Rhonda Revelle Edit
Thu, Sep 07, 2023 7:27AM • 37:48
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
coach, questions, team, great, rhonda, players, give, talked, paul, softball, empowered, playing, season, leader, people, develop, nebraska, day, learn, thought
SPEAKERS
Paul Barnett, Rhonda Revelle
Paul Barnett 00:00
Rhonda Ravel Good evening, my time. Good morning, your time and welcome to the Great coach's podcast.
Rhonda Revelle 00:06
Thank you. It's an honor to be here.
Paul Barnett 00:08
Well, very excited to have you here. And I, you live in a lovely part of the world? Well, it's one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen albums comes from, but perhaps I'll let you answer that. Tell us all firstly, where are you in the world? And what have you been up to so far today? Where
Rhonda Revelle 00:22
I am in the world is in the middle of the United States in Lincoln, Nebraska. We're right. Like, if you look at the map, it's like we're like the center point. And we call it the heartland. Because when you think about the heart, it's right in the center. And that's where we are.
Paul Barnett 00:38
Well, fantastic. So looking forward to chat, all things softball with you today. And I wanted to start actually by name checking a couple of the great coaches that I know you've had firsthand experience with. There's Kathy strong, and Mike, Andrea. And I'm sure there's been many, many others on your journey as well. But Rhonda, from this experience up close with these people, what is it you think the great coaches do differently that sets them apart?
Rhonda Revelle 01:05
Well, I'll start with Kathy because I actually had the opportunity to coach with Kathy for four years, I was her assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at San Jose State University where she was the head coach. And I think what made Kathy brilliant, she's now retired. That's why I say what made her brilliant as a coach was that she empowered the people around her to do their job. She didn't micromanage, you know, is she here I am a young assistant coach. And right out of the gate, she wanted me to be the recruiting coordinator. And I really didn't have too much experience. Now, she would give me guidance, but she let me go and create my own system. And it was at a time, Paul, where we shared the same office. And, you know, our personalities were really different. I remember one day, we're sitting there, and we're having lunch. And she said to me, because you know, Rhonda, I don't quite know how you do it. And I said, How I do what she goes, you're highly organized. But our methods are so different. Because we're here we office together. And she goes, I'm glad that I know you're highly organized. Because if I only saw how you organize yourself, it's so different from me, it would, it would make me anxious, but I've learned that there's proof in the pudding and you're putting is pretty good with your organization. So I always thought that was funny, but I think that she just she let me grow. So let me cut my teeth. She let me grow. She was always there as a guide. But I think that was one of the things that made her a great coach and then push Kendra, I've listened to him. And he was gracious enough to allow me as a young head coach at Nebraska, our staff took two trips to Tucson, Arizona, at the University of Arizona spent multiple days there in the fall, just watching their practice him giving up his time answering questions, and but he really embodied being a lifelong learner. And so when we were asking to learn, of course, he's gonna say yes, because that's who he is himself is a lifelong learner. So he's all about sharing, he's always been a great sharer of information. He's one that says there are no secrets. And then I think overall, both of them, you know, I've always said, the great leaders that I've studied, they said, they tend to have two things that I think are really unique. And, and you can go through all the buzzwords if they work hard and all that.
But there are two things that I think make them great leaders, great leaders that are sort of off the beaten path. And one is I think that they are authentically the best version of themselves. And they work on that very intentionally and diligently. And I think that we've probably all miss stepped a timer to like we have someone that we want to emulate as a leader, but it doesn't really fit with our personality and our style. And so it's kind of like a, you know, square peg in a round hole, and then you have to back up and rework it. And I think they both did that really well. And then that leads into my second thing, Paul, and I really think great leaders have a mastery of self. And I, you know, that takes a lot of self awareness. But I think in order to be a better leader, a better coach, you have to know yourself really well and what your triggers are, what motivates you, what do you motivate you and on down the road?[PB1] [PB2]
Paul Barnett 04:16
I'm really looking forward to talking to you about mastery itself. But I'd like to go on a bit of a journey. Actually, before we get to that question because there's so much context that's important in your story. And if my research is right, you were writing lineups softball lineups, on napkins at age nine. So clearly, you've been wanting to coach from a very early age. Was there a person or an experience that ignited this spark in you to want to coach to want to lead?
