Basketball - Many Questions, Fewer Answers

Listen well and ask insightful questions. Provideing readers with a list of possible questions might add value.

An After Action Review from The Leadership Moment (Michael Useem)

• What went well?
• What went poorly?
• What can we do differently? 
• What are the enduring lessons?

Change can be premature or powerful. These questions are designed to find what works, what doesn’t, and to do more of the former and less of the latter.

Conflict resolution

• What do you suggest?
• Where do we agree/align on this?
• Can you live with this?

Finding compromise doesn’t have to be a lost art. Asking for suggestions is a first step. If a person doesn't want to add suggestions, they may not seek resolution. 

Advice from Brad Stevens

• What does our team need now?

We may need to work harder, take a day off for physical or mental health, or practice focused on individual or team skills. 

An Outsider Perspective

• How can I help?

A fresh look can help identify old or novel suggestions. Bill Belichick talked about formations from a 1976 Lions game that helped him win a game over forty years later. “There is nothing new under the sun.”

These nine questions can help "reboot" our team. 

Use a "Filter," the THINK Acronym

• Is it true?
• Is it helpful?
• Is it inspiring?
• Is it necessary?
• Is it kind?

Steven Covey said, "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” Questions provide shared responsibility - listen sincerely to help not hurt. 

Often there is "information asymmetry" that participants should address. 

A parent contacted me during tryouts to share that there was family illness and ask that their child make the team. I answered that I was sorry to hear about illness; no issue existed as the girl was one of our best players.

Lagniappe. Teams need leadership and identity. 

The strength of your culture depends on
the strength of your leaders.
Do your leaders BRING IT every day?
Do your leaders model the culture?
Do your leaders celebrate their teammates?
Do your leaders hold teammates accountable?
Strong cultures are led by strong leaders.

— Jeff Janssen (@janssenleader) October 21, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Planning makes practice. 

Nick Saban on how to get the most out of your practices.

He talks to his staff about meeting with the team to explain the drills they will be doing in practice.

Great stuff here. pic.twitter.com/CfuysDalK5

— Greg Fahey (@CoachFahey973) October 17, 2025

Basketball - Make One Plus One Equal Three

Ken Burns says common stories are one plus one equals two; the good ones are one plus one equals three. Morgan Housel calls that leverage—two habits that compound into more than their parts.

Many of you have lived your own March Madness. I did fifty years ago. My twin daughters did twenty years ago. I hope you wrote great stories.

Think Hoosiers: the rim is ten feet, the lane the same width - same court as back home. The stage changes; the standards don’t.

The 2025–26 Premortem

A premortem examination allows you to anticipate and fix problems that haven't occurred. If someone told you today the season will fall short, why? Write the obituary now, then fix it.

Beyond your control

• Injuries/illness

• Transfers/eligibility quirks

• Bad luck (whistles, bounces, brackets)

Acknowledge it—then build buffers: depth, simple packages for next-up guards/wings, minutes management.

Within your control

• Motivation: Did daily work connect to a purpose and a role?

• Teamwork: Did we share the ball and the credit—screen, space, extra pass?

• Resilience: Did we have a reset to stop runs? Could we play "uphill," facing deficits. Did we have depth to control for injuries or other intangibles? If the point guard fouls out early in the fourth quarter, how do we run the offense and break the press? 

• Decision-making: Did we follow our shot profile and ban "shot turnovers?"

• Coaching: Did our schemes fit our personnel—and did we adjust fast?

Premortem → Plan

1) Standards that travel (Four Factors + 1). What do you expect? Fill in your blanks. 

• eFG%: ≥ ___% (shots we want: rim, FT line, clean rhythm 3s)

• TOV%: ≤ ___% (no live-ball gifts)

• ORB%: ≥ ___% or DRB%: ≥ ___% (pick one as identity)

• FT Rate: ≥ ___ (pressure the paint)

• PACE with purpose: transition chances ≥ ___ per half

2) Roles and leverage

• Each player names their keep-you-on-the-floor skill (on-ball defense, screening, corner 3, rim runs).

