April 14, 2025 • 20 mins
In the latest episode of Coach 360: Beyond The Game, presented by 2Words Character Development, host Colton sits down with Coach Michelle Dalton, the girls athletic coordinator at Pasadena Bondi Intermediate and a seasoned coach and mentor, to discuss the profound impact of mindset in leadership, coaching, and personal development. Through years of experience, Michelle has cultivated a deep understanding of how mental resilience shapes both individual and team success. She shares invaluable insights on how coaches can develop a winning culture, inspire young athletes, and navigate challenges with a growth-oriented perspective.
With over 16 years of coaching experience, Coach Dalton shares how the dynamics of middle school sports have evolved over the years, and how she continues to impact her athletes by instilling the core values of class, commitment, and character.
Whether you’re a seasoned coach or new to the field, this episode is full of insights on fostering a positive team culture and helping students grow both on and off the court.
Key Takeaways
- Building Character: Coach Dalton emphasizes the importance of teaching young athletes to “win with grace and lose with grace,” encouraging humility and respect regardless of the outcome.
- Values-Driven Coaching: Through the “Three C’s”—Class, Commitment, and Character—Coach Dalton fosters an environment of responsibility and growth.
- Adapting to Change: Over 16 years, she has seen shifts in student interests and demographics, but the core drive for success remains unchanged.
- Practical Leadership: Coach Dalton shares strategies for maintaining a positive, team-first culture, including daily reminders and consistent communication.
- Mentorship Matters: Reflecting on her own experiences as an athlete, she highlights the lasting impact of her coaches and the value of maintaining those relationships.
- Perseverance Through Challenges: Coach Dalton acknowledges that some seasons are about thriving, while others are about surviving, and both are valuable in shaping resilient athletes and leaders.
- Team Building for Middle School: She discusses the unique challenges of coaching middle school students, focusing on foundational skills and the joy of witnessing young athletes’ breakthroughs.
CONTACT COACH DALTON: MDalton@pasadenaisd.org
Memorable Quotes
- “We win with grace, and we lose with grace. It’s not about rubbing it in or feeling defeated—it’s about respect.”
- “Some years we thrive, and some years we survive, but every season has purpose.”
- “Class, commitment, and character—these are the pillars that guide our girls on and off the court.”
- "Discipline isn't about restriction; it's about creating the freedom to succeed."
- “Coaching middle school is about more than sports—it’s about teaching responsibility, teamwork, and respect.”
- “You don’t give up just because it’s tough. Next year could be your thriving year.”
- “The beauty of middle school sports is witnessing the ‘click’ moment when fundamentals fall into place.”
COA
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Unknown (00:00):
Hey, everyone. My name is Colton, and I'm the host of the Coach 360 podcast. Here, our goal is to come alongside and equip coaches with the resources to help develop character through sports and raise up the next generation of leaders. Not only do we do that through this podcast and interviewing coaches from across the nation about character, culture, and leadership, but we also do it through our 2 words character development curriculums. If you want to learn more about these or anything else that we offer, visit our website, 2words.tv. That's the number 2, words.tv. Or you can always drop me an email, colton at 2words.tv. Thanks for listening today. Let's get into the show. PMX Pro Maxima is your one-stop shop for the ultimate fitness equipment solution. Are you ready to take your workouts to the next level? With their state-of-the-art equipment, you can achieve your fitness goals faster and more effectively. From strength to cardio, they manufacture a wide range of high quality products made in the USA to maximize your performance. Experience the difference with PMX Pro Maxima and see why thousands of athletes and fitness enthusiasts trust them. Visit ProMaxima.com today to explore their catalog and elevate your fitness journey. Coach Mackey and I have personally gotten the opportunity to train with their equipment in our home gyms. Many of you know of our strongman and powerlifting backgrounds. From big bench presses and deadlifts, we have spent thousands of hours under a barbell and can personally tell you PMX Pro Maxima is one of the best manufacturers of strength equipment we have put our chalked up hands on. And they're made right here in the great state of Texas. PMX Pro Maxima. Find your strength from within. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Coach 360 Today, I have the great privilege of hanging out with Coach Michelle Dalton. She's the girls athletic coordinator at Pasadena Bondi Intermediate. Coach, welcome to the podcast. Hi, thank you for having me today. I appreciate it. Yeah, absolutely. Well, why don't you get us started today by telling us a little bit more about yourself and kind of your journey through Pasadena. Yeah, so I'm actually a product of Pasadena. I went to Southeastern High School. I graduated in 2005. Um, and then I moved on to East Texas Baptist University where I played, uh, three years of basketball, uh, two years of volleyball there. And then I, uh, came back. Um, and got to, uh, start my career at Bondi Intermediate. It was my first coaching job. Um, and in the Uh, school setting and so I started that and I'm on year sixteen now. Uh, fourteen of those being the girls coordinator here at Bondi. Well, that's amazing coach. Um, I'm curious just through your, your journey there in Pasadena, uh, and over the last sixteen years of coaching, What's different about the middle school kids you're coaching today than when you started and what's the same? I will tell you the demographics have definitely changed from our, my very beginning years at Bondi Intermediate and in Pasadena. I feel like the demographics are changing a little bit. I will say the, um, sports that the kids are interested in has changed. At the beginning, it was like everybody was volleyball. Uh, that was a big thing around here, club volleyball. Um, and then it kind of has migrated more towards softball and soccer. Um, so those are kind of the kids that we see on a daily basis are those soccer kids and softball kids. Uh, but just because that's a big thing in this area. And then something that stayed the same is, um, I feel at Bondi, the Bondi pride that we have and the, um, just the kids that are wanting to be successful and wanting to work hard. Um, I know that we have always had a, um, Winning seasons, but I feel like it's just the drive to want to win for those kids has always stayed so and I appreciate that because it makes me look successful. I love it. Um, how does coaching those middle school kiddos, you've been doing it for a long time now, sixteen years. How does coaching middle school differ than some of the other levels? Um, so I, my initial goal was to start at the intermediate and then move up into the high school level. Um, that's kind of where I wanted to go. And then after I got here, I was like, you know, I love this. I love the kids that are coming in. I love this age range. It's really, um, Just an exciting because they are a lot of them. It's their first time in team sports because we do get a good a chunk of kids that do play outside school sports. But some of them, they come in and they've never played a school sport before or they've never played a team sport before. And so I just love getting to see them thrive in that setting. And then also when they, it just clicks, you know, cause like at the high school, you're kind of fine tuning those skills. You're, um, you know, helping to, you know, build them to the next level but like here you get to teach them those fundamentals and I just love when it clicks for a girl. And she just finally figures it out. And that's just so rewarding for me and for the girls. And it's just that has really been what is just so fun about that. Just getting to see that every day. Yeah, and you know, Coach, you talked about introducing them to the fundamentals and the great joy of getting to do that. I imagine, too, some of that fundamental teaching is Um, teaching them how to be in a team and how to, uh, integrate into the culture of the team that you guys have created there. And so maybe tell us a little bit more about. Um, how you run your programs and what is that culture kind of like? What are the non-negotiables? What are the values that you guys hold close? Yeah, so we, um, definitely try to build up our team each and every year. We talk about the girls. It's, um, it's our family. We're a team and we. You know, we don't want the drama. We don't want, because it's girls, it's intermediate, it's middle school level, like the twelve to fourteen year range. I swear that's all that they have time for now. But social media has definitely changed it a lot as well. But we've making sure that we don't let that. Be our main focus. So, like, telling the girls, look, if it happens on social media, it's okay. Get over it. And so, just kind of reminding them that we... Can't let that be our focus. What needs to be our focus is being successful, becoming young, responsible adults. You know, I always tell the girls class commitment and character. We have class in the hallways. We're classy ladies. We're classy. In our classrooms, in our hallways, on the fields, in the gyms, we have commitment. We are committed to what our program is. We're committed to our teammates. We're committed to um, you know, becoming the Best athlete that we can be, you know, and then we have great character. Our character as, um, young ladies and growing that responsibility, um, just, you know, teaching them the few things like, You're going to communicate with me instead of your parents