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Thursday, January 16, 2025

Basketball - Art Imitates Life

 


Screenshot from "Broken," a Karin Slaughter, Will Trent novel

Coaches seldom appreciate unsolicited information. The surest way to make someone unhappy is to tell them how to do their job.

That doesn't invalidate unsolicited information. Good coaches have a read on their personal and team strengths and weaknesses. That doesn't mean that blindspots are nonexistent either. 

Coaches rob Pietra to pay Paola. A coach I respect told me that I needed to play my best players more to win more. He was 100 percent correct. In the developmental setting, I committed to playing everyone twice each half and that was challenging with 32 x 5 minutes (160) and 12-13 players. If one player (who earned it) got 28 minutes, that would leave 132 for the other 12 (barely more than a quarter of the game. She usually played about 18-20. 

If a couple of other players got even 16 then that would leave 100 minutes for ten players. Players and families have an intrinsic sense of fairness and families pay dearly for gym time, officials, and uniforms. I never took a nickel to coach. Some families track minutes, track shots, track everything. Those families probably thought I was overpaid. 

I couldn't justify that degree of unevenness in a developmental setting. 

We played man (individual assignment in Newell-speak) defense. Some of the players wanted to play zone. Player development supersedes winning in the player development setting. Want to play zone in high school? Knock yourself out. 

Generally, you have "basketball players" and "hobbyists." The basketball players want coaching. How can we do it better? The other players were good kids and worked hard, but differences exist among your primary and secondary sports.  

Coaches have voices in our heads "if we only do this, we can win more." Quieting those voices is hard sometimes...for development's sake. 

Find good help. I can't say, "hire tough," because people aren't knocking down the doors. The last few years I coached, we had a great assistant. Good guy, calm, positive, solid knowledge of the game and had assistant coached some D3 college ball. I asked him what he thought about Cecilia during her eighth grade season. He said she could have played on his college team without embarrassing herself. 

Moments make it worthwhile. After a four-point loss against the top team in the league, the girls said that opposing team parents said, "you were the most competitive team we played." Be worthy opponents. Another time a player tried to take responsibility for a loss. "I was terrible." Bella said, "we win together and we lose together." You don't worry about how she lives as an adult. 

Lagniappe. Consistently excellently beats occasionally exceptional. 

Lagniappe 2. Can you play on a team? 

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Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Basketball - Define Your Destiny and Earn Minutes

Coach Auriemma says, "force me to play you..." 

How do you earn playing time (in my opinion)? 

1) It starts in the offseason with your plan, preparation, and action. Commit to outworking and out-thinking everyone.  

2) Earn the right to self-belief. The work produces the magic. 

3) Grow both your mental and physical skills. Mindfulness improves focus, decreases stress hormones, lowers depression, and improves sleep. 

4) Become a better athlete. "Sports reward athletic explosion." The ability to move more quickly and powerfully translates. Jumping rope for five minutes twice a day would be painless for many athletes. 

5) Impact the game; impact winning. It's not just numbers... communication, teamwork, reliability in all areas. 

When you've worked on your mind and body, your communication and technique, and increase the probability of your team succeeding, you earn the coach's trust. That translates to playing time. 

Some players are so valuable to the process that it's psychologically painful for the coach not to play them. As Bill Parcells said, "Coaches are the most selfish people. They put the players on the field whom they think will make them look good." 

Lagniappe. Valuable thread from Chris Oliver. 

Lagniappe 2. Separate yourself.  

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Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Basketball - When Disaster Strikes

Imagine the worst crisis your team can face. Then double it.

Years ago in the week before our eighth grade season (not exactly the NBA), we lost our two bigs, one on a season-ending knee injury. She's playing for D1 Richmond. She did fine and our team didn't. It happens.

Here's a passage from Morgan Housel's The Psychology of Money, discussing a 'black swan' event that hurt the German army in 1942 before the Battle of Stalingrad. 


Prepare for disaster. 

1) Create depth. Nobody can presume that everyone will stay healthy, available, and productive.

2) Cross-train positionally. Deep playoff runs require multiple ball-handlers, dynamic rebounders, and at least three scorers. 

3) Feedback creates sustainable competitive advantage. Don't presume that a 'stay-ready' (reserve) player will come in plug-and-play. They will almost certainly lack both the skill set and the mindset (offensive and defensive knowledge) base of your starter. Test people throughout the campaign. 

4) Starting players want to play as much as possible for many reasons - love of the game, competitiveness, the desire to 'put up numbers'. Getting reserve players in regularly gives them opportunity, creates depth, and also may avoid needless and costly injury during less competitive games. If our star player goes down late with an injury in a rout, the finger pointing begins. 

5) Mental health issues are hard to identify and treat. Keep an open door and communicate with players as much as possible. There is no guarantee. 

6) There's only so much injury prevention available. Dislocated fingers, muscle pulls, concussions, and sprained ankles happen. High quality ankle braces are more effective than tape.

Lagniappe. Picking staff. 
Lagniappe 2. Attention to detail can't be overstated. 

 Lagniappe 3. Outwork the competition. 

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Monday, January 13, 2025

Basketball - Connessione

Draw on information from anywhere. One of Leonardo da Vinci's inspirations was connessione, which relates to 'connectedness' and likely analogy.  

Start with a ChatGPT take:

The phrase "Make friends with the dead" resonates deeply with the Renaissance spirit of drawing wisdom from those who came before us. Leonardo da Vinci exemplifies this approach, particularly through his concept of connessione, the recognition of the interconnectedness of all things. This principle profoundly shaped his thinking and can inspire us to adopt a more integrative and interdisciplinary mindset.

Connessione and Thinking Skills

  1. Pattern Recognition and Systems Thinking
    Leonardo's ability to see relationships across disciplines—art, science, anatomy, engineering, and nature—was central to his genius. For example, his studies of water flow informed both his art (e.g., the depiction of the Virgin's drapery in "The Virgin of the Rocks") and his engineering designs for waterways. Connessione trains us to move beyond isolated facts and see the broader systems at play, enhancing creativity and problem-solving.

  2. Synthesis Across Domains
    Leonardo blended diverse fields to create groundbreaking work. For instance, his anatomical studies weren't just for medical purposes but informed the lifelike quality of his paintings. By synthesizing knowledge, he anticipated modern interdisciplinary approaches. Connessione encourages us to bring seemingly unrelated ideas together, resulting in novel solutions.

  3. Curiosity-Driven Learning
    Leonardo's curiosity was insatiable, fueled by his belief in interconnectedness. He asked questions like, "Why does the sky appear blue?" or "How do birds fly?" and sought answers through observation and experimentation. Adopting connessione pushes us to explore how different phenomena relate, driving lifelong learning and intellectual growth.

  4. Holistic Problem-Solving
    Recognizing connections allows for holistic solutions. Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man is not just a study in proportion but a synthesis of art, mathematics, and human anatomy. In modern contexts, connessione helps us approach problems by considering all factors—scientific, emotional, ethical, and practical.

  5. Empathy and Perspective
    By seeing connections, Leonardo also grasped the shared humanity of people and the unity of life. Connessione fosters empathy, as it requires understanding different perspectives and contexts. This skill is vital for collaboration and leadership today.

Learning from Leonardo

Making friends with the intellectual giants of history like da Vinci means not just admiring their achievements but adopting their principles. By practicing connessione, we develop a mindset that bridges gaps between disciplines, values interconnectedness, and embraces curiosity. This approach leads to richer thinking and deeper insights, much as it did for da Vinci.

How does this relate to basketball? Consider a 'holistic' approach. 

  • Interconnectedness includes people - your coaches, teammates, and  community. The word community triggers thoughts of "servant leadership" for a more dynamic and connected city. 
  • Exceptional players use physics to improve play. How? Get physics on your side. Backspin softens your shot. The backboard increases your margin of error. There is an optimal arc for shooting. Putting spin on the ball helps with finishing a variety of shots at the rim. Yes, get physics on your side. 
  • Consider a baseball analogy, the phrase "hit 'em where they ain't." Find the open player. 
  • It wasn't easy for Leonardo - an illegitimate child, not highly educated, left-handed, and gay. Judge the quality of someone's work and play, not their background. 
  • Connessione also recognizes other da Vinci principles like curiosity and experience. Curiosity helps us study opponent strengths and weaknesses as well as self-scouting. Experience lies at the core of practice. 
  • Urban Meyer's 10-80-10 principle recognized that within an organization there will be about ten percent of people at the top and the bottom and most in the middle. Meyer required top ten percenters to "drag" a teammate to workout. The goal was to lift them into the top ten percent. 

