KEEPSAKES FOR YOUR PLAYERS

As a coach you always hope each of your players have positive memories of playing on your team.  There are always plenty of positive memories that fill each season.  This blog entry lists some keepsakes that you can put together for each of your players to help them remember the experiences of being a member of the team you coach.
  
SEASON STAT BOOKLET
Create a booklet in a simple three pronged folder that includes:

• A copy of the game schedule with scores from each game.
• A copy of each box score from every game played.
• A copy of your season's cumulative statistics

SEASON SCRAPBOOK
If you have a local newspaper that writes about your team you can create a scrapbook for each of your players.  Cut out and copy every article that was written about your team from all media outlets.  Use a three-hole punch to put together a scrapbook in a three pronged folder.

PHOTOS ON A DVD
You need to find a person who is willing to be in charge of taking game action pictures of your players.  One idea is to assign this as one of the duties of a team manager.  Put the pictures on a DVD, add some music to the background, and you have a full season of visual memories.  You could even have your manager take pictures of the team in practice, at team meals, getting an ankle taped, stretching before practice or games, and at team functions for some candid pictures.

PLAYER'S WRITTEN MEMORIES
Ask each player to write an entry (no longer than one page) that explains some of their favorite memories of the team and season. Copy each player's entry and put it into a folder for each player.

HIGHLIGHT DVD
Go through each game and put together a highlight DVD of some of the better made plays from the season.  Include plays from each player. 

TEAM ACTIVITY: HAVE YOUR PLAYERS SHOW HOW WELL THEY UNDERSTAND

Players need to have an understanding of what your team is attempting to do for your team to be successful.  That statement isn't going to enlighten any coaches reading it, but I want you to really think about what YOU are doing to help your players understand what you want your teams to do.

Do your players understand the X's and O's?  Do they understand shot selection?  Do they understand how you want them to defend ball screens?  Do they understand your philosophy on clock management?   Do they understand what you want them to do in transition defense?  These are just a few questions to consider as the list of questions could be much longer.  The fact of the matter is:  The better your team understands, the better chance you have of success.

PLAYERS TEACHING PLAYERS

One activity coaches can have their players do to show an understanding of what is expected is to have your players teach your players.  Here is a format you can use to do this:

1. Each player has a notebook. This notebook is theirs for the season.  Players use the notebook to take notes during meetings, diagram X-O material the coach goes over on the whiteboard, inspirational quotes, reminders of important team information, or to even write down their own ideas. Players should have their notebook in hand for every team meeting.

2. Partner up your players.

3. Tell your players you want them to diagram a particular offensive set to each other.  One player goes at a time.  One player will draw out the offensive set and all the options out of it in the notebook while their partner listens and watches.  When they are finished then their partner repeats the same.

4. The coach should walk around the meeting room listening and watching for things the players are saying and doing.  After the activity is completed the coach needs to share with the team some of the important and/or interesting things they heard or saw as they walked around the meeting room during the activity.

5. To complete the activity have one player draw out the offensive set on the whiteboard in front of the team.

What this activity does is it gets your players to think about what everyone is doing on the court, not just their own job.  It is getting them to think the game and show how much they understand what the coach is teaching.  It also gives the coach a chance to see how well their players actually do understand.  The coach may learn that their team understands the concept very well. Or they may see that they need to focus more time on it because the understanding isn't at a high enough level.

As stated earlier in this article, you can do this many different topics relating to your team. 

COACHES SHARE RESPONSES-Team Bonding Activities

Yesterday coaches were asked to write in to share some of their ideas on team bonding activities.  Below are some of the responses.  Thanks for sharing with others!

"We have our high school players work at our elementary basketball camp in the summer.  The varsity players take turns bringing lunch for each other throughout the week of camp."
~Coach T.L. (KS)

"This idea actually came from one of our assistant coaches. On a day we don't have a scheduled game or practice we go bowling (twice during our season).  Each time we draw names to form teams.  The winning team enjoys bragging rights at the following practice."
~Coach Megan (MA)

"One of the team bonding activities we do is we have our players create a team scrapbook together.  They do add articles and pictures from the newspaper.  But they also add post-it notes where they add specific practice or game memories."
~Coach B (MI)

"Once a week a family of one of our players will host a team meal."
~Coach M.G. (NE)

"Each summer our players take part in one community service project. We have done things like clean one of the city parks, yard work for senior citizens, and carry grocery bags for customers at a local supermarket."
~Coach P (TX)

SHARING ON SATURDAY 7-14-12

Another Saturday at thinkingbasketball.blogspot.com means another opportunity for coaches to share with other coaches.  Thank you to all the coaches who contributed to last week's question. We had a number of great responses from coaches.  A willingness to share and learning from other coaches are two great things about the coaching profession.

Read today's question (listed below) and send your response to dietelgreg@gmail.com.  Your response could be listed in tomorrow's (Sunday) blog. 

What are some successful TEAM BONDING exercises you have done with your teams?