Basketball: Coaches, Energize, Share and Ask for What You Want

"The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." - Psalm 118:22

Play the long game. Plant seeds. They grow in mysterious ways. We don't know what a young player chooses to become. 

Filmmaker Mira Nair, MasterClass

Players surprise us. It may take years for discovery of what we have. A player's athleticism and skill may lag her understanding...but they catch up...and BOOM. 

“The quality of mercy is not strained.

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes." 

- William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

At practice, we have the opportunity to plant seeds and water the flowers. What we say and how we say it matters.

"You get it. I know that you know. That's your advantage." I'm learning that a player has a particular skill in inbounding the ball. 

"If we need a three, you'll get the chance to shoot it...you're going to be an excellent high school player (wink), even though you'll make some coaches crazy." She laughs. 

Recognize work and progress a player makes. Build confidence. "You're in there during crunch time because we believe in you." 

Practice is work but should be fun. Kids PLAY. Energize.  

It's that time...flu season. We had eight players last night. 

We can finish better in transition. Get players into transition drills in different ways. Add constraints (e.g. number of dribbles).

Ideally, a drill works offense, defense, conditions, and teaches vision, decision, and execution (Crutchfield's SEE, ANALYZE, REACT). 

Filmmaker Nair has often worked with children, as in Salaam Bombay and Queen of Katwe. She asks for what she wants from child actors and non-actors. 


"In chess, the small one can become the big one." 
"You belong where you believe you belong." 
"What matters is when you reset the pieces and play a game." 

Lagniappe: via Chris Oliver, @BBallImmersion

Buffalo and head coach Nate Oats have played against a number of 2-3 zone teams including Syracuse and Eastern Michigan. Here is one of their concepts attacking the zone using slot ball screen action. pic.twitter.com/s435Osnu3D

— Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) January 9, 2019

I teach the zone offense mnemonic DR FLAPS

D -   Drive into gaps (Draw 2)
R -   Reverse the ball
FLA- Flash into open spots
P -   Postup
S -   Screen the zone