Blog

Wonder if mental training, when combined with physical training, actually works? The result are undeniable. Are you ready to join the fastest growing, most effective mental training in the world of swimming? (although Level Up works with others sports too)

Level Up Leadership Coaching just finished a banner year. On the collegiate level: 1 National Team Champion; 8 individual national champions; 3 conference champions; 2 conference coaches of the year; 1 national coach of the year; dozens of NCAA Div 1 and 3 qualifiers.

On the club level: 1 Junior National Team champion; 1 Junior National Cup Team Champion (Men & Women); 3 national junior team members; 12 Ohio High School individual state champions – 39 finals swims – 3 state records. That’s just in Ohio!

Mental toughness can be taught. It’s a fact that the body will follow the mind. You can prepare the body, but if you do not simultaneously prepare the mind, the body won’t know what to do in the pressure cooker of competition. That’s where Level Up Coaching comes in to partner with you.

Jeff did an outstanding job of helping the teams strip away peripheral tangential/distracting issues – thus allowing them to identify, understand, and focus on their primary motivations for team and individual success. He communicates equally well with either gender and relates easily with college aged athletes. His extensive background  and experience with world class athletes and exposure to world class performance makes him a valuable asset to anyone who is highly motivated to improve. Gregg Parini, Head Coach, Denison University – 2018 Men’s National Champions; 7x DIII National Coach of the Year

I have had the pleasure of knowing Jeff for many years. At FGCU, we believe in the overall development of the student-athlete. It has been important to me since day one that we provide every resource available to help our study-athletes better understand their teammates and themselves. In turn, with Jeff’s help, we have seen incredible results and the future of our program has never been better! Dave Rollins, Head Coach Florida Gulf Coast University; 2018 Women’t Conference Champions and Conference Coach of the Year

Through probing questions to the swimmers & coaches, keen insights and a deep well of swimming experience, Jeff Raker was deftly able to get a read on each group of swimmers, coaches  our team and how they all work together. I found the Level Up Coaching experience informative, interesting, challenging, nurturing and even fun! I know it has had a positive impact on me as an individual aspiring to develop and grow, and has helped our swimmers better understand themselves and, in turn, be better teammates. Ken Heis, Head Coach, Mason Manta Rays – 2017 Men’s Winter Junior National Champions; 2018 Men’s, Women’s & Team Junior National Cup Champions

Over the past few years I have tried to increase the active education of being a leader to the athletes who move through my group. As coaches, I feel that we are responsible for more than just creating fast swimmers. We have an opportunity to help mold swimmers into the future leaders of our team and beyond. Through Level Up, and with Jeff Raker leading the course, the swimmers have been able to reflect on themselves and how that relates to the overall group and team dynamics. Todd Billhimer, Associate Head Coach, Mason Manta Rays

Our program is constantly looking for ways to improve and get to another level. Level Up training has helped both individuals within our team, and therefore the program as a whole. There is buy in on moving toward excellence. Our athletes and coaches are learning an incredible amount about themselves and also about each other. This has boosted our program to a WHOLE NEW level. Mike Simpson, Head Coach, Gardner-Webb University Swim Teams

What we do IS a program. It’s also something we will tailor to YOUR needs, to fill in YOUR gaps. Sometimes a coach will ask for something we’ve never taught before, so we design it together. Often the choice is from a long list of options, such as the suggestions below:

• Self-awareness – foundational training using the DiSC Assessment
• Personal Accountability
• Championship Culture on a Team
• Visualization & Relaxation
• Stepping Up on Failure
• Stay in the Moment to Win the Moment
• Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Level Up Coaching answers questions such as:

• How can I get beyond the stress I feel?
• How can I stop over-thinking my races?
• My brain seems to get in the way, how can I stay in the moment?
• How do I encourage my teammates who aren’t being helpful to the team?
• How can my coaching staff get more solidly on the same page?
• How can I help my athletes be more mentally tough?

Evidence means more than degrees, but they don’t hurt: Bachelor’s in Psychology, Masters degree, certification as an Executive Leadership Coach (5 years). Undergirding this training is my experience: D1 swimmer at Cincinnati, coaching experience, masters swimmer and presenting on of the U.S. FINA starters. Surrounding it all is 30 years of leading non-profits and dealing with people.

