Saturday, October 21, 2023

She Drives Me Crazy


(BOSTON) The long-time basketball coach was found incoherent and howling at the moon. Police arrived and took him to the local hospital where he kept mumbling, "It's okay, I know, I know." The responding officer, also a nurse who had played for the coach said, "he just broke after seeing and hearing so much baloney for decades." 

What drives coaches mad? 

"It's okay." A player travels or throws the ball away. Her teammates soothe her saying, "It's okay. Don't worry about it." It's not okay. Turnovers kill dreams. "The ball is gold." It's NOT okay. 

"I know, I know." A player throws the ball to the other team and then looks over to the coach. "I know, I know." If you know, then stop doing it. Just stop. Coach Wooden said, "Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses." And don't tell the coach, "I know." 

Poor transition defense. Bad transition defense is a recipe for defeat via allowing easy baskets. Effort doesn't require supreme skill or apocalyptic athleticism. It demands concentration, anticipation, reaction, and execution - C.A.R.E. 

Silence. Silence is the anathema of success. Talk energizes. Talk heightens awareness. Talk intimidates. ELO. Early. Loud. Often. 

Lackadaisical cutting. "Basketball is a game of separation." Separation mandates urgent cutting. Urgency is a catalyst for positive action. 

The deadly S's. Softness. Selfishness. Sloth (laziness). "The game honors toughness." Being called soft is an indictment of the worst sort about a player. Tough players get on the floor, set solid screens, set up cuts, and 'play so hard your coach has to take you out' as Jay Bilas wrote in Toughness. 

Casual approach. "Turn ordinary moments into extraordinary results." - Shane Parrish  If it's not important to you, you can't produce a great result. Sara Blakely says, "Obsess the product."

Lack of attention to detail. The book title says, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. The author clearly wasn't a basketball coach. Sweat the small stuff. No detail is unimportant. 

Lack of punctuality. Being late disrespects your teammates, your coaches, your program. Exceptional circumstances arise but every day cannot be an exceptional excuse. Take pride in doing everything right. Use "Dean Smith Time" and be ten minutes early. 

Not doing your best. "Always do your best," is the final agreement in The Four Agreements. Your best means commitment to a lifestyle consistent with doing your best. Our best includes nutrition, rest, exercise, preparation, effort. 

Summary (How to Drive a Coach Insane):
  • "It's okay."
  • "I know, I know." 
  • Poor transition defense. 
  • Lackadaisical cutting. 
  • Silence. 
  • Poor attention to detail.
  • The Deadly S's - softness, selfishness, sloth. 
  • Indifference. 
  • Lateness. 
  • Not doing your best. 
David Axelrod said, "All we can do is everything we can do." 

Lagniappe. More turnovers




 

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