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.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009
Know Who You Are
There's an old saying in the coaching profession. It's something all coaches should remind themselves. And it's also something that coaches should tell their players when discussing their roles on the team. It goes something like this:
"Know who you are, and what your game is."
I don't have anyone to attribute that quote to. I've said it myself for years. If I had to guess, I'd say I heard it from Don Meyer at a coaches clinic at some point. But in any case, it's something we all need to know. Who are you as a coach? What kind of team do you have? What can you and your team do well? It all comes down to understanding your strengths and playing to them. And knowing your weaknesses and compensating for them. A coach makes this decision for his team and players have to understand their strengths as they play their role on the team.
At the professional level, GMs can shape a team the way they would like. They can build toward a strength. Or they can scrap things and try to go a different direction-- sometimes with disastrous results. Take for example, Steve Kerr of the Phoenix Suns. He inherited a Phoenix Suns team that had had a very successful run with Steve Nash leading a fun to watch, fast breaking team. They were tailor made for the break with Amar'e Stoudemire as the world's fastest post player and an array of long range shooters. Then Kerr decided that he would trade for an aging Shaquille O'Neal and tried to make the Suns a better defensive club with a good scorer in the low post. I won't bother to mention what I thought of Kerr's decision-making, but I'll only state that this weekend, the NBA playoffs will begin and the Suns will not be playing.
Kerr spoke optimistically this week in saying that "the transition is in progress". But the reality is that the Suns are an aging team. Stoudemire is their best young talent, but inexplicably he was the subject of trade rumors. And the reality is also that Kerr failed to realize Who the Suns Were and what made them great. Instead, he bought into the "defense wins championships" motto (no motto is true every time and in every situation) and prematurely closed the Suns' window of opportunity for winning a world championship.
"Know who you are, and what your game is."
I don't have anyone to attribute that quote to. I've said it myself for years. If I had to guess, I'd say I heard it from Don Meyer at a coaches clinic at some point. But in any case, it's something we all need to know. Who are you as a coach? What kind of team do you have? What can you and your team do well? It all comes down to understanding your strengths and playing to them. And knowing your weaknesses and compensating for them. A coach makes this decision for his team and players have to understand their strengths as they play their role on the team.
At the professional level, GMs can shape a team the way they would like. They can build toward a strength. Or they can scrap things and try to go a different direction-- sometimes with disastrous results. Take for example, Steve Kerr of the Phoenix Suns. He inherited a Phoenix Suns team that had had a very successful run with Steve Nash leading a fun to watch, fast breaking team. They were tailor made for the break with Amar'e Stoudemire as the world's fastest post player and an array of long range shooters. Then Kerr decided that he would trade for an aging Shaquille O'Neal and tried to make the Suns a better defensive club with a good scorer in the low post. I won't bother to mention what I thought of Kerr's decision-making, but I'll only state that this weekend, the NBA playoffs will begin and the Suns will not be playing.
Kerr spoke optimistically this week in saying that "the transition is in progress". But the reality is that the Suns are an aging team. Stoudemire is their best young talent, but inexplicably he was the subject of trade rumors. And the reality is also that Kerr failed to realize Who the Suns Were and what made them great. Instead, he bought into the "defense wins championships" motto (no motto is true every time and in every situation) and prematurely closed the Suns' window of opportunity for winning a world championship.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Basketball is a Complex Dance?
If you are a student of the game like I am, then you're going to love pondering some of the thoughts that Phil Jackson shares with us in my last post. I think that Phil Jackson is a brilliant coach. I use the word brilliant in the sense that he truly thinks outside the box. His "Zen Master" style of working with players and the incorporation of the complex "Triangle Offense" at a time when everyone else seemed to running free lance isolation and a seemingly endless array of set plays is completely out of the norm. And it's proven to be successful. Yes, he's had All-Star talent, but there's a long list of guys who couldn't win with talent or handle the prima donna-like personalities as well as Phil Jackson has shown the ability to do.
I love the manner in which Coach Jackson describes the process of playing winning basketball. I think that, in the quote below, he's primarily describing offense. The timing, the spacing, the speed of the cutting action, setting up screens, moving the ball, passing it to the right place at the right time. He speaks of trust. How many times have we seen players who are hesitant to pass a certain teammate the ball? Haven't we all had a player who was unable to make a pass against pressure or even a basic post feed? There's got to be cohesion and a sense of balance in every aspect of the game and Jackson captures it well with those comments.
