Something is going on in Seattle. It seems like there could be a new trend of NBA coaches visiting Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll’s reach stretches far beyond football into the NBA. Jason Kidd, head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, is the latest to make his visit to the VMAC. The Golden State Warriors’ Steve Kerr and Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra have already made the trip to Seattle. Kidd talks about Carroll’s observations according to the Journal Sentinel’s Charles F. Gardner. “He was saying for whatever reason, basketball (coaches) are coming to visit me,” he said. I asked myself the same thing. Why are NBA coaches visiting Carroll? Basketball and football utilize very different styles of play. However, what Carroll has built in Seattle transcends football. He has created a blueprint for other coaches to follow in any sport. Especially coaches who are just starting out in their careers.
The answer as to why NBA coaches are visiting Carroll could be found in this little nugget by Kidd: “I think the one thing he does, everybody is engaged.” Being engaged is a powerful concept and is the foundation of getting athletes to compete at the highest level. Wayne Goldsmith, who is considered a coaching guru in the world of sports, defines engagement in one word: more. “Engagement is when athletes (or for that matter coaches and people in general) are willing to and do give more than expected.” So why would an athlete give more? An obvious reason may be to win a championship but you have to put in the work to get there. This cannot be overlooked, and this why Carroll has had success so far. It is all about practice. Remember Allen Iverson’s infamous rant at a press conference in 2002? “We’re talking about practice,” which he repeated 22 times. Carroll’s win forever philosophy cannot be realized without practice. “Each repetition of each drill at practice means everything, because you can’t get to forever without right now. If you want to win forever, you’ve got to always compete,” says Carroll in Seahawks.com.
Another observation that NBA coaches are noting is Carroll’s energy. Carroll is currently the ‘second-oldest’ head coach in the NFL at 64 years old but he is infused with so much youth. Spoelstra, who attended high school and college at the University of Portland, visited Seahawks training camp a few years ago before they won their first Super Bowl. Spoelstra felt that if Carroll could bring that sort of energy at his age then why couldn’t he? There is a subtly to Carroll’s energy and that is to have fun. Music is always blasting during practices and scores are often settled by shooting a game of hoops. Richard Sherman, All-pro cornerback, had this to say about the environment Carroll has created according to Michael Silver of NFL.com. “It’s a very relaxing work environment. People are most comfortable being themselves. And if you allow people to be in the most comfortable state, they’re going to be the most successful.” You need energy to sustain any sort of work. Energy is transferred and it is that energy that players and other coaches use to buy into the system and stay motivated throughout the season.
Carroll is a leader, imparting and equipping coaches to lead their teams to success. I am not sure if Carroll had this in mind when he implemented “Win Forever” but his program is having its effect on other sports. After all, Win Forever’s inception came after Carroll read about legendary basketball coach John Wooden. Maybe, Carroll is just returning the favor. It will be interesting to see if and when other NBA coaches will get to experience Carroll in action.
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