Establishing the Objective

If you're serious about coaching at a higher level—developing championship-level teams and forming athletes of character—you must begin by establishing a clear objective. You can’t lead your team forward unless you know where you're going. Vision sets direction. As a coach, you must define that vision for both your team and each individual athlete.

1. Start with Purpose: Know the “Why”

Every effective program is built on a foundational purpose. Before anything else—before drills, schedules, or plays—determine why you coach. Your objective should go beyond wins and losses. It should reflect your values, your mission, and your calling. For coaches who integrate faith, that means aligning your program with the gospel. We were created to know, love, and serve God—and your program should reflect that purpose.

Ask yourself:

• Why does this program exist?

• What kind of young men or women are we trying to develop?

• Is God at the center of our mission?

Make your “why” visible, verbal, and central to everything you do.

2. Winning Matters—So Teach It Well

Make no mistake—winning matters. To pursue excellence in sports means preparing to win, competing to win, and learning how to handle both victory and defeat with integrity. A coach who shrugs off the outcome of a game misses the opportunity to teach athletes how to truly pursue greatness.

There’s a difference between accepting a loss when you’ve given everything you have and not caring about the result. Teach your athletes to compete with a desire to win—not for ego, but because excellence demands effort and intentionality. Learning to win well forms habits of discipline and grit that translate into every area of life.

3. Prepare Athletes for Life Beyond the Game

As your athletes strive for excellence in sport, help them understand that life will present them with difficult choices—often subtle, often strategic. These aren’t random tests; they are calculated challenges that will shape their character and future. That’s why we must develop strong men and women who know how to compete—not just on the field, but in the moral and cultural arenas of life.

Athletes who learn to value effort, competition, and excellence are better equipped to stand strong in a culture that often pulls them in the opposite direction. Winning becomes about much more than the scoreboard—it becomes about standing firm in the truth and leading with courage.

4. Balance Team and Individual Objectives

One of the most complex aspects of coaching is managing dual objectives: the success of the team and the growth of the individual. Coach John Calipari captured this dynamic well: “Our guys at Kentucky understood that at practice and in the throws of competition, the team was the only thing that mattered. But the minute either was over, the objective returned to the individual and their personal goals.”

Great coaches understand this balance. Your job is to pursue both. Create a culture where each player is committed to the team while still pursuing personal excellence—academically, spiritually, athletically. One should never undermine the other.

5. Control the Controllables—Trust God with the Rest

When setting objectives, make a clear distinction between what your athletes can control and what they can’t. Effort, energy, attitude, character—these are non-negotiables. Outcomes like playing time, recognition, or wins fall under God’s providence.

As a coach, reinforce this mindset daily. Teach athletes to give their absolute best in the areas they can control, and to surrender the rest. It’s a freeing and powerful posture—one that produces humility and relentless work ethic.

6. Refuse to Accept Mediocrity

The pursuit of excellence starts with standards. Set them high—and never apologize for it. Demand your athletes bring their best each day, not out of fear, but out of a desire to honor the gifts God has given them. Mediocrity is easy, but it’s not faithful. Being “lukewarm” is not an option for mission-driven programs.

Excellence is doing ordinary things with extraordinary purpose. Make that the norm in your program.

7. Be Intentional and Write It Down

Don’t just think about your objectives—document them. Develop a clear, concise coaching philosophy that outlines your goals for the season, your expectations for your team, and your long-term vision. This document doesn’t need to be long, but it should be something you can refer to on tough days when motivation wanes or distractions creep in.

This written philosophy becomes your anchor. It keeps you and your program aligned when emotions, results, or outside pressures threaten to pull you off course.

Questions to guide your process:

• Is God at the center of this objective?

• Does this goal improve the lives of the people involved?

• Is this consistent with the purpose of my coaching call?

Final Charge to Coaches:

As you lead your team, never forget that coaching is more than strategy or skill development. You are shaping hearts, building character, and preparing young people for life. Establishing a clear, mission-aligned objective isn’t a box to check—it’s the foundation for everything that follows.

Set it high. Set it with conviction. And pursue it with everything you’ve got.

That’s coaching excellence.