Chalk Talk Archives

Competitive-Fun Drills
Most Aggressive Gut Check Drills
Variants to the 11 Player Break Drill
Most Beneficial Drill
Practice Warm-up
Practice Planning
Keeping Practice Fun
Scrimmaging
Scrimmage Teams in Practice
Scrimmaging: Running your offense when the defense (your own players) know what s coming
Ways to Scrimmage to Involve All Players
Using Managers in Practice
Team Managers
Running as a Punishment?
Hustle
Conditioning in Practice
Stretching during Practice/Warm-up
Time Spent on Shooting in Practice/Number of Shots in Practice
Closed Practices or Not?
Do you let parents watch practice?
Practice Planning Before 1st Game
Deciding what to teach in practice

Tryouts (6)

Try-Outs
Drills For Tryouts
Your Best Drill for Tryouts
Main Things You Look For In A Player During Tryouts
Tryouts: How Many to Keep & What to do With the Rest
Cutting Players

Running A Program (14)

Turning around a program
Feeder Systems
Fundraising
Off-Season Workouts
Play Year-Round?
What is your focus in Summer League Games?
Pulling up a Freshman
EARLY SEASON & NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULING
Coach to Win or Develop in 8th grade?
How many players you need (not carry) for your system?
Open Gym
Preseason Organizational Meeting w/ Staff
Saturday Program For Elementary Kids
Your Program: Secrets of Success & Problems You ve Faced

General Coaching Advice (8)

Make Sure You Always:
Make Sure You Never
How to Coach Young Centers
General Advice
Being a Better Bench Coach
What Makes A Good Coach At The Youth Level
What have you learned from experience
The Hardest Thing in Coaching Basketball is because

Team Management/Motivation (29)

Losing Mentality
Dealing With A Weaker Schedule
Players Accepting Roles
Parents
Parents & Playing Time
Dealing with Parents: Your Philosophy
Having Assistant Coaches
Players Keeping Notebooks/Giving them Handbooks
Team Building
Team Slogans
Half Time Pep-Talks
Motivational/Reward Systems for Individuals & Team
How to Motivate Polite Girls to be Aggressive
Team Leadership/Team Captains
Choosing Captains & their Responsibilities
Team Concept/Selfish Players
Avoiding Team Burnout
Practice Attendance & Consequences
Players Violating School & Team Rule
Having Players Play Multiple Positions
Goals You Want to Accomplish This Year
Substitution Systems
Planning for the Season
Team Rules
Motivational Quotes
GOAL SETTING
Eliminating 1st Game Jitters
Preparing for a Championship Game
Losing in the Championship: What do you say?

Statistics (6)

FT Percentage
FT s Per Game
What is a good 3-point FG Percentage
Statistics
Posting Stats to Players
High School Girls Basketball Research What statistic has the biggest correlation with winning?

Special Situations (8)

Special Situations
Time & Score Situations
Down in the 4th Quarter Strategies
In the lead, tight game: When to start eating clock?
Strategy: How do you start your game?
Down By 2, 20 Seconds Left: What do you do?
Strategy: Key situations in games
Game Strategy: I love it when

Other (47)

Features of a Good PG
Aggressiveness
BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A COACH
Likes/Dislikes
Bad Habits By Players
Pet Peeves
What will you change this season?
You Know it s Going to be a Long Season When
Community Service Project
Catchy Saying You Use as a Coach
Great Sayings
Use of Time Outs
Injury Liability Form
Parent/School Transportation Policy
Coaching Own Kids: Pros & Cons
Games & Contests for Summer Camp
Gift Suggestions for Coaches
Points of Emphasis Over the Summer
Coaching Resume
Activity Sports Fees
Rather have a natural athlete or a kid that had to learn how to become a player?
Your Best Prank
Toughest part about coaching
Stories of Parent Problems
Dealing With Refs
What has worked for you with referees?
Definition of a Good Coach
Rating yourself as a coach: Looking back at your season
Preparing for an interview
Telling players the truth: Do we sugarcoat things too much?
Breaking down game film
Preseason Parent Meeting
Awards Banquet
Summer Reading Coaching Books
Restrictions on Player s Appearance
Dress Codes
Coaching Philosophy
Can we teach toughness?
Working Camps
What Zone Do You Prefer & What Zone Do You Prefer to Play Against?
What does every successful coach have in common?
Unique or Interesting Basketball Ideas/Concepts
What your team does better than others year in and year out
Beginners Coaches Clinic
Beginners Clinic

OFFENSE

Fundamentals

Square Up & Triple Threat

The players are spread out on the floor. Each player has a ball. They spin the ball backwards, let it bounce, take their 1-2 step as they catch the ball and go into triple threat position. (Repeat several times in unison on the whistle.) We may advance further by having them plant their first foot, and make a rounded pivot (as if they were catching the ball on the perimeter and were turning to shoot.) I will have them do this in sets of 5 (the first four are working on the 1-2 step and getting low into the triple threat position. On the fifth rep they square up and begin to sweep and swing the ball while pivoting and protecting the ball.) I will make sure that they do this with each foot as the pivot foot
I don't think this is much help but, repetition is the name of the game. Start practice with individuals working their way around the 3 point line tossing and catching the ball with the feet in the air landing square to the basket with the ball in the shooting pocket. Have them work around the line both ways. No shooting just squaring up and getting in a good shooting position. Stress squaring up in every shooting drill you do as well as in scrimmages.
Here is a simple little drill I have done for years. It is very elementary, but hey, it has worked for me. Start a line at 1/2 court and another line on the wing. Guy on wing does a V-cut and catches the ball coming back to the wing. Focus on catching and squaring in the air. Upon catching and squaring they yell "Swoop" as they power the bal through once or twice. Then they pass it to the next man in the line at half court. That guy catches in with a jump stop and also "Swoops". By the this time the next guy in the wing line should be nearing the end of his Vcut and be ready to recieve the ball. The drill just keeps going. One other thing I stress in this is that the reciever has to give the passer a target. If the passer does not have a target they are told to not pass the ball. This backs one of our rules "Don't pass the ball to a guy who looks like he doesn't want it"

Passing

Bad passes aren't always the fault of the passer...they can be the result of bad receiving skills, too.
Having the hands ready to receive a pass, moving toward the passer, and creating a passing target/lane are as important as making good decisions with the ball. BBHighway has a clinic on catching/pivoting/faking that has much good advice.
We do a drill where you have 3 people involved. 2 people who are the passers spaced about 10 feet away with 1 person in the middle. The person in the middle stays in the middle until he can get a hand on the ball as it is trying to be passed to the other player. The middle person goes to the player who caught the ball and applies pressure trying to get a hand on the ball. Meanwhile, the passers are learning to pivot and protect, reverse pivot on the overplay to pass on the other side, fake a pass to make a pass, and so on. The drill continues for a specified amount of time. No lob passes are allowed, and the receiver must be able to catch the ball without moving.
Bobby Knight has a thought on passing that we have found effective. He states " The player should pass away from the defense rather than to the offensive man".
practice dribble entries into your motion; AND teach them how to USE the dribble to open up passing lanes.
DRILLS:

THE OLD STAR DRILL: (no shooting just passing): Do it with two and then three balls at one time. The other may be a bit difficult to explain without diagrams but I'll try.

DIAMOND PASSING DRILL:

CROSS PASSING DRILL:

INDIANA PASSING DRILL:

BEARCAT PASSING DRILL: (4 balls)

GET OUT OF THE TRAP DRILL:

10 CONSECUTIVE PASSES:

10 CONSECUTIVE PASSES WITH 4 DEFENDERS:

V-Cut Passing

Post Feeding:

A great passing drill

2 line passing race, no Defense.

3 man weave

2v1 passing:

Machine gun pass

Circle with D in middle.

50 passes

Is the chest pass overrated?

I think, with regards to passing, teaching the 2 handed chest pass is one of the biggest wastes of time possible. When do you use it. When is it more affective than a one handed step thru pass. Our entire program, varsity on down to camp for the 1st graders has stopped teaching it. We teach a right handed pass with a right step or a left step, a left handed pass with a right or left step. A Hervie pass, this is the 2 handed above the head pass, but not the lob. A lob, a baseball pass. The key to getting open to make the pass is pivoting. "Pivot to Pass" as we say many many times. Pivoting does not lead to many good chest passes, it is just too akward. How many times does a player have the luxury of stepping directly toward the intended pass recepient. Not if you are playing my team. On the perimeter, a chest pass can easily be deflected by the pass defender or the recepient defender. We teach outside hand to outside hand. So if I am on the right wing passing to the top of the key. I am going to step through the defender with a pivot, pass with my left hand since it is as far from the d as possible and aim for the right shoulder area of the guy I am passing to.
One of the points of emphasis when teaching this pass is to keep it in 2 hands as long as possible, but then at the end, all the strength and rotation comes from one hand. It is very similar to the off hand when shooting, keep it on the ball as long as possible then finish with one hand. I like what you are saying about stepping through and getting the knee to the ground except for 2 factors. First, I think you need to practice stepping with either foot because of not knowing which pivot foot to use and second, I worry about getting extended so far with the long step that if a defender starts to go for the steal, you can't regain your balance and pull out of the pass.
I've been having the same thoughts for a while. I think the one hand push pass (that's what I call it) can be much better that the chest pass in most situations. But, not teaching the chest pass would be a mistake. I find my self using it often when I play, simply because there are times it is the best pass. Their are different ways of dribling the ball from one side to the other. Do you only teach your players the crossover? There is just times when a reverse drible (spin) is better. You can play the game of basketball only using few fundamentals. However I think it is our job as coaches to teach our players the entire game. I agree on the push pass being a more used pass, hence a better pass. I teach it before the chest pass. This is also because it will help the development of the shoot better than the chest pass.
Chest pass is good in fast break when you are not closely covered and want to throw hard and quickly. When defended, you cannot use it. The overhead pass is what we use 90% of the time because it is quick, you can easily fake it one way and throw it the other whereas the long step to the side and throw from the hip is so slow developing that the receiver's defender can easily anticipate it and cut in front for the steal. Stepping across the defenders leg before passing is a good counter for very tight D on the passer.
We never teach chest passing. We teach right and left handed push passes. If we are going to the left side of the floor from the top, we want a left handed push pass. We teach our kids to pass with the hand away from the defender. We have both hands on the ball but the ball is anchored on the right or left side of the trunk. The hand on the side away from the defender is really the guide hand and the hand that pushes the ball to the target. Even on full court passing drills we emphasize passing with the hand that would be away from the defender. Our kids, most of them, do not want to use the left hand. But we emphasize it and hold them accountable for attempting to execute this properly.

Foul shooting

1) Check form and correct technical problems (make sure to keep the legs in the shot)
2) repetition - have them get a system so they do the same thing on each shot (ie. 3 dribbles and shoot, etc.)
3) practice ft shooting several times each practice. We shoot free throws 3 times each practice--first, after warming up and doing full court drills (O or D), we shoot 20, 5 at a time, trying to establish rhythm, etc.; second, after doing individual drills we shoot "streaks" (shoot until you make, shoot until you miss) again to establish rhythm and get the kids comfortable at the line; third, at the end of practice, depending on time, we shoot 5 1-and-1's or 5 2's. After that's done, we line everyone up to shoot 1. We assign 1 suicide at the end of practice for every missed free throw. Say we make 8/12 leaving four suicides, depending on my mood and how hard they've practiced, I select 1 or 2 players to shoot double or nothing (after we've run about half of the suicides). This adds a little more pressure to it.
Obviously pressure would play a little role in this, but I firmly believe the main thing is confidence. In practice there aren't any really bad consequences if you miss the shot like there are in the game. Therefore you have more confidence that you will make it, why shouldn't you. You got nothing to lose. I constantly explain to my kids; if you can do it once, you can do it 100 times. By making 1 shot you prove that your body is capable of performing the necessary movements to make it. The only challenge is to mentally get your body to perform it again. It is almost like training a dog. Initially he might speak on command 3 out of 10 times. But, although he fails 70% of the time, he can still do it. Eventually his pea sized brain will learn how to call upon that function 100% of the time. Just preach CONFIDENCE!!
I think Silver Coach nailed it. Conditioning is key. Its one thing to knock down 15 in a row in the driveway, and quite another to do it in a game. We like to practice free throws when breathing hard and then add incentives to simulate the pressure, so there are stakes on the line. The stakes can be a positive reward if the free throw is made and/or negative if missed (run more and try again). After players get used to shooting like this, they should feel more confident, and their game percentage should pick up. Steve

Shooting Pocket

A couple quick questions first: How strong is your daughter, and at what basket height is she shooting? The reason I ask is at younger ages kids aren't strong enough to shoot "3 pointers" and when they shoot from more than 10-12 feet away they will either start their shot from the side or down by their waist. What I've also seen happen, is to keep the shooting elbow "in" players sometimes push their shooting hand out, which makes them shoot more from the side of their head. I do allow players to be "slightly" turned when squaring up to the basket which helps overcome this problem. Example; left "ball of foot" even with right heel for a right handed shooter.

I teach shooting from above the eyes. Reasons:
1) There is a straight line from your eyes to the basket, and the ball is now also on that line. This results in less adjustments you have to account for.
2) It helps with your follow through because you're trying to "flick" your wrist into the basket, so your hand doesn't shoot from the side of the ball.
3) Your shots are harder to block because you're usually shooting from a higher release point.

I'm sure there are other advantages/disadvantages, but at the middle school level these benefits are enough for me to teach the way I do. My comment about shooting above the eyes, referred to "Learner's" term. I did not mean to describe the shot by blocking your vision with the ball in front of your eyes. The shooting pocket (for a right hand shooter) is formed, and starts, with the center of the ball even or just outside of your right eye, with the top of the ball about shoulder high. (Triple threat position) When you release the ball you should be releasing above the head, with hand and ball still aligned with the right eye. Hope I didn't confuse anyone.
You do not want the ball to be in front of your eyes when shooting, this limits your vision. The shooting pocket should be slightly to the outside of your head, but also slightly in front of your head. When the ball is in the shooting pocket, the inside of the ball should be about even with the outside of your stong side eye and the ball should be 6 inches to a foot in front of your head. This is a little method I have used for my 7th grade boys. Reach out like you are going to shake someones hand. Now, keep your elbow still and bring your hand up to the shooting pocket. This should give you good elbow position and hand position. When all of this is done correctly, you should see 3 fingers on your shooting hand and 2 fingers on your off hand when holding the ball.

Correcting Shooting Form

I currently have a number of players on my 7th and 8th grade teams who all seem to have a good form for taking a shot.... feet spaced apart for good balance, elbows are in tight, and seem to have their eyes set on the hoop. However, when the shot is taken, it is usually a flat shot, with little arc. This leads to the ball hitting hard off the front or back of the rim. What drills or ideas do you have for getting these players and younger players to shoot with more arc on the ball?
With my girls' teams I try to get them to imagine reaching into a cookie jar on the top shelf--that gets them thinking about getting up on their toes, getting their shooting arm moving up instead of out, and gets their hand to follow through (as though reaching over the top of the cookie jar). My boys' teams often have already been taught to think of a gooseneck on their follow-through. One good drill is to start out under the rim and make 3-5 (depending on your team's ability level) shots without using the glass or hitting the rim. After making a full set of clean shots, move back a step and do it again. Adjust the number of clean shots as the distance gets greater. What the shooter discovers is that a higher shot has a better chance of coming through the rim clean. It is much more effective to see this than it is to hear a coach harping on it.
Like Rockets Ch I have kids stand with their noses under the front of the rim to shoot 25. This position forces them to reach with their follow through up and over. It seems awkward at first but as they get it they seem to like the challenge. Also remind them of Michael Jordan's last shot in the NBA - follow through high, held, and waving goodbye to the ball!
Excellent question. I'm working with 9-10 grade boys and see the same thing. I think the flat shot comes from two sources: poor technique and/or linear thinking. Poor technique: the flat shot is a sign of weakness, so find where the power is lost. Is the wrist cocked back? Is the ball on the palm or fingertips? How much are the legs under the shot? Is the ball held far from the body when the shot is initiated? Have the players start from a triple threat position, legs bent, with the ball near the shooting shoulder. There should be plenty of power there for arc. When players try jumps shots, the shot often flattens out. Watch for elbow flare, timing of the release and where the ball is held to initiate the shot. Linear thinking: Some kids just think in straight lines. When shooting, they choose the shortest path to the basket. To them, an arcing shot is loss of control. As mentioned in earlier posts, shooting under the basket is an excellent drill. Have them shoot over taller people (hands raised) for longer shots to force the arc. I try to explain that a ball falling straight down into the basket sees a circular target. The incoming flat shot sees a smaller, narrow oval target. Look at the details. They may do many things right, but it just takes one fault to break the technique.
I suggest that if she will be playing at the 8th grade level the rest of her life, there isn't much need to change as she shoots OK now. If she has ambitions, its better to pay the price of learning technique now rather than later.
just remember to keep encouraging this player with positive reminders about the 4 elements of the shot: Balance (hand and body) Eyes (on the RIM), Elbow (shooting hand and arm position) and Followthrough (60 degrees +/- from plane of body, waving "goodbye" to the ball). If she can shoot it using her old methods and agrees to adjust her shot, her confidence will plummet because she will start missing shots. JUST KEEP ENCOURAGING with the "2 for 1" method: 2 positive comments for every negative. It will be difficult. Good Luck!
Incorrect form is a very common thing with youngster because they do not have a lot of power and make up for it with a lot of unusual shots, such as from the waist. I would not let up on her as far as the correct way to shot. If it is difficult for her to change now, it will be almost impossible later on! I would start with her real close to the basket where she will not have to compromise correct form for power and gradually move her back. Players with bad form usually do not advance too far. It would have been nice if someone had told her this earlier but you can still help her.
Make them do it right... over and over and over and over. Many high school players wind up as "Career JV's" because of 1 or 2 fundamental flaws and this is no different. Our high school jv team has 1 girl right now who can rebound and play defense with as well as anyone but she pushes her shot from about chest high with no extension. This is a bad habit that was never corrected at an earlier age. Now, since she is not an offensive threat she is probably doomed to be a JV player until her senior year and then become a "role" player and get limited time on the varsity. Try your best to make them do it right. That's why you're the coach.
If you have her practice correctly eventually it will replace the way she currently shoots. She will have to shoot several thousand shots the right way before she will "automatically" shoot in a game with correct form. Start close to the basket and practice a one-handed shot with proper form, within 5 feet. As her form improves, move her away from the basket. Do not let her shoot with both hands, learn a one-handed shot and add the other hand as a balance.
Strengthening shooting muscles:
1. Hold right hand in shooting position with wrist cocked back, elbow pointing at basket, forearm straight up. Use left hand to provide resistance on finger tips of right hand and flex wrist forward against resistance of left hand.
2. Squeeze a tennis ball.
3. Pushups.
4. Leg exercises, such as lunges, half squats, toe raises, jumping.

Correct Form:
Face basket, point upper arm at basket with elbow higher than underarm, bend elbow so angle is around 100 - 140 degrees (longer shots need greater elbow bend, short shots mostly wrist and less elbow bend). Make sure forearm (elbow to wrist) is straight up and down, not with the elbow sticking out to the side - the most common shooting form problem I see. Bend the wrist back as far as possible. Left hand should just hold the ball on the right hand until the beginning of th shot and then come off the ball. Don't push the ball with the left hand (2nd most common error). Extend the elbow and flick the wrist making sure the ball is held by the pads of the fingers and not touching the palm. Focus your eyes on the basket visualizing the rim as the edge of a small round table and make the ball land on the middle of the table. If you are shooting a jump shot, you should release the ball at the peak of the jump or just slightly before the peak. After you release the ball, your wrist should be bent as far forward as it will bend. You can practice form by standing with your right foot on the out of bounds line and shooting straight up so the ball lands a few feet in front of your foot, on the line, and with perfect back spin. Then start shooting at the basket beginning very close and slowly backing out. Have a partner check your form as you shoot. If you make two in a row, back up a step. If you miss two in a row, move in a step. Once you are shooting well with no defense, have your partner run at you and work on quicker release and a high release, shooting off a dribble left and right, off a jump stop and pivot, etc.

Problems with Missed Lay-ups & Short Shots

My 6th grade boys are having difficulty making short shots of all types - put-backs, baseline drives and lay ups from directly in front of the goal. I can't seem to get them to use the glass and it's driving me crazy watching them miss so many close in shots. I'm going to start using the Mikan Drill in practice but that involves only one player at a time. Practices are held with three other teams in the gym, so I have only one basket available to me. Is there a "team" drill I can use to help with this problem?
Well, there is one drill i know of. You put a ball on each of the two blocks and put two guys there, one under the hoop and one in the middle of the paint. The guy in the paint is the shooter. he goes to the first ball, grabs it, and shoots, he then goes to the other ball and does the same thing. The guys underneath hands the guys on the first block the ball while that guys replaces it. The shooter shoots ten times, then they rotate.
A drill I call stationary lay-ups works really well for that age group. I had the same problem with my guys missing too many underneath. The drill goes like this- One ball one player-standing under basket alternating sides of basket while shooting as fast as he can-emphasis on no dribble, arm extension, quick release, and speed- I require my 7th graders to hit 25 in a row, and 8th to hit 30- AND I give them 3-4 tries to achieve this or they do 50 wall slaps (I'll explain later) They get really competitive w/ each other w/ this one and really like it as long as they hit. During this drill I slap or pop the kids in their stomach or legs to get them use to contact under the basket when shooting. OK - Wall Slaps- I have the same problem with having only one basket so I get a couple strips of tape and stick on the wall - one for short ones and one for the taller kids- place the tape so it will be a challenge for them to jump and reach- then have them do ~50 while never allowing their arms to fall- if they fall the whole team does a double-suicide.
I got this drill from Gary Blair, Arkansas Lady Razorbacks Head Coach. Have your players make two equal lines on either side of the lane underneath the basket. The players will be facing the floor. Everyone has a ball except the first person in one of the lines. Start the drill by having the person w/o the ball curl around and receive the ball from the first person in the other line. First cutter shoots ( lay-up, short jumper, etc.). The passer becomes the next cutter. He will curl around (make sure they go around) the person who he just passed to. You should get a criss-crossing motion. You can adapt this drill to your offense and to accommodate longer jump shots or backside cuts. Hope this helps.
I like to use competitive drills for shooting like this one: divide your team into 3 equal teams, each team forms a straight line facing the basket - line A at the foul line, line B on the diagonal(just off the first hash mark) and line C opposite line B (off the opposite hash mark. Each team starts with a ball at the first player. Place 3 balls at the opposite foul line (other end of the court). At the coach's signal, the players begin shooting at the basket. If they make their shot, they rebound their own ball and pass to the next player in their own line. If they miss, they must rebound to their own line, sprint to the opposite foul line and make a foul shot before they can return to their original line. Score one point for each made short shot and the first line to 11 (21) wins! Players must rebound to get the free throw balls, if there are too many players at that end. "Shooting Challenged " lines run as a consequence. Have fun the kids love this!
Try this. 2 lines out of bounds baseline at each lane line. one ball in each line. the second line the 2nd player has the ball & the first person in the first line has the ball. The first player in line 2 curls through the lane and gets the ball for a jump stop and jump lay up(you can modify the type of shot you want them to shoot). The passer cuts off of this shooter as if he were a screener and curls to the other block and gets the pass for a jump stop and jump lay up. The shooter gets his own rebound and passes to the line he recieved the pass from and goes to the end of that line. this drill should be done quickly with crisp passes. This is also a good conditioning drill to get them shooting with tired legs. I let it go for awhile and when they get tired I have them make a certain number of shots before we switch to something else. I usually start with jump lay ups, left hand left side and right hand right side, and I extend to mid lane jumpers, elbow jumpers, top of key each side 3's and finish back with lay ups.
Preach high and soft, jump up not forward. Run chaser lay-up drill with man starting at half-court with defender following, Adjust distance behind based on speed. Both players take off when you pass out in front of first player, who races down using speed dribble for lay-up with defender following..simulates games situations with lay-ups.

Celtic lay-up drill: 2 person drill full-court: player tosses ball off-board, rebound and hits outlet player who dribbles down for lay-up, rebounder follows and puts it in if player misses, then steps out and hits outlet and repeat in the other direction. Make your lay-up drills more game-like. Put in defense as a chaser as suggested before. Get a football blocking pad and bump your players as they shoot. Stand under the hoop and give them light fouls as they shoot. Put them under some pressure. 4-minute lay-up drill. Let us say you have 10 players, then the team must make 10 right handed lay-ups in a row, then switch and shoot until you make 10 left-handed in a row, then switch and shoot 10 right side power until you make 10 in a row, and then left power until you make 10 in a row. A great team should get this done in less than 3 minutes. Every 30 seconds that goes by after 4:00 minutes is some sort of run. I have had teams do it in 2 minutes and 30 seconds and I have had teams that took 27 minutes to do it. The teaching points are this. You must shoot with some pressure. It take all 10 guys to make the team great. Do not get down on guys that miss but instead you should encourage. This is actually a better team building drill than lay-up drill. It will really show you the character of your team. Will they fold when the going gets tough, or will the shine.

3 Drills we use to teach the kids to finish their lay-ups:

#1. Power lay-up drill. Drill runs both directions simultaneously with a coach at each end. Two lines (offense and defense) at the FT line extended so the kids are facing the far basket. Roll ball out towards half court, Offensive player must pick up the ball and drive to the hole for a lay-up while the defender tries to force their player out of the lay-up lane . Coach with blocking pads steps in to make contact as the lay-up is being put up. Go to the next line switching O & D. Two keys keep the defender from diverting your path to the hole, and welcome the contact by going in strong (power up), not fading at the finish. Do these from both the R and L sides.

#2. Full court chaser drill. Both directions simultaneously, coach at each end to evaluate the finish. We use permanent pairings based on speed and skill. Offensive player at FT line extended, Defender with the ball behind the baseline under the basket. D passes the ball in to O who will push the ball hard up the remaining length of the court with D chasing. We encourage speed and contact. Switch O & D lines and go the other way. Keys for offense, finish strong and welcome the contact, for defense, beat the ball handler to the block (where the lay-up will take place) rather than chase aimlessly. Coach evaluates each finish providing feedback to the players. Again, make sure you practice both L and R sides.

#3. Full court outlet & trailer drill. Three lines one under the basket (rebounder), another at half-court sideline on ballside of rebounder, and the third out of bounds at the weak side hash-mark with an obstacle (we use a saw-horse). Coach at each station plus end basket. Tap ball off backboard, rebounder pulls down the board, pivots and looks to make an outlet pass near the half-court sideline. After the pass, rebounder will sprint to weak side block, filling the lane as the trailer. Before the outlet pass, the outlet receiver is trying to juke the defender (coach) and calls for the outlet pass (v-cut back to ball). Once outlet has the ball, drive hard to the far basket for a lay-up. At the same time outlet receives the pass, defender at the hash-mark can release, jump over the horse, and sprint to the strongside block to defend the lay-up. Lots of key points in this drill both offense and defense. The ones related to lay-ups are as follows: If defender has not established position on the block, YOU MUST FINISH THE LAY-UP. If defender has beaten you to the block, either pull up for a short jumper or feed the trailer on the weak side (keeps defender honest). Coach evaluates all finishes and provides feedback. Everyone rotates one line over.

Low Post Play

Our players use the drop step, Sikma move (up and under) and the hook shot. These are basic moves for all post players that we work on everyday day along with Mikens and Billy C shots around the basket. More important is to work on shooting in traffic and on offensive putbacks. We work on getting balanced, going up strong and shooting soft. We shoot in side tring to draw contact and fouls. A good drill for this is to give each player a ball, one line in the lane, have yourself and another person stand shoulder to shoulder in fornt of the basket and have the player with the ball throw it off the back board, rebound and go back up agianst you and the other defender (go up strong and get some contact). Post moves need to be worked on in the summer, consentrating on foot work, balance and a soft touch around the hoop.
We like to put tape on the floor and create what we call a power box. The box should be a half box with the open end furthest from the baseline. The box should be located about 3 feet in front of the backboard off to the side of the hoop - basically the area you want the player to release his power move shot. We work the player on how to break across the lane and receive the ball with a slight two foot jump stop. We work next on how to chin the ball and look baseline foot to see if he can beat his man. We next work the FOOTWORK. We drop step, slide, one dribble in midddle of body. This move should take us from the catch spot (line between the second and third free throw lane spot) to the power box. The feet should be pointing straight at the backboard - this is a must. The shoulders will also be square with the backboard. This will keep the inside shoulder closed and teach the player how to keep his opponent on his back. It is a simple drill but we do it by the 100's.

Post Play: Counter move to the drop step

Power dribble (one) towards the middle of the key and explode to the basket. We practice the drop step, the power dribble and with some players a short hook shot with that move towards the middle. What we discourage are fadeaway jumpers.
If the post player is feeling heavy pressure from the low side by the defender, then we teach our post to front pivot into the lane, so you are still using the same pivot foot. The important factor is to pivot fast and low so that your post player is in basketball position and ready to move. Now we have 3 reads. #1 if the defender stays back, we take the 7 foot jumper, from this spot I coach them to always use the backboard so they cant get more power on their shot and have less chance of it getting blocked. This is the least best option The next option is if the defender stays back and is still in a position to deny the move down the lane. Then we use a dribble to the middle and shoot either a left handed baby hook over the front of the rim. Or a power move and use the backboard from straight in front. This is the second best choice. Now the best move is if the defender uses and advance step to try to stop the jumper when the post front pivots. Now the inside leg as the post is facing the hoop is still free to make a step. So we execute a cross over step aiming our lead foot just pass and through the defenders outside leg and foot, then with a good power dribble we pin the defender on our backs and make the power lay up from the same spot we would have, had the drop step been available. This is the best option.
Another move we teach is a ball fake - show the ball high side near the shoulder and lean (but don't step). If the defender buys the move and steps up, you can then execute the drop step, sealing him off and making the power lay-up.
1) Ball fake to inside middle above shoulder before drop step baseline, add shot fake if needed before power lay-up
2) Fake drop step baseline with ball fake shoulder high, inside pivot, baby jumper (option: can also add step back dribble to create space)
3) Fake drop step, ball fake shoulder high baseline, inside pivot to middle, jump hook
4) Fake drop step, inside pivot, shot fake, up and under crossing over back baseline if they overreact to 2 and 3
5) If playing soft, pivot, square up and take quick jumper or fake shot and crossover middle and hookbr> We teach the kids to open up to the inside and then up and under to the power shot which they wanted to do in the first place.

Backdoor Cut

I just want to add that the back door is more of a a two man play than an individual move. The passer's role is just as important as the cutter's. Where is most often breaks down is when the passer simply doesn't see the backdoor develop and misses the opportunity. Another common fault is the passer not selling the situation with a fake pass. What helps is advance information. Offensive players that have an overzealous defender should speak up or signal (we use a closed fist). Cutter should use extended outside hand to signal for pass, then plant outside foot to stop and reverse, always facing the ball. Also a geographic marker for the actual cut (such as the three point line) helps improve success. Some of the best places to strike are the wing diving low, coming back to the wing and reversing again at the arc to go inside; post player comes out to get a pass in the corner but reverses back inside.
1. Use L-Cuts. Teach the players to cut at their defender in a streight line. If the defender is above the outside shoulder, cut to basket. If the defender is under the inside shoulder, plant the inside foot and cut up to meet the pass.

2. Look at the scouting report and game film. Do they play a flat triangle or an extended defense?

3. When executing a back cut, the inside hand mut be extended all the way to give the passer a target. YOU MUST DRILL THE KIDS ON BEING ABLE TO CATCH A BACKDOOR PASS AND HIT THE LAY-UP IN STRIDE, NO JUMP STOPS OR HESITATIONS. TEACH THE KIDS HOW TO SHOOT LAY-UPS WITH A DEFENDER PRESSURING FROM BEHIND.

4. The most frustrating part of teaching back cuts is the passing aspect. We use a lot of back cuts to offset the extreme defensive pressure that we face in our league (some of the best in the state). Teach the kids how to make a one handed bounce pass off of the dribble and they must LEAD THE CUTTER TO THE HOOP. This type of pass makes us harder to telegraph and the pass is lower, thus harder to steal. Watch old Princeton tapes, especially when Carril was there, they were the best.

5. If you want to use more back cuts in your .5 court offense, you must teach your players that only greedy players run at the ball. Plus, you have to be able to hit the perimeter jump shot to force the defense out into the lanes. If there is no answer at the backdoor, knock at the front.

6. It takes a lot of teaching time in practice. It has been a good cut for us, we have to use it. It makes teaching slips vs. switching easier, and once the kids get used to doing it they can get very clever and precise on both the cut and pass.
We also use closed fist to signal we are going back door and the kids are NEVER to start a back cut and not go all the way to the block. that way the passer can be confident the cutter is really going back door and can focus on the defenders. AK's point about the fake pass to the outside as the cutter plants to go back door is also important. Often the D will swallow the fake and take his eyes off the cutter which allows the cutter to get very open. Cutters also have to notice help coming and be ready to dish.

FUN Ball handling Drills

Basketball Tag - Everyone has a ball, they start dribbling inside the 3 point line and at the same time try to knock the ball away from the others. As long as you keep one continuous dribble, you stay in. If you lose your dribble, your out. 2. Dribble with one hand and juggle 2 tennis balls with the other.
SPORTS PAGE- each kid gets a page out of the paper they open it against their chest and have to dribble forward fast enough and under control to keep the paper off the ground without touching it. Each stop you fold it in half to make it that much harder.
Each player gets a ball-boundaries are the baseline and the three point arc-blow the whistle-each player tries to knock the ball of another player out of bounds-if your ball is knocked out you are out of the drill-as players decrease shorten the boundaries. Drill teaches: stay low, protect ball, court awareness, etc.
keep away with a coach helping the team on defense - time offense and see how long they can keep the ball. fox and geese? - dribblers have to stay on the lines (side lines, lanes, 3 point line, volleyball court lines, etc) while a chaser tries to knock their ball away - chaser replaces whoever he knocked out and they become new chaser - chaser does not have a ball. Option is to keep same chaser and last person caught is next fox. Time them to see which fox gets others out quickest. Maximum two minutes so slow kids don't go forever. Sharks and minnows: one person "it", others start on baseline with a ball. All try to dribble to other baseline while "it" tries to knock their ball away. Each person caught joins with original shark for the next iteration. Last one to lose ball is shark for next game. Relay races using cones (or kids lined up as cones) making various dribbing moves for each direction change (behind back, between legs, spin, crossover).

Better Hands

I don't know what it's called, but there's a toy/game/whatever, that velcros around your wrist and has an extremely long and strong rubber band attached to the end. Attached to that is a super ball about the size of a tennis ball. You throw the ball away from you and it goes out about 15 feet, then the rubber band zigs it back at you. If you don't catch it, the super ball will zing you in every part of your body. You learn real quickly how to catch a ball! Sorry I don't have the name of it for you.
Silly putty! Get ahold of some silly putty and play with it daily. This strengthens hands and helps prevent injuries.
Squeeze a tennis ball. Do fingertip pushups. Throw a superball against the wall and catch it. Have a partner throw a basketball to you and catch it with one hand - use your fingertips, reach out for the ball, let your hand give as the ball hits it, pull it in. You can also take a flat piece of plywood about the size of a ping pong paddle, drill some holes in it for laces so you can attach it to the palm of your hand, and practice one hand catches with the wood on your hand. This will help you learn to let your hand give when the ball hits it. I know this works for baseball players but have never tried it for catching a basketball. Close your eyes and have someone throw passes into your hands (gently). Have someone play defense on you (post them up by stepping in front of them and holding them behind you with your butt and upper arm) while another player throws you passes which you will catch with the other hand. Have them bump you and try to reach around you to deflect the pass while you hold them off. Concentrate on focusing on the ball as it comes toward your hand.

Pivot Foot: Does it Matter?

