"Your friends stab you in the front." - Oscar Wilde
"To do this job, you need the soul of a poet and the hide of an elephant." - Director Mira Nair
Nobody is completely objective. Go off track if too sensitive, too thick-skinned, too independent, too dependent, uninformed, misinformed, emotional, distracted, whatever.
Put players first. Trying to build a statue instead of a program is a fool's errand. When I went into private practice, a wise doctor said "choose between your patients and teaching. You will always choose the patients and sell teaching short."
"No man is an island." Who takes our temperature? Reach out to people you trust. "Look for the helpers." Don't be put off by the truth. As Kevin Eastman says, "you have to be able to tell the truth, live the truth, and take the truth."
Investing or spending time? Showing up and working hard isn't glamorous. But it's often the best path forward.
Don't whine. Pouting about not getting our share or our way gets us nowhere.
Complexity causes confusion. Keep it simple.
See what our team needs now. Take good notes and act on them.
"Don't major in the minors." Be good at what we do a lot.
“John, you keep getting in the way of your own potential, because you keep seeing everything as a test. The secret is to understand that nothing is a test, but only an opportunity to learn and grow. Many people never fulfill their potential, because they look at every situation in life as a test. If you look at something as a test, then you will focus only on passing the test instead of maximizing your growth through the experience. Over time, the person who is simply focused on maximizing what they can learn and how they can grow will become much greater than the person who sees life as one continual test to prove themselves.” Joshua Medcalf
Build every house as though it's your house.
Lagniappe 2. Run and jump fan? I believe in selling it as "trap and go" or "trap and switch."
⚡#FullCourtPressureManTips⚡️ As is the case when teaching any concept, breakdown drills are critical to teaching full court pressure, especially the Run and Jump!
One of our favorite progressive drills to teach trapping and interceptor responsibilities is "32 Jump"! pic.twitter.com/qjSNKg6eoi
Congratulations! You got the job. "Prove it" a good decision.
Director Ron Howard divides the actual process into three parts:
1) Development and preparation
2) Production
3) Editing - "The film is made in the editing room."
As the new chief, you own everything in your world. Here are some questions/thoughts.
What is your basketball philosophy and how do you implement it? You might believe in playing fast and lack the athletes to do so. Or believe in the power game and have a deficit of size, strength, and finishing. How do you plan to match your philosophy with your resources?
Presume that you don't have a cavalcade of stars. What's your developmental plan? How much of practice belongs to fundamentals, to small-sided-games, full court scrimmage, to offense or defense?
Even more granular, what's your shooting improvement plan? How much of your offense do you expect inside, mid-range, and threes? Who are your three point shooters based on actual statistics? Do you have a range-testing plan and a range-expansion plan?
Are analytics part of your plan? I'm not saying that they should or shouldn't be.
Close and late. What are your best couple of BOB, SLOB, ATO, versus man and versus zone actions? Is it written down and shared with your team?
What's your "personal improvement plan?"
I'm not judging you but plenty of others will.
Lagniappe. Be quick and versatile.
Being a Head Coach is HARD Work.
Many parents do not understand the work it takes.
I have talked to MANY coaches over my career.
Here are 9 Things Coaches Want Parents to Understand.
Defenses teach the relevance of stopping scoring from blocks and elbows. Make them prove it.
Check out this handful of scoring actions from the elbow.
4 Iso, 5 Paired Give-and-go
Duke elbow series. L) Clear and and handoff R) Clear and Iso
Elbow Get.
Horns "Nurse"... set the backscreen higher to get more space or lower if you prefer.
"Zero" = Zipper Elbow Release. If defense switches get the mismatch in the post. Another option is quick return pass to 1 and 4 seals x4.
Lagniappe. Are your players doing extra conditioning?
Lagniappe 2. Impact winning.
What IMPACT do you have on your Team?
▪️Do you raise the Standard or lower it? ▪️Do you improve the Mindset or diminish it? ▪️Do you raise the Effort or lower it? ▪️Do you improve the Attitude or hurt it? ▪️Are you WE first or ME first?
"Good artists borrow; great artists steal." - Picasso
Find your muse. Steal great material (and credit the source). I study MasterClass, now featuring a new series called "2-Minute Learnings." Today's was '5 Easy Ways to Build Confidence'.
