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This list is from 100 things I’ve learned from coaching at the college level

By: Phil Beckner, former Boise State Assistant Coach

This is the second  part of three parts of this project.

Here is the link to the Lessons 1-37 from this same article

Here is the link to the Lessons 67-100 from this same article

Team:

38) Toughness is one of the most underrated characteristics of good teams!  You need speed, talent, athleticism, and skill but toughness gets you through the year

39) Winning plays show true toughness of your team, and really do WIN GAMES

40) Teams that win on the road have a “Tough, Together, and Aggressive Mindset”

41) Make sure your best players are your hardest workers, best leaders. The other players follow their example.

42) Your team leader doesn’t have to be the most energetic, or out spoken person, but he has to be the most competitive, and constantly leading by his example.  Ex: Jason Kidd

43) Your two best players have to be “Buy In” guys.  Get them to buy in and believe in what you and your program is all about…toughness, togetherness, sharing the basketball, competitiveness.  All the other players will follow if they do!

44) Your team can only play one game at a time and win one game at a time…especially at the end of the year when standings are close, or in the playoffs/tournaments, only goal is “Win your next game”

Players:

45) It’s more important to have your players mind right than their legs on back to back nights

46) Players like powerades/waters/granola bars/fruit…try to keep them healthy

47) Players want to be pushed, they will take having their butt chewed when you’re telling them how good they can become

48) Players are around each other all the time (practice, class, road trips, roommates) they have to like each other and respect each other

49) Players love hearing about the “next level”. Study, and research what the great players do and have info, articles, examples for them.  This helps get your point across.

50) Players look at the other team’s stats, standings, and schedules more than you think.  Keep them focused on their standings, their schedule, and their performance …“There is not enough time to worry about what you can’t control!”

Recruiting:

51) Do not trust anybody…everyone wants players!

52) Recruit high character kids…bad kids will be bad kids

53) Don’t take a player you can’t coach, or isn’t about what your team is about just because he is more talented than the next guy, you will hate coaching him all year

54) Have your assistants use “we” instead of “me” in recruiting

55) Know the recruiting rules…if you’re not sure about something you better ask!

56) Always have kids on the list to recruit in case you get caught in desperation mode when looking for a player.  This is when you take a guy that doesn’t fit or is a bad player because you were not prepared.

57) Don’t jump to conclusions on recruits, make sure you have the right evaluation, and take the time to do exactly that…EVALUATE!

58) If you recruit junior college players: be prepared to give them TIME to adjust to your level, learn your system, and gain confidence.  Don’t lose hope…be patient

Shooting:

59) Recruit shooters and shot makers…it’s hard to win w/guys that can’t shoot

60) It doesn’t matter what you run if you can’t shoot

61) You can never have enough shooters, teams are hard to guard when 4 out of 5 guys on the floor can shoot it

62) Shooters have to shoot! (Extra shots, extra reps) the great players shoot everyday

63) Extra freethrows will help player’s rhythm/stroke during the season and will save their legs. Great place to get eyes on the basket, and regain focus.

64) Have shooting games/competitions before and after practice to help motivate to get extra reps in (Celtic 50, around the world, 7-Up, etc)

65) During shooting workouts w/players emphasize WHERE they should be shooting from. Game shots, from game spots, at game speed…especially shots they get in your offense.

66) NEVER over coach shooting!  Keep it simple! Kevin Eastman only coaches “perfect feet, perfect follow through”.  Find out what’s most important for your shooters and leave it at 1 or 2 things.

Here is the link to the Lessons 1-37 from this same article

Here is the link to the Lessons 67-100 from this same article

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!

By: Phil Beckner, former D1 and G League coach.

This is the first part of three parts of this project.

Here is the link to Lessons 38-66 from this same article

Here is the link to the Lessons 67-100 from this same article

Coaching:

1) NEVER-EVER forget who has been a positive influence on you, and helped you get to where you are today…continue to thank them, and then DO THE SAME FOR SOMEONE ELSE!

2) BE DETAILED!…with everything!

3) “Don’t coach for the name on your business card”-Larry Shyatt, coach for your team, players, and head coach

4) Great question to ask yourself everyday “What does my team need right now?”-Herb Sendek

5) Have an Edge, even when you win a few in a row

6) Treat wins like losses and losses like wins

7) It’s hard to be a young assistant, you have to earn players respect, be careful about putting yourself on their level

8. Keep practices short 2nd semester, make them want more, keep them hungry

9) One bad apple can spoil the bunch, chemistry is vital

10) It’s not a good feeling to have a quiet team, need energy and enthusiasm

11) “Never lose a chemistry guy” –Doc Rivers

12) Care about the players that aren’t playing a lot, it’s hard for them to stay motivated late in the year

13) Be careful what you tell your head coach-“don’t make somethin out of nothing”

14) Keep your players together, they can be mad at the staff, but they have to stay together

15) Tell players something positive or good job more than u already do

16) “If you wanna win the race, you gotta feed the horses”…feed them well and get them what they want on the road

17) Sometimes it is best to “flush” a game after a bad night and start new the next day, you can’t make a habit of it though, maybe 1 a year

18) Rebounding wins games, always have one assistant watching/coaching rebounding.

