Here is a great competitive half court offense drill that allows you to work on your offense while also emphasizing your defense. Teams play “live” 5-on-5 starting at half court. (If you have 12 players, you could have three groups and play 4-on-4).
Defensive team starts out by working to get a single stop. (A stop means gaining possession of the ball either by a steal, a defensive rebound, or by an offensive turnover.) After getting one stop, the defense then attempts to get two stops in a row, then three, then four and finally five straight stops.
If the offense scores then they get to play defense. The two teams alternate back and forth until one team gets five stops in a row.
The drill can also be done backwards with each team staying on defense until they get five straight stops. When both teams have stopped five straight then they compete to get four straight stops, then three, then two, then one
“Stops” A Half Court Offense Drill that Emphasizes Defense
Half court man defense versus halfcourt man offense. 5-on-5 with both the offense and defense playing “live.” This drill is done halfcourt only. Be sure to discuss with your defense your specific approach to switching screens.
The defense must get five stops in a row. A stop means getting possession of the ball or off of a turnover by the offense. The defense is allowed only one foul. If a second foul is committed, the five stops count resets to zero.
After five stops, the defense gets to switch to offense. The drill then begins again, but the switch counter goes from five to four. Each time the drill resets, the counter drops. This half court offense drill allows for an emphasis on half court defense.
One gripe you hear on social media, talk radio, and from various coaching outlets is the following: “The fundamentals of the game are lost!” The question then comes back to this: Why are basketball “fundamentals” lost? And if that truly is the case, what can be done to fix it?
As all coaches (and parents) know, what you emphasize is what you believe in. As coaches, if we do not emphasize the fundamentals then your players will not work on the fundamentals. The next question to this conundrum is what exactly are basketball “fundamentals”?
Fundamentals can be defined as the basics of the game, skills all players need to have to be successful basketball players. I believe the fundamentals center around three skills: shooting, passing, and dribbling. In our practices and drills, we strive to do things to improve our players abilities in these three areas. Below are 3 “fundamental” drills that help to teach these three skills with some fundamental principles.
Drills to Practice Basketball Fundamentals
Drill 1 (2 Foot 2 Hand Drill)
This is a super fundamental drill that will have players working on attacking a defender’s hip, landing on a 2 foot jump stop, and finishing strong through a padded defender.
Drill 2 (4 on 3 Passing)
This drill brings in the lost art of the “pass fake.” In this drill, the offense’s goal is to complete 10 clean passes without a defensive steal or deflection. The key is each offensive player must keep a foot on either the block or the elbow (whichever they were assigned). This also works on an important part of both offense and defense:communication.
Drill 3 (Perfect Passing)
This is a great drill to make sure our passes are hitting our teammates in stride, it works on our communication, and we can even test how our players do in a little more difficult situation when we randomly changedirections in the middle of the drill.
I hope you enjoyed looking through these three fundamental drills!
Kyle Brasher | Gibson Southern High School
Lady Titans Basketball Coach
Switching screens on defense is a crucial tactic in high school basketball that can make a big difference in the outcome of games. It involves players seamlessly exchanging defensive assignments to disrupt the opposing team’s offensive flow and reduce the chances of giving up easy points.
In this blog post, we’ll dive into the world of switching on defense, exploring the benefits of this strategy, key principles to keep in mind, and tips for executing switches effectively. Whether you’re a player or a coach, this guide will help you master the art of switching on defense and take your team’s performance to the next level.
Switching Screens on Defense
The topic for this blog comes from a question asked by fellow coach in Idaho. Last week JT contacted us regarding switching screens in his man-to-man defense. Although the answer seems simple, the underlying message is one that I think every coach could benefit from.
JT’s question: “What is the real point of switching screens in a typical man-to-man defense?”
Now like many of you when I first read this question I started to immediately think of reasons why a coach might call a “switch everything” defense.
Switching screens allows your players to stay in the passing lanes and gives them a better chance to get a steal.
Switching puts your players in a better position to take a charge.
Switching screens might surprise the ball handler forcing him or her to pick up their dribble.
Switching screens gives the offense a different look and challenge that could easily disrupt their offensive momentum and flow.
Switching neutralizes those offenses that rely solely on screens to start their offense or to free up their shooters for open shots.
The real answer to JT’s questions is that you switch screen in hopes of taking something away from your opponent. You are adjusting your defense in hopes of causing panic and frenzy for the offense that will in return result in more possessions for your team.
Pros and Cons for Switching Screens
Switching on defense can be a powerful strategy in high school basketball, but it also has some potential downsides. Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Pros:
Versatility: A switching defense can be effective against a wide range of offensive schemes, as it allows defenders to quickly adapt to different players and situations.
Communication: Switching requires players to communicate effectively and work together as a team, which can improve overall cohesion and trust on the court.
Disruptive: A well-executed switch can throw off an opponent’s rhythm and force them into taking difficult shots or committing turnovers.
Cons:
Mismatches: Switching can sometimes lead to unfavorable matchups, with smaller or weaker defenders matched up against larger or stronger opponents.
Fatigue: Constant switching requires a lot of movement and can be physically demanding. This could potentially lead to fatigue and reduced effectiveness over time.
Overall, the decision to use a switching defense should depend on various factors. Among those: the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, the team’s personnel and abilities, and the coach’s philosophy and preferences.
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Basketball is a sport that requires both offensive and defensive skills. And while flashy scoring gets much of the attention, a solid defense is equally important to winning games. In basketball, one of the key aspects of defense is on-ball defense, which involves guarding the player with the ball and preventing them from scoring or passing effectively.
In this blog post, we’ll explore 10 fundamentals of on-ball defense according to coach Ernie Woods, including techniques, strategies, and tips for becoming a more effective defender on the court.
10 Points for On-Ball Defense
Ernie Woods has have long been recognized as having one of the best defensive minds in the game of basketball. The following 10 points come from the chapter entitled “On Ball Defense” from his book Advanced Basketball Defense.
Ball pressure is the single most important element of team defense.
To be successful, players must possess a working knowledge of the basic defensive concepts and fundamentals.
“On Ball” defensive fundamentals are comprised of three basic components: Pressuring and attacking the player with the ball, containing a dribbler and attacking the picked up dribble.
Pressuring the ball handler makes dribbling and passing more difficult, and increases the chances of an offensive mistake.
When guarding a player with the ball, the defender should attack and take away the “Triple Threat” options by forcing the opponent into dribbling.
The defenders should influence ball handlers to the closest sideline or baseline push point. In keeping the ball out of the middle of the court (“Red Zone”), it not only reduces the offensive operating area, but it also creates help side defense.
On dribble penetration, it is important that the defender protect the “Elbows” and “Blocks”. Do not allow the dribbler penetration into the three second area.
Defenders should constantly anticipate and immediately attack any player that picks up their dribble.
Defenders must have a hand up and contest every shot. Since shooters know where the ball is going as soon as it leaves their hand, they must be boxed out.
Taking a charge is a really big play in basketball. However, in taking a charge, players need to be taught to absorb contact by tucking their chin in and executing a shoulder roll.
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For many High School programs across the country, summer basketball stands filled usually with team camps, summer games and individual workouts. Many view summer as the ideal time to work on your basketball weaknesses and turn them into strengths. As such, most coaches and trainers put individual development as a top priority. This might involve strengthening their athletes’ off hands, increasing their shooting range or improving their physical strength and athletic ability. The goal evolves quickly to make as many improvements as possible before school starts.