This recalls a few things:
Dan Pink tells us 'do five more' (calls, pages, sprints, whatever)
There's the "Five minute room rescue" (quick clean up)
Marie Kondo's "keep things that bring you joy"
"Be impeccable with your word" from The Four Agreements. Never talk yourself down.
MasterClass informs tips for building self-confidence. Remember what Dizzy Dean said, "If you can do it, you ain't boasting."
Practice Radical Self-Honesty
Know your strengths and prioritize them (Do more of what works.).
Compensate for weaknesses.
Learn every day; share something great.
Audit Your Greatest Hits
Leave a legacy.
Help players fulfill their dreams.
"Make every day your masterpiece" (Wooden) on and off the court.
Switch Up Your Look I'm more of the rumpled Pete Carril look...unless I'm Vulcan.
Think about Richie in The Bear wearing a suit. "It feels like a suit of armor."
Practice self-compassion Everyone fails. Give yourself a break. Be willing to acknowledge failures and get back up off the canvas.
Strike a pose Assume an expansive "power position." In some studies that raised testosterone and lowered cortisol, a stress hormone.
Lagniappe. Find multiple ways to penetrate and finish.
We often tell players to get to the rim in as few dribbles as possible.
But unless it’s a blow by situation, that’s likely not what’s going to happen in a game.
1. We have to drive on a curve w/ a defender on our hip
We've all seen 'bad basketball' from our teams and others. When players know what bad is, maybe they can apply the mental model of inversion and turn it around.
Imagine a conversation with your coach about the problem.
"Coach, I'm frustrated. We're not playing good basketball."
<What would 'good basketball' look like to you?>
"Offensively, that means spacing, urgent cutting, on-time, on-target passing, and consistent finishing."
<Have you ever actually said that to your players? What about defense?>
"On defense, pressure the ball, deny penetration, contest shots without fouling, and finish the play with a rebound."
<Tell me your top three problems.>
"Intensity, accountability, teamwork."
<Give me some examples.>
"We're not good enough in defensive transition. We turn the ball over too much. We don't talk enough."
<"Silent teams lose." Do you emphasize talk in practice?>
"Not enough I guess."
<Do the kids really know what you want?>
"You're asking whether I'm giving and getting enough feedback."
<You remember what I'd say, "I'm pleased but I'm not satisfied.">
"Or that's 'shitbird defense'." (Both laugh) So you're telling me, I own this."
<The coach always owns it. Where can your intensity go up?>
"We're usually first to the floor, which is good. Our ball pressure and containing cutters isn't good enough."
<"Get on 'em.">
"You got that right. No 'dead man's defense' - six feet under."
<If I watched your team, can I see the 'intent'? When you played, it was 'run and jump' or '83' (2-2-1 three-quarter court). We didn't trick anybody.>
"Our pressure defense isn't good. Our guards get exposed extending the defense."
<That's rough.>
"What analytics did you look at?"
<My top two were assists and rebounds. Your team didn't turn the ball over. And of course, we kept shot charts.>
"Any other key thoughts?"
<You guys were unselfish. Your team played harder for longer. And you guys wanted to win.>
"After talking with you, I think I need to look in the mirror."
<Coaches forget that's usually the first place to start.>
Lagniappe.
When setting up for a sideline PNR you may have to close your stance to play off of some contact.
Here are two different half spin options.
Notice how you can pivot off of you inside foot towards the sideline or you can flip it and step towards the midline. pic.twitter.com/u9GzcQvOsr
"The Map Is Not the Territory principle is a powerful cognitive tool that reminds us of the difference between our subjective perception and objective reality. By understanding its implications and employing strategies to differentiate our 'maps' from the 'territory,' we can make better decisions, improve our relationships, and develop a more nuanced understanding of the world around us."
The highway conditions - e.g. surface, traffic, standing water - won't always equal the graphic display.
And in basketball, we have a thousand maps - practice, film study, offense, defense, conversion. Other maps exist, too, maps of coaches and maps of players.
The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: 'T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown: His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
-William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) ruled that Bishop Fenwick violated MIAA rule 87.6.
They deemed that justice demanded that the four hundred student-athletes of Fenwick be banned from postseason play for a season. News reports characterize Fenwick as acting in bad faith "by not making "a clear and unequivocal, explicit statement of institutional acceptance of compliance" and failing to provide a "full, unqualified assurance of future compliance as required by all members.""
Building straw men from other sports and other situations adds heat without light.
One can reasonably ask questions including:
1) Where is the proportionality between the severity of the offense and the punishment?