communicating with me because I want you to learn that responsibility. Like that's kind of been where we push those girls to each and every year. Um. And just kind of, you know, giving them opportunities to do that as well, you know, to build those things up. Yeah. I love the, the class commitment and character. And so can you, can you expand upon those a little bit? How do you get your young ladies to, to buy into those values? Do you have any like practical examples? Or ways in which you guys, uh, teach and instill those things? Uh, yeah, just reminding them each and every day. Class, commitment, character, the three C's. And, um, you know, and this was something that was actually taught to me in college and I, we kind of chatted before and I said everything that I kind of know I stole from a coach, you know. And I feel like that's half of the coaches, you know, and teachers and anybody else. We steal it from somebody else. And that was something that was really instilled in me in college. And I wanted to make sure that I brought that into my coaching career. Um, so just each year before I even, uh, the girls come to me, I go over to the, the middle schools, which is our sixth grade campuses. And I talk with those girls and I remind them that this is what they're. Coming into, these are the expectations that we have, um, and that is always a part of it. And then just, you know, reminders with sending out, uh, we have our Sports U. And we have, um, and that's how we communicate with our girls and then just sending out reminders to them. Like, you know, I try to do it month. I, my goal was always weekly, but it normally becomes monthly. Just trying to remind them, um, Like sending out reminders of like making sure we're acting right in the classroom and then sending little, uh, pictures with inspirational things for them like to, to kind of help, you know, just because a lot of the times these girls know what their expectations are. It's just the reminders of it. Thank you. Every coach wants a player led team, but how do you build a player led team? That's the question that led to the creation of the captain's course, a ten week customizable leadership development course for student athletes. The captain's course will equip student athletes to lead their teammates, Promote the growth of leadership skills, create alignment on your core values from coach to athlete, and help build player-led teams. Learn more at www.2words.tv slash captainscourse. Yeah, no, I love that phrase to remind them every day. Um, you know, these are young athletes in this culture and this environment sometimes is new to them. And so those daily reminders to help instill those, you know, foundational principles of. Of character and and what it looks like to walk that out on a team and be a part of a team, I think is is a great encouragement for our listeners listening in, especially at the middle school level. Yes. And a big thing that I always reminded my girls. Is. We win with grace and we lose with grace. Um, and that was kind of a thing because there was like one or two years that I had some really great athletes and they were a little cocky. And so I always had to remember, remind them like, look, we win with grace. Like we're, We worked hard for this win. We, we did great on this win, but we're going to win with grace. We're not going to rub it in their faces. We're not going to be like, ooh, like, look at this. Like we're going to win with grace because on the other side of that, I want you to lose with grace too. If we, you know, we wouldn't want the other team doing that to us. We wouldn't want them, you know, bantering in our faces, stuff like that. So we always got to have that mindset. And it was just a, it was a constant reminder, like you said, daily reminders. Each game reminders, sometimes minute by minute reminders. Yeah. And that kind of helped, you know, to make those groups better. And I've always kind of lived by those words as well. When you say win with grace, lose with grace, and you gave a little bit of an example, but can you expand upon like what that, what that word grace means and looks like to you guys in some more practical ways for us? Yeah, just making sure, you know, Grace, as far as in, like, I'm not, I have worked hard on this win and I'm going to enjoy the win. I never told them I couldn't enjoy it, but I always wanted them to know that, like, We're not going to be in their faces and telling them, you know, snide little comments and, and, you know, different things in the games. Like if we're going to do that, you're not going to be a part of this team or you're going to sit and you're going to reflect on what you have done. Or, you know, making sure that we talk to each other as teammates, you know, and reminding them, hey, like, good job, handshakes here and there. You know, when we're giving them the handshakes at the end, like, hey, that was a great game. Like, you played well. You did this. Always being positive with the other teams and giving them grace when they have lost because