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Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Basketball - Chapter 31, The Little Things

Chapter 31 of Eric Kapitulik's The Program is entitled, "The Little Things Take Care of the Big Things." 


The quote describes the lesson - detail. The player? LeBron James.

Each of us has habits and systems. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, says that habits are votes for the type of person we wish to be. Writers write, readers read, physically fit people work out. 

Many of you recall Admiral McRaven's University of Texas commencement address. He lays out ten rules for success.

Here are ten key takeaways via ChatGPT:

  1. Make Your Bed – Starting the day with a small accomplishment builds discipline and momentum for bigger tasks.

  2. Find Someone to Help You Paddle – Success requires teamwork and support from others.

  3. Measure a Person by the Size of Their Heart, Not the Size of Their Flippers – Grit and determination matter more than physical attributes.

  4. Get Over Being a Sugar Cookie and Keep Moving Forward – Life is unfair; embrace hardships and keep pushing forward.

  5. Don’t Be Afraid of the Circus – Extra challenges (failures) make you stronger and more resilient.

  6. Slide Head First – Take risks and be bold in pursuit of success.

  7. Don’t Back Down from the Sharks – Face your fears head-on with courage.

  8. Be Your Best in the Darkest Moments – Tough times test character; rise to the occasion when it matters most.

  9. Start Singing When You’re Up to Your Neck in Mud – A positive attitude can inspire and uplift others during adversity.

  10. Never, Ever Quit – Perseverance is the ultimate key to success.

McRaven’s message: Small actions, resilience, and teamwork can change your life - and maybe even the world. Nothing resonates more with basketball. 

A core tenet of Stoicism is "control what you can control." What have the top players I've coached had in common? They had unusual size, athleticism, and will to develop the skill to become Division 1 athletes. Second, they had exceptional attention to detail. Samantha Dewey was always in her notebook, studying better basketball execution. Cecilia Kay has extraordinary intellect, a high school valedictorian. She grew an exceptional basketball IQ through video study. She was on the Patriot League All-Rookie team this season.

As a coach, what "little things" have you emphasized that got big results?

  • Teamwork. Be a "team first" player. Scoreboard over scorebook. 
  • Priorities. Take care of business - home, school, then sports. 
  • Share. Give credit to coaches and teammates. They'll remember. 
  • Learn every day. You never know when you'll need knowledge. 
  • Simplify. Vast stores of knowledge distill to fine points of wisdom.
  • Give and get feedback. When people are not on the same page, painful failures persist. 
  • Ask "what if?" CAPT Walsh said, "Never follow a lit fuse." 
Use small ideas to achieve great goals. 

Lagniappe. In honor of ADM McRaven, "Hook 'Em Horns." 
Lagniappe 2. From "The Program," by Kapitulik et al. "The mission must always be communicated down to the lowest level if we hope to accomplish it. It isn’t enough if only half or even 80% of the team knows it. It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that every single team member knows and understands the mission."

Lagniappe 3. Don't be afraid to coach. 


 

 

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