Beyond Basketball: Coach K's Keywords for Success
The Duke University men's basketball team has served as the gold standard in college athletics for well over two decades - and that's all because of the extraordinary impact of Mike Krzyzewski, the highly-respected coach of the Duke squad.\ \ Coach K's reputation as a teacher of young men has transcended his extraordinary success as a coach. The Duke team is always ranked at the top of the college game, year in and year out, but what's truly remarkable about Coach K are his players and the...
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For Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of the Duke University men's basketball team, certain words have special importance and force. Coach K uses them every day to energize, motivate, and teach his players how to be winners on the court and in every aspect of their lives. Now, in Beyond Basketball, he offers 40 short, hard-hitting essays -- each centered on an important keyword and illustrated with anecdotes from his personal experiences -- that educate and inspire. From the four most important words in life -- "I believe in you" -- to coping with losing, relying on one's teammates, the importance of discipline, and the rewards of taking pride in one's work, let Coach K guide you to success the way he guides his team -- with the power of his words.
\ \ Beyond Basketball\ \ \ \ By Mike Krzyzewski Jamie K. Spatola\ \ \ Warner Books\ \ \ Copyright © 2006\ \ Mike Krzyzewski\ All right reserved.\ \ ISBN: 0-446-58049-X\ \ \ \ \ Chapter One\ \ \ Adaptability \ As a point guard at West Point, I had the privilege of playing for\ the legendary Bob Knight, a tough coach and probably the best of all\ time. There was one particular drill, called "Zig Zag," that we did\ in practice every single day. It was a defensive drill that was\ difficult and physically exhausting. Though it's a great and\ effective drill, my teammates and I dreaded it, but we always knew\ it was coming.\ Five years later, after the completion of my service in the United\ States Army, I was able to reunite with Coach Knight as a graduate\ assistant coach at Indiana for the 1974-75 season. It was an\ unbelievable start for a coaching career, because not only did I\ have the opportunity to work under the best in the business, but he\ also had the number one team in the country that year with such\ standout players as Scott May, Kent Benson, and Quinn Buckner.\ At our very first practice of the season, I was so excited just to\ be there. But I couldn't help but notice that we did not do the "Zig\ Zag" drill. In the locker room after practice, I was thinking about\ saying something to Coach Knight about it, but I thought better of\ it, and didn't say anything. Surely we would do the drill tomorrow.\ The next day, we had a great practice,but again, no "Zig Zag." That\ day, Coach Knight seemed like he was in a pretty good mood and I was\ feeling sure of myself.\ "Coach," I said, to get his attention.\ "What?" he responded. I was already thinking that this was a\ mistake, but at this point I had to say it.\ "Well, at Army, we did the 'Zig Zag' drill every single day, often\ multiple times. How come we haven't done it with this team?"\ Coach Knight walked calmly over to me, put his hand on my shoulder,\ and said, "Michael, there is a big difference between you and Quinn\ Buckner."\ He was right. Drills like "Zig Zag" that are a necessity for some\ teams may not be appropriate for others. You have to adapt what you\ do based on who you are. A drill that Mike Krzyzewski needs to do\ every day, Quinn Buckner may never have to do or may only have to do\ infrequently. Every player is different, every team is different,\ and to merely apply a formula is not fair to those players or those\ teams.\ You can always learn something from great teachers. I had the\ privilege to learn from one of the best coaches of all time. From\ Coach Knight, I learned passion, commitment, persistence, and\ intensity. But I also learned adaptability.\ That lesson is the reason why I have written a different practice\ plan for every single practice of my career. In teaching, you must\ remember that no group or individual is the same as who you taught\ the day before, the year before, or the decade before. Your plan has\ to suit who you and your team are right now. And you must always be\ willing to adapt. When you do, you and your team will be even more\ successful.\ (Continues...)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Excerpted from Beyond Basketball\ by Mike Krzyzewski Jamie K. Spatola\ Copyright © 2006 by Mike Krzyzewski .\ Excerpted by permission.\ All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.\ Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.\ \
\ From Barnes & NobleDuke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski has a seemingly unpronounceable name (sha-SHEF-skee) and a Hall of Fame record (more than 750 victories; 3 NCAA championships; 12 Coach of the Year awards). But, as the title of this winning book suggests, Coach K knows that a world exists beyond the gym. In fact, this West Point graduate is especially proud of one statistic that doesn't get in the record books: Ninety percent of Duke scholarship basketball players graduate. In this book, this inspirational mentor talks about his personal philosophy and lessons that he has learned on and off the court.\ \
