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
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. These quotes for coaches deal with themes like hard work and opportunity.
Quotes for Coaches: Hard Work
Most men stop when they begin to tire. Good men go until they think they are going to collapse. But the very best know the mind tires before the body, and push themselves further and further, beyond all limits. Only when their limits are shattered can the attainable be reached. – Mark Mysnyk
I don’t choose to be a common man. I want to be better tomorrow than today. And through a commitment to work and discipline, but mostly hard work. I’ll be a little more content, and a little different from the average guy. – J. Robinson
Vision without action is a daydream; action without vision is a nightmare. – Japanese proverb
If you don’t invest much of yourself, then defeat doesn’t hurt very much and winning isn’t very exciting. – Dick Vermeil
Hard work is the best remedy for all of life’s trials. – Unknown
The harder you work, the harder it is to lose. – Unknown
The time will come when winter will ask what you were doing all summer. – Henry Clay, American Statesman
Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought. – Henri Louis Bergson
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 Ali
It’s not the will to win that matters – everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters. – Paul “Bear” Bryant
I am a great believer in luck, The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have. – Coleman Cox
What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus. – Alexander Graham Bell
There is no great achievement that is not the result of patient working and waiting. – J. G. Holland
Your life will be no better than the plans you make and the action you take. You are the architect and builder of your own life, fortune, and destiny. – Alfred A. Montapert
I think there is something, more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren’t enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision. – W. Clement Stone
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. – Goethe
Ideas without action are worthless. – Harvey Mackay
Quotes for Coaches: Opportunity
Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them. – Ann Landers
Luck sometimes visits a fool, but it never sits down with him. – German Proverb
We all face a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations. – Unknown
Opportunity may knock, but you must open the door. – Unknown
All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get. – Morarji Desai
Desire is the key that opens the door when opportunity knocks. – Unknown
The individual who knows the score about life sees difficulties as opportunities. – Norman Vincent Peale
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. – Theodore Roosevelt
Great opportunities come to those who make the most of small ones. – Unknown
If not us, who? If not now, when? – John F. Kennedy
Challenges should not be seen as obstacles but rather as opportunities for acquiring new experiences in life. – Unknown
Destiny is no matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved. – William Jennings Bryan
In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. – Albert Einstein
Never miss a good chance to shut up. – Will Rogers
There are costs and risks to a program of action, but they are far less than the long- range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. – John F. Kennedy
When developing any youth basketball shooting drill, a good coach must consider what types of shots they want to focus on. Drills should reinforce the skills that will help the players perform within the context of a game. So shooting drills should be designed around shots that would normally result from a team’s offensive actions. The best basketball shooting drills are representative of a team’s base offense.
Youth Basketball Shooting Drill: 3-2-1 Shooting
This drill involves at least two players and is a high-volume, high-repetition practice. Over the course of one or two minutes, non-stop, a single shooter progresses through a series of jump shots. The other player rebounds and feeds the shooter from near the hoop.
The shooter begins behind the three-point line for their first shot. From there, the shooter moves into the midrange for their second shot. The last shot in the sequence is a layup (which is worth one point). The rebounder keeps track of the shooter’s score as their teammate progresses through the drill. After the time is up, the players switch roles.
This shooting drill provides valuable practice for any shooter, regardless of talent-level. The shooter must move, set their feet and find a repeatable release. Even the other player gets reps at securing rebounds and making solid passes.
This drill can incorporate internal competition as well. The two partnered players can compete with one another, or with another pair at another hoop.
Developing the right brand of leadership can be difficult for any basketball coach. Here’s a look at 50 Basketball Leadership Thoughts from legendary high school basketball coach Duane Silver.
50 Thoughts on Basketball Leadership from Coach Duane Silver
26. Dealing with mistakes on the floor. Don’t take a player out on his first turnover. Give him a chance to redeem himself.
27. If a player cusses you out he is through. No second chances!
28. Be a great Listener! People migrate toward great listeners.
29. Most coaches are not as good as they think they are at coaching. The great coaches are always learning.
30. Pray for Wisdom: James 1:5…It takes lots of wisdom to coach today’s athletes.
31. Preparation, Preparation, Preparation….Johnnie Cochran’s three rules for success in his law practice. This is true in basketball too!
32. Dealing with Narcissism is not easy. Some people do not ever see anyone’s point of view, but their own.
33. Don’t worry about players playing more than one sport. High school is NOT the time to specialize in one sport
34. You don’t need a rules sheet to give out to the parents. Here is the only rule you need. “We have only one rule here: Don’t do anything that’s detrimental to yourself, because if it’s detrimental to you, it’ll be detrimental to our program.” (Coach K)
35. Have all the players lay down on the floor on their stomach and look up at you when you make announcements about future events or what we are doing wrong as a team. They will have assigned spots to lie down at, this is a great way to take roll. By making the players look up at you while lying on the floor will make you look powerful in their eyes.
36. If you are really hard on your two best players you won’t have many problems. (Kim Mulkey…Baylor University)
37. “All men love Discipline”…They may not act like it, but they do. (Vince Lombardi…Green Bay Packers)
38. “Remember you can’t run off a good player by being too hard on him.” (Bear Bryant) The players that really love the game will not quit.
39. Question: Which motivates you more, a Positive word or a Negative word? (Example: You are over rated as a coach, or You are one great coach?) Which will make you try harder?
40. “Less is More in Coaching”…Meaning you don’t have to do a ton of things to be successful. Just play man to man defense and one zone…Don’t play six different zones.
41. “Don’t be afraid of the kids.”
42. Young people need structure and they love it. They like to see everything organized.
43. You can never let up on your discipline.
44. You get a different team every Tuesday and Friday night. If a players girl friend breaks up with him he won’t play well. Be ready for this to happen to you.
45. Always shake hands with the opposing coach after the game. (Win or Lose)
46. Set a goal of not getting a technical foul this season.
47. Make Lists of things you need to do. Great coaches make lists.
48. You must learn how to coach kids with learning disabilities. Like kids with ADHD, these players want to learn the game, but yelling at them does not work. You must coach them slowly and they need lots of walk throughs to understand the plays.
49. It is okay to get fired if you are standing up for what you really believe in. (There are lots of coaching jobs out there today if you lose this one)
50. Date your wife or husband during the season. They are more important than any of your players.
Developing the right brand of leadership can be difficult for any basketball coach. Here’s a look at 50 Basketball Leadership Thoughts from legendary high school basketball coach Duane Silver. (For Part 2 click here.)
50 Thoughts on Basketball Leadership from Coach Duane Silver
1. Most coaches (most people) are not leaders. You see a leader about as often as you see and eagle. You need to read books on leadership to get better at it. There are born leaders and made leaders, you will need to figure out which one you are.
2. Your voice has to have POWER in it to show the kids you mean business.
3. “You can’t be a nice guy and do this job.” (Joe Paterno)
4. Great leaders really care about their players, but they do not tell them that they do. The players just know they love them.
5. You have to lead like a “MEAN MOMMA”…. Tell them the truth like your Mom did you. Clean up your room, don’t go out with her she is not good for you, get home early tonight. (Etc)
6. You can’t trust many people. Be careful what you say.
7. Go to the Administration and ask them what they want from your program. Attitude on the floor, shirt tails pulled out coming off of the floor. Tell them to be honest with you.
