Astonishing Ignorance: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

My ignorance astonishes me. We all know the importance of the battle of Gettysburg, but the details? I have the opportunity to share these stories with my players. 

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (above) joined the Union Army as a thirty-something professor at Bowdoin College in Maine. He became regiment commander of the Maine 20th regiment. His forces were cut to almost a third (less than 400) in late May 1863, when he was transferred mutineer troops from the Maine 2nd. He was given the task to guard them, integrate them, or shoot them according to their behavior. 

He dispersed them within the ranks, fed them well, and asked for their help for the "noble cause" of making men free. 

On July 2nd, with short notice, his unit was assigned to hold the hill at Little Round Top against the well-trained, superior forces of the Alabama 15th and Colonel William Oates. Chamberlain had no formal military training and his troops were undersupplied with ammunition. 

Literally, the 20th Maine had the 'tip of the spear' at the southern perimeter of Little Round Top (above). 

After a brutal assault with heroic defense, the Army of the Potomac held Little Round Top. Lacking additional ammunition, Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge before Oates' forces could regroup, leading to a rout of the Alabama 15th and preventing a southern charge by Confederate forces...a precursor to the failed Pickett's charge. 

The 20th Maine, supplemented by mutineers of the 2nd Maine, helped win the battle that preserved the Union. 

How did a college professor with no military training help spearhead a pivotal victory? He answered, "I know how to learn." According to "The Leadership Moment", Chamberlain read, asked questions, watched, and listened. He read everything about warfare he could find after he received his commission. How he integrated mutinous troops gives us all lessons. 

Later, Chamberlain became a Brigadier General and oversaw the handing over of Confederate colors from the Army of Northern Virginia. Chamberlain received the Congressional Medal of Honor and became Governor of Maine. He was widely respected in both the north and south for his conduct during the war. 

The enduring lessons include the importance of purpose, the value of study, a willingness to improvise, and conducting oneself with honor on our 'battlefield'. 

Core Concepts: Basic 3 on 3 inside the "Split"

"See the game." Coaches give players vision. Most players do not know the game. We share but they learn slowly. 

I'm departing 'play calling' to freelance and "freedom". Your game...make it happen. 

Here are 'core concepts' I promote...3 on 3 inside the 'split'. 

Left, simple post split. Passer goes first. 
Right, core 'triangle' speed cuts. 

Left, wing entry UCLA cut. 5 can then roll (if post game) or ball screen and roll.
Right, wing entry, off ball screen for 5 to get mismatch.  

Left, "blind pig". Ideal for overplay defenses. 1 can be second cutter.
Right, off ball screen, ideal to establish "flex action" with pass to C and 5 downscreens. 

These actions are like reciting the alphabet to coaches...but an exotic language for many players. 

Fast Five: Right Now

"Where are all the customers' yachts" is a Wall Street refrain. On the hardwood, we ask, "where's the basketball IQ?" 

We teach players to "see the game". "What is not learned hasn't been taught." 

1. Every day, ask "what does my team need now?" Yelling and screaming doesn't solve the 'vision and decision' issues. 

2. Coach K says, "basketball isn't about running plays, it's about making plays." In our last three games, we've shot 24 for 134...shockingly, we actually won one of them. We spend over a third of practice on shooting, but it's not translating to production. 

3. You need an "Inner Citadel", that doesn't arrive as a birthright. Toughness means not only being open to seeing but acting. When you have the edge, you have to prosecute it. Even if you have 'athletic explosion' it's useless unused. 

Responding to adversity translates off the court, and that is paramount. 

4. Give players the 'tools' they need to respond. We have spent a lot of time, far more than in previous years, on zone offense, with everything from general approaches - two general offenses, one with more cutting and one with less - and 'quick hitters'. I can honestly say that in six games, we haven't executed them right a handful of times. I'm forced conclude that's bad coaching. We will spend even more time on shooting, more time on zone breakdown (actions against the top of the zone and against the sides) and SSG (small-sided games) against man-to-man. Coach Huggins is right. 

I've spent too much time on 'transition' and we're getting nothing in transition. We need to learn how to create, to read and react, to think on the fly. 

5. "You can never be any better than you think you are." If you lack confidence, it shows. While unchecked ego creates selfishness and destroys teams, no ego produces indecision. Life is about finding balance. I need to help our players find balance that can translate to better vision and execution. They deserve that; the effort is there. 

Fast Five: Team Meetings and Production

Time has value. Can we use it better? Do our players listen or do they tune us out? Do they give thoughtful answers? 

