Elementary...and not Easy

Literature provides fertile ground for sport. Hemingway penned The Old Man and the Sea, an epic man versus nature challenge. Daniel Brown wrote The Boys in the Boat, a tapestry of sport and society culminating in the 1936 Olympics.

And Arthur Conan Doyle shared the dry wit and wisdom of Sherlock Holmes. How can Holmes inform basketball and coaching? 

"Elementary, my dear Watson," never appears word-for-word from Holmes.  

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." (The Sign of Four)

The impossible happens with surprising regularity in basketball. 16 seeds beat ones. UMBC defeating Virginia and the Harvard Crimson women beating Stanford in Palo Alto. And UCLA upset by Ivy League upstart Princeton.  

 

 A future ER doctor scored the winning hoop. 

 "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact." (The Boscombe Valley Mystery)

A most frustrating truth happens upon hearing, "Well, everyone knows that" or players say after an egregious mistake, "I know, I know." Learning from others' mistakes makes painless progress.  

"I never guess. It is a shocking habit—destructive to the logical faculty." (The Sign of Four)

Preparation precedes high performance. Process is king. And evaluating a team without seeing their practices writes an incomplete story. 

"Data! Data! Data! I can't make bricks without clay." (A Study in Scarlet)

Video is the truth machine. Analytics are the necessary fuel for objective measure of scoring creation and prevention. Ignoring either ignores the coaching imperative of putting the team in the best position to succeed. 

"My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram or the most intricate analysis, and I am in my own proper atmosphere." (The Sign of Four)

Popovich challenged players to "figure it out." Sports coaching and playing is about solving problems in real-time. Winning is valued because it is hard. 

"It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important." (A Case of Identity)

Attention to detail never goes out of style. Detail comes in the 'macro' strategy and the micro, execution at the decision-execution scoring moment. 

"Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons, with the greatest for the last." (The Red Circle)

Continuing education and training are the hallmark of excellence. The greats of the game and permanent students. 

"Excellent!" I cried. "Elementary," said he. (The Adventure of the Crooked Man)

Achieving simple is never easy. Dedication to the fundamentals marks great careers like those of Kobe Bryant and Bill Walton, of whom Wooden said that he never tired of practicing footwork. 

 

 

 

More on Navigating Hard Conversations

Hard conversations in coaching are the sounds of inevitability. Do better through study, preparation, and attitude. Some of us feel a need to "win" every conversation or negotiation. That leaves negative residue and our conversation partner must therefore "lose." 

Show empathy (work to understand how the other side feels) and seek perspective through more tools. 

Alison Wood Brooks provides the acronym CALM, not without irony.

C - confirmation

A - admit uncertainty (can lower the temperature)

L - learning

M - making it human

The acronym itself embraces preparation and perspective. 

Confirmation

This represents an effort to get on the same page. These are the facts as best as I can tell. Help me by sharing your understanding. Changes in a player's role or playing time often get seen as either threatening, punitive, or personal. 

Admit Uncertainty 

As coaches, we prioritize what is best for the team as our first objective. It's not always clear. The "good soldier" senior doesn't want to hear that the talented sophomore is 'stealing' their spotlight. We could say, "I know this is hard for you to hear, especially with how hard you've worked. Some changes are coming that affect you, and we'll see how that works out for the team." 

These conversations should be well considered, always held with another adult present, and be private to limit potential for shame or embarrassment.  

Learning

We can't know everything. We can work to understand whether other factors lurk in the background - injury, family, academics, bullying, or any of a hundred possibilities. 

Behavior is data, not always explanation. Sometimes an explanation exists, but exploring for it makes everyone involved uncomfortable. 

Make it Human

Coaches practice our art amidst complexity, with incomplete information, and can't separate feelings from the process. Emotion is often uncontrollable (e.g. sadness), but behavior is. We can be frustrated with another person, but we can't punch them in the face. 

With younger players, often the fact-finding avenue has to run through the parents. Let them know that we are on their family's side and ask whether issues exist that we should know about. Nothing guarantees positive reception, but understanding can only arise through mutual participation.

