Little Things

Despite what some may say, little things are important both in basketball and in life.  The problem with little things is that they can add up to big things.  Take rebounding for example.  If you don't rebound the ball you can't score and the other team can.  That means you lose the game.  There is not one coach I know that would tell you rebounding is not important.  Yes its only one small aspect of the game but it is important.  However, I am talking about even smaller little things.

At the beginning of the season I told the girls that their attitudes and their treatment of their opponent is very important to me.  One thing I want them to get in the habit of doing is helping their opponent up when they are on the floor.  I know it seems like a minor things but it is important to me because it is a sign of respect and I want them to ALWAYS respect their opponent.  I also watch their attitudes closely both in practice and games (when we get to start them).  Attitude can tell you so much about a person and what they are thinking and doing and also thinking of doing.  I don't want a girl on the floor who is not in the correct frame of mind to play.  There are little signs everyone give off whether they know if or not about their attitudes.  I do my best to learn these early in the season and use them to me advantage all season.  If I feel a player is not the the correct state of mind to be on the floor, she will come out.

Take for example when a player gets angry at their opponent,  that is an easy one to spot.  If a player becomes angry at their opponent, they tend to not play well because they are more worried about what made them angry and possibly getting back at their opponent.  I for sure don't want it to come to that.  So I take them out and don't let them go back in until I am sure they are calm and the anger is gone.

As a Coach not only do the little things matter in my players, they matter in ME!  The little things I do make a huge difference in my players or at least I hope they do. Little things like writing personal notes of encouragement to them or praying for them by name on a regular basis whether they know if or not.  Encouraging them instead of talking down to them when they make a mistake and definitely never saying anything derogatory or using curse words as so many coaches use.  They way I carry myself on and off the floor makes a huge difference.  I want to make sure they my actions and my words match even in the little things.  Not getting angry myself when things don't go my way but instead trying to find the good in the situation and building on it.

So do the little things matter??  You bet they do!!  Why do they matter??  If the little things don't matter then the big things mean NOTHING!!!