What I Hope to Learn this Summer, Part I

I hope to improve my ability to deal with people and egos, to better motivate student-athletes and demonstrate more empathic leadership. I recently read Competitive Fire by Michael Clarkson and learnt many facts that I hope to apply in the coming year. We often discuss how it seems that teenagers have a “fight or flight” mentality but there is a scientific basis to the argument. Under pressure, the brain releases hormones, such as adrenaline or noradrenaline, that can cause aggressiveness, increase feelings of fear, and inspire the body to perform faster, higher, or stronger.

All people, including athletes, need to manage these feelings. Teenagers at school or on the court may be sensing this stress for the first time. It is up to coaches to transform aggressiveness into confidence and fear and tension into increased focus. Some players need to be reminded of a comfort zone, such as the gym where they had fun as a child. Others need a combination of assurance and encouragement so that they channel their urge to defend their ego in a positive direction. It may be necessary to put the sport or evaluation into perspective so fear of failure is not catastrophic. Mental sets at the beginning of class or practice can help a group of student-athletes develop their ability to focus or one-on-one discussions afterwards can give an individual the boost they need to get through the day. Or it may be necessary to simulate game conditions in practice and help players visualize a successful performance.

The ideal of Tachypsychia is very intriguing. During a competitive situation, the brain releases hormones which allow the person to perceive more information. This creates the impression that time has slowed down, a player can see gaps in the defence, or that the ball has entered the net a moment before it actually does. Inducing that feeling - and handling it in a calm manner - is a challenge for a coach.

Visualizing that a big game is just another pick-up game back home is similar to thinking that the audience for a big PowerPoint presentation is comprised of friends and family. Focusing intently on a foul shot and ignoring distractions is similar to excelling on a final exam. That is why I want to help others handle stress better.

There are so many different strategies to maximize the affects of arousal that a coach may need to treat every player differently or a teacher may need to attempt multiple techniques with different groups of students. Sensing what is appropriate for each occasional is an aptitude that I wish to improve over the next two months. In addition to my own personal reflection, I hope to read Red and Me and The Gold Standard. The former is an account of the unique relationship between a superstar and an elite coach (Bill Russell and Red Auerbach) and the latter is the story of a team comprised of multiple egos under extreme pressure (the 2008 United States “Redeem Team.”

Beat the Opponent, Not the Fans

It’s hard to say that John Tortorella cost the Rangers their season - up to and including Game 4 of the first round he seemed to be the spark that ignited their late season run – but he made several errors during the last three games of the series. It was still up to the Capitals to claim the thin sliver of opportunity that they had been presented, which they did.

Early in the series, Tortorella seemed to focus on the officials and Sean Avery instead of New York’s outstanding play and Washington’s insecure goaltending situation. Whilst attempting to inspire his team late in Game 5, he pulled Henrik Lundqvist and it seemed to take the goalie another four periods to regain his form. Lastly, he lost his composure and chose to shine the spotlight on himself when he threw a water bottle into the stands and lunged at a spectator with a hockey stick. Consequently, he was not present to lead the team during the Game 7 (actually Game 6 which was held at Madison Square Gardens) because he was suspended.

Tortorella will always be a coach with negative characteristics that correspond to his positive traits. This year, his fiery personality proved to be a stark contrast to the cool and calculated demeanor of previous coach Tom Renney, inspiring the Blueshirts. Objectively, the encouragement of Bruce Boudreau better motivated the Caps, who won the final three games of the series and moved on to the next round.

Superbowl XLIII

Most people would say that Superbowl XLIII was an exciting game and largely well-played. Is that true?

How do casual fans evaluate success? Kurt Warner likely performed better than Ben Roethlisberger (112.3 to 92.3 passer ratings) and Larry Fitzgerald likely outplayed Santonio Holmes. Yet the Steelers’ performances will linger in the memories of the masses because they succeeded under pressure and created defining moments. A more arbitrary P.E.R. might have shown that the Cardinals played more consistently. If Arizona assesses their season properly and plugs the right holes, they have many building blocks for future success.

Why do teams play conservatively under pressure? It took the Cardinals three quarters to figure out that they should try a hurry-up offence. Hadn’t they learned that preparation can beat talent (the Patriots made adjustments and shut down the Greatest Show on Turf for fifty minutes during Superbowl XXXVI until the Rams overwhelmed them with volume and almost came back)? Why did the Steelers back-off and play a prevent defence? Normally they introduce multiple defensive adjustments as the game wears on. Coaches may have been affected by the pressure and let their players down.

Pressure can rush decisions and cause mentally weak players to fold. I’ve always felt that emphasizing Intensity and Quality in practice leads to excellent performance under pressure during games.

Experience Matters?

