These 35 Essential Skills to Being An Outstanding Basketball Coach came from Coach Eric Musselman.  I received them in Creighton Burns’ latest newsletter.

1) Be a GREAT teacher

a) fundamentals

b) break down all of your drills

c) ball handling drills

d) teach them something “NEW”

2) Sell your system!

a) sell you coaching staff

b) sell your approach – system!

3) Motivation

a) challenge your players

4) Organization

a) organize your staff

b) give them an outline of duties for each coach

5) Create a system

a) find (create) an identity. “image?

i) what does a referee think, students, opposing coach/players think?

ii) your team will work to take its identity to another level

iii) “DOMINATE” at your identity!

6) Be POSITIVE!!!!

a) use negative comments during a winning streak

b) use positive comments during a losing streak

c) use positive reinforcement to bounce back from a loss

7) High Energy

a) if you coach with high energy, your team/players will have high energy

b) energy for players

8.) Be in good physical condition

a) being out of shape can limit your teaching ability

b) your physical condition is an example to the players

9) Intensity

a) your team will take on your personality

10) Your will to win!

a) how high is your will to win?

b) if a coach does not take losing lightly, players won’t take losing lightly!

c) if your coach takes losing lightly, so will the team

11) Communication/Relationships

a) treat referees with respect

b) officials respond to communication not embarrassment

12) Work Ethic

a) outwork the competition!

b) grade yourself!

i) where do you rate?

‐1‐ within your conference, within your league/district, within you entire sport

‐2‐ how do you rate with other sports?

13) Talent Evaluator/Evaluation

a) How do you mesh your team together?

b) Your won/loss record is a direct reflection of your talent evaluation

14) Ego management

a) player ego

b) Coach, staff ego – assistant coach ego

15) Respect factor

a) how do you show respect?

b) how do you gain respect?

16) Find a mentor!

a) a mentor is someone you can learn and seek advice from – does not necessarily have to be in your field

17) The Media

a) don’t lie to the media

b) treat the media with respect

c) remember the media has a job to do

18) Consistency

a) be consistent

19) Master the X’s and O’s

a) surround yourself with the best “X’s and O’s” people

b) hire experts whose strength are the areas you are weak in

20) Brainstorm

a) find ways to change your system and make it better

21) The Staff

a) the trainer – key hire and very important

b) Where do players complain?

i) the locker room

ii) the training room

iii) the weight room

c) make sure the staff is all on the same page

22) Preparation

a) be prepared for problems before they occur

23) Late game preparations

a) work on special situations

24) Handling a loss – talk to your team about how they should conduct themselves after a loss

a) no laughing, easy, laize faire attitude

b) a post game loss should include a time for reflection – a hurtful place

c) loss after game on team bus – should be subdued

25) Create a WINNING ENVIRONMENT

a) make people feel good about where they are playing

26) Be Creative!

a) always be on the cutting edge of creative coaching

b) the more creative you are, the more attention you grab from your players

27) Clearly define roles

a) Staff – clearly define roles for your staff

i) offensive, defensive coordinator

ii) in charge of the video room

iii) post game reporting of stats

iv) scouting

b) Players

i) discuss the roles in training camp

ii) don’t lead the player on

28) Creating TEAM Chemistry

a) use events off the floor to improve your team chemistry

b) you must have chemistry between the lines in order to win

29) Ability to communicate

a) are you improving your public speaking?

b) masters of public speaking can take control of their locker room

30) Goal Setting

a) set goals that are obtainable

b) do something everyday that is goal oriented

31) Dedication

a) all individuals who achieve greatness are dedicated

b) good coaches are dedicated

32) Idea Generator

a) who is your idea generator?

b) don’t become complacent in idea generation

c) change with the times

33) Problem solving

a) you have to turn a loss into a solution

b) always have a solution

34) Opportunity

a) they need you when there is a loss. Be a problem solver!

