Preparing for the Worst- The Best Way to Build Anticipation Skills in the Flexbone Triple Option Offense

This is the thesis of Bob Knight’s (2013) book, The Power of Negative Thinking.  Here, Coach Knight discusses how coaching must surround the concept of preparing for the worst–instead of coaching with blind optimism.

Here is one of the highlights of Coach Knight’s theory of preparing for the worst and how this can build anticipation skills in the Flexbone…

 Discipline is recognizing what has to be done, doing it as well as you can do it, and doing it that way all the time.

1. Always assume the player does not recognize what has to be done.

Continually define the player’s assignments and best pathway (technique) how to execute the assignment–continually!  Tackles zone step, grab grass, and pound the arches on their veer release; backside defenders open, run, and crash on scoop blocks; quarterbacks read #2 to #1 versus the stack on triple… etc.

2. Always assume the player can execute the physical technique better than he currently is.

Continually find what is the weakest point of the player’s technique and reinforce the error with education repairing the weakness.  The scoop isn’t good enough, the pitch route doesn’t have enough urgency, the block on the near deep defender isn’t good enough… etc.

3. repeat #1 and #2 for the rest of your coaching career.

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