Watching the bookends of two practices this week, I thought about work ethic and attention to detail. The middles may have been the most intense and focused practices one could imagine but since I didn’t see them I can’t write about them.
I thought about how one starts and finishes something is a tremendous barometer of how they will complete the whole. Consistency shouldn’t take days off. Execution counts and there’s a reason that coaches harp on it. I don’t think it bodes well when bigs eschew running in their lanes, littles neglect to read their defenders, and many stand around too much, perhaps looking for a place to happen.
When is it time to take things seriously? When the regular season begins? During the playoffs? Or earlier than everyone else, during off-season workouts? In my mind – at least for exceptional teams – the sooner, the better. Working hard matters; little things make a big difference. Play hard, play smart, play together; from the first practice of the year to the last game in the playoffs.