In the book Outliers @gladwell shows how obscure factors can destroy your chance at greatness. These things are called outliers because they are outside common knowledge. As long as you have these blinds spots you will continue to fail and wonder why.

This thread will help.

As the poet and sculptor Degas said, “beauty is in the rejection of things.” If you want your team to play a beautiful game, the path is through eliminating the blind spots holding you back. Simplicity wins and simplicity is a sharpened knife that cuts away common misconceptions.

Fish 1 to fish 2, “hows the water?”

Fish 2, “What water?”

Blind Spot.

You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.


The quickest way to have a better batting average is to stop swinging at bad pitches. Make better decisions by eliminating your worst ones. Improve your players by keeping them from doing the things they aren't good at.

Focus your energy on removing your blind spots. Here’s how.

All it takes is two simple steps:

1. Find a coach/mentor to identify your blind spots
2. Have the courage to unlearn things that you previously believed to be true

Here are 6 common blind spots, destroy these and you’ll be better now and for years to come.

#1 - Knowing Your'e Right

Most coaches spend time on things that don't happen much or don't matter at all. It's usually because they know the "RIGHT WAY" to box out or teach shooting or use defensive shell drill. Instead question everything. If you do, you'll find a better way.

#2 - The ABC's

In the face of failure and frustration, you Accuse, Blame & Complain, you'll be shocked how many moments your avoid responsibility this way. Instead, take extreme ownership I challenge you to eliminate the ABC's for one week, and be prepared to grow like crazy.

#3 - Having Priorities

The original word priority had no plural. Without singular purpose you won't be aligned. Your staff, your team, your supporters. When any system is out of alignment, it reduces its power.

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Singular.

#4 - Believing the Hype

Avoid listening to the people hyping you up. Sport culture is polluted by participants that don't love the game. They love the likes, the followers and the applause. Hype is the ultimate blind spot. Instead love the process, the people and the craft.

#5 - Winners Never Quit

Bad advice = “finish everything you start.” If Thomas Edison never moved on from his first experiment, we’d be sitting in darkness right now. Often, your time could be spent more better elsewhere. Quit losing strategies quickly, quit limiting beliefs now.

#6 - Being the Big Fish

You don't know when you've stopped growing. A big fish doesn't swim fast, the small fish do. The big fish can't see the need. If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room. Move. If you’re satisfied you’re fat. Get lean and hungry.

If you’re hungry to have more blind spots exposed, join my newsletter. Or become a member of my coaching community, or just take the six steps above. I help coaches and teams get lean, hungry and grow like crazy.

https://t.co/Rfcs9C9FOi

The Power of Eliminating Blind Spots


Are You Any Good at Player Development?

Here's a thread to make you a better trainer, find the pocket and get better results

Have a plan but stay in the pocket

Time for a thread ⬇️

1. No plan survives first contact

On any given day, a player may be feeling confident, shooting well and locked in. They may also be failing, frustrated or have something else going on in their lives. Be ready and willing to adjust the plan to serve the athlete.

2. Begin with the end in mind

If your training plan is getting them so frustrated and so down that they actually leave thinking - I got worse - then you’ve failed.

The end is - they leave knowing they got better at something, they have greater confidence & transferable skills.

3. Find the pocket

If they're crushing it, and not making mistakes - plan’s not challenging enough. If they keep failing and aren't improving - too much too fast.

The great trainers find the pocket and stay in it. Most trainers have no feel & do drills w/o teaching or intent.

4. One theme One session

I’m working with a pro player. Our theme is to improve balance and posture while moving with the ball. We progress into finishing, shooter and against D. The theme doesn't change, she leaves knowing what she got better at.

5. Back it Up

Once we added D, we had to stop, it was too much, we lost footwork, we lost our balance. So we backed off the adversary and went back to get our balance and footwork. It took time but we got it dialed.

We got back in the pocket.

6. Keep the Energy

When we fail and have to teach again, we lose energy in the technical stuff. When we train without high energy we're out of the pocket.

COMPETE! Whenever you need energy you compete, so we went into live one on one. Still on plan, balance, posture, movement.

7. Finish Strong

I planned to get 100 shots out of action. But because we had to backtrack there wasn’t enough time, so we adjust the plan, we lower the target and re-focus our shooting to leave feeling good.

You must leave the gym feeling good.

8. Hold your standard

The plan isn’t your notes, your times or the amount of reps. The plan is improve the things that matter.

Our standards matter most.

High energy. High clarity. High standards.

