Basketball - Acronyms for Performance

"What has not been learned has not been taught."

As coaches, we don't always know what information "sticks." Everyone learns differently, so teaching with various methods might help. Regardless of how we teach, seek "performance-focused, feedback-rich" approaches.

Acronyms and equations always appealed to me. 

"An acronym is a type of abbreviation formed from the initial letters or syllables of a multi-word phrase, which is pronounced as a single word rather than as individual letters." - Brave AI

Here are some of my favorites, in search of a "Magnificent Seven"

1. SUCCESS 
2. OODA
3. EDIR x 5
4. WIN
5. PDCA
6. AAR
7. THINK

They span:

• Learning
• Decision-making
• Communication
• Leadership
• Improvement

SUCCESS from the Heath Brothers "Made to Stick" 

• Simple 
• Unexpected
• Concrete 
• Credible
• Emotional 
• Stories 

Spencer Haywood went to Detroit seeking a scholarship. The coach told him, "Make 15 free throws in a row and you got it." Haywood did and is the basketball Hall of Fame. 

Larry Bird shot 500 free throws before school. 

Kobe Bryant made 1,000 shots a day over the summer. 

OODA Loops 

Colonel John Boyd taught dogfighting using the OODA loop...

• Observe
• Orient
• Decide 
• Act 

Top players have a learned ability to 'see the game' and anticipate the next action. A LeBron example.

EDIRx5

A Wooden acronym EDIRx5 sequenced teaching 

• Explain
• Demonstrate
• Imitate
• Repeat x 5 

Wooden emphasized that the greatness of Bill Walton arose from his willingness never to tire of working on fundamentals (like footwork). 

WIN

"What's important now?" Brad Stevens asked a slightly longer version, "What does my team need now?

A parallel acronym comes from the NFL - "Not for long." Successful teams and players continually make adjustments. They build skill, athleticism, and basketball IQ. 

PDCA

• Plan
• Do
• Check 
• Act

This acronym is taught across sports, business, medicine. 2,500 years ago in The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote that "every battle is won before it is fought." Bob Knight said that it's not about "the will to win but the will to prepare to win." 

AAR 

AAR represents "After Action Review." In basketball it's post-game video study, where Joe Mazzulla says to look for the 10-15 plays that 'on the margin' decide most wins and losses. In the NFL, it's Mondays where coaches break down what separated victory or defeat. In medicine, we have "postmortem examinations" and "morbidity and mortality" case review where doctors and trainees learn from bad outcome. Sometimes that means, "good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment." 

THINK 

THINK informs a powerful communication acronym. It reminds us to "think" before we speak and "stop and take a breath."

• True - is it true? 
• Helpful - is it helpful?
• Inspiring - does it inspire?
• Necessary - is it important?
• Kind - is it kind? 

Everyone violates some of these. If a leader violates them much of the time, their leadership comes under more scrutiny. 

There are more. ROB shots (in range-open-balanced). SSPP - skill, strategy, physicality, psychology. TTP - trust the process. 

Find out what works for you? 

Lagniappe. Spurs shooting workout. 

“Spurs 100” shooting workout ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/OwrXfCQo0x

— Anthony Pugh (@Anthony_Pugh2) June 13, 2026

Lagniappe 2. For "Magnificent Seven" fans...the movie and its remake were inspired by Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and his "Seven Samurai." 

Basketball - "Dopamine List"

Dopamine is a key bodily chemical, intimately involved in the reward and pleasure center. More accurately, "dopamine is the chemical of anticipation, motivation, and pursuit. It is the drive to get the reward, not the joy of experiencing it."

Analyzing our basketball experience, choose joy over grim, pedestrian existence. 

Positivity and optimism are force multipliers. "Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm. 

Lexington (after Rollie Massimino and Ron Lee) was the dragon that needed to be slain. Bottom left corner, the author is Peter Gammons. 

Winning as a team meant everything. 

As Brad Stevens said, "Coaches get more than we give." 

"Damning with faint praise." Never be a humorless dweeb. 

A tiny, legacy plaque endured...will it be found in the new Wakefield High School.

You only have to win once to etch an indelible memory (via Boston Globe, 1973) 

The last team I coached...Cecilia Kay will be a junior at St. Joseph's of Philadelphia and the A-10. 

Our twin daughters helped to create their own basketball legacy. 

Our daughters, like their old man, got to play in Boston Garden twice. 

My 'suppressed desire' in high school was to write a book. E-books didn't exist then. Maybe I should have followed the advice to Jose Canseco, "maybe you should read a book before you write one."

