Basketball Coaching Stress – Resolutions for Impact

By Brian Williams on December 27, 2018

Top 10 Basketball Coaches New Year’s Resolution Ideas

As you reflect over your last year’s new year’s resolutions that were made with great intentions and enthusiasm, what comes to mind? Loss of interest? Success? Burnout?

One thing is for sure, you are one year older and you may be looking at a doctor’s report of your latest annual physical that doesn’t appear to be so favorable. Usually, this is a result of not following through on your resolutions, poor goal-setting, or just setting the wrong goals.

Having a plan of action before the new year hits and executing it can have a profound effect on your health, energy, relationships and coaching performance.

To make new year’s resolutions permanent, they MUST become a lifestyle.

Willpower is like a house that is built without a foundation; seldom if ever, will it survive a challenging situation.

Willpower will never stand the test of temptation and unrealistic goals.

SMART Goals To Reduce Coaching Stress

This is where lifestyle change has to be considered. If lasting change is to occur, S.M.A.R.T. goals (pp. 35-52) are essential. The acronym S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Action-based (you can see yourself performing the goal), Realistic, and Timely. Any goal that meets these requirements has a great groundwork for success. Having a friend or family member holding you responsible for what you say you are going to do increases your chances of making your behavioral goals, lifestyle changes. This is where desire meets accountability, a recipe for success. This formula can also be used for coaching, individual player development, and team goals.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal + Your Values (attached to your goal) + Accountability + Desire to Change = ULTIMATE SUCCESS

When setting S.M.A.R.T. goals it is imperative to write out 2-4 weekly goals that are in line with your broader three-month goals. Your three-month goals should be leading you in the direction of reaching your vision. For example, if your health vision is to be active on the court with your players for the next 10+ years, a three-month goal may be: I will play in full-court, pick-up basketball games for 30 minutes with my players, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00AM. A first week weekly goal that will help you reach that three-month goal may be: I will play in half-court, pick-up basketball games for 30 minutes with my players on Monday and on Friday at 8:00AM. The three-month and weekly goals both start with “I will” and are specific, measurable, action-based, realistic, and set within a time-frame.

The following list of new year’s resolution suggestions are meant to help generate ideas and help create a plan of action. Each one of them can be performed before, during, or after your basketball season if your goals are designed to meet your desired outcome. Health related resolutions are formed under the Five Pillars of Health so that they will all affect each other directly. Do not set your goal(s) haphazardly. Follow the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting guidelines above and you will experience an improvement in coaching performance with a life-giving, health-promoting, and energy-boosting lifestyle change. It is important to note that weight loss should not be a stated goal, it is a result of meeting your goals. So, if you desire to lose weight, set other goals that will help you reach that outcome.

At the end of each suggestion an example of a health vision (a picture of your best self), a three-month goal (what you would like to be doing consistently three months from now), and a weekly goal (a step towards meeting your three-month goal) is given. Create only one health vision and set no more than 2-4 monthly and weekly goals. Comments are made after some of the goals for clarification.

Reduce Coaching Stress With Exercise

Exercise must be performed at the recommended intensity levels in order to increase the different fitness components. These areas of fitness include: cardio-respiratory fitness, localize muscular strength and endurance, balance, and flexibility. This is not to be confused with increasing your physical activity level which will be discussed later.
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The desire to look and feel better and be healthier tops the most popular new year’s resolution list every year. Most people believe that this is accomplished by upping the exercise routine. Due to its uncomfortableness, time requirement, and benefits not equaling the perceived sacrifices made, it often gets pushed to the side a month or two after the new year begins. To help prevent this from happening, design your exercise goals so that you start slow and progress over time. This will lead to tremendous benefit and will become part of your daily routine.

Example:

Health Vision – I want to be able to get on the court and play the game I love with my players throughout my coaching career.

Three-Month Goal – I will play an hour of basketball Monday through Friday at 8:00am at my school’s gymnasium. Comment: Playing the game I love will help me reach the level of fitness I want to achieve three months into this goal.

