French Open 2009

The triumph of Roger Federer’s win is not in the compilation of fourteen Grand Slam titles but his recovery from adversity and the adjustments and evolutions that he has made to his game. Rafael Nadal has displayed phenomenal athleticism and power during his six Grand Slam wins but he has never exhibited the consistency shown by Federer in three areas:

Consistency: Federer has always played the entire year and wins during each season. Like Tiger Woods - another blue chip brand name athlete - he wins about half the time. Federer has made every Grand Slam semi-final for the past five years. The Swiss player has displayed both the regular success of Pete Sampras and the ability to win on all surfaces like Andre Agassi.

Adjustment: In the 1990s, Federer first realized that he needed to become more mature and ceased arguing petty line calls. Since then he has always been gracious and is often cited as an excellent example of sportsmanship. On the court, Federer continually enhances his game, most recently adding an effect forehand drop-shot to use against baseline players like Nadal. He is never satisfied with himself and pushes himself to get better.

Adversity: The past year has been trying for Federer as he lost the Wimbledon crown to Nadal but recovered to win his fifth consecutive U.S. Open Crown. He lost the final of the Australian Open but won the French Open (also returning from a dismal showing in the final last year in Paris). A clown rushed on to the court but Federer never lost his focus. Nadal has been influenced by negative crowd reaction but Federer normally seems confident. During the 2009 season, Federer did show some emotion but his determination permitted him to overcome his weaknesses.

Both Federer and Nadal are highly skilled players and among the best of all time but I think that it is Federer’s mental ability that makes him stand out.

Outliers

Like Blink and The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell weaves a number of seemingly unrelated pieces of anecdotal evidence to create his latest work Outliers. The fundamental premise of the book is that conventional wisdom about success is flawed: factors publically praised are irrelevant and success or failure can be determined by a few core factors.

Gladwell raises a salient point that many of athletic and academic cut-off dates favour those born early in the year. Basketball Ontario and other organizations have realized this and have implemented strategies to provide more coaching for those born late in the year and recognize reliable indicators of talent not based on age. The author also mentions that nobody reaches a gifted level unless they put in ten thousand hours of practice. Then Gladwell talks about the nebulous nature of opportunity and how many diligent workers never receive a key chance to succeed.

The final half of the book includes a half-baked chapter about how Southerners may have short tempers and self-control may be passed down through the family like speech tendencies. Apparently, communication errors cause most plane crashes and the clarity in the relationship between supervisor and subordinate depends on culture. Lastly, it is argued that Asians perform better at math because of a more logical naming system for their digits and more hours of schooling.

Some of these points seem sensible when explained, even though they may be superficially counterintuitive. The problem with picking evidence in order to create an entertaining, quirky book is that sample size is very small. Gladwell interviews a partner at the firm who is his literary agent; many of the examples are not arbitrarily selected. The first hundred pages are more solid than what follows - which is highly inconsistent - and relevant for coaches and player development. The rest of the book is largely for entertainment only and does not absolutely prove the thesis it set out to establish.

Talent Myopia

In 1960, Theodore Levitt published Marketing Myopia, a seminal article for the Harvard Business Review that highlighted how a narrow understanding and a refusal to accept change doomed a number of business empires. Companies ranging from electric street car manufacturers that didn't understand the effect of the automotive industry to dry cleaners who did not cope with the development of new synthetic fabrics were criticized. The same problems also manifest themselves away from the business world, on the basketball court, where players get caught up with their own abilities and misunderstand their role in the sport.

Self-Deceiving Cycle: There is a certain groupthink among today’s ballers, ideas and opinions taken as given, facts ignored, despite all common sense. They follow the hoop culture vicariously via NBA.com but don’t follow the example of their role models. They watch an And1 mix tape and assume that they have the all the skills they need. E.O. Wilson once said that “Blind faith, no matter how passionately expressed, will not suffice. Science for its part will test relentlessly every assumption about the human condition.”

The Cycle develops as players forget how their heroes made the Association, ignoring examples like Steve Nash shooting free throws in the rain on Vancouver Island and disregarding the countless others who wanted to be him but failed in a blaze of glory. From where they are now, focusing only on their narrow range of skills and not the entire game, it might serve them well to read the signposts.

Production Pressure: It can’t be denied that young players are pressured by countless others. There’s pressure to keep the baskets coming at the Bantam level, rather than shoot correctly (irrespective of the outcome). There’s pressure to win by any means necessary rather than do it the right way (you don’t get paid for winning club games). There’s pressure to talk about Brandon Roy’s three-point buzzer beater against Houston, rather than the player who allowed him to get open (Travis Outlaw set the screen). There’s pressure achieve the coach’s definition of success, rather than John Wooden’s (As Coach Wooden would say, you can’t shoot if you can’t move and get open). Coaches should pressure players to improve, not just perform.