The left foot as pivot seems natural to me, but I stress ambidexterity as the goal for ball handlers. If a player is comfortable going either way, then what difference does it make which foot is the pivot? If our defenders realize an opponent is "right handed", he will be using his left hand a lot when we play.
I coach 7th grade boys and we select a pivot foot depending on where we catch the ball on the floor. I try to set up our drives to the middle, so when we cut to the wing on the right side, the right foot is the pivot, the opposite on the left side. In the post we try to use the high foot as the pivot so that we can use our drop step. So again, on the right post, our right leg is the pivot so that the left leg can lead step to the hoop. I drill this over and over until we get our footwork down. We work on catching and establishing territory with the preferred foot. We also drill catching with the other foot as the pivot because in a game who know what the defense is going to force you into. Drill. Have your wing start near the baseline and v-cut to the wing at practice the footwork for catching. I use this drill as a filler for dead time in my practices.
For perimeter players, we teach permanent pivot foot (left foot for right handed shooters). Want them to catch with pivot foot forward so they can face the basket and jab step with their "shooting foot". Now they are ready to read the D. If defender doesn't step up to contest the jab, finish the shot or pass to open players near the basket. If defender contests, then swing the ball low and to the weak hand, knife past defender with a quick dribble or two to clear space for a short jumper or dish (or in the rare cases of a true opening in half court sets - drive to the hole). Some of the conflicting materials you are reading are probably from coaches that teach establishing the outside as the pivot so either foot becomes the pivot depending on what side of the court you are on. While some very valid points can be made for this, we stick to a permanent pivot foot. We prefer to have the players learn one technique well so they are not tentative in their execution or turn the ball over with travelling violations.
We run an open post offense that is designed to create driving/scoring opportunities into the lane. Therefore, we feel it is important that our perimter players use their outside foot as the pivot foot. This allows them to attack the lane easier and puts more pressure on the defense. I do not agree that this is more difficult for young players to learn. I coach 8th grade boys and they have all picked it up quickly.
Phil clearly describes the reasoning behind a permanent pivot foot. We teach this way so that the jump shot is always the same. That is, step into the shot with the shooting foot. If you teach either foot as a pivot, how do teach a jump shot for a right handed-shooter with the right foot as the pivot?
Our perimeter players do a series of shooting drills at every practice. One of the drills is to V-cut to the wing position, meet the ball, pivot on the outside foot, square and shoot the jumper. This is done on each side. The next drill builds off the first where after they square to the basket, they make a hard escape dribble into the lane. This is done by making a big step with the inside foot and pushing off of the outside (pivot) foot. They make a Sprewell hop into the lane and shoot a pull-up jumper. By using a permanent pivot foot, the player would have to pivot away from the basket after they catch the ball and then use a crossover step to get into the lane. This is a slower, less aggressive move. That's not my opinion, rather simple body physics. In my opinion, teaching to use left and right pivots is as important as teaching dribbling with either hand in the development of a versatile offensive player.
I think regardless of your choice (permanent pivot, inside pivot, etc.), you must maintain some consistancy in your teaching and throughout your program. I have experienced success using both methods. Make sure that this is a point of emphasis each day of practice (even if only for 2-3 minutes). The key is creating the desired habit through repetition.

Proper Technique for Setting Screen

Coaching girls, I teach them to cross their hands across their chest a little away from the body.
I prefer 2. Arms crossed elbows out. If the arms are away from the chest a bit, they offer some cushioning when the defender hits. Also, if you have your knees flexed a bit, you can maintain balance better. I caution the players not to push away or flare the elbows out because they are inviting a foul call. I don't like the family jewels option because its too easy to get knocked on your keister. If the pick is set away from the ball, there's no requirement to take the defender head on. If the screener presents his/her backside, its safer for the screener and more brutal for the defender. If the pick fails, the fault is usually with the ball handler who didn't direct the defender into the screen.
Arms crossed, elbows out as much as you can get away with...protects the chest..makes for wide screen. John Kresse (College of Charleston) teaches as wide a screen as possible almost with fists together at chest with elbows out to make it wide. This is good as long as you don't get too wide and push out. Also teaches jump stop when setting screen.
I teach keep arms crossed and end. i found this cut down on leaning and "Blocking" instead of screening. I also teach the dribbler to get a close as possible to the outside shoulder of the screener
I teach the Family Jewels Screen for a few reasons.

1) Past Experiences when not preotecting them OUCH!

2) It allows the screener to set a tight screen, while discouraging the urge to push if arms are up and getting a cheep foul call.

3)By allowing the screener to get closer and make a tighter screen, it allows the screener to place his inside knee behind the knee of the defender and seal him out when rolling off of the screen. With arms up, defender has too much room to drop around screen and sealing out is much more difficult.
Another reason for having hands up and elbows out ... upon contact, the offense will probably be on one forearm or the other. Lean on that forearm enough to take the weight off the foot on that side. Let your forearm slide down some to lower your center of gravity. Then you can pivot easier to seal him out as well as know exactly where he is. The offensive player will have a difficult time going anywhere once you pin him. Another concept I've seen taught in this situation is to pivot and "sit" on the offensive player's leg. I have had screens set on me and been sat upon. Works good.

Setting Staggered Screens

I guess it depends on your definition of a staggered screen. The side by side screen is simply a double screen. A staggered screen is two screeners who are not together so the defensive player hits the first screen, then after getting around it hits the second screen. As for the best position, I think hitting the second screen a step or two after hitting the first screen is good. The staggered screen has the advantage of catching the defender off guard because he is still focused on getting away from the first screener while the second screen is being set.
We use staggered screens. We teach the screeners that they should be perpendicular to each other. For example, we will run a perimeter player from the short corner on one side to the wing on the opposite side. If we employ a staggered screen, screener #1 will set a screen on the opposite block with his chest facing the other block. Screener #2 will set a higher screen with his chest facing the baseline. After we run it a few times the defender will go over the top and try to beat our offensive player to the spot. When this happens we teach our players to pop out to the ball-side short corner for the easy jumper.
When we teach a staggard screen we treat it as two different screens. One shooter, one screener(first), and one reader (second screen). The first screener sets a solid screen and the second screen is set based on how the defense reacts to the first screen. If the defense trails the first screen we have the reader steps outside the first. This makes the defense go farther and also tells the shooter to curl the staggard. If the defense jumps under the first screen then the reader sets the screen inside the the first and this shows the shooter to fade for a jump shot.
The staggered screen concept is great if you like to shoot the "3". We run it as part of our secondary break. One additional thing to keep in mind is that you may want to set the second of the two screens with a post player. That way, if the defense switches, you could conceivably have a mismatch on the perimeter and the block.

Setting & Using Screens Better

The most effective drills that I have seen for teaching screening and cutting are on Lute Olsen's Passing Game video available from Sysko's. "Two on one with the coach" starts with a player at the point with no defender, a player at the forward position with a defender, and the coach at the wing opposite the forward. The point passes to the coach and screens down for the forward. Lute covers the forward setting up his defender for the screen, reading the defender when the screen arrives, and making the cut based on the defender's actions. Even though everyone knows what will be happening, the screen is very difficult to defend when run correctly. "Two on two with the coach" adds a defender on the player at the point and adds the screener reading the defenders and and the cutter and reacting accordingly. Once the lessons of these drills are ingrained, the screener and cutter are very difficult to defense even in a drill when everyone knows what is happening.
Along these lines we will play 2 on 2 and 3 on 3 cutthroat. Let me define cutthroat first -- basically if you score on offense you get to stay. We begin by playing two on two (with a coach) and forcing them to pass to the coach first and screen away. The coach has the option to decide if the screen and read were good and pass the ball (I have never told me team I do this) or if it isn't good they won't get the ball so they will need to go back and rescreen. Once they get the ball they can do whatever they want with it, including passing it back to the coach. They will do one of two things if they pass to the coach -- they will pass and cut or pass and screen away (our two basic options for them in our motion offense). Then we move to 3 on 3. We do this because they need to learn to pass the ball to players coming off screens. Again we force them to pass and screen away to begin the offense and then they are on their own. Both of these drill are used AFTER we spend hours teaching them how to pass and cut and pass, screen away and READ the screen.

Driving By a Defender

Closer is better!!!! Once he's up on you tight you have to "Rip and Read" - get into triple threat by squeezing the ball tight and pivoting through ripping the ball elbows pointed side to side. Don't throw an elbow at him just rip through his arms this should create some space or at least keep their hands off. THen seal woth your leg- rip and step over or under getting your leg around theirs with tha tgood first step and go right off thier hip. If they are pinned by your hip and leg they can't slide without fouling you. Don't be afraid of contact and as sugested before realistic small fakes. Use your shoulders and eyes to sell the fake but keep the bal tight and protected.
Deception is more important than quickness. Use a realistic fake to misdirect the defender (fake pass left, drive right; fake a shot and drive, etc) before making your move. Don't try to drive around your defender, go right at his hip so your hip and his hip rub as you go by. Going wider around him than you need to lets him drop step and cut you off. Once your lead foot is past his foot and your inside arm is past his body, cut toward the basket (make contact, don't avoid it) and lean into him strongly as you drive to the hole. Be ready to pass if another defender steps in to help on you. Sometimes faking a pass as you pick up your dribble to shoot your lay up will freeze the help man and allow you to go on in for the shot. Practice driving either way using either foot as your pivot foot. Also practice rocker step and spin move and faking as you start your drive. Nothing kills pressure defense like beating your man for a driving lay up when all the other defenders are out denying passes to their men.
It's all fundamentals. Focus on the basics. (1) When penetrating keep your head up. (2) If they are playing to close you can do several things. (a) Attack their high foot (b) pass fake (c) ball/shot fake. Study other players on varsity & watch what they do to get around overly aggressive defenders. You can learn from anyone, never forget. I used to go to girls games & watch them because they play for the most part below the rim. Good luck youn gun. You'll do just fine. Remember, practice the way you play. Keep those grades up too. Be a student athelete, not a goof ball with talent.

Motion Offense

Teaching Motion Offense

I like to spend a fair amount of time on basic plays - give and go, pick and roll, back door cuts, etc. We work on these through 2:2 and 3:3 play, usually stressing a particular point within those situations. A big problem with learning continuous plays is that the kids memorize a process and then miss all the opportunities that open up along the way. My hope is that thorough familiarity with the basic plays will help them recognize the many advantages the offensive set provides. Another key teaching point is for the players to pay attention to details throughout the play. Sometimes the kids say that the play doesn't work. Actually the play is fine, its just a screen was missed or a cutter wasn't seen. everybody was thinking about completing the process, not looking for oportunities.
I have simplified my motion "O" down to very basic rules. I use 1 post and 4 out. On a pass you basket cut. You carry your cut to the goal. You flow out to the perimeter. You then may screen or cut. (You may have to designate screeners) If you screen then you become a second cutter. Run your drills with no ball 2/0 and 3/0 and 4/0. At first use basket cuts no screens add screens slowly. Then add the ball. Then go 5/0. Then designate who can score and defend him. Building to 5/5.
motion and set play off are philosophically diff off. sounds like you have decided to go with motion. i believe motion can and should be broken down into it's component parts for practice begining with 2on0 , 3on0, ect advancing to 2on2, 3on3, 5on5, and maybe even 5on6, after it is first shown and practiced in its entirty. the whole part whole teaching method. i believe every practice must include breakdown drills leading to 5on5. for example, when teaching a 5 man open post motion game i do the following: 1. 3man patterns- pass cut replace, pass pickaway rollback, pass go behind for hand off with hander-offer rolling to basket. 2. then i add def 3on3. 3. finally, we go 5on5. if we get real good i'll play 5on6. i would typically spend 2 to 3 min on each activity for a total of approx 20 min practicing my motion off.
In order to teach the motion, players have to be able to move without the ball. I favor to teach a motion offense, that involves a patter. This keeps all players moving without the ball. As they play more basketball, they will see the openings the defense leaves and react accordingly. One mistake is the players become programmed to run the pattern. This is when you help them with taking what the defense gives you.

Motion Offense Rules

my motion offense is simply; pass cut fill I run this from a 1-2-2 set and 2-1-2 if you pass the ball, cut to the basket, fill the open spot. the only exception is if a player dribbles toward you, set a pick and roll to the basket..everyone else will fill the open spots. on all shots the player furthest from the basket plays d safety while everyone else crashes the boards. Some basic rules:
1. Passer always cuts to the basket
2. Strong side always screens away
3. have preset f spots and they always have to be filled
1. lateral passer always screens the ball
2. opposite wing always cuts toward the ball side
3. posts always screen up
4. weak side always overloads the strong side
5. strong side post always pops out
In my role I implement whatever offense the varsity runs, but I have a motion offense that I have been working on. Its based on 4 rules. The purpose is to enable the entire team to be able to anticipate the next step without following a set pattern. Its really simple but allows for a lot of creativity. The basic setup is one point, two wings and two post players. Whoever is at the top of the key is the point. Doesn't matter where they are as long as they are spaced well.
1. If you pass to the wing, pick away. (point passes towing then picks for other wing; or post passes to wing, then picks for other post)
2. If you pass to a post, you cut to the basket. If a point or a wing pass to the post and cut, the other two outside players must rotate and fill the void. The cutting player goes to the basket then v-cuts to opposite wing spot if he doesn't get the ball.
3. If no pass at all, the post comes out for pick and roll.
4. If you pass to point, reset. Once the players are used to the rules, there is a fair amount of quick movement, screening and cutting going on. They are deliberate first, but soon play with tempo. The advantage is that based on the pass decision, we all know what will happen next and what kind of shot to look for. I have written a bunch more about it on my site. Its in the article "Easy Offensive Sets" and is called the Alaska Play.
1. HIGH POST: Pass and cut to the basket and post up - if you do not receive a pass right away clear to weak side block; constantly look to screen for guard with ball.
2. LOW POST: Move to high post when high post goes low.
3. GUARDS: Pass and cut to the basket looking for a return pass; move to ball if more than one pass away; if one pass away and guarded, move away from ball and screen for another guard on the way.
That's it. B-Ball Ed would be proud of me.

5 Out Motion: Combating a Sagging Man Defense

the biggest problem. What I have found works best is to use a series of 3pt shot quick hitters (3 or so) that we run scripted (usually saved for "crunch" time). If you can hit a couple, the defense is forced to run at your shooters, which opens up the penetration, drive-draw-dish, back door cuts, etc. that you're probably looking for.
Ball reversal is very important to counter sagging man to man on the weak side. Ex. : Ball reversal to attack the weak side and two staggered screens for the corner player following the ball reversal passes around the perimeter. If her defender helps too much they will get killed by the staggered screens. For sagging man to man where the defender is sliding behind the screener or sagging, flare screen action where the screener backs into the sagging defender while the player screened for pops back out for the shot. Also, when coming around the screen go toward the ball for perimeter shot instead of curling to basket. For pressure man to man including overplay and jumping to ball to prevent pass to cutter after his pass, use backdoor cuts and fade screens with skip pass fading away on perimeter. Also, pass and screen away with one wing screening across with back pick action for other wing player after cutting through.
The best thing to do (although easier said than done) is to make some outside shots. The next best thing to do is be patient. Very few high school teams are going to be able to defend for more than 4 passes. Sooner or later you will end up with a higher percentage shot.

5 Out Motion: Teaching Progression

This will be my fourth year running this offense and the thing that I have found that works the best is to use a whole-part-whole method. First I show them the offense as a whole so they can get the overall concept of the offense. Then once they get a basic idea of the rules, I will break it up into parts like, pass and screen away or the pass and cut and teach them the fundamentals necessary to run whichever series I am teaching. I think that it is very important that they have an overall understanding of what we are trying to do as a whole before we break it down into parts. Then once we have broken it down and taught the important fundamentals we bring it back together and run it as a whole. In term of the progression for which series we teach first. We teach the cutting series, the screening series, and then we teach the combo series. We teach all of these at the Junior High level. Then at the high school level we teach more of the 2 on 2 and 3 on 3 things that you can do out of this offense. Also we teach more complicated entries and specials at the high school level. I don't think that in one season kids can master all aspects of this offense. It took our varsity team 1 full season and a summer of basketball to even really start to get comfortable running this offense.
We run 4 out 1 in but the teaching progression is the same. part to whole. Of course you need footwork, catch, pivot, triple threat 3 person: give and go, replace 3 person: pass and screen away 2 or 3 person: V cut/back door 5 man dummy offense: as above 5 man motion with defense. screen options work:
1. curl to basket
2. move toward ball
3. go backdoor
4. flare (pop out)
5. fade screen action
6. slip screens on switch
7. Ball reversal-staggered screens

5 Out Motion: Corner Options

you asked: "In the 5 out motion offense, what are effective corner options against a sagging man defense? " I assume you are playing 5 out motion because you don't have a real big player and you have quick, good shooting perimeter players, that you have players that can hit shots on perimeter...when the defense sags.
Some thoughts:
1. Any time the corner player sets a fade screen for the wing player when ball is passed from wing to top of key, have screener pop out for open shot in the wing area.
2. When corner man reverses ball around perimeter, have wing and top of key player set staggered screens for the corner player cutting around perimeter.
3. wing passes to corner, and cuts through to other corner for surprise back pick for weak side corner player who cuts across
4. any player that posts up and is doubled by sagging defense needs to kick ball out for open shot on perimeter
5. on pass to corner from wing, wing sets flare screen for top perimeter player, who pops out with screener between him and basket
If you played 4 out 1 in, your post player can screen for the corner player when ball is reversed to wing from corner. Screener can pop out to perimeter for shot if sagging occurs
We utilize two main options. If it is a post player passing to the corner, we run a pick and roll with the post and the corner player with the ball. This is an unusual angle for a pick and roll, but proves to be quite effective. Another version of a pick and roll is that the wing cuts through to the opposite corner and then the player at the top of the key comes to the corner to set the pick and roll. If it is any other player passing to the corner, we screen away to the top. The top person cuts to the hoop and the screener rolls back to the wing. A variation of this may be to let the top person come off of the screen to the wing and have the screener roll to the hoop.

5 Man Motion: Drive & Dish

What cuts do you do from certain spots in the 5 man game when an offensive player penetrates and draws another defender? Should it be a backdoor cut? A relocate cut? I want to score a lay up or a very close jumper right inside the key. What should the offensive player without the ball do when this happens? I know the draw and kick for a 3 pt shot but what about for a forward that may have a weak outside shot? I already know the dribble out rule. But I would like something kind of different from that. Instead of dribbling to spot, we are going to be driving to the basket and drawing defenders who are closest to the ball.
I always have my post players cut to the block and try to pin their man. This creates a great scoring triangle. You will have the player driving to the middle of the lane, and then a player at each block. If the players at the block pin their men well, the driver goes all the way to the hoop and scores, if either of the block players's defenders rotate to stop the drive, then dish off to that player. Many times then the defender guarding the other block who did not rotate to stop the drive rotates over to the block that just received the pass, then a good bounce pass from block to block creates the wide-open lay-up. If the drive were to come to the block instead of the middle of the lane, then the player at the block should release up the lane to create a lane for the driver to take a lay-up and a lane for a pass. The other block would try to gain inside position for a good bounce pass across the lane.
So much of this depends on where the players are when the drive occurs. It is hard to set a specific cut. My focus is more on spots than cuts. As the drive occurs, every player has a spot they should go to so that the player penetrating knows where his team mates will be and where he should look. Near the hoop I always have 3 spots. One spot is filled by the player driving, then the post players fill the other 2. The goal is to get to the spot quickly and pin your man in a way that you create a passing lane from the drive. You also have to teach them to think in situations where, a post player is the one driving, then one of the wings should fill one of the 3 inside spots.
I've been following this series of posts with interest. One point I wanted to add was that when a player drives, the defense generally compresses in front to cut him off, but what's behind him? A vacuum. When a player drives from the perimeter, we like to have a trailer not too far behind. It can be a spontaneous thing - if a teammate near you drives - fill the vacuum. Ideally you'd like to dish inside, but if you can't, the trailer will be open. Depending on the situation, you might get a secondary drive, spot-up shot or a pass back to safety.

4-Out/ 1-In Motion: With a Poor Center

With a poor center: Been there... had a center that was an excellent defender and rebounder and couldn't shoot (or dribble) a lick. I ran a 4out 1 in with her and used her to set picks for cutters coming from the weak side so that she often had her back to the ball. We also ran a motion pattern, similar to the open post, where she would stay on the foul line and move from elbow to elbow setting picks for the cutters. There is also a variation of the flex that we used that kept the post player in the low post while the other players maintained the basic flex rotation. The complete version of this is on Coach Jackson's web site. It worked pretty well for us except that sometimes the rest of the team would sometimes forget which flex we were running...which sometimes worked to our advantage.
What screens the post man can do: 1) give and go 2) pass and screen away 3) backpick action by center for perimeter players up top after pass 4) center back picks for corner player when ball reverses from corner around perimeter See john Kresse's Flex Plus and Motion offense book or video
Im gonna use numbers for players. Assuming 1=pg and 5=center with 2,3,4= other three shooters. Try having your 1 bring the ball down the seam, with one player on either wing we'll say 3 is on the 1's side of the court and 2 is at the other wing, 1 at the top seam on one side and 4 on the other side at the top seam and a 5 at the low post on the opposite side. 1 passes to 3 on their side on the give and go. If not there, 1 sets cross screen for 5 and continues through to opposite wing as the player on the opposite wing (2) comes through to where 1 was off a screen from 4. Either 2 is open for the jumper or 5 is open inside. If nothing open swing it to the opposite seam where you repeat on the opposite side. 4 repeats with the give and go to 1. This way your 5 always stays down low!!

4-Out/1-In Motion Offense

4 out, 1 in motion offense: This offense will have 4 players running motion offense on the perimeter and one player working the low and high post area. The perimeter players have the option of filling a post spot opposite the permanent post player - for a 2-3 second count. This will be discussed in the rules of the offense. - The Basic Set The perimeter players have 5 possible areas to locate at. The 5 areas are: the point spot near the top of the key, the wings, and the corners. The post man has 7 different spots he can locate at: low posts, mid posts, elbows, and the free throw line spot.
- General Rules of the Offense
1. Players should know their shooting range and try to receive the ball within their shooting range.
2. Make good screens. Players should know proper methods of setting and receiving screens.
3. Players need good spacing. We like 12-15 foot spacing between players. If it is closer than this the defense can give help. If it is further than this the defense can deflect the long slow pass.
4. Practice the proper way to receive the ball - we want our perimeter players to immediately square up to the basket and be in a triple threat position.
5. Don't pass too fast - make sure you look inside before swinging the ball on the outside.
6. The dribble should only be used to do the following: improve passing angle, drive for a lay up, prevent a 5 second count. We don't want the unnecessary dribble.
- Perimeter Player Rules:
1. Pass and cut to the basket. If you don't receive a return pass break out to a vacant perimeter position.
2. Pass and screen away on either a perimeter player or post player. Continue all screening to the baseline - an example of this would be: point passes to the right wing, point sets a screen for the left wing, point sees the 4th perimeter player in the left corner, the point continues on and now screens down for the corner player.
3. We want every 3rd pass into the post. When a perimeter player passes into the post he should screen for the closest perimeter player or cut to an open spot on the perimeter. Non-passing perimeter players will be running the downscreen rule - if a player is below you then you screen for him.
4. Pass and "v" cut and replace yourself.
5. Pass and cut to the vacant spot on the perimeter.
- The Post Player Rules:
1. Stay in a post position for approximately 5 seconds. Moving too often and quickly will make it difficult for perimeter players to coordinate their movements with the post. If the post does not move enough then the defense will be in a position to "cheat" and "give help."
2. With no one else in the post, the post player has a tremendous amount of freedom to operate. The post may operate as a screener, passer, driver, or shooter from the high post, low post, ballside or backside position.
3. Post may screen for any perimeter player who does not have the ball. A good example of this situation would be the low post screening for the weak side corner cutting across the baseline to the ball.
4. Post may screen for any perimeter player who has the ball when there is no other offensive player between the player to be screened and the baseline. The example of this situation would be: player on right wing has the ball - right corner is vacant, post on right low post comes out and runs a pick and roll on the ball.
- Perimeter Player Rules When In Post
Perimeter players may fill any of the 7 post spots - we don't want them doing this on a regular basis and it must be done meeting the standards of the rules set. The rules:
1. When a perimeter player comes to a post spot he should be opposite the permanent post man. An example of this would be: high-low, low right - low left.
2. We only want perimeter players in the post for a very short period. A maximum of 3 seconds in the post area and then vacate to an open perimeter area.
3. Post up only if an offensive advantage is there. We want to keep it to a minimum - we don't want to clutter the offensive area for the post man.
4. A perimeter player who is in the post and makes a pass should follow the same rules that are listed above for perimeter players.
- Summary:
This offense is very easy rules wise. Players like this offense because it has unlimited number of scoring opportunities for all players. You can use similar teaching methods that I introduced in my article on 3 Out and 2 In Motion Offense.
We run a lot of 4 out 1 in, 8th grade boys traveling team. Depending on if the defense is aggressive with tight coverage, or sags in big time, dictates what the guards do (I make the call). Most players would rather basket cut than screen away. So I'll call 41 which means to screen away, or 40 which allows them to either screen away or basket cut (guess what they'll do most of the time) We'll run 41 when playing against tight D and 40 when against a sagging D.

Blocker-Mover Offense

The Blocker-Mover offense is a motion offense.
You have three movers and two blockers (screeners). The screener's main job is to screen for the movers. They follow the same rules as regular motion in that they open to the ball after screening, roll or flair depending. The three movers basically play off of the blocker's screens. All screens are off the ball. The movers may set a screen for another mover but it isn't part of their duties. Other words if they never screen they are still performing as the offense is designed. If they do that is fine also.

Blockers only screen for movers. There are several different combination of blockers. I probably don't remember them all.

Lane-lane (two post types) these two blockers play on their side of the lane on the lane line from around the elbow area to the block. they don't cross the lane.

Lane-Wide (one post type and one forward type) lane blocker does the same as above, wide means this blocker has the same area as the lane blocker except it extends to the sideline on his side of the court.

High-Low (one post type and one guard type) high blocker plays above the FT line extended and the low blocker players both sides of the lane.

I think there is also a Wide-Wide.

I guess you could have any combination of the three or so types of blockers.

I saw a tape of Coach Bennett speaking at a clinic and he said he has also ran it with three blockers and two movers. No I've never played it. Tried it for a couple of days in practice, it didn't fit my players or I just didn't understand it well enough to coach it?
I've used the Blocker Mover Offense, in fact I used it with my varsity boys' team this past season (we just got beat in out state tournament). I like the offense because it allows your best offensive players to move and make moves off of screens. Teaching this offense takes a huge amount of work, especially with h.s. boys. You must teach the kids how to screen properly, how to angle the picks, how to hold position of the screen, how to read the defense, how to read the screener, and many more areas of teaching "motion". I would not reccomend this offense for elementary or youth leage teams that do not practice everyday. As in any motion type offense, if the players don't understand how to move without the basketball, it is to easy to defend.
Against a zone: Vs. a 2-3 zone I've put my movers at the following positions: pt. guard and at the two wing spots f.t. line extended. My blockers were placed at one of the low blocks & the other at the center of the f.t. line. What this gave us was a 1-3-1 look vs. the 2-3. Movers could relocate while the blockers sealed the zone in, we throw a lot of skip passes vs. the zone. This also gave us the hi-low game w/ our two blockers. Vs. a 3-2 or 1-2-2 I've put my Blockers on the blocks and stacked my best shooting mover under one of the blockers. The other two movers are set up in a two guard look up top, splitting the top defender in the zone. The bottom or baseline mover will run off of the baseline dbl. screens set by the blockers looking for short corner jumpshots. After the mover comes off of the screen the strong side blocker will seal and post while the weak side blocker cuts to the high post. The same action continues on the opp. side when the mover cuts off of the other side screen. Vs. the 1-3-1 I put my blockers at the low blocks, my best shooting mover at the high post and my two ball handlers in a two guard set up top splitting the top zone defender. Here, the high post mover will run off of one of the blockers screens (ball side) and then we try to dump the ball in to the movers after the screen and seal (works very well vs. the .5 court trap). I like this concept because it keeps my best screeners and rebounders in postions where they can best serve their team. But, no matter how you choose to attack the zone, I feel that ball reversal is a must, especially if you can pin the weak side of the zone in. Let me know if you would like to see some of this stuff, I'd be happy to mail you whatever I can.

M-2-M Offenses (Besides Motion)

Flex

You might try starting in a 1-4 deep set. Start with your 2&3 players on the blocks, your 4&5 players at the short corners. Have your point take the ball on one side or the other, and have the opposite side wing (2 or 3) pop to the elbow for your entry pass. Flex cut from post away from pass, and you're in flex. You can develop many options from this entry which are hard to stop, such as a back screen for the point after the entry pass. I don't use the flex myself, but this set is one that an area Hall of Fame coach in our conference uses and it is very effective. She has over 600 career wins!
Absolutely, my team has fair success running the flex out of the 1-4 high set. Here's what we do (and I will throw in our secret play free of charge :) ) Ok, we start with the four across the free throw line extended, the two posts go straight down to the block, and the wings runs "L" cuts, using the post as a screener to work around. The ball is passed to one of the wings, and the point guard follows in the direction of the ball, cutting on the ball side off the post who has come back up the key to the corner (free throw line) to set a back pick. This first option can be very effective, especially at the JV and below levels. My point guard is a 5'10" freshman with great court sense, and we are often able to post him up on the block at the end of this cut. Then, the post seals his man and calls for the ball from the wing (if first cut wasn't there). When the ball goes to the post, the opposite post (who has also come back the the high spot, on opposite end of free throw line) screens away for the weak side wing, and there is your first guard to guard pass. The now weak side wing cuts off of your point as the first flex cut. Now for our quick score play. Post screen down and come back up the lane, same as normal. Wings also do their "L" cuts. Instead of hitting a wing, the point passes to a post as he is flashing up. Now, this play is about timing. As SOON as the ball gets to the post the strongside wing cuts over the top of the post and a fake handoff takes place (this gets the defense leaning). Meanwhile, the point guard needs to have jumped to the ball side following the initial pass to the post, leaving some space (a few feet), and look away from the action (stand up, take a step toward the weak side, act as if out of the play). Then, the point cuts off the post on the side where the wing WAS and takes the handoff to the basket. This has been a great way to get an easy basket in tough situations, or to get a quick score to start the game. Some teams take about 5-6 looks at it before they adjust, but then you can do the same (if the post defender steps off, run a pick and roll, if the weak side stops the lay up you can fade off with the handoff for a short jumper). A variation of the 1-4 high set that I experimented with was the same beginning (screens, coming back up with posts), an entry to a post (like the beginning of "special" (the handoff play)) who then looks to the weak side where the opposite post sets a backpick on the weak side wing looking for the backdoor cut or the lob. It has been somewhat effective, but the point has to try and keep his defender away from the ball.
I am a big proponent of the flex offense for a number of reasons. It forces every player to move without the ball, handle the ball, set 2 different types of picks, use 2 different types of picks and eventually to recognize potential mis-matches when the defense switches. These are all basic offensive elements that every player needs to learn. I have taught the flex to my elementary girls as (usually) their first offensive rotation. I have heard coaches say the flex is boring and repetitive but i believe that it is a good foundation for teaching kids offensive team fundamentals. There are a number of options (corner passes, reversals "up" picks) that make it a good offensive weapon. Hope this helps. One of the coaches that contributes tto this site (I think Coach Jackson) has a number of variations to the flex on his website.
Coach - I really like the flex and coach Thom hit on all of its important aspects. All 5 kids are involved and rotate through all spots in the offense, they set/use baseline and downscreens, and once they get used to running it there's many options/counters you can run to combat a def that thinks they've figured you out. We've run it at the Fr/JV/Var HS level for 3 yrs with good sucess. I've found that it's been a good O to start with for kids that aren't yr 'round Bballers (like ours) because even though it is a pattern O they begin to learn to read the D when coming off the screens or cutting. It has helped our grassroots effort towards motion O in that way. I like Ron Righter's stuff on the Flex. He has a video and a small booklet (check Sysko's) that are a good start.

Flex: Combating Switching of Screens

You may also try to run some set plays into the flex to give it a different look and disguise it. There are several books and videos on the flex that have some good entries. You may want to contact the men's basketball coach at Clarion University. His name is Dr. Ron Righter and is one of the foremost experts on the Flex Offense.
If the team is switching, then the screener must first set a great pick and then open up to the ball and "break the defenders leg" What I mean is put his rear in the knee of the defender and make them stand straight up. The defender has no mobility and your player is down in basketball position ready to pounce on the pass once it is thrown. Also recognize the mis match and when you big man gets a guard on him, clear out and post him. Or when your driving guard gets a slow defender, clear out.
Some thoughts on the flex. When we run Flex we WANT them to switch, particularly on the down pick. You can recognize the mismatch in the low post even before it happens. Make sure that your players open to the ball as Coach Creighton mentioned and you will get numerous scoring oppurtunities on the defensive switch. Try to arrange the rotation so that you have big people picking for little people and vise-versa. We run a few different secondary breaks that flow right in to flex. We have also run it out of 4-low, 4-high, box and a 2-1-2. Don't neglect the corner pass to the strong side. Have the cutter come across and the elbow down-pick just like they normally would and you will be surprised at the things that happen.
When using flex offenses, and more typically for me, flex principles (screen the screener, etc.) I always instruct my players that whenever "switch" is yelled by a defensive player, the screener is to abort the setting of the screen, and cut to the basket showing a hand for a lead pass. I tell them that we are letting the defense help us by calling this play for us. It is important to stress that the player with the ball needs to quickly recognize this situation and be ready with a timely pass.

1-3-1 High Post Offense

We ran this for a couple years and it worked well. I could draw it and fax it to you if my descriptions here are hard to follow. I think you could draw it as you read it and get it right. If not, email me (avamac@aol.com) and I will fax it to you or scan it and try to email scanned file. 1=point, 2 and 3 wings, 4 high post, 5 low post. Wing Entry A: 1 pass to 2 and do UCLA cut off 4 while 5 clears to ball side corner. 3 replaces 1. 1 clears to weak side wing replacing 3. 2 may pass to 5 on baseline, 1 cutting, 4 rolling off screen, or 3 at top of key. If 2 passes to 5, 5 also looks for 1 cutting and 4 rolling. Wing Entry B: 1 pass to 2. 4 down screen for 5 and 2 pass to either 4 or 5. (They should either score or pass to each other. If the pass goes to the high post, he can almost always dump it into the low post before the defense can get around to defend the new passing angle. If the pass goes to the low post, the high post can often flash low to the other side and be open or at least be in good rebounding position.) 1 and 3 exchange with a screen. 2 can pass out front to 3 to reset the offense. Post Entry A: 1 pass to 4. 2 downscreen for 5 who curls to basket if they don't switch and posts up if they do switch. 1 and 3 exchange with a screen. Back Door: If D pressures wings, 5 comes to elbow for pass, wing on his side back cuts to basket, then clears back out to same side if he does not get the ball. 4 moves to just outside other elbow and 3 comes off his screen high and 1 moves a few steps toward weak side wing, then cuts to basket using 3 and 4 as a double screen. (Timing is critical here, he should cut right behind 3 as 3 gets to 4's screen.) 3 can read the D and cut to basket if open, but usually he will come off 4's screen and move out front and become the new point. 1 will go back out to 3's spot, 4 will roll to the basket after screening and be the new low post, and 2 already cleared back to his original position. 5 passes out front to reset. Weave: Outside players dribble weave, 4 goes to baseline and will cross screen with 5 along baseline to open middle for dribble penetration or they can go to corners and join in the weave, or they can go out front and set picks for dribblers. In summary, the 131 gives good spacing, good angles for screening, and good protection from fast breaks, and allows for high-low post passing. If you have trouble getting open against pressure defense, the wings can both cut thru the lane to the opposite wings while the high post downscreens the low post (who becomes the new high post) to open everyone for the entry pass, or you can go right into dribble weave.

1-4 High Offense

I scouted a team last night who ran a nice 1-4 continuity which I will try to describe (wish we could draw on this site). Maybe you can draw it from my description. Point is 1. 2 and 3 on wings, 4 and 5 on elbows. 1 pass to 3 on right wing and cut to basket using screen from 5 at right elbow, then go to weak (left) side wing and replace 2. 2 slides over toward point to replace 1. 4 slides down lane and screens for 1 as he goes out to wing, then 4 goes back to elbow. Meanwhile, back on the strong (right) side, 5 goes toward 3 on wing and sets screen and they pick and roll toward point. 3 dribbles left off screen from 5 and either goes to hole, dumps down to 5, or passes to 2 who has come to the point. Now run same thing to other side. 2 passes to 1 on left wing and cuts off screen from 4 at high post, then replaces wing on weak side (3). 1 and 4 pick and roll and if nothing good develops, 1 passes to 3 at the point and he passes to 2 at the other wing, etc. It worked great for them.
WE luv to run 1-4 we've got all 5 of our offensive sets run out of it. If i understand you correctly though your looking for an offensive set that has continual flow and isn't just set run reset run. If this isn't the case i can post some of the sets. AS for your needs i can give you two. One is our zone offense we call it overload. The ball is up top and we are in 1-4 high. 2and3 on wings 4-5 elbowish. The ball goes to tthe wing and the following 1) the close post goes to the low block 2) the far post comes high block 3)the far wing runs a baseline cut off guy at low block so a box is set up on one side of the zone. If the ball goes baseline or top the passer suts through the middle and fills in the other side. once the ball is up top your in 1-4 again. The second is a set i just picked up called 'kentucky' a animated break down is found on http://members.tripod.com/~coacheshome/play.html. It's continual and gets good cuts and looks from the arc.

