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Friday, July 17, 2026

Basketball - More Principles to Ponder from Musashi

Make friends with the dead.

Coaches are often "rule followers" although everyone's rules are different. Worthy ideas repeat over millennia.  

Here's a list from Threads poster "Traditionalmasculinity." Find some to share with our student-athletes.

21 Rules a Dying Swordsman Left Behind

A week before his death in 1645, Miyamoto Musashi - undefeated in more than 60 duels - wrote 21 principles ("The Way of Walking Alone") for his student.

Musashi developed "two sword fighting" and is considered by many to be the greatest Samurai ever. 60-0 in fights to the death deserves note. I add some basketball annotations in black:

  1. Accept everything as it is. Don't argue with reality; adjust your understanding of the world to match it. "Control what you can control" or in market language, "The market is always right."
  2. Don't seek pleasure for its own sake. Satisfaction is a byproduct of purpose, not a goal in itself. Wooden, "Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable."
  3. Never act on a half-conviction. If you're not sure, you're not ready.
  4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world. Ego clouds judgment. Take our job seriously but not ourself. People are thinking about us far less than we think.
  5. Be detached from desire throughout your life. Attachment makes you easier to control.
  6. Never regret what you've done. Learn from it, but don't dwell on it. If we "Always do our best," that leaves less room for regret. Also a restatement of Rohn's, "There are two types of pain - the pain of discipline and the pain of regret." 
  7. Never be jealous. Jealousy punishes the one who feels it. 
  8. Do not be saddened by separation. People come and go—that is the natural order.
  9. Resentment and complaint help no one. Wooden's "Don't whine, don't complain, and don't make excuses."
  10. Don't let lust or love govern your decisions. Strong emotions can distort judgment.
  11. Have no fixed preferences. Stay open and adaptable.
  12. Be indifferent to where you live. Contentment comes from within, not from your surroundings.
  13. Don't chase fine food. Eat to live, not live to eat.
  14. Let go of possessions you don't need. The lighter your burden, the easier your journey. "Simplify." Revise our teaching, our playbook, our drill book. 
  15. Think for yourself. Don't follow tradition simply because it's customary, and don't reject ideas merely because they're unconventional.
  16. Don't collect more tools than you'll master. Depth of skill is better than accumulation. "Excel at what we do a lot."
  17. Do not fear death. Fear weakens judgment and action.
  18. Don't hoard wealth for an uncertain future. Be prudent without becoming consumed by accumulation.
  19. Respect the divine, but never depend on it in place of your own effort. How many times we were taught, "The Lord helps those who help themselves."
  20. Guard your honor above your own body. 
  21. Never stray from the Way. "We make our habits and our habits make us." 

Final Reflection:
Musashi wrote these principles near the end of his life, refining his own philosophy. The work of self-improvement is never finished until life is over.

Lagniappe. Coach Lync shares a list of situations. 

Lagniappe 2.  







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Thursday, July 16, 2026

Coaching Lessons from "Dave"

Coaching lessons surround us...if we're open to seeing them. The 1993 comedy, "Dave" shares an abundance of valuable lessons and standards. 

"I want you to do this because it's the right thing to do." 

The authentic President violates every principle of integrity in the interest of politics. He's the antithesis of principled. For him, it's all about him. 

Be willing to help. 

The Secret Service tells Dave they need him as a double for the President for the good of the country.

Fake it until you make it.

We sometimes lack the skills or the experience to execute a tough job. Leverage our skills to upgrade our capabilities and succeed. 

Be adaptable. 

Dave has to "become" instead of impersonate the President. He has to grow rapidly into a job that requires him to navigate waters he has never even imagined. 

Play the part.

In his "day job," he acts as a celebrity impersonator. Sometimes leaders feel the weight of "imposter syndrome," feeling underserving of the assignment. Dave works on mastery.  

Surround yourself with capable people.

Dave literally is in the midst of a palace coup. He enlists assistance from a trusted friend and earns the respect of his Secret Service. 

Keep learning (his entourage administers training)

Dave knows nothing about tripartite government or how the Executive functions. He gets a crash course and gets up to speed. 

Everyone won't like you. Deal with it. 

He quickly learns that there is plenty of opposition (and support) in Washington. He's developing a thicker skin while in the job. 

Authenticity helps - if you're not a jerk

Authenticity cuts multiple ways. If you're authentically selfish, lazy, and soft, others see it. But if you're intrinsically honest, kind, and a sharer, you gain allies. 

