YOUR SEASON JUST ENDED. WHAT NOW?

Your team just got beat in the playoffs, and your season just ended. What now? In the first few days that follow the last day of a the season a coach's emotions are still all over the place. Coaches constantly wonder what they could have done differently in that last game that could have helped their season continue. Hindsight is still 20/20, right? As coaches, we typically struggle with the end because we all want to win. We want to advance as far as we can in the playoffs. It's part of our competitive nature that we strive to win, win, win. These emotions will eventually settle, and that is when coaches gain a clearer perspective of the experiences of the season. 

To keep moving forward, after the completion of your season, coaches should consider the following:

1. Keep things in perspective. Whether your team won 30 games, or finished in last place, remember the big picture. 

• How much progress did your team make during the season?
• Did your team follow and live by the core values of your program?
• Did your players enjoy the experience?
• In twenty years do you think your players will say they are glad they were part of this team?

 2. Even though the season has ended your job as a coach has not ended.

• What message/theme do you want to have for your post-season meeting with your team?
• Have your planned your team banquet?
• Will you have exit meetings with each of your players? 
• What kind of off-season opportunities have you planned for your players?
• Workouts
• Strength Training
• Camps
• Leagues and/or tournaments
• What teams do you want to add/delete to next year's schedule?
• Will you be making an changes or additions to your coaching staff?
• Are there any style of play changes you need to make with the personnel you have coming back next season?

COACHING VIDEO NOTES: LARRY EUSTACHY "CREATING TOUGHNESS"

The following notes were taken from a coaching video by Larry Eustachy titled "Creating Toughness". The video was made when Eustachy was the head coach at Iowa State.  He is the current coach at Colorado State.

In creating toughness, it starts with the coach.

Eustachy feels that coaches with the label “player’s coach” don’t last long.  Considers himself a demanding coach. Coach needs to be demanding.

Coaches need to have that first day excitement every single day of the season. Your players deserve it.

A coach can be demanding without cursing or raising their voice if it isn’t their way.

You can be demanding, but there has to be some fun/enjoyment so they want to come back.

You can’t ask more of the individual or team than they can give you. Coach has to understand their team and where they are at.

The start of creating toughness...His team prides themselves on being the strongest team in the conference (physical strength). All the weight room time gives your players an edge physically and mentally. Knowing the work they put in, they see results physically, and they believe they are stronger.

Create adversity in practice. Put the players in stressful situations.  You can certainly be complimenting along the way.

Start practice with 5 sprints in 30 seconds.

In practice drills they have no out of bounds.  Gets players in habit of getting after loose balls.

During scrimmage time they use regular out of bounds rules.

95% of coaching is getting players to play hard.

If a player falls down, gets knocked down they must get up within 2 seconds or the team runs. Obviously if they are hurt, stay down.

5-MAN WEAVE
Go up and back two times.  Have two groups and take turn with their reps.

• If you miss the shot on the last time, you do it again
• If you don’t catch the ball with two hands, you do it again
• If the ball hits the floor, you do it again

FULL COURT 4-ON-4 DRILL

• If a team scores at one end, they keep the ball and continue to try and score at that end.
• If defense gains possession they transition to the other end and attempt to score.
• Emphasize things you want to work on. This can change every time you do this drill.
• Whatever you emphasize that day must be done or there will be a consequence.
• If it’s hands high on a closeout that is being emphasized and a player doesn’t do it, then the team runs.
• Any turnover results in running at the end of the drill.  If White team has three turnovers, they run three sprints.
• This drill also works well in 3-on-3.

Some coaches want practice to go smooth.  Smooth is no good. Things going wrong is good. Makes the players and the team tougher.

3-ON-3 BLOCKOUT DRILL

Three lines outside the three point line; one at the top of the key and one on each wing. The first three are defenders, the next three are offense.  Back the three lines back to give the 3-on-3 space to play.  They play 3-on-3.  The defense needs to get three stops in a row to get “out”. If the defense gives up an offensive rebound and still get a stop, it doesn’t count.  Need to get three stops in a row without giving up an offensive rebound. Each possession a new offensive team comes in so the defense is going against fresh players to make it more challenging.

THE MAN DRILL

5-on-5 halfcourt drill. 60 second drill

Offense cannot dribble, must catch with two hands, can’t travel, and no handoffs. Defense tries to prevent the offense from catching the ball.

