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Elevate Your Game

Coaching Emotions: Turning Frustration Into Fuel

by Shawn Jones on Apr 2, 2025

Handling Player Emotions A player who plays without emotion isn’t very good. But a player whose emotions control them isn’t either… Every locker room needs a mix of personalities to build a successful team. You need a fiery leader, a thoughtful peacemaker, gritty competitors, and…

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Reason #3 — Communication

by Shawn Jones on Mar 31, 2025

It Sounds Simple, But It Could Cost You Your Job It might seem like something we shouldn’t even have to discuss, but the way we communicate with our teams matters so much that it could mean the difference between keeping your job or getting fired….

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The Ultimate Victory as a Coach: Building a Foundation for Tough Times

by Shawn Jones on Mar 25, 2025

If you coach long enough, you will inevitably encounter a season where tragedy strikes a team. In my 30 years of coaching, we have had to bury a player, several parents, and a few team members’ friends in our schools. We have dealt with divorces,…

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Reason #2 — Accountability

by Shawn Jones on Mar 19, 2025

Did your team finish where you wanted this year? Unless you won the last game of the tournament in your state, the answer is NO, you did not finish where you wanted. You may have been SATISFIED with where your team finished based on your…

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Breaking Bad Habits: Coaching Players Through Repeated Mistakes

by Shawn Jones on Mar 17, 2025

Have you ever watched a game and, instead of focusing on the action on the floor, observed the coach? Try it sometime. It’s amazing to see how different coaches react to mistakes. Some get visibly angry at every misstep. Others offer constant support and encouragement….

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Reason #1 — Shooting Percentage

by Shawn Jones on Mar 13, 2025

Let’s be honest—did your team finish where you wanted this year? Unless you won the last game of the tournament in your state, the answer is NO—you did not finish where you wanted. You may have been satisfied with your team’s finish based on talent,…

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Bouncing Back: Managing Emotions After a Tough Loss

by Shawn Jones on Mar 10, 2025

My mentor coach once gave me the best advice about coaching, and I have never forgotten it: “You are never as good as they say when you win, and you are never as bad as they say when you lose.” You can’t stop people from…

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Dealing with the Outside Noise: A Coach’s Guide

by Shawn Jones on Mar 5, 2025

Coaching is a unique profession in that we face many internal pressures, such as keeping our team academically eligible, maintaining players’ physical health, ensuring mental focus, and, ultimately, winning games. I’ve always said that no one can put more pressure on a coach to win…

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When Players Question Coaching Decisions: Turning Tension into Team Building

by Shawn Jones on Feb 24, 2025

At some point in your coaching career, you are going to have athletes question, and even disagree with, your decisions. That’s okay—you just have to navigate it properly so that it doesn’t happen often and doesn’t have negative effects. Believe it or not, it is…

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Winning Without Your Star: How to Handle Key Player Injuries

by Shawn Jones on Feb 19, 2025

How does a coach handle a key player injury, especially at a critical point in the season? The correct answer to this question has two parts, and they are likely executed 3-4 months apart from each other. In order to effectively manage a key injury…

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