Guest Contributions

The following was shared with me by Randy Lambert.  Randy Lambert is retiring at the end of this season after 39 Years as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Maryville College in Maryville Tennessee.  As I post this article, his career college record is 714 wins and 323 losses.  You can read his full bio on the Maryville Athletics Website

His hope that in sharing this article that he wrote in his final basketball newsletter that some of his thoughts might resonate with younger coaches.

Best wishes in your retirement coach!

Dear MC Basketball Fan:

Well, you can call it my swan song or my farewell tour, but I can promise you, this is it.  I have begun to check off the long list of lasts-my last trip to Piedmont, my last trip to Averett, my last regular season overnight trip, and so on.  A lot of these I am glad they are over, but there will be some of the final feelings I will really miss-my last practice, my last great feeling after a good win, my last hug from a player that is deserving of one, or a last meeting with my staff where we laugh more than we talk. Man, it has been a blast and I am so grateful for the many people I have had a chance to work with and coach.

To the administration, I say thank you.  Thanks for taking a chance on a 25 year old youngster in 1980,  who thought he was ready for the big time.  I quickly learned that the “big time” is where you want it to be.  Maryville College Athletics was my big time.  I worked for four Presidents and a couple of interim guys.    I answered to several Vice-Presidents of Student Affairs over the years.  For the most part, each one allowed me to do my thing and were very supportive of athletics.  Of course, we had our ups and downs and I lost some battles and got downright mad a few times.  I learned over the years to pick your fights and only fight those that you know you can win.

To all the “Old Hats of the MC Athletic Department”, I say you are like family to me.  I am referring to Kandi Schram, Sharon Wood, Eric Etchison, and Pepe Fernandez.  The experiences we shared, the laughs, the dreams, the wins and the losses brought us close together and I will always hold your friendships very close to my heart.  I wish you the best and I know you will continue to uphold the standards we have established in our department.

To the other coaches, staff members, and faculty, I say I appreciate you guys more than you know.  Your dedication to our students and our college inspired me every day and made me want to work harder just to keep up with you.  I enjoyed our interaction whether it was informal or in a meeting and I truly believe we are fulfilling the Covenant of our college by upholding our community tenets of scholarship, respect and integrity.  In my opinion, we do this better today than we ever have.

To my players, past and present, I say thank you for all the memories and for the life-long relationships that we have established.  I have tried to make this program all about you and your development as a player and person.  I know some of you felt I should have given you more playing time, more “rope” to do your thing, or more of a chance to show your stuff.  I can promise you I tried to always put the team before any individual.  I always supported toughness and selflessness.  I tried to teach each of you how to win and how to be successful.  Hopefully, this has hit home for some of you as you have aged and become a little more aware.  The most satisfying moments of my coaching career have been those associated with my players; seeing the time when that light finally comes on, realizing that after pushing 100 buttons, I hit the right one, receiving the diploma on Graduation Day, watching you come back to campus smiling like a big possum, and seeing you as a productive adult, often times, with your own children.  I hope and pray each one of you have had some past memories to fall back on that will touch your heart and bring a smile to your face.  I know I have many.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

To my family, I say I love you.  I know each of you have sacrificed our time so that I can give more time to my job and to my calling.  If I could do anything over in my life, it would be how much more I would have given you.  Not material things, just time!  I would have spent more time with my children because they do grow up so fast.  I always thought “date nights” once a week was a good idea, but I never found time for them.  I would have given Laney more dates.  I would have taken more family vacations.  Nothing replaces quality time with family.  I would have had more conversations with my parents.  I miss them so much today.  Often times, I felt like there was just so much of me to give, but I wish I had given my family more of me.  Many people have asked just what will I do when I retire?  I can tell you now that I am going to work on being a better husband, a better father, and a great grandfather.

And finally, I want to thank God for making this all possible.  I have been blessed and our God has provided me the strength, the patience, the wisdom, and the direction to do my work.  I have learned from the good times and the bad times, all the while, keeping the faith because I know this is part of “your” plan.  I will try to be a better Christian and servant as I move towards my retirement.