Weekly Goal – I will play basketball on Monday and Thursday for 30 minutes each day at my school’s gymnasium.

Eliminate Added Sugar from Your Diet

Added sugar has so many negative effects on your health and energy levels that any effort to remove it completely from your dietary intake will show immediate results. Although very challenging, eliminating added sugar will help you lose weight, reduce aches and pains in joints and with headaches, lower your chances of developing insulin resistance and type II diabetes, increase your energy level, improve your gut health, immune function and overall inflammatory markers, and reduce your appetite.

Example:

Health Vision – I want to be chronic disease and medication-free throughout my life.

Three-Month Goal – I will eat a real food item that I have chosen as a sugar substitute (Sunday – Saturday) whenever I have the urge to eat something sweet.

Weekly Goal – I will choose ten real food item substitutes that contain no added sugar on Wednesday at 12:00pm. Comment: This goal will help me identify healthy foods that I enjoy that I can eat on a regular basis that contain no added sugar.

Quit Smoking As A Coach

If you currently smoke (and yes, this includes vaping), stop, now! This inflammatory behavior is setting the stage for all kinds of problems down the road such as, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease and stroke, asthma, diabetes, loss of vision, ulcers, aging skin, osteoporosis, gum disease, and reproductive problems. Finding a smoking cessation program that you will be successful with would be a great S.M.A.R.T. goal to start with, just make sure to follow through and kick those cigarettes to the curb.

A smoking cessation program will provide the needed step by step process to eliminate your smoking habit. Therefore, following your program’s direction, an example may look something like this:

Example:

Health Vision – I want to be physically active and disease free throughout my adult years.

Three-Month Goal – I will follow my program’s direction and be exactly where it says I should be at the three month mark.

Weekly Goal – I will research and choose a smoking cessation program on Tuesday at 10:00am. Comment: This goal will help me overcome the inertia of eliminating my smoking habit once and for all.

Eliminate Dairy from Your Diet

Another area of your dietary intake that you may want to address is dairy, especially if you have known intolerances to eggs, milk, or cheese. Dairy is known to be inflammatory and can lead to allergies and gut issues. Performing a food allergy test may help detect some problems you may have, but they are not always 100% accurate. The gold standard for identifying specific foods that may be causing you problems is found in the elimination diet where you remove foods and slowly add them back into your diet over time. This could generate some great new year’s resolution goals if you are currently experiencing gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and/or other digestive problems.

Eliminating dairy is important if you believe you are lactose-intolerant or are experiencing a dairy allergy. If you have removed it entirely from your diet and your symptoms persist, then it may be okay to add it back in to your diet.

Example:

Health Vision – I want to feel great and be full of energy well into my elderly years.

Three-Month Goal – I will eat a real food item that I have chosen as a dairy substitute (Sunday – Saturday) whenever I have the urge to consume dairy.

Weekly Goal – I will choose ten real food items that I will substitute for dairy products on Wednesday at 12:00pm. Comment: This goal will help me identify healthy foods that I enjoy that I can eat on a regular basis.

Quit Drinking Alcohol As A Coaching Stress Reliever

Eliminating or reducing the amount of alcohol you consume can lead to an improvement in your health, weight, and your relationships depending upon the amount that you are currently drinking. Alcohol is known to disrupt your sleep, slow weight loss, cause cancer, heart disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease, pancreatitis, ulcers and gastro-intestinal problems, and create immune system dysfunction. Setting goals that include participating in other stress outlets can help you avoid the temptation to escape your coaching stress with alcohol. S.M.A.R.T. goals should be written to describe what behavior you will be performing, not what you won’t be doing.

Example:

Health Vision – I want to enjoy all of the health and relationship benefits of being completely alcohol-free for the rest of my life.

Three-Month Goal – I will drink a non-alcoholic drink (Sunday – Saturday) whenever I have the urge to consume alcohol.

Weekly Goal – I will choose/identify five non-alcoholic drinks that I can drink in lieu of alcohol on Thursday at 4:00pm. Comment: Making a list and keeping it by my side will enable me to be ready whenever temptation rears its ugly head.

