As a supporter of Melrose volleyball, I have an interest in putting a 'thumb on the scale'.
The original meaning of "thumb on the scale" refers to cheating, attempting to take advantage, such as a butcher increasing weight artificially.
Over time, I think the idiom has moved toward 'influence' with less nefarious connotation.
In Mike Lombardi's book, Gridiron Genius, he discusses the difficulty of judging character of potential NFL draftees. He developed contacts within Southeastern Conference sororities to get the inside scoop on football players. What coaches might not say, the sorority sisters informed willingly. He put a thumb on the scale for the Patriots.
How might we put a thumb on the scale?
Sara Blakely built a five billion dollar company (Spanx) from scratch without ceding control or selling shares in the company by "obsessing the product." Liken your program to a business. Are you a "mom and pop" shop or a "blue blood?"
- Make it.
- Sell it.
- Build brand awareness.
Directly - build a better product. That's coaching, on court player development, and teaching 'theory' into practice (study the game).
Indirectly - increase awareness and influence. On Wall Street there's a saying that "price makes news." Sustainable competitive advantage requires more than a 'flash in the pan' good record attained against weak competition (cupcakes).
People remember "peak" and "end" experiences. A stellar regular season resume followed by one-and-done in the postseason leaves a bitter aftertaste for competitors. Awareness and influence happen when you build castles with moats.
*Use analogies (highlighted in green) to increase understanding.
Lagniappe. Passing tips -
- Cat feet (light feet, prep step)
- Small adjustments
- Work on footwork
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