Population Myth: Some excellent student-athletes have always been recruited because they standout at their level. There are countless youth teams but very few professional leagues, and very few professional leagues that pay well. It’s hard to make a living playing ball. Agents serve dozens of clients and most of them are not Scott Boras.

Sooner or later, the number of buyers will shrink and the number of sellers will remain the same. Coaches will not only assess players on their physical abilities but their mental and social abilities as well. Some players will reach a certain point based on talent alone but others will be held back. Some players will less talent will surpass them because they play the game well.

Student-athletes must accept that they are basketball players, not ball handlers or scorers and learn the about the entire game: accept advice, rebound, set screens, give help, take leadership, move the ball, pass and cut, etc… Even Trajan Langdon is getting paid to play basketball these days.

Basketball Relativism

Seeking to avoid the tendency to move players around like Stratego pieces but still recognizing that the basketball season is like a game of Labyrinth. Balancing the motivation of a group of student-athletes towards meaningful goals while encouraging them when they falter. Generating elite performance from the team on the court and inspiring personal improvement away from it.

Coaching becomes much more challenging than diagramming a sideout play down two with two seconds left on the clock.

As a moderate Platonist, I try to avoid moral relativism. I think that there are standards of success, of good performance, that shouldn’t be shunned. But then what is success? John Wooden defines it as “the peace of minds that comes from the self-satisfaction of knowing you did your best to be the best you are capable of becoming.” Rick Pitino says that “success is a choice.” Certainly their records convey empower their words with a degree of credibility. I definitely think that every team member should be constantly striving to improve themselves, including the coach.

For a coach to provide extrinsic motivation that is as powerful as a player’s own intrinsic motivation, the player must share the coach’s ideals to a point. If a coach holds one concept of success close to his heart and the player another, conflict erupts. A common error is assuming that one’s personal views are the only reasonable view and that they are very common; therefore, anyone who takes an opposing viewpoint is wrong and expressing an absurd viewpoint.

So when a player confronts a coach (metaphorically, not physically), the coach should evaluate the viewpoint that led to the conflict. Players are people, after all. To live a personally satisfying life, the coach should never sacrifice his personal values but to experience a collectively satisfying season, the coach should be willing to change.

Beyond wins and losses, success could mean instilling individual pride in group accomplishments, promoting attendance and punctuality, inspiring student-athletes to do better in class. With younger students, even small steps should be encouraged and although it is a struggle for coaches, they should congratulate the progress, slow as it may be.

“It is not the purpose of war to annihilate those who provoke it, but to cause them to mend their ways.”
- Polybius

Player Development, Part I

Today, Ettore Messina held a clinic at the University of Toronto regarding the development of the young post player. I thought that it was a very insightful presentation and included some technical elements which are not usually covered in North American coaching literature.

First of all, Messina spoke of developing trust with players. I agree with his point that players will respect you once you prove that you can help them improve. To me, it’s highly logical and creates relationships based on respect, not the one-sided interactions that have become prevalent in schools and teams in North America. As I am focusing on my personal connections this season, I will try to keep this intuitive point in mind.

Coaches must give athletes opportunities to succeed, in order to build confidence and build relationships between coaches and players and between teammates. When an athlete succeeds at a simple task, they feel confident about trying something more difficult. When players see that coaches are helping them, they buy into the system. When a guard sees that a post is helping them defensively, they will trust them by passing them the pass at the other end.

Messina also discussed the instruction of specific skills to make things easier for players. Skills should be challenging at first but not impossible. During the Summer Olympics, Mark Tewksbury stated that Canada should have specific skill benchmarks for athletes at all levels (for example, how well should a fifteen year old swimmer be able to perform the dolphin kick) and Messina’s coaching philosophy supports Tewksbury’s claim. Both athletes and coaches are responsible for making consistent progress and keeping standards realistically high.

People Who Play Sport

When asked about Bill Belichick’s coaching success, analyst Chris Schultz said that New England’s coach understood the difference between football players and people who play football. When asked about Sam Cassell’s potential as a coach, Sam Mitchell said that Los Angeles’ point guard must learn what to do when players don’t see what he sees.

Major-General Isaac Brock was appreciated for the charisma he employed while commanding British forces in Upper Canada. Colonel Roger Sheaffe was equally disliked for his aloofness and occasionally cruel management style. The critical trait was to treating the 49th Regiment of Foot as a group of people, not mindless soldiers.

