The Other Team

Preparing for your opponent is important, but how much energy do you spend on the other team? Every minute you spend focused on the other team takes time away from developing your own players. I think many of us are guilty of spending too much time worrying about the other guys.

With the technology we have available today we have all the information we need on our opponents at our fingertips. It allows us as coaches to feel fully prepared and leave no stone unturned. But a lot of that is really about making us feel better as coaches, and not necessarily what our guys need to be successful. Our scout tapes get longer, we have more film sessions, we go over more plays. It makes us feel great to be really prepared, but we can also clog our guys minds with too much information.

“A cluttered mind equals slow feet.” - Stan Van Gundy

We spend a lot of time worrying about other teams running up the score, pulling their starters out when they are up, or pressing when the game is decided. I just don’t think it’s a valuable use of our mental capital. We spend less time working with our own players and building our team, and a lot of time worrying about stuff we cannot control.

Your players know exactly what your priorities are based on what you emphasize. They know if it’s about them or the other team. They thrive with the attention you and the staff give them to make them better. They love to feel that you are investing everything you can into them, to make them great.

Scouting and preparation are very important. Your kids absolutely want to know what the keys are to win and how to stop the other team. But the amount of time you invest in them versus the other team has an impact. Don’t get caught up too much in everything the other guy is doing. Invest as much as you can in your players and you’ll get better results.