Are You Coachable?

Robert Bernard
Aug 5
4 min read

Updated: Aug 5

Proof Basketball Is 90% Mental: A Game for the Mind

My people perish for lack of knowledge.” — Hosea 4:6

If you’ve played or watched basketball long enough, you’ll eventually encounter undeniable proof: basketball is a game of the mind. Not of muscles. Not of hype. But of understanding.

Sure, it looks physical—jumping, sprinting, defending. But beneath the surface lies a deeper truth: the mind governs it all. The best players, regardless of age or background, don’t just play the game—they understand it. And those who don’t? They perish from a lack of knowledge.

The Hidden Cost of Not Knowing

Players who fail to learn the fundamentals of skills and maneuvers are headed for failure. Why? Because basketball is a problem-solving and purpose-driven game. And the answers already exist—they’re taught, passed down, refined by coaches and masters over time. Skills are known methods for solving problems. Maneuvers are purposeful actions taken on the court. Neither are born out of luck. Both are knowledge-based.

But most players just guess their way through the game. They dribble with no direction, shoot with no mechanics, pass with no purpose. They may look active, but their movement is empty—void of strategy, structure, or science. And like all things built on shaky foundations, it eventually collapses.

Coaching Is Essential, Not Optional

Basketball is more like martial arts or ballet than we like to admit. The movements are precise. The execution is layered. The success lies in the details. You need to be taught.

Take something as common as shooting or passing. These are mechanical processes that require full-body coordination—hips, shoulders, legs, eyes, and hands working in harmony to generate effective velocity and accuracy. None of this is common knowledge. None of this comes naturally. It must be taught. It must be practiced with intent.

That’s why guessing or mimicking highlight reels won’t make you great. Going at this journey alone is like walking in the dark. You may stumble across progress, but you’ll never master the path.

Time Doesn’t Equal Wisdom

Here’s the hard truth: time spent playing does not equal growth. A forty-year-old who’s played for decades but never been taught will be outplayed and outclassed by a properly trained teenager. It’s not about age or experience. It’s about knowledge.

The trajectory of a player who has been taught true skills and maneuvers will always exceed that of someone who simply plays. And unless the elder repents from the ways of pride and guessing, they will remain stuck in a cycle of mediocrity.

That’s why Be Like David Basketball was born—to offer players a path to repentance from the "old ways" of playing and lead them into the disciplined life of a student. To walk in wisdom, not wander in guessing.

The Gospel on the Court

This truth about knowledge isn't just found in basketball. It’s spiritual. The Bible says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” In Scripture, the mind is the battlefield. When God speaks of a “hardened heart,” He means a closed mind—a spirit unwilling to be corrected or taught.

God’s laws are not random rules. They are purposeful strategies for living. Specific. Precise. Designed to solve real-world problems. Just like in basketball.

In Scripture, God teaches spiritual skills and maneuvers for life.
On the court, the game itself teaches mental skills and maneuvers for basketball.

That is why basketball mirrors the gospel of Christ.

To win in either realm—court or life—you must learn, submit, and apply wisdom.

Be Like David: The Call to Repent and Be Taught

“Be Like David” isn’t just a catchy name. It’s a call to action.

David was a warrior, yes—but more importantly, he was a student of God. He obeyed instruction, honored his teachers, and used his skills to fulfill a higher purpose. That's the path we call players to follow. Not just to play basketball, but to study it. To understand it. To master it, not just physically—but mentally and spiritually.

Because basketball is 90% mental. Because the court is the mind. Because true knowledge saves.

So we train—not our bodies, but hearts and minds. We teach—not just moves, but meaning. We pursue—not just wins, but wisdom.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers.” —Ephesians 6:12

The same is true in the game; it is 10% physical. Basketball is mental warfare. Knowledge is power. Without knowledge, you will perish. With it, you will prosper.

Parents & Coachability

Lastly, our parents pass down coachability, here's how:

How you treat others expresses your coachability.

Be a help not a hinderance.

What you do on and off the court matters.

All character, values, and ethical training begins in the home. I always say, "Households create people." A parent has more influence and power than he or she knows, or they do know it. Either way, it's the examples we set as parents that communicate effectively to our children. How we speak to our family members, spouses, friends, how we handle adversity, who we allow around our children, being present, and our habits; all these aspects of parenting and more establish the personality and approach of our kids when they leave the home and enter the world.

In conclusion, whether it's feedback from a parent, coach, or mentor I too remain coachable. I believe a good coach is one that is still a student of the game. A coach that is still learning, remaining steadfast in the pursuit of knowledge is the road that led to becoming the coach I am today. Without my own personal quest for insight and understanding in my craft I can only coach so far. My pledge is I will always continue to grow and develop as a player, coach, and person.