I'll buy that

Why do coaches always talk to their teams about buying in?  And, why do players have such a hard time actually doing it?

We all have a notion of what buying in means.  It is giving your self to your coach and teammates.  Buying in to a team is the epitome of selflessness.  In order for it to work, all the members of a team need to do it.  One under-miner and the whole thing falls apart.  Think of a team as a chain on a bike.  When intact, the bike functions perfectly and propulsion is the result.  If one link in that chain fails, or in this case when players choose themselves over the team, the bike goes nowhere.  It remains in place, no propulsion, no progress, and no wins.

So, if we all understand and truly believe this "buying in" cliche to be true, why is it so hard for young men and women to actually buy in?  That is simple. Our sports culture is built on the star.  They are given hero status, idolized for their individual ability.  Rarely do we hold the team player, the bought in, on high.  Young men and women are raised on this reality.  They want to be the star; we all want to be the star.  Driveway fantasies never involve the team player, they always result in the star, you, making the game winning shot.  Has anyone ever been selfless enough to fantasize about taking a charge or setting a screen in their driveway?  Nope.  That doesn't exist.  We are all selfish to a degree.  We all want to be the star.

The single most important thing to overcome is the selfishness we are all taught.  Coaches have known that their chief enemy is the selfish player forever.  If the enemy is known, why then can't all coaches get their teams to buy in?  A known enemy should be easy to defeat.  Selfishness is a different kind of enemy though.  It cannot be scouted.  It can never be eliminated.  It is omnipresent.  How do you get ahead of it as a coach?  The elixir lies in communication.  Simple communication.  Repeated communication.  "We are going to be three things: tough, incessant and honest".  Simplification of the message.  Give players something they can understand.  Give them simple and clear instruction as to why your practice plan and the drills within it are important.  Explain to them what each drill is building for today, and why the skills learned will be necessary  for tomorrow.

You must foster the buy in with your team.  Take the names off of the shooting shirts.  Take the names out of the program.  Value and reward buying in.  That means valuing and rewarding what you are teaching in practice.  Don't value stats, unless stats are what you preach.  If you preach effort, value and reward effort.  You really want players to buy in?  Foster it.  Reward what is in your plan.  Stick to your plan.  Train the way your players think about the game.  Change what they think is worthy of reward.  Make all rewards and repercussions team based.  And, always use "we" and "us", and make them do the same. 

Players, buying in will eventually fall onto you.  Each of you have a chance to aide or derail your coach.  You have all the power.  Concern yourself with yourself and you all lose.  Buy in and everybody wins.  Winning is remembered.  Box scores end up on refrigerators, at your moms house.  Wins never fade.  There is no ink to fade.  Wins remain in the memories of you and your teammates.  They are forever.

Do me, and your coach, a favor and stop talking shop with your friends and family.  Unless of course you want to talk about the values outlined in your coaches plan.  When someone says, "why didn't you play more?"  You say, "we played, we won, and it sure is fun to win."  Never let your friends and family put doubt in your individual buy in.  Shoot, get your friends and family to buy in too.  It takes a great teammate to fully buy in.  Hang your hat on that.  Tell your friends and family about other team members that have fully bought in.  Make it about the collective "we" and never about "me".

Buying in has become cliched.  And sports cliches have become taboo.  Cliches though, are often sound in message and meaning.  That is why they have been replicated so often and why they continue to be used.  Buying in is a cliche that ought to be continued.  It's merely been misused, and often attempted and failed.  Keep trying.  It's worth it.  Selfless, team first players and honest, "we" based coaches win, and win, and win.  So, winning is directly tied to buying in?  I'll buy that. 

Promote and Preserve

Every program should use social media to it's advantage.  To forbid is to admit failure in education.

Being the leader of a basketball program today requires a policy regarding social media.  In my opinion, simply forbidding social media is not a policy at all.  It shows a lack of trust in player and a lack of trust in one's own leadership/educational abilities.

If I were to write a team social media policy, here is how it would read:

1. Social media is a part of our lives.  We will, as a program, embrace the positives it can provide and educate against the negatives. 

2. Require the following simple social media rules for players:
a. During the season, you make your avatar something related to the team.
b. When tweeting/posting about the team, or a game, or a practice, I would request a simple, team chosen hash tag be used.  I always liked #C4L or #WEgo.  I really like Coach Cross's choice down at UT-Arlington, #CAWT or Championships Are Won Today.  Something along those lines.  I think that stuff is just cool and creates a fun vibe around your program.
c. While playing for a team supported by an educational institution, you are forbidden from publicly complaining about school on social media.  Nope, sorry, you cannot write "missing The Voice tonight to study for this stupid biology test tomorrow #FML" any more.  The team is inseparable from the institution.  Not to mention, it makes you look like a buffoon. 
d. Easy one: you will never publicly undermine a coach or player within our program or any other program. 
e. Avoid and/or limit swearing (notice a missing word? forbid).  I choose to use cuss words and see them as a part of our language.  Parents can forbid swearing if they want, or promote it for that matter.  Not my job.  That said, there is effective and excessive swearing.  Swearing for swearing sake is childish.  Refrain from that. 
f. Guys, keeps the girls off of your feeds.  Girls, keep the guys off of your feeds.  We all have been there.  Court on young ones, but do it privately.  No need for "My boyfriend/girlfriend is the best"; because, what is the alternative, "my boyfriend/girlfriend sucks"? Say it to them, not us.  

3. Always remember the rule of the "every last follower" or "every last friend" before hitting send.  Every one gets to see everything. 

4. Be mindful about what you re-tweet or like.  You instantly attach yourself to whatever it is that you are re-tweeting or liking.  

5. Create a team wide reward/reprimand social media system.  One idea would be:
Every week without an infraction, you add a pizza to the end of the year party.  Or for you high rolling college programs, add a shoe (or pair of shoes) for every good week.  Then for every infraction you take away what ever they in turn earn for good weeks.  If the team pizza party only has 2 pizzas this year, you will know that you probably should have forbidden social media, and did a poor job of leadership.  The goal is to set a team based incentive program that will inspire them to self-police, and ultimately use this tool wisely.

6. Do use these tools for promotion.  Ask your players to follow/friend their school itself and other pertinent localities.  Social media can create, or enhance, the sense of community. 

7. Ask players to send one positive, team based message each day.  Challenge their creativity.  I think this one would be particularly fun to try.

Social media is an amazing tool and one that basketball programs should not ignore; and never forbid.  'Promote and Preserve'.  Promote your team, your school and your self.  Preserve your team's, your school's and your individual integrity.