Building Championship Culture Through Standards:

How Great Coaches Shape Great Teams

I am working in a new school for the first time in 23 years. I wanted change and change I have gotten. It has been challenging in ways I did not expect and rewarding in ways I did not anticipate. But it has certainly been different

Having spent 23 years in the same school, I'm a bit like Red in The Shawshank Redemption.

I am institutionalized. Very accustomed to how things worked in my old school. The bell schedule, the gym I taught in, and the students I taught.

My new school is designed exclusively for athletes and high performers, which is awesome and a challenge.

They have a tremendous amount of energy, and Phys. Ed is their outlet. They want to compete and compete hard.

I am also teaching middle school for the first time. (so much 6'7")

Sometimes they need to reined in a little.

I am not used to dealing with classroom management issues. I quickly realized that was not going to be the case here. I need to establish the culture I want to see in my gym.

So I am leaning into the practice that has been the most successful with my teams.

Setting clear and effective standards.

Standards have guided the expectations on all the teams I coach for years and have vastly improved the experience for coaches and athletes.

I am hoping that the same things will happen in my classroom. But I know that nothing will change unless I do. And it is no different with your team.

We all talk about the importance of a good culture.

Every team claims to have it.

You want a program that feels different where players buy in, hold each other accountable, and compete for something bigger than themselves.

But you’ve probably discovered how easy it is to talk about culture and how hard it is to actually live it.

When you peel back the layers of great programs, like the Golden State Warriors, UConn Women’s Basketball, or the San Antonio Spurs; you find something more tangible than slogans painted on the walls.

You find standards.

Most coaches believe that values create culture. But values alone are abstract.

The real problem?

Values describe what matters. Standards define what that looks like every day.

Without clear standards:

• Players act out of convenience instead of commitment.
• Accountability feels personal instead of shared.
• Culture becomes a buzzword instead of a behavior.

The best programs don’t rely on rules or motivational posters.

They build cultures rooted in shared standards. The daily expectations that guide how the team prepares, competes, communicates, and treats one another.

As a coach, you have the power to define and reinforce those standards so your players take ownership of the culture, not because they have to, but because they want to.

Here’s a simple roadmap to help you turn your values into lived standards:

Step 1: Identify Core Values

Values are the starting point, not the finish line.

Ask, “What do we want to stand for?”​
Examples: Effort. Teamwork. Accountability. Toughness. Joy.

Step 2: Define Behaviors​
Translate each value into something you can see and measure.

• Effort: “We sprint to huddles.”
• Accountability: “We own our mistakes out loud.”
• Teamwork: “We celebrate each other’s success.”

Step 3: Collaborate with Players​
Involve your athletes in defining what these standards look like.
When they help build it, they take ownership.

Step 4: Model Consistency​
The standard starts with you.
If you’re late, players will think it’s okay. If you lose focus, so will they.

Step 5: Reinforce and Review​
Standards fade when they stop being discussed.
Use daily language, film sessions, and postgame reflection to bring them back to life.

Ask:

• “How did we live our standards tonight?”
• “Which ones slipped and why?”

Start small.

Choose three non-negotiable standards that define your team at its best.

Talk about them daily.

Reward behaviors that align with them.

And when they slip, don’t stay silent; address them with clarity and care.

Culture doesn’t collapse overnight; it erodes in small moments of compromise:

• Letting a late arrival slide.
• Ignoring poor body language.
• Praising talent over effort.

As Jon Gordon said,

Without clear standards, you’ll rely on rules that demand compliance instead of commitment; and that’s when trust, accountability, and performance begin to fade.

When your team owns its standards, everything changes.

Players start policing effort, not because they fear consequences, but because it’s who they are.

Practices feel sharper. Conversations feel real. Trust deepens.

You’ll see what Jay Wright saw at Villanova, where the team’s “Attitude” standard shaped every practice and every possession:

And like Dawn Staley, Steve Kerr, and Geno Auriemma, you’ll build something lasting; A culture that can be felt before it’s ever explained.

Because at the end of the day…
​Values inspire. Standards define. Culture lives.

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Practical Ways to Integrate Standards into Daily Coaching

It’s one thing to define standards; it’s another to live them. Here are practical strategies you can use to bring your standards to life:

1. Create a “Standards Board”

List 4–6 key standards on a whiteboard in your locker room or gym.
Before each practice, have players circle one standard they want to focus on that day.

After practice, reflect as a team: Did we meet it?

2. Run a “Standard Check”

Before games or film sessions, ask players to rate the team (1–10) on how well they’ve upheld each standard lately.

Discuss what needs to improve—not in judgment, but in curiosity.

3. Highlight Standards in Film

When reviewing game film, pause not just on tactical moments, but cultural ones:
“Here’s where we sprinted to help a teammate up. That’s our standard.”
“Here’s where we didn’t communicate. That’s below our standard.”

Film becomes a tool for cultural feedback, not just technical critique.

4. Celebrate Standards, Not Just Stats

Make it a habit to recognize behaviors that uphold your standards:

• “Play of the Game” for the best example of team communication.
• “Teammate of the Week” for living out the team’s values.
  These recognitions reinforce what truly matters.

5. Build Standards into Leadership Roles

Empower captains to monitor and reinforce standards in small ways:

• Calling out lack of focus in the warm-up.
• Praising teammates for positive body language.

When standards come from peers, they become sustainable.

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A Free Webinar for Athletes.

If you have tryouts coming up in the next few weeks please feel free to share the following link with your athletes. It will include practical tips your athletes can utilize to manage stress and the uncertainty of tryouts.

The link to register is here:

​https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/calm-confident-the-mental-edge-for-tryouts-tickets-1957088667889?aff=oddtdtcreator​

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How can I help you on your coaching journey?

Let's work together.

I help coaches thrive.

I would love to help you or your team build a competitive advantage. Here are a few ways I can help:

• Consult with your team or coaching staff
• Teach mental skills to your team via Zoom
• Work 1 on 1 with coaches
• Work 1 on 1 with athletes

Shoot me an email at jasonpayne@evolutionmpc.com, I love to talk coaching and see how I can help you.

Coaching is hard, let's make it easier.

Check out my website at http://jasonpayne.ca​

Thanks for reading and have a great week.