"Advance the story." Help players and the team play better. Leaders have to create value for teams...adding value and having team members feel valued. It doesn't always work out.
MasterClass professors share rules that work across domains, including basketball. Coaches work in a laboratory, experimenting with changing variables amidst of background of proven rules.
Helen Mirren reminds us, "Be on time. Don't be an a**hole." A coach was leading 67-6 and the trailing coach told his players, "when they score, pass the ball back in to them." After the opposition scored the next ten free points, he shouted at his opposing coach, "are you happy yet?"
"Don't be boring" counsels writer-director David Mamet. I love practice. If coaches or players find practice tedious, then it's time to find another profession or avocation.
"There's always a minefield." Director Werner Herzog explains that the leader has to take the risk in establishing a bold culture. "There's a logic to the way a minefield is constructed, with a pathway of safety." The minefield varies through organization, emotion and ego, expectations, and human interaction.
Michelin 3-star chef Thomas Keller reminds us, "embrace the idea of criticism." We grow with critical feedback. Nobody wants criticism, but it makes us aware. Keller says that understanding why one guest is unhappy is his concern beyond why 83 were happy.
Hans Zimmer says, "Might want to go and listen to someone who has my best interests at heart." A coaching colleague told me that I made a mistake by having so many (thirteen) players. I knew he was right but I thought that more was best for the program (and the high school). More players means less time for individual attention, a minutes crunch, and bigger skill differential during games against smaller rosters.
Be as simple and clear as possible. When watching our team, I ask, "what were we trying to accomplish?" When I can't see it, then we've failed. Offensively, work off hard to defend actions - passing and cutting (give-and-go, backdoor actions), on- and off-ball screens, mismatches. When we're just running around, standing, or spacing poorly, the coaching failed. I failed.
Pete Newell defined the coach's job... teach players to "see the game." Vision is the first part of the triad of vision, decision, and execution. Without vision, decisions are worse and execution is non-existent.
"Ecoutez et repetez," said Monsieur Benoit, the French teacher. Listen and repeat. Fifty years later, I still hear it. Send clear messages. What will our players remember a lifetime from now?
Share. We get more than we give. A player sent a note, "Thank you for an incredible three years. You helped develop me into the player I am today. Your coaching and support have encouraged me to always work hard and never hold anything back. Thank you for holding all of those extra practices during the summer and the season. I really valued the one-on-one coaching time with you. I will carry your coaching with me into high school and beyond."
Summary:
- Advance the story.
- Be on time. Don't be an a**hole.
- Don't be boring.
- There's always a minefield.
- Embrace criticism.
- Know who has your best interests at heart.
- Have clarity about what you want to accomplish that day.
- See the game.
- Make it memorable.
- Share.
Lagniappe 1: Define yourself. "What we demand of players we should exemplify."
Lagniappe 2: Footwork creates separation from Don Kelbick.
Lagniappe 3: Develop a portfolio of moves and counters. Write them down, ideally by hand in a notebook. Consider dividing them by location and type (e.g. inside, mid-range, perimeter (3), off-the-catch, off-the-dribble). Master a small arsenal first and have specific goals for your skill building workouts.