35) Leadership

a) above all, a successful coach must be a great leader

b) be honest to yourself about your situation

i) be the most improved team in your conference, etc.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of resources for coaching basketball including basketball practice, basketball plays, basketball drills, basketball quotes, basketball workouts, basketball poems, and more!

This was posted on University of Central Florida Women’s Assistant Coach Bob Starkey’s Blog:  HoopThoughts.  It is a great site for basketball coaches.  If you haven’t seen it, you should check it.

Coach Starkey is a former assistant at LSU and that is where this post originated.

One of the best Match-Up Zone coaches in the women’s game is former Auburn head coach Joe Ciampi.  Joe, a member the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame still takes the time to teach and share his thoughts on match-up play and a lot more in terms of basketball.  Here are a few notes I took when Joe visited with our staff at LSU in 2005.  They excellent if you are looking to improve the way you play zone defense but they are equally important for you to read in your attack of zone defenses:

Four Key Words To Multiple Defensive System:

DELAY…the ball coming down the floor

DEFLECT…inside passes…all passes inside 3-point arc…fingertips on the ball.

DISRUPT…offensive flow thru traps…always trap out of a timeout.

DISGUISE…Auburn played 60% Match-Up 40% man during Ciampi’s career.
Offensive thoughts vs. Match-Up

Screen Outside (Elbow Screens)

Screen Inside (Post)

Few teams screen long enough or move often enough to have success against a true match-up.

Overall defensive philosophy: Have non-shooters shoot.

Ciampi defines offensive players as “shooters” or “drivers” (non-shooters)

Multiple defensive system will test opponent’s offensive IQ

Advantage to multiple defensive system is that offense has to constantly think about how they will score.

Good defense can make more adjustments than a good offense.

Thoughts on pressing: “The can pass around us or pass over us but we don’t want them to pass or dribble through us.”

Defenses either act or react…multiple defensive systems force offenses to react.

Awareness becomes better with strength, quickness and speed.

Can run system in segments…Ciampi likes to change before half or to start the second half.

Important to have defensive goals…players want to see numbers.

In everything you do in practice, have winners and losers….anything 2/2, 3/3, 4/4 have winners and losers…assign a coach to each team…ask winners why they won and losers why they lost…important they understand what went into the process.

Assign one coach to be a “praiser” at practice.

Ciampi believes that the coach controls practice and officials control games.

Ciampi believes that coaches spend too much time correcting poor performance and not praising good play.

Excellent 5/5 defensive possession doesn’t allow a pass inside the 3-point arc…give defensive team 3 points when that happens.

Consecutive turnovers by offense — stop practice and run…place a value on the possession.

Timeout: 1 offensive thought

1 defensive thought

Give most important thought last

Assistant coaches don’t work officials…I’ve gotten better but not where I should be!

Half-time stats of importance:
…..Opponent’s FG%
…..Rebounds

Find something to praise

Extending defense forces opponents to start offense with :20 or less on shot clock — this makes offense basically work to get a shot with only 3 or 4 passes.

Ciampi has :25 on shot clock when working offense in practice…more game like.

Captain’s role is to voice and protect the coach’s opinion.

Great statement: Leadership is more important in the 22 hours off the court than it is the 2 hours on the court!!!…reason Temeka was a great leader…(Coach Meyer: “Great leaders must be accessible”)

Important for head coach to have constant dialogue with team leaders.

Ciampi charts free throws by having player make 10 in a row to start and then chart the next 10…we need to do this in the fall with volunteer free throws….Ciampi also changes free throw pairs up each week…I think this is a great idea…we can do this easily by posting on the bulletin board who their FT and shooting partner is for that week…Ciampi likes to put good FT shooters with poor ones…veterans with rookies.

Two Main Concepts for Match-Up (in this order):
…..Where’s the ball
…..Where do I belong
…..(Can be said of our man-to-man defense as well!)

I have always felt that it is important to evaluate a game with the players prior to moving on to the next game.  If we play poorly and I am upset, I try not to say too much after the game so that I can have a chance to watch the video and look at the stats in order to have items to improve upon.  I don’t want it to be a blame session or me venting frustrations.