19) If you stat it, chart it, or emphasize it, it will be important to your team (deflections, charges, turnovers)

20) Keep scouting reports specific and simple, players don’t remember half of it anyway

21) Make time to exercise, it keeps you sane

22) There are plenty of great coaches out there willing to help you if you just ask

23) Most people want to coach college because they want to do the big things (be on TV, recruit on the road, have input on game day) but the ones who are willing to do the little things(sweep the floor, check classes, open the gym late) are the ones who keep a job and move up

24) “Entitlement vs. Investment”-Kevin Eastman…be ready when you get the call! Prepare for your next position, you have to be ready to produce

25) “Let mad go” -Chuck Daly… it doesn’t bother the players as much as you

26) It is vital that you double check everything (especially for travel and video)

27) Good assistants take care of the minor stuff so the Head Coach does not have to worry about it (players on time, ankle braces, gear etc.) Allow him to worry about coaching the team and that’s it!

28) Find at least 20min a day to spend on yourself: personal development, phone calls to friends/family, networking, favorite reading websites

29) Don’t trust players when you ask them about academics, you will never get the whole truth

30) “Thoroughly study the game!”-Kevin Eastman…you will earn players respect by knowing the game and knowing your system, worst feeling in practice is when a player asks you something and you have to reply- “I don’t know”

31) Assistants do a better job when they are involved more, give them specific responsibilities.

32) Let assistants or strength coaches take care of “in-season” weight training.  Coaches need to be away from the players, and players need to be away from the coaches.

33) It’s better to make friends than enemies, everyone remembers the guys who screw them over, the guys who don’t return a call, or the guys who won’t help out…TRY TO HELP EVERYONE!

34) If you have extra game tickets to give away…GIVE THEM AWAY!  People love college athletics and players love fans at their games.

35) Find time to read during the season.  It’s a great way to find messages/stories/examples to give to your team…it keeps you thinking!

36) Appreciate your job and the opportunity you have.  Your head coach probably gets over 100 emails a year asking for an opportunity to be on his staff.  You are lucky to be called “coach”

37) “If you really like something another coach/team does—Steal It!…but give credit”-Tom Izzo  “If you  steal something, make sure you can TEACH it”-Hubie Brown

Here is the link to Lessons 38-66 from this same article

Here is the link to the Lessons 67-100 from this same article

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 found this defensive drill on the Xavier Men’s Basketball Newsletter.  If you are interested in checking it out or subscribing, you can go to this link for either:

http://www.goxavier.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/xavi-m-baskbl.html

Like everything else I post, I hope you can adapt a version of this to fit your defensive system.  We don’t trap the post from the post feeder, but rather from another helper.  We then position the post feeder’s defender to take the pass out of the post if it is made to the ball side.  But, that would be an easy change to make in this drill.

Here is Xavier’s Drill:

Three offensive players are positioned on the floor.  Two on their respective wings free throw line extended and one above the top of the key.  One defender is positioned under the basket facing half court.

A coach passes the ball to the offensive player on the right wing.  As this happens, two
managers step onto the court with one on each block.

As the offensive player catches the initial pass, the defender closes out and establishes ball pressure.

The offensive player then passes the ball to the right block to the manager. The defender “covers down” on the post.

The right block manager then passes the ball to the top of the key. The defender goes from a “cover down” on the right post area to a closeout at the top of the key.

The ball is now passed to the manager on the left block. The defender again covers down on the manager who has the ball on the left block.

Finally, the ball is passed to the left wing out of the post. Again, the defender closes out to the ball, this time on the left wing. On this catch it is a live one on one drill with everybody out of the way except the offensive and defensive players who are playing one on one from the left wing.

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 have had this article in my files for quite a while.  I am not sure where it came from, but I really like it.