• Each player names an “out pitch” (the difference-maker under pressure):

  • PG: paint touch → spray

  • Wing: corner 3 + 1-more pass

  • Big: early rim run + verticality

  • Sixth: two hustle plays/quarter (charge, deflection, O-board)

3) Pressure packages (win the last 4 minutes)

• ATO offense (2 sets)

• BLOB/SLOB (2 automatics)

Defense (what would you adjust now?)

• ICE side PnR; when we switch defenses?

• Switch 1–4 late clock; 

4) Film & feedback cadence

• Weekly: 5 clips/player (3 keep, 2 fix).

• Practice: one cue/day posted (e.g., “get 2 feet in the paint before pass”).

• Game card: shot chart by zone + paint touches and pass-to-assist counts.

What Leverage Looks Like (1+1=3) 

• Paint touch + one-more pass get corner 3s, higher eFG%

• Wall up + gang rebound to kill second chances

• Nail help + low-man early to take away driving lanes without giving up rhythm kickouts

• Early drag screen + rim run create foul pressure + dump-offs

Cue Card (in team room)

• Today’s one thing: __________

• Metric & target: __________ (e.g. turnover reduction)

• Cue word: __________ (e.g. red, fronting the post) 

• My out pitch tonight: __________ 

Same court. Same standards. Better habits. Make two things add up to three.

Lagniappe. Wisdom from millenia ago 

Most people think strategy is about plans on paper.

But Sun Tzu knew the truth 2,500 years ago: strategy is not about plans

It's about how you think

Here are his 7 principles of strategic thinking — the same mindset used by the leaders, entrepreneurs, and creators you admire: pic.twitter.com/h8M0KR5COP

— Thought_Scope 🧠 (@Thought_Scope) October 18, 2025

Basketball Selfishness - Work to Defuse It

“Our selfishness will condemn us to the worst suffering that we ourselves have invented — loneliness.” — Paulo Coelho

"Basketball is sharing.” — Phil Jackson

The three deadliest S’s in basketball—selfishness, softness, and sloth—don’t show up on box scores. They surface in habits, effort, and in how teammates feel when you walk into the gym. The best teams pass the ball—and the credit. The worst teams guard both like possessions. Invert selfishness and you get connection. Invert ego and you get trust. Sharing becomes competitive advantage.

What selfishness looks like

Selfishness isn’t only a bad shot. It’s any act that puts me over we:

• “Me first” or “me, too” shot selection

• Unwilling passer - dead ends the offense

• Conserving energy for offense - less defense, transition, or closeouts

• Uncoachable - rejects feedback, blames others

• Sulking over minutes - lowers the huddle’s temperature

• Credit-seeking - media, social posts, stat-hunting

• No mentorship - won’t help the next player up

Diagnosis is easy. Cure is hard.

The coach’s dilemma: benching or belief?

Every coach wrestles with the line between individual freedom and team discipline.

• The bench teaches lessons the scoreboard can’t. Some learn. Some pout.

• Belief invests in growth: clarity and accountability.

Most coaches would rather have a productive player on the floor than a disenchanted one on the bench. But production must align with team standards.

Antidotes to selfishness (standards → behaviors)

• Team first - celebrate the helper, effort always.

• Communication - creates energy and advantage.

• Effort - effort is not a given. Coach it up.

• Sharing - extra pass, screen to score, hockey assist pride.

• Growth - accept feedback, film one clip you’d change, fix it.

A simple framework: freedom earned, trust kept

1. Role clarity: “Here’s your job; here’s how it helps us win.”

2. Freedom within role: More trust unlocks more touches, reads, and late-game usage.

3. Accountability: Miss the standard? We adjust minutes or touches until it’s met.

Player pledge (post it)

• I will share the ball and the credit.

• I will defend first actions even when tired.

• I will accept coaching and pass it on.

• I will make my teammates better today.