Basketball has given me a lot more than I have given it. These snapshots explain why it leaves marks. 

What's on your basketball "dopamine list?"

Lagniappe. Coach K reminds us, "Basketball is about making plays, not running plays."  

Offensive systems can act as rate limiters in their own right by preventing players from becoming more skillful. pic.twitter.com/rWHISyF27g

— Transforming Basketball (@transformbball) June 20, 2026

Lagniappe 2. I loved practice. Get every player 150 or more shots in a practice. "Repetitions make reputations." Yes, games are where "the rubber meets the road." And practice is where we build the cars. 

One of the biggest myths in youth basketball is that more games = more development.

The research on skill acquisition suggests otherwise. Learning happens through quality repetitions, immediate feedback, and solving game-like problems.

If a player touches the ball 15 times in a…

— Adam Barnes (@CoachBarnes1) June 16, 2026

 

Basketball - "Only Learn from Your Own Experience"

“Charlie Munger, once said, learn everything you possibly can from your own personal experience, minimizing what you learned vicariously from the good and bad experience of others, living in dead. This prescription is a sure-shot producer of misery and second rate achievement.“ - Rolf Dobelli in The What Not to Do List

Not confining our learning to our own experience might be an offshoot of "Make Friends with the Dead."

We make mistakes. Everyone 'screws up'. Coach Ellis Lane told us again and again, "When I correct someone's mistake, it applies to everyone." That included "$hit $hots" and "$hitbird defense." 

What are a few obvious examples? 

Sample size

You watch a player have an outstanding game. He has size, athleticism, and "unlimited potential." You sign him to a scholarship and it doesn't work out because of character or competence issue, bad luck or injury.

Ignoring History

"The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." The athlete is troubled, but you know you can fix him. Sure, he had a tough upbringing, but the blend of talent and performance is irresistible...until he starts killing people...literally. The Aaron Hernandez story illustrates. 

The Bonus Baby

You fall in love with a player who comes from a good program, produced, and has his best years ahead of him. Except...he's more committed to "The Life" instead of "The Game." But he's still getting paid and after all he was your number one pick. So he gets more chances and more rope to fail until you've fished enough and cut bait. It's proven fact that scholarship players and high picks get more chances regardless of whether they deserve it. 

The Problem Man-Child

He's the boy "with the Golden Arm." He's had success and he "has a few problems." Rookie of the Year, World Series champion...over his career, in another era, he's earned over 8.5 million dollars. "The guy can pitch..." so he gets chance after chance despite a litany of drug offenses and seven suspensions. When his arm finally goes, you let him go...and he ends up killing himself in a motor vehicle accident. 

Find the Piece That Fits

Champions are made of sterner stuff. He became the poster child for "Three and D." Over a thirteen-year NBA career he averaged six points and one assist. He led the NBA in three-point shoot (.441) one-year and was an eight-time All-Defensive selection. He helped SAS to three NBA titles and wound up earning over 30 million dollars. Not bad for a journeyman...Bruce Bowen. 

Break the Mold

He was a four-year player at Oregon. Analytics tell us that the best predictors of NBA success are program played at, success in college, and age when drafted (younger is better). Some guys don't inhabit that space. Payton Pritchard was a tireless worker with a handle and a shot that could space defenses. All he did was help win an NBA title and won NBA Sixth Man of the Year. 

Don't allow ourselves to be held back by conventional wisdom. Assess for competitive character in addition to "what's his NBA skill?" 

Lagniappe Fran Fraschilla echoes the opinion of Geno Auriemma and Danny Hurley. 

If you’ve coached a great offensive player who is athletic and competes, you can teach him to play defense. It’s a lot harder to teach a good defensive player to put the ball in the basket consistently. Criticism of some of these players’ defensive ability in college is vastly…— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) June 20, 2026

Lagniappe 2. It's a geometry problem? Brian Scalabrine approached Steven Adams who offered him half of an apple. Adams broke it in half with his bare hands. Scalabrine said, "you accept an offer from a guy who can do that."   

Steven Adams explains the science of rebounding

“You’re trying to occupy more degrees than the person boxing you out.”

(h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA)

https://t.co/w0swPmpdGl

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 18, 2026

 

Basketball Specifics - "Simple Is Hard"

As a coach, my philosophy is "share something great." For example:

• Books
• Philosophy
• Quotes
• Learning Strategies
• How not to repeat painful losses

Everyone decides:

- What we want

- What that will take

- Can we pay that price?

