Editor's note: This column is the first in an occasional series by Skeet Whitlow offering coaching insights and strategies.
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I recently was doing some work for a coach and team developing some suggestions for the upcoming season. The coach stated that he hoped that I was not going to recommend or suggest many changes from last year. My innate response is that "change is a great thing!"
Almost every day I am looking to get an edge by learning something new that will make me better as a basketball consultant and coach. I carry a notepad with me all the time as I might just hear or read something that improves my knowledge or skill level. I am proud to state that I am a lifelong learner.
Over the past year I have been meeting with Mike Dolan, a Canisius professor. We have been researching and working on an elite-level athletic seminar model with the focus on leadership, mental skills, mental toughness and the "grit" factor. I call Mike one of the godfathers of Western New York hoops. He is the patriarch of a well-known WNY hoops family. His wife Kristen is one of the top coaches in the area and one of his sons is Greg Dolan, who was the Western New York player of the year in 2017. All of his other children have been or soon will be All-WNY and most likely all will play in college -- two already do.
Mike is extremely knowledgeable and really understands the game of basketball. During our meetings we always gravitate to basketball, teams, coaches, programs, strategies and what is going on here in WNY, which is the market where we will pilot test our seminars. Simply put, I learn from Mike every meeting session; he changes my thought processes and I integrate what I learn into my knowledge base and I use it. Why? Because it makes sense and I am at least smart enough to realize this. In sum, Mike Dolan changes my thinking and that is a great thing!
Most high school coaches are on the threshold of planning for the start-up of their seasons. Let me suggest sitting with your coaching staff and conducting a very detailed assessment or what I call a "needs analysis" of all the data points and information you have from last season. Then, develop a "new action plan" for the upcoming season.
Together set realistic goals and then clarify these goals to all your players so they understand the direction you want to lead the team. Most importantly, develop a realistic strategic plan. Have you discussed or shared individual player role definitions for your players? Have you gone a step further by communicating the how you plan to get the team to transition towards its season end objectives?
Someone once said, "If you do not know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else." Old habits are sometimes hard to break and resistance to change is an inherit quality we get socialized to before we know it is going on.
Skeet Whitlow has a BA in Psychology from Barton College and did graduate work at Duke University. He is a Western New York resident who has been involved in basketball consulting and coaching at a variety of levels as well as working as an executive business professional and entrepreneur.