2) Why punish the children for adults' offenses?
3) Are there undisclosed offenses or unrevealed agendas?
Proportionality. Many feel that Fenwick has received the "death penalty" for infractions tantamount to jaywalking or illegal parking in a handicapped space. Fenwick acknowledged their mistakes.
Accountability. Part of the problem for Fenwick is that both the Athletic Director and the principal from the time in question are gone. If the MIAA wants a "human sacrifice," a proverbial "head to roll" then who should Fenwick offer up? The students did nothing wrong.
Making an example. You may remember the saying, "The NCAA is so mad at Kentucky they're gonna give Cleveland State two more years of probation." Maybe you can change that to the MIAA is so mad at Catholic Memorial, Everett, Andover, Malden Catholic (or others) that they're gonna give Bishop Fenwick two more years of probation."
We can't know whether any other historic grievances by MIAA board members might contribute to their highly public rebuke of the Peabody private school.
The MIAA declares it "will promote activities that provide lifelong and life-quality learning experiences to students while enhancing their achievement of educational goals." This observer feels they've scored an 'own goal'.
Thank goodness we have professionals writing and acting for us.
Cliches litter the airwaves. What are your favorites?
"He can really score the ball." As opposed to scoring the pineapple or breadbox... commentators like Darke reshape the landscape, "That was an AMBITIOUS TRY."
"Do your job." The mantra of the Belichick Patriots succeeds with championships and withers during the current drought. Perhaps it's not the message but the players.
Where is John McEnroe's classic, "You cannot be serious," when you desperately need it?
"He's an All-American from the neck down." The best of breed in sport are never 'dumb jocks'. Their 'athletic intelligence' goes off the charts. And EQ may mean more to success than IQ.
"Control what you can control." Take care of your business at home, at school, and on the court. That requires the right attitude, choices, and effort. It means investing your time not spending it.
"A pro's pro." The great prospects and great players have a plan, elite preparation, and execution. That includes physical and mental preparation, video study, nutrition and sleep. Teach players professionalism.
"Take a breath." Pro and Olympic athletes know the value of mindfulness. Younger athletes mostly do not. The coaching corollary is Coach Mike Krzyzewski's, "Next play."
And keep a few more around for those moments...
Lagniappe. Do you teach taking charges? Why or why not?
My reply: Not saying it's wrong to practice taking charges, but I don't. I don't want to have to defend having a 6th-8th grade girl get injured or a head injury. You can make the reverse argument, I know. And I got a concussion taking one in HS from a future NBA player (Ron Lee).
Lagniappe 2. Finish examples.
20 different finish options 🏀
Teaching finishing shouldn’t be about adding “moves”
You need footwork solutions for problems that occur during the game
Space, timing, angles and contact all play huge factors. Might as well have a bag full of solutions so you can play free! pic.twitter.com/JTN1KNsfrb
When I taught medical trainees (interns and residents), I heard one say the best piece of information he absorbed. "Learn five useful things a day, pretty soon you know a lot."
Some will translate to sport, others not as much.
1. Hard work is a skill. You don't have to be the most athletic, biggest, or smartest to succeed if you commit to consistent, unrequired work. "Champions do extra." Be the hardest worker on the team.
Become your best version in the classroom and on the court. Remember that Dawn Staley had academic success at Virginia once she committed to working as hard in class.
2. "Always do your best." The fourth agreement of "The Four Agreements" helps us know when to speak or remain silent. Our best effort won't always be great or our best performance. But giving our best leaves no regrets. In "Toughness" think how embarrassed Jay Bilas was when he did a poor job changing the contact paper on his sister's vanity. His father came home late and redid the job, saying nothing.
3. Eat better, cook better." Better nutrition, better player. It is said that a chef's hat pleats (toque) corresponded to the number of ways to prepare eggs. Michelin 3-star chef Thomas Keller starts every day with two hard-boiled eggs, cooked exactly four minutes and topped with a drop of olive oil and finishing salt.
4. Play harder for longer. Sustain your work. Toughness isn't just physical toughness. Commit to outworking others. Author Dan Pink says, "do five more." Read five more pages, study five more minutes, do five more sprints, or five more reps. "Repetitions make reputations."