Each offensive player keeps track of how many catches they had in 60 seconds. Then switch offense and defense.  New defensive players guard the player that guarded them.  At the end of this 60 seconds determine which player had the least number of catches. That player loses and has a consequence. If they tie, shoot a 3 to determine the winner.

Don’t take the fun out of it.  Be demanding. The players will know if you genuinely care about them. They will buy in if they know you care.

PREPARE YOUR TEAM FOR THESE 20 LATE GAME SITUATIONS

I have put together a list of late game situations that coaches need to prepare their team for.  You may not even encounter some of these situations during the season, but don't get caught off guard, and prepare for them. These are situations that as a coach you need to think about so you at least know what your choices will be if you are faced with them.

1. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Dead Ball. Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
2. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Dead Ball. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
3. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Clock is running.  Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
4. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Clock is running. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
5. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near half court. Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
6. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near half court. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
7. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near free throw line extended or lower.  Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
8. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near free throw line extended or lower. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
9. You are behind 2 or 3 points with a few seconds left and your player is at the free throw line with one shot. 
10. Tie game with one minute left to play. Your team has the ball.  When do you attempt to score?
1. Do you hold the ball for one shot?
2. Do you take the first available shot?
11. Tie game. Your team has the ball with 10 seconds to play. No timeouts. What do you want your team to run?  Do you want them to attack the rim? Get the ball inside? Run a specific set play? Who do you want to take the shot?
12. You are down 3. Opponent has the ball with 10 seconds left.  Do you foul or play it out?
13. You are down 3. Opponent has the ball with 4 seconds left. Do you foul or play it out?
14. You are down 3 and on defense. If you decide to not foul on a big possession late in the game, how will your team defend ball screens?
15. Your team is on defense. You are behind by 1 point with 30 seconds left in the game.  The offensive team is in the bonus. When, if at all, do you foul?
16. You are ahead by 2 with 10 seconds left in the game.  You are on defense.  Offense will take the ball out baseline OB and has to go the length of the court. Offense is in the bonus. How do you defend them? 
1. Do you apply a full court press?  If so, what type?
2. If you don't apply full court pressure, where do you start defending the ball?
17. You are on defense.  Your team is ahead by 4 points with 20 seconds to go.  You have two fouls to give.  Do you have your team commit non-shooting fouls?
18. You are down 10 points with three minutes to go in the game. At what point to you start fouling and put the other team on the free throw line?
19. You are ahead in a one possession game (1, 2, or 3 points). Your team is on defense. The opposing team calls a timeout with 8 seconds to play.  You've played zone defense the entire game.  Do you play man-to-man on this last possession if it is something you have in your team's arsenal?
20. Do you have a delay game on offense when you are attempting to secure a lead late in games? If so, when do you start using it?

3 STEPS TO HELP YOU ENJOY COACHING

3 SIMPLE STEPS TO HELP YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU DO

Step 1: Surround yourself with good people.

Step 2: Serve others.

Step 3: Repeat.

THE IMPORTANCE OF "GLUE" PLAYERS

Glue players are needed.  They are vital to a team's success.  They contribute things to your team that don't always show up in a box score; things that can't always be measured with a stat. 

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF A GLUE PLAYER

• Sprints the court in transition
• They might night receive a pass in transition, but the fact they sprint could draw a defender to them and open up a teammate for a score
• Talks on the court
• Call out screens on defense
• Makes sure the team is in the correct offense or defense
• Makes sure the team is matched up on defense
• Motivates their teammates
• Dives for loose balls
• This can be contagious 
• Forces the person they are defending to give extra effort just to get open
• This tests the will of the person they are guarding.
• Makes the extra pass on offense
• Pass up a good shot for a great shot
• Forces the defense to work extra hard
• Follows the game plan.
• They understand the game plan.  
• They execute the game plan. 
• Takes care of the ball on offense
• They aren't careless with the ball.  They are poised with the ball in their hands.
• Genuinely cares for their team
• Speaks positively of their team, teammates, and coaches
• Represents their team to the best of their ability on and off the court
• Serves others

SUCCESSFUL TEAMS NEED GLUE PLAYERS

Any player can be a glue player.  I think some coaches see glue players as players on their roster who maybe aren't the most talented.  This can be the case, however your most skilled players can be glue players as well. If your most talented players are glue players then chances are your team has a great chance to reach its full potential.

