🏀 How to Be a Coachable Basketball Player
There is no such thing as an elite or high performing 9 year old or a 12 year old professional athlete. In basketball, talent is often a driver to keep players improving but it is actually coachability that takes that talented athlete the distance.
At One Thru Five Basketball, we see it every day: the most successful players aren’t always the most athletic. They’re the ones who are hungry to learn, willing to be challenged, and focused on becoming better.
Legendary coach John Wooden, who won 10 NCAA Division 1 titles with UCLA, built his coaching philosophy around a simple idea: success is a journey, not a destination. His famous Pyramid of Success outlines the character traits that make someone not just a great athlete, but a great person. If you want to be coachable, start by mastering the foundation of that pyramid.
Let’s break it down.
💯1. Industriousness — Work Hard. Every Day.
Coachability starts with effort. Wooden placed industriousness—hard work—as one of the two cornerstones of success. No player can improve without it.
What it looks like:
Showing up early and staying late
Giving your best during every drill, not just scrimmage
Treating practice like game day
💡 Challenge: Try this at your next session—push through the last 10 minutes with the same energy as the first 10.
💕2. Enthusiasm — LOVE the Process.
Wooden paired hard work with enthusiasm—genuine love for the game and the grind. Coachable players bring energy, even when things aren’t going their way.
What it looks like:
Encouraging teammates
Responding to feedback with “Got it!” or “Thanks, Coach”
Smiling through the hard sessions
💡 Mindset shift: Instead of thinking “I have to train,” say “I get to train.”
🙌 3. Friendship & Cooperation —Be a Great Team mate.
Coachability is just as much about how you interact with others as how you play. Wooden emphasized cooperation, loyalty, and friendship as building blocks to team success.
What it looks like:
Celebrating others' success
Playing your role, even if it’s not the spotlight
Trusting your coach and teammates
đź’ˇ Try this: After practice, thank a teammate who pushed you to improve.
🔒 4. Self-Control & Alertness — Stay Locked In.
Coaches love players who can take feedback without frustration, and adjust in real time. That takes self-control and alertness, both key blocks in Wooden’s Pyramid.
What it looks like:
Controlling your body language when benched or corrected
Being mentally engaged, even when you're not on the court
Noticing what’s happening in drills and learning from others
💡 Coachable moment: If you’re subbed out after a mistake, ask what you can do better, and be ready to go when your number’s called.
🙏 5. Faith & Patience — Trust the Process.
Improvement doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes being coachable means doing the little things right, over and over, even when you don’t see instant results.
What it looks like:
Believing in your coach’s plan
Staying positive during tough games or training slumps
Letting your growth happen over weeks and months
đź’ˇ Remember: Your journey is your own. Trust it.
Final Word: Coachability Is a Skill
Being coachable isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being willing. Willing to try, to listen, to grow. It’s a skill you can practice, just like your jump shot or handles.
At One Thru Five Basketball , we’re not just building better basketball players—we’re helping build future leaders, one rep at a time.
Train with purpose. Learn with humility. Play with passion.
The One Thru Five Team