Impart values and value to them. Before the game yesterday, I asked them to volunteer a few 'core values' of our program. The first three were: "Teamwork", "Improvement", and "Learning". 

Don't talk just to talk. Add value and reinforce values. 

1. Have an agenda and stick to it. Education changes behavior. Be specific about meeting goals and 'corporate' process. Be productive. 

2. Start and end promptly. Respect other people's time. 

3. Good leaderships requires good followership. Involve participants; "you matter." Your ideas and your questions have meaning. 

4. Promote best practices. Believing 'our way' is the only way is arrogant and vain. Ego only limits your ability to grow. Think about Genghis Khan's conquests and his mandate to adopt the best technology and practices from conquered peoples. 

5. Use powerful stories. In the 1993 NCAA finals, Michigan players were distracted before the final play, some failing to listen to coach Steve Fisher's warning that they had no timeouts. Chris Webber frantically looked for a pass receiver and players on the bench urged him to call the fatal timeout. 

Summarize briefly what the meeting accomplished, how the agenda and discussion affected policies and process. Leave on a high note. 

Successful or Average?

Steve Burns is a thinker, writer, and trader. 

Replace "wealthy" with successful, extraordinary, or achiever. 

What do you see? People who learn, strive, adapt, and share. 

Successful people bring purpose, intent, and skill to their organization. Mediocre people blame, complain, and defend themselves. 

Mastery doesn't just 'happen'. Mastery evolves through a process. 

Drive encompasses self-direction, commitment, and the "why" of purpose.

Fast Five: Play with Maturity

Coaches talk about playing hard, playing together, and playing smart. Sometimes playing smart comes with maturity. When players and coaches work their craft, remarkable becomes routine. As Coach Wooden noted, "little things make big things happen." 

How do "mature" players play? 

1. Mature players 'see the game' and seize opportunities as they arise. That might mean setting a drag screen in transition, cutting when a defender turns her head, or springing a surprise double team. Some call it developing a feel for the game. 

2. Mature players make the "next play" by functioning "in the moment" (see D'Amico tweet above). Immature players 'double down' on one mistake by making another trying to overcompensate. Virtually every youth/high school game sees a bad play (e.g. bad shot, turnover) followed up in seconds by a needless foul.

3. Mature players wait for plays to develop. They don't force the action when it's not there. Patience requires maturity. 

4. Mature players get better shots. They move without the ball, use screens intelligently, and "sweat the small stuff." 

5. Mature players find solutions to help their teams even when the shots aren't dropping. They get an extra rebound, deflection, loose ball, or take a charge. 

Bonus: Mature players are crafty. 

Jacksonian Concepts

The most basic of introductions to the (Sideline) Triangle offense: 

"If you've got that ball in your hands longer than two seconds, you're holding up your team."

"They fill up the court in a certain manner...to attack." 

"Lag pass keys this action."

"Spacing...means players have to run 15-18 foot distance..."

Tex Winter explains the initial speed cuts (baseline and over the top) and defensive balance available. 

Pat Summitt: "Be a Competitor"

The late Pat Summitt shared lessons as an iconic coach at Tennessee. Greg Brown, writing in The Best Things I've Seen in Coaching, shares her ideas. The book is outstanding. 

Some excerpts:

"Competition should inspire you in everything you do. Can't simply go through the motions and reach the standard of excellence." 

Who sets the standard? "The standard is much higher than any opponent on the schedule. You want to leave here knowing you competed every possession."

"I think you have to play the best to be the best...a great teaching moment."

"Are you underachieving or overachieving?" 

"Influence your opponent: by being competitive, you can affect how your adversary performs."

"Competitiveness is the opposite of complacency. It's disquieting and uncomfortable."

"It's every coach's dream to have their team rise above expectations."

"Honest and direct...Give people what they need, not necessarily what they want." 

My thoughts: 

Summitt's concepts echo some of my core coaching values:

1. The key to sustained success is competing THIS moment, this drill, this possession. 

2. How you play reflects how you live your life.

3. Find players who "need" to play, not those who want to play. Casual attitude translates to casual effort. 

What Makes a Bad Practice?

Last night I thought we had a bad practice. 

What went well? Combination drills with conditioning, shooting, and passing met accountability. The 5 on 8 press break was adequate, not great. Implementation of a 'delay offense' was satisfactory. 

What went poorly? I take accountability for practice. I had a practice outline and preparation. 