Bo Ryan's Swing Offense

Do any of you use Bo Ryan's Swing Offense? What are your thoughts on it? Have you had success with it? Has it ever proven to be ineffective at any point? I personally find it to be a very good all around offense (offering scoring from all areas of the court.) I like the way the off-side players, with movement, can get help-side defenders to neglect their responsibilties, thereby opening things up. This year I've added "Swing" as one of our mtm continuity offenses for our AAU Girls 15's. It is a relatively simple offense to install and teach. We've had some limited success with it and it seems to have good potential. But... quite frankly, we only get to practice twice weekly, so there hasn't been much time to explore many of the offense's subtle reads. I want our players to be more patient, especially while working the strong side triangle (e.i. post up stronger and work the upscreens better.) Another problem is that the wings become somewhat tentative, overlooking what I believe would be a good shot opportunity, in an attempt to continue the pattern. The majority of our points to date have come from the swing cut on ball reversal(basically a flex cut from weak side wing screening off the low post player to the strongside block). I like the concept of the swing offense were all players get to play in the post area. As Coach Bo Ryan says; "The hardest defense to play is one on one in the post." If you are going to run it successfully, you are going to have to work with ALL your players on post moves. Again I really like that theory, because anyone can play the post; in a man to man situation it does'nt matter who is in the post because you are usually matched up according to hight and ability. As long as my point guard is posting-up the opponents point guard what does it matter. I feel we do not teach our so called perimiter players enough post moves, so again I like it. I am a huge fan of the swing offense. I have used this offense three years and have had a great deal of success with it. Last year we ran this offense about 50% of the time. We finished 19 - 5. It is a very simple offense with simple concepts that put maximum pressure on the defense. You start by always looking into the post which gives you good scoring opportunities and increases your chances of drawing fouls. Then the actual swing cut puts so much pressure on one defender to guard two people. I would suggest to anyone looking for a new wrinkle to contact Bo Ryan at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. I contacted the atheletic department and Coach Ryan answered the phone himself and spent thirty minutes talking to me about this offense. He had some copies of the video that you can purchase.

Zone Offense

Zone Offense General

I call this offense the shell. 2 guards , 1 post on the weak block, 1 forward (guard) on the ball side block, and other player in the weak side corner. The motion--pt passes to g/f after L cut to wing. the pt basket cuts. If he/she doesn't get the give and go, the player screens for the post. the post cuts to the block on ball side. The other two replace.(keep balance-2-3 set) Ball is reversed to the guard on ball side, reverses to guard on opposite side intrun passes to the PG on the opposite side of the floor. Rules 1. On a guard to guard pass (across the top), the guard should interchange with the forward. 2. Guard to forward pass- guard basket cuts. 3. on basket cut by guard, the other guard replaces the cutter on top, and the forward rotates to the weak side guard spot. 4. The postplayer cuts from block to block on the screen by the basket cutter.

Beating the 1-3-1 zone

The best way I know is to place 3 men across the baseline. Put your small forward in the corner center on that side post and other forward on the weak side post. when the ball is in the corner post the center up and flash the weak side post to ball side high post. Make the defensive player half to make a decision on whether or not to guard the man in the corner or lst him go. if they do this you willl have the jumpshot in the corner. if the baseline defender decides to step out to the corner then make the pass to the post player before the rotating defense can get there. Also when the ball is on the wing look for the diaganal pass to the backside box.
I assume you have descent shooters if you are seeing a lot of 1-3-1? I have had success against this zone in the following way: Start in a 2-3 high set. Your two guards are splitting the top guy. Your center is in front of the middle guy. Your 2 forwards are directly behind the wing men. The series is triggered when one of the guards dribbles at the wing. The forward drops down to corner. The first few times this shot will be open. Once the bottom man starts to come out, your center will be open rolling to the rack. When they begin to stop giving the center the easy lay in, your weak side guard will always be open for a jumper. You can even have the weak side forward pin the back of the zone for him. Eventually they will stop you from making the pass to the corner, at that point your pg simply can make the entry from the wing. You can also have the pg enter it to the center at the foul line. When he recieves ball both forwards drop hard, one should be open. If not a guard should be open at the wing. This has worked for my team beautifully, we have little hieght but great shooters so a lot of teams try going 1-3-1 on us. This always blows it away. Especially if your weak side guard is intelligent enough to find the open spot and can drain the 3. I had one kid hit 5 3's in a quarter from that spot before the opponent got out of that D.
Start in a 1-3-1 set. 1 at point, 2 rt wing, 3 lt wing, 4 high post 5 either block. The entry can go to either wing but the weak side is preferred. Point pass to 3 and cuts straight down the lane for a give and go. On the pass 4 jumps to the ball side elbow and 1 cuts behind him. If 1 does not get the ball he cuts to the ball side corner. As 1 clears the lane 4 dives to the block looking for the pass. As 4 dives low 5 flashes to the high post. If the inside game is not open 3 pass to 1 in corner. 4 jumps to the short corner and 3 cuts to the basket looking for the pass back and posts on the weak block. Weak side wing pinches in to the mid lane on the pass to the corner to be positioned for weak side rebound or dish from 3 if he gets the ball. 1 looks to shoot the 3pt or drop in in to 4 or 5. If no one is open 1 dribbles up to the wing and 2 pops out to the top of the key-timing his arrival with 1 so he is getting to the point just as 1 arrives at the wing so he will be open. 1 pass to 2 at the point(2 looks shot or reverse) and 3 pops out to the wing and we reverse the process.
Another way to beat the 1-3-1 is to have a 1-2-2 set with 2 players(2,3) in the short corners and 2 players(4,5) at the elbows. Lets set 3&5 on left 2&4 on right. The point dribbles at an elbow-4 on right side, and 4 drops to the block and the ball side short corner 2 pops to the ball side corner. The other short corner 3 backscreens for 5 at the elbow and 5 drops to the block. The looks are penetration all the way by 1, pass to 2 in corner, pass to 5 going down the lane, or hit 3 at the opposite elbow. once this happens the 1-3-1 will be in a 1-2-2 or 2-3. If nothing develops reset and attack again.
Start with your best post on the block, a player in the corner on the same side as the post and one in the opposite corner, and show a 2 guard front. I call this set Baseline. I teach penatration by the guards with one guard always behind the other (45 degree angle). We also have a pick set for one of the guards which leads to a loob pass and an easy shot for the guard. Start with the ball opposite the post, have your guard pentrate and then kick it out to the opposite guard. This guard will penatrate and look to the post first, while this is going on the guard will get a pick from the player who was in the corner. The pick slips the pick for a 3 and you should have a guard on the opposite block for a loob pass. Pass to the bottom corner of backboard. This is a quick hitter. I hope you get the play. If all else fails get a lead and pull them out of the 131

Offense vs. 1-1-3 Zone

What you are asking about may be Tarkanian's Amoeba defense. Be prepared for heavy ball pressure on your point guard. They will close out your first pass with their wings,(the outside player in the three across the rear) so start your posts very low behind the zone in a 2-1-2 or 2-3 set. On the first pass, you can screen the middle player and baseline cut behind to ballside block from the weak side. Don't pass to the deep corners. They will deny reversals from there, and will run an X-cut from the wing back to the post and look to intercept if you try to pass inside. The most vulnerable areas are from behind the zone, so keep your post players working from baseline out. weak side guards need to find gaps for skip passes. Do a lot of screening on the three under the basket. With such short preparation, I don't think you have time to work out plays so keep players moving with motion rules and with the vulnerable areas in mind. Keep in mind also that it is a match-up with man to man principles so you can successfully screen off the ball. I hope I gave you something to work with

Attacking a 3-2 Zone

Overload the baseline, They only have 2 defenders near the basket so have someone at each post and a 3rd player finding gaps along the baseline. The key is the 2 guys up top must be great ball handlers and passers because they play the 3 players up top and find the open man down low.
I also like to overload. I usally start off in a 3 out 2 in set, then run my best corner shooter from one wing to the opposite corner, which overloads. Teams can catch on to that if their coach knows what they're doing and that's when they either follow the cutter through with the opposite wing, slide ball-side wing down, or have post defender step out (depending on athleticism and ability to distract perimeter shooters). We've had more trouble when they follow cutter through for some reason. I need help with that. When they slide ball-side perimeter down, look to throw it right back to the ball-side wing for the '3' or dump into post. If they bring post out, look to fake high and wrap-around to ball-side post who MUST use body to shield ball in most cases and if the rotation is not there, you can wrap-around pass to opposite post for easy lay-in.
You must flash someone to the middle. That's the way it beat zones especially a 32 is in the middle. Then look to kick out or to the low block.

Offense vs. Box & 1

try setting some picks for her so she can pick and roll.aslo remember ,it`s a teameffort that usually wins on a regular basis .Also ,are you under full court m2mpressure at that age or just from behind the 3 point line?
how about a simple in-out?pass in to a forward ,and have the forward draw a crowd,and then pass back to her for a good shot. I had a girl similar to her once and so we got the other guard to set a screen as she came around the top(where the screen was set),she drove in and got a few shots. Against a 2-1-2 or a 2-3 we tryed a 1-3-1.1 being a good passing guard, the ''3'' being the center, forwards set up along the free throw line,the last girl set up outside the forward on the weak side,the passer top of circle, the forwards free throw line extended, the center free throw line moving along the line to try and pull def center out of center lane,thus creating a passing lane to right of basket ,girl in rear breaks under basket for a little backdoor pass and 2 points.this is a awesome play when they can pull it off at that age,really looks great, just don`t work 100% of time. your player could be the down low player for a short shot on that play. Maybe a cutter from outside of 3 point arc or something like that.
Just some general thoughts about what we do when we see junk. Box and 1: We simply put our guarded player at the post and tell him/her to just stay there for the moment (practically shaking hands with the post player). This way the opposition is using two defenders to guard our "star" player. We then spread the others into the gaps (4 on 3) and keep passing the ball around until we get a wide open shot. Eventually, post defenders will have to contest and defend these other players. Now we can set some screens for our best (guarded) player. Triangle and two: Even better. We put both guarded players at the posts. Now the opposition is using four to defend two. The other three players spread and run the one remaining defender silly before taking a wide open shot. Once again, defense will need to abandon the post to defend shots and this creates opportunities to screen and free up the two guarded players. Two main points. (1) You have to have depth (especially passing and shooting abilities) beyond the two players that are closely guarded so you are a legitimate threat. The remaining players need to be able to score off a shot if wide open (imagine that!) (2) The star player(s) being guarded have to believe in this cat and mouse approach and be PATIENT - they will eventually be freed to score. Sometimes egos cause them to try to do everything themselves too early in the play. We want them to stay put in the post for a number of sequences forcing an overload with the remaining players. I realize that there is nothing specific about this, just conceptual. But then again, isn't basketball mostly situational? When the players can execute, I look like a genius. When they don't, I look like an idiot. Ah the joys of coaching....
Have your players play a little further outside than normal, and this should help open up the middle of the box. Keep a player flashing across the middle and they will find they have some open shots. If what you are doing is asking how to free up your player who is being guarded by the one, have your player run the defensive player into the ground. Also have them run their defensive player into offensive and defensive players. Use every as a screen. Try passing to the open player in the middle first, this works. 1) My first answer to any offensive problem. Jack up the defensive intensity and run them out of the gym. Don't give them a chance to set up, make them start worrying about taking away lay ups and making it up and down the floor not playing their position. 2) Run your man offense !! Their expecting you to see zone and run a zone o that the 1-1 coverage interferes with. Run yer regular man and see how they react to screens and cutters that way. Make them reactive not in control. 3) finally spread it al a UNC 4 corners and use the high screens with slashers and rollers to the middle of the box.
Set the 4 players getting the zone defense in a 2-2 alignment - 2 guards and 2 low post players on the blocks. Most likely, this will place these four offensive players near the zone defenders and will tend to freeze those defenders in their 2-2 alignment. The player getting the man-to-man coverage (let's call him the star) then works to get free at either forward location - wide along the baseline. The low post men aggressively set screens to help get the star free. The 2 guards have the ball (your star could bring the ball up the floor and pass it to one of the guards). When the star gets open on one side, the guard on that side passes him the ball. At this point, the defense should be matched up with the offense - all four zone players are near an offensive player and the man-to-man defensive player should be covering the ball diligently as his coach has instructed. Now the guard that passed the ball to the star follows his pass and sets a screen on the m2m defender. The star dribbles off the screen from baseline toward the guard position. If the screen works, the star may have an opening. As the star dribbles out, he should key on the low post defender on the ball side. If the low post defender stays with the low post offensive player, then the guard who just screened is wide open for a short jump shot (the screener should simply turn and prepare to receive the ball). If the low post defender comes out to cover the screener, the low post offensive player on the ball side will be open. If the defense rotates quickly, the weak side players look to fill the open areas. If none of this works, the star passes to the remaining guard, all players recover to their starting positions, and the offense continues. This offense punishes the m2m defender with continual screening and puts great pressure on the zone defenders.
The best way to beat a box and 1 is to have your"star" stand right beside one of their players in the box. This way they have 2 people always on one of yours and that way you have you're team playing 4 on 3!!
Some ways I try to attack the box&1. Post the player on the low block and you have an automatic double. Attack the baseline on the opposite side and flash your star across the lane. Have her cut off of the other teams defenders and use them as a pick. We ddid this once and it made the other coach so mad I thiught he would blow a gasket. Screen or pick for your star just like a man-to-man. The biggest difference is that there is no one to switch so if the defender can't fight through the pick the star should get open, at least briefly. Run at every opportunity and don't give them time to set up their defense.
My thoughts against box and one are simple firstly use your kid as a passer and decoy. Keep him out wide and then have your fuor others spread the 4 man zone and slash the heck the out of it. THe second is to run basline and L-cut screens for him. Have him run off a couple screens in sequence and his man either won't be able to fight through quick enough or they'll try to help and one part of the zone break down. Finally run, run, run and if e's that good let him attack the defender and zone to be a passer or just beat it anyway. Unless the defender's exceptional at grade five a good player outta be able to kill it. Suggestions: 1) Use your scorer as a passer and have the others run cuts vs the 3 or 4 remaining defenders 2) Run your man to man offense 3) Attack using baseline screens for your scorer
I agree with Coach D. I would also add the following... Put your player with the chaser at the same location as one of the corners of the box that is away from the ball. This does create a double team but it also insures that you have a man uncovered. In other words, force them to play 3 on 4 as the price for the Box and 1. Also, use the player with the chaser as a screener for your other players. The chaser may actually make the screen even more effective (almost turning the chaser into anther screener too). It takes some guts to take the ball out of your main scorers hands that much but if done right it shows why this is a team game. If your team is up to the challenge, then others should step up and should be open to do so!
baseline single and double screens/set up low. But I would add, scorer may get open when he rolls after setting a screen and other players should get in gaps ..like a diamond..and attack middle of box hard

Passes vs. a Zone Defense

Quick passes. Chest and two handed overhead passes are quicker than bounce, and they don't telegraph like the one-handers. Beat the zone with good ball movement. Just as important is good cutting - penetration without the ball to break up the straight zone alignment. Screens are effective against a zone to assist the cutter. Always, always hit the high post. 1) Zone has to collapse. 2) If low post gets a seal its an automatic 2 pts. 3) Zone can't cover shooters and help on middle 4) Forces unique movement in zone offense and defense.
We emphasize pass & shot fakes alot to get the zone to react. Also we put a man on the short baseline (*behind the zone) & use him as a passer. The high post is also a good area to get the ball!
Since most coaches have their players play zone with their hands up, we have found good success with bounce passes into the post. It is important to teach your players to fake-hands high-fake higher, bounce pass underneath. Hands low-fake lower-pass off the ear. Your posts must also work hard on holding their pins or seals.
Ball fakes, ball fakes, ball fakes, a zone moves as a unit and reacts as one also, makes the defense move then take the ball the other direction

OFFENSE VS. HALF COURT TRAP

We do something a little unusual, I think, when dealing with 1/2 court traps, we really on movement We'll set in the a 2-1-2 1/2 crt pressbreak but our middle person will start right under the basket instead of at the free throw line or top of the key. Just before we cross into the trap the opposite high man cuts through the top of the key - if we can't get the ball to him because the middle guy picks him up then our man under the basket immediately breaks straight up where the defender just left to chase our cutter with the bottom guy on the cutters side moving up to replace for ball reversal. By flooding the middle with two moving players we have found it much easier to penetrate the middle of the 1/2 crt trap and therefore rendering it useless. The other thing that I would recommend that is very simple is moving your middle guy in the offensive 2-1-2 to about 5-6ft above the top of the key - see if there middle guy will come that high - usually he will not and you can easily get the ball to the middle of the floor - as soon as you make the to the middle the passer should chase his pass getting the hand off and attacking the basket with wings cutting at angles and opposite guard spotting up for the 3 1-3-1 halfcourt zone trapping offense 1. Alignment - 2-1-2 2. both guards are at top. spacing is very important. 3. The forwards are at the bottom corners - both left & right - one on one side & the other on the other side. They are almost in the corners but around mid post area extended. 4. The post or center is at the high post, right in the middle. Rules 1. When you pass the ball, the post moves wherever the ball moves. The post has to stay around the key area, but he has freedom to go anywhere. He should come to about the Mid post area then stop, that leaves room for the forwards to cut on the baseline. The movement would look like a half circle of the post movement. Important: Spacing, passing - ball movement. The players on the outside look to pass the ball into the post, & then cut to the basket or relocate on the perimeter. The guards & forwards just relocate out on the perimeter either cutting or relocating. Remember that passing & spacing is the key, cut to the openings. Pass before the trap is set or when it is coming. DO NOT DRIBBLE THE BALL. when you do that it allows the defense time. Ask yourself this question, what is faster the dribble or the pass? I think the pass, duh. Your guards must look up when attacking this defense. Attack the weaknesses of the 1-3-1 trapping zone. The corners & the 2 front guard vs. 1 g front defense. Gap inbetween players. Look for lay ups & at the low post when the post moves there if he does. This is a freelance offense. Your players must read & react.
I would like to add a couple things to the above post: I've found that it also helps to make a quick pass from one guard to the other just after crossing the half court line, or just after the top defender begins their move to the ball. This reversal usually allows you to get them out of position allowing you to ATTACK which is how you should approach this defense. Also, anytime you can get the ball to the high post you can beat this press. We allow our high post to go as high as need be to get a pass. If the middle defender follows him real high than you've created a huge gap in the zone.
When facing an unconventional defense, such as the 1-3-1, we spread out into a 2-3 offensive set. The low middle man waits until the wing and point force the trap, he then flashes the high post. Upon catching the ball, he will turn and face the hoop. The two other baseline players will spit the open gaps. If nothing is available, he will reverse the ball to the weak side guard. The weak side guard will attempt to enter the ball to the now strong side baseline player, as soon as the baseline player catches the ball the high post will flash into the gap in the middle of the lane. He will either have a short jumper, a pass to the weak side baseline player cutting, or a reversal pass to the other guard. When the zone is extended, the gaps are going to be larger. We want our players to make well timed cuts. Good ball movement is a must. Players must make pass fakes before they pass, and must understand how to split the gaps with penetration. We want our players to be patient and not get caught up in the traps.
Against a 1-3-1: You have to get into a 2-1-2 set and look to get the ball in the middle, when you do crash your two low men to the block for a pass or a rebound. If your guards get trapped on the wing get your other guard behind the ball for a good passing angle, your center is always working to get open. If the weak side wing comes up to deny ball reversal to your other guard your low opposite forward should be open for a diagonal pass

Attacking a 3-2 Half Court Trap

A few years ago I ran this 1/2 ct. trap. We had the most trouble with teams that offensively would place a person in the middle of the court (top of the key) and would swing the ball just before they crossed 1/2 ct. to shift our defense. So, I would set up in a 2-1-2 alignment with your two guards at the top. Have one guard dribble the ball to one side of the court, not the middle. Just before he crosses 1/2 ct. have him swing the ball to the other guard. If you can get the ball to the middleman and get past thier first line of defense, you have a quick 3-on-2 opportunity (which also gives you a rebounding advantage).
Really, that particular allignment doesn't in my opinion present a strong halfcourt prescence unless they are able to match up well off it. So, what we would do is attack it with a 1-2-2 set. The deep two players have their feet on the low blocks. The middle two are at the junction of the mid court and the sideline. The point guard brings the ball up the middle and passes to one of the sideline guys. At this pass the strong side low guy goes strong side wide to the sideline (somewhere near the deep corner)......the weak side low guy flashes up from the weak side block toward the ball. The weak side mid court guy shoots all the way down to the weak side corner. Now, the man with the ball can pass to the post flasher who is coming straight towards him from behind the defence........or he can pass down into his own corner deep.......or he can 2 hand overhead skip it to the guy shooting deep......or he can pass it back to the point guard (who has advanced past mid court if possible.

Press Break

Breaking a 1-2-2 Press

I run 4 across at the free thow line. My 3 & 4 are on the outside with my 1 & 2 at the elbows, 5 is the inbounder. As the pass is made to either the 3 or 4, my 1 and 2 cut. Near side guard goes tword the sideline/halfcourt intersection while my opposite side guard comes to the ball. If the pass to either guard is not there, I reverse the ball to the inbounder (5) and to the other side (3 or 4) and run similar cuts on this side. Works like a charm. You MUST attack not just be happy with breaking the press.
I like the 1-4 as well. One thing to add to coaches comment: Get the ball inbound as quick as possible. Do not let the press get into position. Once the ball is in, get it down the floor and attack the basket.
This may be hard to describe without a diagram, but if you write it out while you're reading you should be able to work it out. Guards 1 and 2 on the elbows, 4 and 5 behind the secondary defenders. If they deny first pass, "bump and go" (v-cut to the outside of the lane) 3 inbounds to the open guard, and steps in middle for pressure release reversal. Guard without the ball immediately diagonal cuts hard across toward opposite timeline corner. If you can hit this guard, do so. Upon receiving the pass, your post player that the guard is driving towards releases down the sidline to the free throw line extended. He/she should be open because the defender has to stop the ball and comes toward the dribbler. Opposite post will create two on one break. If you can't hit the first cutter the opposite post comes straight toward the ball (x-cuts immediately when the guard crosses the top of the key.) This opens up the opposite side of the floor. The inbounder has the whole side of the floor with the dish-off from the post. Keep your players wide along the sidelines until they reach the free throw line extended, and ALWAYS advance the ball to open players ahead of you, especially the opposite post. You'll find yourself two on one most of the time. We shoot lay ups in this set and run our secondary break pattern when we don't get a lay up.

Breaking a 2-1-2 Press

start from a 4 across set: 3 inbounds ball to 2; 4 goes down right sideline and 3 (after inbounding) goes down left sideline, both for "throwovers". 5 heads down court in the middle; 1 comes back for possible reverse. 2 dribbles as far down right sideline as possible with head up reading the floor. he/she should look for the following passes and in the following order: 1st overthrow to 4, if not there, throw to middle to 5 who looks to throw opposite to 3 breaking down left sideline. if neither is there, 2 reverses ball to 1 who takes off toward left sideline with head up and making the same reads, 1st overthrow to 3, 2nd throw to 5 in middle who then looks opposite to 4 breaking down right sideline, and if neither is there, reverse ball back to 2 who heads back to right sideline, etc. etc. etc.

PRESS BREAKERS

Have you ever tried the sideline press breaker?. Very effective & can be run against a press off foul shots. Inbound 4 player who will remain behind ball as safety, 1/2 players start at foul line and break to each side. 3 player starts at centre and 5 player back at your 3pt line. Ball to Gd 1 on say R/Side, Gd 2 to sprint floor down L.Side, 3 to ball side and receive pass, 5 to ball side and receive pass, 2 should be on f/break. If ball cannot get to 3 on ball side, 2 who should be around centre will return, ball to 4 player trailing as safety, ball to 2 player returning up weak side, 5 should not react until ball goes to 3 player in first instance and if doesn't then will go weak side and receive ball of 2 player. 3 player having not received ball will break to basket for lay up.
I'm not sure if you're looking for a "press breaker" per say or what but if so...here's how we break it. 4 and 5 on foul line extended. 1 on elbow opposite of side 3 is taking it out on. 2 on block in front of inbounder. 2 has most critical job...screening 1's man THEN ROLLING BACK TO THE BALL. I stress rolling back simply because if a switch is made (2's defender picks up your 1) you'll never get it inbounded. Anyhow, if no switch is made, 1 should be open coming to the ball off of 2's pick. If the switch is made, hit 2 rolling back to the ball. If 3's defender is up on the ball, we will call out "1" or "2" from the bench and that player will fly while 3 hits them with a baseball pass. Burn them a few times on that and they'll get 3's defender back there quickly! (Trouble is finding someone who can heave it that far!)
To add to both previous comments, the best way to beat pressure defense I have found is to inbound the ball as quickly as possible before the press gets set up. If you send your wing men down court, you can sometimes get a long pass to them for lay ups against man to man pressure. Score a couple of these and the opposing coach will get out of his press quickly. Otherwise, work on getting the ball to your guard off screens. Also, teach your guard how to get open by closing the space between him and the defender, then cutting straight to the ball. Catch and square up, then look to drive it up using the middle of the floor, and not the sidelines. If you do use a clearout, have a designated player ready to come back and set a screen for the ball handler if needed.
we get them into a 1-4 set vs. m2m full ct. pressure. Vs. zone pressure we get them into a 1-2-2 set. We teach them how to attack the zone or run & jump. Here are a few of the principles that we teach: 1. Get the ball into the middle of the ct. w/in the first 3 passes. 2. Meet the pass, make good passes. 3. Don't dribble into 2 players. 4. Keep your head up at all times. 5. Reverse the ball from side to side. 6. Always use ball and pass fakes befor you pass. 7. Keep the players spread out, no clumping. 8. Catch and face your hoop as soon as you catch the ball
The idea of the Dean Smith press break is to have 3 near outlets 15 feet from the ball and one man down court near your basket. If you can picture the ball handler just one side of the paint, one outlet would be on top of the key,one outlet higher up on ball side close to the sideline and the third on weak side even to lower than the ball. If the press doubles the ball that leaves only 2 defenders guarding your three outlets.
#1 takes ball out #2 At elbow opposite ball #3 at elbow ball side #4 at half court opposite ball #5 at half court ball side #3 screens for #2 who cuts to ball side, #3 rolls toward ball to get open. #1 passes to #2 who will usually be trapped right away. #1 steps inbounds as the cross court release. #3 streaks toward the basket as the over the top option, seldom used. #4 comes from half court starting spot to the middle about 15ft. from the ball, the middle option. #5 moves toward the ball as the down the line option. So we have #2 being trapped, #1 cross court 15 ft away, #4 middle release 15 ft away, and #5 down the line 15 ft away. The best option is to pass it to the middle and look opposite to the #3 guy streaking. If middle not open and #2 passes across to #1, the middle guy stays, the streaker moves toward ball and the #5 streaks toward the basket, #2 stays as the cross court release.
When teams press a team I coach, I try to score off it. When you say "Press Break" it means we're just trying to break it and that it might be too tough for us. If you say "Press Attack" and go about it the right way, you can score by passing up the floor and cutting in the correct way. I'd explain it, but it takes too long. What point I was trying to make is that when I hear "Press Attack" I feel like I am the aggressor. I want my kids to dictate what the oppoent does, therefore I need them to be the aggressor, hence "attack."

Breaking a Diamond & 1 Press

I teach my players to pass over a zone press when possible. What you have in a 1-2-1-1 is a diamond and 1 configuration. If the front player (point of diamond closest to the ball) is tight on the inbounder, place one player inside the diamond, a player behind each of the two sideline players and your last player between the ball and the post defender. Have your inbounder attempt to pass inside the zone, and that player will turn and you sideline players v-cut to a pass. You can take it from there...hope this helps! I'm just going to focus on the "second pass". In my opinion, most presses are in trouble once the ball is in the middle of the floor, so well-coached teams will work hard to defend anyone cutting there for a pass. So, some little things that may help, are: 1. Be patient. The second pass doesn't need to be to the middle, it can be back to the in-bounder. Take the ball from once side to the other. You may actually make more progress up the sidelines. Don't force it. Ten seconds is a long time. 2. Many players that cut to the middle don't use enough mis-direction. They think they will shake a defender with a single jab step. Take at least three steps, then reverse direction. 3. If the player cutting to the middle comes from behind the defense, only the defenders behind the cutter will see her. The post players may be more effective breaking 3/4 downcourt, then coming back. 4. Unless you have some exceptional arms on the team, avoid long passes. Turnover ratio is too high. Keep the second pass short and crisp. 5. Once again, patience. Presses work best against teams that make hurried decisions. Often teams try to accelerate everything and even when they break the press, take a rushed shot. Line up in a 1-4 set with 4 players spread evenly across the free throw line. You can either enter to on of the two guards in the free throw area or one of the outside players. If the ball is inbounded to an outside guy, have one of the guards break to the middle. Inbound passer is safety valve.

Breaking a 1-3-1 Press

first thing I would do is make them get their 6th guy off the court! Then I would set a guard at each elbow in the backcourt, and my forwards at 1/2 court a couple feet from the sideline. Actually, my 3 & 5 are at 1/2 court, and the 4 throws it inbounds. Obviously, we first try to get the ball up court before the press is set. We do this bby sending our 3 up the court. If he does not get the ball, then he stops at his spot at 1/2 court. Our guards break towards the corners. This will generally draw enough attention from the front of the press that we can sneak our 3 up to the hash mark for the 25 foot pass over the potential trap. If we get this pass, our 3 turns and pushes the ball, our 5 cuts to the ball side block and tries to seal his man. If we throw the ball to our guards, they immediately square to the midle of the court. They look to hit either the other guard cutting in front of his man to the middle of the floor, or the forward floating to the open area. They can also look back at the inbouner who is the safety valve, his job is to catch and reverse the ball. We work our kids to love being pressed. Teach them to invite the trap, take a hesitation dribble or pullback crossover and make a good pass out of it. Attack the press to score! Make your kids understand that when the opponent traps they are taking a risk, and they give us the numbers advantage.

Unique Ways of Breaking Presses

I've always liked to use my post players as receivers of the inbounds pass. I think that it is a big mistake to send your 2 post players down to the offensive end & let your 3 perimeter players break the press. Work on inbounding the ball up the court. The farther up the court, the more difficult to trap & the more defenders you catch behind the ball! If man-to-man pressure, bring everyone to the ball, pass fake & send someone long. A key is to have your inbounder to a very active running the baseline & pass faking!
5 inbounds it, 1 and 2 at elbows, 3 and 4 at halfcourt sidelines. 1 and 2 screen and roll toward baseline, 3 break toward ball, 4 break toward 2 near baseline and try to screen his man. 2 goes long running his man into 4. 5 throws ball into 3 in middle who tries to hit 2 running down sideline. 1 also breaks down the other sideline in case 2 is not open. This worked well for my 8th grade girls vs man press last year and I think it would get a 2 on 1 against some zone presses as well.
I always run this play, named it after the play Cincy used to beat Duke at the Great Alaska Shootout. 4 inbounds with 1, 3, and 2 lined up in that order across the half court, 5 is long on the opposite free throw line. At the slap of the ball all three players at half court break to the ball, the pass goes long to 5 at the 3-point line. 1 and 2, after taking three hard jab step to ball, are streaking backdoor for a dish from 5 just as he recieves the pass. The play takes a big man that will go after the ball on the long pass and can dish,we have been lucky the last couple of years, our 5 is also a TE in football. We even ran the play on a last second shot against a zone. The entire defense collapsed on the long pass, and left a dish for a lay up on the wing. It's only a end of half or game situation play, got another one that Alaska might appreciate called the Wasilla sucker play, actually scored on that one 4 straight times in a row against Wasilla last year, really similar to the play someone else described above, I'll post it another time when I have more time.

Press Break vs. M-2-M Press

Against hard pressure, I like to run a box formation. Identify these five positions: Your best passer with enough strength to throw it long. Your best scoring guard. Your 2 best ball handlers. One big guy. Best passer takes it out of bounds. The other 4 set up a box. Your best scorer is closest to the ball with your best ball handler on the same side, but 15 feet further away from the ball. Your big guy is on the opposite side of the hoop, but in line across from the scorer. Your other ball handler is on the opposite side of the hoop in line with the other ball handler. So now you have a box with the center of the box as the top of the key. On ball side. The ball handler runs toward the scorer and sets a pick. The scorer flies long down the court for the baseball pass. If this is not open, the ball handler rolls toward the corner to get the ball. On the other side at the same time, the big man screens away for the guard who comes hard straight to the ball. the big man rolls toward the other corner. So you have 3 outlets and the long pass.
I like breaking the press with just three people and that includes the inbounder. I realize you specified a four across press breaker, but why have all ten players involved with the inbound situation? You need space. We send two downcourt. Their defenders will cheat,of course, but at least they are out of the vicinity. For teams that don't practice much, there are two simple ways to get the ball in. The first is hard work, but simple. 1. Put two receivers facing the inbounder (yes, your best passer - this skill is critical). Place them on the blocks, or maybe back a little bit. On the slap, the ballside receiver breaks hard to the ball side corner and the other straight back towards halfcourt. Each will cut back to the inbounder for the pass. No screens, dirt simple, but works only if the kids are quick and go at least three steps from the inbounder before cutting back. The best time to cut back is when the ball handler fakes a pass, especially to the corner. The defender will overplay the pass and create an opportunity for the receiver to reverse direction suddenly. Ideally, the defender is compromised moving away from the action as the ball comes into play. The receiver going downcourt can sell the fake by holding a target hand out as if requesting a lob pass. The defenders must guess when the change of dorection will occur, so the advantage is with the hardworking offensive player. 2. Another 3 player option is to have a big played involved. The big player goes and sets a screen for the expected receiver a la pick and roll, seals and pivots to face the ball. Once the ball is caught, its returned to the inbounder breaking up court. The critical piece here is the decoy receiver waiting for the screen to be set. If he/she leaves too soon, goodbye play. If they over play the pick, pass to the decoy receiver. Those are too simple but effective ways to inbound vs man 2 man. Space is the key. Once the defense is spread out and you're on the move, you should get some good shots.
I like using the 1-4 against man because it gives the point guard 4 outlets right away. I have him first read how the defense is guarding the wings. If the defense is playing tight he looks for the backdoor. If that's not open the point then looks to create the give and go or the pick and row. If we do not score off of those plays they go into a motion offense.
I use a "1-4" (i.e. four across" as my primary press break. Against tough man-to-man pressure, I have my big players (#4 and #5) set a pick for the guards (#1 and #2). While many teams attempt to have one guard screen for the other, while the #4 and #5 head further downcourt, I have found that at best this yields only one inbound target. By having both of the guards screened for, I get two inbound targets. I believe that the keys are teaching your guards the appropriate footwork (and body position) to get open, and to teach your inbounder when to use a bounce pass.
I know that this may sound a little unorthodox but I had a good sized post player that i used to break man pressure this way. I would put her at about the top of the key and use her as an outlet type pass and run a "give and go" with the guard or clear out and let her bring it up the floor against her defender, who usually was unaccustomed to playing open floor dribble defense. If someone comes to help against the post we would get the ball to the open player and run the break or secondary break using the post as a trailer. Don't know if you have this kind of personnel, but it worked for us.
We have a set play called Double High that has both post players at the top of the key setting ball screens for the point guard. We just extend this into the backcourt by having both post players up for the point guard to use the screens. The wing men spot up in the corners. Another piece of advice: Have your point guard start below the free throw line extended, then cut toward the basketball for the initial pass. This will give them more room to get open vs. starting above the free throw line extended.
1-4 press break with 4 inbounding, facing the inbounder, have 5 on left wing, 1 on left elbow, 2 on right elbow, 3 on right wing. Against in your face man 2 man, send 2 man long occasionally. Otherwise, have 5 screen for 1 and roll toward ball. Inbound to 5 to 1 or directly to 1. 1 shoudl push it up and attack middle and fill lanes (2 fills right lane/ 3 left). Run the baseline sometimes and inbound to 3 to 2 to 1 and fill lanes or directly to 2 to 1 and attack. Have 1 pass to 2 or 3 more quickly if he is not quick enough to get it up court.

Plays

Last Second, End of Game Play

"Big Ben" - Put your tallest player, or best jumper underneath your offensive basket. Put your two best shooters at half court, one on each side, out at the sidelines. Inbounder must be able to throw ball length of court, or at least 3/4 of the way (a concern with girls). Place last player , hopefully a decent foul shooter at freethrow line closest to inbounder, at elbow opposite inbounder. This player will set a screen for the inbounder as she moves across baseline. Many times player guarding inbounder runs over screen, resulting in foul (great if in bonus). As inbounder moves, players at half court take 1or 2 steps toward the ball, and then bust to basket running in outside alleys. Player under basket steps out to top of key. Inbounder throws pass to top of key, where player jumps and tips ball to one of the players cutting to basket in alleys. Player catches tip, shoots or gets a lay-up. We have run this play several times, and it usually has given us a good shot at the basket. Haven't always converted, but that's a different story.I have used this play with girls teams from grades 7 - 10 , and see no reason that it would not work for a boys team. It has worked against man and zone defenses.

Quick Hitters

we like to have 2 low posts one being our smallest player. We then bring the ball to the small players side. We then have them pick away for our biggest player. If they switch we have a big small mismatch, if they don't switch your big should receive the ball for a lay-up.

