Preparing Children for the Path...

On January 22nd of this year, the Phoenix Suns were playing the Chicago Bulls. With the game tied, the Suns Kevin Durant made this shot to with the game for the team:

But look a little closer...

First recorded in 1605, the Latin word was adaptāre: to fit or adjust. We know it today at adaptation.

Durant sees the defender out of the corner of his eye coming behind him to block the shot and a defender in front he has to shoot over. He adjusts the shot in midair, pulling it just a bit forward to avoid the block from behind and moving it to the left a bit to avoid the defender in front.

Adaptation.

Durant is a perennial NBA All-Star and has been in this situation before. It would be hard to imagine a coach one day in practice saying to him, "Let's move your shot around a bit while you are in the air shooting." Durant adapted, most probably because at some point in his career he was blocked from behind, or maybe knew the defenders and what they were capable of. Durant's experience lead him to adapting his shot to the moment and a win for the Suns.

How important is adaptation? To be succinct, if not adaptable, we as a human race wouldn't be here. All living things on the planet have had to adapt to their surroundings, predators, geography and environments. It is as much a part of life as your DNA and 

In your practice this week, did your athletes work on adaptation? Did you put them in situations that were uncomfortable for them to figure out. Did they resist so much that you relented and just went back to their comfort zones? 

Or did you force them into doing skills and movements that they were unaccustomed to? Did you make them adapt to situations in the middle of a point or a set? Did they have to adapt what they did based on their environment?

The greatest athletes in the world have faced challenges and obstacles that have forced them to adapt. As a coach, are your athletes getting the same opportunities to learn this dyer skill in your practices this season? 

Misty May Treanor was recruited as an outside hitter to Long Beach State but moved to setter where she won a National Championship and Player of the Year. Arizona's own Betsi Flint was an outside hitter in high school and club and became one of the best liberos in the West Coast Conference while at LMU then later transitioned into professional beach where she is one of the top players in the world. Another Arizona player, Sarah Sponcil was a club
setter that played outside hitter at LMU and then went back to setting her senior season at UCLA and after she finished playing collegiately, jumped into the beach game and earned a trip to the 2020 Olympics. Without the ability to adapt, none of these players would have found success or been the best version of themselves. 

Adapting is one of the traits we expect in athletes but often don't train. Adapt YOUR practice plans and coaching style. How can you learn to adapt better to things? How can you transfer that to your athletes?

"We must prepare children for the path, instead of the path for children.”- Tim Elmore