Rhonda Revelle 04:48
I think so. I think it was my father and the reason I said think so is because when I was writing those lineups on napkins, I was the Bat Girl Oh of my father's men's FastPitch team. So he was still playing at the time. He wasn't coaching, but he was coaching Junior High football. So he was coaching. So he later became our coach. He retired from playing and became our coach. But clearly I was already writing lineups before he ever coached me. So I think sometimes just like with anything, there's it's just innately in you, like our personalities, I think are formed very early. But I think, you know, I would I need to say this in the United States, we're celebrating the 50th year of title line. And we're at the University of Nebraska, we're celebrating it all year with different events. Well, when at age nine, the reason I was the bad girl, Paul, is because I couldn't play sports, only the boys could. So the way I got to practice in train, was that my dad's FastPitch practice as the Bat Girl, I would shag balls, I would pitch off on the sidelines, I would see these men that were past pitch pitchers, and I just wanted to emulate them. And it I pitched for four years before I was ever able to pitch it again, by age 12, I could pitch in a game. So not all is lost, because for years of training wasn't a bad thing. But I think I was always so passionate about sport. And then softball became I don't I just fell in love with it. When my dad played that my my brain was just constantly working. And so I was writing lineups because guess what a napkin was what was available, because it was usually the morning of a game and we were at breakfast. So I could write on a napkin. And then secondly, I had an opinion and I wasn't afraid to share it. And I remember I was coaching at Nebraska, we were in Seattle playing the University of Washington, my dad's old manager came down, he gave me a ball. When they won the state championship. I had my autograph on it along with all the players. And as he handed it to me, he said, you know, you always had an opinion and you were always writing lineups. Tell me what you thought he goes. But the good news is we both usually were writing the same lineup, the one exception might have been that I might have always had my dad a little higher in the lineup than he would have had him I was I always had a free home.[PB3]
Paul Barnett 07:15
And of course, the three hole is the most important spot. I do know that after preparing for today's interview, now, Rhonda, I had this great quote from you. And you say I'm a person that likes to think that in order to be successful at being intentional and being diligent, I have to work from the inside out. And it really caught my eye when I read it. And it made me wonder, in a normal week, do you have any routines that you use to try and improve yourself from the inside out? Yeah, thank
Rhonda Revelle 07:43
you for asking that question. It kind of goes back to that mastery of self right? With the scoreboard being such a an important part of how you're measured, or how you retain your employment do you have to do a lot of check ins. And I think those check ins happen, really from the inside out. So you could be in corporate, you could be in the corporate world, and you've got measurables, too, but I just think that if we don't constantly and sometimes you know what, Paul, some weeks, it's a weekly check in some days, it's met by minute. And we have to be aware of that, too.