If we win, we do a cheer, I deliver some sincere praise where it is deserved, and remind that as Dick Bennett said, if we are going to improve, “We cannot accept in victory what we would not accept in defeat,” in terms of our effort, our attitude, our unselfishness, and our execution.

I have included a link to the form that I have used to copy and hand to the players when we evaluate the game with them.

Each year is different in terms of our goals, but we are a packline defense program, and a program that emphasizes, playing your role (our best scorers will take most of the shots) shot selection, and not turning the basketball over.

I have examples of what I am talking about on the pdf with the download link below.

For shot selection, I use the Don Meyer shot rating system.  We rate every shot taken in a game.  4 = power shot or layup  3 =wide open shot (not a shot from beyond the 3 point arc, but any wide open shot) 2 = a decent shot 1 =bad shot 0 = turnover (Take a 3 or a 4 or you’re off the floor)

We have cards on the players lockers and they receive stickers after the game for individual performances that benefit the team:

*1.5 Points Per Field Goal Attempt (need to get to the line to get this one)
* Take a Charge
* Big Plays–making the last shot of a quarter, a great individual defensive job, or any individual efforts
that turned the momentum or was a game changing play.  This is the coaching staff’s discretion.
* 8 Rebounds
* 5 Assists
* Conventional 3 Pt Play
* Put Back (offensive rebound and basket)

As I watch the video myself or with our staff, I make notes as to the clips that I want our players to see with times so that I can forward to the clips and they don’t have to watch the whole video.

We chart deflections, blockouts, and challenged shots.  In our packline defense, the key stat is opponent’s field goal percentage, so all of these are critical to keeping that percentage low.  Examples are on the pdf that has a link below.

We break our goals into quarters, so if our goal is to hold our opponent to 44 points, then we want 11 or less points EACH QUARTER.  The same for turnovers.  8 or less per game is our goal, so we want no more than 2 per quarter.  We do go over each turnover and what can be done in the future to correct it.  That is also on the link below.

Finally, with the team that is shown in this example, our Points Per Possession was highest if we had the ball for more than 30 seconds on a possession, so I timed each possession and looked at the Possession percentage for various lengths of time.   I do not do that with every team, but this one needed that to help them play their best.

On the sheet, I have used players numbers rather than names, but use names on what I give to the players.

Click here to see a sample of the POSTGAME EVALUATION SHEET

This list is reprinted with permission from Alan Stein’s blog strongerteam.com.  If you have not been there, definitely add it to the list of resources that you check regularly!

