Basketball - Learning from Great Coaches

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CoachLync | Tools & Playbooks (@coachlync)

Studying great players, teams, and coaches helps us to 'raise our game'. When I think of Jon Chaney, I think matchup zone. There's much more to be excavated. 

If someone asked you as a player or coach, what differentiates you, what would you say? 

The right answer is the right answer for you and your team. 

What are some possibilities? 

1. Build culture and habits around your philosophy. 

"Win the morning, win the day." We make our habits and our habits make us.

•  I believed the quickest path to varsity basketball for young players was offensive development. 
• Another was to avoid "killer S's" - seflishness, softness, and sloth (laziness).
• Condition with a basketball. 

2. Develop rituals around that culture. 

As far as practice, I greeted each player by name and thanked them at the end of each session. Coaching grows relationships not just players. MVB has culture around pasta parties, 'decorating' houses, team songs, snacks on the bus, and more. 

Coaching middle school girls, I maximized transparency, inviting parents to practice, pre- and post-game meetings.

3. "Make friends with the dead." 

Fewer than eight percent of everyone ever born is living. Get to know Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Wilma Rudolph, or anyone else. 

4. Make excellence your only agenda.

"How you do anything is how you do everything." Hard work and belief in service of character and competence inform remarkable possibilities at home, in school, and in sports. Earning spots on the honor roll and National Honor Society matter in a learning culture. 

5. Seek contribution over recognition. 

Fill your toolbox with technique, tactics, physicality, and psychology. Study and practice with intent. Fergus Connolly's Game Changer presents a seminar on coaching and player development. 

6. "Look for the helpers." 

Find a mentor; become a mentor. Get help and learn leadership approaches as a player, young, or veteran coach. As an experienced coach, help provide more leadership tools. 

• Leadership scorecard - where did you have a chance to lead and what did you do? 
• Journaling - track your progress.
• Study a breadth of leaders...basketball MasterClasses from Coach K, Gino Auriemma, and Steph Curry. Authors like historian Doris Kearns  Goodwin and leadership authors such as Admiral James Stockdale, Colin Powell, and Simon Sinek. 

It's impossible to know everything, but it's possible to treat people better. 

Lagniappe. Want to eat well with fewer calories? Here's a link to suggestions. 

View on Threads

Options on Hard to Defend Actions

Have been looking for this action. Coach does an awesome job explaining it. Rifle is an ELITE Spain counter. This will be a play in every D1 playbook within a month. 📝.

— Chris Steed (@csteed) October 31, 2026

Not saying every new 'shiny object' belongs in an offense. But hard-to- defend actions belong. 

Pick-and-roll (top actions)

• Handler drive or shoot (handler defender goes under)
• Hit the roller
• Reject the screen
• Screener slips

Spread (e.g. 5 out)

• Give and go
• Back cut with or without dribble at
• Pass and screen away 
• Pass and staggered off ball screen

Complex screens (from various sets)

• Iverson action 
• Screen-the-screener 
• Spain (backscreen the roller)
• Sequential screens (e.g. corner rip action)

Horns sets

• High ball screen (+/- drive and dish if help off corner)
• Elbow get (post entry with screen across) 
• Duke elbow series

Caveats

Young players usually need 'structure' but not so much that all they do is run sets. 

Urgent cutting and on-time, on-target passing ("nothing works unless you do")

Priorities on shot quality and valuing the ball (turnovers are zero percent possessions)

Lagniappe. Work with people who share character and competence. 

Brad Stevens shares his non-negotiables for life. "I wanna enjoy who I'm working with. I wanna enjoy where I'm working. I wanna have a goal, but I also wanna enjoy the journey of getting to that goal." "For me, it starts with being a great teammate. That is something I look for in people. Those relationships are probably the most important thing." It starts with the people and the character of those people. Then he explained what it means to show up every day: "You put your signature on your work every day. You give it everything you have." "You do it for the good of the whole. You do it to get better at your own job. You do it to improve the whole and see where the chips may fall." It means giving your best effort and bringing a mindset of excellence to yourself and your team. "I've been lucky enough to be on really good teams. Teams that have had chances to play for things that are really, really special." Then he shared what stays with you: "Very rarely when you look back on those teams - whether at Butler or here - do you think about the individual games or even the moments of the games." "You think about the people and the individual times with the people." "That's the special part about being a part of a sports team. That's why you walk through the building every day." The relationships always stay. Stevens' wisdom is simple: it comes down to character. • Be a great teammate. • Strive for excellence. • Enjoy the people and the process. Character isn't what you say - it's what you do consistently. (🎥 Way of Champions) https://t.co/el96GIVFDI

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) October 29, 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Basketball - NBA Teaching Clips (Not the Celtics)

Watch more video, teach players to watch, give and get feedback.

