We’re going to take a shot(put) in the dark and assume that your discus throwers aren’t also your high jumpers, and that your best sprinter isn’t also your fastest mile runner. When you’re filling out your event schedule for a track team, not just any athlete will do for any event. The same is true for the record board you choose to showcase the achievements of your track athletes.

We all know the mantra: Champions are made or broken in the off season - which, for many teams, means spending a lot of time in the weight room. Players certainly need rest and relaxation after a long season, but then it’s time to get back to work. Sitting back on your laurels for too long will set you back come pre-season, and give the competition an edge.

As humans, we love to keep track of stuff. Since we discovered our own abilities, we’ve written down and recorded all kinds of things. Cave paintings track the movements of animal migrations and passing of seasons. Epic poems and philosophies are the cultural vestiges of ancient and heroic peoples. Celebrated historical works describe major events of the past. Many of these records preserve significant accomplishments for posterity. Others...not so much.

It pretty much goes without saying, but here it is: sports are hard! Even if you’ve never personally been in a late-January basketball practice thinking to yourself, “If Coach makes us run one more suicide drill, I’m going to riot,” I’m willing to bet you still know exactly what I’m talking about. And while it’s teamwork and determination that ultimately get us through those moments, feeling recognized and appreciated for our effort helps us stay positive when the going gets tough.

There is nothing worse than losing control of your team, even if it’s just for a brief time. Yet, it’s never easy to get every player 100% focused and working hard for the whole season. That’s why you need as many motivational ideas as you can so that you always have a plan to get back to winning ways.