1. Surround yourself with great people.

Find mentors, your Personal Board of Directors. "You lie down with dogs you get fleas." 

2. Traffic in Specifics.

"Do the right things, the right way, every time." Young people don't know what that means. Explain this is what I'm going to tell you, explain it, and close the loop by asking them to explain it. And keep doing that process. 

3. "The Power of Negative Thinking"

Live "via negativa." Avoid traps - bad people, alcohol and substance abuse, risky behaviors - selfies on cliffs, free climbing, fast or distracted driving. "Physics is real."

4. "Do hard better." 

Focus. Plan. Write your plan. Build great habits like punctuality, preparation, reading, and gratitude. "The wind blows hardest at the top of the mountain."

5. Avoid complacency.

Chop wood, carry water. Don't go back to the fundamentals. Never leave. Do the work with attention to detail every day. Sweat. Persist. Inspire.

You might say, "that is all simple." Simple is hard.

Lagniappe. Rolf Dobelli's "The Not To Do List" has a multitude of wisdom. Chapter 13... "Don't get involved in other people's drama." Drama kills teamwork. Your teammates are your sisters. How do you treat your sisters? 

The Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

The Silver Rule: "Do NOT do unto others as you would not have them do unto you." 

 

Basketball - Under Pressure

"Pressure is playing a five dollar Nassau with two dollars in your pocket." - Golfer Lee Trevino

Everyone experiences pressure in their lives. Some cultivate the tools to manage it as well as possible. Pressure degrades performance.

Pressure forms in perception. Some people see pressure as opportunity and others see it as crisis.

Allistair McCaw described Olympic diver Greg Louganis' approach in Habits That Make a Champion. “When you walk into that arena, there’s an energy, it is palpable. If you interpret that energy as pressure, you’re more apt to implode. But if you interpret that pressure as energy and inspiration, it can catapult you to levels you never dreamed possible.”" 

Under pressure, we fall to the level of our training. Navy SEALs have "Hell Week" with severe physical challenges, sleep and calorie deprivation while trainers harass them, daring them to quit. "Ring the bell." 

Managing Pressure

Practice with constraints and using situational basketball. 

• Advantage-disadvantage - e.g. 4 versus 5 halfcourt or 5 versus 7 fullcourt
• Time pressure - e.g. trailing by four with two minutes left and your opponent with the ball; trailing by two with five seconds left executing a BOB, SLOB, or ATO
• Rules constraint - scrimmage with scoring allowed only in the paint

Practice under adversity

• Allow the opposition to play physical (not dirty) basketball 
• Practice against a better team (e.g. women vs skilled men)

Develop Mental Skills

Mindfulness, self-talk, and visualization (e.g. "highlight reel") all have a role in restructuring a trainee's physical (brain MRI) and chemical (circulating stress hormones) makeup. Mindfulness training takes time but aids focus, mood, and sleep. 

Ancillary Techniques

• Optimize 'arousal level' with music, either hype or relaxing depending on your baseline arousal level. 
• "Celebrate small wins." Compete in practice. 
• Mental practice has been shown to improve physical performance.

Figure created with ChatGPT Plus

Pressure is part of life. During severe stress caring for patients with life-threatening illness in the ICU, I used some of these techniques to reset. Visualizing another setting, a tropical beach or putting yourself in a calm picture (for 30-60 seconds), could change the world. 

"Portrait of the Artist's Mother" also known as "Whistler's Mother" 

Accept that pressure is unavoidable, that it degrades performance, and training with proven techniques can help us do better. Soft skills make tough competitors better. 

Lagniappe. Are we creating advantage? 

Why run the stuff you're running? It's worth a deep dive this offseason. https://t.co/xDyj9jt5yl

— WINK (@tristan_wink) June 18, 2026

Basketball - Products of Our Environment

"In life and in sports, I have always believed that one of the most important decisions you can make is: Choosing your surroundings in terms of people and environment." - "Habits That Make A Champion" by Allistair McCaw

Our environments shape us. In Freakonomics, readers learned that one of the prime educational factors was the number of books in the home. Exposure to books impacts childhood learning.

Our training environment matters...the culture and the people who surround us.

LeBron James invests over a million dollars annually in his training environment - nutrition, sleep, mindfulness, basketball.  