I do look forward to this next chapter of my life.  I have plenty of things I want to do and plan to do.  I hope I can continue to spend time with all of my Maryville College friends.  You can expect to see me on campus.  I grew up shooting hoops in the old, old gym on campus.  I would stay until Officer Eldria Hurst would ask me to leave.  I have so many fond memories of my years on campus.  I plan to make many more.  Please, come see me.

Sincerely,

Coach Randy Lambert

This post came from Bob Starkey’s (Longtime D1 Assistant Coach–currently at Texas A & M) Basketball Coaching Blog, hoopthoughts.blogspot.com.

Last night I was talking to a colleague about our profession.  At times it can certainly seem like a roller coaster.  He wanted to know what the key was for having an extended career in coaching.  I was reminded off a presentation I gave a few years back at the A Step Up Assistant Coaching Symposium.  The topic given to me by Felicia Hall Allen was “The Art of Extending Your Career.”

I opened with this:

THE GOAL IS NOT THE GOAL

“While I am assigned to talk to you about extending your career, I’m going to go a different direction saying that extending your career should not be the goal.  The goal is to become the best assistant coach you can become on a daily basis and an extended career will follow.”

I think the first thing we need to decide in coaching is what is our “Why.”  We must have an overriding purpose for coaching — it has to be the centerpiece of our culture and what we stand for.  For me, the growth of the student-athlete has to be #1 on the priority list.

I spoke about studying Nick Saban and the philosophy he has in regard to the process.  The process is keeping focused on the task at hand — executing as well as you can with what directly lies in front of you at that very moment.   Coach Saban does not want his players looking at the scoreboard.  His belief is that the time and score have absolutely nothing to with the intensity and concentration you need to utilize on the very next play.

I believe the same is true with our careers.  If we are getting up in the morning thinking about extending our career or looking ahead at that next job than we are taking away energy that we need to utilizing on what is really important — today!  The absolute best way to move of the ladder as well as extend our career is to own and master that which has been given to us at this very moment.

One of the areas that I spoke about was Professionalism.  I firmly believe that ethical choices are a full-time job.  It must be character over victory.  Don’t let a short-term gain for a win be overshadowed by a poor choice you made to try and get an edge.

THE TRUE IMPORTANCE OF WINNING

Of course, our biggest obstacle is winning.  We are expected to win immediately and constantly.  And don’t get me wrong, winning is important as the following thought from Vince Lombardi points out:

It’s true.  If we want to continue to impact young people through coaching…if we want to have a positive contribution to our communities — we have to win — to keep our jobs.

I gave the example of a coach being hired at a BCS program and having a record of 38-47 after his first three years.  The last home game of his third season, he lost to his rival by 24 points.  He then went to his conference tournament and lost by 43!

I asked the coaches at the clinic “What do you think the athletic director did the next week?”

Of course, they all answered “Fire the coach.”

They were stunned when I told them the AD gave the coach an extension.  I then told them the AD was Duke’s Tom Butters and the coach was Mike Krzyzewski.

Those days are over.  The days when an administrator can see through the losses to see that a coach is doing the right things and building something.  I’ve heard Coach K speak at clinics and he even admits that if he were hired today and got off to the same start that he’d never see his fourth year.

Still, we can’t let winning be a conflict of interest.  We can’t be overly consumed or blinded so much in trying to win that we turn our head to discipline and our culture.  The best coaches are willing fight for the culture even if it might cost them a victory.

That’s not to say winning isn’t important.  Certainly we have to teach winning to our teams.  As a young student at Marshall University, the basketball coach at the time, the late Stu Aberdeen spoke about the importance of winning.  As he explained, when we are on the operating table fighting for our life, we better hope that the doctors and nurses have a strong desire to win.  Coach Aberdeen explained that should we ever be falsely accused in a court of law, that we better hope our attorney has driven to win.

As I mentioned earlier, ethical choices are a full time job — and I do believe there is a right way to win and a wrong way to win.  If you are a principled person that means a great deal.  I posed the question to the coaches at the symposium — “are you willing to lose your job?”  Do you believe so much in the principles of integrity that you would walk away from a job that did not share in your beliefs?

BE A CONTINUAL LEARNER

The second part of the process of staying in this business is becoming a continual learner.  There must be a fire within to constantly be seeking knowledge to help you grow as a person and a teacher.

