Explore an Uncommon
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How We Can Make Racism A Solvable Problem
Philip Atiba Goff with a great approach to helping solve racial issues. Look at behaviors, not attitudes. 12 minute video.
A Myth About Accountability
I'm a strong believer in accountability. I don't think you can sustain elite success without a high level of accountability. It's an essential part of high-performing organizations. Accountability is about taking personal responsibility for your actions, and within teams a shared sense of accountability is extremely powerful. Sharing accountability amongst a group creates a very high standard of excellence, assuming you all want elite success. You feel not only a personal responsibility, but you do not want to let your teammates down.
Accountability is not running sprints in the morning because you skipped a class. It's not doing wall sits because you were late to the weight room or getting pulled out of a game because you jogged back on defense. Those are actions that are meant create accountability on a personal and a team level. So often we associate punishment with accountability that accountability can have a negative connotation, as if it is only something that shows up when we screw up. Accountability is much broader and more impactful then paying a price for screwing up.
I recently had this conversation with J.P. Nerbun on Twitter, after he mentioned that accountability was overrated. I had never heard that before, that accountability was overrated.
We had a good conversation, and I understand his point - that you have to behave the right way when the leader is not around, when there is no threat of penalty. My point, however, is that accountability is exactly how you get to that point - where you can count on everyone to do the right thing even when no one is around. You get there through a high level of accountability within your organization.
On the championship teams I've been a part of, accountability is a mindset that affects behavior, more than it is the behavior itself. It is feeling a responsibility to everyone on your team, and to the standards you have established. That mindset is created by necessary consequences when behavior doesn't meet your standards, and those consequences are always present. But eventually (hopefully) the mindset becomes the norm, and the consequences aren't necessary.
Despite being the leader as a head coach, and the one responsible for accountability to the standards, I still need accountability myself. While I certainly take pride in giving a great effort and doing my job at a high level regardless of who is watching, a high-accountability environment still keeps me at my best. Great players I have coached have always held me accountable just by showing up and giving their best every day. By doing that, they demanded the best out of not just their teammates, but their head coach as well. Knowing that my staff expects a high standard from me also helps make me better. In an environment where the standards of behavior are very high, I have to take responsibility for my actions.
Without accountability even the best of us can let our standards slip, sometimes without even realizing it. I can feel it myself at times. I don't need someone threatening me with 7 AM sprints to get me to do my job. But knowing that a group of people are relying on me to be at my best, and I can rely on them for the same, still has an impact on me. I think that environment has an impact on everyone.
We can take personal responsibility without the threat of a consequence. We all should be able to do that. But being accountable to a group of people and a set of standards still drives me, and I think it drives most people who consider themselves competitors. So much of the behavior I exhibit day to day is still driven by an environment of accountability, and my hope is it always will be.
Connecting With Your Players
It's a common narrative you see with coaches who are struggling, especially coaches who have been around for a few years. You hear questions about whether or not he can "relate" to his players anymore.
Connecting with your players is certainly important, but it's more than just being active on social media or having a conversation about Kendrick Lamar. I don't really think age has much to do with it. To get the most out of any team, you need to be connected with them as people. I think there are certain ways to go about it.
Listen To Them
Telling your team exactly how to act 24/7 is a good way of putting up a stone wall between you and them. I'd imagine that many of the older coaches who fall into the "can't relate to them anymore" category are those used to telling the kids exactly what to do and expecting them to do it. While you may get kids to do what they are told, you aren't likely to get the highest level of buy-in out of them.
Asking questions of your team is a great way to understand where they are coming from. And you can't run from the information. You can't just decide "well, they're kids, they don't know any better," and dismiss what they tell you. You actually have to listen. It doesn't mean you have to do what they want or that they are running the show. But listening to them shows them a level of respect, and it shows them that you care. I'm pretty sure they know who is in charge.
Learning more about your team is a great way to develop trust and a true connection. Listening to them is a great way to learn, and show them you care about more than what they do in the gym.
Know What You Don't Know
I've had great relationships with players over the years who come from very different backgrounds than I do. One of the keys to that is not trying to act like I know where they are coming from. It's one thing to hear them, it's another thing to tell them you know what they are going through.
It's hard to come off as authentic if you really don't know their situation. Resist the urge to tell them you have all the answers. You aren't supposed to have the answers, but you are supposed to help them handle their situation and find a way to be successful. I've seen many players lose respect for coaches because they tried to act like they were on the same level when it came to adversity or challenges that the player was facing.
