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Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Basketball: Ways to Overcome Time Wasting

Make time our ally. We invest it or we spend it. Efficiency is unappreciated. Get more accomplished in the time available. 

1) Mano Watsa reminded us, "don't major in the minors." Don't invest mission critical time in non-critical activities. 

2) Accelerate the practice tempo. Run drills at more hoops at a higher pace. Make it the expectation not the exception. Watching a Coach Auriemma practice opened my eyes to the possibilities. 

3) Don't indulge Brian McCormick's three L's: lines, laps, and lectures

4) Names are shortcuts. Getting into named drills encourages efficiency. Lithuania layups, racehorse, continuous 4 on 4, et cetera. 

5) Timed practice schedules help us focus on "what our team needs now." 

6) Efficiency includes timeouts with numbered seating or standing, as outlined by Doug Brotherton, so we know immediately who's the 1 through 5. 

7) Shoot, shoot, shoot. Our goal is to get at least 125-150 shots per practice per player with high volume, competitive, partner drills.  

8) "Kill your darlings." Efficient coaches replace a drill with a better drill. Revise a set or action to improve it. Your "drill book" is a living document not stone tablets. 

9) Always start on time. I can't control when a player (dependent on parental transportation) arrives, but I can start practice on time. 

10) Small-sided games get more touches. Brazil soccer rose to prominence via futsal small-sided games in small spaces demanding high skill development. 



Save the link for your drill file. 

11. Condition within drills. Establish offseason conditioning expectations. 

12. Need a break? Combine free throws with water breaks. 

13. Get more eyes. 👀👀👀If I held the reins at a program, I'd want more assistants and student managers. Our student managers were vital to our success almost fifty years ago, keeping stats and shot charts and helping at practice. 

14. Help players establish great habits. James Clear is a habit guru. It's worth reading Atomic Habits or at least understanding the principles. Make good habits easier and bad ones harder. Win the day by winning the morning. For example, my morning routine includes writing, reading, watching MasterClass, and Continuing Medical Education. 

Lagniappe: "Great offense is multiple actions."


Dribble handoff, post entry, wing back cut. 

Lagniappe 2: