By Jason Shea
How do you build a winning team culture in sport?
How do you bring a sports team together?
How do you get athletes to buy into a team oriented approach?
How do you create a winning team culture both in sports and beyond?
In part 1 of the How To Build A Winning Team Culture in HS Sports series, we looked at the Venn Diagram of Team Success, questionnaires to gain insight on team culture, Blind Spots, the importance of trust, culture crushers, the candor and openness drill, and the ARROW.
Whether building a winning team culture in sport or in business, the ingredients seem to be the same: work ethic, discipline, and trust. You can’t have great effort and work ethic without discipline and vice versa. An athlete who chooses to hard at practice once a week is not going to be a tip of the ARROW guy. Similarly, an athlete who is disciplined and shows up every day, but doesn’t give any effort, can drag the culture ARROW in the wrong direction.
In the dozens of interviews we did with some of the top high school coaches in the country, we learned that the coaches that united their teams and taught the athletes to have each other’s backs, were those with great long-term championship cultures.
When thinking about how to bring a sports team together, a question comes to mind:
If you were in a really bad situation, who would you want next to you?
The Incredible Inspirational Story of Hugo Rossi
(Except Chapter from Building a Winning Culture High School Sports…and Beyond Book.)
How do you handle adversity? Imagine what it would be like growing up on the streets after your dad disappears and you struggle with your relationship with your mom. Imagine a neighborhood where individual and rival fights are common. Then, once you graduate high school you enlist in the marines and fight on the DMZ, the most dangerous part of Vietnam, as an infantry “grunt” and make it out alive.
Then after your tour, you came back and work at a night club, frequented by wise guys from the Providence Mob, in which you are the only bouncer on your shift in charge of keeping the order for over six hundred people on a busy night. During that time, you are also attending college where you would go on to get your master’s degree and are eventually picked as a candidate for a P.H.D.
Then, your focus shifts toward helping those around you and you decide to go and work for Mother Theresa and her sisters, first in the Bronx, then eventually in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). From there you decide to move back to the states and become a school teacher for the most troubled kids and become 1996 town and 2003 state regional Teacher of the Year. Ten years after leaving Mother Theresa’s organization you then get a letter in the mail from one of her sisters telling of her passing. In this letter is some of Mother Theresa’s blood on a sealed card, a holy relic, to carry on her spirit and help heal those around you.
Through the intercession of Saint Theresa, you then become a healer of people, some with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and others lying dormant in comas. After raising two wonderful and successful children of your own, you then decide, in your sixties to climb some of the world’s tallest peaks, including Mount Everest and Denali. Where the idea to climb these dangerous mountains came from? The person organizing these climbs was asked, “If you could choose one person to be up on those mountains with you and keep you safe, who would it be?” His answer was the same as so many former marines, students, members of Mother Theresa’s organization, co-workers, classmates, friends, and family: Hugo Rossi.
In life we all have gifts, some go untapped while others are representative of the life we lead. For Hugo Rossi, his was a life filled with adversity that was attacked head on. Imagine what it would be like to live a life unafraid of failure, knowing that when adversity strikes is when you rise to your greatest achievements? Hugo’s gift is to help other’s as a protector. It was an absolute honor to sit down with this incredibly inspirational and humble man. Here is his story.
Forging humility
“My dad left when I was two and my mom raised me with a lot of help from my aunt and uncle. She had emotional problems, in those days called “nervous breakdowns.” It was hard to be at home.
My friends on the corner helped me get through those years. We hung out and fought rival groups. In Italian neighborhoods, if you beat somebody in a fight you then had to fight his friends of family.
After High School one of my best friends, Don, joined the Marines and encouraged me to enlist with him on the buddy system. I was very impressed with the Marine Sergeant’s physical demeanor, directness, and more importantly, his honesty. He told me there would be a good chance I would get killed or mangled in Vietnam. He told me that Marine training will help me to stay alive but there were no guarantees. My response; “Where to I sign?”
