Basketball - Emotional Intelligence and Coaching

"He attended the five-minute Charm School course...and left early." - Nurse Barb Schuler, circa 1987

Coaching is a relationship business - relationships with players and families, peers, and supervisors. Coaches strive to get the highest performance from those around them, helping players to improve and 'reach their ceiling'.

These are just a few points:

That means uncomfortable conversations. "I'm telling you this because I know that you care, I believe in you, and that improving in these areas will help you become more effective." 

Coach Lane would say, "If I stop yelling at you it's because I don't think there's any value to it." That's a metaphorical death sentence. 

Coaches need to listen empathetically. We don't always know the background of a player's personal situation. That also means having a dialogue with players so they feel empowered to share. Problems in school or illness in a family can prevent a player from fully engaging. 

In 1971, we sophomores had a 'double-header'. We won a tough afternoon game against a good team and got blown out by a strong JV team that night. We were gassed. The following day the JV coach ran us for the whole practice...laps, suicides, sprints. I lost respect for him because he didn't diagnose what we needed (press breaking) and took punitive action. Frankly, if parents complained today, he'd probably get "relieved for cause." 

Communication which is "performance-focused, feedback-rich" fosters an environment for competitive advantage. Feedback should be a two-way street. Players and coaches both can improve. 

"What's in it for me?" Emotional intelligence helps us diagnose what is actually happening and the motivations surrounding situations. 

Use emotional intelligence wisely. Our feelings help guide us toward positive experiences and away from negative ones. 

Emotional intelligence helps us act aggressively or to avoid saying or doing something harmful. With exaggerated emotions, some lose self-control. 

A lack of emotional intelligence can result in harmful behaviors such as bullying. Coaches might 'bully' a player by benching her. 

Emotional intelligence helps us "regulate" our feelings. Rather than lashing out, "you're lazy and worthless, an embarrassment," a coach could say, "that was a bad play but that doesn't make you worth less as a person." We've probably all heard, "you're better than that." 

Emotional intelligence helps us to teach. "Everything I say goes for all players. Take shots that are appropriate to the situation." That doesn't single out one player. 

Think about it in other ways:

• Rod Olson counsels us to speak greatness. "That was good BUT you could do this" isn't as helpful as, "That was good AND you might try doing it this way." 
• Coach John Wooden 'sandwiched' criticism between praise statements. 
• A ratio of positive to negative of at least 3:1 is better and with couples 5:1 or more is even better. 
• We may not choose how to feel but we choose how to react and what to say.

Lagniappe. From ChatGPT, prompt, "please provide the top five highlights from Daniel Goleman's classic, "Emotional Intelligence." 

Here are the top five highlights from Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence:

1. Emotions Are Critical to Success
   Goleman argues that emotional intelligence (EQ) is more influential than IQ in determining personal and professional success. Attributes like self-awareness, empathy, and interpersonal skills often outweigh raw intelligence in achieving goals and building relationships.

2. The Five Components of Emotional Intelligence
   Goleman identifies five key components:

   • Self-Awareness: Recognizing and understanding your emotions and their impact.
   • Self-Regulation: Managing emotions, impulses, and adapting to change.
   • Motivation: Inner drive to pursue goals beyond external rewards.
   • Empathy: Understanding and responding to others' emotions.
   • Social Skills: Building relationships, influencing others, and managing conflict.

3. The Role of the Brain in Emotional Regulation
   Goleman explains how the brain's amygdala and prefrontal cortex interact. The "amygdala hijack" can trigger emotional reactions before rational thought kicks in, underscoring the importance of learning self-regulation to prevent impulsive decisions.

4. Empathy as the Foundation of Relationships
   Empathy allows individuals to connect with others, fostering better communication and collaboration. It’s essential in leadership and teamwork, where understanding others’ perspectives strengthens group dynamics.

5. Emotional Intelligence Can Be Developed
   Unlike IQ, which remains relatively fixed, EQ can be improved through practice and reflection. Strategies like mindfulness, active listening, and emotional self-assessment help individuals build better emotional skills over time.

Goleman’s work remains influential, especially in leadership, education, and personal growth, where emotional intelligence is seen as a key to thriving in complex environments.

Lagniappe 2. Training helps lessen injuries. 

Female soccer ⚽️ athletes are 2-9x more likely to sustain an ACL injury than males (Chadwick C Prodromos et al.). Variations useful for LB strength to reduce the risk:

▪️Skater Squats
▪️SL squats
▪️Ecc. GH rolls/slides
▪️RFESS
▪️BB RDL
▪️Front Squat
▪️Lateral lunge
▪️SL RDL pic.twitter.com/YfSpzqWa8V

— Jeremy Toohey (@Toohey_sp) December 30, 2024

Basketball - Invest in Yourself

Make the most powerful investment in yourself. Craft your life. Author David Mamet told his children to do something for your craft and something for your business every day.

Shape your daily "winning process."

"Eat that frog." Do the one thing that you don't want to do first. Pay the bill, finish the chapter, go for a long walk, have the hard conversation. 

