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Thursday, February 13, 2025

Basketball: Just Some of the Many Aspects of Coaching

It takes arrogance to believe that our coaching is superior to the next person's. What's the definition of success? It depends. Success might mean winning, championships, player development, "personal growth," or combinations. 

Character and competence favor sustainable competitive advantage. Remember Mike Lombardi's description of "football character" in Gridiron Genius. "Moss displayed another Belichick staple: mental toughness, which the Patriots define as “doing what is best for the team when it might not be best for you.” In New England, Moss was a “program guy”: someone who works hard, is a supportive teammate, and cares deeply about winning. In other words, someone with football character."

Have clear direction. Having a clear philosophy provides coaches with a 'north star'.  Developmental coaches shouldn't put winning first. We promoted TIA - teamwork, improvement, and accountability. Don't play for the community, your family, or your school. Play for the girl next to you. 

Get everyone on the same page with clarity, simplicity, and feedback. That's a tall order. Coaching is not criticism; lessons belong to everyone on the team. 

Culture frames the totality of our team ecosystem. A frame displays a picture, but not the universe. Getting players and coaches to feel ownership and belonging in the picture challenges us. That involves working on beliefs, attitudes, and values. 

Teamwork breaks barriers among individuals. Adolescents have 'egocentricism', a natural problem seeing others and the world as others do instead of how we do. We choose to be selfish or selfless. Choose team.

Teach. Coaches are educators. Know our subject, age-appropriate communication, and study teaching methods. 

Condition. Excellent teams have exceptional conditioning. Conditioning within drills has efficiency advantages. 

Player development. Player development matters at every level of basketball. Unless our coaching relies on spectacular recruiting, success for teams, players, and ourselves relies on growth.  

Game planning. With the widespread availability of video, coaches have the opportunity if not obligation to 'teach to the test'. With young players, we may not have worked against half court pressure or certain types of zone defenses. With limited practice time, decide about the value of specialty teaching. Are we practicing to win or to develop? 

Putting the team in position to succeed. This is an overarching responsibility - preparation, practice, game planning, game management. 

Sportsmanship. After a player on our team received a cheap shot, another asked, "do you want me to taker her out?" I said, "you mean, like to lunch?" Be specific about "this is who we are and that is not how we play." Coaching "dirty" play disrespects the game. 

Other challenging roles exist - psychology (relationships with players and parents), discipline, community relations, fundraising, and more. And yet we know, "any idiot with a whistle can coach." 

Lagniappe. Something different from 'shell' drill. 

Lagniappe 2. I hold high irritation and no fascination with neediness. That is not Cooper Kupp. 

Lagniappe 3. Denial is easy. "I don't have good players. They're not tough. They're too young. They have a low basketball IQ. They're undisciplined. They won't work hard enough." 

 Lagniappe 4. Run some hard to defend actions. 

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