Great programs live in the tensions. Excellence isn’t a straight line. Hold two “opposites” at once, and you get nuance, range, and resilience.
1) Self-Reliant and Community-Powered
1a. Become self‑reliant. Own your habits, your film, your reps.
1b. “Look for the helpers.” — Mr. Rogers. Build a bench of mentors, trainers, and truth‑tellers.
How they fit: Self‑reliance is the engine; helpers are the fuel and pit crew. On court: an athlete builds personal progression and asks a veteran teammate to watch shooting form.
Use it: Set a weekly I‑Goal (what I control) and a weekly We‑Goal (who I’ll ask for feedback).
2) Double Down on Strengths and Study Weaknesses
2a. Discover what you’re good at. Weaponize your edge.
2b. Learn more about what you’re not good at. Shrink the liability.
How they fit: Offense wins by amplifying strengths; championships are lost by ignored weaknesses. Basketball: keep your corner‑three specialist in rhythm while teaching competent counters off a hard closeout.
Use it: 70/20/10 Rule — 70% reps on strengths, 20% on the #1 weakness, 10% exploring a new tool.
3) Embrace Role and Grow the Role
3a. Embrace your role. Star in your job today.
3b. “Do more to become more.” Earn tomorrow’s job by expanding competence.
How they fit: Teams need reliability now and upside later. Shutdown defender? Add offensive skills to earn more time.
Use it: A Role Card with two lines: Non‑negotiables I must deliver and Stretch I’m building by Week 6.
4) Master Fundamentals and Expand the Toolbox
4a. Excel at fundamentals. Footwork, spacing, shot selection.
4b. The best players add tools. A second tempo, a left‑hand finish, a pocket pass.
How they fit: Fundamentals make you playable; tools make you unguardable. Tools without base = gimmicks.
Use it: Every new skill must trace to a core principle (this move protects spacing/tempo/shot quality). If it can’t, it’s noise.
5) Outwork Everyone and Protect the Person
5a. “Hard work works.” Volume, intent, consistency.
5b. Seek work‑life balance. Recovery, academics, family, joy.
How they fit: Work grows the output; balance preserves the worker.
Use it: Publish a weekly load plan: high day, medium, light, off. Pair the hardest physical days with the simplest cognitive tasks.
6) Be a Lifelong Learner and Simplify Ruthlessly
6a. Stay curious. Film, clinics, books, questions.
6b. Simplify and clarify. Players win with clear preparation and feedback.
How they fit: Leaders absorb complexity and deliver clarity. Learn broadly; teach in bullet points.
Use it: After every new idea, enforce a Rule of Three: three words, three cues, three drills.
7) Give First and Be Ambitiously Helpful
7a. Be a giver. Lift teammates, share knowledge.
7b. Ambitious givers do best. Give in ways that also raise your standards.
How they fit: Service plus standards beats either alone. The senior who mentors a freshman and insists on daily toughness builds culture and performance.
Use it: Help, then Hold. Offer help; set high expectations.
8) Celebrate and Reset
8a. Celebrate victories. Mark progress; name what worked.
8b. Not for long. Back to work. The process resumes tomorrow.
How they fit: Recognition cements behavior; reset limits complacency. The post‑match meeting: 2 minutes of praise, 2 of learning, 1 of next steps.
Use it: Install a 5‑minute Win‑Learn‑Plan cadence after every contest.
Sidebar: The Paradox Playbook
Two‑column thinking: For any decision, write the benefit of each pole. Ask, “What fails if we ignore one side?”
Cadence over intensity: Be a tracker - weekly role check‑ins, load plans, Rule‑of‑Three teaching.
Language discipline: Short cues carry paradox cleanly—Own it / Ask early, Role now / Range next, Base first / Tool second.
Bottom line: High performance isn’t optional. Teach your team to live in the tension, and the “contradictions” become competitive advantages.
Lagniappe. Coaches are "merchants of truth."
Coaches are among the last Truth Tellers left for kids today.
— Greg Berge (@gb1121) October 12, 2025
Too many young people grow up hearing only what they want to hear, never what they need to hear.
Honesty builds trust.
Accountability builds character.
Both build leaders.
