Leading with Purpose: Using Primers to Build Culture, Leadership & Consistency

#52 - Strength & Speed Coaching - Pursuing Your Best ⚡️

The best pre-game routines do more than prepare the body.
They prepare the team.

This final issue in the Pre-Game Primer series goes beyond jumps and reps.

This is about identity.
Leadership.
Energy.
Culture.

Because when game-day prep is done right, it becomes part of who your team is.

Let’s break it down.

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What Culture Looks Like Pre-Game

Great teams don’t just flip a switch.
They build habits that become the switch.

Your primer can reinforce:

• Consistent body language and urgency

• Leadership and communication

• Focused energy and intent

• Shared expectations across the roster

These don’t magically appear under the lights—they’re trained.

Every jump, throw, and lift is an opportunity to coach tone, tempo, and attention to detail.
Do it consistently, and the primer becomes a signal: we’re ready.

It tells your team—and everyone watching:
This matters.
We’re prepared.
This is who we are.

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Common Pushback: “Lifting on Game Day Wears You Out”

We’ve heard it. And sure—done poorly, a primer can backfire.

Too long, too heavy, or too random? It drains, not primes.

But done right?

• It sparks the system.

• It sharpens focus.

• It builds confidence.

Start small. Explain the why. Let athletes feel the difference.
Buy-in grows when the athletes realize they feel better after the primer—not worse.

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Coach Buy-In Comes First

This can’t be a “strength coach thing.”
It has to be a program thing.

At Mount Vernon, our entire staff is bought in.
They feel the energy. They see the focus.
They believe it gives us an edge—and that belief spills over to our athletes.

It’s become one of the most connected moments of the week.
And it’s contagious.

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Environment Is Everything

Great primers feel different.
Not just because of the movements—but because of how it’s led and what it represents.

Here are a few ways we elevate the room:

• Same Shirts, Same Message
  We wear black. Everyone. Every week.
  It says: we’re unified, and we’re here with a purpose.

• Familiar Playlist
  We run the same playlist every week.
  It’s not about hype—it’s about rhythm.
  For many of our guys, the music triggers game-day focus.

• Segment Leaders & Culture Coach
  Seniors lead portions of the primer.
  And our culture coach—who’s phenomenal—finishes with a short message tied to that week’s theme.
  That voice, that message, that moment—it anchors the entire experience.

• Shared Huddles, Shared Voice
  We often have a senior speak before the team heads out.
  Sometimes I film it and use the footage in our next hype video.
  These 30-second messages from teammates can be more powerful than anything we say as coaches.

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Consistency with Autonomy: A Rhythm They Can Trust

The best primers follow a consistent rhythm—one your athletes can count on.

Same structure.
Same energy.
Same finish.
Week after week, that consistency becomes a calming force in the chaos of game day.

But consistency doesn’t mean rigid.
We build in small, intentional choices to give athletes ownership:

• Jump variation? Pick one.

• Med ball throw? Choose from three.

• Sprint movement? Based on feel.

This “structured autonomy” keeps standards high and boosts buy-in.
Athletes get to tailor their prep. Coaches stay in control of the environment.

At Mount Vernon, this rhythm has built confidence, composure, and belief—not just in the plan, but in each other.

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Final Thoughts

The game-day primer isn’t just a system for readiness.
It’s a system for identity.

Build it with purpose.
Run it with energy.
Lead it with consistency.

You’ll see the difference on the field—but you’ll feel it in the locker room, the huddle, and the season as a whole.

It’s a performance tool, a leadership tool, and a culture builder—all in one.

Coach it with the same care and intention you bring to your game plan.

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Want the full guide?

I’ve written The Ultimate Pre-Game Primer Guide—a practical deep-dive into everything we’ve learned while building game-day prep systems that actually work.

What’s Included:

• eBook (28 pages)

• Video Presentation (50 minutes)

• Slideshow PDF (39 slides)

Built for football. Adaptable to any team.

Paid subscribers—use code PRIMER15 for $15 off

Purchase The Ultimate Pre-Game Primer Guide →

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Keep pursuing excellence.

— Preston ⚡️

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Here is a clip from the video that comes along with the Primer Guide Package:

Pursuit PE Paid Subscribers, see the $15 discount code below. ⬇️