Monday, February 27, 2017

Be Yourself

There's a "rare" set of lecture notes from Coach Wooden circulating. I'm selecting mostly the headings, because we need our solutions. None of us can be Wooden, Newell, Smith, etc. Be yourself. Ask better questions. 


Fill in your blanks, but answers can change. One could use these to prepare for a coaching interview or any other position.  


HIS PHILOSOPHY ON COACHING

THE THREE BASICS OF COACHING BASKETBALL (see the Pyramid of Success, above)

STYLE OF PLAY

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN ATHLETES 
My answer: "elite size, elite athleticism, elite skill, elite competitiveness"

ON PRACTICE

"DON'T COMPLICATE A SIMPLE GAME"

70% OF PRACTICE EVERY DAY WAS ON FUNDAMENTALS

“Failure to prepare is preparing to fail and its practice where you’re preparing.”

ON TEACHING

THE IMPORTANCE OF ESTABLISHING ROLES ROLES

“They don’t have to like their role, but they have to fill it because if they don’t, somebody else will and you have to make that clear to them.”

AS A COACH, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TEAM, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL 

ON EMOTIONS

ON GOOD SHOTS


TEACH THEM HOW TO READ THE DEFENSE


ON DECISION MAKING

BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION YOU MUST ...
1 – Have Courage
2 – Listen to those around you 

3 – Make the decision

MAKE THE DECISION WITH ...
1 – Reason
4 – Self-Control
5 – Reference to your past experiences that are relevant


Abraham Lincoln – "I’ve never met a person from which I haven’t learned something, although most of the time, it was something not to do." 


HIS ROTATION

STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

AVOID PEAKS AND VALLEYS


"As a coach authority alone is not enough to demand respect. You cannot demand respect, but you must command it." 



EQUAL AMOUNT OF SCORING OPPORTUNITIES ON OFFENSE
My note: This applies when you have elite talent. But even then, Bill Walton didn't get 44 points against Memphis because everyone got the same opportunity. 

REBOUNDING

 When someone asks us our philosophy and process on the above, we need thoughtful answers. Our players deserve them.