Take a few moments to think about how connessione might impact your basketball experience...like being a great teammate?

Lagniappe. A great shot fake is "a shot not taken." 

Lagniappe 2. Our habits make us.  

Lagniappe 3. We get no choice in whether adversity darkens our doorstep. We choose how to respond.  

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Sunday, January 12, 2025

Basketball - Nature and Sports

Consider parallels between sport and nature. Leonardo da Vinci might use the term connessione as illustration. 

1. We separate the wheat from the chaff, the useful from the inedible. Whether it's our drill book or our playbook, eliminate what is inefficient or unhelpful. Obviously, roster decisions do the same. 

2. Players, like onions, have layers. A winning player might help get scores (screening, hockey assists) or stops (on-ball defense, help defense, deflections, talk, win 50-50 balls) and intangibles without lighting up the box score. 

3. "Water the flowers." Plants and animals need water to survive and thrive. Players need communication and praise. Passing also "waters the flowers" as "the ball has energy." 

4. Photosynthesis changes solar energy into chemical energy. "Light becomes sugars." Coaching is like photosynthesis and everyone benefits from it. 

5. Antifragility 1. Nassim Taleb wrote Antifragile, how things can become stronger under stress. Evolution helps antifragility as organisms most adaptable to change survive. Kobe Bryant discussed his evolution as a player as his athleticism waned in his mid 30's.   

6. Antifragility 2. Training helps both the human mind and body respond to stress. Training helps us 'see the game' and hardens the body. 

7. Toxicity. Don't allow or create a toxic work environment. Fires are a toxic element of nature. Drastic weather changes create environmental hazards. Negative coaching can be toxic. Coaches who "bury players" create an unhelpful work environment. 

8. Dual hit theory of cancer. There's a theory that "two hits" are needed to create cancer. For example, certain genetic traits put people at risk for cancer. Add in cancer-producing elements like smoking and alcohol and cancer becomes more likely. Teams can survive one knucklehead, but there's the "two knucklehead theory" that teams can't survive two. 

9. Escape velocity. A certain escape velocity is required to defeat gravity and create a 'geosynchronous' orbit. Sports programs need to achieve escape velocity, too. That can occur with infrastructure (facilities, youth programs), coaching (e.g. player development, game management), and other resources. One theory is that SEC football is coming back to earth as NIL allows school to compensate players. 

10. Mental models. Brain structure and function separates Homo sapiens from other species. As we learn more about a domain (e.g. basketball), we increase our 'circle of competence'. We know 'the map is not the territory' as territories have differing characteristics than maps. A weak schedule can create a 'good record' without creating a stronger team. "Iron sharpens iron."

Lagniappe. Impact winning. 

Lagniappe 2. Denial hinders growth.  "Good enough" seldom is. 

Lagniappe 3. Not everyone is all-in on choppy steps anymore.  

Repost. Celtics closeouts. 

  

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Saturday, January 11, 2025

Basketball - What Bequest Would You Leave to a Young Coach?

What "best advice" have mentors given you throughout your life? If you could bequeath coaching advice to a young coach, what would it be? 

1. Build relationships. Establish trust with coaches and players. Help the players build trust with each other. Small rivalries can grow to unfathomable proportions. 

2. Never stop learning. Nobody has the franchise on continuing education. Everyone can learn from Coach Don Meyer's "three notebook" policy. One was for basketball, another was for general information, and a third was a gratitude notebook that he gave to his wife at the end of the year. 

3. Be a problem solver not just a critic. Most of us have no issues solving other people's problems when we struggle with our own. Solutions require listening, openness, and nonjudgmental attitudes. 

4. Find mentors. Mentoring lineages go back thousands of years. Socrates taught Plato, who taught Aristotle, who mentored Alexander the Great. Among the worst mistakes coaches can make is believing they know-it-all. Kevin Eastman advises coaches to become a "learn-it-all" not a "know-it-all." 

5. Share. My favorite basketball quote is Phil Jackson's "basketball is sharing." Basketball is "open source." There is no secret sauce. Share. 

6. Learn player development. Even if you're literal the "Recruiting King" (think Nick Saban), you still need to develop players. "Every day is player development day." Consider adding "every day is role development day." Teach players to know and to embrace their roles. For example, if you don't have a reliable inbounder, it will bite you on your backside eventually. 

