Last night we had our first practice. First impressions may not always be accurate, but we all have them.
The girls' conditioning impressed and they worked really hard. We have more speed and quickness and more players capable of attacking the basket. I didn't expect or utilize an assistant well and I'll work to improve that.
Every practice needs to be a coaching clinic.
I reminded the girls that a blind person must hear the enthusiasm and a deaf person must see the intensity.
Every day you need to bring your best. That translates to family and school.
Major themes going forward:
Prioritize life lessons. Basketball is a tiny part of these young girls' experience. Control what you can control. You write your narrative.
Play fast...at both ends.
Pressure the ball (we have the athletes).
Passing and cutting need to become natural. We work on what I call the Shivek Drill to develop this.
The most basic play stems from 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3 play (small-sided play).
Structure teaching over coaching.
Emphasize the importance of spacing at all times.
Develop a more organized fast break (priority for the next practice), which is perfect in a four-person grouping.
Pass ahead when possible. First instinct is to go north and south.
Review shooting mechanics for all players. Form begets function.
What's on your checklist on how to improve? What are your priorities?
We need to have well-defined roles in each situation - for example, in transition, wings run wide, posts go to the block and trail, guards work from the middle to maximize their options.
Are you advocating for the player, the team, an organization, or yourself?
We run a drill called Kentucky layups, where we have a group of players in the middle with two balls, and groups at each end with one ball. The ends speed dribble to the middle, and the middles shoot layups at each end. The goal is to score as many as possible layups in two minutes, combining effort and execution competitively. Last night we made 37. I believe this group can get to fifty. Excellent womens' college teams can approach seventy.