Dr. Naismith said it best, "Basketball is an easy game to learn and a difficult one to master." 

If analytics matter, play to them. The stunt didn't stop the drive but exposed the open corner three.  

Early switch opens a mismatch but the layup won't go down. Do our players know which techniques will be our primary coverage and where is the protection? Do we show/hedge (Coach K calls it "fake trap"), switch, double, drop, or "ice" (force the ball handler sideline)? Better to have fewer techniques and more clarity...

Here, they double, into a short roll, and short roll pass. One of those 10-15 possessions that Joe Mazzulla says teams want to have over. 

Good offense...high ball screen, draw 2 and pass for a corner three, with "one more" for an open three. Help but no recovery available. 

Screen 'gems'...Sanders uses the handler's defender as a screen and then gets a little help from Lopez to prevent help from contesting. 

Just because it's the NBA doesn't automatically mean "great defense." This is the kind of clip we'd see in high school with the coach saying, "Anybody gonna play defense?" 

Podziemski is considered a better 'help' than individual defender. Hachimura confirms that with a crafty spin move. 

"You gotta keep running." The Clippers sprint in transition and the Warriors were late on this possession. A coach recently told me that his team was playing better for one reason..."I asked them to give me their best effort on every possession and more of them are." 

Get Help from AI in Finding the Right Coach for Your Program

Mr. Rogers said, "Look for the helpers." Artificial intelligence offers an additional resource to help in the selection process.

First, I listed ten questions that might provide insight into a candidate. They're not designed to be "Gotcha" questions. Then, I'll post the ChatGPT Plus prompt and response.

1. What is your philosophy about basketball?
2. Share why this position is interesting or attractive for you.
3. Describe some of your major coaching influences.
4. If you could have lunch with any coach, living or dead, whom would you choose and why?
5. What 'policies' do you follow to communicate with parents? 
6. You are (or are not) a school teacher. Discuss why that should or should not impact your application.
7. Your learn that your best player wants to transfer. How would you approach that conversation? 
8. Share your thoughts on your ideal basketball culture. 
9. What are your thoughts on single versus multisport athletes?
10. What two things do you want to achieve on your first day in the job? 

Prompt: I believe that AI can enhance many aspects of sports organizations. Assessing a coaching applicant's "character and competence" creates a challenge for every 'administration'. You want the program and the candidate be a mutually beneficial fit. Unique challenges exist with every 'job'. Help design a series of ten to twelve questions that require thoughtful answers and will provide data without being seen as "gotcha" types. Practically everything is fair game. I would start with a generic, "Tell us about your basketball philosophy." And I'm not looking for "what type of offense would you run against a box-and-one?" type questions.

Ron, I’d build the interview around what the coach believes, what the coach has actually done, and how the coach learns when those two diverge. Character and competence overlap: honesty about a mistake can reveal both integrity and the ability to improve.

Tell candidates beforehand: “We’re interested in how you think. Specific examples help us understand your experience. You’re welcome to pause, ask for context, or explain what additional information you would need.” That makes this a professional conversation rather than a performance under interrogation.

Here are twelve questions, with the evidence each should help uncover.

1. “Tell us about your basketball philosophy. What would we see in a typical practice, a close game, and your interactions with players that demonstrates that philosophy?”
   Moves from attractive words to observable behavior. Listen for whether the coach’s methods support the stated values.

2. “Describe a team you coached that needed something different from what you initially intended to give it. How did you recognize that, and what did you change?”
   Explores adaptability, listening, and whether the coach serves the players or expects every roster to serve a preferred system.

3. “Tell us about a player you initially misunderstood or underestimated. What changed your assessment, and what did you do afterward?”
   Reveals humility, fairness, and the willingness to revise judgments. A useful follow-up: “How do you give players opportunities to change your mind?”

4. “Choose a player whose development you are proud of. What did the player need, what did you do, and what evidence showed improvement? Who else contributed?”
   Examines teaching competence, assessment, and the ability to share credit. Improvement might involve skill, decisions, confidence, reliability, or belonging.

5. “Tell us about a coaching decision you would handle differently today. What did it cost, how did you address it with those affected, and what changed in your subsequent practice?”
   Tests accountability and learning. The revealing part is the corrective action, not how dramatic the mistake sounds.