Coach Mike Krzyzewski's fingerprints are all over The Bear...and he didn't know it. “The other thing is that you’re not gonna get there alone. You know, be on a team. Surround yourself with good people and learn how to listen. You’re not gonna learn with you just talking. And when you do talk, converse, don’t make excuses. Figure out the solution, and you don’t have to figure it out yourself. I always wanted to be part of a team. And obviously, I wanted to lead that team. What an interesting life it is to be a leader.”

Environment includes where we train, with whom we train, how we train, and freedom from distractions. Excellence doesn't survive distractions. 

The "self-made man" remains a myth. Everyone gets help as "mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence." Recognize this and share credit. "Althea Gibson, one of the first black athletes to cross the color line of international Tennis and the first African American to win a Grand Slam title once said, “No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you.”" - Allistair McCaw in Habits That Make a Champion

Paraphrasing Harry Bosch, the Michael Connelly hero, "Everything counts or nothing counts."

Improve Our Training Environment

• Surround ourselves with good people and listen.
• Find a mentor. 
• Invest in yourself. Excellence extracts a price. 
• Train without distractions. 
• Recognize people and things holding us back.

Lagniappe. Allistair McCaw shares environmental musts. His Habits That Make a Champion is a must read for coaches. 

10 Traits of a High Performing Training Environment: 

1. Involves people of high character 
2. Drives high standards and values 
3. There is psychological safety 
4. Has competent coaches and support personnel 
5. Is growth minded 
6. There is consistent feedback provided 
7. Includes other high performing athletes 
8. Provides the appropriate facilities and equipment 
9. Motivates the athlete to work harder 
10. Teaches life skills, not only athletic skills

Lessons and Cautions from a Recent Graduate

Just finished up my college baseball career last month, so I figured I would share some advice I wish I knew before I started my college career. These are based on my opinions and experiences, so if you disagree with some of these feel free to share your opinion. pic.twitter.com/UwWaxypSz0

— Riley Bender (@RileyBender7) June 15, 2026

Sport is a meritocracy. Career arcs generally follow production. As a D1 walk-on pitcher, I had about the undistinguished career that you would expect. As a Harvard freshman (not eligible then), I pitched batting practice to a team that went to Omaha. So there's that. 

1. There are studs at every level.

Show up prepared physically and mentally every day. Don't blame coaches for our limitations. 

2. Mental game importance

Attitude leads choices and effort. Even though we're not "in the game," be aware of the game flow, strategy, and personnel. 

3. Mental game tips

Focus is trainable. Habit formation defines destiny. Mindfulness is a force multiplier.

4. Know your why.

Our why can change. Priorities (e.g. graduate school, earning spending money) can replace previous priorities. 

5. Know your reasons for choosing a school.

Find a good fit. If sport is a primary driver and you don't have the same commitment to the school, then poor production, coaching changes, academic woes, or many other issues can derail the process and necessitate transfer.

6. Competition and relationships.

Coaching is a relationship business. Day-to-day competition can impact relationships. In some instances in sport, people sabotage others to advance their cause. Carl Pierson's "The Politics of Coaching" shares a valuable resource and is a worthy read for every coach and sports parent. 

7. Nothing is promised.

Experience shows that expectations and reality often do not intersect. Life reflects the differences between what happens and our response. 

8. Anything can happen.

Some people fashion incredible success stories from humble origins and others "flame out" despite having every advantage. 

9. You get out what you put in. 

The Greeks described three values - ethos (moral character and credibility), logos (reason/logic), and pathos (emotion). Hard work isn't a guarantee, but not working hard guarantees less. Ultimately character and competence separate most outcomes. 

Lagniappe. Coach Berge coaching phrases. 

What are your favorite coaching phrases?

Here are 20 of the best.

1. "Iron sharpens Iron."
2. "Are you a fountain or a drain?"
3. "Trust the process."
4. "Be a champion by choice."
5. "Eliminate easy. Handle hard."
6. “Find an excuse or find a way.”
7. "Never give up."…

— Greg Berge (@GregBerge) June 17, 2026

Two of my favorites are, "Everyone can't be a great player but everyone can choose to be a great teammate" and "sacrifice." 

Lagniappe 2. Coaches want everyone to succeed. 

If you watched your
1. Missed shots
2. Turnovers
3. Amount of standing watching the Ball
4. 1st 2 steps to the offensive glass, running the floor and in recovery defensively
5. How quick you get back on D after a turnover, missed shot or non call.

You’d get better QUICKLY

— Tom Crean (@TomCrean) June 17, 2026

 

Basketball - The Will to Fail

NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson said the one constant among winning players is being willing to fail in the summer when nobody is watching.