it's upsetting. Yeah, they tried to work hard. They thought they were going to come in and win probably just like we did. You've got to give them the grace because they, you would want that grace back with you. Mm-hmm. Coach, you, uh, you, you and I joked a little bit in our conversation before we hit the record button about, um, you know, stealing, you know, ideas from other coaches. Um, and you mentioned it again earlier. And so I'd love to hear about some of those other coaches that. Uh, impacted you and your coaching journey and maybe some, you know, key values or concepts that they taught you, um, that maybe other coaches can take away and take back to their programs as well. Yeah. So, uh, My coaches in high school were probably some of the best coaches I had. Um, I had coach Cole. He taught me, um, he was my track coach and he, um, uh, He actually is retiring this year, so that's gonna be a little sad, but it's exciting for him. Um, he was just, you know, always reminding us to be positive and to work hard. And then my other coach, uh, coach Cedric Atkins, he retired a few years back. He was my basketball coach throughout high school and he, um, Always pushed us to be better because, I mean, at Southeastern, I don't know if you know much about us. I'm sure they were not the best teams in the district in Pasadena IST, but we made them move. I pushed my thing. Sorry. Can you still hear me? Yes, ma'am. Still gotcha. I plugged something in to keep it charging and it got sidetracked. No problem. Coach Atkins was a wonderful coach. He, um, so... Funny story, one game, he got kicked out of the game. He, um, two technicals, he got kicked out. And probably about five minutes later, I was kicked out as well because I just didn't make the best choices. So we had a long conversation. In the office about how just because I'm doing that doesn't mean you need to do that. And we both agreed as a player and as the coach that we needed to be better. And um, needed to make better decisions on and off the court. And so that, you know, our anger and our drive for that game didn't affect what we were doing to where we could still Participate in the game. And so coach Atkins, it always has stayed with me just the conversations we've had and. The support that he had given me even after. Um, he still texts me now and just, you know, talks about how proud he is of me and stuff like that. So that's really been A wonderful relationship to have, you know, just those coaches in my life to help me want to be better. Yeah, I love it. Well, coach, as we start to, uh, bump up against our, our time a little bit, I'm curious if you could go back and talk to, uh, Michelle Dalton on day one of stepping foot there. Uh, at Bondi intermediate, uh, what would be a word of encouragement? Um, just something that you would want to share with yourself day one after sixteen years of coaching there. So. And it's funny that you say that because I'm having these conversations with some of my coaches now. Um, you know, we all have our up years and we have our down years and I, um, There were years in between that I just was like, what have, what am I even doing? Am I wasting my time on all of these kids and it not be impactful? Um, and it's. Something that I kind of have thought of and I've kind of tried to talk with my other coaches about is that is some years we strive. Are we some years we thrive? I'm sorry. Some years we are thriving. And some years were surviving. And even on those surviving years, it's not going to be negative, but you're going to get to the end goal and whatever your end goal may be. And then some years you're thriving, you're impacting kids left and right. Making sure that you are, you know, doing what's best for the program. And then on those years that you're just surviving, you are still doing what you can to impact the program, but You know, you're trying to get to the next day and to the end of the year. And I said, the beautiful thing about coaching and teaching is that it is different every single year. It's not going to be the same. And next year, Can be your, your thriving year. Next year can be that year that you, you know, are leaps and bounds forward. So just hang on, keep pushing through because next year could be your year. It's a great encouragement, Coach, at this time of year as we're recording this. You know, we're mid-February and we're going into the spring and We've got coaches getting a little weary and a little tired and just as we all are this time of year. And so I think that's a great encourager and reminder to coaches to to keep fighting and keep if you're in a season of surviving. Uh, to keep fighting and look on to the next year and the next opportunity. Um, don't give up on this year. I'm not saying that, but. Um, you know, know that it's going to be purposeful and that challenge of this year is purposeful and, uh, and you can put that to work, uh, in a thriving year. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, coach, thank you so much for your time today. I really, really enjoyed speaking with you. If our listeners, um, heard something on this podcast and maybe they want to dive a little bit deeper with you personally or pick your brain on something. Would there be a way for them to contact you, maybe, you know, social media or email or something like that to touch base and go a little bit deeper with you? Absolutely. So, um, My email address is mdalton at pasadenaisd.org. Um, I also, we have our social medias for our intermediate, which is Bondi Girls Athletics on Facebook and Instagram. They can message me through there or they can send me an email. I have my email on my phone, so I'm always getting them and I can contact them back and we can set up time to either chat or give them my phone number so we can chat about things. Um, because, you know, that's always all we can do as coaches is help other coaches out. You know, I, I know it's about the kids, but we've always got to be there to help support each other and help us get through to the next year. Absolutely, I love it. Well, thank you so much again, coach. I really appreciate your time. Yes, thank you so much. Hey guys, one last note before you head off for your day. Over 1400 schools across the nation have or are using one of our curriculums. Are you ready to jump on board? If you want a turnkey program to develop character in your athletes, give us a call at 281-723-9943. We will work with you and your budget to make it as easy as possible. Thanks again for listening to the coach 360 podcast. Now let's have a good one today.
Hey, everyone. My name is Colton, and I'm the host of the Coach 360 podcast. Here, our goal is to come alongside and equip coaches with the resources to help develop character through sports and raise up the next generation of leaders. Not only do we do that through this podcast and interviewing coaches from across the nation about character, culture, and leadership, but we also do it through our 2 words character development curriculums. If you want to learn more about these or anything else that we offer, visit our website, 2words.tv. That's the number 2, words.tv. Or you can always drop me an email, colton at 2words.tv. Thanks for listening today. Let's get into the show. PMX Pro Maxima is your one-stop shop for the ultimate fitness equipment solution. Are you ready to take your workouts to the next level? With their state-of-the-art equipment, you can achieve your fitness goals faster and more effectively. From strength to cardio, they manufacture a wide range of high quality products made in the USA to maximize your performance. Experience the difference with PMX Pro Maxima and see why thousands of athletes and fitness enthusiasts trust them. Visit ProMaxima.com today to explore their catalog and elevate your fitness journey. Coach Mackey and I have personally gotten the opportunity to train with their equipment in our home gyms. Many of you know of our strongman and powerlifting backgrounds. From big bench presses and deadlifts, we have spent thousands of hours under a barbell and can personally tell you PMX Pro Maxima is one of the best manufacturers of strength equipment we have put our chalked up hands on. And they're made right here in the great state of Texas. PMX Pro Maxima. Find your strength from within. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Coach 360 Today, I have the great privilege of hanging out with Coach Michelle Dalton. She's the girls athletic coordinator at Pasadena Bondi Intermediate. Coach, welcome to the podcast. Hi, thank you for having me today. I appreciate it. Yeah, absolutely. Well, why don't you get us started today by telling us a little bit more about yourself and kind of your journey through Pasadena. Yeah, so I'm actually a product of Pasadena. I went to Southeastern High School. I graduated in 2005. Um, and then I moved on to East Texas Baptist University where I played, uh, three years of basketball, uh, two years of volleyball there. And then I, uh, came back. Um, and got to, uh, start my career at Bondi Intermediate. It was my first coaching job. Um, and in the Uh, school setting and so I started that and I'm on year sixteen now. Uh, fourteen of those being the girls coordinator here at Bondi. Well, that's amazing coach. Um, I'm curious just through your, your journey there in Pasadena, uh, and over the last sixteen years of coaching, What's different about the middle school kids you're coaching today than when you started and what's the same? I will tell you the demographics have definitely changed from our, my very beginning years at Bondi Intermediate and in Pasadena. I feel like the demographics are changing a little bit. I will say the, um, sports that the kids are interested in has changed. At the beginning, it was like everybody was volleyball. Uh, that was a big thing around here, club volleyball. Um, and then it kind of has migrated more towards softball and soccer. Um, so those are kind of the kids that we see on a daily basis are those soccer kids and softball kids. Uh, but just because that's a big thing in this area. And