6. “Suppose your most productive player repeatedly falls short of a team expectation, while a reserve has been held accountable for the same behavior. Walk us through your response and the information you would need.”
   Explores fairness, judgment, and communication. Strong answers can distinguish consistent principles from identical consequences while explaining the distinction credibly.

7. “A player tells you, ‘I work hard, but I don’t think you believe in me.’ How would you approach that conversation, and what would happen afterward?”
   Reveals whether the coach can listen, deliver difficult feedback, and create a realistic path forward without promising playing time.

8. “Describe a substantive disagreement with an assistant, parent, or administrator. How did you understand the other person’s concern, and how was the disagreement resolved—or left unresolved?”
   Explores conflict management and professional boundaries. Listen for whether the coach can describe another person’s position fairly.

9. “You inherit a program with committed people, uneven results, and differing opinions about what needs to change. What would your first sixty days look like? What would you preserve, investigate, and potentially change?”
   Assesses diagnosis, relationship building, and priorities. A thoughtful candidate should have questions before prescribing solutions.

10. “How would you determine whether this program is succeeding after one season and after three seasons? If the record improved but participation, player trust, or academic engagement declined, how would you interpret that?”
    Makes the candidate define success and confront competing evidence. Listen for measures the coach would actually collect and act upon.

11. “A player brings you a concern about a teammate’s wellbeing or an adult’s conduct and asks you to keep it confidential. How would you respond, explain the limits of confidentiality, and decide whom to involve?”
    Examines judgment, care, and recognition of professional responsibilities. Candidates should be comfortable identifying when they need institutional guidance or expertise.

12. “What would you need from this administration to do your best work? What should we expect from you when those needs cannot all be met—and what should we understand about you before deciding whether this is a good fit?”
    Gives mutual fit equal standing with candidate evaluation. Look for realistic expectations, self-awareness, and the ability to distinguish essential support from preferences.

For most answers, use the same neutral follow-ups: “What did you personally do?” “What happened next?” “How do you know?” and “What would you change?” These produce comparable evidence without turning the interview adversarial.

Score each response independently before the committee discusses it:

Dimension	Evidence to look for
Character	Ownership, fairness, respect, candor
Competence	Clear diagnosis, purposeful action, credible evidence
Learning	Reflection, adjustment, recognition of limits
Fit	Alignment with the actual players, resources, and institutional expectations

AI could help organize the answers, identify unsupported claims, and suggest consistent follow-ups. The committee should judge demonstrated behavior rather than let polished language become a proxy for coaching ability. A useful final check is to ask references for examples connected to the same questions—especially how the candidate responds when challenged, disappointed, or wrong.  

I found the AI questions and rationale insightful. 

Lagniappe. That'll do. 

Coaches (Especially HS coaches just getting under way): I had this on my desk as I prepared every practice daily. How organized would your practice be if you knew one of your mentors or heroes was going to show up that day? https://t.co/WoYueqjTgK

— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) October 31, 2026

Basketball Rebounding - Nature or Nurture?

As a player, any coach who graded me on rebounding would rightly grade me as "incomplete."

I coached both my daughters who probably averaged double figure rebounding their last two years in high school. "Those who can't do, teach?" 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CoachLync | Tools & Playbooks (@coachlync)

I was taught to block out; I blocked out. I taught my twins to get the ball; they got the ball. 

So, what's right? 

There's an argument for:

1) Position and toughness (defensive) 

2) Anticipation and aggressiveness (offensive)

3) Do what works for you. If "hit and get" works, do it. 

The "nature" argument says, "Find rebounders." The nurture side says, "teach rebounding." Absorb Coach Summitt's chart and read Coach Raveling's "War on the Boards." 

Realistically, it's not either-or. Find something that works and stick with it. 

Lagniappe. Give players specifics. 

5 Ways To PROVE You Play Hard: 1. defensive intensity 2. offensive rebounding 3. sprinting in transition 4. winning 50/50 balls 5. next-play mentality after mistakes. Don't just say you play hard—show it! #basketball #playhard https://t.co/cVSq768DVP

— Jeff Huber (@HuberBasketball) January 5, 2026

Basketball - Not the Smartest Guy in the Room?

Ideas are the currency of the future. 

Have you ever worked with "the smartest guy in the room" - in every room? Who would that be? What's the downside? 

The Smartest Guy

The "smartest guy" might have been Pete Newell, Bob Knight, Hubie Brown. It depends upon what you need and how our personality 'meshes' with the 'smart guy'. 

