What Is the Essence? Distill Long Lists into Your Core Values

Kirby Smart doesn’t talk about winning - he talks about his non-negotiables.

A masterclass on standards, toughness, and relentless effort.

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— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) October 8, 2025

There's a lot to digest here. Too much. 

One of Jocko Willink's SEAL Team members told the team leader that he could only remember three things. Don't memorize long lists. Commit to simplicity and execution. 

Keep it simple. Simplicity wins. Before Melrose won States, coaches said that Melrose's simplicity could be limiting. Ball control with excellent passing is the core competence. 

Take care of the details. Attention to detail separates excellence from something less. Defense leads to offense. Be consistent and aggressive. 

Compete. Be relentless. Be mentally tough. Communicate. Bring energy and energize your teammates. 

Lagniappe. "Keeping score will wear you out, and you'll wear out everyone in your circle of friends." - Clint Hurdle in "Hurdle-Isms"

Don't keep score of compliments, criticism, and recognition. There's no value in "Mom always like you best." What you will remember most years from now is the shared experiences with your teammates. 

Lagniappe. "I ask myself if I am putting myself in a good position to succeed: Did I eliminate distractions? Did I prepare? Did I practice? Did I produce? Did I honestly self‐evaluate my performance and see where there was room for improvement? Did I see the challenge correctly? Did I do my research before I shared my response? Did I reach out to others that might have gone through this situation to share their experiences?" - Clint Hurdle in "Hurdle-isms"