My suggestion to the coaches in the audience was to become an expert at something in the game: post play, shooting, zone defense, etc.  Pick something and learn it at the highest level.  I think it is always important to be a good recruiter but don’t be labeled as such because you don’t excel in other areas.

Today there are so many ways to improve.  We had just came off of a Final Four season at LSU and one summer I went to Oklahoma to watch Sherri Coale and her Sooners practice for three days in preparation to go overseas.  The next year we again made it to the Final Four and I headed to Duke to watch Gail Goestenkors to again observe several practices before she took her team overseas.

Today there are so many clinics to attend: Coaching U, Nike, PGC/Glazier.  There are tons of great blogs and Youtube loaded with information.  Have you attended an NBA or WNBA practice session? If not, you are missing out on some of the game’s best teachers.

One other factor in being a continual learner today is the not just accept but to embrace technology.  Whether it’s social media, apps for our phones and iPads or every improving methods of watching and breaking down video — it’s all there in front of us to help us improve.

FIND BALANCE

The next part of extending a career is to find balance.  I spend a great deal of time in my office — always have and always will.  But I find a way to incorporate my wife with our program.  She has always been a big part of our culture.  Whether it’s having the team over to decorate our Christmas tree, throwing a Mardi Gras party in February or just having them over for an occasional home cooked meal, Sherie has always been active in helping us serve our student-athletes.

It’s also important to plan family time.  Schedule time for your spouse and children throughout the season — and honor those commitments.  I learned most of this the hard way.  I once coached eight consecutive summers without a vacation.  I stayed up all night in the office two nights a week during the season watching video and getting scouting reports ready.  Then my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer!  It was an amazing paradigm shift for me and give me instant perspective.

Coach Don Meyer also talking about having “your time,” where it is just you.  It can be a time of meditation or reflection.  For me, I like to do it early in the morning while everyone is still asleep.  I can catch up on some reading or spend some time writing in my journal.

Yet another example of helping you with balance is creating a circle of influence.  A handful of people that your believe in and trust.  Most importantly, these people need to be someone that love you enough to tell you the truth. Someone that can tell you you’re full of crap when you are.  Some can be coaches but it’s always good to have some non-coaches in your circle.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR FINANCES

Part 4 of an extended career is the handling of your finances.  I shared with the coaches, and especially tried to get through to the younger ones that my biggest regret in coaching wasn’t a decision on the floor but it was not getting involved with a financial planner early in my career.  I have had one the past 20 years and the results (and security) are amazing!  Many young coaches don’t think they make enough money to work with a planner — that’s actually all the more reason you should.  One of the first things that Kay Martin of Ameriprise did was talk to me about short-term and long-term goals.  Part of that process was to create an emergency fund that I would pay into gradually to where we would have three months worth of salary to live on should anything happen.  Well, we have far more than three months now and its a great feeling to have that type of security — not just for me but for my family.

I also have a special tax accountant that understands my profession and helps to keep that organized and more importantly, helps me maximize all of the possible exemptions and write offs available to me.

BE FLEXIBLE

Next on the list of theories for having a long career is your ability to have flexibility.  It is a game, no a world, that is constantly evolving and changing. As assistant coaches we have to adjust to changes on our staff…we tend to change jobs a couple of times we must adjust to head coaches…we must adjust to administration…we must adjust to the times.  The best way to adjust is to stay open minded — be a good communicator (which means a lot of listening as an assistant coach).

We must also adjust to the players.  This does not mean give in and allow the players to dictate policy.  But I firmly believe every player has a story and it is our job as coaches to learn that story.  Our ability to know them at a deeper level is critical for us to help them.  At UCF, we utilized Bill Rogers (who worked with Pat Summitt’s Lady Vols along with some professional teams) in order to learn about their personalities.  What was their leadership potential? What were the primary motivators for each individual?  How did they best learn — were they audio, visual or physical learners?  And then we adjust how we teach to meet them in the middle, where they can best be taught.

BE A PROBLEM SOLVER

Not enough resources? Solve it.
Not enough post players or shooters? Solve it.
Lacking in facilities? Solve it.
Team chemistry problems? Solve it.

