It's not a coin flip. Choose whom you want to become. Coaching and life share ups and downs. When Bill Belichick hears, "Belichick the genius," he replies "I've heard Belichick the idiot a lot."
Players make memories, the yin and the yang. Here are some vivid ones:
Be "That Girl." A player wanted to take responsibility for a loss. Bella hugged her, saying, "We win as a team and we lose as a team." Be the kind of person everyone values.
How did it make you feel? A bullying episode occurred. An assistant coach quoted Maya Angelou to the players:
Be worthy of the foxhole. Shannon was slight and probably 90 pounds soaking wet. There was a loose ball and she dived into the scrum near midcourt. She's the person I want in my foxhole.
Be fierce. Victoria, now in veterinary school, was friendly, tough, and ferocious. "You can call me Victoria or Vic but not Vickie." She earned the name, V-Rex.
Flash athleticism. As an assistant, I made the last pick for our team. At tryouts, Sydney wasn't the tallest or the most skilled but the most athletic. She became one of our top two players, a scoring machine with defensive anticipation. She also played on a State Championship volleyball team.
Be excited. I never coached Naomi. Just before tryouts began, she came up to me saying, "Hi, my name is Naomi, and I'm REALLY excited to be here." Dang, girls, be excited to be here.
Speak with nonverbals. Zoe made great eye contact. Stand tall, have a firm handshake, and swagger to show your best self, skills that follow you off the court.
"Friends stab you in the front." - Oscar Wilde Someone shares that a parent strongly disliked my coaching. I'd rather hear it directly with suggestions on how to improve. Years ago a mother approached me saying a parent complained her daughter wasn't learning anything. She said, "I go to all the practices and I learn a lot."
Be memorable. I told a player she was great and I had nothing left to teach her, another coach could bring her forward. She answered, "You are a great coach."
Key points:
- Be "That Girl."
- How did it make you feel?
- Be worthy of the foxhole.
- Be fierce.
- Be excited.
- Be memorable.
Lagniappe (something extra). Triple threat versus rapid decision-making.
Stephen Curry telling players at Curry Camp about making decisions in .5 seconds: pic.twitter.com/OnDCKULMo0
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) August 7, 2022
Lagniappe 2. Cavaliers BOB.
Cleveland Cavaliers BLOB - Dive-Pin pic.twitter.com/DQXpPTk6uR
— πΈππ ππππππ (@IdoBasketball) August 7, 2022
