Practice determines a substantial part of culture. How do we plan (preparation), interact (attitude and communication), and operate (process)?
Planning should reflect clarity, be detail-oriented, and translate directly to game activity. For example, a 'layup drill' is likely to run out of "pick-and-roll" practice. The passer enters the pass to the wing, sprints to screen on the ball, and will either roll for a bounce pass and get a layup or roll as the ball handler drives downhill with a maximum of two dribbles to the basket. This better reflects basketball reality than traditional layups.
Our attitude should reflect our willingness to accept power. "We are also influenced by our nonverbals...our thoughts and our feelings and our physiology."
How we carry ourselves and train our teams impacts their neurochemical performance.
Position impacts power and physiology. "Fake it until you become it." I work to spend time with a few players every practice to reinforce and expand their confidence. Work on the players' verbal and non-verbal communication. I don't want to see players hanging their heads or walking around with their shirt in their mouths after a bad play. Move on. Play in the moment. Make a positive play.
Quality, however elusive, can only evolve from confidence and persistence.
Operations (how we practice), directly link to accountability. You won't make every shot, but you can make every shot a quality shot. You won't get every rebound, but you are accountable to block out, "hit and get", or anticipate and pursue. You may not make every "look ahead" pass, but you are accountable to look and determine whether there is a 'free runner' available.
I also believe operations require transparency. I encourage parents to come to practice and assess the tone, tempo, and teaching. Read the information distributed to players, the practice schedules, and the blog. Make an informed decision about the program intent and process.
But if we truly want to refresh our culture, we have to do it right, do it daily, and do it now.
