Recently, we lost one of the best in John Wooden. He ranks as one of the greatest coaches and leaders of all-time. And he was probably one of the most influential coaches I had during my career and in my life still today. Better known for his 10 national titles in 12 years, Coach Wooden also was enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a player for his career at Purdue.
My college team ran the UCLA offense-- quite effectively I might add-- so I will always remember him for that. But mostly I will remember him for what he stood for, his approach to teaching his athletes about life as well as how to play the game.
I have an extensive quote collection. John Wooden may have the most quotes of anybody. Of his many quotes, I think my favorite is his definition of success. He wanted to define success in a way that went beyond winning and losing. He said,
"Success is a peace of mind that you get from knowing that you did the best you could with your given ability."
I like that. In the end, if you know that you did the best you could, you should be satisfied with that. So often winning and losing depends on so many factors, most of which are beyond any one person's control. Success is more than just winning.
In his 99 years, John Wooden accomplished many things. But the most important thing was that he lived his life in an honorable way.
Goodbye, Coach Wooden. Thank you.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Even Coaching Legends Make Mistakes
The 2010 Final Four produced two major coaching blunders by two coaches who most certainly will one day be called legends of the game, Michigan State's Tom Izzo and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.
With 3.6 seconds left in the championship game, Coach Krzyzewski told post player Brian Zoubek to intentionally miss a free throw even though his team was only up two points. And as probably all of you saw, Butler's Gordon Hayward eventually got a potential game-winning shot off from near half-court that he nearly made. Had that shot gone in, it would have most certainly been one of the best finishes in any championship game regardless of sport.
Why did Coach K tell his player to miss a foul shot that would have put his team up three? Maybe he thought that it would be more difficult to get a decent shot off a miss than off a made free throw where Butler could have thrown it inbounds. But to make that decision when you're only up two is clearly a mistake as Hayward proved (even though he missed). Hayward's shot would have allowed an underdog to win the game rather than send it into overtime where favored Duke would have figured to have at least a slight advantage.
Izzo's blunder didn't get talked about as much, but it was probably worse than Coach K's error. His team was bringing the ball up court, down three with seconds to play, when Izzo called a timeout. On one level, calling a timeout in this situation is debatable because his players, knowing time and score, should have been able to get a good look in transition. Plus, stopping the clock forces you to have to inbound the ball on the side in your back court and allows the defense to set up.
But the big thing that got missed by commentator Clark Kellogg was that calling the timeout allowed Butler to huddle up. Brad Stevens was able to tell his players to foul. This took away the opportunity for the Spartans to get off a three-point shot, making whatever play Tom Izzo called during his timeout a mute point, and helped the opposing coach set up a preferred strategy for his team.
As a former coach who loves the profession, I seldom criticize coaches. We all know that all too often coaches take the blame from the media and parents. Sometimes, strategic decisions simply do not work out. Many times, coaching decisions are debatable, and no strategy is going to work 100% of the time.
But seldom do you see a clear example of an coaching errors like these late in games. And they were made by two of the highest paid coaches in the country. Both are outstanding coaches and future hall-of-famers. But on this instance, they made mistakes that many others would not have made.
With 3.6 seconds left in the championship game, Coach Krzyzewski told post player Brian Zoubek to intentionally miss a free throw even though his team was only up two points. And as probably all of you saw, Butler's Gordon Hayward eventually got a potential game-winning shot off from near half-court that he nearly made. Had that shot gone in, it would have most certainly been one of the best finishes in any championship game regardless of sport.
Why did Coach K tell his player to miss a foul shot that would have put his team up three? Maybe he thought that it would be more difficult to get a decent shot off a miss than off a made free throw where Butler could have thrown it inbounds. But to make that decision when you're only up two is clearly a mistake as Hayward proved (even though he missed). Hayward's shot would have allowed an underdog to win the game rather than send it into overtime where favored Duke would have figured to have at least a slight advantage.