Every failed rep forces you to adjust and figure it out, and that is exactly what builds the self belief that shows up when the lights come… pic.twitter.com/YngmlvRdXO

— Bryce Butler (@bball_brainiac1) June 17, 2026

Have the will to fail.

Unconventional wisdom allows the neonate to walk, the pitcher to pitch to contact, the point guard to find new ways to score and lead. 

The story that resonates shares the mogul skier watched by a nine year-old who says, "I love how you ski. You never fall." At that moment, the woman realized she could not become a champion without taking more risk, having the will to fail. She became a champion. 

There's a saying that the cost of an Olympic Gold Medal in figure skating is falling 20,000 times. 

The conventional advice is "leave your comfort zone." 

Leaving the Comfort Zone 

Growth seldom happens inside our comfort zone. Improvement requires a willingness to be uncomfortable, make mistakes, and risk failure in pursuit of mastery.

1. Seek Better Competition

One of the fastest ways to improve is to compete against superior athletes - bigger, faster, stronger, more skilled.

Leveling up can be humbling. What worked before may not still work. Your favorite moves may be shut down. Weaknesses are exposed that were hidden against lesser opponents.

Many women's college programs have a scrimmage team comprised of men. 

Better competition informs gaps in your game and forces change. Great players seek strong opponents. "Iron sharpens iron."

2. Change Weakness Into Strength

Most athletes enjoy practicing known skills. The problem is that comfort does not foster growth.

The forward who struggles to contain the ball needs to grow grit and skill through playing one-on-one. The shooting guard who avoids penetration should work on athleticism, footwork, and reading defenders. The center who struggles on the defensive boards needs both strength and technique. 

The will to attack weaknesses separates good players from exceptional ones.

3. Assume Leadership 

Leadership can create stress, especially for athletes who are natural introverts. You don't need a title to lead. 

Leadership means communicating early, loud, and often. Hold teammates accountable, encourage others through mistakes, and raise standards when hard times come...and they always do.

Leadership can improve performance though commitment to excellence and growing confidence. Teaching, communicating, and setting an example deepen understanding and strengthen commitment to the team.

Commonalities

In each case, the athlete chooses challenge over comfort:

• Better opponents instead of easier wins.
• Weakness development instead of favorite drills.
• Leadership responsibility instead of retreat to the background.

The comfort zone feels safe, but growth lives elsewhere.

The athletes who consistently stretch themselves - physically, mentally, and emotionally - can approach mastery. Have the will to fail. 

Lagniappe. Love our losses.  

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Peak Performance Sports, LLC (@sportspsychcoach)

Basketball - Reviewing Our Process

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Allistair McCaw (@bechampionminded)

For good reason, humans are "wired" to believe what we see and hear. On the savanna, a noise in the bush could represent an "imminent threat." Failure to respond could be a matter of life and death in a "target rich environment" for predators (snakes, lions, etc.).

As coaches and student-athletes, we usually don't have the same urgency. Take the time to review new information and see whether it belongs in our 'software'.

Sport tends toward "copycat" approaches. That can apply to anything:

• Training methods
• Strategies
• Protective equipment choice and proper use
• Analytics
• Pregame music

How can we "parse" or filter the firehose of information? 

1. Ask more and better questions.
2. Seek opinions from authorities on your sport (your coaches)
3. Track both process and results
4. Separate "signal" from "noise" 
5. Study elite players, coaches, and programs
6. Use human and artificial intelligence and hybrids

Self-examine critically. A training notebook or journal could help. 

- Are you getting enough sleep? You should get eight hours minimum.

- Are you focused or distracted? Are we investing or spending our time? 

- Are you tracking your process and results? 

- Are you building athleticism? What is your program? 

- Are you developing resilience? A small mindfulness investment helps. 

Lagniappe. I'm reading "Habits That Make A Champion" by Allistair McCaw and wanted to share this with you.

10 Traits of A Coachable Athlete: 

• You take responsibility for your progress 
• You are open-minded and curious 
• You continually want to improve 
• You listen and welcome feedback 
• You have humility 
• You have self-awareness 
• You are respectful of others 
• You are not afraid to try new things 
• You are grateful for the help 
• You are committed to your improvement

Basketball - Become the Proof

Match your work to your goals. You’ve heard the whispers - too slow, too small, not tough enough, doesn’t see the game well enough.

Do they understand “who you are” or are they only thinking about “what you are?”

Kobe Bryant kept it simple, “Prove them wrong” with your work. 