Baseline Inbound Plays

Here are 2 simple one that are effective against both zones and man. Both are from box formation. #1. 3 inbounds(best shooter), 4 on ballside block, 1 on ballside elbow, 5 on off block and 2 on off elbow. On slap of ball:4 jab steps in then breaks to corner and recieves ball. Turns and throws it to 1 who has cut to wing. 4 then screens for 3 who steps into corner and recieves ball from 1. 3 almost always has jump shot, If he doesn't then 4 is open. And 2 should be open up high. ...........................#2. Same alignment. 4 & 1 screen across lane for 5 & 2. 5 recieves ball and passes to 2 at wing. 2 takes one or two dribbles toward top of key looking for 3 on the wing coming off of a double screen by 1 & 4. 3 has shot. If not, 2 & 5 screen down for 1 and he pops to wing. These have worked for me at various levels for a long time, I hope you are successful with them also. P.S., I stole #1 from an opponent who beat my team with it for 12 points in 1 game a long time ago. When we played the next season, it got us 8 points against him.
We have used a very simple play with unbelievable success. Set up a stack with 4 players about 4 feet away from your person taking ball out of bounds. First player in line closest to OB screens players gaurding OB player(back pick)/next player in lines screens anyone under basket. This leaves your tallest player(#3 inline) behind a double screen for a lob pass and an easy bank shot. If this player is covered, #4(best shooter) in line moves to outside baseline for an outside jump shot or a quick pass back to player who inbounded the ball. We have averaged 2-3 shots a game with the lob under our basket. Also, look for players who set up the screens, they may be open as well.
My teams have always used this play and it is amazingly successful. It can be taught in 10 minutes. Your point guard is the inbounds passer. Your other four players line up in numerical order of position (2, 3, 4 and 5) starting on the low block and ending up at the free throw line. So when your PG (#1) gets the ball from the ref to trigger the play, all 5 of your players are in a vertical line. When PG slaps the ball to trigger play, #2, #3 and #4 take one wide step OUTSIDE - toward the sideline. At the same time #5 at the FT line takes a wide step INSIDE toward the center of the court. PG makes ball fake to throw the ball toward the sideline (use #2 as your decoy receiver). Then #2, #3 and #4 immediately cut back and sweep across the lane. (First option is #2! If s/he has shaken loose, slip it to them for an instant lay up! However normally this doesn't happen.) As #2, #3 and #4 sweep across the lane, #5 busts straight down the boundary line of the lane TOWARD the PG. (Sealing their defender on their inside hip.) At the low block s/he cuts diagonally straight for the rack. Almost always #5's defender will get caught up in the traffic in the lane created by your #2, #3 and #4 sweeping across and gets totally taken out of the play. Since #5 is usually a tall center your PG simply lobs a head-level pass - #5 grabs it and banks in lay up. AGAINST MAN DEFENSE THIS SHOT WILL BE AVAILABLE 90% of the time. It is extremely rare that you have to go to options beyond this one, but there are a couple. After crossing the lane, #3 and #4 set up in rebounding position along the opposite blocks. If no shot has developed for #5, #2 will do a jab cutback and flash back across the lane and continue out to the shortside corner. If all else fails, PG inbounds to them and then receives an immediate return pass. But again it's very rare you will have to resort to this option. One caution about this play. What your #2, #3 and #4 are doing is kind of a moving screen. They MUST NOT make any screening motion or attempt to push defenders out of the way with arms or hands. Simply run the patterns and sweep across the lane - "inadvertent bumping" will take care of the rest and clear those defenders out of there. This play is great anytime and is an excellent "buzzer beater" if you only have one or two seconds to score. My teams have won several games on this play in the final seconds. For younger kids, I have used it as our *ONLY* inbounds play. Even when opponents know what is coming it is hard to stop. As you move to higher skill levels you may want to have other inbounds plays and save this one for a real nitty gritty situation where you HAVE to score.
I too run a variation of the stack plays mentioned. 1. We line up 4 players strating out the fouline in a tight stack going diagonally away from the ball towards the opposit side of the floor. the first player jabs one way and cuts back the other, the second player does the exact opposite and the third player then comes straight down the lane looking for the ball. The last player steps back behind the arc level with ball as a safety outlet. 2. We run a variation off this called Rover. We have 3 players in the stack and then 1 "roving". The rover uses the stack as a screen trying to get an open shot or lay-up. they have a 3 count to do this before the stack runs as described in 1 without the forth player. Screen the screener. I also like these types of plays which open up a shot underneath the hole on the weak side. Our best big passer will take the ball (lets say the 4 man). We then have our best driver (3) on the ball side low post and our best shooter(2) on the ball side high post. 5 is on the weak side low post and 1 is on the weak side high post. Thus we are set up in a box formation. 3 steps to the sideline looking for the pass then goes and sets a screen for two who comes towards the ball looking for the shot. At the same time 5 comes diagonally across the lane and sets a screen on 3's defnder.who then flashes down to the weak side post looking for a lay-up. 5 rolls back towards the ball looking for a lay-up (they are usually open on a switch). Meanwhile 1 has stepped outside the 3 pointline as an outlet. My golden rule for the inbound passer is to go opposite from wher they passed the ball.
Player 5 ball in. Player 1 at opposite side elbow. Player 2 right below player 1 Player 3 at ball side elbow Player 4 right below player 3. At tap 3 screens across top of lane for player 1 moving to ball side wing. At tap 2 flashes to oposite side wing. At tap 4 flashes to middle. 3 then faces basket at freethrow line. All are options but our 4 and 1 usually get the shot with 2 next. Be sure and have all players close to elbow. This confuses the defense because no one is in the low "good" shooting spot to begin with. The D tends to open the middle when they see this. It has been our best play.
Here is one of my favorites, it is a pretty common play. But here it is anyway. It is called "Triangle" 3 is inbounder. 5 lines up in center of free throw line. 2 lines up on ballside block. 4 lines up on opposite block. 1 is out at point guard position as safety. 2 screens up for 5 rolling down the lane. That is the first option for a lay up. After 2 screens, 4 should be right there screening up for 2. 2 rolls down the other side of the lane for the lay up. In the meantime, 1 is counting in his head, when he gets to 3 he has to try and get open for the outlet. I usually have him V cau away from ball and run off of screen at top of the key set by 4. I also have a few pages of m2m out of bounds plays thay I got from coach Calipari.
I used this at grade & elementry level, and has been quite productive: "Post T" The formation forms the capital letter "T". A) 1 inbounds ball. B)the two post players (5 on top, 4 closest to 1)stand side by side facing the side line, standing on the line of the lane in front of 1, just below the freethrow line. C) one wing (3) is on the elbow opposite ballside. D)the other wing (2) is at the opposite wing position, even with the free throw line extended. On 1's break command, the (2) player cuts over the top of the two post players, who have formed a double screen, and cuts into the lane. (3) times his arrival to also cross the top of the double screen right after (2) does, and (3) cuts to the short corner area. After the second wing cuts down, the top post player (5) cuts straight to the basket using (4) as a screen-can cut on the side opposite of his defender. (4) then cuts to the top of the key as a safety outlet. Sounds complicated but if you draw it out, it's quite easy. We also run "Wing T" which simply switches the places of the wings and the post players. I cannot tell you how many lay ups and short jumper you can get with this.
this one won a few games for us last year(5th grade girls). I call it the double stack.The center throws ball in,the forwards line up on each block,the guards line up behind(directly) the forwards.the center slaps ball,players break in this direction,guards fake a step into lane ,and breaks for corners,forward nearest center(ball) cuts across lane ,sets screen for other forward,when screen is set,forward cuts across lane to other block,WIDE OPEN 90% of the time,when not,corners are open for a pass.you wind up in a 1-4 set.great play for younger kids
Very simple play, when I have described it to other coaches they look at me like I am nuts, even the players will not believe that it works until you use it in a game. Have your best passer throw the ball in. Line up the other four according to size across the lane facing the ball. With your tallest player as the second in line closest to the ball. Should look like this OOOO. When the in bounds passer is handed the ball, they quickly throw a lob over the top of the stack. The second or the tallest player steps back to recieve the pass. The other three quickly step in to seal off the open lane that was created or in essence, they set a triple screen. This has led to many 3ft shots for my high school girls. Also they may set up with someone behind the stack. Who ever does not have a player in front of them simply steps forward and the play is ran backwards. I have seen coaches get so frustrated over this that they will yell for the players to get behind them now I have all of my offensive players set up in between the defense and the basket. Easy! The key is to do it quick. The inbounder must almost take the ball from the referee before they are ready to give it to them and then qickly pass the ball.
Here is a simple yet effective way to get the ball in every time! You may not score every time but you will get it in. Best passer takes the ball out of bounds. Other four players are in a circle facing the back of the person in front of them (left shoulders inside circle, right shoulders outside) They should be around the first line above the block on ball side. On slap, four players run in a tight cirlce. After about two laps they all just break anywhere on the court. You could have set break areas if you wanted. I know it seems hokey BUT think about how you would defend this. You'll get it in every time! It is very easy and quick to teach and learn. The only thing to watch for is the players want to break too soon!

Baseline OOB vs. Zone

Here is an in-bounds play I use against zone defenses: Put a player in the corners behind the 3-point arc (best shooters obviously)....and a player on each side of the lane (free throw line extended)...at the slap of the ball both players at the free throw line flash down the lane (sometimes I have them cross in the lane and go to the opposite block). If the defense is sinking in on the posts then the corners will be wide open....if they cheat out on the corners then the posts will be wide open.
AGAINST ZONE: Try putting your guy's in a box around the key. The inbounder calls break and the guy on the low post,in front of the inbounder cuts out to the corner. The inbounder passes him the ball and the guy at the high post,ball side, pops out. The guy in the corner passes to the guy at the top,and then goes in and screens the player on the low post. The inbounder then comes off the screen and goes to the corner for a pass from the guy that came out from the top and shoots. The guy's on the weak side should exchange just to keep their defenders busy.
AGAINST ZONE: I have 1 run 2 different ways. 5 takes ball out. everyone lines up along the key - ballside starting at midpost (1,3,4,2). If 5 holds up arm closest to key we run a sweep, if outside/ sideline arm is up we run a wall. i let my inbounder make the call. Play 1 (sweep)on break 1 goes to corner, 3 sweep across key screening closest player, 4 sldes down to block looking for pass and 2 pops out free midblock extended. play 2 - on break everyone fakes their move, even taking a step in that direction, except for 2 who goes to their spot as evryone else reset turn to basket a forms a wall for 2. the key is practice, and execution. it sounds confusing but we practiced these plays evryday for 10 minutes and were very suceessful to the point that when our oppents tried to out guess us it left open easy shots for 1 or 3.
AGAINST ZONE: 1) out of box formation, ballside block screens for ballside perimeter player who cuts to ballside wing area...ball passed to that player who reverses ball around outside of perimeter back to weak side and ball is passed to original player who inbounded ball, who uses screen by weak side low block player to get shot on wekside wing/corner area...a little more complicated option on this is screen the screener action with weak side low block player moving diagonally up and across to ballside mid to high post area to screen for the initial screener, who curls off screen to weak side low block for ball and/or to set weak side screen for player who inbounded ball who cuts to weak side wing after inbounding ball 2) two players stack line up on ballside block with 1 player in ballside corner.. remaining player is on ballside top of key ..player in corner cuts off double screen either on baseline side or high side of double screen set a ballside low block..often for easy lay up...top player in double screen pops out to corner using screen by remaining player that set the initial double screen...player in corner is often open when popping out..this corner player can shoot or feed post to screener who posted up on ballside..two man game..or hit perimeter player cutting to wing from ballside top of key
AGAINST ZONE: We have a play run from a box set. It gets 1 of 3 very good shots and sometime a very good weak side put back. Upon receipt of the ball from the ref, the lower ball side player breaks to the corner 3 pt. line; at the same time the top ball side player breaks to the FT line extended 3 pt. line; the player at the top of the non-ball side breaks to the basket on the non-ball side. The inbounder passes to the corner; the corner passes to FT line ext. player. After the inbounder makes her pass she steps in and screens the middle player of the zone. While all this is happening the lower non-ball side player is breaking along the endline and around the screen set by the inbounder to receive a pass from the FT Line ext. player for the 5-7 ft. jump shot. The top non-side player is in position for the weak side rebound. All players on perimeter are free to shoot the "3" if a defender does not come out to guard. 2 years ago we scored 54 pts, off this in-bound play.

Sideline OOB Plays

Try this out of the stack. Have your best driver take the ball out of bounds, your best screener sets a pick for your best passer who comes to the ball and receives it, the other two players cut high and away from the basket area. Now have your inbounder cut hard for the basket and the passer should give him a good lob toward the hoop. Another option. Best post player in corner on ball side. Best 3 pt shooter at block ball side. The other two players set screens up top to get open, but only pass it to them as a release. The post in corner screens for the shooter at block. Shooter goes to corner, post to block. Inbounder can pass it to shooter for the shot or post feed, or inbounder can do a direct post feed.
If I have the ball on the side and the other team sits back in a zone, I do not try to score off the in-bounds.
I have a box I will use some this year.I have 2 kids who are pretty fast and I use them on this.Set up a box with a good passer inbounding the ball. My 2 fastest kids set up on the side opposite the basket. the 2 other players set up basketside of the box. When ready,the 2 kids (basketside)screen for the 2 fireballs and they are off and running for the basket ,looking for the pass.The only 2 problems I have are if center stays back to defend basket (then you may have 2 on 1 situation)or screens break down, such as a switch on defense. Most of the kids we play against don`t switch yet..so for younger players ,try it..
Here's one I swiped from a pretty good boys varsity team in my area. I have had it work for junior high girls and boys. Put your best post player on ball side block, and and best post feeder on block opposite of ball. Stack the remaining two in front of the inbounder (but they are simply decoys and safety valves. On ball slap, player on opposite block runs to ball side corner and recieves inbounds pass, squares up and looks for shot or dumps it into post player. 95% of teams are so pre-occupied with the two stacking up that they neglect to pay attention to players on blocks and we get a ton of easy jumpers in corner or 1 on 1 in the post. Sounds simple but it will at least get your post player to the foul line, maybe even shooting for a three point play.
2 Big Guys on the elbows, 2 Little Guys on the blocks. On the slap, the 2 Bigs drop down and screen for the 2 Littles who then cut to the perimeter for a three. One of the two Littles will be open to pass to. The inbound passer is the forgotten player. We like to have the ball side Big Guy come out about 15-18' after his initial screen is done. The passer cuts from the sideline to the corner area, using the Big Guy as needed. Common result is a pass back to the inbounder who is all alone. If the Big Guy's defender switches to the in-bounder... uh-oh. Big Guy scores on pass from the forgotten player.
Coach, You're exactly right when you say many teams will neglect to pay the inbounder much attention. I actually run three different sideline out-of-bounds plays from the set up I described in the earlier post. We always set up in the same formation I spoke of (I call it "blitz"), then I will hold up a number (1, 2, or 3) depending on what I want them to run out of this set up. I watch the inbounder's defender to see where they set up. Blitz 1 is the play I described earlier. Blitz 2 is for when the opposing team puts the inbounder's defender back in the paint...we will have the block post player break to the ball and pass it right back to the inbounder who steps in quickly after inbounding it. The inbounder invariably has a wide open 3. (Now if we could just hit one!) Blitz 3 is similiar but I will have the post player simply hand off the ball to the inbounder as he/she breaks to hoop. It's always good for one or two wide open lay-ups a game. On Blitz 3 I will have the guys who normally goes to the ball side corner (to get inbounds pass) just go to the top-of-the key to get his man out of there.
We get into a box formation like so; 1 takes ball out 2 at ballside block 3 at ballside elbow 4 opposite 2 5 opposite 3. 1 yells break and the following happens; 2 goes to her ride towards short corner 3 replaces 2 at block 4 turn set screen for 5 5 brushes off screen looking for ball. 1 hit 5 for lay up or 2 for quick jump shot. Our first goal is to score, but we want the ball inbound to avoid a 5 sec call
Vs. a Zone, End of game: Put 2 and 5 on blocks, 5 ball side and 2 weak side. 4 inbounds and 1 and 3 are high near half court line. 2 cut to ballside corner using screen from 5. (5 should start outside the corner man on zone if possible so he can screen him inside) Throw to 2. 5 post up hard and 2 can shoot, drive, or pass to 5. 1 breaks open in case 2 can't get open. 3 screens for 1, then runs to weak side block for rebound or possible pass from 5. You can also inbound to 1 who passes to 2. This assumes 2 is your best shooter and 5 your best scorer from post. This works well against pressure man as well as zones.

Jump Ball Formations

I put a player on the offensive free throw line. So you have players on the right and left of jumper on the circle (where half court meets the circle), a player on D at the Free Throw line and one on the offensive free throw line. The jumper has to read the other team. Usually it is an easy tip back to the player on D, but if the other team leaves a person open on the circle then we run a break off the tip. Try this formation and see how other teams match-up
If we feel we can win the tip we will place the point guard at the top of the 3 point arc on the defensive side. The 2 and 3 position are on the center line on either side of the jump circle. The 4 man is between the jump circle on the top of the offensive 3 point arc. We will tip back to the point and go immediately into our transition offense. The point brings the ball up the center, the 2 and 3 players fill the wide wings and the 4 player runs the center lane. The 5 player who tips is the trailer. If we don't get the quick hitter we are in position to go directly into our secondary break. This is where we score most often. We really value possessions and even track them as the major team statistic. Therefore, even though there is only one tip per game we want the additional possession and will devote practice time to this. Our goal is to "out-possession" the other team by 5 possessions.
Last year there was a coach who ran a no tip - trap on us. As the ball went up his girls would all fall back in to a box out position. they would steal the ball or if we got the ball immediately go into a trapping half court def. after seening him do this and getting the ball 8 out of 10 times i asked him about it. he said he read about it here about 2 years ago...funny what you can find here.
I put my biggest player in to jump then right as the ref is getting ready to throw it up, I have my smallest player switch and take the jump. This way I have my biggest guys available to get the ball.

Jump Ball Plays

My team just does a plain: 2 guys set up on the circle (offensive end) center hits it to 1 of them other breaks down court towards the basket and the guy with the ball nails the guy breaking down court then you have a guy on your own free throw line and one on the circle (defensive end) normally you get a fast lay-up Will you believe me if I tell you that our tipoff play works 95% of the time? It's very easy to run, and we get a lay up from it almost every time...now if we could only make all of those lay ups! Setup: one player on the circle facing the tipper, two best open court players straddling the midcourt line, one safety back at their FT line. The tipper tips to the player facing him. The wings head upcourt and angle toward the basket (much like lay up lines). Player who caught the tip pivots and hits one of the wings cutting to the basket. What happens is the other team's safety has to choose which player to defend; often he will run out toward the kid who caught the tip. Even if the safety stops your initial drive, one interior pass will lead to an easy hoop. During my season, we lost the tip twice and got lay up attempts on the opening tip in all but one of the other games. I should have been more clear about the wings' starting position. They set up about a step or two from the sideline...it really confuses most teams when they see us standing off the circle.
We run the same Jump Ball formation and if you win the tip you always get a lay up AND just like Rocket Coach we don't always make those lay ups. We have our 5 jump, our 4 face him, our 1 and 2 as cutters and our 3 back as a safety. Always have your player with the stronger left hand on that side, you can have the wing players hedge towards D or O based on weather you expect to win the tip.
We do similar to Rockets play but instead of tipping to 4 on the circle, we have the two players who stradle the line break toward the basket as the ball is tossed up and we tip in front of one of them, the defensive safety always goes toward the ball, and we pass to the other cutter. Tipping to 4 is fine if they don't have players on both sides of him, but tipping away from the circle seems like a more sure thing when the other team is on the circle.
We have no height, but manage to get more than our share of the opening tips, along with a lay-up. 5 jumps, 3 at our FT line, 4 between our 5 & 3 on the circle, 1 (right side) and 2 (left side) straddle center court on both sides of center circle. If opposing center appears to be right handed he'll usually try to tip it to his left (from our basket facing theirs, this means to the right side of center court. Our guard on that side, (1), breaks to this spot as soon as the ball leaves the ref's hand at the jump. He's off to the races. Try it sometimes, you'd be surprised how easy and effective it is.
JUMP BALL RULE - non-jumpers cannot change position around the center circle until the ball is tossed and cannot break the plane of the center circle until the jumper touches the ball. They cannot take a position in any occupied space until the ball is touched. That means standing right behind (within 3') another player who is on the circle. You cannot move onto the circle but you can leave the circle while the ball is being tossed. If you are at least 3' back from the circle, you can move at any time but you can't move onto the circle (within 3'). The rule book wasn't real clear but the case book explained it better. (high school)
WE line 1,2,3 up defensively up or off circle depending on our chances of winning tip. 4 lines up on the circle, offensive side facing jumpers. We tip back or hope they tip forward. 4steps up and screens the jumper, 5 goes to hoop we fire down the middle for a lay up.

Trick Plays

you are taking the ball out underneath your own basket, and yiu create a stack. The last player in line yells, as the ref hands your player the ball, "wait, coach wants me to throw it in!" as she walks to the out of bounds, your guard breaks to the basket, receives the pass and makes a lay up.
End of the game, ball under opponents hoop, they are in an all out denial press. Run the shoe string. Set up a box. the back player on ball side will screen for the player closest to the ball who will sprint down court for the touchdown lay up. The trick is the sprinter, facing down court, bends down saying his shoe is untied right as the ref hands the ball, now he is in a starting block formation and takes off.
Last year, I used one with my 7th grade boys team. When we received the ball to start the second half, I had my players line up in a box formation at the other basket and see if the other team matched up with us. If they did we'd send our point guard to our actual basket to get an easy lay-up We tried this in two games...the first game it worked but the second game the opposing team did not fall for it.
it was 2 seconds left in the game we had the ball. all tied as soon as the girls lined up i yell no Kris take the ball out as soon as the ball was handed to kris the orginal inbounder flew down court caught the pass, but missed the running lay up...
Stack play. If no defender directly in front of line, first person squats down, second person in line shoots off the glass. 2) Under opponents hoop. 4 players at elbows and boxes. Player on opposite box from ball side steps out of bounds and receives pass from person out of bounds (legal only following a made bucket). 3 players run towards her calling for ball. The player who threw her the ball goes long for a bullet pass to other end.
I have a friend that when it is his team's ball to start the second half ALWAYS (well alomost always - as I'll explain as I go along) puts three players at the wrong basket. And has the player receiving the inbounds pass face as if he is going to the wrong basket. The reason what he does works is because EVERYONE knows that he "ALWAYS" does this. So you can be sure they warn their team about it at half-time. The trick comes in when once in a great while he has his team line up at the "RIGHT" basket and the defense goes to the 'wrong' basket. Because the coach has drilled into his player's heads that this team "ALWAYS" lines up at the wrong basket. I saw his team play once in a tournament. It was his team's ball to start the second half. He lined his team up under the "right" basket. The opposing players knew this. But the coach was yelling for his team to go to the other end because he knew that Jimmy "ALWAYS" lined his guys up at the other basket. Three of the other team's players actually went to the other end. So Jimmy's team inbounded and scored 5 on 2. (I'm glad I wasn't that coach!) This happened on the high school varsity boys level of play.

Pick & Roll Plays

Here is another pick and roll idea to consider from a 1-2-2 set. Your point hits a wing, and cuts hard to the basket on a give and go cut. The ballside post clears as the pass to the wing has been made across the lane to the opposite post area. The post man on the offside sprints out to the wing where the ball was passed and sets a ball screen for the wing. Wing drives off the screen, post can roll or pop back. On the helpside, you can have the two guards spot up or run a double screen (I prefer staggered screens) for the point guard. Another idea similar is to run from a 1-4 set. PG hits the wing and cuts to the opposite corner. The ballside post screens for the opposie post. Opposite post cuts over and ball screens for the wing, while the strong side post who set the screen slides down to the opposite low post area. The wing can either drive off the screen to the middle or drive it baseline if the defense tries to squeeze up on the ball handler in order to get over the top of the ball screen. One other idea......think about ball screening after your post receives a post feed, but kicks it back out to the wing? I know a few college teams do this as well as some pro teams. Very hard to defend because the ball screen can occur so quickly.
One of our quick hitters is out of a pick and roll play. We set up in a high post 2-3 set and send the ball side baseline player up to set the pick on the guard w/ the ball. As he is moving up to set the pick, the weak side baseline player sets a diagonal screen for the middle player, and the off guard clears out. As the strong side baseline player gets about 1.5 feet towards the guard w/ the ball he makes a quick pivot on his outside foot and back door cuts. Because of the screening action on the weak side the help side "D" is destracted. This is good for a couple of points per game.
I GOT THIS PLAY THIS SUMMER FROM A COACH WITH THE PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS...START IN A 1-2-2 SET. PT PASSES TO THE WING AND THE STRONG SIDE POST COMES IMMEDIATELY TO THE ELBOW TO SET A SCREEN FOR THE PT. (LIKE THE CUT ON THE UCLA HP OFF.) THE weak side WING SETS A DOUBLE SCREEN ON THE weak side FOR THE PT GUARD WHO WILL EMPTY OUT ON THE WEAK SIDE. (FOR A POSSIBLE SKIP PASS.). NOW YOU HAVE ISOLATED A POST PLAYER WITH THE WING WHO HAS THE BALL. A GREAT PICK AND ROLL SITUATION. IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO PICK BIG PLAYER TO SMALLER IN CASE THE SWITCH YOU CAN POST UP.

Fastbreak

Fast Break System

We use a middle break pattern. We want to push the ball to the free throw line. With the ball in the middle, we fill the lanes on the right and left (use the v-ball court sideline to keep your spacing). The wings the touch the blocks. You will now have two peolpe trailing the play. The two trailers balance the court(one on the right and one on the left). These trailers set down picks for the wings that have touched the block. You are running into a basic motion set (3out and 2in). We get into our motion offense without having to stop and set up. The key is to get the ball to the free throw line, fill the lanes, balance the court and set picks.
This is a fast break with my team which only has one player over 6'. this break utilizes the 3 pt line to perfection. Your 2 should fill the right lane, your 3 should fill the left lane, making sure they stay wide. your 5 the 6'1 kid should go to the right box. your 4 inbouds ball and trails the 1. On any ball reversal, whether from 1 to 4 or 2 to 4, the 2 sets a back for 4 once 4 throws to 5 on the left wing. 1 fades to the right wing replacing 2. 2 steps out after setting back screen (he should be open because his man must help on the 4 cut. the 5 who went to the righ box follows the ball on the reversal and now is on the left box. The 3 who has the ball throws to 2 stepping out, then the 5 sets a back pick for 3, and the 1 sets a down pick for 4. the 2 has to read the screens and decide who is open. after he passes to a side he then down picks the opposite box in which he passed to. Now the only rule from now on is if you throw a pass from the wing you get back screened if you dont throw the pass you down screen.

Fast break Drills

Drills - 5 on 0 to learn pattern, then 5 on 5 beginning with a missed shot (block out, rebound, and run break). When ball gets to other end, if no break (and secondary break options are not open), pull it out and have someone shoot and fastbreak to the other end. Pattern - whichever guard is closest to side the rebound went to will open up for outlet pass toward sideline. Other guard will move toward middle and head down floor and receive 2nd pass and dribble down middle. Big men who did not rebound will run the sidelines as soon as they see that their team has the ball (sprint out if you want score). Rebounder trails down middle, outlet guard trails down side and spots up for 3. Flexibility is needed for long rebounds, steals, etc so everyone should fill the nearest empty lane or trail depending on where they started.
I start out with a 3 on 2 into 3 on 3. Three players on the baseline 15 feet apart, 3 players along the free throw line extended directly in front of the man at the baseline. Coach throws the ball to one of the 3 guys at the baseline. If you are at the free throw line extended and your man receives the pass from the coach, you have to run forward and touch the baseline while your 2 team mates hustle back on D against the 3 guys coming off the baseline. What I stress is getting the ball in the middle, but not directly in the middle, I want a strong side and a weak side. The strong side wing must run a wide lane and the weak side wing would run a tight lane so that they could go directly into a lay-up if they get the pass from the point guard. The 3rd defender recovers and tries to help. Then on a change of possesion, they switch offense defense and run a 3 on 3 back to the beginning. It really helps for the coach to throw the ball to one of the outside guys on the baseline so that the middle guy must read and cut to the wing to fill the proper lane while the guy with the ball drives hard to the middle.

Starting Your Fast Break

I run a sideline transition offense and what to push the ball up quicker this year. In past years, my rules for rebounding were this. If one of my 2 post players rebounds the ball - The point guard cuts to the wing on the same side as the ball, the outlet pass goes to the point. Point takes one or 2 dribbles and passes it to either wing streaking down the sideline. If one of the guards or wings rebounds the ball, they just start attacking with the dribble. My idea this year is to have the outlet pass go to a wing streaking down the sideline at about half court, thus skipping the point guard or the dribbling to half court. How do you start your tranistion and what do you think of my plan for this year?
Coach - What you are proposing for your team's sideline break is pretty close to what we do (8th grade boys). We have been blessed with enough good perimeter players that we always have 3 good ball handlers on the court at any given time. Our rules are as follows: 1. If we hit the wing directly we are trying to get a 2 on 1 break in which the player with the ball attacks the basket and the other wing fills the opposite lane at the appropriate angle. 2. If a 2 on 1 doesn't materialize, the wing will either push the ball to the baseline and look to reverse the ball to the point who is filling the middle lane at the top of the key OR get the ball to the point in the middle lane earlier and try to establish a 3 on 2 break. Two things that I really like about the sideline break is that most transition defenses will over commit to the ball side making them vulnerable to ball reversal and the secondary break. Also, reversing the ball through the PG at the top of the key puts the ball in the hands of a good outside shooter/passer/decision-maker. Good luck with your new tranision game this season. By the way we also run a full-court transition offense up the sideline after made baskets that is very effective.
Last year I was lucky to have 2 post player ( 8th grade ) that could handle the ball. what I did was have the rebound grab the ball, pivot towards the side line and go. everyone else would fill lanes. the rebounder would look up court and pass to an open player, who then took on the same responsiblities. I like the ideal of sideline breaking since it takes away throwing the ball into the middle , where a crowd of people usally are. ps i spent extra time with our post players on dribbling / ball handling skill.
We use a simple approach. After the rebound, hit the first open man up the floor. The guards should be getting open on the outside lanes and are the most likely recipients. After the outlet pass, we want the ball in the middle of the floor, so dribble there if close, or hit the person cutting to the middle. Once the ball is in the middle, fill the outside lanes. We're deliberately not specific on who does what. The goals are to get the ball upcourt quickly and attack from the middle of the floor. The game is too dynamic not to be flexible and allow spontaneous decision making. Also, we run daily full court drills that reinforce the goals. I've come to question the value of the primary and secondary plays on the breaks. Compared to the amount of time devoted in practice, we haven't executed them much in games. Rather, the kids use their instincts based on numbers and spacing. Maybe that's because we don't teach it well enough, or maybe the structure is too restrictive in this case.
Unfortunately, we're not blessed with an abundance of good ball handlers. We work on our rebounding and outleting a great deal, but we try to get the ball to the point guard almost all the time with the wings flying down court and into the corners if we have no advantage for a quick break. The posts then bust to the block and high post (trailing post) overloading the defense and usually getting a good shot off a delayed-type break.

Fastbreak: Fill the lanes or numbered break?

I've always used numbered break (2 right, 3 left, 1st big down middle, 2nd trail). Is it better to use "fill the lanes" so no one has to cross the court to get to their lane and should I allow big men to fill wing lanes if they are first ones up the court (wing was rebounder or defensive situation had big man out on floor). Thansks for any help.
Having experienced each of the two styles you have mentioned, I have found that a good mix is best. Here is what I mean by that. We use the numbered fast break as our primary weapon in transition. However, any time we get a steal, loose ball recovery or long rebound (if possession is gained is above the foul line extended), we fill the lanes and look for a numbers advantage. That means anyone can fill the lanes at this time. It has been very successful for us and you get the best of both strategies.
The numbered break allows you to maintain an organized, yet lethal, attack. However, you may also consider being a little more flexible by allowing some players to be interchangeable. The 2 and 3 could fill either outside lane, depending on which side of the court they are on defensively. You may even permit any of the guards (1, 2, or 3) to bring the ball up and the other two fill the lanes. The first post (4 or 5) that can get to the block can go there and the other can trail. While normally you may want your 5 on the block, there may be times when he gets the rebound and the 4 will need to hustle down the floor to the block. By doing some of these things, you are still staying with the "numbered fast break" but are giving your players a little more freedom to get down the floor quicker in some instances. Just some food for thought.
We fill lanes always. I think it's important that players know what their teammates' roles are because it gives them an appreciation of the bigger picture - ie. team concepts. Therefore, I rotate players through all positions for our offences, inbounds plays, breaks, etc during practice. In a game situation all players can then react instinctively and just fill the open spot. I want them thinking about the game, not what spot on the floor to run to because the coach tells them to.
We use a numbered break following a made basket by our opponent (1=short right, 2=long right, 3=short left, 4=long left, 5=inbound). This helps us get into quick transition and gets everyone in the correct spot in the event we need to go to our press attack. Folowing a missed shot we outlet preferably to our 1, but any of the perimeter players (1,2 or 3) can take the outlet with the other two filling the outside lanes. 5 runs the middle lane ending up on the ball-side block, 4 trails to the top of the key for ball reversal in our secondary break. We work on it everyday since it is 80% of our early offense. I coach 8th grade boys and they catch on easily.
At 7th grade, early in the season, I number the transition. 2 goes right, 3 goes left, 4 goes left block, 5 goes right block. One brings ball up, but should only take one dribble and then get it to a player ahead of him. One also must stay with the rebounder as the outlet. The rebounder, if a wing, skips the point guard and attacks down their lane looking for others. A 4 or 5 who rebound look to skip the point and make a baseball pass out to the wings. If my 4 or 5 are good ball handlers, they have permission to turn and go as well. Later in the year, my 2 wings are interchangable and my 2 post players are interchangable. This is all on rebounds. On long rebounds and steals, we fill the lanes in basic 2 on 1, 3 on 2, 4 on 2 fashion. Which works best, a numbered system with flexibility. If our 5 man is running down the court and our point guard sees him open, I expect the pass to be made, even though he is not a wing. Then the wing can fill the lane.

Secondary Break

I believe the secondary break at this level (junior high) is even more important than the set half court plays. You players need to know how to flow right into an offense from a full court situation. What you go into should be your base offense for your system. If you teach a motion, have your secondary break evolve into your motion, do the same if you use a flex, passing game, or whatever. We use a simple 4-man passing game as our base offense. This is where the players at the wings down screen for the player at the post and the ball is thrown to the player coming off the down screen. Then the down screener screens across for the post player who seeks the ball. The #5 ends up only going from post to post while the other 4 rotate around from wing to post to post to wing to point and back to wing. That is why it is called 4-man passing game. Replying to a question on how to flow your secondary break into a 4 man motion: I have done it both ways. 1.Keep your 5-man on the opposite block from the first pass and only down screen on one side. If you can not get the entry pass off the down screen, the point guard can pass it to the wing on the side of the 5-man. The wing would v-cut to get open and the 5-man would not screen across, just post up. 2. This is great if you have 2 post players that are decent passers. Both post players start at the wing and down screen for the guards who start at the post. You might get a mis-match right away. Then the point has 2 equal sides to get the ball to and whichever post player is opposite the first pass becomes the block to block player and the other post is one of the 4 in the 4-man passing game. I use my secondary break, 7th graders, out of steals, rebounds, press breakers, every time we have a chance. If we break the ball quickly up the floor but have not initial 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 then we go to our secondary transition lanes and make those reads. Basically the ball handler in the middle, but favoring one side or the other, 2 wings running wide lanes and 2 post players running the trailer spots down the middle and then posting up. If we are in a transition situation, I do not want my team stopping to call a play, so as you said, we use this out of various situation and I think you are better off teaching 6th graders this than half court sets. I do think they can comprehend it because it also becomes 80% of what you run.

Miscellaneous Offensive Topics

COURT VISION

This is a drill idea that I picked up at a clinic a few years back. I also believe that other coaches may have made mention of it on this message board over the years. This works especially for point guards. Tape an "X" on the wall under the basket. It is the players responsibility to see that "X" at all times. This forces the player to keep his/her head up and see the floor at all times, thus improving his/her ability to see an open man, scoring opportunity, etc.
try scrimmaging without dribbling, everything is a pass. they are forced to see the court, and play team ball

Penetration & Dish to Post Player

The dribbler must not over-penetrate. I teach our perimeter players that when they penetrate the lane they have an immediate decision point. If the big comes over to help they make the pass, preferably a bounce pass. If the big man does not come over they either go all the way to the hoop or pull-up for the short jumper. Over- penetration is when the dribbler goes all the way to the hoop and then attempts to dish. The most common results tend to be a deflection or a difficult to handle pass that the big man bobbles. Both of these are due to the poor spacing in a tight area. The problem is exacerbated by the arm length of the defensive big man. To teach this we run a simple drill where a post man and defender are on the low block. A perimter man with the ball penetrates into the lane and reads the post defender. We teach our perimter players to come into the lane and immediately make a two foot jump stop while maintaining the dribble. We also spend a fair amount of time working on finishing shots with contact (something many coaches do with big men, but not perimeter players) and perfecting the pull-up jumper. We run a open post offense so "driving and dishing" is a very important skill for our perimeter players to develop.
In my opinion, this is one of the best and easiest ways to score. I run isolation drills where I look at the spots in a play that lend themselves well to drive. Then I put the players where they should be and we do a 3-D drill, Drive, Draw, and Deliver. The defender guarding the dribbler starts 5-10 feet behind the dribbler and must chase when the dribbler starts moving. This gives only a second or two to make the right choice before the defender recovers and you no longer have the advantage. I teach 3 passes from the middle of the lane to the posts. The bounce pass is my prefered pass and is best when passing to the post opposite from the direction you are driving. To pass to the post on the same side as you are driving from with a bounce pass often ends up hitting the post players leg. So I like either a shovel, scoop, pass if the post player has pinned his man behind him. Or a quick lob if the post player has pinned his man on the high side of him. I like the lob because our post player is insturcted not to bring the ball down, just catch it, jump quickly and score.

