Parish Sharkey

Plan pre-season from the fixture list backwards. The Memphis Grizzlies just did exactly that. Working with the front office and opposing teams, coach Tuomas Iisalo scheduled three preseason games in five nights, in three cities across two time zones (Grizzlies/MikeCheck, 12 Oct 2026). Why? Memphis open the season on 21 Oct and go straight into a four-game road trip: four games in six nights, across three time zones. Preseason was the rehearsal. Iisalo: "We've intentionally scheduled those three games … to develop different things and establish chemistry with the groups that are going to play together. Our weekend (was) spent evaluating and recovering from this stretch, which was designed to test our guys' conditioning." Then the part I like most. For the mini-camp week after, he warned against his own instinct: "as a coach, you feel a strong urge to cram a lot of different tactical stuff in there to make sure we have all the Xs and Os covered. But it's very important we don't overdo that … keep making incremental progress." The test also produced a clear diagnosis. Per the club, Memphis ranked top ten in preseason scoring, assists and pace, but bottom third in rebounding and rim protection. That became the focus of the week. Three decisions in one plan: 1. Design the stress test to copy the real early schedule. 2. Build in a recovery and evaluation window. 3. Don't pile new tactics on tired legs. Director lessons for football: • Agree pre-season friendlies with the coach as a sporting decision, not just a commercial one. • If the season opens with three games in a week, rehearse three games in a week. • Put the review window in the plan before the first friendly. • Ask the coach what he'll leave out.