"When you hurt someone intentionally, that is not a mistake."

He's caught up in forces beyond his control, sometimes ignorant of policy that would offend anyone's sensitivity. His action or inaction harms a cause of The First Lady, who calls him out. He learns more about the issue and becomes a problem solver, stepping on toes. 

Resource management is on you.

Dave quickly understands, "The buck stops here" and the 'lightweight' learns that he can throw his weight around via title and power. 

Public relations matters

Leaders may be 'performative' - shaking hands and kissing babies. His humanity and sincerity shine through in how he treats others. 

Share.

In the White House kitchen, he prepares a midnight snack, an oversized sandwich. He cuts it in half and shares with his Secret Service agent (Ving Rhames), who sits down to eat with him. 

Have a big picture plan.

Dave's 'handlers' in the palace coup have a plan, but Dave has other ideas. He genuinely has the interest of the country at heart, despite being an unelected imposter. 

Develop new ideas

In his day job (employment agency), he sees the joy and fulfillment of clients who get work. In a classic "Chekhov's Gun" moment, he proposes a National Employment Act, seeking full employment. 

"You don't know how much you can do until you stand up and decide to try." 

Coaches have enormous influence as teachers, mentors, and leaders. Understand how one person can make a world of difference. 

Be worthy. 

"Dave, I would have taken a bullet for you." 

The 'job' of leadership has many parts - student, teacher, decision maker, advocate, judge, 'director', etc. Embrace Dave's genuine decency, capacity for growth, and integrity. 

Find the coaching and leadership lessons that inhabit everyday life. 

Lagniappe. Gregg Popovic says, "Don't ask for minutes. Make me play you." JVG tells players to take a hard look in the mirror (sound quality fair). 




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Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Basketball - "Protect the Team"

"There are still so many players we must protect. I had a different goal from yours, It wasn't winning the championship. It was to have a team that hates to lose, then goes out to win the next day. To become a team that plays persistently hard, to wear out the opponents even when it loses big time." - Operations Manager Lee in Hot Stove League

Giving anything less than your best should be anathema for you. Part of giving your best includes protecting the team. 

In Win Forever, Carroll reduced team culture to three rules:

  1. Always protect the team.
  2. No whining, no complaining, no excuses.
  3. Be early.

Bill Belichick's rules similarly revolve around the team:

  1. Know your job.
  2. Do your job.
  3. Pay attention to detail.
  4. Put the team first. 

Passion

"Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm." Passion is a critical component of performance, wanting to excel. 

Pride

Great advances in history occur through collaboration. Team accomplishments always mean shared success. 

Professionalism

Professionalism includes promptness, preparation, and focus. Attention is a skill. Hard work is a skill.

Professionalism appears in the weight room, the practice field, and in the training room when rehab is needed. 

Professionals protect the team on and off the court. They do the work at home, in class, and aren't involved in off-field incidents. 

Professionals protect the team. You don't have to be an adult to be a professional. 

Protect the team. 

Lagniappe. SSGs were a regular part of practice - creating communication, competition and more touches. 

 


 

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Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Low Cost Coaching Lessons

"There is nothing cheaper than free advice."

Coaching lessons seldom come cheap. "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." Can the ambitious coach accelerate the coaching process?

1. "Look for the Helpers." - Mr. Rogers

The Internet has a firehose of information. Among the most useful are YouTube videos and FIBA resources. They share coaching clinics, player development videos, and much more. 

2. Watch game video. 

Condensed game highlights, including NBA Summer League are available on YouTube. Learn to watch video. 

3. Coaching anthologies

Among the best is the Netflix series "The Playbook" which profiles five well-known coaches including Dawn Staley and Doc Rivers. 


4. Mentoring (Find a mentor)

"Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence."

Become a volunteer assistant. Study great coaches applying whatever standard you use. Among the best (alphabetically):
  • Red Auerbach
  • Geno Auriemma
  • Phil Jackson
  • Bob Knight
  • Mike Krzyzewski
  • John McLendon
  • Etorre Messina
  • Pete Newell
  • Zeljko Obradovic
  • Gregg Popovich
  • Dave Smart
  • Dean Smith
  • Dawn Staley
  • Pat Summitt
  • John Wooden
Here are some I've profiled. Don't confine yourself to basketball. Other legendary coaches/educators include Bill Belichick, Jack Clark, Anson Dorrance, Ed Smith, Bill Walsh.   

5. Podcasts 

There are too many to mention. Chris Oliver has hundreds that are excellent.

