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Thursday, July 17, 2025

Best Responsibilities of Coaching

“Basketball is life. It’s getting people to work harder, to work together, to think intelligently, to use common sense, to make plans, to carry out those plans, to overcome adversity, to-yes-sweat the small stuff.” - “Runnin’ the Show” by Dick DeVenzio

Developing relationships. Coaches build relationships. Relationships build trust. Trust builds loyalty. 

Being an anteambulo. In ancient Rome, a patron would have someone walking before him, "clearing the path." That's a coaching function, to help make the way for players. Ante is the Latin root for 'before' and ambulo "I walk." As an anteambulo, I walk before our players. 

Acquiring canvas. Another coaching function is getting canvas for others to paint on. Basketball at its best is art with players crafting their masterpieces. Did you know? Leonardo DaVinci painted the Mona Lisa on wood. 

Networking. Networking helps players achieve their dreams. Coaches write letters of recommendation, email, and communicate with coaches to advance a player's journey. That can also include 'off grid' communication with the print or electronic media to draw attention to special players. 

Player development. PD covers a lot of territory including skills and game knowledge. 
  • Devise separate and finish drills at all three levels.
  • Shooting. 
  • Break down and share video with players. 
  • Strength and conditioning (learn or 'subcontract out'). 
  • Theory and practice (e.g. Four Factors, Possession ending, special situations)
Game management. Some coaches love game management, in game adjustments, and substitution. I enjoy the 'teaching functions' best and it's hard to become a 'complete coach' without game management. 

The long game. It's great to see the success that former players achieve in life as parents and in across domains - education, business, the military, medicine, and more. It's literally the answer to the question that Amos Alonzo Stagg answered when asked about his team. "I'll be able to give you a better answer in twenty years."

Lagniappe. "Discipline converts knowledge into action." 

Lagniappe 2. "Always focus on the next move, the one that gets you closer or further from where you want to go." - in “Clear Thinking” by Shane Parrish

Lagniappe 3. Transition cedes control to players and creates opportunity for high points/possession. 

Lagniappe 4. Why should players know geometry?  

From ChatGPT:

Key Findings from Research:

  • John Fontanella (The Physics of Basketball):

    • An entry angle of approximately 52 degrees maximizes the margin for error, especially on straight-on shots.

    • This allows for a larger effective target area because the ball "sees" more of the hoop from a steeper angle.

  • Noah Basketball (Data from millions of shots using their arc-tracking technology):

    • They define the "optimal" entry angle as between 45° and 55°, with the best shooters consistently averaging around 52°.

    • Too flat (e.g., under 45°) increases the chance of hitting the front of the rim.

    • Too high (over 55°) often leads to inconsistency in depth and is harder to repeat.

Why 52 Degrees Is Considered Ideal:

  • It gives the ball a softer trajectory, improving chances of a shooter's bounce.

  • It increases the vertical space margin over the rim (more clearance).

  • It allows the shot to "drop in" rather than needing a precise direct path.

In Practice:

  • Great shooters like Steph Curry tend to shoot with an arc between 47°–55°, depending on shot type and distance.

  • Mid-range and free throws typically come in higher (closer to 52–54°), while NBA-range threes might flatten slightly (around 47–50°) due to force requirements.

If you're working with athletes, tools like Noah, RSPCT, or HomeCourt can help measure this directly with real-time arc data.

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