8. Check to see if you kids come from a one parent home. Boys that live with just a mom a not used to man pushing them hard.
9. Kids hurt for five years or more after a divorce as much as they did when their parents went through it. If you are coaching kids from divorce be patient!!!
10. Great coaches are very “DEMANDING” in practice. Most high school coaches do not push their players hard enough.
11. You will talk to the parents tell them you will talk to them about anything about their son or daughter except “PLAYING TIME”. Don’t even let them bring it up. Have a parents meeting and tell them about your thoughts on playing time. (If they bring it up the meeting is OVER!)
12. You don’t have to win every game. Sometimes you have to take two steps back before you can take one step forward.
13. Are you willing to lose a game to make a point? (Most high school coaches are not willing to sit down a star player and lose a game to make a point.)
14. Organize everything: Seating chart for the bus, what you do on time outs, etc.
15. The Head Coach can never have a BAD PRACTICE. You have to be up for every practice and end practice on a good note.
16. Coaching is as much about being Negative as being Positive. The car battery principle…A car battery will not work unless it has positive and negative charges in it. John Wooden was negative to positive almost 50 percent of the time.
17. You need to read the Toughness article by Jay Bilas that was on ESPN. I have it.
18. Loyalty from Assistant Coaches. They are either for you or against you. Keep your eye on them.
19. You must be a “SELF STARTER” everyday to get things done.
20. “Do you see the BIG PICTURE? This is more than a game. Basketball is to help players all their lives not just win games.
21. The players are going to talk about you for either being too HARD on them or too SOFT on them, so you might as well go ahead and be too HARD!
22. Your first year will set the tone on how the players/parents will perceive you for the future. Every day your first year is huge! (Remember this!)
23. 10% of the players and parents are not going to like you no matter what you do so don’t worry about it.
24. “Do what you do” Don’t change offenses and defenses every week.
25. Run your “System.” Running your system is the key to having a program.
One of the most important elements to designing a valuable practice plan is deciding what core basketball elements you’ll concentrate on. So when deciding between basketball practice warm up drills, it’s important for a coach to know where the focus will be. Many practices begin with traditional layup lines, jump shots, and passing drills. But how often are the players simply going through the motions of those drills? Installing the right warm up drills will vastly improve the efficiency of your practice.
Getting your players warmed up and ready to compete needs to happen at the start of every practice. So why not use that segment to instill core elements to your offense and defense?
Warm-Up Passing Drills: Pivot Pass
One of the better warm up passing drills incorporates pivot passing. While this passing drill remains a staple at the youth level, there are practical elements here that can be incorporated into the practice plan of more advanced teams.
This drill stresses the specific development basic footwork. Players pair off and stand in four lines. If the players start on the baseline, they explode out with an attack dribble to the free throw line extended area. From there, the players jump stop, reverse pivot then pass to their partner at the baseline. The partner receives the pass an immediately explodes into the dribble.
The reverse pivot helps practice creating space, a necessary skill for any level of player. Coaches can layer shot fakes, step throughs, rips, etc. Change the specific pivot foot for the players and force them to adjust. Even the most athletic players may struggle with this seemingly basic drill because it layers specific movements and does so quickly.
Warm Up Passing Drills: Argentina Passing
Coaches always love drills that do double duty. When a drill that incorporates multiple basketball elements can be used, it helps maximize the value of that practice segment. Drills that develop specific skills and other elements like conditioning and/or communication are inherently more valuable than single-focus drills.
Argentina Passing sports that layered value because players progressing through the drill develop their passing skills, as well as hand-eye coordination, communication and conditioning. Passing drills in general get players mentally focused, and this one gets them moving as well.
Eight players start on the court for this basketball practice warm up drill. Each player stands partnered with the teammate directly across or diagonally across from them in the half court. The two balls start with the center players and those players pass to their right. Immediately after a player passes, they cut across the court and exchange places with their partner.
This drill rises above a normal passing drill because the players are sprinting through once they’ve made their pass. Players must concentrate on the catch, using a reverse pivot to open their hips on the catch.
Passes exclusively run to one side, meaning the players are always either passing to the right or the left. Coaches can focus on specific pass types. Coaches can also reverse the drill after a set amount of time.
Players work on passing, foot work, communication and conditioning through the drill.
Warm Up Passing Drills: Star Passing
Star Passing is common one in many gyms, but this version of the drill incorporates the necessary element of finishing with a made basket. This doubles well not only as a basketball practice warm up drill, but also as a game warm up.
The drill begins with players arrayed in a star across the half court. The ball starts with the line under the basket. There are lines in the corners, as well as on the wings.
The first pass goes from under the basket to the left wing. The passer follows their pass and joins the end of that line. From there, the left wing passes to the right corner and follows. Right corner makes a baseline pass to the left corner and follows.
The final move in this initial turn through the drill involves the left corner feeding the player that cuts from the right wing. That player receives the pass and finishes the turn with a layup.
Variations of the drill can incorporate a number of additional basketball elements. Coaches can require that the ball never hits the floor. They can reverse the flow of the drill to work on left-hand layups. Coaches can have a defender waiting at the rim to challenge the finisher. The list goes on an on.
Basketball coaches everywhere are constantly searching for new Competitive Practice Games. Keeping young players engaged throughout a practice period often means mixing up physical warm-ups and stretching, technical drills and competitive contests. Coaches need to layer the information and embed key skills before introducing and installing specific sets.
4-on-4 Cut Throat is a high-energy, high-movement drill. Coaches divide their teams into sets of four, with two groups on the floor at all times. Through each progression, players navigate the possession, looking to score or get a stop. As each possession ends, the successful team (the one that scored or made the stop) stays on the floor, while the losing group comes off. The waiting team comes on and fills the vacancy.
Coaches can allow the players to free play, or can install specific needs in a possession. The free-flowing nature of the drill allows players to learn on the fly. Whatever a coach decides to emphasize in the drill often translates directly to the game.
Emphasis: Build solid offensive and defensive habits. The hidden value remains the opportunity for coaches to provide direct instruction to the teams that lose a possession. As the losing team comes off the floor, a coach can immediately pull them aside and talk through what went wrong while the other two teams progress through the drill.
Competitive Games in Basketball Practice: One-Way Basket
This is a full-court competitive game that allows coaches to install a specific play or set, while also practice key defensive principles. In the half court, the offense runs their first action against a full compliment of defenders. If this action results in a basket, then the offense and defense switch. But if the defense gets a stop, then it’s a full court game.
The defensive stop flows into transition offense as that squad seeks to score. Only points scored off of defensive stops count in this competitive practice game. This game should flow back and forth for several minutes before coaches change anything.
Emphasis: Defense. Basketball coaches that incorporate this competitive practice game look to establish the mindset that the team needs to focus on getting defensive stops before getting to the offensive end of the floor.
It’s important for coaches to allow their players to play through their mistakes and learn as these competitive practice games to unfold. These controlled situations and scrimmages also provide plenty of information for coaching staffs to digest. They’re learning the strengths and weaknesses of their teams.