7. Fundamentals beat strategy. Coach Popovich says, "technique beats tactics." Lesson one from Sahil Bloom is, "you'll achieve much more by being consistently reliable than by being occasionally extraordinary." 

8. Keep a rethinking scorecard. Professor Adam Grant wrote, "Think Again." The ability to change our mind is strength not weakness. The "arrogant jerk" you can't stand could become a trusted confidant. 

9. "Read. Read. Read. Read. Read." - Werner Herzog  "The differences between the person we are today and whom we become in five years are  the people we meet and the books we read." Read widely and find elements from other domains to bring into our lives. 

10.Seek work-life balance. Life is about finding balance. Courage balances recklessness and doubt. Without balance, many careers have the potential to lead to self-destruction. Avoid that path. 

Lagniappe. Teach. Get help. 

Lagniappe 2. Can you trust the player with bad body language? 

Lagniappe 3. You earn your minutes. 

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Friday, January 10, 2025

Basketball - What Game Are You Playing?

"There are a lot of ways to skin a cat." None of this appeals to the proverbial cat. Analogy helps us. Edison believed the keys to invention were imagination, persistence, and analogy. Da Vinci believed in connessione, connections, tied to analogy. Da Vinci and Edison approaches argue for 'relating ideas'. 

Many successful, experienced people disagree on how to play. Here are a few samples:

"Basketball is a game meant to be played fast." - John Wooden

"Basketball is a game of mistakes." - Bob Knight

"The best teams play harder for longer." - Dave Smart

"Be curious, not judgmental." - Misattributed to Walt Whitman (nobody knows)

This quote from Morgan Housel's "The Psychology of Money" has merit.


Have clear intention about how to play and how to plan, to prepare, to teach, and to execute that style. 

Everybody likes to win. In the developmental space, winning came secondary...to development. That was "the game" and most of the participants (players and families) bought into it. 

At least half of practice was developed to "pure fundamentals," with additional time to applications (small-sided-games, press-breaking advantage disadvantage scrimmaging, and special situations scrimmaging). In the games that were close, special situations gave us an edge. 

A few general beliefs:

1. Condition within drills. Coach basketball not track. I don't believe in punitive running. 

2. Skill wins. "We can't run what we can't run." Teams that can't shoot can't win much. Volume shooting with 'pressure' constraints of time, defense, and competition all matter. 

3. Team first. To be considered an excellent player, you have to make others around you better. If you can't or won't because of selfishness, then you need a private conversation. Great 'numbers' on a losing team means you're not helping others enough. 

4. 'Doing it right' should be obvious. Ball pressure, deny penetration, help defense, "color on color." On offense, see spacing, player and ball movement, and open shots. 

5. Obvious effort. Effort shows in transition, on defense, and in movement without the ball (urgent cutting). "Trickeration" is not a plan. 

Lagniappe. "We make our habits and our habits make us."  

Lagniappe 2. Find a few to embrace. Don't try to memorize long lists.  













 

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Thursday, January 9, 2025

Self-Sabotaging Your Basketball Offense

Some teams have a propensity to "shoot themselves in the foot." A similar expression says, "the first step to getting out of a hole is to stop digging." 

Don't self-sabotage the Four Factors: SPCA

S - shooting

P - protect the ball

C - crash the boards

A - attack the rim (free throws)

Analyze components of possessions:

  • Spacing
  • Player movement
  • Ball movement 
  • "Scoring moment"
Within these frameworks, don't turn features from into bugs. Here are a few: 

Shooting 
  • Poor shot quality
  • Poor passes leading to the shot
  • Poor shot distribution (more shots for non-shooters)
  • Lack of shooting ability (low team shooting percentage)
Note: it doesn't matter how many open threes a team gets that cannot make them

Turnovers (Categorize)
  • Decision-making 
  • Execution (Passing, catching, traveling, time violations)
Note: Turnovers are "zero percent shooting" possessions

Rebounding
  • Lack of toughness and positioning (defensive)
  • Lack of anticipation and aggression (offensive)
Note: Failed blockouts count as much in the first as last quarter

Watched the beginning of a high school game a few days ago, first six possessions:

1, 2 a pair of airballed open three-point shots
3, 4 airball two, next shot hits underside of rim
5, 6 pair of turnovers