The average fan sitting in the stands watching a game might wonder why certain players are getting so many minutes if they aren't scoring, rebounding, or filling other stat columns.  Most likely those are glue type players they are wondering about.  In a team sport like basketball we have to remember that we don't always play our five best, we play our best five. Your best five are the five players that play best together.  Many times a glue player or two are part of that best five.

CELEBRATE YOUR GLUE PLAYERS

I encourage coaches to celebrate their glue players.  In a film session point out an example of a player running the court in transition, setting a great screen, or making the extra pass. Stop play on the practice court to point out an action of a player that makes them a glue type player.  While in a huddle during a timeout you can let your team know how important a dive on the floor for a loose ball was for your team because it gave you an extra possession.  While talking to the media you can highlight players that do these glue player type things that are keys to your team's success.  Your glue players need to be celebrated so let them know how important they are to the team.  

REMEMBER:  Not all of the players on your roster are going to have the same skill, BUT they can all be glue players.  

SHARE YOUR IDEAS

I'd enjoy hearing from other coaches on how they celebrate glue type players.  If you have suggestions, please share with me.  You can reach me by email at dietelgreg@gmail.com

BEING A PARENT, A COACH, AND THE INFAMOUS 20 MINUTE RULE

This article was posted here back in 2012.  Recent discussions with coaches, parents, and coaches who are parents led me to reposting it today.  Enjoy.

Coaches and parents will want to read this.

Basketball coaches learn from each other all the time.  We share information, borrow some, and are always watching and picking up tidbits wherever they can.  One of the most important pieces of advice I learned in my 20+ years of coaching didn't come from my past experiences as an athlete, or a coaching clinic, or a coaching colleague, or even a coaching DVD.  This piece of valuable advice was given to me from my wife.

This information is for all coaches.  As a coach we interact with the parents of our players.  BUT if you are a coach and a parent this is especially for you.

I am a basketball coach.  And like most basketball coaches it is difficult for me to watch any basketball game for pure entertainment purposes.  It doesn't matter if a coach is watching game 7 of the NBA finals on television or the first game of a fifth grade league at the YMCA, we seem to analyze the game we are watching as a coach.  This is not a bad thing because it is a part of who we are and how we are wired.

Add your own children to the mix and you have a tough balancing act.

I have been fortunate to say that I have been able to watch my own children participate in sports, including basketball, for many years.  I'm no different than the next parent as I get nervous for my child as they play because I want them to perform well and feel good about themselves.  But I also watch the game with a coach's mentality (after all it IS what I do).   And who do parents watch more closely during games? That's right, their own kid.  Again, I am no different than other parents.

After a game was finished my wife and I would wait with the other parents for our children to come over and visit with us after their coach was done talking to them.  We always greet them with a hug and a "good job".  But then my coaching personality kicked in and I would start rehashing the game with them.  I wasn't necessarily judging how well they played, but I would talk to them as if they were one of the players on my own team.  I would ask them questions about a particular possession, or an adjustment the team made, or even what their thought process might have been during a certain play.  I thought I was just talking to my kids and connecting with them about something they also have a passion for. I later learned that this is not what my children thought I was doing.

ENTER THE 20 MINUTE RULE...My wife is smart.  She could see that our kids weren't always interested in rehashing things immediately after the game was completed.  Her exact words were, "They don't need a coach right now, they need their dad."  And she was right.  I felt I was able to add insight to our kids because I am a coach.  This may be true, but it wasn't what the kids needed at that time.  So, she introduced the "20 Minute Rule" to our family.  The 20 Minute Rule means that when we meet up with our children after one of their games we don't talk about specific parts of the game for twenty minutes.  We don't have a stopwatch that counts down the minutes until I can ask my first question (that would look a bit funny).  I started to take those first few minutes with the kids after games and continued to give them a hug and tell them "good job", but it also gave them a chance to initiate the conversations we were to have after the games.  And once the twenty minute rule was over the discussions about the game were less coach-player orientated, and more dad-child orientated.  We still discuss the games but after the 20 Minute Rule these discussions started later at home, not in the gym immediately following a game. Also, it allowed my words of, "I really enjoyed watching you play," mean more to my children when it wasn't followed by questions about the game.

Because coaching is a big part of my life, and my kids are active in athletics, the 20 Minute Rule is one of the best pieces of advice I have been given.  It's shown me how to be a parent of an athlete in a way that makes the overall experience better for my children. Thanks to my wife.

