"And I see many organizations becoming “in school.” I truly believe the best organizations in sport and business are a hybrid model and incorporate analytical evaluations with human evaluations." - Clint Hurdle, in "Hurdle-isms"
Students don't often appreciate the privilege of being "in school," spoon-fed knowledge about literature, history, science, and mathematics. OGs are archeologists, digging for wisdom and often finding dirt.
A Kevin Durant quote sticks with me, "How do I get better today?" The usual answer is reading, searching for wisdom in the universe of books.
Clint Hurdle told the story of the dying judo master pondered his remaining days, "“No, I entered this world a ‘white belt,’ and I want to enter my next world as a ‘white belt.’ I will always strive to be a lifelong learner.”"
Curiosity and openness give us a chance to "think again."
Jackie Chan says what Coach Don Meyer shared about the stages of coaching. There is "blind enthusiasm, sophisticated complexity, and mature simplicity." Exceptional coaching distills expansive knowledge into simplicity.
How can we inform our students of their opportunity? The Japanese call it, "Beginner's mind." We could start every practice with Pete Newell's quote, "Get more and better shots than our opponent." Dr. Fergus Connolly, Human Performance expert says that if it doesn't impact winning, then it doesn't belong in practice. Brian McCormick expresses it another way in his Fake Fundamentals series.
What belongs in our coaching excavations?
- Condition with the basketball. Is it basketball practice or track?
- Simplicity is hard.
- "Make practice hard so that games are easy."
- Practice should reproduce the game. Dribble tag inside the arc is a great way to open practice - ball, you, competition, fun.
- Add constraints of time, space, and score.
- When did you last play "Five on zero" in a game?
- Basketball is a game of "passing and cutting." So why do so many players worship the dribble? Do we "pay by the dribble?"
- Great activities merge offense, defense, competition, conditioning, and decision-making? Do we scrimmage enough?
- Get more 'touches' and decision-making with small-sided games.
- The Game distills to winning one-on-one battles.
- I taught my daughters, "If you can't do it in two dribbles, you can't do it."
- I strived to teach players to finish with one dribble from anywhere inside the arc.
Lagniappe. Don't memorize long lists. Choose the core elements you want to master.
Kirby Smart doesn’t talk about winning - he talks about his non-negotiables.
— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) October 8, 2025
A masterclass on standards, toughness, and relentless effort.
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