Attacking the rim
  • Some teams mostly play east-west, not attacking the basket
  • Some players get "paid by the dribble" - aimless dribbling
  • Failure to cut urgently often promotes perimeter play
Considerations:
  • Disallow three-point shooting by low percentage (e.g. under 25 percent) shooters
  • Emphasize pass quality during shooting drills
  • Prioritize more shots for your best shooters
  • Challenge team to reduce turnovers
  • Film study of selected successful and unsuccessful possessions
  • Practice hard-to-defend actions (PnR, simple and complex screening)
Lagniappe. What important skills and behaviors does your team not do enough? 
Lagniappe 2. Be like Dean Smith. 




 

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Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Basketball - Celtics "Snap" (Spain Actions)

Great offense creates edges. It creates individual mismatches, "draw 2 and pass," and impossible choices for defenses. 

Skilled players master screen options to create hard-to-defend actions.  Complex screens are among them:

Staggers - such as Iverson action

Sequential screening - e.g "Corner rip"

Double screening - such as "elevator" and "sandwich" screens

Screen-the-screener/pick-the-picker actions 

Screen-the-roller - such as Spain PnR which the Celtics call snap

  • Start with the NBA base filled corners
  • Have a high ball screen at the top 
  • Bring in another screener (e.g. from the 'dunker' but stacked bigs at the top is common)
Here's a great example from a recent Celtics game: 


Jaylen Brown is the ballhandler and Queta sets the high ball screen. The Nuggets, absence Jokic, are in 'drop coverage'. Holiday is lurking. As Brown comes off the screen, two Nugget defenders are trapped. Brown attacks the basket and as Queta's man is picked, Brown reads the play for a lob slam. 


Here's a different look. The Hornets bring in the help side defender and leave the opposite wing open. Malcolm Brogdon comes off the screen and reverses the ball to an open Brown who misses. 


Coach DeMarco uses the telestrator to illustrate another example. 

Lagniappe. Get accustomed to "Deep Work" free from distractions - no calls, no emails, no drop ins. I write most of these pieces in the 530-700 timeframe. 

Lagniappe 2. Attacking the body to neutralize the shot blocker.  

Lagniappe 3. "The power of three." Or I say, "stops make runs." Good teams get stops; bad teams allow runs. 

Kentucky finished with three separate 10-0 runs against Florida. In the last three seasons, teams who go on at least 3 "Kill Shots" in a game while not conceding any are 299-0. It's unbeatable.

— Evan Miyakawa (@evanmiya.bsky.social) January 4, 2025 at 1:21 PM

 

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Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Basketball - The Stories We Tell Ourselves


Every day we tell ourselves a story. "Everyone is necessarily the hero of their own story."
Some are "if only" or "if I ruled the world" stories. Being firmly grounded isn't always helpful. 80 percent of people say they are better than average drivers. The 20 percent who do not have higher rates of depression.
Morgan Housel writes that pessimism is seductive. It's easier to believe the narrative that this or that will fail than the "Hakuna Matata" optimism story.
All the great coaches I know lived in the positivity space, even when they saw something else.

As a player, you can only be as good as your self-belief. Rick Pitino wrote a book, "Success is a choice." The most successful students leverage some ability with great process. The most successful players usually have a measure of athleticism and physical gifts (e.g. size) with acquired, hard-earned skill.

Coaches want motivated, ambitious players. The player who shows up for optional skill development, who commits to strength and conditioning, and studies the game is a magnet for coaches.

There's a saying about the 'curse of unlimited potential'. So many athletes without 'the golden arm' could only dream about having it. When you have a gift, find the motivation.

Lagniappe. Persist, above all, persist.
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Lagniappe 2. Be a reliable teammate. 

Lagniappe 3. Learn from losses.  

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Monday, January 6, 2025

Basketball - Badness

Things go wrong. Relationships go sour. A book chapter or a column wastes time. Our team gets blown out amidst inferior talent, low energy, or bad coaching. 

A fellow assistant once said, "it's unrealistic to expect consistency with players this young and inexperienced." Move on and go back to work the next practice.

Return to "control what you can control..." our attitude, our choices, and our effort.

1) Injury. Our best player gets injured or ill. Prepare the team to go on without her. Everyone has to make "one more" play...get an extra rebound, an extra stop, and extra hustle play. That's a tall order if the injury spans the season. 