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. These deal with themes like commitment, discipline, and team goals.
Commitment – Great Quotes for Basketball Coaches
The difference between where you are and where you want to be is your commitment to getting there. – Michael Clapier
Nobody who ever gave their best effort regretted it. – George Halas
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat. – Theodore Roosevelt
It’s not important whom you wrestle; your biggest opponent wears your uniform. You must overcome your own short comings. – Mitch Clark
Anybody can win the matches you can dominate, but it’s the tough matches that are going to make the difference. -Jim Zalesky
Discipline – Great Quotes for Basketball Coaches
Concentrate on each task, whether trivial or crucial, as if it’s the only thing that matters. – Mark H. McCormack
Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I’ll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things. – Lawrence D. Bell
Nothing is more harmful to the service than the neglect of discipline; for discipline, more than numbers, gives one army superiority over another. – George Washington
Bad habits are like a good bed, easy to get into but difficult to get out of. – Unknown
If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can’t accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through. – Rosalyn Carter
Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period. – Lou Holtz
Repeated actions are stored as habits. If the repeated actions aren’t fundamentally sound, then what comes out in a game can’t be sound. What comes out will be bad habits. – Chuck Knox
If you haven’t got the time to do it right, when will you have the time to do it over? – Jeffrey J. Mayer
Thoughts, positive or negative, grow stronger when fertilized with constant repetition. – Unknown
You can drill and waste your time or you can drill and get better. Either way we will drill! – Unknown
It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen. – Claude M. Bristol
Education – Great Quotes for Basketball Coaches
The biggest thing that I felt basketball could do for me was help me get a good education. – Julius Erving
If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing is more important than the ability to communicate effectively. – Gerald R. Ford
Even in the dictionary, academics come before athletics. – William A. Welker
I will study and prepare myself . . . and someday my chance will come. – Abraham Lincoln
Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don’t just stand there, make something happen. – Lee Iacocca
Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your lips are moving. – Unknown
Goals – Great Quotes for Basketball Coaches
If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. – David Campbell
More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent. – Billy Sunday
Set goals – high goals for you and your organization. When your organization has a goal to shoot for, you create teamwork, people working for a common good. – Paul “Bear” Bryant
The poorest man is not without a cent, but without a dream. – Unknown
Remember a goal isn’t a goal until it is in writing, until then it’s a dream and everyone has dreams. – Unknown
Setting goals for your game is an art. The trick is in setting them at the right level neither too low nor too high. – Greg Norman
The achievement of your goal is assured the moment you commit yourself to it. – Mack R. Douglas
All our dreams can come true – if we have the courage to pursue them. – Walt Disney
You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the other shore. – Unknown
The secret of unleashing your true power is setting goals that are exciting enough to inspire your creativity and ignite your passion. – Anthony Robbins
High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation. – Jack Kinder
An obstacle is what you see when you take your eyes off the goal. – Unknown
Looking for bits of inspiration for your new basketball season? Often times, the greats of the profession share their nuggets of wisdom gained throughout the years in interviews, biographies, and more. Having some compelling coaching quotes could be the very thing to reenergize you for a new season. Sometimes, the right quote might just do the trick.
Here’s a look at great coaching quotes to help inspire and motivate you and your basketball team this season!
Coaching Quotes from Coaches
Winning is the science of being totally prepared. – George Allen
It’s not what you tell your players that counts. It’s what they hear. – Red Auerbach
You have the greatest chance of winning when your first commitment is to a total and enthusiastic involvement in the game itself. Enthusiasm is what matters most. – John Brodie
The most important statistic for a wrestling coach isn’t how many dual meets the team won nor the number of state champs they produced. It’s the number of wrestlers they had in the room on the last day of practice. – Greg DeMarco
Some coaches are so busy learning the tricks of the trade that they never learn the trade. – Pete Emelianchik
I would rather be known for coaching great men then coaching great wrestlers – Howard Ferguson
Always have a plan and believe in it. I tell my coaches not to compromise. Nothing good happens by accident. There must be a plan for everything and the plan will prevent you from overlooking little things. By having that plan, you’ll be secure and self-doubts will never become a factor. – Chuck Knox
As teachers and coaches, we must remember that when mere winning is our only goal, we are doomed to disappointment and failure. But when our goal is to try to win, when our focus is on preparation and sacrifice and effort instead of on numbers on a scoreboard then we will never lose. – Mike Krzyzewski
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
Coaching Quotes from ‘Bear’ Bryant
Mama wanted me to be a preacher. I told her coachin’ and preachin’ were a lot alike.
Little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things.
If you want to coach you have three rules to follow to win. One, surround yourself with people who can’t live without football. I’ve had a lot of them. Two, be able to recognize winners. They come in all forms. And, three, have a plan for everything. A plan for practice, a plan for the game. Plan for being ahead, and plan for being behind 20-0 at half, with your quarterback hurt and the phones dead, with it raining cats and dogs and no rain gear because the equipment man left it at home.
If there is one thing that has helped me as a coach, it’s my ability to recognize winners, or good people who can become winners by paying the price.
If anything goes bad, I did it; if anything goes semi-good, we did it; if anything goes really good, then you did it. That’s all it takes to get people to win football games for you.
You have to learn what makes this or that Sammy run. For one it’s a pat on the back, for another it’s eating him out, for still another it’s a fatherly talk, or something else. You’re a fool if you think as I did as a young coach, that you can treat them all alike.
I’m no innovator. If anything I’m a stealer, or borrower. I’ve stolen or borrowed from more people than you can shake a stick at.
If you whoop and holler all the time, the players just get used to it.
Great Quotes from Outside the World of Sports
There are no little things. – Bruce Barton
The fullness or emptiness of life will be measured by the extent to which a man feels that he has an impact on the lives of others. – Kingman Brewster
We make a living by what we get. But we make a life by what we give. – Winston Churchill
Children have more need of models than critics. – Carolyn Coates
Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs. – Henry Ford
It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test. – Elbert Hubbard
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, we have felt that there was a close relationship between a strong vital mind and physical fitness. – John F. Kennedy
The happiest people are those who have harvested their time in others. The unhappiest people are those who wonder how the world is going to make them happy. – John C. Maxwell
The greatest gift you can give another is the purity of your attention. – Richard Moss
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. – Will Rogers
Success … has nothing to do with what you gain or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others. – Danny Thomas
You can accomplish anything in life provided you do not mind who gets the credit. – Harry S. Truman
Coaching basketball at any level requires patience and preparation, but it doesn’t have to be overly complicated to get the job done. Coach Barry Cook explains his process.
Coaching Basketball: Excel by Keeping Things Simple
I first began coaching eighteen years ago. I had gotten a late start in coaching, after playing in high school and college, and wanted to follow my father’s path. He was my High School coach for most of my career but more so he was my permanent coach. When I first told him that I wanted to get into coaching, he gave me some pointers. His style of coaching had proven successful and I have adopted many of the ways he did practices, game management and player management. There is one thing that he said that has stuck with me and I have expanded on.
The Junior Varsity level is where I first began my coaching career. I was full of ideas and presented my tediously planned offense to my father. He looked it over carefully and told me it was good. Then he said:
“You know this is all going to work until the opposing coach calls a time-out and alters his defensive strategy or his players make adjustments on the court. So teach your players to read and react.”
