Total Pageviews

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Basketball - Colin Powell's Thirteen Rules

Rules aren't always rules, as much as (via Pirates of the Caribbean) guidelines.

General Colin Powell, formerly Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, National Security Advisor, and Secretary of State started his 2012 book, It Worked for Me with his thirteen rules. He shares many relevant stories from his long career. 

Here are his rules and possible uses. 

1. It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.*

"Well, maybe it will, maybe it won't." 

Players, families, and fans aren't always happy with minutes, roles, results, and recognition. Part of coaching is becoming uncomfortable with being uncomfortable.

Basketball - The worst losses stay with us forever.  

2. Get mad, then get over it.

Carrying around disappointment and grudges serves no master. As Samuel L. Jackson tells himself, "Not every role is for you." And as Coach Cob reminds us, "You are a coach, but not the coach." Decisions made under the shadow of anger appear without the benefit of the most light. 

Basketball - Remember a medical adage, "two-thirds of all serious problems arise from having an open mouth" (drinking, smoking, eating, speaking, etc.)

3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.

Legendary trader Jesse Livermore's life informs this. He made and lost fortunes multiple times. In the end, he committed suicide. Don't make a permanent decision out of a temporary problem. 

Basketball - Have to think Donald Sterling had some regret...

4. "It can be done."

Army officers must maintain a positive attitude to succeed in tough missions. Both coaches and players cannot succeed without self-belief. 

Basketball - Just as every great loss sticks, so does every great win. 

5. Be careful what you choose: you may get it.

This parallels "be careful what you wish for." A 'dream job' can turn into a nightmare. Or the job may not turn out to be what you thought it was. It suggests that "due diligence" must be more than a slogan. 

Basketball - If a player chooses the "The Life" over "The Game," they'll end up with neither. 

6. Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.

This has significant nuance. Remember what Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler said about some recruits, "If you don't get him, he can beat you once a year; if you do, he can beat you every day." Do you want that low character, high talent player in your program? 

Basketball - Remember the "two knucklehead rule." A second knucklehead will destroy your team. 

7. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.

There's a saying that people unable to manage their own lives can easily manage others. Trusted advisors are 'that' - advisors. If you're the guy in charge, you (not the advisors) own the decision. That can involve anything - talent recruitment and retention, strategy and style of play, assistants...

Basketball - Assistants support the Head Coach. There cannot be two. 

8. Check small things. 

Every good coach focuses on attention to detail, having everyone on the same page, and "taking care of what's in their boat." And every coach has a horror story about a detail disaster (e.g. the Webber timeout). 

Basketball - Remember Knight's "Power of Negative Thinking." Avoid the actions (e.g. bad shots, turnovers, bad fouls) that thrive on losing teams.

9. Share credit. 

People need appreciation. Some of the worst people to be around are "credit hogs." Professor Adam Grant's book, "Give and Take" shares stories about givers, takers, and matchers. One football coach who will remain nameless, was famous for taking credit for wins and assigning blame for losses to players. 

Basketball - Distribute credit and like "bread cast upon the waters," it will return to you. 

10.Remain calm. Be kind. 

Leadership demands the ability to stay calm when those around us are not. Everyone has slipped up and been unkind, especially under pressure. Do all we can to preach and practice virtue. 

Basketball - Kindness will return and so will lack of kindness. 

11.Have a vision. Be demanding. 

"Be demanding without being demeaning." And remember that if we don't know where we're going, we might end up there. Chart the course before the journey, including a coherent philosophy. My coaching philosophy has always been TIA - teamwork, improvement, accountability. 

Basketball - Coach told us, "If I stop yelling at you, it's because I've given up." So it's okay to be coached. 

12.Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers. 

"Don't take criticism from people from whom you would not take advice." Being steadfast and committed to making good judgments challenges everyone. Others' advice may be intended for their well-being, not yours.

Basketball - Don't be in a rush to make decisions without enough information.  

13.Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. 

Optimism is a strength. One set of values was called a "COTE of armor" - confidence, optimism, tenacity, and enthusiasm. Another adage is "you cannot fashion a positive life with a negative attitude."

Basketball - Find force multipliers - talent, communication, coachability, teamwork, technology and analytics, opponent and self-scouting...

These 'rules' resonate with me for several reasons:

  • They apply across many domains. 
  • They reflect wisdom of both facts and self-regulation. 
  • Each is expansive and deserves careful thought (maybe their own discussion)
Lagniappe. Care about the value brought to our communities. Coaches touch the lives of many. 

