Happy Wednesday - Make sure you’re taking game shots.

Player Entitlement vs. Player Empowerment: Walking the Tightrope

Every coach I know wants the same thing. Confident players. Players who take ownership. Kids who believe in themselves and aren’t afraid of competition. That’s empowerment, and when it’s done right, it’s a powerful gift. When done wrong, it can be debilitating.

The challenge is that empowerment can quietly slide into entitlement if we’re not careful. And the current sports landscape doesn’t exactly help. Players watch college athletes hit the transfer portal the second adversity shows up. They see high school kids with NIL deals before they’ve played meaningful varsity minutes. They see highlights get more attention than team success. None of that is automatically bad, but it shapes expectations. And those expectations walk right into our office.

So the real question becomes this: how do we build confident players who also understand that effort, accountability, and role acceptance still matter? How do you convince a parent that the best thing for the team ultimately outweighs what’s best for their child? That’s the tightrope we’re all walking.

When Talent Meets Expectations

I’ve been in this spot more than once. A talented 8th grader is coming into the program, and before I’ve even watched him in an open gym vs. older players, the first question from the parents is, “Is my kid playing varsity?”

Not what he needs to work on. Not how he can earn it. Just whether it’s already decided.

Sometimes the answer is easy. The kid really is that good. More often, it’s complicated. That player might have talent, but there are juniors and seniors who’ve been in the program, who’ve put in the work, who’ve waited their turn. Now this younger player has to earn his place, not just assume it because he’s gifted.

That’s where entitlement can creep in. Empowerment says, “You’ve got the ability to compete for that spot.” Entitlement says, “That spot should already be mine.”

Last Year Doesn’t Carry Over

This shows up with returning players too. A kid started last season, logged big minutes, maybe earned some recognition. When October rolls around, he walks into the gym expecting things to pick up right where they left off.

But the program didn’t stop when the season ended. Other players kept working. Some of them improved a lot. A JV kid grew, got stronger, or found confidence. A freshman showed up ready to compete. A transfer moved in who can really play.

Last year’s role doesn’t guarantee this year’s role. When players expect a spot instead of competing for it, you start to see the warning signs of entitlement.

So Where’s the Line?

This is the struggle we manage every day. We want players to have a voice. We want them to feel ownership. But having a voice doesn’t mean deciding on lineups or minutes. Ownership means taking responsibility for preparation, effort, and attitude, not demanding outcomes.

Empowerment looks like letting players lead, asking for their input on team identity, and trusting them with responsibility. Entitlement shows up when players expect roles they haven’t earned, question every decision that doesn’t go their way, or mentally check out when the season doesn’t match their expectations.

The line isn’t always obvious. And how we handle those moments often determines which side of it our players land on.

What’s Non-Negotiable in Your Program?

Every program has to answer this honestly. Somewhere along the line, there need to be standards that don’t change based on talent.

Maybe it’s effort. Maybe it’s how teammates are treated. Maybe it’s being on time and locked in during practice and film. Whatever those standards are, they have to hold for everyone. When we bend them for talented players, we’re not empowering them. We’re teaching them that the rules only matter if you’re not good enough.

That’s a lesson that won’t help them long after basketball is done.

Question for you: How do you balance empowering your players without feeding entitlement? Where do you draw the line? And what standards do you hold as non-negotiable, no matter how talented the kid?

Building Your Coaching Staff: The Foundation of Every Great Program

This is the last part in a five-part series on assistant coaches - the most undervalued and crucial component of successful basketball programs.

Part 5: Growing Assistants Into Leaders

We've spent the last four segments talking about hiring the right assistant coaches, delegating effectively, and maximizing their impact on game days. But none of that matters if you're not also intentionally developing the coaches on your staff. This final piece is about something that often gets overlooked in the craziness of a season: your responsibility to help your assistants grow into the coaches they're capable of becoming.

Remember When…

Think back to when you were just starting out. Maybe you had a mentor who invested in you, who pulled back the curtain and showed you what coaching really looked like beyond the X's and O's. If you did, you know how valuable that was. If you didn't, you probably remember wishing someone had taken the time to guide you through the parts of the job nobody talks about.

