Summary: <p>Every Day, Getting Better, Episode 4, Ryan sits down with Coach Andy Towers from the <a href="https://www.premierlacrosseleague.com/">Premier Lacrosse League</a> and Head Coach of the Chaos Lacrosse Club</p> <p> </p> <p>Coach Towers shares his lockerroom philosophy and his transition from coaching collegiate lacrosse to professional lacrosse. </p> <p>This conversation visits a few different topics, starting with the early success of the Premier Lacrosse League, finding happiness in your profession, transitioning to professional athletics, leadership, and mentorship, and finally, who helped to build Coach Towers.</p> <p> Today's topic discussed with <a href="https://www.premierlacrosseleague.com/chaos">Andy Towers</a>:</p> <p> </p> <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Early days of Premier Lacrosse League <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">What was it like to be asked to be a professional coach?</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">What were you doing the day before you became a professional coach?</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Did you get to choose which of the new clubs you got to coach?</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Format of the Premier Lacrosse League vs traditional professional sports</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Professional athletes and coaching doing youth clinics during the season <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Need and Responsibility</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">PLL All-Star Game coaching opportunity, bittersweet vs embrace the opportunity <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">PLL all-star game vs traditional all-star games</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Happiness in the workplace and the transition from collegiate athletics to professional athletics</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Selection of assistant coaches for Chaos Lacrosse club and core values of the coaching staff <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Important that when coaching professionals, having professionals on his staff that have walked in the footsteps of current players</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Does the Chaos Lacrosse club have core values as a team? <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Being genuine in handling interactions</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Having a shared vision</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Honesty, work ethic, mental toughness, team-first attitude</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Decision focused and effort related</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Leaders in the lockerroom of the Chaos Lacrosse Club <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Characteristics of different types of leaders</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Followership</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Players and Leadership Characteristics <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.premierlacrosseleague.com/person/brodie-merrill">Brodie Merrill</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.premierlacrosseleague.com/person/connor-fields">Connor Fields</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.premierlacrosseleague.com/person/myles-jones">Miles Jones</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.premierlacrosseleague.com/person/blaze-riorden">Blaze Riorden</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://www.premierlacrosseleague.com/person/mark-glicini">Mark Glicini</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;">And others</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Humility vs ego <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Success, failure and mental toughness</li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Non-negotiables for entering into a mentor / mentee relationship <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Parenting</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Heart and soul vs talent</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Controlling effort, focus, toughness, decision related</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Excuses and lack of mental toughness limiting success</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Physical limitations</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Defining success by desired results</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Reaching potential as a measure of success</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Making them better as a group, then they are as a group of individuals</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Being the best version of ourselves - who mentored Coach Towers <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">High School lax coach, <a href="http://www.newcanaanlacrosse.com/howard-benedict">Coach Howard Benedict</a> <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Never allowing anyone to feel like they were successful without reaching their potential</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Everyone was treated differently</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">High School basketball coach, <a href="https://www.ncadvertiser.com/sports/high-school-sports/article/New-Canaan-boys-basketball-to-honor-former-coach-14042648.php">Don Usher</a> <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">As a group helped us exceed expectations</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Not letting others, dictate to you what you can be</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">College Coach and Chrome Lacrosse Club Coach, <a href="https://www.premierlacrosseleague.com/chrome">Dom Starsia</a> <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Challenge my competitive spirit and commitment to the program</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Less scheme based and more intangible based</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Former Yale Lacrosse Coach, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale_Bulldogs_men%27s_lacrosse">Mike Waldvogel</a> <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Make you verbally defend everything that came out of your mouth</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Making me think about what I was saying to the players on the field</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Bates Lacrosse Coach, <a href="https://www.gobatesbobcats.com/sports/mlax/coaches/lasagna-peter?view=bio">Pete Lasagna</a> <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">Allowed you to get creative</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Connections with your player's fuels trust, and trust fuels sacrifice</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Growing up in a competitive environment</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight:400;">We all build each other up and help each other</li> <li style="font-weight:400;">Editors note: In the closing, I clearly wish the wrong team “best of luck” and Coach Towers calls me on it. We have a fun laughing exchange, and my initial thought is that I am going to cut that segment out of the pod. Instead, in the spirit of openly making mistakes and failing - I chose to leave it in. I hope you enjoy the laugh as much as we did.</li> </ul> <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;">How to contact Coach Towers <ul> <li style="font-weight:400;"><a href="http://www.lacrossedraws.com/">Website</a></li> <li style="font-weight:400;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AndyTowersPLL">Twitter</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>Host:<a href="https://twitter.com/ryan_wakefield"> Ryan Wakefield</a></p> <p>Guests:<a href="https://www.mindfullifecoachingtn.com/"> Andy Towers</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Download or subscribe to this show at<a href="https://pod.everydaygettingbetter.com/"> https://pod.everydaygettingbetter.com</a></p> <p>Want to get better? Visit us at<a href="https://everydaygettingbetter.com/"> https://everydaygettingbetter.com</a></p>