1. Great coaches… promote shared ownership and internal leadership of the team. They create a ‘team’ attitude.
2. Great coaches… have their players keep a notebook with plays, motivational quotes, and facts about the program’s history.
3. Great coaches… are teachers of the game at their most fundamental level.  They teach basketball; they teach life lessons.
4. Great coaches… love the game; respect the game.
5. Great coaches… work on their craft every day. They work on the X’s & O’s, strategy as well as on leadership.
6. Great coaches… establish roles on the team.  They clearly define these roles to everyone in the program.
7. Great coaches… objectively analyze a player’s strengths & weaknesses and find ways to utilize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
8. Great coaches… have high character.  They know they are in the business of leading by example and developing young men & women for life.
9. Great coaches… praise the behavior they want to see repeated and discipline the behavior the want to see eliminated.
10. Great coaches… don’t have ‘favorites.’ They care about all of their players and are objective when deciding roles and playing time.
11. Great coaches… treat every player fairly, but not equally. They know some players ‘need’ more than others.
12. Great coaches… get everyone on the team to accept their role and fulfill it to the best of their ability.
13. Great coaches… are always prepared. They study film, scouting reports, and design practice plans accordingly.
14. Great coaches… listen to their assistant coaches and to their players.  They don’t feel threatened and they welcome suggestions.
15. Great coaches… don’t over coach. They don’t talk to hear themselves talk, they talk to make a point, to teach, and to motivate.
16. Great coaches… coach in ‘bullet points’ during practice – they keep the action flowing! They keep instructions short and sweet.
17. Great coaches… coach players; not a system. They know it’s not what you run, but how well you run it that matters.
18. Great coaches… know that basketball isn’t just about offense and defense. It’s also about effort and execution.
19. Great coaches… pay attention to detail. They know that everything regarding their program is important. Everything makes a difference.
20. Great coaches… make sure everything done in practice has a purpose. Every drill has value.
21. Great coaches… delegate to their assistant coaches and let them share the responsibility (and joy) of running a team.
22. Great coaches… compliment their players and assistants often and with sincerity (but only when deserved; not to ‘blow smoke’).
23. Great coaches… are THE hardest workers in their program. They set the tone. They don’t let any player/coach outwork them.
24. Great coaches… are a spark of energy and enthusiasm.  They raise the level of everyone in their program, every day.
25. Great coaches… are mentally tough. They don’t get flustered.  They know their mental toughness trickles down to the entire program.
26. Great coaches… challenge their players and assistants… every day!  They don’t allow complacency.
27. Great coaches… are the face of their program. They welcome this and represent with pride and class.
28. Great coaches… have a clear, precise vision of what they want their team to become and accomplish.
29. Great coaches… learn what motivates each player on the team.  They find ways to light each player’s internal fire.
30. Great coaches… give trust and respect… and by doing so they earn trust and respect from everyone in their program.
31. Great coaches… are 100%, absolutely, positively committed to their team in every way possible.
32. Great coaches… create standards of excellence and hold their players and staff accountable.
33. Great coaches… know that you can’t win every game… but you can prepare (and try) to win every game.
34. Great coaches… set realistic, attainable goals and get everyone in the program to buy in and achieve them.
35. Great coaches… admit when they are wrong or make a mistake.  They are humble.
36. Great coaches… love to coach and have fun coaching… it is who they are!
37. Great coaches… are confident without being arrogant.  They believe in their team and in their preparation; but never assume they will win.
38. Great coaches… don’t worry so much about what their opponent is going to do; but instead focuses more on what their team is going to do.
39. Great coaches… know… ‘it ain’t about me; it’s about them.’ (referring to their players)
40. Great coaches… don’t coach for money or fame.  They may achieve money and fame; but that is not why they coach.
41. Great coaches… constantly make adjustments. They go into every practice and game with a plan and then adjust accordingly.
42. Great coaches… criticize the behavior or the play; not the person.  It’s never personal.
43. Great coaches… will help a player they coached decades ago.  Every former player is a part of their team.
44. Great coaches… lead by example and are excellent role models in every since of the word; on and off the court.
45. Great coaches… coach the players on their team they way they would want someone to coach their own son or daughter.
46. Great coaches… teach the fundamentals of the game… even at the highest of levels.
47. Great coaches… are active during practice and games. They don’t stand in one spot with their arms folded. They are fully engaged!
48. Great coaches… are authentic to who they are and to their own personality. They don’t try to coach like someone else.
49. Great coaches… are lifelong learners and true students of the game.  They read, watch, and listen to anything that will help them get better.
50. Great coaches… coach what they know and what works for their program.  They seek to learn what they don’t know.
51. Great coaches… know ‘it ain’t what I say that matters… it’s what they hear. ’ (referring to their players)
52. Great coaches… listen for things they don’t want to hear and look for things they don’t want to see.
53. Great coaches… coach their current team to the best of their ability. They aren’t ever looking ahead to next year.
54. Great coaches… don’t allow themselves, their staff, or their players to get satisfied… no matter how successful they are.
55. Great coaches… call each player by name within the first 10 minutes of every practice.
56. Great coaches… know they get what they emphasize. They make sure they emphasize the right things!
57. Great coaches… impact and influence lives far behind the game of basketball. Basketball just happens to be their vehicle.
58. Great coaches… promote communication, toughness, and competitiveness in addition to fundamentals, X’s & O’s, and game strategy.
59. Great coaches… get the absolute maximum out of every player on their team and every assistant on their staff.
60. Great coaches… are innovators. They don’t just do things because ‘that’s how they’ve always been done.’ They create!

