During his legendary career as the greatest head coach in college basketball history, John Wooden developed what he called his Pyramid of Success. No matter the sport, every coach has their own type of system, whether it’s a team motto, goals for their players and the like. FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman is no different. In fact, the ex-SMU head coach has his own such pyramid, which he calls the Building Blocks of a Player. Here’s a quick synopsis:

BASIC BUILDING BLOCKS

Hyndman’s take: “This is the foundation. These are the things that you can control-team chemistry, lifestyle, fitness level, emotional intelligence.”

Fitness

Hyndman’s take: “That can be speed fitness, interval running, endurance, two-mile runs.”

Team Chemistry

Hyndman’s take: “If you don’t have that team chemistry, it starts to hurt. Every time you try to build, you fall apart. Team chemistry is thinking team first and doing things with your team. We had guys last year and I won’t name players but we had special events at peoples’ homes and they wouldn’t show up. That tears into team chemistry.”

Lifestyle

Hyndman’s take: “Lifestyle is really making the right decisions. You have an opportunity to go out and party but you don’t. Your nutrition, eating the right food, getting the right amount of rest and all those types of things are very important.”

Emotional Intelligence

This one doesn’t really need much explanation for FCD fans. Hyndman used this term a lot last season, specifically to refer to a certain player who is now back in Brazil, Jackson, for his lack of this trait on the field, especially when he got sent off twice in 2011. It’s become a buzzword in terms of what he expects from his players. First coined by Hyndman back in 2010 in reference to Brek Shea.

OTHER BLOCKS

Technical and Tactical Ability

Hyndman’s take: “You’ve got to have good technique. Tactically, you’ve got to understand the game and in between there was a little of a bridge and that was skill. You may not have great technique but if you’re hitting balls out of the air first time and doing bicycle kicks, this is skill.”

Character

Hyndman’s take: “And then on top of everything, and I really made this clear, is the character. You can be a great player and nobody likes you. Character... you steal, you lie, you disrupt the team, all those things go on with all teams. So for us, it was trying to identify players that fit that group. These are the things you can control. This is why you’re here-the technical, tactical ability but what will get you out is your character.”