November 2023
Nov 06, 2023
The season is here. College basketball tips-off tonight, the NBA is already in full swing, and high school is right around the corner. Looking back on my time coaching college basketball helped me learn many lessons that still apply. Over the past few weeks, I have been releasing the 100 things I learned as a college basketball coach.
One of those lessons learned, teams that win on the road have a tough, together, and aggressive mindset.
Today, I wanted to really break down what it takes to win on the road. Ultimately, great teams must be able to win on the road. Whether it be on the second night of a back-to-back or a late February conference road battle that will determine the conference champ, great teams have to be able to win these games. With that understanding, it becomes critical to start building these principles now!
So, what does it take to consistently win on the road?
Teams that win on the road have a "Tough, Together, and Aggressive Mindset."
TOUGH. The mentality to simply overcome. When playing on the road you will inevitably face a confident team. They have the crowd behind them and they are playing to protect their home court. You will face some poor officiating. You will face an environment primed to defeat you. To be tough, you will need to have a mindset ready to endure and overcome the obstacles that you face. The tougher the team, the more resilient the team, the more likely your team will come out on top. Be the tougher team, be the team willing to go out and compete until the final whistle blows.
TOGETHER. Unity. Cohesion. Trust. The team that comes together, the team with the strongest connection will become an unstoppable force. A simple visual I always refer to, a fist. When the fingers spread and go apart the strength quickly deteriorates. However, when the fingers come together tightly, the force behind the punch packs a heavy blow. Come together with all of your energy, all of your effort, all of your goals, and your team will learn to win on the road!
AGGRESSIVE. Deliver the first blow. How quickly can you get the opposing team to start reeling, how quickly can you get the opposing team to take the first time out? Come out swinging with aggression, with purpose. Set the tone for how the game will be played. You can't determine the outcome of the game on the first possession, but you can set the tone for the level of aggression you will play with on the first possession. Be mindful not to mistake this for recklessness but avoid coming out with little to no aggression. Deliver the first blow.
The teams that win on the road, they are TOUGH, they are TOGETHER, and they are AGGRESSIVE.
Instill this mindset, instill this identity, and over the course of the season become the team that everyone fears the moment you step foot on their homecourt.