In fact, I've found it really impactful to tell them I don't know what they are going through. To talk about my own experience and make it clear I can't imagine what it's like to have to handle that situation. At that point, they know you are being real with them, and they'll start to respect and trust you.
Be Flexible
The days of "My way or the highway" are long gone. I don't think the kids are different these days, but so much around them is different. Their access to information is different. What they expect is different. If you expect them to just blindly do what you tell the to do, they are going to shut you out.
You can be flexible without changing your core principles. A great challenge of leadership is to stand firm on what's non-negotiable but be flexible when things need to change. Leadership is highly contextual, and you have to be able to adapt. You'll have new personalities, different levels of talent and experience year after year. You have to fit your approach to get the most out of the players on your current team.
Flexibility allows you to connect because it shows your team you are willing to work with them. When things need to change, it isn't always you telling them what has to happen. Don't get stuck in your ways. Stay willing to look at a different approach.
Tell Them The Truth
Your players want to hear the truth. Good or bad, they want the straight truth. They may not always like it, but they'll definitely respect it. I can't tell how often I've heard from players that the reason they loved playing for a coach was because they knew he was always going to be straight with them. But so many coaches are insecure, so it's not easy for them to be direct and honest.
Don't ever tell your team one thing and do another. If you make mistake, own up to it immediately. When they come and ask you a question about playing time, give them a straight answer. Don't dance around the issues. They will see right through you. Make sure you are prepared and decisive.
It sounds pretty simple, but for some reason it really isn't. So many coaches refuse to be direct for fear of painting themselves in a corner. The most important thing you kids relate to is the truth.
Sweat Equity
The most important thing you can do physically for your players is make them better. Get on the floor with them and show them how to become better players. Sweat equity is a great way to connect.
Players really respect coaches who are in the gym with them, teaching them stuff they can use to improve. As the head coach it's still important to do it. Don't let your assistants do all of the workouts. Take the time to set up intentional individual development plans with each one of your players, and get in the gym with them and put in the work. Players will buy-in to anyone who makes them better.
Stay Away
Give them the space to be themselves. Don't feel like to connect with them you have to hang out with them during their free time. Let them play the music loud in the locker room. Let them talk on the back of the bus, and watch the movies they want to watch.
Trying too hard to connect is probably the worst way to actually try and connect. I remember hearing John Calipari talking about recruiting, and he said he'd tell the kids "Look, I'm allowed to call you once a week. But I'm offering you a scholarship. I'm 59 years old. You are 17. What are we going to talk about every week?" I thought that was pretty smart, and pretty real.
You can spend time with them off the court and talk about things away from basketball - I do think that is important. But don't overdo it trying to hard to connect. Give them some space to be themselves.
Load Management
Interesting look at a concept that seems to be prevalent in all levels of basketball these days, and is causing some tension in the NBA.
Things You Learn About Leadership After You Take Over
When you take over as a new head coach or the leader of an organization, things are naturally different. As much as you try and prepare, there are plenty of things you are going to learn as you go.
You Are Always On
When you are the head coach people always look at you as the leader, no matter what the setting. As soon as people see you they are starting to read you - your mood, your body language, your approach. A message is being received, whether you are sending one or not.
I've had players tell me they would determine what kind of mood I was in based on what color pullover I wore into the gym that day. One color meant I was in a bad mood, another meant I was in a good one. Of course there was no connection in my mind whatsoever, but my kids were reading me as soon as I walked into the gym.
If you are out to dinner, you are the head coach. If you are walking down the hall, you are the head coach. When they see you working out, you are the head coach. You are the primary decision maker regarding a very important aspect of their lives - so they are always looking at you as that decision maker.
You don't get to turn off being the leader of an organization when you are around your team. It's something you have to be aware of and get comfortable with.
You Now Make Decisions, Not Suggestions
Being in charge requires a different level of preparation. You no longer get to make suggestions to the boss about something that might work. Now you are making decisions. That doesn't mean you always have to have an immediate answer - that is certainly not the case. But when an answer is needed, you have to have a definitive one.
The preparation is different simply because you have to be prepared to make decisions. So you have to know what your approach is that day, what you are trying to accomplish and how you want to get the message across. You'll certainly get some questions looking for clarification, and you want to be prepared for that.
The days of saying, "You know what, let me ask coach about that and see what he wants to do" are over. You don't want your team to sense any doubt from you when it's time to have an answer.
It's 75% Mental
When I first became a head coach, I was prepared with all of the basketball stuff - our offense, our defense, special situations, practice structure, etc. I knew what I wanted the program to look like and how I was going to coach it. What I wasn't prepared for was how much time I'd be spending on the mental side of the game.
