Paideia Seminar Plan

Victory Formula

 by Lou Holtz

 

*This seminar can be used as a staff seminar.

 

Ideas, Values:  Respect, Faith, Truth, One and Many, Perseverance, Will, Principle,

 

PRE-SEMINAR:

Content – (Present relevant background information.  Prepare participants to discuss selected text.): Ask participants what they know about Lou Holtz.  Then share that Lou Holtz is the third most winning active coach in history.  He was the ultra-successful head coach at Notre Dame (from 1986-96) where he lead the Fighting Irish to nine consecutive New Year’s Bowl games.  Holtz has also been credited with his players winning in academics as well.  For three years during Holtz’s stay at Notre Dame, his teams achieved the highest graduation rates in the country.  In 1988 his team won the Academic Award with a 100% graduation rate for Notre Dame players. 

Have the list of textual ideas and values posted on the board, overhead or chart paper.  While in the seminar circle, in pairs, have the participants discuss and come to an agreement which of the posted ideas and values relates most to this piece.  Ask some groups to share.

 

Process – (Review seminar objectives and guidelines.  Prepare participants to participate in seminar discussion, self assess, and set goals.):  Review the goals of the seminar as well as expectations for participants. Explain the facilitator’s role.  Agree upon a group goal for the seminar.  Have participants set and record a personal goal for the seminar.

 

SEMINAR:

Opening – (Identify main ideas from the text.):  (Ask this question round-robin so that participants only give the answer, not their reason. Give participants a minute to write their answer before responding.) 

According to Lou Holtz, what do you think he would say is the most important principle to consider in creating a winning team on or off the field? (Follow-up with this question.)  Why did you choose that principle as the most important?

 

Core – (Focus/analyze textual details.):

 

What is the relationship between principles 2, 7, and 8?

 

What does this piece tell you about leadership?

 

Which of these 10 principles are most aligned with the Paideia philosophy?  Why?

 

Closing – (Personalize and apply the textual ideas.):

Which principle do we need most to work on at our school in order to create a winning team?  How should we put that principle into place?

 

POST-SEMINAR:

Process – (Assess individual and group participation in seminar discussion; refer to recent past as well as future seminar discussion.):  Discuss how well the group achieved the goal set at the beginning of the seminar, and assess how well they achieved individual goals.

 

Content – (Extend application of textual and discussion ideas; continuation of pre-seminar.):

Based on responses given during the closing question, work in groups to develop a plan for creating team building activities at our school.  Share plans.

 

Victory Formula

by Lou Holtz

 

When challenged to describe the essential elements in his formula for winning, Holtz came up with ten principles that can produce a winning team on or off the football field.  In his own words:

 

  1. Do right.  You know what’s right; you know what’s wrong.  Too many people in this country talk about their personal rights.  I’m still one of those old-fashioned people who believe in obligations and responsibilities.

 

  1. Do your best.  It is not enough to be born with the skill of an All-American.  In order to succeed day in and day out, each individual must strive to do the best that he possibly can.

 

  1. Treat others as you want to be treated.  I have never seen a business, a family, an organization or a football team that cannot be turned around if you can generate love, mutual appreciation and fellow feelings.

 

  1. Set goals.  You have to have something that you wish to obtain.  Everybody has to understand what we are trying to accomplish.  Why are we here?  There are a lot of reasons why these young players are here at Notre Dame: They are here to get an education and to win football games.

 

  1. Accept your role.  Not everybody can be the number-one quarterback at Notre Dame.  But in order for the team to succeed, everybody from the water boy to the coach has to accept the hand that he or she has been dealt and make the best of it.

 

  1. Practice fundamentals.  Our whole program is based on doing little things the right way.  Let little things slide, and the whole foundation of your organization will collapse.

 

  1. Believe in yourself.  I want a group of players that believe in themselves.  You can’t be a great coach, a great football player or a great entrepreneur if you don’t have faith in yourself.

 

  1. Care about people.  Teamwork is the foundation of success.  The three universal questions that an individual asks of his coach, player, employee, employer are: Can I trust you?  Are you committed to excellence?  And, do you care about me?  If we don’t care about one another, we don’t stand a chance.

 

  1. Overcome adversity.  There is one thing in life that is universal.  You’re going to have problems, so be prepared for them.

 

  1. Don’t flinch.  Believe that you’re going to succeed.  You cannot flinch; you cannot let people think that you are seriously in jeopardy of failure.