Building Confidence on Your Cross Country Team with a Strong Team Culture

with Dee Brown,
Iowa Central Community College Director of Track & Field and Cross Country;
2025 NJCAA DI Men's Cross Country National Coach of the Year;
6x Men's NJCAA National Cross Country Championships (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2025);
8x Women's NJCAA National Cross Country Championships - an NJCAA record (2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019);
8x Men's NJCAA Half Marathon National Titles - an NJCAA record (2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021);
6x Women's NJCAA Half Marathon National Titles - tied for an NJCAA record (2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022);
14x National Cross Country Coach of the Year;
President of the NJCAA Cross Country Coaches Association;
President of the NJCAA Track & Field Coaches Association from 2019-2023;
USTFCCCA Board Member

In this video, Dee Brown shares an interesting perspective on building team culture that has allowed him to be a successful junior college coach for many years. He encourages all coaches to understand each athlete and focus on the process, instead of results. All student athletes face challenges during the season, and according to Coach Brown, it is the coach's challenge to stay in touch academically, athletically, personally and to be their biggest cheerleader.

Earning Trust & Building a Connection

Earning an athlete's trust can make or break a relationship, and Coach Brown shares the process he has used successfully at Iowa Central Community College. Building a strong connection and genuinely caring will allow you to challenge athletes to strive for the outcomes they have set for themselves.

Team Culture

Brown provides best practices that he has learned through his reflection and years of successful coaching. He provides the "why" behind how he has built the confidence of his very successful teams at Iowa Central Community College.

Key components to his approach include:

• Believe in your athletes
• Earn their trust
• Genuinely care
• Emphasize team culture

Through Coach Brown's useful examples, and former athlete quotes, it is easy to see the importance of how individual relationships can be built through the use of training logs and regular individual meetings. When you can help all athletes feel important, the improvement, confidence and trust grow on a daily basis.

Coach Brown's presentation is well-organized and provides many practical resources for coaches at every level to use with their own program. This video will undoubtedly improve your relationships with your athletes and give you ideas for improving your team culture!

56 minutes. 2021.