Lagniappe 2. What environment makes us our best? 

Posted by at

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Basketball - Close Inspiration Gaps

Age creates gaps between young leaders and old lions. Old leaders express a preference for history, memoirs, and politics. What inspires youthful leaders navigating uncharted waters?

Inspiration is uniquely personal. Inspiration is the surfboard helping the rider transform the power and danger of the wave into the thrill and experience of the ride.

Inspiration, like coaching, technology (e.g. video, shooting machines, analytics), and teamwork, is a force multiplier, helping the whole become more than the sum of the parts. 

Inspiration per se is never enough. preparation and perspiration translate that doesn't might be into reality. 

Candidly, I don't know what best inspires student-athletes. I suspect that factors that worked over fifty years ago (praise, positivity, personal attention, trust, encouragement) still work. 

What elements propel students athletes toward high performers?

Coaching

"Everyone benefits from coaching." - Sean McVay  This has become a go-to quote. It simplifies Atul Gawande's Checklist Manifesto and The Coach in the Operating Room. The proof may arise from skepticism about anyone who says that they know everything worth knowing. Great coaches inspire and eager athletes inspire coaches. 

Mentors

Mentors coach but aren't necessarily 'domain-specific'. In the masterful Finding Forrester, Sean Connery mentors young Jamal Wallace. Connery finds friendship and renewed joy in writing as a mentor, while Wallace pursues both basketball and scholarship at an elite private school. "Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence." 

Teammates

Teammates can elevate, inspire, and frustrate us. Supposedly, Duke's Christian Laettner would inbound the ball a few feet away from Bobby Hurley to annoy him. In Teammates Matter, walk-on Alan Williams shares how much teammates meant to him at Wake Forest. 

In our professional lives, we encounter all kinds of teammates - supportive and diligent and fortunately few who inspire, "don't let the door hit you on the backside on your way out." Be the former. 

Models

As a young ensign, I attended Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, RI for a summer. Our company commander was LT Unruh, relentlessly positive and a terrific model for young officers. 

Upperclassmen have vital roles for young players, showing them the proverbial ropes, "this is how we do it." You don't need star status to influence teammates profoundly. Remember both the Golden and the Silver Rule. The Silver Rule says, "Do not treat others in a way you would not want them to treat you." Don't bigfoot young players...or anyone. 

Reading

What books inspire young adults, student-athletes, or have inspired you? 

ChatGPT Plus proposed this initial list:

Here’s a clean, no-frills list — five books that are widely credited with inspiring student-athletes across sports:

  1. Once an Eagle — Anton Myrer (too long, a standard for military academy students, check a summary)

  2. Wooden — John Wooden (timeless)

  3. Mindset — Carol Dweck (a summary would suffice)

  4. Legacy — James Kerr (one of my favorite books)

  5. The Inner Game of Tennis — W. Timothy Gallwey (I'd substitute "The Four Agreements") 

It generated a second list specifically for high schoolers. Here’s a tight list that lands well with teenagers:

  1. Mindset — Carol Dweck

  2. The Inner Game of Tennis — W. Timothy Gallwey

  3. Legacy — James Kerr

  4. Chop Wood Carry Water — Joshua Medcalf

  5. The Boys in the Boat — Daniel James Brown

I've read all except "Mindset" but reviewed the principles. The Boys in the Boat is another favorite. FWIW, I've read "Legacy" three times and "Chop Wood, Carry Water" twice. 

What are you reading today? 

Experience

Nobody escapes the influence of personal experience. Watching Geno Auriemma and the UCONN women practice (Breanna Stewart et al.) was amazing. Many of you cherish your first varsity selection, first appearance, and ideally on court success. Embrace the best of times and try to learn from others. 

Eventually, we become our own coach. Find inspiration as fuel for your journey. 

Lagniappe. Life. 

Lagniappe 2. Transition. 

Posted by at

Monday, February 9, 2026

Basketball - Crowdsourcing - Practice Activities That Made a Difference

Coaches ask for 'crowdsourcing' ideas for player development. There's no "one size fits all" because twelve year-olds and NBA rookies have different needs and growth arcs. 

First, a few principles:

  • Condition with a ball. 
  • Use constraints - time, physical limits (e.g. dribbles)
  • Include defense...or offense if it's a defensive drill.
  • Competition lifts players. 
  • Add decision-making
Examples:

Conditioning

3 x 3 x 3 shooting

Tongues look like neckties if players 'go hard' in this drill. Encourage communication as passers must call out the shooter's name.