With so much emphasis and concentration on developing top notch athletes, some coaches often neglect the importance of strengthening the overall team chemistry. The summer can often make or break a high school team and while I agree that individual development is extremely important, I’m convinced that coaches should also give equal attention to the meshing and bonding of their team.
Summer Basketball: The Perfect Time for Team Bonding
One common myth is that team chemistry is best built during the spring because it allows the kids to interact everyday with each other at school. However, there are many others that argue this is not true. Here are two reasons why the summer may be the best time of the year to develop team chemistry:
Because school is out, many of the everyday distractions such as homework, teenage social drama and “non teammate” friends will be out of sight and out of mind.
Summer is also a time when it is easier for your athletes to view you and your staff as being coaches and friends who have their best interest at heart rather than teachers and authority figures. In other words, kids seem to bond better and quicker in more relaxed atmospheres.
10 Options for Team Bonding
Because of the current economy, many coaches are hesitant to promote team bonding with the use of expensive activities may prevent some athletes from participation. Here are several inexpensive yet fun and effective activities that you and your team can do this summer.
Overnight camping trip
Team hike
Day on the river or lake
Pizza Party and watch the big game (NBA playoffs, Major League baseball, World Cup soccer, WNBA)
Video game competition
Conduct a clinic or summer camp for younger kids
Play city league softball or soccer
Movies
Frisbee Golf
Service project for boosters (yard work, painting, hauling debris)
The possibilities here are endless. The important thing is to spend some time together and to have fun. Guaranteed it will pay off next winter!
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Other than parents, coaches have a bigger impact on the lives of young people than just about everyone else. As coaches we know and understand that fact and are often quick to point out to others how our influence has helped the weak become strong, the average become good, and the good become great. Even though we don’t publicly keep score, many of us take detailed mental notes of how many athletes are obviously better off both on and off the court because they participated in our program.
However, what many don’t realize or admit is that there have also been some athletes who are not better off because they were coached by us. In fact, some of these players leave us worse off than when they started!
How does that happen? The answer can often be found in the principle of self fulfilling prophecy which basically says that when someone strongly believes something about themselves, they often adjust their behavior to make those beliefs come true. Because of our position and influence, we as coaches often play a huge role in the development and nurturing of these beliefs even if we don’t realize it at the time.
How We Sabotage the Success of Your Own Players
We usually do this in four incremental steps. The results can either be an upward spiral that leads to improvement, fun, and success or a downward spiral that leads to stagnation, frustration, and failure.
Step 1: Early Impressions
The first step takes place when we form our early impressions and expectations of each of our players. Sometimes this is done during tryouts and other times it takes several days and even weeks of careful observance. Occasionally we even form our impressions and expectations based on the information given to us by others.
Regardless of exactly how and when it is done, we eventually establish a mental picture of the potential value and corresponding expectations of every one of our players.
Step 2: Revealing Our Expectations
The second step occurs when we both directly and indirectly reveal those expectations to our players. This happens directly by telling each player what you expect his or her role to be. Then, constantly telling them specific ways to expand those roles. Expectations can also be indirectly revealed as well by spending more time coaching the better players and less time with the others.
Many coaches also seem to naturally develop stronger, more personal relationships with their top players. That leaves more casual, business like relationships with the bottom of their roster. Soon, players know their worth to the team by how their coach interacts with them.
Step 3: The Weight of Those Expectations
The next step in the cycle finds the athletes responding either positively or negatively to the way they are treated. The special few, the ones author Tim Grover calls “relentless,” ignore the expectations and treatment of others because they have such high expectations of themselves.
However, the majority of players gradually start to mirror whatever the coach expects of them. Those with great expectations become great. Those with lesser expectations seem to get worse as the season progresses.
Step 4: Confirmation Bias
The fourth step takes place when the coach tells himself something like “I knew he would become one of our best players.” Or, “I’m not surprised. I knew she would never amount to much.” Once that happens, either higher or lower expectations get re-established and then revealed by the coach. The behavior of the athletes then adjusts to reflect the new expectations, and the entire four step process is started over.
Obviously not every player can be the team’s leading scorer or rebounder. But every player can be treated with respect and given the necessary support and encouragement to maximize his talents and to reach his full potential. Like it or not, nearly everything you say or do influences your players in one way or another.
Don’t be satisfied that you’ve had a positive impact on some of your players or even most of your players. Make the commitment that you won’t be satisfied until you’ve made a positive impact on all of your players.
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There are thousands of basketball drills available in videos, books, and on the internet these days. But how can you tell which one’s a good practice drill and which one isn’t? That’s among the most difficult aspects of practice planning for new basketball coaches. Sometimes, though, it’s as easy as finding a veteran coach and building off what they used to be successful.
Here are 9 tips to recognize a good basketball practice drill that I learned from ultra successful coach Burrall Paye.
Practice Drill Tip 1: Make It Game-Like
When I was in school I was always frustrated by the teacher who would teach us tons of stuff only to find out that none of it was on the test. The gym is your classroom and the games are the test.
Help your students (players) pass the test (win the game) by teaching them what they need to know and giving them a preview of how to apply it. If it doesn’t happen in the game don’t do it in your team practices.
Practice Drill Tip 2: Make It Relevant
There are a lot of coaches who fill their practices with drills that they ran when they were in high school or college or with “favorite” drills that they have picked up along the way – even though those same drills have absolutely nothing to do with their current offense, defense, or coaching philosophy.
If a drill is not applicable or transferable to what you are trying to teach your current teams then don’t do it!
Practice Drill Tip 3: Make It Progressive
If you can lift 10 pounds in September and are still lifting 10 pounds in August you might be lifting all the time but you’re not getting any stronger. The same is true with your drill work in practice.
The best drills grow right along with your players and give them the opportunity to improve over the course of the entire season.
Practice Drill Tip 4: Make It Competitive
One of the most important and productive things you can teach your players is how to be competitive and the use of competitive drills is a great way to do this.
Whether your players are competing against another player or team, competing against themselves or competing against the clock they will benefit from increasing their competitive level as well as their skill level. Most non competitive drills are useless.
Practice Drill Tip 5: Incorporate Conditioning
Ask yourself this – how much does your team have to run at the end of practice to improve their conditioning? If it’s a lot then you are not using enough drills that contain a built in conditioning component.
Keep everyone moving, reduce standing around and remember that just about every half court drill can be turned into a full court drill with just a little tweaking.
Practice Drill Tip 6: Don’t Be Too Complicated
Great drills should make your players stretch their levels of skill, concentration and teamwork and in many cases should be tougher than an actual game situation.
However, the drills should not be impossible to master, especially at lower levels where constant perceived failure could permanently damage a player’s confidence.
Practice Drill Tip 7: Keep Groups Small
We all know and accept the fact that repetition is the mother of all learning. Then why do we run drills where lots of players are standing around watching and then only get a few repetitions when it is finally their turn?
Instead, divide the team in half and run the same drill at both ends of the court so there is less standing and more practicing. Better yet, utilize all your assistant coaches and managers and organize a series of timed drill stations where every player is constantly working and learning.
Practice Drill Tip 8: Incorporate Decision Making
If you can teach your players to be competitive and make good decisions you’ve already won half the battle. This is difficult for those coaches who want complete control over every possession and every player. That said, teaching kids how to make good decisions is synonymous with teaching them how to play.
Since there are a limited number of timeouts, at some time in every game your players will need to make some decisions on their own. It’s better that they learn how to do that in practice instead of “winging it” when the game is on the line.
