Coaches teach. We engage. We help players and teams write narratives. We tell stories. This piece steals from a tweet about telling better stories.
1. Cut the fluff.
- Advance the story.
- "Don't major in the minors."
- Edit outdated drills.
- Revise our playbooks based on what actually worked.
- Hollywood style, "kill your darlings" (outdated beliefs, lessons)
2. Start with the end in mind. What processes realize our vision? That includes everything from recruiting or tryouts, skill development, strategy, strength and conditioning, the works.
3. Make it emotional. Emotional connections imprint stories. "Liking" is also a factor in influence and branding. Emotion resonates, as in the "Jimmy V" story, "Brian's Song," and "Miracle." Our best victories and worst losses burn into our consciousness.
4. Raise the stakes.
- Lifestyle choices become urgent in the face of illness (e.g. obesity and diabetes).
- Chemical health policies force athletes to choose sport or substances.
- Failure to be vaccinated keeps pro athletes from playing games in Canada.
- Performance determines minutes, roles, and recognition.
- Inadequate effort or defense earns pine time.
5. Use data intentionally. The parent muttered, "shoot the ball." I explained that the player made the right play (passed). "She's 1 for 19 on the season from three; she turned down a low percentage shot." Use data to support our thesis.
6. Keep a story log. Some are natural storytellers; others benefit from a database. Need to overcome hardships? Consider the Kyle Maynard story.
7. Structure your story. Many stories (or jokes) have three parts.
a) What was the last thing Washington told his men before crossing the Delaware? b) Pause..... c) Get in the boat.
Classics. "Cinderella Story" (e.g. Pygmalion) or "Aesop's Fables" (The Hare and the Tortoise, The Fox and the Grapes, The Eagle and the Beetle) Nobody is immune from retribution. Thus the proverb, "when seeking revenge, first dig two graves."
Outline. Outline. Outline. The Duffer Brothers (Stranger Things) write a one and a half-page outline for a pilot. They expand it to 10-15 pages before writing a detailed sixty page script.
Have a drill book, play book, analogy log, and video teaching catalog.
8. Talk to a niche. Tailor our narrative to a specific audience. Some coaches bring in personalities to speak. Bill Belichick took the Patriots to a documentary film about Bill Russell and then Russell spoke to the team about winning.
9. Nail the hook. Finish strong. Deliver the goods. Need David and Goliath?
10.Sell the transformation. Stories follow arcs, usually not of continual ascent. Plateaus and setbacks happen. Along the way in "The Hero's Journey" obstacles inevitably appear whether in mythology (e.g. The Odyssey), film (Star Wars), and docudrama (Hoosiers).
Key takeaways for storytellers:
- "Plan your craft; craft your plan."
- Capture the imagination.
- Advance the story.
- Use emotion.
- Collect a portfolio of stories.
- Inform the arc of the narrative.
- "Kill your darlings."
- Finish strong.