Basketball: What's on Your Resume "To Do" List?

Thinking about applying for a basketball coaching job? What boxes should you check at a minimum?

Relationship building. Relationships cross the full spectrum among administration, coaches, coach-player, and community. "It takes a village." Proven technical and tactical knowledge are a given, but the ability to lead demands the will to serve. Players should know your full investment in their personal and professional growth.

How we meet, counsel, support, and correct players matters every day. Use "speaking greatness" (Rod Olson) and different levels of communication (Del Harris's five levels are conversation, instruction, correction, encouragement, and "Go nuts.")  

Stephen M.R. Covey's cartoon of character and competence is telling. "We are a building a program not a statue." 

Stephen M.R. Covey's cartoon of character and competence is telling. "We are a building a program not a statue." 

Skill development. Dave Smart says, "every day is skill development day." Skill development augments recruiting. "The magic is in the work." Relationships alone won't get players to climb the mountain of ending possessions. The ability to rebound, score, and assist without turnovers and get stops separates the extraordinary from the good player. 

How do players warm up? Do they use Jay Wright's "Get 50" or Steph Curry's warmup radians or do they have any plan at all? Are they facile with Tates Locke "Box Drills" and the Paul Pierce wing series? Do they grow their shooting with "Pitino Quarters" or "Championship 37" or 251?

Make five from each spot to warmup. 

Game play (small-sided games, SSG) encompasses theory and practice. Brazil came to power in soccer paralleling futsal play. Futsal, soccer small-sided games in reduced pitch size, resulted in more physiologic (e.g. heart rate), physical action, and technical (skilled touches) demands. 

Researchers studied Australian basketball players and found dramatic differences in the same factors with 2-on-2, half-court play versus 4-on-4 full court play. 

SSGs check more boxes. Each of us decides what SSGs work for us. I've shared Aaron Fernandez's brilliant SSG lecture here. 

I'm partial to his "Sideways" game. 

I also favor 3 vs 3 play (at each end with a coach) inside the split. Start play from different configurations and allow players to improvise. The split serves as "out of bounds" and mimics hard helpside defense. 

Tactics. How do we teach players the 'beautiful symmetry' of the game, the capacity to get quality shots or to force one bad shot? What's our plan to get edges using the "Four Factors" including reducing fouling? Do our players have options for early offense to produce basket attack and transition threes? Do we have alternative defenses when we struggle with ball containment? 

Personal development. Inspiring personal growth is a major challenge for coaches. Mindfulness enhances focus even from the level of elementary-aged children. Atomic Habits (James Clear) separate the most exceptional achievers as shown in Tim Ferriss' Tools of Titans. 

We legitimately ask "what's your routine to win the day" and as Coach Saban says, "are you spending your time or investing it?"

Summary: Looking to showcase yourself? Separate yourself through -

• Relationship building
• Skill development
• Game play with small-sided games
• Tactical knowledge
• Personal development

Lagniappe (something extra). It's a simple game but not easy.

Organizational competence

Threshing