“They knew the platoon was more than the mere sum of their numbers – they had imbued themselves with this knowledge and made it theirs. They were great, they were magnificent; he was proud to be their leader.” – LT Sam Damon in Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer
Not everyone “gets to” be the face of a franchise as either the star or the coach. Special opportunity and obligation come with that territory.
Coach John Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success” features team spirit as one of the three central building blocks.
What qualities and values translate to forming a team “more than the mere sum of their numbers?” Team performance mirrors inputs.
Competence
Competence means more than knowing Xs and Os. The saying that the sport is “overcoached and undertaught” manifests on video daily.
- Wisdom transcends knowledge.
- Leadership bests management.
- Care surpasses oversight.
Teaching appears in details and in energy. Strong teams talk on defense. They create advantage constantly. They come off screens tight and don’t give up easy baskets. They win close games through force of personality.
Communication
Coaching is a relationship business. Communicators who get “buy-in” outperform by adding more value. Communication means honesty and integrity with the ability to navigate hard conversations. It is better to lose a game than to lose our team.
Don’t be the guy who takes credit for victories and passes responsibility to the players for losses.
Relationships raise spirits when adversity hits. And it always does.
Positivity
The coach and team leader must bring positive energy to work every day. Success requires performance regardless of whether you feel like it. Coaches and ‘stars’ have the ability to stay focused and to energize the team consistently.
Enthusiasm
“Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” Princeton coach Pete Carril reflected on joy.
“Light bulbs, that’s what I call them. Light bulbs. There’s an intangible feeling a coach and a player have that you can delight in. When [players] walked on the floor … I could be dead tired: I saw him, I felt good.”
Optimism
You can only be as good as your self-belief. Optimists see better days ahead. That doesn’t mean blindly overlooking deficiencies. It demands clear-eyed recognition of strengths, limitations, possibilities and the will to drive the process forward.
Director Ron Howard says, “the director is the keeper of the story.” The coach has to advance the story. Optimism energizes.
Authenticity
We have to be ourselves because we can’t be anyone else. Don’t be Dr. Jekyll one day and Mr. Hyde the next.
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance (1841)
There’s an ocean of difference between a foolish consistency and the mindful will to maintain high and increasing standards.
Leadership
What is leadership? Leadership is not about titles or self. Leaders have the capacity to attract followers and to raise performance of those around them. Leaders have the ability to set a course and to adjust when necessary.
Lagniappe. Relationships come first.
As a coach, you can be..
…technically brilliant
…a genius in strategy
…the smartest in the room
…experienced in the game
But if you can’t connect with people, you won’t get the best out of them.
Coaching is about people first.— Allistair McCaw (@AllistairMcCaw) January 14, 2026
Lagniappe 2. Lever your athleticism with technique.
Playing Off Of 1 Foot vs 2 Feet
“Playing off of 2 Feet really evens out the athleticism.”
Jump stop- regain balance
Stride stop- settle momentum
Pro hop- direction change
Bully stop- hit defender 1st pic.twitter.com/Ybwx7G2ojb— PGC Basketball (@PGCbasketball) January 13, 2026