I'd be kidding readers and myself if "perfect conversations" were my standard. Most parents are reluctant to say, "I hate you and your coaching." That doesn't make them wrong. Certain approaches don't work well for everyone. For example, an aggressive style may not work for a less forceful or physical child. Most parents appreciated a holistic approach. Not all.

Sources:

MasterClass, Chris DeVoss (author Never Split the Difference)

MasterClass, Alison Wood Brooks

Lagniappe. Here's an AI take on Voss's likely tack:

1. Label the emotion before arguing the facts.
   “It seems like you’re frustrated.” “It sounds like you feel you haven’t been given a fair chance.” Voss’s point is that naming emotion tends to reduce its intensity. In coaching, that matters before you explain playing time, role, effort, or behavior.
2. Use calibrated questions.
   Instead of “Why aren’t you communicating?” try: “What’s making it hard for you to communicate right now?” Or, “How do you think your current approach is affecting the team?” These invite reflection without surrendering standards.
3. Get to “that’s right,” not “you’re right.”
   “You’re right” can be a conversation-ending concession. “That’s right” means the player feels accurately understood. Summarize her position so well that she recognizes herself in it before you move to your point.
4. Use an accusation audit.
   Say the negative interpretation out loud before the athlete does: “You may think I’ve already made up my mind,” or, “This may feel like I’m singling you out.” That takes some of the sting out of the objection and shows you are not avoiding the uncomfortable part.
5. Don’t confuse empathy with agreement.
   This may be the most important coaching lesson from Voss. Tactical empathy means understanding the player’s perspective, not endorsing it. You can say, “I understand why you’re disappointed,” and still say, “Your role is not changing right now.”

For a coaching blog, I’d probably distill the whole thing to:

Hear first. Label the emotion. Ask better questions. State the standard. Leave dignity intact.

Basketball - The Assistant Coach

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I invested about 60 percent of my coaching experience as an assistant - which suited me fine. Ralph Labella did a great job as Head Coach. As a private practice physician, I couldn't always guarantee availability, but that wasn't the only issue.

Assistants:

• Don't have final say on team selection
• Don't have primary responsibility for game management
• Aren't the first line of defense for parental complaints

Assistants have different opportunities for teaching, player development, and sometimes individual communication with players.

Head coaches want support, unquestioned loyalty, and assistants who will make their life easier by reaffirming "one band, one sound." 

Conversely, I appreciated having an assistant who could supervise one group during three-on-threes at both ends and who provided another perspective to me and to players. 

What are your top three from Kevin Eastman's list resonate most to you?

1) You're a coach, your not The Coach. 

2) Add value.

3) Help provide solutions not just enumerate problems.

Another assistant, Mark Pearson, provided invaluable perspective. He said that it's unreasonable to expect consistency from young kids. At times they will beat expectations and others they'll underperform. Don't get too high or too low. 

Lagniappe. The "hot hand" exists in certain circumstances, yet not necessarily in games because of so much situational variation. 

Lagniappe 2. Be a giver. 

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"100,000 Whys" - What Makes Sports Work?

Good ideas can arise anywhere. I bought a "children's book," 100,000 Whys: What Makes the World Work, which raised many questions and shared applications that cross domains. 

Here are a few that hold organizations back: 

Gravity - Great players bend the game toward themselves.

Gravity is invisible but undeniable. A dominant scorer, pitcher, or quarterback changes a game. Defenses tilt. Space increases. The player creates advantage without touching the ball. Excellent offense resists the ball's gravity with spacing. Excellent defenses shrink space with gravity to the ball. It's hard to measure. Caitlin Clark's hidden offensive value is the gravity she creates. One liability is that offenses attack her less frictional defense. 

  

Coaching question: Who creates gravity for us?

Heliocentric teams - The team one player orbit is unsustainable.

The heliocentric (Copernican) model works beautifully for the solar system because the Sun has over 99 percent of solar system mass. Build everything around one star and the system destabilizes when that player struggles, gets hurt, or doesn't have it. Or they leave. 