Criticism of the Phoenix-Miami trade ignores that the Suns are people who play basketball. What if the Marion-Stoudamire rift was destroying team chemistry? Or what about Phoenix’s increased confidence playing with Shaq? Opponent reluctance to attack the basket? And Shaq’s drive to prove doubters wrong? All personal factors that cannot be easily measured.

Shawn Marion’s steals on the wing and finishes on the break can be measured, as can the disappearance of easy baskets in the playoffs. Boards mean more than strips because of the opportunities they provide. Teams can win games with 85 points in the postseason if they allow only 80. Halfcourt sets must generate high-percentage shots. All areas where Shaq succeeds and Marion does not.

Shawn Marion brought multiple positives to the Suns but the positive reaction of the people involved in the trade is a prominent reason why it might push the team to new heights. Nevertheless, Steve Kerr should sign the best wing defender in the C.B.A. in case Phoenix must stop Kobe Bryant in the second round.

Tom Coughlin changed his philosophy after New York started the N.F.L. season with two losses. Self-assurance and poise defined the Giants’ championship run. Execution improved on both sides of the ball, not because of fear of discipline but due to increased focus and reduced stress.

In the Superbowl, New England proved fallible after all. Tom Brady - the person, not the image - was pressured throughout the game and made mistakes. The Patriots faced tremendous adversity; New York’s awareness of this fact supplemented the confidence that the Giant’s gained from their Week 17 experience against the Pats.

People are not perfect and it is consequently extremely difficult for teams to do likewise. Had Belichick followed Schultz’s characterization more closely, he would have done more to eliminate outside influcences on the Patriots and coached more actively. New England seemed to need more external motivation to energize the older and tired team whose intrinsic motivation had faded after eighteen consecutive wins.

Players from the intramural to the professional levels are always affected by emotions which are as difficult to master as elite sport. Accepting that players are fallible individuals is an essential criterion for successful coaches.

Education of a Coach (not me)

David Halberstam’s Education of a Coach explores the path that Bill Belichick took to reach his position as head coach of the New England Patriots, winners of three Superbowl titles. Influenced by his father, long-time Navy coach Steve Belichick, Bill began breaking down film at a young age -- though he never played football professionally or at a major college, he continued to study the game diligently under coaches such as Ted Marchibroda, Ray Perkins, and Bill Parcells.

An unsuccessful stint coaching the Cleveland Browns interrupted and delayed a meticulously planned rise to the top of his field. Coaching suggestions evidently appear throughout the book - Halberstam chronicles Belichick’s work ethic, the roles technology and innovation have played in the coach’s success, and the personal toll that coaches pay for their careers - but it is in the Cleveland failure where the most salient lessons emerge.

Belichick arrived in town with a detailed plan and a record of achievements as an assistant coach but during his stay with the Browns he was repeatedly thwarted by a meddling Art Moddell. After dealing with Moddell himself, Paul Brown insisted that the other members of the Cincinnati Bengals’ ownership group schedule appointments to meet with him, in order to assert his independence as a coach.

Owners, general managers, athletic directors, and university presidents have all disrupted the best laid plans of coaches over the years, a control that is often present throughout sport. For his second stint as a head coach, it was imperative to Belichick that he seek out an ideal situation, like the one that he found in New England with supportive owner Bob Kraft. Managers who insist that the spotlight focus on themselves or their deeds and believe that they know it all will succeed. Throughout the years, football has remained a team sport and team sports - by name - require that various talents amongst different people blend together to create a respectful, winning, environment.

The initial failure reveals the value of adaptability and the ability to adapt at the at the right time. Quarterback Bernie Kosar was ill-suited to the offensive systems Belichick wished to install and the coach suffered through the poor match for many years. Kosar should have been cut earlier or the system altered from the beginning.

A coach should identify his/her core principles and stick by them. Everything else should be modified according to the situation. Once rules are established, any bending or breaking undermines the coach’s authority. Truly great players, like Lawrence Taylor or Tom Brady, are so rare that Belichick has only encountered two on all the teams he has coached. Devising special rules for every other athlete is simply not worth the cost.

Lastly, Belichick’s career proves that those who receive a second chance can become successful, even after the most spectacular failures. However, whether they are athletes, coaches, or regular people must learn from their mistakes and cannot dare repeat them.

After his dismissal in Cleveland, Belichick waited five year for the ideal head coaching post to become open, even coaching the New York Jets for a day before resigning to take the Patriots job. Once he was hired in Foxboro, he knew it was his last kick at the heat coaching can. Fortunately, Belichick was confident in his abilities, staying true to himself, learning from past mistakes, and ultimately creating a football dynasty.