Delay Game

Set up your 3 best ball handlers in a triangle with the point of the triangle in the middle of the free throw line and the other two (one of which has the ball) about 10 feet away from each other and from the point of the triangle (farther away from the basket than the point). The guard that doesn't have the ball screens down for the point of the triangle, who pops up to get the ball. the person who passed the ball then screens down for the new point of the triangle and so on. They should always stay in this triangle formation. The two post players are spread out on the wings, and are just used as outlets unless they can catch their defender asleep with a backcut. make sure that all the players are very active screening and cutting. This usually results in a lay-in anyway, and can even be used as a regular offense from time to time.
Principles to follow: spread the floor, constant motion away from ball with screens along sidelines for backcuts to basket or downscreens to free up ball handlers moving toward ball, keep area around basket open for cutters or dribble penetration. If dribbler passes to player on side, passer cuts to basket and then back out to side and receiver dribbles into middle (unless cutter is open for lay up). We play keep away in practice to teach these skills with D doing pushups if they give up a lay up or go X seconds without stealing the ball, and O doing pushups if they lose ball before scoring.

Moving Without the Ball

How about a little fun thing to do that teaches everyone to move without the ball? Have your team scrimmage but they aren't allowed to dribble. If a player dribbles, the other team gets the ball. This teaches every player on the team to move without the ball. Do this for 10 minutes in every one of your practices, and you'll will soon see the same moving without the ball in your games.
Here's one idea to teach ball movement and make your players move. SCRIMMAGE WITHOUT DRIBBLING!!! Anyone who dribbles does 2 laps. They will learn how to pass better. More importantly, they will learn to move without the ball. Make sure everyone plays full court defense. There have been games when my team doesn't pass enough. I have called timeouts and made them play the game without dribbling. Every time they've done this, they became a scoring machine.
I do a similar no-dribble game but with a couple modifications: 1. I allow 1 dribble. That way if they catch 8 feet from the basket and wide open, they can shoot a lay up or if they are trapped, they can dribble out. 2. If you score, your team keeps the ball 3. If you shoot and miss, the defense gets the ball 4. You get one point for catching a pass inside the 3 point line, 2 points for catching a pass inside the lane, and 5 points for a basket. I also let the whole squad (18 girls) play at once, 9v9 half court. It helps them learn to space themselves, set screens to get teammates open, etc. Losers do a punishment for each point they lose by. By the way, I let the girls choose the punishment for the losers and let them choose up teams. They chose Australian Pushups as the punishment. I did not know what that was but I went along with it. When the game was over, the losers all laid down on their backs and pumped their arms up and down in a pushup motion and had a good laugh at my expense.
Last season I had a relatively inexperienced ninth grade team. We spent the early part of the season working on how to get open. The kids didn't realize how much work it can be to get free against a tough m2m. I told them it takes at least three full steps - not just a jab step - and a sudden change of direction to get open. Our wings went all the way to the baseline and back to get free. That way, if the defense chased them down there and all the way back out to the perimeter, they then had a chance to back door. We used post curls and v-cuts to the weak side, too, but the baseline dive was the bread and butter opening and the only one allowed until they learned to use it well. To practice, I break it down into 2:2 and 3:3. A related play is the inbounds pass against m2m full court pressure. The receiver still must move at least three steps and cut. You can isolate this aspect 2:2 simultaneously at several points on the court for practice.
Our rule is that if you are getting really stuck hard by your man, then you back door. The wing shows the target hand to let the point know she is going to back door. The wing should take at least 3 steps toward ball, then hard back door. Any cuts need to be set up by more than 2 steps, otherwise the players just dance with each other on the wing. Another thing we do is start our players in double stacks at the blocks and then they pop out from there, sometimes w/screens, sometimes w/o. Also, we sometimes have the wings cross before coming out of the stacks.

Offensive Rebounding/Defensive Coverage

I prefer to keep one guard or player about the top of the 3 point circle when the shot goes up, for several reasons.1)for a safety incase of the other team rebounding ,to stop the fast break. 2)if the rebound goes long, maybe she can grab it. 3)I want my other girls to try to form a triangle under the basket for rebounding reasons. hope this can be of help. 4)on defensive rebounds, if you have a girl up top, you can pass and maybe get a fast break going after you grab a rebound. 1)Shooter always follows their shot.... 2)the next three biggest players crash the offensive glass, playing the percentages (ball shot from the left side of the floor will most likely rebound off the right side, the longer the shot, the longer the rebound)... 3)smallest player rotates back to top of circle for defensive floor balance (if the shooter IS the smallest player, then the next smallest player should recover into defensive floor balance). Offensive rebounding is 10% coaching/instruction/technique and 90% individual hustle/desire/heart/intelligence. I can tell you how to be a good offensive rebounder, but if you don't want to, you won't! I tell my biggest players that, if you want to score, GET TO THE OFFENSIVE BOARDS!
We always want 3 and a half players going for the off. rebound and 1 and a half getting back on defense. Here are the spots we fill. #1 Right post area #2 Left post area #3 middle of lane, but favoring the opposite side of the lane from where the shot came. #4 Long rebound position (around the free throw lane or elbows) #5 Back at half court circle How you assign who goes where depends on the thinking ability of your players. If your players can always read and make the right decision, then the 2 closest players to the hoop assume spots 1 and 2, the 3rd closest spot 3, the shooter spot 4, and the furthest guy back spot 5. Now at 7th grade we do not always read this well, so my general rule is this. The 2 post players take spots 1 and 2. The wing that is not shooting takes spot 3, The shooter takes spot 4, and the pt. guard gets back on D. This assumes that one of your wings is taking the shot. The long rebounder, spot 4, also has defensive responsibilities if we do not get the rebound. I use the shooter for this role because as Larry Bird could prove so often, the shooter has the best idea where the rebound will go, especially the long rebounds. Some drills we use are the Superman drill with a put back. Throw the ball to the opposite side of the glass, grab it with 2 hands, then score. Aggressive rebound drill- 3 guys underneth. First guy to rebound and score 3 baskets gets out, new guy comes in. After each score, or the ball going out of the lane, the players throw the ball back to you and you shoot. The players can play the coach's make or miss and the players misses. I stand about 10 feet away and shoot under handed so that the ball comes off softly and close to the hoop. Any further away and then all the players do is chase long rebounds.
There are two scenarios. If we are playing a weaker or equal team we send everybody to crash and rely on huste to get us the ball and back. Sending all five forces them to rebound at a disadvantage or crash too. Any situation where we're not getting a lot of boards (dominant big man, small line) four go and the top guy on the offense is the safety.

Cherry Picking or Playing Smart?

I'm looking for ways to get my PG to look up the court. I heard a coach at a clinic discuss his philosphy of making teams pay for not getting back on defense. One player (usually the 2) had no box out responsibilities...as soon as the shot is taken by the opponent, he/she would simply break down court. He claimed that the times they scored easy lay-ups far out-weighed the times they get burned by not boxing out the one player. Thoughts?
If you have the horses inside to control the boards this is a great move. Forces team to get back on "D" and it gives you an opportunity to get easy buckets. We as coaches are all looking for ways to score easy buckets. Rebounding is the key though.
We have some basic rules on when to release and when to blockout. If the shot is taken from the 3-pt line in and you are above the 3-pt line on top, then release. You probably aren't in a strong rebounding position anyway and you aren't likely to get a long rebound. However, if the shot is a 3 ponter then blockout. Long shots create long rebounds and the outside players are more likely to be a rebounding position.
If you watch most NBA teams, they execute what they call a "run out" (which is exactly what you have described). In short, they automatically cherry pick any time they are running out to a 3 point shooter to contest the shot. Instead of boxing out, they continue down the floor looking for a long outlet pass and easy bucket. Some teams only allow certain players to do this (for example: the point guard). Unless you have a couple of 6'9" forwards and a 7'0" center, this is pretty tough to do with any consistancy at the junior high girls level:) It may be an end of quarter strategy that could prove effective and may be worth trying.
Unless the person is a complete non-rebounder, i have everyone stay back and box out. at the jr-high level guards are usually your most atletic players and are willing to crash to get boards. if you don't box that guard slashes in and gets a big offensive board. also if your pt-guard is down court who runs your offense? I'd rather get the d-board and have all 5 players sprint up the court.
Plainfield Indiana had a kid named Chad Masterson who did this one sectional and I believe had 30+ 3's for the tournament just playing the top of their 3-2 zone and leaving whenever ball was below the dotted circle. He ripped so many 3's from them corners 'cause he had teammates who could hit him there from a great distance. We couldn't stop'im ... couldn't even hope to contain'im! They ended up getting to the Final 8 using that technique that year and weren't really 'that' good.

Attacking Switching Defenses

My advise is to do a lot of screening for mismatches. Start your posts on the wing, and wing players low, then down screen. You'll have automatic mismatches with their little people guarding your posts. Also, just do a lot of headhunting with mismatches in mind.
Switches should allow the screener to seal a defender behind her if she will reverse pivot into the screened player. She should then be able to catch and score if the cutter clears out and takes the other defender with her and the passer hits the screener. Second advantage is creating mismatches of size or speed by having little/fast screen for big/slow and having the defense switch. Key teaching points: screener is the one who gets open if solid screen is set and screener can seal defender. Passer must look for screener if cutter is covered by switching defender.
If the opposition switches on every screen, it will shut down some offensive movements (i.e. particular plays). But, every defensive decision takes certain things away and gives other things up. You must look for and make the imbalances work for you. In the case of ubiquitous switching, the screener must aggressively roll and seal his/her defender from the basket. This action will often frighten the defender sufficiently to modify their behavior. This simplest approach to score off this is a two player pick-and-roll (i.e. a screen on the ball). However, if screens away from the ball (e.g. a weak-side down screen) are also switched, an aggressive roll and seal by the screener followed by a basket cut is devastating. Of course, the ball side has to be awake to see the cut and make the pass.
I am not sure how well this can be adapted into patterend offenses but it has worked well as a part of our motion offense. When we play teams that switch all screens we "slip" the screen. This technique has worked very well for us against teams that are taught to switch everything. This "slip" consists of a player going to screen and just before the screen is set she will step through (not roll) and go directly toward the ball. There is no rolling action because no screen is set. This presents a problem for defenses that are so accustomed to switching everything because when the screen is coming they are already anticipating the switch so many times there will be confusion (generally on who should take the "screener" who is now cutting to the ball) and we can get an easy look at the basket. Against teams that switch on occasion we teach our team to read the defense and then the screener needs to set the screen, roll, and step back to the ball. Both of these techniques have been effective for us in our program at all levels (7-12).
If a team continually switches on the pick we do 2 things: 1. We get into a 4 high and run a pick and roll with the post and the point guard, next time down, 4 high, when the post steps out and we fake the pick, usually can hit the post on the back cut when the defense anticipates the switch.2. Run the flex. Watch for the mismatch with the switch on the downpick. This is easy to anticipate and your players will probably pick up on it quickly.
Coach, Unless I misread your question, you're interested in finding out how to help your team deal with various defensive sets, not switches on screens??? We are a team that switches all the time, those opponents who have the most success against us, are the ones who recognize the switch and handle it methodically. It also helps to have a point guard that can see up the court and can recognize things for themselves. We also play a few teams who do the same thing, I try to tell my team that it is a compliment, and that the other team respects our ability to move the ball and attack the "D". We do time and score almost every day, which is where we work on various "D" sets. Biggest key, don't go faster than they can think.

Getting Guards to Dribble to a Certain Spot & Not Pick Up the Ball Too Soon

if the ball must be moved by dribble, the point must realize that the path to a chosen destination is rarely straight. The defense is in a reactive state, so if the ball handler can sell the intent to go left, he should be able to cross and gain a step to the right. Its all about misdirection. I hope this isn't too simplistic, but I think point guards must believe they have control in making the defense move and then having the ballhandling skills to take advantage of the movement. The defense can only stop him from going where he wants to go if they know where he wants to go.
Alaska coach was right. I played point in college and was not a very good dribbler (played center in high school), but I learned that if you want to end up at the elbow on the right side, you take the defense the other way and reverse back to where you want to be. A lot depends on how the D is playing you. Don't try to script it too much, learn to read the defense and take what they give you. Learn to manipulate the defender by setting him up with a move to the left before you go right, etc. It is also nice if the guard has multiple options instead of being forced to go to a specific spot and pass to a certain position. A drill I use to get kids used to pressure is 1V2 dribbling from the basline to halfcourt using only one side of the floor. I put a 4th player at halfcourt and when he raises his hands, the dribbler must see it and immediately pass to him (so he doesn't dribble with his head down). They have 10 seconds. Rotate thru the 4 spots and back to the dribbler line. You can run 4 groups at once, one in each queadrant of the court.
PAUSE, THEN DRIVE HARD AT THE DEFENDER BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR MOVE. This should force the defender to retreat step and will deny him the space and time to recover once the move is made. Same concept as a 3 on 2 where you coach the ball handler to make the defense commit before any pass is made.
HEAD UP, BODY AND DRIBBLE LOW, CROSSOVER IN FRONT, KNIFE THROUGH (MAKE CONTACT). ball handlers need to know how to change the pace and height of their dribble (gets faster and lower with pressure). We prefer to see crossover moves in front of the body so vision of the frontcourt is constant. If necessary, a retreat dribble with a crossover is just a quick and preferable to a reverse dribble. We discourage the reverse dribble - they cause the ball handler to lose sight of the frontcourt and are vulnerable to traps and easy steals. Whatever the crossover move, strive to move past defender's hip, do not avoid contact or create space for the defender to recover. Just like post players, it is possible to get aggressive and quicker perimeter defenders in early foul trouble. We do the following - drive hard towards the defender, retreat dribble to get the defender to advance, then immediately drive into the defender's outside shoulder as they are moving(no crossover - just a fake and replace move). Got a least 4 or 5 blocking fouls called on the defender for every charge on us. Eventually, the defender needs to back off, opening up passing lanes.
your point guard has either got to have jets or be real savvy to get it done against top players. When I say get it done, I mean get into positions to run the plays the way you should want them run. If they've got jets, it makes it easy to start one way, explode the other, hold up, crossover go the other way, etc. If they don't have jets, they need a lot of savvy to be able to keep the defense on their heels. That's the key. Either way, it all depends on if your point guard is a threat to blow past the defender, draw the defense and make things happen. If they're not a threat to do that, no way they can get it done to the spot you want as effectively as you can because the defense can get out there and pressure more closely without that threat of being beaten.

PG Pressure Tips

Well first of all you need to use your body as a shield, switch your hand to the side away from the defender. Of course this requires becoming at least a decent ball handler with either hand. That's what summer is for. Better yet, draw the defender to you, pass the ball over him/her to an outlet, then if they turn their heads to look at the ball, run BEHIND them to get a return pass. Whatever you do, do NOT drop your head down and go into a shell to protect the ball. If you do that, you cannot see the court to make the passes necessary to break the press. Have an aggressive and confident attitude. Don't be scared by pressing opponents; lick your chops and make them pay. 1. Emphasize a firm dribble. Many kids bounce the ball too softly which makes them slow and vulnerable. 2. Keep the ball close to the body. Many kids "flare out" when driving under pressure and lose the advantage of the body shield. 3. My favorite - pass the ball to an open man. Advancing the ball under pressure takes a high degree of skill and assumes a lot of risk. Passing is easier, safer and faster.

Allowing Players to Drive to the Basket in a Half Court Set

Our team goal is to get a quality shot every time down the floor. I tell my players that anytime that they can create a shot that is better than our offense provides for them -- do it. This includes both drives and cuts. I really think that if you are going to be a coach that uses set offenses you must let the kids create. Just some random thoughts and I hope I answered your question.
Dribble penetration causes a defense so many problems that it would be foolish not to use it when the defense leaves it open. Even if the help stops the penetration, it makes everyone rotate and people are not in position to block out on a missed shot, you draw fouls, and you get high percentage inside shots. If you are small and don't shoot real well like my kids, you have to drive to score. We try to set up opportunities for driving with clear outs and lots of motion and an open middle.
We look at the half court set as a process that exists to create openings. The timing and quality of the openings are variables - not fixed expectations. Through a lot of practice, the players begin to recognize when the openings are about to occur and to evaluate the quality of the possible shot opportunity. This takes a lot of patience, discussion and exploration. We hope the kids will use the half court offense to obtain good shots and not get caught up in the pattern running from point A to point B. The play is not the purpose - getting a good shot is the purpose. To help them recognize the possibilities, we run the offense in practice with rules such as a shot may only occur in a certain point in the play (to help recognize the usual openings), or perhaps only a certain player can score which makes the offensive team watch for any possible opening in the process. We absolutely want players to drive when the situation warrants it. The key is recognizing the advantage. Sometimes, kids will make poor decisions, but that's OK as long as we learn from it. They must drive, though, even against bigger teams. Teams that get stuck out on the perimeter are going to struggle. The thing that hurts is when a player decides he is Kobe and starts the dribble dance looking for an opening. Then the whole play stops while he goes one on five. Can't have that. One other remark... I think the half court set is the most difficult team skill to master, considering the myriad of individual skills, decisions and timing points, and its easy to consume most of your practice time with it. Your observations may differ, of course, but I find that the half court set is only worth about 20-25% of our points. Defense earns about half, FTs and set plays (like OB) get the rest. Therefore I think the half court set should be easy to learn and open to spontaneous decisions. Time is better spent on fundamental skills and team defense. Great questions! I've learned a lot from everyone else's answers. Been away for a few days so I am late jumping on board this one. Here is what I think - open to your comments/criticisms. Q: What are your feelings on drives out of the half court set? A: Driving to the hole is a necessary part of half-court. Penetration pressures the helpside D to collapse to ball creating lay-ups off the dish and easier perimeter shots off the kick-out pass. But... because most good helpside D covers the ball, we do not look for lay-ups off the dribble that much - the purpose of the drive is to create a dish opportunity leading to a lay-up. Q: Do you try to set them up at particular spots? A: Not really. Want the players to read the D and take what they give you. ("Playing Basketball" versus "Running the Play") Q: Do you try not to use them and generate most of your shots by using a pass? A: Gotta do both. Drives help to open up the perimeter. Pass and shoot helps open up the inside (for both drives and inlet passes). Q: Do you just give the option of reading the D and driving whenever it is possible? A: Most of the time we'll let the players read the D and do what they think is right. The kids are already overcoached. Occasionally, we might try to get a certain defender in foul trouble so we might force a bunch of drives or post passes in that direction - otherwise we let them play basketball. Q: What is your basic team goal with the half court? A: Easy shot opportunities, both jumpers and lay-ups created with (1) good ball movement, (2) solid screens, (3) cuts with a purpose, and (4) crisp passes. Another point - it is important to teach the players the difference between an open floor drive to the basket (created in transition and on the break) versus a halfcourt drive whose purpose is to create a dish opportunity.

Determining Opponent's Half Court Defense

If it isn't obvious from looking, send a cutter thru the middle and see if a man goes with him. If so, it's man to man, if not, it's zone.
One thing I do if I am not sure if the other team is trapping or not is have my point guard dribble hard up to the half court line and stop short of it, then I read to see if 2 defenders started moving in for the trap.
I'm not sure it is important to exactly identify what kind of junk defense or matchup zone you are playing against. If you set good screens for your cutters, the SCREENER is going to get open in zone or man. If you move the ball (pass, not dribble) and people move without the ball, there will be weaknesses in whatever junk D they play. If you get the ball inside, any defense is going to try to double the ball and someone will be open if they are spaced properly. A sagging switching man looks just like a matchup zone and an aggressive matchup zone will look a lot like pressure man with weak side help. I try to use an offense that will work against either defense and teach the players to look for mismatches of size or quickness, to position themselves to catch and shoot outside or postup inside, to take advantage of defensive mistakes like a defender lunging at them, and to react to freelance moves outside the offense (like dribble penetration). Giving them freedom makes the game more fun and makes them harder to defend once they learn to think a little. My JV girls just finished a team camp and it's amazing how much they learned in the 10 games they played. My jr high girls will have to play a few more years before I can give most of them very much freedom since some have never played before, but I think they will be better in the long run if I give them freedom to make mistakes now than if I make them "run the play" all the time.

How Many Offenses?

Jr high girls - 1 for man and 1 for zone Varsity girls - 2 for man and 3 for zone, tried 3rd man offense and backed off, will add it next year. Our offenses are very simple except for the third one which we tried to add. We still had kids forgetting what to do in JV a lot, varsity did a lot better. Some Jr high girls had trouble running one offense well, always had to be reminded what to do. With a no-cut, everyone plays policy, guess it will always be that way.
Middle School boys- 2 man, Flex and a 1-3-1 motion. 2 zone, Iowa and basic 3 out 2 in. We also run the open post as a delay game and sometimes as a zone or a man offense
Coach AAU with HS aged girls. Assuming you mean what half-court offenses we teach, here's what we do:
Versus Zone: 1 Motion continuity offense. There are a number of different options that modify the order of some of the cuts, but the principle is the same - lots of ball movement stretching the zone from one side to the other, and in and out. Look for gaps and overload. And most important - PATIENCE. Versus man: 2 motion continuity offenses and a basic flex offense that we mix in occasionally. All three require and rely upon good screening and cutting action (execution is another thing). Again, nothing magical, just good solid basketball fundamentals. The above are what HS coaches have worked with our club to develop (we feed 6 HS programs) and are consistent with what they teach and use. Now in addition to above, I work hard on a few fastbreak patterns. In fact, I tell the kids that, despite the fact we have learned how to run these half-court offenses, I prefer never to have to see them in a game (tongue in cheek). If we can push the ball up the floor and hit the open players ahead for open floor points, why bother showing everyone our half-court offense? This is idealistic, but I always want them thinking fastbreak as a first option. In fact, I want them to get the ball up the floor ASAP even when we intend to slow the tempo down. If we want to go slow, let's do it in their half of the court, not ours. 7th grade boys school team. 1 Transition Offense that flows into a half court passing game. 2 half court man offenses, a flex and a simple triangle high post set. 1 offense for a 2-3 zone 1 offense for a 1-2-2 zone 1 offense for a half court trap 2 quick hitter vs. man I do not have trouble with the 90% of the team learning the multiple offenses. But I always have 1-3 players that have trouble grasping this many plays.
I coach varsity girls and we run straight motion, and operate our zone on more of a philosophy rather than an offense per say. Our motion has 3 different sets, with 3,4, or 5 players on the perimeter again all with the same motion principles. In addition to that we have 6 or 7 offensive plays we run that utilize a 1-4 set or a triple post set depending on what it is that we need to do.

Attacking A Shot Blocker

My team has this problem alot because I have a shorter girls team. As soon as we recognize that Goliath is a shot blocker instead of just being tall, we give the ball to a widebody forward and she is constantly shooting into Goliath using the body. We have had great success getting the Goliaths of the world into major foul trouble. If this doesn't work then I break my own rules and quit playing m-2-m defense. I go to a box and one, the one is a wide body that stays within 6 inches of Goliath, and makes her run and play hard physical ball every second she's on the court. Most shot blockers don't have the stamina, and will soon be bent over sucking air. If this doesn't work, we shoot 3 pointers and pray!!!!!!
I also try to get shot blockers in foul trouble. The spin move, the fake away and duck under, and the hook or jump hook are all effective against players who try to block shots, especially if they step towards the shooter to block his shot. I also try to match them up on a good shooter and make them defend away from the basket. Have your best shooter screen for the man the shot blocker is defending and try to force a switch, then give the ball to the screener and have him move outside with the ball and shoot or dribble penetrate against the taller (slower) player.
The thing about shot blockers is that they are edgy and they get addicted to blocking shots. Because they identify their play by shot blocking, the are eager to jump and stuff someone. So I always go right at a shot blocker with post up position. I have my offensive player make a move and get close to the hoop and them make a great head and ball fake. Then as the player is coming down, lean is just enough to draw contact, but not enough to throw off our own shot. We succeed in getting 3 point plays and the shot blocker in foul trouble. The other weakness of a shot blocke is they tend to leave their man and try to swat the shot as they come over to help. Teach you players to recognize the shot blockers moves and as the blocker cheats over to help, dish it off to his original man.
The thing I try to tell my kids is that its no big deal if your shot is blocked, even if the kids in the stands make a lot of noise about it. Why? Who usually gets the ball after the block? The team that shot it - and they are often in a nice position to run a scoring OB play under the basket. Blocked shots are exciting, but over-rated considering the risk of getting a foul called. So, if we get our shot blocked, that's fine. We'll just take another. And if the blocker is too eager, we'll practice head fakes.

Limiting Turnovers

First, every bad pass that causes a turnover earns the team a run. We stop right there in practice and the offense runs for the turnover. Second, we play half court 5 on 5 working on our plays and keep score, points count as 2 or 3, an offensive rebound is one point, a defensive rebound is 1 point and a turnover is -3 or -5. I make it a significant penalty so that the team can see how much damage turnovers can cause.
I used your advice in practice tonight. In our end of practice scrimmage a turnover counted as negative 3 points. After running deficit scores for a while, both squads got the message and starting protecting the ball a bit better. It worked. I will be using this technique again in the future. You continue to impress me with your clever ideas. They are all so simple, but effective. I am facing similar problems with 9th grade boys. This year's crop is not too wise taking care of the ball. I watched our 9th grade girls play and they have the same shortcomings. What I am trying to get across to my kids is space management, for lack of a better term. They need to use the empty space on the floor for ball movement, not the congested areas. Simply put, move to open areas to get the ball. If you have the ball, pass as soon as you can rather than wait until you're under duress. Too often they allow the defense to get right in their face and the first thing they do is pick up their dribble and hold the ball over their head. What follows isn't pretty. So... some rules for poor ball handlers: 1. Pass the ball before you get in trouble 2. Don't pick up your dribble until you pass or shoot 3. Do not drive into traps or split defenders 4. Dribble hard, low and close to your body 5. Use your body as a shield to protect the ball 6. Keep your passes short and fast 7. Pay attention to where the defenders are. I can't believe how many times a kid will pass the ball with a defender in the passing lane 8. When the defender is close, drive him back then step back for room. If you've lost your dribble, you can still step into the defender to pass around him/her. 9. Keep your head up. Its the only way to see who is open. 10. Keep moving with or without the ball. Statues aren't very good basketball players. There's ten rules to limit turnovers. I'm sure there are more. Let's build a list. A couple of other rules to help limit turnovers: - Catch the ball with two hands. - Don't leave your feet without knowing what you are doing with the ball (don't try to decide in the air). - Square up before you pass / dribble / shoot.
Excellent question. I had similar problems with jr high girls. I started stopping scrimmage on every turnover and making offense do 5 pushups (on a steal, I waited till next basket or dead ball). Drills: Keep away with extra players on defense. Bull in the ring: 5 or more players in a circle passing the ball to each other and 1 or more in the middle trying to steal ball. You cannot pass to player next to you and you can't pass higher than girls in middle can reach. 2v1 passing: 2 girls about 15' apart play catch with defense between them trying to deflect the pass. Emphasize ball fakes and proper passing technique (mostly wrist, very little elbow). I track the number of possessions and figure how many points per possession we score when we don't turn it over, then multiply that by the number of turnovers to see how many points we lost because of turnovers. eg 60 possessions, 20 turnovers, scored 50 points. 40 possessions without turnovers resulted in 50 points or 1.25 points per possession. 1.25 times 20 turnovers = 25 points we would have scored in those 20 possessions. When I tell my players how many points our turnovers cost us and then add that our opponents scored several fast break baskets off those same turnovers, it helps them see the value in taking care of the ball.
We had a severe problem with turnovers this past season so one day in practice we sat the girls (varsity) down and asked one of our turnover "leaders" to pick four other players she most trusted. I then gave her a fresh egg while talking about the value of a possession in a basketball game. We put the girls at one end of the court and gave them a time limit to get to the other end of the court without dropping the fresh egg to the floor. They could not hand it or drop into any other player's hands. They had to pick an order as well. Needless to say, they made it (which made our janitor happy) and when asked how it felt to take care of the egg across the court the immediate response was "scared" which is the same word used every time I have tried this routine. The girls felt they understood the value of a possession. We also made rules 1) No cross key passes and 2) No entry passes to post player until ball was reversed. This settled us down and we cut our turnovers almost in half the next three games. I guess when you lose a game 40-43 and you have 43 turnovers something has to be done. We are now playing a whole lot better. Just an idea

Penetration & Kick Drills

I use the 3D drill for 2 reasons. One is to work on passing after the drive, the other is for helpside d. Here is the basic drill. 3 line, 1 at the top of the key, one at the R wing and one at the L wing. Ball is at the top of the key. 3 guys on O, 3 guys on D. O player at top of key drives and tries to score, but if the defense rotates properly, he must dish it off to one of the other 2 lines, then it is live 3 on 3. The wing lines are allowed to move to an open spot while the drive happens. Now this is a man to man set. To run this vs a zone, I would move 2 lines up to the top of the key, one set up on the right side, one on the left. Then 2 lines at the wing area. Have the top two lines pass the ball back and forth while the defense plays zone instead of man. the passing will allow your offensive players to read the shifts in the zone. Then, when the player feels they can drive, they do it and the bottom 2 on the zone collapse on him forcing the pass. I would think this could simulate the zone fairly well.

Using the Backboard How much does it help?

I preach backboard use - big time. It requires less finesse. The ball can be shot more forcefully of the backboard and requires less arc. The primary exception is when the player drives right down the middle - then rolling ball over the rim is OK with me. But backboard is preferred. Players that take contact and still score are generally guys that concentrate on their backboard target. I'm sure there is an optimal target point on the backboard, but I would guess that successful shots off the glass would hit a range of points on the backboard that could be clumped into an oval shape near and on the ball-side vertical line of the square. Spin and speed are important factors. I probably wouldn't over teach this as kids don't have pin point accuracy anyway. But, they should be aware of the target oval and concentrate on that single target. Has anyone placed a spot on the backboard to use as a specific target? How did that work for you?
Every year at camp and during the season we always have a backboard day. That is every shot that everybody puts up all day must go glass. The threes aren't always pretty but it teaches shot selection and touch. I could never shoot but using the backboard increased my percentage and allows me offensive boards. Team rule our forwards shoot in the key it has to go off the backboard or they're out!!! This may be a controversial view, but I believe that you should NOT teach your players, especially when young, to use the backboard. My reasons are outlined below. 1. Aiming for a swish shot every time is a simpler shot. There are no angles to calculate. No matter where you are on the court, a shot from the same distance is identical. 2. Practicing swish shots will develop proper form, reinforcing a nice arch, and developing a soft touch. 3. I believe you are doing your young players a disservice if you have them always shoot backboard shots. What you are telling the player is "I don't believe you can ever become a pure shooter, so here is a way to make some baskets as long as you are close". I want all of my players to have the opportunity to develop an outside shooting touch. The 6th grader who plays inside and bangs the boards because he is tall might have to be a shooting guard by the time he is in high school. Just look at Shaq's shooting. If someone had made him shoot swish shots from eight feet away when he was 9 or 10, he might be able to shoot free throws today. 4. For younger players, shooting a swish shot requires less strength, as you do not have to shoot as far as you do on a backboard shot. Just so you know where I am coming from, I have coached girls teams from second grade through high school, and have run a training clinic for K-2 boys and girls for the last 6 years. I have worked with my current team (4th grade girls) since kindergarten and they always been taught to shoot a swish shot (except for lay ups). They are shooting about 25% these year, with a few games over 30%. With my very first team, I let them shoot bank shots and they were shooting under 17% even in 7th grade. The girl who shot the most shot all bank shots, usually from about 8-10 feet. She was strong, but had never developed a touch. One game she missed 22 shots in a row. After that, I vowed that I would teach all of the following groups to become real shooters. Hope this fuels some discussion on this topic!
Not teaching kids to use the glass at certain angles will hinder their perfomance as they move up in grade and skill level. I really feel old after reading some of these posts.
I really have to disagree with not teaching the backboard. maybe I grew up old school where the ony shots you have to make to win are lay ups and foul shots, and maybe an 8-12 footer if you out work the other team. my team misses more lay ups, bunnies, and angles because they want that d#$% swish cause it looks so good. When they miss its not even close and avoid getting them the chance to get the rebound. Making kids use the board tecahes them arc and touch because they can't line drive it and push it.it has to be high a drop. I know kids who couldn't hit a 15 foot shot if their life depended on it but once they started inside off the glass and moved out slowly using the back board they became three point shooters. Not to say you can't do that without glass but when the miss bad now we've got a rebound not air and a turnover.

Attacking a Sagging Man Defense

You have to take what the D gives you. In this case, they are taking away the inside so you may want to down screen and flare screen and throw skip passes to get good outside shots from the weak side. Quick ball reversals are important. You may also want to try to flatten the defense down to the baseline with a 1-4 where the 4 are along the baseline and the point goes 1v1 looking for a chance to dish if the D helps on him. We run a sagging man a lot and teams that can shoot the three off a down screen really hurt us.
If you have a point guard who can penetrate, drive and dish those suckers. We often use a spin and pin on the skip pass and it will get you some lay ups.

Defense

M-2-M Defense

M-2-M Defensive Drills

We run it 3 on 3 inside the arc, or 4 on 4 or 5 on 5 in the half court. We put 1 minute on the scoreboard. Coaches stand outside the play area with an extra ball, ready to throw in if the ball gets knocked out of the play area. We're working on denial and straight up M2M D (without help). The defense must work hard to deny the pass to their man for 1 solid minute. The offense is not allowed to set any screens--they can only fake and cut to get the ball. The defense gets a point any time they get their hand on the ball (tip, tie-up, steal, etc.). 1 point is taken away for each foul. Things get pretty intense.
Everyone loves offense thus we make a team stay on defense in the shell drill until they stop a set number of possessions in a row. For example I may say to the four defenders - you play defense until you stop 5 offensive possessions in a row. You see pretty intense defense when they get close to 5. If a player fails to rotate and help and a score is made - teammates will put peer pressure on that individual to step up and do his job. I am a firm believer that in a good man to man defense team is only as good as its weakess defender on the floor.

Help-side Defense

I also use another drill that I think is even more effective for working on total team rotation for help defense. The drill I use is called the horse- shoe drill and I picked it up from coach Morgan Wooten at Dematha High School. Two point guards set up high and two wings set up at the wing positions. Place defenders on each of these players. I tell the offense to pass the ball around and hold the ball for two seconds so as to allow the defense to shift to their proper positions. If your man is one pass from the ball, you are in full denial. If your man is two passes from the ball, you have one foot in the lane. If your man is three passes from the ball, you have two feet in the lane. Make sure each player has the ball-you- man triangle going when in help-side defense. When I say go, the man with the ball drives to the basket and the man guarding him allows himself to get beat. If it is one of the wings, the other wing should be in good position to play help side because his man is 3 passes away and he has both feet in the lane. When he comes over (should stop the man out- side of key), everyone else slides one man closer to the ball. weak side point drops to weak side block to eliminate backside pass. Strong side point drops to middle of lane. The man who was beat should be trying to recover to his own man, creating a double- team situation. I like to leave the strong side point position open. It is very hard to make a kick out pass to a spot behind you as you are driving to the basket. After the players have been doing this for several practices, I start letting them decide when to drive to the basket and encourage them to try not to get beaten anymore off the dribble on defense. There is a progression where this drill advances to offensive cutting and defending those cuts properly. I do progress to this drill. If you would like more info. on the progression, just email me at gmcbride@marysville.k12.mi.us We played very poor defense at the beginning of the season and by using some of these drills, we improved 110%. Our first three games, we gave up 62, 74, and 56 points. Our last 11 games, we only gave up more than 50 points twice. I thought that was pretty good for a high school JV team.

DEFENDING THE LOW POST

When the ball is below the ft line we front UNTIL we can get behind with our feet OUT OF THE LANE. Now the offensive post player has his back to the basket at least 12' away. We think that's a tough shot-and we have rebounding position. We also dig/double from the perimeter but we do so from the top, lock up on the wing and rotate out to the next open man.
We teach our girls to front the low post when the ball is below the foul lie extended; 3/4 when the ball is above the foul line extended; and play behind the high post. One other thing that we have tried recently with some success is that we are having our defender "follow the ball to the post". In other words, if the perimeter player you are guarding makes the entry pass to the low post, follow the ball in and double the low post similar to a "run and jump" trap. We have forced several panic type turnovers by getting the instant front/back double team. Emphasize that the perimeter player must close in the passing lane to keep the ball from going back to where it came from.
Coaches: I just read something interesting in a book by Don Meyer, the former coach at David Lipscomb U. Perhaps it's nothing new to all of you but I've never heard it before; He teaches his players that, if their man is on the perimeter and puts the ball above his head, treat him as if he has used his dribble and belly up on him even though he may still have his dribble. Just thought that was interesting in that we were talking about putting pressure on the entry passer.
I coach an 8th grade boys team and we teach them to front the low post player. This works well if the on-ball defender applies pressure and our weak side defender is in the lane in proper help position. It takes a perfect pass and catch to make the entry into the post. When we get beat fronting the low post it is usually due to poor weak side help.

