Run the Four Corner

“Our poise shows up in how we carry ourselves, in our words, and in our smile.”

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the NABC.

Run the Four Corners

by Carey Casey, CEO & President of Championship Fathering

I played football at a great basketball school—North Carolina . I was there many years ago, even before the addition of the shot clock to the college game . And that means I witnessed Dean Smith’s four corners offense in its prime . Many of you are probably familiar with that offense, even if you only read about it in books, watched videos online or heard about it from older coaches . At the time, and given the rules of the day, it was an effective strategy . Coach Smith recognized that his squad, though very good, didn’t have the athleticism and depth that some opposing teams had, so it didn’t make sense to run up and down the floor all night. That’s how the four corners came about . Slowing down the game was a strategy to maximize their chances to win . Coach also had a perfect weapon for that offense in Phil Ford, a gifted point guard whose dribbling skills were often compared to Curly Neal of the Harlem Globetrotters . The Tar Heels slowed down the game, let Phil Ford do his thing as the opposing team chased him around the court, and basically frustrated the defense . Then the opponent would get bored and maybe relax a little bit, and that’s when Ford would drive and find an open teammate for an easy basket. Now, I know you don’t need a coaching workshop from me . But let’s think about the four corners in the bigger scheme of life: many of us get caught up in the busyness of our daily routines, or maybe the pressures of trying to win . Sometimes it feels like we’re falling behind, not doing our best, feeling frantic and out of control . Maybe it makes sense to take a step back, slow down the tempo, and come up with a better strategy to help us win in all our roles— as husbands, fathers, coaches, friends and leaders . Is it time for a change of pace in your life? In your coaching? Here are four “cornerstone” ideas that I believe will help you: Focus . This is about being intentional in life . Do your habits and routines reflect your most important values, or are you being carried on by a wave of ongoing responsibilities or commitments that may not reflect your highest priorities? A very useful exercise— for families, organizations and teams—is to write a mission statement together . When you agree on principles and goals that are most important to everyone, those can be like a guiding constitution that provides direction and serves as a regular reminder for everyone involved . Poise . Through the challenges of a season— in basketball and in life—things will go wrong and people will get frustrated . When that happened to me as a child, my Pop would tell me, “Son, don’t lose your mind . Keep your poise.” During difficult times, people around us are watching to see how we’ll respond, and they need us to be models of stability and perseverance . Our poise shows up in how we carry ourselves, in our words, and in our smile . Resiliency . Frustrations are one thing . Failures can bring greater challenges . Whether we’re dealing with our players or our children, we want to build in them the ability to bounce back, get back on their feet, and keep fighting. They need to see a calm confidence in us even as we encourage and challenge them—and as we give them lots of grace and patience along the way . A Plan . Ultimately, our values, character and determination need to get practical, like the X’s and O’s of the four corners . What specific changes should we make to better influence our players and our families? This is where it gets really personal, because getting better might impact how we manage our time, our energy and our money . If we’re serious about doing our best in all aspects of life, then it’s worth making the effort to create an action plan for how we’ll get there . Coaches . . . dads . . . build these ideas in to your players and be an example for them . Be strategic and willing to try something new if necessary . Your role is vitally important .

Carey Casey is CEO, President, and the author of Championship Fathering. He has also authored the book Championship Grandfathering: How to Build a Winning Legacy and is the general editor of the book 21-Day Dad’s Challenge: Three Weeks to a Better Relationship with Your Kids. Carey and his wife Melanie live in Chicago. They are the parents of four children and have nine grandchildren. www .ChampionshipFathering .org