A Coach's Diary

This comment comes from Brian McCormmick and a post of his on the debate between which comes first: teaching the skill or playing the game.   The gist of the argument is that only recently and only in sports do we teach the skill first before the play.  Growing up, we just played.  We would play countless basketball games at the park and at recess before we ever played in our first league.  We learned the game by playing. Today, we teach and give skills before we let the kids play.  We teach and rep skills and techniques, then we have them practice the skills in controlled, game-like situations.  As Brian states in his comment, we don't learn by teaching the technique first in any non-adult led activity.  We didn't learn how to crawl, walk or run by receiving explicit instructions - we learn by doing.  Once we learn, we refine our technique to improve our performance.   Two questions that he asked below was, " Is throwing a bal...

The popularization of the 10,000 hours idea has had a real affect on the sports training industry and youth sports in general; both positive and negative.  Athletes now are getting much more personal and individualized instruction at younger ages, and parents are shelling anywhere from $30 - $100 per hour for specialized and individual instruction.  While practice and repetition is important to growth and skill development, the article here from Brian McCormick on the importance of deliberate play uses studies to show that 10,000 hours of deliberate playing time is a better way to create better basketball players than 10,000 hours of deliberate practice time. Jean Cote defines deliberate play as unstructured, play-oriented situations: basically, going to the park and playing in your pick-up games.  As the article states, deliberate play is the most effective way to improve as a basketball player.  There is nothing like seeing new moves from your favorite p...

The video above from Brian McCormick emphasizes the benefits of playing more 3 on 3 to develop your players.  This video focuses on developing youth basketball players, but the benefits can definitely be seen with your more experienced varsity and college players as well.  Geno Auriemma once said that basketball is just a game of 1 on 1, 2 on 2, and 3 on 3 situations.  Creating 3 on 3 games in your practices and part of your skill development gets players more meaningful touches helping them stay more engaged, thus helping them improve quicker. We like to incorporate different actions that we use in our offense and different actions of the teams that we will play against when we play 3 on 3 in practice.  If we are playing a team that uses the UCLA hi-post action, we will play 3 on 3 and start with a pass to the wing, UCLA cut and then play live, emphasizing guarding the actions how we plan to guard it in games.  We like to use DHO into ball-screens, so we ...

This is a good change up to the traditional 3 on 2/2 on 1 transition drill by the Cleveland Cavaliers in their training camp from 2016.

The drill in the video above is a part of our closeout series that we do.  We usually do this leading up tot shell defense.  Our philosophy is to give up no open shots.  To make sure that we can do this, we have to work on flying to our man, closing out with a high inside hand, and chopping our feet as we approach the ball-handler so that she can't blow by us. Here the Cleveland Cavaliers show a couple of parts of their closeout progression in their training camp from 2016.

Everybody loves to sprint on offense, but you have to teach how to sprint back in transition defense and get matched up. 1 - Load to the ball 2 - Inside the line of the ball 3 - Talk and match-up Puts 6 seconds on the clock to get a clean shot and end with a block out.

A great drill to work on legal traps and anticipating the pass as an interceptor, and it works on being strong with the ball and being sure and tough offensively against traps.  It also teaches your players to be more comfortable in a trap, to not panic, and to have a plan for getting out of the trap. Defensively, it teaches those on the ball how to play strong with their hands up so they don't foul in the trap without fouling, how to get deflections, and how to anticipate the next pass as an interceptor. I like how he shows to use the drill in different parts of the court depending on where you are anticipating you want to trap and where you anticipate your opponents will try to trap you.

Winners Fail | Losers Hide This excerpt and notes are taking from the book What Drives Winning.  They have a great website and a really good Youtube page. Its important to redefine what losing and failure is.  Take the emphasis away from the result and place it on the action. Courage is about being willing to operate and step out of your comfort zone. Courage has nothing to do with the outcome.  It is about being all-in.  Have a circle around you that is supportive and who value you going all in over the results.  You have 2 options with it comes to a challenge: 1 – You can hide from it 2 – You can chase it In life, you have 2 options when it comes to courage: 1 – You can go all-in and risk being taken out of the game for the chance to be great Or 2 – You can eliminate the chance of being great by playing tentatively and not getting taken out of the game Think of going all-in like a stoplight:  Imagine what ...

