Coaches Help Players Hack Life

Hack life with memories. The Power of Moments (Chip and Dan Heath) informs specifics about making memories. 

"There are three practical principles that we can use to make more moments of pride: 1) Recognize others, 2) multiply meaningful milestones, 3) practice courage. The first principle creates defining moments for others; the latter two allow us to create defining moments for ourselves."

The Heath Brothers also wrote Made to Stick, about the power of stories, and a critical acronym of powerful stories - Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Story. 

Combine the two, shared memories and powerful stories to hack life. 

The earlier we save, the more likely we benefit from the power of compounding. Compounding character works the same way. Working on character (and basketball) has the greatest potential when we start young. The greatest senior citizen basketball player ever? Uncle Drew? 

Recognize others. People mock "everyone gets a trophy." What if everyone deserves one? 

• Find positives to praise. "First at practice, last to leave" and Lauren graduates from the Naval Academy this spring.
• "Catch people in the act of doing something right."
• Remember, "thanks is the cheapest form of compensation."
• Correct with the "sandwich technique." Sandwich correction between praise.
• "Speak greatness." 

Was our favorite coach the most knowledgeable or the coach who added the most value to us? He or she made us feel valued. 

Was our least favorite coach ignorant or incompetent or the one who had the worst relationship skills imaginable? 

Multiply milestones. Dean Smith understood the contributions of role players to wins. Making highlight tapes is a form of milestone for players. Kevin Sivils' idea of the "Team Award" for being a great teammate is another excellent milestone. I've awarded sports memorabilia to mark end of coaching a player. 

As an anteambulo, help student-athletes fuel their dreams. Write the letters, emails, supporting documents for schools. Send the letters and highlight video to the coaches and copies to the players and their families. They earned the right to experience pride in that milestone. 

Show courage. Players show courage by doing hard things on the court - setting and fighting through screens, taking charges, hitting the floor, blocking out. Show courage by standing up for our players (practice time, facilities, resources) and by emphasizing doing the right things - academics, sportsmanship, healthy lifestyles. 

At our best we support the growth and achievement of our student-athletes long after they've moved on.  

Lagniappe. Work on additional types of pick-and-roll passes. 

Lagniappe. Looking for innovation. Check out Pedro Martinez from Slappin' Glass.