Paris Island, 1967, Marine Corps boot camp was all that and more. All the drill instructors were tough, no nonsense and super squared away. They knew their shit inside and out. It was their job to instill Marine values. Training started every morning at 5 AM with a three mile run with a M14 rifle held at “port arms”. During the run, if anyone slacked there would be punishment PT (physical training). We were not regarded as individuals, if one trainee screwed up, everyone paid. One time we were doing endless bends and thrusts for someone’s mistake and it aggravated me to the point where I just stopped. I was tired of paying for someone else’s mistake. The DI confronted me for my insubordination by punching me in the face and throat and putting me in a strangle hold. While I gasped for breath he whispered in my ear; “Is this what you are going to do in Vietnam? Is this what you are going to do when it gets crazy; QUIT?” From that moment on I understood what their brutal exercises were equipping me to do and I became squared away.
Historically, Marines have been the first troops to enter conflicts and have fought and died in battle since colonial times; at the Battle of Belleau Wood in WWI, Iwo Jima where 26,000 Marines were wounded or killed over five weeks in WWII, the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in Korea, Khe Sanh and Hue City in Vietnam, the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. As a Marine, you are part of that brave and heroic legacy, so you act accordingly. Honor, commitment, courage and integrity are Marine values and these along with the famous Marine discipline stay with you your whole life.”
What are you afraid of?
“The only fear I have is losing God’s love. God has always been there for me. When I came home from war George Pesare, a famous kickboxing martial arts trainer took me under his wing. We trained and fought in New England, Kansas, and Atlanta in individual and team fighting. Eventually, my skills landed me a bouncer job in a new night club in Providence RI in the early 70’s.
One night while working tat the club, a mob captain serial killer came in. He was feared everywhere. An older mob associate introduced us. The mob captain then said, “You work with that “n-word.” My response was; “No. I work with Mort A.” Mort was a friend of mine who worked opposite nights. The mob captain’s response was, “No, you work with the “n-word.” Again, I said, “No. I work with Mort A.” After being shot at by AK47 machine gun fire, grenades, RPG’s and having another Marine’s brain’s splatter on me, I had no fear of a gangster. At this point another mob guy stepped in and said, “This isn’t going to happen.” I carried a hand gun for three months waiting for retaliation, but it never happened. There may have been a begrudging respect toward me. The only thing I felt sure of was the good Lord was looking out for me.”
Camaraderie
“Being in a dangerous situation heightens your awareness. You feel fully alive. You surprise yourself with the amount of courage that gets mustered up. We rotated platoons and point men. When it was my platoon’s turn, my lieutenant made me the company point man. It was hot and sweaty work, especially breaking brush with a machete with everyone following.
One time, I came across a lot of track and signs of movement ahead. I took my gear off to move quickly through the jungle when my Lieutenant gave me the sign to go ahead. To my surprise I really enjoyed scouting and recording the area. I liked the idea that I didn’t have to worry about someone else getting killed. Camaraderie is so important. When you suffer together or have been through the exhilaration of a fire fight, you create a bonding that transcends everything (race, religion, and ethnicity). You really become brothers- closer than your biological one’s because the experience is so intense.
On a trip to Quantico to reunite with a close buddy from my platoon, he related a story to my family of the time we were in a jungle and it was my birthday. The platoon, soaked and miserable, mustered the cheer to sing “Happy Birthday” to me. It was a moment that we recalled so vividly. The tremendous camaraderie.”
Mother Theresa
“After Vietnam, I was fighting as a kickboxer working toward graduation from URI, working part-time as a bouncer and substitute teaching. Life was good, but a part of me felt an emptiness that was not being filled in my current life. I considered an application to be a mercenary in South Africa. It was then that I stumbled across a Newsweek article about Mother Theresa. I was taken by her commitment to serve the poorest of the poor.
I felt compelled to call the South Bronx where the Missionaries of Charity house. I was told that if I wanted to meet Mother, I had to be in New York by 6 AM the next day. I left at 2 AM and found my way to one of the poorest and toughest neighborhoods in the country.
