Blog

Here is another contribution from Coach Phil Beckner:

This is a great book for all coaches to read!  It’s filled with tons of information on “What the best do better than everyone else.”…I  highly recommend it!

Phil Beckner
Weber State Assistant Coach

From the book “Training Camp”

By: Jon Gordon

1. When you face a setback, think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.
2. When you encounter adversity, remember, the best don’t just face adversity; they embrace it, knowing it’s not a dead end but a detour to something greater and better.
3. When you face negative people, know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity, not in the absence of it.  After all, everyone will have to overcome negativity to define themselves and create their success.
4. When you face the naysayers, remember the people who believed in you and spoke positive words to you.
5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.
6. When you wake up in the morning, take a morning walk of gratitude and prayer.  It will create a fertile mind ready for success.
7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.
8. When you fail, find the lesson in it, and then recall a time you have succeeded.
9. When you head into battle, visualize success.
10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment.  The now is where your power is the greatest.
11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.
12. When your own self-doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it with positive thoughts and positive self-talk.
13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings, clear your mind, and get into the The Zone.  The Zone is not a random event.  It can be created.
14. When you feel all is impossible, know that with God, all things are possible.
15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who have helped you along the way and who love and support you now.
16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance.
17. When you are tired and drained, remember to never, never, never give up.  Finish strong in everything you do.
18. When you feel like you can’t do it, know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength.
19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender.  Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.
20. When you’re in a high pressure situation and the game is on the line, and everyone is watching you, remember to smile, have fun, and enjoy it.  Life is short; you only live once.  You have nothing to lose.  Seize the moment.

Click this link to read a sample from the ebook 130 Great Ideas to Make Your Basketball Team More Mentally Tough:

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

I received this basketball workout from Coach Steve Smiley formerly Head Coach at Sheridan College, an Assistant at Weber State, and currently Associate Head Coach at Northern Colorado.

Click the link below to see the perimeter player workout:

Perimeter Skill Development Workout

Here is his post workout:

POST WARM-UP (Approximately one minute on each of these, SIT INTO YOUR GAME)

Two Ball Dribbling Sequence + Shelton Drills

Dribbling and Juggling

Take Infield with tennis ball (Low and wide, toes to the outside, SIT INTO YOUR GAME)

Imaginary Defense (Talk your defense, yell it out)

Moving without the ball (Work independently or work in pairs with another post or perimeter)

Break Package Sprints (To the rim for crunch)

Crab Dribbles

Shooting Progression

Groove your go to hooks

Mikan Sequence at one basket or Full Court Mikans

REMEMBER

Keep it straight, Aim for the BACK HALF OF THE BASKET

Get it up. Top of the shot; top of the board (WE WANT A CONSISTENT ARC ON EACH SHOT)

Hold a one second high follow through

Land six inches closer on your shot

• Use a feeder, tossback, spin yourself a pass, or flip yourself a pass.
• Chin all receptions.  Slow down, hold your seal, vary your rhythm.  Be quick without hurrying.
• The pass will lead you to a shot if you have angles. If played behind, quarter turn on passes to your shoulder.
• If played behind and the pass is at your face, chin the ball and look to the middle for diver or double team
• GET YOUR EYES ON THE TARGET
• Be low and wide on catch, be lower and WIDER on your move.  Heel to toe on your move.
• Try to get to the front of the rim on your middle move.

GUIDELINES

1. All lay-ups must be clean to be a make
2. Put back all misses but they do not count as makes.
3. Use free throw swish rules in counting your free throws.

Swish = +1             Make Hitting Rim = 0           Miss = -1

1. 4. If you have trouble with a move, break it down and spend extra time on just that move e.g. REPETITIONS TO AD NAUSEAM
2. 5. BE A SKILL PLAYER NOT A DRILL PLAYER.
3. 6. The technique and proper and quick execution at games speeds is what we care about.
4. 7. Periodically check your heart rate with a ten second count and multiply by six.

220 – Age = Maximum Heart Rate                      Get to 90% of maximum heart rate e.g. 180+

HUTCH’S POST WORKOUT

• This should take 30 minutes and you have to MAKE ALL THE SHOTS before going to the next sequence.
• You should do this workout every day and shorten it for game warm-ups.
• PROPER AND QUICK REPETITION OF EACH MOVE GOING 100% IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS.
• MOST SHOTS  ARE  TAKEN FROM YOUR FAVORITE SIDE OF THE BASKET.
• If you want to work from your non-favorite side, that is fine, but you MUST WORK from your favorite side.

