Coach,
Believe it or not, we are less than six weeks away from the semester being over! That means you are either in an intense season of scheduling playoff locations and bouncing across the state to watch your students compete in the biggest games of the year, or you are in an intense season starting EVERYTHING else that Winter and Spring seasons bring…or both!
Either way, this is the time to check back in with your coaches about The Texas Way.Here are three trends we seeing across the state:
- More than 90% of ejections come from schools that are not engaged in The Texas Way.
- Athletic Director engagement does NOT equal Coach engagement.
- Schools that engage in The Texas Way are also intentional about character development beyond The Texas Way sportsmanship initiative.
In this week’s message, I want to share another great practice that we are seeing across the state–one that goes a long way to preparing your basketball players for success, specifically if a fight breaks out.
Three Ways to Prepare for (and De-escalate) a Basketball Fight
The sad reality is that fights are going to happen in basketball games. Athletes are in a state of heated competition, there is a lot of physical contact, the gym amplifies words and emotions, and the subculture of private basketball leagues promotes a toxic and perverted spirit of competition.
While these realities make coaching and playing The Texas Way harder, they are no excuse to not do it. In fact, I see these realities as a competitive advantage to coaching and playing The Texas Way–we now know exactly where our students are most vulnerable and how we can best help them!
Remember this:
Prior Preparation Permits Proper Performance
You would never send your team into a game without preparing them for it (and expect to win), so why would you expect your team to handle themselves correctly in a fight situation without preparing them for it? Student-athletes will succeed at what you prepare them for.
With this in mind, here are three ways to prepare for (and deescalate) a basketball fight.
1. Set Expectations Early
Make crystal clear the expectations you have for students when it comes to on-the-court behavior. Explain potential consequences, such as ejections, suspensions, or loss of playing time. But most of all, EQUIP students with the tools to meet those expectations! This means discussing emotional control and self regulation, how to respond to cheap actions and trash talk, and respect for opponents and officials.
One way to do that is to show the student-athlete videos from The Texas Waycurriculum. (As a reminder, there are separate videos for coaches and athletes). The Student-Athlete page looks like this:
2. Simulate Scenarios–and Record it!
There is a reason watching film is a staple in every athletic program in the country–it is how you learn the game! In the same way, when you simulate sportsmanship situations, record them, and watch them back, your athletes will learn how to respond. A few things to reinforce, record, and review:
- Bench Behavior. How players behave on the bench is just as important as how they behave in the game. Set the expectation for how they’ll behave during normal game play, as well as during a fight scenario.
- Self-Management. Players can’t control how other people respond to them, but they can control their own response, which can then impact the people around them. If they can keep themselves calm, they’ll be better able to de-escalate the situation.
- De-escalation skills. It requires no skill to add fuel to a fight, but it requires both skill and practice to smother one. Ensure that players know what to do to de-escalate a situation, and give them the space to practice those skills before they need them.
Once you have taught your team these skills, record the drill. Then, go back and watch the film on it. Point out what is done well, and what can be improved.
I would suggest you do this at least three times a season, and that you consider, with AD/district approval, sharing with your players’ parents so that they can see what the expectation is in a situation like this.
Share the “Winter Sport Message” (found in the More Resources section of your dashboard) with parents and community members.
Here is a great example of this from Richardson ISD, where every basketball team is required to submit a video of their “fight drill.” (Special thanks to Leslie Slovak and Kevin Pitts for sharing this!)
3. Set the Example–and Lead
Whether a fight breaks out, or the game just gets closer to the line of bad sportsmanship than you are comfortable with, I can’t stress enough how important it is that you, as the coach, set the example and lead! In other words, you doing the right thing isn’t enough; you must also lead your team to do the same thing. Here are a few ways you can do that:
- Coach with Self-Control: Coaches must model The Texas Way and not make tensions with officials or opposing teams worse by their actions.
- Calm the Situation: Gather your team at the bench for a timeout or break once the officials take control. Emphasize composure, The Texas Way, and staying focused on the game.
- Support Officials: Allow officials to handle ejections or disciplinary actions without interference from your team. Communicate respectfully with officials and remember: no bad call has ever been reversed by bad behavior.
- Review Video: Post-game, review the fight with the team to identify triggers and discuss better responses.
- Reinforce Team Culture: Use the incident as a teaching moment to emphasize accountability and discipline. Sometimes, the best lessons come from the hardest moments.
We might not be able to control whether or not a fight happens–sometimes kids will be kids–but we can prepare our students and coaches to respond the right way if one does.
Thank you for being a part of this movement. Thank you for your work. If I can help you or your district in any way, or you want to tell your story, email me at Mackey@2words.tv.
Until next week,
Mackey