Constraints

Dribble tag within the arc. 3 to 4 minutes at each end. Constraints include:
  • Non-dominant hand dribbling
  • Vary types of dribbling - hesitations every 3rd or crossovers 
  • Combos - non-dominant hand plus varied dribbling 
Advantage-disadvantage drills. 5 versus 7 full-court. No dribbling. Can only score in the paint. If the ball hits the floor it's a turnover. When you can break full court pressure against seven, only five defenders feels like a mismatch. 

Include Defense (or Offense)

Box drills from the elbow get introduced initially "on air." Adding defense changes everything. Pivoting is undertaught. Attacking with fewer dribbles adds value. 

Shell drill with offense adds a different dimension. Also, insist that the 'shell' defenders face different challenges - pass and cut, pass and screen on the ball and off the ball, pass and slip. 

Competition Simulates the Game

One vs one (always limiting to two dribbles)
Two vs two (PnR, DHO, give-and-go, slips emphasized)
Three v three (with constraint of playing inside the split - the line bisecting the court)
Small-sided games (Link and link within)


Playing three vs three at each end of the court (inside the split) with a coach for each group was a 10 minute staple. Can start with a spread formation, triangle, low post and wing, etc. The possibilities are endless. 

Every good team has solid offense and defense in the half-court. Offense is played more often three-on-three than five-on-five. If you want, you can team Zoom Action and Pistol during these segments

Decision Making

Small-sided games and scrimmaging are both ideal to train both offensive and defensive decisions. Chris Oliver suggests other approaches... sometimes they feel gimmicky but I have a ton of respect for him. 

Lagniappe. Repost from 2017. Coaching taught me a lot about what both players and I knew or didn't. 

Posted by at

Sunday, February 8, 2026

Basketball - Optionality

Don't "paint yourself into a corner." Dogmatic approaches create inflexibility that can force us to contradict ourselves. Stronger teams have multiple ways to win against teams playing different styles and tempos. 

Handling pressure, zones, physical teams, transition teams require flexibility and versatility. This requires more than skill, the capacity to adapt decision-making under a variety of conditions. Good teams dictate how they want to play. If an opponent wants to play racehorse basketball, our team needs to rebound better, limit outlet and look-ahead passes. 

What is optionality?

Optionality allows for leaders to create a broader range of choices and responses to changing conditions. Consider Greenberg's Law, "If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail." 

The ability to change defenses and pace often provides solutions. 

What are its goals?

  • Flexibility 
  • Improved process
  • Improved results
How do we intend to score? Do we have a balance among transition, sets, basket attack, and perimeter offense? If we don't have enough shooting, then coaches must design actions going to the basket (back cuts, PnR, drives, etc.)

Where does optionality occur?

  • Limited by imagination
  • Player acquisition, retention, development
Optionality allows us to go to plan B when play A breaks down. It permits change by choice (e.g. man to zone or vice versa). When an offense has weaker ballhandlers, then defense has to redirect pressure. 

Scouting allows adjustments through game planning and adjusting practice to prepare strategies for opposing tactics and personnel. 

What are the benefits? 

  • People 
  • Strategy 
  • Operations 
Different players may have different strengths and limitations. That allows for more diversity of playing time if the personnel is available. It also allows teams with lesser talent to compete by playing a slower tempo. If our talent is high, then playing faster becomes an advantage. 

What are its limitations? 

  • Paralysis by analysis
  • "Style drift" 
The problems with too many options include inability to decide and "absence of identity." We cannot "do what we do" when we lack clarity of what we do well and a lot. Optionality without clarity becomes noise.

Optionality does not preclude 'absolutes'.

  • Best interest of the program
  • What our team needs now. 
  • Rules (time and behavior-based) still apply. 
This is an excellent chance for team leaders to exert toughness, togetherness, and superior effort. 

Ability, versatility, and flexibility may lead to a lot of close games, which makes execution close and late a priority. The mastery of special situations offense, ATOs, and offensive and defensive delay games is critical. 

Lagniappe. Coach Battenberg shares crucial information to "watch the game not the ball." Coaches pay attention to the big picture - flow, tempo, spacing, ball movement, defensive structure - and the fine details. Adjustments occur both real-time in games and away from the stage during practice.

Lagniappe 2. Emotional regulation is key. Adversity is everyone's companion. Players and teams need to be able to avoid negative momentum. 