1. Four baseline power moves from your favorite side
2. Four jump hooks to middle of the lane from your favorite side
3. Four turnaround jump shots, pivoting on your baseline foot, from your favorite side
4. Four turnaround jump shots with a shot fake, go to hook to the middle of the floor from your favorite side

FREE THROW SWISH +2/-2

• If you lose (-2), do push-ups or a down and back sprint
• If you win (+2), shoot a string of made free throws.   If you miss, a swish lets you continue on.

5. Four flash to the free throw line for a jump shot from your favorite side
6. Four flash to the free throw line for a jump shot from your non-favorite side
7. Four step out to the short corner for a jump shot from your favorite side
8. Four step out to the short corner for a jump shot from your non-favorite side

FREE THROW SWISH +2/-2

• If you lose (-2), do push-ups or a down and back sprint
• If you win (+2), shoot a string of made free throws.   If you miss, a swish lets you continue on.

9. Four flash to the free throw line for a SHOT FAKE to a jump shot from your favorite side
10. Four flash to the free throw line for a SHOT FAKE to a jump shot from your non-favorite side
11. Four step out to the short corner for a SHOT FAKE to a jump shot from your favorite side
12. Four step out to the short corner for a SHOT FAKE to a jump shot from your non-favorite side

FREE THROW SWISH +2/-2

• If you lose (-2), do push-ups or a down and back sprint
• If you win (+2), shoot a string of made free throws.   If you miss, a swish lets you continue on.

13. Four flash to the free throw line for a SHOT FAKE to a power shot or dunk from your favorite side
14. Four flash to the free throw line for a SHOT FAKE to a power shot or dunk from your non-favorite side
15. Four step out to the short corner for a SHOT FAKE to a power shot or dunk from your favorite side
16. Four step out to the short corner for a SHOT FAKE to a power shot or dunk from your non-favorite side

FREE THROW SWISH +2/-2

• If you lose (-2), do push-ups or a down and back sprint
• If you win (+2), shoot a string of made free throws.   If you miss, a swish lets you continue on.

IF YOU FEEL THAT A SEGMENT OR A MOVE IS NOT UP TO YOUR STANDARDS, ISOLATE THAT MOVE WITH MANY REPETITIONS SO YOU CAN PROPERLY EXECUTE AND FEEL THE MOVE.

YOU WILL WANT TO DO EXTRA WORK ON YOUR GO TO MOVE OUTSIDE OF HUTCH’S WORKOUT

MAKE FIVE IN A ROW; PUTBACKS COUNT

• Player will shoot five jump shots from the free throw line or either of the baseline step out areas.
• If he makes the shot the ball can hit the floor, but if he misses it he must rebound the ball before it hits the floor.
• The putback must be clean to count as a make.
• If you miss and the ball hits the floor the player must start over from the beginning.
• Do this workout from all three areas once a day.  Add the shot fake if you want extra work or just mix it in randomly.

ENDING WORK-OUT

You can choose to end with two five pound weight plates and do one minute segments of

1. a. Imaginary defense
2. b. Moving without the ball
3. c. Break package sprints

YOU CAN’T DO ALL THE DRILLS EACH DAY BUT YOU CAN DO ALL THE SKILLS

• BE A PRACTICE PLAYER FIRST.  PROPERLY AND QUICKLY EXECUTE THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE GAME FOR THE WELFARE OF THE TEAM
• PRACTICE AND PLAY WITH THE INTENSITY AND POISE OF A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

MAKE SURE YOU STRETCH AFTER YOUR WORKOUT IS COMPLETED

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

Another contribution from Coach Phil Beckner, formerly of Weber State and Boise State:

This spring I was able to meet w/one of the best strength and conditioning coaches in the entire country Tim McClellan. Tim trains over 660 athletes a year at Rehab Plus in Phoenix, AZ.  He has trained athletes such as Donovan Mcnabb (NFL), Channing Frye (NBA), Gary Hall jr(Olympic Gold Medalist), and many others in every sport you could imagine.

I wanted to meet with Tim about…what makes the great ones tick…What separates the good from the great…what characteristics set these athletes apart from the mediocre athletes at their level.