6. Reading

Read books, blogs, and articles. 

Read. Read. Read. It doesn't have to be solely basketball. Coaches are leaders. Here are a few outstanding leadership books. 

Learn every day. Keep a journal and become a sharer. One of the great sharers of all time was Don Meyer. 

Lagniappe. Become our best version by studying others. 
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Monday, July 13, 2026

Jordan Rules

"The Jordan Rules" refers to two related things:

  1. A defensive strategy used by the late-1980s/early-1990s Detroit Pistons against Michael Jordan.
  2. The famous book The Jordan Rules by Sam Smith about the early championship-era Chicago Bulls.

For coaches, the defensive rules are usually what people mean.

The Core Idea

The Pistons concluded:

"Jordan can score 40. What he cannot do is beat us with 40 while making everyone else better."

Their goal was not necessarily to stop Jordan. Their goal was to stop the Bulls.

Key Jordan Rules

1. Force Him Left

Jordan preferred attacking to his right.

Defenders shaded him left whenever possible.

Not because he couldn't go left, but because it was slightly less efficient and more predictable.

2. No Clean Drives

Whenever Jordan penetrated:

  • help came early
  • help came hard
  • help came from multiple defenders

The Pistons wanted him seeing bodies.

3. Make Every Touch Physical

In another era, the Pistons were notorious for:

  • bumps
  • holds
  • body contact
  • hard fouls

The objective was cumulative fatigue. Not one hard hit. Hundreds of small ones - trying to wear him down. 

4. Trap in Specific Areas

They often trapped Jordan:

  • near the baseline
  • in the corners
  • near the sideline

The sideline became an extra defender.

5. No Layups

Perhaps the most famous rule. If Jordan got to the rim: Make him earn it at the free-throw line. Easy baskets were unacceptable.

6. Force Others to Beat You

The Pistons were willing to live with:

  • John Paxson jumpers
  • Bill Cartwright touches
  • role-player shots

They were not willing to allow Jordan to dictate everything.

Why It Worked

The strategy helped the Pistons eliminate the Bulls in 1988, 1989, 1990 before Chicago finally broke through in 1991.

But there is an important coaching lesson: The Jordan Rules did not ultimately fail because the defense got worse. They failed because the Bulls got better.

Under Phil Jackson and the Triangle Offense, Chicago developed:

  • better spacing
  • better ball movement
  • more offensive balance

Jordan evolved from:

"I must beat you" to "we will beat you."

Coaching Takeaway

One of the great lessons from the Jordan Rules is:

Every dominant player eventually forces opponents to choose between stopping the star and stopping the team.

The best players are not merely great scorers. They become so dangerous that defensive attention creates opportunities for everyone else.

That's a principle that applies equally to basketball, volleyball, and virtually every team sport. The ultimate counter to a "Jordan Rule" is not individual brilliance—it's collective execution. 

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Sunday, July 12, 2026

Basketball - A Dozen Pieces of Advice that Work

Maybe you’ve heard them. Maybe not. Advice that works. Find some that will work for you. 

1. Better shot selection is the quickest path to improvement. Showing grainy, black and white film, Coach Ellis Lane called them, "Sh*t shots." After a film session, players better take fewer the next game. 

2. Better late than early off a screen - Say, “Wait, wait, wait.”

3. Big reasons why offenses fail is lack of urgent cutting. In a set play, you might not have much initial choice. Your effort is your choice. 

4. Turnovers kill dreams. We learned, “The ball is gold.”

5. "Spacing is offense and offense is spacing." The three-point line is the spacing line. Bad high school teams often have bad spacing. 

6. "Shout praise and whisper criticism." We choose whether to lose games and lose players who tune us out. 

7. “The ball is a camera.” If it can’t see you, then it can’t find you. And if the ballhandler can't see you, your cut won't help. 

8. The ball is the smartest thing on the court. It finds scorers, rebounders, assist guys, shot blockers, and defeat who get deflections and steals.

9. Find guys who prioritize the scoreboard over the scorebook.

10. Fouls negate hustle. Kevin Sivils preaches, “Foul for profit.”

11. “Think shot first.” - Don Kelbick  The shooter is most open when she first catches the ball. 

12. “What does it feel like to be coached by me?" Parents aren’t always wrong…if we "bury" a player in a doghouse, do we expect praise? 

Lagniappe. Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly said, "I'm a salesman." We sell every day at home, at school, at work, on the court, in print. If we don't add value, that's a hard sell... 