2) Uncontrollables. We miss a lot of practice because of weather (snow days). Probably our opponents are missing more practice, too. When the Force Majeure (act of God) happens, move on. 

3) Talent. "We don't have enough talent." Most coaches have said this, except the master recruiters. Which is why player development matters. "Every day is player development day." That also explains why NIL has developed such a following. 

4) Officiating. We couldn't buy a call. Before one game, the officials asked me how they got paid. I explained that I only coach, the league handles payment. We got murdered by the refs. The other coach literally came over to me at halftime saying, "did you steal something from those guys?" 

For a playoff game in New Hampshire years ago, the other coach asked me for forty bucks for the officiating. Do you want lottery tickets, too? 

In the last fifty games I coached, I don't think the officials determined one outcome. 

5) Player attitudes. Sometimes a quote explains it best. Casey Stengel was on to something. 

6) Parents. Overall, I'm grateful for the relationships I developed with parents. I'm not delusional; some still hold me (in the words of former House Speaker John McCormack) in "minimal high regard." 

"Legendary Speaker of the House of Representatives and Texas native Sam Rayburn was, in addition to serving the longest tenure for a Speaker of the House, “a man of many sayings.” Riddlesperger recalls that Rayburn’s favorite saying, which “captures his view of governing,” was: "Any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one." Riddlesperger also notes that “though his successor John McCormack was fond of saying, ‘I hold all of my colleagues in high regard, but some I hold in minimal high regard,’ Rayburn just referred to the folks he couldn't stand as "sh**a**.""

7) Politics. Because I never took any compensation to coach (no cents?), nobody was after my job. And I'm not after anybody's job...

Lagniappe. Leg training is critical. 

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Lagniappe 2. "Low man wins." 

Lagniappe 3. The best players are "professional" in their ability to take coaching.  


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Sunday, January 5, 2025

Basketball - "Repetitions Make Reputations"

Watched a high school game recently where the initial three 'three point shots' were all airballs. 

Some coaches 'greenlight' shooters based on practice 'range testing'.  Make a given percentage of three pointers to 'earn the right to shoot'. Roy Williams required shooters to make 60 percent of three pointers in practice to 'greenlight' threes in games. 


Test players along radians with 'distance'.

I used a drill in the offseason with players starting at three feet. Make it, move back about two feet. Make two consecutive or move in a foot. The goal was to make it to the three point line. 

Here's a link to helpful ideas for shooting including "Championship 38." Consider using cellphone video to study your form and quickness of release. Be 'shot ready'. 

 

Lagniappe. Standards. 

Lagniappe 2. Film study opportunities.  

Lagniappe 3. Payton Pritchard ballhandling.  

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Saturday, January 4, 2025

Basketball- “Know Where Your Feet Are”

Know your identity. Scorer. Facilitator. Rebounder. Primary defender. Coaches want ‘guys’ who impact winning. And you impact winning with specialized skill sets. A chosen few are superstars who impact the game in every way on both ends as "possession enders."

Knowing where your feet are means understanding and executing your role. That doesn't preclude expanding roles by growing your skills. It also allows you to "make the big time where you are." 

Jaylen Brown entered the NBA after a freshman season at Cal with elite athleticism and carried a reputation of "can't shoot." 

Brown was committed to becoming both an NBA star and leader. 

Fast forward to 2024. Brown expanded his game to become Finals NBA and SI NBA Player of the Year. Here's the Brave AI take:

Jaylen Brown: Jaylen Brown has been recognized as the SI NBA Player of the Year. He had a remarkable season, leading the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals and winning the Finals MVP award. Brown’s on-court success, including averaging 23.4 points per game, and his off-court efforts, such as investing in his community and founding his own shoe company, 741 Performance, have burnished his credentials for this award.

Brown leveraged athleticism, intelligence, and desire into achievement and generational wealth. He wants to be considered one of the best two-way players in the world.



His cross-training workouts are legendary. 

As written in Chapter 2 of Napoleon Hill's  1937 classic, Think and Grow Rich "DREAMS ARE THE SEEDLINGS OF REALITY."

Players and coaches decide to be goal-focused or process-focused. Choose what works for you. 

Lagniappe. Concept for attack and counter... 

Lagniappe 2. Early on in his professional cricket career, Ed Smith in "Luck" wanted to dismiss the role of luck. Smith is unafraid of sarcasm. 