I met Mother and we had a long talk. She was a little woman, but fearless in her commitment and calling. A natural leader and organizer who make split decisions if needed. She was all this, but more. It took a while, but in time I knew she was Holy. Sometimes, we even move beyond courage to fearlessness. It doesn’t just happen on the battlefield. This woman was fearless, a warrior for God and the poor. It was a great honor to work with her and the sisters and brothers of her organization.
When I first arrived to work after Mother told me to come back in a month after my affairs were in order, there was a problem. Mother went back to Kolkata and Sister Andrea, the superior in the Bronx, was in charge. Some co-workers who came to work with the Mission on weekends saw me and were alarmed. They told Sister Andrea that I was dangerous and not the type of person that should be working with them.
One afternoon, Sister asked me to drive her into Manhattan for business. As we walked down the street, a man charged at the Sister. I jumped in front of them and challenged him. “Yeah, What?” We started swinging and he then turned and ran. Sister Andrea came back that day and told the complainers “Hugo stays.””
Greatest Compliment
“On one occasion, Mother Theresa and some of her Sisters went on a day retreat to New Jersey and I drove one of the transport vans. ON the way, Mother rode shotgun in the van I was driving to the delight of myself and the Sisters in the van. She was quite funny, down to earth, very intelligent and always spiritual. Everyone felt blessed to be in her presence.
On the ride back to Manhattan, the other van got a flat tire. Mother had to meet with Cardinal Cooke and the flat was a delay. I told Mother to take the other van and that I would fix the flat and return with the Sister a little later. That evening Mother told the Sisters she would have never left, but because they were with me, she knew they would be safe. “He is a real diamond in the rough” she said.
One day we were giving out clothes to the poor. Some people took the clothes and began selling them down the street. This was brought to Mother’s attention. Her response was “continue to give out the clothes, so many are poor, we must give them the benefit of the doubt.” It was a great lesson I used that school of thought when I had my programs for emotionally disturbed teens.
Mother Theresa and her Sisters and Brothers had a deep impact on my life. They role modeled fearless faith in God. A faith that goes beyond emotion. A faith worthy of Old Testament figures.
I worked in Kolkata in the late 70’s and was humbled to work in the Home for the Dying and to pick up the dead and dying at Sealdah Train Station. One day I was giving bread out to the poor that lived there trying to escape the monsoon. There was a terrible stench which led me to believe there was a rat next under some potato-like sacks. As I investigated, a hand grabbed my ankle. The terrible stench came from a leper. He said to me, “Please don’t let me die here.”
Realizing the stretchers were all being used, I picked the man up saying out loud, “This is Jesus in a distressing disguise.” The MC’s have a home for the dying for lepers and this is where I took the man. Mother and her Sisters are fearless in their beliefs. Mother did not believe in abortion and would say “give us the babies, we will raise them and take care of them”, which she did.”
Rossi’s Kids
“I ran a school program in Connecticut for the most severely emotionally disturbed kids. I called them “dispirited” kids the newspaper called them “Rossi’s Kids.” I could really work hard with tough, tough kids. These kids had been through other programs that left them behind. In our program a lot of kids graduated. One kid went to the Marine Corps and became a state trooper. Another was a tank commander in the Marine Corps. One girl student went to L.A. and now does hair coloring for the stars.
The kids would come in at 10:30am and stay until 6pm at night. They had normal classes then we had the whole afternoon to do activities at the school when it was nice and peaceful. We did stuff in the art room, we had basketball games, etc. These were tough kids from tough upbringings.
One kid came in and was at school, and his mom just packed up and left him while he was at school. Another student came over to me while I was walking out to my car after school and told me he was here to kick my ass. I asked, “Why do you want to do that.” He said, “Because I don’t like you Mr. Rossi.” So, I said, “I tell you what, lets do this open hands first.” He came at me and I slapped him so hard he fell to the ground. I then asked him if he wanted to go closed fist. He said, “I’m sorry Mr. Rossi, you can call the cops on me now.” I told him I wasn’t gonna call the cops and told him I expect him to be in class on Monday with a new attitude. The young man came back Monday, and I never had an issue with him again. He ended up getting his diploma. I am proud of him.
