4-ON-4 TALK & STOP DRILL

The 4-on-4 Talk & Stop Drill forces your players to work on communication, defensive positioning, closeouts, and executing your defensive philosophy.

SETTING UP THE DRILL
Four offensive players align outside the three-point line.  Four defenders line up in a vertical line inside the lane area.  Coach starts with a ball under the basket area.







EXECUTING THE DRILL
The coach calls out the name of one of the defenders and passes the ball to one of the offensive players.  The player whose name was called will closeout on the the ball, while the other three defenders match up with the other three offensive players.  On the flight of the ball the three defenders must communicate, call out the name of the person they are defending, while getting to the proper defensive position based on where the ball was thrown.

They play out the possession until the offense scores or the defense gains possession of the ball.

SCORING THE DRILL
+2 for the defense if they get a *clean stop.
+5 for the defense if they take a charge
+1 for the offense if they draw a foul or for any made shot
+1 for the offense for all offensive rebounds

*A clean stop for the defense is when they prevent the offense from scoring without giving up an offensive rebound.

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

BASELINE OB PLAY FOR A SHOT IN THE POST

1 sets a cross screen for 5.
5 cuts to the opposite side of the rim, looking for a pass from 3.
2 cuts to an opening near the top of the key to give 3 a passing angle.

Immediately after setting the screen for 5, 1 sets a screen for 4.
4 cuts toward the lane area looking to receive a pass from 3.
1 then pops out to the three point line.
5 continues to pin their defender looking for a pass from 3.

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.

FREE THROW SHOOTING DRILL THAT ADDS GAME-LIKE PRESSURE: 1-AND-1 STREAKS

1-and-1 Streaks is a free throw shooting drill that you can use with your entire team.  This drill gives players some added pressure to make it more game-like.

Split the team up into smaller groups at each basket.  It is not necessary to have an equal number of players at each basket.  Let your team know how many minutes they will be shooting free throws. The goal is to have the most successful 1-and-1 streaks, as a group, by the end of the drill.  

For explaining purposes let's say that there are three players at a basket (Player A, Player B, and Player C).  Each time a player gets their chance to shoot, they shoot a 1-and -1 free throw situation.

Player A steps to the free throw line to shoot a 1-and-1.  If they miss the first attempt they don't get to shoot the second free throw (just like a game).  Then Player B gets their turn to shoot.  If Player B makes the first and misses the second free throw this group still does not have a successful 1-and-1.  You have to make the first and second shot to count it as part of a streak.

If Player C makes the first and then the second free throw the group now has a streak of one.  Now Player A shoots again.  If Player A makes both the first and the second free throw their group has a streak of two.  Now it's Player B's turn again, and if they do not make the first and second free throw, the group is now back at zero.

The group that has the most consecutive successful 1-and-1's at the end of the drill, wins the drill.

This is an effective drill because it can add some focus to practicing free throws in a practice setting. The players at each basket are counting on each other and this can make shooting free throws more game-like.

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.