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
Related: Using Stats to Evaluate a Basketball Game
Resources:
High School Hoops Podcast:
Ep 233 End of Season Preparation
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