"You can't fool children, dogs, and basketball players." - Kevin Eastman
The Declaration of Independence, our national charter, established a standard for truth. What does that mean for basketball and coaching?
Sometimes truth presents contradictions. We grow individual excellence but the good of the whole supersedes the wants of the individual (minutes, money, shots). Rhetoric discusses "student-athletes" but reality celebrates "one-and-done." Amateurism drowns in an ocean of athletic scandals capturing some of the biggest names in basketball. How often do coaches say "defense matters" and reward defenders with time on the pine?
In the interview below, Sherri Coale "accesses player thoughts" by processing "how they feel about what happened in the game...to analyze their own involvement in the game."
What we say and how we say it matters.
"They become very well versed at saying the truth about just what occurred."
Truth exists. It's our job to dissect the truth from amidst false hustle, good fortune over good process, and the politics of opportunity.
Coaching young girls (this year, sixth graders), I filter the truth through parents. That includes needs for more aggressiveness, more effort, and more sharing (selflessness). It might mean position or role changes. Patience and belief count.
Truth or excuse? We're seldom getting more than nine players at practice now, because of epidemic illness (flu). We can't play everyone on the same page when all the Paiges aren't playing. So we spend even more time on fundamentals because "two better players are better than two better plays." Statistics have a role. "She's a great shooter." She shot 2 for 22 on three-point shots. Paraphrasing Billy Beane in Moneyball, "If she's such a great shooter, why doesn't she shoot better."
We don't want to hear truth about size needs, athletic deficiencies, strength training (better when peak height velocity arrives), and 'activity competition' as players have chorus, drama, or play multiple sports.
Nobody (including us) wants criticism of their substance or style, however truthful. Confirmation bias (reading what supports our beliefs), anchoring (relying on first information available), attribution bias (blaming external factors), and irrationality often dominate. "The behavior of National Football League teams on fourth downs departs systematically from the behavior that would maximize their chances of winning."
Our response usually mimics Red Auerbach's, "so he made a study… I couldn’t care less."
Truth has degenerated to our perception. Can we improve our perception? Here are a few possibilities:
- Tracking. Last season a parent monitored playing time. Whatever I might "think" happened didn't always correspond to actual time. That allowed me to "make up" additional time for players who got shortchanged.
- Mentoring. Atul Gawande, a well-known Boston surgeon, hired a surgeon to oversee his process, comment, and suggest improvements.
- Questioning. What do you like about practice? What isn't good enough? "We need more water breaks" or "I need more individual work on this."
Finding truth requires caring and openness. Acknowledging that "I can always be better" and working toward becoming our "better version" gives truth a chance.
Lagniappe:
Tom Thibodeau used to run this with the Bulls. High ball screen with a "flat" set designed to create options for stretch 4, screen-and-roll, and corner 3 off help. Simple can be powerful.