Be memorable. When you put yourself out there, you'll be memorable. Everyone won't like everything you share. Remember that freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from accountability. 

"Make friends with the dead." I never met Coach Wooden, Carril, Dean Smith, Newell, Knight, or Abraham Lincoln. But I've studied them closely and consider them 'friends'. I need to know Margaret Mead better. I recently read a bio on the anthropologist.

"Most copies are poor reproductions of the original." - Pete Newell  Be yourself not a copy of your coach or any other coach. 

Work on character and competence. Neither on its own is sufficient. 

"The easy bus is not coming around." - Kara Lawson  This monologue screams reality, "You have to scratch and claw and it never f–-ing ends. And it doesn’t get better, it just gets harder. So don’t complain to me that I’m making your life hard. You don’t even know what that means." - Deborah Vance in Hacks, Episode 2

"Be willing to fight for what you believe." But consider carefully whether the values or the person you believe in deserve that belief. 

Lagniappe. Sacrifice was the word ingrained in our high school team. 

Teamwork means sacrifice. #DailyWisdom pic.twitter.com/UTYPBUodAW

— Ball is Psych (@BallisPsych) December 22, 2024

Lagniappe 2. Ask players to explain how to impact winning without big statistics.  

You don’t need the ball in your hands to make an impact on the court.

Box out.

Set screens.

Cut hard.

Be ready to help.

— Coach Mac 🏀 (@BballCoachMac) December 23, 2024

Lagniappe 3. Attention to detail makes all the difference.  

I see too many players getting the ball poked away once they get into the paint. A high pickup can be avoid to avoid the swipe down. pic.twitter.com/UKhNfzrxE0

— Reid Ouse (@reidouse) December 23, 2024

Basketball: Three Types of Games

Oversimplifying, there are three types of games:

• We are far superior to the opponent (a minority).
• We are relatively evenly matched (probably half).
• We are the underdog (maybe a third).

It never ceases to amaze me how much of winning basketball simply comes down to playing harder and having more “want to” than the opposition.

This is true during games, in the weight room, during skill work, at practice, in the off season.

The competition never really ends.

— Hoops Companion 🏀 Resources for Coaches (@Hoops_Companion) December 24, 2024

Coaches want their teams to reflect their 'vision' - prepared, competitive, sometimes creative, a worthy opponent.

What matters most when evenly matched - being prepared, motivated, tough, resilient, selfless competitors. And then playing well. 

When excellent teams compete hard, they can be nearly impossible to beat. The superior team often 'buries' the lesser team by blending competence and character. 

When a team "gets it," playing "harder for longer," they'll win more but not all of the even matchups. It's still a game of "make and miss shots" if the other team 'shows up', too. 

When heavily outmatched, competing still matters but it's tough sledding from a talent standpoint. The 'margin for error' disappears. Small mistakes magnify against quality teams. The 'dog' needs extreme focus each possession:

• Controlling pace (high tempo against superior talent = defeat)
• Reducing errors (assignments and turnovers)
• High quality shot selection
• Controlling the defensive boards
• Limiting fouls
• Making free throws 

Depending on the situation, enforcing the pace you want to play becomes paramount. With talent advantage a fast pace favors the superior team. Ergo, the Wooden adage, "basketball is a game meant to be played fast." Trailing, you need to extend the game playing fast to get more possessions. Leading, if you're capable of shortening the game, playing a controlled tempo has merit. 

In other words, without an edge, extreme addition to detail may be your only chance, plus some luck. 

Lagniappe. Selling fakes. 

An effective shot fake is more than just moving the ball—it’s about selling with your feet and your eyes.

In this clip, Elisabeth Gadient gets her feet under her hips & eyes on the rim. The defense has to react, coming out of their stance, and she bails on the shot before even… pic.twitter.com/8NLq0gH3wd

— Reid Ouse (@reidouse) December 24, 2024

Lagniappe 2. We had three standards - TIA - Teamwork. Improvement. Accountability. 

“The standard is the standard.” – Mike Tomlin

1. No excuses.
2. No shortcuts.
3. No compromise.

The standard doesn’t adjust to you; you rise to meet it.

Championship teams don’t just set standards.

They live them, every day.

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) December 23, 2024

Basketball Training Hacks

Basketball 'training hacks' are tips to improve skills. For example, Kyrie Irving discussed dribbling with a ball in a plastic bag. As a middle schooler, I used to put masking tape on the bottom of eyeglasses to prevent looking at the ball while dribbling.

Let's get a ChatGPT consultation. 

1. Master the 80/20 Rule for Dribbling

Focus on a few versatile dribble moves (e.g., crossover, behind-the-back, and hesitation) that work most often in games. Practice these moves daily until they're second nature.

Hack: Practice dribbling with a smaller, weighted ball to develop better hand control and then switch back to a regular ball for improved handling.

---

2. Use "Form Shooting" for Scoring Consistency

Start your shooting sessions close to the hoop, focusing on mechanics: feet set, elbow under the ball, and follow-through. Gradually step back as you perfect your form.

