The Friction Project by Sutton and Rao addresses friction and its impact on organizations. Friction (barriers, obstacles, red tape) can be good or bad. Invariably, "task orientation" conflicts with "relationship orientation." Ideally both converge with a better product and experience.
Let's address solutions first:
1. Be an elephant, with big ears and a smaller mouth, instead of a hippo. Listen more and speak less.
2. Subtract. Find what we can eliminate as in excessive meetings, useless emails, and blame-focused evaluations.
3. Prioritize the player experience. How can we improve?
4. Combat perfectionism. Chase excellence above perfection.
5. Negotiate. Ask for resources and collaboration where needed.
Where can friction be helpful? Imagine that we had unlimited practice time. Would we feel pressured to be efficient? And what about the impact on the players' families and on their studies? Sports can rob Pietra and pay Paola. Coaching requires 'order and discipline', along with fun.
The high cost of youth sports - participation fees, club teams, travel, strength and conditioning, medical costs - all are friction.
In medicine, making opioid prescription more difficult reduced opioid prescriptions and attendant toxicity and addiction. Making access to weight loss drugs harder created a lot of friction for "providers" and dissatisfaction for patients.
Think of examples of friction in your athletic career. Half of our high school burned down in 1971 from arson. We went on 'double sessions' upperclassmen 7-12 and underclassmen 12-5. Basketball practice moved to the evenings. Afternoon playoff games excluded an underclassman whom administrators refused to release from class.
As a sophomore (before the fire), varsity baseball selection beckoned...but not playing time. After a few games, I thanked the coach for picking me and asked for JV "demotion" where I could play, gaining experience for the future. That worked out.
Friction can appear as time, resources (courts and equipment), and the usual issues of playing time, roles, and recognition.
Recognizing and working to limit fraction is both challenging and rewarding.
Lagniappe. AI consultation re: The Friction Project from ChatGPT...
In The Friction Project, Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao examine how friction—anything that makes work harder than it needs to be—can either hinder or help performance, depending on the context. In high school sports, friction can have both positive and negative effects, shaping team culture, performance, and growth. Here are five examples of each:
1. Friction: Strict Coaching Standards
Positive: Clear expectations and accountability build discipline, structure, and long-term success.
Negative: Overbearing or rigid coaching may stifle creativity, erode morale, or lead to burnout.
2. Friction: Competing Priorities (Academics vs. Athletics)
Positive: Balancing school and sports teaches time management and resilience.
Negative: Constant juggling can lead to stress, reduced focus, or dropout from either domain.
3. Friction: Team Conflicts or Role Disputes
Positive: When managed well, conflict fosters communication, clarifies roles, and strengthens cohesion.
Negative: Poorly handled conflict fractures team chemistry and undermines trust.
4. Friction: Physical and Mental Demands of Training
Positive: Adversity builds toughness, self-efficacy, and identity as an athlete.
Negative: Excessive demands may cause injury, fatigue, or disillusionment.
5. Friction: Administrative Bureaucracy (eligibility rules, scheduling)
Positive: Structure ensures fairness, safety, and proper oversight.
Negative: Excess red tape slows progress, causes frustration, or leads to missed opportunities.
Conclusion: In high school sports, some friction sharpens athletes and programs, while other friction grinds them down. Leaders must learn to reduce bad friction (pointless barriers) and amplify good friction (discipline, effort, challenge with purpose).
Lagniappe 2. Freeball drill.
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