"The age of ultra-professionalism had arrived. And professionalism, of course, above all demands control. No longer would ‘anything be left to chance’ (chance was an awful relic of amateurism)."

Lagniappe 3. "The bank is always open." 
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Friday, January 3, 2025

Basketball - Complacency Kills Champions


Complacency kills champions. 

Kevin Eastman, in “Why the Best Are the Best”explained that in an NBA Finals playoff game against the Lakers, the Celtics allowed 32 points off defensive mistakes in a win. Restated, teams make errors from youth to the highest level. 

In an interview, Duke Women's coach Kara Lawson said that the goal is 'chasing perfection', not reaching it.

Everyone likes to win, wants to win. Not as many have the will to sacrifice for wins. Talent is a must. Nobody wins without it. Will is underrated. 

Coaches suffer sleepless nights worrying about factors out of their control. Will a player be academically eligible? Will another be healthy? Is another tired? Is a fourth unfocused because of a messy relationship? Are players getting enough rest, eating right, violating league rules while partying? 

Everything and nothing changes over generations. If you want to be exceptional, sacrifice...willingly. Because you play for the girl next to you.

What motivates adolescent athletes? Here's my AI prompt and ChatGPT comments:

As an older coach seeking relevant messaging, I ask, "what motivates adolescent athletes?" I believe in positivity, adding value, and stressing character and cometency. Please share some suggestions.
ChatGPT said:
Motivating adolescent athletes requires understanding their developmental stage, individual goals, and the team culture you're fostering. Here are some approaches that align with your philosophy of positivity, adding value, and building character while addressing complacency:

1. Purpose and Belonging

  • Create a Shared Mission: Establish a team identity that highlights the value of hard work, trust, and accountability. Adolescents are motivated when they feel part of something bigger than themselves.
  • Highlight Their Role: Reinforce how each player’s contributions impact the team's success. Recognizing effort, even in small ways, builds motivation and self-worth.

2. Challenge and Growth

  • Set Incremental Goals: Help athletes focus on short-term, achievable objectives within a larger framework of improvement. For example, “Let’s reduce our errors in this rotation by 20% during practice.”
  • Reward Grit: Celebrate when they push past challenges—whether physical, emotional, or tactical. Praise their resilience rather than only outcomes.

3. Positive Reinforcement

  • Use Specific Praise: Instead of saying, “Good job,” say, “I love how you tracked the hitter and adjusted your block.” It reinforces the behavior you want repeated.
  • Catch Them Doing Things Right: Adolescents often expect correction. Surprise them with unexpected recognition for their attitude or teamwork.

4. Developing Character

  • Stress Integrity Over Winning: Share stories of athletes who showed sportsmanship and courage, even in the face of defeat. This aligns with your emphasis on character and resonates with their evolving values.
  • Complacency as the Opponent: Frame complacency as an obstacle to greatness. Teach them to embrace discomfort as the space where growth happens.

5. Autonomy and Ownership

  • Let Them Lead: Rotate captains for practices or drills, allowing them to feel ownership of the process. Adolescents thrive when they feel trusted to lead.
  • Ask for Input: Involve them in setting goals, such as defensive strategies or culture improvements. They'll feel more committed to ideas they helped create.

6. Social Connection

  • Foster a Fun Culture: Adolescents value their peers’ approval. Incorporate team-building activities like small competitions, group challenges, or silly rituals that keep the environment light and engaging.
  • Encourage Peer Recognition: Build a culture where teammates applaud each other for their effort and unselfish play. This supports your emphasis on being great teammates.

7. Model Positivity

  • Reframe Failure: When the team faces setbacks, reframe them as opportunities for growth. Lead by example, showing optimism and perseverance.
  • Live Your Values: Share personal stories or reflections on character, resilience, or self-improvement to humanize yourself and inspire them.

Example Messages for Your Team

  • "Every rep is a chance to add value to your game and your teammates. Don’t waste the opportunity."
  • "Complacency is the enemy of greatness. Champions stay curious and hungry to improve."
  • "It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being better than you were yesterday."
  • "Character is what you show when the game isn’t going your way. That’s what I care about most."

 Lagniappe. 5 second 2-on-2. 

Lagniappe 2. Teams choose the scoreboard or the scorebook.  

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