But organization means timely transitions between practice segments, higher tempo, and full engagement of players at all times. When I say "DON'T CHEAT THE DRILL", I mean don't cheat yourself, your teammates, and the team. 

The transitions between segments were inadequate. I can't be the only one bringing ENERGY to practice. TOO MUCH TALK can wear players down. That didn't happen. A lack of full engagement can create STANDING AROUND.  

A poor practice LACKS COMPETITION. Competition means "competitive fire", the necessary relentlessness inherent to success. Successful players compete in every drill, every possession, every repetition. Not all players 'brought it'. Anything short of full FOCUS and ENGAGEMENT fails. Failure reflects poor coaching. 

What do I think caused the "poor practice"? After our inability to execute zone offense (despite winning), we needed more attention. And I think that sucked the energy out of the players, along with poor TRANSITIONS. "We play fast." Teams are working to slow the game and force us to play slowly. 

What can we do better? Solutions. I've bought practice shirts (that we use). The players want to wear what they want to wear. I'm asking players to bring/wear red or white tee shirts. We will have red, white, and blue "groups" (with pinnies). That should cut down some of the transition issues during and between scrimmages. 

What are the enduring lessons? I am accountable for practice. "No progress occurs without change, but not all change is progress." It will be better with crisper transitions, more energy, and more focus. 

Apologies for Wasting Your Time

Josh Bernoff's Soundview podcast examines how writers waste words (see below). The average reader spends 36 seconds on an article. I am guilty. 

He suggests fixes. 

• Shorten...use word limits.
• Get to the point. (Don't bury the lead)
• Simplify. 
• Avoid jargon unless necessary. 
• Eliminate weasel words.

Clarity:

Avoid passive voice and weasel words (qualifiers and intensifiers).

We seek change via writing:

- Who is the audience?

- What is the objective?

- What do you want from the reader? 

- What will the reader think of you? 

Consider these when outlining. 

I will work not to wasteyour time. 

Here's Bernoff in the public domain...demanding better writing. 

Fast Five: Reducing Turnovers

Start with Pete Newell's charge, "get more and better shots than our opponents." It's a mathematical problem. Especially with younger players, shooting percentage will not be high. Therefore, it is critical to get more shots. More turnovers equal fewer shots. Few shots and mediocre shooting percentage don't play. "The ball is gold."

Practically, turnovers have to be on our "pregame checklist". I've discussed turnovers at more length previously. 

The 'checklist' above shows symmetrical offensive and defensive goals. 

1. "It's NOT okay." A player makes a negative play (e.g. throws the ball away). Teammates say, "It's okay." Don't confuse being sensitive with being sensible. I don't want players looking over at the bench because they make a mistake. I want them to redouble their engagement, not double down on mistakes. Whether it's Coach Krzyzewski's "Next Play" or "be in the moment", the message remains "do the next right thing right."

2. Technique before tactics. In The Vision of a Champion, UNC soccer coach Anson Dorrance writes, "The game is ultimately won with fundamental technique: receiving, passing, shooting, dribbling, and heading. You can't get good enough at those basic skills." Turnovers are the antithesis of good technique. They are the personification of bad technique, a consequence of poor decision-making, poor technique, or both. 

3. We never depart the basics. Turnovers must be a priority at practice. I've heard of some coaches who remove a ball from the ball rack with every turnover at practice. When the rack empties, they switch to conditioning drills. I don't like to use conditioning as 'punishment' because conditioning is fundamental and I want all fundamentals practiced enthusiastically. Players must understand that turnovers affect their position in the rotation. 

4. Shot turnovers is Doc Rivers' expression. Forced shots. My coach, Sonny Lane, called them "#$%& shots." Bad shots are the equivalent of turnovers. Every player should know what a good shot is for herself and for each teammate. Jay Bilas' Toughness article counseled, "it's not your shot, it's our shot." 

5. Be specific and detail-oriented. I don't ever want to see steals off wing-to-top passes or top-to-post. We had traveling issues, so we worked on pivoting, upfakes, and jab steps. Zone defenses are taught to keep hands up. Don't throw through hands. Fix what's broken. 

Players accept what we accept. We cannot tolerate looseness with the ball. Remember the adage, "One mistake - bad play; two mistakes - bad player; three mistakes - bad coaching." 

Decisions in the Heat of Battle

Interdisciplinary experiences help us train players and coaches to think, communicate, and perform at a higher level. Stories help us remember when they are simple and include credible, concrete facts, emotion, and unexpected components. 