then something that stayed the same is, um, I feel at Bondi, the Bondi pride that we have and the, um, just the kids that are wanting to be successful and wanting to work hard. Um, I know that we have always had a, um, Winning seasons, but I feel like it's just the drive to want to win for those kids has always stayed so and I appreciate that because it makes me look successful. I love it. Um, how does coaching those middle school kiddos, you've been doing it for a long time now, sixteen years. How does coaching middle school differ than some of the other levels? Um, so I, my initial goal was to start at the intermediate and then move up into the high school level. Um, that's kind of where I wanted to go. And then after I got here, I was like, you know, I love this. I love the kids that are coming in. I love this age range. It's really, um, Just an exciting because they are a lot of them. It's their first time in team sports because we do get a good a chunk of kids that do play outside school sports. But some of them, they come in and they've never played a school sport before or they've never played a team sport before. And so I just love getting to see them thrive in that setting. And then also when they, it just clicks, you know, cause like at the high school, you're kind of fine tuning those skills. You're, um, you know, helping to, you know, build them to the next level but like here you get to teach them those fundamentals and I just love when it clicks for a girl. And she just finally figures it out. And that's just so rewarding for me and for the girls. And it's just that has really been what is just so fun about that. Just getting to see that every day. Yeah, and you know, Coach, you talked about introducing them to the fundamentals and the great joy of getting to do that. I imagine, too, some of that fundamental teaching is Um, teaching them how to be in a team and how to, uh, integrate into the culture of the team that you guys have created there. And so maybe tell us a little bit more about. Um, how you run your programs and what is that culture kind of like? What are the non-negotiables? What are the values that you guys hold close? Yeah, so we, um, definitely try to build up our team each and every year. We talk about the girls. It's, um, it's our family. We're a team and we. You know, we don't want the drama. We don't want, because it's girls, it's intermediate, it's middle school level, like the twelve to fourteen year range. I swear that's all that they have time for now. But social media has definitely changed it a lot as well. But we've making sure that we don't let that. Be our main focus. So, like, telling the girls, look, if it happens on social media, it's okay. Get over it. And so, just kind of reminding them that we... Can't let that be our focus. What needs to be our focus is being successful, becoming young, responsible adults. You know, I always tell the girls class commitment and character. We have class in the hallways. We're classy ladies. We're classy. In our classrooms, in our hallways, on the fields, in the gyms, we have commitment. We are committed to what our program is. We're committed to our teammates. We're committed to um, you know, becoming the Best athlete that we can be, you know, and then we have great character. Our character as, um, young ladies and growing that responsibility, um, just, you know, teaching them the few things like, You're going to communicate with me instead of your parents communicating with me because I want you to learn that responsibility. Like that's kind of been where we push those girls to each and every year. Um. And just kind of, you know, giving them opportunities to do that as well, you know, to build those things up. Yeah. I love the, the class commitment and character. And so can you, can you expand upon those a little bit? How do you get your young ladies to, to buy into those values? Do you have any like practical examples? Or ways in which you guys, uh, teach and instill those things? Uh, yeah, just reminding them each and every day. Class, commitment, character, the three C's. And, um, you know, and this was something that was actually taught to me in college and I, we kind of chatted before and I said everything that I kind of know I stole from a coach, you know. And I feel like that's half of the coaches, you know, and teachers and anybody else. We steal it from somebody else. And that was something that was really instilled in me in college. And I wanted to make sure that I brought that into my coaching career. Um, so just each year before I even, uh, the girls come to me, I go over to the, the middle schools, which is our sixth grade campuses. And I talk with those girls and I remind them that this is what they're. Coming into, these are the expectations that we have, um, and that is always a part of it. And then just, you know, reminders with sending out, uh, we have our Sports U. And we have, um, and that's how we communicate with our girls and then just sending out reminders to them. Like, you know, I try to do