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.

COACHES: WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS OFF-SEASON TO GET BETTER?

Coaches provide their players with multiple opportunities throughout the off-season to help them improve as basketball players.  Coaches need to do the same to improve at their craft. We owe it to our players and our program to continue to learn and grow as coaches.  Here are 14 ideas that might help you continue to grow as a coach.  Nothing real groundbreaking here, but hopefully something will ignite a spark or thought that will help.

1. Attend coaching clinics.Some valuable information can be learned.  Clinics are also great for networking and sharing ideas with other coaches attending the clinic.
2. Get together with coaches in your area to have roundtable discussions. Share thoughts and ideas. I have taken part and even organized roundtables and found them extremely valuable. 
3. Contact college coaches and set up a time to visit with them. Most are willing to do so when their time allows. I would encourage you to have specific topics or questions ready for the college coaches ahead of time.
4. Work basketball camps. Not only is this a chance to work with players other than your own you will get a chance to observe other coaches work.
5. Coach a travel or club team. Working with kids outside your program can be refreshing.  Or coach a youth team in your own program.
6. Watch game film of your last season.  Focus in on what hurt your team in your losses, and what helped during your victories.  Make note of these and figure out what needs to be a focus for your team as you continue throughout the off-season and prepare for next season.
7. Watch games.  Attend AAU or summer league games and write down your observations. What did you like?  What did you dislike? What could you use with your own team or program?
8. Watch games on TV or online.  You can catch some FIBA games online during the summer.  I like to DVR college games throughout the winter and then watch them over the summer with more of a coach's eye. Have your notepad ready when you watch them and take notes.
9. Read as much as you can that can help you as a coach.  As you read each book, take notes on them. Coaching books have so much information in them that some things can get lost in your memory.  Writing down, or highlighting, tidbits you find important will be helpful in your recalling of this information. 
10. Use the internet.  There are many great websites and blogs on the internet that focus on coaching basketball, the game of basketball, and coaching.
11. Learn something new about offense, defense, and philosophy.  Put a list together of what it is you'd like to learn more about, then find the information needed to learn. Take action.
12. Organize your own files.  If you're like me, you have a ton of files stored away in a file cabinet, on a shelf, or the computer.  Take time re-organize them all so that you can be more efficient when looking for this information in the future.  You might even find something you forgot you had and decide it is something you can apply to your team this upcoming season.
13. Breakdown the toughest teams in your conference, section, or in the state.  What makes them so good? What do you have to do to beat them?  Start formulating a plan now.  Don't wait until you only get two days to prepare for them during the actual season.
14. Relax.  Take some time for yourself.  Connect with family and friends that you don't get to see as much during your season.  Coaches run 100 mph during the season, so don't forget to take a little time for yourself when you have the opportunity to do so.

TAKE TIME TO REFLECT...AND ENJOY

I hope you all have had a great start to 2014.  Normally this blog is devoted to basketball and basketball coaching topics that attempt get you to think, or it's just simply sharing information.  Today's entry is slightly different as it is more of a personal reflection of mine.  Don't stop reading though as I am hoping that this will trigger some positive memories of your own that remind us all what a great profession coaching is.  This particular list will not be about wins, losses, or championships, but it will be about the many other things that we get to witness as a coach.  And these are definitely things that make our jobs enjoyable.

• Our team volunteered to work with Special Olympians.
• Being recognized as one of the top academic teams in our state.
•  Watching our seniors graduate.
• Seeing how well upperclassmen welcome younger players into our program.
• Team get-togethers.
• Seeing our players take part in other sports, clubs, and organizations.
• Getting a "thank you" from a player who acknowledges the work you do as a coach.
• Having a parent go out of their way to say "thanks".
• Helping players organize themselves as they prepare for making a college choice.
• Writing recommendations for players.
• Hearing from teachers how our players are good citizens in school.
• Seeing confidence grow in players.
• Our team volunteered to read to elementary classrooms.
• Seeing players step up and become leaders.
• Watching players show genuine gratitude to their parent(s) on Parent's Night.
• Seeing our players commit to outworking our opponent.
• Having our players show genuine support for each other.
• Team welcoming challenges and understanding how they help us in the long run.
• GREAT participation by our players during the off-season (gym and weight room).
• Players asking to keep the gym open longer during open gyms.
• Learning new schemes and the team buying into them.
• Treating floor burns as badges of honor.