Tim has also written a book that is absolutely amazing!  It has tons of stories and examples from the many athletes he has worked with.  If you are a coach this is a MUST read!  You can find it on Amazon Inner Strength Inner Peace: Life-Changing Lessons From The World’s Greatest

What do you constantly find in the great athletes?

1. Gifted Genetics-talent

2. They keep success simple… “can you make success simple as a coach”

3. They have a warrior mentality in every workout (more on his definition of a warrior in his book…great stuff!)

As a coach what are some ways you find to motivate athletes to be great vs. good?

1.  COACH HEART… “They do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care”  “Change a heart, change them forever” Tim thoroughly expressed being able to capture your player’s heart by showing and telling them that you believe in them and their goals/vision.  ***This is one of the best things I heard from him, because I could feel his passion, and knew that he truly believed in this.  At times I have not made this a priority in coaching athletes, and I left inspired to coach their heart first, before their skills.

2.   Be Prepared: “All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be.” Gain as much knowledge as possible in your sport.  Everything you read, everyone you meet, everything you do will have an effect on this.  Look for every opportunity to better yourself, and in turn you can better your players.

3.   Find a Way: Help your players buy into the vision of what they can be and where they want to be!  Show them that you believe in them and you are willing to do whatever you can to “find a way” to give them every tool they need to get there.  Tim once opened up his garage at 10:30pm for a 2 hour workout when he had to be up at 5am the next day because an Olympic gold medalist missed his workout and could not go to sleep knowing he had not put in his work that day!  As a coach, if you want to take your players from good to great you have to be willing to do everything possible to get them there, and that may mean you sacrificing sleep, fun, or free time as a coach.
[adinserter name=”Basketball in article display ad 2 rebecca”]
4.  Be Willing to Battle: they must be challenged and reminded that they need to do whatever it takes in order for them to become the best they possibly can.  They must be willing to pursue the goal/vision they have w/out fear and with confidence!  They must battle whatever obstacles and adversity that may present itself.  As a coach you must be willing to battle with them and for them! Battle to push them to be their best, battle to motivate and inspire daily, and battle to give them every opportunity possible to succeed.

Referring to Bill Parcells quote “If they don’t bite when they are pups, they won’t bite when they are grown.”  If an athlete is missing an edge, or the toughness/competitiveness to be great, to put thierself on the next level can you that be developed it?  Can you coach it?  Can you bring it out in them, or will they just always be missing something?

1. YES! You can help bring this out in them! Heart CAN BE coached and it’s the first thing you should coach!

2. Hold them accountable to how good they can become and get them to battle for it every day!

3. Face to face ask them what they want…make them look you in the eye.  Use open probed and closed probed questions to make them look within themselves and have to answer specifically yes or no.

4. Evaluate their MENTALITY and bring it to their attention.  Do let them give in to anything less than what they have answered to you w/your questions.  Bring this to their attention, and tell them how much you believe in them and know they are capable of so much more.

5. Great example of a question to ask yourself as a coach in finding ways to motivate your best players…”How do I get someone like Shaq unhappy w/himself until he surpasses all of kareem’s numbers?”

What is your formula for success in bringing out an athlete’s best?

1. Make them buy into the best that their capable of being

2. Measure them vs. their potential

3. Have them doing everything they are capable of doing—then what???

4. Work to optimize vs. enhance their performance

5. Look them in the eye and tell them “I can’t accept 94% from you…94% isn’t good enough.  If I do that, I’M FAILING YOU”   When you tell a player this there is a sense of responsibility and accountability they will accept for you giving them everything you have.

How much do the elite athletes take ownership for their individual workouts, film sessions, etc?

1. Almost all of them want to do EXTRA!  They finish the workout and ask ‘What else do you have for me”

2. They are PROACTIVE in finding ways to get an edge or improve.  If they aren’t proactive, then use brutal honesty and tell them what’s not good enough, so they become more proactive.

3. There coaches have told them exactly “here’s how to win, or here’s how to get where you want to be”  they accept the answer and pursue it.

What makes great coaches special?  What are some of the characteristics of great coaches you have came across?

***Great coaches always have their players HEART! “Change a heart, change them forever”

1. The best coaches have the ability to teach, they are long hard workers, express care to their athletes, won’t accept mediocrity in sport and life, and will never accept anything less than the player’s best effort.

