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Wednesday, December 9, 2015

The Responsible Thought Leadership of Coaches

As teachers, we have to think and communicate clearly. Where does it go wrong? I had an intern (about thirty-three years ago), Dr. Bruce Flax, who thanked me for teaching him a lot. "You taught me a lot of what I know, but I wish you could teach me what you know." 

That's our challenge, giving them what they need to know and more. 


If you could share any three pieces of information with your students, what would those be? 


  1. Appreciate basketball symmetry; what you want to do offensively is what you want to stop defensively.
  2. "Don't cheat the drill." The quality of your practice matters.
  3. "There's no substitute for becoming a proficient shooter." You can't win 0-0. 
What overarching themes come into play every day? 

  1. "Control what you can control...attitude, choices, effort."
  2. "Everyone can be a great teammate."
  3. "Persist in your effort to 'see the game', to pursue excellence in game understanding."
What do learners receive from their students?

  1. We receive feedback on what works and what doesn't.
  2. We get appreciation for 'sharing'. 
  3. We see young people grow into responsible adults. You never know what teaching point will make a difference in their lives.