Crashing the Borders

Harvey Araton, sports columnist at The New York Times argues a two-fold thesis in his latest basketball work, Crashing the Borders: How Basketball Won the World and Lost Its Soul at Home. On one hand, basketball has reached incredible heights of popularity world-wide, becoming second to soccer as international players take up the sport and professional leagues thrive across the glove. Meanwhile, basketball in the United States is deeply troubled.

Television ratings barely reach a third of the highs recorded by Michael Jordan in 1998 and less than a half of what “Magic” Johnson attained in 1980. Fundamental skills are lagging and poor performances abound in international competition. Most importantly, the game is wreaking social havoc across the country: taking advantage of poor communities, ignoring the education of student-athletes in order to promote the “Next One”, and casting aside skill development in favour of winning games.

As outlined by David Halberstam (and countless others), Michael Jordan was one in a million. Jordan ushered in a new age, pairing sport with media to sell products and earn unimaginable sums of money. Most people, including players, see only the riches. “Magic” Johnson has said repeatedly that what separated Jordan from his peers was his mastery of the fundamentals and intense competitive spirit, attributes lacked by many young American players. However, European teams practice six hours daily, a work ethic fuelled by the players’ desire that permits all team members - from guards to posts – to develop exceptional skills, especially shooting, ballhandling, and footwork.

In many ways, basketball is exemplifying trends that can be found throughout modern pop culture. Poor players are exploited and cast aside in a manner similar to what happened to Britney Spears at the 2007 M.T.V. Video Music Awards.

College isn’t for everyone and there are definite questions regarding whether student-athletes receive and education and learn critical life skills while playing collegiate basketball. Certainly, many don’t graduate. Araton quotes observers, like Spike Lee, who argue that the system is racist. To some degree, that is an easy answer which is also inflammatory. The system is definitely elitist, a description that I feel better explains a number of the book’s examples.

As summarized in Breaks of the Game and Playing of Keeps, a sense of entitlement has evolved among players who want the benefits of success without the requisite work. When the U.S. National Team falls short at the 2004 Olympics, excuses pervade the subsequent press conferences. Few take responsibility for their short-comings, blaming bad F.I.B.A. officiating instead of bad outside shooting.

This sentiment has fostered a lack of respect for the opponent, demonstrated by taunting behaviour at the 1994 World Championships or complete dismissal of George Karl’s scouting report of Argentina in 2002, arrogance that may have contributed to a very ignominious loss.

Araton hopes that the November 2004 brawl at the Palace of Aubrun Hills between the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, and fans is rock bottom, a nadir that inspires everyone begin improving themselves and the sport. There are a number of highlights in the Association today, showcasing the joys of the game and its ability to bring people together.

The Detroit Pistons - built by Joe Dumars as a true team of complementary players - defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 Finals, team defense overcoming a collection of individual stars. The San Antonio Spurs paying tribute to Red Holzman by excelling at both ends of the court, adept at all manners of play. The Phoenix Suns, led by the enthusiasm and creativity of Steve Nash, winning with great skill and also having fun.

Individual and Team Honours

“I think back to the people who would drop by my office and say, ‘keep your head up’ when you’re feeling down. Publicly, when I was out and about, I kept my head up, you’re never going to show people that you’re struggling with things on the inside, but when you’re sitting in your office by yourself and you’ve lost three or four in a row and people come by and say kind words, you remember those times.”
- Sam Mitchell

The Toronto Raptors bested the New Jersey Nets 89-83 in Game 2 of a first-round series and Sam Mitchell claimed the Association’s Coach of the Year Award today. The former far supercedes the latter because it is the first playoff win in five seasons but Mitchell’s citation is also meaningful because it is significant of team effort and was earned because Toronto’s coaches and players kept their heads up and succeeded despite adversity, illustrating a number of clichéd verses written over the years.

April is the cruelest month. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and sorry he could not travel both, Sam Mitchell finds a thrill in bucking fate and riding down the endless odds. Il a mis son manteau de pluie, parce qu’il pleuvait, et il est parti sous la pluie. His is not to make reply, his is not to reason why.

Oh, all the places he’ll go. If he can dream - and not make dreams his master, if he can think - and not make thoughts his aim, if he can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same, his is the Earth and everything that’s in it.

“It is the eye which makes the horizon.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Preparation and attitude are two of the few things that a coach or athlete can control on game day. I’ve found the offensive sets that the Raptors run to be completely anemic occasionally (Tuesday’s win was encouraging because it shows that Toronto can compete with New Jersey and won’t settle completely for a perimeter game if faced with a combination of a zone defence and crucial no-calls) and Mitchell’s brief experience means that he has much to learn about coaching.

H.A. Dorfman comments on the fine line between athletes who are focused on accomplishing goals and those worried by negative self-talk. Greg Maddux’s mantra is to “execute pitches”; Dorfman believes that pitchers should try to “control the strike zone” or “attack the hitter” because those who fret that “they don’t have good stuff” are doomed to be hit hard.

