Allison Spaschak

Great coaches make the little things mean something. Cori Close does that over and over in this clip. “You don’t just become tough. You earn tough.” She’s not just talking about toughness. She’s teaching players that toughness is built through what they repeatedly do. Then: “Can we call passes and names every single time because that’s a point of discipline and character?” That’s what great coaching looks like. Take a small behavior and connect it to a bigger standard. Calling names on passes isn’t just communication. It’s discipline. And over time, those disciplines shape character. Then she says: “Ang, you made that happen. Good job on that flash.” Not just “good job.” She tells the player exactly what she did well so she knows what to repeat. That’s the art of coaching. Be clear about what you want. Explain why it matters. Recognize it when you see it. Reinforce it until it becomes who your team is. Because what you consistently teach, notice, and reinforce eventually becomes your culture. Connect the little things to the bigger things. Then reinforce it again and again. Great coaching is often found in the details.