5. Share better. Sharing means being a better teammate. Share credit. Jonas Salk earned fame for helping develop the polio vaccine which helped eradicate polio. But he never won a Nobel Prize and wasn't elected to the National Academy of Science because he was a credit hog. He didn't give credit to coworkers or researchers who preceded him. "One colleague told a reporter, “At the beginning, I saw him as a father figure. And at the end, an evil father figure.”
Share credit freely with teammates and coaches.
Lagniappe. Do you need a dozen dribbles? If you can't see the videos, try your phone with the threads app.
Coaching choices are not all created equal. Separate success and failure by supporting execution.
1. Have a reliable inbounder. Decisions come in three flavors - good, bad, and indecisive. If you've had a team with unreliable inbounding, you age fast.
Get the ball in safely.
Be 'on time' and 'on target' with passes.
Have patience to allow plays to develop.
2. Manage tempo. Knowing when to play faster and slower allows teams to create and prevent comebacks.
3. Establish offensive and defensive delay games. That entails having the personnel and mentality to do what is needed at the right times. Players have to know when and how to foul and be able to knock down pressure free throws.
4. Deploy and save timeouts. Failure to stop a run or make a substitution can wreak disaster. Ideally, we save three timeouts for the final four minutes (Dean Smith policy). That can't always happen. Part of knowing how is knowing how many. Your lead assistant should track them.
5. Win special situations. List and practice your best ATO, BOB, SLOB, man and zone offensive plays during 'specials practice'. We invested fifteen minutes at the end of each practice on three possession games (offense-defense-offense scrimmages) beginning with a special situation. That translated to late game success.
6. Emphasize not beating yourself.
Avoid bad shots.
Take care of the basketball.
Don't miss assignments.
Stop committing bad fouls.
Doing the right things earns better results.
Lagniappe. Creating.
Players need to be able to stop a variety of ways. One of the ways we teach is a Punch Drag - ball side foot forward.
If the defense flys by you can shoot or reset your feet.
Take control of each including your 'inner narrative'.
Each day, tens of thousands of thoughts emerge. Start emphasizing the positive and banishing the negative.
Using 'mantras' help us do that. Mantras are words or phrases to help us focus and relax. They began between 1000 and 50 B.C. according to a '2-Minute Learning' session on MasterClass.
Athletes, therapists, and entrepreneurs use them.
Choose a PERSONAL phrase that works for you. This reminds me of Jason Selk's "performance statement" in Ten-Minute Toughness.
Here are a couple of screenshots from MasterClass:
Coaches use this technique. Coach Mike Krzyzewski said, "Next play." Mindfulness teachers may say, "be here now." Coach Shawanda Brown urged defenders, "don't back up." On The Bear, two mantras are "let it rip" and "every second counts."
With one group before every game, I'd ask (from Kingsman), "well, are we going to stand around all day or are we going to fight?" They responded, "fight."
“A true student is like a sponge. Absorbing what goes on around him, filtering it, latching on to what he can hold. A student is self-critical and self-motivated, always trying to improve his understanding so that he can move on to the next topic, the next challenge. A real student is also his own teacher and his own critic. There is no room for ego there.” - Kirk Hammett, guitarist, Metallica
Analogies, like sponges, are widespread. Learn from everyone.
1) Focus and listen better. Engagement includes interaction.
Cognitive: Paying attention to all the information, both explicit and implicit, that you are receiving from the other person, comprehending, and integrating that information
Emotional: Staying calm and compassionate during the conversation, including managing any emotional reactions (annoyance, boredom) you might experience
Behavioral: Conveying interest and comprehension verbally and nonverbally"
2) Shut out distractions, especially cellphones and social media. As a coach/manager, provide breaks because Gen Z needs them to work more productively.
3) Write down by hand the original of what you've learned Reassess later.
But there's more:
Ask coaches before and after practice areas to improve.
Look for tips from experienced teammates.
Use online resources.
Find mentors through curiosity and attention.
Ask questions on online coaching groups.
Lagniappe.
Out of your “Drop” (split stance) you can drive, change direction or step in & shoot.
If the defender steps back on your shift, step in with your back foot & pull. pic.twitter.com/NEtsmFwjaF
🎥 Brad Stevens said, “You got a choice - you either come in & let your circumstances control your attitude - or you let your attitude control your circumstances.”
A game fast break becomes a slow break if the players aren't running hard and wide. Full court streakers sprint ahead of the ball for rewarding 1) lay-ups 2) pitch ahead stride jumpers 3) swing--swing pass corner triples.
