David Lepisto — Connection Before Commitment

Here is an excerpt from my new book "The Championship Blueprint"

Head Girls Basketball Coach, Kimberly High School (WI)

Record: 200+ wins | Renowned Educator and Program Builder

David Lepisto believes relationships are the foundation of winning. A longtime educator and

multi-sport coach, he has built Kimberly into a respected, competitive program by emphasizing

connection before commitment. Lepisto’s integration of choice theory and player

empowerment has influenced how coaches create safe, growth-centered cultures that athletes

trust and embrace.

The Quiet Before Practice

It’s late afternoon in Kimberly, Wisconsin. The gym smells faintly of wood and sweat; basketballs

echo as they bounce across the polished floor. David Lepisto doesn’t begin by diagramming

plays or shouting commands. He begins with connection.

“Connection precedes commitment,” Lepisto says. “Kids won’t go all in for you until

they know you’re for them.”

That simple truth guides everything he does — from the first conversation with a shy freshman

to the way his varsity teams build trust before chasing championships.

Roots of a Teacher-Coach

Lepisto grew up immersed in coaching. His father was a coach; his home was filled with

strategy conversations about every sport — football, basketball, baseball. He loved listening to

those talks and imagining game situations: What if there are two outs? Where should the

shortstop be?

By the time he reached high school, he was already thinking like a coach.

Several mentors shaped him: a junior high coach who taught the art of creating space, a

defensive-minded high school coach who drilled motion offense and reading screens, and a

young football coach, Dario Tellerico, who trusted him as a sophomore quarterback to think

through progressions and lead. College ball added new layers of sophistication. Each influence

planted the seeds of thinking the game deeply.

“I always knew I wanted to coach,” he says. “Even as a kid, I was fascinated by how people

taught the game.”

Safety Before Success

Lepisto believes mastery begins with psychological safety. Before a player can grow, she

must know she’s valued and that mistakes aren’t fatal.

“Kids have to be able to fail,” he says. “Criticism isn’t cruelty. If they know you care, they’ll

accept coaching.”

He builds this safety through humor, vulnerability, and honesty. He admits when he’s wrong,

shares his own struggles, and models resilience. “I can make this thing go well, or sideways,

just by my demeanor,” he says. “That’s on me.”

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Thanks,

Coach Kevin Furtado