Finally, the NBA Finals will start tonight. Probably will hurt our traffic, but I guess I can’t complain, I will be watching too instead of working on The Coaching Toolbox. 🙂
Here are three more of our twelve thoughts on the mindset it takes to have basketball practices at the championship level.
7. The practice court is a classroom. Practice is one of several classes that students attend each day. Like all classes, the students should expect to be taught something each day. Basketball Coaches should have clear objectives for the day and a well planned lesson designed to help the players achieve those objectives.
8. Coaches should enter practice with the mindset that if players are making mistakes, the reason they are making mistakes is that the coach has not taught them properly. Coaches need to make adjustments in how they are communicating their ideas. Yelling the same instruction louder does not facilitate the teaching process. Coaches must believe that everything that happens on the court happens as a result of their actions. A good coach is like a good teacher. If the student is not learning, the teacher must change the teaching methods.
9. Coaches must believe that they can win with their team, regardless of the team’s shortcomings or perceived shortcomings. It does not matter whether the team is too short, too slow, too inexperienced or lacking in basic skills. Coaches must believe that they can overcome all obstacles placed in front of them. There are ways to play when your team is too slow and too short. Young players can be taught and skills can be practiced. If you do not believe that you can win, you will not.
Tomorrow’s post will finish off the first principle of our 130 Great Ideas to Get a Lot More Accomplished in Practice.
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