My first coaching job was at Franklin Central under John Rockey. He didn't treat me like a clipboard holder. He gave me real responsibility, allowed me to give input on decisions, and included me in conversations that most head coaches keep to themselves. He pulled back the curtain on all the administrative things you have to handle as a head coach off the court - the stuff that has nothing to do with basketball but are super important to running a program. He gave me real responsibility during games, too. That experience was invaluable, and I wouldn't be the coach I am today without it. If you had a mentor like that, pay it forward. If you didn't, be the mentor you needed when you were coming up.

Growth Only Happens Through Opportunity

You can tell an assistant coach they're doing a great job all day long, but words don't develop coaches. Opportunity does. The only way assistants grow is by being given responsibility, being allowed to make decisions, and yes, being allowed to fail sometimes. We talked about delegation in Part 3, but this goes deeper than just taking things off your plate. This is about intentionally putting assistants in positions that stretch them and prepare them for their own programs someday.

If your assistant wants to be a head coach eventually, ask yourself: What experiences are they getting under me that will actually prepare them for that? Are they just running drills and charting stats, or are they learning how to handle the full scope of what a head coach deals with?

Investing in Your Coaches Makes Your Program Better Now

Here's the part that won’t surprise you: developing your assistants isn't just about their future, it's also about your current program. When you invest in growing your coaches, they become more engaged, more confident, and more effective in their roles. An assistant who feels like they're learning and developing is going to bring more energy and more effort to your program than one who feels stuck or underutilized. I’ve talked to a ton of assistant coaches who are frustrated and not enjoying their experience because of their head coach’s approach.

You're not losing anything by helping them grow. You're gaining a better coaching staff right now, and you're building relationships that will last.

Practical Ways to Develop Your Assistants

So what does this actually look like in practice?

Provide real feedback. Not just "good job" or "nice practice." Sit down with your assistants and have honest conversations about what they're doing well and where they can improve. Treat their development the way you'd treat a player's development, with intention and specificity.

Include them in the off-court stuff. Budgets, scheduling, facility coordination, parent meetings, athletic director conversations. It’s important they see and learn about the administrative work that every head coach has to manage. Most assistants have no idea how much of this exists until they get their first head job and it hits them all at once. Let them see it now. Let them sit in on those meetings. Let them help you navigate a difficult parent situation.

Take them to coaching clinics. And not just as a tag-along. Go together, discuss what you're learning, and talk about how it applies to your program. These experiences build their knowledge base and show them you're invested in their growth.

Help them grow their network. Introduce them to other coaches. Encourage them to build relationships in the coaching community. A strong network is one of the most valuable things a young coach can have, and you're in a position to help open doors for them. I can promise you that most coaches get a head coaching job because of WHO they know, not necessarily what they know.

Closing Thoughts

Over these five segments, we've covered a lot of ground. The common thread through all of it is this: assistant coaches aren't just support staff. They're the backbone of your program, and how you invest in them directly impacts how successful your program can be.

Build your staff with intention. Develop them with purpose. And remember that the time you spend helping them grow is never wasted.

As we close out this series, I'd love to hear from you. What's the best lesson a mentor taught you as a young coach? Or if you're an assistant right now, what's one thing you wish your head coach understood about your role? Email me and share your thoughts.

The Scouting Report is your weekly dose of resources that can help your coaching. Plays of the Week, videos, drills, etc. What’s the old joke? The best coaches are just the best thieves?

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No “crazy parents of the week” this week - let’s take a week off and gain some sanity back.

We’ve all gotten that one message from a parent that makes you pause, blink twice, and say… “Did they really just send that?”

If you’ve got a funny, confusing, or just plain wild message sitting in your inbox, send it in to [email protected]. We’ll feature the best ones anonymously - names and personal info will be removed.

Let’s remind each other we’re not alone in this coaching journey.

That’s a wrap on Episode 30 of Game Shots. Thank you for subscribing.

My mission has always been, and will always be, to support coaches around the world who love the game and want to keep getting better.