1. THE DOUBLE WIN: Winning Coaches employ the DOUBLE WIN PHILOSOPHY which states that: Winning on the bottom line (wins and losses, profits, etc.) comes only as a direct result of winning on the top line (Investing in the academic, personal, and athletic development of the total athlete).
2. CONTRIBUTION: Winning Coaches develop systems that support a basic human need: the need to make a positive contribution.  The greatest, but most difficult contribution, is allowing others to contribute to us.  Winning Coaches remain open toward allowing others to contribute to them.
3. THE POSITIVE LEARNING CYCLE: Winning Coaches use a method of teaching in which there is no such thing as failure.  The only source of competition for the athlete is with themselves in striving to reach their own greatest potential.  Winning Coaches create an environment where setbacks and breakdowns are regarded as opportunities for learning, rather than failures.
4. THE STEPPING STONE METHOD: Winning Coaches employ the STEPPING STONE METHOD of steady improvement.  This method involves building one small success after another, reaching towards the final or highest goal.  The strategy of the coach is to progressively teach only those skills that are needed to empower the athlete to climb to the next level.
5. RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM: Winning Coaches develop an environment of responsible freedom where mutual trust, relatedness, and open communication are encouraged and acknowledged.  Within the limits and guidelines of responsible behavior, an environment of safety is developed that encourages openness and honesty between the coach and players.
6. A BALANCE OF EXTREMES: Winning Coaches have learned to be both highly directive and highly supportive in their relationships with their players.  They develop a supportive environment for constructive risk-taking and growth, and yet instill a demand for perfection that is unyielding.
7. INTEGRITY: Winning Coaches act as models and not critics.  They foster a mutual commitment to Integrity through (1) actions and behaviors that are in alignment with personal values, (2), upholding all promises and agreements, and (3) through demonstrating their loyalty and commitment to their players.   Through their personal integrity and commitment to their players, Winning Coaches earn the highest sense of integrity, commitment and loyalty in return.
8. OPENNESS: Winning Coaches fight to remain open.  They resist the most common human tendency; THE NEED TO BE RIGHT, which inadvertently makes others wrong.  Winning coaches take the path not taken; which is to remain open to innovation and new learning, as well as permitting themselves to be supported and directed by others.
9. SYNERGISTIC SYSTEMS.  Winning Coaches develop and perpetuate an environment in which the system is greater than the sum of all the parts.  The system creates a continuous s self-renewing chain of success.
10. STRUCTURE FOR FULFILLMENT: Winning Coaches create a structure for fulfillment that is based upon abundance as opposed to scarcity.  This structure becomes a roadmap through which players are empowered to progress toward both their own personal goals, and to actualize the larger vision that is communicated by their coach.

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!

THE 10 RULES OF BEING A GOOD SHOOTER

This article was written by Coach Randy Brown.

www.coachrb.com

www.winningplays.net

Are you a GOOD SHOOTER?

1.  Good Shooters spend time each day on proper shooting technique. Good Shooters use a chair to “form shoot” for 10 minutes before taking their first shot at the basket.

Poor Shooters spend time on their shooting technique when they “have time.”  Poor Shooters grab a ball and go to the three point line to begin launching shots.

2.  Good Shooters work on moving without the ball and “prepare” to shoot the ball before ever catching it.

Poor Shooters wait for their turn to shoot then think about getting a shot off.

3.  Good Shooters start close to the basket and make 5 straight before moving back.

Poor shooters shoot from all areas of the floor “hoping to make it.”

4. Good Shooters study other good shooters and follow their habits.

Poor Shooters shoot the ball the same way without any help from others.

5.  Good Shooters study the path of the ball and where the ball hits the rim. They make adjustments based on where the ball hits the rim; long or short? right or left?

Poor Shooters judge their shooting accuracy solely on whether the ball goes in or not.

6. Good Shooters square up to the basket before shooting, called “Ten Toes.”

Poor Shooters are not concerned with alignment they just want to quickly get their shot off.

7. Good Shooters shoot from an athletic position known as Triple Threat position. One quick movement from triple threat produces a solid shot.

Poor Shooters catch the ball in an upright position then take time to bend their knees before shooting. Poor shooters do not play in triple threat.

8. Good Shooters use their whole body to shoot the shot. They know that their LEGS make shots with good form.

Poor shooters shoot the ball with their upper body only and throw the ball at the basket instead of shooting it.

9. Good Shooters follow through consistently by “throwing their hand into the basket.”

Poor Shooters are inconsistent in their follow through resulting in inconsistent results.

10. Good Shooters understand the importance of BALANCE before, during and after the shot! The feet are alway sunder their head.

Poor Shooters shoot off balance from all different kinds of angles. Their feet are rarely under their head.

How many of these describe YOU as a shooter?

Your goal is to accomplish all 10 of the “Good Shooter” characteristics as you grow and develop as a basketball player.

What is your score out of 10 and how badly do you want to be a Good Shooter?

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!