Discipline is a key essential to not just any sports, but to life itself. Without the concept of discipline, we wouldn't have the strive to put in our best work, or to learn from our mistakes. It isn't easy to accept our failures, but the sooner we do, the sooner we can move forward. Breaking down the word, the most important concepts that come along with discipline is as follows:
D= Determination
I=Intention
S=Serious
C=Concentration
I= Intensity
P= Patience
L=Learning
I=Initiating
N=Newness
E=Energy
Determination: the will to win, to work as a team, and to come out as a better team.
Intention: your team's intention should always be to become better, win or lose.
Serious: how serious are you in accomplishing your goals?
Concentration: by going into the next game or practice with a serious concentration, you can achieve your goals in a more timely, efficient manner.
Intensity: your level of intensity will yield your results. If you want it bad enough, you will get it.
Patience: part of disciple is learning how to have patience. Have patience for every loss, poor practice, struggling team mate, whatever the case may be.
Learning: learning never stops, no matter what age you are. Never stop learning something new from each game or practice.
Initiating: be that team mate to initiate a new skill, or drill in practice, or a war chant before the big game.
Newness: every new game is a chance for something great.
Energy: go into every game or practice with the same level of energy and focus like it's the first one of the season.
Now that we have broken down the word and understand the basics, how can the concept of discipline improve an athlete?
It teaches the value of hard work. Think about all the famous athletes we know today, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, or Luis Suárez. Do you think they got to where they are now by taking short cuts? Absolutely not, these men had the concept of discipline and hard work drilled into them by the time they decided to be a soccer player. By putting in the hard work that they did, they have rose to the top of their field. Even if they had a "natural" talent for the game, they wouldn't be successful without hard work.
Sacrifice and discipline goes hand-in-hand. Disciplining yourself to go to bed every night at a decent time so you have plenty of rest for tomorrow's game is a sacrifice. Skipping a day of sitting on the couch and playing video games to make it on the field is a sacrifice. But often enough, the reward of being the best athlete you can be is enough to make the sacrifice worth it.
It teaches the value of goals and accomplishment. If you want something strong enough, you will strive for it. You will try to meet every expectation, overcome your obstacles, and be a better play leaving the field than entering it.
So coaches, how can you teach the valuable lesson of discipline to your players? Sit down with your team, and go over the goals of the season. Yes, wins are great. But as a coach, you should care more about leaving your players a better version of themselves at the end of the season. Set your goals out, and lay down your rules, and be careful to communicate clearly. Show that you care by giving them an extra few minutes before and after each practice. Organize your game plan carefully. Your team will notice your discipline into the game, and will appreciate you greatly for it.