So the answer is yes, I try to have daily check ins. And I do it in several forms. I, I believe there's really four pillars, the mental, the emotional, the physical, and the spiritual. And I'll start with the physical because it actually is probably the easiest, even though it's hard, but physically doing something for myself. And usually it comes in some form of exercise. I just feel like sweat, even if it's walking, walking, lifting, stretching, yoga, whatever it might be, it just sort of cleanses the soul and renews it's, it's a gift to give to yourself. And I think anytime you pour into yourself, then you have more to give out mentally. I think that's really a testament of of really working on having right thoughts and doing that in a way that you know, you're you're mindful of your thoughts and not only how they impact you, but how they impact others. I think our brains are wired toward the negative or the what can go wrong. I think we have to be counterintuitive to really get to a productive place with our brain. I liken it I ride bikes a lot. And I liken it to on a bike ride. riding downhill is very easy. That's a negative thought. It's very easy. riding uphill builds muscle, but it's harder. That's the positive. That's the flipping so it's gonna build muscles, but we have to work at it and you have to keep pedaling to ride uphill and you don't have to keep paddling to go downhill. And so I think that's the mental the emotional, I think is the emotional is kind of a catch all and you know, so in the emotional Some days, that's just to check in. And then other days, it's like I need to journal, I need to talk, everybody has their own way that they try to need to get the emotional equilibrium back. Sometimes it's just understand, I'm being emotional. And guess what, I just need to do a little bit of breathing, or a little mindfulness work or whatever. And then the spiritual that's different for everybody. For me, it's part of my faith walk. But I think that the world comes out as so much that we need to do things that that pour into us. So like every morning, I listened to Joyce Meyer is my pasture[PB4]
Paul Barnett 10:38
runner, I want to talk about becoming a head coach at the age of 29. Because that is young, especially in the context of American athletics. Three seasons later, the Huskers are back in the NCAA. And then three years after that, back in the Women's College World Series. So in six years, you managed to really elevate that program. And I was wondering, what was some of the early decisions that you made? That drove the improvement?
Rhonda Revelle 11:11
You know, you look back at it now having as much experience as I do now and go, Wow, there's just a little luck there. But I think with luck, sometimes you can point to reasons why. And I think some of the things that we and I say we because I've coached with Laurie Sippel, my entire career that we did, right, is that, first of all, we just had a passion for Nebraska for Nebraska softball, we're both alumni. And that was was like a burning fire a Secondly, I think I just had an innate knowledge that I needed to surround myself with people that had more experience and more wisdom. And I needed to not be afraid to ask really important questions. So there, Laurie played women's major ball for a gentleman by the name of Roger Dawes, Roger dyes gave me some really important information. And they had won national championships. And he said to me run it, when we were working to build our program into something special, I had to take some risks. And what he meant by that is, I had to do a talent acquisition, and maybe you know, 10 years from now, 10 years from that point, that same talent acquisition, I wouldn't take because the risk and what they, I might have had to work through with them as an academic student, or socially, it wouldn't be worth it. But at this point in time, if i As long as I weighed the risk, and thought I could manage the risk that you gotta get some talent, you gotta get some talent in your skill positions. And in our sport that's pitching. And so that's was the focus there.
And then from some of my other coaching mentors, you know, Coach, Tom Osborne was our football coach and, and Terry Pettit was our volleyball coach, and they just felt built really strong programs on your roll up your sleeves, and you develop the players that you have, and you develop them from the ground up and from the head down.
And so we really, you know, in the sport of softball and baseball, there's a lot of time in between pitches. So we really worked on developing their mind and bringing in sports psychologists to help with that. And back, you know, 30 years ago, there wasn't a lot of that going on. So that really helped us separate ourselves. And then on the physical, we just really honed in on the fundamentals. But we also tried to, you know, make it game like and pack it with pressure. So I think early on our teams were really known right out of the gate that, you know, if you're going to beat Nebraska, you'd have to beat them because they're not going to beat themselves. And I think that's a great quality to have in the competitive arena.[PB5]
Paul Barnett 13:47
From day one of your mentors, the late Dr. Hebner gave you some interesting advice about feedback and how to work with that. Can you tell us about that?
Rhonda Revelle 13:56
Dr. Hebner had a lot, so many nuggets of wisdom that were just pure gold, and you might actually hear it, you know, just walking down the hall with her. It wasn't like all these big sit down meetings. But this piece of information that you're referring to Paul, I believe, that you're referring to was actually so important in my life, that when I got the opportunity to eulogize her within our athletic department, and also in her home, home state of Pennsylvania, I talked about it because she always said that there are only 20% of the people that give 80% of the feedback. And she said, Rhonda, make sure that you're in that 20% Because that feedback is so important. And it's it will help you grow. And it will also help you grow others if you're always focused on giving good and constant feedback.