Lesson: stars matter; systems have edges.

Escape velocity - Find enough force to leave the planet.

Incremental gains don't always escape mediocrity. Breaking limiting habits like poor conditioning, bad footwork, or weak communication require  more consistent effort. Fall below and you are stuck in the pack.

Lesson: often incremental improvement isn't enough. "Whatever it takes can be too big an ask. 

Black holes - Some problems eat everything.

Ego, resentment, selfishness, chronic negativity, or unresolved conflicts can dominate organizational gravity. Eventually everything gets pulled toward the problem. Bad management, players who won't share the ball, and obsession about recognition are team killers. 

Lesson: identify destructive forces before the whole team begins orbiting them.

Stars shine because of pressure.

Solar fusion requires enormous pressure. Competition and culture does, too. Pressure doesn't guarantee greatness. Preparation can turn pressure into valuable energy not collapse.

There are different kinds of pressure - the training pressure of a Chris Brickley or Drew Hanlen or the coaching pressure of a Belichick or Kelvin Sampson. 

Lesson: don't eliminate pressure; prepare players to function inside it.

Twinkling stars - Perception distorts reality.

Stars don't actually twinkle; our turbulent atmosphere bends light. Likewise, what we think we see in sport can be distorted by emotion, sample size, reputation, officiating, or one memorable play.

The greatest stars shine most consistently, but even they are impacted by surrounding atmosphere. 

Lesson: distinguish the player from the atmosphere through which you're viewing her.

Momentum - Newtonian motion tends to continue.

Physics and sports momentum aren't identical. Habits have inertia. Good communication spawns more communication. Sloppy possessions can breed more sloppy possessions. Bad shot selection by one player can spread to teammates. Unwillingness to pass can become infectious.

Lesson: sometimes the timeout isn't about strategy; it's about interrupting inertia.

Friction - Destructive and helpful

Without friction, we couldn't run, cut, or stop. Think about crossing a frozen pond. Teams need constructive friction: standards, competition, and honest feedback. 

Coaching is communication, collaboration, and critiques. 

Lesson: the goal isn't a frictionless environment; it's productive friction.

Entropy - Disorder requires no coaching.

Unsupervised locker rooms, practices, possessions, and organizations become disordered and sometimes dysfunctional. Standards silently decay. Attention to detail disappears and performance fades. 

Restore order through culture and leadership. Order requires commitment and buy-in with coaching oversight. 

 Lesson: culture requires continuous energy input.

Orbits - Balance is motion, not stillness.

A planet remains in orbit because of gravity inward while velocity carries it forward. Teams balance competing interests: freedom and structure, confidence and humility, aggression and control.

Confidence balances arrogance and doubt. Sacrifice balances ego and selfishness.  

Lesson: healthy balance isn't static; it needs continuous adjustment.

Nature doesn't negotiate with our preferences. Neither does competition.

Gravity doesn't care about our beliefs. Effort doesn't change escape velocity. A star won't shine because of admirers. Principles of skill, sport-specific IQ, physicality, and psychology are at work.

Recruiting a "smarter coach" or a more athletic player don't guarantee a turnaround. Understanding the forces and processes that impact principles give us a better chance to succeed. 

Lagniappe. Bring more specifics to coaching. Play hard or play smart are true but don't give direction. 

This is so good from Sean McVay.

Notice the clear, “specific” feedback.
The positive approach.
The detail.

And the quote of the day…

“Never ending self-improvement.” https://t.co/1Lj6rPsw50

— Greg Berge (@GregBerge) August 27, 2026

Coaching Taglines - What Are Ours?

