We Are First In The Business To Inspire

Below are some notes that I took from a speech by basketball trainer David Thorpe.  The speech was titled, 'We are first in the business to inspire.'  There were some good notes about building culture, mentoring and inspiring your people, embracing the merry-go-round, and scientists vs artists.

Be A Culture Builder
Culture is everything.  Some of the best coaches aren't great Xs and Os, but they are great motivators and culture builders.  Their teams would do ANYTHING to WIN, and the way that they cared about each other was like family.  This is just as valuable, if not more valuable, than being a great Xs and Os guy.

Teach your players how to respect the game, respect their teammates, respect their coaches, and respect themselves.  Encourage your players to be the best TEAMMATES that they can be.

The CULTURE of a team is as important as anything else.  Take the time to invest in the culture and developing great TEAMMATES.

We Are In the Business to Inspire 
We are first in the business to INSPIRE.  If we just are delivering information to the people listening to us without first inspiring them, then we are failing them.  We have to inspire them.  We have to see and communicate they CAN be, then we have to help them get there.

One of the best, most powerful things that we can do as coaches is to see something BIGGER in our athletes than they can see for themselves, to give them a BIGGER vision or dream than they have because of what we see in them, EFFECTIVELY communicate that vision or dream to them, and then give them the tools to become the vision or dream.

Coaches have the ability to change the lives of the athletes that we coach based on how we see them, how we communicate with them, and the tools that we give them to become who they CAN become.

Try to see the absolute, best version of your athletes. Try to see their 'best-case scenario.' Share that vision with them. Be honest about how hard they have to work to achieve it, and we have to be skilled enough as coaches to help them grow into the vision. But this is how you can change a kid's career and life.


Mentor People, Not Players
We have to understand that our job is to mentor young people.  Value quality PEOPLE.  If we are only inspiring them to be better players, then we are failing.  We need to reach them on a deeper level.  Our job is to be brutally honest with them, but don't be afraid to teach them how to dream really big and how to grow to reach those dreams.

Embrace The Merry-Go-Round
Competitive sports are like a roller coaster.  I always tell players to 'Get off of the roller coaster and find joy in the merry-go-round.'  Competitive sports are full of ups and downs.  We want to have ups and downs like the merry-go-round and not the high peaks and low valleys of a roller coaster.

Be The Light Switch
Be a light switch.  When you flick the switch, the light doesn't ALWAYS come on.  The bulb can be out, the power can be out, there could be short, etc.  But the light switch doesn't get down if the light doesn't come on; it keeps doing its job.  All we can do is our job.  We can't worry too much about the result, but we should always be asking ourselves, 'Did I do my job, did I do it correctly, and did I do it to the best of my ability.'  The best shooters miss 6 out of 10 shots.  Hall of fame hitters can fail 2 out of 3 times.  You can't control everything, but you can control yourself, your effort, your commitment, and your responses.

Be Racers, Not Runners
When you have the ball, race to the basket until someone stops you.  If you are running in transition, don't run, race.  Find ways to increase your value without a play being run for you.

Scientist vs Artist
Players tend to fall in one of two categories:  Scientists or Artists.

Scientists analyze everything.  They want data, they want numbers, and they want specific answers to specific questions.  They need processes, structure, and order.

Artists don't want to overthink it.  They see patterns more naturally and they have a natural feel for the game.  It's a feel thing for them, so you can't overdo it for them with too much of a focus on numbers and processes.  You give them ideas and boundaries to work in and let them work, while scientists want all of the steps.  

Everyone Should Be Able To Score At The Rim
We talk all of the time about being able to stretch the court, but it has to start at the rim.  The anchor is at the rim.  Can you get to the basket and score?  Make the defense collapse, then you can stretch the court by being able to shoot from the perimeter.  Give them a plan.  Turn and score with the right and left.  Shot fake step through.  

Don't foul, play the right angles, make them shoot over you.  They will miss most of their shots.  

Leadership is Breathing Spirit To Your Followers
Leadership is breathing spirit into the hearts and the minds of others.  Breath hope, optimism, energy and positivity in your players so that they can do the same for the people that they connect with and love the most.