Exceptional teams share vision, sacrifice, and rewards. When a few won’t share, the challenge becomes a distraction. The cure is the same as the diagnosis: make the we visible—in roles, in reps, in praise, and in minutes. If the standard is sharing, the culture starts to keep itself. 

Lagniappe. Brad Stevens: 

"My door is always open to talk about playing time.

But if you want to talk about playing time, be prepared for the truth"

– Brad Stevens

— Coach Mac 🏀 (@BballCoachMac) October 19, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Powerful messaging.  

📚 Best Nuggets From Coaching Books

This one comes from A Season on the Brink by John Feinstein — a look inside Bobby Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers.

There’s a short passage that really stuck with me. Before playing Kent State, Knight had to remind his team they could lose.… pic.twitter.com/0Fdqkbk3J1

— Mike Jagacki (@Mike_Jagacki) October 19, 2025

Basketball - Why Clint Hurdle Has Messages Worth Sharing

"I ask myself if I am putting myself in a good position to succeed: Did I eliminate distractions? Did I prepare? Did I practice? Did I produce? Did I honestly self‐evaluate my performance and see where there was room for improvement? Did I see the challenge correctly? Did I do my research before I shared my response? Did I reach out to others that might have gone through this situation to share their experiences?" - Clint Hurdle in "Hurdle-isms" 

Putting players and teams in a position to succeed defines coaching. Coaching it teaching...and curiosity about our limitations. In his excellent book, Hurdle lays out worthy questions. 

Did I eliminate distractions?

Computers do not multitask. They process faster than people, who cannot switch attention with the same speed and accuracy.

Focus separates the best. Focus allows attention to detail and execution. Whatever your responsibility in the moment, focus completely. 

Did I prepare? 

Preparation is physical and mental. Study the game. Preparation means refining skills, maximizing athleticism, and taking care of your body with hydration, rest, nutrition, sleep, and more. Mindfulness is an important part of preparation for many elite athletes. 

Did I practice? 

Practice means working in advance to be capable of executing the tasks expected of you. Becoming a defensive guard within modern basketball asks the equivalent of Rocky Balboa doing chicken chasing. 

Were we innovative in building skill and athleticism? 

Building in constraints (conditions) such as time, makes, or sequences ups the difficulty. 

Did I produce? 

Players produce in different ways. Scorers score, rebounders rebound. Players should ask did I impact winning and how? Did I make my teammates better - by communicating, by doing the dirty work, by helping the team finish plays? 

Did I honestly evaluate my performance...

Each of us knows when we've shown high performance or fallen short. Nobody relishes saying, "I was bad." But we've all been there. Win or learn. Growing from mistakes separates long term success. The success equation is: 

ACHIEVEMENT = PERFORMANCE x TIME 

Highest achievement means exceptional performance over extended time. 

Did I see the challenge correctly? 

Success means knowing the task and executing it. Giving our best doesn't guarantee success. The eighth best poker player in the world may get her head handed to her if her opponents are one through seven. Of course, luck does play a role in that situation. 

Did I do my research? 

Research varies with task at hand. Coaches may need to study tape, player development, psychology, exercise physiology. Studying people and how our body language (hand movements, eye contact, body position) influences how others see us also matters. Research is unbounded and top coaches are curious and open. 

In my sixties, I took the free Coursera.org course, "Learning how to learn," because learning helps craft our edge. 

Did I reach out to others?

Sean McVay, coach of the Rams explained, "Everyone benefits from coaching." I've shared before how Harvard surgeon Atul Gawande hired a senior surgeon to review his technique. He wrote about this in "The Coach in the Operating Room." Another core belief states, "Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence." 

Lagniappe. When a coach says, "You can't teach me anything," they're saying nothing about us and everything about themselves. Abraham Lincoln said, "I will prepare and someday my chance will come."  

Via ChatGPT Plus: Here are the big takeaways from Atul Gawande’s “A Coach in the Operating Room” (his New Yorker piece about inviting a senior surgeon to coach him):

Core ideas

• Even experts plateau. Skill doesn’t automatically keep improving with experience; deliberate feedback restarts growth.