Practice Drill Tip 9: Keep It Fun
Granted, not all drills need to be fun but at least they should be interesting and challenging. This is especially true with younger players and as the season progresses. LA Clippers assistant coach Kevin Eastman says that fatigue and boredom are the two biggest practice killers.
Be creative. You wouldn’t want to eat chicken cooked the exact same way every single night for 6 months! So of course, your players don’t want to run the exact same closeout drill every single night of the season!
Don’t fall into the trap of drilling just for the sake of drilling. Make sure each drill is run with a purpose and fits into your practice objective for that particular day. If you follow the 9 tips above you can become what Kevin Eastman calls a “skill coach not a drill coach.”
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail! Quickly create, organize, & manage your practice plans all in one place to help win games.
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Regardless of the age or gender of your athletes, or the amount of coaching experience you possess it is probably safe to assume that you have established some sort of offensive philosophy. While every coach is surely unique, all offensive philosophies can be boiled down to two distinct types; motion offense or the use of quick hitters.
There are many coaches who insist on arguing that one type is certainly better than the other, but the fact of the matter is that there are multiple ways to be successful. Instead of blindly following the crowd, my advice is to simply implement what you are most comfortable teaching!
Utilizing a motion type of offense offers several advantages.
All five players will be involved in the offense
There are equal scoring opportunities for all players
Teams who are not as quite athletic but more disciplined than their opponents can thrive in this system
However, a quick hitting offense also has its advantages:
Quicker scoring opportunities often results in more scoring opportunities
Your best players get the most shots
Favors an up tempo style of play
If you are a coach who has already established a quick hitting offensive philosophy or are looking into changing to this style of play, here are 6 tips for improving your quick hitters.
Tip 1: Check the Speedometer
Remember a quick hitter is intended to be carried out quickly! One of the biggest flaws that many coaches fail to notice/correct is the speed at which the play is being executed! Running the set in a speedy fashion does a couple different things;
Puts the defense in a situation where each player has to react quickly
If even one defender fails to react quickly or correctly your offense will surely be left with a wide open shot attempt
Tip 2: Know the Scoring Options
One of the biggest advantages of running a quick hitter is that you can dictate and control the scoring opportunities! You can easily place your top three scorers in positions where in a matter of seconds one or all of them will receive multiple looks at the basket. First of all, make sure the plays you select compliment the strengths of your top players.
Secondly, make sure your every player knows and understands the sequence of available scoring options. It’s extremely frustrating and usually counterproductive when a role player takes the first shot opportunity instead of waiting for the play to develop.
Tip 3: Maintain Great Spacing
A common objective in many quick hitters is to develop mismatches and then exploit them. However if your team does not maintain great spacing throughout the set it will make it much easier for the defense to prevent any mismatches. Great spacing also allows for other scoring opportunities outside your “big three.”
With so much focus placed on your primary scorers, the defense often will not be able to properly guard all five offensive players. With proper spacing your role players will usually find themselves in many more scoring situations than if everything is bunched up.
Tip 4: Set Good Screens
No matter which type of offense you run, whether it is motion or quick hitters, you will need to establish good screening actions. By setting good screens you can free up shooters for open shots, make it easier to reverse the ball, put defensive players in situations where they have to make instant decisions, and create mismatches for your best scorers.
Although some coaches may think of the ability to set good screens as a minor issue, I promise you it makes the world of difference when done properly and consistently.
Tip 5: Stress Execution
When utilizing a quick hitting system it can occasionally be very easy for players to get caught up in playing and completely abandon the play. While this may be acceptable in certain situations, it may be very detrimental in others.
Hold your players accountable and stress perfect execution. The players must have trust in you as their coach and allow the play to unfold before improvising or going to “Plan B.”.
Tip 6: Quick Hitter into Motion
This tip is a little more advanced than the others but can pay huge dividends! As mentioned before, many quick hitters are designed to establish mismatches and then to exploit them. If you can coach your team to transition your quick hitters smoothly into a motion type offense, the defense will have no time to adjust between the two different philosophies in order to counteract the mismatch.
Using this strategy forces opponents to not only defend the initial quick hitter but also the disciplined movement of your motion. For younger teams this is nearly impossible!
Bonus Tip: If you are coaching older players, try running a motion type offense that leads into a quick hitter. If you play with a shot clock, run motion for 1-20 seconds. Then get right into a predetermined quick hitter. (If you don’t play with a shot clock try using a set number of passes as a guideline.) This strategy will give you the best of both offensive worlds. It will keep the defense constantly off balance, and is extremely difficult to scout.
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In basketball, a motion offense is a style of play that involves constant movement and cutting to create scoring opportunities. While it can be highly effective, it also has its drawbacks. In this blog post, we’ll explore the advantages and disadvantages of using a motion offense and how it can impact your team’s performance on the court.
Advantages of the Motion Offense
As a basketball coach, I have found that utilizing a motion offense can be incredibly effective for our team. This is a style of play where players constantly move and cut to create open shots and scoring opportunities. It requires players to be quick on their feet, good at reading the defense, and able to make quick decisions.
One of the biggest advantages of using a motion offense is that it can be difficult for the defense to predict and defend against. With players constantly moving and cutting, it can be challenging for the defense to maintain their position and stay in front of their man. This can lead to open shots and scoring opportunities for our team.
Another benefit of this offense is that it encourages teamwork and unselfish play. With players constantly moving and cutting, it requires them to be aware of their teammates’ positions and make quick passes to create scoring opportunities. This can lead to a more cohesive team and a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Overall, I have found that a motion offense can be an effective and exciting style of play for our team. It requires hard work and dedication from our players, but the results are well worth it.
Disadvantages of the Motion Offense
As a high school basketball coach, I have seen that while a motion offense can be effective, it also has some disadvantages that should be considered. One of the main challenges with a motion offense is that it requires a lot of skill and coordination from the players. Players need to be quick, agile, and able to read the defense to effectively execute a motion offense. If the players are not skilled enough, it can result in turnovers and missed opportunities.
Another disadvantage of a motion offense is that it can be difficult to teach and learn. It requires a lot of practice and repetition for the players to master the various cuts and movements involved. This can be a challenge, especially for younger or less experienced players.
Additionally, this offense can be vulnerable to aggressive defenses. Teams that play a lot of pressure defense or have strong defenders can disrupt the flow of the offense and limit scoring opportunities.
Overall, while a motion offense can be an effective style of play, it is important to consider the skill level and experience of the players before implementing it. It also requires a lot of practice and preparation to execute effectively.
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail! Quickly create, organize, & manage your practice plans all in one place to help win games.
Create detailed practice plans! Add drills, notes, diagrams, videos, & groups with an easy-to-use interface to create a detailed practice plan in no time!
Like many of you, March Madness is one of my most favorite times of the year. Conference tournaments, selection shows, the men’s NCAA Tournament, the women’s NCAA Tournament, and the NIT all provide enough coverage to keep even the most dedicated basketball junkie in hoops heaven. But with all of those squads in the mix, it can be hard to tell the difference between them. Thing is, there really are only four types of basketball teams.
One of the things that I enjoy most is the opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of some of the most successful programs in the country. After all, every team practices, every player lift weights, and every coach prepares as thoroughly as possible.
Does this mean that talent is the only thing that separates one team from the next and the ultimate champion from the team on the bubble? Fortunately, all of the media outlets produce enough interviews, “all access” segments, and human interest stories that we fell like we are literally behind the scenes. The extensive media coverage often gives us an insider’s glimpse as to what exactly separates the good from the great.
