Kelly Inouye-Perez led the UCLA softball program to their 11th NCAA championship in 2010. Beginning her fifth season as the Bruins' head coach, 2011 marks her 23rd straight year in Westwood, having joined the UCLA softball program as a freshman player in 1989. Inouye-Perez's involvement in Bruin softball is highlighted by seven NCAA Championships and eight Pac-10 titles as player and coach.Coaching is communication. And competitive excellence involves more than the collective skills of your individual players. In this exclusive clinic, Coach Inouye-Perez provides specific guidance on how you can enhance your team's competitive edge and create a championship culture through proven communication strategies.

She reveals five key areas, which include: establishing a clear vision; utilizing effective language; defining each player's roles; creating accountability; and securing enthusiastic team buy-in. Drawing directly from her own extensive experience, she also shares tips on utilizing different communication channels, techniques for getting your team back on track, defining who your core players are, and discovering who you can rely on to help get everyone together and focused.

In managing the game, Coach Inouye-Perez breaks down the communication aspects of competition into three primary areas: Pre-Game Preparation, Game-Time Clarity, and Post-Game Meeting:

• Pre-game preparation covers offense, defense, warm-ups, pitching, team duties, and in-game expectations.
• Game-time clarity involves establishing a team focal point, creating a dugout routine, and managing strategy.
• Post-game meetings can often devolve into a redundant rehash, with the coach simply stating the obvious. Coach Inouye-Perez shows how you can turn the meeting around, get the entire team involved, and seize on this moment to create a heightened opportunity for learning and improvement.

86 minutes. 2011.

Being a team captain is a challenging position. A captain has to be an extension of the coaching staff, while being a voice for the team.

Greg Dale shares his expertise in leadership development to create a foundation for captains to better understand and execute their responsibilities. Learn how to bring out the best in your coach and your teammates.

Dale's strategies include how to communicate with teammates, how to hold the team accountable to each other and the coaches, how to balance "earning respect" with "being liked," how to be an effective captain on and off the field, how to encourage teammates and much more. He includes strategies for working with your coach to develop trust and understanding through ongoing positive communication.

This DVD is a must see for any captain and their coach as they embark upon their leadership journey.

31 minutes. 2009.

Learn how to maximize your team's leadership potential! Greg Dale shares strategies for developing a culture of leadership that focuses on team captains.

Dale discusses options for choosing or electing team leaders, effective strategies for communicating your expectations to your leaders, how team captains can balance "earning respect" with "being liked," how to effectively share decision-making to create ownership, and how to play to the strengths of your leaders by putting them in positions to be successful.

This presentation provides a great foundation to implement a leadership system for your team.

33 minutes. 2009.

All great championship teams have a oneness of unity and purpose, as well as sound leadership throughout the ranks. Lynch begins by showing how to identify qualities of true leaders. Athletes are challenged to choose two qualities that they can demonstrate as a leader. He then guides the athletes through a 3-minute deep breathing exercise, visualizing these leadership qualities and repeating positive affirmations about their ability to lead. Every single athlete achieves more with a strong sense of team. Through a series of activities Lynch shows athletes how to increase team unity and cohesion and how to unify the team with common goals and purpose. He also focuses on behaviors that need to be eliminated to enhance team unity.

92 minutes. 2007.