Why front the post?

This year we have a strict policy of dead front position on the post anytime he is below the free throw line. At the free throw line we play partial front and at the three point line we play "on the line, up the line" standard pass denial. Can you lob the ball over the defender when he is in the dead front position? Sure, its easy! But, there is another rule. If your man is two passes away from the ball, you should be sagging in the key. It would be your job to intercept the lob pass. You would have slight advantages of surprise and momentum as the post player usually needs to block out his defender before retrieving his pass. Another applicable rule... if the man guarding the ball is doing his job, he should be keeping the ball handler busy enough to have problems making a finesse pass like the lob.
I don't think that your wrong, it's just that a lob pass needs to be a lot more accurate and it's easily intercepted as well. I'm also 18 but I find that as a player first I didn't notice the mistakes that we would make out on the court. Now that I'm just a coach I find a lot more holes that could be filled. Don't forget that a lob can be intercepted just as equally as a perimeter shot is made. It has to be accurate. Don't know if I helped, but there ya go.
With every basketball team I have coached I have taught fronting the post and we have always done it successfully. First, it all starts with ball pressure on the passer. If we get ball pressure on the passer, it is pretty difficult for the offensive player to make a perfect lob pass into the post. Next, we tell the defender fronting the post that if a lob pass is completed it is not their fault. Either there was not enough pressure on the passer, or there was no weak side help. The way we teach defense, there should always be a weak side defender ready to help on any lob pass....usually we have 2 weak side defenders policing the lane. If a lob pass is completed, the lowest weak side defender helps while the higher weak side defender drops down to take away the post-to-post pass. Granted, there are some offenses that make it difficult to give help (clearing out the weak side), but not that many.
At the varsity level we usually use a 3/4 front with hand and foot in front in a hard deny position. The only time we front the post is if she is a tremendous player with great positioning, and can seal us off effectively. In that case we will front her with lots of weak side help on the lob.
We refuse to front the post. We refuse to do this because 1) it takes us out of rebounding position, and we believe aggressiveness on the glass is an integral part of determining who wins and who loses. 2) fronting does not enable you to defend any better than if you 3/4'ed around on top side and two-step to 3/4 position on the low side. Both positions deny an entry pass, yet enable your help side to become a factor as well.

Building A M-2-M Defense

Here is a very crude outline of what we teach defensively. 1. Basic fundamentals we stress include- stance, footwork, positioning, sliding, run-glide-run, close outs, box outs, post defense, combating screens including switching. (I hope I haven't forgotten any:) 2. From there, we build from 1 on 1...2 on 2...3 on 3...4 on 4...and finally 5 on 5. We continue to use build up drills from each of these as the season continues, especially if it becomes apparent that we need to add more emphasis to a particular skill. 3. The "Shell" drill is also a valuable drill that we use to improve various aspects of our defense. We have about 13 variations of this drill that we use to build our team defense.

Defending the Downscreen

It obviously depends how tightly the screen is set. However, players should generally go under the screen. If they go over, they are exposed to a give and go, where they will be trailing the player and the ball all the way to the rim. I know this especially well because we use a large number of screens in our offense. Because most teams try to go over them, we take advantage of their exposure. So, defensivly we go under.
I teach my players to switch downscreens. The defender whose man is setting the screen should jump into the path of the player coming of the screen and disrupt the cut. The defender who is being screened must jump above the screen before the screen happens and assume a side front position on the screener, thus preventing the player from rolling and pinning for a lay-up.
Rick Pitino video on D teaches pigtailing the cutter (going under the screen right behind the cutter) with the defender of the screener stepping out to cover the curl around the screen. This is vulnerable to a slip screen where the cutter starts to curl and the screener releases the screen and moves toward the basket, but it can work long enough for the cutter's defender to catch up. Pressure on the passer helps a bunch. I try to get my kids to see it coming and and slide around the screen on the ball side (high side) forcing the passer to lob over them to the cutter which gives you time to close out. (Girls JV level). At the college level or high school boys, Pitino's pigtail idea seems better.

Switch or Stay on Screens

I coach 5/6th grade boys and i tell them to fight thru all screens with a couple exceptions. One is cross screening in the lane. I have them communicate and switch on those. Screens on the ball outside the lane, we just double team the player with the ball.
When fighting through screens, make sure it's not as violent as that word sounds! Fighting can be mistaken for pushing and shoving way through screens, when in reality it is exploding past screener with huge step to get through. Northing more. Only one thing really goes with it and that can be a "swim" tactic with upper body. That's how you get through a screen, an explosive quick movement with the feet and a swim with the upper body. No pushing and shoving and it will reduce risk of fouls. Most teams don't know this then wonder why they get called for fouls.
Even before the switch vs. fight through discussion, I would emphasize the need to get everyone on the team to CALL OUT THE SCREENS - ALWAYS! It's important to get the players to communicate with each other, and it keeps everyone more alert and in the play. The players need to be drilled to do this - penalty for not calling out any screens in practice is a double suicide. After a few runs, the players really start "chatting it up". We generally fight through screens as much as possible with the exception of two types: Back screens below the arc and cross screen handoffs near the lane. Otherwise the players fight through because we don't want mismatches to be created on our mtm D. At first I tried to be real technical about how to work through - over the top vs. underneath. I've learned to be happy if they can get through with either technique.
My jr. high girls team switches everything except for screens on the perimeter, away from the ball. On these, we slide thru ball-side, and this is where alot of our steals come esp. if we are getting the proper ball pressure. I have found that this does not compromise our defensive intensity or create too many match-ups problems because we "switch back" as soon as the threat is gone. We "hedge" aggressively on ball screens and show numbers to the ball, thus taking away any penetrating dribbles - the number one rule in our scheme. This switching also carries over to our fullct press, where we face guard on dead balls and made baskets, with the mentality of "not letting your girl catch" since the ball (in this situation) has limited, if any, mobility.
First is call out the screen or pick, that allows you to do either option. What i usually do is outside the key is no-switch. The person guarding the picker or the screener has to either stop the ball or chug the person coming around the screen. this allows the defender being picked to recover. Inside the key don't let someone get the ball for an easy shot, so you switch. Personally thought, i think it depends on how you match up with the other team, especially as you move up levels. I stick with the philosophy above because i have limited practice time and this is easy enough to teach jr boys and girls
I believe in only switching on a block to block screen. On any other screen we call the screen. The defender should have his hands up & "pop" the screener with his hands to keep from getting bodied up. We check to cutter on all backscreens. The screener's defender checks the cutter. On a ball screen we call the screen body up to the dribbler & trap.
Coach to the strengths of your players, If they can fight over the top do that. If they need to switch, then switch. Anyway is the right way, just defend it. The most important thing about screens and picks is communication so the players know what is happening.
I teach my girls to fight through every screen possible. This takes a lot of patience because it creates a lot of fouls and angry kids in the beginning. When they see that's it's impossible to get through, or even another teammate sees it, then they yell switch. Which leads me to this thought, this situation takes a lot of common sense. Is common sense the hardest thing to teach a kid, or what?
I try to teach my kids to fight through a pick before I teach them to switch. The main reason is that they will yell switch and stand and watch if it even LOOKS like there is going to be a pick or screen. I also teach them to try to always beat the pick or screen to the inside, between the pick and the basket.

Best Way To Beat A Screen

Downscreens: I have my 8th gr. girls defend downscreens by "caboosing" and bumping. Just have the player being screened get right behind the offense player and follow him (the caboose). Have the player defending the screener bump the offensive man if he tries to curl the screen. After the bump,step back and let teammate through.
We switch cross screens, step back and slide through backscreens (w/o ball), and immediately double team and trap all ball screens, while rotating one man closer.

Defending High-Low Pass

Try to get some backside help so that you get a front/back situation which will limit his ability to catch and maneuver. Also, you can have your guards "jump" the high post when he gets the ball and perhaps disrupt the timing or trajectory of the entry pass to the low post. Either way you are sacrificing some perimeter defense to try to stop the post so you just may have to pick what you want to stop and dare them to beat you with something else. A 1-3-1 trapping zone can also be a good defense against the high-low game since you already have an automatic double or triple on the post.
First, teach your perimiter players to be aware of the post and put intense pressure on the passer so they have no clean look at the post. Have your perimiter players pressure the lob pass and allow the bounce pass. The reason to allow the bounce pass, is the post defender should be in a side-front position. If the passer is higher up the court than the post, then front on the high side. If the passer is in the baseline corner, front on the low side. A side front should have one leg and one arm in front denying any entry pass except a lob, and the other leg and arm behind the post, but maintaining contact with the post players body. This gives you a feel for the post players movements if they try to roll or fade. Finally, you must have great help side, 2 other players in the lane. They should fade to cover the lob pass. The goal is not so much to steal the pass or defend the post player, but to make the passer think the post is too heavily guarded to risk the pass.

Help Side vs. Pressuring Passing Lanes

When teaching your man to man defense, do you stress that the defenders on the ball side help the defender on the ball in case their man dirves, or do you stress more of a denial of the passing lanes. When I tell my players to deny, we usually end up with several steals a game, but give up some drives by the other team, when I tell my players to help on the ball, the other team has more success running their offense. When do you pressure the ball and when do you play more helpside? Do you have 2 types of m2m D so that you can give different looks out of m2m.
Your question has been a pivotal one for me. I coach at the middle school level (7th and 8th grade); girls for a number of years, and then boys for the last three. Up until last year I have always taught an aggressive denial of the passing lane: i.e. "one pass away you must have one body part in the passing lane, etc." Early in every season we were burnt a few times by backdoor plays with this approach, but small corrections on the helpside always eliminated this hole. In the girls' game, I found this approach to defense devastating to the opposition: it forced the other team out of their formal offensive set. For a host of reasons, I have found that girls at this age learn and execute formal patterned offenses better than boys. The flip side of this, however, is that the girls are less able to successfully improvise when forced out of their patterns. When I changed to coaching boys I had a number of new lessons to learn. I found the aggressive denial-of-the-passng-lane approach was regularly broken down by one-on-one moves (i.e. drive to the basket), when the help-side defenders dropped off to help stop the penetration, a quick dish to the open player lead to clear 12-15 foot jump shots -- something that boys of this age can make with frightening regularity. The fundamental problem is that when the ball-side defenders are denying the passing lanes, they are not in a position to help stop dribble penetration -- and we don't have a 7'2" shot-blocker protecting the basket. In response to these experiences, I have changed my approach to coaching defense over the last year an a half. After a great deal of thought and discussion (no small part of which was on this bulletin board), I now coach defense using the "PACK" (this was designed by Dick Bennet, now at Wisconsin -- there is an excellent video available on the approach, including numerous drills.) With this approach you do not deny the perimeter passing lanes -- in fact, the only defender at or beyond the three-point arc is the man on the ball. You do, however, deny every interior pass (e.g. dead front the low post when the ball is below the free throw line). On a perimeter pass, say from O1 at the point to O2 on the wing, D1 who was guarding O1 tightly when he had the ball must immediately sag back. Conversely, D2 who is guarding O2 in a sagged position must quickly close out. (We work our close out drills regularly.) Two things resulted from this shift in defensive philosophy: one was predicted the other was a surprise. First, we seldom have problems with the dribble penetration. Second, we actually get more steals in the passing lanes. Why? Because the boys are more comfortable laying back, reading the offense, anticipating the passes, and then gambling since they know there is help behind them. This approach of "passive on the perimeter, and aggressive in the interior" has significantly fortified my teams' man-to-man defense. For example, in each of the seven games so far this season, my boys have drawn two or more charging calls (player control fouls) on the opposition.
In our base M2M defense we teach our players how to be in a position to help AND pressure the passing lane. The key is teaching where that ideal position is. The passing lane is nothing more than a line from point A (the passer) to point B (the receiver). We demonstrate this with our players (8th grade boys) by having the passer and receiver hold a rope. The position that we want our defenders in is to be able to put their hand in the passing lane by taking one step. The key in being able to also help is to position the defender closer to the ball handler. If you think about it most offenses teach 12-15 foot spacing among players. If your defender is 2 feet from their man they have a big gap to cover for help. We teach them to be 4-5 feet away from their man. This reduces the gap considerably yet still allows them to be one step away from the passing lane. At first players are uncomfortable being that far off their man, but quickly see how well it works. Now, having said that, if the defender is guarding the other team's major offensive threat, we may have that defender play closer to his man and in some cases even deny the pass completely. Our players are also taught that when the ball handler picks up his dribble or they hear "dead" they then more aggressively deny the pass to their man. Over and over I am reminded how basketball is a game of geometry.
For me this is a game by game decision based on how my guards match up with the opposition. If we are confident that our guards are good enough to force the opposition guards to the sides and take away the drive to middle, we aggressively deny the reverse pass. If not, we sag off a bit and help.

Sagging Man Defense

For HS and Jr hi girls: On ball - still has dribble - play just close enough to prevent shot, usually where you can reach out and touch the ball if they hold it in triple threat position. One hand mirrors ball, butt low, force drive to side where most help is. On ball, does not have dribble - play very close and pressure the ball with both hands but don't break plane (window between you and ball handler, don't reach thru the window). Off ball - 1. stop the ball 2 Don't get split (don't let dribbler go between you and dribbler's defender) 3. Don't get led to the ball by a cutter 4. Sag to middle of lane if your man is on weak side (jump to the ball) Play no closer to your man than you need to to be able to close out and prevent a good shot. 5. See man and ball 6. Deny pass to post by playing 3/4 front or full front if ball is on baseline 7. If your man screens, call it and step out to delay the cutter switching only if necessary.
Not to step on toes, but I believe what he means is when you man is cutting in a direction toward the ball, ie cutting to the ball. You must maintain your position between the cutter and the ball, do not trail him, but instead lead and even hinder the offensive player during the cut. The case where this is most important is a flash from the opposite post to the ball side post. I teach my players that you play your helpside triangle and then if your man starts to cut to ball side, you close the gap between you and the offensive player, you put a forearm right on their chest and stop them from cutting to the post area on ball side.

Help & Recovery on Defense

got a good drill idea from Don Meyer to work on help defense. It is called 4-5 Series. You play four defenders against 5 offensive players. Depending on the type of team you are playing, you have a certain emphasis in the drill. For example, you have a designated shooter on offense. The offense must get him open for the shot. The defense now has to work on beating the screens, extending and helping, and contesting the shot. You can also have a designated driver. Whenever that player catches the ball, he drives it hard and the defense must help and rotate.
We also do a 4-5 drill with the offensive players spread on the perimeter. The offense cannot move and must move the ball quickly to an open shooter. The defense must rotate, talk, and contest the shot.
Sounds like you need to work on a hard "close-out" drill of some sort. Get them to close out with their hands up to contest the shot.
Closing out is imperative. Just as the other coaches said, close out, low-to-high, with their hands up, but you must chop your feet quickly to avoid being beaten of the dribble. Many kids want to lunge out to challenge the shot on the perimeter and a quick head and shoulder can give an open look or even free throws
I have an old and dear friend who probably has forgotten more about basketball than most of us will ever knnow. We were talking about helpside defense one day and he said that he felt that helpside defense has caused the deterioration of straight up man-to-man skills because every defender is sure that he has help if his player drives or happens to get past him on penetration. This makes the penetrate and dish possible no matter how you rotate if the penetrator can "read" your defensive rotation. I still teach helpside, but I place heavy emphasis on good "ball" defense and stress to my players that our first goal is to keep the ball handler from dribble penetrating. If you can stop the dribble penetration then all of the other possibilities disappear. Also, We teach that we help "down" or "across", we never help "up." And, if you help on the post after the entry pass, close in the passing lane with your HANDS UP.
Coach, are those short jumpers coming from the weak side or strongside? True help should come from the weak side, but oftentimes, defenders on the strongside corner players will abandon their man to "help" only to have the driver kick the ball out for the spot up jumper strongside. Coach Sheridan's observations are unfortunately true - most players don't recover in time for this jumper. If help comes from the weak side and the defenders one pass away are denying the kick-out pass as an option for the driver, you have a better chance at the driver making a bad decision or forcing a weak pass. We coach the weak side guard to dive down to assist the post in help (don't want an easy dish for a lay-up). This still gives up the skip pass, but usually, it is weak and gives us a bit more time to recover.

Defense with ball on the wing: How do you play the dribbler?

How do you teach your players to guard the wing, and given that, how do you teach your helpside rotation and when do you deny a pass on the perimeter, if ever?? I am not so interested in what drills you use to teach your d, but why you prefer forcing to the baseline or playing straight up.
This is a good question....I tell / teach my players to keep their body between the ball and the basket, inside foot high dont let your man dribble into the key. Off-ball players cheat toward / into the key for help. If a player gets beat the next closest player must stop ball. We only deny the pass on the perimeter when we notice a player is a shooter or has a hot hand.
I always teach to play the wing straight up. The reason for this go back to my teachers of the game who played semi-pro and they always said to NEVER let yourself get beat baseline. They taught me this because if the person wants to drive into the middle then they are easier to pick up on our rotation, and also because your help defenders can see their man and the ball at a better angle than if they have to look baseline.
I work primarily with 5th - 8th grade girls and I prefer to force to the weak hand (usually left) no matter if that is baseline or to the center. At this age only the very talented player can accomplish anything going to their left. Even those that can dribble left will not be able to pass or shoot very effectively going left. I suppose at a more advanced age this rule may change as weak hands become more developed. With girls I would prefer forcing baseline since most are not athletically able to really get to the hoop from a baseline drive. I also like the trap on the baseline from the weak side defender coming over to help. Oddly enough, my HS coach 25 years ago taught us to NEVER give up the baseline. Of course, he didn't teach us anything about M2M weak side help defense either.
I agree with the last 2 post, I began as an assistant 4 years ago and was teaching not to give up the baseline,the old school way I was taught, and started a big war with the head coach, his philosophy being forcing baseline and trapping with his post players. I demonstrated to him just what has already been mentioned, the helpside defense in an attempt to get in position lost sight of their man. His philosophy was to trap with his post man on the baseline, but I countered why would anyone drive baseline when your post player is on the low block, you only drive when he vacates to flashes high or screens away. I know if you give me baseline as a passing point guard, I will dish to open man for a lay up everytime. Always force to middle and your helpside I say. As a girls coach, I recommend playing straight up or forcing to the weak hand, but still NEVER get beat baseline.
This is what I teach: I strongly believe in keeping the ball away from the middle of the court. If you let the ball get into the middle of the court, you will have no weak side help. So if the man your covering, is going to drive on you, make sure its going to be baseline, and not to the middle. That way your weak side can leave their men and help. If the ball go to the middle, it would be to easy to pass of to the guys (it should be 1 only) left open!!! Comment to the post above me: I don't really think help and rotate is a good solution. I prefer help and recover. It's much easier. But no matter what type of help you use, you should never help from high post. Always keep the man at high post guarded closely, for the same reason as above: Keep the ball away from the middle. Sorry, for my english..
I disagree that the baseline is a more potent position than the middle. I teach my offensive players to get into the middle of the lane because then we create a triangle in the lane with a 3 on 2 situation. But when we go baseline, a good defensive team can close out the passes quickly. With that said, we try to force baseline for several reasons. 1. the wing defender can react quicker because he knows the offensive player can only go one way quickly. 2. All the helpside is geared toward the baseline and we do not have to be in position to help from both the middle and the base line. 3. We can totally deny the pass back to the top of the key, thus disrupting the reversals of the ball and throwing the other team out of their offense. We call it closing the door. If the other team throws it to the wing, we shut them off and don't let them get it back to the middle. If we played the wing straight up, the guard at the top of the key would have to play helpside and could not deny. Now when I say let them drive baseline, what I really mean is we teach them to make the baseline option look open, but we teach our wing defenders to beat their man to the baseline about 10 feet out so as not to give them the block or even let them get within 3 feet of the lane. So I actually agree with some of you about the baseline being a good option offensively, but we try not to let the wing get deep enough to make it a good option. Our rotation will come from the opposite post or wing if the player drives and our goal is to pick up the drive outside the lane. If the opposite post rotates to stop the drive the opposite wing rotates to stop the pass to the opposite post. Overall though, I still think the middle of the lane is more dangerous to the defense than the baseline.
We teach the wing defender to mirror the wing and try to take 3 out of 3 things away (shot, middle and baseline). If one must be given up it will be baseline because we prefer to double the ball at the block with the "deep help" defender. Ideally we would like the ball to go to the corner, so we might tell them to channel the ball there.
"Shrink the Floor" Direct away from the middle, steer to the outside and toward the corner. From there, no ball reversal or movement to swing ball around, only along the deep baseline into help. We pick up pressure just below the jump circle and begin "herding" from there or allow the pass to the wing and continue "herding" to the corner from there. But... you still have to challenge and pressure any baseline drives. And.. Help needs to sink deep on this or you'll get waxed if the ball handler can make a quick pass from his side to the weak side short corner - everyone will be out of position to both defend and rebound.
We teach kids (HS girls and JR high) to take away the baseline drive because our help on a drive from the wing is going to come from the strong side guard sliding down. At the jr high level, we also emphasize never letting a player beat us right handed until they show they can beat us left handed. At higher levels, you take away the offensive player's strength, whatever it is. If he is a good shooter and poor driver, play him tight. If he drives well but does not shoot well outside, stay back an extra step. If he can score inside, deny the entry pass. If he can do all those things, recruit him to move to your school or try to get him in quick foul trouble.
In a 2 3 zone, I play it straight up because we have help in all directions and do not deny the reversals as we do in m2m. In our m2m, our goal is to prevent reversals and limit drives to the baseline, our 2 3/s goal is to have ball pressure and no drives. So we do not want to force one way or the other at all.
I prefer to have my players force, or "cut" the ball toward the wing, or to the baseline and/or corner. This allows us to shrink the "box" that we have to defend. It allows us to play 5 on 3 vs offense, since most offenses don't involve more than 2-3 players ballside. The other 2 are usually involved in some sort of "diversion" to try and occupy the D.

Zone Defense

1-3-1 Zone

I use a 1-3-1 with a high school rec league team and with a 5th/6th grade boys team. Here is how I implement it. The point man follows the movement of the ball down only as low as to the wing man's position. At that position, there is a natural double team situation and I have the point man and wing man trap on the ball. If the position of the ball goes lower towards the baseline, the wing man goes down all the way to the baseline, but the point man stays up high. The middle man in the 1-3-1 and the baseline man, both drift toward the ball side of the court, but I tell them to try to keep at least one foot in the paint if possible. (I know some coaches like to bring the baseline man out and trap with the wing man when the ball goes into the corner.) One key to using this zone is to have the weak-side wing drop down to defend against a pass to the weak-side block and also to be in position to rebound. I emphasize to the weak-side wing that he is the main rebounder if a shot is taken from the other side of the court. I have found that this man tends to go up above the free throw line if left on his own. My best results with this defense have come when I had a point man who likes to harass and pressure the ball handler, and also with a baseline defender who is quick enough to cover both sides of the baseline.
I've used this defense very successfully at several levels, from 5th-6th grade boys to HS girls. I put my most tenacious, speedy player at the point, and have him/her attack the ball as it approaches the 3-pt arc. The point makes the ball handler work hard to go anywhere at all, and stays with the ball handler down the sideline until the "wing" joins the fun, hopefully trapping the ball. Weak side wing and center cheat to fill the lane. Baseline defender comes to the strong side, and forms a trap with the wing if the first trap didn't stop him. Some points to consider (from experience!): 1.)The point man will wear down! Consider using someone who can be less involved with your offense. 2.)Baseline player must be a good athlete, and will also be working very hard. 3.) Beware the skip pass, it can be a killer! 4.) Baseline, both sides, are your weak points, IF the other team can get the ball there

3-2 Zone

We ran a 3-2 last year with a lot of success (with the exception of two games where the offense overloaded us and sent a man to the middle of the high post. Basically, it is a 3 out 2 in defense that matches well with most offenses. The player at the top has the responsibility of the high post but may have to step to the 3 point line if the point is a threat to shoot. This is rarely the case so he can play big up top. The wings are responsible for their side of the floor on the perimeter with help from the top man and maybe some help from one of the posts. We never wanted our posts to step out on a shooter so we even ran the backside wing out on the ballside when teams tried to overload. It helps a lot if you have a long-armed mobile guard at the top of this defense. Our post players simply matched up with theirs and denied the entry pass ballside and gave backside help when they were away from the ball.

1-1-3 Zone

I have 2 very small but fast girls. By implementing a 1-1-3 defense I can use their speed out front. Other than the standard rotation of the 3 others (strong side and weak side help) is there a specific movement of the 3 lower girls?
What I do is this. From the 2-3 set, as soon as the ball crosses half court a guard is on ball. the other one cheats toward the side the ball is headed looking to either steal the pass. if they can get it they have on ball responsibilities. The guard who was on ball now is protecting the high post area. My 3 guard / small forward has to always play along the edges of the key staying between the ball and the basket. My post players have key protection / rebounding duties duties except when the ball goes to the corner. they are on ball and the 3 replaces them. On a skip pass then the closest player takes the ball until help arrives.
We've run this defense in a match up style as well as a pressure zone. From time to time we'll take our #3 and place them in the middle or on the strong side. I coach girls and they have a tendency to drift toward the right side because of dribbling skills. Anyway...we will send our big #3 out of the middle and let her pressure the ball, allowing our two quick guards to drop into a better read and anticipate move. You can' do it all the time, but it sure works once in a while. The girls like the surprise it brings! Good luck!
An important thing to remind your center and two forwards is to position themselves half way up the paint. That way the forwards are able to close out alot faster on the pass to the wing area. I like to double the ball at the wing area with the forward and the guard. The center is one stride away from the block but is alert for any pass to that area. If the pass goes to the corner, the center determines who is closer, him or the forward at the wing. If the center is closer, he tells the forward to drop into the paint to protect the basket and he closes out on ball. The guard will deny the pass back out. We get alot of steals when we double the wing or when the ball is in the corner.

MATCH-UP ZONE

Coach: First you must evaluate what type of zone you are wanting your kids to play. What are you trying to accomplish (i.e. traping, slowing the game down, speeding the game up, keeping the ball out of the paint, developing peremiter coverage, or forcing the offense to play a certain way). I hardly ever play zone, but that does not mean that I won't. When you start to teach your team how to play "D", it is my contention that you must first teach them how to play good m2m defense. This is because that a good defense will incorporate both man & zone concepts. Many coaches make a big mistake by not teaching their kids how to play good fundamental defense, no matter what type of "D" you are wanting to execute. Teach the kids how to execute the following:

1. how to guard the ball, where do you want the ball influenced?

2. how to play the passing lanes, do you want them to sag or deny one pass away? 3. how to shut off baseline penetration.

4. how to play help side "D", do you want them one the line & up the line, or only concerned about who is in their area?

5. how to COMMUNICATE ON "D"!! Communication is the glue to any "D".

6. how to play the post. Do you want the post fronted or played behind?

7. how to trap. Do you want the ball trapped when it is entered into certain parts of the court?

8. where is your pick up point going to be?

9. how to block out. How many kids are you sending to the boards? Do you want triangle rebounding coverage?

10. how to cover the high post. 11. are you going over the top or under screens?

12. how are you going to play a player that penetrates, are you going to dbl or alow single coverage.

13. what do you do with cutters? Do you want them bumped or just called out? These are some very basic elements of team defense (which you know) that I feel must be taught & learned before you can start to teach a variety of team defenses.

Now, if you want the players to play a match up zone, here is what I would suggest you start off doing.

1. Decide what formation you want. 1-1-3, 2-3, 3-2, 2-1-2, or 1-3-1.

2. Define each players area of coverage.

3. Now correlate that area with a player playing in it.

4. If the ball is in your area you must jump to it, & allow no penetration. If your matchup allows any penetration you will be forced to guard 1 "O" player w/ two "D" players.

5. Weak side players must stay on the line and up the line. 6. Agian, communication is imperative.

7. Players must be able to rotate to the zones natural gaps, to fill them--quickly.

Here is what we do. This info comes from a video by Bill Green on the match up zone. Good luck. We will mirror the offense. We will usually start from a 1-2-2 set but we can use any set and the rules generally stay the same. Match up Zone Defense Rules We will mirror the offense, we will usually show a 1-2-2 set but we can use any set and the rules stay the same. X1 guards the point guard or the man on the right side. X2 guards the first man to the left of X1 X3 guards the first man to the right of X1 X4 is the rover and guards the second man to the right or left of X1 X5 guards the center man-for-man Here is how the sets would look like against particular offenses. 2-1-2 Zone X1 guards the point guard or the man on the right side. X2 guards the first man to the left of X1 X3 guards the first man to the right of X1 X4 is the rover and guards the second man to the right or left of X1 X5 guards the center man for man, if no center he guards the man in the low right in a 1-2-2 or the man in the high right in a 1-4 1-3-1 Zone X1 guards the point guard or the man on the right side.with or without the ball on a two guard front X2 guards the first man to the left of X1 X3 guards the first man to the right of X1 X4 is the rover and guards the second man to the right or left of X1 X5 guards the center man for man 2-1-2 No Center X1 guards the point guard X2 guards the first man to the left of X1 X3 guards the first man to the right of X1 X4 is the rover and guards the second man left of X1 X5 guards the man in the low right High 1-4 X1 guards the point guard X2 guards the first man to the left of X1 X3 guards the first man to the right of X1 Force the first pass to the wing by bringing X2, X3 in to prevent the pass to the middle., then adjust to their offense as it rotates to a 1-2-2 or 1-3-1. X4 is the rover and guards the left of X1 X5 guards the man in the low right. Low 1-4 X1 guards the point guard X2 guards the first man to the left of X1 X3 guards the first man to the right of X1 X2 and X3 play a little higher to prevent being screened by the inside low post player. X4 is the rover and guards the left of X1 X5 guards the man in the low right Teaching Points: We have to defend against the seven basic things the offense can do. The key is that everyone reacts to what X1 does.

1 Deny the point shot or drive.

2 Defend the exchange or screen away. Point to wing pass. X1 drops to the free throw line, looks away from the ball and picks up the closest man. This is basically a switch.

3 Defend when the point leaves to ball side. X1 drops to the free throw line, looks away from the ball and picks up the closest man.

4 Defend when the point leaves away from the ball. X1 drops to the free throw line, looks away from the ball and picks up the closest man. X2 switches to first man left.

5 Defend when the point dribbles or slides to the wing. X1 stays with his man and X2 adjusts.

6 Defend when the point loops to ball side. X1 drops to the free throw line, looks away from the ball and picks up the closest man. X2 switches to first man left. Defend when the point loops away from the ball. X1 drops to the free throw line, looks away from the ball and picks up the closest man. X2 switches to first man left.

7 Defend when a player flashes. The man guarding the flasher stays with him man to man. All other rules are in effect.

1-2-2 Half Court Trap

I use the following positions and responsibilities for the 1-2-2 half court trap. The one is the"herder", her job is to keep the ball out of the chute (the lane lines extended down the floor) . Ideally she should force the dribbler to her off hand. The next two are the wings. Ball side wing becomes trapper, weak side wing denies reversal pass,AND has basket protection responsibilities if a pass comes out of the trap up the sideline, or to the middle. The ball side back man has first pass out of trap up sideline, while weak side backman has middle pass responsibility. We leave the deep diagonal open, as few players at our level can make that pass with any kind of regularity or authority. Stress to your back players to play in front or 3/4 ballside players in their areas. DO NOT LET THEM PLAY BEHIND!!! If a pass should be completed to the side or middle, the weak side wing dives to the basket, hand out, attempting to deflect any pass. We only trap once, then fall into a 2-3 zone unless ball gets knocked out of bounds, giving us opportunity to match up man/man. Some coaches continuously trap. I have run this defense with an 8th grade girls team that has only one quick player (herder). The rest of team is average or below average in quickness. It has worked exceptionally well. I release the herder to pressure full court, but trap after ball crosses timeline.In Illinois,we have no shot clock, but we do have the backcourt and 10 second count.I hope this information will be ofsome assistance to you

Half Court Trap

THE 1/2 COURT TRAP THAT I HAVE HAD THE MOST SUCCESS WITH IS THE 1-3-1. I DIDN'T HAVE 5 ALL-AMERICANS ON THE COURT AND STILL MANAGED TO WIN 20 GAMES. A HALF COURT TRAP IS A DEFENSE THAT WORKS BEST IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS AND IS SOMETHING THAT IS TOUGH TO SIT IN THE WHOLE GAME, SO PICK YOUR SPOTS. THE ONLY CHANGE I USE IN THE 1-3-1 IS THAT I NEVER TRAP IN THE BASELINE CORNERS. THE BALL IS IN THE BASELINE CORNER AND WE ARE IN A 2-3 ZONE LOOKING TO STOP BALL REVERSAL AND HOPING THE OPPONENT WILL TAKE A CORNER SHOT WITH A HAND IN THE FACE. I PUT MY SLOWEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER IN THE MIDDLE AND HAVE MY BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER ON THE BASELINE TO COVER CORNER TO CORNER. I NEED THE POINT OF THE 1-3-1 PLAYER TO BE A HUSLER BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER. MY WINGS ARE ON A STRING, WHEN ONE IS UP THE OTHER IS DOWN HELPING ON HELPSIDE. I WORK AN AGGRESSIVE DOUBLE TEAM FOR BALL PRESSURE AND I LEAVE THE PERSON FARTHEST AWAY FROM THE HOOP OPEN. GOOD LUCK COACH T

1-3-1 Half Court Trap

Press

What type of press do you like to run & why?

We love the 2-2-1. Allow the inbounds pass and funnel sideline. The hardest part to teach is getting everybody to rotate everytime the ball moves, it is damn near impossible to dribble through it if done right but many teams try it anyway. If you make a commitment to doing it all game you'll find that the good decisions and passes that the other team was making in the 1st half that beat your press aren't as crisp or sharp in the 4th quarter when they are fatigued. I think the most common mistake people make when judging a press is taking it off because they aren't getting turnovers every time. As long as you aren't giving up lay ups, then the value of the press can't be judged until the end of the game. It does fatigue the opponent mentally. We fall back into M2M the majority of the time. We get confused sometimes too but as long as we communicate on defense AND have the person with the ball 'occupy the ball handler' it usually gives us the few extra seconds we need to get back into good position.
I also like 221 but mix it with a man press which starts out in 221 and then matches up and everyone moves up a man leaving the back man covering the two deepest offensive players. We run 221 in "safe" mode leaving the reversal pass open so we can cover deep player while doubling on the ball. At the junior high, I will run it in "gamble" mode cutting off the reverse pass and leaving the deepest man open once we get the ball trapped. High school players can burn that too easy but jr high girls usually can't throw baseball pass that far. We also fall back into man. We teach kids to stop the ball if they are closest defender to it, then get in lane and move out to their man once we are all back. It isn't hard. YOu could also drop back to a zone, then once you are matched up, switch to man when your captain (someone on the back of the zone who can see everything) calls it out.
The 2-2-1 is a very safe press in that you can dictate the amount of pressure that is being put on. You can turn it up and be very aggressive with the trapping and going for steals...or...you can lay back and selectively trap in certain areas (near half court for example)...or you can simply fall back gradually to slow the tempo. The coverages are also easy to teach and explain to your players. It can be a fun press to use even at lower levels. We fall back into a man to man. If your players understand that they may have to guard someone who is not "their man" until a good opportunity to switch back, then you should be able to go from one to the other without missing a beat and maintaining good pressure. We were able to do this at the 7th grade girls level as well as all the way up to varsity.
I don't press very much (HS Varsity Girls), but I can tell you we have a much easier time breaking zone presses than m2m. We have more problems with m2m front the players, switch on screens, with a safety back. Although, when I had a 6'1" center we didn't have any problems inbounding the ball.
My sophomore girls team ran a m2m total face guard w/ a zinger at shortstop. We waited to trap until the receiver of inbounds pass began her dribble, then everyone rotated 1 player closer, turning the press into a zone press. We also ran a 1-2-2 3/4 press that was very effective, as well as a 2-1-2 1/2 ct trap.

Diamond Press

The proper rotation goes like this: The point man (#1) will be lined up guarding ball/inbounder as he inbounds the ball, trying to tip or deflect the ball. The wing men (#'s 2 and 3) are in a sense denying the ball inbounds. They deny the ball so that if their man catches the ball, he will catch it in front of them an towards the sideline. They do this so that the will have the baseline and the sideline helping them trap their man when he does catch. The middle man (#4) all out denies the ball to the next closest man, and the back man (#5) denies the man farthest from the ball. So prior to the inbounds pass, everyone is basicly in man to man defense. Once the ball is inbounded (preferably to the corner, in front of a wing man) the 1 man and that wing man (for example, #2 here) trap the ball hard. The opposite wing man (#3) tries to steal the pass back to the inbounder as he steps inbounds. Most teams will try to throw it right back here so he will get a cheap lay up. The #4 man will take away the middle and try his best to steal any lazy pass to the same sideline as the ball. The #5 man covers the backcourt and also tries to steal any lob passes. The key to running this press successfully is to

1) trap deep in the corner, and trap hard!