At least 75% of all of the conversations I had with my team were about mentality, approach and mindset. They weren't about basketball. Of course we felt like we were preparing them for the basketball but so much of that came natural to them as players. Getting the most out of them was about being mentally tough, staying focused and having the right approach.
I believe strongly that in leadership the mental side of the game is overlooked and under-coached. So much more of my time as a leader was spent on the mental side than I expected.
Solitude is Necessary
I wanted to have a great staff around me. I want others to challenge me to make me better. I want my players to have a voice. I seek out advice from mentors and colleagues I respect. I get better, and I'm more effective as a leader, when I'm learning from everyone around me.
There is a time, however, when I need to get away from all of that. I think any leader does. There is a time when you need to be alone to clear your head and get your thoughts in the right place. To really figure out what you believe, and what you think is right - especially when you have a difficult decision in front of you. Ultimately you have to be the one making the final call.
There are plenty of times where you need to get away from the noise to come up with the right approach. It's a great challenge to find that balance as a leader.
It's Okay To Be Wrong
Before I became a head coach I thought being in charge was about always being prepared and making the right call - letting everyone know exactly what the move was to get the job done. What I learned is that one of the most powerful things you can say as the leader is "You know what fellas, I screwed up."
Not only is it okay to be wrong, it should be expected and it's a sign of strength. It shows your team that you are vulnerable and willing to hold yourself accountable, and that they should do the same. It creates safety around your team, where they will also feel comfortable making a mistake. It develops trust.
The strength of your team and your culture will grow when they realize you are wiling to be honest about your mistakes. Don't feel bad about being wrong, just be up front about it.
You Don't Always Need An Answer
Phil Jackson often used the phrase "When in doubt, do nothing." It's a great mindset to have. Leadership comes with pressure, and there's no doubt you'll feel the pressure to have answers for your group. But no one expects you to have the right answer all of the time. Sometimes you need to take your time and process a situation before making a decision.
If you constantly try and provide an immediate answer, your team will start to lose faith. If you have to continually go back on what you said or did and change your mind, you'll chip away at your team's belief in your approach. They'll actually have more respect for you if you say, "You know what, I have to think about that." Getting to the right decision is more important than getting a quick one. Don't give in to the pressure of leadership.
Questions Are More Effective Than Statements
I never really understood how important the skill of listening was to leadership until I became a head coach. You think you are the guy in charge, so you'll be standing in front of the group making statements. The truth is the more questions you ask of your team, the more you learn about them and the more effective you are as a leader.
Asking your team questions not only gives you knowledge about what they are thinking, but it creates and environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing. It allows them to speak up when something isn't right (perhaps when you aren't around), and it gives them ownership of your culture.
I've asked a lot more questions as a leader than I ever thought I would, and it has made me a lot better.
Your Presence Matters
I heard former major league manager Buck Showalter say this once - "You are making a presentation every day. When you walk out of the office and into the clubhouse, you have to be prepared. The way you look, the way you speak, the message you deliver."
Having a presence as a leader is very important. You have to be able to stand in front of a group and command their attention. If you are unprepared, you will lose them right away. Your message will not resonate, and buy-in and belief will be hard to come by.
It's more than just knowing the game and giving them the right direction. It's the way you come across and how you deliver the message. They buy in to you before they buy in to your message.
Context Is Key
There isn't one approach to leadership or culture that works for everyone. Your approach has to fit your personality, but it also has to fit the culture of your organization and the players in front of you. Leadership is highly situational.
This means you have to be flexible, something I hadn't really thought about until I became a head coach. You can have core principles that are non-negotiable and you stick with no matter what, but you have to be able to adjust to what your team needs in the moment. I learned that I would rather win than be right. If you aren't ready to adjust or be flexible where necessary, long-term success will be hard to come by.
You'll Learn As Much As You Teach
It's one of the great things about being in charge. Every day your team will teach you stuff about leadership, culture and decision making. If you are open-minded and willing to listen you'll get better as a leader every day.
Switching Late
I've always been a man-to-man guy and I've never liked switching. I think it's taking the easy way out, and I want our defense to be ready to beat screens. It doesn't seem like a lot of teams try and beat screens these days. But my teams never switched.
When I first became a head coach we used to change our defense late in games with a lead to switch everything. We had a call for it, usually if we were up late with the clock running out and we wanted to keep a man on the ball without worrying about screens. If we were up 4-6 points in the last minute and we didn't want to give up 3s we'd go to our switch everything defense.