I love the manner in which Coach Jackson describes the process of playing winning basketball. I think that, in the quote below, he's primarily describing offense. The timing, the spacing, the speed of the cutting action, setting up screens, moving the ball, passing it to the right place at the right time. He speaks of trust. How many times have we seen players who are hesitant to pass a certain teammate the ball? Haven't we all had a player who was unable to make a pass against pressure or even a basic post feed? There's got to be cohesion and a sense of balance in every aspect of the game and Jackson captures it well with those comments.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Hearing From A Basketball Coaching Legend
As one of the NBA coaching leaders in total wins and championships won, Phil Jackson is definitely someone young coaches should be listening to. Sure he has had the good fortune of working with some of great talent. But his track record of success cannot be ignored. And his personal background has made him to develop a unique philosophy toward the game. Here are some thoughts Coach Jackson has about team offense... Enjoy!
Basketball is a sport that involves the subtle interweaving of players at full speed to the point where they are thinking and moving as one. To do that successfully, they need to trust each other on a deep level and know instinctively how their teammates will respond in pressure situations.
A great player can only do so much on his own—no matter how breathtaking his one-on-one moves. If he is out of sync psychologically with everyone else, the team will never achieve the harmony needed to win a championship.
Basketball is a complex dance that requires shifting from one objective to another at lightning speed. To excel, you need to act with a clear mind and be totally focused on what everyone on the floor is doing.
The secret is not thinking. That doesn’t mean being stupid; it means quieting the endless jabbering of thoughts so that your body can do instinctively what it’s been trained to do without the mind getting in the way.
Basketball is a sport that involves the subtle interweaving of players at full speed to the point where they are thinking and moving as one. To do that successfully, they need to trust each other on a deep level and know instinctively how their teammates will respond in pressure situations.
A great player can only do so much on his own—no matter how breathtaking his one-on-one moves. If he is out of sync psychologically with everyone else, the team will never achieve the harmony needed to win a championship.
Basketball is a complex dance that requires shifting from one objective to another at lightning speed. To excel, you need to act with a clear mind and be totally focused on what everyone on the floor is doing.
The secret is not thinking. That doesn’t mean being stupid; it means quieting the endless jabbering of thoughts so that your body can do instinctively what it’s been trained to do without the mind getting in the way.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Expectations- What can YOU promise to your athletes?
We coaches never hesitate to let our expectations known to our athletes. Sometimes, we can be quite demanding-- in practice, in games, on the court and off the court, in-season and off-season. But what can our athletes expect of us? It can be quite helpful to team building and the growth of your program, to openly share some things your athletes can expect out of you. These are things for which you are accountable. What can you guarantee? Well, nobody can guarantee wins and losses. Or that everybody will have fun. But I've listed a few items for you to consider if you'd like to come up with your own list of "coaching expectations."
Can you promise to enforce team rules? Even if the star player breaks them?
Should you promise playing time? Will everyone get to play in every game?
Will you guarantee that you will help any athlete who comes to you with a question or advice?
Should you promise to include fun drills in each practice? Once a week?
Can you coach your athletes in the same manner that we would want our own children to be coached?
Will you blame players or take personal responsibility after a loss?
Will you instill a team work ethic?
Can you guarantee that certain fundamentals will be taught? Will they be taught all season long or just early in the season?
Will you recognize opportunities to share "the big picture" with your athletes to help them learn a life lesson as the ups and downs of the season occur?
Will you teach sportsmanship? Even during times of adversity?
Can you provide a detailed scouting report before every game?
Will every practice be well organized?
Maybe you can come up with some issues of your own to consider. But as you can see, many of these questions can get us thinking about our own philosophy as a coach. Some answers are easy, others are not. If you are able to openly hold yourself accountable with your athletes, this will no doubt impress your players. They will gain respect for you. And in sharing these expectations that you have of yourself, this could motivate your athletes to hold each other more accountable to the team rules.
Can you promise to enforce team rules? Even if the star player breaks them?
Should you promise playing time? Will everyone get to play in every game?
Will you guarantee that you will help any athlete who comes to you with a question or advice?
Should you promise to include fun drills in each practice? Once a week?
Can you coach your athletes in the same manner that we would want our own children to be coached?
Will you blame players or take personal responsibility after a loss?
Will you instill a team work ethic?
Can you guarantee that certain fundamentals will be taught? Will they be taught all season long or just early in the season?
Will you recognize opportunities to share "the big picture" with your athletes to help them learn a life lesson as the ups and downs of the season occur?
Will you teach sportsmanship? Even during times of adversity?
Can you provide a detailed scouting report before every game?
Will every practice be well organized?
Maybe you can come up with some issues of your own to consider. But as you can see, many of these questions can get us thinking about our own philosophy as a coach. Some answers are easy, others are not. If you are able to openly hold yourself accountable with your athletes, this will no doubt impress your players. They will gain respect for you. And in sharing these expectations that you have of yourself, this could motivate your athletes to hold each other more accountable to the team rules.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Dealing with Parents!
One of my least favorite aspects in coaching is dealing with parents. On that end, I'll share an article I came across years ago. It is written with the parent in mind and I used to give a copy of this article to parents at the beginning of every season.
