The #1 Skill Every Great Coach Has (and Most Ignore)

Hey Coach,

Every coach wants to “fix” their team in games. But the truth?

The best coaches don’t win games — they design them during practice.

This week on The Hours, Mark and I kicked off a two-part bracket to crown the #1 coaching skill. Before we got into the matchups, I shared a quick story:

Our 7th–8th grade girls lost their first game of the season by 40 points. Two months later, they beat that same team in the championship by 20.

That’s a 60-point swing — and it didn’t come from new plays or motivational speeches.

It came from systematic coaching: LockLeft defense, Race & Space offense, and relentless standards.

That’s what we mean when we say “SAVI Basketball.” It’s not a slogan — it’s how you build transformation.

Watch the video here:

Key Takeaways

1) Practice Planning Wins Championships

Games reveal what you built in practice. Design your practices like game day — with purpose, pace, and constraints that mirror reality.

If your team struggles in games, it’s a practice design issue first.

2) Clear Language Creates Clarity on the Court

Players can’t execute what they don’t understand. Use short, sticky, repeatable phrases. Teach like a teacher, not a talker.

Seven-second sound bites beat seven-minute explanations every time.

3) Culture Is an Output, Not a Drill

You can’t “install culture.” You install standards — for effort, accountability, and how you show up daily.

Culture is simply the reflection of those standards, practiced long enough to stick.

4) Energy Is Contagious (Good or Bad)

If you’re flat, your team will be too. Coaches set the emotional tone in every gym.

Bring the energy you want to see — it’s leadership in its simplest form.

5) Relationships Drive Results

The best programs are built on trust, not tactics. Care deeply, challenge directly, and coach the person before the player.

Better people always make better basketball players.

Stay SAVI,
-Tyler

P.S. If you want help installing systems like LockLeft and Race & Space — and building a culture that sustains them — join SAVI Basketball and we’ll walk you through it live each week.