Level Up Coaching won’t tell you how to coach better, but we will help you be a better coach with the people you coach. We will help your athletes understand each other so that the culture is positive & productive, the perfect soil in which to grow champions.

Contact us now to schedule a time to talk and then let’s schedule time with your staff and team(s). The average program asks for 4 sessions through  year, with some desiring up to 6.

Are you with a University or College? Level Up Coaching offers a Leadership Academy for multiple teams or the entire athletic department across all the teams. What we do is not sport specific. It’s people specific. Whatever sport you coach deals with people and that’s where Level Up Coaching brings the expertise. We know people.

We look forward to partnering with you to raise swimming and diving to a new level of excellence, both in and out of the pool.

Concerned about costs? It’s a good question. Let’s talk about it. We have a package to fit your budget and achieve your goals.

Jeffery A. Raker

Owner, Level Up Leadership Coaching               Jeff@levelupleadershipcoach.com                                                                              513-675-0570

Recently while driving a  rental car, at night, in a driving rain, another car flashed his brights once from behind me – far behind, not like he wanted me out of his way. I glanced around and down wondering and soon saw that my lights were not on. This unfamiliar car was not equipped with lights that come on automatically, like the car which which I’m most familiar.

At first after the flashing lights, I thought: “What’s that about?” A little irritated.

My second thought was, “What might be wrong?” In other words, this could be someone trying to help me.

The third thought was, “What a dummy! Driving around dangerously without my lights on!”

Often we move through the same sequence when receiving feedback. We stat at defensive or questioning. We move to accepting and wondering. We often end in, oops, missed that. They were so right!

We can just as easily get stuck at the first or second plateau.

People who want to succeed and grow are people who are accepting of feedback. Leaders are learners. The best leaders will learn from anyone and any thing, whether friendly or attacking. When a persona wastes time arguing with someone’s feedback or opinion, they are not learning but defending. Successful leaders ask questions:

“Can you describe what I did or what I do?”

“Where did you last see me do that?”

“How could it be done differently next time?”

If you find yourself getting stuck at the 1st or 2nd level, ask yourself what that’s about? are you in learning mode or defensive mode. If defensive, what are you defending? What caused you to circle the wagons?

It’s hard for us to see when we’re in a rut. Feedback helps us understand, even saving us from living dangerously. I was thankful someone took a moment to try to help.

To subscribe, email Jeff@levelupleadershipcoach.com with “Subscribe”

Ever had one of those days when it feels like you’re in a perfect storm in your life? The roof sprung a leak – the dog threw up on the new carpet – the check engine light came on – your biggest account left for a competitor – you’re having a fight with your spouse. ARRGGHHH!

Storms happen. It’s a part of figuring out life. Storms will come. Leaders prepare for them. But how? It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.

(1) Have an emergency plan. Just like you would personally have a financial emergency fund, so your business should have a fund for emergencies that are inevitable. Treat it like an insurance payment, saving for car repairs, and planning your charitable giving.

What process will an emergency trigger? Knowing ahead of time lets you rest easier.

(2) Be aware of an emotional reaction. In the heat of a storm, it’s easy to let our emotions lead. Neuroscience calls this an amygdala hijack. The amygdala helps us decide whether to fight, flee or freeze. To avoid it we must create a pause to help re-engage our thinking brain, otherwise the amygdala hijacks our smarts with we become stupid.

Having a plan is just the thing for this pause. Take a breath. And then…

(3) Include other people. Essential to navigating a storm is the ability to lean on others.

This all sounds so simple yet many leaders don’t do it. Plan ahead. The storms will come.

Ritz-Carlton. Chick-fil-A. Trader Joe’s. Each of these brands – and more – are known for their Customer Service.

On a recent visit to NC, I went to Chick-fil-A multiple times. I heard the same phrase on each visit, from everyone. “Thank you, ” I would say. “My pleasure, sir,” came the reply.

Chick-fil-A patterned their customer service off of the Ritz-Carlton. No surprise there.