Simple, and simplicity wins. That’s SAVI

I’m Tyler and I’m here to help

If you want more details on this or our weekly newsletter, just sign up here. Go read the full article, if you're a leader, share it with a friend or teammate.

https://savi.beehiiv.com/p/perfect-pocket

Player Development Tips for Trainers

The Race & Space offense isn’t for everyone, in fact, here are 10 Reasons it isn't for you, in fact it isn’t for most coaches. It takes a unique combination of humilty, self awareness and addiction to growth.

So let me help you decide if you’re even in the right place.

thread


1. You care about LOOKING like a good coach.

These coaches don’t practice or play messy. Growth looks messy, with mistakes and learning and experimentation. Coaches like 2 line layups for warmups because it can make their team look good. It doesn’t make anyone better.

2. You like calling plays most of the time

R&S tries to transition constantly, as fast as possible, D to O, attack to pass, catch to read. When players stop and look at coach, it's a result of a lack of teaching. If you’re a joystick coach, this isn’t for you.

3. You don’t like empowering players

If you coach to be in charge, then this isn’t for you. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! This is for those who've gotten over themselves. Who know a that small change in you is better than a big change in EVERYBODY else.

4. You prefer complexity to simplicity

If something has more than three steps or happens less than three times, we don’t bother with it. We want to get good at what happens most, like really good. We don’t spend time on things that are low leverage, low freqency and low energy.

5. You don’t like shooting (and making) 3s

“But, we don’t have good shooters.” There’s a reason for that, you haven’t taught it well enough or spent enough time on it. Simple. We value shooting, we invest in shooting and we see FANTASTIC results with the teams that buy in.

6. You refuse to use analytics

If you’re one of the stubborn coaches who refuses to make data driven decisions, this isn’t for you. We operate in truth and assume that we have bias. We constantly examine our beliefs and don’t make decisions out of anger, frustration or fear.

7. You don’t value high energy in your practice

If you care more about your drill than your environment, this isn’t for you. If you care more about your inbounds plays than your effort level, this isn’t for you. We believe it’s not WHAT you do but HOW you do it that is special.

8. You don’t believe you have blind spots

If you have it figured out, this isn’t for you. If you’ve been teaching the same way you were taught and don’t think you have anything to learn, you won’t like this. If you're unwilling to adjust to your personnel, this will be hard.

9. You don’t value player development

If you believe you are a victim of the talent that walks through the door = Not for you.
Player development over everything. The way to a better team is better players. This is how we teach, invest our practice time and define our victory.

10. You would rather be comfortable than the be best you can be

If you prefer your safety and having all the answers, this isn’t for you. SAVI is growth minded, challenge seeking and storm charging people. If that’s not you, please come back when you’re ready.

We’ll be here.


If you liked this or want to check out the Race&Space for yourself.

You can subscribe to my newsletter here and get content like this weekly for free.

https://savi.beehiiv.com/subscribe

10 Reasons Why the Race & Space Offense Isn't for You

Great Leaders are Builders.

They build belief.

(A story from a Power 5 Coach)

"Are you going to let me die?!?! Don’t let me die!”

That phrase keeps rattling around in my head as I think back on the time I got to spend around a Power 5 coach.

Before watching him coach, I thought I knew what intensity was… Watching him changed everything.

Here’s the story… The team was underachieving and on their worst losing streak in the past three years.

The coach gathered his five toughest players in an emergency meeting. “We’re dying,” he said. “Are you going to let me die?” he asked.

He went on to promise. “I won’t let you die!”

These were his tough players. The ones he trusted, the ones who could save the team.

He asked them, “What do I need to change as a coach for you to believe in me?”

He told them, “I need you to be all in and fight for us every day in order to trust you with my life.”

He found them fighting for each other on a whole new level. Through that adversity, they grew their belief in the MISSION and turned the season around.

Does your team believe in the mission?

When belief is suspect, your time in leadership is coming to an end. Trust me, the moment your team doesn’t believe is the moment it ends.

Energy and belief are signs of a well led team.

When I walk in to evaluate your practice, in the first three minutes I know if you have a chance to win a championship.
I can feel if the team believes.

So can you. If you don’t have it, nothing else matters. If you do have it, nothing else matters. Do you believe in believing?

3 Questions to Ask Yourself (to build belief):

1. Do they believe in you?

Three questions every player will ask themselves before they believe in you. Do you care about me? Can you help me? Can I trust you?

Answer these three questions to help them believe in you.

2.  Does your team believe in each other?

Build confidence and trust. True connection and investment in the idea of team is more powerful than the inconsistent performance or personal achievement.