The challenges we face during a basketball game may seem like life and death, but aren't.  We can draw enduring lessons from real life heroism. 

Performance is not static. It varies by task and is degraded by anxiety. Training shifts the "panic zone" to the right. 

Experience matters. Experienced fire team leaders perform better during high stress conditions while inexperienced team leaders struggle under high stress. (Figure from The Leadership Moment by Michael Useem). 

Wagner Dodge survived a nearly impossible situation by "inventing" an escape fire, thinking out of the box, when his life depended upon it. Unfortunately, most of his men, by virtue of communication breakdown, lesser training, and lack of trust during an extreme stress situation, broke ranks and perished. Dodge's experience allowed him to innovate and survive a life-consuming wildfire. 

Lessons from "The Leadership Moment" by Michael Useem

1. "Panic overwhelms smart decision making." 
2. "Experience is a critical foundation of leadership."
3. "It is your least experienced associates who will reach the panic zone first." 
4. "For well-formed, highly committed groups, the panic point is shifted far to the right."
5. "If your organization is facing a period of uncertainty, change, or stress, now is the time to build a strong culture with good lines of interior communication."
6. "Our actions today may make the difference between success or failure tomorrow. The challenge is to anticipate what problems lie ahead and what preparatory steps are required now." 

In basketball programs, we see the advantage of "senior leadership" both on the floor and on the bench. Winning or 'legacy' programs often have strong mentoring from both coaches and players that transforms younger players. Teams lacking effective communication will not shift the "panic point" to the right and experience more degraded performance. 

When we watch a game, we choose whether to be entertained or to study technique and situational play - e.g. BOBs, SLOBs, ATOs. Other coaches and players are constantly educating us...if we are open to receiving their lessons. Their teaching can translate to more effective coaching and play...or not. 

As a practical matter, this type of post is among the least viewed of those I write. Yet, it contains the more powerful and lasting lessons. 

The Leadership Moment

Michael Useem's The Leadership Moment addresses nine instances where people were challenged to rise up and succeed against major challenges. 

In the introduction, he discusses one of his own...an ascent on the Dom, a Swiss peak rising to nearly fifteen thousand feet. Without being a spoiler, I can report that their attempt did not proceed smoothly. 

But he asks a series of questions that I can distill from that experience:

1) What went well? 
2) What were the biggest mistakes we made? 
3) How could I do things differently? 
4) What enduring lessons were learned? 

I thought I'd share an experience from my past. I was working in the Emergency Room at Bethesda Naval Hospital in 1982. I got called to see a "real emergency" at about 2 AM. A middle-aged person arrived by ambulance on the cusp of respiratory failure. They couldn't speak (give any history), gasping for air. The lung examination was clear. They needed immediate airway support (intubation), so I pushed the "Emergency Assistance" (code) button to summon a resuscitation team while trying to stabilize the airway. Nothing happened. A twenty-eight year old second-year resident, I had never intubated a patient. The patient was awake and terrified. I was just terrified. The monitor, strangely taunted stability, flashing a steady heart rate of 84 beats per minute. There was no 'oximetry' (oxygen measurement) in those days. Anatomy and physiology, meet reality. 

I grabbed an endotracheal tube out of the resuscitation box and jammed it through the left nares into the back of the throat. 

Amidst one of the patient's final breaths, the tube found its way into the trachea and I connected her to the Ambu bag and oxygen and provided rescue breaths. The patient lived. Eventually, the facts emerged -  a headache and two aspirin had triggered a severe allergic reaction. Better lucky than good or experienced, I passed the test. 

No similar challenge faces a basketball coach. Annoyances? Periodically. Adversity? Regularly. But we're still expected to self-examine and deliver. What's the state of the state? 

1) What went well? We have a terrific group of players and families and a dynamic assistant who mentors the girls. The team shows up on time and ready to go. Players work hard (amidst occasional giggles). 

2) What were the biggest mistakes we made? We need more consistent concentration and engagement. Opportunities can be lost at practice or during games at any time. We must bring intensity and respond continuously not continually. 

3) What could I do differently? I need to create more leadership opportunities for the players. I need to continue to utilize my assistant to help the team develop the necessary growth mindset. We need to challenge them more to perform their best. 

4) What enduring lessons were learned? While we have a trustworthy process, we need the will and capacity to adjust. Values are immutable; technique matters but strategy changes. 