2. They are never satisfied w/their own personal development, knowledge of the game, or  network of people they now.  They are always striving for more, striving for better!

3. Be an “outlier”, do things different, don’t always sit in the crowd.  Know who you are and what you are about as a coach and person…stick with it.  Believe in yourself and be confident in every situation.

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

SHERIDAN COLLEGE GENERALS–Coach Steve Smiley

12 SIMPLE YET SIGNIFICANT DAILY TO DO’S FOR LEADERS

1. Be the hardest worker at practice today. Without fail, one of the quickest ways to impact a team is with your own work ethic. Choose to be one of the hardest workers on your team today. Not only does it set the tone for the work ethic of your program, it is also one of the best and quickest ways to enhance your leadership credibility with your teammates and coaches.

2. Be a spark of energy and enthusiasm today. Let your passion for the sport shine through today. Spread a contagious energy and enthusiasm amongst your teammates. Think about how lucky you are to be able to play and compete. Remember back to when you were a young child and reconnect with the joy you played with back then. Make your sport fun again for yourself and your teammates.

3. Model mental toughness today. Because your teammates will look to you under pressure, adversity, and stress, be sure to model mental toughness today. Bounce back quickly after errors to show your teammates how to respond to negative situations. Maintain your poise and optimism despite any mistakes you might make so that your teammates can trust and rely on you to get them through the tough times.

4. Connect with a teammate today. Leadership is all about relationships. Invest the time to build and strengthen the relationships you have with each of your teammates. Inquire about their day, challenges, and goals. Make a special and ongoing effort to get to know every athlete on your team, not just your friends and classmates. The relationship building you do each day will pay off immeasurably down the road.

5. Compliment a teammate today. Be on the lookout for teammates who are contributing to your team. Call out a teammate for making a hustle play, pushing through a weight workout, recovering quickly from a mistake, getting an A on an exam, etc. Praise the actions and attitudes you want to see repeated. As Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless.”

6. Challenge a teammate today. Challenge at least one of your teammates today. Positively push them and yourself to make the most of your workout. Make a friendly wager to see if they can be successful at least 4 out of 5 times in a drill. See if you both can improve your times in conditioning. Offer to stay after to help if there is anything they want to work on. Good leaders consistently invite, inspire, and sometimes implore others to greatness.

7. Support a teammate today. Odds are, at least one of your teammates is struggling with something today – it could be a performance slump, a rocky romantic relationship, a disagreement with a coach, an unglamorous role, struggling with a class, or a sick family member. Good leaders are consistently on the lookout for teammates who might be struggling and are ready to offer an ear to listen, an encouraging word, a pat on the back, or a shoulder to cry on.

8. Constructively confront negativity, pessimism, and laziness today. As a leader, have the courage to constructively confront the negativity, pessimism, and laziness that will crop up on your team from time to time. Instead of fueling the fire by joining in or silently standing by, be sure to refocus your teammates on solutions rather than dwelling on and complaining about the problems. Left unchecked, these problems can quickly grow to distract, divide, and destroy your team.

9. Build and bond your team today. Team chemistry naturally ebbs and flows throughout the course of the season. Take the time to monitor and maintain your team’s chemistry. Let your reserves and support staff know how much you appreciate them. Stay connected and current with each of the natural sub-groups on your team. Douse any brush fires that might be occurring and continually remind team members about your common goal and common bond.

10. Check in with your coach today. Invest the time to check in with your coach today. Ask what you can do to best help the team this week. Find out what your coach wants to accomplish with today’s practice. Also discuss if there is anything your coach is concerned about regarding your team. Discuss your collective insights on your team’s chemistry, focus, and mindset. Work together to effectively co-lead your team.

11. Remind your team how today’s work leads to tomorrow’s dreams. It’s easy to get bogged down during your season with monotonous drills, tiring conditioning, and demanding workouts. Remind your teammates how all the quality work you do today gives you a distinct advantage over your opponents. Help them see and even get excited about how today’s hard work is a long-term investment in your team’s goals, rather than just a short-term hardship or sacrifice.

