"I'm a psychologist." Chuck Daly used to say that he was a salesman. Maybe we're both selling the same item.
Coach Calipari called his latest book, "Team First." We live in the "ME" generation. Coaches reflect on the same thing in different ways. Doc Rivers used the African proverb, "You can go faster alone, but farther together." Casey Stengel shared, "the key to being a good manager is to keep the people who hate me away from those who are undecided." The best teams have a genuine affection for each other as people first and as players and coaches second.
I want to convince players that letters (W's and L's) mean more than numbers. It's not always easy, because normal parental influence (I call that the Prime Directive) seeks recognition and many people believe that numbers define performance. Bill Russell had a saying, "my ego depends on the success of my team."
Energize. The coach and point guards have ownership for the energy at practice. A blind person at practice should hear the enthusiasm and a deaf one should see the intensity. We define the tempo and players learn to operate at a higher level.
Kevin Eastman had an adage about "fighting for your culture every day." The environment I want for the operation is Teamwork, Excellence, and Accountability. "Me over we" mentality destroys all of the aforementioned.
After teamwork-culture, we need motivation. Back in the day, that meant the Bruce Jenner protocol - exercise, rest, nutrition, supplements, and goals. Dad used to say, "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar." Coaches can be warm and demanding. Another Eastman comment is, "you are responsible for your paycheck." Get after it.
Foster competition. How does a player learn to fight to "win this possession" from the opening tap to the final buzzer? It helps to have competitive players, but we can foster competition within practices. Applying and defeating pressure are central to success in most endeavors, but especially basketball. I don't have heart rate monitors like the University of Kentucky, but we did have a pair of twins. They battle the heck out of each other and it's contagious.
Reinforce confidence. We can't let players get down. One player wasn't scoring as much as she expected, because she was relying on her perimeter shots too much. "Play the game inside to outside." That builds confidence and makes defenders tentative.
Praise players who do the 'little things' that make a difference. Blocking out, moving without the ball, taking a charge, going to the floor, pressuring the ball, setting up cuts, getting the hockey assist and screening well might not get you on the scorebook but they'll get you on the court. Thanks is the cheapest form of compensation; let players know how much you appreciate the effort.
Stay humble. When struggles occur, the coach has to maintain perspective but when success follows, keep players and the team grounded.
Set high expectations. I expect attention to detail. Without the details, the mission fails. The detail extends off the court as we expect players to become better people and maintain high academic standards. Every senior on my daughters' high school team was on the honor roll. That is the de facto standard, not an outlier.