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Saturday, July 11, 2026

Basketball - The Way of the Sword and "The Book of Five Rings"

Learn across domains and cultures.

What can we learn from from a "how-to-book" from the greatest Samurai warrior? Process. Education, training, application.  


Miyamoto Musashi literally wrote the book (The Book of Five Rings) about the Way of the Sword, about four hundred years ago. 

Key lessons resonate.

Self-control

Emotion can fuel victory or out-of-control defeats. Musashi fought sixty times with a 'final' outcome of victory. He believed most warriors lack strategy, lack self-discipline. Attitude matters. Respect all opponents, fear none. Compete relentlessly, focused without distraction. 

Anticipation

He believed that he could 'see what happens before it happens'. Charles Barkley showed clips of former player Zach Randolph who always went left. Randolph deserved credit for using his strength, but Barkley felt "dummies" didn't know that it was coming. 

Breathing

Controlled breathing reduces stress. It allows suppressive signals to flow from the frontal cortex to the stress centers (amygdala). 

He advocated for a four second inhalation, a short pause, six second exhalation, and short pause. 

Breathing as part of mindfulness is known to reduce circulating stress hormones (cortisol). 

Purpose (some say passion)

Sports facilitate competition and the ability to demonstrate where we lie on the "mastery" scale. 

I counseled players not to play for the coach, the community, or your school, but the girls next to you - the teammates with shared mission, shared vision, and shared sacrifice. 

The training needed to become an exceptional player is rigorous and exhausting, especially in summer heat. Special players find the intrinsic motivation to do what it takes. 

Lagniappe. Many players return. Others are on the competitive cusp. There aren't "minutes" for all players, so "Stay Ready Players" have to work hard and long (temperature and time) without any guarantees of regular minutes. 

I have boatloads of respect for the player who shows up and competes hard every day. During her freshman year at American, Cecilia had a teammate who had been an All-State player and played little. But the player told her that she would show up every day and 'bring it' because she earned her scholarship and she owed the team her best. That's professionalism.

Lagniappe 2. Ultimately, you become "your own coach" as a player, a spouse, parent, entrepreneur, etc. You own your role. 


 

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Friday, July 10, 2026

Basketball - There Is no Holy Grail of Analytic Comparison

Who wouldn't want a simple, concrete, credible, and accurate "number" to attach to a player? This can’t resolve controversy but might enlighten it.

The Holy Grail (HG) would reflect contribution to winning, impact on teammates, team offense and team defense. 

It would not 'curve fit' to stratify players to conform to an analyst who "likes" someone's game and has misgivings about someone else's. And it won't say whether so-and-so is the fifth best guard in a league or the tenth.

The supporting cast also impacts a player's effectiveness. If you're on the floor with better cutters and shooters, then you might have more assists. If you're on the court with 'selfish players' then you won't get as many touches. Offensive and Defensive ratings depends on those on the floor with you as well.  

As a basketball analyst, I'd rather have 2026:

  • On/Off data
  • Assist-to-turnover data
  • TS%
  • Defensive rebounding
  • Steals
  • and minutes played

than a single 'contribution' number. That partially reconstructs the "scores and stops" framework. 

Let's use a concrete example, Jalen Brunson, NBA Finals MVP and LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets. 

I asked ChatGPT Plus to develop a tabular comparison:

CategoryJalen BrunsonLaMelo Ball
Scoring Volume⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scoring Efficiency⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Playmaking⭐⭐⭐⭐½⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Turnover Control⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rebounding⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Offensive Impact⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Defensive Reliability⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Decision Making⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Availability/Durability⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Coach Trust Factor⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Total Contribution⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Usage measures responsibility, not selfishness. It also impacts the usage of other players. 


There's no precise "apples to apples" comparison available but analytics staffs are working on that. 

One statistic I'd love to invent:

Knowing your interest in "Coaches' Total Contribution" and holistic evaluation, I'd create a metric called Possession Value Added (PVA).

Rather than asking: "How many points did he score?," I'd ask, "How much better is every possession because this player was involved?"

Lagniappe. 








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Thursday, July 9, 2026

Basketball - Housel's "Psychology of Money" Applies to Basketball*

*Some AI assist

Morgan Housel wrote the best seller, The Psychology of Money. Apply lessons about psychology to winning sport and basketball.

Psychology applies to everything of 'value'. Studies show that losing feels twice as painful as winning feels good. 

