­letes are at home. 

Quality Conversations: 5 Ways to Create Stronger Connections 

Communication expert Betsy Butterick provides the tools you need to have con­ver­sa­tions that strength­en rela­tion­ships and leave a last­ing impact.

Effective Leadership in Times of Crises 

Football coach and for­mer ath­let­ic direc­tor Mel Tjeerdsma dis­cuss­es lead­er­ship strate­gies to help you feel in con­trol dur­ing times of crises.

Building an OL Scouting Report Using Hudl

See how you can build scout­ing reports for offen­sive line­men using Hudl, focusing on the main fronts, stunts, pres­sure pack­ages and third-down readi­ness that offen­sive line­men need for success.

Top 5 Principles for Performance Fueling

Learn the main prin­ci­ples sports dieti­tians use to help your ath­letes assess their skills and learn where they can improve their nutri­tion for performance.

What Doesn’t Show Up in the Box Score — But Gets You Play­ing Time

High-major col­lege coach­es chart plen­ty of things off the ball that give them a clear­er pic­ture. Here’s what to look for, and how you can track it in your program.

Managing the New Reality for Student-Athletes

Team train­ing is sus­pend­ed, sea­sons are can­celled and we’re con­fined to our homes. How do you nav­i­gate this new real­i­ty? We’ll explore key per­for­mance indi­ca­tors for health, per­for­mance and wellbeing of the athlete.