What video should we share with players? Starting with The Four Agreements makes sense.
Be impeccable with your word. Coaching is not criticism but correction and teaching. Excellent players want coaching. We coach truth. Video is the truth machine that polishes superior execution and exposes a mediocre patina.
Don't take anything personally. Finding better pathways means suppressing ego. Breaking down a player's film shows them more possibilities, how to get more meat off the bone. Excellent players leave fewer chips on the table.
Don't make assumptions. Use "Beginner's Mind" for openness to new ideas and improvement of existing ones. Student-athletes are busy, so showing clips saves them time.
Always do your best. Our best commitment, discipline, and engagement won't always be enough to win but should become enough for us. Replay reveals where we can grow our vision, decisions, and execution. It also shows success because of our athleticism, skill, and knowledge.
A few perspectives:
- Doc Rivers believed in never showing the team more than thirteen clips. He doesn't want players to become bored.
- UNC soccer coach Anson Dorrance (21 of 31 NCAA Women's soccer titles) believes in showing women only positive actions.
This video provides detailed breakdown of four Rockets-Lakers possessions, the good and the bad of it.
Overview:
- How does each team intend to wear you down?
- What are the individual players strengths and weaknesses?
- What is each team trying to accomplish offensively/defensively?
- What is the mix of defenses?
- Do they play tight or loose?
- What is the defensive proximity on the catch?
- What is their pick-and-roll coverage?
- How is the spacing?
- How committed are they in offensive and defensive transition?
- How many do they send to the offensive boards?
- Do they cut hard and pass crisply or is it pass and shoot?
- Four factor evaluation - shot selection, turnovers, rebounding, free throws
- How well do they penetrate with the dribble, pass, reverse the ball?
- At every level players make mistakes. Train them to make fewer.
Pet peeves:
- I don't enjoy watching teams who have no plan.
- Worse yet is watching players I've coached play aimlessly. It reflects poorly on the coaching!
- Not much worse than watching a third of high school shots being threes, with half of those airballs or 'glassballs'
- Fine to play analytics, but don't take a lot of "in-between" shots, low percentage runners and long twos.
- Don't dribble the air out of the ball. YOU are not James Harden.
- Don't play "Dead Man's Defense" (six feet under the ball).
Summary:
- Video is the truth machine
- Leave fewer chips on the table.
- Showing clips saves them time.
- Grow our vision, decisions, and execution
- Assess the spacing and defensive proximity
- Don't play "Dead Man's Defense"
Lagniappe. Conversion-transition drill from TeachHoops.com