We Hate Losing More Than We Enjoy Winning

"Studies suggest losses hurt roughly twice as much as equivalent gains feel good."

Basketball examples:

  • Parents panic after a few losses.
  • Coaches abandon player development after one bad weekend.
  • Players stop taking open shots after missing two.

Good programs understand that avoiding pain is not the same as pursuing excellence.

Everyone Thinks Their Story Is Normal

"Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story." - John Barth

Every coach believes:

  • Officials are against them
  • Injuries were unusually bad
  • Parents don't understand
  • Our situation is unique

It rarely is. Top coaches study the game. This is where Norway fits beautifully. Rather than asking: "How do we win the U12 championship," they asked: "How do we produce adults who love sport?"

Luck Matters More Than We Want to Admit

This is one of Housel's dominant themes.

Basketball examples practically write themselves.

  • Kevin Durant's size 18 foot on the line.
  • A favorable NCAA bracket helps.
  • An injury crushes us.
  • The Halliburton Bounce goes in. 
The lesson: Judge processes and decisions more than outcomes.

Winning Is in Our DNA

People naturally keep score. Children race. Adults compare salaries. Athletes compare stats.

Wanting to win isn't the problem. Adults deciding that winning at age 10 is more important than development is the problem.

"Never be a child's last coach."

The Big Picture Beats the Highlight

A Housel recurring theme is that people confuse visible success with the invisible process behind it. 

Fans remember:

  • buzzer beaters
  • dunks
  • championships

They don't see:

  • culture
  • player development
  • communication
  • accountability
  • thousands of ordinary practices

The "Prime Spurs" didn't become the Spurs because they passed well. They passed well because they spent years creating a culture that rewarded unselfishness.

Managing Risk Is Part of Winning

"All of life is the management of risk, not its elimination."

Championship teams manage risk.

Examples:

  • avoiding foul trouble
  • preserving depth (antifragility)
  • suppressing ego
  • load management
  • maintaining culture

The NBA's new salary aprons are almost a perfect analogy.

Just as investors can become overconcentrated in one stock, teams can become overconcentrated in one or two contracts. When something goes wrong...there is no margin for error.

Staying Great Is Harder Than Becoming Great

Winning is hard. Continuing to win is even harder. 

Butler making the Finals was remarkable. Doing it the next season seemed impossible. 

Eight straight NBA champions have failed to repeat. The lesson isn't that dynasties are impossible. It's that maintaining excellence requires constant adaptation.

Humility Wins

The best coaches accept:

  • They don't know everything
  • Circumstances change
  • Rosters continually turn over
  • Yesterday's solution may not solve tomorrow's problem.

Reasonable beats brilliant.

The teams that succeed for decades aren't usually the smartest. They're the ones that consistently avoid catastrophic mistakes.

Championship teams avoid beating themselves.

They limit turnovers. They share the ball. They "foul for profit" and excel at shot selection.

They have few recruiting mistakes and strong cultures that can overcome the mistakes they make. 

Get players to embrace coaching truth: winning is often less about extraordinary plays than about consistently avoiding ordinary errors. 

Lagniappe. Great horns examples from Coach Peterman. 




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Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Basketball - Intangibles and Specifics

Traffic in specifics. Don't say, "I play hard." Explain. "I communicate. I'm first to the floor. I'm first to pick a teammate up off the court." Examples:

High character 

  • Teamwork
  • Selflessness (Team first)
Great attitude
  • Positivity
  • Coachability
Work ethic
  • "Never cheats the drill."
  • Relentless 
Mental toughness
  • Performs under situational duress (pressure)
  • Performs when not physically at peak
Leadership
  • Models excellence (home, school, sport)
  • Resource for teammates ("available")
Intelligence
  • Makes the right play consistently
  • Reads plays to become a step quicker 

Lagniappe. "Hindsight held a level of perfection that real-time decision-making could not provide." - David Baldacci in "Long Road to Mercy"

Lagniappe 2. How are we making a difference in development? 

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Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Basketball - Only “A” Work Can Craft "A" Results

In an episode of “The Bear,” Sydney makes an omelet for Sugar, the restaurant manager. Her work shows effort and precision. It’s crafted not cooked.

Your work reflects your attitude towards it. If “A” work matters, then bring “A” attitude and “A” investment.

Austin Kleon, author of Show Your Work, shares valuable quotes:

“To all viewers but yourself, what matters is the product: the finished artwork. To you, and you alone, what matters is the process: the experience of shaping the artwork.” Process matters. Be a tracker because winners track the process. 