This led me to the belief that my offense and defense should be simple to explain and teach. Then I could design my practices to work on basketball skills.
Simplicity Is Key When Coaching Basketball
I had read and listened to coaches say that skills need to be practiced over and over and new skills need to be taught in progression. Shooting is a great example. To teach and coach shooting, a coach needs to work with his players consistently. Practice times being limited as they are; prevent some players from developing a good technique.
I was guilty at the beginning of conducting an unproductive practice. My team was spending most of their time running a complicated offensive scheme and learning a team defense. What I was finding was a revelation.
My players knew the offense well and ran it almost flawlessly but, we would miss the shot or not recognize a scoring opportunity. Why? I had not given them the time or the teaching to shoot better.
Defensively, my players were getting into their defenses well and not missing assignments, but making poor plays and getting beat. Again, it was because I was not teaching the defensive basics nor giving practice time for that. I went back to what my father was saying and I adjusted.
Use Practice Time Wisely
Practices became different. We began teaching shooting skills and devoting time to that skill. Players worked on developing proper defensive techniques, we worked on dribbling, passing, screening, and switching. Our offense was simplified and we substituted complication for proper and improved techniques.
The team began to be successful and play a fine game. I won’t say we won all the games after that, we won our share. But we DID become a better team. I decided to concentrate most of my practice time developing the skills that my offense and defense demanded from my players.
After coaching for years now, I watch our opponents and see them run a beautiful offensive play but miss the shot. They set up a difficult press only to be beat off a dribble or a good pass, or the offensive plays fail because of a terrible pass. Or a coach calls time out and designs a complicated play only to have one or two players not understand. We all know as coaches, if one player does not do his part then the play is ruined.
My thoughts are simple. Coaches, if you want the shot made then practice the shot. If you want a defensive stop made then practice how to do this. My father’s thought led me to simplify my ideas of practice but more it led me to coach and teach the skills that I want my team to possess.
Developing an authentic leadership style stands as one of the more important elements for all basketball coaches. The way you present yourself to your team, how you interact with your staff, and how you respond to failure all helps mold your personal leadership style.
Sometimes, though, before we can lead our teams and help our players reach the goals that are important to them we need to have our own lives in order. One of the ways to start accomplishing this is by honestly answering the following 11 questions that come from Paul J. Meyer’s Become The Coach You Were Meant To Be. Below that, there’s a list of great personal leadership quotes for basketball coaches to consider for their next team meeting.
Personal Leadership Questions
Have I crystallized my thinking so that I know where I stand now and where I want to go?
Are my vision, mission, and purpose statements clear to me and to my team members?
Do I have a detailed written plan to achieve each important personal and organizational goal, and have I set a deadline for their attainment?
Are my personal goals balanced with the need to help my organization achieve?
Do my personal goals represent a balance among the six areas of life?
Do I have a burning desire to achieve the goals that I have set for myself?
Have I developed within my team members and myself a passion for achieving the success we’ve envisioned?
Do I have supreme confidence in my ability to reach these goals?
Do I trust my team members to strive toward success and to continue to develop more of their innate potential for achievement?
Have I accepted personal responsibility for the success of my team – and for the achievement of my own personal goals?
Do I possess the iron willed determination to follow through regardless of circumstances or what others say, think, or do?
Personal Leadership Quotes
Leadership, like coaching, is fighting for the hearts and souls of men and getting them to believe in you. – Eddie Robinson
Leaders are like eagles… they don’t flock. You’ll find them one at a time. – Knute Rockne
The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be. Whatever you will accomplish is restricted by your ability to lead others. – John C. Maxwell
A prime function of a leader is to keep hope alive. – John W. Gardner
The leader demonstrates confidence that the challenge can be met, the need resolved, the crisis overcome. – John Haggai
It is the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers. – Warren Bennis
Without organization and leadership toward a realistic goal, there is no chance of realizing more than a small percentage of your potential. – John Wooden
It is more than willingness to change that sets the true leaders apart. It is seeking out change and wringing every bit of potential out of it that takes you to the next horizon. – Ty Boyd
Leadership is the ability to get men to do what they don’t want to do and like doing it. – Harry Truman
A man who wants to lead an orchestra must turn his back to the crowd. – Max Lucado
There are no office hours for leaders. – Cardinal J. Gibbons
It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires great strength to decide what to do. – Chow Ching
It is the men behind who make the man ahead. – Merle Crowell
Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions. – Harold S. Geneen
Developing the right pre-practice basketball warm-up routine remains one of the keys to an efficient practice plan. What the players do prior the structured nature of practice begins often allows coaches to build on specific foundations for success. This helps players get better before practice even starts.
I’ve always found it very interesting to watch and take notice how players prepare themselves while waiting for practice to officially start. All too often they will walk into the gym, sit on the sidelines and “stretch” while they talk to teammates. Eventually they might get up, grab a ball, take a shot, walk after it, talk to another teammate, take another shot, walk after it, and on and on. Before long, everyone has arrived, practice starts, and the first several minutes are completely wasted because no one is warmed up or “into it” yet.
Wouldn’t it be much better for everyone on the team if players used those few minutes before practice to get thoroughly warmed up and focused while doing some skill work at the same time?
Here’s a look at a valuable basketball warm-up routine to implement this season.
Pre-Practice Basketball Warm-up Routine
Part 1: Simple Running
The running segment of this basketball warm-up routine is intended to build some stamina and prevent injury. Go down and back before going to the next option. If are running with a partner, the spacing is such as one partner gets to half court then the other one goes.
Jog – Easy jog, with both hands up, down the length of court. Pause and jog back to starting baseline.
Backpedal – Run to half court with hands up, turn and run backwards to baseline. Pause and repeat back to starting baseline.
Carioca – Facing side of court, use crossover steps to run the length of the court with your hands up. Pause and facing same side of the court continue using cross over steps to return back to the original baseline.
Skipping – Go length of floor while skipping as high as possible. Jump high with right knee coming up toward chest and right hand extending as high as possible. Land and repeat with left leg and left hand. Pause and continue back to starting baseline. Remember that you want jump as high as possible on each jump.
Hopping – On one leg hop back and forth over the sideline while travelling the length of the court. At half court, change legs and continue to hop back and forth over the same line all the way down to the baseline. Pause and continue back to your original starting point. This is an exercise that many skiers use to increase the strength of their ankles.
Sprints – Sprint to half court and then jog to the baseline. Pause and repeat back to the original baseline.
Defensive Slides – Run to half court, turn and defensive slide to the baseline. Rest and repeat.
Part 2: Shooting
Although these shooting drills may seem simple and redundant, they are vital to becoming a good shooter. They also should be done any time you practice on your own:
McHales
Tip the ball one handed off the backboard (or wall) 10 consecutive times right handed. Then tip 10 consecutive times left handed. You may try to tip the tenth repetition into the basket.
Be off the ground for each tip and learn to control the ball with your finger tips. (Repeat three times for a total 60 tips).
Mikans
Face the basket, take a step with your left foot toward the right side of the basket and shoot a right hand lay-up off the backboard. Rebound the ball and take a step with your right foot to the left side of the basket and shoot a left-handed lay-up.
