Being an All-Around Good Guy as an Assistant Coach
All the other roundtables are about developing an aspect of your knowledge of the game.
This roundtable is about developing YOU!
I. Definitive Ideals – what is desired in an Assistant Coach
II. Successful Assistant Coaching Models
III. Building your craft: Elements of Knowledge and Mastery necessary to grow the game
IV. Failing forward, forging success, being “good”
I. DEFINITIVE IDEALS – What traits and characteristics are desired in and define a great assistant coach?:
John Wooden’s “desirable qualities or essentials for the assistant coach”:
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Optimism
Loyalty
Industriousness and Enthusiasm
An Understanding Spouse
Knowledge
Pleasant Personality
Punctuality
Neatness and Politeness
Ambition
Desire to Improve
An Example “No printed word, no oral plea, can teach our youth what they should be; nor all the books on all the shelves, it’s what the
teachers are themselves.”
Gene Bartow & Chuck Smith’s “keys to success” in coaching:
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Be knowledgeable
Develop a coaching philosophy
Pay attention to detail
Be prepared physically and mentally
Display a good and pleasing attitude in your coaching
Practice organization – make every minute count
Organize the game – be prepared
Bill Walsh’s “Qualities a Head Coach should look for in an Assistant Coach”
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A fundamental knowledge of the mechanics of his position
Ability to communicate
Ability to evaluate and project talent
A relatively high level of energy
Loyalty
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Polonius gives this advice to his son Laertes (who is in a hurry to find “greener grass” in Paris);
Polonius:
This above all: to thine own self be true, /And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
/ Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!
Polonius is telling Laertes to be TRUE: “Remember Who You Are And What You Stand For.” Being true to self is not an invitation for selfishness and it’s not a carte blanche
“anything goes” mentality. It is a commendation to integrity. Be loyal to your best interests – build character, faithfulness and honesty. FALSE: is acting in any way that is
disadvantageous or takes away from the core of being TRUE. Take care of the little things so you will be capable of taking care of the big things.
Verb qualities not Adjective qualities – Actions not Words.
Having all these qualifications and traits doesn’t mean anything unless it’s for the benefit of other people.
II. SUCCESSFUL ASSISTANT COACHING MODELS:
Who do you consider to be a successful assistant coach? Why? What are their characteristics?
What have they done to get where they are? Are there special circumstances or is it pluck and grit?
Good Advice: “Be Known for Something.”
What are you known for? What would your peers say you are known for?
What would an AD or Head Coach think you are known for when they look at your resume?
III. ELEMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE AND MASTERY NECESSARY TO GROW THE GAME
What do you know? What DON’T you know? What do you want to learn and where will you learn it?
What experiences and knowledge do you need in order to reach your goals? What’s missing on your “resume”?
How are you filling in the gaps of your resume? What are you doing to become an AAGGasanAC?
What is your team good at? What are you learning from your HC and the others members of your staff?
Where are you gaining additional knowledge and adding to your experience and background?
Conference members, games you watch on TV, opponents you scout, your men’s staff, regional teams.
Find good people that are interested in helping you. Talk to coaches – not just the big names. Talk to the HS
coaches where you recruit players, watch the NBA and the WNBA. Watch your men’s teams teach at camp.
Questions you need to answer to become an All-Around Good Guy as an Assistant Coach:
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What skills do you need to acquire or develop?
What is your coaching philosophy?
What motivates you as a coach?
Preparation – Malcom Gladwell’s 10,000 Hour Rule – Outliers vs. Meritocracy
You have to put the time in to become successful. Being Horatio Alger (rags to riches) v. being an Outlier.
IV. BUILDING YOUR CRAFT, FAILING FORWARD, FORGING SUCCESS, BEING “GOOD”
The Top Ten Reasons People Fail:
1. Poor people skills
2. A negative attitude
3. A bad fit (Trying to put a square peg in a round hole, or staying in the wrong job/field)
4. Lack of focus
5. A weak commitment
6. An unwillingness to change
7. A shortcut mind-set (cutting corners instead of taking the time to achieve something of value)
8. Relying on talent alone (Sans the work ethic, people skills, etc.)
9. Poor information gathering
10. An absence of goals
FAILING FORWARD
In essence, “failing forward” means to take risks and test new things, anticipating you may fail, but striving always to learn from that
failure and move ever forward.
Maxwell’s Seven Principles for Failing Forward
1. Reject Rejection - Achievers accept failure as part of the journey and do not let it affect their self-image. They persevere,
learning from mistakes and adjusting behavior to succeed “next time.”
2. Don't Point Fingers – Blaming others for failures leads to a victim mentality, and a culture where no one takes responsibility.
Failing forward means people accept setbacks. They say, “Okay, that didn’t work… what have we learned and what can
we change to make this work?”
3. See Failure as Temporary – It’s important to keep failures in perspective. See failure as a temporary situation, not an
inescapable quicksand. Quickly look for fixes, not wallow in despair.
4. Set Realistic Expectations – Perfection is an unrealistic goal and invites failure, along with all of the emotional fallout.
Determine reasonable goals, plan strategies to reach them, and measure for results. If you miss on the first try, adjust and
re-test.
5. Focus on Strengths – It seems obvious that playing to your strengths will lead to fewer failures. Know what you are best at, and
lead with those strong suits. But also strive to learn and become strong in areas where your agency is weaker.
6. Vary Approaches to Succeed – Finding what works is all about perseverance - it may take multiple tries to find the best
strategy, tactic or engagement vehicle but don’t give up until you find the best approach.
7. Bounce Back – Resilience is the best characteristic people can share. Develop a short memory for the negative emotions that
go with failures. Focus on the positive energy that accompanies success. Put the bad stuff behind you.
“Just Lin, Baby! 10 Lessons Jeremy Lin Can Teach Us Before We Go To Work Monday Morning”
by Eric Jackson -- Forbes.com 2/11/2012
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Believe in yourself when no one else does
Seize the opportunity when it comes up
Your family will always be there for you, so be there for them
Find the system that works for your style
Don’t overlook talent that might exist around you today on your team
People will love you for being an original, not trying to be someone else
Stay humble
When you make others around you look good, they will love you forever
Never forget about the importance of luck or fate in life
Work your butt off