"Never Phone It In"

"Never phone it in."

"What are you saying? Coach, I'm giving it one hundred percent, 24/7/365." 

I was pitching a high school baseball game, say fifty years ago, and we're leading 8-0, top of the sixth, one out nobody on. The next four guys hit rockets and suddenly, it's 8-3. The coach comes out asking if I'm okay. Obviously, I lost focus. I retire the last five guys and win 8-3. 

We can phone it in physically or mentally. I preach, "possession and possessions" (get the ball, do something with it). In baseball it's compete pitch by pitch. Lose focus, bad things happen.

"Don't cheat the drill." Samantha, always in her notebook, has a D1 scholarship to Illinois. Cecilia was All-Scholastic as a freshman because she went hard on every repetition in practice. Extra opportunity to improve? She was there. They never phoned it in. 

From BasketballImmersion.com

Specifically, how do we phone it in? 

• Lack of punctuality. Professionals are on time. 
• Selfishness. Serve the team. 
• Lack of preparedness... be "off book." Know the assignments and the plays.
• Lack of conditioning...
• Not enough "unrequired work" - athletic training, skill, video study
• Undone academic work...
• Lack of caring about both process and outcome 

Drill. 

"Every day is player development day." 

Set play. 

Iverson "screen-the-screener" action. 

Lagnaippe (something extra). "Where do you draw the line?" (Language) 

Coaches can phone it in, too.