What's the Downside?

Sometimes the "book smart" guy lacks organization, analytical, or communication skills. Sometimes hyperspecialized knowledge (e.g. analytics) can't deliver an answer outside of that domain. You see that a lot in medicine. 

The Process Guy

Superior process - organization, analysis, teaching skills compensates for lesser breadth of knowledge. Consultants fill in the gaps. 

Types of Intelligence

Intelligence is not a monolith. It comes in different forms - book smarts, emotional intelligence, athletic intelligence, and more.

Chart created by Chat GPT Plus

Top Three for Basketball

• Basketball IQ - knowing the game, strong decision-making
• Emotional IQ - relating both to other people and knowing yourself
• Movement - body control and adjustments

Intelligence is not fixed; brain "neuroplasticity" allows changes into advanced age. 

 Make boosting our team "intelligence" - body, mind, game - a top priority.

Don't hesitate to get help when it's needed. That's what the best do. 

Lagniappe. Always something to learn. 

🔥🔥🔥

— JIM BOONE 🏀 (@CoachJimBoone) October 9, 2026

 

Basketball - "Attitude"

Former Villanova coach Jay Wright puts attitude at the center of success. It’s one of three standards that we own: attitude, choices, and effort. No opponent, official, or scoreboard can take them away. 

This plays out in a gym every day. A shooter steps to the line with the match tight and the crowd noise rising, and the ball clangs off the rim. It happens to everyone. 

What happens next tells you almost everything. One player lets her shoulders drop, her eyes go to the floor, and she trudges back. She’s already deflated, and her teammates feel it.

Another player takes a breath, lifts her chin, claps once, and defends ready as if nothing happened. Same miss, same moment. The difference is attitude; that difference travels. Body language is a billboard. Teammates read it; opponents read it. You broadcast strength or weakness. 

That’s the Stoic standard: "control what you can control." You can’t control the referee, the bounces, or the player who is having the game of her life. You control how you prepare, how you respond, and how you treat your teammates. Admiral James Stockdale carried that idea through years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, drawing on Epictetus. Character holds up in every gym.

Big asks of all:

Respect everyone; fear no one. Respect keeps you humble and teachable. Fearlessness lets you play free. Together they’re hard to beat.

Always do your best. This is the Fourth Agreement, and its genius is that “best” changes from day to day. On a great day it’s a lot. On a rough day it’s less. The commitment never changes.

Know that dragons can be slain. Neil Gaiman put it this way in Coraline: “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” The bigger opponent, the deficit, and the doubt are all dragons. The fight starts with believing they can be beaten.

Focus and listening are the first price paid to excellence. Pay attention and absorb what a coach or teammate is telling you. "You can do this" has meaning.  

Sacrifice willingly. The key word is willingly. Resented sacrifice is a burden. Embrace sacrifice as a commitment to something larger than yourself. 

Talent gets you noticed. Attitude decides what follows. It costs nothing; nobody can steal it. Bring it to every practice, every timeout, and every point. Prioritize attitude.

Lagniappe. Fight through fear. 

View on Threads

WInning Basketball as a Habit

Sean McVay said, “Winning is a habit; let’s make it ours.”

I love that.

Winning isn’t just game day. It’s how you prepare, respond, compete, and show up every day.

So what habits make winning possible?

Here are the 6 Habits of Winners.

1. Keep Stacking Days
Winners show up… pic.twitter.com/QcyRU3Uts6

— Greg Berge (@GregBerge) October 2, 2026

Winning intoxicates us. Winning can become as addictive as any drug. 

Addiction

"Addiction is a chronic condition with compulsive substance use or behavior that persists,  driven by changes in the brain’s reward systems." The core characteristics include: 

• inability to stop
• loss of control
• intense disruptive cravings

Addiction in Basketball

Sport-related addiction inhabits the grey area. Olympic wrestling champion Dan Gable was known for his compulsive training routines. In "Relentless" author Tim S. Grover described Kobe Bryant's workouts. What 'habits' contribute as 'addictive' behavior. 

• Compulsive skill development
• Physical training that borders on unhealthy (overuse injuries)
• Film study
• Psychological development 
• Distraction from life balance - neglect of family, academics, social life

We celebrate athletes whose work ethic approaches obsession. Kobe Bryant's countless hours spent studying film, developing skills, and pursuing competitive advantages.

At what point does dedication become dependence?

The answer isn't necessarily found in the number of hours worked. It's found in the consequences.