Paul Barnett 14:54
And can you give us an example Rhonda of some good feedback that you've received in the last year or so Though that helped you grow and develop.
Rhonda Revelle 15:03
Yeah, and I also want to tell you how I blend into, even when she said that I think of mantras that I have for myself, if you see it, say it, because a lot of times people see things, and they don't say it. And that's, that's one easy, nice way that you can just give feedback or simply saying things out loud. So that's something that's blossomed out of me from and I repeat that a lot. If you see it, you say it, if you see it, you say it takes the mystery away, you know, it were silenced is miscommunication, or negativity can fill in. And if you see it, say it, you, it just, it just saves a lot of heartache, most of the time, but I think probably most recently, some of the best information that I've been given is just keep using my voice, and keep sharing your truth. I think that as you experience life, and the richness of life through the ups and the downs, when you have the ability to sort of reflect on it, and then be able to articulate it in a way that again, is helpful to others. I think people not only welcome that, but they long for it. Because one of my greatest joys Paul is when I can have someone that matter if they're a teenager, or you know somebody later in life that is able to say, you know, when you said this, to me, it really impacted me, that's one of my greatest joys, because it just you want to be able to help others on their path because life is hard.[PB6] [PB7]
Paul Barnett 16:33
Rhonda, there's been many of your players who have gone on to be coaches themselves. And some of the most notable ones, of course, are MJ Knight and Kiki Stokes and Courtney, very young. When these players come and they talk to you about wanting to become coaches one day, what are the top skills you advise them to start developing?
Rhonda Revelle 16:55
Well, the funny part about that is, none of them have come to me and had the initial conversation about being coaches one day, we've actually seen something in them that we thought, oh, they can be a great coach. And so I probably again, back to what we just talked about, if you see it, you say it. So I started planting seeds, and all of those and others very early even in their playing career. And so many and most actually stayed in our program after they were done competing. And they did, you know, internships, or they they were our volunteer coach, or they were going to grad school and being our grad manager or grad assistant. And so during that time, it became really fertile soil for them planting seeds about if they want to do this, how they want to go about it, who they want to be as a coach, because again, remember, they've got to be authentically who they are.
But the best advice that I've given them before they've gotten into coaching, or we've given them before they've gotten into coaching, as they've been in our program, immerse yourself in all aspects, learn as much as you can be curious, continually be curious. So how we go about setting our travel schedule, how we go about setting our schedule, how do you order food, I mean, all the things off the field. And I think that's probably the biggest thing. When people take on a new profession. They think about the, you know, the center of it, but they don't think about all the things that go into making it happen. So that's been our biggest advice. And then they listen, they hear you. But when they get that first coaching job, man, your phone can't ring fast enough, because now they know exactly what you're talking about. But I think that's probably the biggest thing[PB8]
Paul Barnett 18:36
reminds me Rhonda, I used to think my dad was a great dad. And then when I became a great dad, I realized he was actually a super great.
18:45
You go.
Paul Barnett 18:47
Rhonda, you talked about empowering the start when you were talking about great coaches. And I know it's also something that you focus on quite a lot with your team. In fact, I have another quote from I'd like to read before I ask the question. And you say, I just think that anytime you can give a young person something, and let them have ownership of it. Now you're still going to check in and meet and make sure that you're mentoring. But I just think it helps everything blossom. And I was intrigued to ask you, when it comes to empowering people giving them this ownership, planting the seeds, perhaps in their mind. What are some of the tips that you've got around the ways that it can work really well?
Rhonda Revelle 19:28
I think of the phrase this is interesting. We just had our parents meeting this past weekend. And I actually said to our parents, I believe the best teams that I've ever read either played on or been a part of, in one fashion or another as a coach have always been player in power teams. And oftentimes you say player led and that's correct to but player empowered. That's a different kind of leadership.