Posted by at

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Basketball - Contemplating "HOW" 

SIX HONEST SERVING MEN - Rudyard Kipling
I keep six honest serving-men
   (They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When 
   And How and Where and Who.

I send them over land and sea,
   I send them east and west;
But after they have worked for me,
   I give them all a rest. 

I let them rest from nine till five,
    For I am busy then,
As well as breakfast, lunch, and tea,
   For they are hungry men.

But different folk have different views; 
  I know a person small—
She keeps ten million serving-men,
  Who get no rest at all! 

She sends 'em abroad on her own affairs,
   From the second she opens her eyes—
One million Hows, two million Wheres, 

  And seven million Whys!  

An argument exists that "HOW" is the captain of Kipling's "Six Honest Serving Men. 

"How" distinguishes added value and differentiates a person and organizations. Developing your "HOW" could separate an extraordinary future from an ordinary one. We can debate whether Dov Seidman's "HOW" or Simon Sinek's "WHY" assumes priority. 

HOW

Synonyms for "HOW" include process or approach. Process varies as much as mountains from prairies. Process balances key elements such as Saban's "immediacy, intelligence, and intensity." 

My son reports how our nine year-old granddaughter is progressing at basketball in the ATL. My advice was this, tell her "we loved watching you play." Make it about joy not production or pressure. 

Basketball

  • Relationships a top priority
  • Teamwork essential, get "all oars in the water"
  • Simplicity with everyone "on the same page"

HOW we lead, think, and behave

Emphasizing HOW separates process from results. And more. 

There's a story about the discovery of a remarkable frog with mesmerizing iridescent violet eyes. A geneticist says, we can collect some DNA from the frog's mouth or skin, sequence the genome, and discover the protein coding for the eye color. A biochemist says, "we can pop out the eyes and put 'em in the Waring blender and isolate the protein fast." The answer makes all the difference for the frog. 

Basketball keys

  • Make quality decisions
  • "Get more and better possessions than the opponent"
  • Play harder for longer
HOW trust is built

Trust comes from sharing - shared vision, shared mission, shared sacrifice. Trust makes everyone better via shared work. Trust encompasses coachability, preparation, and attention to high standards during the season and offseason, practice and games. 

Basketball trust:
  • Commitment to making others better
  • Sacrificing with one more pass, giving up shots, taking hits
  • Impacting winning
A teammate explained why he voted for me to be captain. It was a scrimmage and you hit the floor, saved the ball, and took out another player. It was a football play. 

"How you do anything is how you do everything."

Lagniappe. I'm reading "How." An AI take about Dov Seidman's "How" 

Dov Seidman’s book How is about the way things are done—values, behaviors, and culture—not shortcuts. That maps cleanly onto basketball success, especially at the team and program level.

Here are five basketball-specific translations of Seidman’s core ideas:

1. “How you play” becomes your competitive advantage

Seidman argues that how an organization behaves is its moat. In basketball, this shows up as:

  • Defensive habits (early help, sprint recovery)

  • Shot selection discipline

  • Ball movement under pressure

Basketball lens:
Two teams can run the same sets. The one that screens with force, spaces honestly, and makes the extra pass wins. The “how” is the separator.

2. Culture beats talent when pressure rises

Seidman emphasizes that values-driven cultures scale and endure—especially under stress.

Basketball translation:

  • Late-game execution

  • Road games

  • Tournament settings

Teams that share values (accountability, toughness, unselfishness) default to the right play when the game speeds up. Talent alone doesn’t hold under pressure—habits do.

3. Shortcuts poison trust

A central theme in How is that cutting corners corrodes credibility—even if it works temporarily.

On the court:

  • Taking bad shots “because I can”

  • Jogging back after a miss

  • Skipping film or recovery work

Result:
Trust erodes. Teammates stop covering for each other. Defensive cohesion cracks. Winning becomes fragile.

Great teams are anti-shortcut organizations.

4. Leadership is behavior, not title

Seidman is explicit: leadership is modeled, not declared.

Basketball version:

  • Who talks in huddles?

  • Who sprints to the next drill?

  • Who owns mistakes publicly?

Captains don’t lead by speeches. They lead by how they practice, how they respond to fouls, how they treat officials and teammates.

5. Reputation is built when no one’s watching

Seidman stresses that integrity is revealed in unseen moments.

Basketball parallels:

  • Extra shooting after practice

  • Film study without being assigned

  • Conditioning on off-days

  • Effort in blowouts (up or down)

Those behaviors don’t show in box scores—but they compound into postseason performance.