Likewise, Sam Mitchell has been instrumental in helping this younger team come together and reach their potential. Mitchell has modeled how to remain positive and self-evaluate correctly and the team has benefited from his perspective. Coaching in the Association is exceptionally difficult, as Bob Hill demonstrated when he got a pink slip as Mitchell was getting the Red Auerbach Award.

There is room for improvement throughout the organization and it’s possible that the best path through the yellow wood is the one that Sam Mitchell is traveling. Also, props to my 2007 Championship pick, the Phoenix Suns, for not repeating last year’s mistakes and running the Los Angeles Lakers off the court during the first two games of their first-round series.

Basketball Is My Life

Reading books by Red Holzman or Bob Cousy describe playground basketball before World War II and the early days of the Association with enough detail to provide one with an excellent appreciation of the game’s history.

Basketball Is My Life: Quaintly narrated in a conversational tone, Bob Cousy’s first literary effort was written after the Boston Celtics’ first Association title in 1957. The book lacks meaningful insight into basketball but the key theme is work ethic: in basketball, business, or life. Obviously, Cousy devoted significant time to the sport but basketball is not his life. Nevertheless, given the obstacles that he faced, his drive was as critical to his success as his skill.

Cousy - one of the greatest ballhandlers of all-time - struggled to make his high school team because of his size and experienced difficulties catching on with a professional team after his career at Holy Cross. Boston passed on Cousy in the draft and Tri-Cities traded him to Chicago which folded, allowing the Celtics to draw his name out of a hat in a dispersal draft.

He also experienced a number of failures in the business world before starting a successful sports camp. One chapter describes the trials and tribulations faced by the nascent N.B.A. Players’ Association -- initially the idea was opposed by both players and owners. Without the efforts of Cousy and his contemporaries, today’s players would not have the salaries and lifestyle that they do.

The Loud Last Roar: Cousy recounts his final game, Game 6 of the 1963 Association Finals vs. Los Angeles. The text is somewhat dated and not as memorable as his first book. The point guard makes several astute points about the importance of reading the defence and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of teammates.

After winning the championship in his final game, Cousy would coach at Boston College for six years successfully and would later coach the Cincinnati Royals franchise with inauspicious results, although he did originate a number of strategic tactics that are now commonplace, for example using timeouts to save possessions.

La Dolce Vita

I’ve been told that you need to watch the adjacent Fellini films - The Nights of Cabiria and 8½ - to truly appreciate it, but I didn’t have a problem with the loose narrative of La Dolce Vita. In fact, the plot, seemingly unconnected at times, is essential to the themes that Fellini wishes to address.

“Rome: a tranquil jungle where you can hide.”
- Marcello Rubini

Uttered by at the opening of the film by Marcello, a tabloid journalist, these words endeavour to explain the motivation of the protagonist Marcello and the director Frederico Fellini throughout La Dolce Vita.

Marcello wanders from one distinct event to another, seeking a purpose for himself in life. In the end, he discovers that despite his attempts to find love, religion, or family, he is still alone, unable to connect with anyone in a meaningful manner. Trite sexual encounters, flamboyant parties, and a pretentious circle of friends and acquaintances seem to illustrate success on the surface but he is empty inside.

Disparate adventures explore the definition of beauty and the meaning of life. Marcello maintains his casual attitude when meeting his father despite knowing that he is falling short in life.

“I should change my environment; I should change a lot of things.”
- Marcello Rubini

Juxtapositions abound throughout the film, as in life. Chaos follows peace and quiet, love succeeds hate and vice-versa. The real world that Marcello struggles to navigate is replete with voyeurism and scandal; what caused controversy during the 1960 release is now commonplace.

Encounters are marred by miscommunication or a total lack of communication. The characters may interact often but they rarely understand each other.

Religion is often rejected in favour of the material world. Marcello and his friend are following the delivery of a sculpture to the Vatican yet stop in order to try to pick up some women sun-bathing on a rooftop. Leaving a party at dawn, the group encounters a procession heading to mass.

What can be learnt from a prescient black and white film? It’s difficult to find oneself and what passes for self-actualization for one person may be entirely unfulfilling for another.

La Dolce Vita was certainly worth the rental price and late fees. Considering I paid twenty-five dollars to watch an appalling display of basketball by the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks, Bay Street Video provides exceptional value.

Performance under Presure, Part II

Congratulations to the Raptors and their Association playoff berth. After Andrea Bargnani’s appendicitis, Jorge Garbajosa’s broken leg, and an underwhelming performance versus Kevin Durant’s next team, the Boston Celtics, Toronto regrouped and won the next two games, clinching a playoff berth. Many players shouldered the load and the team executed well under the pressure caused by the recent adversity.

