Would Your Players Say This About You?

Today’s blog is a POSITIVE REFUELER from TeamsOfMen.

I know I spend a lot of time writing about the ways coaches—and the male athletes they serve—can get trapped in the Manbox and cause harm.

But this…

This is the other side of the work.

The postgame press conference from Howard University men's basketball seniors—speaking at length about the impact their head coach, Kenneth Blakeney, had on their humanity—is refreshing.

It speaks to the WHY behind this work.

It speaks to the delayed scoreboard we tell you about—the one you have to learn to value if you choose this path.

And it speaks to something a lot of us struggle with:

Sometimes getting your “flowers” has nothing to do with the scoreboard.

In this case, Howard had earned a trip to the Big Dance…

And this moment still came AFTER a loss to Michigan Wolverines men's basketball.

That matters.

Because it reframes what “winning” actually looks like.

I encourage you to watch it.

And then ask yourself—honestly:

• Would my guys say this about me?

• Should they say this about me?

• Have I earned this?

And then make moves based on your answers.

Coach Prompts

• What do your players value most about your leadership—effort, results, or how you treat them?

• If your season ended tomorrow, what would your seniors say about you when you’re not in the room?

• Where are you chasing scoreboard wins at the expense of long-term impact?

Player Prompts

• What makes a coach someone you respect—not just someone you play for?

• How has a coach impacted you beyond basketball?

• What would you say about your coach if they weren’t in the room?