If you watch closely you will notice that generally speaking the majority of teams fall into one of four general categories:
Basketball Teams: Type 1 – Team in Name Only
These basketball teams are not really teams at all but instead are a group of individuals all wearing similar uniforms. The coach may have a plan but the players don’t buy in and often end up forming their own sub groups (cliques). While each of the groups is usually friendly with the other groups they never actually get on the same page either on or off the court.
Teams like this will never rise above their own individual talents. They can usually beat the really “bad” teams but struggle against teams with an equal or greater amount of individual talent. A team that lacks individual superstars but plays well together can beat teams like this.
Basketball Teams: Type 2 – The “Good”
Good basketball teams have a small core (2-3 players) of players that have bought in to the coach’s vision and are able to have at least some positive influence on their teammates. These players usually set a good example both in word and action but the team’s success often lies in their ability to motivate their teammates. Often a couple other teammates will temporarily buy in but will eventually return to their old ways, unable to sustain the mental and physical effort necessary to be championship level players.
Teams like this will usually beat the bad teams and will occasionally get a victory now and then over another good team depending on how many other players have joined the core group at that particular time. Of course, they often lose to other good teams too.
Basketball Teams: Type 3 – The “Great”
This is where it really gets fun for coaches and players alike. Everybody, from the best player all the way down to the least skilled player, is on the same page in terms of work ethic, commitment, and attitude. Everybody accepts and fulfills their roles to the very best of their ability. And is genuinely happy when a teammate plays well. No one really cares who gets the credit as long as the team is successful.
Great teams like this will often beat opponents with superior talent. Their focus, trust, and teamwork will make up for any deficiencies in talent. As a result their win-loss record is always outstanding because they win several games a year that could easily go either way. The 2012 University of Louisville men’s team is a recent example of a great team. They didn’t have one single player make first, second, or third team all-conference. Yet, they won the Big East Tournament and made it all the way to the Final Four.
Basketball Teams: Type 4 – The “Legacy”
What the difference between a great team and a legacy team? Sometimes it’s talent. When vastly superior talent is combined with the commitment, focus, and work ethic found in great teams then the opportunity exists to be involved in something very special.
But more often than not, legacy teams are created and developed off the court. Teams like this believe in their established core values and culture so much that it becomes an integral part of their individual and collective personalities. Team members look after each other off the court. They look for ways to help each other off the court. They refuse to do anything off the court that might hurt the team on the court. Legacy teams are more like families than basketball teams!
Legacy teams don’t come along often enough. Mostly because of all the different personalities, backgrounds and agendas of team members. If you are lucky enough to be involved with such a team, whether you are a player or a coach or a fan, take advantage of it and enjoy every second.
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At the end of the season as coaches prepare for the upcoming season, there may be some changes on a coaching staff. When that happens, the opportunity to interview potential new coaches presents an opportunity to interview coaches in an attempt to find a good candidate to fill that open basketball assistant position.
Basketball Assistant Interview Questions
When interviewing potential assistant coaches, I want to avoid asking surface level types of questions. I want to try to dig deep to see what kind of person we are interviewing for the open position.
The types of questions I am interested in asking interested applicants center around two main things: 1. Their philosophy in the game of basketball, and 2. Their values that could rub off onto our young players.
Question 1: What is your offensive development philosophy?
Rationale: I really enjoy asking this question to ensure the applicant we are interviewing is going to fit in with our philosophy as a program. We are a program that likes to spread the ball out and into the hands of as many people as possible. If they believe in isolating and only having one true scorer, this could be a potential issue down the road.
Question 2: Why do you want to help coach in our program?
Rationale: As a coaching staff, we are very protective over our players and the people we introduce into their lives. I want to know exactly why this individual has expressed a desire to become a coach in our program. Are we a potential springboard for another job they are truly after? Are they just looking for a resume builder? Or are they genuinely interested in our players not just as basketball players but invested into the future of America? Those are the types of people I want to have on our staff.
Question 3: What’s the most important part of a player/coach relationship?
Rationale: This question ties in with question 2 but gets a little more specific into the player and coach dynamic. As a head coach, it is vital to have assistant coaches that can develop positive relationships with your players. There is a ton of day to day activities that a coach has to take care of, and unfortunately a byproduct of that can be difficulty in chatting with each and every player on a regular, consistent basis. That is where you need quality assistant coaches to develop these relationships with your players. This question will really get into the heart of how they envision themselves developing that relationship.
Question 4: How will you go about developing trust with the players?
Rationale: This is the final piece of the puzzle in coaches developing quality relationships with their players. Trust is hands down one of the most important things in any relationship. We need our players to trust the entire coaching staff and we need the entire coaching staff to trust each other. Hearing how the applicant will go about developing this trust is something I really need to hear.
As I stated at the beginning, I feel like if someone is applying for a basketball position, they have some basketball knowledge. That is why I only had 1 question on here that I was truly interested in asking in regards to basketball. The most important thing I am looking for in an assistant coaching is someone that is going to develop positive, trusting relationships with our players. That is why I always like to ask those final 3 questions.
When most of us think of coaching basketball and other types of coaches, we tend to look at the entire scope of the profession. However, in reality there are actually five distinct phases. There are no definite timelines for each of these phases and their natural progression depends on each individual coach.
Beginning Phase of Coaching Basketball
As with most professions, people get into coaching for several different reasons. Some are ultra competitive and want the adrenaline rush that comes with being in the arena. Some are attempting to relive or regain their youth. A few “stumble” into a coaching position when they are approached and offered a job based solely on their previous playing experience. Many are former players who may have dome much more analyzing on the bench than actual playing on the floor. This means they are convinced they can do the job. Others saw one of their own coaches having so much fun that it looked like the perfect way to spend their time.
Of course, there are those who watch famous coaches on TV and want the same notoriety, money, and lifestyle. (I almost hate to admit it but I was looking for a job where I could wear shorts and t-shirts to work every day!) This phase is fun and exciting and challenging all wrapped together!
Meaning Phase
It usually doesn’t take long for people to realize that coaching is the greatest job in the world! They can be around the game they love, compete, and most importantly, can have a positive, long lasting impact on the lives of young athletes. These new coaches come to understand just how many life lessons can be taught and learned through the medium of basketball. The original reasons for getting into coaching is still in the back of their minds but now these rookie coaches attach a much greater significance to the work they are doing. In fact, those initial reasons, whatever they may have been, now just became extra perks as they take a back seat to influencing others.
Extreme Competition Phase
The third phase of coaching is one of extreme competition. In this phase coaches want to prove to themselves and to others that they can actually coach successfully and win some games. Coaches in this phase of their career are unusually motivated, dedicated, and focused, and are often perceived as being workaholics. Their win-loss record means everything to them as it becomes a visible reminder of the success and/or failure that has taken place.
There is often a great deal of stress in this phase! At the highest levels of competition much of the stress comes from the “win or else” stipulation that seems to accompany most high end coaching contracts. However, even at lower levels the natural competitive nature of most coaches is going to produce some stress, even if most of it is self imposed.
Coasting Phase
During the next phase of a coaching career, coaches find themselves content with “coasting.” By this time they’ve either proved to themselves that they can coach successfully or they’ve come to grips with the fact that they can’t. Either way they are content with their career and are now just happy with maintaining the status quo. They may not really want to quit coaching but yet they may not know what else to do with their time and energy. Depending on their individual situation there may be some financial ramifications if they no longer coach, so many coaches in this phase just hang on season after season.