Keep the ball high and do not ever allow the ball to come below your outstretched arms. Continue until you make 12 shots. (Repeat 3 times for a total of 36 shots).
Rodmans
On right side of the basket, toss the ball high off backboard. Jump up and rebound it, keeping arms straight. Without bending arms, quickly bounce off both feet and shoot the ball into the basket. Quickness is important on this shot.
Repeat on left side of basket, shooting with left hand. Continue alternating right side and left side until you make 12 shots. (Repeat 3 times for a total of 36 shots).
Daily Dozen
From the right elbow (corner of the free throw line) take one dribble to the basket and shoot a right-handed, over-hand lay-up off the glass. Rebound the ball and take two dribbles out to the opposite (left) elbow. Pivot without stopping the dribble and take one dribble to the basket shooting a left-handed, over-hand lay-up.
Go hard to the basket and keep your head up and eyes on target. Dribble with your right hand on right side of basket and with left hand on left side of basket. Continue until you make 12 shots. (Repeat 3 times for a total of 36 shots).
Game Shots
This is not a random “shoot and talk” segment. Concentrate on the areas and types of shots that you will be taking during an actual game. Be sure to include some free throws. Remember – game shots at game speed.
By the time you finish this warm up you should have broken a sweat and be prepared both physically and mentally ready to make the most of official practice.
Finding the right words to inspire your team might be one of the most difficult tasks facing basketball coaches today. Sometimes, though, using great quotes from the past might just do the trick. Here’s a look at 30 great quotes on Attitude to help inspire and motivate your basketball team this season!
Great Sports Quotes on Attitude
I can take anyone down at any time; they can’t take me down; no one can ride or turn me; I can control anyone. – Dan Gable
Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. – Lou Holtz
Winning is a habit, but unfortunately so is losing. – Vince Lombardi
Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man; but sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can. – Vince Lombardi
I’ve always felt it was not up to anyone else to make me give my best. – Hakeem Olajuwon
Great Author Quotes on Attitude
Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it. – Irving Berlin
Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done. – Josh Billings
The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible. – Arthur C. Clarke
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Ralph W. Emerson
The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. – William James
The wise does at once what the fool does at last. – Baltasar Gracian
When we trust God, He can make the ordinary extraordinary! – John C. Maxwell
Our attitude is the primary force that will determine whether we succeed or fail. – John C. Maxwell
Change your thoughts and you change your world. – Norman Vincent Peale
Some people who yearn for endless life don’t even know what to do with a rainy afternoon. – Harvey H. Potthoff
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing. – George Bernard Shaw
Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first time or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory. – Betty Smith
The roads we take are more important than the goals we announce. Decisions determine destiny. – Frederick Speakman
You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction. – Alvin Toffler
Habit is habit, and not to be flung out of the window, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. – Mark Twain
There are two ways of spreading light – to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. – Edith Wharton
Other Great Quotes on Attitude
Four things come not back: the spoken word, the spent arrow, the past, the neglected opportunity. – Omar Ibn Al-Halif
“I can’t do it” never yet accomplished anything; “I will try” has performed wonders. – George P. Burnham
The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them. – Albert Einstein
Maturity is the capacity to endure uncertainty. – John Huston Finley
It’s not your blue blood, your pedigree or your college degree. It’s what you do with your life that counts. – Millard Fuller
Ability is important, dependability is critical! – Alexander Lockhart
Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that. – Norman Vincent Peale
He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher
Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are. – Marianne Williamson
Coaching today’s basketball players features a unique challenge in the sport. Considering all the other outlets and opportunities available to young people these days, finding the right way to grab their attention remains paramount for basketball coaches.
Coaching Today’s Basketball Players
Have you ever told your team that they should just worry about the things they can control and forget about the things they can’t control? Referees, hostile fans, illness, injury, size & speed of opponents, tournament draws are all out of the players’ control so they just need to find a way to deal with them and work around them. Have you ever taught that concept to your players? I’m willing to bet that you have – probably several times!
My question to you today is this – are you following your own advice, especially when it comes to the individual personalities of your players, or do some of them just drive you crazy?
Now for an even bigger question – are you letting those personality differences keep you from coaching the players up to the very best of your ability? Think about it for a second. Are any of your players being short changed, even unintentionally, because they are loud, moody, self absorbed, tatted up, and/or listen to music that you neither like nor understand?
Coaching Basketball: The Mental Game
In his book Coaching the Mental Game, H.A. Dorfman tells about the time he was speaking to the St. Louis Cardinals organization and a question was asked about coaching “today’s kids.” Dorfman responded by saying that if they so choose, coaches don’t have to listen or watch the music and television of today’s generation of athletes. But they:
“do have to coach and teach a pitcher with a nipple ring and a “dude” mentality. That’s a contractual obligation. The player’s styling is not his substance. You’ve got to know more about him than how he looks and speaks.” (p.21)
Do you know more about your players than just how they look and speak?
I can’t tell you how many frustrated coaches there are who tell everyone within earshot “Back when I was playing, players (fill in the blank),” or “10 years ago players would (fill in the blank) but not anymore.”
If you are one of those coaches – quit saying those things! You’re not back in high school and your players aren’t back anywhere. They are living in the here and now and they need you to coach them! Dorfman may have had this in mind when he went on to remind those in attendance in St. Louis that they all signed a coaching contract and each contract had a specific date on it. “You’re not being hired to coach kids of the 60’s, 70’s, or 80’s. The effective leader addresses the mission of the organization and the needs of each player. Whatever his age – or yours!”
Reaching Your Players Today
Of course players are somewhat different than from previous generations but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Regardless of how they look or talk, or act off the court kids/players of this generation (often referred to as “millenials”) are generally more motivated, more competitive, and have a greater understanding and appreciation of technology than any group you have ever coached. Instead of worrying about things you can’t control why not take full advantage of them instead?
Motivated players want to improve and are willing to put in the necessary time and effort and competitive players want to win! I don’t know about you but those are players I can work with and want to coach, regardless of the other “baggage” they may carry.
Great teams and great players of every generation have all won the exact same way. By playing hard, playing together and by mastering the fundamentals of shooting, passing, ball handling and defense. That was true 50 years ago and I’m willing to bet it will be true 50 years from now.
You might not be able to control who you coach but you can certainly control how you coach. And how you coach is going to determine your success or failure.
An integral part of being a basketball coach is developing key leadership skills. This often goes beyond giving just words of encouragement and developing ways of becoming a better leader. Clint Eastwood once said: “You can say more with your mouth closed than you can with your mouth open.” In today’s society, most young people learn only how to talk about taking action, but very few learn how to actually do it. To demonstrate basketball leadership effectively, you need to show it, not just say it.
Here’s a look at six ways to show commitment to your team and further develop your basketball leadership.
Understand What Motivates Your Players
In practices and in games, we’ve got to know how to get our teams going. I often tell my teams that games aren’t the time for teaching…go play and we’ll fix it later. The same goes for us as coaches.
We’ve got to remember to use practice time to figure out how each player is motivated to learn, how they’re motivated to push themselves, and how they’re motivated to excel. In the same manner, we can use scrimmages to see how they’re motivated in stressful competitive situations.
