“Good judgment comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgment.” – Anonymous
Each of us follows a career arc, ideally with what legendary Coach Anson Dorrance calls continual ascension.
Kevin Eastman says, “Success leaves footprints.” What steps promote advancement?
1. Measure What Matters
Ascension starts with clarity, objective reality.
Film is the truth machine.
Shot charts show proficiency.- Habits don’t lie.
What you measure improves. What you ignore wanders. Measure success and failure, especially what process – turnovers, fouls, “possession enders,” the determinants of outcomes.
2. Build Daily Habits (Small Edges Compound)
Big gains come from small, repeatable actions.
- Pay attention to detail in practice.
- Put the team first.
- Limit transition baskets.
- Work on footwork to get separation on offense and prevent it on defense.
- Practice special situations (e.g. SLOB, BOB, ATO, close and late) every practice.
“Repetition makes reputations.”
3. Compete Constantly (The Pete Carroll Mentality)
Ascension fights friction. Top women’s teams practice against men.
Create competition in everything:
- “Stay Ready games”- Celtics’ reserves play four-on-four
- Raise the stakes by keeping score.
- Player development teaches how to win.
- Don’t interrupt all mistakes.
- Competition happens in the weight room, shooting games, etc.
4. Leave Your Comfort Zone
Players plateau without pressure.
- Practice against different tempos.
- Constraints of time, performance, “personal bests”
As a younger player, I spent time every practice chasing around this superb ballhandler, working to contain the ball. The coach was preparing me to do that against the best scorers. Pain heals.
Growth incorporates mistakes and frustration. That’s work, not failure.
5. Reset Quickly (Next Play)
Fragility turns into serial failure. A bad shot becomes a “frustration foul.” Getting beaten on defense can lead to a next possession turnover.
Carryover can’t happen. No death by a thousand cuts. The best players shorten the gap between mistake and recovery.
Summary:
Continual ascension isn’t dramatic. It’s disciplined. It’s Belichick’s four pillars:
- Put the team first.
- Attention to detail
- Know your job.
Do your job.
Lagniappe. Discipline succeeds.
The most disciplined person in the room usually wins.
Not the smartest.
Not the most talented.
The most disciplined.
Be that person.
— Coach Chron (@coachchron.com) April 16, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Lagniappe 2. Find one trait to adopt as your own (via Mike Neighbors via John Maxwell)… talent isn’t enough.