I’m not sure that there is not at least one minor problem per day in coaching — but you have to solve it.  Solving problems to me begins with attitude.  Working for Coach Dale Brown I learned that we were not to use the word “problem” but we were to use the word “opportunity.”  Coach Brown would tell us not to come in his office with a problem unless we were ready to offer a solution.  When people ask me what made Coach Brown so successful, again there are several reasons.  But one was he was a solution-oriented person when it came to problems.  He would amaze me with his attitude — almost excited that a problem had arisen because he loves the challenge of defeating it.

HAVE A SYSTEM OF ORGANIZATION

The final area I touched on was to become organized and primarily I was talking about improving your ability to document everything.  All conversations I have I follow up with the person I was speaking to with a short email of bullet points.  I do this with my players as well.  If I meet with a player to go over video, we both take notes and I email them to her.  Of course discussions of behavior — both positive and negative — are followed up with an email.

I’m a big believer in writing handwritten notes — even with all the technology today.  I love to write a handwritten note to a player and stick it in her locker.  I also screen shot text messages — positive and negative with players for my files.  I want as complete a written file on dealings with players, coaches, administrators, media and anyone else on the professional level.

We live in a time where you need to have your bases covered.

The final suggestion for extending your career?  Enjoy the ride! Embrace the grind — even the problem solving.  The best coaches I’ve been around get a rise out of solving a problem.  You must be passionate about what you do but you still need a plan — the role of an assistant coach is never easy but it is important.  Accept that role and challenge yourself to be the very best your can be.

By: Bert DeSalvo

As a former women’s college basketball head coach, I always believed that our scouting reports were a key component to our success on the court. Having the necessary information on each opponent has allowed my programs a great amount of success during my head coaching tenures. This success was due largely because of the efforts of my coaching staff and their approach to their scouting report responsibilities.

In order to be as best prepared as we could be for our upcoming opponent, I clearly defined the following objectives for my assistants when building scouting reports:

1. Do Your Work Early – This is something my programs have always stressed to our student-athletes, both on and off the court, and it also applies to the entire coaching staff. Although I have only had the opportunity to have a coaching staff of myself and another, my assistant was directed to be done with the personnel and statistics portion of the scout a full game ahead (about 3-4 days). If the next opponent happened to play the same night as us, my assistant would update the necessary stats to keep the scout as accurate as possible. This allowed us maximum time for creating a winning game plan and preparing paper scouts and sets.

2. What To Give – One of the most crucial aspect in preparing scouting reports is to decipher what information to give the student-athletes. This greatly depends on the basketball IQ of your team and what they can retain. It makes no sense to give players information that they will either forget or that makes them tense and anxious. The coaching staff must find the right balance of information that will make their players perform better. Coaches cannot forget that a scouting report’s sole purpose is to make players feel comfortable and to give them confidence. Assistants must snuff out tendencies when watching personnel, as any tips can make all the difference! It was my assistant’s job to put more in their initial version of the scout so that we could, and ultimately I, could make the final decision as to what we would present to the team in the final version of the scout.

3. Same But Different – Consistency is key. I wanted my assistant to organize the scout using the same template for each game. This uniformity allows the head coach and student-athletes the ability to easily access information at any time before, during and after the contest. Scouting report templates must be discussed by the coaching staff prior to the start of the season and the entire staff must agree on the presentation. Consistency is important, but so fending off the monotony of a long season. Therefore, there may be times to change the scouting format, especially if it is the second time you have played an opponent. This will get the attention of the players and may help them if they need a spark to keep them sharp and interested in the task at hand.

4. Challenge the Head Coach – In order to get the best results possible, assistant coaches must come to the game planning meeting with their own ideas. One thing I was careful to avoid as a head coach was to not hire “yes” men. Instead I wanted an assistant who could argue a point but not be argumentative during the process. It is very important that assistants realize that they make suggestions, while the head coaches make decisions. Nevertheless, a strong relationship between the head coach and his/her assistants will only strengthen game plans because all ideas will be considered and evaluated on their merit.