Burn Out Phase of Coaching Basketball
The fifth and final phase of coaching basketball, and really any sport, is burn out. Sometimes coaches “retire” temporarily until they get the competitive spark back. Others can postpone this phase by making conscious decisions near the ‘end” of the extreme competition phase. Instead of settling in to a coasting frame of mind it’s possible to take on (or even invent) new challenges to keep the job fresh and exciting. This often involves taking over struggling programs where the challenges are high but the external expectations are fairly low. Many times a coach will come in, take the program from awful to respectable and then move on to the next awful program.
Of course there are some causes of burn out that can’t always be avoided or ignored. Recruiting, travel, parents, fund raising, generation gap, etc. are all aspects of the job that are nearly impossible to ignore depending on which level you are coaching.
So there are the five levels of coaching. Hopefully knowing and understanding them will help you prepare for and manage the rest of your coaching career.
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This much we know is certain: winning teams have common characteristics that separate them from losing teams. It’s no secret. As a matter of fact, I would say they are not just characteristics; they are actually high character-driven traits. Perhaps among the most important of these winning basketball traits is attitude.
Basketball Attitude
There is just not enough practice time in a given season at any level for skill development. A player truly grows through being what I call a gym rat. A gym rat is someone who lives in the gym or on the courts working on their game.
Gym Rats are continuing to decrease every year in my opinion. I feel that players have come accustomed to coaches organizing their skill time opportunities for them. As if coaches don’t set times and opportunities for players then the growth often doesn’t happen. We have now become a generation of convenience and having things done for us. I am sure if players could just purchase an App to get better they would.
At the college level, we recruit kids with high character and value hard work. Our job is often easier then coaches who coach high school or younger when it comes to skill development. For example, there were times this past summer the doors closed at midnight in our gym. I am telling you this not to brag, but to provide the results of the hard work that happened. We won our first state title in school history with having 4 all-conference players this past season.
Building Basketball Attitude in the Summer
Summer development benefits the whole team. You cannot simply win with one or two players that put up a lot points. For example, when I coached HS I had player scored 530 points in his senior season. We completed the season with only 5 wins. Why? Not enough scoring from others and easy to defend of our tactics.
Take a look at the winning teams in the last few years: Villanova, Golden State, North Carolina, Gonzaga, and even our team this season. If you view these team’s statistics, you would notice a trend of 4 to 5 players scoring in double figures every game. I believe role players still exist in some capacity and often are glue kids for a team, but coaching basketball is easy when you have multiple players that can score. It’s hard to defend and scout. Also, I think as a coach you can keep your offensive system very simple with many players that can score. You allow them to create and score on reads and reaction. We were able to complex our defense this season, which made it very difficult for other teams to compete with us.
The more commitment you get from players in the summer, especially dedication in skill development that team becomes harder to defend. Better players and deeper bench equals better practices as well. Practices become more competitive with players challenging each other for minutes. Summer development for all equals better results during season play.
Reward Team Attitude and Effort
In his book Extreme Dreams Depend on Teams, Pat Williams says the following about rewarding your basketball team’s attitude and effort:
The natural tendency of leaders and coaches is to reward individual achievements. The problem is that when teams succeed, it is so often the result of selflessness and sacrifice on the part of people who truly “think team” and never get the glory. So the job of the leader or coach is to dig a little deeper, look beyond the flashy accomplishments of the stars on the team, and finds ways to acknowledge and reward the hod carriers and role-players. Yes, we should acknowledge individual achievement – but we should also recognize the team as a whole – and especially those self-effacing, self-sacrificing team players who make their contribution without making headlines
Hand painted jersey portraits make a great gift for Senior Night or Banquets. They have worked hard and pushed themselves to the limit physically and emotionally. Give them a gift that will be cherished long after they graduate.
Let’s say at this stage in your career your skills are at point A and your goal is to get those same skills to point B. What is the quickest way to get your basketball skill set there? There is really only one answer and it is daily, repetitious, and purposeful practice!
Purposeful means that you are following a proven and workable plan. Repetitious means you are practicing the desired skill over and over and over again. Those two are the easy parts of the formula. It’s the daily requirement that’s the stumbling block!
The 10 Million Dollar Basketball Skill Set
At first thought it seems like shooting 2100 jump shots on a Saturday would be the same as shooting 300 shots a day for 7 straight days but it’s not. It’s the daily consistency that is going to strengthen your muscle memory and ultimately improve that skill. The same is true with passing, ball handling, post moves, defensive techniques, etc.
Think about this for a second:
If you take a penny and double it every day for 31 days, you’ll soon have more than 10 million dollars. However, if you only double it every other day for 31 days, you’ll wind up with $163.00. And if you choose to only add seven cents every Saturday instead of worrying about it every day you will finish the month with 29 cents. Ten million dollars versus $163.00 versus 29 cents.
Pete Maravich, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durrant, and Chris Paul are just a few of the many professional basketball players whose daily work ethics are legendary. Sometimes we see players like these and think to ourselves, “Well, if I made tons of money to play in the NBA, I’d work out hard every day too!” They don’t work out every day because they’re successful. . . .they’re successful because they work out every day!
Daily Work Takes Sacrifice
It’s not easy working on your game every day. On some days you’re going to be more tired than usual and on other days your friends are going to insist that you hang out with them instead of spending time in the gym. You have to have an extraordinary amount of self discipline to ignore all of the distractions that constantly tempt you from doing what’s important. (It might help you memorize the quote, “The things that matter the most should never be at the mercy of things that matter the least.”)
What is easy is telling yourself that missing a day every now and then is okay and that you’ll make it up some other time. The first time you miss you feel a little guilty about it, but you soon get over it. Then before you know it you’re missing more and more days without even thinking twice about it. Soon you decide just to do all your extra skill work just on Saturdays and you know what that gets you.
So I guess the question you have to ask yourself is, “Do I want a $10 million skill set or a 29 cent skill set?
Only you can answer that question and only you can do something about it!
Hand painted jersey portraits make a great gift for Senior Night or Banquets. They have worked hard and pushed themselves to the limit physically and emotionally. Give them a gift that will be cherished long after they graduate.
Having coached for forty years and looking back to those beginning times, I wish that I had had an article with tips for basketball coaches that would warn me of some of the pitfalls that were ahead of me.
However, at the time, I am pretty sure I wouldn‘t have read it and if I did, I would have thought that none of it applied to me. With that in mind, I decided to jot down ten thoughts for beginning coaches. The word beginning can be crossed out. That‘s because I think these thoughts can be useful for any coach. What do you think?
Not every player will be interested in every practice.
No matter how much experience you have or how great you are at teaching, you will encounter times in the gym when players are just not interested. Don‘t give in to the temptation to scold or yell. Instead, try changing your tone of voice. Try moving around. Try both. You can even switch from talking to a physical activity, like a scrimmage. The process of the scrimmage may increase the players‘ understanding and, possibly, their level of interest.
Teach them anyway.
If a practice is going badly, stop and regroup.
Even if you have planned a detailed practice and have a clear goal in mind, if your approach is not working – for whatever reason – stop! Regroup and start over with a different approach, or abandon your planned practice entirely and go on to something else. Afterward, be honest with yourself as you examine what went wrong and make plans for the next day.
Do it. Do it right. And do it right now.
Coaching will get better.
Maybe not tomorrow or even next week, but at some point, as you keep at it, your job will get easier. Do you remember your very first practice? Were you nervous? Of course. So was I.