• A coach supplies an external eye. You can’t see your own blind spots—tiny posture, setup, or timing issues that cascade into bigger problems.

• Feedback is specific and observable. Notes like “raise your elbow,” “reposition the drape,” “slow your first three stitches,” or “move the monitor here” change performance immediately.

• Coaching isn’t remediation. It’s a performance tool for the already competent (as in music and sports), not a fix for incompetence.

• Structure beats vibes. Pre-agreed roles (coach observes, asks questions, offers concrete cues after the case) keep it safe, focused, and ego-proof.

• Results compound. Small improvements in setup, economy of motion, and team communication add up to cleaner, steadier operations.

• Cultural hurdle > technical hurdle. The biggest barrier is professional pride; once you allow another expert in, improvement follows.

How Gawande worked with his coach

• Chose a trusted, highly experienced surgeon (not his boss) to watch cases.

• Asked for micro-level notes on technique, setup, and communication—things colleagues normally don’t say aloud.

• Met after cases to translate notes into one or two changes for the next operation (not a dozen).

• Kept it ongoing, not one-and-done—performance is perishable.

Translated for any high-skill field (e.g., coaching volleyball)

• Pick the right coach: someone you respect who’ll be frank and specific.

• Film or live-observe: agree on 2–3 focus areas (setup, first actions, communication).

• Make feedback actionable: verbs + location (“lower platform angle on float serve receive,” “call seam early”).

• Iterate: one change per session, measured in the next rep/match.

• Normalize it: “Pros have coaches” reduces ego threat and makes feedback routine.

Com

Notes from Auriemma and Knight

Study greatness. We abuse the term great. Great arrives infrequently. Sports differ but many coaching principles cross sport domains. These coaching notes from Bob Knight and Geno Auriemma illustrate.

Find some core concepts to adopt. 

Excerpts:

1) Playing defense has to be taught (well)

2) Many coaches make the mistake of trying to coach something that someone else does well (coach what we do well)

3) What you can TEACH depends on the type of players you have

4) How will the other team beat us?

5) Nature won't help you, you have to make change happen

6) IMPORTANT: know strengths and limitations

• Tell a kid what they CAN'T do (yet)
• Tell a kid what they CAN do

7) Find a way to simplify the game for the kids

8) What little things are going to make the team better?

9) 

10) You can't make kids into something they are not.

11) Have drills to create intensity and attitude from the beginning of practice

12) Drills are run at the pace you want to play at

13) Practice culture:

14) "Thinking makes good players out of average players."

15) Maximize practice time; maximize teaching. 

16) Do things that suit you as a coach and your players

17) Make practice hard:

My thoughts: 

***Beating quality means scoring points. You cannot win 0-0. Execute. Execute. Execute.

***Show players and teams specifically what we want done.

**  Use video as illustration. This is how we will do it. 

*    Regularly reassess whether change/improvement happened

Lagniappe. It's more than what we do. It's doing it well. 

Great teams don’t just focus on *what* they’re doing. 
They focus on *how* they’re doing it.

— Steve Collins (@TeachHoopsBBall) September 18, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Be good at what matters every possession. 

BASKETBALL IS SIMPLE

Winning Basketball is not about complicated sets, or the ability to make tough shots. It’s about being disciplined and consistent in the simple things that happen the most in the game…. Finishing possessions with rebounds, taking care of the basketball,… pic.twitter.com/4TBmedQVj2

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) October 14, 2025

Basketball - "Have a Clear Philosophy"

"Have a clear philosophy." What does that mean?

Basketball philosophy is our blueprint for program formation. The word "philosophy" originates from the Greek, combining the words "philo" meaning "love" and "sophia" meaning "wisdom."

Philosophy establishes our direction, like a road map. Years ago a parent asked a new coach the team's philosophy, and the coach said, "I don't have one." The season went downhill from there.

Quotes reflect our philosophy but don't define it. 