Being a great coach takes the commitment to ‘work on your craft’ (the things on this list) every day.

I am eternally thankful to have learned from (and continue to learn from) so many great coaches. I am honored to be a part of the coaching fraternity!

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of resources for coaching basketball including basketball practice, basketball plays, basketball drills, basketball quotes, basketball workouts, basketball poems, and more!

Kevin Eastman Clinic Notes – sent from Luke Wicks at U San Fran

I received these from Steve Smiley.

Sneakers Squeak on 5 on 0 Offense
-No such thing as Dummy Offense

Fist Fight to get Open – Foot Fight to Score

Offensive Post Teaching Point – On the Block/Off the Block I agree
- Pause for Poise
- Let the Crap Clear
- Always Add Free Throws to Post Work!

Cutters:
- Cutters Over the Top = Touch Elbow, Touch Rim, Open to See and Get Out to Spacing
- See Ball All the Way to the Rim
- Cutters: Eyes Make Lay Ups….Feet Make Jumpers
- Shooting Teaching Points: Coach the Beginning (Footwork) and End (Follow Thru)

Some thoughts I hope you find useful from my notes on Coach John Wooden on various topics.

1. Have confidence in what you do, or don’t do it.
2. I believe in working with your team and not worrying as much about what the opponent does.
3. Basketball is a game of balance–emotional, mental, physical, rebound, team offensive, and defensive.
4. Body balance is controlled by the head–how well you keep your emotions under control.
5. Physical balance is controlled by the extremities.  The feet are the first to be considered.  I want the feet just wider than the shoulders; when shooting, when rebounding, when on defense.
6. You play basketball on the soles of your feet and not up on your toes.  If the feet are too wide, you lose maneuverability, and if too close, you lose balance.
7. The hands should always be close to the body and in alignment with the body.  The player has better control with the hands in close to the body.
8. The head is always directly above the mid-point between the two feet, offense or defense, with the ball or without the ball.  Drills to accomplish this:  defensive sliding, quick stops, and starts, jump stops, dribble stops, one on one, imaginary jump shooting, and imaginary rebounding.  Keep the joints flexible and relaxed.
9. Emotional balance–you must keep your emotions under control.  Self control is important not only for players, but coaches as well.  I don’t believe that you can be an example or model for your players.  If you tell those players who lose their tempers that they will be outplayed, you can’t act like a raving maniac yourself.  It is just as well to say that a coach who loses his temper will be outcoached.
10. Over-coaching can be more harmful than under-coaching.    If you over-coach you do too much and don’t do too many things well.  Teach well what you do and don’t tie your players down too much and take away their initiative.

Essentials for the coach

1. You must be industrious.  There is no substitute for work.
2. You must be enthusiastic.
3. You must have empathy, buy you have to be objective.  You must do what is best for the team.
4. You must have patience.
5. You must have self control.  You cannot reason otherwise.
6. You must prepare.  Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
7. You must have discipline.  Discipline is not to antagonize, but to improve, help and correct–not to punish.  You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time.
8. Be attentive to detail.  It’s the little things that make the big things happen.
9. Impartiality.  This means you can’t treat all the players alike because treating all the players alike is a sure way to show partiality.  Players don’t earn all the same treatment nor deserve the same treatment.  You have to be the judge.  You won’t always be right, and if you find out you are wrong, then change.
10. Give your players and optimistic picture–not an idealistic picture.  Idealism is unrealistic.  I like realistic idealism.
11. You have to be a teacher of the game.  Nowhere are the laws of learning quite as directly followed as teaching the fundamentals of a sport.
12. Be firm–but not bull-headed.
13. Practice planning–how you plan and organize your practice is extremely important to the results you are going to get.  I believe in stressing offense and defense on alternate days, but you have to have some of each every day.  I believe you should follow difficult drills with easier ones.  New material should be given early in the practice period, before the players become physically and mentally tired.  Close each practice on a happy note.
14. Rebounding–the most important aspect of rebounding is assuming the shot will be missed.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of resources for coaching basketball including basketball practice, basketball plays, basketball drills, basketball quotes, basketball workouts, basketball poems, and more!