How to establish rapport with your athletic child
by Lloyd Percival
I have been asked to do a book about the role parents should or should not play in the careers of their athletic offspring. I began to research the subject in some detail because it has been my experience that the popular consensus or "expert" opinion sometimes is not as accurate as it appears.
First, I talked with the young athletes and found that though parents often present a problem, the youngsters appear anxious to solve it. They want their parents to be closely involved but without creating pressure and without causing either a super-critical or an over-protective environment.
Here are some golden rules,
1. Make sure that your child knows that - win or lose, scared or heroic - you love him, appreciate his efforts and are not disappointed in him.
This will allow him to do his best, to avoid developing a fear of failure based on the specter of disapproval and family disappointment if he does mess up. Be the person in his life he can look to for constant positive enforcement. Learn to hide your feelings if he disappoints you.
2. Try your best to be completely honest about your child's athletic capability, his competitive attitude, his sportsmanship and his actual skill level.
3. Be helpful but don't "coach" him on the way to the track, diamond or court...on the way back...at breakfast...and so on. Sure, it's tough not to, but it's a lot tougher for the child to be inundated with advice, pep talks and often critical instruction.
4. Teach him to enjoy the thrill of competition, to be "out there trying" to be working to improve his skills and attitudes...to take the physical bumps and come back for more. Don't say "winning doesn't count" because it does. Instead, help him develop the feel for competing, for trying hard, for having fun.
5. Try not to relive your athletic life through your child in a way that creates pressure; you fumbled too, you lost as well as won. You were frightened, you backed off at times, you were not always heroic. Don't pressure him because of your pride.
Sure, he is an extension of you, but let him make his own voyage of discovery into the world of sport...Let him sail into it without interference. Help to calm the water when things get stormy, but let him handle his own navigational problems.
Find out what he is all about and don't assume he feels the way you did, wants the same things, has the same attitudes. You gave him life, now let him learn to handle it, enjoy it. Let him need you on his terms - don't help him to death.
Athletic children need their parents, so you must not withdraw. Just remember there is a thinking, feeling, sensitive, free spirit out there in that uniform who needs a lot of understanding, especially when his world turns bad on him.
If he is comfortable with you - win or lose - he's on his way to maximum achievement and enjoyment - and you will get your kicks too! In the meantime, start to think of your child as a child, not as "my son, the athlete!" If you do, the morale of the family will greatly improve.
6. Don't compete with the coach. The young athlete often comes home and chatters on about "coach says this, coach says that" ad nauseam. This, I realize, is often hard to take - especially for the father who has had some sports experience or for the mother if what the "coach says" refers to the youngster's eating pattern.
When a certain degree of disenchantment about the coach sets in, some parents side with the youngster and are happy to see the coach “shot down”. This is a mistake. It should provide a chance to discuss (not lecture) with the youngster the importance of learning how to handle problems, react to criticism and understand the necessity for discipline, rules, regulations and so on.
7. Don't compare the skill, courage or attitudes of your child with that of other members of the squad or team, at least in his hearing. And if your child shows a tendency to resent the treatment he gets from the coach, or the approval other team members may receive, be careful to talk over the facts quietly and try to provide fair and honest counsel. If you play the role of the overly-protective parent who is blinded to the relative merits of your youngster and his actual status as an athlete and individual, you will merely perpetuate the problem. Your youngster could become a problem athlete.
8. You should also get to know the coach so that you can be assured that his philosophy, attitudes, ethics and knowledge are such that you are happy to expose your child to him. The coach has a tremendous potential influence.
9. Always remember that children tend to exaggerate, both when praised and when criticized. Temper your reactions to the tales of woe or heroics they bring home. Don't cut your youngster down if you feel he is exaggerating - just take a look at the situation and gradually try to develop an even level.
Above all, don't over-react and rush off to the coach if you feel an injustice has been done. Investigate, but anticipate that the problem is not as it might appear.
10. Make a point of understanding courage, and the fact that it is relative. There are different kinds of courage. Some of us can climb mountains, but are frightened to get into a fight. Others can fight without fear but turn to jelly if a bee approaches. Everyone is frightened in certain areas - nobody escapes fear and that is just as well since it often helps us avoid disaster.
Explain to your youngster that courage does not mean an absence of fear but rather means doing something in spite of fear or discomfort.
In a way, the parents are the primary coaches. I have talked with many great athletes who, in evaluating the reasons for their success, have said: "My parents really helped. I was lucky in this respect." To me the coaching job the parent has is the toughest one of all and it takes a lot of effort to do it well. It is worth all the effort when you hear your youngster boast (now or later on) that you played a key role in his success.
Lloyd Percival was perhaps Canada’s best known authority on physical fitness. An author and radio personality, Percival worked with many of Canada’s finest athletes at the Fitness Institute he established in 1963.
