Adversity Leadership Moment
Leadership
Legend
- player
- coach / parent
- movement path
How it works
Develop leadership composure by requiring a designated leader to rally the team after a planned adversity event during a live scrimmage.
What you need
- football
- flags
- cones
Your focus
Leadership is most visible and most needed in moments of adversity. A leader who can stabilize a team after a turnover or a momentum-shifting play demonstrates the leadership quality that teams rely on in championship moments. Practicing adversity leadership prevents leaders from reverting to passive behavior when the team needs direction most.
Run a live small-sided activity scrimmage; coach plans two adversity events (e.g., called-back touchdown, interception).
When adversity occurs, the designated leader has 15 seconds to address the team before the next play.
The team executes the next play; coach grades whether the leadership response improved the team energy and execution.
Debrief: what leadership behaviors were most effective in the adversity moments?
Helpful cues
- Adversity is your leadership audition, step up
- 15 seconds, one clear message, maximum energy
- What you say after a setback defines your leadership
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Coach provides the leader with a prepared adversity response script for their first experience.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Two adversity events happen on consecutive plays, testing sustained leadership quality across multiple setbacks.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.