You need to work with a good curriculum and overwhelm them with kindness. They need to learn a sense of honor and integrity and a moral code. Moral code is lacking in many students today. In one instance there was one kid who was absolutely tormenting another about his girlfriend, just ripping into him, making fun of him for no reason. This student turned and tagged him with four or five shots to the face. I took my time breaking up that fight. Never did he make fun of the other student again.”
Goal Setting
“I don’t really set goals. I have a lot of faith in God. All my strength comes from God. I am very grateful. I trust in God to guide me. When you grow up with nothing you fly by the seat of your pants. One time a priest friend asked me to come see his spiritual mentor on the other side of Kolkata. It was this Notre Dame nun who was a healer on her way to do a healing service in France. This was back in 1988.
I went with him and was waiting outside while he went inside. I was about five feet from the door and the nun is coming down from the second floor pointing in my direction. She was pointing at me and says she wants me to come up and talk to her. At this moment I have no idea what is going on. I never met her and was just escorting my priest friend. I approached and she asked my name. I told her my name and that I was working with Mother Theresa and the MC’s.
She then says that God wanted her “to pray over me.” I told her I was fine, and that there were other people much more in need. She then says again “God wants me to pray over you.” I am reluctant but agree and get on my knees. The Sister puts her hands on my head. Now I am just a meat and potatoes guy. Just a grunt in the Marines. Let me tell you, I felt the energy from her hands go from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. It happened seven times.
Ten years go by and I still can’t understand that experience. I trust in God and everything he has ever done. Why did that energy run through my body then? Well, ten years later, I get this letter from one of Mother Theresa’s Sisters telling me of her passing. In the letter is a card with the blood of Mother Theresa on it. Sister Andrea, a doctor, was in the operating room when a shunt came out of Mother, spilling her blood. She made this laminated card and told me to pray over people that needed healing.
A buddy of mine get throat cancer. He wasn’t given very long. I went to see him and was praying over him with Mother’s blood, now a relic. I had no idea what to do so I just prayed to Mother Theresa and said “you know I would give my life for any of the Sisters. Please take care of my close friend.” He lived another 20 years.
People started coming asking about praying over people. I felt this surge of energy while praying over a young man with Crohn’s disease, then a few weeks later, the Crohn’s is gone.
One time, there was a college student who OD’d on drugs and was in a coma for 10 days. I was in New York City at the time and couldn’t go back. Coming back to RI, I am thinking “gee, he’s been in a coma for 10 days, is this going to help?” So, we meet with this family and everyone prays. Later that night he wakes up from his coma. They keep him in the hospital to asses the damage to his mind and body. The results are no damage to his heart. Nothing wrong with his brain. No cognitive problems. God gave him his life back.
A few years ago, a woman had pancreatic cancer and a friend asked me to come and pray over her with Mother’s relic. She was sent home from the hospital as the doc thought that was it. She was a very vital person. So, my friend calls me a week alter and she is hysterical. I said, “I am so sorry about your friend.” I was thinking she died.
My friend tells me the tumor is gone. The woman ended up living a couple more years and went when she was ready. These and many more experiences have humbled me and made me aware of the mystery of God. We tend to see things through our eyes, not God’s. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” Isaiah 55 8-9.”
Defining Success
“I measure success in terms of friendship, not financial. If you have a lot of people that care and love you, you are successful. You could have all the money in the world and go home to an empty mansion and what good is it. When you are there for people and they, in turn, are there for you. Knowing that people can count on you and you can count on them. Having great friends and being a great friend. Having a great family and being a great family man. That is true success.”
