RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR COACHES

This is a list of a few of the books I took the time to read so far this summer that I feel can help us as coaches. Happy reading!

Toughness by Jay Bilas
I recommend you put this at the top of your reading list. You want a tough team, this is the book that can help you start implementing strategies to use with your players/team. Bilas shares his own thoughts along with other people, from a variety of professional backgrounds, to share their thoughts on toughness.

The Golden Whistle by Jim Burson
Coach Burson uses a story of an up and coming coach to share his thoughts on how a coach can be successful.  He shares his own experiences from a variety of situations that can help coaches make a positive impact on their team on and off the basketball court.  Coach Burson has put this book into a format that makes it easy to read, and easy for coaches to apply strategies with their own team.

The Politics of Coaching by Carl Pierson
This is the actually the second time I've read Coach Pierson's book. And it will not be my last.  His book is a must read for younger coaches, but is equally as beneficial for veteran coaches.  Pierson provides so many helpful hints that will give coaches a great opportunity for longevity in the coaching profession. I have given this book to new coaches coming into our program.

The Hard Hat: 21 Ways To Be A Great Teammate by Jon Gordon
I'm a big fan of all of Jon Gordon's books, but this one blew me away.  This is what I call a Wow! book.  It will make an impact on you not only as a coach, but as a person.  This is Gordon's first "true story" as it is written about about a former Cornell lacrosse player named George.  So many valuable lessons for coaches, players, and people in general in this book.  It's a quick read, but it is one that you will no doubt refer back to many times.

Leadership Lessons Of Abraham Lincoln edited by Meg Distini
This book is full of quotes and thoughts from Abraham Lincoln.  The author does a nice job of organizing them into different topics such as discipline, communication, leadership, conflict resolution, and determination.  This is a book you can pick up and read for a few minutes at a time and pick up some valuable gems to get you to think.

A PLAY FOR 3 OR BALL SCREEN ACTION

The following is a play that Latvia ran vs Serbia in the U18 European Championship.

The first diagram shows the point guard passing to 4 on the wing.  2 clears out to the opposite corner.  3 starts to move towards 4.  5 steps up.

In the second diagram 4 passes to 5.  5 immediately reverses the ball to 2.  As soon as 4 passed the ball 3 sets a screen for 4.  4 cuts to the ball side block.  If 4 is open 2 will pass them the ball.

In the third diagram 5 sets a screen for 3 to complete screen the screener action.  3 will first look for the shot on the catch.

If 3 does not get a catch and shoot off the screen, then 5 will come back to set a ball screen for 3.  3 attempts to turn the corner off the screen.  1 will also slide to the open area to give 3 a passing angle.