Michael Ruffin, on the other hand, did not execute well under pressure. On Friday, Washington was leading by three points with seconds remaining. After Ruffin intercepted a sixty-foot pass by Anthony Parker, he simply needed to dribble out the clock and wait to be fouled. However, Ruffin tossed the ball into the air, directly to Morris Peterson, who made the game-tying shot at the buzzer.

Clearly, neither Ruffin nor the Wizards visualized the situation ahead of time in order to mentally prepare themselves. Peterson had prepared himself, practicing half-court and other trick shots at the end of practice each day (skills that can help win both H.O.R.S.E. and real games). As a coach, Eddie Jordan could have also done a better job of envisaging his substitutions for the end-of-game situation and communicating instructions to the Washington players.

Nevertheless, it is always a pleasure to watch athletes execute well under pressure. A similar - but more light-hearted - example would be the performances of WWE superstars at last night’s Wrestlemania. For the most part, the wrestlers laid out well-conceived matches and performed to their athletic potential. Ideas like mental training, planning, and visualization apply to all sorts of performances.

Go Up for Glory

Go Up for Glory - Bill Russell’s precursor to Second Wind (a frank and honest account of sport and life that I thoroughly enjoyed) and Russell Rules (a seemingly clichéd book about leadership that I hope to avoid as long as possible) - is a fascinating account of his youth and career with Red Auerbach’s Boston Celtics.

One particularly remarkable theme is the idea of an incredibly thin line between success and failure: choosing a collegiate scholarship instead of a job in a shipping year because of a chance encounter with a scout, focusing on the game of basketball skills instead of juvenile delinquency because a coach made Russell the sixteenth member or his fifteen player team.

This theme is exemplified by Russell’s account of the 1965 Eastern Conference Final seventh game. Leading Wilt Chamberlain’s 76ers 110-109, Russell simply needed to inbound the ball for the Celtics to run out the clock and win. However, the inbounds pass deflected off of one of the support wires connecting the basket to the ceiling of the Boston Garden and Philadelphia was awarded possession.

Russell fronted Chamberlain in the post, forcing Hal Greer to chose another target. John Havlicek rotated down and stole the inbounds pass, guaranteeing the Celtics a trip to the Association finals. Boston had gone for a comfortable position, to dire straits, back to victory in a matter of moments, all based on one or two inches.

Another popular concept with Russell is the desire to win. Russell has won two N.C.A.A. championships, eleven Association titles, and an Olympic Gold Medal. Everything that Russell, Auerbach or the rest of the Celtics did was designed to help win another title. Despite their serious goals, there was also a sense of humour in the Celtics’ locker room and this helped relieved the tension of a long season immensely.

Obviously, Auerbach also possessed a phenomenal ability to motivate the team with his intensity and his basketball knowledge enable him to able to meld a diverse group of players into a solid unit. Since every player accepted their role and stayed within it, the 1956-69 Boston Celtics were the definition of a successful team.

Exogenous Events

Like all the exogenous events inspire the price of crude to surge, bandits raiding a village and seizing the barley crop should drive the cost of the commodity to new highs. Amid the death and destruction, farmers face financial ruin and decide to take action by hiring a number of samurai to protect them. Showcasing innovative cinematography and a tremendous score, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai illustrates the significance of trust and teamwork and the importance of brains over brawn.

Initially, tensions prevent the ronin and the town’s residents from working together well. Nobody wishes to risk their life to save others. Only when barriers between the villagers and the samurai and the warriors and the farmers dissolve can an effective team take shape. Throughout the film, the village is successful when working together but fails when individuals deviate from the plan.

Mike Krzyzewski wrote - as have many others in many books of dubious quality - that like a hand only becomes stronger when five fingers make a fist, a team must come together to succeed. Yet ultimately, the threat of the invaders is required to inspire everyone to unite.

“Once more, we survive.”
- Kambei Shimada

Neither the strongest or fastest, Shimada’s poise allows him to lead the other samurai and villagers. Throughout the film, he balances pragmatism with honour and humility. All of the samurai offer different skills and the diverse contributions are required to overcome the marauders’ superior numbers.

At first, the film portrays the struggle as a battle between good villagers and evil villains. As the samurai learn more about the struggle, they discover that the townspeople are not what they seem, guilty of war crimes yet sacrificing their own food to ensure that the guests are well-fed. Again, people are painted not in black and white but shades of grey.

The film’s characters mirror human characteristics: youth, impulsiveness, rage, wisdom. Ultimately, cunning and experience triumph but not without struggle. Kurosawa's climax illustrates the intensity of battle and the mastery of fear needed for victory.