Do What It Takes to be a Champion
Winning cultures win. I’m sure you’ve played teams that your team was better than…but that other team had crazy swagger. They expected to win more than your team hoped to win. Before we can create a culture of winning, I believe we’ve got to create a culture of success. You all know by now how deep my love of John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success goes. He was awesome. He was also a champion.
Be a Learning Leader
Isn’t the coaching cliché that the best coaches steal from the best coaches? With so many coaches out there, I can’t think of a reason that we can’t all find someone to learn from!
I believe in being a coaching nerd and learning from as many folks as I can, whether it’s another coach or a business leader.
Provide Vision for Your Program
What is important to you? What is your coaching philosophy? How do you want your team to be perceived? All of those things go into creating a vision for your program. Then you go out and get it.
Without knowing what you want, how will you know what players to recruit? Beyond that, how will your players know when they’re successful?
Put the Team First
Everything we do has to be about the team. Whether it’s being incredibly prepared for every drill, practice, and game…or making sure you’re on the same page with your assistants. All of that puts the team first. Add to that all of the intangibles that we teach our athletes, they’ll appreciate that it’s “we before me” and model that behavior.
Have Fun
Hopefully, you love your sport. You love going to practice. Perhaps most importantly, you love coaching. Hopefully you love your athletes (even when they’re driving you crazy) and you get along with your coworkers. Hopefully you’ve got rock star assistants. If you’ve got all of that, then you’re having fun.
Leading, coaching…it’s not easy, but it’s the best job ever! We can learn from those folks who’ve not only been successful, but who’ve been continuously successful over a long period of time.
Any good basketball coach knows, in order to go on a run in a game, you’ll need consecutive stops on defense. These stops can facilitate a fast break offense and help your team control the clock. But in order to get these stops, your team must stand on those important defensive foundations laid during practice. These skills and strategies should be ingrained in your players, and developing solid team defense drills often helps in this regard.
The following drill might be a simple one, but it helps stress those foundational skills and strategies. It also forces the team to understand the value of getting multiple defensive stops to take control of a game. Here’s a look.
Team Defense Drills: 5 Stops
5 Stops stands out among most team defense drills because of its versatility for basketball coaches. This is a competitive practice drill that allows your team to work on both your half court offense and your half court defense. Coaches can deploy the team’s base defense for each repetition, or sprinkle in specials.
The progression for this drill is simple: the teams play a “live” 5-on-5 half court set where the defense works to get a single stop. Stops are defined as gaining possession of the ball either through a defensive rebound or turnover. After one successful stop, the defense then must repeat that process for five consecutive possessions.
Defenses are allowed just one foul per five stops. Should the defense foul twice before achieving five stops, the counter resets. Once each team has reached five stops, the drill can continue with four straight stops, then three, two, and one. The offensive team should remain aggressive to challenge the defense throughout this team drill.
This drill is typically done when half court defense is the emphasis for practice. It can be adjusted to 4-on-4 if the team has 12 active players for practice. Coaches can choose to have the defense make five straight stops, or alternate with each possession, keeping score along the way.
Points of Emphasis:
Communication – The defense “talk” throughout the possession, calling out cutters, rotations, etc.
Active Hands – Defenders must play “big,” challenging each pass and shot attempt without fouling.
Mental Toughness – Recording five straight defensive stops isn’t easy, so defenders must be mentally ready for the challenge.
Building basketball team chemistry can be one of the most frustrating aspects of coaching a youth team. Rosters change from season to season, making this intangible task new for each any every group. But establishing the right team culture and building positive chemistry often makes coaching a given team that much more enjoyable.
Importance of Team Chemistry in Basketball
Too often coaches and players judge their basketball team’s chemistry by how well everyone gets along off the court. It is an unrealistic challenge to get every player to like each other based on personality. When bringing together 12 to15 players from different backgrounds, you shouldn’t expect them to all be best friends. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t develop chemistry.
To develop chemistry, you must question each individual’s actions on the court. When players know and TRUST that their teammates will make the unselfish play, that’s when they will develop that mutual respect for each other on the court. When each player knows that their teammates are willing to lay their body on the line, when they know that their teammates won’t point fingers if something goes wrong, when they know that their teammates are in it to win it, that’s when they develop CHEMISTRY.
Players don’t play hard because they like each other; they like each other because they play hard.
As a coach, you can help develop team chemistry by putting your players in situations to prove their loyalty to the team.
Below are 10 unselfish, ‘game winning’ plays. There should be a HUGE emphasis on making these plays in practice. Once players take pride in making these plays and they begin showing up in games, you will see your team chemistry get stronger and stronger.
10 Plays to Build Basketball Team Chemistry
Take charges
Dive for loose balls
Contesting shots
Setting solid screens
Delivering a pass to an open teammate
Filling the right spots when your teammate penetrates
Sitting in a defensive stance and communicating the entire possession
Listening to coaches with good eye contact and body language
Acknowledging teammates when they make great plays
So much goes into winning and losing basketball games. Coaches and teams prepare to the best of their ability, but sometimes the ball bounces in the other team’s favor. Wins remain joyous, while losses hurt for days.
Coaches have a number of elements to consider in this regard, including how to get a team to think like champions.
20 Keys To Winning Basketball Games and Championships
Developing a winning basketball program often comes down to the details. Here’s a list of 20 keys to creating the right culture to start winning championships this season!
1. Find the Correct People, Program, School or Location
The first step in this process is hiring the right coaches. You’ll want a loyal group that shares your vision for the team. Beyond that, you’ll need to consider the school, including elements like atmosphere, community, and the reality of competition. Beyond that, when assembling your roster, remember, hard working players lead to winning basketball.
2. Have Well-Defined Roles
It’s important to have well-defined roles in your program. Everyone should be connected and understand where they fit. For players, it’s important to understand not everyone can be the star. Role players often hold the key to winning basketball championships. Also, think about how you’ll manage your summer requirements, as well as the players’ participation in other sports.
3. Get Out of Their Way
A key factor in winning basketball is letting the players play. Don’t “over coach” or over complicate the game. Don’t panic. And perhaps most importantly, be willing to change your approach.
4. When Picking Your Team Look For Players Who:
Score and Handle The Ball
Shoot Free Throws Well
Handle Pressure
Players will excel in what you emphasize.
5. Understand That Success Is NOT Immediate
As the cliche goes, Rome was not built in a take. Take time to teach the skills and approaches you want your players to master.
6. Pick A Style You Believe In
When it comes down to developing your basketball philosophy, pick one that fits you and your personality. That will make it easier to sell to your players. Remember, there’s more than one way to develop a winning basketball team. Be ready to adjust the system with different groups each season.
7. Find A Common Goal / Theme
Examine your expectations in preseason and be ready to change as the need arises. Loop in all the voices involved in your program, including assistant coaches, players, families, even school administration. Set clear and attainable goals for the team and individual players.
8. Plan For IT
Creating a winning basketball culture and competition for championships takes buy-in and preparation. Keep realistic expectations but push your players to get better every day. Put your players in situations where they can succeed.
