I posted this in the spring of 2015. The group you will read about won two championships three seasons later. It's one of the most important experiences I've ever had. And I needed every lesson I learned when I took over a struggling program at a different school a few years later. The lessons below were also key in my leadership of others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last season, I led a varsity basketball team that went 3-23. Pause and let that sink in. My boys and I lost 23 out of 26 games in one season. I knew at the end of the season that I would write this. I did not know exactly what I would write, but I knew I had learned some things I wanted to share. In many ways, 3-23 was traumatic, and that struggle was good.
An important point is that we were very young (7 of my top 8 players were 9th or 10th graders), and I was blessed with one senior who had the intestinal fortitude to lead us through every 12th-grade student-athlete's worst nightmare. He’s 3-0 in his collegiate basketball career so far, and I hope he never loses after what he led us through last season. I won’t bore you with a stereotypical defense of my accomplishments to try and convince you I’m a good coach, either. Suffice it to say that if you’re serious about coaching and stick with it long enough, you’ll compile a list of some achievements and successes. It’s almost inevitable. Bottom line: it was the worst record in the 40+ year history of our basketball program. My name is next to 3-23.
What took place last season was much more important to my coaching career than wins, championships, or coach of the year awards. What took place last year was so important that I wanted to share it. The most talented coaches, teachers, and leaders could evaluate themselves according to what I learned from this experience. I want to share what matters in leadership when a group struggles. My coaches and I planned meticulous practices; it didn’t matter. We scouted opponents; it didn’t matter. We lifted weights twice per week. It didn’t matter. We watched film before and after every game, it didn’t matter. We played in a summer league; it didn’t matter. We went to team camp, it didn’t matter. We did EVERYTHING to try to win games, and none of it mattered. We still lost 23 of 26 games. And yet, my players, coaches, and I had a first-class, second-to-none high school basketball experience. We didn’t survive 3-23; we thrived in 3-23.
We focused on doing what serious programs do to be competitive. If my coaches or I had stopped doing anything I said didn’t matter in the previous paragraph, it would have mattered! Progress in any area of life depends on doing the right things the right way during those ‘what does it matter?’ moments. The players' response to the leaders depends on how committed the leaders are in their process. The struggle to get results doesn’t give permission to abandon doing things the right way.
We often focused on the words ‘believe’ and ‘yet’! I read in one of Mike Krzyzewski’s books that he thinks the most important thing a coach can tell his players is that he believes in them. That advice, which I have taken to heart for years now, is easy to follow when there is obvious evidence. What if there was no evidence? You have to find some! We redefined goals and worked to find the smallest shred of information to prove that progress was taking place. And when we couldn’t find any evidence of progress, we used the word ‘yet’ and returned to work. 'Believe’ and ‘yet’ are critical mindsets if you plan on leading through the struggle.
We focused on the failures of previously successful groups. I told story after story of how bad our previous teams were before they became good (there were quite a few of those ‘good’ teams, which made this particular season extra difficult). I told stories of major mistakes that the 1000-point scorers on the banner in our gym had made. I talked about Michael Jordan’s failures against the Detroit Pistons (I hated the Bad Boys). My players wanted success and were working for success, but stories of the failure required for success kept them coming back daily. The stories kept me coming back, too, and I was the one telling them! Struggle makes sense when reminded that it can be leveraged for success.
We focused on the thematic purpose of our season. I’ll admit that I saw this brutal experience coming. I knew a great struggle was ahead, and we developed a theme during the summer program that would carry us. My father defines determination as ‘Biting off more than you can chew. And chewing it.’ I felt that definition was great for our group, and off of it, we developed the seasonal theme of ‘chew it up’. I wove it into team huddles, meetings, social media posts, and an awards system. It was a powerful leadership lesson in the importance of mission-based vision casting. It gave us our equilibrium all year long. Struggling is inspiring when placed in the context of purpose.
At the end of the season, a wiry, gritty, old high school basketball fan approached me. He had been tracking our season from afar and sympathetically told me, ‘Coach, winning 20 games is hard. Losing 20 games is harder. You have one of the few programs I know that could lose 20 games well’. I have coached long enough to know that is the most authentic compliment my players, coaches, and I will ever receive. At that moment, an interesting feeling settled on me. I learned my final lesson about the struggle for that season: Struggling successfully develops confidence that any experience can be deeply satisfying.
It was a year unlike any other I have been through as a leader. I got some things wrong, and I got some things right. I am intensely proud of those players and coaches. I am glad it is over. I am also glad it happened.
Bite Down and Don’t Let Go is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here. You can listen to the Bite Down and Don't Let Go podcast here!
Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart, and they have three children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for inspirational thoughts and good laughs.
Comments
Post a Comment