See how much your coaching has already improved? By next year you will be able to look back on today and be amazed at how much you have learned and how much more easily you do your job.
You do not have to say yes to everything.
Do not feel that you must say yes each time you are asked to participate. Know your limits. Practice saying: Thank you for thinking of me, but I do not have the time to do a good job with another commitment right now.
Of course, you must accept your responsibility as a professional and do your fair share, but remember to be realistic about your time..
Not every player or parent will love you.
And you will not love every one of them, either. Those feelings are perfectly acceptable. We coaches are not hired to love players and their parents. Our job is to teach players and, at times, their parents as well.
Players do not need you to be their buddy. They need a facilitator, a guide, mentor, a role model for learning and for character.
You cannot be creative every day.
When those times happen, turn to outside resources for help. Coaching books, teaching guides, clinics, professional organizations such as high school associations and the NABC are designed to support you in generating well-developed practices.
When you come up with your own effective and meaningful practices—and you will—be sure to share your ideas with other coaches. And do so with both veterans and newcomers to the profession.
You can’t do it all, all the time.
No one can manage classes, students, players, recruiting, media and – oh, yes, coaching – all at the same time and stay sane. A little multi-tasking can be good, but you must know your limits. Beware of burnout.
You will make mistakes. That’s life, and that’s how you learn.
No one can undo their mistakes. And berating yourself for mistakes is counterproductive. If the mistake requires an apology, make it and move on. Mistakes are life. Life is not a game. No one is keeping score.
Some days you will cry, but the good news is that some days you will laugh. Learn to laugh with your players and with yourself.
This is the best job on earth.
Stand up straight. Hold your head high. Look people in the eye and proudly announce: I am a Basketball coach!
Hand painted jersey portraits make a great gift for Senior Night or Banquets. They have worked hard and pushed themselves to the limit physically and emotionally. Give them a gift that will be cherished long after they graduate.
No matter the level, every basketball coach is always searching for ways to improve their team. Finding the right ways to motivate your team might be one of the most difficult tasks facing any coach. Old methods might not reach the players of today in the same way. So it’s on coaches to find new and innovative tactics to deploy. That brings us to the University of Central Florida Women’s Basketball Team and their use of the 10/50 Rule.
The 10/50 Rule for Improvement
UCF’s 10/50 Rule aims inspire players to improve their lives both on and off the court. This rule states that you should always play to your strengths yet continue to work on your weaknesses.
To implement the 10/50 Rule you should do two things:
strive to improve those things that you already do well by 10 percent
decrease your weaknesses by 50 percent
The players are taught that the first thing they must do is to make an honest evaluation of all their strengths and weaknesses. Then they are left with the following thoughts and ideas:
There are certain things within their control and they must control the controllables.
No one has to do anything incredible
Everyone knows what they can get better at, and what they need to do less of or eliminate altogether.
Do what we are asked to do 10% better.
Don’t let the things that keep you from doing what you need to do occupy your mind.
Make it happen before it happens.
It takes work, not luck.
As you start to think about organizing your spring and individual workouts consider using the 10/50 Rule to get a huge advantage over your competition.
Hand painted jersey portraits make a great gift for Senior Night or Banquets. They have worked hard and pushed themselves to the limit physically and emotionally. Give them a gift that will be cherished long after they graduate.
Building the best basketball team possible remains the goal of any coach at any level of the game. It goes beyond selecting the starting five, or even defining specific bench roles. Sometimes, it’s the intangible qualities that separate the good teams from the great one. This particular blog post by Coach Bob Starkey examines the idea of building around a team’s strongest link, instead of dwelling on the cliched coaching axiom: You’re only as strong as your weakest link. Here’s what Coach Starkey had to say.
The Strongest Link
I have thought often over the course of the past two years about this particular blog post. Rarely do you want to tackle one of those life-long coaching axioms. But that’s what I’m going to do.
“You’re only as strong as your weakest link.”
Now don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying that your team wouldn’t be better if your weakest player had a great attitude and was a hard worker. But I am saying this:
“You’re only as strong as your strongest link.”
I base my premise on years of coaching. I have been fortunate to have coached some special teams. During my tenure on the college level I have been to six Final Fours — special teams indeed.
Some of those teams had a player or two that didn’t work as hard as they could have or didn’t have the best of attitudes. In fact, with a team, it is almost a safe bet that you will have one or two.
But the one thing those Final Four teams had was a player or players that were incredibly committed to having a great team. They were leaders in their actions and in their words. The best players on those teams were the hardest workers. The best players on those teams were the unselfish.
Coach Don Meyer said at the very first clinic I ever heard him speak nearly 20 years ago that “if your best player is your hardest worker than you have a chance to be good…but if he’s not, you could be in for a long season.”
The Strongest Link Can Hold the Chain Together
The strongest link is the most important because it is the link that holds the chain together. The stronger that link, the more links it can “carry” and “lift.” If you have a team that is top heavy with strong links than you are about to have a great season.
I believe a good coach can minimize the effects of a player with a bad attitude or poor work ethic if they are at the bottom of the chain…but if that weak link is at the top it’s going to break at some point and you will be scrambling to hold it together.
As a coach, I think it is important to recognize that and make sure that you put the necessary energy into communicating and motivating your strongest link. Too often we get caught as coaches spending 80 percent of our time on the bottom 20 percent of our team.
Developing the Bonds
Work hard to find and develop strong links. Talk to them about how important they are to the success of the team. Let them know that it is up to them to be the hardest workers when the coaches aren’t around. They need to be the most enthusiastic whenever everyone else is flat. Yes, they need to get on their teammates when necessary to hold them accountable but they most also know when and how to lift them when need be.
Make the time to meet periodically with your “strongest link” to coach him or her up. Give them the attention they need and make sure the team knows that you have his or her back. Coach your strongest link on what you need from him or her in all areas of the game — including on the floor, in the weight room and in the locker room.
I have also coached teams that had good talent but did not have a strong link at the top and those teams ALWAYS felt short of their potential.
I would add “the strongest link carries the chain.” How strong is your strongest link(s) and what are you doing to make them stronger?
Hand painted jersey portraits make a great gift for Senior Night or Banquets. They have worked hard and pushed themselves to the limit physically and emotionally. Give them a gift that will be cherished long after they graduate.
Basketball bench roles might not be the most glamorous, but having the right players in those spots often makes the difference between winning and losing. Fans often assume that coaches spend the majority of their time working with the starters. A team’s first five on the floor normally represent the five top players on the squad. These players usually lead the team in minutes played and produce the most. But what happens when one (or more) of these players find himself in foul trouble or suffers an injury? At that point, the coach needs to turn to the reserves for a boost.
The best basketball teams enter their season with defined bench roles for subs to play. These players might not be among the starting five, but knowing exactly what they’ll need to do when called upon helps them focus and prepare. This is an unspoken but integral element of teamwork and team building. Having the right makeup and mix of subs on a bench will elevate any team’s ceiling.
Here’s a look at four key bench roles for any successful basketball team to have.
Basketball Bench Roles
No matter how good a starting five might be, no team is complete without a deep and reliable bench. Subs can often change the trajectory and feel of a game. And when these bench players check into the basketball game with defined roles, they can excel.
The Defensive Stopper
While some squads slot their defensive stopper with the starters, having a lockdown defender among your reserves can completely throw off an opposing team’s best scoring option. Ideally, this player is someone who can stop dribble penetration, keeps a dominant post player from scoring, or denies the hot shooter touches.