Just as cinema offers a host of memorable lines, so does coaching. Let's review some and offer our own. Coaches look to create advantage, just as Butch Cassidy did in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

1. Bill Belichick - “Do your job.”
   Maybe the cleanest coaching analogue to Joe Friday's “Just the facts.” He preached role clarity, preparation, and accountability. An identity statement for what the Patriots became. 
2. John Wooden - “Be quick, but don’t hurry.”
   Separate urgency from panic. It sounds contradictory but preparation reduces anxiety. 
3. Dean Smith - “Play hard. Play smart. Play together.”
   This meets the 'six word story' challenge immortalized by, "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn." Smith described it as Carolina’s philosophy “in a nutshell.”
4. Mike Krzyzewski - “Next play.”
   Duke shorthand for playing present. Don’t celebrate, don’t sulk, move on and win the next possession. It's a verbal, emotional reset. 
5. Nick Saban - “Keep the main thing the main thing.”
   Ignore the noise. Focus on preparation and execution. He built "The Process" on his experience with Belichick. 
6. Bill Parcells - “You are what your record says you are.”
   Pure Parcells: no excuses, no sentimentality. Few lines capture the speaker as well. 
7. Gregg Popovich (in a timeout) - “I've got nothing for you...figure it out.”
   Particularly good because it embodies player ownership. Great coaches help players and teams become real-time problem solvers.
8. Pete Carroll - “Win Forever.”
   Carroll turned a theme into organizational vocabulary and a book. “Always compete” may be a better tagline; “Win Forever” is his overarching philosophy
9. Bill Walsh - “The score takes care of itself.”
   Perhaps more book title than sideline slogan, "The Score" became shorthand for Walsh’s standards and execution precede outcomes. "Champions behave like champions before they are champions."
10. Pete Carril - “The strong take from the weak, but the smart take from the strong.” Carril used his father's advice to explain to players why they could compete against more celebrated athletes and teams. 

Here were some I used, remembering Picasso's "Good artists borrow; great artists steal."

My last words pregame, "Are we going to stand around here all day, or are we going to fight?" (from Kingsman)

During practice, "The ball is gold." (from my coach, Ellis Lane)

Explaining philosophy. "Basketball is a game of possessions. Win this possession." 

Simplify. "Be good at what we do a lot." 

In game adjustment - "Let's do more of what is working and less of what isn't." 

Lagniappe. Discipline precedes confidence. Know that you've earned competence via character. 

pic.twitter.com/m1FPlGmBs3

— Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) September 19, 2026

Lessons from the Melrose Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet

Sport teaches many lessons, regardless of specific sport. The biennial Hall of Fame induction shared timeless lessons for our benefit.

Last night's speeches can help us better athletes, coaches, parents, and people.

One posthumous inductee's family and a teammate shared his values:

Gratitude 

Bryan Cook consistently recognized his good fortune and appreciation for his teammates and coaches at Melrose, Exeter, and Harvard. 

Leadership 

In addition to always being an exceptional scorer, he was always the captain, from eighth grade to his senior year in college. 

Passion and Mentoring

Kevin Persons explained how much he enjoyed many sports, but his coach redirected him to track. He explained how he was alway best at "freeze tag" and how success in childhood play helped him become a champion in high school and an All-American at Williams. 

Culture

Sarah McGowan was a volleyball state champion and Gatorade Player of the Year finalist. When she went to the local volleyball camp she found a welcoming culture that made her gravitate to the sport. 

She thanked her coach, Scott Celli, for his encouragement and her teammates for helping her to succeed. 

Storytelling

She also thanked local sports media for 'exceptional storytelling' that helped capture the experience for the players and community. 

Love of Sport

Griffin Barriss spoke representing the 2017 Distance Medley Relay team. He explained how running created a lifelong love of sport whether running in high school or the Boston Marathon. He noted that "practice in our sport is called punishment in other sports." 

Feeling Alive

Coach Kevin Allison (Track, Cross-Country) explained how athletes had the privilege of gathering in electric atmospheres with crowds, music, and hundreds or thousands of other athletes. He thought that nothing made you "feel as alive" as those moments in sport. 

Values in Sport

Adam Caffey spoke for the 2017 football team (13-0) that captured a State Championship. He addressed commitment, culture, and sacrifice and the role of parents, coaches, and sport in building the men they are today. 