One line that fits a locker room wall

Everybody knows what to do. Winners know how to do it—every possession.

Lagniappe 2. Defensive core concepts from Kevin Eastman. How it's done well. 

Posted by at

Friday, February 6, 2026

Basketball - Acquiring Leadership Skills - Books Worth Study

"In all of the professional walks of life - medicine, the law, politics, the arts, and so on - the ability to rationally describe and ultimately perform the function of leadership is essential. The heart of truly professional activity is a sense of community, an accepted set of normals, traditional processes of advancement, and an orderly application of effort in pursuit of important goals." - R. Manning Ancell in The Leader's Bookshelf about "The Soldier and the State: The Theory and Politics of Civil Military Relationships"

Books inform important inputs sculpting our leadership. The half dozen books below resonated for me. 

Teaching how to become a leader is an important coaching function. Becoming a leader as a student-athlete is both a choice and an obligation. Lead by modeling excellence and building your leadership portfolio. In addition, professionals maintain a professional reading practice. 

Your experiences with family and peers, teachers/coaches, and books shape your leadership arc - knowledge, philosophy, and style. Add value by sharing your basketball wisdom. Get buy-in through relationships that capture hearts and minds. 

They Call Me Coach (John Wooden) 1972

Wooden shares an abundance of beliefs inhabiting his coaching. Two worth noting:

Excellence is built in daily habits and revealed in moments of pressure. We make our habits and our habits make us. 

In his "Letter to Players" he marks his territory, telling players that he makes decisions, whether they like them or not, with the intent of doing what is in the best interest of the team. 

Legacy (James Kerr) 2013 

Kerr gets under the hood of the legendary New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team. Two key messages:

"Leave the jersey in a better place." The All-Blacks have an enduring tradition of excellence. Players understand that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Few organizations inhabit that domain. 

"Sweep the sheds." Leaving the locker room or the bench area in better condition than you found it is consistent with metaphorical "commitment to excellence."

The Score Takes Care of Itself (Bill Walsh) 2009

Walsh was the architect of the 49ers dynasty and later was a professor at Stanford. Two lessons:

Walsh's "Standard of Performance" embraced a philosophy of discipline, detail, and commitment to improvement. "Standards" are a common theme in sport and business and Walsh was an 'early adopter' if not founder. 

Attention to detail was a core concept for everyone in the organization - how staff answered the phone, striped the field, or taught blocking. 

The Leader's Bookshelf (James Stavridis) 2017

Admiral Stavridis and others summarize fifty books recommended by high ranking military officers, not necessarily books about the military. For example, Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" and Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" are included. Two principles:

The best leaders lead from the front not from "ivory towers." King Leonidas (Sparta) made the ultimate sacrifice at the Battle of Thermopylae against Xerxes' Persian "Million Man Army." Fight for your beliefs or your civilization. 

Brilliant minds do not always translate to good decisions. During the Kennedy Administration, "The Best and the Brightest" led the country into a disastrous quagmire of Vietnam.  

Lincoln on Leadership (Donald Phillips) 1992

Many historians consider Lincoln America's greatest president, preserving the Union and ultimately killed in office. The best authors share unique insights into the character and mindset of their subjects. For example:

Lincoln was a technology geek. He constantly reviewed patents that might help the Union, for example, the telegraph. Lincoln is also the only President with a patent, on a device to lift boats run aground.

Lincoln's "Hot Letters" were written often in response to actions that upset him. They helped him 'get it out of his system'. He wrote, "Never signed, never sent" and filed them 

Leadership in Turbulent Times (Doris Kearns Goodwin) 2018

Doris Kearns Goodwin is one of America's most well-known and prolific historians. "Leadership in Turbulent Times," formidable in itself, is a 478 page "Cliff Notes" to her tomes on the Roosevelts, Lincoln, and Lyndon Johnson. A couple of key points amidst thousands:

Teddy Roosevelt was a sickly child and challenged himself physically so that ultimately he could "do hard things." 

The author was not a fan of LBJ (Johnson), so much that he hired her for his administration to try to convince her of his leadership skills. Sometimes it is better to bring critics into your circle than to exile them. 

The most recent data I read reported that 48 percent of Americans had not read a book in the past year. "Education changes behavior." Coaches are educators and have a responsibility to our players to read to become more effective at teaching both our sport and life lessons. 

Lagniappe. Find the NBA, "Next best action." 

Lagniappe 2. Did you play to the best of your ability? 