Reconnect with Your Spouse Away From Basketball

Connecting with your spouse is essential in maintaining a happy and healthy marriage, especially if you are in a period of disconnect. Making your marriage a priority can be a challenge when the demands of coaching your basketball team are in full go-mode. Regardless of what is standing in the way a strong, healthy relationship requires work on both partner’s part. Goal ideas you may want to consider include: creating daily/nightly rituals, scheduling regular date nights, daily check-ins, regularly helping with chores around the house, writing him/her a love letter, reading something together, sending him/her a sexy text, and whatever else that may draw the two of you closer together.

Example:

Health Vision – I want to enjoy all that a relationship with my spouse is meant to be. This includes both emotional and physical intimacy.

Three-Month Goal – I will connect with my spouse Sunday through Saturday by 9:00pm with one of the ways I have found to do so.

Weekly Goal – I will choose/identify ten ways that I can connect with my spouse Saturday at 2:00pm. Comment: This list will give me direction in reconnecting with my spouse.

Increase Your Level of Physical Activity Outside of Working Out

This sounds a lot like exercise, but it isn’t. It simply means, move more; sit less. If the sitting down portion of your life can be spent standing or moving around instead if sitting, then by all means move. Research indicates that sitting for long periods has serious health consequences. One study found that sitting for too long could lead to early death. Setting S.M.A.R.T. goals that get you up and moving every 15-30 minutes can go a long way in improving your health and therefore, your coaching performance.

Example:

Health Vision – I want to be healthy and active the rest of my life.

Three-Month Goal – I will stand up from my desk and walk around for 5 minutes at the beginning of every hour while at work, Monday – Friday.

Weekly Goal – I will stand up from my desk and walk around for 3 minutes at 10:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm while at work on Monday and Friday. Comment: My cellphone alarm will act as a reminder to get up and move around.

Eliminate Processed Foods from Your Diet And Get Near Immediate Impact

Processed foods has had a tremendously unhealthy affect on our lives. Think of it as lab “food.” It’s not really food, it’s just a bunch of chemical holding hands calling themselves a food. The difficulty in removing these “foods” from our diet lies in their benefits: quick, easy, convenient, and inexpensive. Until you truly believe that food matters with regards to your health, you will be less motivated to make a change in this area. Once you know the science behind the health horrors of processed foods, the motivation is easy and the navigation around the “benefits” of processed foods is performed more enthusiastically. A recommended weekly goal in this area would be to learn more about the health hazards of consuming processed foods. This should lead to goals that would include alternative food choices.

Example:

Health Vision – I want to feel great, be full of energy, and disease-free the rest of my life.

Three-Month Goal – I will eat a real food item that I have chosen as a processed food substitute (Sunday – Saturday) whenever I am tempted to consume a processed food. Comment: I will accumulate a list of real foods as weekly goals leading up to the three-month mark that will act as processed food substitutes.

Weekly Goal – I will read an article on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 12:00pm on the health hazards of eating processed foods. Comment: Once I complete this goal I will begin a list of real foods that I can eat.

Get 7-9 hours of Sleep and Watch Coaching Patience Rise

Getting the sleep you need is imperative for rest, recovery, and proper brain and body function. Focus and attention are amongst the first to be affected when sleep needs are not being met. This has a direct affect on your coaching performance and how well your team competes. Sleep deprivation has been linked to memory issues, a weakened immune system, high blood pressure, an increase risk in diabetes, weight gain, low sex drive, and heart disease. So, getting enough sleep is imperative to maintaining a high quality of life.

Example:

Health Vision – I want to experience clarity in thinking and have a high energy level as I grow older.

Three-Month Goal – I will go to bed at 10:00pm (1-hour earlier than normal) every night (Sunday-Saturday) this week in order to get the eight hours of sleep I need. Comment: This will help me get the rest I need for the long hours of coaching that I have this week.