Hack: Record your shooting form on video to spot inefficiencies you might not notice otherwise.

---

3. Develop "Weak Hand" Superpowers

Spend warmups exclusively dribbling and finishing with your non-dominant hand. Challenge yourself to complete layup lines only with your weaker hand.

Hack: Tie your dominant hand behind your back for part of practice to force your weaker hand to adapt.

---

4. Play “Off-Hand Defense”

When guarding someone, focus on forcing them to use their non-dominant hand. This reduces their effectiveness and helps you control their movements.

Hack: Watch your opponent's hips, not the ball—hips don't lie, and they'll tell you where they're going.

---

5. Simulate Fatigue in Practice

Do intense conditioning (like sprints or suicides) and then immediately practice free throws or shooting drills. This mimics game fatigue and builds focus under pressure.

Hack: Aim to hit a set percentage (e.g., 8/10) before ending your practice. This adds mental toughness.

---

6. Improve Court Vision with “One-Touch Passing”

Run passing drills where players must catch and pass in one motion. This builds quick decision-making and situational awareness.

Hack: Use colored cones or jerseys in drills and call out colors as targets to teach rapid identification and reaction.

---

7. Add a Shot Fake to Your Arsenal

A simple shot fake can create space or draw fouls. Practice faking while keeping your feet set and balance intact.

Hack: Pair a shot fake with a quick first step to blow past defenders.

---

8. Condition Smarter with Basketball-Specific Drills

Replace generic running with drills like defensive slides, full-court layups, or closeout drills. You’ll build conditioning while also improving skills.

Hack: Practice drills with a time or score goal (e.g., make 20 layups in 60 seconds) to simulate game pressure.

---

9. Study Film Like a Pro

Review game or practice footage to analyze what you did well and where you can improve. Look for tendencies in your movements and decisions.

Hack: Use slow motion to analyze spacing, defensive positioning, and shot selection.

---

10. Practice Communication as a Skill

Great players talk on defense, call out screens, and direct teammates. Make communication mandatory during scrimmages.

Hack: Assign a "silent penalty" (e.g., extra sprints) for not calling out switches or defensive help.

---

11. Work on Footwork Daily

Solid footwork gives you balance for better defense, shooting, and rebounding. Incorporate pivoting, jump-stops, and jab steps into every session.

Hack: Practice with a resistance band around your legs to strengthen movement patterns.

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12. Focus on Two-Way Play

Most players shine on offense but neglect defense. Dedicate equal time to improving defensive fundamentals like positioning, sliding, and contesting shots.

Hack: Reward defensive stops with extra points in scrimmages to emphasize its value.

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13. “Game-ify” Practice with Challenges

Turn drills into mini-competitions, like seeing who can hit the most free throws in a row or get the most defensive stops in a scrimmage.

Hack: Create “winner stays” drills where the team that scores keeps possession to increase intensity.

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14. Control the Tempo with Breathing

Deep breathing slows your heart rate and keeps you calm in high-pressure moments. Practice this during timeouts and free throws.

Hack: Pair breathing with a mantra (e.g., “Stay smooth”) to block out distractions.

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15. Study Basketball IQ Off the Court

Watch games with a focus on strategy. Study how players use spacing, off-ball movement, and screen setups.

Hack: Watch games twice—once for entertainment, and a second time to analyze plays and decision-making. 

Apply some 'practice hacks' that you've found helpful. 

1. Practice shooting while kneeling on one knee. Start in close and move back if possible. I used this as a type of form shooting. 

Learn to use the backboard. "The square is your friend." Warmup making at least ten in a row from the first 'hash' using the glass. 

2. Be a tracker. Tracking makes misses matter. For example, if playing "around the world" track how many shots were needed to make the 20 shots. Combine with a time constraint, e.g. completing in under two minutes. 

3. Add constraints like time. How many elbow jumpers can you make 'consecutively' in a minute? 

4. Warmup with dribble tag inside the arc. Add a constraint such as dribbling with the non-dominant hand. 

5. In individual or team activities, work to establish personal bests in most shots in any given amount of time. 

6. Before taking free throws, run a few sideline to sideline sprints to simulate fatiguing conditions. 

Lagniappe. "It was simple, but most brilliant things have an underlying simplicity.” - David Baldacci, in Redemption  Always good to identify areas to simplify. With young players, the more complexity and more passes, the more chance for turnovers. 

Lagniappe 2. "Turnovers kill dreams." 

In light of Jim Larranaga stepping down, here is a small but really powerful constraint I stole from him for practice:

To help limit turnovers/teach decision making, place 5 balls (or however many you feel is necessary) on the sideline. Every time there is a turnover remove… pic.twitter.com/mSWHZaB2uU

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) December 26, 2024

Lagniappe 3. Ball movement with paint touches and ball reversals create open shots. 