These are just a few memories that I have from 2013. Hopefully they help remind you how lucky we are to coach.  Nobody wants to win more than I do, but there is so much more to enjoy about coaching than winning.

Have a great 2014!

8 WAYS TO KEEP DEVELOPING AS A COACH

Coaches - Here is a question for your to consider about yourself, "What are you doing to continue your development as a coach?"  We are always promoting work ethic and skill improvement to our players.  The coach must also remember that they must continue to work and improve as well.  Below is a list of 8 things coaches can do to help themselves grow as a coach.

1. Meet regularly with your coaching staff.  The off-season is a great time to meet and share thoughts and ideas with each other.  Have an agenda for your meetings.  Talk personnel, X's and O's, scheduling, practice design, overall philosophy, potential changes to be made, etc.

2. Coaches Roundtables.  If you have a chance to become involved with a roundtable discussion with other coaches, do it.  It is a great opportunity to collaborate, learn, and network with other coaches. 

3. Coaching DVDs.  Set aside some money in your team's budget (or personal budget) that allows you to purchase a few DVDs each year.  You may not use everything you see on a DVD, but if you pick up one thing you can use for your program it is worth the purchase.

4.  Attend coaching clinics.  One of the great things about coaching clinics is you get to see a variety of coaches speak on different topics.  Another benefit of attending a clinic is getting to connect with other coaches.  There are a lot of quality side-discussions with clinic attendees that occur at clinics where you can pick up some great information.

5. Attend college practices.  If you have a college team in your area, contact them and ask if you can attend practices. Bring a notebook and be ready to take some notes. 

6. Contact other coaches to learn about something they do that you really like.  Typically coaches are willing to share with each other.

7. Focus on all aspects of coaching.  Don't just focus on the X's and O's of the game. Learn more about building relationships, motivation, and other aspects of this nature.

8. Remember that none of us know it all.  So keep an open mind to listening, watching, and to even possibly change.

STOP ADMIRING THE PROBLEM AND CHANGE!

During pregame warmups I was visiting with the coach of our rival opponent.  The opposing coach has had a long and very successful career.  Personally, I always enjoy competing against his teams because I know I will have to be at my best.  As we were exchanging typical small talk I had mentioned to him how impressed I was with how his team ran their half court offense and sets when I scouted them a week earlier.  He actually started to laugh, which surprised me because I was sincere with my comment.  He then continued and said, "Yes, we might be able to run our offense and our sets well, but it doesn't matter how well you run your offense, or what offense you run if you can't put the ball in the basket."  Hmm...

This was a "wow!" moment for me.  We had always dedicated time during our in-season practices to offensive skill development, but I will admit I was more of a drill coach that liked to break down our offense and defense to keep working on getting better at each.  And I think back to how many times I wished we could shoot a few percentage points better.  And I think back to how many times I wished we had a few more quality ball handlers on the roster.  Or maybe said to an assistant, "They just didn't work hard enough on it during the off-season."  FINALLY, I recognized I needed to make a change instead of just admiring a problem.  A coach always wants their team to improve, right?  Hoping for improvement is one thing, but taking action to fix it is another.

What I had been doing was admiring the problem instead of trying to take control and help fix it. The decision was made to then dedicate more of our in-season practice time to skill development. Dedicating more in-season practice time to skill development will obviously improve the offensive skill of our players.  The result of this becomes less hoping by the coach for a few percentage points increase in shooting percentage. 

Offenses and set plays are a big part of basketball.  But those offenses and set plays will look much better when your offensive skill is better.  Sounds simple, but it's true.

STATEMENT THAT SIMPLIFIES YOUR DEFENSE

One of my favorite off-season activities is to visit and talk shop with other coaches.  I've learned a lot over the years from having conversations with college, high school, and youth coaches.  Sometimes these conversations have a specific topic on the agenda, while other times we have a random dialog that leads us into several topics.  Either way, I get a chance to learn.

Many times these conversations will turn to X's and O's.  I would bet that most, if not all, coaches spend part of their off-season diagramming plays in notebooks, on scraps of paper, and napkins when ideas strike.  I was having one of these in-depth X and O discussions with another coach when they made the following statement:

"The better you are at one-on-one defense, the less your teammates have to help you.  This keeps your defense balanced.  This makes your team tougher to score against."