Weekly Goal – I will go to bed at 10:00pm (1-hour earlier than normal) on Monday night and Wednesday night in order to get the eight hours of sleep I need.

Reduce Stress

New year’s resolutions focused on stress reduction are some of the most popular made changes that people want to make every year. Learning a new skill, reading more, and taking up a new hobby are just a few ways to help reduce the stress created by coaching your basketball team. Taking a slight hiatus from the events that stress you the most can be just what the doctor ordered. So, spending time identifying activities to help you with your stress management can go a long way in helping keep your stress less harmful to your health.

Example:

Health Vision – I want to reduce my stress and enjoy the life-giving experiences that spending time with the people that I love the most can provide.

Three-Month Goals – I will schedule three social get-togethers with one of my children, best friends, and best couple friends on Wednesday at 6:00pm for the following week.

Weekly Goals – GOAL #1 – I will make plans to eat lunch with all three of my children separately at 1:00pm on Friday for the following week.

GOAL #2 – I will schedule hang-out time with my best friend for the following week on Saturday at 2:00pm. Comment: This is one way to reduce stress that will be fun and enjoyable.

Although it is easier to pick only one of these twelve areas to set S.M.A.R.T. goals with, you may find more success in choosing to set goals in several areas. For example, if you desire to lose weight, you may want to include sleeping goals along with dietary ones. In other words, you may not optimize your results by attacking only one area. As you enter the new year’s resolution goal-setting season, look to capitalize on your desire by setting S.M.A.R.T. goals with the understanding this is to be a life-long lifestyle change.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is to assist people in improving their basketball coaching performance by living out healthy lifestyle behaviors. It is not intended to prescribe a diet or exercise plan, but to suggest eliminating known unhealthy foods, encourage involvement in a regular exercise program, and stress management techniques. Consult with your nutritionist, licensed physician or healthcare professional before beginning any lifestyle or nutritional program for his or her professional advice and your involvement in it.

Rusty Gregory, MS, CSCS is the coauthor of Living Wheat-Free for Dummies (Wiley Publishing). He received his B.S. (Commercial and Industrial Fitness, Minor in Health Education) in 1989 from Texas Tech University and his M.S. (Kinesiology) in 1991 from the University of Michigan. In 1991, he began his personal training business in Austin, Texas, and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). In 1995, he opened Forte Personal Fitness, a private personal fitness studio where he trains athletes from a multitude of sports and people of all ages, health backgrounds, and physical limitations. Rusty also serves as an expert for www.BasketballTrainer.com

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3 v 3 Full Court Drill “The Truth”

By Brian Williams on December 26, 2018

This drill is selected from the HoopScoop eBook “How to Install a Switching Defense” playbook.

If you are interested in finding out more about the eBook, click this link: How to Install a Switching Defense.

Fit the rules to your needs and to your philosophy and style of play.

3 v 3 Full Court- no dribble. (You could allow regular dribbling and or one or two dribbles to start and then cut back to no dribbles)

Rules:

1. No dribble.

2. Games to 2 or 3. Quick.

3. 2nd foul by defense on
same possession results in point for offense.

4. Defense must pick up by 3/4 court.

Diagrams created with FastDraw

Structure:

Two courts going at same time- winners court/losers court. Games either ends when:

1. Winners court is finished. Loser court game is stopped. Team with higher score wins. If tied, next basket wins.

2. When winning score is reached.

King of the court- winners move up, losers move down. If there are more than 4 teams, loser on winner court doesn’t go to end of line- goes to
loser court and plays immediately.

Time: 20 minutes.

*Over time you can change some of the rules to make the drill more difficult or to give it a different emphasis.

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Coaching Basketball and Stress – The Stress Fact Sheet

By Brian Williams on December 19, 2018

You can learn the most about your basketball team when it faces adversity. The ability to find ways to win games when your team can’t buy a basket or is in foul trouble reveals a lot about the toughness of your players and of your team. It is also a great indicator of just how good your team is. Although every coach wants to know that his/her team can win those types of games, it comes with a serious stress-related price tag.