5. Be Realistic – I would rather have my assistant(s) be realistic on personnel/actions/alignments that they thought could really give us trouble, rather than having them “sugarcoat” everything with an unrealistic positive spin just to make me feel better. A good talk of what we need to watch out for and how will we make adjustments if something were to occur is the best way to handle an assignment from an opponent. In saying that, there does not have to be “gloom and doom” or a negative feeling amongst the coaching staff, and it is the head coach’s job to create an atmosphere of calmness within the program. Remember, preparation builds confidence and confidence leads to positivity and enthusiasm.

In addition, here are what some respected assistant coaches from NCAA Division II institutions (where coaching staffs tend to be much smaller than their D1 counterparts) have to say about their goals and timeline requirements when preparing scouts:

“My goal when preparing scouts is to get as much useful information to my head coach as possible and in a timely manner. What I try and do is watch film on the opponent 3-5 days ahead of time. That way we have ample time in practice to work on any actions or situations that we may see. I try to watch the opponent’s last full game and then break downs of clips through our video editing system. I watch and take notes on the following:

1. Opponent’s Man and Zone Offense
2. Opponent’s Man and Zone Defense
3. Opponent’s Press Defense
4. Ball Screen Defense
5. EOG Situations and ATO Sets

We prepare our team with both a paper scout and video scout. Both scouts include information on the notes taken, plus information on top personnel for the opponent. We give this to our team a day before the game. Our video scout is clipped and trimmed to about 15 minutes. We show this with our team and also sent it to them so they can watch it on their own time.”

– Julie Kaufman, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach, Seton Hill University (NCAA DII – PSAC)

“As an assistant, it is vital to scout and know your opponent almost as well as you know your own team and have film and paper scout prepped and ready to go (for the head coach) two to three ahead of the game. This allows the head coach to access it and start the preparation and discussion on the opponent whenever he/she is ready to, as well as to start to look at what adjustments, wrinkles, and game plans you’ll take into practice and scout.

Along with that, it is paramount that when giving the scout to the team and going through film that you are comfortable and confident because it has serious carryover to the level of confidence and understanding the team will take into the game.

Both the players and head coach don’t necessarily need to know it like you do but they need to know it well enough to execute the game plan and understand that they can trust you in times of adversity during the heat of the game.”

– Kyle Cooper, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach, West Liberty University (NCAA DII – Mt. East)

“From the first day on the job, the expectations Coach DeSalvo had for me regarding scouting reports were very clear. Still, I felt it was my job to exceed his expectations. I strived to make sure that scouts were prepared prior to him asking and made sure he did not have to ask twice.

Being the only assistant on the staff in my previous role, I worked to be as efficient as possible and strived to go above and beyond to help put the program in the best position to be successful and to never make the head coach have to wait for me. I did my best to be a full scout ahead to keep our preparation early.”

– Courtney Burns, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach, Southern New Hampshire University (NCAA DII – NE-10)

In conclusion, assistants must have a “will please” motto and do what is asked of them in regards to preparing scouting reports to make the head coach’s life easier. Remaining ahead of the head coach’s timeline and expectations are essential to continue to prepare players for upcoming opponents as well as building their trust and respect in the process.

Moreover, head coach must always be communicating effectively with their coaching staff. If assistants are not performing to the head coach’s standards, it is the head coach’s responsibility to discuss this with the assistant immediately and professionally. This can be difficult based on friendships that develop, but must occur nevertheless. Most of the time though, if assistants know what is expected of them, this is not an issue.

Lastly, head coaches must be aware that scouting reports are where their assistant(s) can make a huge impact for the program (either positive or negative) and can help to earn a positive reputation and prepare them for the career ambitions. Therefore, head coaches must empower their assistants in the scouting process. Giving assistants the necessary direction and clearly defined timelines while still allowing their assistants to have the freedom to complete the assignment in the way that works best for them, should be how head coaches blend their management and leadership styles during the scouting process.

And, here are some defensive notes from Coach DeSalvo’s blog “Expressions from the Hardwood” that came from Charlie Spoonhoor

“What we are trying to do is interrupt what you are doing. We want to destroy your comfort level, to take away what you want to do.”

“If you don’t run back and get your defense set, people will score against you while you are disorganized and that’s when you are going to get beat.”

“I think the reason why you have a problem with transition defense is that your team is mad.”

“We always pressure the ball, no matter who catches it.”

