Thursday, November 23, 2023

A Half Dozen Picks and Shovels

Amazing arrays of tools exist in life and in sports. The 'pick and shovel' analogy arises in part from the gold mining fervor of the 19th century. If you wanted to sell to miners coming to California, you might sell picks and shovels, essential commodities. But you might also sell jeans, eggs, or other consumables.

Twice NBA champion coach Chuck Daly preached, "I'm a salesman." Why? Coaches and teachers 'sell' knowledge, a system and philosophy of game play, and their ability to add value through 1) player and team development and 2) success. 

What are your 'picks and shovels'? 

1. Belief. If you do the right things, the right way, at the right time, the results take care of themselves. You can only be as good as you believe you are. 

2. Structure. Construct the four-legged stool of skill, strategy, physical and psychological development of Dr. Fergus Connolly. 

3. Player development. "Every day is player development day." Coaches teach how to perform skills but 'repetitions make reputations'. Have a daily improvement plan.

4. Hard work. "The harder you work, the luckier you get." 

5. Habit formation. "How you do anything is how you do everything." Pick your habit, stick with it daily, and check that you do it well and hard. "Don't miss twice." 

6. Inspiration. Stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. For younger players, your 'models' are Elena, Gia, and Sadie. They watched others when they were little girls. 

Lagniappe. “How you play when things aren’t going your way really defines you as a player.” - Steve Kerr 


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