We always preach to our post girls the importance of keeping the ball high.  Here, Candice Parker initiates the fast break and keeps the ball high before converting in transition.  A great visual for all post players.

The drill below is from the University of Arkansas.  A simple 2 on 2 rebounding drill.  I like how the coach also emphasizes making good outlet passes out of the drill.   We will experiment with having our bigs stay on the ball, contest the outlook and look to chase and trap the outlet.  So, we will have our bigs chase down and breakdown on the outlet, simulating that they are trapping that pass. If the offense gets the rebound, they get an offensive possession.  If the defense gives up an offensive rebound, they have to stay on defense with the next group.

Here is a simple high ball-screen look with options for the kick out.  We run a continuity ball-screen offense.  We would tell our 4 to sprint into a second ball-screen no matter where the kick out is.  If the 4 gets the kick out, she would either take the shot or dribble into a hand-off and the rolling post would flash to the high post.

This is a good look in transition to get your point guard spacing to get to the basket and an option for a corner 3.

Here is a simple 4 out 1 in look that starts in Horns to get a post up or corner 3 against the 1-3-1 defense.

The secondary break being taught here isn't bad at all, but what I really like is the different way that they were able to flow into their transition out of the drill.  I am always looking for ways to start the drill, and we have used different starts, such as out of shell drill and out of a BLOB or SLOB play 5 on 0 or against dummy defense.

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeves shows us her 'Loop' play.  We run a side ball screen, continuity offense, so something like this could be a great quick hitter to get us in our stuff. This also has a post up option for the guard, which is good for us because we have a couple of big guards who are good in the post.

This is a great fast break drill that Cheryl Reeve admittedly stole from NBA coach Fred Hoiberg.  We really emphasize looking for skips in transition, and this will help reinforce that, along with making 'snap passes,' catching with two hands, running the court, and finishing fast. Key Teaching Points - Spring the court - Snap passes - No dribbles - Great catches - Finishing with speed - Quick outlets - Talk, talk, talk Don't slow down and wait for the ball - sprint and get ahead.  

Swing series is when you are guarded on the wing, step across the defender, give the target a passer, catch and go.  If your man is denying, you have to get that foot on top and be strong to and with the ball. Rip it tight to your stomach and push it out in front of you.  If you swing out away from your body, a tough defender will take it from you.

A simple drill led by Larry Brown teaching his athletes at SMU how to catch, rip low, and attack the basket.  Great teaching points include: - Rip the ball low to the ground - Direct drive to the basket - Get there in one dibble - Establish a pivot - Put the ball down early - Both feet catch outside the 3 - Run through the pass - Take it to the ground - Get the ball below your knees - Don't drag your foot - Straight line drives - Jab at the defender - Run with it - Swing it and take it to the ground Rip and Drive Crossover and drive Rip through pull-up

The video below shows how NBA teams in the playoffs play off of non-shooters to help on the other teams' better players. Trapping Screens :47 - It first shows how players aggressively help on cutters when their man sets a screen.  They often double team off of ball-screens, down screens and any situation where their man is involved in the screen.  Their defender also plays off and helps bump cutters, allowing the other defenders to help, hedge, and trap ball-handlers using screens. Put Your Big On Non-Shooting Wings NBA Teams also switch up their match-ups by putting a rim protecting or great help-side big on a non-shooting perimeter player.  This allows other players to pressure the ball and help with pressure, i.e. traps and hard hedges, while knowing that they have support at the basket.  This can also create mismatches on the other end, as the other team might have trouble finding their man in transition, ending up in cross match-ups. How To Counter One...

The video below is a great interview where Coach Nick from BBall Breakdown speaks with Steve Kerr about the GS Warrior offense, his coaching influences, how he teaches and practices what they do, and his philosophy on sharing the ball and movement. His offense came from many different coaches and mentors:  Phil Jackson and Tex Winter triangle actions with the split cuts out of the post, Motion strong and weak from Coach Pop, 21 Action from Mike D'antoni and Alvin Gentry, and Rick Adelman's corner offense. Kerr likes to introduce and teach concepts more than plays, which gives the players freedom to do what they do with structure.  He talks about the importance of repping what they do so that the players know their options and how to read and react with pace. Coach Kerr also talks about how the ball has energy and needs to be shared and the importance of keeping everybody involved in the offense. Catch the full video below:

If you are by the ball (on ball defender, in gaps, or one pass away), you have to stop the ball.  If you are away from the ball (more than one pass away) you have to help everyone by the ball by watching cutters.