Like the 1983 Edmonton Oilers lost the Stanley Cup to the New York Islanders and the 1998 Brazil team lost the World Cup to France, it appears that the 2008 Los Angeles Lakes will lose the Association title to the more experienced Boston Celtics. The gifted Oilers and Brazilians won the subsequent championships in fairly dominating fashion; it remains to be seen whether the 2009 Lakers will do likewise.

Thursday’s Game 4 was disastrous for L.A.: the first half the manifestation of every possible lucky bounce followed by the second half which showcased Boston’s outstanding focus. Often, older teams rely on intelligence and intensity more than their athleticism. For example, the San Antonio Spurs will make countless adjustments until they regain the upper hand whilst the Celtics turn up the heat defensively.

Athletic teams, such as the Lakers cope better with opponents that adjust because they possess a natural advantage anyways. When young players meet a squad that is outworking them, they have trouble processing that superior performance. They should be better but they aren’t and the reasons for the discrepancy are highly intangible: fighting through injuries, battling for every rebound and loose ball, not stopping until the ball is through the hoop.

Assistant Coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive is essentially a match-up Man-to-Man, with plenty of help and rotation. The team may trap screen and rolls or shrink the court with a sagging defence but they don’t make a lot of changes. When behind, they pick up the energy and play harder. Even Head Coach Doc Rivers out-coached his counterpart by picking up a T at the right time and reminding the veterans who play for the team that he coaches to pick up their intensity.

Is Phil Jackson the same person who previously won titles in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles? The fact he has (probably) twice coached a more talented team to defeat against a more passionate defensive team in the Finals raises the question.

The current Lakers squad can still win. I think that it’s a matter of getting their star post Andrew Bynum back, adding a couple more veteran threats to the bench and teaching Pau Gasol and Vladimir Radmanovic how to defend and rebound with their heads and hearts. I thought that they had enough talent to get the job done but apparently I was mistaken.

Kobe, Derrick Fisher, and Jackson had been there before and should have better helped their teammates prepare but they seemingly haven’t. This first hand experience should teach L.A. how to defend, stop the ball, rotate and recover, get to the rim, and rebound as hard as they can throughout the championship series. Like Wayne Gretzky and his young teammates losing to the hardened Islanders dynasty, the Lakers will have the edge when these two teams meet again in the 2009 Association Finals.

Patience is a Virtue (Most of the Time)

The Globe and Mail reports that Sam Mitchell has been keeping an even keel lately, amid the Raptors’ uneven performances. Somebody once told me - as I was raising my voice in a team huddle - that you can only feel embarrassed if you choose to feel that way. The observation was astute and memorable but all seasons reach a point when the coach needs to rise above modeling the way and make things better, as soon as possible.

Intensity has its time and place. Players’ inner motivation is far more effective than any external forces exerted by the coach. But when the inner flame is extinguished, it is the coach’s role to get the fire started again.

As regulation ended against the Spurs in Game 7 of their 2006 series, Dirk Nowitzki couldn’t be denied. It was a different story a year later in the first round versus the Warriors: Golden State was out to prove themselves and could not be denied. Perhaps Avery Johnson could have lit a fire under Dallas and rediscovered that lost desire. Likewise, Sam Mitchell could light a fire under Toronto and inspire the team to attack the basket, D-up, or crash the boards harder.

Creativity and ingenuity would immediately benefit the Raptors’ stagnant offence. (It’s stagnant because of the lack of scoring caused by the lack of movement: the ball, players, and players with the ball remain far too stationary.) But the team’s main flaws could be remedied regardless.

Mitchell could cut somebody’s burn; Delfino, Moon, and Kapono could compete in practice for fewer small forward minutes. Mitchell could make Bargnani’s role contigent on rebounding; it’s not fair for the coach to be forced to choose between skilled players and Kris Humphries in order to get minutes. Mitchell could redistribute touches on the offensive end; give Anthony Parker more opportunities to read the defence, like in that set when Bosh screens away for AP and the secondary option is an iso for Bosh.

Maybe it’s necessary for the coach to scream at the used car salesman until he attacks the rack. Everything must go, including that overused fade away jumper. Once, last season, Bosh got the ball in the high post, turned, and crammed it on Zach Randolph. It was spectacular -- a rare explosion of energy and determination resulting in two points and a win.

It’s time for Sam Mitchell to generate a similar explosion. It’s not necessary to wear the lines of the Air Canada Centre practice court to do so but it is imperative to act proactively. It’s nice to radiate an “all is well” aura when all is well. Last season, the ship seemed to right itself on its own, leading to a franchise-best record. But consistent winning requires consistent change and improvement. Right now, the Raptors need an infusion of energy to push them past this obstacle and towards the playoffs.