I did that until we gave up a couple of 3s late and lost a game when I was at Rhode Island College. We had some young guys out on the floor and they were late on switches, and we gave up 3s and lost the game. After that game, I changed my approach. When I thought about it, why would I want our team to play a different defense, one we weren't used to playing, on the most important possessions of the game? So I stopped switching.
A couple of different things can happen when you decide to switch that likely don't happen when you are playing your regular defense - Confusion or uncertainty, which then leads to hesitation. Switching forces your guys to think about something - is that a screen? With all of the ghost screens, slips and fly-bys you see in offensive action today, it's pretty easy for the offense to create some confusion. Are you switching on a fly-by or a ghost screen? What constitutes and actual screen? The offense can create hesitation in your defense if they run good action.
It's also easy to get lazy on switches. As soon as you see some action coming and two offensive players coming together, you just hold your ground and point to your teammate. You wait for an offensive player to come into your area.
If I'm in my regular defense, I know my job is to beat the screen. There is no confusion, and no hesitation. And there is no time to get lazy. If someone gets beat and we need to help, we help. Just like we do every day. But there isn't much to think about. We are doing what we do every day.
Watch the video of the last possession of the Celtics and the Raptors. Stan Van Gundy points out that Boston is "going to zone up" on the side out, meaning they are going to switch everything. OG Anunoby starts in the ball side corner with Jayson Tatum guarding him. When he cuts to the middle of the floor, Tatum hardly moves and just points to Jaylen Brown. Maybe he says something. But now Jaylen Brown is involved in some other screening action that grabs his attention. I'm not sure he every realizes that OG Anunoby is actually his man.
That split-second of hesitation probably cost the Celtics the game. And that's the danger of switching everything late in a game. You create a scenario where the offense can cause some confusion. I just don't like doing something different on the most important possession of the game.
Duncan Robinson
Duncan Robinson went to Williams out of high school, now he's a key starter for an NBA playoff team. A great story.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29707109/nba-playoffs-miami-heat-duncan-robinson-steps-sunlight
Play The NCAA Tournament First
With the incredible impact of Covid-19, it's pretty clear any athletic season that does take place is going to look very different. Here's one idea I haven't heard yet, and the more I think about it I can't see what the downside is: Why not start the college basketball season with last year's NCAA Tournament?
I read that the total financial blow to the NCAA for cancelling the tournament last year was over 930 million dollars. It's been made pretty clear that the NCAA can't go another year without that revenue. They have to play and NCAA Tournament this year in some form. No one is sure if we are going to get through a full season. So why not start the season with the 2020 NCAA Tournament? The one we didn't get to have last March.
It may sound odd or unreasonable, but look at every league that has gotten back to competition. The NBA is in a $150 million bubble at Disney World playing in an empty gym. Golf is playing outdoors in front of zero fans. Major League Baseball is playing in empty stadiums, playing 7 inning games, and putting a runner on second base to start extra innings to get the games over with. They have also doubled the size of their playoffs. The bottom line is playing any sporting event is very different right now, with the goal being to find a way to play the games - and make the money.
The NCAA is talking about starting basketball after Thanksgiving when most schools have sent their students home, creating almost 8 weeks where just the athletes will be on campus. So if we are going to play, and that is the safest time for us to start playing, why not start with the games that really matter? Instead of trying to play regular season games or non-conference bubbles or whatever the alternatives are, play the most important games that have been lost to this virus. Have selection Sunday in November (Thanksgiving weekend?) and play the Tournament in December.
We were only a week away from the NCAA Tournament starting when everything got shutdown. I'm sure the NCAA kept their notes on who was going to make the tournament, who was on the bubble and who wasn't. The field was pretty close to set. Will it be completely fair or 100% representative of the bracket that would have been put out in March? Maybe not. But in case you haven't noticed, nothing is going to be normal or fair for the next 12 months at the very least. I just don't see why, when we aren't really sure if we can sustain a season for a long period of time, we would start with non-conference games that don't really mean much and won't create much revenue. We had an NCAA Tournament that was just about ready to go when we got shut down, so let's start with that and see if we can make it work. What a great way to bring back college basketball, while taking a test drive on protocols to play basketball with some significant oversight.
