And a heav'n in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour."
-William Blake
I've referenced Laurence Gonzales' Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies , and Why a lot lately...with reason.
Excellent teams survive. Successful teams find ways to wear down opponents. People regularly underestimate Nature. Nature finds ways to bring her 'A' game. Sometimes strong teams do not, searching for answers against tough opponents or bad situations. During tournament time, many use the cliche' "survive and advance'.
Borrowing from Gonzales, I share relevant survival keys.
1. See it and believe it. Very few teams (or minds) can turn excellence on and off. Perceptive coaches smell trouble before it appears. That sixth sense allows them to feel a letdown in advance. Solving problems requires seeing them and acknowledging them.
2. Stay calm. Coach Wooden reminded players to "be quick but don't hurry."
Players need to understand the tempo needed and that "stops make runs."
3. Prepare. We have to anticipate what can and will go wrong. Coaches understand the myriad paths to problems.
How will we react to foul trouble? What's our comeback game? What's our offensive and defensive delay game? As a player, do you have extra shoe laces, contact lens solution, any medicine you take, hydration, and other necessities? Are you mentally ready?
4. Act decisively. The meek might inherit the earth, but not the basketball court.
Indecision can cause traveling, incomplete cuts, held balls, failed switches, getting caught in the air, bad screen-and-roll defense, "in-between" shots, and more.
5. Don't quit. Survival means attention to details. Are you playing to win or not to lose? Preparation, planning, and practice must translate into relentlessness.
Dean Smith had a UNC team down eight with seventeen ticks left and took Duke into overtime and won.
The Patriots recently won Super Bowl LI overcoming a twenty-five point second half deficit. Reggie Miller scored eight points in nine seconds.
Amazing happens.
