A team struggled for a few seasons, searching for unifying themes and community. Translation? Wins have been few and morale can improve. It's not, "the beatings will continue until morale improves" conundrum. Maybe a change will help.
You know it's a one-year turnaround gig. The roster is not likely to change, players with some athleticism and not much size. The players haven't jelled. You know little about the culture or dynamics. Aside from not onboarding, what strategies, tactics, mental models, and business acumen-scientific-humanities-other suggestions come to mind?
Get ideas from domain leaders. Think broadly first and then narrow your focus.
Chess Champion Garry Kasparov reminds us always "to be objective in assessing a position." He adds that chess has "fixed rules and unpredictable results." He adds that his native country's politics tend to be just the opposite. Do we have any video?
Billionaire investor Charlie Munger reminds planners to "invert." The more mental models we have the better. What would happen if you did the opposite of what has taken place or of your plan? Consider extending the defense and emphasizing transition to control the middle of the floor. Or consider packing in the defense and playing a ball control, ball movement offense to limit turnovers?
Amidst a pandemic, what are our communications options for building skill and teamwork? Can we have virtual meetings and outline individual strength, conditioning, and shooting programs?
Is there any precedent for building a program remotely? If so, what belongs in the curriculum, how do we measure progress and give feedback?
We want resilience. Some programs have group reading. UNC soccer reads, The Leadership Moment by Michael Useem. A local team read Jay Bilas' Toughness. Alan Williams and Alan Stein, Jr. promote Teammates Matter and Raise Your Game. Maybe that's too high a bar for middle schoolers.
We could ask them to listen to a podcast, a time-limited investment. I found Alan Stein's podcast with James Clear informative and inspirational about building habits. "Start looking at habits as lifestyles instead of life-changing results...think about the system you want to build."
Behavioral science. An old Dear Abby-type advice column shared a wife's frustration. She went to the library and read books about animal training. She rewarded her husband's positive behaviors and effected changes.
Jim Collins "Good to Great" - right people in the right seats, hard truths, hedgehogging (focus on one thing), discipline, and technology. How can we apply Collins' lessons?
Business strategists restructure the organization.
Advertising guru Jeff Goodby was asked by a mentor how much time he spend writing ads. He said, "ten hours." The expert told him, "my dear boy, you should spend two hours a day writing and eight hours deciding what is worth writing about."
Think about coaches you admire. What can we adopt from their portfolio while remaining authentic? Steve Kerr teaches culture, mindset, and mentors. He had great mentors like Lute Olson, Phil Jackson, and Gregg Popovich. Gregg Popovich reminds players to "Get over yourself" and "pound the rock." It's not about you; it's about the work.
Before solving a problem, consider a variety of possible solutions and the cost and benefits of each.
Lagniappe: Via @Coach_DeMarco
"Great offense is multiple actions."
Lagniappe 2: I got a rare opportunity to review game film from forty-seven years ago, before three-point shooting, dribble drive, and without a motion offense. We didn't have spectacular quickness, great transition, or dominant shooting. How did we score sixty-six points a game in a 21-4 season?
- Don't turn the ball over. "More and better shots than your opponents."
- Balanced offense. Five players averaged at least ten points a game.
- Move the ball. "The quality of the pass determines the quality of the shot."
- Pound the boards. A 6'7", 6'6", 6'3" front line controlled the glass.