Monday, February 5, 2024

Basketball: Seven "Summaries" That Will Help Every Coach (Print and Save Edition)

Promote your core philosophy, "Share something great." I preach Teamwork, Improvement, Accountability. 

Teamwork: Put the team first. Making everyone around you better is your top priority. 

Improvement: Find ways to be better while always doing our best in the moment.

Accountability: Holding our team and ourself to a high standard.

If we imprint key lessons from the following works in ourselves and our players, formidable though not unstoppable forces arise. 

Read the summaries for maximum value. I share a few favorite ideas from each book. 

Book summaries offer a convenient approach:

1. Toughness by Jay Bilas

  • "It's not your shot, it's our shot." Even the best players will underachieve when inhabiting the world of bad shots. 
  • "Play so hard that your coach has to take you out." Coaches shouldn't have to teach effort. You own your performance; take pride in effort. 

2. Above the Line by Urban Meyer

  • When you cross the line (onto the field), be physically and mental ready to give your best. 
  • Exceptional teams require "escape velocity" to free themselves from mediocrity. 
  • Work out with a teammate. Drag a teammate into the top ten percent with you. 

3. Great Teams by Don Yaeger

  • Great teams understand their WHY, similar to Simon Sinek's philosophy of everything begins with knowing purpose.  
  • Great teams get good fits for their culture. 

4. The Captain Class by Sam Walker

  • Exceptional leadership spurs teams to unimaginable success. The exceptional leader may not be the best player, but catalyzes team performance beyond what is otherwise possible. 
  • They took no baloney from anyone. 

    • 5. Legacy by James Kerr

    • "Old men plant trees in whose shade they will never sit." Sacrifice for future communities and generations. 
    • "Leave the jersey in a better place." How you carry yourself on and off the field sets the highest standard for teammates and futures teams. 

    6. Atomic Habits by James Clear

    • "Develop systems" to develop better habits. Make your systems OBVIOUS, EASY, ATTRACTIVE, and REWARDING. 
    • "Don't miss twice." You may miss a workout or a session designed to improve performance. Don't miss twice. "Pick, stick, and check" is my shortcut for choosing habits, maintaining, and verifying them. 

    7. The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh

    • Hold everyone in an organization to your "Standard of Performance," whether it's the receptionist, the guys striping the field, or assistant coaches. 
    • Attention to small details of execution separate champions from others. 
    Lagniappe. Passing details. 

    Lagniappe 2. Do what it takes. 

     

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