“Most people have an image of what a basketball player is supposed to be, and that’s what they try to become. I wanted to become something that people didn’t expect.” – Bill Russell
As a player or coach, “Who do you want to be?” The followup question is, “how can you best achieve that?”
When coaching, remember to “shout praise and whisper criticism.”
“The magic is in the work.”
If you know who you want to be and what it will take, are you willing to pay that price?
Sometimes we won’t have the resources and others we are unable or unwilling to pay the price. Confronting reality means making hard choices.
Develop a written plan.
“The faintest ink is better than the best memory.” – Chinese proverb Specifics of process allow us a chance to succeed, not a guarantee. They also provide a reality check and allow us to consider whether it accounts for work-life balance.
Learning culture
Player development encompasses a spectrum of technical, tactical, physical, and psychological skills. Because we probably won’t have all the skills needed, we benefit from assistants and/or consultants. As leaders model excellence for everyone in our program.
That fosters us to grow leadership and change skills. Keep a “leadership scorecard” of opportunities and actions. Keep a “rethinking scorecard” of how we reassessed our attitudes and approaches.
“Habits are votes for the person we want to become.” James Clear
We make our habits and our habits make us. Build habits that will help you to achieve your goals. How? Pick, stick, and check. Clear says, “don’t miss twice.” Habits are self-reinforcing.
To an important degree, “we become what we believe.”
Compete
Competition manifests in many forms for the student-athlete. Competition shows up in self-care, not only work but recovery. Competition is also a habit. Remember the Fourth Agreement, “Always do your best.” It’s unacceptable to be an “A” student on the court and a D+ student in the classroom. Competition shows up in focus, toughness, selflessness, and commitment to make teammates and team better.
Competition is a choice.
Track performance
“Winners are trackers.” – Darren Hardy in The Compound Effect
Constraints of playing against defense, standards, and time help us raise performance. I tracked results of taking a hundred free throws a day. I was only to make a hundred consecutive twice.
Constantly seek our personal best, regardless whether it’s taking a test, practicing a sport, or writing a piece. Chase perfection and catch excellence.
As coaches, sometimes we have to challenge others to step up. Other times we have to challenge ourselves.
Lagniappe. Don’t pay by the dribble.
Kids don’t realize they can get scholarships off of this. But it’s not cool enough to play this way. https://t.co/OrA9wgNup8
— Dennis Marshall (@mar5hallhoops) April 13, 2026