Are you ready for gameday?

“being alert to the possible negatives in any situation is the very best way to bring about positive results. And the reverse is true, too – ignoring or failing to spot potential hazards in advance makes failure all the more likely.”

Bob Knight in "The Power of Negative Thinking"

I love legendary Indiana coach Bobby Knight's insights on so-called "negativity.

His astute understanding of how to coach teams and use constructive criticism and negativity as a tool to help his athletes excel is unparalleled, turning many of the concepts into a book under the title of The Power of Negative Thinking: An Unconventional Approach to Achieving Positive Results.?

Despite its title, it may be one of the most forward thinking texts on positivity ever written by a coach - showing deep substance to the edge one can gain by embracing - but not always sharing negativity in daily life.?

"Let me be clear," Knight declares early in the text. "I am not arguing for being a strict negativist, for walking around with a sour look, for always seeing the dark side, always expecting failure. That's not my intent at all. Quite the opposite.?

"I'm saying that being alert to the possible negatives in any situation is the very best way to bring about positive results. And the reverse is true, too - ignoring or failing to spot potential hazards in advance makes failure all the more likely. For example, I'm talking about being aware that it can rain. You can plan the greatest outdoor event in the world - food, games, entertainment, decorations - but if a rain shower would turn everything into chaos and you don't allow for that possibility, you're risking disaster because of blind optimism.”

Someone who seeks a perfect world in front of them and ignores any potential negatives around them is destined for struggle.?

They ignore that there are brick walls and road blocks in front of them that can derail their parade of happiness.?

"Don't be caught thinking something is going to work just because you think it's going to work,” says Knight. “Planning beats repairing. And good planning avoids the need for fixing up a project that plowed ahead without thought at all about potential pitfalls. Stop and think. That's a phrase we've all used to introduce a new way of considering something, to argue for stepping back from a situation and looking at it in an all-new light. Stop and think: That's what I'm saying is always the best approach before rushing forward with carried-away zeal."

As the 2023 football season gets underway, it's not just enough to be prepared to put on a great game as administrators and staff but to also have a plan for successful analysis of your gameday operations.

Are you ready to come together with your staff following Saturday's home football games to celebrate what went right and analyze what could be better.

We have to be able to honestly analyze everything we do.

Knight's book also reminds us that alternate views are valuable.

If you are looking to give your team an advantage in creating an elite gameday experience for the 2023 season, Robert Sampson's consulting practice is available to visit your campus on game week to work alongside you to analyze your practices, secret shop and deliver actionable improvement opportunities that will create a better atmosphere for your fans and seek out new revenue generation opportunities.

For more information on gameday experience analysis, visit his website at https://bit.ly/RSampson23. Sampson will also work with your staff on training and building an elite experience for your customers as part of his consulting practice in collegiate athletics. Contact Sampson for additional details on how he can best assist your department in growth opportunities.

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