Despite what people think, the most talented team doesn’t always win. In 2024, my team was coming off a state championship season, returned every player, and won nearly everything—except two events midseason….and the state finals.

All year I felt something was off, but couldn’t pinpoint it. No matter what I tried, we didn’t click. We lost the championship on the second-to-last hole on a lucky chip in by the other team. We didn’t lose because of skill or bad luck. We lost because our team culture wasn’t strong enough to maximize our talent. We lost because if our team culture was better, it wouldn’t have come down to a last second lucky chip at all.

I decided that I would never let that happen again.

Why Culture is More Important than Talent Alone

As coaches, we usually cannot control our level of talent. We can only control how well that talent is developed and utilized. Research from Baylor, The Brookings Institute, and Harvard shows:

• Athletes who feel they belong invest more—in themselves, their team, and their school.

• That investment leads to better results on and off the field.

• Without belonging, even the most gifted athletes underperform.

• Leaders are the biggest determining factor in the team’s culture or ability to develop belonging for their teams

Yet most teams only measure culture at season’s end—when it’s too late to change the outcome.

The Midseason Check-In Advantage

That’s why I built Midseason Check-Ins into Grit Leadership’s platform, along with my Team Connectedness framework (currently being studied with Memphis University).

These quick, targeted surveys give coaches:

• Real-time data on team connection and culture

• Clear feedback on what’s working and what’s not

• Actionable insights to improve while the season is still in play

Like formative assessments in education, you can decide who to have 1-on-1 meetings with, and how to change the direction or feel of your team in the moment, rather than waiting for an end-of-season “autopsy.”

Coaches can send as many checkins as they would like throughout the season. The more data you get, the better the insights, the better chance you have to make a different now.

Culture unlocks potential. Midseason Check-Ins that measure Team Connectedness ensure you’re not finding out too late what you should have done all along.

Don’t be 2023 me and keep guessing—get the data you need now, while it still matters.

Add unlimited coaches and send unlimited Midseason Check-Ins—all for one low price. For just $125 per school, per year, you can add Midseason Check-Ins to any Grit Leadership plan. Get started today.