So what do you do with the rosters? Obviously the teams are different right now, with many seniors and others having moved on. Well, why not bring them back? Let the seniors who got robbed of a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament come back and play. Start with the rosters of all the teams as they were on March 1st. If the seniors are still around and want to play - or want to come back and play - bring them back. Let them practice for a month with their old team and get ready to play in the NCAA Tournament. If they can't come back and play, you can replace a player one for one with one of your newcomers to fill out your roster. It's not a perfect representation for sure, but March 2020 is gone and in case you haven't noticed things are going to be very different moving forward. So let's adapt a bit.
Does that create a competitive disadvantage and change the roster make-up of certain teams? Sure does. Deal with it. It really isn't that big of an issue. Is the champion of this tournament going to be the true 2020 NCAA champion? Maybe, maybe not. But again, who cares? Call it the NCAA Cup or the 2020 Invitational. The point being, if it doesn't truly represent a standard NCAA championship, so be it. We've all had to deal with a lot of different challenges due to this global pandemic, surely we can handle Louisville adding a couple of good freshmen to their basketball team to play in a tournament for a month. 2020 is going to have an asterisk on it until the end of time. We all know that.
Start practice on November 1st and start the tournament in December. Anyone interested in sitting down to watch the Final Four over the Christmas holidays? If certain leagues want to do it, let them have play-in games or finish their conference tournament. For example, Vermont and Hartford were scheduled to play in the America East in March for an automatic bid before we got shut down. If the league wants, let them play that game to see who gets in. That's fine. If a league hadn't decided who was going to represent them in the tournament, let them figure out how to do it.
What about the teams who weren't in the NCAA Tournament? Just let them get ready for their season. Remember, half the teams who play in the NCAA Tournament only play one game, and 75% only play two. You could lose in the first round, take the weekend off, and then go back to preparing for next season. If all goes well, everyone is going to be practicing at some point in November or December to get ready for this season. Some leagues have already declared their teams won't play at all until January. So plan on starting the 2021 season in January after the holidays, when the NCAA Tournament is wrapped up. Everyone is practicing in December, but the teams that are in the NCAA Tournament can get an earlier start. There are details to be worked out for sure, but it's certainly worth it to do just that.
You can also take some of the revenue and donate it to Covid-19 relief efforts. Find a way in challenging times to make a positive impact. Run ads during the games with websites that are taking donations. I'm sure plenty of people will be sitting at home watching the games, many with the ability to help. Raise some money to help those in need while we play the games.
The NCAA really needs the revenue from the NCAA Tournament, even if they can only recoup some of it. We are all unsure if basketball practice or a season can actually work over a long period of time. Once we start practices (if we get that far) we'll all be in uncharted territory. We have no idea if this is going to work. So why start by trying to play non-conference games that are mostly insignificant and won't help raise much revenue? With the NCAA's involvement for the tournament games we can probably ensure testing and safety protocols better than we all can at our individual schools. And we can help some people in need while we are at it. Who loses here?
If we are going to come back to practice in November and try playing games in December anyway, why not play the 2020 NCAA Tournament? Sure, it would be different, but not much different than everything else we've had to adjust to over the last 6 months. I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons why this idea wouldn't work. December Madness. Let's do it.
Courage
“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.”
- Paulo Coelho, Writer
Guys I Can Win With...
I've always said there are plenty of people I enjoy hanging out with, who I'm fine watching a game with, but who I wouldn't want to try and win with. Just because I like you doesn't mean I want to win with you, and just because I can win with you doesn't mean I necessarily like you. Winning involves so much more than enjoying someone's company when nothing is on the line.
Guys I can win with...
- Show up on time
- Love being part of a team
- Are efficient with their time
- Take being a teammate seriously
- Enjoy individual recognition, but never at the expense of the team
- Relentlessly pursue improvement
- Are naturally curious about others
- Lock in on directions
- Embrace criticism
- Compete their ass off in shell drill
- Are serious in the weight room
- Know the play when they leave the huddle
- Make sure everyone knows who they are guarding
- Do not take themselves too seriously
- Have a good feel for what their teammates need
- Speak up, even if it's unpopular
- Call out bad behavior
- Admit when they are wrong
- Run hard all the time
- Get on the floor first
- Go to the gym to work out, not to shoot around
- Can handle losing
- Understand team defense
- Cut to the basket when they don't get the ball
- Communicate naturally
- Won't accept excuses
- Got over themselves already
- Confront bad behavior
- Don't spend a lot of time worried about the officials
- Challenge me to be great every day
- Speak honestly with the coaching staff
- Keep their body in front of the ball
- Don't worry about things they can't control
- Want to guard the best player
- Hate losing pick-up games
- Come back in great shape
- Sense when a teammate needs confidence
- Bring it every day
The Guys Who Complain To Officials
Watching the NBA playoffs has been great, but it's a reminder to me how much NBA players complain and interact with officials. I give the officials a lot of credit because they are usually willing to have a conversation and generally not too quick with technical fouls. But I cringe a bit, because I know players at all levels are watching the NBA and following their lead.
