Tuesday, April 18, 2023

New Coaches Operate "Startups" - A Basic Blueprint

"It starts with an idea." - Alexis Ohanian

How are you going to "execute your dream" of becoming a successful coach? 

"You are a rounding error." Ohanian took a meeting with Yahoo and they blew him off with this statement. Ohanian printed that out and looked at that paper every day. Tom Brady was NFL draft pick number 199. Ohanian was far lower. 

Imagine your team is your 'startup'. Consider terminology:

1) MVP (minimum viable product) - what must be in place for your project to even 'be' 

2) Work alone isn't sufficient. Work on the right things to develop a 'critical mass' for success. 

3) What is our 'first step' to start the ball rolling? And then the priorities...

Retreat and borrow from Spanx founder Sara Blakely. 

OBSESS THE PRODUCT 

The starting point is commitment, the need to succeed. 

Look at her recommendations:

  • Make it. 
  • Sell it. 
  • Build brand awareness. 
The local girls basketball job is open. Lacking the time, I am not a candidate, regardless of my qualifications or lack thereof. 

Circle back to MVP - minimum viable product. Here's a blueprint for the new coach. 

Reality check:
  • Family comes first.
  • Academics are not optional.
  • Basketball comes next.

1. Be fundamentally sound. 
  • Be good at what we do a lot. 
  • Handle pressure. 
  • Take good shots. 
  • Contain the ball. 
  • Rebound. 
2. Be good at what good teams do. 
  • Limit transition. 
  • Excel at half court offense and defense. 
  • Execute and defend ball screens (PnR)
  • Improve shot selection, shot mix, and range.
  • Have clear concepts about where your points arise. 
3. Don't beat ourselves. 
  • Make better decisions.
  • Reduce turnovers.
  • Don't repeat mental mistakes. 
  • Reduce total and bad fouls. "Foul for profit."
  • Be competent at free throws. 
What's the how? 
  • Have a player development program, especially a shooting program.
  • Get everyone on the same page. Explain philosophy, identity, values.
  • Be open to help. "Defeat is an orphan." 
  • Explain your non-negotiable world. Toughness, effort, and smarts are skills.
  • Build a language (lexicon, terminology). Your terminology is a living document. You can't introduce 100 terms on day one without confusing the group. 
Lagniappe. Build your players' vocabulary. 


It also means players need the skills to execute your attack. 

Lagniappe 2. Another way to run Spain PnR (backscreen the roller) with a nightmarish mismatch. 



 

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