Basketball: Cross-Over Drivel, Goodby's Rules from Advertising

In his MasterClass, ad exec Jeff Goodby shares his rules for "Creative Vandalism." I've shared Picasso's quote many times, "Good artists borrow, great artists steal." Steal and share. 

Nike's tag line, "Just do it" was a byproduct of murderer Gary Gilmore's last words before execution by firing squad, "Let's do it." Keep our eyes open for anything that can make our teams and our coaching better. Kyrie Irving talked about practicing his handle by putting the ball in a plastic bag. Wear those one-size-fits-all stretchy gloves to practice dribbling. Make practice hard for games to be easier. 

If we're writing or coaching all the time, then we don't have protected time to see the world and learn from it. Some companies, like 3M, allocate time just for thinking. 




Coaching is the fourth kind of love. "It takes courage, sacrifice, strength." 

"You have to find a way to tell the person that you're not happy with what they're doing and still have them come back and show you more...they've got to come back and make it better." - Jeff Goodby 

Take intelligent risks. There is risk in missing out. Courage isn't the opposite of fear. Courage balances risk. The opposite of fear is recklessness. 

Dream big. If nobody knew that you discovered fire, then that's truly a shame. Find mentors and anteambulos to help clear your way. Want the player, the team to be great. It's about them. 

Understand that we're not the only one out on the limb. Have empathy for those with whom and for whom you work. Remember, many of us work with children. Be a mentor, not a bully. 

Lagniappe: "The ball scores." With rare exceptions (face guarding full denial), see the ball at all times. "Head on a swivel...see both (ball and player)." First mistake, bad play. Second, bad player. Third bad coaching. 

Lagniappe 2: Contesting One-on-One, from Five-Star Basketball Drills (#96, a variation)

Lagniappe 3: "Cognitive dissonance." We struggle to hold opposing viewpoints. Developmental coaching puts players into situations where they fail in judgment and execution. Coaches don't want players on the floor who repeat mental mistakes. #Children 

Lagniappe 4: Explore New Ideas. 

"If you want to become a ___________, practice." - Advertising Creator Rich Silverstein, MasterClass