We've all coached plenty of players who spend way too much time thinking about the officiating. But other than telling guys to stop talking to the officials, how do you change the behavior? Often their bitching is an emotional reaction, one that a simple "stop doing that" isn't going to correct.
So what can you do to get players to stop complaining to the officials?
Explain what the team needs from them
The first step that I've found most effective is to have a conversation, and one that isn't based on officiating or their behavior. Explain to them what the team needs from them.
"When you are locked in on what's important, this team feeds off your energy. We need you to focus on what you can control, because when you do that the team reacts positively. When you are concerned with other things, you don't play well and neither does our team."
Focus on how their behavior can have a positive impact on the team. So when you have to correct it, you aren't simply yelling "stop talking to the officials!" You are saying, "Stay locked in here, this team needs you." Their value to the team and their loyalty to their teammates should be more important than their beef with the refs.
Silent days
Start practice one day by telling them they aren't allowed to talk. They can't say a word. Maybe you can't do it for the entire practice, but do it for a couple of live, competitive drills. Don't let them respond to anything, and force them to focus on what they can do better, not things they can't control. When they can talk again, they'll spend more time talking to their teammates about what's important.
Sub them out
When a constant complainer starts bitching in practice, just put a sub in for them. Don't challenge them, yell at them or add any emotion to what is already an emotional situation. It's a simple "Brian, get Kaseem." Just remove him from the practice, and keep it moving. Let them take a deep breath and calm down, and they'll start to realize when they complain, they don't get to play.
Make a teammate run
Don't pick on one guy for this, but make it a rule for the team. If it continues to be a problem with just one guy, then maybe it becomes his rule. When someone complains about a call, stop practice and put one of their teammates on the line. Make him run a quick sprint. "Tim, it's too bad you can't count on Jeff. He let you down by not running back on defense, and that's going to cost your team in the long run. You are really going to have to be in great shape if Jeff is going to keep doing that."
It doesn't have to be a long sprint, just a quick down-and-back. Nobody is comfortable putting their teammates on the line because of their own bad behavior (or if they are, you aren't winning with them anyway and get them out of your gym quickly). You'll also create some peer pressure within your group, so the guys start getting on their teammates about leaving the officials alone.
Call less fouls in practice
Put them in situations where playing through it is the norm. The expectation is that you are going to get hit, and tough teams play through it. I've seen a number of practices where the bitching is actually made worse by inconsistent officiating - this guy gets a call, that guy doesn't. And now guys are complaining, but they have a legitimate beef. Create a tough mentality where you are going to play through all of that stuff. Let them play, and they'll get used to it.
Check yourself
This might be the most challenging adjustment to make, and also the most important. Look at your own behavior with regards to officials. If you are losing your mind with the officiating, what do you expect your players to do? The do as I say, not as I do approach is fraudulent. Your kids are going to take on your personality, good or bad. The idea that "I'll take care of the officials," or "I'm just fighting for you guys" is an excuse for your own bad behavior.
I can't tell you how many times as a head coach I was upset with the officials and then I realized I was losing control of my team. They are going to follow your lead. Check your own emotions to make sure your players can handle theirs.
Dynamic Leadership Podcast: Mike Pressler
Extremely enlightened, selfless leadership approach from Bryant Lacrosse coach Mike Pressler.
Great Teammates
From the Sports Illustrated article in 2003 that named David Robinson and Tim Duncan the Sportsmen of the Year.
"We honor them too for the way they fit together in San Antonio, one superstar and number 1 draft pick (Duncan in '97) biding his time until the other superstar and number 1 draft pick (Robinson, '87) was ready to bed the starring role. The mind boggles at the clamorous scenes that would have unfolded in Los Angeles had Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant had to share the same spot for the Lakers. Robinson, a post-up center, and Duncan, a post-up power forward, figuratively and literally had to make room for each other, a display of selflessness at which both men shrug their shoulders. "It was a natural process," says Duncan. "When I came in, David was the Man and I was just trying to learn the game, develop under his wing. And when it was time for me to do more, David understood it without a word being spoken."
Well, maybe a word or two. "Sure, I had a few talks with Pop, because it was a tough thing for me when the offense started going through Tim," says Robinson. "But it never got the the argument stage because how could I not accept it? It was the right thing to do."