• "Sacrifice." Coach Ellis Lane expressed teamwork as sacrifice. 
• "Basketball is sharing." Phil Jackson said it another way. 
• "Team first" is how John Calipari staked out his territory. 
• "The game honors toughness." Brad Stevens and others recognized the role of physical and mental strength. 
• "Two is one and one is none," shares the doctrine of Navy SEALs.

Pete Carroll's emphasizes having a clear philosophy in his book "Win Forever." There's no one way to coach.

Coach John Wooden developed his "Pyramid of Success" as a model for philosophy and culture. Wooden informed "success as peace of mind attained through self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you're capable." 

Vince Lombardi's model was simpler, "Winning isn't everything. Winning is the only thing." 

I favored "TIA" - teamwork, improvement, and accountability. 

• Teamwork - prioritize what is good for the team. 
• Improvement - "Seek daily improvement." 
• Accountability - "Hold ourselves to high standards in all areas.”

Your philosophy helps create a reference point and anchor for everyone in your system. Keep it simple, credible, and clear. 

Lagniappe. Bring energy and energize. 

Younger Coaches ,
Don’t let anyone tell you that don’t coach effort or energy. That it’s a given. NO IT’S NOT ! You do have to coach someone to believe and understand how hard they have to play to be GREAT. How much energy is needed to persevere and overcome. Build their BELIEF !

— Tom Crean (@TomCrean) October 14, 2025

Lagniappe 2. Brad Stevens told my wife, a rocket scientist, "basketball is not rocket science." 

BASKETBALL IS SIMPLE

Winning Basketball is not about complicated sets, or the ability to make tough shots. It’s about being disciplined and consistent in the simple things that happen the most in the game…. Finishing possessions with rebounds, taking care of the basketball,… pic.twitter.com/4TBmedQVj2

— Steve Dagostino (@DagsBasketball) October 14, 2025

Basketball - Why Every Leader Should Keep a Leadership Journal

Do you know anyone who wants to be a worse leader?

Of course not. Yet leadership growth rarely happens by accident - it happens through reflection. We improve when we examine our decisions, reactions, and relationships. A Leadership Journal could help coaches and players do exactly that: track your leadership moments, evaluate them honestly, and identify patterns that enhance or weaken your influence.

Reflecting on the Leaders Who Shaped You

Start by asking: Whom have I respected as leaders or coaches - and why?
What qualities earned your trust and admiration?

• Communication: clarity, simplicity, honesty

• Integrity: following through on words and promises

• Competence: deep domain knowledge and curiosity

• Optimism: belief that challenges can be overcome

• High Standards: setting the bar and modeling effort

• Trust: consistency and fairness in word and action

Strong leaders attract followers who think for themselves. As the saying goes, “Leaders make leaders, not servants.”

Learning from Poor Leadership

Equally powerful is recalling the leaders you held in low regard. What drove you - or others - away?

• Unapproachable

• Mercurial

• Untrustworthy

• Negative

• Controlling

• Paranoid

Poor leaders rarely lose positions first - they lose people. As the saying goes, “People don’t quit jobs; they quit people.”

The Power of Reflection

In Think Again, Adam Grant encourages a “Rethinking Scorecard” to capture moments when we change our minds. The same principle applies to leadership: document, dissect, and develop.

Your Leadership Journal might include entries such as:

• What leadership opportunity did I face today?

• How did I respond - model excellence, avoidance, or something in between?

• What attitude, belief, or value was at play?

• What might I do differently next time?

The Payoff

A Leadership Journal transforms experience into insight. It moves you from reacting in the moment to improving with intention. Over time, you’ll notice themes - where you thrive, where you stumble, and where growth awaits.

Leadership isn’t a static trait; it’s a practice. Writing is rehearsal for becoming better versions of ourselves.

Applying the Leadership Journal to Coaching Basketball

Basketball coaches live in a constant cycle of decisions—timeouts, substitutions, play calls, player development, and culture building. Every choice reveals values. A Leadership Journal shapes a quiet postgame huddle with yourself.