it month. I, my goal was always weekly, but it normally becomes monthly. Just trying to remind them, um, Like sending out reminders of like making sure we're acting right in the classroom and then sending little, uh, pictures with inspirational things for them like to, to kind of help, you know, just because a lot of the times these girls know what their expectations are. It's just the reminders of it. Thank you. Every coach wants a player led team, but how do you build a player led team? That's the question that led to the creation of the captain's course, a ten week customizable leadership development course for student athletes. The captain's course will equip student athletes to lead their teammates, Promote the growth of leadership skills, create alignment on your core values from coach to athlete, and help build player-led teams. Learn more at www.2words.tv slash captainscourse. Yeah, no, I love that phrase to remind them every day. Um, you know, these are young athletes in this culture and this environment sometimes is new to them. And so those daily reminders to help instill those, you know, foundational principles of. Of character and and what it looks like to walk that out on a team and be a part of a team, I think is is a great encouragement for our listeners listening in, especially at the middle school level. Yes. And a big thing that I always reminded my girls. Is. We win with grace and we lose with grace. Um, and that was kind of a thing because there was like one or two years that I had some really great athletes and they were a little cocky. And so I always had to remember, remind them like, look, we win with grace. Like we're, We worked hard for this win. We, we did great on this win, but we're going to win with grace. We're not going to rub it in their faces. We're not going to be like, ooh, like, look at this. Like we're going to win with grace because on the other side of that, I want you to lose with grace too. If we, you know, we wouldn't want the other team doing that to us. We wouldn't want them, you know, bantering in our faces, stuff like that. So we always got to have that mindset. And it was just a, it was a constant reminder, like you said, daily reminders. Each game reminders, sometimes minute by minute reminders. Yeah. And that kind of helped, you know, to make those groups better. And I've always kind of lived by those words as well. When you say win with grace, lose with grace, and you gave a little bit of an example, but can you expand upon like what that, what that word grace means and looks like to you guys in some more practical ways for us? Yeah, just making sure, you know, Grace, as far as in, like, I'm not, I have worked hard on this win and I'm going to enjoy the win. I never told them I couldn't enjoy it, but I always wanted them to know that, like, We're not going to be in their faces and telling them, you know, snide little comments and, and, you know, different things in the games. Like if we're going to do that, you're not going to be a part of this team or you're going to sit and you're going to reflect on what you have done. Or, you know, making sure that we talk to each other as teammates, you know, and reminding them, hey, like, good job, handshakes here and there. You know, when we're giving them the handshakes at the end, like, hey, that was a great game. Like, you played well. You did this. Always being positive with the other teams and giving them grace when they have lost because it's upsetting. Yeah, they tried to work hard. They thought they were going to come in and win probably just like we did. You've got to give them the grace because they, you would want that grace back with you. Mm-hmm. Coach, you, uh, you, you and I joked a little bit in our conversation before we hit the record button about, um, you know, stealing, you know, ideas from other coaches. Um, and you mentioned it again earlier. And so I'd love to hear about some of those other coaches that. Uh, impacted you and your coaching journey and maybe some, you know, key values or concepts that they taught you, um, that maybe other coaches can take away and take back to their programs as well. Yeah. So, uh, My coaches in high school were probably some of the best coaches I had. Um, I had coach Cole. He taught me, um, he was my track coach and he, um, uh, He actually is retiring this year, so that's gonna be a little sad, but it's exciting for him. Um, he was just, you know, always reminding us to be positive and to work hard. And then my other coach, uh, coach Cedric Atkins, he retired a few years back. He was my basketball coach throughout high school and he, um, Always pushed us to be better because, I mean, at Southeastern, I don't know if you know much about us. I'm sure they were not the best teams in the district in Pasadena IST, but we made them move. I pushed my thing. Sorry. Can you still hear me? Yes, ma'am. Still gotcha. I plugged something in to keep it charging and it got sidetracked. No problem. Coach Atkins was a wonderful coach. He, um, so... Funny story, one