I’m motivated to return. It feels good to be treated with respect and courtesy, feeling like there is little I could ask in the world of fast food that they wouldn’t seek to accommodate.

I ordered an Arnold Palmer (my favorite mixed drink), with unsweet tea. In NC one must specify. The first time I got sweet tea and lemonade. WOW! Was that sweet! They made me a new cup, I said, “Thank you,” and the reply was the same, “My pleasure, sir.”

A rental car from Budget wasn’t up to par, the level I’ve come to expect. I emailed customer service. They replied with a discount on my next rental. At the drop off, the agent printed a new receipt with $15 off. That motivates me to return.

Politeness. Acknowledgement of expectations missed. A certificate, an apology, a way of saying, “You, the customer, are our business.” This will gain you more business, adding to your bottom line.

Great customer service is founded more on self-awareness than sales training. People who know themselves, will be more aware of their filters that get in the way of giving great customer service. Self-aware people respond on purpose rather than emotion.

Let me know how we can partner to Level Up your service.

To Subscribe to “Leadership Tips,” go to our sign up page here.

Leaders are learners. Leaders not only seek to learn from everyone and everything around them, they also learn from the unexpected and out of their comfort zone. Leaders learn.

Whether or not you are a person of faith, there are leadership lessons to be learned form the life of Billy Graham. I happened to be in Charlotte this week working with Gardner-Webb University. Billy Graham’s life impact is all around. I got a notice about my flight earlier today – be aware of delays, closed roads, get there earlier than normal because of traffic and long TSA lines (unless you have Pre-Check!). All this because a man died.

Billy Graham had boundaries. There’s a lesson for leaders in the way he lived, most importantly in today’s culture of #metoo and a heightened sensitivity to the ways we treat people. I am appreciative of this new sensitivity and the scrutiny of behavior.

Graham would never be the first one to enter a hotel room while traveling. It was always one of his associates. Why? Because they weren’t willing to take the chance that a photographer was in there with a naked woman ready to get a picture with Billy Graham. His reputation would be ruined.

I recently read that he would not step foot in an elevator if there was only one woman already there. He didn’t want to take the chance. He would wait or take the stairs.

There’s a lesson for us.

I had some rules for my kids around clothes. For my girls, since I understood boys, they were simply: bra straps are not accessory items; no words on your butt Both of those things weren’t going to help boys think good and pure thoughts, something that is difficult enough for a boy when around a beautiful girl.

I can only speak for myself, but I have had boundaries around my leadership for decades because I understood that two things will tae down a life quicker than anything else: money and sex. Both are typically linked to power. We need not look far in today’s news to realize how true this is.

If I’m meeting a woman over coffee, lunch or a rare dinner, my wife has to give the ok. It’s always in a very public place. I never pay for both of us – unless it’s my mom!

If I’m coaching a woman and she is a person of faith, she might ask me to pray for her. I tell her I will but not while we are alone, even in a public place. It’s a line I refuse to cross.

I won’t meet with a woman by myself behind a closed door. If I’m in my office, the door is cracked, there’s always a window in my door or wall, others are in the building, my wife knows and I sit behind my desk.

It might seem excessive to some but I simply don’t want to even give the possible appearance of evil intentions or actions. My character and integrity are too fragile for a social media world.

What are your boundaries? I know there are boundaries for a woman as well. I will leave that for a woman to address. In fact, if someone would care to, let’s collaborate and send it out.

Money boundaries: I try to stay far away from touching any cash, only accepting checks and credit cards. And I try to live simply. I don’t need to look important or successful in someone else’s eyes with clothes or cars. It brings too many things into question for me.

We started with learning leaders. Watch others. Decide whom you want to emulate with boundaries. My “Tip” is, have them. Live in such a way that when you die people will come by the tens of thousands to pay their respects. By the way, it wasn’t because Billy Graham died. It was because of the way he chose to live.

To subscribe, go to our contact page

It’s championship season for many of you. For some it’s just past; for some it’s almost here; for some it will roll around in the Spring or late Fall. Regardless of where you are in your preparation, building a championship mindset is a year round proposition.