2) take away the short passes out of the trap; the one back to the inbounder and ESPECIALLY the one back to the middle. If they get it here they'll score a lay up.

3) If they do beat your initial trap, the wingman who isn't trapping (he will be taking away the pass back to the inbounder) has to sprint back because they will probably have a 3 on 2 or a 3 on 1. This is the way we rotate in our diamond and one.

We are a running team (average about 85 points per game) so we don't mind the fast pace it provides. However, you will probably give up some cheap buckets out of this, but hopefully the easy lay ups you shoot will be worth that risk. You could try changing the rotation of the press (having the wingman who isn't trapping guard the middle and the middle man guard the sideline) to make it a little safer, and then mix up the rotations. I have seen team do this and have great success because the opponent never knew where it was safe to pass the ball. It all depends on how quick your kids pick it up and adjust to the different rotations, because if one guy is lost it probably means the other team scores two points. I hope this long explanation helps you out.
We use this press a lot with our senior women and it is quite effective. We start with our top three players channeling the ball to a specific corner. This means that your top three players may not be alligned 1.2 all the time. Your point press player will guard the inbound and direct to say the right side. The Left side guard will deny all passes to left side of court (inside 3 pt line) and the right side guard will be back o/s 3 pt line to stop pass over top. This forces pass into the particular corner/side of court you want and the players immediately know where to then rotate to. One less thing for them to think about - which isn't bad sometimes.

2-2-1 Press

You might try going 4-4 and work without the safety. One drill I use constantly is called 4-4-4. You have 3 teams of 4 playing 4 court. On any made baskets, each team runs a different type of press. For example, team A would run 2-2-1 (without the back man), team 2 would run a 1-2-1-1 (without the safety), and team 3 could pick up full man to man and faceguard. This drill is great for conditioning as well. I also like to work on form trapping, where you have 2 defenders attack one ball handler, learning how to steer him to the side, then setting a tight trap, with hands up and getting body to body on the ball handler.
John Kreese (college of Charleston, SC)has a video on the 2-2-1 and here`s what he does. Guards first, next come the forwards, center last. Try to drive ball to sidelines with guard so guard and forward can trap at halfcourt, either before or after halfcourt line. Protect the center of the court with other forward and guard. If ball goes up center, both guards trap. Watch out for ball reversal. Let them have first pass in,then go to work.If press is broken, run setup in a 2-3 zone asap! While the ball is being trapped at sidelines, the center protects basket and sidelines against long passes.The (non trapping) guard and forward protect the center court area against short passes This explanation will be easier to follow if you draw it as you read it. I describe two versions of the 221: An all-out gambling press and a safer, slow-em down, don't give up a lay up press. We will call defensive players LF, RF, LM, RM, and S for Left Front, Right Front, Left Middle, Right Middle, and Safety. Front players usually are around the foul line, middle players in front of halfcourt line, safety just behind deepest offensive player or just deep enough to get to longest pass the inbounder is capable of throwing. We allow inbounds pass but try to make them catch close to the left sideline.

Gambling Press: We stay back off the ball handler and encourage him to dribble up the sideline. As soon as he starts to dribble, LF will close in and try to force him to the sideline, LM will move to dribbler to cut him off and he and LF will doubleteam him against the sideline. LM must slide step ahead of dribbler until he has one foot out of bounds, then stop with hands up ready to take a charge if the dribbler doesn't stop. The other players need to hold back until the trap is sprung, because if the dribbler gets past the trappers, S is going to be trying to stop a 3 on 1. Once the dribbler picks up his dribble, everyone needs to move quickly into the passing lane between the ball and their new man. RF will be responsible for pass back to man closest to baseline, usually the inbounder. RM will be responsible for pass to next closest man to baseline, usually the other guard. S will be responsible for pass down left sideline to the man originally guarded by LM. The man left open is the on originally guarded by RM who is on the opposite side of the court. This is the gambling, all out, go for the steal version.

Safety Press: The safer version which is much easier to get the ball down against, but not as likely to give up a lay up follows. It starts the same way with the trap of the dribbler on the sideline, but the players away from the ball (RF and RM) stay back on their original men instead of moving up a man to stop the reversal pass. When the ball is reversed, LF will leave the trap and go to the new ball handler and try to force him to the sideline. LM will slide back toward middle, RF and RM will also protect middle and be ready to trap on sideline if dribbler goes to their side. S will also slide back toward middle staying even with deepest player the passer is capable of throwing to. This version is more of a delaying tactic than a high pressure stealing press, but it can get a team out of their offense and if your front players are quick with long arms, they may deflect some passes and get some steals. You will also get a 10 second violation sometimes.

Rules:
1. Keep ball out of middle.

2. Force dribbler toward sideline.

3. Play upline to deny pass to man in your coverage area.

4. When you trap the dribbler, do not allow him to throw deep. Try to deflect passes but don't reach in and foul.

5. If you are behind the ball, SPRINT back.

6. LM and RM should play closer to the middle of the court than the man in their area and should see the ball and their man at all times. They must beat cutters to the ball.

7. should play closer to the middle than the deepest offensive player and be just close enough to him to cut off a long pass. He will also be anticipating a cross court pass to the man formerly guarded by RM so he can't just play on the sideline in front of the man LM was guarding before the trap. He should be smart enough to foul well in front of the basket if he sees the other team is going to have a 3 on 1 (assuming you play at a level where 3 on 1 usually results in a basket and you have some fouls to give).

LF should be best dribble defender. LM should be quickest big man, not prone to foul trouble. S should be 2nd quickest big man. RF is the other guard. RM is the other big man.

2-2-1 Press: Backside Question

With regard to the 2-2-1 full court press...obviously the ball side front man is forcing the ball handler up the sideline while the opposite front man drops into the middle...but the backside guys...what are your directions to them? Are your players taught to come up aggressively and meet the ball handler OR do you teach them to wait for the ball handler to come to them? Here's the problem I sometimes have with my 8th grade girls: When we come up aggressively, we often find it hard to rotate back to cover the deep ball when the ball is reversed. Then again, when we wait for the ball handler to come up the sideline...she (the ball handler) can often slip in between the trap. Just looking for other teaching points. Thank-you!
In the 221, the ball is forced to the sideline and usually trapped near half court. Two players (the strong side front defender and the strongside midcourt defender) are dedicated to the ball handler. The object is to stop th edribble and prevent the pass long enough for a turnover or to cause a hurried pass out of the trap that can be picked off. The object is not to reach in and tie up the ball. A foul is a waste of a good trap. There are two common passes out of the trap. The most common is over the trap immediately down court; the second is laterally out of the trap. The last man back on the 221 is responsible for the pass downcourt. Therefore he must go to the same side of the court as the ball. I tell my players that 80% of the time the offense will elect to pass over the trap directly down the same side of the court. The last man back MUST intercept or deflect this pass. His job is NOT to defend the basket. If he fails to play for the pass, the press is nearly useless. The job of guarding the basket belongs to the weak side halfcourt defender. The weak side front defender should not chase the ball past the middle of the floor. If it goes away from him, it will be trapped over there and his job is then to intercept any pass to the middle of the floor. If the passer is successful escaping the trap at midcourt, we match up m2m, each player taking the closest opponent.
A successful press needs two states - a sense of urgency and the illusion of an easy way out. The 221 lends itself to this real well. If the trap occurs just in front of the half court line, the ball handler has the ten second count ticking away. Of course, on the other side you can get the 5 second "closely guarded" call or the over-and-back call. Near the midcourt line is best because the options for escape are limited. If the trap is too aggressive and too far down court, then it is possible that the ball handler will squirt out or pass out of trouble and suddenly two defenders are behind the ball. Traps on either side of the halfcourt line are effective. Near half court, the passer escape routes are generally more predictable. You also want enough room behind the trap to invite the overhead pass downcourt - the illusion of a safe way out. Hope that answers the question ... either frontcourt or backcourt trap is OK, as long as it is close to the halfcourt line.

RUN & JUMP

This defense is a man defense. It can be used as a press or halfcourt defense. The main thing about this defense is that when an offensive player turns there back to another defender, the defender comes to trap the offensive player with the ball because the offensive player doesn't see him coming. I think this is a very effective press because it only traps at certain times, to play the offense out of it's strong areas. (I am still learning this defense too.) There is a website on this defense. Check out on your search engine for Michael Wells & Basketball. He has a thing about this defense. And I also forgot, everyone else not trapping leaves there man to gap the next closest man to the ball on the man they are with. Gapping means to play inbetween two players, with enough time to try to steal the pass. The trap must be set so that the offense can't see forward.
When the other defender is coming up to trap, he can either fake like he is coming & sag off. Make sure that the dribbler dribbles the ball. It will be difficult to pass the ball, but still make sure he dribbles the ball by pressuring him. You have to make the dribbler reverse dribble by cutting him off & forcing him to reverse dribble. Don't allow him to go one way, cut him off with your body & then the defender can come & trap him. Cutting him off & making him reverse slows him down & allows the defender to trap the dribbler because the dribbler can't see the trapper coming.
Coach: We use the run & jump "D" a lot. We use it on the full ct. .5 ct. and 3/4 ct. levels. Basically we just run a m2m full ct. press & utalize the traping aspects that the "D" offers. 1. if using it while playing a m2m "D", force the drbbler to utalize a back spin dribble, when the help side defender can see the balls back-he jumps it. 2. if the ball is entered to the center of the ct. (which is a cardinal sin in our philosophy) again, have the help side "D" jump the ball and force it either back to where it came form or to the side. Never allow a forward pass. 3. Players must understand that if they trap, they must rotate. 4. The key is to cut down the dribblers vision. Must play the ball very tight. 5. All other defenders are on the line and up the line.

Run & Jump vs. Run & Double

Which is better? run and jump or run and double? In the run and double, where the ball handler is turned and double-teamed, with a back player rotating up to pick up the man of the player who trapped the ball-handler. In the run and jump, the player who initially stopped the dribbler "jumps" back to pick up the man of the player who came over the pressure the ball-handler ? Which do you prefer? Why?
I never heard the term Run and double. In Run & Jump though, the guy that comes to stop the dribbler should not return to his man. Then it is just help and recover (or trap & recover). Run and jump is a rotating defense, where you actually attack the dribbler. Not just stopping the dribbler. The guy attacking the dribbler should stay with him. It is the guy defending him at first that finds the open man. Anyway, I would prefer that everyone contains their own man, and then be trapping from behind. That is however not always posible. If someone gets beaten we have to come straigh at them. I think trapping and returning to your own man is much easier, but far from as effective. Trapping and rotating is very effective, but it takes time to learn.
According to Coach Wells: Rules of run and Jump are 1) play tough defense on your man when he has the ball - you want to force the dribble down the sideline and then cut him off - the goal is to stop the dribble or make the player spin dribble back into a help defender. (2) the help defender sees the player with the ball dribble toward the sideline - when he thinks a possible spin move will happen, he will need to be at the spin spot squared up, in his face, with hands up. The offensive player is caught off guard because he has now just spun with a reverse dribble right into the face of a trapping defender. (3) if the offensive player keeps his dribble going then both defenders must stay on the dribbler and double team him. (4) if the player picks up his dribble - the help defender yells "jump" - this will free the original ball defender to sprint across the court and pick up the open player left by the help man. The original ball defender sprints back to cover the player that helped trapped. No rotation from a third player. But the Run and Double, as John Kresse calls it. has the same trap but, a third player rotates up to cover. the original ball defender stays in the trap. I never meant that the original help defender goes back. and I was wondering whaht the pros and cons are. Sounds like you think rotation is harder to teach. But I'm thinking rotation up may be easier than the original defender having to leave trap and sprint over.and that a two person trap may be more effective.

Rebounding

Blocking Out Drills

Here is one I devised to break my 5th/6th grade team of their tendency to stand around and watch whenever a shot is taken by a teammate. Position two players just outside the lower blocks on each side of lane. Position two more players on each wing. The coach lines up on the free throw line and the rest of the team lines up behind the coach. The first player in the line behind the coach moves into the painted area. He is the defender/defensive rebounder. The coach has the ball and he either takes the shot himself, or he can pass to one of the wings who will take the shot. If the coach shoots, the player in the paint blocks out the coach, if the right wing shoots, he blocks out the left side player on the lower block, if the left wing shoots, he blocks out the right side player on the lower block. This teaches the player in the paint three things, (1) to move instead of standing still and watching the ball when a shot is taken, (2) to position himself on the side that is more likely to be the rebounding side when a shot is missed, and (3) to properly box out in order to get the rebound. After the player in the paint gets a rebound, he moves to the right wing, the right wing moves to the left wing, the left wing moves to lower left block position, the lower left block moves to right block, and right block moves to end of line behind the coach
I like to use a 1-1 blockout drill in which the defense must get 3 blockouts in a row before they can go to offense. Put your defensive player in the middle of the lane and the rest of the team in a line at the top of the circle. The coach shoots the ball and the first player in line goes after the ball. The defender must turn and make contact, then get the ball. The defender must get 3 block outs in order to leave the drill. Later on, you can go 2-2 and 3-3 with the defense getting 3 box outs before leaving the court.
Obviously the first thing I preach to my players about boxing out is that they have to initiate contact. One drill that I like, and more importantly, my players love is this. 3 offensive players, 1 at point and 1 on each wing. All players should be inside the 3 poit line. A defensive player on each offensive player. Set one basketball in the middle of the paint. When the coach yells "shot" the players box out. The offensive players try to use fakes, spins and any other legal means to get to and touch the ball. The time is 5 seconds. If the ball is touched in under 5 seconds then the defense does 10 push ups. If it is not touched then the offense does 10 push ups. When we first started using this drill I had the time set at 3 seconds. That kept it even initially, but now I find that 5 seconds is the most effective. We do this drill every practice, one group at each end of the court, Forwards one end, guards the other. We usually go through it 16 times with the offense and defense switching after the eighth time.
In the past, we have put a bubble on each of the rims. We play full court 5 on 5 under normal rules. The only difference is that we score points by rebounds (offensive and defensive). We want everyone to take the shots they normally would take out of the fast break and offense. However, no shots will be going in because of the bubbles. Therefore, every shot should turn into a rebound and an opportunity for the offense of defense to score a point. We may play games to 5 and rotate 3 teams. After several rotations, the team with the highest total wins. We have run this at camp as well as during the season in practice. We have also done 1/2 court versions of the same game.
We have incorporated a good block out drill w/ our 5 on 5 shell "D" drill. Have all 5 "O" players take at least one step out of the lane, they should be facing the player that they are guarding. The coach starts (w/ the ball) at the top of the key. As the coach shoots the ball, the players must yell shot & block out their assignments. The "D" must get 3 rebounds in a row. On the third rebound, the "D" takes the ball on "O" and runs their secondary break, as the new "D" unit must match up w/ them. Then the drill starts over at the opposite end of the floor-w/ the "O" & "D" switching. If the "D" lets the "O" get a rebound, they must do frozen pushups for 30 seconds.
3 on 3 box out drill 3 Defensive players in a straight line inside paint facing the basket (cannot see the offense.) 3 Offensive players anywhere above the foul line extended also facing the basket. Coach and shooting guard outside the arc. Drill starts on the whistle. ALL THE FOLLOWING OCCURS AT THE SAME TIME. Coach passes to shooting guard who will take an immediate shot. 3 offensive players start crashing the boards. 3 defenders turn around, communicate and pick up the 3 offensive players, yell shot, box, and rebound. If defense rebounds (including the made basket), they get a point (offense does a full court sprint). If offense rebounds, play continues until either defense rebounds (no point for D) or offense scores (full court sprint for D). Reset with same D but 3 new offensive personnel (keeps D honest when they turn to pick up a body - they can't preplan). 4 minutes for each defensive group. Remember, D gets a point only if they rebound 1st. At the end of practice, D with the most points gets a permission from 1 suicide.

Rebounding drills - 70% of shots go to opposite side of basket

Factors in rebounding:

1. Habit of getting position (yell Shot as cue),

2. Effort,

3. Jumping,

4. Controlling ball and outlet Protect ball (chin it), pivot, outlet pass or dribble clear - look long first Step in front box out - if beside offense - elbows high and wide, butt low, jump to ball. Block box out - forearm into chest, pivot into them, elbows high and wide, butt low Offensive rebounding - step away from blockout with quick sidestep or reverse pivot, go to side away from shooter, step across, spin, swim, use other players as picks, not over the back, strip rebound by stepping around and swinging up. If blocked out, push on his back with shoulder and reverse pivot to step in front of him.

Spin - reverse pivot and slide arm in front of D and side step in front of him Swim - stick arm under D s arm, duck under his arm and step in front

Slide - Fake L and go R (push off), step across in front of D. Free throw rebounding - defensive assignments, stunts for O, don t move.

Tipping - if you can't control it, tip to teammate or tip out.

Drills - Most tips in a row (30 secs)

Tip relay - groups of 4-6 in circle, tip ball around - both hands, each hand, count tips without miss Superman drill - throw ball off glass to come down on other side of basket, rebound, throw across, repeat for 5 rebounds and score.

Butt Wars - use your butt to back the opponent out of the lane (3 pairs of kids at once). Arms out but only the elbows may be used to contain the opponent. Spinning off the opponent is allowed and if you push the other person out even on your original side, you win. Winners advance against winner until we get a butt wars champ.

Rebound and 1v1 - shooters around perimeter, 2 rebounders, whoever gets it tries to score in 3 seconds and 2 shot limit - go to 5 points and rotate to shooting area. Track points scored (1 for each rebound plus 2 for basket if you score) and loser from each pair runs before joining shooters.

Continuous 1v1 - rebounder pass to 1st in shooter line, he shoots, D block out, whoever rebounds outlet to shooter (other jam pass, if stolen or deflected, pass to shooter) and go to shooter line. Loser close out shooter, block out, both try to rebound. Variations - shoot, allow 1 dribble before shot, add passing line to receive outlet pass and pass to shooter with D denying pass. Must get ball and make good outlet pass to get in shooter line.

Circle box out - 4 outside circle try to get to ball in middle, 4 inside box out. Time it. 3 reps, switch positions, longest total time wins. In scrimmages or drills, treat made basket as live ball so either team can rebound and throw in.

Rebounding - cont

I think the key here is to establish roles. Don't go and tell the players, okay harry you're our scorer, Dan you be our defensive man. But set goals for your team like today lets get 10 more rebounds than the other team and only 12 turnovers, and encourage them to set goals for themselves during the game. Then glamorize the man that got the job done on the boards after the game. Soon they will be fight each other for the reb.
If you look a tapes of games for kids of the age group you coach, I guarantee you that you will see one thing. When the ball is shot, there is a period of a second or two where all animation is suspended. This is the period of time in which the ball is travelling from the shooter's hand to the rim. That is because they are all watching the ball. What I stress is that you know where the ball is going so why look at it. When the ball is in the air, teach your kids to find the closest person with a different color shirt, box them out, then look up. When they look up, they know where the ball is. My premise uses the following concept: the basket doesn't move but the opposing player does. Go over this in practice, use drills, and show your kids tape of themselves just standing around looking. With repetition, they will eventually get it. Give them incentive such as rewards for the most rebounds, this also takes emphasis of scoring which I always think is good. Kids don't realize the value of the intangibles of the game.
Here is a one-time-only drill that sounds silly, but had a big effect on my team this year. Place all 10 players inside the paint, toss up a shot and tell them to get the ball before it bounces. Them have them line up around the lane -- kind of like a free throw, but a couple are on the free-throw line. Again, toss up a shot and tell them to get the ball before it bounces. Next, have them line up, evenly spaced, one big step out from the lane. As before, toss up a shot and tell them to get the ball before it bounces. Have them take another step out and repeat -- at this point they should be evenly spaced around the three point arc. Finally, space them evenly around the entire half court boundary lines (both side lines and the time line). Toss up a shot and tell them to get the ball before it bounces. At this point ask them what they learned. They will respond with something like: "we can get the rebound from anywhere on the court" and you respond -- EXACTLY!!! Since the first step in rebounding is mental, you must get them all thinking and believing that rebounding is the responsibility of each and every one. As a last thought, I have found that many rebounding "drills" do not much help -- other than teaching a bit of footwork and mechanics. More usefull, in my opinion, is a ubiquitous emphasis on rebounding. In every drill, and every scrimmage, and every game emphasize rebounds. If you see a kid being a "spectator" (e.g. watching the flight of the ball flatfooted) chew on him hard. Praise a good block out more highly than you praise a good shot -- do it loudly, and do it often. Coach your parents in this regard as well. You are attempting to develop good habits -- and sometimes eliminate bad habits -- as such, you must apply consistent, relentless pressure. By-the-by, we usually use a modified scoring scheme in our practice scrimmages (whether it is 1-on-1, 3-on-3, or 5-on-5) -- an offensive rebound counts as 1 point for the offense.

Getting Players to be Aggressive Rebounders

I believe that you can instill the "I own this court" mentality. My way of doing it is to get them to believe they better own the court or else! Once my girls learn how to do a drill in our learning sessions, from then on they must do it competitively. I always break my kids up into 2-4 equal teams and they compete against each in every drill. Losers do 2 laps full speed. If I really want emphasis placed on a weakness that we need to shore up, then losers do suicides.
I agree completely with BBall-Ed on making it competitive. I saw a video on making practice drills competitive and used the idea in camp a couple weeks ago and it made a big difference. The kids put in a better effort and enjoyed it more. I gave candy to winners instead of making losers run, but I won't do that anytime except in camps. Drills for rebounding: Continuous 1v1 - rebounder pass to 1st man in shooter line, he shoots, D blocks out, whoever rebounds outlet to shooter (other rebounder jams outlet pass) and go to shooter line. Loser close out shooter, block out, both try to rebound. You stay in until you get the rebound and make a good outlet pass. Rebound and 1v1 - shooters around perimeter, 2 rebounders, whoever gets it tries to score in 3 seconds and 2 shot limit - go to 5 points and rotate to shooting area. Track points scored (1 for each rebound plus 2 for basket if you score) and loser from each pair runs. In scrimmages or drills, treat made basket as live ball so either team can rebound the made shot and throw it in. Circle drill - 4 players around center circle, 4 others inside circle block them out, coach stand in middle holding ball (or lay it on floor) and see how long it takes for offensive player to get past defense and get ball. Go 5 times, then switch. Losers (those with longest total time to get to ball) run.
For aggressive rebounding we use the "3 Player War" Drill. Line up three players at the foul line (one in the middle of the FT line and the other 2 at the elbows). The coach shoots the ball and all 3 go for the rebound. The player who gets the rebound is on offense and the other two try to stop him from scoring. If the offensive player misses the shot, whoever gets the rebound next is on offense and the drill continues until one of the 3 scores vs. the other two. To stress aggressiveness, no fouls are called in this drill. The drill gets pretty intense. I read an article on the Michigan St. team this year and after one of their losses Coach Izzo used this drill and ran it for 30 minutes with the team wearing FOOTBALL pads.

Miscellaneous Defensive Topics

Defending The Flex

First you have to go through the pattern with your "D" and point out parts of the pattern where you can switch. We don't switch on the baseline flex cut, but we give help. When the 2 players on the weak side down pick or back pick for the shot at the elbow we run an automatic switch. This two defenders are playing zone on the weak side. Ball pressure and keeping all 5 defenders playing the ball will give you the advantage. The flex pattern your opponent runs can be repeated in shell drill until your team can run the pattern as well as your opponent.
Here are two options we use. 1. Switch on all screens. 2. Go to a 2-3 zone.
We: 1) switch on the downpick 2) Don't chase the weak side corner. Stay in "help" with one foot in the paint. Let the cutter come to you. This also gives some help when you get the(inevitable) mismatch on the downpick. 3) always "bump" the cutter 4) keep good pressure on the ball. Try to push the ball out away from the basket to make the entry pass too long to be effective. 5) ALWAYS see the ball and see your player
slide over the pick and front the player on the other side. If this doesn't work, i've found a 2-3 zone can stop most flex offenses.
The way you defend the flex cut depends on what the screener does after setting the pick. If the picker does not look to step toward the ball, and just go off the downscreen, we have the defender on the screener step low and bump the cutter, and the defender on the cutter go over the top. When the downscreen occurs, we would switch it. But if the cutter steps toward the ball after screening, or they look to post, we tell the defender on the screener to get right on the back of the offensive screener and do not help on the cut. We want to prevent the screener from stepping back toward the ball and sealing out the defender. You also need to have good ball pressure to take away the easy look into the lane to the cutter or the cutter coming off the downscreen.
i teach ballside and china (weak side; we never guard a player in china) therefore if your is cutting baseline from china you should already be in the paint and the screen should not be effective
One of the most popular defensive tactics that I have seen is to switch everything. switching everything can be very effective especially if you are coaching at a younger age level (hs fresh. or lower). Younger, less experiened players will not be able to make the reads necessary to adjust to this tactic, older players will eat you up with backdoors and bumps if you switch exclusively.

Trapping after a Missed FG

This is a tactic I love to use and is sometimes an easy way to get a few "cheap" points. If the defensive rebounder gets the ball low and has her back to the floor the two closest players will "body up" and try to leave her nothing but a baseline pass. Try to teach your other players to jump into the passing lanes to intercept the outlet pass. Sometimes it is better to do this selctively so that you have the element of surprise. This is also a good way to slow down or stop some teams who like to get out and run the break off of the short rebound. If you at least force the outlet pass to go to the baseline instead of the deep wing you can buy some time to get back and defend the break

DEFENDING PICK & ROLL

I think the way you defend the pick and roll is based, as Coach Creighton mentioned, on the personnel running the pick. Is the dribbler a penetrator or a shooter? Does the roll man pop out or does he just roll to the basket? Where are the picks being set? What is occuring away from the 2 man action? This is very important when working against pick and roll. One thing you might want to consider is trapping the pick and roll early. If you know the signal for the play or if your players read the pick and roll being set up, teach them to go ahead and trap the ball handler immediately, rather than when the pick is set. That is one way to break up the play. If you are looking for some additional material on this, I highly suggest Del Harris's book Winning Defense. He devotes an entire chapter to defending the pick and roll. The rest of the book is a gold mine of ideas and concepts for defending every type of offensive action imaginable.
Remember to spend time on the helpside individuals - they must know what to do since you are double teaming and they will be playing 3 on 4
We teach out players to hedge and recover on all picks on the ball. We also teach a technique to the player being picked to a) overplay the dribble to go opposite the pick and b) get as tight on the dribbler as possible. This works well provided the player defending the person setting the pick communicates early to the on-ball defender. The on-ball defender is taught to go over the pick. We avoid the "fight over the pick" description because young players will take this to mean bulling their way through the pick. We have the on-ball defender try to "get thin" by pulling their hips forward and taking a big step with the pick-side foot as they go over the pick. Players are taught on offense to rub as close to the hip of the person setting the pick as possible. This being the case a "hedge" is when the player defending the person setting the pick steps into that space perpendicular to the path the dribbler wants to take. This forces the dribbler to take a much wider path around the pick giving the player being picked additional time to slide over the pick and defend the dribbler without switching. The hedge player "recovers" to his man. Where you get beat on the pick and roll is when the player defending the screener stays behind the screen virtually requiring a switch thus resulting in the pick and roll mismatch assuming you have a post player screening a perimeter player.

The Hero Defense

A couple of years ago, I read an interesting article in Scholastic Coach magazine. The title was something about a "Hero" defense. The main object was that you had one player that was a full time help defender. He was assigned to the weakest opposing player and was to only guard his man when the player was within 8-10 feet of the basket. Otherwise, he was responsible for doubling down on the post, trapping the ball, staying in the paint to prevent drives, etc. If the opponent was going to beat you...it would have to be the weak player who would have to do it and become the "Hero". Has anyone applied this type of strategy? If so, are there any other things that you assign your "Lone Ranger" to do?
we run a similar defense to this but we play it from a 2-3 zone. It actually turns into a box and 1 but the "rover" guards the ball were ever it goes. For this defense you must have a "rover" that is in shape and will hustle
We used the "hero" strategy as a box and 1 against two teams which had star players. We chose a lesser skilled offensive player and told her that her only job was to stay between the star and the ball - in her passing lane all the time - with her hands up. The goal wasn't to guard her but to make any pass to her unattractive. After one quarter of no passes she got frustrated and angry and ended up "taking herself out of the game" Our player's confidence hit the ceiling and we held a stud to 15 points!
Recently I coached a team where we went to watch the opponent play and decided we were going to play a certain type of zone, then go to a M2M and "not guard" a particular kid no matter where the kid was when they were in the game. Remember, these are varsity kids. Well, we started in the zone and then the player came in the game. We immediately went to this and the kid never scored and we were able to harass the other kids. As long as you take care of telling the kid what the kid needs to know, they can play this occasionally when the opponent has a kid who is a great offensive liability. Instead of a box-and-one, it was a man-and-one. BTW, we won the game by four in a homer dome.
An opposing coach referred to our "Hero" defense as a "Dot and Four":)
A less kind opponent referred to ours as a goat and 4 - obviously referring to the likelihood of sacrifice before it was all over. :)

Transition Defense

When defending the fast break, we have always taught to protect the basket first and then take/stop the ball. However, once we get back, we seem to have problems closing out on the shooters in the secondary portion of our opponents break. I would like to hear some suggestions or drill ideas to help us improve this aspect of our game.
We are teaching the kids to "Stop the Ball" as the primary concern. Our hope is to either contain the dribbler or guide him to the sideline. Once stopped, try to make passing as difficult as possible. In the fast break situation, if the defender can buy a second or two or even get the ball handler to throw a high pass, we may have enough time to recover. But, the total focus is on the ball, not protecting the basket. The closest guy tries to stop the ball or at least create hesitation. The rest "beat feet" to recover and matchup.
we have a group of fast kids,short although.we have been working on a few very simple offenses where we leave a guard at the top of the circle to stop the fast break or at least slow it down till help arrives.Also we have a small, very fast girl who in most cases can catch the opposing player and steal or knock the ball away .This has worked fairly well so far.I feel there`s nothing like the basic fundemental transition pratice with the players to carry them into their future games.Starting next pratice,we are going to spend a lot of time on transition drills,3-2,2-1 etc.A team needs many tools to use.
Besides being a team who fast breaks as much as possible, i also teach how to stop the break. first i teach the closest player is on the ball....stop the ball is the most important thing... the rest of the team take 3 steps look over inside shoulder and find the ball. hustle back and protect the basket... I emphasis Us against the ball....no point in the paint
We are always stopping the ball first, however we keep a man on the other side of half-court just in case they do break the press. We play out of a 1-2-1-1. We look to trap the inbounds pass and force toward a sideline or to make a pass toward the middle of the floor for a quick steal. Practice odd man counters, 3-2 2-1

Slowing Down an Athletic Team

I wouldn't play and up tempo game against a much faster team any more than I would work an inside game against a much taller team. The thing is, your team has the ball as many times as their team, so its what you do with it that counts. If you have patience and the ability to control and protect the ball, then the result should be high percentage shots for your guys. Chances are your opponent counts on the tempo opening the game up for them. How well do they handle a half court game? Better or worse than you? They may find the slower pace very frustrating and will make poor choices on shot selection. If my guys are rushing trying to keep up with a faster bunch, I'll call for a spread early in the game for a couple minutes just to get the illusion of control back. Sometimes tghe other coach and the crowd get noisy, but its all part of strategic basketball. Make them play to your strength if you can.

When you don't have a lot of time to practice before the game, if they know how to screen, then physically screen them all the way down the court. If they know how to pick and roll, that's even better. If you play physical ball you will tire them out and slow them down. If they are your next game, that's all I can suggest within a limited time frame. You'd be amazed at how many different ways you can use a pick and roll.
1. Don't press them - pick them up at the half.
2. Control the boards. - no fast break there.
3. If they gain control of the ball from a rebound, turn-over etc. or if you expect this to be a problem, designate your 3 or 4 to leave immediately and sprint to the opposing three pt line to stop the ball and defend the paint until help gets back.
4. Do what it takes to make the passing lanes unattractive - hands up, in the passing lane etc - make them think twice about passing.
5. Emphasize taking the ball to the hoop on offense to try to limit long bounce-out rebounds which can ignite fast breaks.
6. Make sure you always have one guard rotating back for defense.
7. Against their man-press, as suggested by another poster above, do a pick-and roll in the backcourt.
8. Use a big man as a safety valve to inbound the ball then bounce it right back to your Point Guard. Then clear the floor and let your PG bring it up.
9. Use a halfcourt trap against them. 1-3-1 or 1-2-2 depending on how much coverage you want in the lane. A halfcourt trap stops the ball just past halfcourt and puts the brakes on a fastbreak team.
10. Pray a lot. Speed is the one hardest thing to defeat on a basketball court, way more so than size. Size means nothing if you get outrun down the court.

Out of Bounds Defense

We play man defense exclusively. We do not guard the inbounder when a team takes the ball out under their hoop. I have always had this player guarding the inbounder turn and look into the lane as they stand directly under the hoop. The longer I coach the more I'm inclined to have this guy continue to stay under the bucket but turn and look at the inbounder. This way they can see the ball being passed and pick up the inbounder as soon as the pass is inbounded. What do your teams do with this player gurading the inbounder?
I tell my players that they must see their player and see the ball all of the time on defense. If we get a team that doesn't guard the inbounder under our basket we go right back to her as soon as she steps in. We shoot alot of 6 or 8 footers this way. The only zone I play is against the baseline inbounds just for this reason. We will start in a 2-3 and then "jump" into a M2M after the inbounds. That assures that no one is running around loose.

Defending a 5 Out Motion Offense

Coach: We play a team on the 8th grade boys level that runs it like a well oiled machine. After getting burned repeatidly backdoor for wide open lay ups, I made the other team shoot the ball from the perimeter. I was not going to lose to these guys on lay-ups anymore. So basically what we did was play with one foot in the lane at all times except when our man had the ball. No passes were denied. When our man got a pass, we left the lane and playe straight up man2man. When he have it up, we went back to one foot in the lane. I suppose it was kinda like playing zone but I kept telling myself it wasn't because I won't play zone defense at this level. It took them out of thier bread and butter and we were able to knock off a team far better than us by defending them this way. What do you think?

How Much Ball Pressure?

I require no more than arms length. I want to make the offensive player worry. This does lead to some drives by the opponent, thus I need good help side. Do you ever back off from the ball so that you can pressure the passing lanes and not get beat on the drive? Do you use this as your primary D, or situational?
We try to give extreme ball pressure. I have a very quick guard who can do the job and not get beat very often. We make sure we give good help if she does. I think it's very important to always pressure the ball. If you allow the player with the ball to just stand there and see the defense and the passes that need to be made I think you are going to give up too much. Pressure will force the ball handler to worry about other things and in turn you are forcing the action and not sitting back and waiting.
Here's what we do... with the expectation that any time the defense takes intitiative there is additional risk. In this case, we will gamble on the passing lanes. The ball defender's job is harrassment, not steals, and to herd the ball to the side of the floor and stop. Sometimes the ball defender gets beat and then its the job of the closest sagging guy to step up and stop the ball. There should be a rotation to protect the sagging guy's man, but its a finer point that we don't always get. So, we do see the dribbler penetrate and pass to an open guy. Its the price of the pressure defense. The benefit is the intercepted passes and inability of the offense to get into any kind of passing game to distort the defense. Defending the ball well can be very difficult so we work hard on that. Nearby defenders can help a lot by "showing" themselves in anticipation of the ball handler's drive attempt and they can abort the drive without making a real commitment away from their own man. This is our primary style and we haven't been forced to abandon it for a more conservative m2m yet.
For everything the defense takes away from the offense, they have to give something else. For example, if you play extreme pressure on the ball, you give up more drives. If you deny passes on the perimeter, you give up more backcuts and you can't help as well. If you have players who are much better athletes and are very well coached, you might be able to do both but you wouldn't need to in that case, you would beat them anyway. The key is to know when to do what and be able to do either. We teach two defenses: sagging man (our normal defense) and GUTS (Gambling Upline Trapping Stealing) man. We use guts against a team with weak guards or when their best ball handler is out of the game, when we are behind late in the game, and the first couple minutes of a game when nervousness might be a factor. We will also run it for a possession or two after a time out or a free throw but we go back to sagging once they get into their offense. Sopme coach said "The team that gets the most EASY baskets usually wins". We try to get easy baskets with steals by pressing, and we try to prevent easy baskets by sagging once they get close to their basket. (Sagging defense: close enough on ball to prevent shot, everyone else no closer to their man than neccessary to prevent a good shot, jump toward ball on every pass, don't let dribbler go between his defender and you, get to middle of lane if ball on opposite side from your man, swarm the post). Playing off and anticipating passes leads to more steals and less fouls than playing upline and denying every pass. This is for girls, junior high and high school level.
Heavy pressure on the ball, almost always, but no reaching. We work on "mirroring the ball" on defense. Also, when the dribble is lost, we close in even tighter -- and usually try and go to a full denial on the ball-side. We look to steal off the less than perfect passes.
I teach my kids to be "an arm and a foot" away from the ball handler on the perimeter. Stick your arm straight toward her chest and your fingertips should be about a foot from touching her. It is the type of terminology they seem to remember. We generally try to deny inside the three point line unless the ball handler picks uo her dribble, then it's full scale "we want the ball" deny defense.