“We deny interior passes. Anything that goes into the defense is an interior pass.”

“We don’t switch unless it is part of the defensive plan for a game. We will do it if the scouting report dictates it.”

“Get everybody to mentally be a part of your defense. If you can do that, you are in business. You can’t have three or four players guarding.”

“Scouting is very important. Knowing where people score and how they score is very important, so you need shot charts. If you don’t, you can get the wrong idea of how you should cover someone.”

“On your half-court defense, if you are going to play man, that’s fine. If you are going to play zone, that’s fine. I think it’s good to have a secondary defense because it can change the tempo of the game. If you let teams get into a rhythm, they will beat you. You need to find a way to change the tempo of the game.”

“The whole this with your defense is this: Your defense is how hard you work. It must be effort.”

About the Author

Bert DeSalvo is a former D1 men’s assistant coach, D2 and D3 women’s assistant coach, as well as a D2 and D3 women’s head coach. Follow Bert DeSalvo on Twitter @CoachDeSalvo and his blog “Expressions from the Hardwood.”

Randy Brown www.coachrb.com

Search any library, bookstore, or the internet on the topic of basketball and you will find thousands of choices. The most popular titles will deal with offense and the art of shooting and scoring points. Defense will also be represented as will rebounding, pressing, and fundamentals. Among the popular titles you will find an amazing amount of information on is post play.

Since the 70’s, good post play has been equated to winning. Jabbar, Chamberlain, Unseld, Russell, and Hayes are names that put post play on the map in the NBA. The fascination with these back-to-the-basket giants has not decreased and is a big part of a team offense. Post play can be broken down into dozens of categories. Coaches with time and energy can help improve a player’s game year round. How much is too much, is the question. Young players are able to concentrate and take in only so much teaching at one time.

Do coaches force-feed their post players with too much information? At times I believe they do and this article will address a hidden key that coaches and players can add to their game with great results. When breaking down the art of post play there are several components to consider.

Post moves, footwork, physical play, ball handling, shooting, and positioning are all required. Coaches would all agree that these are the parts that must be taught and learned. There is a big part of the post puzzle missing, though. You must have the ball if you are going to do anything in the post. Knowing how to get open, catch the ball, use your feet, be physical opens the door to a whole new world in the paint! Read on

4 Keys In Gaining Possession Of The Ball

1. Stay Off the Blocks. Kids are done a disservice by being taught that the blocks are the place for big guys to go. It is such an automatic habit for kids and one that is hard to break. I’ve coached many college players who thought that posting up right on the block was the way big guys play. Nothing could be more from the truth. Many times I’ve threatened to sand the block off the floor to keep players from gravitating to this sacred spot. What is the advantage of assuming a position 6 feet from the basket with your back to it while being guarded? Realistically, that is not a good position to be in at all. As if a powerful magnetic force draws the player’s body to this spot, by nature big players run there every time. Here’s the truth about good post players—they use the block only as landmarks and post up wherever the defense will allow them to post up. As a coach, I encourage you to teach young players to concentrate much more on ball location and defender location than that silly painted rectangle on the floor.
2. Focus on your defender. Teach young players to assume their position around the basket based on where their defender is. The goal is to post up your opponent as close to the basket as possible. If the defender is out of position, take advantage by stepping at the defender and posting up where he is. Use the phrase, “Take your post up to the defense.” You allow the post up position to be your choice, not the defenders. This technique must be worked on because players are not familiar with this skill. Like changing your grip on the golf club, the golfer must work hard to establish a new grip and become comfortable with it. In time your players will buy into the advantages of focusing on the defender because the rewards will be positive and immediate.
3. Initiate the contact. This is a new concept to many coaches, but a crucial technique for posting up in prime spots on the floor. Usually the defender is the one who delivers most of the blows in hand-to-hand combat on the block. Offensive post players gain a decided advantage when they are quick to initiate the contact, which enhances their post up position on the floor. This is another concept that must be taught in concentrated practice sessions and through repetition.
4. Let the Ball Find You. In every gym across America, you can witness a common site. As if mesmerized, post players stare at the ball as they follow its path around the perimeter. Most kids are taught to do this and are simply doing what they are told. This may shock you, but good post players are never guilty of doing this. Good post players actually play away from the ball on the weak side more than they follow it. If rule #2, Focus On YourDefender, if followed, the ball will actually find YOU! This is a concept that is implemented at all levels by coaches that understand the elements of quality post play.
   