Has there ever been a better pair of teammates who were as talented and high-profile? We are talking about two of the top 50 players in the history of the game, who essentially played the same position, teaming up and sacrificing for championships together.
Practice Doesn't Matter As Much As You Think
Very interesting article from a few years back on the value of practice versus talent.
https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/practice-doesnt-make-perfect
The Culture Has To Be Theirs
Culture has been a hot buzzword in team sports for a while now, so there is plenty to read on the topic. I'm a big believer in culture and the impact the every day environment can have on individual and team behavior. When I became a head coach at Rhode Island College in 2005 I went about establishing a culture, as most first-year head coaches do, and we had a lot of success.
It probably took a full year to establish our culture, but our culture was really what allowed us to sustain success. It was a great combination of talent, mentality and fit between myself, the school and the players who were already in the program. There was alignment on what the program should look like and how we should go about our business every day, and our players completely bought in. I said it at the time and I still say it today - I don't think I'll ever be a part of a culture as tight as the one we had at Rhode Island College again. It was something special.
The most important thing about that championship culture, however, is something I think we often forget about as coaches. The culture we build wasn't my culture, it was my players' culture. Leadership can be very tricky, because ultimately we are responsible for what happens, yet we to get the most out of our people we have to give control to them. As the leader it's easy to think of the culture as something that is yours, not theirs. The most important aspect of our championship culture at Rhode Island College was that it became theirs, it wasn't mine.
What I did was help the players establish some standards and set some guidelines for our behavior. And certainly in the beginning, mine was the dominant voice as we were trying to get things established. But as you evolve, and as your players truly buy-in, they are the ones who carry the culture every day. It doesn't have to come from your mouth. They know what is expected of them, they believe in it, and they carry it out. The culture grows under their watch, not yours. They set the standards and they handle the accountability when those standards aren't met.
You hear it said often that the best teams are led by the players, not the coaches. I'm not sure I completely agree with that. We often use leadership conveniently, saying we have great leadership when things are going well and blaming our lack of leadership when they aren't. The leadership comes from you as the head coach and goes through your players, and hopefully over time you have to be less and less active in that regard. But culture and leadership are two different things. Certainly you need leadership on your team for your kids to carry the culture, but culture is more about behavior and less about what is said. The leadership you provide helps establish the culture in the minds of the players, but then they carry it out without thinking about it. It becomes who they are and what they are about.
When I became the head coach at Maine, I went about establishing our culture the same way. I knew it would take longer given the lack of talent in the program at the time. We had good kids, but most of them weren't used to the work ethic or commitment necessary to be great. As I look back, I realize our culture was mine for way too long. I was the one carrying it for the first 3 years, trying to get our guys to understand what it took to be successful. It's certainly not easy when you aren't having success to get the belief you need, but I could have done a better job. I had too much control of the culture from the beginning, and I didn't give the players enough room to take a hold of it. It wasn't until our fourth year when I started to give up control that we really started to establish and believe in our culture.
To make the culture theirs you have to be confident enough to step out of the way. You can't control everything or make every decision. You have to trust the guidelines you put in place, and let the players carry out the behavior. Sure, you'll have to step in at times to make a point or to change behavior. But over time your players will take on that responsibility and those who don't fit will find their way out of the program.
Culture is crucial, and establishing a great culture can lead to sustained success. But don't just create a culture and ask your guys to fall in line. If you really want to achieve at a high level, make the culture theirs. Give the control and let them hold each other accountable to standards they believe in. The most effective culture you can have is one owned by your players.
Reality
My first year as a head coach we started out 8-7 in our first 15 games. I took over a very talented team, as it turns out one that I think was likely the best team in the league. But we didn't get off to a good start. We'd play very well for a week and then we'd just no-show for a game or two, losing to teams that should never beat us. By mid-January we were barely over .500 and we should have been much better.
In my mind we were practicing well, our guys were bought in and they were competing very hard. We just couldn't seem to put it together. I was a new coach that took over in September and didn't recruit any of the current players, so we were still getting comfortable with each other. It was going to take time to pull it together, people told me. You have to get some of your own players in there. It'll click, just give it time. It's not going to happen overnight. We could attribute our difficulties to it being my first year as a head coach and the players still trying to get comfortable with a new system.
I knew something wasn't right, but I really couldn't figure it out. One of my assistants at the time, Bill Black, used to say "I just think we need to be more consistent." He used the word consistent over and over. I was convinced our guys were playing hard every day and committed to what we were doing, it was just taking time for it to click. Something wasn't right, but it was easy to attribute it to everything being new.