Winning Cultures in Sports
“I like Tom Brady, Edelman Gronk, and their positive mindsets. They continually win but stay humble. Danny Woodhead, Wes Welker, little guys that play with heart and soul. They are the catalysts to win. Phil Jackson, a great coach who sat down with Michael Jordan and explained that this is not a one man team. Everyone has to work and get better. Jordan, one of the greatest players of all time, understood this. He wasn’t selfish and did not make it all about him.
I coached soccer. We had two championships in under 12 and under 14. I feel it is so important to be fair. You have to avoid nepotism. I thought there were too many favors of coaches playing kids because of who their parents were or the coach’s friendship with the parents. That was sending the wrong message to the kids who were working the hardest but didn’t have the parent connections.”
Measuring Up
“Working with kids at school I tell them their biggest fear isn’t meeting someone in the street with a gun or a knife, as they have dealt with their all throughout growing up. I tell them the biggest fear for you is going to school and competing with the middle and upper class educationally.
When I went to URI after Nam, I had this fear. I always kept a dictionary next to me wherever I went. At URI I had this professor that side “I never give anybody an A.” The Dean’s wife actually had an argument with him about that. Here I am, with my long hair, pulling up on a Harley, working in Providence as a bouncer at night, and we have this midterm exam.
The professor is passing the exam back, and people are groaning as they see their grades. Some of the students are failing. The professor then goes “Rossi, I want you to meet me in my office.” I get to his office and he throws the booklet down and gives me an A. He said “I want to know who you are? You don’t say anything, you don’t take any notes, and you don’t look or talk like a student.” That teacher became a lifelong friend of mine. One summer I went with all my buddies from the neighborhood to meet the Beach Boys at a cookout at his house. He told me, “You are a smart kid,” and that belief in me meant so much.”
Handling Adversity
“Here is a story of a friend of mine who I grew up with who is still a close friend to this day. We both grew up really poor. He was the only other kid whose parents were divorced as well growing up. His mother ended up getting married again to a wealthy guy from Newport. MY buddy went to med school in Guadalajara. When he came back, he ended up working for and taking over his stepfather’s business accounts with McDonalds and Burger King.
He bought a nice home and nice car, a boat, and more. He started making a lot of money and started dressing that way. He knew everybody in Newport. He starts playing backgammon and making money. With that money he then started doing drugs. Coke and then crack. He was spending much less time on the business and had a big fall from grace. He becomes a house painter and still does drugs here and there.
His Aunt took him into keep an eye on him and help him. Next thing you know, a drug dealer shows up at her house and puts a gun to her head. My buddy told me what happened, and I went over to the house as I saw the drug dealer’s car in her driveway. I went in and grabbed him and said, “I heard you put a gun to his Aunt’s head.” I told him, “If you ever take that gun out again, I will shove it up your ass.” That was the last time we heard from the guy and I guess it is symbolic of the way I handle adversity. I go right to the heart of the problem and attack it head on.”
Modern Day Entitlement
“I think it is sad. It takes the masculinity away from men.”
Mental Toughness and Climbing Everest
“Mental toughness is everything in life. How much can you suffer. I believe it is how much suffering you can endure and still hold together. A leader makes tough decisions. They need to understand and need to know you have their best interest in mind. In Nam, it was about getting the job done and accomplishing the mission.
One time we got ambushed. One guy got hit in the legs and another guy in the chest. Another guy got killed. A bullet zipped right by me. I pulled our team leader out of the line of fire as he was on the ground, laying there. This kid had a big hole in his chest, but an even bigger hole in his back.
I didn’t want him to go into shock, so I pointed my gun at him and started yelling at him while trying to save him. I wanted him to be more scared of me than going into shock. He ended up surviving. I realized there is a time in life when God calls on you. There is a blueprint of your life somewhere.
This is how Everest happened. My buddy put the whole thing together. He was asked “If I was in a really bad situation, who would I want next to me. I want Hugo Rossi next to me” was his answer. Honestly, this was just another great adventure. It was so quiet and peaceful. Very calming. It was very spiritual.”