12. Represent yourself and team with class and pride today. Leaders have the awesome privilege and responsibility of representing their teams. Take advantage of this opportunity by representing your team with class and pride today. Hold a door open for someone, sit in the front rows of class and actively engage in the discussion, say please and thank you, dress in respectful attire, etc. These tiny pushes represent you and your team with class and distinction. And they ultimately set you up for a lifetime of respect and success.

Click here to find sports leadership and management education options.

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

 

SINCERITY. Some people we know always have their cards face up. We know where they stand and we know where we stand with them.  There is no sham, pretense, hypocrisy, apple-polishing, show, arrogance or equivocation.  They are real all the way through.  This is an essential ingredient in getting along with people.

PERSONAL INTEGRITY. This refers to the special qualities of decency, honesty, loyalty, fair play and honor.  An individual with a real personal integrity has a deep sense of  responsibility and dependability.   He is sound.  He keeps his promises.  He lives up to his commitments.

HUMILITY. If one picks out the great leaders of our present, of our past, one invariably finds the character trait humility.   Maturity is usually combined with modesty.  Never is it present in the smart alecks, the know-it-alls, the self appointed saviors, nor the persons whoknow the answers before they hear the questions,

COURTESY. This means much more than just being thoughtful or polite to other people, It means tolerance.  I have my eccentricities and peculiarities and I approve of you having yours.  You are just as good as I am, and I’ll respect your right to speak your piece even if I don’t agree, this is courtesy in its largest sense.  Can you, under pressure, remain gracious, considerate, and courteous?

WISDOM. There isn’t any escape from the fact that, even though an individual might, be sincere and humble and courteous, unless he has the wisdom to make the right decisions and actions, to do the right things at the right time, to give correct guidance and counsel when  it is indicated, he doesn’t get along with people.

CHARITY. Maybe this is the most important attribute for any personality.     In its broadest interpretation it means the capacity to love.  It implies acceptance of the fact that we all have weaknesses; we all make mistakes.  To be able to get along with people requires the charity of forgiveness.  Are you big enough and generous enough to love your neighbor as yourself?

Six Qualities of Character Essential for Maturity by: Horace E. Hudson, Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia

Adopted from materials on Character and Moral DevelopmentUniversity of Illinois, Cooperative Extension Service inAgriculture and Home Economics, Urbana, Illinois

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

I think there is a lot of value in running your offense 5/0.  Here is an idea to get more out that drill in your basketball practices by making it a competitive basketball drill rather than a  repetitive activity.  I have also included three ideas for variations of the drill.

Split your sqaud into two five player teams.  You can also split into six or seven player teams and rotate the players in if you have more then 10 players in practice. Each team will have four possessions in the drill with each team getting one shot on each possession.  The shots  on the four posssessions must be taken by four different players.   The team scores 2 points for a made two pointer and 3 points for a made three pointer. All shots must be game-like perimeter shots with no layups or post shots allowed.

The drill begins with the team that is going to run that 5/0 possession in a defensive stance and a coach with the ball.  The coach shoots with the player nearest him challenging the shot.  All other defenders block out an imaginary opponent.  If the shot goes in, inbound it just like a game, if it misses, play the rebound into your transition offense going to the other end.

The point guard calls the play, the set, or whatever it is that they are going to run. If the ball is fumbled or mishandled in any way during the possession, it is considered a turnover and the team does not get to shoot-so that possession results in no points.  If the offense does not cut, screen, and move the basketball at a game-like pace to the coach’s satisfaction, it is also a turnover and they are off the floor with no points on that possession.

If you run a continuity or motion offense, the point guard calls for a combination of movements or a certain number of reversals and who the shot is for.

As soon as one team completes their possession, the other team is ready to go at the other end of the floor to go through the same procedure.  Each team makes four offensive trips with the team who gets the highest score winning.  If it is a tie, overtime is one possession for each team with the fifth player shooting this time.  If necessary, keep playing overtimes until one team has a higher score after both have had their overtime possession.

Three other rules to add in if you want are giving one point for a put back on a missed shot where the rebounder’s feet do not hit the ground on the catch and put back.  Second, once the game is over,
the player who did not shoot in the drill who is on the winning team has to make a free throw to “validate” the win.  If he or she misses, then the win goes to the other team.  The final extra rule is that you can have the other team guard only the post player each possession and allow the post to score in the drill if he can do so while being guarded.

Hopefully, there are some ideas you can utilize to make what is already a very valuable drill even better.

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