We want to be our best coaching self. Where do we start? Find a mentor, a model for coaching development. She might say, "The most important thing is _____________." And then, "The most important thing is _________." And so on.
Many readers never heard of Howard Marks, Warren Buffett-like old guy. Howard Marks' investment book, The Most Important Thing, shares ideas that parallel coaching concepts.
- “Experience is what you got when you didn’t get what you wanted.”
1. Risk in relationships. When relationships go south, programs fail. Maybe the coaching staff can't communicate with the players, the players tune out the staff or each other.
Risk might occur in the form of competition (e.g. it's a hockey town or you're the smallest school in a tough league). Or the track record of every coach in the past decade has been negative. Or there's no infrastructure (youth program). Do we want to assume that risk?
"Control what we can control."
Imagine that we're not coaching basketball but instead opening a coffee/baked good store in a community with a Starbucks and a Dunkin Donuts. Risk! But to succeed, we can't worry about what they do. We have to outcompete them. Our menu has to be better, our coffee has to taste better, we have to establish our brand and get the word out. It's Sara Blakely's make it, sell it, build brand awareness. But that's basketball!
2. Cycles are real. Programs have ups and downs WHEN we can't control who enters the program. There are times where class after class produce two or three strong players and there are dry spells.
But it's vital to keep homegrown players home. In our area now, many players migrate to AAU-affiliated programs. Some is the 'success leaves footprints' story.
But Duke...we don't have Coach K as a draw AND we can't recruit players into our public school. Even so, what was Duke's record last year? Cycles.
3. Psychology. Combat negative influences. "Be greedy when others are fearful." Herd behavior might contribute to players leaving the system...she left and she left, so I'm going.
4. Don't be a sheep. Analyze independently. Think for yourself. Keep grinding in studying, practicing, and honing our craft.
5. Skill AND luck matter. "Sometimes good decisions produce bad outcomes..." An intelligent (investor) coach will invest coach in a way that limits his downside...focus on capitalizing on skill (player development) and team (portfolio) building.
Lagniappe (something extra). Training movement, rhythm, disruption.
Lagniappe 2. This investment video was the inspiration for this piece. Watch it or ignore it, it's your choice.
