We sow a thought and reap an act.
We sow an act and reap a habit.We sow a habit and reap a character.
We sow a character and reap a destiny.
-Anonymous
We make our habits and our habits make us. I have productive habits like reading and writing (readers debate that) and non-productive ones like coffee and candy consumption. As coaches, we struggle to build great habits for our players. What habits do you teach and model for your players?
I can't control when players do their homework but because we practice Monday and Wednesday 7:15 - 9:15 I expect responsibility; I expect players to complete homework before practice. During my daughters' senior year (23-1), all six seniors were on the honor roll. That means good study habits, habits that translate onto the court.
Tim Grover writes in Relentless, «Do. The. Work. Every day, you have to do something you don’t want to do. Every day. Challenge yourself to be uncomfortable, push past the apathy and laziness and fear»
All communication runs through parents, but the players have a practice schedule available before practice. The intent is teaching the importance of planning and preparation.
I have to stretch before practice (dynamic stretching) for self-preservation. Players should recognize the potential for injury prevention.
Do you want to become a serious player? Build better habits. "Warm up your shot." What solid player would walk onto the practice court and start shooting threes?
Really. But I see players grab a ball and immediately start taking outside shots. As many times as I remind them about "form shooting", confidence, and proper shooting warmup, it's never enough. You can't become a quality shooter without a quality process.
"North and south." You succeed offensively in basketball by learning to attack the basket...north and south.
"Play out of a stance." When I see players in 'stand up' mode, I see lack of commitment, lack of discipline, lack of energy, and lack of intent. When I see five players without stances, I see a team that has quit.
"Block out." Everyone has used the drill where a coach or manager shoots and five players block out. I remember one game in high school where a shot went up, everyone blocked out, and the ball landed in the middle of the key. One of my teammates just grabbed it.
So many habits are fundamental to success - setting up cuts, facing up, waiting for screens, exploding out of moves, and so forth.
It's not Pygmalion or Pinocchio. We don't transform inanimate objects into players. Players build habits, one day at a time, to experience excellence. At our best we inspire, teach, and share and at their worst, some destroy dreams. What habits do you encourage? What habits encourage you?