3.  Does your team believe in the mission?

What is your teams why? A teams mission is their north star, it is the thing that will guide them when adversity hits. If you tell them the mission, they may be committed to it. If they choose their mission they will be deeply invested.

To have a championship-caliber team, build belief.

If you enjoyed this thread, you'll love my newsletter. Get thought-provoking content weekly. 👇

https://savi.tylercoston.com/blog/


Ever wanted something so badly it scares you?

When you're scared of your dreams, do you play it safe or go all-in? Most people play it safe and that's why they never win big.

Read below for 3 reasons to go all-in!

I used to count cards professionally.

I've won and lost huge bets.

The emotional swings crushed me until my fear of losing went away.

Once I lost terribly, then the game became effortless and fun.

Leaders know how to "Raise The Stakes"

Do you?


If you don't get what you want, you either didn't actually want it or you tried to bargain over the price. - Rudyard Kipling

Why not push your chips in the game?

I hope this season is different. I hope you're better.

I hope you’re approaching adversity with wonder and seeing challenges as opportunities for growth.
I hope you have more fun this season, regardless of your outcomes.
I hope you're the leader your program needs.

Will you?

In order to grow like crazy, you have to be willing to lose something.

What will you sacrifice for the growth you crave?

Your pride? Your record? Your comfort?

Raise the stakes for yourself and you can then do the same for those you lead.

So, what does your team have to lose? What’s on the line?

Most teams that lack energy and enthusiasm because they lack appropriate consequences.

If losing doesn’t scare and excite them, you won’t get their best effort. So, find a way to raise the bet and introduce some pain.

1 - Ownership - Give up control of something you care about, chances are they will care about it, too.

Let them decide what they do for warmups, what music plays before practice, how much time you practice shooting or something like that.

2 - Establish a contract - One that if they fail to uphold, it will result in great pain. With nothing to lose, few will bring their best efforts.

Before you introduce accountability, let them choose what they commit to. Chances are it'll be a higher standard than you would set.

3 - Fanfare - Find a way to make a big, public display around whichever task or challenge you set before the team.

Energy flows where attention goes.

Make it public, make it loud, and shine praise upon it daily.

I don't trust a team without any scars.

Your team won't trust you without any either.

Make some bets, lose something you care about and enjoy the swagger that comes on the other side.


Raise the Stakes

Dear Coach,

Your tools may be rusty and out of date. In fact, chances are your coaching backwards.

You're probably coaching your players DOWN and don't even know it.

If you can muster up the courage to examine yourself, read this thread.

If you keep danger and embarrassment far from you, then greatness will always be well beyond you.

Most coaches protect their downside, meaning they try not to look stupid.

The common way to protect your downside is to hammer technique and create robots that can do a few things exactly the same over and over again.

I call that coaching them DOWN.

Coaching players down is a pleasant deception.

You attempt to achieve the lowest common denominator.

Getting something done perfectly tricks you into thinking you made your team better.

FALSE

You just coached them down for a quick win & lobotomized your players creativity.

Develop creative problem solvers, not robots.

Develop better players, not better robots.

Start with the technique and you'll create linear thinking.

Start with the why and you'll develop creative problem solvers.

We call this coaching UP.

The best coaches understand that form follows function.

They understand that starting with the why is harder, takes longer and looks messier.

They are willing to pay the price for the compound interest that results from coaching for long term upside.

Are you?


Are you willing to evaluate your teaching and simplify your message?

If so, then do this.

1. Establish Principles
2. Teach Reads
3. Add Technique

It may look upside down to you.

But it's actually Coaching them up & gives players their best chance to be GREAT.


Step 1 - Establish principles by sharing the objective, then let them play and experiment.

Just observe through the lens of your objective and evaluate how can we best achieve it?

Yes that means you will have to let some mistakes go un-punished.

Overcorrection = Coaching Down

Instead, just let them try and see what happens.

Then ask these three questions;

1. What's our objective?
2. Who's your opponent?
3. What's your advantage?

Now, let them try again.

Guided Experimentation = Coaching Up

Step 2 - Teach reads, you don’t want guessing robots.

Robots lack awareness. Once they become aware, then they can make decisions about their opponent.

• What do they want to do most?
• How can I take that away?
• How should I play?

Most just guess and hope for success.

The best players don’t guess. They’re reading machines. They creatively adjust to new data.

Developing reading machines takes time but it’s what great coaches do.

Upward coaching is sacrificing your immediate desires for your greater desires.

Step 3 - Add technique last!

Starting with the technique creates linear thinking and doesn’t develop the creative problem solving that makes great players great.