Cinema celebrates individuals and teams that overcame underdog status. 

• Million Dollar Baby
• Rocky
• Hoosiers (based on real-life Milan, Indiana)

Real life stories share legendary will and skill. 

• Rudy - Walk-on to legendary Notre Dame story
• Bill Bradley - from banker's son to All-American, Rhodes Scholar, NBA Champion, and United States Senator. Bradley practiced three hours daily and all day Saturday starting about age twelve. 
• Wilma Rudolph - paralytic polio to Olympic sprint champion

Lagniappe. What are we telling players about their defense? 

We often train defense like every other basketball skill. That's a mistake.

Defensive development requires a different framework than shooting, ball handling, or finishing. https://t.co/Uqtl1honda

— Mike Jagacki (@Mike_Jagacki) June 12, 2026

“Smart Ideas” - Value Venn Diagrams and Conflict Management

Kirby Smart shares the two things he looks for in everyone who joins Georgia.

"The threat for us is complacency. The first thing you have to do is acknowledge that it's a threat. If you acknowledge it - that's the first step towards stomping it out."

Then he revealed what… pic.twitter.com/zipuFLPEh3

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) June 12, 2026

Overlapping values between players and coaches creates synergy. 

A Venn diagram is a visual tool that uses overlapping circles to show relationships between different groups or ideas. The overlapping areas represent similarities or shared characteristics, while the separate sections show differences. It helps simplify comparison, classification, and problem-solving by making connections easy to see.

Areas of convergence matter more than differences as long as none of the differences are "deal breakers."

Ricky Williams was a talented running back who found marijuana use helpful for both physical recovery and anxiety. The NFL didn't see it that way. Williams said that if he had pain, he was told "take Percocet" and he wasn't interested in hard drugs. His career was short.

Coaches uniformly will have concerns about:

• Work ethic
• Accountability
• Attention to detail 
• Teamwork 
• Being "part of the program"

Almost every player is concerned with:

• Individual success
• Minutes
• Role
• Recognition
• How the team functions

When the player understands what the coach wants, she has a far better chance to prepare, perform, and persist if she can adapt her wants to the coach's.

If a player's vision of "competitive character" doesn't align with the coaching staff, then problems are going to arise. That's where openness and communication matter. 

Conflict can be destructive or productive and most people have one of four conflict styles: Amanda Ripley (MasterClass) shares her big four...realizing that overlap is normal. 

We develop these styles young. 

Avoiders often agree or walk away. Ignoring toxicity doesn't fix anything. "Sometimes exposure is the only good treatment." Most people, bottom line, want to be heard and understood. 

Mediators look for common ground. They sense problems and seek to defuse it. But we can cede our feelings to others to our detriment. 

Fighters want to battle. "Let's go." That's seldom a solution and power imbalances exist. "Social justice warriors" don't alway win even if their positions are just. Fighting and bullying can overlap. They're often fact-based but not necessarily persuasive. 

Conflict entrepreneurs are dangerous, needy, often manipulators who live for it. They often have allies and are addicted to revenge. They don't see themselves as toxic. Compliance is a loss. Becoming them, "fighting fire with fire" doesn't work...getting into the mud. Ripley recommends 1) distancing, 2) trying to understand real wants, and 3) redirecting some of their energy when possible. They tend to be litigious. 

Navigating our role on a team either as a head coach, assistant, or player matters. Touching the wrong nerves can hurt our cause. Try to figure out who we are and who we're working with/against.

I say that it's easier to have "Batman and Robin" than "Batman and Batman." Harmful conflict in families, workplaces, or teams never results in good outcomes. Think divorce, or Donald Sterling and the Clippers...

The most reliable predictors for high conflict are either contempt or disgust. Anger is not the characteristic issue. 

Within dysfunctional conflict, destroyer number one is humiliating the 'opponent'. 

Be able to ask, "Help me understand how everyone is feeling so that we can work on it." We have to understand that our behavior impacts others even if we think we're "in the right." 

Healthy conflict can be stressful but creates knowledge of other perspectives and potential for solutions. Anyone who has been around sports for decades has their examples of "over the top" conflict which can't be shared. 

Summary: 

1) Recognize that both coaching staff and players have different values and desires. Learn them through communication. 

2) Conflict is inevitable

3) Work to have healthy not dysfunctional conflict 

4) Learn the "trigger points" that can set people off 

5) Prioritize solutions over "winning" conflicts 

Lagniappe. 250 shot workout. 

View on Threads