Basketball Friday includes looks at concepts, drills/development, and a set play.
How can Drive help us? One theme for 2022 is "ask great questions." Off we go.
1. What is our sentence? Pink shares that Clare Booth Luce told President John Kennedy that "a great man is a sentence." "Lincoln preserved the Union and freed the slaves."
My basketball sentence is, "I steal and I share." Great ideas surround us, Our job is to find them. Remember to look on our bookshelf.
2. Am I a little better today than yesterday? To be better, stick to positive habits which include stealing (ideas) and sharing.
3. What should I stop doing (via Tom Peters)? Time wasting distractions are the chocolate fudge brownies of ineffective dieting. They taste great and undermine the process. I can spend less time on the phone and avoid time wasting apps.
What's your sentence?
Apply these questions to basketball.
What is our basketball identity as a coach? A referee called me today and asked about my future. I said that the team I was looking at has an excellent coach and he returned to coach them (everything is currently on hold anyway with COVID). He said he wasn't sure there would be a difference.
There's opportunity for growth on both the hard and soft skills like communication, influence, and motivation. I wrote a brief letter to a former player's parents thanking her for her hard work and encouraging confidence.
What's gotta go? I need more attention to player development themes. When I posted a poll recently concerning where coaching is needed, respondents were pretty equally divided among individual defense, game understanding, and shooting/shot selection.
Player Development Moment: Triple threat position. Will it become obsolete? There's more emphasis to catch and shoot (threes) and catching to attack on the move. The former resonates with Don Kelbick's "Think shot first." What percentage of catches lead to triple threat?
Set play. Create quality opportunities. Open a gap and stress defenses.
Lagniappe (something extra). We negotiate for resources (salary, time), relationships (e.g. staff), and conditions every day. What are core negotiation concepts?
- Understand our position and needs.
- Understand the needs of the other negotiating party.
- Respect the counterparties.
- Seek good outcomes for both sides (win-win)
- Work to develop allies and obtain commitments that are public ("we support athletics for our young people and the facilities they need"
Lagniappe 2. Play the word association challenge. When I think of Loyola, I think "play smart," limit fouls, ball movement, and Sister Jean. "Movement kills defenses" and check out how Loyola forces long closeouts and defensive movement.