Ball Movement = Good Shots
Good Shots = High Percentage
High Percentage = High Scoring
High Scoring = Winning A lot
Winning A lot = Championships

Ball Movement ➡️ Championships

pic.twitter.com/3p63dVE1ZI

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 28, 2024

 

Basketball - Don't Be "The Last Rat"

Einstein is falsely credited with saying, "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." 

Don't be the last rat to leave a sinking ship. Either get out early or solve problems. 

"The loyal opposition" excels at finding problems not solutions. Effective treatment without a diagnosis is hard, but not all conditions have treatment. 

Sometimes, although many problems exist, attention to one has overarching benefit. Improvement means starting on something. Bad transition defense kills teams. Bad transition defense means lots of easy hoops allowed. Two critical parts of transition defense are 1) rapid conversion (identification) and 2) effort. Set a standard, such as "no more than three transition hoops per game." 

Limit transition scoring with:

• Commitment to limiting transition
• Limit live ball turnovers
• Shot selection 
• Spacing to include floor balance
• Offensive rebounding 
• Protecting the basket, slowing ball advancement, shaping up
• High effort with high engagement

Examine these:

• Are you sending two or three to offensive rebound?
• Are you denying the outlet pass?
• Getting back and protecting the basket? 
• Stopping the ball? 
• Delaying offense from attacking in the half court? 
• Don't "buddy run," beat your man back. 
• Beat your man to half court.
• Talk. "I've got ball" or "I've got basket." 

Bonus quote, "if you want to be elite in this league, you have to be elite at the rim." - Brian Scalabrine

Lagniappe (reposted). Years ago on a hot Sunday evening, I taught Cecilia reverse layups. She struggled but came back the next Sunday and made them. And last night, she made her teacher proud with these two of her 23 points. Now she's the leading scorer and rebounder for American University as a freshman. 

Lagniappe 2. Find a way to believe in yourself.  

Lagniappe 3. Fall in love with the mental side of the game. 

Jared McCain on the mental side of his preparation:

“Watching film, meditation, visualization, recovery, reading, it all helps me become a better basketball player. I’ve been in love with the mental side.”

(Via @KyleNeubeck 🎥)

pic.twitter.com/z6EwWztiJp

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 13, 2024

Basketball - "What's Your Out Pitch?"

There's a concept in baseball of the "out pitch." Watch top pitchers and they have a pitch that gets guys out - even when they know it's coming. Mariano Rivera had the cutter. Pedro Martinez a moving fastball and a hellacious changeup. Ron Guidry had a wipeout slider.

In every sport, in every field, 'separate yourself' from ordinary. In the NBA pregame show, Charles Barkley asked, "what's your NBA skill?"

What gets you and keeps you on the court? 

Consider some volleyball analogies. An outside hitter might have a full repertoire of attacks, but she has a "special delivery" when she absolutely has to have it. If you're a setter, maybe it's a quick set, a shoot, or a setter dump. 

Bad teams beat themselves. Exceptional teams beat their opponents with combinations of offense, defense, conversion. Winning more possessions is the sine qua non of excellence. What's your basketball skill? What's your 'out pitch'?  

Lagniappe. Dick Bennett advice. 

On defense:

1. Get back and stop the basketball

2. Eliminate easy baskets

3. Keep the ball out of the lane

4. Bother shooters

- Dick Bennett

— Coach Mac 🏀 (@BballCoachMac) December 26, 2024

Lagniappe 2. Dawn Staley advice.  

Dawn Staley said, "I’m very different than your parents because your parents don’t want you to fail and be uncomfortable.

"I love you enough to allow you to fail."

You can't steal the struggle.

4 Lessons Leaders Need to Know About Growth and Discomfort:🧵
(🎥@jemelehill) pic.twitter.com/zbWwkBLdOT

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) December 24, 2024

Basketball - Filter the Firehose of Ideas with Better Questions (Save and Print)

Leadership questions that always help me find clarity. pic.twitter.com/jQJMgtf67M

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) December 15, 2024

Ask better questions. I love this post so much.  

1. Does the team have ownership and leadership? They will carry this forward throughout their lives. 

2. How resilient are we? Focus and mental toughness have to be our brand. 

3. How much do we care? Want to win for each other. 

4. Do we know 'how to play?' Overcome limitations with extreme effort in doing the little things, attention to detail. 

5. Can we limit mistakes? Eliminate bad shots, turnovers, and unnecessary fouls. 

Lagniappe. The same action can run from different alignments. 

JB Bickerstaff said this on Media Day:

"Spacing is relative to what you're trying to get out of it."

5 out
4 out
3 out 2 In
Diamond
Horns
2 Guard Frint
Single High
Empty Side
1-4 Low
Spread

Are all examples of spacing templates. We can use different templates to… pic.twitter.com/D1fcLpzikI

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) December 23, 2024

Lagniappe 2. Hat tip: Brook Kohlheim  This piece and video is full of analogies, including the "Killer Whale Offense." 

Basketball - Life Lessons Include not Having an Opinion

Stoicism teaches adherents "not to have an opinion about everything." The corollary follows that we need not share our opinion about everything. 

