How 'bout those Heels?

The University of North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer team has a long history of championship success.  As of the 2019 season, the team has won 23 of the last 27 Atlantic Coast Conference championships and 21 of 38 NCAA national championships (they've been the national runners-up five times).  The team has been coached by Anson Dorrance since 1979, whose coaching record currently stands at 1043-140-63 in NCAA games (he also coached the UNC men's soccer team for several years and has coached the U.S. Women's National Team for a number of years too (his winning record there is 66-22-5).  Coach Dorrance has been the Women's Soccer Coach of the Year seven times and the Men's Soccer Coach of the Year once, in 1987.  He coached the Lady Tar Heels to an unbelievable 101-game unbeaten streak, and 13 of his players have won the National Player of the Year.  He was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2008.

There are a number of reasons that explain why the UNC team has been so successful under Coach Dorrance.  He can identify and recruit talent for starters, but he also knows the technical aspects of soccer really well.  However, former players and coaches that have worked with Coach Dorrance consistently cite the team's winning culture.  The elements of their winning culture boil down to Twelve Core Values.  Every year, Coach Dorrance meets with the rising seniors in the spring to discuss how the team can continue to live the core values, both in their personal lives as well as on the soccer field.  Here they are:

1.  We don't whine.  

2. The truly extraordinary do something every day.  

3. And we want these four years of college to be rich, valuable and deep.  

4.  We work hard.

5.  We don't freak out over ridiculous issues or live in fragile states of emotional catharsis or create crises where none should exist.

6.  We choose to be positive.

7.  We treat everyone with respect.

8.  We care about each other as teammates and as human beings.

9.  When we don't play as much as we would like we are noble and still support the team and its mission.

10. We play for each other.

11. We are well led.

12. We want our lives (and not just in soccer) to be never ending ascension, but for that to happen properly, our fundamental attribute about life and our appreciation for it is critical.

Sound familiar?  I think you would find a similar list of core values (maybe a shorter list) for most highly successful sports teams.  In fact, you'd likely find a similar description of these same values in highly performing organizations, no matter the industry.