It is inevitable that your team will experience challenging times throughout the course of a season. It is during these stretches of time that stress can explode through the roof. Realizing that your team will grow the most during this adversity is the first step in dealing with the resulting stress brought on by the not-so-perfect level of performance. The next step is to address the voices of the administration, parents, and the media that may not be so warm and welcoming. If left unaddressed, these and other sources of coaching stress will generate a level of pressure and anxiety that will grow and fester. Once this occurs and becomes your mode of operation, a chronic state of stress creates your new normal.

What Do I Need to Know About Stress in Coaching Basketball?

Most people are familiar with the feelings that accompany the immediate onset of a situation that produces a stress hormone release known as the “fight-or-flight” or the stress response: increase in heart rate and breathing and a reduction of digestive activity leading to a loss of appetite. Managing the production of these stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, is essential to keeping stress at the “healthy” level. Knowing what situations will set off this release is helpful in planning your stress-attack approach. For example, deep breathing exercises and meditation and prayer are relatively quick activities that can be performed in a moment’s notice. Helping a person in need or getting a massage are great stress-relieving ideas if time allows.

If a chronic state of stress develops, the drop in your coaching performance will be the least of your worries. Stress will deliver a devastating blow to your health that can lead to early resignation/retirement, increases in healthcare expenses and absenteeism, relationship problems, and even death. If you identify your stressors and have a plan of action in place to manage them, you are more likely to come out on top with little to no consequences.

This article will act as a “cheat sheet” to provide you with a deeper understanding of stress, assist you in identifying what stresses you the most, and recommend stress reduction techniques to help lighten your anxiety.

What is Stress?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, “stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses.” Stress can result from a negative source, distress, such as the loss of one of your players due to injury or a team losing streak or a positive one, eustress, winning the state basketball championship or witnessing your team reach its full potential. Although both stimulate a similar response, distress has a more harmful effect on your health. Stress can be real or perceived. It is specific and individualistic in nature which explains why one situation stresses one person out while the same situation doesn’t for someone else; it’s not what you see that upsets you, it’s what you think you see.

Dr. Karl Albrecht describes the four most common types of stress that provide us with insight as to what may jumpstart the physiological and psychological reactions associated with stress. It is likely that you will experience one or more of these forms of stress at some point during all of your basketball seasons.

Time Stress. This stress occurs when the time is limited and you fear that you won’t be able to get everything done in the amount of time that you have. Exercising time management skills is essential to eliminating stress when the time is scarce. This could be game prep when you have a quicker than normal turnaround between games, i.e. tournaments.
Anticipatory Stress. This stress typically addresses an upcoming event such as a huge game, speaking to the media, parents, etc. Because this stress is based on future happenings, the situation does not have to turn out the way you think it will. Learning to become more mindful can help keep you in the moment so that your thoughts do not drift into the future.
Situational Stress. This stress occurs when you encounter a situation that you do not have control over. This could be needing other teams to lose in order for your team to reach the playoffs. A deeper self-awareness of the physical and emotional signals that your body expresses under pressure helps alleviate this stress. A conflict is a common form of situational stress. Knowing the skills necessary to resolve conflict can prevent stress from reaching unhealthy levels.
Encounter Stress. This is when you worry about an upcoming meeting with a particular person or group of people or are overwhelmed by interacting with too many people. Meeting individually with parent’s who have unrealistic expectations of their child’s role on the team, getting drilled by the media after a tough loss, and being introduced as a head coach in front of a lot of alumni and supporters would be examples of encounter stress. Developing a better understanding of other people’s wants and needs, applying good listening skills, and expressing empathy are the best ways to address this type of stress.

When you experience a stressful situation, you begin to secrete cortisol which moves you to action. High levels of cortisol over long periods of time stimulate the fear center in your brain. As cortisol rises, the area of the brain responsible for memory, learning, and stress control is triggered. When this enters a chronic state, brain cell reproduction decreases which can lead to depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

A study performed on mice found that pups who were nurtured by their mother were more resistant to stress later in life than pups who were not nurtured by their mother. These results were passed down to future generations making them inheritable. This indicates which genes are expressed under varying circumstances, the epigenetic component to managing stress. The following (short) video illustrates how imposing stress can be on your health.