How to establish rapport with your athletic child
by Lloyd Percival
I have been asked to do a book about the role parents should or should not play in the careers of their athletic offspring. I began to research the subject in some detail because it has been my experience that the popular consensus or "expert" opinion sometimes is not as accurate as it appears.
First, I talked with the young athletes and found that though parents often present a problem, the youngsters appear anxious to solve it. They want their parents to be closely involved but without creating pressure and without causing either a super-critical or an over-protective environment.
Here are some golden rules,
1. Make sure that your child knows that - win or lose, scared or heroic - you love him, appreciate his efforts and are not disappointed in him.
This will allow him to do his best, to avoid developing a fear of failure based on the specter of disapproval and family disappointment if he does mess up. Be the person in his life he can look to for constant positive enforcement. Learn to hide your feelings if he disappoints you.
2. Try your best to be completely honest about your child's athletic capability, his competitive attitude, his sportsmanship and his actual skill level.
3. Be helpful but don't "coach" him on the way to the track, diamond or court...on the way back...at breakfast...and so on. Sure, it's tough not to, but it's a lot tougher for the child to be inundated with advice, pep talks and often critical instruction.
4. Teach him to enjoy the thrill of competition, to be "out there trying" to be working to improve his skills and attitudes...to take the physical bumps and come back for more. Don't say "winning doesn't count" because it does. Instead, help him develop the feel for competing, for trying hard, for having fun.
5. Try not to relive your athletic life through your child in a way that creates pressure; you fumbled too, you lost as well as won. You were frightened, you backed off at times, you were not always heroic. Don't pressure him because of your pride.
Sure, he is an extension of you, but let him make his own voyage of discovery into the world of sport...Let him sail into it without interference. Help to calm the water when things get stormy, but let him handle his own navigational problems.
Find out what he is all about and don't assume he feels the way you did, wants the same things, has the same attitudes. You gave him life, now let him learn to handle it, enjoy it. Let him need you on his terms - don't help him to death.
Athletic children need their parents, so you must not withdraw. Just remember there is a thinking, feeling, sensitive, free spirit out there in that uniform who needs a lot of understanding, especially when his world turns bad on him.
If he is comfortable with you - win or lose - he's on his way to maximum achievement and enjoyment - and you will get your kicks too! In the meantime, start to think of your child as a child, not as "my son, the athlete!" If you do, the morale of the family will greatly improve.
6. Don't compete with the coach. The young athlete often comes home and chatters on about "coach says this, coach says that" ad nauseam. This, I realize, is often hard to take - especially for the father who has had some sports experience or for the mother if what the "coach says" refers to the youngster's eating pattern.
When a certain degree of disenchantment about the coach sets in, some parents side with the youngster and are happy to see the coach “shot down”. This is a mistake. It should provide a chance to discuss (not lecture) with the youngster the importance of learning how to handle problems, react to criticism and understand the necessity for discipline, rules, regulations and so on.
7. Don't compare the skill, courage or attitudes of your child with that of other members of the squad or team, at least in his hearing. And if your child shows a tendency to resent the treatment he gets from the coach, or the approval other team members may receive, be careful to talk over the facts quietly and try to provide fair and honest counsel. If you play the role of the overly-protective parent who is blinded to the relative merits of your youngster and his actual status as an athlete and individual, you will merely perpetuate the problem. Your youngster could become a problem athlete.
8. You should also get to know the coach so that you can be assured that his philosophy, attitudes, ethics and knowledge are such that you are happy to expose your child to him. The coach has a tremendous potential influence.
9. Always remember that children tend to exaggerate, both when praised and when criticized. Temper your reactions to the tales of woe or heroics they bring home. Don't cut your youngster down if you feel he is exaggerating - just take a look at the situation and gradually try to develop an even level.
Above all, don't over-react and rush off to the coach if you feel an injustice has been done. Investigate, but anticipate that the problem is not as it might appear.
10. Make a point of understanding courage, and the fact that it is relative. There are different kinds of courage. Some of us can climb mountains, but are frightened to get into a fight. Others can fight without fear but turn to jelly if a bee approaches. Everyone is frightened in certain areas - nobody escapes fear and that is just as well since it often helps us avoid disaster.
Explain to your youngster that courage does not mean an absence of fear but rather means doing something in spite of fear or discomfort.
In a way, the parents are the primary coaches. I have talked with many great athletes who, in evaluating the reasons for their success, have said: "My parents really helped. I was lucky in this respect." To me the coaching job the parent has is the toughest one of all and it takes a lot of effort to do it well. It is worth all the effort when you hear your youngster boast (now or later on) that you played a key role in his success.
Lloyd Percival was perhaps Canada’s best known authority on physical fitness. An author and radio personality, Percival worked with many of Canada’s finest athletes at the Fitness Institute he established in 1963.
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