"Are you building a program or a statue?" Starting out there's no roadmap to find our destination efficiently or safely. Potholes, roadblocks, and "bad whether" ensure troubles.
Here are suggestion "the GPS of experience" that might help. "The older I get, the smarter I was." Be specific.
These also apply to players. "Become your own coach."
1. Find a mentor. "Mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence." You're probably not getting the 'fairy-tale' mentor like Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid or in my favorite sports movie St. Ralph.
Don't be too proud to ask.
2. Develop and share your philosophy. Have philosophies about the game, including the "Prime Directive" that every parent has their child's welfare as top priority.
- "Every day is player development day."
- TIA - teamwork, improvement, accountability.
- Have a shared language. Write it out.
- Basketball is a game of 'earning and preventing separation'
- Success follows "possession and possessions." Get the ball and do something useful with it.
3. Never leave our humanity. "What does it feel like to play for me?" Be "warm and demanding" (Brad Stevens), not demeaning.
4. Bring energy every day to the court and as a communicator. Become a storyteller.
- "Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson
- "What has not be learned has not been taught."
5. Be curious. There is always more to know.
6. Find humility before it finds us. The game humbles everyone with tough losses and other setbacks.
7. Negative attitudes never produce positive people. Add value through positive coaching.
8. Don't become a child abuser. "Never be a child's last coach."
9. Grow our mental models and awareness of bias.
10.Bad days happen. What we tell players applies for us, "Get over it."
11."First above all to thine own self be true." Be yourself because players will sniff out insincerity. Everyone won't like us.
