Breaking Bad Habits: Coaching Players Through Repeated Mistakes

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. Some simply ignore mistakes and don’t react at all. I’ve seen all styles succeed, and to be honest, I’ve been all of those coaches at some point. So, this isn’t about judgment.

Players are going to make mistakes. If they were perfect, we wouldn’t have jobs. Anyone could coach flawless athletes. We coach because athletes need instruction, practice, assessment, feedback, and re-teaching—constantly—to perform at a competitive level. Mistakes are part of the process. But how should we respond when a player keeps making the same mistake?

We’ve all coached that one kid who seems to repeat the same error over and over. I’ve always said, “Players revert to what they know best.” Under pressure, bad habits or a lack of basketball IQ tend to resurface. Our job is to teach them new habits and build their understanding of the game.

Correcting habitual mistakes isn’t an exact science. What works today might not work tomorrow. But here are three strategies to try:

1. Set a limit on mistakes with a consequence. Acknowledge the issue and establish a clear boundary with the player. For example: “Johnny, you tend to dribble into the corner and pick up your dribble too often. I’ll give you one free mistake, but on the second one, I have to sub you out. When you go back in, the count resets.” This approach sets clear expectations while allowing room for growth.

2. Make it a challenge with a fun wager. Track the mistake and turn it into a friendly competition. “Every time you dribble before looking middle and making a pass fake against a trap, you owe me 10 push-ups. Every time you look middle and pass fake before dribbling, I owe you 10 push-ups.” Have a manager chart it, or pull the clips from Hudl and keep track. At practice, make a fun moment out of settling the bet. Players appreciate seeing their coach have “skin in the game” when it comes to improvement.

3. Remove the opportunity to make the mistake. In practice, sometimes the best way to break a bad habit is by not allowing the player to do it incorrectly anymore. Swap their position with another player. “Sarah, I have to switch you and Michelle because you can’t—or won’t—execute this correctly.” Have them watch from the sideline for a few reps to see it done right. The Marine Corps refers to this as “healthy shame”—losing an opportunity can be a powerful motivator.

The team that makes the fewest mistakes generally wins. Reducing repeated mistakes is critical to that equation. For 30 years, I’ve told my players, “If you’re going to make a mistake, make it going hard. And if you make a mistake, make a new one—don’t repeat the same one.” I can live with mistakes that come from playing with great effort. What I can’t live with is a player making the same mistake over and over. That’s not growth.

Play hard. Make new mistakes. If we do that enough, eventually, we’ll run out of ways to fail.