Nobody plays high school sports with the idea that they'll be inducted into a local Hall of Fame. In team sports they play for each other, for the joy of the game, and the love of competition. 

Lagniappe. What does your workout look like? Is it about looking good or creating the player that helps a team win? 

I see many kids working out like a PRO when theres no need for it right now. Hella dribbles, hella isolation stuff like your Luka or James harden at the top of the key. Aint nobody playing like that. Work on catch & shoot. Catch & drive. Catch & pass & get it back. It TRANSLATES!

— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) September 16, 2026

Basketball - "Shut Up and Dribble" - The Controversy That Will Never Disappear

Sport is a microcosm of life. In theory, management and players have freedom of speech. In practice, neither has freedom from consequences.

Build a Foundation 

Educate ourselves. A visceral (gut) feeling about a topic is not necessarily an informed one. As difficult as it sounds, learn about both sides of an argument to avoid "confirmation bias" - reinforcing our beliefs with like-minded opinions.

Define Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values 

Beliefs, attitudes, and values are foundations for our personal philosophy. Recognize that beliefs are not 'truth'. We can believe the earth is flat or that dinosaurs lived 6,000 years ago, but neither mesh with the evidence. 

We could establish our chief value that "cats shall inherit the earth." Most people might consider that an odd choice. Establishing that as a core value is personal. 

Actions and Consequences

Everyone recognizes that 'freedom of speech' is not absolute. Speech can carry legal consequences for threats, defamation, fraud, incitement, and certain other narrowly defined categories. 

Current controversies surrounding music personalities and the Houston Texans and Kyrie Irving show the complexity and emotion enveloping all disciplines and geopolitics. 

Practical Applications

Cognitive dissonance explains the difficulty and psychological discomfort in holding opposing viewpoints simultaneously. Maturity includes tolerating the discomfort of mixed judgments. You can admire the player and reject the opinion. You can dislike the speaker and concede the point.

Stoicism reminds us that we are not obligated to hold an opinion on everything. 

Likewise, we are not obligated to share our opinion, recognizing opinions spark controversy.

A team, employer, sponsor, fan, teammate, or consumer may react to speech in ways the Constitution does not prohibit. An employer may consider our words a "fireable offense" or a governing body might pull our license. 

Legal constraints such as libel and slander also might constrain our communication. It is noteworthy that political speech from some elected officials has protection. 

Cancel Culture 

"Cancel culture" applies when organizations or individuals are boycotted or shunned because of their publicly held beliefs. It's people imposing social or economic consequences on speech they consider unacceptable.

"I'm done with him" or "Bye, Felicia." 

Decades ago, Toshiba sold super-secret submarine quieting technology to the Soviet Union. I chose not to buy Toshiba products, not exactly a company-breaker.

Wealthy organizations and basketball superstars often choose not to comment on politics not wanting their "ox to be gored." That's rational to avoid offending fans with different beliefs, attitudes, and values. It's probably more the norm than the exception. 

No Easy Answer

One question is "why should we care about celebrity opinion?" A talking head says, "Shut up and dribble" and we can agree, disagree, or choose to ignore both the source and the target.

Each of us sets boundaries for our attitudes, choices, and effort. Many of us learn "children should be seen and not heard" and later "never discuss religion and politics." Life shows us that both are violated consistently. 

Before speaking, ask three questions:

• Do I know enough?
• Does this need to be said?
• Am I prepared to own the consequences?

Know what you believe and why you believe it. Choose our words and opinions carefully and be prepared to stand behind them. 

Lagniappe. Learning to overcome adversity is both essential and a process.  

Nick Saban shares an universal truth about resilience and overcoming adversity.

"You gotta have resiliency. You gotta be able to overcome adversity."

"There can be no great victories in life unless you can overcome adversity."

"You gotta be able to overcome it."

The problem?… pic.twitter.com/RmVRWuw4aw

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) September 11, 2026

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seeing the Game Differently

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Pete Newell said a coach's biggest responsibility was helping players "see the game."