After practices or games, take five minutes to write:

• What leadership moments arose today?

• Did I model composure under pressure?

• Did my words clarify or confuse?

• Did I build trust or erode it?

• How did I handle adversity—an official’s call, a player’s mistake, a teammate’s conflict?

Patterns emerge. Maybe you react too quickly when frustrated, or maybe your best moments come when you listen first. A Leadership Journal helps you see yourself as your players see you.

Great teams mirror their coaches. Calm leaders breed calm teams. Curious leaders inspire learners. Accountable leaders create accountability. The act of journaling - simple, regular reflection - keeps leadership fresh and planned, not accidental.

In basketball, as in life, we play how we practice. A Leadership Journal helps maintain a scaffold for leading well.

Lagniappe. Coach Matt Dennis shares a few 'best practices'. 

Coaches screenshot this, write it down, like the post, just don't forget about it.

- Define roles clearly with each player during pre-season and check in mid-season.

- Teach phrases players can use: “How can I help the team?”

- Have a “Team First” board where contributions are…

— Coach Matt Dennis (@CoachMattDennis) October 13, 2025

Unlocking the Principles of "Win Forever"

Sport success lives in the public domain. Nobody owns a secret sauce or a magic “trick” that separates winners from losers. Every coach and athlete has access to leadership books, motivational quotes, and performance science. Yet results vary.

Winning requires more than slogans. It demands a detailed plan, consistent implementation, and above all - patience.

Pete Carroll has won championships at both the collegiate and professional levels. After being fired from the New England Patriots, he had an epiphany: his core belief and competence centered on competition. He wasn’t just a coach; he was a competitor—and he needed to build a culture that competed in everything.

“I sensed a newfound confidence and belief in myself. I had never felt so prepared and well-equipped to deal with the challenges of taking over a program.”

“One of the keys to success lies in knowing and believing in yourself.”

Carroll also recalled his mother’s quiet optimism: “Something good is about to happen.”

1. Mindset

Push yourself to be your best every day. “Always compete” isn’t about beating others—it’s about maximizing who you can become.

2. Trust and Collaboration

Success demands connection. Every role on a team is earned through trust—trust in preparation, effort, and reliability.

3. Shared Vision, Shared Goals

The past doesn’t guarantee the future. Yesterday’s win is history. Teams thrive when everyone sees the same vision and chases it together.

4. Have a Clear Philosophy

Know what you believe. Define your values and your purpose, then let those principles guide every decision, practice, and conversation.

5. Compete Relentlessly

Carroll’s mantra—Always Compete—extends beyond game day. Compete in effort, focus, learning, and consistency.

6. Practice Is Everything

Champions earn confidence in practice. Excellence under pressure is built on thousands of quality reps when no one’s watching.

7. Coaching Is Teaching

Coaching is education. The best coaches are teachers—of fundamentals, habits, and mindset. And assistant coaches are learners as well as leaders.

8. Improve Continuously

“Do things better than they’ve ever been done before.” Carroll’s standard isn’t perfection—it’s relentless improvement.

9. Play Without Fear

As Bon Jovi sings, “You can’t win until you’re not afraid to lose.” Fear paralyzes; confidence frees.10. Excellence Transcends the Field

Winning forever means carrying the same habits—preparation, humility, consistency—into life beyond sport.

Takeaway:
Pete Carroll’s Win Forever philosophy isn’t about results—it’s about process. Compete with purpose, teach with clarity, prepare with intent, and trust that “something good is about to happen.”

Lagniappe. You know the answer immediately. 

The hardest person you’ll ever lead isn’t your team.

It isn’t your players.
It isn’t your kids.

It’s the one staring back at you in the mirror.

If you can’t live your own standards, why should anyone follow?

Lead yourself first. Always.

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) October 13, 2025

Basketball - The Power of Productive Paradox

Great programs live in the tensions. Excellence isn’t a straight line. Hold two “opposites” at once, and you get nuance, range, and resilience.

