7 Recent Coaching Phrases and Quotes That Have Caught My Attention

If his parents had their way years ago, Pellegrino Matarazzo would likely be putting his applied mathematics degree from Columbia University to use on Wall Street.

Instead, the American-born soccer coach is being hailed a hero in northern Spain this week after leading low-budget Real Sociedad to a prestigious Copa del Rey title.

Matarazzo said his club’s recent surge could in part be attributed to a tweak he made to his coaching style, essentially simplifying what he communicated to players.

“I had a tendency in the past to overload players with information,” he said. “I’ve learned to select and individualize, so the players can invest energy without thinking too much.”

The ability to deliver just the right amount of digestible information to team members is a skill that typically takes years to refine.

Matarazzo’s “select and individualize” is one of the more intriguing leadership phrases and ideas I’ve read about in recent weeks. This week’s Best of 7 features six others that have caught my attention:

2. “Wait a week and the narrative always changes.”

Less than seven days ago, the Orlando Magic was a game from its season ending and coach Jamahl Mosley likely being dismissed.

But after a blowout win in an NBA play-in game followed by another gritty victory in the first game of the playoffs against top-seed Detroit, the Magic has a second life.

The improved play seems in part attributable to a light-hearted, but invigorating, film session in which Mosley showed players tape of themselves from high-pressure games during their college days.

“It makes everybody feel a bit better," guard Jalen Suggs told ESPN. "You remember where you came from.”

While there are likely additional factors behind Orlando’s surge, Mosley’s motivational tactic appears to have resonated — and is a valuable reminder of just how fast a seemingly dire situation can flip.

“Wait a week and the narrative always changes,” Mosley said.

3. “Permission to be confident.”

The San Francisco Giants have struggled a bit to start the baseball season, but I liked this phrase from new San Francisco Giants Manager Tony Vitello after his team knocked off the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first two games of their series this week.

Vitello pointed out that athletes like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant didn’t need stats or the scoreboard to have self-belief — but that most of us don’t actually function that way.

“You’re still human,” he said. “You need the feedback to know that you’re doing the right thing and to feel good about it.”

It reminded me or what golf and mental skills coach Dr. Rick Sessinghaus told me in our interview last month.

“People want to generalize that it's not about the outcome,” Sessinghaus said. “And I'm going, it is about the outcome. Can we just admit it? Then can we get into the processes in the training that are going to give you the best opportunity.”

4. “Empower and micromanage.”

This was a thought-provoking phrase used by Mercedes F1 team CEO Toto Wolff to describe his leadership style.

But to Wolff, “empower and micromanage” isn’t the contradiction that it may appear.

“For me, micromanagement is not about doing everything. It’s about knowing everything that is happening in the organization,” Wolff said.

“Empowering and letting mistakes happen. Empowering and looking at the organization, about decision-making, about relationships, and how people work with each other.”

5. “Turn every page.”

The Oklahoma City is favored to win a second-consecutive NBA title.

But in an era of extensive coach and player turnover, how has team president Sam Presti assembled a seemingly selfless roster, balancing homegrown talent and the right free agents?

“Turn every page,” Presti said of his talent evaluation philosophy, borrowing a line from one of his favorite authors, Robert Caro.

“We have to really understand and go through every iteration to ensure that we're not shutting off potential pathways that could really help us or get us to another level, whether it's now or in the future. ... I think by turning every page, you give yourself every opportunity."

My interpretation of turning every page is remaining curious, humble and continuing to give weight to details that may initially seem trivial.

6. “Forget about it.”

I didn’t include this because I think it’s good advice — rather the opposite.

Sessinghaus, the golf and mental skills coach, told me he thinks vaguely throwing out “Forget about it” and trying to quickly dismiss a mistake is often a cop out.

“’Forget about it’ is for those who don't want to address the emotional side of it,” he said. “I want to look for patterns as quickly as possible.”

It was good perspective that simply glossing over a failure because it’s painful can be a squandered opportunity. Disappointment can offer larger clues if we’re willing to search.

7. “Spring anxiety.”

It’d be hard to fault Curt Cignetti if he exhaled a bit after leading the Indiana Hoosiers to the first football national championship in school history.

But instead, he remains on edge, fearing that what he’s seen so far in practice isn’t living up to the standard.

“I’ve always got this spring anxiety. Always,” he said.

“Spring anxiety” strikes me as a healthy paranoia that will likely push Cignetti and his program to another level.

It’s also a good indication that while he’s already climbed the mountain, he’s far from satisfied.