Back when I was working on my Masters in Sports Leadership, our prof had us read a book by Pat Riley titled
"The Winner Within"... the book was very enjoyable and impacted the way I coached and ran my teams over the years.
There was a passage in the book that reminds me a lot of what we are seeing Grier and McDaniel do in Miami right now. It has to do with a team emphasis and is also about targeting players that they think will fit in well with our system. The passage discussed 'Innocence" and the role it plays in keeping players humble and students of the game (coachable) despite being stars or having success on the field. I've reflected on the values shared by Riley many times over my coaching career and thought you'd enjoy seeing some of it as it relates to our Dolphins. Here is some of the overall philosophy, but "the Innocent Climb" and selflessness are great ideas to build on and they remind me of what we are seeing in Miami:
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Hearing our coaches speaking to our new players from this draft left an impression on me that our rookies were very appreciative of being selected by the Dolphins. TE Higgins cried the entire call and thanked both Grier and McDaniel over and over for picking him. Achane certainly was humble and appreciative and the room EXPLODED when we took him at 84 overall. He appeared to be holding in emotion along with his Mom during the call. URFA DT Pili made his interview about signing with Miami all about being "grateful" for the Dolphins "giving him a chance"... and even Smith, who had a chance to go in the first round but slid out was happy to be with Miami and eager to join our team. His room also went nuts with his selection. There is a level of appreciation and gratitude that makes us better when it's devoted to a group we are a part of... but selfish players or organizations always miss out on this bonding experience. Appreciative members always dig deeper, support teammates better, and find a way to get the win together. Teams like this always have a deeper level of commitment from players and staff that allows them to achieve on a higher level than those without those qualities.
I'm excited to see how these guys fit into our team philosophy.
The Innocent Climb and how it works:
The key ingredient of success in any person’s life or business career is teamwork. A team of unselfish members, without any impressive history of past successes, will begin an innocent climb to greatness when the team starts achieving something dramatic. When a talented team dedicates itself to acting unselfishly, trusting each other and combining instinct with boldness, it is ready to achieve something spectacular.
Innocence - the ability to trust teammates and the fact they will perform given the chance - is an important step in suppressing territorialism. Innocence is a state of mind that if you give of your best to the team effort, you’ll get your fair share of good fortune over the long haul. Even more powerful is innocence with experience. This occurs when a group of individuals become totally and unequivocally committed to the success of the team, and voluntarily agree to combine efforts and go as far as possible. There is a world of difference between innocence and being naïve. Being naïve means failing to understand what is required to succeed. Being innocent, by contrast, means understanding that everybody needs their own space, but being personally willing to put those personal feelings aside for the good of the team as a whole. Innocence is a positive choice made in the belief that the team can achieve something great.
Higgins on Call with Grier and McDaniel. What do you expect his level of commitment to be in Miami?
Cam Smith
