October 17, 2011

Diary Series: Matthew Graves, Assoc. Head Coach - Butler

'Maintaining a Culture'

What an unbelievable feeling - the official start of the college basketball season!!! If you are not excited for this time of year than it is certainly time to look at pursuing other opportunities. After playing in back-to-back National Championship games, people often ask, “Is the 3^rd time going to be the charm?” It is certainly flattering to think about but usually the next question “How have you been able to attain/maintain that type of success?” is what everyone wants to know. The answer is really simple “Culture” but the process of “Maintaining the Culture” is what is so difficult.

Over the past two seasons, we have lost eight players to graduation and two more players to the NBA. This season we will have six new faces on the roster and a total of nine freshmen and sophomores that will be counted on in various roles. In this program, we have always put an emphasis on having upperclassmen that not only lead vocally but by example as well.  This season is no different with the exception that there are fewer upperclassmen so it’s even more critical for us, as a coaching staff, to help maintain this culture. We must strive to find teachable moments everyday and provide examples that not only enhance are older players but continue to educate the new ones.

The culture that we have created is commonly known as “The Butler Way”. The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness, accepts reality yet seeks improvement every day while putting the team above self.  Again, the concept itself is not difficult but the process of actually putting into practice is the difference between sustained achievement or an up/down road.  This entire process begins with holding ourselves accountable everyday whether it is in pre-season conditioning, academic work, practice, game preparation or out in the community. I cannot stress enough that part of the reason for are success is we, as coaches, get to coach basketball everyday with very few distractions to the goal of improving daily. The enjoyable part to this point is the amount of time we have spent going back to square one not only in teaching the fundamentals on the court but really talking about what it means to be on a TEAM and part of a culture.

I believe each year a team can take on a new or different identity (i.e. Rebounding team, Pressing Team, 3pt shooting team, etc.) but the “Culture” cannot be sacrificed in order to maintain that consistent success that all of us strive for in this profession and life. The Butler Way has been a blueprint of success for us at Butler and will continue to be an unwavering part of the success that we have in are program each year.  Finally, here are a couple of questions that we posed to the team as we began preparing for the upcoming season.

Have you ever been on a true Team? If so, describe it?

Does the energy level in the room rise, stay the same or lower when you enter the room?

I wish all of my colleagues the best of luck this season and hope that you are able to either maintain or create your own culture this season that will carry over each year.

- Matthew Graves