When Coaches Look Away (And Why Their Players Might Be Too)

There’s this quote I saved that I’ve never stopped thinking about:

“To locate the problem is to become the location of the problem.” – Sara Ahmed (via Nicole Bedera)

And in my experience as a coach for 23 years, I am FINE (maybe even eager) to use film and reflection to locate issues in our PLAY on the court. I want the film to show me who didn’t rotate correctly, who missed an assignment or why we turned the ball over.

But when it comes to character issues, we as a group tend to “choose the matrix” so to speak. Because to locate misogyny, to find racism, or to see harm being caused by our guys (or ourselves) to is to have to deal with it. And that is why this quote made our blog this AM.

What we let go—what we pretend not to hear—what we hope someone else addresses? That’s not culture. That’s avoidance.
If we want our players to grow, we’ve got to be willing to be the location. Not just for blame, but for change.

Coach Prompt: “What’s one “joke,” phrase, or behavior your team has normalized that you’ve never actually addressed?”

Optional Player Prompt: “When have you looked the other way—because calling something out felt too risky?”

#CoachPrompt #Accountability #SilenceCulture #PowerDynamics #EmotionalFluency