Utah Jazz Strength and Conditioning coach Mark McKown and Jeremy Evans show what drills he puts the players through to help with explosiveness. We have started to incorporate this into our conditioning work.  For example, we will do 5-20 seconds of quick jumps into a sprint.

'We trust you until you give us a reason not to trust you.' 'Just be great at what you're good at.  You know you're really good at something.  Identify it and then work your brains out to be great at it.'

... and not how to make mistakes and excuses. The importance of holding yourself accountable, now as an athlete, and in the future as an adult and a professional.  Right now, showing up late, or missing an assignment, or not blocking out does not mean the end of the world.  However, at some point, coming in late or turning in an assignment late at work could cost you your job.  When the stakes get higher, it is important to know that you have spent your career learning how to make mistakes and how to make excuses.

It’s not even about winning or losing.  It’s about getting the best out of every player.  Being a woman does not change their job description.  You never go after somebody’s heart or their core; you go after what they did.  You coach actions.

The 2-2-1 press is a common full court defense used to slow down the offense, making them second guess themselves with soft traps and playing the passing lanes.  Its important for your players to have a plan on how to attack this press and how to move, manipulate, and read the defense.  The video below shows a simple but effective way to attack a 2-2-1 press. Most teams have one guard on the ball and the other guard taking away middle, allowing the guard to guard pass.  By allowing you to reverse the ball, they are hoping you use up your 10 seconds in the back court or turn you over when you start to panic when rushing to get the ball across the timeline. Being aggressively patient and knowing who to attack and when is key to beating the press efficiently.  Having your guards beat their man and attack the forwards on the wing makes the defense rotate and opens up their teammates. When you attack the forward, the lob to your teammate leaking up th...

During our 2 week professional development leading into the new school year, we had an inspirational speaker come in to talk to us about maintaining our well-being as teachers and living 'our best life' so that we are able to give our students and athletes our A-game every day.  Early in his lecture, he brought up this scenario: "Imagine, 20-30 years from now, a few of your former students or former athletes are sitting around at a bar, or a coffee shop, or a birthday party.  Do they even remember you?  Do they mention you?  And if you are brought up in conversation, what would you want them to say about you and their time with you?" As speaker Alex Saenz then told us that morning, every day you are on stage for your legacy.  We are living, every day, our legacy.  What legacy are you living?  What legacy are you leaving to the one's you serve and lead? He also stated that we all build a reputation and that your students and your peers not...

The teams with the best players have the best chance at success.  Discipline, structure, togetherness, and great plays all factor in as well, but all other things being equal, players win games.  So, its important to help your players get better in 1 on 1 situations.  Plays are setup to get you in a 1 on 1 situation where you can make a play. Below are notes from the older Don Eddy video above. Be a threat every time you catch.   Use your jab series to feel out and move the defense. - Ball in your pocket - Back straight so you’re ready to shoot - Ball is ‘set’ in your pocket - Fake the drive to shoot/ Fake the shot to drive - Fakes are short steps, drives are long steps Live Ball Moves - Show and Go - Jab - Cross step - Rocker step - Shot fake - Opposite On The Dribble - Cut off dribble - Counter dribble - Retreat dribble - Shot fake - Power shot Drill It - 1 on 0 is a great way to introduce and rep the moves - Dummy 1 on 1...

All credit to this post goes to Hoopskills.com and you can read the original version here . Legendary Hank Iba (Henry Iba) coached Oklahoma State to two NCAA Championships and the United States Olympic team to two gold medals (and one silver medal) with teams made up entirely of amateurs. Coach Iba used to teach that there are six main areas of focus if you want to win consistently. The more of these areas that you and your team master, the more games you will win. If only a couple areas are mastered, then you're possibly in for a long season. 1. Transition Defense -  Good transition defense helps eliminate layups, open threes and fouls while scrambling to cover up, which greatly increases your chances of winning. Teams should have separate plans for getting back after missed shots and turnovers and also for getting back after a made field goal or free throw. Being strong in this area lets the defense play 5 on 5 instead of playing 3 on 1 or 4 on 2. 2. Half-Court Defens...

