The legendary Dick DeVenzio, founder of Point Guard College, spent his life teaching players and coaches that true development has very little to do with luck and everything to do with intent. He famously noted:

“Most players want to be better, but they don’t want to do what it takes to get better. They want to play, but they don’t want to think.”

Welcome to this week’s Think the Game Thursday. To build an elite basketball player, it takes a collective effort from the player, the coach, and the parents. If we want our athletes to elevate past the ordinary, everyone involved must learn how to navigate around the traps of convenience, procrastination, and “going through the motions.”

Let’s dive into how players, coaches, and parents can audit their efforts to ensure real growth is happening.

The Car Ride Home -Avoiding the Hiding Places

The car ride home after a tough performance or an exhausting practice is one of the most critical windows in a young athlete’s development. It’s easy for parents to want to immediately offer agreement, disagreement, or tactical advice, but real leadership starts with empathy.

As Acuff points out: “If you blink and find yourself working on something besides your real goal, you’ve probably retreated to the first kind of hiding place… Use your post-game discussions to encourage them to step out of their hiding places and confront the difficult work head-on.

What to Think About

Greatness requires alignment. Players must bring meticulous intentionality to every rep. Coaches must craft environments that build rhythm and accountability. Parents must provide the emotional guardrails that encourage athletes to run toward the hard work rather than hide from it.

Until next Thursday, SCHAPE your game.