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Sunday, November 3, 2024

Basketball: Advice for Young Coaches

Former SEAL Team leader Jocko Willink told a story about a team member who told him to limit the key pieces of information to know to three - that's all he could remember. Sometimes players get overwhelmed with information, too. Complexity is as likely to confuse our players as our opponents. 

1) Have a clear philosophy such that players know, "this is who we are" and "that is what we do." Write it down and make it transparent. 

2) Add value to get buy-in. Coaches add value via relationships, player development, and basketball education. 

3) Embrace personal development. You model excellence for everyone around you, assistants and players. Find a mentor. Learn every day. That doesn't mean taking every piece of advice coming your way. A lack of humility always ends with the "stock trader's breakfast"...egg on the face. 

Lagniappe. Blame is about ego defense and lack of accountability. 

Lagniappe 2. This is long. Save it and extract something you find useful. 

Lagniappe 3. Coach Hacks has some thoughtful ideas about tryouts. Over fifty years ago, a School Committee man tried to tank a coach and season when his son got cut.