"Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson Jackson's quote outperforms legions. Grow the game by building up everyone.
"Winning isn't supposed to be easy." That drives covetous behavior.
"Be positive." An old joke defines a pessimist and an optimist. The pessimist says, "things couldn't get any worse." The optimist replies, "oh, yes they can."
"Find mentors." Mister Rogers said, "look for the helpers." Find someone we respect, whom we hear, who makes us think. Peers share a lot of wisdom daily.
"Fight for your culture every day." Inc. describes what happens to toxic workplaces:
- Employees will not go the extra mile.
- Leaders get pushed out.
- Employees get sicker.
- Forget about snagging the top talent.
"Good coaches add value and make players feel valued." Machiavelli wrote, "Better to be feared than loved." Machiavelli's biggest battle against the Medici family resulted in him being jailed, tortured, and banished from politics. He wasn't a great coach.
"Be good at what you do a lot." Pick three things that you want to excel at.
"Do more of what works and less of what doesn't." Don Kelbick "Principle #1 - Focus and practice on the things that happen most often during the game. NBA study from 82games.com showed that only 19% of shots came after three or more dribbles... That means the majority of shots come with two or fewer dribbles." Think about the adage, "Good players need two dribbles; excellent players need one; elite players don't have to dribble."
"You're never as good as you look when you win or as bad as you look when you lose." - Earl Weaver It's easier to coach hard after wins than losses. Don't kick 'em when they're down.
"Thanks is the cheapest form of compensation." - Robert Townsend Thank assistants, players, and families for their contributions. Thank the administration and the boosters (if applicable) for support. Thank our family for putting up with us.
"Share credit." Shining the light on others doesn't diminish yours and earns respect from teammates.
"Model excellence." Never underestimate our impact on young people. We never know how our influence will appear someday.
Add yours.
Lagniappe: Trader Ed Seykota had a saying, "Everyone gets what they want out of the stock market." Basketball is similar. Commitment never guarantees success, only improvement.
Lagniappe 2: Wags say the Bible starts with baseball, "In the big inning..." Basketball has a biblical reference, too. "Only the penitent man will pass."
Lagniappe 3: Duke Horns Elbow Handoffs
