I suppose you could consider this a post-apocalyptic update, or perhaps with the end of the world being staved off for at least one more day it’s inspired me to invest some time in one of the things I’ve neglected for far too long. It’s amazing how full a day gets and how certain aspects of life get pushed to the wayside, even though some of those seemingly inconsequential activities are important releases that keep a person from losing whatever amount of sanity they have left. Thankfully for me I caught myself in time before I was void of all sane notions and got back to my roots of writing.
Never have I experienced such fluctuation between confidence and uncertainty than I have with coaching. It’s such an interesting notion to coach a game on a Friday night and leave the gym with an aura of arrogance thinking to yourself, “I’m pretty good at this. I could see myself doing this for the rest of my life,” only for Saturday night to come, and after you break a clipboard against your office wall you bury your head on your desk and say out loud, “I can’t do this. I’m not cut out for this job.”
The broken clipboard came after our first home game as we dropped Adams State JV. Quite simply we weren’t prepared mentally, and I didn’t make the right decisions both before and during the game. It’s still hard for me to swallow that I’m not the best coach in the country. People give me a hard time about how much of my life I’ve invested in this game and I always respond in a joking manner, “Basketball is all I know,” but in reality that isn’t much of a hyperbole. Learning about this game and perfecting it like a craft or an art brings great joy, but it’s filled with hard moments when I screw up. Much as a painter must be disgruntled when none of her pieces sell, but when there is that one monumental breakthrough it makes every let down seem purposeful.
The season, as early as it is, has been a battle in many ways, but all towards a greater purpose. It’s hard for me to put myself in the shoes of my athletes as they have been forced to respond to a coach they didn’t plan on playing for, especially when the one that I’m replacing is a coach of both phenomenal character and skill. I wish Coach Wagner nothing but the best at Mesa State, where he is currently undefeated and ranked 13th in the country, and I am blessed by the legacy he left behind here at Otero, but to earn the trust and commitment of these young fiery kids has been a struggle. Only in the last couple weeks have we truly started to come together. We have developed the moniker of “Shared Sacrifice.” Simply put they are not typical, but meant for something special, yet to reach greatness in anything sacrifices must be made: a sacrifice of time with family, friends, boyfriends, sleep, a sacrifice of the body and the mind, and to reach greatness as a team we must sacrifice together which may mean sacrificing playing time for another, sacrificing taking more shots, or even sacrificing the comfort of taking less shots and stepping up. It comes down to simply what is a person willing to sacrifice/risk for the potential of greatness. I feel though that in the minds of many, regardless of whether they are an athlete or not, is that few want to sacrifice if there is only the POTENTIAL for greatness. In everything we do there will always be that chance that regardless of how hard we work, how much we invest, things might not work out the way we want. That is of course where our trust in God’s grand design comes into play, but nevertheless it is a risk, it’s faith. Many are not willing to put themselves on the line without the certainty of success or individual glory. The question that plagues the conscience is, “If I might fail, why should I do this?” We have become a culture of guarantees, and if there is no guarantee we are less likely to not only commit to something , but to give in to something with a burning passion.
The "Shared Sacrifice" Workout
Sitting at a record of 8-4 after the break, there’s no thought that the season is lost or that we are even lost. Based on what I’ve written thus far I may have given that impression. The truth is that we are a young and talented group that I intend on taking into the regional tournament prepared to win it. While I made poor decisions that directly related to all four of those early losses, of which I will carry the burden, my growth through them, the growth of my girls through them wouldn’t have come any other way. As much as I hate losing growth and direction comes from each one. Even some wins feel like losses, but the urgency rarely shows itself like it does with losses.
One thing that is seemingly unrelated to x’s and o’s but in reality is directly related to them is the coaching of the mental aspect of the game. I’ve heard many different splits, 70% mental 30% physical, 90/10, 80/20, 60/40, and while the numbers are all different the consensus is that the mental is the most important, and yet as coaches we rarely invest time in it. I’ve tried to make a concerted effort to teach the mental side this year by taking practice time and going into a classroom to discuss mental aspects of the game. We talked early in the year about the opportunities that we have as people and athletes, and especially that my girls have. We watched part of the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, one of the most intense, and intensely accurate WWII films of all time. We talked about sacrifice, leadership, unity, and humility. The sacrifices that were made for us as American’s are still too far underrated. If it weren’t for those that gave their lives for us I wouldn’t have the opportunity have a career coaching basketball. I wouldn’t have the opportunity to profess my faith, give my opinions, and not live in fear. For my girls there is even more to be thankful for as in many countries girls are still not allowed to show their faces or go out in public without a male escort. After lengthy discussions about the gifts we’ve been given and how we can choose to take those gifts and use them or squander them, we concluded the session with the Foxhole Test. The foxhole test is a loyalty and commitment test to see who are the most trusted, the best teammates, and the toughest. Each athlete draws a circle and puts themselves at the front of the foxhole. They then have to pick three teammates that they would trust and want in their foxhole with them, with the most trusted and the toughest being at the rear. It was very eye opening for them and for us as coaches to wade beyond the idea of friendship and dig into toughness and loyalty.
The second mental coaching classroom session was on competitiveness, something we talk about daily. I gave them a fill in the blank worksheet that we went through together. The worksheet revolved around two basic concepts: we live in an entitled culture, and that there are four critical intangibles to be a competitor. There is this belief in our society that we, and athletes especially, deserve things without having to work (no risk or potential failure). All of my players and both of us coaches have been part of a winning team at some time, but we can’t forget what made those teams great. Again, there was a common denominator -- it was the shared sacrifice, the mutual desire to be great. How then do you achieve greatness? In our line of business it’s not handed to you; enter the four critical intangibles. Commitment, confidence, competitiveness, and character are the four pieces that an individual must possess to consider themselves a true competitor. For us it is a matter of finding out if we are willing to make the risks and sacrifices to reach the status of a team, coaches included, which is filled with competitors.
The Big Four Critical Intangibles
Taken from the book "How to Develop Relentless Competitors"
By Jeff Jansen, M.S.
My kids return from Christmas break a week from tomorrow. Our last game was bitter tasting and didn’t set the stage well for our region play as we dropped McCook at home. Nevertheless we have the opportunity to reset the stage and reopen the curtain with us at the forefront of the region by making a big statement with three road region games in the first three weeks of January. I’m anticipating a fire and new found resolve upon the girls’ return to campus. I know our team isn’t perfect, but the beauty is that we are dangerous and still far from fulfilling our potential as a team. Growth is inevitable for us which makes the second part of the season reek of possibility.
Till next time,
- Coach Kyle
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