I've thought about this quite a bit as an educator over the years, but the time with the USMC a couple weeks ago got me reflecting again. (I wish I could actually express how much I appreciate the fact that the USMC leadership symposium got my brain going in a dozen different, PRODUCTIVE directions.)
History tangent--related though: If you go back with war memoirs and recollections, not just recent stuff but going back in US history to the Revolution, there are stories told of guys bragging about what they would do in battle, how brave they would be when the crap hit the fan...and then it hits and those guys panic, either running away or hiding OR they become so reckless, that they worsen the situation with their stupidity. With the first cases, they are remembered more with pity than anything else while the reckless ones are discussed with gritted teeth if everyone survived and outright hostility if others were killed.
I note this because it is easy for coaches to say "Oh, I know how to react in a bad situation!" But do you? And if you aren't 100% sure--how can you know? Why is this relevant for my decision-making skills?
Well, there are two ways to learn how to deal with a crisis. The way I had to learn and the way the Marines do it. They both work, but I think the Marines' method is more consistent and less likely to see things go wrong.
My Way:
In 2012, they'd done work in the gym, but the maintenance staff didn't attach safety wires to the ventilation covers. I mentioned this to the administration but was told "Don't worry--they are securely latched in place. They'll get to putting the wires on." But...the people 'getting around to it' with the wires were the ones who were supposed to care enough to lock those covers in place. They didn't.
In the middle of playing triples, one player dug a hard hit ball, it went straight up into the vent cover and--immediately the vent cover dislodged, coming knife-edge straight down towards that player. If it remained that way, the 20lb piece of petal would have cleaved her head in two (you have no idea how I wish that was hyperbole). Just above her head, it flattened out, she sort-of ducked, and she took the flat end of it to her skull, collapsing onto the floor.
And that's how I learned how I'd act in a crisis. Same for Kelly, my assistant. We got things right. I told Kelly to get to the office, get the AD and call 911--she was already running to do that. Another order to three players--each sent to look for where the trainer could be (her office, out on the softball diamond, out at the baseball diamond)--I didn't remember if the outdoor teams were practicing or playing or even on campus. Those kids immediately took off fast.
And then we took care of things. The athlete wound up with a medium-grade concussion and missed 2-3 weeks of time, but there was no fractured skull. And surprisingly (hah!), the next morning every one of those vent covers was attached with two safety lines.
Afterwards, I've never been so exhausted in my life mentally AND physically. Adrenaline does powerful stuff.
The USMC Way:
This isn't overly specific, by the way. First--I haven't gone thru it personally. Second--there are aspects that the Marines ask to keep private--they may be the same experience for training whether in San Diego, Lejeune, or Quantico, but nothing for outsiders...it creates a bond of shared experience.
Anyways, the Marines apply pressure the instant recruits step off the bus for training. Everything is about the eventual creation of the ability to function in high-stress environments. They *practice* high-stress. They practice making decisions under less-than-ideal situations. Constantly. It's important--because when you think about it, their stress decisions have lives on the line. Wrong decision, people die. Coach wrong decision?--just a notch in the loss column.
Obviously they can't prepare for every possible scenario--but their training matters, so that leaders know how to direct others and those in their command know how to immediately follow those instructions. It's impressive to have it demonstrated in an afternoon or for a whole day, but the training goes for weeks, it is far more than lip-service.
If there's a disadvantage with the USMC Way, it's that it takes time--decision-making, leadership--those are skills and they have to be learned and practiced. With 'my way'--you're dropped in the fire and either it works or it doesn't...like tossing a kid into a pool to see if they'll be able to swim.
So--how does this affect my coaching, Jim?:
Think how you run practice. Is it all well-ordered? Do you follow a clock, always have drills end after "X" # of repetitions? What pressure do you apply to your athletes? How can you apply pressure that isn't automatically a default to punishing them if they fail to execute a skill?
--in this regard, before starting a 6v6, perhaps you make it so that only the left-side can score off of a freeball? Perhaps an extra point for a tip touching untouched--to pressure the defense to read and to get hitters to work for open spots? Maybe if playing 3v3, make it so that each player can only touch the ball once--so they HAVE to work together throughout?
--do you have ways to fluster them? How do they respond if you are talking to them while they play? If you ask a question, do they answer? What if it was a nonsense question asked at 23-23 (like "Have you ever tried to not blink while sneezing?)?
But the thing is--as coaches, we ALWAYS talk about players' performance under pressure, but what about coaches? Coaches are rarely questioned in those moments--exceptions for baseball managers and bullpen decisions, basketball coaches and 4Q timeouts, and football 4Q 'go for it' decisions. Everyone has seen coaches make poor choices in clutch moments (go read about the start of the Denver Broncos' 2022-23 season for a REAL coaching meltdown), but no one talks about ways to work through this.
--one basketball coach used to randomly stop practice at a point only he and the managers knew (not even his assistant coaches). Instantly, a score would be put on the board, players put into two teams, each coaches by an assistant. They'd know the TO and Foul situation and 60 seconds later, they would play out the scenario to the end. It forced the coaches to think on the fly--and also built trust between those coaches and the players for when tough moments came. It gives the head coach a chance to observe--and then give feedback afterwards.
--do you train for pressure situations? Before a match, do you think about your sub patters and what you'll do if it is 23-23? Do you know what you'll do if you are down to your last sub--will you leave your big hitter in to play back row OR will you bring the serving/defensive specialist in to snag a point and lock-down your serve-receive?
--Do you pay attention to your posture and mannerisms? Do you act the same when it is 0-0, 9-1, or 26-26? What can you do to make sure your athletes realize their leader is under control--so that they believe you've anticipated the situation and there's a plan? (Because "eh, just wing it" will suck the confidence out of most teams immediately)
That's the big takeaway--think about what you can do, RIGHT NOW, to plan for contingencies and crises to maximize the chance of a good ending. For me, that means the Marine comparison. For you, maybe it is a talk with a friend who is a firefighter or EMT.
And lastly--after a crisis passes, be aware that the stress within you is still there...make sure you let it out in a reasonable fashion.
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