In tough times, "embrace the suck" became a popular phrase. Misery can stem from physical discomfort or psychological pain. As coaches we're stuck with Coach Wooden's admonition, "never let what you can't do interfere with what you can do."
The premier lesson (for me) from the offseason is Dave Smart's "every day is player development day." With no team and the possibility of no season, that offers stagnation but opportunity for online study and remote teaching.
Coaching pain is invariably psychological, frustration with a team's attitude, preparation, or execution. And it isn't necessarily losing. Optimism accompanies a good loss while a bad win disappoints.
Carolina Soccer coach Anson Dorrance saw Mia Hamm working out alone, defining her ethos.
Every athlete worth her salt pays a physical and emotional cost of buying a pass into competition. It's not masochism, but making the best of the situation at hand.
How should players embrace the suck?
- Do unrequired work...conditioning and skill-building.
- Study video daily. Learn by watching models and mentors.
- Build resilience. Be positive, choose control, embrace struggle.
Commit to finishing plays. Find resilient athletes to model, like Heather Dorniden (above).
Lagniappe: Build ways to separate and score. Coach Castellaw breaks down Paul Pierce's jab step back. Not something to develop as move 1a or 1b.
The counter keeps the dribble with hesitation into a drive.
Lagniappe 2: Have a specific plan.
Coach Castellaw breaks down what he calls Kawhi's poke steal. This is how I teach players to steal going for the ball on the way up on the dribble. Many young and high school players do not protect the ball well. Avoid swatting down to avoid foul calls on the poke.
Lagniappe 3: "Seamless switching" isn't a new concept. Here's a seven-second clip from 1973.