When someone asks for our opinion, we have options including not having one. "I'm not well-informed on that subject." One of the five 'must know' answers at the Naval Academy for first years is, "I don't know but I'll find out, Sir." (The other four are Yes, Sir, No, Sir, Aye aye, Sir, and Right away, Sir.)

We often don't have enough experience in an area to have an opinion. "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want" and "experience is the best teacher but sometimes the tuition is high." 

Some things are just better left unsaid. 

A classic comeback at a Department of Medicine meeting to a senior officer was, "if we want your opinion, Captain, we'll ask for it." That shut down comments in the near and longer-term. 

When we must have an opinion, recall the THINK acronym:

T - is it true?

H - is it helpful?

I - is it inspiring?

N - is it necessary? 

K - is it kind? 

Why else should we not have an opinion? 

• The issues may be so polarizing that 'hate and discontent' follow.
• If we have no 'standing' our opinion may not matter.
• The issue may only be a matter of taste. Do you like cilantro?
• An answer may close doors. What do you think of Duke University?
• "Only children and fools comment on things half done."

What basketball issues could fall under the umbrella of no opinion?

What do you think of coach so-and-so? The right answer might be, "I don't know them" or the thought, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything." 

"The NBA stinks. It's just boring millionaires taking three point shots." The speaker has a strong opinion, unlikely to be impacted by an explanation of the origins of the shot including massive bodies compacted near the hoop producing an environment for violence. 

"She's the best player in the world. How can you possibly disagree?" The legal shows respond, "objection, asked and answered."

"These college players are just so greedy. I don't know what there problem is." You might think about the college player a few years ago who expressed frustration at going to bed hungry. 

Nothing I've said or written came down on stone tablets. I'd like to believe that I'm mostly right, but that's a stretch. "Better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt." 

Lagniappe. Teach the game both "north and south" when some players go "east and west." 

STICKY WORDS SUNDAY

'Confrontational drives'@TJSaint4

'Confrontational, not collaborative, with defense.'@BBallImmersion

This is a complete PARADIGM SHIFT for players. It's also an indirect way to REDUCE turnovers. Passive offensive play allows defenders to sit in the… pic.twitter.com/EiWs1H3lPI

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) December 15, 2024

Lagniappe 2. Be someone who impacts winning beyond the scorebook. 

A coach's dream?

The player who can impact a game without taking a shot.

These are the players who simply make winning plays.

Most people do not understand it, but they can feel it.

A good coach can see it.

Be this type of player.

They WIN.

— Greg Berge (@gb1121) December 14, 2024

 

Basketball - Underrated Actions

"Good artists borrow, great artists steal." - Picasso

Steal great ideas wherever you find them. In basketball, that's usually about "winning possessions" or even 'fractions of possessions'. Every team should use hard to defend actions and teach to what makes a difference. 

Here are five actions that don't happen enough in many games. Video illustrates: 

1) Rejecting screens - this is a first, not last option. Some teams don't run enough pick-and-roll, a hard-to-defend action. I see high school teams who never run PnR. 

2) Slipping screens - the key is the defender getting overcommitted, cheating up with the front shoulder.

3) Short roll passing - translate a numerical advantage into open shots.

4) Deflections - become a defensive disruptor. 

5) Shot contesting without fouls - contesting shots reduces shooting percentage. It's about bothering, not blocking shots. 

Lagniappe. "Beat people with your feet." 

How To Beat Your Defender With Any Dribble Move

Coach Don Kelbick talks about a critical tip for your dribble moves that will help you beat your defender.

Fun fact: The first player in the video is current NBA player Jacob Gilyard of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As Don mentions,… pic.twitter.com/hUDcQupAZ9

— Joe Haefner | Breakthrough Basketball (@BreakthruBball) December 15, 2024

Lagniappe 2. "Free play" teaches players to create.  

Lonzo Ball spoke about how he became an elite passer not through drills, but by playing freely with his brothers. His creativity and skill developed in dynamic environments as opposed to repetitive exercises. Another example of the power of free play! pic.twitter.com/WE40sjL0Fc

— Transforming Basketball (@transformbball) December 13, 2024

What Belongs on Our Basketball "3 x 5 Card" ?

"Simple works" until it doesn't. Prodigious writing output doesn't mean quality.

On Bloomberg radio today, host Tom Keene asked a guest, "what belongs on your 3 x 5 card going into 2025?" That's always a good question.

What briefly describes our coaching ethos, coaching methods, and collective beliefs, attitudes, and values? 

Sahil Bloom has suggestions:

Each evening, I sit down at my desk and write down the 3-5 highest-impact to-dos for the following day. These are the "important" tasks that directly contribute to my long-term projects or goals.

The list is pure—I specifically avoid writing down all of the miscellaneous urgent and unimportant to-dos (more on that later).

In the morning, I sit down at my desk for my first focus work block and start at the top of the list, working my way down and crossing off the important items as I get through them. My primary goal is to cross each item off the list by the end of the day.

