"Bleep you.” The Pope claims infallibility on faith and morals. Coaches claim infallibility about nothing. Nobody has cursed me to my face in coaching...only in medicine.
When we coach, we expose ourselves to criticism. We're gonna get the cream pie in the face...and worse. At least pie tastes better than crow.
Fans and parents question qualifications and competence, lineups, minutes, strategy, roles, tempo, timeouts, commitment ("picking up a check"), demeanor, motivation, and more. Even great process won't guarantee good results. Irony allows that slim chance, fat chance, and no chance all mean the same.
Fast flame outs follow wanting to please everyone and angering the key person who has the power to sack you. Wildly inconvenient that we can't know who that is in advance.
You won't get a second chance to make a first impression. Establish credibility about basketball philosophy, team culture, and identity. Where do you set expectations? Incumbent players may feel entitled. Newcomers don't want sacrifice on an altar of seniority. Promises of equal opportunity for roles meets challenges by loving parental eyes. Who keeps the account of 'dues paid'?
Sophisticated software tracks minutes and stats. Interested parties can use that data to air dirty laundry about perceived inequities in minutes and shots. Even winning teams aren't always happy teams. Chemistry ain't them and me.
Setting roles and lineups creates both order and chaos. The haves get order and the have nots feel chaos. Competition won't always resolve the issue. Feelings get hurt.
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few...or the one." The most skillful coaches convince the team that collective success eclipses personal goals and needs. When that comes together, beauty can emerge.
Lagniappe:
