How Bill Self Contextualized Adversity

We all have been through tough times that we would rather forget.

April 06, 2022

When Kansas Coach Bill Self walked off the court at halftime of the National Championship game on Monday night, his team trailed 40-25 to the University of North Carolina.

The Jayhawks hadn’t played well in the first half, and no team in tournament history had ever come back from a 15-point deficit. But Self knew this wasn’t the time for a Knute Rockne speech and didn’t need to remind his players what was at stake.

So, he instead did what a great leader does in times of despair — he contextualized the adversity.

“I told them, 'Would you rather be down 15 points at halftime or nine with [two minutes] left?' because that's what happened in '08. They all said 15," Self said.

After he had painted the adversity picture for all to see, Kansas rallied to win, 72-69.

In a 2010 paper written by Mark D. Seery, E. Alison Holman and Roxane Cohen Silver titled “Whatever does not kill us: cumulative lifetime adversity, vulnerability, and resilience,” the authors conclude through case studies:

“Exposure to adverse life events typically predicts subsequent negative effects on mental health and well-being, such that more adversity predicts worse outcomes. However, adverse experiences may also foster subsequent resilience, with resulting advantages for mental health and well-being. In a multiyear longitudinal study of a national sample, people with a history of some lifetime adversity reported better mental health and well-being outcomes than not only people with a high history of adversity but also than people with no history of adversity.”

A basketball game isn’t a lifetime of adversity or a life-and-death matter. Self knew his team was resilient, and the Jayhawks had been through past adversity in 2008, which left a lasting impression on the program. Despite the fact none of his present players was on that roster, the echoes of the past were part of Kansas’ fabric. Instead of saying “Woe is us” and feeling sorry for themselves, Self used the dark memory to light the fire for the second half.

We all have been through tough times that we would rather forget. But according to Seery, Holman and Silver, forgetting the past won’t help us build a better future.

Using the haunted memory does, however, allow us to become more motivated, focused and determined. At times, being happy makes people care less about details, which makes them less persuasive and more prone to errors.

Selt’s team wasn’t happy at the half, and by contextualizing the problem, he persuaded his players to overcome adversity and eliminate their mistakes.

Congratulations to the Jayhawks.