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Sunday, May 17, 2026

Basketball - "Identity Crisis"


"Good artists borrow; great artists steal." - Picasso

Coach Steve Collins asks a great question. Everybody says "we're about mental toughness, execution, and identity." But are we? 

When the game is on the line, what behaviors show up? 

  • Quality shots or "me, too" shots 
  • Intensity or submaximal defensive effort 
  • "The ball is gold" or turnovers
  • Locked in mindset or mental mistakes (e.g. missed assignments)
  • Toughness or wilting under pressure
Sustaining Excellence

A more inclusive question is do our teams sustain focus, intensity, and discipline throughout the entirety of practice? 
  • Who's "all in" as "full tilt, full time?" 
  • "Who cheats the drill?"
  • "Who is coachable, working to follow directions?"
  • Who are the alphas dragging everyone higher? 
  • Do we have that "foxhole mentality" that binds us inseparably? 
End State or End of Practice?

In military operations (or ideally in any project), both leaders and followers should have clarity on "how the end will look." Initial operations often are met with resistance or delay ("the enemy gets a vote"). Operators need to have "Commander's Intent" about "intermediate steps." 

Clarity of Vision and Purpose

Teams reflect the personality, teaching, and effectiveness of leadership. 
Clear philosophy is necessary. Belichickian principles are clear:
  1. Know your job.
  2. Do your job. 
  3. Work hard. 
  4. Put the team first. 
Gen Z Asks "Why?" Clarity and Directness 
  • "Win this possession." Each game is a sum of individual actions.
  • "Play harder for longer." Finish stronger than opponents.
  • "Specials" - with players physically and mentally tired, we finished practice with "Specials" also known as "O-D-O" or "Three possession games." Each O-D-O would start with a BOB, SLOB, ATO, or free throw. Players understood that to succeed in highly contested games (close and late), they needed good decisions and execution. 
Lagniappe. "Soft skills" aren't soft. 



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