If you can get some steals and generate some turnovers even better. The more of these you can do, the sooner you’ll get off the bench and the more you’ll play. Of course, if you can’t do any of these things without fouling too much you’ll be right back on the bench.
The Rebounder
Teams need offensive rebounds to gain extra possessions, get put backs, and draw fouls. A well-timed offensive board might lead to an open three or dispirit a taxed defense. On the other end, defensive rebounds end your opponent’s offensive possession and might just start a fast break break. Either way, rebounds impact the game immediately.
Building your bench with a top-flight rebounder will change the course of a quarter, if not an entire game. On my team, the leading rebounder off the bench gets to decide where we eat after the game.
The Energy Boost
Sometimes, the starters just come out flat. This may happen at the tip, or perhaps after a halftime lull. Regardless of when it happens, coaches value a sub who provides the energy boost the team needs. The stats might not appear in the box score, but everyone can see the importance of players filling basketball bench roles like this.
Taking charges, diving on loose balls, chasing down long rebounds, talking of defense, high-fiving teammates are all ways that subs can change the momentum of the game once they are on the floor. High energy is contagious and your attitude and hustle may get everyone else playing with greater intensity. Who knows how long you’ll be in the game so go full blast and leave it all on the floor.
The Microwave (Instant Offense)
The NBA’s Detroit Pistons sported a key player on their two championship teams in the late ’80s who provided an offensive spark off the bench. Vinnie Johnson earned his nickname, the Microwave, thanks to his ability to heat up quickly and score points when subbed in. Having a reliable scoring threat fill one of these pivotal basketball bench roles often leads to consistent winning.
It’s important that these players find the flow of the game quickly, instead of recklessly flinging shots while cold. But after a few trips up and down the floor, this player should look to hit that open three, or grab good position down low to a quick layup. In the open court, this player attacks with control and pressures the defense.
Hand painted jersey portraits make a great gift for Senior Night or Banquets. They have worked hard and pushed themselves to the limit physically and emotionally. Give them a gift that will be cherished long after they graduate.
This much we know is certain: winning teams have common characteristics that separate them from losing teams. It’s no secret. As a matter of fact, I would say they are not just characteristics; they are actually high character-driven traits. Perhaps among the most important of these winning basketball traits is sacrifice.
Key to Winning Basketball: Sacrifice
The ultimate trait is that of self-sacrifice, i.e. the ability to give up one’s personal glory for the success and betterment of the team.
I’ve been fortunate to witness firsthand how critical this is to success at the highest level. Who knows if we will get to The NBA Finals, but what I do know is that the two teams that reach the Finals will have highly talented players giving of themselves so that the team can win it all. It’s a rule of success at every championship level!
Giving up touches, giving up shots, giving up personal accolades, giving up your body by taking a charge or diving for a loose ball…that’s what championships are built on. These are the ultimate player sacrifices. Knowing and believing that what we do together is far more daunting to our opponent than what we do on our own. Opponents can handle individuals; it’s the true teams that are so difficult to beat!
So each player has to have that personal talk with himself. Does he want to win scoring titles or championships? Get his name in the paper or on a championship trophy? Be the best player on the team or the best team in the nation? How much work ethic does he have?
We know how championship caliber players would answer these questions, but you need to know how your players will answer these questions! That will give you a great indication of how far you may be able to go this coming season.
Hand painted jersey portraits make a great gift for Senior Night or Banquets. They have worked hard and pushed themselves to the limit physically and emotionally. Give them a gift that will be cherished long after they graduate.
I meet and learn from champions every day. Not just in locker rooms but in classrooms, hospitals, homeless shelters, homes and office buildings. I’ve learned that to be a champion you must Think Like a Champion.
Champions think differently than everyone else. They approach their life and work with a different mindset and belief system that separates them from the pack. Here’s a look at five ways to think like one.
1. Champions Expect to Win
When they walk on the court, on the field, into a meeting or in a classroom they expect to win. In fact they are surprised when they don’t win. They expect success and their positive beliefs often lead to positive actions and outcomes.
Champions win in their mind first and then they win in the hearts and minds of their customers, students or fans.
2. Champions Celebrate the Small Wins
By celebrating the small wins, champions gain the confidence to go after the big wins. Big wins and big success happen through the accumulation of many small victories. Developing teamwork certainly makes this easier.
This doesn’t mean champions become complacent. Rather, with the right kind of celebration and reinforcement, champions work harder, practice more and believe they can do greater things.
3. Champions Don’t Make Excuses When They Don’t Win
Champions don’t focus on the faults of others. They focus on what they can do better. They see their mistakes and defeats as opportunities for growth.
As a result they become stronger, wiser and better.
4. Champions Focus on What They Get To Do, Not What They Have To Do
Champions see their life and work as a gift not an obligation. They know that if they want to achieve a certain outcome, they must commit to and appreciate the process.
They may not love every minute of their journey. However, a champion’s attitude and will helps them develop their skill.
5. Champions Believe They Will Experience More Wins in the Future
Faith is greater than their fear. Positive energy is greater than the chorus of negativity. Certainty is greater than all the doubt. Passion and purpose are greater than their challenges. In spite of their situation, champions believe their best days are ahead of them, not behind them.
If you don’t think you have what it takes to be a champion, think again. Champions aren’t born. They are shaped and molded. And as iron sharpens iron, you can develop your mindset and the mindset of your team with the right thinking, beliefs and expectations that lead to powerful actions.
As coaches, we are accustomed to doing a lot of talking. Pre-season, in-season, and basketball postseason meetings remain a regular platform. We are accustomed to talking during practice, accustomed to talking in the locker room. Heck, some of us probably even talk basketball in our sleep. What can get lost in all this talking is the art of listening.
Our players have a ton to say and it is important that we take the time to open up our ears and listen to what we have to say. With most of our seasons either winding down or being over at this point in the year, there is no better time to start that process of listening than in your basketball postseason meetings.
Postseason Meetings: Basketball Players React and Reflect
These basketball postseason meetings are some of my favorite times of the year with my players. Thinking about and reflecting on my previous meetings, I really felt like I dominated the conversation as the coach.
After talking with my staff after this season, I wanted to shift the focus to the player and just listen. I provided the questions I would ask the players before their arrival to give them a chance to think about how they will want to respond. The questions that I asked are below:
What are your thoughts on the season for you?
What are your thoughts on the season for the team?
What is your goal/a role you want to have for next season?
What are you going to do to accomplish that goal?
The Process
When each player would come in, I would just go through each question and type what they would have to say. I felt like the first two questions are good reflection points on this past season while the last two questions are good things to think about this off-season and going into next season.
I would often provide some of my thoughts after question two on their season and inject some things for them to consider while preparing for their off-season work after question four.
The main thing I focused on this year was just listening and trying to get my players to open up their thoughts. I really enjoyed just listening and typing their answers down.
Wrap-Up
What I learned by turning the focus of the meeting onto them is it really forced them to think about the season and their performance. I immediately noticed that teenagers are not always the most comfortable talking about themselves, especially in terms of positive things. I really pushed them to think about parts of the season they felt like were successful for them.
So much of our society is wrapped up in the negative side of things that the things they did really well oftentimes get overlooked. I wanted to celebrate the success each of them had while also providing some coaching tips for them to consider as they prepare to enter the offseason.
I really enjoyed taking the time to really focus on my listening skills. This allows the players to take ownership of their season and what they want to accomplish this offseason. With them stating their desired goals and roles, I am hoping it will inspire and motivate them this offseason to work towards their goals and accomplish them. If our players do accomplish the goals they set out in our postseason meetings, then we have a great chance for huge success next season.