Does training improve performance or produce injury? Does preparation build confidence or create anxiety? Does a pursuit of achievement enrich life or consume it?

What happens when we become addicted to the outcome instead of committed to the process?

Winning intoxicates. Losing distresses. The danger comes when our self-worth becomes dependent upon the scoreboard. We chase another win, another championship, another honor.

And sometimes the satisfaction doesn't last. Joe Mazzulla said that it's not as much fun as it looks. 

The trophy goes on a shelf. Tomorrow demands another victory. There's another way.

Winning Process

Become committed to the habits that make winning possible. Show up. Prepare. Practice deliberately. Compete intelligently with sportsmanship. Support teammates. Recover.

Do more of what works and less of what doesn't.

Make winning a possible consequence of our behavior, not the sole purpose. "The score takes care of itself." 

Develop habits worth keeping, whether we win or lose.

Lagniappe. Coach Nakase reminds us to listen to our players. 

View on Threads

Listen to Coaches Postgame

Basketball informs the public domain. Secrets don't exist. NBA coaches have enormous experience and share what makes a difference. Joe Mazzulla is typical.

Some themes recur. Coaches emphasize what creates advantage and what mistakes need elimination. 

"Be physical at the point of attack." Disrupt the ballhandler-screener relationship...physicality in the league continues to grow." Finding balance will always plague rule-makers and enforcers.  

"...pace the entire game" (Chicago). "Defended transitions very well...most of our turnovers were dead ball." Surrender few high points per possession chances. Having a set defense matters at every level. 

"...bunch of possessions you need to get better at. Mazzulla emphasizes what you all know - "basketball is a game of mistakes." 

"...live ball turnovers, offensive rebounding, fouling" (allowed Celtics to pull away). Avoiding mistakes translates. "Stops make runs." Last night analyst Brian Scalabrine emphasized that even while playing fast, holding turnovers below 15 shoud be doable. 

"...identity at what we're trying to have" (bench strength) During the game in question, the front end of a back-to-back, reserves ate up a lot of minutes, scoring 75 points. The Celtics barely survived the back end, partially from poor decision-making regarding fouling. 

"I don't consider those 'heat checks' for him" (Pritchard) The superior offensive player makes more shots and gets more leeway regarding shot selection. 

"We have to flourish all 48 minutes." (non-Jayson Tatum minutes) During a long season, guys miss time with injuries, illness, and load management. Finding ways to impact the game without "set lineups" is part of the territory. 

"...having different identities and lineups that can impact the game." Last season the Celtics played at one of the slowest paces in the league. Having traded Jaylen Brown, the Celtics will need to find new and different ways to win. 

I need to make more consistent effort to listen to coaches around the NBA. 

Lagniappe. How do experienced coaches differ 'objectively' during research. They see more, see faster, make decisions more quickly and more accurately. Young coaches statistically don't do as well. 

View on Threads

 

Basketball - "The Monday Bench"

Find good ideas. Good ideas simplify the world or change lives. Some past examples:

Basketball good ideas:

• If possible save three timeouts for the final four minutes (Dean Smith)
• "Never be a child's last coach." (How does it feel to be coached by me?)
• Line up players one through five on the bench during timeouts.

Personal/group good ideas:

• The Jar of Awesome
• The Empty Chair
• Commonplace Book

Reading widely exposes us to wisdom. 

Follow this thread. 

View on Threads

Personal issues impact player performance - home, relationships, academics, money, mental health. The longer you coach, the bigger the problems you'll hear. 

Coaches won't have answers for every problem. We can direct players to other resources. "What if" or "have you thought about?" 

Become an empathetic listener for players. The Monday Bench formalizes the process. 

Lagniappe. Chris Fowler shares insights about coaching. 

This is one of the most powerful videos I’ve seen about coaching. Chris Fowler nails how hard this profession can be: “Coaching is a calling more than a profession. You have to have what it takes to pour yourself into others.” https://t.co/2jcxJCh6uK

— Greg Berge (@GregBerge) August 23, 2026

Basketball - The White Belt

A fortunate life offers choices - approach each day with confidence or with curiosity. What can I learn today?

Clint Hurdle discusses the paradox of the white belt - humbly indicating "you know nothing" or embracing the challenge of learning.

This theme recurs in Asian culture:

"Chop wood, carry water."

Regardless of success or failure, do the work. Stick to the basics. Repeat the 'boring' fundamentals. The science tells us that repetition strengthens the speed and accuracy of neural pathways. It's not "muscle memory" but "myelin memory." 