I realize that this statement is not groundbreaking by any means.  But at that moment it was very powerful to me and it simplified things for me ever since.  At that time I had been a head coach for ten years, but this simple statement made our teams better defensive teams from that point on. Simple but powerful!

Coaching points to remember when practicing defending the ball:
1. Practice defending the ball every practice.
2. Each day choose different spots to start defending the ball.
*wings
*corners
*elbows
*top of the key
*short corners
*short wings
*mid lane line
3. Limit the number of dribbles an offensive player can make (2 or 3 depending on starting point).
4. Start each rep with a closeout.
5. Make the drills competitive.
*Keep score
*Consequence (run) for giving up dribble penetration to an area you don't want the ball to go.

OFFENSE IS NOT AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SYSTEM

As coaches we say "We need more shooters."  In reality we should be saying "We need more makers."  Any player can be a shooter, but not every player is a maker.  Every player brings a lot of value to their team.  Each player is important.  But when it comes to taking shots not every player should have the same opportunity.  There is a reason some players are open when they have the ball on the perimeter.  Just because you are open doesn't mean that situation should warrant a shot attempt.  Players need to shoot from where they are capable of making shots.  Because of this it is up to the coach to help their players understand what is and what isn't a good shot for them.
Here are a few ideas on how to help define what a good shot is for each player:

1. Chart shooting drills in practice. This data can be invaluable.  If a player is shooting a low percentage in shooting drills from around fifteen feet, then it shouldn't be a surprise that they aren't making any fifteen footers during games. 

2. Before allowing a player to shoot three point shots have them earn their 3-Point License. There are various ways to earn a license. One would be to shoot a series of 50 three point shots and having to make a certain number of those shots.  This must be done three separate times (not necessarily in a row) before a player is allowed to shoot a three point shot.

3. Talk to your players and be specific.  Examples:  Let them know that you don't want them shooting a runner.  Let them know they aren't allowed to shoot a three point shot off the dribble. 

4.  Help your better scorers understand what good shots are for them as well.  Sometimes scorers feel they can take a high number of shots, but many of those are contested.  They must understand that because they can score doesn't mean every shot is a good shot for them.

5. Put players in position for them to have success.  If a player is a true post player and excels at scoring around the basket it wouldn't make sense for them to be playing out on the perimeter for half of each possession.  If you have a small guard who would struggle in the post, why would you have them post up in the block?

Players want to and love to shoot the ball.  It's part of a basketball player's DNA.  The facts are that some are better "makers" than others, and those players need to be getting more of the shots your team takes. Taking shots on offense is not an equal opportunity system.

5 OFF-SEASON TO-DO'S YOU SHOULD BE DOING...NOW!

1. ANALYZE YOUR PERSONNEL
One of the first things you need to consider when your off-season begins is personnel.  Figure out what the strengths and weaknesses are of each one of your potential returning players.

2. ANALYZE YOUR X'S AND O'S
Once you have a good grasp of they type of players you have returning, now you have to see how your next team will fit into the X's and O's you are currently using.  You may have a 'system' or a way you always do things, but based on personnel some changes may be needed.  These changes might be large or possibly a small adjustment is needed.  The fact is that you need to have X's and O's that will help put your players in the best position to be successful.  When personnel changes, so might your X's and O's.

3. MEET WITH YOUR PLAYERS
Schedule time to have exit interviews with your players after the completion of your season.  This is a time for player can coach to share thoughts on the previous season and where to go from this point on.  Coaches can also use this time to give players guidance on what they need to work during the off-season.  Also, check in with your players from time to time when you see them in the gym or at school. 

4. SCHEDULE YOUR OFF-SEASON ACTIVITIES
This should be done sooner than later.  Give your players a calendar with all of the off-season opportunities your program offers.  Getting this calendar of events earlier gives your players a chance to start planning their own summers. 

5. MEET, SHARE, LEARN, GROW
One of the great things about the coaching profession is that coaches are willing to share ideas.  If you are interested about a certain concept or topic, contact a coach who might.  Or plan a get-together with a group of coaches and share thoughts and ideas.  This can be as easy as sitting down at a restaurant to diagram X's and O's or share philosophies of coaching.  Coaches will share.

TIPS TO GET THROUGH THE DOG DAYS OF YOUR SEASON

1. Shorten the length of practices as the season progresses. 

• Keeping your players fresh is important.  As you get into the last 1/3 of your season you may want to consider shortening the length of practices.  Fewer minutes on the court can be a psychological boost to your team.
  

