“Alpha Energy” Isn’t Leadership — It’s Lazy Coaching
My good friend Greg Plater sent me a post today with his classic “Thoughts on this -ish” prompt — and my response was instant: big nah from me. The same tired “alpha” language, the “be an a-hole” bravado, the idea that being “nice” disqualifies you from competing. It’s the same Man Box nonsense dressed up as hoop wisdom.
Sure — you can’t be timid. You can’t be indecisive. Playing with force matters. But running around like a jerk? That guarantees nothing.
Isaiah Stewart and Ron Holland try to fight somebody every other game — and the Pistons got bounced early. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t start anything with anybody — and he’s a champion. It’s not complicated.
“Play with rage and fury” sounds cool on a hype edit. But in real basketball? It’s the fastest route to two charges, three missed kickouts, and a dumb foul 90 feet from the rim.
And here’s the bigger problem: this mindset isn’t rare. Too many coaches, parents, trainers, and players have convinced themselves that “go hard” means “turn off your humanity.” As if shutting your feelings off magically produces better decisions, better reads, or better leadership.
It’s the opposite.
-You can’t reach clarity if you don’t know what’s happening inside you.
-You can’t find intent if you’re drowning in unmanaged emotions.
-You can’t compete at your highest level if your only gear is “anger.”
You don’t suppress emotions. You channel them. You process them. You become fluent in them and what they are signaling about yourself.
And the cherry on top? The guy also said “trainers don’t care if you eat.” Science, performance research, and basic biology all say the exact opposite. Fuel matters. Energy matters. Recovery matters. That line alone should disqualify the whole message.
We can do better than rage-bait masculinity disguised as player development.
COACH PROMPTS
Are you teaching players to feel their emotions or to fear them?
Where in your program is “toughness” actually harming decision-making?
What would your team look like if emotional fluency was trained as intentionally as physical skill?
PLAYER PROMPTS
Do you play better when you’re angry — or when your mind is clear?
Which emotions do you avoid that you actually need to understand?
What would happen to your game if you learned to channel your feelings instead of stuffing them?
