What question do you want asked that seldom is? It's not "what is the best offense" or "what is the best defense?"
What creates sustainable competitive advantage? Advantage touches a handful of factors:
- Relationships
- Attention to Detail
- Teaching Ability
Relationships. Strong relationships earn trust, buy in, and effort. Respect, humility, and sacrifice build trust. Relationships endure.
Don Meyer's values...(PUSH-T) passion, unity, servant leadership, humility, and thankfulness are a great place to start as we look in the coaching mirror.
We celebrated our fortieth anniversary at dinner with my high school coach and his wife.
Attention to Detail. Detail gets everyone on the same page, prioritizing simplicity and clarity. Abraham Lincoln apologized for the the length of a letter because he "did not have time to make it shorter."
"Feedback-rich" communication is a must.
The coach is the keeper of the story. Leave an indelible watermark on the game. "That's how a Jay Wright team plays." Spacing becomes a given offensively. Talk, loading to the ball, and help are defensive givens.
Teaching. "Every day is player improvement day." Help players "see the game." Every play informs a lesson. To teach better, learn more and revise our lessons. Every player becomes her own coach. "How do I get better today?" Track progress. "Winners are trackers." Add constraints (e.g. run sprints between free throws).
Develop word associations. What do I think about first when I hear "Roy Williams?"
- Michael Jordan told Williams he would work as hard as anyone ever at UNC. Williams told him he'd have to work harder than anyone.
- Williams was recruiting and a player fouled out. Instead of sulking, the player sprinted to get water for his teammates during the thirty second break. That's the kind of player he wanted.
- Williams green-lighted players for threes if they could make sixty percent in practice.
Drill. Pascal Meurs shared this drill. It's a keeper.
Set play. Avery Bradley sets an off-ball screen and pops as the defense collapses to protect the paint.
Summary:
- It's about relationships. They won't always work.
- Trust the process. Sweat the details.
- Teach more. Teach better. Players become their own coaches.
Lagniappe. What messages do you want players to hear?
- A few possessions a game often determine the outcome.
- Which makes playing 'present' vital. Win. This. Possession.
- The best players make everyone around them better.
- Everyone can be a great teammate. It's our choice.
- TIA. Teamwork. Improvement. Accountability