Episode 111: Mike ”Kaz” Kazlausky - Air Force Academy

Bio

• Enters his 13th year as Air Force baseball head coach in 2023
• Coach Kaz retired from active duty (20 years), effective June 1, 2011, and his interim tag was lifted to official head coach status.
• A former player and Academy graduate, Kazlausky epitomizes what it means to don the Falcon baseball Blue and White.
• In first year he lead the program to the most wins since 2002 and second-most in school history against Division I
• Over 200 wins as Air Force's head man
• In 2016 The Falcons posted a 30-27 record, the second most wins for anyone at Air Force
• Six MLB Draft Picks
• Five All-Americans
• Three Freshman All-Americans 
• All while leading young men to help better our country first and foremost. 
• Inspiring leadership for “America’s Team”

Notes

• You have to know your people
• How are you going to be an effective leader if you don’t know your people?
• What are my priorities in life?
• How can I be an effective leader if I can’t be a good dad?
• I want them to see me outside of a coach
• How do you define winning?
• How do you define success
• Get off the scoreboard
  • They trust you more
  • Better relationship
  • Far outweighs the white lines
  • If i can’t be that person then i need to get out
• We are making them war fighters! The mission is a little different here
• We are here to serve and fight
• Mission is fly fight and win!
• We hold kids and coaches accountable
• Tell them and show them how much I love and care about them
• Take what i learned as a dad, husband, military background and teach it to everyone 
• Mission has nothing to do with baseball
• Set standards for your program
• Its what our nation needs!
• 1 rule - DO IT RIGHT!
• Buy into our school, our military, and our program
• Hold them to high expectations hold accountable to the standards
• You learn so much from sports because you learn so much about yourself
• You have an “opportunity” to come play baseball
• Hold people accountable to the commitment or de-commitment
• We don't play any home games, because we don’t fight any wars on our home turf!
• I’m there dad
• Its not war, its a game, we shake our hands after the game and go home
• I don’t believe in switching the light switch, we want you always on! ATTACK!
• Its a lifestyle
• Lead by examples
• You know your people
• You take care of your people
• You need to set goals for every kid in that program
• Accountability and expectations are huge!
• Don’t want people that settle. We want people to be excellent
• We give our team leadership council (team of leaders for the team)
• I want kids to make decisions
• We put no limits, no boundaries on our kids
• We love for our kids to fail. How are you going to be a better leader if you don’t know how to fail?
• If we trained for it, prepped for it, had a routine then we will live with the result
• MAD - Make a difference. As adults is to make a difference
• Young people is about living your life with no regrets
• Be the person you can be today!!!
• Standards never sleep, and you are always on parade!!!
• Winning is important, but how do you define it?
• Follow our program on social media, come visit, email me!
•