On Winning

We assign value to an infinite variety of 'things'. That value uniquely belongs to us, affected by our 'ownership'. I have a painted, ceramic candy dish - 'the chicken'. You would be hard pressed to fetch fifty cents for it at a yard sale, but it is priceless because it belonged to my father. 

Similarly, we assign value to ideas, people, and concepts like process and winning. Our egos tend to cluster 'my way', the 'right way', and the 'best way' together. I prefer to search for a 'better' way. 

Where does winning fall along the continuum of value? 

When we develop a consistent process, a critical mass of committed, skilled people, and combine execution and intangibles like health and luck, we might get more than our share of success. 

Pasteur expressed it thusly, "chance favors the prepared mind." 

Our society places a premium on winning. "To the victors go the spoils." To that extent, scandal has become 'routine'. Performance enhancing drugs, industrial espionage (e.g. ballpark cameras), Spygate, hacking scandals, withholding or misleading medical information, piped in crowd noise, recruiting with call girls, manipulated equipment, and other malfeasance abound. Ethics takes a back seat to winning. Some have even remarked, "if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying." 

But cheating doesn't yield a sustained competitive edge. The "legacy programs" share common dimensions...great coaching, talent, and superior process. John Wooden left nothing to chance, writing Practical Modern Basketball. The St. Louis Cardinals have "The Cardinal Way", an instruction manual shared with every player in the organization. Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide has "The Process." Anson Dorrance of UNC's women's soccer preaches the "competitive cauldron". Cal Rugby's Jack Clark designs a "performance culture." Bill Walsh immersed the 49ers in "Standards of Performance." Consistent achievement follows designed excellence.

Winning is ephemeral. Dorrance uses the rose to symbolize winning. Its beauty fades as does the emotion associated with championships. 

Some organizations have the ultimate winning culture. At BUD/S training, the Navy SEALs reward winning along the training arc. "It pays to be a winner." Winning is synonymous with completing missions and often survival. 

The desire to win distorts behavior. At a recent coaching clinic, officials discussed having coaches ejected from basketball games...of fourth graders. That is wrong on so many levels from instructors of the game. 

I view winning as a byproduct of good process, the synergy between decision-making and execution. If our team makes good choices and executes well, that's a quality performance that may not always yield winning results...depending on the opponent's play. 

Behaviorally, I want our team to stay humble in victory and gracious in defeat. Winning doesn't authorize boorishness and being a competitor doesn't obviate sportsmanship. 



Barry Sanders celebrated scoring by returning the ball to officials. "Act like you've been there before." 

I like Brett Ledbetter's characterization of winning substrates from his book, "What Drives Winning." 

Play to win. But character, not winning, defines you. 

Commitment, Engagement, Toughness

Good leadership demands good followership. This year I have an assistant, Victoria, whom I coached with an outstanding group in the past. She is an outstanding student, leader, teammate, and earned All-State honors in volleyball this year. She was elected as a volleyball captain as a sophomore, the only player ever afforded that honor. 

Providing opportunities for her to lead matters. I asked her to address the team briefly before practice and conduct a ten-minute segment of practice I'm calling "Vic's Picks". 

She brought in a dog-eared, marked up copy of Jay Bilas' "Toughness." She explained how her volleyball coach required them to read a chapter a week and discuss the meaning. We talked about the "contact paper" embarrassment and she discussed how being tough is an attitude. She noted that it's not enough to be on the floor, it's vital to fully focus and engage during the time you're out there. 

Here's a link to a blog with some key messaging from Bilas' book. And here are just a couple of excerpts...

“You can’t get to the top of the ladder in one step, but you can get to the bottom in one step”

Concentrate on what you’re doing while you’re doing it. His dad used that as a lesson to teach his son to concentrate on one thing at a time. Focus on what is before you, not on what is in store for you.

During her drills she emphasized 1) rebounding and 2) 1 on 1 with the added challenge of defensive help. 

Her drills confirmed her message. 

During the practice, spent about 20 minutes working on zone offense...and several players lined up in the wronged place and clearly didn't understand their or teammate's responsibilities. 

I reinforced the message of needing focus and engagement and reminded them that when they get to high school, the coach won't tolerate wandering minds. It will cost players opportunities. 

I asked Victoria whether I was being too harsh. She felt that I sent the right message and added that Sam, our player on injured reserve, had told her the same thing. 

You play the game as you live your life. If you want a good life, then commitment to preparation, energy, and full engagement are your partners. We're preparing players for life...not just a game on Sunday.