I am intentionally conservative in the number of items I write on the list. It's usually 3, sometimes 4, and very rarely 5. I never want to end the day with open items, so being conservative helps me accomplish that (and get the extra rush from getting through more than I expected). 

So what belongs? 

1. It's all about relationships - coach-player, player-player, coach-coach. Savor and cultivate them. 

2. Put the team first. The best players make everyone around them better.

3. Add value. That requires character and competence. Add value for life. 

4. "Every day is player development day." Skill, there is no substitute.

5. Seek work-life balance. On the cusp of retirement, I'm still looking. 

On the back of the card, we could have a "what does our team need today?" list to address specifics. 

• Contain the ball
• Contest shots without fouling
• Take better shots
• Break the press 
• Improve transition D

There's no "life-changing drill." There are life-changing people, life-changing experiences, difference makers. 

Merry Christmas! 

Lagniappe. How do you teach closeouts? 

Repost. Celtics closeouts. 

Boston Celtics Stride Stop Closeouts
✅🍀 pic.twitter.com/Xx4HTQgIVS

— PGC Basketball (@PGCbasketball) December 5, 2024

Basketball - What Is the Bond Among Your Team?

TEAM means putting the team first, putting the well-being of others and team ahead of your own. 

That means a culture of sharing, selflessness, and sacrifice. In the 1993 

'classic' Rudy, Notre Dame teammates offer not to dress for the final game so that a walk-on, Rudy Ruettiger, can dress one time.

Culture matters. Care about your teammates, the girls with shared vision, shared work, and shared sacrifice. 

 

Basketball - What Makes a Great Drill? Post 4200

Make practice harder to make games easier. 

Someone told me, "the coach runs some excellent drills." What does that mean? Excellence makes a difference by adding value, improvement, and confidence. Dr. Fergus Connolly reminds coaches that every practice should impact winning. 

Coach Knight (I don't have the reference) said that great drills have offense, defense, decision-making, and competition.

For example, with young players, they might make 5/10 wide open elbow jumpers. Put a defender in front of them, passive, hands up and it might drop to 2 or 3 of 10. In games, they're not getting so many uncontested shots, so "shooters'" performance plummets. That's not choking, it's shooting against a defender.

As a youngster, I'd set up the six-foot step ladder and duct tape a tennis racquet to it to simulate a defender (a slow-footed one for sure). Shoot over your defender. 

With individual workouts (e.g. post, box drills, wing series actions), defenders add realism, requiring concentration and effort. 

During development, playing 1-on-1, 2-on-2, and 3-on-3 small sided games adds 'game conditions'. Add 'constraints' of time (e.g. number of dribbles allowed, time, or conditions - e.g. paint or perimeter scoring). As coaches, it's our world, our laboratory. 

Lagniappe. Maintaining and getting extra possessions. 

Things we don’t practice enough but should:

- picking up loose balls instead of dribbling
- saving to a teammate
- ball faking and passing
- pivoting
- going after 50/50 balls

— Hoops Companion 🏀 Resources for Coaches (@Hoops_Companion) December 19, 2024

Lagniappe 2. Leadership resources.  

9 ways anyone can be a leader. pic.twitter.com/ukfLRfQ3zx

— Dave Kline (@dklineii) December 18, 2024

Lagniappe 3. Don Meyer votes for random practice...  

“In practice, don’t just run basketball drills, teach the players how to play basketball." - Don Meyer pic.twitter.com/dt4JK9X57Y

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 17, 2024

Film Study: "A Game of Separation" and "A Game of Mistakes"

"Basketball is a game of separation" and "a game of mistakes." Watching a community television broadcast, I sought a handful of first quarter teaching examples.

Separate with speed, change of pace, change of direction, urgent cutting, and screening.

1. BOB, Box Set, "sandwich screen." Players are most open on the catch and need to practice a quick release. With "man" defense, another option would be to bring the inbounder to the top off off a screen for a "second chance" at a three-pointer if that's your strategy. 

2. Live-ball turnovers create high points per possession scoring chances. The defense gets a steal, quick conversion, and basket attack. "Turnovers kill dreams." 

3. "Offense is about fighting to get a great shot." Offensive organization includes spacing, player and ball movement to create the shot, and the scoring moment. Attack north and south, with paint touches, and the ball reversal. "The ball has energy." Perimeter east-west dribbling does not create energy or attack the defense.  

4. Draw 2 and pass. Spacing + ball movement + penetration results in a "draw 2" and an open, converted corner three. 

5. Take advantage of mistakes. The defender plays 'upright defense' and gets beaten. "Low man wins" in "the shoulders game."  The offense takes advantage of the help for an open layup. 

Lagniappe. Model excellence. Rely on systems as process makes progress. 

Greatness comes from when daily excellence is prioritized and constantly pursued.
• It means compete.
• It means be disciplined.
• It means choose resilience.

You always fall back to your training, preparation, and habits.

