Coaching Toolkit - The 3rd Element

The Coaches Cards are a reference for coaches and program leaders. There is one for each of the standard 3E learning themes that provide the foundation for all lessons and culture development. Each card has useful information and tips on the topic for coaches to use when addressing their team or individual athletes. They are printable for easy access on the field, court or ice.

Coach's Cards
Card 1 - Leadership Your ability to unite your team and motivate them to achieve a shared goal.
Card 2 - Growth Mindset Your belief that your ability can be developed through dedication and hard work.
Card 3 - Mental Toughness Your ability to not give in to fears, setbacks, or circumstances.
Card 4 - Confidence Your belief that you can succeed.
Card 5 - Motivation Your desire to work toward a goal and stick with it.
Card 6 - Trust Your ability to be counted on when teammates need you and you need them.
Card 7 - Commitment Your willingness to give 100% to your team and sport to achieve success.
Card 8 - Conflict Resolution Your ability to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement.
Card 9 - Communication Your ability to send and receive messages with others based on mutual respect.
Card 10 - Team Focus Your ability to put the team first and work together for the greater good.
Card 11 - Positivity Your ability to be optimistic and overcome negative thinking.
Card 12 - Fear of Failure Your ability to challenge yourself and perform well by rising above anxiety and fear.
Card 13 - Supportive Your ability to provide encouragement or emotional help.
Card 14 - Overcoming Setbacks Your ability to find a way to get the best out of difficult situations.
Composure Your ability to keep calm and confident in the face of pressure.

Huddle Sheets are basically cheat sheets that we created to help coaches facilitate a 3E Huddle Meeting. There is no need to go research and document your topic, we have done it for you. The sheets are short 2 page guides that follow a standard flow to drive a conversation. They include a quote, tips for facilitating a discussion, and a sample story the coach can use as needed.

Huddle Sheet Library
Body Language Body language is an important form of communication. In fact, psychologists tell us that a large part of communication does not involve any words. Nonverbal behavior is the most crucial part of how we communicate with others.
Communications Communication is critical building a Championship Culture and for team performance. A meeting on this topic should cover the different types, the “what-how-when” you say it, and good examples of the impact it can have.
Confidence Confidence is one of those tricky things that can make or break you as an athlete. When you’re competing with confidence, you play knowing that things are going to go your way. You believe that you will win and nothing stands between you and all your goals.
Team Culture It's not about slogans hanging on walls. It's about the conversations and interactions you have with each other. This is the only way you can go into challenging situations and trust that the connections you have with each other are strong enough to carry the team through to the other side where success is earned.
Growth Mindset The mindset that any athlete brings to the sport can play a major role in the level of enjoyment and success - this sheet can be used to coach in a way that encourages the development of a growth mindset.
Mental Toughness Being mentally tough means having focus, grit, and a never quit attitude when faced with an obstacle. Athletes who are mentally tough find ways to change their plan when things get rough. This sheet helps a coach teach athletes about the importance of Mental Toughness and facilitate a discussion.
Conflict Resolution Good Team Culture is built on trust and the ability to work through conflicts as they arise. When you have a group of athletes that thrive on competition conflicts will likely occur and this huddle sheet offers pointers as to how to address conflicts before they become a problem or a distraction.
Overcoming Fear of Failure Fear is a strong human emotion that can block an athlete's willingness to excel. Team and individual growth occur when athletes learn to manage emotions while being vulnerable.
What are my Strengths? This is an exercise designed to build trust within the team. By sharing personal information and demonstrating vulnerability, the team will strengthen relationships between one another. Make sure the team is respectful of this information.

The 3E Team Captain Cards are designed to teach athletes what it means to be a captain. They provide every captain with the information and tips needed to function as a team captain, regardless of the sport. Towel and water bottle not required.

Captain's Card Library
Card 1 - Help Your Coach As team captain, you are a critical bridge between your coaches and your teammates. You can help your coach by setting a positive example for the rest of the team and reinforcing each practice’s focus.
Card 2 - Show You Care Showing your teammates how much they matter is a key part of being team captain and having them see you as a leader.
Card 3 - Always Bring Your "A" Game Bring a positive attitude and your maximum effort to every practice and every game. Show up early and stay late. By choosing to work hard, you set an example for everyone else.
Card 4 - Include Everyone A team is a family. Everyone has an important role to play and deserves to feel like they belong to the group. As a captain, you need to make sure that everyone is included in all team activities.
Card 5 - Communicate As a team captain, effective communication is one of your most important tasks. Communication drives relationships, resolves conflicts, unites people working towards a common goal, and builds a championship culture.
Card 6 - Be Mentally Tough Remember: it’s not if things go wrong, it’s a matter of when they go wrong. As captain, your teammates will look to you for guidance and leadership in times of crisis.
Card 7 - Be Courageous Captains lead by example. You need to step up when others will not. Be courageous and have your teammates’ back.
Card 8 - Be Consistent As a leader, your teammates will naturally look to you for guidance, especially when times are tough. Being a captain is an “all the time” role.

ME Assessment Reference

Athletes begin the journey building 3E skills by completing our proprietary Mental Elements (ME) Assessment to gain a better understanding of how they are wired and what their tendencies may be in both normal and pressure situations. They then progress through the content and advance from Foundation to Advanced and finally to the Mentor level. This document provides a reference for a coach on 5 Core Elements and 9 Pressure Elements.

Coaches ToolKit

Coaches say they need more tools to help them reinforce the crucial skills that the 3E app stresses with athletes, so we created a Tools and Reference Library and also a Culture Building Blueprint just for coaches.

As we build new tools, we will post them here so check back often!

Huddle Sheet Library

Captain's Card Library

If you have ideas for topics or have needs that you would like our smart peeps to address, email us at info@thethirdelement.com and let us know!

Coaches ToolKit

Coaches say they need more tools to help them reinforce the crucial skills that the 3E app stresses with athletes, so we created a Tools and Reference Library and also a Culture Building Blueprint just for coaches. As we build new tools, we will post them here so check back often!

Huddle Sheet Library

Captain's Card Library

If you have ideas for topics or have needs that you would like our smart peeps to address, email us at info@thethirdelement.com and let us know!

Coaches say they need more tools to help them reinforce the crucial skills that the 3E app stresses with athletes, so we created a Tools and Reference Library and also a Culture Building Blueprint just for coaches.

As we build new tools, we will post them here so check back often!