Play with force.
Developing our four-legged stool (skill, strategy, physicality, psychology) gives a young athlete a chance to "play with force."
One of Coach Scott Celli's strengths is the ability to project players - figuratively to "see into the future." Former NFL Coach Bill Parcells had a saying, "If they don't bite when they're puppies, they won't bite when they're grown."
I asked Coach when he knew a former player would become a player. He answered, "Five minutes after I saw her."
Exceptional athletes don't "hide in plain sight." When we had basketball tryouts, we ran players through drills to get an idea of their athleticism and adaptability to the unfamiliar. Then we separated them into quartiles - top, middle two, and bottom.
For team selection, I focused on the middle group. The top and bottom six players quickly separate themselves. The challenge is finding the diamonds in the rough.
You may know the saying, "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane." Sometimes you find a player who "looks like Jane and plays like Tarzan."
And there's the unforgettable Payton Tolle quote, "Play like you're the third monkey trying to get on the ark and it's starting to rain."
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