We use a tremendous amount of Coach Jackson's ideas and systems of creating culture.  My entire coaching staff read his first book, Culture Defeats Strategy.  I personally have read it three times and refer to it often.

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I have just started reading Culture Defeats Strategy 2 and have already implemented leadership lessons including video examples.  Our players are really benefitting from a daily dose of culture development.  I firmly believe it will help our culture grow even more.

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Our school has changed for the better since we have made changes to our program.

My principal is 100% on board with how we have developed a culture for our team.  She has seen how it has also benefitted the entire school.  She has had myself and some of our players speak to the faculty and to a group called 'Leadership Lawton' (a group of community members whose goal is to foster leadership in Lawton).  We shared with them our core values, our creed and how it has given our program a firm direction and standard.  Our football program was nominated and received a 'Promising Practice' award from character.org.  This helped our school to be named a National School of Character in 2019.

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Specific changes we have made to our program since we have become followers of Coach Jackson's culture systems:

- Core values where we had our players give us one word to describe what they wanted our program to be about

- Identified leaders in each class using a google survey (we do this yearly).

- Created a leadership council made of up leaders from each class.  The council creates a 'Culture Creed' every year.

- Every player must recite the creed in front of his peers to receive his helmet decals.

- We have a daily leadership lesson with a video clip to help emphasize the message.

- Our team is split up into battalions.  Each battalion leader (coach) has weekly meetings, documents grades and attendance, and makes both positive and negative (if necessary) contact with parents.

- Each coach sends handwritten letters home to parents telling them how excited we are to coach their son.

- We have themed days in the weight room.  

       - Work It Wednesdays - boot camp type drills-mats, circuit, anything challenging

       - No shirt Thursdays

       - Competition Fridays

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I am confident our players and coaches understand what our program stands for.  They know our core values and can define them.  They know our values not only make us a better team but them a better person and have changed our school.  Our players have pride in who they are and what we do!  Our faculty and administration has respect for what we are doing to change the lives of our players and they value our program.  The relationship between football and the rest of the school has never been better.  

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Culture Defeats Strategy, Culture Defeats Strategy 2 and now Coach Jackson's digital content has been the most influential resources I have used as a head coach.  They can and will help your program also.

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Brett Manning

Head Football Coach 

Athletic Coordinator

MacArthur High School

Lawton, Oklahoma

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