game, he got kicked out of the game. He, um, two technicals, he got kicked out. And probably about five minutes later, I was kicked out as well because I just didn't make the best choices. So we had a long conversation. In the office about how just because I'm doing that doesn't mean you need to do that. And we both agreed as a player and as the coach that we needed to be better. And um, needed to make better decisions on and off the court. And so that, you know, our anger and our drive for that game didn't affect what we were doing to where we could still Participate in the game. And so coach Atkins, it always has stayed with me just the conversations we've had and. The support that he had given me even after. Um, he still texts me now and just, you know, talks about how proud he is of me and stuff like that. So that's really been A wonderful relationship to have, you know, just those coaches in my life to help me want to be better. Yeah, I love it. Well, coach, as we start to, uh, bump up against our, our time a little bit, I'm curious if you could go back and talk to, uh, Michelle Dalton on day one of stepping foot there. Uh, at Bondi intermediate, uh, what would be a word of encouragement? Um, just something that you would want to share with yourself day one after sixteen years of coaching there. So. And it's funny that you say that because I'm having these conversations with some of my coaches now. Um, you know, we all have our up years and we have our down years and I, um, There were years in between that I just was like, what have, what am I even doing? Am I wasting my time on all of these kids and it not be impactful? Um, and it's. Something that I kind of have thought of and I've kind of tried to talk with my other coaches about is that is some years we strive. Are we some years we thrive? I'm sorry. Some years we are thriving. And some years were surviving. And even on those surviving years, it's not going to be negative, but you're going to get to the end goal and whatever your end goal may be. And then some years you're thriving, you're impacting kids left and right. Making sure that you are, you know, doing what's best for the program. And then on those years that you're just surviving, you are still doing what you can to impact the program, but You know, you're trying to get to the next day and to the end of the year. And I said, the beautiful thing about coaching and teaching is that it is different every single year. It's not going to be the same. And next year, Can be your, your thriving year. Next year can be that year that you, you know, are leaps and bounds forward. So just hang on, keep pushing through because next year could be your year. It's a great encouragement, Coach, at this time of year as we're recording this. You know, we're mid-February and we're going into the spring and We've got coaches getting a little weary and a little tired and just as we all are this time of year. And so I think that's a great encourager and reminder to coaches to to keep fighting and keep if you're in a season of surviving. Uh, to keep fighting and look on to the next year and the next opportunity. Um, don't give up on this year. I'm not saying that, but. Um, you know, know that it's going to be purposeful and that challenge of this year is purposeful and, uh, and you can put that to work, uh, in a thriving year. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, coach, thank you so much for your time today. I really, really enjoyed speaking with you. If our listeners, um, heard something on this podcast and maybe they want to dive a little bit deeper with you personally or pick your brain on something. Would there be a way for them to contact you, maybe, you know, social media or email or something like that to touch base and go a little bit deeper with you? Absolutely. So, um, My email address is mdalton at pasadenaisd.org. Um, I also, we have our social medias for our intermediate, which is Bondi Girls Athletics on Facebook and Instagram. They can message me through there or they can send me an email. I have my email on my phone, so I'm always getting them and I can contact them back and we can set up time to either chat or give them my phone number so we can chat about things. Um, because, you know, that's always all we can do as coaches is help other coaches out. You know, I, I know it's about the kids, but we've always got to be there to help support each other and help us get through to the next year. Absolutely, I love it. Well, thank you so much again, coach. I really appreciate your time. Yes, thank you so much. Hey guys, one last note before you head off for your day. Over 1400 schools across the nation have or are using one of our curriculums. Are you ready to jump on board? If you want a turnkey program to develop character in your athletes, give us a call at 281-723-9943. We will work with you and your budget to make it as easy as possible. Thanks again for listening to the coach 360 podcast. Now let's have a good one today.
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