9. Once You Get To The BIG Game Act Like You Belong
Once you and your program has made it to the highest level, stay in your routine. Control what is in your ability to control and block out all the noise. The players will feel ready if you’ve prepared them along the way.
10. Rest
Keep in mind the grind. Fatigue can make a coward of anyone, so limit long practice sessions in season. Shorten and streamline your approaches. Don’t overtrain your players–that’ll lead to burnout.
11. Be Aggressive
That said, be aggressive in your style and approach. Incorporate innovation and instill the idea that no one can give you a win, you must take it.
12. Give Them a Reason To Win
Give your players something to believe in preseason by finding a hook. Consider things like emotion, the underdog story, or program history.
13. Keep Learning
As a coach, always keep learning. Communities like the one at teachhoops.comhelps find like-minded coaches willing to share approaches and in successes.
14. Outside Evaluation
Find someone outside your program to help you evaluate your approach. A fresh set of eyes might find a new angle that you haven’t considered.
15 . Over Prepare
Coaches should over prepare and out work their opponents. This is done though scouting, pouring over reports and tapes, then relaying that information in the classroom to players.
16. WIN
Teach your players how to win and how to handle adversity. It’ll help pull victories from the jaws of defeat and help grab wins in unlikely scenarios.
17. Expect The Unexpected
If it can happen, it will happen. Try to control outside factors as much as possible, but understand you won’t be able to control everything. One of the hallmarks of a winning basketball team is it’s depth, so develop that as best you can.
18. Find Leaders
Filling out your roster is the most important part of the preparation process, but picking the right captains remains a high priority for winning programs. Talk on and off the court with your leaders to help foster that communication. This will model healthy relationships for your players.
19. Visualize
Visualize the winning your local or state basketball championship. See it, then sell that vision to the players in your locker room.
One of the most important elements to designing a valuable practice plan is deciding what core basketball elements you’ll concentrate on. Many practices begin with traditional layup lines and jump shots. But how often are the players simply going through the motions of those drills? Installing the right warm up drills will vastly improve the efficiency of your practice. Adding these Youth Basketball Finishing Drills will help take your young team to the next level of its development.
Youth Basketball Finishing Drills: Star Passing with Finish
Star Passing is common one in many gyms, but this version of the drill incorporates the necessary element of finishing with a made basket. This doubles well not only as a basketball practice warm up drill, but also as a game warm up.
The drill begins with players arrayed in a star across the half court. The ball starts with the line under the basket. There are lines in the corners, as well as on the wings.
The first pass goes from under the basket to the left wing. The passer follows their pass and joins the end of that line. From there, the left wing passes to the right corner and follows. Right corner makes a baseline pass to the left corner and follows.
The final move in this initial turn through the drill involves the left corner feeding the player that cuts from the right wing. That player receives the pass and finishes the turn with a layup.
Variations of the drill can incorporate a number of additional basketball elements. Coaches can require that the ball never hits the floor. They can reverse the flow of the drill to work on left-hand layups. Coaches can have a defender waiting at the rim to challenge the finisher. The list goes on an on.
This youth basketball finishing drills stands among Coach Steger’s favorite basketball practice drills. The DeMatha Finishing drill can be particularly valuable as both a practice drill and as a pregame warmup drill.
This drill pits two players against one another in a simple clash of offense and defense. It’s a high-impact, fast-paced drill where the offensive player attacks the basket and the trailing defender needs to recover. The drill features two lines and usually a coach for passing. Players can stand in for the coaches as passers if need be.
The drill itself can be situated in a number of different spots on the floor. Where the drill starts can be dictated by the coach and what the team needs are.
The drill itself is simple. The passer feeds the offensive player, who must finish at the rim from their starting point. The offensive player can try a dunk or layup. The defender, meanwhile, must contest the shot as best they can. Physical play can be encouraged for the defense to help the offense improve finishing through contact.
One of the best ways to get a look at any potential new talent for your basketball program is to run an open gym. This activity provides coaches the opportunity to catch a glimpse of potential players to add to the program as the new season nears. Open gyms also give players the chance to flash their skills without the added pressure of performing at more structured try-outs.
Although normally unstructured, an effective open gym needs rules and games in order for coaches to get the best look at the assembled talent. Coaches often watch the proceedings a bystanders, waiting for try-outs to provide direction instruction. But adding certain rules to the traditional basketball open gym often unlocks this activity.
Preseason Open Gyms
One of the most difficult aspects of coaching remains the integration of unstructured time either in practice or during preseason. Running a preseason open gym usually comes well before any try-outs and the season’s official start date. Too often, though, open gyms lead to players not working hard and poor decisions being made.
But players love the freedom of an Open Gym set up. However, implementing a set of rules or games helps players improve specific skills during the run. This often reinforces offseason work players complete to get better and can be a big help for coaches to maximize limited preseason time.
The normal setup of a basketball open gym leaves coaches with minimal responsibilities beyond supervision. Player arrive, shoot around, and eventually organize themselves into teams to run 5-on-5 full court. Coaches can provide additional structure and perhaps even officiate, but layering rules into this activity helps everyone involved.
12 Basketball Open Gym Rules to Try
Running an effective basketball preseason open gym often comes down to time management. Of course the number of players involved will dictate certain aspects, but coaches should implement specific time restrictions on shoot around and warm ups, as well as open runs. 10 minute running clock games often provide coaches with an extended look without completely tiring out the players.
No Dribble 5-on-5
Zone On Makes, Man On Misses 5-on-5
5-on-5 Hockey (ball has to be dribbled across half court by the person who rebounds it)
Everyone must Touch before you can score.
Post must touch
Weak-hand Layup is worth 3-Points
1-2-3- Paint shots are 1 point, 3’s are worth 2, mid-range is worth 3 points
No 3 point shots- everything is worth 2 points
No inbound on Made basket
No ball screens or Switch all screens
Must dribble only with your “weak” hand
Must switch the type of defense you run each possession
These rules add layers to the games for players to navigate. They provide basketball coaches with additional information on the players that might otherwise be hidden in a normal open gyms. The rules also give players an added wrinkle to enjoy while getting their run in.
Sometimes, throwing an unexpected wrinkle at your opponent’s offensive game plan makes all the difference on the scoreboard. While some basketball coaches call combination defenses “junk,” these strategies often help neutralize an opposing team’s top offensive threat. Basketball combo defenses provide coaches with useful changes to traditional strategies.
Many coaches believe it’s better to sport a simple offense and complex defense, rather than the other way around. How a coach crafts their team’s defensive approach often dictates the very identity of the team. Also, not all players, particularly at the youth level, will have the same natural abilities on the offensive end, but most players can be taught complex defensive schemes and excel. A good defense feeds directly into offense and it makes scoring that much easier. Basketball coaches implementing combination defenses can make things even more difficult for opponents.
Basketball Combo Defenses: Box and 1
The Box and 1 Defense stands out as possibly the most well-known “junk” combo defenses available to basketball coaches. A Box and 1 takes your team’s best defender and task him with disrupting the playmaking opportunities of your opponent’s top perimeter scorer. At the same time, the additional four defenders will play a zone in the form of a box, hence “box and 1.”