I saw this article in one of Creighton Burns’ newsletters.  It was written by Coach Matt Monroe

A major key in developing your program and sustaining success is your ability to be adaptable as a coach. Too many coaches want their players to adapt to their system. Not enough coaches understand that they need to be flexible enough to mold many parts of their system to suit the type of players that they have.

Reasons to be Adaptable

1. You’re able to maximize your players’ strengths and hide their weaknesses.

2. You’re able to keep your program fresh.

3. You become more versatile as a coach.

4. It increases your players’ enjoyment:

• They like playing a way that fosters their success (ex. Athletic players like to run and pressure, shooters often like to score off screens, slashers enjoy
• offenses that utilize a lot of drive and kick action, etc.)
• Players are more comfortable in a system that fits them.

5. You have the ability to give players some ownership in your program.

Every year we meet at the end of the season and evaluate all aspects of our program. We take a look at what went well and what didn’t; and we explore the reasons why. Once our program evaluation is complete, we look into the future and discuss what our team is going to look like next year. We spend much of the off-season studying other programs and discussing how we can adapt what we do to maximize the ability and potential of our players.

Being adaptable does not mean compromising the foundation on which your program is principles that we are unwilling to waver on. Some ideals that we will not change are: the way we expect our players to carry themselves on and off the court, practice structure and intensity, the importance of work ethic and teamwork, and player development to name a few. You need to decide which of your program principles are “concrete,” or ones that you

will always adhere to, and which principles are “flexible,” or ones that you’re willing to modify or abandon depending on the type of team that you have.

What to Consider When Evaluating Your Program

1. Player individual strengths and weaknesses

2. Team strengths and weaknesses

3. “Concrete” principles

4. “Flexible” principles

5. Strengths and weaknesses of your coaching staff

6. Conference style of play

7. Player IQ

8. “Uncontrollables” (gym set up, court time, schedule, etc.)

Once you decide on the changes and modifications you want to make to your program, you must:

• Study it inside and out
• Communicate the plan clearly to your assistant coaches and players
• Overemphasize good actions that support the new parts of your system
• Be patient and understand that it will take time to fully implement everything you want to.

Thoughts on Having an Adaptable Program

• Understand – what works for someone else might not necessarily work for you.
• Don’t typecast yourself as a coach – be willing to change and grow.
• Implement a system that teaches your players how to play.
• Be open to new ideas – study, study, study!
• Keep many of your program principles constant each year, but be flexible on others.
• What worked for you in the past might not work for you now.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of resources for coaching basketballincluding basketball practice, basketball plays, basketball drills, basketball quotes, basketball workouts, basketball poems, and more!

The Score takes care of itself

These are some notes from Bill Walsh’s book on leadership entitled “The Score takes care of itself.”  I think they are very worthy of consideration as you assemble and teach the standards that you expect for your basketball program.

When Walsh arrived with the 49ers, he didn’t have a timetable for a championship.  He had an urgent timetable and agenda for installing specific behavioral norms for everyone’s attitudes and actions.  He implemented what he called his standard of performance—a way of doing things and a  leadership philosophy having to do with core values, principles and ideals.  It has more to do with the mental than with the physical.

His belief is that organizational ethics are crucial to the ultimate and ongoing success of a team.   “Good talent with bad attitude equals bad talent.”

