Mamba Mondays | Good vs Great Coaches

In his book, Mamba Mentality, Kobe Bryant wrote, “A good coach is of utmost importance.”

Young Kobe was out to prove himself to the world, and I’m sure he gave his earlier coaches headaches, but as he aged, so did his wisdom, and he spoke highly of and with respect for great coaching.

Kobe also wrote this:

“Coaches are teachers. Some coaches—lesser coaches—try telling you things. Good coaches, however, teach you how to think and arm you with the fundamental tools necessary to execute properly. Simply put, good coaches make sure you know how to use both hands, how to make proper reads, and how to understand the game. Good coaches tell you where the fish are, and great coaches teach you how to find them. That’s the same at every level.

In certain situations, like in the midst of a game, good coaches relay execution information. They point out what specifically is and isn’t working. Based on that and your own feel for the game, you utilize some of that information immediately and you save some of it in your back pocket for crucial moments during the game. Then, when the time is right … boom!”

I love when he said, “Coaches are teachers. Some coaches tell you things, good coaches teach you how to think and arm you with the tools to execute properly. Good coaches tell you where the fish are, great coaches teach you how to find them.”

Teach your athletes how to think. Give them the tools they need to execute and be successful. Teach them how to fish, then let them loose with guidance, support, and feedback!