"I think some parents now look at a youngster failing as the final thing. It's a process, and failure is part of the process. I would like it if the teacher and the parents would connect more. I think that used to be, but we're losing a little bit of that right now"
About this Quote
Coming from a coach who built champions over decades, the observation challenges a culture that treats a stumble like a verdict. The emphasis on process reframes failure as information rather than identity, a necessary stage of growth rather than a signal to withdraw. When parents see a low grade, a missed shot, or a disappointing season as final, young people learn to fear risk and avoid challenges. They may get short-term protection, but they lose the long-term resilience that comes from absorbing a setback, adjusting, and trying again.
Mike Krzyzewski’s career has been grounded in the idea that improvement arrives through repetition, reflection, and the courage to make mistakes in pursuit of mastery. His well-known mantra, next play, captures a disciplined response to failure: acknowledge it, learn quickly, and move forward. In the film room after a loss, mistakes are not humiliations but data points; the same logic belongs in classrooms and homes.
The call for stronger ties between teachers and parents addresses a growing fragmentation. Families are busier, communication is often reduced to terse emails or online portals, and schooling can feel transactional. Distrust has crept in, with parents sometimes approaching educators as adversaries or service providers. A genuine partnership sets shared expectations: students will take on difficult tasks, errors will happen, and adults will coordinate feedback and support. That alignment gives a child a coherent story about effort and improvement instead of mixed signals that elevate grades or wins over learning.
Youth sports and education have been professionalized, with rankings, showcases, and high-stakes testing pushing adults toward outcome obsession. Krzyzewski argues for an older communal model where coaches, teachers, and parents collectively develop character and competence. Failure still matters, but as a catalyst. The real measure is not an unblemished record; it is the capacity to adapt, persist, and turn experience into skill. Connected adults make that transformation more likely and more humane.
Mike Krzyzewski’s career has been grounded in the idea that improvement arrives through repetition, reflection, and the courage to make mistakes in pursuit of mastery. His well-known mantra, next play, captures a disciplined response to failure: acknowledge it, learn quickly, and move forward. In the film room after a loss, mistakes are not humiliations but data points; the same logic belongs in classrooms and homes.
The call for stronger ties between teachers and parents addresses a growing fragmentation. Families are busier, communication is often reduced to terse emails or online portals, and schooling can feel transactional. Distrust has crept in, with parents sometimes approaching educators as adversaries or service providers. A genuine partnership sets shared expectations: students will take on difficult tasks, errors will happen, and adults will coordinate feedback and support. That alignment gives a child a coherent story about effort and improvement instead of mixed signals that elevate grades or wins over learning.
Youth sports and education have been professionalized, with rankings, showcases, and high-stakes testing pushing adults toward outcome obsession. Krzyzewski argues for an older communal model where coaches, teachers, and parents collectively develop character and competence. Failure still matters, but as a catalyst. The real measure is not an unblemished record; it is the capacity to adapt, persist, and turn experience into skill. Connected adults make that transformation more likely and more humane.
Quote Details
| Topic | Parenting |
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