2. It's ok to have some fun in the gym on occasion - just for the sake of having fun.

• Organizing some fun basketball related activities at the end of an occasional practice session will keep your players spirits up.  Get your work done first, then allow your players to experience some fun together on the court.  Let them see the coaches enjoying it too.

3. Give your players a day off. 

• If your schedule allows you to give your players a day off, go ahead and do it if you feel your players need it.  Make sure you give your team enough practice time before your next game though.  
  

4. Add a variety of new drills to your practice routine.

• Coaches emphasize in practice what they want their teams to be good at - or known for.  Those emphasized areas are drilled throughout every practice.  As the season progresses coaches need to create a variety of drills to emphasize these priorities.
  

5. Without overloading your team, add new X's and O's to your team's inventory.

• Adding a new wrinkle to your offense or defense can add some much needed excitement to your players.  
  

6. Arrange for a guest speaker to visit with your team.

• Give your players a chance to be motivated by others outside your program.  Bring in an ex-player, a business leader in your community, a respected teacher, or someone who has experienced success in their area of expertise to deliver an inspirational message to your team.

7. Have your team re-evaluate team goals that were set early in the season.

• Allow your team to meet without the coaching staff to discuss and possibly adjust the goals that were set at the beginning of the season.  It is possible that the goals may need to be scaled back.  Or it could be that they would like create even higher goals for the remainder of the season.

8. Organize team bonding activities.

• Getting your team together outside of the gym is important.  It allows them to have fun and get to know one another better without having to deal with the rigors of basketball.

INJURED PLAYER? NOW WHAT?

Overall knowledge of the game.  Offensive plays and strategy.  Defensive strategy.  Calling timeouts at the right time.  Press offense.  Organizing practices.  These are all areas in which a basketball coach needs to be knowledgeable to help give their team a chance to be successful.  There is no doubt that knowledge of your X's and O's are extremely important.  If this was all there was to coaching the coaching world would have a lot more coaches in it.  Coaches with any kind of coaching experience who are reading this are probably thinking, "If it was just about X's and O's there would be a lot less stress in the job of a coach."  But those coaches also know this is not, and will never be the case.  If it were that easy, everybody would be doing it, right? 

There are thousands of situations or issues coaches are presented with throughout the season. This article is focusing on dealing with an injured player.  Unfortunately injuries are a part of sport.  Nobody likes it.  Nobody plans for it.  Nobody asks for it.  It happens.  As a coach, how you deal with the injured player and the team can make a big difference in the continued development of your team.

Tips to consider when dealing your team has an injured player

• Make sure the injured player knows you are genuinely concerned about their injury.  Coaches care for their players, so show it by letting them know you feel bad they have to go through this injury.  A physical injury is tough enough, but the mental toll it takes on that injured player can be a grind.  Empathy from the coach can help ease their mind while they are on track to getting healthy.
• Learn as much as you can about the player's injury.  Visit with the player and even their parents to get all the information you can.  Most likely the parents are the ones who are in contact with the doctors so you can get a report from a mom or dad about the extent of the injury.  
• Help the player continue staying active in some manner during their injury.  For example, if the injury is to the hand you can set up a stationary bike in the gym for them to help them stay in shape until they are healthy enough to play again.
• Keep the injured player informed on all team activities.  Make sure they are still given all the information the healthy players are getting (bus departures, weight lifting sessions, practice times, etc).
• Make sure the injured player is continuing to be part of all new strategies and adjustments that are being made while they are not able to play.  Keep them in the gym with the team during practice so they can learn right along with their teammates.
• Let your team know that the season will continue despite losing a player to injury.  Sometimes the rest of the team goes into a funk when they learn that a player is injured and won't be able to participate for a while, or for the rest of the season.  They feel bad because they see their injured teammate not only physically hurting, but also down in the dumps.  The fact of the matter is that you are not going to cancel the season because someone got hurt.  It's important for your team to understand this right away.  
• Keep your team updated on the progress of the injured player.  Talk to them and let them know the timeline of their return.
• Keep things as normal as possible.  You have a job to do, and that is to coach your team.  Losing a player to injury is something you don't want to ever happen, but it does.  As the coach you need to keep your same general philosophies on dealing with your team.  Depending on the impact the injured player has on your team you may have to change some X's and O's, but don't give your team a chance to even think for a second that your team can't continue to develop in a positive direction with the injured player.