Technique only matters when it fits the objective and is done at the right time.

Imagine a rower, who rows with perfect form, but is pulling the wrong direction.

Poor principle.

Or a rower with perfect form, that starts before the race begins.

Poor read.


Beginner coaches mindlessly shoehorn all players into the form they used or are comfortable with.

Coaching Down.

Expert coaches evaluate function and help players optimize their strengths.

Upside Coaching.

The best coaches understand that form follows function.



Start with the technique and you'll create linear thinking.

Start with the why and you'll develop creative problem solvers.


I’m Tyler and this is SAVI. Wisdom Applied.

If you want a free PDF that every coach in your program should read to help them embrace UPWARD coaching.

Put your email here, I'll send it right away.

https://savi.tylercoston.com/blog/do-you-coach-them-down

Do you coach up or down?

In his first year running #RaceAndSpace @BJKeener was named COY. 

He is a #SAVI coach and kindly shared his learnings which helped him lead his program to a VICTORIOUS season. 

Read this thread and I'm sure it will serve you well!

Ruthless Simplicity!

He drastically simplified things offensively, play fast, play with space and run quick actions. 

Simplicity Wins.

Our People = Our Shots

Get the ball in the right persons hands. He still ran a few sets for the right shots at the right times for his people. 

Shot selection is the benchmark of an effective offense.

Shooting Wins. 

They shot A LOT! Especially 3s! Which we call 7s in the #SAVI playbook. The right kind of 3s by the right people. 

He tried to spend 50% of their practice time on shooting. 

The game is about buckets.

Grass Grows Where You Water It!

Practice most what you want to do best. 

They shot a lot and made 175 3s over the season!!

Your p

Measurement is Magic

Using #SAVI wargames and the visible #WinnersBoard made things visible to both coaches and players. 

If you do it, measure it. When you measure you improve. 

For more lessons like these stay tuned and if you want to score more points, have more fun and enjoy coaching like never before, check out #RaceAndSpace for yourself. 

raceandspace.com

Huge congrats to my friend @BJKeener - the best is yet to come!

SAVI COY Lessons

You need to hear what this 2022 coach of the year has to say. 

Congrats to @eagleladyhoops coach @jtrey44 on COY!

He is a good friend and it’s been a pleasure to serve that program through #SAVI

COY thread

Build to strengths of the players.

Adapting and adjusting roles, as the year went on, changed the trajectory of our season. 

Don’t be stuck be adaptable.

We learned we need to focus on more actions, more movement, fewer restrictions, and more competition in practice.

Getting more game like shots up in practice is vital to success as well. 

Shooting is the separator. 

Spend more time shooting.

We had to find leaders in the program who inspire and respect others and set the example. 

Then, let them lead. A player led program is a strong program.

Let your assistant coaches have a strong voice and speak freely. 

Open communication and an open mind allows for growth as a coach.

So proud of @jtrey44 and what he is building at @eagleladyhoops 

He is setting a great example of principles we value at #SAVI 

Stay tuned for another thread highlighting another #SAVI COY @BJKeener coming soon.

COY Learning

Have you ever felt like you're trying to solve a puzzle without all the pieces? Coaching can feel like a constant compromise where it’s impossible to keep everyone happy.

Stop chasing everyone else’s needs instead of following your north star.

Time for a thread.


It’s time to take back your team and stop making decisions from a place of fear! Now is the time to lead from the heart, tell the truth and enjoy coaching like never before.

Take back your program and create something you are proud of, better yet, make coaching fun again.

1. Give Your Best

Commit to excellence in all you do in service to your program.

Don't fixate on the results. Instead, leave every person, place and program better than you found it. Then you can hold your head high as you walk into any room with clear eyes and a full heart.

2. Tell the Truth

Much of your pain is a result of things you know and do not do.

You will suffer in direct proportion to how long you postpone telling players, parents and administration the truth.

Truth telling gains respect. When you capitulate, you lose the program.

3. Become Un-Offendable

Realize that the opinions of others has nothing to do with you - it is merely a result of their own reality.

When you no longer take things personally, you will be a victim to others actions. That freedom will eliminate needless suffering.

4. Don't Compromise

High standards will scare off low achievers. Lower your standards and you lose the high achievers. 

The moment you compromise your standards, you’ve told your team what you'll allow.

That which you allow, you encourage.

5. Normalize Conflict

Friction is good! Teams that are scared to disagree aren’t going anywhere special. Set rules for respectful disagreement. Model it and game it out. Have tough conversations early and often.

Adversity creates friction. Friction develops grit.

Gritty wins.

