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Coaches often waste time solving surface-level problems. But surface issues are symptoms, not causes. If you want lasting change, you have to fix the root.
Below is one of my favorite quotes from Henry David Thoreau.
I’m not as smart as him, but the way I understand it is this:
You don’t need to be worrying about the branches. You need to be worrying about the root.
If you really want to get better, improve on a drastic level, and see better results…you must FIX THE ROOT.
It’s very easy as a coach to get hung up on the BRANCHES - little things that seem big - like missed shots, turnovers, effort, slow starts. These are very much visible symptoms, but not the actual disease.
It’s much more difficult to see through the branches and get down to the ROOT of the problem.
Here’s a simple (but not easy) process - Let’s say your team isn’t scoring.
That’s the branch. The root? Your spacing isn’t what it needs to be and your players don’t understand when to cut. Fix that—and the scoring improves.
Follow these steps:
Identify the root issue.
Focus on fixing the root issue.
When the issue is fixed, choose the next thing to focus on.
Some roots can be addressed quickly. Others will take months. Your wisdom as a coach lies in knowing which is which—and where your time gets the best return.
Let’s look at this with 3 different examples using OFFENSE, DEFENSE, and CULTURE:
OFFENSE
When you watch your team play, what is the ROOT issue you see when your offense is underperforming?
“Missing shots” is not a correct answer. “Not scoring” is not a correct answer. “Turning the ball over too much” isn’t even a correct answer.
You need to go DEEPER.
What…specifically…is causing missed shots?
What is causing you to turn the ball over?
Is it the wrong people taking the wrong shots?
Is it your spacing or alignment?
Is it something else within your offensive scheme?
Is it a skill development issue you need to fix? A teaching issue on your end?
THAT is the thing that you need to be focusing on (and your job) - finding solutions to fix the root cause/reason FOR those missed shots.
DEFENSE
The same things apply on the other side of the ball.
“We’re soft” or “we don’t play hard enough” or “teams get in the paint too much” could all be true statements…but they aren’t necessarily the root cause.
Examples of root causes might be: our team isn’t strong enough (develop a long-term weight training program with your team), we’re pushing up too early defensively when we aren’t athletic enough to stay in front (adjust accordingly), or the coaching staff is allowing players who don’t play hard to face no consequences (have conversations, sit players who don’t meet the culture, stay rewarding players who do play hard, etc.).
CULTURE
The list for potential root causes for culture issues is endless.
As a coach, always be asking “Why?”.
WHY are my players not showing up on time for practice?
WHY are my players not coming to summer workouts, skill development, and open gyms?
WHY do my players not seem open to being coached and criticized?
WHY are my players choosing baseball/football/soccer over hoops?
These will mostly be long-term fixes that you, as a coach, need to commit to. And each program/team is different.
Once you can identify the WHY behind the behaviors or actions that don’t fit your culture, you can start investigating the root issues and how to combat that going forward.
Focus on the root, not the branches…or you’ll just be putting out little fires your entire career instead of having long-lasting teams and programs that perform at a high level with consistency.
CTA: This week, take one issue your team is facing and ask yourself five “Why?” questions until you reach the root. Then get to work.
P.S. - Whenever you’re ready, there are a few ways I can help you as a coach!
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