Carol Dweck’s research into Mindset certainly helped us all in developing a Growth Mindset ourselves and in those we lead and coach. A championship mindset is similar.

I met with a Coach today who is entering his team’s Conference Championship later this week. We talked about preparation and mindset and motivation. We wondered aloud about a question: “What is the 1 thing you can do for the team?” Just 1 thing. And what YOU can do. How would this help the team focus and prepare? This is one more step toward a championship mindset. Each individual, coach and athlete, has a role to play. And all it takes is just 1 thing.

Here are some other thoughts:

(1) Find your word or phrase. A high school girl’s volleyball team had a fabric stuffed goose that they held high together before each match and after each timeout. Together they yelled: “Mother Goose.” I finally asked one of the players what that was about. Turns out they had learned all about the habits of geese and how flying in V Formation helps them go 71% further than if they were flying alone. It was their word, their phrase, their focus, reminding them of the commitment to the team and playing their part for the benefit of all. What’s yours?

(2) Positive talk. The words we say to ourselves have power. Positive words in public lead to positive words in private. A championship team speaks words that encourage rather than tear down, building each other up, spurring each other on to the next thing.

(3) Embracing failure. Champions do not avoid failure. Failure is merely a thing, it’s energy, and it can be use for something positive or it can beat you down. It’s all in our response. Champions face failure head-on and learn, using it as a stepping stone to their next level. A blown point, a missed opportunity, a bad pass, a strikeout – for a champion these are opportunities to learn and move forward.

Preparation is 95% physical and 5% mental. Competition is 5% physical and 95% mental.

Good luck as you prepare for a week, next month and next season.

To subscribe go to the contacts page

I am a learner and one of the best ways I learn is to read. I’m not a Kindle lover. My goal is not just to learn the information but also make it retrievable. So,  I mark up my books and have someone type notes into a Word file which I store in Evernote. It’s a process that has worked well for me over the years.

Looking back at 2017, I read a lot of books revolving around neuroscience. The more I learn about how my brain works, the more I understand why I – and others – behave the way I do. It has made me a better Coach and leader.

I enjoy sports and readily see applications to leadership. Whether a business leader or a sports coach, you must first lead yourself before you can lead others. Peak performing athletes have a lot to teach all of us.

Here are the best books I read in 2017 that helped me grow my understanding of leadership – not necessarily in order of best to least. I offer them without a lot of commentary or any attempt at a summary.

(1) The Leading Brain – Powerful Science-Based Strategies for Achieving Peak Performance – Fabritius & Hagemann

A big presentation to the boss’ bosses.

A race that will decide the meet.

It’s the end of the game – your personal 9th inning, 2 outs, winning run in scoring position.

The boss asks you to close the biggest client in the history of the company.

The fastest man in the Major Leagues is on base and his presence seems to change the game for you. What do you do? Hopefully not this!

Whether in business or in sports, choking is all too common. It can also be commonly overcome. There are simple things that everyone can do, but they’re not easy steps. For the one who still chokes in their big moments, the brain needs to be retrained and that takes effort over time.

(1) Learn how your brain works. Take some time to read about neuroscience, neurotransmitters and mindfulness. Learn about your amygdala and how it works. When you know what is happening, you can take charge of your circumstances.

(2) Take a breath. Literally it’s the simplest of the steps you can take and you can do it anywhere. Breathing deeply gives your life a pause, which is the key. It also keeps your pulse below 100, another key piece.

(3) Answer the questions WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, in a sense doing an autopsy of your choking moments. For an athlete, what race? when in the race? who is around? certain venues or all of them?

For business leaders, what meetings? beginning, middle or end of the week? or the day? certain people?

Answering these questions will give you an accurate picture of what it is exactly, otherwise you are taking a stab in the dark and trying to effect change where it may not be needed.

(4) Admit you choke. Your brain likes order. When you say one thing but your brain knows it’s not accurate, you begin to make more emotional decisions. That’s not helpful. Own your stuff because fighting against it only makes your anxiety and stress increase.

Want to know more? Contact Jeff@levelupleadershipcoach.com