I believe that in order to have players that are empowered, you need they need to have a voice and in order to have a voice, the coaches or the leadership group within the team have to provide an atmosphere where they would have a voice. So whether it's in asking questions, seeking their feedback, or literally giving them the opportunity to make decisions now, I'm not saying that they make decisions that the head coach should be making, but you're always constantly looking for ways that you can stretch and grow them as leaders. And anytime they then make leadership decisions, increases their confidence. And we understand fundamentally, that growth happens right outside the comfort zone. So you just keep reaching a little further, you make them make them squirm a little bit in their decision making and ask them some questions, you ask them to be a part of a decision that maybe is tough, because they realize, they start to realize that in leadership, there are lots of shades of grey, and not everything's black and white. [PB9]
So for instance, in the college, we have very few rules. In our handbook, we have a lot of standards in our players in building our culture, Paul, have created we call it above the line standards, and below the line standards. They are 100%, the authors of the criterias for our above line standard, with our with all of it, but we have three categories, we talk about our team during competition, so that's competition on playing days or practice days, our team with regarding relationships, relationships with teammates, staff, coaches, and then also our social behavior off the field that could impact our ability to maximize our team experience. And they are 100% authors of that. And they continually are empowered to look at that and have touchpoints with that, and they do this with our sports psychologists, and then they they get back to us about it. So always looking for ways to empower them, we do a thing with our team captains called building relationships, one cup of coffee at a time. And so we'll have monthly gatherings and we do it at a local coffee shop. And we you know, it's kind of an open agenda. But in that open agenda, I'm a big believer, and I'll go back to how I started helping them find their voice. Well, the best way I found to help people find their voice, their voice of opinion, their voice and maybe thinking about something that they've never thought about. Maybe thinking about something differently, is in our in our ability to ask thoughtful questions that will get people moving in a good direction.[PB10]
Paul Barnett 22:41
Rhonda, I want to pick up a little bit on culture and sports psychology and asking good questions, things that you mentioned them, because I understand that, of course, last season, you won the big 10 tournament. But I've heard you talk about the fact that going into the season, the team worked with a sports psychologist and used fresh eyes to evaluate the team culture. Can you tell us about that process and how it unfolded?
Rhonda Revelle 23:05
So then she sent out basically a survey and asked the players for feedback of things that they thought needed to be discussed, could be obstacles or barriers in us achieving goals and the things that they wanted to work on with her. And the two big things that came back, Paul, were that we needed to set some concrete goals that we were checking in early enough and on and they needed her help to frame those in a way that were challenging and yet realistic. And then the second thing is they really felt like if we were going to maximize our culture, understanding that not everybody plays but we wanted to have the hard conversations about not only accepting your role, but embracing your role and maybe how your role could change and alter as a season goes on. [PB11]
And then the other thing was even expanding the role into your purpose. So kind of going into that, like what's your purpose on this team? and that could extend beyond the borders of just you as the athlete, but you as the full integration into the team, as a person. And I thought that that was really marvelous I bought, I've often taught, told Dr. Moriah, as we've looked back on our season, that I think that was one of the most significant things we did, and we spent a whole month on it, and that the coaches were involved with part of it. And the coaches weren't involved with part of it. [PB12]
But part of what the coaches were involved with is she put together role playing scenarios to how you wanted to receive feedback. And we talked about feedback, how the player wanted to receive feedback, how the coach appreciated some feedback, and what that looked like, and even how each player like some people made it a little softer. Some people want you to be really blunt. So we we did some really hard work there. And guess what coaches, I mean, we we hadn't put in writing how they wanted to receive feedback to and we role played it. And I refer to that during the season a couple of times, because I thought it was really important you get at critical moments, and I wanted to handle them well. And I had to remind some of the players that look, I want to do what you need for us to do in this situation. And I thought it was really great for them to have to look at it too. But I'm all about this leadership thing isn't about ego. I mean, there's some ego involved, but it's about all hands on deck, doing what's best for the team in the moment, because it's constantly your culture is constantly dynamic and fluid. And you have to stay on top of it. And it bleeds into all those things that we've been talking about earlier, Paul, as a leader about self mastery, and about being the best version of yourself and about doing the check ins routinely. All of that stuff has to be in place, if you're going to be able to be able to be a positive member, productive member of your culture.[PB13]
Paul Barnett 26:56
It's fascinating listening to you talk about purpose, because you've got your 31st season coming up. And you're still learning and still trying these these new ideas, when specifically around purpose, when you were listening to the people in your team, the staff, the players, what surprised you most about the purpose that they were articulating?