Posted by at

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Basketball "Imatsiya" - Practice, Motivation, Coaching

An "elevator pitch" is a summary, distillation of an idea or process into a one-minute elevator trip. Here's the pitch. 

Where does greatness arise? In tennis, it began in a rundown, ancient facility with coaching from a 77 year-old woman with a bad hip. Some from "The Little Group" of 7U with backpacks, stuffies, and racquets became champions. 


If Preobrazhenskaya's approach reduced to one word (it frequently was), that word was tekhnika - technique.

Some want to be great - exceptional students, exceptional players, exceptional leaders. Coaches don't produce that fire. We add oxygen.

Special isn't born, it's boring. Perfect your attack footwork, your pickup and shooting motion, and deliver passes on time and on target. 

Here's the Chat GPT Plus "top three summary" from "The Talent Code"

1. Deep Practice Builds Skill Faster Than Anything Else

Deep Practice means:

  • Breaking skills into small chunks

  • Operating at the edge of your ability—where mistakes occur

  • Slowing down, correcting, refining

  • Repetitive, mindful reps that strengthen myelin (the literal insulation around neural circuits)

Why it matters: Errors are not setbacks; they are the raw material of growth. The athlete who practices with attention, precision, and purpose accelerates faster than the one who simply “puts in time.”

For coaching: This is the foundation of game-speed drills, blocked-to-random progression, and high-quality feedback loops. It’s where volleyball, basketball, or any pursuit becomes craftsmanship.

2. Ignition: Motivation Is Sparked by Identity and Emotion

People do not work hard because they “should.” They work hard because something inside them is lit. Coyle calls this Ignition—an emotional spark, often triggered by:

  • A role model (“someone like me did this… so maybe I can too”)

  • A defining moment (“I want to be part of that”)

  • A vision of future identity (“this is who I am becoming”)

Why it matters: Without ignition, practice stalls. With ignition, players self-drive improvement with remarkable intensity.

For coaching: This is the heart of culture building—role models, storytelling, reinforcing identity (“We are MVB; we train like champions”), and creating an environment where effort means something.

3. Master Coaching: Great Coaches Are Talent Whisperers

  • They give clear, concise, actionable feedback

  • They create a culture of safety and high expectations

  • They model calm, patient, craftsperson energy

  • They teach athletes how to practice, not just what to do

Why it matters: Coaching quality is multiplicative. Great coaches create great learners; great learners create great outcomes.

For coaching: This is Brad Stevens’ “be a truth-teller,” Wooden’s “be quick but don’t hurry,” and your own emphasis on clarity, decisiveness, and identity-building. The coach’s job is not just instruction. They shape the environment where deep practice and ignition thrive.

The Talent Code in One Sentence

Skill is built through deep, intentional practice, fueled by emotional ignition, and guided by master coaching. 

Suggest sources for 'Coaching Lessons'. 

1. Steal something great. Learn from the best. 


2. Study coaches from a variety of sports...including Dawn Staley and Doc Rivers.

 

Lagniappe. Find an action or two that resonate for you. 
Posted by at

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Basketball and Baseball

Principles and analogies cross sports domains. A podcast by Alex Speier about the Red Sox minor league development system raised points worth considering for basketball programs. 

Strengths and Deficiencies

Baseball systems may lean into strengths or deficiencies such as hitting (scoring) or pitching (run prevention). Similarly, in basketball, teams may overemphasize offense or defense and become "unbalanced." Unless a player has extreme offensive talent, (s)he cannot compensate for a lack of skill, knowledge, or effort defensively. 

Recently, Danny Hurley and Geno Auriemma acknowledged that they recruit offensive players, expecting that they can train them to play adequate or better defense. 

Player Development

In an era where talent acquisition (free agency, trades) or retention (signing) has become expensive, there's value to be had by player development. In baseball, the Red Sox have found prototypes (e.g. size, extension) and added velocity, bad speed, and/or launch angle to raise player performance. In basketball, players have a myriad of skills to develop, ranging from shooting accuracy and range, pick-and-roll play, attacking the basket, and playing within a system. For example, on the Celtics, Neemy Queta's development has transcended most expert's expectations. 

Another analogy fits primary and secondary skills. A pitcher might have an electric fastball but lack pitch shape or command needed. Similarly, in basketball, the "Four ways to score" principle expands on the "GO TO" and "COUNTER" scoring approach. All scorers are not "shooters" and all shooters are not great scorers.