Universal Stress Truths for Basketball Coaches and Everyone

The six basic elements surrounding the stress we experience are well documented. An understanding of each one of these “universal” stress truths will go a long way in keeping the effects of your stress at arm’s length.

Everyone experiences stress – At some point in time we will all face physical, mental and emotional reactions to stressful circumstances, it’s a part of life. The “have to’s” and disappointments of life are inevitable.
Not all stress is bad (for your health) – In small, non-chronic stressful situations, stress can help motivate you to accomplish a task (i.e. meet a due date) and avoid danger (i.e. run from a dangerous situation – “fight or flight”). It can also be the result of a wonderful event in your life (i.e. winning the district championship or your child’s graduation from college). This level of stress can spice up your life and make it more fun and exciting.
Identify your (negative) stressors – Knowing what stresses you can help you avoid certain situations that have led to stress in the past. A mindful approach to your stressors will provide you the awareness needed to consciously monitor your level of stress.
Chronic stress can cause serious health problems – A physical, mental and emotional beatdown occur when stress goes untreated. How we respond to stressful situations will determine the extent that this effects our lives.
Identify stress reduction techniques and put them into practice – Regularly engaging in enjoyable, life-giving activities not only relieves stress, but generates an overall sense of wellbeing. A lifestyle that incorporates stress-reducing techniques on a daily basis will go a long way in preventing stress’s harmful effects.
Seek professional help if your stress gets out of control – If you lack the motivation, time, or information to manage your chronic stress on your own or you have reached the point of illness, it may be time to seek the help of your healthcare provider. Your treatment should include counseling, stress management techniques, and medications if necessary.

Basketball Coaches Are Not Alone Dealing With Stress

Stress has its tentacles deeply rooted in all work industries, relationships, and circumstances. It is safe to say that most situations that we encounter have the potential to create stress in our lives. Consider the following facts and stats regarding stress in our country.

According to a WebMD article, stress-related disorders account for seventy-five to 90% of all doctor visits. This seems obvious given stress’s close association to many health conditions.
The same WebMD article states that 43% of all adults experience the harmful effects of stress.
According to a study by the American Psychological Association, 75% of employees believe that their job is a major stressor.
The American Psychological Association says that stress costs $300 billion annually to American businesses for reduced productivity levels, employee turnover and absenteeism, and increased medical and insurance fees. Much of this could be alleviated by maintaining a healthy balance between coaching and personal/leisure tim
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employees who take a leave of absence due to stress related disorders will be out of work for 20 days. How would your team respond if you had to take three weeks off during the middle of the season because you were about to have a nervous breakdown?
44% of Americans feel more stress today than five years ago. Either life is more stressful today or stress management skills are lacking; it’s probably some of both.
60% of illness and disease is the direct result of stress. This should come as no surprise given stress’s ability to weaken the immune system and increase inflammation throughout the body.
4 out of 10 stressed people have unhealthy eating habits. The desire for instant relief from stress initiates the quick fix craving of comfort food.
Poor nutrition exacerbates stress. An unhealthy diet creates new stressors (weight gain, diet-related illnesses, etc.).
Your genes may have a say in how you handle stress. The expression of certain genes will dictate the way in which you deal with stress or how it deals with you.

Poor Choices In Response To Stress

Choosing negative health behaviors to counter your stress only compounds the problems that are directly related to your stress. It is a common coping mechanism because of the instant gratification it provides. Bad habits that form from dealing with stress the wrong way, accentuate the negative impact stress is imposing on you. It is not unusual for this to become a cycle that repeats itself over and over. Some common negative stress-relief choices that people make include:

Overeating
Eating Comfort Food
Drinking Alcohol in Excess
Smoking
Recreational Drugs

How Basketball Coaches Can Overcome Stress

With all of the negative talk about stress and its destructive effects, it can all be mitigated with a little desire and effort. The following stress management techniques have all been proven in their ability to reduce the effects of stress. However, they are just recommendations. If you engage in other activities that work for you, continue doing what you are doing. Use this list to generate ideas and create a more thorough plan of action.