The dictates of the leader’s personal beliefs should become the characteristics of the team.  His or her philosophy is the single most important point on a leadership compass.  It is a blueprint for what should be done, when it should be done, and why it should be done.  These  are the basic characteristic of attitude and action that Bill wanted to instill:

Bill Walsh’s Standard of Performance:

1. Exhibit a ferocious and intelligently applied work ethic directed toward continual improvement.
2. Demonstrate respect for each person in the organization and the work he or she does.
3. Be deeply committed to learning and teaching which means increasing our own expertise.
4. Be fair.
5. Demonstrate character.
6. Honor the direct connection between details and improvement.
7. Relentlessly seek improvement.
8. Show self control especially when it counts most—under pressure.
9. Demonstrate and prize loyalty.
10. Use positive language and have a positive attitude.
11. Take pride in my effort as an entity separate from the results of that effort.
12. Be willing to go the extra distance for the organization.
13. Deal appropriately with victory and defeat, adulation and humiliation.
14. Promote internal communicatin that is boh open and substantive (especially under stress).
15. Seek poise in myself and those I lead.
16. Put the team’s welfare and priorities ahead of my own.
17. Maintain an ongoing level of concentration and focus that is abnormally high.
18. Make sacrifice and commitment the organization’s trademark.
19. The leader must exhibit the principles, code of conduct, and behavior that he is asking others to emulate.

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of resources for coaching basketball including basketball practice, basketball plays, basketball drills, basketball quotes, basketball workouts, basketball poems, and more!

This is the second part of Kevin Eastman’s Coaching points.

I received this collection of  coaching points that have been tweeted by Celtics Assistant Kevin Eastman from Phil Beckner.

If interested, you can follow Coach Eastman on Twitter @kevineastman

********

The best in the NBA have a laser like focus & commitment to winning that also carries over to their off season improvement-it’s very serious

Skill development is a process-the player & coach have to be committed to it-both need focus & enthusiasm the entire way-development takes time

The ultimate team is a group of self motivated players that turns into a player coached team; with the structure & guidance from the staff

You get new jobs because of who people think you are; you keep that job because of who you really are; make sure you are as prepared as you can be.

Success is a process; a winning season is a process; winning teams do not get bored with the process; it’s long & requires disciplined focus

Proper form and a strong work ethic plus preparation and repetition is the formula that makes a great shooter

Being the best gets harder as time goes on so the special ones continue to work on their game. Working at your game at every opportunity is what makes a player great

Champions do not become champions on the court. They become recognized on the court.  They become champions because of their daily routine and commitment to excellence. Players do not decide their future; they decide their habits and their habits decide their future!

Being the best requires 100′s of sacrifices the public will never see-that’s why players who r in for the limelight will never be successful

It’s not easy being one of the best in a given field; it does require hard work and sacrifice; you have to earn “best”; earn “championships”

When a strong purpose teams up with great passion there’s no telling how far a group or individual can go!

Success does not come to those who merely have great dreams. Success comes to those who have great dreams and who follow through on them

Also keep in mind that we are not God’s gift 2 basketball; rather basketball is God’s gift 2 you; we are not entitled 2 this job-keep earning it

Practice habits become your game habits-your players have to be consistent w/ this if want to win-there are no “on/off switches with the best teams

Great way for players to learn about the “next level” is to listen to their current coaches & read about what players do at that next level-

All coaches – especially assistants – must be on a constant journey to learn and improve; do not allow yourself to stand still! Take action!

You can’t expect to be great if you are a part time player. Are you a 9am-5pm player or a 5am-9pm player? Guess which Kobe and LeBron are?

The only important shot is the next one; because no matter how hard you try, that is the only one you can still have an effect on!

Post players need to understand that upon catch-many times-it’s best to “pause for poise” before making a move; let the area clear & read 1st

As a coach it is important to hold yourself every bit as accountable as you hold your players; what can you do better? How can you help more?

Voices & choices; who are u listening to? These are your choices that will have an impact on your present & future; get around people who stretch you

It takes coaches many years to become experts on basketball strategies and techniques, but we expect players to master these right away?

The best way to lead is by example; players see the actions & actions often do speak louder than words; what you do will have a greater impact!