6. Data Driven Decisions

Be sure you have objective evidence for all your decisions. 

This will help you eliminate your own blind spots. And at the same time, allow you to know and share your WHY with players and parents.

If you do it, measure it.

7. Opt-In over Buy-In

Don't wait for buy-in, that's basing your game on hope and you will constantly be disappointed and frustrated. 

Allow others to opt-in to the standards. If they choose the contract, then you're only holding them accountable to their choice.

Autonomy wins.

8. Bring the Pain

Human beings will do more to avoid pain than they will to achieve pleasure. 

When people fall short of team standards or don't fulfill a commitment, be sure to deliver the agreed upon consequence. 

It should hurt, badly.

9. Raise the Stakes

Every season you must prepare to lose 10% of your team.

The "cost" of participation must go up over time. Your program is either being influenced by the top 10% or the bottom 10%. Make it too "expensive" for the bottom 10% to stick around.

Weak hands fold.

10. Go All In or Move On

Identity Commits. Once you are clear on who you are as a coach and what it means to be a part of your program, don't hold back!

Excellence has no use for half measures.

Commit to the act like a criminal commits to a crime.

I know this is an uncompromising word.

It might scare you… and it should.

You should question whether you can do it.

You should wonder if you have the resolve necessary to lead a program to excellence. You may decide that it's not for you - that's ok.

I’m here to help.

I want to revolutionize the way the game is taught and played. If you want to be a part of the #SAVI movement please subscribe to my newsletter here. 

https://www.getrevue.co/profile/tylercoston

You Don't Have to Take it

Do you want to score more points, win more games and have more fun next season? 

I developed the ten layers of the #RaceAndSpace offense to help you teach your players to do just that?

Take a look @ the layers I've used to help teams all across the globe do just that.

C'mon


Layer 1 - Race the Arcs

Getting more shots in transition will improve your efficiency (PPP), take advantage of disorganized D & build an identity that is fun to coach and play. 

HOW? 

Transition roles. Locks & Rabbit sprint & space.

Racker hunts 7 seconds & Dragon spits FIRE.


Layer 2 - Space & Hunt (9s & 7s)

Offense is about shots you get not the play you run.

Teach players how to play instead of teaching plays.

Keep the rim OPEN! Space is the oxygen that lets your offense breath.

Hunt the world not the rim. Then burn cut for shots at the rim. 


Layer 3 - Shot Generation

If you want better shot selection, use sticky language and a shared understanding of who is generating what types of shots. 

Role ID is ESSENTIAL to winning.

9s = Open Lay Up - All

7s = Open 3 - Shooting License

5s = Off Dribble - Racker & Dragon


Layer 4 - Advantage Reads

The key to lower turnovers, 1 of the 4 factors of winning, is to keep the ball in your best players hands longer.

How do you do this? 

Limit what players can do when they read advantage. 

Teach small advantage, big advantage and no advantage reads. 

Layer 5 - Actions

Teach actions instead of plays. 

Actions create advantage. 

Plays create shots. 

Plays too often lead to bad shots. Bad shots lose games. 

Run actions for your best players, in their best spots and develop skills and reads on their best actions. 

Layer 6 - Zone Actions

Stop wasting time teaching two different offenses. One for man & one for zone. 

You'll be worse at each. 

Embrace the principles of spacing & shot generation just add zone actions. 

Heard of Dance & Dive? Flank and Burn? 

It's like an infinity stone!

Layer 7 - 4 Point Line

Shooting wins. Spend less time on plays and spend more time building great shooters. 

We've designed principles so simple, you can spend 50% of your practice on shooting. 

Shoot better, faster and from further out. The spacing from the 4pt line is epic!

Layer 8 - Crazy 8s

Shoot more FTs & win more games. 

Invest time on what most helps win games. FT rate wins. 

We call any FGA that results in a foul an 8. We go crazy for 8s. 

Q: How much practice time do you spend on foul generation? 

A: NOT ENOUGH! 

See our foul stations.

Layer 9 - OB Transformer

You spend too much time on your OB plays. 

Principles over plays. Transform shapes to create a transition catch with spacing. 

Flow from advantage to action out of different shapes.

Keep it simple.

You don't need more plays, you need better players.


The #RaceAndSpace is built for you.

It's simple, fun to coach and play. We took principles used by the best and built layers for every level. 

Practice time should be spent on what happens most in games. 

Develop players that can race, space & shoot.

That's special.

For all the layers and how to teach and install this revolutionary approach to the game, go to raceandspace.com for free resources and the whole course. 

I'm Tyler and I'm here to help.