Regular Exercise – When you exercise your body produces chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins reduce the perception of pain leading to more positive feelings. These sensations improve your mood and your outlook on life. Exercise counters many of the damaging effects of stress, such as it improves sleep, strengthens the heart, and increases self-esteem.
Prayer, Reading Scripture, Meditation – Prayer, reading scripture, and meditation create an internal rest with mental alertness that lowers heart rate, reduces inflammation, lowers the production of cortisol and adrenalin, and normalizes blood pressure. This level of mental focus also releases the neurotransmitters serotonin (eases tension), dopamine (creates pleasurable feelings), and endorphins (euphoric effect) that assist in reducing stress levels.
Connect with Friends – Research indicates that positive social interaction with others reduces the body’s stress response. Healthy friendships lead to laughter, positive behaviors like exercise and proper diet and nutrition, and even living longer.
Practice Mindfulness – Setting aside the judgment as you observe and appreciate what is through the practice of mindfulness, produces an internal “relaxation” and reduction in the stress response. Learning to do this with different aspects of life helps develop an appreciation for even the most mundane events that life has to offer.
Listen to Relaxing Music – Music has a way of connecting us with our emotions and acting as an escape from life’s troubles. Its emotional, physical, and mental influence on us can have a profound effect on our stress levels.
Perform Deep Breathing Exercises – Taking deep breaths lowers your heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration when elevated as a result of being stressed. This relaxing response produces a stress releasing effect that can be used anywhere.
Write in a Gratitude Journal – Regular journaling about those things for which you are most grateful helps you adapt to stressful situations and deal with adversity. This is accomplished by helping you focus on what is going well in your life. Maintaining a journal has been shown to lower your stress by improving your attitude and cognitive function and enhancing your immune system.
Take a Vacation – Vacations improve your job performance by strengthening your quality of life. Research indicates that a great vacation can extend its stress-reducing effects up to weeks after the vacation has ended. These and other bonuses of vacation have far-reaching health benefits.
Play Golf – Taking an afternoon off to play a round of golf reduces stress and anxiety, improves mood, builds relationships, and restores the mind from mental fatigue leading to a higher level of work performance. This low-intensity, low-impact sport allows for participation well into the latter part of life.
Spend Time on a Hobby – Engaging in a hobby generates a sense of fun and escape from the stress of coaching. This creates something to look forward as the hobby time approaches. Working on a hobby is also associated with a lower body mass index, cortisol levels, blood pressure, and depression.

The Bottom Line For Coaches

With all of the damaging effects of chronic stress waiting to consume the incautious victim, comes an alternative that involves having fun, relaxing, and enjoying family and friends. This combative approach to stress’s effects mandates more leisure time, time away from the basketball court, and an opportunity to connect with people and things that truly matter the most in life. Respecting the stress you experience regularly and addressing it in a healthy way will add years to your life and life to your years.

Are you ready for change?

click here to Check out the 45 Day Challenge Guide written by Rusty Gregory and offered in the Coachtube Marketplace.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is to assist people in improving their overall health and basketball coaching performance by managing his or her stress brought on by coaching. This article is also meant to create an awareness of stress and its harmful effect on health and offer suggestions to better manage that stress. It is not intended to prescribe a diet, exercise plan, or stress management program. Consult with your nutritionist, licensed physician or healthcare professional before beginning any lifestyle or nutritional program for his or her professional advice and your involvement in it.