The best players do their jobs & most importantly do their jobs completely! They understand the value of executing every part of their role

Passion can overcome many shortcomings one may have on their job; but continuing to have the passion for improvement of them is most important

What makes one person’s career seem to advance further than anothers? You have to become so valuable that it’s hard not to hire you!

You advance in your career by how thorough you know and understand your craft and who you associate with; associate with people who challenge you!

“A little more” often produces a lot more; a little more focus; a little more effort; a little more sacrifice; doing a “little more”=winning

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of resources for coaching basketball including basketball practice, basketball plays, basketball drills, basketball quotes, basketball workouts, basketball poems, and more!

I received this collection of  coaching points that have been tweeted by Celtics Assistant Kevin Eastman from Phil Beckner.

If interested, you can follow Coach Eastman on Twitter @kevineastman

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Intent is great if followed by action; intent is personally debilitating if left alone as it slowly erodes confidence & the will to advance!”

What do I want and what will it take to get it? Answer these 1st. Then ask yourself: am I TRULY willing to pay that price?

One statistic all teams should keep is being “first to the floor”; when the time calls for a loose ball to be picked up–who gets there 1st?

Observation from All Star game: “the best” have insatiable need to compete and succeed! Work ethic is off the charts!

To all asst’s in any line of work: it’s not about YOU–it is about what YOU DO 2 help YOUR BOSS. Help them b successful!

Do your job and do your job completely.

People always ask me about KG–my response is always the same: he wants to be the best & do the best that he can every day! Practices & Games!

“It takes three things to be a “special” player: talent, character, and competitive fire.”

Some are satisfied with who they are. Others are consumed with who they can become. I call this group “THE BEST”

Coaching is making players do what they don’t want to do so they can become the player they want to become

“The Best” have to pay a new price every year because everyone is always trying to beat them; the best are the best because they pay this price!

Culture is 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day

The best shooters in the NBA are consumed with the fundamentals of their shot; every day-every shot; the details are there

Vets at all levels have responsibility to maintain program’s culture every day. From work ethic to off the floor decisions.

Our focus should be more on solutions then problems; problems are easy to point out; solutions are what can solve the problem; be big on solutions.

Good question to ask yourself; are you one that makes promises or commitments? Promises often are what you might do; commitments are what you will do!

Spending time working on your game is spending time working for your team

All great players are on a never ending journey to stay at the top; it’s the pride of greatness! They refuse to settle!”

The best teammates build up-not tear down; they encourage-not discourage; they help–not hinder; they walk with-not in front of teammates!

Once someone can do what you do and one more thing, you are replaceable

What you “bring” to each workout (energy, enthusiasm, effort, patience, etc.) is more important than what you “know.”

To truly get to the level you are seeking you have to give others permission to hold you accountable! It’s good to have to prove yourself!”

We all procrastinate. But remember: procrastination is one of the single biggest killers of our goals and dreams & ultimately our success!

Improvement has to be worked on every day; it can’t stay in the “wish for – hope for” stage; keep working on what moves you ahead.

Summer-3 great months. to have goals of: read 1 book/month; read 1 coaching/leadership article/day; have a “thoughts journal”-fill it with ideas

Success has a price but also a choice: the price is what it takes to earn it–it shouldn’t be easy! The choice: are you willing to pay the price?

Becoming successful is an everyday endeavor; never allow yourself to coast; discipline yourself to consistently work on becoming more

Finish–a very powerful word-must b staple of your vocabulary; not just finish plays-finish EVERYTHING YOU START in your life-never quit on yourself

Learn from the past; produce in the present; and get  to the future first; this is one of the most important keys to effective leadership!

“WILL TO WIN”: all about getting yourself to another level through sheer determination; overcoming the urge to say this is too hard/I can’t do this

The Coaching Toolbox has hundreds of resources for coaching basketball including basketball practice, basketball plays, basketball drills, basketball quotes, basketball workouts, basketball poems, and more!