Injuries are tough to handle both mentally and physically.  But remember coaches that you are the leader of that team.  And how you deal with that injury with your injured player, and your team, will be noticed by all your players.  

5 THINGS NEEDED TO MAKE IT IN COACHING

HAVE A PASSION FOR COACHING
You have to have a passion for coaching if you are going to make a career out of it.  You just can't go through the motions and do just enough to get by.  If you are not "all in" your player will see right through you.  Doing just enough won't be good enough and if this happens you won't be coaching too long.

KEEP LEARNING
The second you think you know it all, you will quickly be reminded that you don't.  If you think you know it all, you know nothing.  There are so many resources out there for coaches to continue learning and growing:  coaching clinics, dvds, books, internet, other coaches, etc.  It is important that you remain a student of the game.


SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Surrounding yourself with good people makes a better environment for everyone involved.  The more you are on the same page with the people you work with or coach, the more organized your program will be.  Find people who believe in the same things you believe in. 

SET EXPECTATIONS
Set expectations for coaches and players.  If your players understand what is expected they will then have a better chance to be successful.  Set expectations for how you want your players to represent our program, set them for each drill you do, and set them for each game.  It is unrealistic to assume that things will go exactly as you want them just because expectations were set ahead of time.  But...Vince Lombardi said it best when he said, "Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."

DEAL WITH PEOPLE THE RIGHT WAY
Coaching is about dealing with people, so have to know how to handle and deal with people.  You might know everything about basketball but if you don’t know how to deal with people it doesn’t matter what you know. 

PROGRAM PRIORITIES & OBJECTIVES

If you had to list the priorities and main objectives of your basketball program what would they be?  If you were to ask one hundred coaches chances are you would not get two answers that are exactly the same.  It is important for your program to have some specific priorities and objectives that every coach knows from the head coach and down through your youth programs. These priorities and objectives should be kept in mind when you make out every practice plan and prepare for every game.  Having these priorities and objectives are great, but putting them into action is what's needed.

Below is an example of what a program's priorities and objectives might look like.  As stated earlier, there is no one perfect example as every program's list will look different. 

1. Our teams will represent our community the right way.
2. Our players will enjoy being a part of this program.
3. Our players will know that our team/program is bigger than themselves.
4. Our teams will play an aggressive style of basketball.
5. Our team will take pride in playing team defense.
6. Our team will not be out-worked.  We will take pride in winning 50-50 battles.
7. Our coaches will be organized.
8. Our teams will be prepared, know what is to be done, and will understand our gameplans.

COACHES SHARE RESPONSES: WHO INFLUENCED YOU?

Thank you Coach B for taking the time to share and honor a coach that influenced you.  Your input helps us all.  We welcome ALL  coaches  to help with the share each week.  Check back next Saturday for our question.


This week's Coaches Share question:  Here is your chance to honor a coach you had during your playing career.  Who influenced you in a positive way? How was that coach able to make that positive impact on you? 

"My high school coach is a guy who taught me many things other than how to play basketball.  Sure, he had a good basketball mind, and he was successful throughout his career.  Coach retired five years ago after 30 years of service to our profession.  When I go back home and see him, I still call him "Coach" even though we are now both adults.  I still respect this man and he will always be 'Coach' to me.  One of the greatest things he taught me was to be a good teammate.  He was always reminding us that a season can survive without any one player, but the season cannot survive without a team.  We knew we were a part of something bigger than ourselves.  I try to do the same with my players every year.  Thanks Coach!"
~Coach B (IL)

COACHES SHARE: WHO INFLUENCED YOU?

Here is your chance to help other coaches by providing your own ideas, philosophy, and opinions.  Saturday Coaches Share is a way for YOU to help other coaches.  Each Saturday this blog gives you an opportunity to comment on a different basketball related topic so our readers can learn from your opinions, philosophies, and experiences.

If you are interested in commenting on this week's Saturday Coaches Share all you have to do is email your response to dietelgreg@gmail.com before 8:00 AM (CST) Sunday, September 30.  Then look for your response to be posted on Sunday's blog.

Today's Coaches Share question:  Here is your chance to honor a coach you had during your playing career.  Who influenced you in a positive way? How was that coach able to make that positive impact on you?

Remember coaches learn from each other.  Share your thoughts on today's question and see it in Sunday's blog post.