1) Self-Reliant and Community-Powered

1a. Become self‑reliant. Own your habits, your film, your reps.
1b. “Look for the helpers.” — Mr. Rogers. Build a bench of mentors, trainers, and truth‑tellers.

How they fit: Self‑reliance is the engine; helpers are the fuel and pit crew. On court: an athlete builds personal progression and asks a veteran teammate to watch shooting form.

Use it: Set a weekly I‑Goal (what I control) and a weekly We‑Goal (who I’ll ask for feedback).

2) Double Down on Strengths and Study Weaknesses

2a. Discover what you’re good at. Weaponize your edge.
2b. Learn more about what you’re not good at. Shrink the liability.

How they fit: Offense wins by amplifying strengths; championships are lost by ignored weaknesses. Basketball: keep your corner‑three specialist in rhythm while teaching competent counters off a hard closeout.

Use it: 70/20/10 Rule — 70% reps on strengths, 20% on the #1 weakness, 10% exploring a new tool.

3) Embrace Role and Grow the Role

3a. Embrace your role. Star in your job today.
3b. “Do more to become more.” Earn tomorrow’s job by expanding competence.

How they fit: Teams need reliability now and upside later. Shutdown defender? Add offensive skills to earn more time. 

Use it: A Role Card with two lines: Non‑negotiables I must deliver and Stretch I’m building by Week 6.

4) Master Fundamentals and Expand the Toolbox

4a. Excel at fundamentals. Footwork, spacing, shot selection.
4b. The best players add tools. A second tempo, a left‑hand finish, a pocket pass.

How they fit: Fundamentals make you playable; tools make you unguardable. Tools without base = gimmicks.

Use it: Every new skill must trace to a core principle (this move protects spacing/tempo/shot quality). If it can’t, it’s noise.

5) Outwork Everyone and Protect the Person

5a. “Hard work works.” Volume, intent, consistency.
5b. Seek work‑life balance. Recovery, academics, family, joy.

How they fit: Work grows the output; balance preserves the worker. 

Use it: Publish a weekly load plan: high day, medium, light, off. Pair the hardest physical days with the simplest cognitive tasks.

6) Be a Lifelong Learner and Simplify Ruthlessly

6a. Stay curious. Film, clinics, books, questions.
6b. Simplify and clarify. Players win with clear preparation and feedback.

How they fit: Leaders absorb complexity and deliver clarity. Learn broadly; teach in bullet points.

Use it: After every new idea, enforce a Rule of Three: three words, three cues, three drills.

7) Give First and Be Ambitiously Helpful

7a. Be a giver. Lift teammates, share knowledge.
7b. Ambitious givers do best. Give in ways that also raise your standards.

How they fit: Service plus standards beats either alone. The senior who mentors a freshman and insists on daily toughness builds culture and performance.

Use it: Help, then Hold. Offer help; set high expectations.

8) Celebrate and Reset

8a. Celebrate victories. Mark progress; name what worked.
8b. Not for long. Back to work. The process resumes tomorrow.

How they fit: Recognition cements behavior; reset limits complacency. The post‑match meeting: 2 minutes of praise, 2 of learning, 1 of next steps.

Use it: Install a 5‑minute Win‑Learn‑Plan cadence after every contest.

Sidebar: The Paradox Playbook

• Two‑column thinking: For any decision, write the benefit of each pole. Ask, “What fails if we ignore one side?”

• Cadence over intensity: Be a tracker - weekly role check‑ins, load plans, Rule‑of‑Three teaching.

• Language discipline: Short cues carry paradox cleanly—Own it / Ask early, Role now / Range next, Base first / Tool second.

Bottom line: High performance isn’t optional. Teach your team to live in the tension, and the “contradictions” become competitive advantages.

Lagniappe. Coaches are "merchants of truth." 

Coaches are among the last Truth Tellers left for kids today.

Too many young people grow up hearing only what they want to hear, never what they need to hear.

Honesty builds trust.
Accountability builds character.
Both build leaders.

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) October 12, 2025