As the film concludes, it is time to reseed the barley fields. Despite their success, the village must make a new start. Despite the accolades won, Shimada and the surviving ronin must accept that the victory does not belong to them and they must deal with the costs of the fighting.

Minimalism

I was coaching a team that won a league title on Sunday and I didn’t do anything. The credit - as usual - belongs to the team and I was fortunate to coach a team where all the players contributed. Aside from getting one of the referee’s attention and touching my shoulders once midway through the first half, I made sure that I stayed out of my team’s way.

Screens permitted ballhandlers to get to the key, traps and pressure forced turnovers, and the team won the rebounding battle. In the previous round, the team had started slowly and needed to make up a thirteen point deficit in the second half. In comparison, maintaining a double-digit lead for most of the game was almost relaxing.

I regret not distributing the playing time more evenly. That was an egregious oversight that I will not have a chance to rectify. I think that everyone played at least eight minutes and nobody more than thirty-two but I relied heavily on the starting five. Personally, knowing that I could have done better puts a damper on the occasion.

When asked why he left his starters in the game during the 1998-99 season, Mike D’Antoni said that he’d “rather be the a------ who won by a lot than the idiot who blew the game.” Fair or not, that accurately describes a reality of coaching. Having erased the opponent’s large lead during the semi-finals, I was sensitive to the chance of a comeback and wanted to win. Consequently, I will be apologizing later this week to a number of players.

That Championship Season

Myriad films have employed basketball as a plot device (Hoosiers), a Sisyphean obstacle for the protagonist (Hoop Dreams), and an outlet for a character’s creativity (Finding Forrester); That Championship Season utilizes the sport as a symbol of what has been lost.

Four high school teammates reunite with their coach twenty-four years after their state championship triumph. During the intervening years, they have married, pursued their careers, and gone their separate ways.

“We lost something boys.”
- Coach Delaney

Subtle changes were made to the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same title. For example, the play emphasizes how compromising their personal values in the pursuit of winning is largely responsible for the characters’ dysfunction but this is only introduced late in the film. On the stage, greater blame is laid on the actions of Coach Delaney but he appears to be the glue that keeps everything together on screen.

The key theme is unchanged: glory fades but the people remain. The former teammates can recreate the last-second play that won the final game but interactions off the court later than evening illustrate how they are no longer a team. The Fillmore H.S. team was successful because it accomplished goals that they players could not have reached independently.

As adults, lacking the focus provided by participating in something significant, the players have hurt themselves and each other. The players’ names may be engraved on a silver trophy but a high school title that they won when they were teenagers cannot carry them through life.

That Championship Season illustrates the affect a coach can have on a player. The final member of the starting five hasn’t been seen in a quarter century because of resentment over the methods used to achieve victory. While extreme representations were necessary to keep the play and film dramatic, coaches should still be mindful of their influence, even on a smaller scale.

“Never accept anything less than success. It’s a philosophy.”
- Coach Delaney

Tex Winter said that one is only a success at the moment they are performing a successful act. Afterwards, it’s time to more on to the next target. Only after Coach Delaney brings the players together again and inspires them to work on George’s mayoral campaign are they able to put aside their differences, move forward with their lives, and become a team again.

Sport in Canada, Part II

Last week, addressing some of the obstacles that Canada faces in its quest to Own the Podium, I ignore a critical consideration: the separation of sports funding by provincial boundaries. Canada manages National Sports Organizations and the Canadian Olympic Committee but ten provinces and three territories control various Provincial Sports Organizations - and far more money - according to vastly different standards.

Certainly, thirteen diverse recipes produce thirteen different outcomes, some more successful than others. For example, the Government of Quebec links sport to the health and fitness of the overall population and spends about $7.40 per capita on sport, four times the amount spent by Ontario, Canada's largest province.

Kouzes and Posner's Five Leadership Practices illustrates how Quebec employs logical ideas and methods to get the most out of their money, generating winning athletes and healthy citizens.

1. Modeling the way
   Quebec's Minister of Education, Recreation, and Sport sees achievements by the province's athletes as a way to demonstrate that "fitness is fun"
   Should Canada choose to follow Quebec's example, international results would improve. Quebecois athletes have access to resources similar to peers in other countries; athletes in other provinces do not.
   
2. Inspiring a shared vision
   Quebec has become a leader among Canada's aquatics and speed skating communities as a result of its top facilities and podium finishes at international competition.
   
3. Challenge the process
   Quebec has made a commitment to building international-level facilities throughout the province, inspiring potential athletes to move to Quebec to train and allowing the province to host more sporting events.
   The province incorporates ideas from various sports into training for all athletes, for example using dance to improve flexibility.
   
