‘No Complacency’ – the unstoppable Coach Ettore Messina talks tactics
08 December 2008
Euroleague champions CSKA's head coach identifies the qualities a team needs to make it to the top – and stay there.
Everyone calls my team ‘unstoppable’. Everyone except me. More often than not I’m focusing on our weaknesses and mistakes rather than our strengths. That’s because what distinguishes a good team from a great team is the ability to take care of the details every day. It’s about looking for the right angle, the right timing, bending your knees on every shot. These are the little things that make a big difference. I call it NO COMPLACENCY.
After the detail comes focus. I’m not afraid of long practices but I also know you can’t switch concentration on and off like a switch. That’s why we never spend more than two hours practicing - but those two hours are all OURS. Body and mind and heart must be on the court. In short, WE PLAY LIKE WE PRACTICE.
We’re lucky at CSKA because the club understands that pressure doesn’t make players. The team knows they’re expected to give 100% of themselves every game - but they also know even 100% doesn’t mean they’re invincible. Once we have analyzed our game, we move on to the next one, not overreacting to a loss or relaxing about a win. This ability to reset mentally after any game is of incredible value. It’s all about THE NEXT GAME.
I have been lucky in my career to have coached players willing to accept responsibility in tough moments, under very high pressure. This is essential to a strong team. I see it day to day, where my veterans are always ready to support the rookies. If I’m tough on any of them I can be sure that Trajan or Matjas or JR will be ready to explain to him why I reacted and the right response. They understand that they are the true owners of the team, not the president, not even me.
Thanks to this and all the qualities I’ve identified, I will admit that we’re hard to stop. But what gives me more pride is knowing that the day we get stopped (and it will happen) we will be able to say we gave 100% of ourselves and can shake hands with our opponent, congratulate them and move on to the next challenge.
Coach Ettore Messina
Develop your game with tips and advice from Coach Ettore Messina, on his monthly NikeBasketball.com blog.
If you have any questions or comments for his next post, or to tell us his advice helped your game, email: nikebasketball.europe@nike.com
Everyone calls my team ‘unstoppable’. Everyone except me. More often than not I’m focusing on our weaknesses and mistakes rather than our strengths. That’s because what distinguishes a good team from a great team is the ability to take care of the details every day. It’s about looking for the right angle, the right timing, bending your knees on every shot. These are the little things that make a big difference. I call it NO COMPLACENCY.
After the detail comes focus. I’m not afraid of long practices but I also know you can’t switch concentration on and off like a switch. That’s why we never spend more than two hours practicing - but those two hours are all OURS. Body and mind and heart must be on the court. In short, WE PLAY LIKE WE PRACTICE.
We’re lucky at CSKA because the club understands that pressure doesn’t make players. The team knows they’re expected to give 100% of themselves every game - but they also know even 100% doesn’t mean they’re invincible. Once we have analyzed our game, we move on to the next one, not overreacting to a loss or relaxing about a win. This ability to reset mentally after any game is of incredible value. It’s all about THE NEXT GAME.
I have been lucky in my career to have coached players willing to accept responsibility in tough moments, under very high pressure. This is essential to a strong team. I see it day to day, where my veterans are always ready to support the rookies. If I’m tough on any of them I can be sure that Trajan or Matjas or JR will be ready to explain to him why I reacted and the right response. They understand that they are the true owners of the team, not the president, not even me.
Thanks to this and all the qualities I’ve identified, I will admit that we’re hard to stop. But what gives me more pride is knowing that the day we get stopped (and it will happen) we will be able to say we gave 100% of ourselves and can shake hands with our opponent, congratulate them and move on to the next challenge.
Coach Ettore Messina
Develop your game with tips and advice from Coach Ettore Messina, on his monthly NikeBasketball.com blog.
If you have any questions or comments for his next post, or to tell us his advice helped your game, email: nikebasketball.europe@nike.com
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