Staying Humble
“We climbed Denali a couple years ago, so I want to do more climbing. I will be 70 and still love going to work with the kids at school. If I had any advice for young kids and athletes, it would be to train and play fearless, but stay humble. Stay humble. Thank God for your athletic ability. Stay in that God Bubble. Something inside of you is inspiring you to do this. Don’t let fear keep you from doing the things you have the potential to do.”
Performance Under Pressure Team Building
How do you perform under pressure? How does your brain respond under high stress or elevated heart rate situations? Does your decision making go down the tubes during high stress, pressure situations? As coaches, how many times have you heard “Coach, I didn’t see him.”
Have you ever heard of a Hawser line?
In a Winning Culture interview we did with a pipeline candidate who went through both BUDS phase one and SWCC phase one (stay tuned for more on that in Part 3 of this series) we learned about Hawser line PT. In BUDS and other branches of the military, logs and boats are used team-building in PT. At SWCC (Special Warfare Combat Crewman), which takes place on the same beach in San Diego as BUDS, they use something called a Hawser line to “mold” candidates both physically and mentally.
Excerpt from Building a Winning Culture in High School Sports….and Beyond book:
“The Hawser line in SWCC. Mooring lines from ships tied together. 5-6 guys under the line. They are different from logs as the Hawser line can dip if you are not holding up your end. You hold over your head and have to hold your end. The line weight is around 400 lbs, and it is wet. You do squats with it. Front carries, overhead squats, lunges. You have to do it as a team otherwise you cannot handle the line.“
Card Houses and Math Problems?
Could you build a card house in a high fatigue, high stress, pressure situation while your teammates were counting on you? Could you solve a mildly challenging math problem while holding an isometric squat hold after an interval set on a fan bike? Could you drown out the noise and pain in your legs to concentrate on the task at hand? Is your level of conditioning optimal enough to allow your brain to make the right decisions under pressure when you are fatigued?
Creating and Responding to Adversity
From our Winning Culture interview with renowned Smithson Valley Texas high school football coach Larry Hill:
“We try to instill in every kid “I have a reason to show leadership, you have reason to follow leadership…..and you have a reason avoid cutting corners. This is one of our most effective tools to increase accountability.
We do agility/sprints like everybody else. How can we do it better than the rest? When we hit the last cone or come out of the last drill then we have to perform some kind of “over and above” element. This has nothing to do with the dummy, or cone, it is some kind of extra effort that nobody else is doing. Even if we are not as quick as the other teams, we put the extra effort into the way we work.
Take for example jumping rope. We may have a jump rope station where 26 guys get a rope. Certain expectations and certain speed is required. The other 4 guys get shorter ropes but are expected to jump at the same speed. The other 26 are around the other 4 encouraging them to work. Those 4 have it rough but have to find a way to overcome adversity, to win. These guys need to find a way to win when the odds are stacked against them.
As coaches we need to do more than talk to kids about playing against the odds. We need to put them in situations daily where they are faced with adversity and need to figure out ways to overcome these challenges.“
Putting it all together
As you can see, building a winning team culture in sport or in business takes work ethic, discipline, trust, and more. Whether you are climbing Mt. Everest, building card houses, carrying anchor lines, or competing in business or athletics, how you perform under pressure and respond to adversity can be the difference between winning and losing.
Wouldn’t it be great to keep your brain’s CEO online every time you are faced with a pressure situation? Imagine being able to make cool, calm and collected decisions under pressure, like James Bond or Hugo Rossi?
Let’s get out there and put what you just learned to the test!
Thx for reading! Stay tuned for How to Build a Winning Culture in Team Sports Part 3: Have your Mind Where Your Feet Are.
For more on Building a Winning Culture in High School Sports…..and Beyond pick up a copy of the 500+ page book on Kindle or Paperback today. Be sure to check out the other books in the Specific Sports Training and Athletic Workout Programs series as well.
