If you look across the world of sports, some of the best teams, no matter what game they play, share the same basic principles.
They are fundamentally sound.
And while it may not be glamorous, the basics are important. Proper spacing or blocking technique may not be as flashy as a dunk or a 50 yard touchdown pass but they’re all part of what makes those good things possible.
So that’s what James Franklin and Penn State will focus on this spring. Not the big plays but the little details.
And when you think about Penn State’s issues last season that makes the most sense. The Nittany Lions had issues blocking, they had issues catching passes, even tackling wasn’t always as good as it could be. So maybe solid tackling skills won’t win anybody a national title, but it might just be the difference between a first down and a key punt. Little things making a big difference.
“Our focus this spring is going to be about techniques, not tactics,” Franklin said earlier this week. “Really try to get to our fundamentals, things like that. It’s our goal to identify play‑makers and put them in position to be successful.”
“Same on offense, defense and special teams. Although you guys know we have base philosophies, we want to find our play‑makers and put them in position to be successful, then develop our schemes around that.”
Certainly good fundamentals won’t make your players “elite” over the span of a week, but strong fundamentals can make up for a lot of shortcomings in other areas.
Just ask the San Antonio Spurs.
Sure, it’s a different sport and the level of play is different, but the concepts are the same. Be the best fundamental team in basketball and use those skills to win. The Spurs have never been overly flashy under coach Gregg Popovich. With multiple NBA titles under its belt, it’s hard to say the Spurs strategy isn’t working.
“The emphasis is always starting at the beginning and no skipping steps,” Popovich said prior to this season. “So even though we won a championship, we don’t pick up from there, we go back to the beginning and start working on the basics and the fundamentals again. So (preseason work) nothing really exciting, just hard work all over again.”
So much like the winter workouts and the lifting in the summer and all the little things Penn State does throughout the year, this too is important.
Fundamentals may not be flashy, but they’re important.
Just ask anyone who has ever won anything worth bragging about.
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