"What has not been learned has not been taught."
As coaches, we don't always know what information "sticks." Everyone learns differently, so teaching with various methods might help. Regardless of how we teach, seek "performance-focused, feedback-rich" approaches.
Acronyms and equations always appealed to me.
"An acronym is a type of abbreviation formed from the initial letters or syllables of a multi-word phrase, which is pronounced as a single word rather than as individual letters." - Brave AI
Here are some of my favorites, in search of a "Magnificent Seven"
- SUCCESS
- OODA
- EDIR x 5
- WIN
- PDCA
- AAR
- THINK
They span:
- Learning
- Decision-making
- Communication
- Leadership
- Improvement
SUCCESS from the Heath Brothers "Made to Stick"
- Simple
- Unexpected
- Concrete
- Credible
- Emotional
- Stories
Spencer Haywood went to Detroit seeking a scholarship. The coach told him, "Make 15 free throws in a row and you got it." Haywood did and is the basketball Hall of Fame.
Larry Bird shot 500 free throws before school.
Kobe Bryant made 1,000 shots a day over the summer.
OODA Loops
Colonel John Boyd taught dogfighting using the OODA loop...
- Observe
- Orient
- Decide
- Act
Top players have a learned ability to 'see the game' and anticipate the next action. A LeBron example.
EDIRx5
A Wooden acronym EDIRx5 sequenced teaching
- Explain
- Demonstrate
- Imitate
- Repeat x 5
Wooden emphasized that the greatness of Bill Walton arose from his willingness never to tire of working on fundamentals (like footwork).
WIN
"What's important now?" Brad Stevens asked a slightly longer version, "What does my team need now?
A parallel acronym comes from the NFL - "Not for long." Successful teams and players continually make adjustments. They build skill, athleticism, and basketball IQ.
PDCA
- Plan
- Do
- Check
- Act
This acronym is taught across sports, business, medicine. 2,500 years ago in The Art of War, Sun Tzu wrote that "every battle is won before it is fought." Bob Knight said that it's not about "the will to win but the will to prepare to win."
AAR
AAR represents "After Action Review." In basketball it's post-game video study, where Joe Mazzulla says to look for the 10-15 plays that 'on the margin' decide most wins and losses. In the NFL, it's Mondays where coaches break down what separated victory or defeat. In medicine, we have "postmortem examinations" and "morbidity and mortality" case review where doctors and trainees learn from bad outcome. Sometimes that means, "good judgment comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment."
THINK
THINK informs a powerful communication acronym. It reminds us to "think" before we speak and "stop and take a breath."
- True - is it true?
- Helpful - is it helpful?
- Inspiring - does it inspire?
- Necessary - is it important?
- Kind - is it kind?
Everyone violates some of these. If a leader violates them much of the time, their leadership comes under more scrutiny.
There are more. ROB shots (in range-open-balanced). SSPP - skill, strategy, physicality, psychology. TTP - trust the process.
Find out what works for you?
Lagniappe. Spurs shooting workout.
“Spurs 100” shooting workout ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/OwrXfCQo0x
— Anthony Pugh (@Anthony_Pugh2) June 13, 2026
Lagniappe 2. For "Magnificent Seven" fans...the movie and its remake were inspired by Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and his "Seven Samurai."