Tools versus Performance

Size and athleticism may not immediately (or ever) transfer to effectiveness, depending on a player's commitment, aptitude, and improvement arc. A player like Derrick White was lightly recruited, and started on a room-and-board stipend at D2 Colorado-Colorado Springs. He matured into a D1 player at Colorado, was a late first round choice by the Spurs, and emerged as an NBA and Olympic Champion. He leads NBA players in plus-minus since December. 

White was not the "toolsiest" player in the Association, but has become a leading contributor if not recognized as an All-Star. 

Measurables

Some classify potential by having a minimum two out of three of size, athleticism, and skill. In "The Undoing Project" by Michael Lewis, he shares that the predictables for NBA draft success are 1) performance in college, 2) elite program, and 3) age at time of the draft (younger is better). Cooper Flagg, recently turned 19 emerging Mavericks superstar, represents an obvious example. 

Floors and Ceilings

Player potential can fall under a variety of "rubrics" including "floors and ceilings." Ideally a player has both a high floor and high ceiling. Assessing youth players, I used an analogy of lottery pick, first rounder, second rounder, and 'street free agent'. 

It's irrational to expect to win big without occasional lottery picks and lots of first rounders. Many parents think their child is in the former categories. I contend that players can rise one category but seldom two. 

Player development plus exceptional player commitment are essential for the players who achieve "escape velocity" to rise even one category. 

These are 'crude' and 'qualitative' categories but may help coaches fashion clarity in player evaluation. 

Lagniappe. Another great video from Isaiah Tavares. 

Lagniappe 2. Good offenses have more 'hard-to-defend actions' including off-ball screening such as Zoom, Flex, backscreens, and complex screens like Spain, screen-the-screener, and Iverson.

Posted by at

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Your Personal Marshall Plan*

*Adapted from “Soldier, Statesman, Peacemaker: Leadership Lessons from George C. Marshall" by Jack Uldrich from "The Leader's Bookshelf," curated by ADM James Stavridis. 

Personal development never stops. Grab key lessons that help us as people, educators, and mentors. 

General George C. Marshall had a distinguished military career, followed by a career as a statesman, and international leader. 

Functionally, he served as what would equate to chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during WW II. He was a master of logistics and Roosevelt wanted him in Washington, which allowed Eisenhower to be Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

Following WWII, he served as Secretary of State and later Secretary of Defense. Following that he was President of the International Red Cross.

Marshall was the only Military officer ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Marshall's Nine Leadership Principles offer core value for consideration for inclusion in your portfolio. 

1. Do the right thing – the principle of integrity.

Basketball - You are the figurehead of the program. You own modeling excellence and sportsmanship.

2. Master the situation – the principle of action.

Basketball - Serve the best interest of the program.

3. Serve the greater good – the principle of selflessness.

Basketball - Do what is best for the success of the team. That will necessarily conflict with what is best for others at times. 

4. Speak your mind – the principle of candor.

Basketball - Navigating hard conversations is an expectation. Always have hard player conversation with at least two adults present. 

5. Lay the groundwork – the principle of preparation.

Basketball - Preparation leads performance. 

6. Share knowledge – the principle of learning and teaching.

Basketball - Work to become a better teacher. Our job in Pete Newell's words were help players to "see the game." Teaching reflects both substance and style. 

7. Choosing to reward the right people – the principle of fairness.

Basketball - Everyone wants to be recognized. Reserves get value when recognized as "frontline" players get plenty of publicity. 

8. Focus on the big picture – the principle of vision.

Basketball - Decide and focus on your "Main Thing." You are the steward of the program. 

9. Support the troops – Caring always matters. In Anton Myrer's classic novel, "Once an Eagle," what distinguished Sam Damon was his total commitment to men and mission. Courtney Massengale committed to career advancement over soldiers. 

Basketball - It's a cliche and true that "they don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." 

Lagniappe. Is each practice activity simulating the game? 


Posted by at

Monday, February 2, 2026

Basketball - Be Memorable

"That's going to leave a mark." Many experiences in sport leave marks, some cherished and others condemned to our "resume of scars."

Science tells us that we remember best "peak" and "end" experience. 

End experiences could include:

  • Havlicek stole the ball (1965)
  • Nelson's clinching miracle bounce jumper (1969)
  • Princeton upsets UCLA (1991)
  • Webber's ill-fated timeout (1993)
  • LeBron's iconic "chase down" Finals block (2016)
Peak experience could include:
  • Hank Gathers' sudden death (1990); Erik Spoelstra was on the court.
  • Bob Knight's chair toss (1985) amidst a brilliant career
  • Jordan's "flu game" performance (1997)
Both peak and end experience imprint memories with high emotional input.

