Blisters
The first thing I would show players at our initial day of training was how to take a little extra time putting on their shoes and socks properly.
The most important part of your equipment is your shoes and socks. You play on a hard floor. So you must have shoes that fit right. And you must not permit your socks to have wrinkles around the little toe where you generally get blisters — or around the heels.
I showed my players how I wanted them to do it. Hold up the sock, work it around the little toe area and the heel area so that there are no wrinkles. Smooth it out good. Then hold the sock up while you put the shoe on. And the shoe must be spread apart–not just pulled on the top laces.
You tighten it up snugly by each eyelet.
Then you tie it. And then you double-tie it so it won’t come undone because I don’t want shoes coming untied during practice, or during the game. I don’t want that to happen.
That’s just a little detail that coaches must take advantage of, because it’s the little details that make the big things come about.
— John Allen
UCLA Bruins (left to right) Mike Lynn, Lucius Allen, Mike Warren and Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), with Coach John Wooden, celebrate after beating North Carolina to win the 1968 NCAA championship.
One of the most successful basketball coaches in the history of college basketball. John is famous for leading the UCLA Bruins to numerous victories, including a record-setting number of consecutive wins and championships.
Imagine how the skilled and over the moon the players must’ve felt. They were excited to show their game, but on their first practice session with the legendary coach, he said they’d learn how to tie their shoes.
Wooden’s idea was that forming good habits, even in small things, is what separates winners from losers in games.
You can read more about him, here.
They add up for higher returns.