Izzo's blunder didn't get talked about as much, but it was probably worse than Coach K's error. His team was bringing the ball up court, down three with seconds to play, when Izzo called a timeout. On one level, calling a timeout in this situation is debatable because his players, knowing time and score, should have been able to get a good look in transition. Plus, stopping the clock forces you to have to inbound the ball on the side in your back court and allows the defense to set up.
But the big thing that got missed by commentator Clark Kellogg was that calling the timeout allowed Butler to huddle up. Brad Stevens was able to tell his players to foul. This took away the opportunity for the Spartans to get off a three-point shot, making whatever play Tom Izzo called during his timeout a mute point, and helped the opposing coach set up a preferred strategy for his team.
As a former coach who loves the profession, I seldom criticize coaches. We all know that all too often coaches take the blame from the media and parents. Sometimes, strategic decisions simply do not work out. Many times, coaching decisions are debatable, and no strategy is going to work 100% of the time.
But seldom do you see a clear example of an coaching errors like these late in games. And they were made by two of the highest paid coaches in the country. Both are outstanding coaches and future hall-of-famers. But on this instance, they made mistakes that many others would not have made.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
We Talk'in About Practice!
Allen Iverson, probably a future Hall of Famer, may be best known for that famous sound byte in which he goes off about the suggestion that his lack of practice habits and overall discipline was having a bad effect on his team.
"Practice?! We talk'in 'bout practice man! Practice!"
Those words have been replayed over and over on sports radio programs across the nation. But alas, now that age and injuries have caused his career to nose dive, I have to wonder if he has any regrets. I wonder if he realizes that you can't cheat mother time.
And you can't cheat the game.
I wonder how much better A.I. could have been if he had a better attitude and work ethic. I wonder if he would have had a longer career. But instead, while only in his early 30's, his career has nose dived. Injuries and age are a big part of it. But professional athletes today are coming back from injuries like never before. Drew Brees has a Super Bowl ring and he wasn't supposed to be able to throw a 20 yard out ever again.
No, Iverson's attitude has always been a cancer. Recent teams he has left have all shown improvement once he was gone. The great Larry Brown was able to take a group of role players and make a championship run with A.I. in his prime. But even that magical season was marred by incidents with A.I.'s misbehavior.
Practice? Yes, Allen, we're talking about practice. And we're talking about lifting weights. We're talking about training rules and staying off the booze. You can't cheat the game Allen.
Good luck in your retirement.
"Practice?! We talk'in 'bout practice man! Practice!"
Those words have been replayed over and over on sports radio programs across the nation. But alas, now that age and injuries have caused his career to nose dive, I have to wonder if he has any regrets. I wonder if he realizes that you can't cheat mother time.
And you can't cheat the game.
I wonder how much better A.I. could have been if he had a better attitude and work ethic. I wonder if he would have had a longer career. But instead, while only in his early 30's, his career has nose dived. Injuries and age are a big part of it. But professional athletes today are coming back from injuries like never before. Drew Brees has a Super Bowl ring and he wasn't supposed to be able to throw a 20 yard out ever again.
No, Iverson's attitude has always been a cancer. Recent teams he has left have all shown improvement once he was gone. The great Larry Brown was able to take a group of role players and make a championship run with A.I. in his prime. But even that magical season was marred by incidents with A.I.'s misbehavior.
Practice? Yes, Allen, we're talking about practice. And we're talking about lifting weights. We're talking about training rules and staying off the booze. You can't cheat the game Allen.
Good luck in your retirement.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Building Confidence Without Wins
Recently, I was asked by the coach of a winless basketball team about confidence. Her team was weary from the beatings they were taking and she was looking for ways to build their confidence even when her team wasn't winning on the court.
It's no secret that the best way for a team to build confidence is to win games. Winning cures everything. It builds confidence and team chemistry. Players start to believe in themselves and each other.
