What I Learned this Summer, Part I

Earlier, I described a desire to become a more empathic leader. I hoped to become better at building relationships with other coaches, players, and people in general. I endeavoured to become more sensitive as to what others were feeling and discover how I can help student-athletes on and off the court and inside and outside the classroom. To do so, I read a couple of books which described examples of excellent relationships that resulted in personal development and basketball championships: Red and Me and The Gold Standard.

Bill Russell’s tribute to his mentor Red Auerbach was a quick read that contained several amusing anecdotes. The two worked well together was that Auerbach was tolerant of Russell’s idiosyncrasies because he performed on the court. Auerbach respected all of his players equally but treated them differently, according to their needs and wants. The coach may have a stern image, but he was always open to feedback from others and willing to take suggestions from players.

Russell did not fit the mold of a traditional Association centre but Auerbach did not try to change him; he adapted the Celtics’ systems to suit Russell’s strengths. Likewise, when Bob Cousy arrived in Boston, Auerbach did not curtail his extravagant ballhandling and fancy passes; so long as the ball got to the right person at the right time, Auerbach didn’t care how it got there. Throughout his career as a coach and a general manager, Auerbach never became set in his ways: he perceived how things were changing around him and adjusted his philosophy accordingly.

Mike Krzyzewski talks about taking the time to understand the situation and the people involved (whether it’s the superstars who comprised the Redeem Team, international basketball, or possible opponents). One of the reasons that he titled his book “The Gold Standard” is because he chose not to have “rules” for the basketball team but rather “standards” that the team would live up to, like playing hard every shift, being on time, and representing the United States with pride. He had spoke to some of the team leaders (LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Jason Kidd) to get their suggestions and turned this support into buy-in for the entire team.

A lot of Krzyzewski’s coaching was done on a one-on-one basis. He didn’t hesitate to ask players what they wanted but at certain points during the two year quest for Olympic Gold, he put his foot down and told the team that they were not living up to their standards. Also, Krzyzewski relied on the entire team staff, ranging from assistant coaches to trainers to help sense the mood of the team.

A coaching strategy that I employed with Ontario Basketball’s Elite Development Program over the summer was to try and debrief players as soon as they came off the court. This became an opportunity to provide more personal feedback and also learn more about what each player was thinking and feeling at the time.

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.”