Let's do a thought experiment. A local high school coach invites you to observe and film practice, study the practice and film, and make suggestions. He requests a written report and supporting clips from practice.
Would you accept? If so, what specifics would you mention? Can we give constructive criticism (coach) that help a fellow coach who wants to improve? Or can we be the guy eating humble pie, asking to improve? Plus, we're modeling to our team that we're all about excellence.
1. Punctuality. Did practice begin on time? Remember Dean Smith Time (set your watch ahead ten minutes).
2. Theme (optional). Was there a practice theme? "What does our team need now?"
3. General organization (how did the coach divide practice time?). Could the observer recognize offensive and defensive intent? Celebrate simplicity and clarity. Did practice model how our team intends to wear an opponent down?
4. Tempo and efficiency. Was practice run at a high tempo with little time between segments? Brad Stevens was astonished watching the Patriots practice.
5. Communication. Describe the amount, tone, and energy level. Inform both communication of coaches and players. Coaches don't get a day off from bringing energy.
6. Player development. "Every day is player development day." How much time was devoted to individual skills, shooting (including free throws), including random and blocked activities, competition, and game situations (e.g. defense). If we don't help raise our players' game, who will?
7. Describe team offense. E.g. purposefulness, spacing, cutting, screening, passing, shot selection. Did players cut hard, sprint to screen, wait for screeners, read screens properly? Where do the points come from - transition, set plays, threes, early offense, motion?
8. Team defense. Does the defense disallow easy baskets? Did they win in transition? Could they contain the ball? Were defensive NOs evident? Evaluate closeouts and off-ball defense. Great defense moves on the pass and has "color on color."
9. Assess situational play. ATOs, BOBs, SLOBs, play versus man, zone defense.
10.Pressure (applying and defeating pressure). Good teams don't wilt under pressure. They play longer and harder than ordinary ones.
11.Conditioning. Was conditioning evident, including conditioning within drills.
12. Where's the joy? Does the team love to work?
Few of us would want to be "graded" on every practice element. With maximal self-awareness, we grade our process and revise when necessary.
Summary:
- Even coaches need coaching.
- Is purposeful coaching evident?
- What does our team need now?
- Celebrate simplicity and clarity.
- "Every day is player development day."
- Where do the points arise?
- Are we disallowing easy baskets?
- Win special situations.
Lagniappe. Resilience from Seth Godin. "Flexibility, community, and a sense of possibility can go a long way."
Lagniappe 2. Euro step options from Coach Drew Hanlen.