Few articles will be memorable. Remember the Heath Brothers "Made to Stick" acronym for sticky stories - SUCCESS. 

S - Simple (needing no explanation)
U - Unexpected
C - Concrete (specific)
C - Credible 
E - Emotional 
S - Stories 

I had a colleague whose wife scored the winning basket in the Michigan State Championship Basketball Tournament finals.

One high school teammate (Roger Lapham) had a son Rich who won two State High School basketball titles in Maine and was the starting left tackle for Boston College and an NFL draft choice. Roger had been drafted by the NFL and the NBA out of Maine. I had called Roger about something and Rich answered. I asked how old he was and he said, "15." I said, "So you're probably 6'3" or 6'4". He answered, "No, I'm 6' 8." DNA. 

Roger's older brother (Dave) played for the Cincinnati Bengals. His opening appearance was against Steeler legend Mean Joe Greene. Before the snap, Greene said, "Hi, Dave. Welcome to the League." As the ball was snapped, Green delivered a forearm shiver under the chin. Welcome to the League. He said that never happened again. 

Doug Collins was on the US Olympic Team that lost to the Russians in 1972. Collins made a pair of free throws to give the US the lead late before the fiasco. Collins said that the last song he heard coming out of the locker room was Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted?" The US never accepted the Silver Medals and some players had it in their wills that no family member should ever accept them. Collins went into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 as a Contributor as a player, coach, and broadcaster. I met him circa 1974 driving him from Logan Airport to Sam Jones's basketball camp in Easton, MA where I was briefly a counselor. 

One day I had gone to the local YMCA to shoot some and the only people in the Gym were a guy and his daughter who looked about 12. I said to myself, "That looks like JoJo White." He picked up a ball and shot it. "That is JoJo White." I left. He deserved to have peace to shoot with his kid and he knew who he was. 

Years later my twins would play his daughter and Masconomet High in the Tsongas arena for the Sectional Title, a pair of 22-0 clubs. Melrose took the win, 68-54. A memorable day for the family...

Lagniappe. Sweet 16 conditioner. 
Lagniappe 2. For once, guys tell it like it is. 

Posted by at

Sunday, February 1, 2026

Character, Coaching, and Ulysses Grant

"There are impressively good leaders who have intrinsic persuasive and inspirational charisma, who don’t read much, but they limit their potential substantially, and as a result, they never become truly great leaders. Others which with average charisma, but who read and think while they read, learn how to inspire individuals and smaller large groups through their reading, as well as as to comprehend what to do better than anyone, and they become great leaders." - about Ulysses  Grant in  "The Leader’s Bookshelf"

Commit to learning, study, and use of analogy. Often great achievements in history can fly under the radar.

Hiram Ulysses Grant was plucked from selling firewood on a St. Louis street corner into the Civil War. An average student at West Point, he was out of the Army in 1854 with a drinking problem. He entered the Civil War as a colonel.

Grant rose to Lieutenant General and Commander of Union forces. He received Lee's surrender at Appomattox. With his Civil War prominence, he became President in 1868. How?

In addition to his effective command leading to decisive and important victory at Vicksburg, he had three vital leadership qualities.

1) Grant possessed remarkable determination and believed strongly in the cause of the Union.

Coaching - Within basketball, it's unfair to single out one coach for being unusually resolute. Indiana football Coach Curt Cignetti would fit that label. 

2) He was a skilled communicator and excelled at delegating. He issued notoriously clear orders. Delegation and clarity earned him trust and loyalty from subordinates.

Coaching - There's no "best communicator" in coaching. I admire Dean Smith for his unselfishness in encouraging Michael Jordan to leave, for his work in the community, and his bequest to former players upon his death. 

3) Grant was humble. He shared both responsibility and credit. His humility earned him many followers unlike some other Union generals such as "Fighting Joe Hooker." 

Coaching:

Dean Smith said, "A lion never roars after a kill." Jay Wright shared, "If you're not humble, it's hard to be coached." Coach Gregg Popovich and his staff were described as "really humble" by fellow coach Dave Joerger. 

  • Praise is specific; criticism is private.
  • Credit flows outward; accountability flows inward.
  • Standards are non-negotiable; ego is optional.

The key messages are: communicate, stay hungry and humble.

Lagniappe. It's hard to coach without 'enjoying' good actions. 

Posted by at
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)