"I know there are a lot of experts in this league that have it all figured out. Unfortunately, I'm not in that group." - Bill Belichick
Focus on your priorities. Name them, define them, share them.
- Help players be their best versions of themselves as people.
- Help players play their best team basketball.
- Help players grow individually and as better teammates.
Winning is important but not a top priority for youth basketball. Easy to say, harder to prove.
Bob Iger says in his MasterClass, too many priorities dilute focus and time on each strategy. As Disney CEO he prioritized quality content, leveraging technology, and growth.
After developing priorities, how will we implement our strategy?
- Mentor teamwork in communication (coach-player, coach-coach, player-player).
- Enlist allies (ask parents for support in team-building).
- Play a team-focused style. That doesn't preclude isolation.
- Be available for off-season work.
- Promote all players publicly and thank them for their contributions.
- Support players with letters of recommendation and reach out to advance their future.
Bills' Coach Sean McDermott sent an opening message to his team:
“That’s our vision on a day-to-day basis, and that standard is to be a playoff-caliber football team, and that means every day. That’s what it gets back to in terms of earning the right to win. How we meet, how we talk, how we work out, how we practice when we do practice, how we play – that’s the standard we’re trying to get to every day.”
Lagniappe: A basic teaching video on ball screens raises key points. What are your priorities? How do you create (or prevent) advantage? We don't have to agree with everything, but we need reasons why to agree or disagree.
- Mentor teamwork in communication (coach-player, coach-coach, player-player).
- Enlist allies (ask parents for support in team-building).
- Play a team-focused style. That doesn't preclude isolation.
- Be available for off-season work.
- Promote all players publicly and thank them for their contributions.
- Support players with letters of recommendation and reach out to advance their future.
Bills' Coach Sean McDermott sent an opening message to his team:
“That’s our vision on a day-to-day basis, and that standard is to be a playoff-caliber football team, and that means every day. That’s what it gets back to in terms of earning the right to win. How we meet, how we talk, how we work out, how we practice when we do practice, how we play – that’s the standard we’re trying to get to every day.”
Lagniappe: A basic teaching video on ball screens raises key points. What are your priorities? How do you create (or prevent) advantage? We don't have to agree with everything, but we need reasons why to agree or disagree.
"Most of the time our ball screens are probably going to stretch out two dribbles." Create advantage.
Lagniappe 2: "quarterback layups." Players love this drill.
- Practice from both the right and left sides.
- Both players start with hands on the ball.
- The chaser (defender) holds her hands loosely on the top and bottom of the ball.
- The chaser has both feet outside the three-point line.
- Offense straddles the three-point line, outside the defender.
- Offense snatches the ball and attacks the basket and the chaser pressures.
- NO CONTACT is allowed (to limit injury risk).
I've limited this drill because it gets too physical. But last night we brought it back and players showed more explosiveness and attacked the basket in one dribble. Progress.
