Basketball - CARD GAME "What Are We Selling Today?"

"I'm a salesman," wrote Chuck Daly in Daly Wisdom. He understood that almost everyone sells something. Teachers sell the value of learning. Doctors sell the importance of self-care and following instructions. Coaches sell our process, creating value, and the relevance of buy-in.

Imagine this. At the first meeting with parents, each brings in a card with the answer to this. "What are your expectations for your child and family from this experience?" 

Think about it from the parent perspective. 

• "I want my child to be part of a team."
• "I want my child to learn basketball principles."
• "I want my child to learn how to work better with others."
• "I want my child to learn the value of commitment, discipline, and effort."
• "I want my child to learn how to cope with failure and success." 

What if these are the answers?

• "I expect my child and my family to be respected."
• "I expect my child to be a starter and contributor."
• "I expect my child to get as many minutes and shots as the best player on the team." 
• "I expect my child to be All-State and All-Scholastic."
• "I expect my child to earn a college scholarship."
• "I expect my child to play professional basketball." 

One set of "wants" is theoretically possible and one is possible but all are unlikely deliverable. 

Everyone brings "baggage" and "expectations" from and to our experiences. If we handed out and received those cards, we'd have a much better understanding of what parents want. 

Don't hand out those cards. It might have value to ask parents the rhetorical question, "what are your expectations?" 

Lagniappe. Sidelines out of bounds three. 

🏀 🪄

*SLOOB*

SIDELINE SPECIAL: NEED A THREE pic.twitter.com/RMAyIMQqzv

— The 🏀 Playbook Wizard (@PlaybookWizard1) July 14, 2025

Lagniappe 2. "I asked, “If you could pick one trait that would predict how someone would turn out, what would it be?” “That’s easy,” he said. “How willing they are to change their mind about what they think they know.”" - "Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results" by Shane Parrish