Growing through feedback

PLUS: The paradox of involving, penetration reactions, a BLOB play

🤔 Thought Starter: Paradox of Involving
🗣️ End-of-Season Feedback
🎥 Penetration Reads
📓 The Playbook: BLOB

🤔 Thought Starter: Paradox of Involving

In the early 2000s, two organizational management professors, Majken Schultz and Mary Jo Hatch, were studying the corporate branding of the LEGO Group when they came across what they called the “paradox of involving.”

Every organization in transition faced a tension between “cultural heritage and contemporary relevance.” New leaders usually want to make their mark, to push in a direction that felt distinct from the past. But was it possible to use the past and still move forward?

“No culture is completely new,” said Spencer Harrison, a professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD in France. “It is always layers of history building upon each other like layers of sediment.”

- Rustin Dodd, TheAthletic.com, 🔗 The Seahawks didn’t just win the Super Bowl. They did something even more challenging

🗣️ End-of-Season Feedback

I just wrapped up my first season in a new program, and it was a great learning experience. As a coach, I really appreciated the way our players adapted to a new system and a different coaching style. They competed for each other and kept working all the way to the final buzzer. Unfortunately, we came up just short in a state play-in game and didn’t get to extend the season.

Now that the season is over, it’s time for some honest reflection. Like most coaches know, the list of things to improve seems to grow a little every day once you step back and evaluate the season.

One thing I’m trying to do is involve our players in that process. If we’re going to build the best program we can, both on and off the court, their perspective matters. I’m asking them to help us shape the roadmap for where we go next.

If we’re going to build the best program we can, both on and off the court,
(the players’) perspective matters.

To do that, I shared a Google Form with our players to collect feedback about the season. The questions are loosely based on a questionnaire our school’s football coach uses with his team.

The form has only been open for a couple of days, but it has already produced some thoughtful feedback. It’s optional for players, but I’ve also given my supervisor access so there’s transparency in the process.

I’m excited to use what we learn from this as we head into Year 2 and continue growing the program, and honestly, to help me grow as a coach too.

Below is the bulk of the form. For those of you who survey players at the end of the season, I’d love to hear on what you’ve found works and what doesn’t. Also, how have you specifically used player feedback to help improve your program?

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1. SELF REFLECTION

➡️ On a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest), how would you rate your experience during the 2025-26 season.

➡️ What are you most proud of this season and why?

➡️ What was the hardest part of the season for you and why?

➡️ If you could change one thing from this season, what would it be and why?

2. VISION

➡️ What type of program do you want Sandpoint Basketball to be known as both on and off the court?

➡️ What type of basketball player do you want to become?

➡️ If a teammate described you at your best playing basketball, what would they say? How might they describe you in regard to being a teammate?

➡️ Who do you want to become outside of basketball? What kind of teammate, student, worker, son, or friend do you want to be known as?

➡️ What habits do you have to support your identity as a basketball player, teammate, and the person you want to become?

3. SELF ASSESSMENT

➡️ Rate yourself 1 to 5 (5 being an All-State level) in the following areas:

Skill

• Shooting consistency

• Finishing through contact

• Ball handling under pressure

• Passing and decision-making

Basketball IQ

• Off-ball movement

• Defensive positioning

• Understanding team concepts

• Film study habits

Physical

• Strength

• Speed

• Conditioning

• Durability

Mental

• Response to mistakes

• Communication

• Practice intensity

• Coachability

➡️ What are the Top 2 limiting factors for you? How do you intend to fix these?

4. PLAYER-CREATED ACTION PLAN

➡️ What are 2 basketball skills you will prioritize this offseason? How will your growth in these areas help the team?

➡️ How often each week will you work on them? What will the development look like? (Be specific.)

➡️ Describe how will you personally track your development in these 2 skill areas.

5. SUPPORT

➡️ What specific feedback do you want from Coach Knowles this offseason?

• Technical (skill breakdown, film study, shooting form)

• Tactical (decision-making, defensive reads)

• Mental (confidence, consistency, response to mistakes)

• Leadership (communication, voice, presence)

➡️ What type of coaching helps you improve the most?

• Direct and blunt

• Guided questions

• Film-based feedback

• Skill demonstration

• Written evaluation

➡️ Elaborate on how I can help you reach your development goals through the feedback

➡️ What accountability structure do you want from me?

• Weekly check-ins

• Monthly performance review

• Workout log review

• Strength goal tracking

• Text reminders

➡️ How can I support you in life?

• Do you want help with college planning

• Career exploration

• Leadership growth

• Time management

• Communication skills

➡️ Are you willing to be part of a month-long leadership book study this spring? This would include reading 2-3 chapters a week with approximately 4 group discussions.

➡️ Any additional thoughts or ideas that were not included in the previous questions that you would like to suggest or share.

🎥 Penetration Reactions

Playing through the paint was one of our core principles this season, so we spent a lot of practice time working on penetration reactions.

One way we built this into practice was with a start-of-practice progression off a slot or point drive. Most of the time the protection plan was a Barkley, so we began with a simple kick-out for a shot based on a second-cut read.

From there, we progressed to a drive off the kickout where players had to react to the second drive with proper spacing or a Gortat seal.

We finished the progression with 3v3 live play, where the offense kept the ball if they scored. It was a simple way to reinforce paint touches, spacing, and decision-making in a competitive environment.

📓 The Playbook: BLOB

I spent most of Saturday watching the Idaho state championship games. There were a lot of great X’s and O’s throughout the day, including this baseline out-of-bounds action from Lewiston.

It was a great call by Coach Brooks Malm, especially considering the personnel he had on the floor and the way Bishop Kelly was defending the inbounder. It’s a good example of adjusting a set to take advantage of what the defense is giving you. If you have access to the NFHS Network, I’d encourage you to take some time and study what Lewiston is doing on the offensive end.

By the way, congratulations to Bryan Chase at St. Maries and James Anderson at Lake City for winning state titles. In addition, Andy Harrington from Owyhee finished as a runner-up. All three coaches have episodes on the podcast that I encourage you to listen to.