This defense requires excellent athleticism and anticipation on the part of the single defender, while emphasizing communication and rotation for the box players. It stands built around the chaser’s ability to hound an opponent. The zone defenders cover the perimeter areas adjacent to their respective side of the floor or implement weak side defensive principles.
Basketball Combo Defenses: Triangle and 2
The Triangle and 2 defense stands as an innovative defensive strategy for implementation by basketball coaches. This basketball combo defense seeks to limit the scoring opportunities for the offensive team’s top perimeter players. A variation of the Box and 1, the Triangle and 2 defense combines zone and man-to-man concepts in an effort to neutralize the opposing team’s scoring wings.
The biggest advantage of implementing the Triangle and 2 is the disruptive nature of the defense. Offenses that rely heavily on one or two players to create scoring opportunities remain particularly susceptible to this strategy. Also, opposing teams that incorporate specific timing and flow in their offenses sets find this defense frustrating to navigate. That said, this defense can be neutralized by opposing offenses built around talented low-post scorers.
Basketball Combo Defenses: Diamond and 1
The Diamond and 1 defense stands as a variation of the classic Box and 1 defense. This defensive strategy seeks to limit the scoring opportunities of your opponent’s best player. This is accomplished by installing a combination defense that relies on both man-to-man and zone principles.
A Diamond and 1 takes your team’s best defender and tasks him with disrupting the playmaking opportunities of your opponent’s top perimeter scorer. At the same time, the additional four defenders will play a zone in the form of a diamond, hence “diamond and 1.” This formation provides better protection around the perimeter than the Box and 1 because there will be three defenders in coverage rather than two. However, it provides less help on the backline and can leave the corners susceptible to attack.
For much more on the best basketball combo defenses to implement this season, click the link below!
Learn the Combination Defense to beat the BEST team on your Schedule!
Developing basketball defensive systems stands as one of the most important aspects for any coach out there. While designing offensive plays might be more fun, crafting the right defensive system might make more a difference between winning and losing. A good defense feeds directly into offense and it makes scoring that much easier. Basketball coaches implementing combination defenses, like the Diamond and 1 defense, can make things even more difficult for opponents.
Many coaches believe it’s better to sport a simple offense and complex defense, rather than the other way around. How a coach crafts their team’s defensive approach often dictates the very identity of the team. Also, not all players, particularly at the youth level, will have the same natural abilities on the offensive end, but most players can be taught complex defensive schemes and excel.
What is the Diamond and 1 Defense?
The Diamond and 1 defense stands as a variation of the classic Box and 1 defense. This defensive strategy seeks to limit the scoring opportunities of your opponent’s best player. This is accomplished by installing a combination defense that relies on both man-to-man and zone principles.
A Diamond and 1 takes your team’s best defender and tasks him with disrupting the playmaking opportunities of your opponent’s top perimeter scorer. At the same time, the additional four defenders will play a zone in the form of a diamond, hence “diamond and 1.” This formation provides better protection around the perimeter than the Box and 1 because there will be three defenders in coverage rather than two. However, it provides less help on the backline and can leave the corners susceptible to attack.
Implementing the Diamond and 1 Defense
The Diamond and 1 defense aligns in a similar fashion to the Triangle and 2 defense, but instead of using two chasers, it only uses one.
The chaser in this defensive setup can pickup their mark either full court or once that player has crossed half court. This defense typically employs a ball-denial approach, with the chaser shadowing their mark throughout a given possession.
The other defenders use zone defense principles to guard in the half court. One player takes the top of the key, while two others take the elbow areas. The final defender stands in the lane as the rim protector. The elbow defenders are responsible for the wings, while the backline defender takes the low blocks and short corners.
This defensive set up requires excellent athleticism and anticipation on the part of the chaser, while emphasizing communication and rotation for the zone defenders. This defense is more useful than the Box and 1 when facing an opponent with skilled perimeter shooters. However, there is a weakness in the high-post area. The Diamond and 1 half court defense is different than the Diamond and 1 full court press or half court trap.
Points of emphasis for this defense include securing the rebound to limit second-chance opportunities, and collapsing to the middle when star players touch the ball. The zone defenders must be in position to both rebound and provide help when necessary.
Learn the Combination Defense to beat the BEST team on your Schedule!
Developing basketball defensive systems stands as one of the most important aspects for any coach out there. While designing offensive plays might be more fun, crafting the right defensive system might make more a difference between winning and losing. A good defense feeds directly into offense and it makes scoring that much easier. Basketball coaches implementing combination defenses, like the Triangle and 2 defense, can make things even more difficult for opponents.
Many coaches believe it’s better to sport a simple offense and complex defense, rather than the other way around. How a coach crafts their team’s defensive approach often dictates the very identity of the team. Also, not all players, particularly at the youth level, will have the same natural abilities on the offensive end, but most players can be taught complex defensive schemes and excel.
What is the Triangle and 2 Defense?
The Triangle and 2 defense stands as an innovative defensive strategy for implementation by basketball coaches. This combination defense seeks to limit the scoring opportunities for the offensive team’s top perimeter players. A variation of the Box and 1, the Triangle and 2 defense combines zone and man-to-man concepts in an effort to neutralize the opposing team’s scoring wings.
The biggest advantage of implementing the Triangle and 2 is the disruptive nature of the defense. Offenses that rely heavily on one or two players to create scoring opportunities remain particularly susceptible to this strategy. Also, opposing teams that incorporate specific timing and flow in their offenses sets find this defense frustrating to navigate. That said, this defense can be neutralized by opposing offenses built around talented low-post scorers.
Implementing the Triangle and 2 Defense
The Triangle and 2 defense uses a combination of zone and man-to-man principles in its setup. This defense is designed specifically to frustrate the best perimeter players on any offense. It leverages the alignment to force other offensive players to take key shots for the opposing team.
But there are weaknesses that can be exploited, beyond post touches. Offenses that shoot well from behind the three-point line find additional space on the perimeter against this defense. Also, because of the specific nature of this alignment, the middle of the zone tends to be a weaker point. The Diamond and 1 defense works better to help neutralize shooters..
Using this type of defense can often catch an opposing team off guard, especially during the first meeting of the season. Most basketball coaches prepare their offenses to deal with man-to-man or zone defenses, often forgetting to add prep time for what some consider a “junk” defense.
Implementing the Triangle and 2 defense leans on defensive principles already established in other base defenses. Coaches find this defense relatively easy to implement thanks to the simple and straightforward nature of the responsibilities. The chasers play man-to-man, often in an aggressive, ball-denial fashion. The other defenders then create the zone to protect the rest of the floor.
Points of emphasis for this defense include securing the rebound to limit second-chance opportunities, and collapsing to the triangle when star players touch the ball. The zone defenders must be in position to both rebound and provide help when necessary.
Learn the Combination Defense to beat the BEST team on your Schedule!
The drill begins with players arrayed in a star across the half court. The ball starts with the line under the basket. There are lines in the corners, as well as on the wings.
The Diamond and 1 defense aligns in a similar fashion to the 
The Triangle and 2 defense uses a combination of zone and man-to-man principles in its setup. This defense is designed specifically to frustrate the best perimeter players on any offense. It leverages the alignment to force other offensive players to take key shots for the opposing team.