But what can be done when victories prove to be elusive? What, if anything, can be done for the winless team that has players who KNOW that they aren't very good?
It isn't easy. Confidence is built through accomplishment. The better the accomplishment, the more confidence one can attain. Confidence cannot be built up artificially through talk or by beating teams that you know you should beat. Saying "great job" 100 times a practice will have no lasting effect. False confidence will not serve a team well during crunch time. You have to achieve something you weren't sure you could do.
For the team that may not win another game, this must be done through goal setting. Time a drill in practice. Set a goal for how fast a three man weave drill should be completed up and down the floor. Set a goal for going mistake free in a drill for a set amount of time. Count baskets made in a shooting drill. When improvement in these drills can be shown, that will be a confidence builder. Goal setting can also be done during a game. Setting a halftime goal to out rebound a team in the 2nd half or cut down a lead during the third quarter are a couple examples. The goal should be difficult, measurable, and achievable.
It will not be easy, but I commend this coach for wanting to try. All coaches should care about their kids and want to provide as good of an experience playing their sport as possible. All too often, coaches at younger levels bail out on their players and go through the motions until the end of the year. Good coaches do not do that. Good coaches respect the game and never stop teaching.
It's no secret that the best way for a team to build confidence is to win games. Winning cures everything. It builds confidence and team chemistry. Players start to believe in themselves and each other.
But what can be done when victories prove to be elusive? What, if anything, can be done for the winless team that has players who KNOW that they aren't very good?
It isn't easy. Confidence is built through accomplishment. The better the accomplishment, the more confidence one can attain. Confidence cannot be built up artificially through talk or by beating teams that you know you should beat. Saying "great job" 100 times a practice will have no lasting effect. False confidence will not serve a team well during crunch time. You have to achieve something you weren't sure you could do.
For the team that may not win another game, this must be done through goal setting. Time a drill in practice. Set a goal for how fast a three man weave drill should be completed up and down the floor. Set a goal for going mistake free in a drill for a set amount of time. Count baskets made in a shooting drill. When improvement in these drills can be shown, that will be a confidence builder. Goal setting can also be done during a game. Setting a halftime goal to out rebound a team in the 2nd half or cut down a lead during the third quarter are a couple examples. The goal should be difficult, measurable, and achievable.
It will not be easy, but I commend this coach for wanting to try. All coaches should care about their kids and want to provide as good of an experience playing their sport as possible. All too often, coaches at younger levels bail out on their players and go through the motions until the end of the year. Good coaches do not do that. Good coaches respect the game and never stop teaching.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
When Less Means More
As a coach, you have a lot of decisions to make offensively. What offense to run. How many offenses to run. How many set plays to run. These decisions are important and, of course, it goes without saying that the coach needs to be comfortable with the offense inside and out. Plus the offense needs to fit your team. But one aspect of this decision that cannot be overlooked is how much offense to run.
I've known coaches who never hesitate to install a new offense or set play. They feel that their X's and O's will give their team a competitive advantage. And in some instances that may be true. But from what I've seen, many more times you will see confused faces on the court, broken plays, and frustrated coaches. In the end, I think that less is more. Below, I have sited eight reasons why I feel that way.
1. Confidence- players know what to do under pressure since the few set plays that you do run are "over-learned". They have run these plays over and over again, probably for several years. When the game is on the line, rest assured that your nervous basketball players will not have blank stares on their faces when you call for a set play.
2. Freedom to substitute- reserve players who get less reps in practice will still be able run your entire offense.
3. More team depth- Players can play multiple positions. In effect, this gives you more quality depth, because your best players off the bench can play multiple positions.
4. Better execution- Teach your players how to play rather than how to run a bunch of plays. In order to get the timing and execution to the level that it takes to compete against the best defenses in your league, you are going to have to break down your offenses to their individual parts.
5. More time for fundamentals- Less time spent learning and practicing plays means more time for shooting and skill development.
