What's Wrong with Most Coaching Clinics (And What We're Doing About It)

Hey Coach,

We just wrapped our first-ever SAVI Coaching Clinic in Phoenix.

I've been to dozens of clinics throughout my career. I can say this confidently: this was the most impactful one I've ever been part of.

Not because we had the biggest names. Not because we packed in 20 different presenters. But because we addressed what's fundamentally broken about how most coaching clinics operate.

Here's the reality: most clinics aren't designed to make you better. They're designed to sell tickets.

Watch the full breakdown here →

In this episode of The Hours, Mark, Clare, and I break down:

• Why the traditional clinic model fails coaches

• What made our Phoenix event different

• Three specific takeaways from running a youth practice together

• How to actually get better as a coach (spoiler: it's not a 2-day event)

What's Actually Wrong with Most Clinics

The window's too small. You don't get better in two days. You get better through extended mentorship, conversation, and application over months and years. That's why we built the SAVI membership the way we did—you're essentially getting hired onto Mark's staff for an entire year.

No follow-up. You can't call the presenter next week when you're stuck. The clinic ends, you're on your own, and that "game-changing" system you just learned? It breaks down the first time you try to implement it.

Too many presenters saying opposite things. One coach tells you never to run shell defense. The next one opens with shell defense. You leave more confused than when you arrived.

It's all X's and O's. Strategy matters. But most coaches don't need another press break. They need to learn how to teach, how to hold standards, how to build culture. That's where transformation happens.

Coaches aren't clinicians. A power-five coach might be brilliant at coaching players. That doesn't mean they know how to coach coaches. You end up sitting through 20 minutes of biography and career stories instead of getting actionable teaching.

What We Did Differently

Small group. Real relationships. Multiple days of access—morning coffee sessions, informal conversations, actual feedback on how you teach.

We ran practice together. Then we sat down and debriefed it. That's how you actually learn.

And here's what stood out to our attendees: we asked more questions than were asked of us. It was a conversation, not a speech.

Three Practice Takeaways You Can Use Today

1. You can have really high standards and be messy at the same time.

Our practice looked chaotic compared to the clean drills happening on the other courts. But we held the line on what mattered—especially mistake response. Technical foul for slamming the ball in frustration. Every time. Mistakes of play? We celebrate those. Mistakes of attitude? Immediate consequence.

2. See a hundred things, address one.

Mark and Clare were brilliant at this. They watched, let the reps flow, then brought the group in and gave them one thing to fix. Not five. One. Then sent them back out to apply it immediately. That's how improvement actually happens.

3. Preparation and debrief matter more than practice time.

We spent time before practice getting aligned on objectives. We spent time after celebrating each other and identifying what to adjust. If you only have a 2-hour window with your staff, cut practice by 15 minutes. Spend 5 preparing and 10 debriefing. Your shortened practice will be more effective.

The Real Problem (And What I Learned at GCU)

I worked with Grand Canyon University's JV squad this week. These are smart, skilled players who've already been playing games.

I asked them: "What are you trying to do on offense?"

Silence.

They couldn't articulate it. After 30 minutes working through Space → Advantage → Shot, everyone could say it. But here's what really hit me:

When we got to a neutral offensive possession, I said, "Run one of your plays."

They froze.

They had practiced the plays. They knew the plays. But they couldn't trigger them with speed under pressure. Which means those plays were useless.

If your players can't trigger your offense on their own, it doesn't matter how good your system is.

You're probably too complex. You're moving too fast. And your language isn't clear enough.

That's what traditional coaching approaches miss. And that's what we're fixing at SAVI.

Want the full conversation? Mark, Clare, and I break down everything we learned from the clinic and that GCU practice. Watch the episode here

Stay SAVI,
-Tyler

P.S. A question for you today, coach…

What’s one area of coaching clinics you’d change if you could (or that you already have changed)?

Hit reply and let me know. Can’t wait to read about it.