"Being wrong is the only way I feel sure I've learned anything." - Danny Kahneman in Adam Grant's Think Again.
Bowdoin professor Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain joined the Union Army and had a pivotal role at Gettysburg, ultimately earning a Congressional Medal of Honor. When asked how a rhetoric professor became a military strategist, he answered, "I can learn." Can we?
Where might we be wrong? Who could educate us to be less wrong?
1. "The main thing is the main thing." What is our main thing? Is it likely to yield sustainable competitive advantage?
Let's presume the main thing is skill. Get more skill or refine existing skill by hiring a coach. Outside perspective helps us overcome blind spots.
2. Some "practices" become obsolete. Brian McCormick challenges us to practice better by elimination. Whether I'm fully on board with all his "Fake Fundamentals" is irrelevant. The argument "we've always done it that way" is more indictment than proof.
3. "Basketball is a game meant to be played fast." - John Wooden Coach Wooden often had superior talent. In the setting of superior talent, maximizing the number of "positive possessions" makes total sense.
We came out pressing and within a minute, we were down six. Timeout. The opposition had superior talent and ball movement and extending our defense was bad coaching. You can lose a game in the first minute. I owned that and took responsibility to the team after the game.
4. How much should we scrimmage? Ask the question differently. What are the most effective activities for player development? Small-sided games make a lot of sense by involving everyone, getting more touches, and combining competition, offense, defense, and decision-making. This blog stealing from @CoachFernandez1 is a clip and save.
5. "I wish I hadn't said that." Hold fire. Widen the space between receiving bad news and responding to it. We're not obligated to have an opinion.
- Regardless of whom the next local coach is, they'll have my full support. If they don't want it, that's good, too. The AD won't get a note on why the selection process or the choice is flawed. Heck, I don't even know who all the applicants were.
- Don't ever bring up another player to a parent. If they want to praise someone other than their child, great. Other than saying, "yes, she's terrific and your daughter is too," forget about it.
- Have a 24-hour rule. Explain that conversations after games take place the following day after we've all processed and relaxed.