Steven Adams is a very solid big in the NBA.  He is not flashy, and he doesn't not have myriad of post moves, but he can be effective, especially receiving passes rolling to the block off of pick and roll action.  The video below shows the different options Adams has rolling to the basket. For our girls, we want them to be able to execute the following moves on rolls for either a layup or to draw a foul: On The Roll - Regular layup - Reverse layup - Power layup (with or without a shot fake) - Power reverse layup (with or without a shot fake) - Step across and finish (with or without a shot fake) - Catch into up and under - Dribble into up and under - Catch and shoot On the Pop - Catch and shoot - Catch and rip through for pull-up or shot - Jab baseline into drive - Rocker series

“I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt, my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.' We all have self-doubt. You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it.”  ―  Kobe Bryant

Duke ran a couple of good 'Floppy' variations.  Butler had its chances to tie or take the lead, including a great look at the final 3 from Gordon Hayward, but Duke held on for the win and the National Championship.

You have to be able to take care of the ball, against pressure, to be able to run any kind of offense with success.  Dick Bennett has a couple of drills that he call 'Soundness Drills' to improve his teams ability to take care of the ball and to improve their poise and decision making. In the drill above, called 1 on 2, he has one ball handler trying to advance the ball against two defenders.  Your ball handler has to have poise, know how to protect the ball with both hands, has to be able to retreat dribble away from pressure, and has to know how to attack when time. We have expanded this drill to teach scoring at the end of it.  We want our 1 offensive player to try to score.  Then, make or miss, we have the 2 defenders come back on offense in a 2 on 1 situation to teach how to play 2 on 1 basketball on offense and defense.  We also use this drill as an opportunity to teach how trap and take proper trapping angles. In the video above here,...

'Be Warm and Demanding' As Brad Stevens states here, the most effective leaders teach athletes how to persevere and to have more grit, and to do so, it is important to find the balance between being warm and demanding.  These leaders are approachable, but on the court, there is a demand and an expectation that everyone is going to work and perform at a high level. Demand excellence, but remember, we are still dealing with human beings with human emotions, and we have to be receptive to that. via: positivecoach.org

Brad Stevens is a rising star in the NBA.  His ability to draw up plays, especially in special situations late in game, are well talked about in coaching circles.  Here is a good video showing the Celtics running a nice 2-3 defense in late game SLOB situations. One way I see to beat this is to flood the backside.  Send a player to the backside block, one to the backside wing, one to the top of the key, and one to the high post.  The middle and backside forward would have to make a decision on who to leave open, and I would think they would leave the back side wing open, giving you a long close out to attack. Thanks to Half Court Hoops for the video breakdown and pdf breakdown:   https://www.dropbox.com/s/jf5n0ospn80...

Two biggest issues that Geno sees right now is 1) teams are playing too fast and 2) bad shot selection. Shot selection might be the most important thing that you can teach your team.  Everybody thinks that they can make any shot. Shot selection is the biggest killer of offense because the wrong guy is taking the wrong shot, you can't rebound when you don't know when a shot is going up, and you are out of balance and can't get back on defense. Rule #1 When you are open, you have to shoot it if that's the shot you work on everyday.  Everybody knows and expects it and is prepared to rebound. Rule #2 If you shoot when you aren't open and somebody is, that's the last shot you get that game.  Thats where selfishness begins.

--> --> The following article comes from an article that I found on Linked In from  Brett Hagler .  You can see the original article  here . Kobe Bryant recently shared an all-time great mindset, manifested into a subtle quote that not many people noticed. It's been three weeks and I can't get it out of my head, so I wanted to share. You can take it literally or (mostly) metaphorically - both work and can be applied to the dream you're chasing.  The quote came from Kobe when he was on stage accepting the 'Icon Award' at the ESPYS.  He was addressing fellow athletes:  “We’re not on this stage just because of talent or ability,” Bryant said. “We’re up here  because of 4 a.m . We’re up here because of two-a-days or five-a-days. We’re up here because we had a dream and let nothing stand in our way. If anything tried to bring us down, we used it to make us stronger.” There are thousands o...