Kyle Brasher | Gibson Southern High School
Lady Titans Basketball Coach
Coaches always need to consider data when evaluating their team’s latest performance. That data often instructs what the focus might be for the next practice. But any given basketball game provides hundreds of potential data points. These contests also vary wildly given external and uncontrollable factors. So here’s a look at 10 Stats to Evaluate a Basketball Game.
10 Stats to Evaluate a Basketball Game
Turnover Margin
Rebounding Margin
Field Goal Attempts
Shooting Percentage
Free Throw Attempts
Defensive Effectiveness
3-Point Game
Floor Game
Assist Margin
Scoring Runs
The Breakdown
These 10 stats to evaluate a basketball game may seem arbitrary but they each focus on specific production.
Turnover margin and rebounding margin both indicate how well your team is controlling the basketball. Naturally, your team wants to limit turnovers on offense and leverage turnovers on defense. The same is true with rebounding. If your team is securing more missed shots, then your team has more opportunities to score.
Tracking those scoring opportunities are important as well. Considering no team will ever make every single shot it takes, having more total shots shifts the odds in your team’s favor. However, not all shot attempts are created equal. Your team should focus on quality shots.
Offense
Having quality shot attempts will improve your team’s field goal percentage. This efficiency stat stands as a key market for in-game success. Furthermore, your team should be look to leverage your best shooter while minimizing the weakest ones.
Free Throw Attempts stand among the highest percentage shots available, so piling up those tries are key. But it’s not enough to get the attempts, great teams make their free throws at a high clip.
Defense
For defensive effectiveness, your team should look to limit the opponent’s scoring opportunities. What’s more, your defense should make it a goal to limit opposing players to no more than 10-15 points.
The three-point game stands as an opportunity to leverage effective offensive play. Look to get your best distance shooters open shots while preventing the opposing team from similar opportunities. Your defense should force opposing shooters into creating their own offense rather than standing still and hoisting from deep.
Your team’s floor game consists of getting loose balls, 50-50 balls, taking charges, saving the ball, etc. These moments can be hidden on a traditional stat sheet, but they create additional opportunities for the team.
The team should always look to help each other and create offensive opportunities for teammates. Creating those opportunities stresses opposing defenses. Likewise, keeping the opposing team from creating a similar offensive flow hurts their rhythm on that end as well.
And each of these builds to swinging the game’s momentum in your favor.
Getting the right rhythm and flow to practice remains one of the most challenging aspects for most basketball coaches. It’s important to change up your approach from time to time to prevent players from getting board or simply going through the motions. Adding pace-changing basketball practice activities can inject new life into each session and set players up for success.
Basketball Practice Activities: Opposites
Opposites is a 10-minute scrimmage where every player can only use their opposite hand to dribble, pass, and shoot. Their strong hand can only be used to catch passes, and as a guide for shooting and dribbling transfers. Coaches ref the scrimmage to make sure everybody’s sticking to the rules. Every player on the winning team gets 1 point for “The Practice Breakers Board.”
This activity is hilariously fun, but also strongly encourages each player to work intensely on developing their opposite hand. It gets them in the habit of forcing the issue, and experiencing the intial ups and downs along with the rest of the team. “Opposites” is a tremendous team confidence builder, and is truely a blast. Have fun!
Basketball Practice Activities: Half-Court Heroes
For “Half-court Heroes,” 3 players spread across the half-court stripe. They will all back up several feet, and with a running start at the coach’s whistle, will each take a halfcourt shot at the same time. The challenge is for them to choose the proper height, distance, and speed that will allow their shot to arrive at a different time than their two teammates. Thus giving their shot a better opportunity to go in.
The only true rule is that all three players must shoot at the same time. Coaches ref this activity as well, and often join in with the team, which makes it even more fun. The player with the most makes at the end of 10 minutes, gets a point on “The Practice Breakers Board.” Your team will love it!
Basketball Practice Activities: Stick and Pick
“Stick and Pick” is one of the most engaging basketball practice activities. The coaches select a specific shot for every player to shoot. Whoever makes(sticks) it first, gets to pick the next shot for everybody to take until the next make, which can be any shot they want, regardless of the difficulty. The more difficult each shot becomes, the safer it becomes for the current leader to protect their point for “The Practice Breakers Board”.
There are only 2 simple rules. First, the shot must be attempted from no more than a few feet beyond the 3 point line, and must be shot from in bounds. Second, the line must rotate in order every practice, so each player gets the chance to be the first shooter. It’s very similar to “H.O.R.S.E.”, but is so much more challenging and engaging.
The last player to make a shot at the end of 10 minutes, will of course, get a point on “The Practice Breakers Board”. This is also another great opportunity for coaches to participate whenever they see fit. Enjoy!
Continuing the series of quotes for coaches, it’s time to look at the themes of practice and preparation. These two themes remain integral for the success of any basketball program. Finding the right words to inspire your team can be one of the most difficult tasks for any basketball coach. But sometimes, those words of wisdom might very well be the difference between an engaged and ready squad, and one that falls flat. Here’s a look at another set of great quotes for basketball coaches.
Quotes for Coaches: Practice
When I played with Michael Jordan on the Olympic team, there was a huge gap between his ability and the ability of the other great players on that team. But what impressed me was that he was always the first one on the floor and the last one to leave. – Steve Alford
But it’s the wrestler who can put the fatigue out of his mind and break through the “wall,” like a marathon runner after 18 or 20 miles, who will survive. The key to that survival is in hard workouts that develop mental confidence to the point where you won’t submit to fatigue and pain descending upon you. – Lou Banach
If I had stood at the free-throw line and thought about 10 million people watching me on the other side of the camera lens, I couldn’t have made anything. So, I mentally tried to put myself in a familiar place. I thought about all those times I shot free throws in practice and went through the same motion, the same technique that I had used thousands of times. You forget about the outcome. You know you are doing the right things. So, you relax and perform. – Michael Jordan
Practice without improvement is meaningless. – Chuck Knox
There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success. – Paul “Bear” Bryant
It takes less time to do something right the first time, than it does to explain why you did it wrong. – Unknown
It isn’t the hours you put in, but what you put in the hours. – Unknown
Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. – Vincent Van Gogh
The wise does at once what the fool does at last. – Gracian Balthasar
Quotes for Coaches: Preparation
I’ve found that when you go the extra mile, it’s never crowded. – Unknown
Most battles are won before they are fought. – Sun Tzu
Spectacular achievements come from unspectacular preparation. – Roger Staubach
Before I’d get in the ring, I’d have already won or lost it on the road. The real part is won or lost somewhere far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights. – Muhammad All
The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war. – Chinese proverb
Winning is the science of being totally prepared. – George Allen
There will come a time when winter will ask what you were doing all summer – Henry Clay
The secret of our success is found in our daily agenda. – John C. Maxwell
Yelling doesn’t win ball games. It doesn’t put any points on the scoreboard. And I don’t think words win ball games all the time. Players do. Preparation does. – Jerry Tarkanian
Spectacular achievement is always preceded by spectacular preparation. – Robert Schuller
The only preparation for tomorrow is the right use of today. – Unknown
Confidence comes from being prepared. – John Wooden
If you plan to go the distance, you have to do the roadwork. – Chuck Parker
If you fail to plan, plan to fail. – Unknown
Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action. – Napoleon Hill
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. – Unknown
Chance favors those who are prepared. – Louis Pasteur
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