"Empty your cup." 

Learning implies openness, a willingness to add to our metaphorical cup of knowledge. Watch video looking for evidence. Is a team doing more of what works and less of what doesn't? What hard-to-defend actions manifest or don't appear? 

A simple test examines whether and how a team runs and defends ball screens. If it's good enough for professional basketball, why does a high school team ignore it? 

"Beginner's mind."

Shunryu Suzuki, the author of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, wrote, "In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few." He elaborates, "If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything." 

Celebrate childlike curiosity instead of worshipping the arrogance of authority. 

Decades ago a colleague told me, "When I was a trainee, you told me to learn five things every day." And soon, I began to accumulate knowledge. 

Don't be a know it all; become a learn it all.

Warren Buffett's partner, Charlie Munger said, “In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn’t read all the time—none, zero.” 

Socrates famously said, "I know that I know nothing." 

Winners are trackers. Don Meyer kept three notebooks each year - one for general knowledge, one for basketball, and a gratitude journal for his wife. 

"Be curious, not judgmental." 

Lagniappe. Summary slide

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basketball - Spotting Character

View on Threads

Win with character and competence.

Nobody wins without coaching, player, and team competence. As Coach K would say, "Basketball is about making plays, not running plays."

Teams benefit from players who are "force multipliers." Those players don't have to be the "most talented," but they catalyze actions:

• Toughness
• Unselfishness
• Work ethic 
• Communication
• Competitive spirit

Teams need those "glue guys" or "captains" with presence. 

Toughness

The sine qua non 'toughness' reference is Jay Bilas's "Toughness" which followed his Sports Illustrated piece. Every player should get a copy. 

Unselfishness

Phil Jackson said, "Basketball is sharing," arguably the greatest hoop quote ever. Sometimes unselfishness appears in the Hoosiers style (Jimmy Chitwood playing Bobby Plump) action. More often it manifests as willing passing, shot selection, hitting the floor, playing both ends of the floor, sacrificing for the team. 

Work Ethic

 Do what you have to do when you don't want to, so you get to do what you want to do later. "Repetitions make reputations." Every successful player and coach is a worker. 

Communication

Organize our thoughts. Tell people what we're going to say, say it, then review what we said. Be specific. Get everyone on the same page, buying in, giving and getting feedback. The 'worst losses' come from failed communication. 

Competitive Spirit

When a team develops as many players committed to success as their coach, special can happen. Competitors connect with their teammates and the fans. They are ordinary people who help others make the extraordinary happen. The LeBron "chase down block" or the Bird-Jordan-Magic era exploits of winners. 

Wooden placed TEAM SPIRIT as one of his 'central row' elements.

Nobody says to fill the team with character alone, necessary but not sufficient. Neglect it at our peril. 

Lagniappe. When I coached 12-14s, I avoided drills that I thought had "higher probability" of causing injury. Everyone doesn't feel the same way or says, "Anything can cause injury." They're right. 

Many coaches on Twitter hate this drill, but we do it every single day. Here’s why: 1. It sets the culture immediately. We once had a recruit watch practice, and after seeing this at the end of warmups he said, “Wow, you guys love defense here.” Exactly. Within the first five minutes of practice, our players know what matters to us, and anyone watching knows too. 2. It creates a standard. A lot of players are more physically capable than they realize, but hesitation gets in the way. When diving on the floor is something you only ask for in a big moment, it feels like a big moment. When you do it every day, it becomes normal. Winning the floor stops feeling heroic and starts feeling expected. De-sensitization is a big part of hustle, 50/50 and toughness. 3. It creates energy. Everyone is moving, yelling, reacting and doing it together. The gym gets loud early, and I’ve always believed the energy you start practice with has a way of bleeding into everything that follows. For 30 seconds, that is a pretty good return. 4. It gives us a small daily dose of movement work. We mix in foot fire, lateral slides and different movement patterns. Is 30 seconds going to transform someone’s agility? No. But small doses repeated every day add up and there is a reaction element to the drill, one leads and all other react. 5. It develops leadership. A different player leads the drill every day, which gives everyone a chance to use their voice, set the standard and take some ownership over the defensive culture instead of everything always coming from the coaches. Is this drill going to magically create a great defensive team? Of course not. But if you can give me many better ways to spend 30 seconds while reinforcing culture, toughness, energy, movement and leadership, I’m listening. Until then, we’ll keep doing it.

— Mike Jagacki (@Mike_Jagacki) September 21, 2026