Rhonda Revelle 27:18
I don't know if it was a surprise. Or maybe it's a surprise of it was or is just how, how deep the roots go.
And even as we look back on the season, and people reflected on what was the most important thing and the most special thing, it always came back to relationships. It wasn't about the trophy wasn't about success. It was about the relationships, it was about the fundamental, it was about the process of investing in one another, the process of being an other centered, the process of having servant leaders at every layer of the organization. And the process about being a Team first player and an empower lead team. I think that entirety of that is what they were articulating to me all the way through. And I love that because I really do believe that we're in the relationship business. But it's not really a business. [PB14] [PB15]
And one of the other things that has been really important to me, especially again, you know, I talked about coming out of a tough time. And just in some ways, shifting your perspective a little bit, but in other ways, just validating what you've always believed at your core. And I've always believed at my core, that I'm coaching softball, not for the sport, but because I have a passion for the sport. And I'm able to hopefully be involved in it at a level where the sport can be a vehicle where hopefully, I can help a lot of people grow in their life. And then also in the sport.[PB16]
Paul Barnett 29:10
Rhonda, you talked about self mastery at the start. And you've just referenced then again, coming out of a tough time. And I don't want to go into that because I think there's been enough written about that, I'd like to focus on how you came out of it. Because in 2019, you took some time to reflect on your own coaching style. And as a result, there's these three great questions that you Now ask yourself every day as a leader, and I've read about them, but I'd really love to hear about them in your words.
Rhonda Revelle 29:42
Well, I'll go back to before 2019 I had three questions. I've always you know, I've always anchored to my philosophy and always tried to stay very present, very present with the people around me and very present internally. You But after 2019, I actually had, and this may be something that you weren't able to find in your research, because I'm not sure I've ever talked about it. But I actually shifted my three questions just a little bit. And I think it's worth talking about.
So one of the questions I always asked myself is who needs me today? And while I think that's an Okay, question, I've, I've shifted it to have I helped others today. And as I really reflected on that and dug deep with the words and the impact potentially have even though, on question I'm asking myself, I mean, it's my own private question. It's not like, I'm going to talk to anybody about it. But have I helped someone today that feels like that's coming from the inside, and who needs me today feel like felt like it was coming from the outside. So as I talk about working from the inside out this question, Have I helped someone today feels like I'm being more true, I have more integrity towards wanting to work from the inside out. So that there's one thing? And then the other question, at the end of the day, I would ask myself, again, who still needs me today? So again, that outward focus, and now I'm asking myself, have I worked to make deep connections today? Have I worked to build deep connections today in relationship that feels more insight? So again, these are just my own Rhonda Revell to Rhonda Ravel conversations that I've had. And then the third question that I used to ask myself was, if I were someone else would I have wanted to be coached by me today? And again, I think fundamentally, my intent of that question was good. But as I've gone through things in life, I've shifted my perspective a little bit. And now, my big one is, in my responses to others today, did I choose love? And did I practice and live with gratitude? And what both of those things cause, Paul, is they cause a pause, and I'm not talking about pause like a puppy. I'm talking about P A U, S, E, A pause, because sometimes when we're reflecting, or when we're responding to someone, we just do it in the moment. And oftentimes, we just need a slight pause. And I'll even say in my head, what is a loving way to respond to this, even if it's going to have some firmness to it? Or a little sting to it? Am I doing this for them? To help them? Or am I doing this because this is my emotion in the moment. So those three questions have shifted just a little bit. And I feel like I'm better for it.[PB17]
Paul Barnett 32:44
It's very powerful stuff. And it's great self reflection, and it's so refreshing to hear that you've been able to keep succeeding. I mean, you've had, your teams have had over 1000 victories, which is, it is mind boggling when you think about it. But it's great to see that you're still able to challenge yourself and reflect when you were going through the process of refining those questions. Did you feel like you needed to amputate or remove any part of yourself?
