Picks from the "Coaches Guide to Teaching"

Coaches are teachers first. We benefit from research and experience in information transfer. Here are some lightly annotated quotes from Doug Lemov's book, The Coaches Guide to Teaching. 

Leadership is a "we" business not a "me" business. Collaboration promotes survival. You know the African proverb, "it takes a village to raise a child." But there's a corollary, "a single child can destroy a village." 

This quote is literal not figurative. There is no "muscle memory." Repetitive action adds a reinforcing sheath, myelin, to nerves improving the speed and accuracy of nerve transmission. It's "myelin memory" not muscle memory. Experience helps your 'volleyball IQ' along with your nerve transmission. 

"Working memory" is limited so the more we "automate" processes like serving or blocking, the more we free up decision-making. "Repetitions make reputations." 

Seeking the ultimate competitive advantage. Shelve your phone on game day. "Not gonna happen." 

VDE means reliance on vision, decisions, and execution. Elite athletes "scan more" to see more opportunities. 

"Why are we doing this?" Block practice includes hitting or serving drills. Game-based activities include scrimmaging. Tactical activities include 'situational training'. 

Sports and teams have unique vocabulary which in theory gets everyone on the same page. A football play audible could include a variety of adjustments including blocking schemes, pass routes, and snap counts. Your lexicon could include hand signals, a clipboard with colors, or unique words. 

"Less is more." Everyone processes information differently. Some players have learning issues (dyslexia, ADD, etc.) that demand extra attention and feedback to help sustainable competitive advantage. 

I've heard, "any idiot with a whistle can coach" or "just a bunch of dumb jocks." Coaches and athletes acquire skills over decades. Many forms of intelligence exist. Coaches need intelligence across multiple domains. 

Lagniappe. You don't need a whole gym to work on your footwork. Work on passing footwork, blocking footwork, or attack footwork in your driveway, on your lawn, or in your house if you have an open area that's not slippery. "Don't tell me you can't; show me you will." 

Every great player was once a beginner. Hockey great Wayne Gretzky explained that one season he only scored ONE goal. "Of course, I was only six and all my teammates were eleven."