The Mike Conley quote about Joe Mazzulla emphasizes that even a nineteen-year NBA veteran can learn to see the game differently. 

Think about major changes in the game in your lifetime. For example:

• Improvements in training methodology
• Developments in analytics
• Progressive emphasis on three-point shooting
• Explosion in online basketball education
• Rules changes that reduced "clutch and grab"
• Growth in skill 
• "Positionless basketball"
• Evolution of players (e.g. Wembanyama)
• Growth of women's basketball 
• Expansion of shot clock at lower levels
• Appreciation of international basketball
• NIL and Transfer Portal

Coaches have a vast array of philosophies and approaches. There's no "best" or "right" way. 

We learn to "see" the game by studying players and coaches, by breaking down how teams create and prevent opportunity, through reading, video study, and apprenticeship with other coaches. 

There's a figurative "arms race" in young player development with two major schools - the US "more games" approach and the European "more practice" school. That doesn't address the gradual private equity hostile takeover of youth sports which prices out more players. 

As a former middle school girls coach, I saw the battle rage in two areas - getting more practice time and waning interest in free player development sessions (outdoor courts, offseason). 

It's my belief that for twelve and unders, the most important avenue is athletic development. Playing more sports, learning acceleration/deceleration, change of direction, and body control creates a better foundation for later specialization if a player so chooses. I'll call that the "Federer Path." 

For some disciplines like golf, chess, or music, intense study from a younger age is a viable alternative. That's the "Tiger Path." 

Where's the Future?

Who can know? Some possibilities include:

• Even more international development (Asia, Africa)
• More emphasis on defensive training and strategies to combat offensive excellence
• Further corruption and intersection of sport and politics
• Eventual pushback against developmental charges ($)
• International professional leagues (combinations of NBA and Europe League)
• Growth of 3 on 3 play 
• Artificial intelligence integration (real-time) in games 

The game has always evolved. Let's hope it's for more participation, more access, and more quality. 

Lagniappe. Coach Berge argues for competitive arrogance. That's fine but tempered by sportsmanship... 

The great ones all share one thing: Competitive Arrogance.

Not cockiness, but confidence earned. pic.twitter.com/xR8eETYF8G

— Greg Berge (@GregBerge) September 12, 2026

Emotional Intelligence

Life teaches humility. 

Can we learn from adversity? "Everyone is broken by life, but afterwards some people are stronger at the broken places." - Hemingway

Adversity is universal

Lincoln persevered through because he wanted to accomplish more. 

Memorable leaders often manifest profound resilience. At 23, Teddy Roosevelt suffered the death of both his wife and his mother. 

Coaches cannot allow loss to prevent us from advancing the story. We value winning precisely because it is hard. 

Wooden won his first title in his 16th year at UCLA. Dean Smith won his inaugural title in year twenty-one at Carolina. 

Develop Resilience

"Resilience is like a muscle to be developed." - Doris Kearns Goodwin

FDR learned by crawling after his experience with polio. Few were literally "more grounded." 

How do you develop empathy? Read about others and see if you can identify what others have experienced. Teddy Roosevelt warned about seeing people as "The Other" instead of common citizens. 

Examine the recent FIBA Basketball World Cup and the withering criticism directed at Kara Lawson. The largest complaint was objection to her distribution of minutes. 

Emotional intelligence defines coaching

Coaches must "read the room." Conflicts occur coach-to-coach, coach-to-player, and player-to-player. Hard conversations come with the job. 

Coaches learn what motivates players. Need for a calming voice or a louder awakening can vary from player to player. Better to lose a game than a team because of flawed communication.  

Self-examination is critical. As Confucius said, “By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is bitterest.”

Lagniappe. Identify where the points can arise and attack the solution. 

Ten more points a game is not a speech, it is arithmetic. One breakaway lay-up a quarter is eight points. One put-back is six to eight. One shooting foul drawn is six. One shot from a player's own spot is six to eight. The team does not need to be better. It needs to do one… pic.twitter.com/zpuKAhGxcz

— Tim Brady (@CoachTBrady) September 16, 2026