Rusty Gregory, MS, CSCS is the coauthor of Living Wheat-Free for Dummies (Wiley Publishing). He received his B.S. (Commercial and Industrial Fitness, Minor in Health Education) in 1989 from Texas Tech University and his M.S. (Kinesiology) in 1991 from the University of Michigan. In 1991, he began his Austin personal training business, and became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). In 1995, he opened Forte Personal Fitness, a private personal fitness studio where he trains athletes from a multitude of sports and people of all ages, health backgrounds, and physical limitations. Rusty is part of the BasketballTrainer.com team of experts led by Austin Basketball Trainer Chris Corbett. Rusty and the BasketballTrainer.com team will be releasing their course to help you manage and beat stress to increase your impact while enjoying life more fully in the coming weeks to help you prepare for your best 2019 ever.

Core Stability Exercises for Basketball Players

By Brian Williams on December 15, 2018

By Jon Sanderson MS, CSCS, MSCC, USAW, NASM-CES, TPI, FMS

Jon Sanderson has been the head strength and conditioning coach for the University of Michigan men’s basketball team since 2009.

Regarded as one of the basketball strength and conditioning coaches in the business, Sanderson is the only strength and conditioning coach in NCAA history to participate in a Final Four as a player (Ohio State in 1999) and a coach (Michigan in 2013 & 2018).

Before joining the Michigan staff, Sanderson spent three years (2006-09) working at Clemson as the men’s and women’s basketball strength and conditioning coach, as well as the director of the Littlejohn Coliseum weight room. During Sanderson’s time at Clemson, the men’s basketball team won 20 or more games for three straight seasons — a first in program history. Also, during those three seasons, only North Carolina and Duke had more wins than Clemson in the ACC.

Prior to his time at Clemson, he served as the head strength and conditioning coach and sports nutrition coordinator for Olympic sports at Marshall University (2003-06). Before heading to Marshall, Sanderson was a strength and conditioning intern at North Carolina, working with the men’s basketball program (2002-03).

Throughout Sanderson’s career with the U-M basketball program, he has trained 11 student-athletes that have gone on to play professional basketball in the NBA, including MDarius Morris, Manny Harris, Tim Hardaway, Jr., Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas, Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III, Caris LeVert, D.J. Wilson, Derrick Walton, Jr. and Moritz Wagner.

If interested in the Camp Sanderson S&C program powered by Blueprint Athletes App

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The following anti-rotation exercises can be performed in a tall or half-kneeling position, normal stance or a split stance, and with either a band or pulley mechanism.

Trunk/Core Stability–Pallof Hold

Begin in in an athletic stance with your shoulders perpendicular to the cable column and holding the single attachment above your belly button.

Press the attachment away from your body until your arms are fully extended, then hold for the specified time.

Repeat on the other side.

Stand in an athletic position holding the pulley attachment just above your belly button.

Press the attachment to an arms-length in front of you and return it back to the starting position.

Repeat on other side.

Stand in an athletic position, perpendicular to the cable machine, with arms extended toward the column, and hold the pulley attachment at just below shoulder level.

With a stable trunk, move your arms from the start point to the finish point.

Repeat on other side.

Begin holding the rod with your hands about 18 inches apart with a double overhand grip, shoulders perpendicular to the column, and arms extended out toward the column.

Pull the rod toward you until your arm closest to the column is on your side, then rotate and punch that arm upward while keeping your feet flat.

Return to the starting position and repeat for specified reps.

Alley Drill Competitive 1 on 1 Defensive Drill

By Brian Williams on December 10, 2018

Today’s post is a competitive drill.

The video of this drill is hosted on YouTube, so you will not be able to access it unless you are on a server that allows YouTube access.

The coach in the video is currently the head coach at Iowa State University and former UNLV and South Dakota State University Head Coach, T.J. Otzelberger.

In my opinion, competitive practice drills are more game-like, improve both toughness and skills, and increase engagement from your players.

Click the play arrow to view the video.

There is narration with the video, so please make sure that your sound is on.

I do realize that while this drill overloads the defense and makes guarding the dribble much tougher than it would be in a game, it could possibly instill bad habits on offense. Too much dribbling and forced into taking bad shots. Something to think about.

You can find out more about the Championship Productions video that this clip is from at this link:
Open Practice with T.J. Otzelberger: Defense