Rhonda Revelle 33:18
No, in fact, and I don't know how this is going to sound but I will tell you, you talked about my daily routine. And I talked about the mental and the part that I negated and not on purpose, but I'm going to mention it now is I have worked weekly, for the last three years with a counselor. And the one thing that I think in doing that, and what comes out of that is a lot of deep self reflection. And if anything, I think I've gotten to a truer version of myself at who I really want to be at my very foundational level of my core in my soul, which has really nothing to do with my coaching, it has to do with the standard that I will want to conduct my life with and who I want to be from my inside out. So I
Paul Barnett 34:08
wonder if I could take you back and introduce you to that 29 year old who was becoming the head coach, knowing what you know now what you've gone through, would you be able to distill some of that learning down into a message that you want would conveyed yourself I
Rhonda Revelle 34:24
think the good news about that Paul is in 1997, long time ago, I actually was inspired to get my coaching philosophy in writing. And when I was inspired to do that, I had no idea that even needed to do that. But I was asked to speak in a graduate course about my coaching philosophy. And I'm like, Oh, I'm not sure I have one. And then what I did was I had about three months lead time before I was going to go speak. I started really thinking about it, and I got it in writing. And I was a little older than 29 at that time. However, what I I have found is that there are 10 points to it. And it's all the same today, maybe the words have changed a little bit or the emphasis of Change today. But what really makes me feel good internally about that is I think that even as a 29 year old, I didn't understand it in the fullness and the richness that I do now. But it was still in there. And I've just been able to develop it. And so I would go back until the 29 year old, be yourself, develop yourself a better you makes a better coach. And I think a lot of times we get so caught up in trying to develop all of our skill sets, you know, whether it's in the technical tactical, but I think that we can never lose sight of developing ourself, as a leader, as a mentor. As a teacher,
Paul Barnett 35:53
Rhonda, you've been very generous with your time. And you've given us such a great insight to the development phase, you've been through these last five or six years. But I'd like to ask one final question. And before I do, I'd like to preface it with a quote. And you say, I truly believe that if we strive to maximize our best, the greater thing that will be achieved is an understanding of cause and effect, behavior and consequences, reaping what you sow, and deserving every victory in our lives. It's such a powerful statement. But I'd really like to finish by asking what the legacy is that you would like to leave as a coach.
Rhonda Revelle 36:33
That word legacy, I understand it, and I use it a lot for others. But even if it's just to be remembered by is that people know without even pausing, that I was always trying to do the best I could, for the good of the whole for the good of the team for the good of the people that were in my circle, and whether that's the players or others that I worked with, and and my other hope is that there's when people think of their time around me that it gives them some more and kind of that smile, that smile with your eyes because you've had some interaction that has been made you feel good.[PB18]
Paul Barnett 37:16
Rhonda, it's been such a great treat spending some time with you tonight. I can't thank you enough for sharing your story with this. It's very deep. It's very touching. And it goes a long way to describing how you have managed to lead your teams to over 1000 victories. So I wish you all the best for the coming season.
Rhonda Revelle 37:37
Thank you so much, Paul. And also thank you for your investment in creating really rich questions that lead to some robust dialogue.