4. Enabling others to act
   Investment in coaches and facilities provides athletes with the resources needed to win.
   
5. Encouraging the heart
   Many Quebec athletes were motivated by the success of their predecessors. The province endeavours to create a culture of sport and health.

There are more details to Quebec's accomplishments but these key points, gleaned from a TSN report during their Canada Games coverage, exemplify that sport in Canada has a long way to go to match world standards but that money, hard work, and focus can make success possible in all sports.

Skiing and Sport in Canada

Saturday’s World Cup downhill gold medal win by Erik Guay in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a tremendously promising Canadian sporting achievement. Guay’s triumph is full of potential but should not be mistaken as a sign that Canadian sport is positioned to repeat these results consistently.

By stringing together three podium finishes in 2007, Guay has proven that he possess the physical and mental abilities to contend at the international level. Coaches who have mentored him, sponsors who have supported him, and skiing clubs and sport organizations such as Alpine Canada who have allowed him to compete all share credit for the victory. Guay’s recent success demonstrates that Canadians can challenge the Europeans who have traditionally dominated the sport. The next step is winning on the biggest stages: the Olympics and the world championships.

What can Erik Guay do to perform at the best of his abilities over the course of several years? He can continue to condition his mind and body by training (indoors and on the slopes), eating properly, and making use of the sport science resources in Canada.

What can Alpine Canada do to assist Guay? They can furnish the national ski team with the best equipment, provide athletes with financial means so they can devote their full attention to training, and invest in the latest sport science resources and high performance coaching.

Furthermore, Alpine Canada and develop the next generation of Crazy Canucks. Doing this requires the backing of the federal government and the belief of the Canadian people in the value of sport and exercise. This is Canada’s biggest alpine triumph since Kerrin Lee-Gardner’s Olympic gold medal in Albertville and it is a definite starting point.

To climb the international ladder, athletes must seek the competitive fire within themselves. But once they find that drive, sport organizations should help them along the way. This is not the case in Canada, on the slopes or elsewhere.

One anecdote that illustrates the lack of support that athletes receive is the career of Myriam Bédard. She won a biathalon bronze medal in 1992 but she did not want to forfeit her endorsements to Biathalon Canada so the organization suspended Bédard from the national team. Training independently, Bédard won two gold medals in the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. Instead of scorning a top athlete, Biathalon Canada should have fully supported Bédard so she could have modelled the way for others.

In order to improve performance and inspire the average citizen to take up sport, the Canadian government needs to make significant commitments over several years. Multiple sports need provincial and national leagues. Coaching development must be brought up to standard. Sport science lags behind the rest of the world. Currently, token gestures are made and when athletic performance falls short at a major competition, the public is concerned for a month before returning to their three and a half year habit of ignoring sport.

Without changing the culture, Canadian sport will remain barren - highlighted by occasional oases like Erik Guay or Steve Nash - but otherwise barren.

Performance under Pressure, Part I

During Superbowl XLI, Rex Grossman performed poorly, throwing two interceptions and barely moving Chicago's offence. According to the media, Grossman was one of the worst Superbowl quarterbacks ever - and possibly one of the worst to play that position in the history of the league.

How bad was he?

Breaking down the reasons for Grossman's inauspicious performance generates a generic list: physical skill, knowledge of the game, composure under pressure, etc.. Like other major sporting events, performance under pressure on demand trumps all. During his career at Florida, Grossman demonstrated excellent physical tools at an elite collegiate program. He must still possess those qualities; otherwise Brian Griese would have been taking snaps for the Bears.

Early in the regular season, Grossman's agent attests to his tremendous confidence. Watching his body language in the Superbowl, it was obvious something had changed. Grossman had a QB Rating over 100 in September but only 73.2 in the postseason. Throughout the game, he made a number of decisions that were less than astute.

Why?

Ultimately, Rex Grossman is responsible for his performance. Obviously, he was an average or below average quarterback who strung together a series of poor games at the end of the season.

What can coaches do to prevent players from breaking down?

The media is so pervasive at the professional level it is uncertain whether any efforts could have constructed a positive environment for Rex Grossman but this is step one.

My friend Sherwyn Benn remarked that the strength of Carleton's four consecutive National Championships is that the teams play the same at the beginning of the game as they do in the conclusion. Experience in close games is critical because it enables players to realize that it is only sport and the worst case scenario is never that bad. Decisions and actions become habits and routines.

Use accurate measures of evaluations. Eventually, Grossman matched the public perception of his abilities. Statistics such as win-shares, value over replacement, and other numbers give players an accurate picture of their skills that they can live up to on the playing field.