Pressure manifests in many forms - time pressure, peer pressure, and the number of people counting on you. The coach adds that pressure brings out the best and the worst in people.
In part, coaches measure growth by achievement under pressure. Despite the adage that great players rise under pressure, pressure degrades performance. Perhaps great players experience less degradation.
Leaders subject their teams to pressure. Don Meyer said, "make practice hard so games are easy." And legendary General Alexander Suvorov taught, "Train hard. Fight easy."
Auriemma suggests that we create conditions where the odds are stacked against your players (e.g. 4 vs 5, 5 vs 7) and scrimmages his team against a team of men. Coach Knight calls this 'advantage-disadvantage'.
When it's not meaningful, there is no pressure.
"You don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training." - Navy SEALs
Certain kids never make the clutch shot in practice (e.g. everyone has to make 1 in a row)...others will "always" make the pressure practice shot
Know which kids to have and not have on the court during crunch time (from training)
Coach Auriemma emphasizes real pressure is other situations, "a single mom trying to pay the mortgage when she's lost her job"
"The upside (of winning the big game) changes your life."
"Pressure is my mother walking around with no shoes on while the Nazis took over our town."
Lagniappe. Coach Hanlen gives advice to simplify and refine what you have.