   As a player, when you focus on the defender and your position on the floor relative to the ball, you will improve greatly. As a general rule, tell your players, “Don’t find the ball, let the ball find you”. If you commit to this technique you will find the ball in prime scoring areas on the floor on a consistent basis. The result will be increased post scoring and more fouls committed by the defense. In essence, your post players will become very “hard to guard”. In my experience coaching players from grade school to college, I have seen many players improve drastically over a short period of time.

   I’ve seen skill deficient post players become all-league performers by committing their time and game to the four keys above. Becoming proficient around the basket has a lot less to do with skill and jumping ability than it does knowing how to play. Maximizing your position, physical play, and knack for the ball will make you an excellent low post player.

Focus on your strengths, work on these keys, and watch your game elevate like never before. As you begin to catch the ball more and increase your scoring, your confidence will skyrocket.

This article was contributed by Kyle Ohlman of basketballhq.com The site is a workout resources for coaches and players with hundreds of videos for ideas for skill development workouts.

As basketball coaches we are always thinking about the different strategies that we can use to win games. We spend hours and hours of time picking the right plays, budgeting practice time, working on defense schemes, etc. These are all things that need to be done, but what if you are already shooting yourself in the foot before you ever really even get started? Coaches can diagram the best plays in the world but a player still has to be the one that puts the ball in the basket.

As much as coaches may hate to admit it, players ultimately win games. The great coaches recognize this and that is why they spend the time not only on strategy but also on each individual player and the team as a whole.

This article isn’t going to give you the play of all plays that no team can guard but in my opinion without the three areas that are going to be covered below it doesn’t matter what plays your team runs. It is up to the coach to evaluate their team and figure out a strategy that is going to give their team the best chance to win games. Whether you play an up and down style or you walk it up the floor and run sets it is up to you, but what your team can’t afford to be without are the three keys below.

Coaches need to get everyone headed in the same direction.

The coach needs to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Once you decide on a game plan for your team you need to make sure that everyone is doing their best to accomplish it. If you are going to walk the ball up the floor and run offense then you can’t have that one player on the floor that jacks up a bad shot every time they touch the ball. You have got to find your identity and then get your team to buy in. This goes for assistant coaches as well. Whether you believe in the head coaches philosophy or not you must do your best to support the head coach and get on board, especially with the players. You can suggest ideas to the coach in private but ultimately it is the head coach that makes the final call. You have most likely heard this analogy before, but think about being in a row boat. The only way it works is if everyone is rowing at the same time, same strength, and same direction. This is how your team must be to have success.

Coaches need to be able to motivate and get the best out of their players.

Be willing to spend the time on and off the floor learning about your players. Learn what makes them tick, what motivates them, and ultimately build a personal relationship with them. That is the only way that you will be able to get the best out of each player. Not every player responds the same way so it is your job to find out the best way to handle each player. You also need to spend the time with your players teaching them the game and developing their individual skills. If your team is hitting shots it makes up for a lot of mistakes. If you spend all your time working on executing different plays and then you don’t have players that are skilled enough to put the basketball in the hoop at the end of the play, it doesn’t really make sense. Developing your players will also help them to trust you more because they know that you are spending time to help benefit them personally.

Coaches need to build a winning culture that is built upon each year and where the returning players pass it on to the new players.

Once you spend all the time getting everyone bought in and heading in the same direction don’t waist it and start over again every year. Encourage your players that are returning to take on the responsibility of helping the incoming players to buy in. This is called building a winning culture. I had a player that I coached in high school go to Butler University on a recruiting trip and he told me that he watched the team play pick up without any coaches around. The team wasn’t playing hard enough and wasn’t executing the right way so the players called an early morning practice for the next day. No coaches were around but because these kids were bought in, they wanted to do things the right way. This is almost unheard of, but Butler did go to back to back national championships with a team whose individual skill level was no where near some of the teams that they beat. In my opinion you can’t do anything truly special without having specific players that are bought in and willing to lead the team from a player’s standpoint.

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