Coach Black kept using the word consistent, and I realized eventually he meant we weren't being consistent in some way. As we talked it out it became clear that I was sending mixed messages. We talked about how hard we wanted them to compete every day, but some days I was on them about it and some days I was letting them off the hook. I was a first-year head coach, and I was unknowingly concerned what my guys thought about me - not holding them accountable.
For about 6 weeks we were trying to figure out how to get better, attributing our problems to the fact that things were just new and we needed to get used to each other. The reality was much different. We were inconsistent because of my approach with the team. It really had nothing to do with us getting comfortable with each other. I made some changes in my approach, earned the trust of my players and we started to play to our potential, going 11-3 in our final 14 games. The following year we won 27 games and went to the Elite 8.
We spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to solve our problems. I'm not sure we spend enough time understanding what the actual problem is in the first place. I have a great friend, Phil O'Brien, who runs the York Consulting group, and he always says when it comes to problem solving "See reality for what it is, and act accordingly."
I think the first issue we have with problem solving is we often don't know what the problem actually is. I thought the problem with my first team was just that everything was new and it would take a little time to gel. The problem was my approach. If we don't get to the reality of the situation we are going to waste a lot of time trying to solve the wrong problems.
A lot of this when it comes to coaching is self-serving. Have you ever been in a locker room at halftime or after a game and heard "We got the shots we want... we just have to make more shots?" That's a pretty common coaching attribution after a loss. We played well, we got the shots we want, we just couldn't make any. Not much else we can do. That usually makes the coaching staff feel better, but it also avoids reality. Do you really think the reason we lost is because we just couldn't make enough shots? Sure, that may happen occasionally, but most of the time when I hear that it's not reality. Usually if we weren't making shots it's because we weren't getting the shots we wanted.
In evaluating your team, especially when you aren't playing well, it's very easy to go to what's comfortable. You find a common narrative where you can tell yourself you know the problem and you can go about fixing it. My first team was on their 3rd coach in 3 years, so of course we were going to be inconsistent. That was the coach-speak, and it fit because it made me comfortable. That must be the issue, not much I can do about it, it's going to take time. It just wasn't reality, so there was no way to fix it.
I think about this a lot with the current global pandemic going on. We are in an unprecedented situation with devastating consequences. We've been sidelined for 5 months and no one knows when we can start getting back to normal. But there is such an urgency to get back to normal, that I'm not sure we are starting from reality. We see what we want to see, a narrative that allows us to get back to school and get back to playing sports. We have to get back to normal in the fall, right? There's no way the virus can keep us shut down that long. There are so many anecdotes and different angles out there that we can find whatever information we want to support the most comfortable narrative. Just like I did with my first team.
As a coach, before you try and start solving your teams problems, make sure you know exactly what those problems are and the root cause behind them. Ask people you trust what they are seeing from the outside. Analyze the data so you are dealing with facts. Tell your staff they have to come up with a different angle, to disagree with something that you guys have been talking about. Talk to your players and get to know what is going on from their perspective.
We often don't spend enough time dealing with reality. Before you can solve your teams problems you'd better know exactly what they are. Make sure you start with reality first. See it for what it is, and then act accordingly.
Low Hand To The Ball
I was very lucky to be a part of the staff for the USA Pan American Team playing in the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru last summer. It was great to be involved with international competition in the summer, but maybe the best part of it was being in a basketball lab every day with Ed Cooley, Mike Martin and Kevin Willard.
One concept I loved from Kevin Willard was the aggressive way he defends the ball screens. He teaches his guys to put their "low hand to the ball" when hedging the screen. As you show or even switch out onto the screen, your job is to swipe at the basketball with your low (outside) hand.
Normally I don't like teaching to reach or playing with your hands, especially with a guard trying to turn the corner on a ball screen. But what happens is the guard with the ball has to take a split second to read the ball screen coverage - is it going to be a trap, a switch, a soft hedge, etc. With an aggressive swipe at the ball, you almost always catch the ball-handler a little off guard and force him to take a step away from the hoop. He gets a little startled and backs up instinctively, giving your defense a little bit more time to adjust and slowing the ball down.
Your defender doesn't have to get a piece of the ball or aggressively go for a steal. It's just a simple swipe with his outside hand, forcing the ball-handler to protect it for a half-second. That small amount of time gives you defense a better chance at staying connected and keeping the ball out of the paint.