How to Make Excellence a Daily Habit: pic.twitter.com/69wjydFUlw

— Coach AJ 🎯 Mental Fitness (@coachajkings) December 17, 2024

Lagniappe 2. One of the most important numbers in basketball is '95'. Most of the game you play without the ball. Impact winning without the ball. Defense, communication, screening, spacing, moving without the ball and more create value for your team. 

Basketball is played WITH the basketball 5% of the time.

One of my favorites quotes from Billy Donovan is:

‘The other 95% of the time most players spend trying to get the basketball’.

Players also can’t conceptualize the amount of time they have the ball in their hands in a… pic.twitter.com/Uue8v4Ta2W

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) December 21, 2024

Lagniappe 3. Everyone can lead. Lead by always being on time, practicing hard, competing, communicating, never being a distraction. 

"You don’t need to be a captain to be a leader."
If you want to be a better leader, focus on being the kind of teammate others want to follow.
Take responsibility for your actions and hold others accountable, not because you want credit, but because you care about the standard. pic.twitter.com/lzdeSpBuHS

— The Winning Difference (@thewinningdiff1) December 21, 2024

The player averaged three points a game as a junior. He never started a game. One game he played seven seconds. The next season his teams voted him captain. I know because I was that guy.  

Basketball - Activities That Worked

"These ideas made individuals and our team better." You should ask:

1. What's the evidence?
2. What's the disconfirming evidence?
3. What are the activities? 

Evidence. Individual player development - from two groups of a total of 25 players (3 years each), two earned Division 1 basketball scholarships. Samantha Dewey is a junior at Richmond (transfer from Illinois) and Cecilia Kay is a freshman at American, leading the team in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. 

Team accomplishments of star players: Dewey won a pair of state championships in the prep school division at Brooks School. Kay was a four-time All-Scholastic, McDonald's All-America nominee, who played in two state semifinals, state final, and defeated last year's state title team twice. Her team was banned from the tournament last year because baseball team violations lead to a schoolwide postseason ban. 

Disconfirming evidence. Neither of the top players remained in the local basketball program, leaving for private schools. Without the top players, the local program fell on hard times with declining participation, losing records, and athletes migrating to other sports like volleyball and soccer. 

The activities.

• Individual offensive skill development - three level scoring 
• Press-breaking - advantage/disadvantage - 5 versus 7 full court (this functions as a form of scrimmaging)
• Special situations practice - BOB, SLOB, ATOs for 15 minutes each practice, with 'three possession games" simulating close-and-late games (another form of scrimmaging, offense-defense-offense)
• Small sided-games (3-on-3) on one side of the midline
• Handouts. Wooden "Pyramid of Success" and Bilas "Toughness" traits
• Off-season training (May-October) offered Tuesday and Sunday p.m.

Three level scoring activities: 

Player development 

Inside and midrange 

Basket attack. 

Wing attack - Pierce series. 

Don't work on everything to start. Pick a few like blow by and one dribble pull ups. Definitely don't invest time on step backs before players master basic attacks. 

Box drills. Master footwork with drive or shoot off the catch. 

Bell-wether, Belichick Principles

Steal ideas wherever you can. Tara Sullivan profiles the Belichick to North Carolina story in Sunday's Boston Globe.

Her observations play across a variety of sports. Here are excerpts:

▪ Do your job, a mantra he lived by, reminds players to focus on their own responsibility and not be caught up with what others are doing.

▪ Put the team above yourself.

▪ Collaborate. Teamwork comes first. 

▪ Pay attention to details and be prepared in everything. 

▪ Find and attack your opponents’ weaknesses, something Belichick made a career out of in the NFL.

▪ Be flexible in your game-planning.

▪ Impact young men by teaching discipline and structure.

These principle work across sports from high school to pro sports. Certainly these elements apply to 

creating players and teams with competence and character. 

Lagniappe. How do you measure character and competence? 

Rick Majerus would evaluate the following in recruiting:

- Prospects who consistently spent extra time in the gym before or after practice.
- Players from winning programs.
- Players who understood their roles.
- He would place a premium on competitiveness, basketball IQ, and… pic.twitter.com/44x8U3vNcP

— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) December 16, 2024

Lagniappe 2. Developing finishing skills around the room. 

4 drills to help with your touch around the rim 🏀

Something simple you can do before and after practices 🫡

1. Guard Mikan
2. Cross Body Guard Mikan
3. 1 Hand Pickup Extendeds
4. Net Touches

Try my 10 minute finishing routine on my app! 👇 📲https://t.co/91TstOn1BI pic.twitter.com/jazK9ZHjCH

— Shane Hennen (@Hennen_Workouts) December 16, 2024

Basketball - Details

“We can’t afford to not pay attention to the details, especially when you play a good team”

This sentiment is what coaches at all levels are telling their teams right now

People say defense wins championship, but really DETAILS win championships

pic.twitter.com/tF9A1RaBwL

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 17, 2024

Think about important games you've seen, played, or coached where inattention to details changed outcomes.

The Chris Webber timeout (1993). Who tracks timeouts on your team? 

