Luke 8:10 & Bob Knight

Last night while Cole (our 9 year old) was getting ready for bed we read from a kid's devotional Bible. It was the parable of the sower and it was interesting that we talked about Luke 8:10

     "They will look,

       but they will not see,

       and they will listen,

       but they will not understand."

After reading and talking about the parable, I laughed because I immediately thought of Coach Knight and his emphasis of "See vs Look" and "Listen vs Hear".

We are sharing the following from Coach Knight's book, "Basketball According To Knight & Newell":

The following words are what Knight describes as teaching devices.

"This is a big thing for us.  Everybody "looks", but there are few who "see".  A basketball player who can see is much better than a player who shoots 60% from 3pt line and cannot work to get open without the ball.  Our players hear us say a thousand times to quit "looking" and start "seeing".  You have to see what is going on.  When you face the basket with the ball, you have to "see".  Anyone can "look".  But it takes a player to "see" what is going on.

Everybod "hears", but few things are "listened" to carefully. 

"Know Thyself"--Teacher/ Coach Theory From Bob Knight

A. Evaluate Yourself
     1. Know your strengths and weaknesses
          a. What you can’t do is more important than what you can do in deciding things
     2. Know what you want and don’t want to do
     3. How well do you discipline yourself?
          a. can’t be late
          b. show up everyday
          c. be responsible
    4. How good are you with people?
          a. 2 things you must be able to do to succeed.
               Talk
               Write
    5. How well do you work for people?
          a. take directions
          b. can you do what is demanded of you?
     6. How demanding can you be?
          a. there is a strong correlation between learning and what is demanded
          b. must get people to do what they don’t want to; make them go beyond their comfort zone
          c. how tough can you be?
          d.can you control a classroom?
          e. demand that players graduate, go to class, or don’t play
          f. you should feel that you know more about what is good for them, than they do
     7. How well do you accept criticism?
          a. “Any fool can criticize, and they all do.”
          b. be prepared for it, everyone feels they could do it better
          c. involves critiques, public criticisms
     8. How well do you prepare/plan?
          a. “The will to prepare to win is ultimately greater than the will to win.”
          b. most teams are even, the team best prepared to win, will
          c. preparation is vital

Simplify--Simplify--Teach--Simplify

SIMPLICITY

Pete Newell described two groups of coaches: those who believe in simplicity and execution and those who believe in surprise and change. Obviously, he and I are part of the simplicity and execution group
—Bob Knight

Simplicity and execution: How something is most effectively done.
Simplicity says, “Less is more.” It allows players to have a sense that there are specific techniques and strategies that are basic for their success—the success of the team. They gain confidence because of their familiarity and consistency of purpose.

Simplicity demands execution. If every athlete knows what to do and every opponent know what will be done, the anticipation is one of predictability. This is comforting for those who execute and seemingly comfortable for those who believe themselves to be ready to respond.
The coach who uses complex strategies and trickery cannot expect his players to execute them with any consistency, because they are not easy or familiar.

Simplicity says, “I will eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary can be perfectly expressed.”

The greatest truths are the simplest.

Simplicity is an indication of trust of what a coach believes in. No garnishes, no garbage. The desire to be clever sometimes overwhelms the understanding of how to be effective.

Emerson said, “To be simple, is to be great.”

Simplicity & Execution

SIMPLICITY & EXECUTION

Pete Newell described two groups of coaches: those who believe in simplicity and execution and those who believe in surprise and change. Obviously, he and I are part of the simplicity and execution group.
--Bob Knight

Simplicity and execution: the one strikes at the heart of how something is most effectively done, the other at the repetition required to get it done.

Simplicity says , “Less is more.” It allow athletes to have a sense that there are specific techniques and strategies that are basic for their success—the success of the team. They gain confidence because of their familiarity and consistency of purpose.

Simplicity demands execution.

The coach who uses complex strategies and trickery cannot expect his athletes to execute them with any consistency, because, by nature of definition, they are not easy or familiar. The opponents may be initially fooled by the deception but relieved to see that the surprise was wrapped in poor execution.

Simplicity says, “I will eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary can be perfectly expressed.”

The greatest truths are the simplest.

The desire to be clever sometimes overwhelms the understanding of how to be effective. Ralph Waldo Emerson had it right. “To be simple, is to be great.”