1. When asked about his team, Coach Amos Alonzo Stagg said that he'd be able to give a better answer in twenty years. On Christmas Eve I ran into a fair of former youth players, Meg, our "glue guy" and Kiki, a toughness exemplar. One had finished her Masters in Finance and the other completing her advanced degree. They're shining examples of program graduates.
2. Shakespeare wrote that sleep, "knits up the raveled sleave of care." Players should seek at least eight hours of sleep. Sleep consolidates memory and objectively improves basketball performance.
Has extended sleep been studied in basketball players? Yes. Here are the highlights:
- 11 Stanford University basketball players
- Baseline measurements followed by 5-7 weeks of sleep extension with goal of minimum 10 hours/night
- Performance measures (speed, shooting accuracy) and sleepiness scoring
- Improved sprint times, 9% improvement in free throw and 3-point percentages
- Sleepiness scores improved
- Subjective improvements in physical and mental well-being
- Conclusion: better sleep improved athletic performance
3. Alcohol impairs memory imprinting and muscle recovery. Coaches don't impose arbitrary rules. Why would anyone who cares adopt a habit that’s intrinsically negative? Discipline defines destiny.
4. Study more tape. Video is the “truth machine.” An abundance of teaching video (YouTube, FIBA, coaching clinics, etc.) and game tape are invaluable tools to boost basketball IQ.
5. Ask better questions. If you aspire to be your best, what are you doing to make those around you better? What skills get and keep you on the court? If you don't know, they don't exist.
6. Keep a “leadership scorecard” tracking how you acted like a leader.
7. Copy Don Meyer. Keep a notebook of basketball insights acquired.
8. Practice gratitude. Brad Stevens said, “Coaches get more than we give.”
Cecilia gifted me a St. Joseph's Hawks hoodie for Christmas.
9. "Never be a player's last coach." How does it feel to be coached by me? Every player deserves coaching.
10.Players won’t remember the Xs and Os. They remember how we made them feel. As Dr. Bob Rotella would say, "It’s not a game of perfect.”
Bonus. Live ball turnovers kill you. They sabotage offense and translate to high points per possession, often in transition, for opponents. Players have to hear this again and again..."Turnovers kill dreams."
Lagniappe. Playing hard is a skill.
Talent might win you games, but culture wins you seasons.
— Steve Collins (@TeachHoopsBBall) December 22, 2025
A great high school basketball team has:
- Unselfish players who take pride in the assist.
- Tough kids who dive on the floor with zero hesitation.
- Leaders who know when to speak up—and when to listen.
Lagniappe 2. Zoom action variant.
