In every profession, you need a successful process. A salesman needs to close the deal. A trader must open and close positions and control losses. The baseball pitcher needs an "out pitch".
A minority of pitchers will have dominant fastballs allowing them to challenge even the best hitters. Other pitchers will thrive on a combination of stuff, control, and deception. The exceptional few flourish on guile and grit, the Jamie Moyers of the world. Hall of Famers like Sandy Koufax and Pedro Martinez have multiple 'plus' pitches and the ability to put them where they want. It's not easy having to 'pitch to contact' without dominating stuff. The hitters are pretty good, too.
As a basketball player or coach, you need your "calling card", the "go to and counter", "bread and butter", your "raison d'etre"." There's no secret sauce...your skills must be in the forefront, perceptible, not an over the horizon promise.
What exactly do you do well?
Chances are that you will not be a master of all phases of the game. How many Oscar Robertsons do you see that average a triple-double over the course of a season? Even excellent players may not excel at every phase of the game. They need to find ways to emphasize their strengths and hide their weaknesses.
As a coach, you begin with your core philosophy. For me, that starts with connecting with people and the value of TEAM. From the first day, I tell the team that they're not playing for me, their parents, their school, or the community. "You play for each other. You have a commitment to each other. How hard you play and the choices you make, you are accountable to each other."
Most coaches get lumped into player-oriented (player's coach) or task-oriented (hard guy). What you repeatedly see is that on some levels, players eventually abuse the player-oriented coach and are replaced by the task-oriented coach. Why can't you be both?
The legendary coaches like Vince Lombardi, Red Auerbach, John Wooden, and Dean Smith found ways to be both "warm and demanding." Lombardi inspired self-confidence at the boundaries of his hardline approach. Auerbach enlisted Bill Russell as his confederate in taking heat but also getting unique treatment. Wooden and Smith inspired as role models as well as coaches. Jerry Tarkanian's "out pitch" was giving an opportunity to inner city kids that nobody else would take a chance on and a basketball highlight show to the City that Never Sleeps.
Wherever we work, we need our "out pitch." I want mine to be something enduring, teaching young people transformative life skills that translate to the home and classroom. Simple messages are better. If the players don't 'get it', I have ownership. If they don't care, they own that. Actions have consequences. We were really fortunate to have a hard-working group this season, players who cared.
"Nobody is better than you are, but you aren't better than anyone else."
"Everyone can't be a great player; everyone can be a great teammate."
"Do your best. Do that every day."
"Be AWESome. Ability, work ethic, selflessness."
Everyone who truly desires success needs to discover that 'out pitch' in themselves.