“Make stuff you love and talk about stuff you love and you'll attract people who love that kind of stuff. It's that simple.” The variety and breadth of workout activities published leaves no excuse for "I didn't know what to do." 

In this clip, Jayson Tatum illustrates separation with "attack off the catch" or STAMPEDE. 

"Basketball is a game of separation..." Players create separation with cutting, screening, and dribbling with 'change of direction, change of pace, and deceleration. 

The "negative step" is another separating technique. It provides a "launch step" to attack the basket. It may also draw a defender closer. 

 

Be a technician. Be relentless. Be a dog.

Lagniappe. What does our culture look like? 

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Monday, July 6, 2026

Basketball - There Is no Owner's Manual

Cars, televisions, and even air purifiers come with an "Owner's Manual." Basketball players do not.

If we were constructing an owner's manual, how would it look? What absolutes belong and what "options" make our player and program more valuable?

Choose whether to be a lumper or a splitter. Lumpers have broad categories and splitters seek more granular divisions.

1. Character 

"Character is job one." - Etorre Messina

"The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." Coach Nick Saban says players create value for themselves with their choices. 


Find your guys. "Moss displayed another Belichick staple: mental toughness, which the Patriots define as “doing what is best for the team when it might not be best for you.”In New England, Moss was a “program guy”: someone who works hard, is a supportive teammate, and cares deeply about winning. In other words, someone with football character." - Michael Lombardi in Gridiron Genius

You know the saying, "If you lie down with dogs, you get fleas." 

When you bring a player into your culture, you bring their baggage and sometimes their 'entourage', friends and family. 

2. Coachability

"Do the right things, the right way, all the time." 

Players hear a lot of voices - their own, their posse's, and coaches. The exceptional player wants coaching, wants to improve, and wants to hear the truth. Exceptional players travel "the extra mile."


Coachability includes focus which includes the ability to avoid distractions. Is a player about the work or "the life?" Is she committed to making the team better, the people around her better, or "the scorebook?" 

3. Resilience

"Good teams play harder for longer." - Dave Smart  

Themes repeat and resonate. 

Adversity is inevitable in both personal and athletic life. 

How do we measure resilience? We can be captive to sample size. A good or a bad performance under pressure shouldn't be dismissed but placed in context. 

Coaches want players we can trust to "see the game" and make consistent, positive decisions and execute. Use an AI consult:

The most reliable identification methods (based on research)

1. Scenario-based decision testing

Use video or VR simulations to evaluate decision-making under stress. This method is empirically shown to reveal cognitive flexibility and resilience.

2. Adversity-based drills

Create controlled adversity: bad calls, uneven numbers, fatigue spikes. Observe adaptation speed, communication, and emotional regulation.

3. Resilience questionnaires + behavioral observation

Validated tools from resilience research paired with real-time observation give a fuller picture.

Resilience is multifactorial—motivation, coping, optimism, hope.

4. Coach/peer feedback loops

Players who elevate team resilience (leadership, identity, positivity) are consistently high performers under pressure.

The most comprehensive framework comes from a 2022 systematic review synthesizing 92 studies. It proposes a resilience filter made of biopsychosocial protective factors that determine how strongly adversity impacts an athlete.

Key components researchers evaluate:

  • Biological factors — Physical conditioning, injury history, recovery capacity. (Belichick's 'ability and durability')

  • Psychological factors — Self‑belief, emotional regulation, coping strategies, mental skills training. (Confidence and consistency)

  • Social factors — Coaching quality, mentorship, team culture, family support. (How a player treats her family can predict how they interact with teammates and coaches)

4. Development Arc

Legendary North Carolina soccer coach Anson Dorrance described wanting players with "continual ascension." Examine a player's development history and their capacity to "become their own coach."

When players improve, many factors intersect.
  • Resources. Training is expensive.
  • Family support (beyond resources)
  • Mentoring (the only shortcut to excellence)
  • "Competitive character" - intrinsic motivation
  • "Paper trail"... training plan, tracking, video, etc. "success leaves fingerprints"
There is no Owner's Manual. The road is long, highly competitive, and needs will and skill to overcome the obstacles.

Summary:
  • There's no one pathway to success.
  • "Character is job one."
  • Coachability is necessary and underrated.
  • Resilience is needed and trainable.
  • Competitive arcs need planning.
Lagniappe. The well-coached team...do we check the boxes?

 

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