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Sunday, May 14, 2023

Basketball: Find and Spread Joy


Pure. Simple. Joy. A player, a ball, and a hoop. Promote joy. 

Invoke a mental model of inversion, what's the opposite? What strips away basketball joy? 
  • Abusive coaching takes away fun. Coaching doesn't entitle us to remove dignity and decency. Driving the bus doesn't permit throwing players under it. "Never be a child's last coach."
  • Burying players on the bench... 
  • Abandonment... coach everyone. 
  • Parental pressure... support your child and the team. 
  • "Not" basketball... incessant running practice trying to get players to quit is a practice to be condemned. Great coaches know how to condition within drills. 
  • "Hunger Games." Differentiate between competition and confrontation
Shawn Achor is a Harvard professor and happiness researcher who wrote, The Happiness Advantage. Look under the hood:

1. Infuse our brains with positive hormones dopamine and oxytocin by experiencing happiness. 
2. Look for the positive in our lives, experiencing gratitude. 
3. Celebrate small wins. 

Coaches influence our team's attitude and approach. 
  • B+  (Be positive). Positive lives don't come via negative attitudes. 
  • .B (Dot B). Stop and take a breath before responding. 
  • Promote mindfulness which lowers stress hormones and blood pressure, increases memory, sleep, and attention. 
  • Develop a portfolio of positive stories. Remember my story of Naomi at tryouts. "Coach, I am REALLY excited to be here."  
  • Promote the '21-day Gratitude Challenge'. Write down three things each night you're grateful for over three weeks. Then review and reflect on the positives. 
  • "Speak greatness." Choose words wisely (as taught by Rod Olson). 
  • Let players know, "I believe in you." 
Summary:
  • "Never be a child's last coach."
  • Distinguish between competition and confrontation. 
  • B+ (Be positive).
  • .B (dot B, stop and take a breath)
  • Meditate
  • Be grateful. 
  • Share positive stories. "Coach, I am REALLY excited to be here."
Lagniappe. Study players whose game might resemble yours.
 

Lagniappe 2. Plus minus... add positives, avoid negatives. 
  


 

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