6. Scouting- If your players know exactly who "we are" and what "we do", you can spend more time on who "they are" and what "they do".
7. Special situations. Players can become very comfortable with what will expected in every late game situation they encounter because a simple system allows more time for that.
8. Halftime adjustments. If a coach knows his system inside and outside, he/she will know exactly how to adjust to anything an opponent does to slow the offense down. If the offense isn't too complex, you will, as a coach, have a greater ability to make adjustments in the huddle and at halftime. If players are already on information overload, any additional wrinkles added during a game will only create confusion and result in a frustrated coach on the sideline.
I've known coaches who never hesitate to install a new offense or set play. They feel that their X's and O's will give their team a competitive advantage. And in some instances that may be true. But from what I've seen, many more times you will see confused faces on the court, broken plays, and frustrated coaches. In the end, I think that less is more. Below, I have sited eight reasons why I feel that way.
1. Confidence- players know what to do under pressure since the few set plays that you do run are "over-learned". They have run these plays over and over again, probably for several years. When the game is on the line, rest assured that your nervous basketball players will not have blank stares on their faces when you call for a set play.
2. Freedom to substitute- reserve players who get less reps in practice will still be able run your entire offense.
3. More team depth- Players can play multiple positions. In effect, this gives you more quality depth, because your best players off the bench can play multiple positions.
4. Better execution- Teach your players how to play rather than how to run a bunch of plays. In order to get the timing and execution to the level that it takes to compete against the best defenses in your league, you are going to have to break down your offenses to their individual parts.
5. More time for fundamentals- Less time spent learning and practicing plays means more time for shooting and skill development.
6. Scouting- If your players know exactly who "we are" and what "we do", you can spend more time on who "they are" and what "they do".
7. Special situations. Players can become very comfortable with what will expected in every late game situation they encounter because a simple system allows more time for that.
8. Halftime adjustments. If a coach knows his system inside and outside, he/she will know exactly how to adjust to anything an opponent does to slow the offense down. If the offense isn't too complex, you will, as a coach, have a greater ability to make adjustments in the huddle and at halftime. If players are already on information overload, any additional wrinkles added during a game will only create confusion and result in a frustrated coach on the sideline.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Two on One Fast Breaks
One of the better "little things" that I ever picked up at a coaches clinic was some advice on proper spacing for a 2 on 1 fast break. If you coach at the high school level or below, I am sure you can relate to the frustration of seeing some of your players struggle to make passes on the move. Even something as simple as a two on one fast break can at times lead to a turnover. Or you look on as two many of your players seem to be settling for jump shots instead of layups. Other times, you will see the dribbler take the ball all the way to the basket and leave his feet, only to then try to make a late pass to his teammate. At that close to the goal, one defender really can defend two players if he can turn around quick enough.
But this simple piece of advice changed all of that for me. It was something I had never heard before.
"On a two on one fast break, the non-dribbler stays behind the 'level of the ball' until the defense commits."
This allows a much safer pass and prevents the passer from having to make a pass that the defender can get a hand on. If the passer times it right, he can make the pass around the elbow area extended, while the defender is still indecisive. This almost always results in a wide open layup. And make the pass a crisp air pass rather than a slower bounce pass. This will not give the defender enough time to adjust.
If you use a drill that incorporates the 2 on 1 fast break, try using this stay behind the ball principle. The results will be immediate.
But this simple piece of advice changed all of that for me. It was something I had never heard before.
"On a two on one fast break, the non-dribbler stays behind the 'level of the ball' until the defense commits."
This allows a much safer pass and prevents the passer from having to make a pass that the defender can get a hand on. If the passer times it right, he can make the pass around the elbow area extended, while the defender is still indecisive. This almost always results in a wide open layup. And make the pass a crisp air pass rather than a slower bounce pass. This will not give the defender enough time to adjust.
If you use a drill that incorporates the 2 on 1 fast break, try using this stay behind the ball principle. The results will be immediate.
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