Transition defense. Do you send two or three to the offensive boards? Do other players understand their role in stopping the ball, slowing the offense, protecting the basket? 

Missed assignments. How many times have you seen an open player and two defenders looking at each other? 

Forcing weak? We lost a game in high school when we forced a player to their strong hand, another form of missed assignment. 

Delay game/situational basketball. A team lost a sectional championship, leading by one with 13 seconds left, 12 on the shot clock, when a player inexplicably took a jump shot. Everyone was not on the same page. 

Auerbach's worst loss. As a high school coach with a one-point lead, his inbounder threw an inbounds pass turnover, a behind-the-back pass. 

Never allow a score off a tap play. Sure, people will make open perimeter shots. But layups? It's a pet peeve. We used to score off this "lonesome end" play. 

Make timeouts count (1). Have one or two points of emphasis. We've all seen games lost coming out of a timeout.

Make timeouts count (2). Dean Smith tried to save three timeouts for the final four minutes. If it's good enough for him... 

Constantly apply pressure. Assert a mentality of scoring off BOBs and SLOBs. Yes, ball entry safely is the first priority. Don Kelbick says, "think shot first." Think "attack."  

Lagniappe. Find ultra-committed guys. 

“You have to try to get some guys who will run to a place with high expectations of winning, and they actually have the humility and self-awareness to know they need to get better. We try to attract those guys.” - Mick Cronin

pic.twitter.com/KJRcr8QlHj

— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) December 16, 2024

Lagniappe 2. Optionality. 

The Iverson Over action is so common that running actions off of it is an effective way to make the defense think one thing is coming and then hit them with something else as in this example. pic.twitter.com/B4Jk43f5wq

— Chris Oliver (@BBallImmersion) December 18, 2024

Write Better - Coaches Are Educators

Coaches are educators. The sooner we read and write better, the longer our chance to share quality. Prioritize excellence. Try these pearls from Gary Provost including his first chapter outline and a paragraph about vocabulary. 

Hi – I'm reading "100 Ways to Improve Your Writing (Updated): Proven Professional Techniques for Writing with Style and Power" by Gary Provost and wanted to share this quote with you.

NINE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING WHEN YOU’RE NOT WRITING 

1. Get Some Reference Books 

2. Expand Your Vocabulary 

3. Improve Your Spelling 

4. Read 

5. Take a Class 

6. Eavesdrop 

7. Research 

8. Write in Your Head 

9. Choose a Time and Place

"The only way to make your vocabulary more accessible is to use it. If you want all those short but interesting words waiting at the front of your brain when you need them, you must move them to the front of your brain before you need them." - from 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing 

You're all in on better volleyball. Fantastic! Pledge to invest time and effort in communication - written, verbal, and nonverbal. 

Want more ideas? 

• Write a fast first draft and then revise. Writing is rewriting. 
• Limit jargon if you choose a wide audience. Newbies won't know pin hitting or pipe attacks. 
• Use strong verbs. Banish adverbs. 
• Read your writing aloud. If it sounds awkward or pompous, it is. 
• Experiment. Write in the style of another author, such as Hemingway or Shakespeare. You can also ask AI to do the same as a model. 
• Get an AI writing critique from ChatGPT. 

Maybe you like volleyball better than writing. Over the long haul, writing well serves you well, just as serving well will help your volleyball. 

How you do anything is how you do everything. 

Basketball: Fix You

Coaches try to "fix you." Many ways that works and many ways that it doesn't. 

"You have to want to be fixed." Commitment, coachability, desire all count.

Coaches and players need shared vision. "This is what good basketball looks like." That is what we must do to approach that. 

Coach Knight wrote, "The Power of Negative Thinking," because he knew that "basketball is a game of mistakes." A critical mass of mistakes - bad shots, missed assignments, turnovers, fouls - sinks the most well-meaning team. 

"Have the grace to forgive yourself." Even the most conscientious, diligent coaches and teams have "rough patches." Expecting consistency from young players with limited experience is a "fool's errand." The wrong message or the wrong tone can lead to a death spiral of team. "Never be a child's last coach." 

"Do the work." Progress is not linear. There are stops and starts and plateaus where nothing much seems to be happening. But it is. Celebrate small victories on the path to progress. Positivity is fuel. 

Players cannot be fixed unless they want to be fixed. Give and get feedback and keep communications open. 

Lagniappe. Teach spacing and energy. 

Lagniappe 2. Basketball is a game of advantage and execution. 

SPACING and BALL movement are the 2 most important TACTICAL offensive concepts in basketball. They bridge the gap between individual skill and decision making.

TEACHING these concepts WITHOUT a rigid, predetermined design is the challenging part.

Games and constraints need… pic.twitter.com/kDrVYjLJBC

— Chris Steed (@steeder10) December 13, 2024

Lagniappe 3. There's a video of PP out with his wife where he sees a kid on a playground and goes over to play with the kid, one-on-one, NBA guy versus a young teen. Pure joy. 

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