The Los Angeles Lakers were a hot topic recently. We’ve already discussed the public display of players being good teammates in their locker room, but that wasn’t the only talking point to arise from within the organization last week. A great bit of advise for coaches incidentally came up when an image of the Lakers’ head coach, Darvin Ham, went went viral this past Thursday. He was holding up his clipboard during a timeout, and on it, he had written a clear message, “contest without fouling.” Even at the highest level of competition, keeping things simple can make all the difference.
Keeping things simple as a coach can help players relax when adversity strikes
Regardless of what sport you are coaching, it helps to keep your approach simple. Coaches can get very technical when working with high-level athletes, and at a certain point, that is necessary for athletes to continue their growth. Inversely, it always pays off to keep the lessons you teach in layman’s terms, no matter how technical the lesson may be. When moments of adversity arise in competition, it is always best for athletes to have a simple message or philosophy to back fall back on.
Darvin Ham taking a moment to tell a group of professionals to contest shots without fouling took some courage. His message in this moment could have been considered useless by his team, but he found himself in a position where he had no choice but to keep it simple. If we are seeing athletes at the peak of their ability in need of a simple reminder, imagine just how far one can go for youth athletes.
