"Societies grow great when old men plant trees in whose shade they will never sit." - Greek Proverb
"Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence."
Performance. Performance might relate to "measurables" like minutes, shots, and contributions in the box score. Or it might relate to less recorded contributions to winning like defense and hustle plays. The latter appears when coaches like Dean Smith made a point to recognize 'less heralded' players who helped Carolina win.
Conversely, know that some players lose "status" without performance. For example, the Oklahoma Sooners young woman accused of pouting when not scoring. In a team meeting, she tearfully related her father's scorn.
What we can't know yet is the impact of NIL on individuals and teams. Will compensation or seeking it add pressure or change decisions for highly compensated players and how much envy will emerge? Remember the most sensitive nerve in the body is the money nerve.
Self-worth. Self-worth is more than money. Investing guru Todd Harrison reminds us "never confuse net worth with self-worth." It includes confidence, attitude, and relationships. It may appear as leadership and 'presence'. Positive mentoring changes everything.
There's a lock and key aspect to releasing greatness in people. Some players aren't ready to flourish even when we say "I believe in you." They can only be as productive and happy as they believe. That's why Coach Wooden flanked "faith" and "patience" at the top of his Pyramid of Success.
Approach coaching seeking buy-in but delivering added value every day. Buy-in may not show up early. I coached one talented point guard who butted heads with me every practice. About a year later her mother wrote and said that her daughter finally "got it" and became an All-League player.
Summary:
- Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence.
- Performance relates to both measurables and intangibles.
- Recognize less heralded players.
- Remember that 'status loss' may befall some players.
- How will NIL affect individuals and teams via envy?
- There's a lock and key relationship to mentoring impacted by time and belief.
- Seek buy-in by delivering added value.
Lagniappe. "Every day is player development day." Help your teammate with movement off the ball. Repetition: Bill Donovan's '95' (95 percent of the game is played without the ball).
