Nobody is perfect.
If Coach Mike Neighbors finds 418 mistakes he made, we have to work harder to identify and revise ours. Here's an excerpt: "I didn’t think all those other duties I had been doing on my way up the coaching ladder really mattered anymore. Since I wasn’t in charge of them, they weren’t important. Some other coach needed to worry about Academics. Not me. Some other coach needed to be interested in Community Service. Not me. Housing? Please, don’t bother me with that mess. Per diem on travel? Don’t interrupt my film session."
Credibility comes with acknowledging mistakes.
Here are big ones I made as a middle school coach...I'm sure the parents would add more.
1. Had too many players on a squad. That cut the pie of attention, minutes, and roles. A player who tried out as an 8th grader absolutely deserved a spot. That forced a choice to carry thirteen or to cut a player two years into the system. I sliced the pie too thin.
2. Didn't push hard enough to get more players to offseason workouts. I showed up Tuesday and Sunday late afternoon but usually there was only one player there. She's an All-Scholastic playing in the Massachusetts tournament Final Four. "The magic is in the work."
3. Needed to start training three point shooters younger. I'm conflicted. The top teams in high school take them (often too many). We didn't even practice them until eighth grade because frankly for most of our girls, they were shot turnovers. "Chicks dig the long ball."
4. More attention to individual defense. Young players won't score without offensive repetition. Why would they defend without them? It's unfair to lament inadequate ball containment without more defensive practice. I robbed Peter (defense) to pay Paul (offense).
5. Stubbornness in teaching man-to-man defense over (some) zone. We played no zone until the end of an 8th grade season, allowing us to win against a rival we had not beaten in years. Worse yet we played a hybrid defense, triangle-and-two. I chose individual defensive development over a better chance to win a few more games. A middle ground exists.
6. Never ask players to do more than they can do. We opened a game pressing and fell behind 6-0 quicker than you can say "Jack Robinson." I took ownership of both a poor start and an early timeout. It was obvious that we were the less athletic and less talented team against a team with a short roster. Don't give games away in the first or the last minute. Diagnose then treat.
7. Get a thicker hide. Remember the words of Director Mira Nair. "(To do the job well) you need the soul of a poet and the skin of an elephant." If you're not happy with the coaching, let me know how to do it better. I'll work on it.
8. Match the players to the schedule. Don't get caught in the Procrustean Bed. We were slotted to play in the "A" League and two weeks before the season, we lost our top player (Samantha) for the season. Ultimately, she earned a scholarship to Illinois and helped win two State Championships for a private school. I should have petitioned to move down a division. We got croaked. Great attitudes only compensate so much for lack of talent.
9. Get real. I bought composition notebooks for every player to record what they were learning. I call it the 3-1 rule, document after every practice or game three things you did well and one needing improvement. Most of those notebooks gather dust in closets.
10.Keep it to myself. I've been fortunate to coach many wonderful children and a few exceptional players. Relatively few parents are capable of genuine happiness for another child's success. Don't go there.
11.Simplify. Writing a daily blog (approaching 3,000 entries) requires imagination and information. Coaching young teens favors simplicity. Technique beats tactics. Never stray from player development. Play more small-sided games. KISS - keep improving skill, stupid.
Summary: Perfection is a fool's errand.
- Don't slice the roster pie too thin.
- KISS - keep improving skill, stupid.
- "The magic is in the work."
- Don't rob Peter (defense) to pay Paul (offense).
- A middle ground exists between man and zone defense.
- "Chicks dig the long ball." Don't neglect practicing 3s (they will take them).
- "You need the soul of a poet and the skin of an elephant." - Mira Nair
Lagniappe. The wisdom of Brian Scalabrine, "That's how you do it. Double team (of Tatum), pass, extra pass." "One more" turns into two or three more points.
Lagniappe 2. NBA shooting coach Dave Love shares tips to correct flaws.