Stopping the super guard

I've had a situation like this before and we did use the 1-2-2 zone with great success. You just need to make sure to drill them on watching the weak side because if you double team the guard up high, he will probably not make the shots but someone else will be the target. Keep your center moving at all times and keep everyone communicating underneath for ctters so that they can cover quickly. My 2 cents worth
Here is another idea that I might try as a change of pace. Have your team play m2m and have the player covering the worst offensive player double-team the dominate guard everytime he catches the ball. I think that Don Meyer calls this "dork trapping." This will get the ball out of the dominate players hands and also forces the worst offensive player on the floor to beat you. Also when the dominate offensive player passes the ball you need to have someone playing no-help defense and denying the pass back to him. I am not sure you can run this for a whole game but it might be something you could do in spurts that may give you an advantage.
The man to man where you trap that one player is a good option, but the second option requires less precise trapping/timing skills. Instead of a box and 1 we sometimes use a chaser on the scoring guard, and a 1-1-2. It's really a triangle with a quick guard at the top of a triangle, a tall guard at the top perimeter pressuring the point (or helping double the scorer on perimeter) ...following the ball on perimeter, the chaser is on the scorer (loose when they have the ball out of shooting range to prevent drives) and tight when the scorer gives up the ball, preventing the return pass. The top player in the triangle must be quick as in the triangle and two. It's pretty effective depending on the the rest of the scorer's team..if they have other outside shooter's, the man2 man doubling option is better.

Creating a Defensive Mentality

They will reflect a defensive mentality that you as a coach has. How much emphasis do you put on defense in your practices? For me, it's the number one priority in my practices and I spend more time drilling defense than offense. We have a scrimmage with the team we share the gym with at the end of practice and alot of the times I will stand on the defensive side only. My kids know how important defense is because they see that it's important to me.
I think you need to spend more time in practice on offensive skills, because they are usually the weakest and need the most work. However, as the coach you have to emphasize the defense. It's not what you do, it's what you emphasize that will get their attention. Defense is the key to winning games...the tougher the opponent, the better and harder you need to play the D. The more you work them on defense, the more you demand from them in practice, the better prepared you are with your defensive concept, drills, coverages, etc., the more the team will see it and reflect upon that. YOU have to believe that defense is a number one priority...then you have to sell it to them. It will pay off. Good luck.
I sometimes scrimmage using a "Make it Take" Type of format. The idea being that you can't get the ball unless you take it away on D. You get some lopsided games but they will WANT to play defense.
The best motivational tool I know of is playing time. Sit kids out in practice when they fail to play good defense and let them know they will also sit out of games when they don't play good D. Then follow thru. The previous postings are correct. Teach it, emphasize it, then discipline them for poor D and reward them for good D. I saw a video on motivating kids in practice by making every drill competitive with minor reward/punishment for winners/losers. It made an amazing difference in my practices. Maybe you could have some competitive defensive drills?
Thanks a bunch for your opinions. I do spend a ton of time on defense, and I do emphasize it a lot. My kids are just so exceptional in their offensive skills that they overwhelm some teams with their offense, and once they get up by 10-15 they start coasting a bit. I'm just worried that when a really good team plays us we may struggle defensively.
Two other suggestions: 1) Tell your team that your starting line-up will consist of not necessarily your best players or scorers, but your best defensive team. I have started my best defensive 5 for all but one game so far this year, and in each of those games we have gotten out to a quick lead (in the one game I didn't start my best defensive 5 we got down 10-0.). 2) Have competitive drills in practice that reward defense. For example, we use a 3X3 drill where the 3 defensive players will stay in the drill until an offensive group of 3 scores on them. Then the group of three that just scored goes on defense and tries to get as many consecutive stops as possible. After 10-15 minutes, the group of 3 with the most consecutive stops does not have to do sprints. In essance, the drill is asking the players to WANT TO play defense rather than saying that they HAVE TO play defense.

Defending the 4 Corners

my suggestion would be full court pressure. Trap in the back court, force them to up tempo. Once over half fall into a 2-3/ 1-2-2 (matchup???) and deny the swing. Force them to keep the ball on one side of the floor. If they do get it set don't bite and get caught back door.
I think you have to double-team the dribbler and deny the easy passes which leaves the opposite corner open. I'd prefer to have that be a corner away from the basket so begin by leaving the ball-side baseline corner open and cover everyone else. When he catches, leave the weak side guard open and trap the baseline corner. This leaves them one open pass and it is long and away from the basket, plus if you intercept it, you are on the way to a lay up. To trap the baseline corner, have the weak side guard move into the center to cover the middle man and have the trapper who was on the ball previously move down to cover the new ball handler. When the weak side guard gets close enough to deny the pass to the middle, the middle defender leaves to double team the ball. The player covering the other baseline corner can cheat up a little and anticipate the long pass to the open weak side guard.
I got this from the Duke staff before the shot clock. Take your best shot blocker & play him under the basket. Take the defender guarding the other offensive corner man & send him to double team the ball.

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS

Practices

Competitive-Fun Drills

I use a lay up drill: divide your team in half. I have each girl take a rebound off the backboard, dribble to the free throw line ( extended ) and pass to another girl at half court. she must drive to the basket for a lay up. they must make 30 lay ups in 90 sec. or its a liner.
4 -3 shell drill is a great idea. - 4 offensive players and 3 defensive
You could try having them play 3 on 3 on 3. It's a camp game where you divide up into teams of 3 (obviously). Two teams start on the floor, if a team gets scored on they are out and the next team (on the baseline) steps in to play defense. If a team commits a violation or foul they are out and the other team gets the ball with the next team stepping in to play defense. Every change of possession must be cleared to the 3pt line, and after every score the scoring team must take the ball back to the jump circle to throw it in , there is no checking the ball. Another shooting game is "Around the Gym". Everyone has a ball to shoot and must spread out to different baskets. They must make a jumpshot at each basket, if they miss the jumper they must make they lay-up before they can try the jumpshot again. When they've made a jumper at a basket they go to the next basket, when they get back to their original basket they must run to the be inside the jump circle, when you get half of your participants in the jump circle they are the winners and they get water while everyone else does a lay-up drill or more shooting whatever you choose.

Most Aggressive Gut Check Drills

the player must make 5 lay ups in a row full court if they miss they start over first right handed dribble and right handed lay up and then left handed dribble left handed lay up at game speed no laziness or they run laps and start over the players love it and hate this we start and end some practices with this a great drill at full speed
I do a variation of the lay up drill. the team has to make 60 lay ups in 70 sec.. 30 right handed and 30 left. if not they do 2 ladders ( liners ) now say they miss its now 50 in 60.
Gauntlet Drill (run by Bart Belair - VMI)
Break up court into 4 zones - baseline to foul line (extended), foul line to half-court line, half court line to foul line, and foul line to base line. Place two defensive players in each of the four zones. They must defend their zone but cannot leave it. Two players must attempt to bring the ball up the court through the Gauntlet (eight defenders in the four zones) and score. On a miss and defensive rebound, steal, turnover or out of bounds, they must SPRINT back to the beginning and try again. If they make the basket, eight on defense run a double suicide. Five minutes for each pair. Up-tempo and aggressive. The kids really love it. 1) Box Out Drill Pair up players and put one group at each end of the foul line. Put a ball in the middle of the foul line and have one player in each group be "O" and the other "D". Blow the whistle and the D player must box out the O player for Three seconds. The O player is trying to get by the D and just touch the ball (because there is another group on the other side), and the D is trying to keep the O from getting the ball. If the Dplayer keeps the offensive player from touching the ball for three seconds then the offensive player sprints a lap, if the offense gets the ball the D player sprints two laps. They do this five times, then switch offense and defense, and do it five more times. The players keep score as to the number of wins they have and after all ten sessions are done the losers have to run lines. 2) Loose Ball Drill Line three players up along the foul line extended and put a ball at halfcourt. Coach stand at foul line opposite to players and runs the players through a series of d-slides. After a while the coach says "GO" and all three players go for the loose ball and play one on two at the basket the coach is at. I do this back and forth, each time running them through more and more d-slides. This is great to see who is willing to dive, as well as, preparing kids to hustle when they are tired and have no legs. 3) Foul Shot Pressure This is easy. Split into groups at as many baskets as you have with a foul line. In each group one player is shooter and the rest line up on the baseline. The second the shot hits the rim the players on the baseline begin to sprint to halfcourt and back. They continue to sprint until the shooter makes five free throws. There should be a coach rebounding and the players are allowed to stop when a shot is made, but begin running when the shot hits the rim. This puts similar to game like pressure on the shooter to make the foul shot and helps conditioning.
Coach - Here's one: Use half the ct and all 3 baskets. Line players up at half-ct. 1st 3 players in line start. Coach tosses ball in play somwhere and all 3 players go after it. Whoever gets ball is on O and other 2 on D. A player must make 3 baskets to return to end of line and can not score at same basket consecutively. My kids love this one. I'm sure others run this but I got it from Coach Wells who called it 'Cutthroat" I think.
Similar to other responses but will post anyways. Divide players in groups of three or four and station at a hoop, every player has a ball. Within each group players must attempt to score as many baskets as possible while preventing other players in group from scoring by blocking or knocking ball away (anything goes). Losers must run walls, wall taps, whatever punnishment you choose. I usually go 5 one minute rounds. Teaches aggressiveness and taking the ball up strong.
I realy like this one for intensity and competitiveness. We play 4 on 4 passing game (pass and screen away) no dribble and no shot for 10 passes. This really promotes solid screens and making the offensive player get open. I like to see who will set a solid screen.

Variants to the 11 Player Break Drill

Most Beneficial Drill

What one (OK, two if you want) drill do you think your team gets the most out of? (This could be an offensive or defensive drill.) For my money, I find the Denial Drill (aka Deny the Wing) is most beneficial for my team. With wings on both sides being denied, I can hit one or the other with a pass and quickly incorporate helpside D into the fray as well as rebounding when I throw it up. I like it the best probably because there isn't any place to hide with only 2 defenders and 2 offensive players on the court.
I am a run-n-gun type of coach. My favorite is the 3-on-2 to 2-on-1 drill. Teaches both sides of the ball well and is a great drill for conditioning.
Aggressive Rebounding Drill. 3 guys under hoop. The rest of the players in line out of bounds. I throw up a shot, rebounder is offense, other 2 on D, score 3 times and your out. One new guy enters in at 0, the other 2 keep whatever score they had.
Keep away - 1 point for catching a pass inside the 3 point line, 2 for catching in the lane, 5 for a basket or foul and offense gets to keep ball. On a missed shot, the ball goes to the defense. Play for 3 minutes or to 25 points. To make it tougher, you can have a "wild man" who always plays for the defense and tries to double team the ball. This drill teaches ball handling, moving without the ball, denial defense, stalling to protect a lead, trapping, and shot selection. It is also a good conditioning drill.
3 on 3 or 4 on 4 cutthroat: If the team with the ball scores they get to stay on offense and the team on defense goes to the end of the line. If the team on defense stops the offense they get to play offense.
Here's two No dribble 1/2 court scrimmage - great for teaching moving to get open, passing under pressure, aggressive defense. Offensive rebounding, No Dribble, Everybody for Themselves - coach tosses the ball off the backboard, everybody in the lane, have a whistle to stop play when the ball goes outside the lane. Fouls allowed but no pushing or knocking a player down - you must go for the ball.

Practice Warm-up

our court time is shared with other grade levels and the girl's teams. we have a 2hour block. my guys are asssembled in the hallway ready to go 15 minutes prior to court time (sooner if i have alot to say). we skip rope various ways, pushup and situp of increasing amts and after we are sweating we stretch. when the floor is ours we are on and immediately into drills. the first 30 minutes are basically the same fundamentals everyday. 10 min full court dribbling with chairs placed to do moves off of, 15 min shooting (i usually use 5 spots/3kinds followed by 2fouls after each spot)players are paired up. 3 kinds are stepping into pass and shoot, off the dribble , and pump fake and go. 3 to 5 of each type of shot depending on your skill level. the last 5 min is post moves in groups of 3. mikan, drop, jump hook, up and under.
I have always believed in letting the kids stretch on their own ---- why take valuable practice time to do something they can do before hand and doesn't help them become better players. I have been a varsity coach for 10 years and this has worked out very well.
have you ever tried it with 7th graders, I would love to use that time for basketball, but am afraid they would not follow through with proper stretching.
3 laps Stretch: (pull arm over head, across chest, partner shoulder stretch, leg cross overs, hurdlers, butterflys, calve stretch, hamstring leans. push ups , one leg jumps.) 2 laps stutter steps Z drills Shooting series, (partner shooting 30 seconds each, 2 spots each from 5 ft, 10 ft, 3 pts, 6 spots of 15 ft, 1 dribble strong, 1 dribble weak, post moves, wing moves.)
The managers time the boys' while the jump rope. 30 sec both feet, 30 sec. R leg, 30 sec. L leg, 30 sec. x overs, 30 sec. double hops, 30 sec. speed jump. 2. Stretching routine
10 one hand freethrows and 10 normal : from time school lets out ( 2:45pm ) till i hit the gym floor ( being a non teacher - coach this could be only for 10 mins) stretching ( head to toe ) combo-ladders; jump stops - pivots / rh lh dribbling 3 man weaves - no dribbling 1 - 1 zigzags
This is probably politically (probably spelled wrong also) incorrect. But in 19 years as a head coach we have never stretched before practice. And we've never had a pulled muscle. While my assistant and I are going over last minute practice details the players have a ball each and work on game shots. Then we go into about a 5-10 minute shooting drill - could be lay ups, 3 man shooting, whatever - then we start practice.
I was at a clinic about five years ago and heard Jerry Tarkanian speak. One of the things he said was that he did not believe in stretching. If the players wanted to stretch, they did so on their own. He did not waste time doing it. Interesting?
Or the other hand, New York Knicks strength and conditioning coach Greg Brittenham in his book "Complete Conditioning for Basketball" credits the amount of time that Coach Riley allowed for stretching each day as the reason for low number of injuries.

Stretching during Practice/Warm-up

We open practice with a series of warmup exercises, with a gradual increase in intensity. After about ten minutes of this, we stretch for about 5 minutes (a good chance to talk). Don't stretch while cold and have them stretch gently. Generally speaking, the older the kids, the more time needed to warm-up before running hard. So, if you're my age, that means warm up gently and stretch for a half hour then stop before you get hurt
I coach 7th graders and I just do not think they will put the effort into stretching on their own, so we run a few laps, do some lay-ups, and then do about 10 minutes of stretches. Our routine includes push-ups, fingertip push-ups, and leg strengthing exercises, as well as the normal stretching (shoulders, arms, calves, hamstring, hurdler, butterfly, cross overs, spread eagle).
We also do some light warm ups then stretch, I use that time to make any announcements, give them an overview of what we'll be doing, etc. We stretch for maybe the first 8 minutes and then get started. The younger guys could probally do without it but it's a good habit to help them develop.
My situation might be a little bit different than the other coaches in that there is another team that holds practice before our practice. I have my kids come in 15 minutes before we have the court for warm ups. I have them run 2 or 3 easy laps around the court dribbling a ball. Then they will go through a stretching routine. By the time it's our turn to take the floor they are all ready to go. I've read that it's very important to stretch "after" you warm up the body so that's why I have them do an easy run first.
My girls warm up with dribbling (no defense) for 5 - 8 minutes, then stretch. We make announcements while they stretch. It is also good to stretch at the end of practice and that is a good time to talk to them again. You can say some positive things to help everyone leave on a positive note, also repeat any points of emphasis you taught during that session. The best learning times are the beginning of class and end of class. I have heard that with older girls (college?), team chemistry is so important that just letting the girls talk for 15-20 minutes while they stretch does more good than using that time for skill development.

Practice Planning

im always looking to improve the efficiency of our practices. im interested in hearing your thoughts on how you run in season practices. my basic sch follows understanding at times adjustments must be made pending unforseen problems. 15 min pre-court warmups 30 min fundamentals 10 dribbling 15 shooting 5 post moves 20 o break down drills ie. parts of the half court o alt man zone days 30 d breakdown drills ie. flash cuts, de fending the post alt man zone days 10 transition or fast break 20 press/press break alt m and zone 10 special--diff days oob v man/zone, freeze spec o plays, down 1 30 sec to go , ect. at various times when we are ahead of schedule i say fouls-kids get partners each shot 2 we must get a team percent, ie. 60% or we pushup ect. and cont until we reach the %
I get 2 hours a day, 30 minutes warm-up (stretch, stutter steps, shooting) 15 minutes of groups by position
15 minutes of individual skills, dribbling etc 15 minutes of team skills(picks, blocking outs etc) 15 minutes of team defense 30 minutes of team offense
similar to coach B but i spend more time on defense than offense
You are going to have some drills or situations that are harder physically than others. As much as possible run a hard-easy-hard-easy-etc. Work your conditioning into your drills. If you're introducing something new do it early in practice. It is not as necessary to vary your drills and situations as it is to vary their location in your practice plan. Never run a drill or situation over 10 minutes at a time. If you want to spend more time on it, come back to it later. If you have 7 minutes scheduled for "post defense" stop at 7 minutes. Don't 'keep doing it until they do it right!!!'. What you emphasize is probably more important than what you teach. After we do our shooting to warm up the first thing we do EVERY DAY is a defensive rebounding drill. Even if it is only for 5 minutes each day - our players KNOW that blocking out is very important to us. After the fundamentals are learned make every drill and situation competitive. Have a winner and a loser. Losers do a short penalty - sometimes it is just run to the far end-line and back (we just way "Wall & Back"). It isn't to kill them or even really to condition them, it just let's them know they didn't win. Believe me our players hate a "Wall & Back" as much as running a timed line drill. Because it shows that they didn't win. Winners are rewarded - quick drink, even congrats from the coach. Try to work your drills so that if it is individual they are also in teams. Say a 1 on 1 drill. Now, have the loser of the 1 on 1 do a mini-penalty (example: one push-up) then the losing team at the end of the time limit do a team penalty. Communicate with the players: Ask the winners "Why did you win?" - Losers: "Why did you lose?" Be prepared, at first they'll say "because Joe was on our team." Then you'll say "Don't you think it had something to do with the fact that as a team you gave up 8 second shots?" Don't be afraid to let the players set the penalty before the drill starts. This way it is their penalty, not yours. Never leave practice mad or on a negative note - UNLESS IT IS PLANNED BEFORE PRACTICE BY YOU THE COACH BECAUSE YOU FEEL IT IS NEEDED. Every other day try to make one of your drills "really" fun. Just 5 minutes in the middle of practice. Have an emphasis of the day for every practice. AND EMPHASIZE IT THROUGHOUT PRACTICE. Don't over-coach. Have an easy (physically) practice the day "after" a game. Not the day 'before.' The day before have a "medium" practice. It takes 24 hours to recover from a HARD whether it is a practice or a game. If you play a game on TUES. and have a "HARD" practice on Weds. you already need 48 hours to fully recover. And if you play on FRIDAY you don't get that 48 hours, you only get 24. Be especially aware of this after tournament play with games upcoming. We let our players get a drink (we have a fountain at both ends of the gym) anytime they want as long as they do not miss their turn on the court in whatever we are doing. If they miss their turn there are no excuses.
A few additional thoughts on practice scheduling. Sketch out the flow of the more complicated drills on the daily practice schedule. Plan the details of the drill - how many balls will be used, special equipment needed, etc. and make a note of these on your practice schedule. Look for opportunities to make use of student managers and advise them ahead of time the role they will play. Name each drill when it is first presented. Use one word or a few words that will identify the drill for your players at later practices. Use videotaping. Tapes are inexpensive (I just bought 40 tapes at Wal-Mart for less than $1 each). It is sometimes difficult for players to fully comprehend what you are doing until they see it from the opponent's point of view. Make sure your players understand your terminology. And don't confuse them. Don't tell them to box-out one time and then the next time tell the to block-out. Don't tell them one time to set a screen and the next time tell them to set a pick. Etc. One other thing in terminology. Several years ago a friend of mine told me that players needed to understand the terms: up, down, in and out as far a court location. And I think he is right. In our terminology - no matter where on the court the player is located - "UP" means move directly toward your offensive baseline; "DOWN" means to move directly toward your defensive baseline; "IN" means to move directly toward the center of the court (line drawn from basket to basket); "OUT" means to move directly toward the nearest sideline. Being a geography teacher I have a 'compass rose' with these marked on them. In this way our players also understand without further explanation what we mean when we say: "move UP & IN"; DOWN & IN"; "UP & OUT"; & "DOWN & OUT."

Keeping Practice Fun

Do have a reg. practice call it an open gym. let the kids who show up decide what they want to do. I did these and the girls played knockout ran some 4 on 4 games. practice their shooting etc. i told them if they wanted help i was there fore them. they stayed at one end of the court and i prcticed my skills ( i still play after all these years ) about 20 mins into things 1 by one they came down to my end of the court. we platyed horse and joked around. they really had fun!!!!
Break your boys down into teams of 3 or 4 and have all your drills be competitive, losers do laps. They'll get into it.
Try having a 3 on 3 tournament within your team that lasts for the period of time you are on break. Have them play each team 3-4 times. Make a mini season out of it, have a tournament, etc. You can add any stipulations that you want to add (must set two screens before you score, pick/roll day, etc.) You can do the same thing with 1 on 1, 2 on 2, etc. Here are some more ideas: 1. Have each player come to practice with a college or NBA or WNBA shirt of their favorite player or team. It just breaks up the monotony of the every day practice jersey. 2. Take a break in the middle or at the end of practice and bring it some popsicles. I have done this with elementary through college age players and they love it. (crazy?!:) 3. Play music during part or all of practice. I would suggest any of the "Jock Jam" type CDs or tapes. 4. Allow the players to make up part or all of practice each day. You may give them a 15 minute segment in which they may choose the drill to do. 5. Play something other than basketball that is team oriented. (whiffle ball, dodge ball, ultimate frisbee, etc.)

Scrimmaging

I believe that one of the main goals of any practice needs to be to put players in game-like or tougher than game-like situtations so that they will be prepared when game time comes. Yes I believe that coaches should have their teams scrimmage full-court but it is important to control the scrimmages. Practices are still a time to teach so something we do is we place restrictions on players during our scrimmages. For example, if we are emphasizing flair screens in our motion offense we will tell our players that in the scrimmage they can only score off flair screens (unless they have a layin). We feel like there are two keys in our scrimmages. First, we scrimmage to simulate game situations. Second, we do not stop teaching during scrimmage situations. We will stop the scrimmage if a teaching point needs to be made.
I do not scrimmage every practice. However, when we do scrimmage it is rarely a full-court up and down scrimmage. We work specifics in the half-court for the offense; the defense runs our primary and secondary break on all turn-overs and rebounds.
I let my 6th grade girls scrimmage some, half and full court almost every practice. I will sometimes stop and discuss things with them and sometimes I just let them play backyard basketball. Now I try and find scrimmage games against other teams, boys when possible, and run the clock and get people to call the games. I try to get them into game type situations as much as possible. We played a 5th grade boys team several weeks ago,it was a good game, we did finally win by 1 point. We play them again tomorrow morning. I was told to let them play boys teams as much as possible. It gives them a great workout
Control is the big work. I do not ever let my guys go more than once up and down the court without stopping it. Half court scrimmage is run the play until a change of possession and then we reset and I critique or complement. We do one of the two every day for the last half hour of a 2 hour practice. The other time is for drills.

Scrimmage Teams in Practice

Do you scrimmage your first string against the next best 5 or do you split your team up into 2 equal teams?
I can't tell you who my best five players are. Maybe the top two and the bottom two, but day to day the kids play up and down so who knows. Anyway, I balance the squads for games and 5on5 practice. I find that sometimes there are pairs of players that click, so I tend to keep them together for overall team effectiveness.
If I had the gym to myself I would start the scrimmage with the first team against the subs. I think it's important that the first team be given a chance to play together so they can develop their timing and rhythm. Then I would split them up into groups that would be identical to the way I would sub in the games.
I'd like to address your question about scrimmaging your top 5 vs. your next 5 or making your teams equal: Two years ago I tried scrimmaging my top 5 vs. my next 5 in order to get a flow going with the players who would actually play with each other in the game. I stopped doing that, however, because that ended up hurting the morale of my bench players. Last year I evened the teams out in our scrimmages, but that hurt our chemistry during the games. This year I do a combination of the two. For most practices I even the teams out. That way the scrimmages are more competitive. But for practices the day before a game, I group together the girls who I know will be out on the floor most of the time in order to get them prepared for the next day. It seems to be working so far.

Scrimmaging: Running your offense when the defense (your own players) know what's coming

I tried counting it as a turnover and giving the ball to the defense if we did not get in our offense within 5 seconds of crossing mid court but the defense overplayed the plays so much it was hard to run the offense. I installed pressure release options to counter the overplays but the kids usually just try to dribble penetrate instead of using the pressure release options. I hesitate to tell the defense they can't anticipate because I know other teams will be anticipating once we have run our offense (flex) a few times. Maybe I'm expecting too much since we have just been practicing a couple weeks and have not had a game yet.
I know what you mean coach, you do not want to alter your offense, that is not the point of the scrimmage. You want to see the offense in as close to game situations like a opponent who does not know what is coming. What I do is work real hard on my wings v-cuts. They have to really work to get open. My d does just like yours, they overplay because they know what is coming. So our wings will take their man down to the post and then cut hard to their spot to get open, or they will make a cut in front of the d then cut to their spot. If the d does not follow, then we throw the back door pass. what is the end result of all this work. Your kids get into the game and go, wow, this is really easy to run. But the get better at not throwing the ball away to aggressive D.

Ways to Scrimmage to Involve All Players

Here are some ways I have seen scrimmages done to keep everyone involved so no one sits out too long and strong players don't dominate all the time. If you guys know of some more varieties, please post them. Thanks 1. scrimmage to one basket, new team comes in on offense and winners stay in on defense 2. king of the hill - play 1/2 court, D stays in until they get 5 consecutive stops, 5 new offensive players come in after each stop and old offensive players get back in line to play offense. 3. no dribble or limited dribble scrimmage - I prefer allowing one dribble so they can drive if D overplays 4. zero tolerance scrimmage - team is out if they turn ball over, foul, or allow an offensive rebound, or give up a shot in the lane or whatever point you want to emphasize, new team comes in on D and winners (team that did not do the bad deed) stay in on offense 5. Everyone scores or Unselfish scrimmage - first team to have all 5 players score wins. Another way to do it is have first basket by each player count as 5 and the rest of his count as 1 and play to 25. That way they still have to defend everyone but the offense is trying to get everyone to score. (I just dreamed this up last night and wondered if anyone has tried it?) 6. Transition scrimmage - after a change of possession, the offense has 3 seconds to get 3 players and the ball across halfcourt or else you whistle them and they have to hand the ball to closest defender and play on. (This has helped our girls develop the habit of reacting quickly to a steal or defensive rebound) Those who fail to make it in 3 seconds come out on the next dead ball. 7. ???? got any to add?
We do a lot of Double D a team of 5 on each end with a set "D" and one "O" team that has 8:00 minutes to get as many points as they can. Thats to work on our halfcourt "O" and "D". The other is the UMPA drill or 4 on 4 on 4. Team A starts with ball at half court. Team B is on "D" with 2 guys under the basket and 2 at half court. When the ball crosses half court the other 2 players run to center court then play "D". On the other end team C has 2 guys under the basket and 2 on the side.
This got me to thinking about a new defensive drill. Have them play 6-5, but the defense has 5 players. After the offense takes a shot 1 player must get off the floor during transition. As the ball passes half court the odd man now enter on offense. a variartion would be the player who name is call leave the court. on paper this worked well with 12 players.
I have often put twp teams on the floor with the extra players at the foul lines around the gym on their own. When the extra player makes a designated number of foul shots he/she automatically inserts himself into the game at the next dead ball. This keeps the play flowing and allows the players to work on their foul shooting with a type of pressure situation....the more they make the quicker the get in.

Using Managers in Practice

One thing I've started doing this season is that I DON'T keep kids who were cut as managers, I get younger kids to do it, ones who I expect will make the team the following year. We are a middle school so I have 6th grade managers for the 8th grade team. I find them to be much more enthusiastic and willing to do anything you ask them to do, they are just happy to feel like part of the team. With the older kids I found that they spent the whole season watching practice and thinking 'I should have made it, I'm better than him". We also put the managers on a 2 day on/1 day off rotation (except gamedays) and that keeps them fresh.
I also like to use younger girls as managers for our varsity team. We usually recruit junior high girls who often develop "basketball fever" which carries them through the off-season and summer. Most of our junior high girls who manage become our better players later on.
I use my managers to record free throws, time sprints and run our warm-up shooting drill. Then, I use them as dummy D during drills. If I want to teach block-outs, I have the managers shoot the shot, since the usually miss. They also fill in for partner drills if a player is missing.

Team Managers

At the HS Varsity level I use 3 managers chosen from 6th grade. I have an application that they fill out & hand in to the office on a specific date(this eliminates alot of them already). I chose them based on: 1) Behavior 2) Reliability (both them & their parents) 3) Grades 4) Interest in becoming a good basketball player. I use them for the typical stuff (cleaning up, carrying things, etc) but also use them to run the clock (shot clock & game clock) in practice, video tape, and keep practice stats. If you get bright kids they can really help!
My managers prep the gym prior to practice, one will video tape practice, two will take stats during practice, and one will execute on the court duties. I look for reliablity and work ethic when I select managers. Their other duties include: laundry, tape editing, minor taping, tutoring, and setting up our hospitality room prior to home games. They also keep and organize our stats. Good managers can make my life a lot less stressful. I also require that our managers dress up for all games. DON'T permit your players to haze or pick on the managers. Make them feel like an important part of the team, because they are. I have found that you have to keep them busy, if they become bored they will not stick around. I don't list them as managers, we list them as video technicians, statisticians, and one will be listed as a practice assistant. The old "water boy" label is not attractive anymore. Also, I send them out to pick up game films from rival coaches. This saves me the headache from rushing around. I coach in a city with 5 high schools, and over 20 other high schools in the general area. Often times, students that aspire to coach, teach, or go into physical theapy have been the best managers that I've ever had. We also give them a varsity letter. If my AD knew this he'd shoot me, but, I also will give them a $20.00 spot every now and then througout the season. My wife will buy them small gifts throughout the season. Off of the subject, but, I have found it to be beneficial, keep the cheer squad and their coaches happy. Those girls put in a lot of time.

Running as a Punishment?

My take: I *Never* use running as a punishment. Ever. The reason being that we do a lot - i mean a LOT - of running in our normal practices. We do full court full speed lay up drills, full court passing drills, full court combat defense drills, full court tornado lay up drills. I would say 80% of what we do involves nearly continuous running. We have transferred many normal fundamental drills and exercises and convered them to full court running situations. As I have stated before we play a very high pressure high intensity high speed style of play, and players MUST be in good condition to play that kind of game. Therefore I believe in order to play that kind of game, players must be prepared to do everything at a high rate of speed and have the endurance necessary to get it done. However a couple things we do very rarely is run sprints or laps. We incorporate running into almost all of our drills. And one thing I NEVER do is use running as punishment. Our players expect to run, and run a lot, every day in practice. When a player misbehaves, instead of having them run, I tell them to lie on a wrestling mat on the sidelines. No books, no CD player, no nothing. They lie there until the practice is done. No talking with anybody either. Well, it gets very boring and it gets very COLD lying there on the ground. Usually at the midway break of the practice we ask the player if they have learned anything from lying there the whole first half of the practice. USUALLY the player realizes what they have done wrong and they admit to the team they are wrong, at which point they can rejoin practice. If they don't seem to be getting it, they get to lie their for the second half of the practice as well. Usually it takes no more than one day of this punishment and kids straighten out. If it continues more than a second day, a talk with the parents is in order to see if little Junior really wants to be on the team or not.
I WISH YOU WOULD SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MY COACH!!! We are a very fast paced team and have the same style of practices you do, it sounds like. We are doing full court drills constantly and if we "jack around" all coach says is inline and we know we're had. While we are running our ladders he explains what we did wrong. After we are done we resume were we left off. Being a player I believe sprints are a way of punishment that works. I do not like them, but it is a quick way to regain attention from your players and also it adds to the conditioning process.

Hustle

DISCIPLINE It comes down to discipline. Don't let the players mess around. Tell them to be quiet & listen to what you have to say. Tell them to hold the ball when you are talking. Sit them out if they don't do what you say or make them run. Tell them to leave if they are not following directions - because they are a distraction. You have to be firm & disciplined with the players. It's your choice, either have a crud season, allowing them to run around getting picked by the other team & watching them miss lay ups or right before the game - pregame warmup - watching your players shoot around - but actually messing around not working on there shot at all, having your centers shoot 3's or having players that can't shoot, shoot 3's. Make your players do drills, even until the beginning of the game. And yes you can have them shoot around but make sure they do it correctly - taking there shots, centers taking close shots not 3's, etc. Do not scrimmage all game. If the players do well & do what you tell them to do, then allow a fun scrimmage. But they first have to do what you tell them to do. I feel this is the way to truly win more games. Believe me, I did this & won a state championship with a 7th grade all star team - I swear. We were so disciplined, you never heard a kid speak unless he had something to say about the drill or whatever had to do with our basketball team. Yes, I believe in allowing them to have fun too. Have a hard drill, then have a fun drill. But have balance. Your players must execute the fundamentals. They must execute the drills with poise - properly & correctly. Discipline will solve your problems. Discipline your players and you will have a more successful & enjoyable season.
I get a lot out of my practices by timing everything. If I yell baseline, bench, freethrow line, or whatever, I count out loud and they have 6 seconds to get there. If one player is late, the whole team runs 2 laps. It doesn't take long for them to learn to get somewhere in a hurry. Be careful, once they are where you want them, you better know what you want them to do. If you let them stand around, they lose interest. Have your practices planned.

Conditioning in Practice

Full court ball handling drills. Princeton ex-coach Pete Carill says he never asks players to do anyhting they wouldn't do in a game and he has never had a player run a suicide. I do some strength training but almost no pure running. Our jr high and JV girls need the ball handling badly and we have plenty of subs so conditioning is not a priority except for strength training.
All of our conditioning comes from full court drills or coming in last in the drills. All of my drills are competitive so I break up my girls into teams for every drill. The team that loses the drill does 2 laps, full speed, dribbling a ball with their weak hand. If they do suicides because they lost, then they dribble a ball while doing a suicide.
Some of my drills are suicides, while dribbling 2 balls, losers do it again. If you make everything competitive you accomplish three things. 1. They are more aggressive and competitive in games. 2. Conditioning is more fun for them, because they think they are playing a game. We all know conditioning can be boring as "the Dickens." 3. If you turn your drills into competitive team drills, they learn to depend on each other = teamwork. They are only as good as their weakest link.
All conditioning work is done with a ball. I don't have enough practice time to not develop skills while conditioning.
In my years of experience as a coach I began the first few years using the suicides to condition. Then for several years we went away from them, only conditioning with the ball or in drills. Now, I use a mixture of both but I definitely have my players running the straight suicides for several reasons. First of all I feel like that the years that we moved away from the suicides we lacked mental toughness in our program. Second, I didn't think that my players were in as good of shape.. Third, I think that I did a better job of emphasizing things when we had the suicide as a tool to remind players of what they needed to be doing.

Time Spent on Shooting in Practice/Number of Shots in Practice

Not counting drills taking in live play, how many shots a day to you have your team take. I spend 20 minutes a day just on shooting drills and each player averages 140 jumpers, 10 lay-ups, and 30 free-throws. Do you spend this much time on shooting, why, why not.
I coach 8th grade boys. We spend approximately 25 minutes a day on shooting. Our shooting drill focuses on shots created by our full-court and half-court offenses. Perimeter and inside players each have areas they must shoot from. The drill includes a live passer and token defender. I have found this is crucial to our success to do this every practice because we only get to practice 2-3 times per week and the weather rarely allows players to shoot on their own at home.
We practice shooting daily - about 20 minutes as you do. There is a regimen we follow starting with the basic Mikan drill, then simple free throw style shots from 2' away, moving outward in 2' increments. The team shoots in pairs - each member of the pair shooting for one minute. The low count on each set does some token penalty ie 5 pushups. After the set shots, we follow the same pair shooting pattern but include additional elements, like curling around a screen, receiving a pass and shooting. The one-minute time keeps things moving. Kids get about 20-25 shots per drill depending on distance to goal and added elements.
Shooting Series - one to two pairs at a hoop. Shoot for 30 seconds while partner rebounds, then switch for 30 seconds. 2 spots at 5 feet, 2 spots at 10 feet, 6 spots at 15 feet, 2 spots for 3 pointer. Then we do one dribble stong, one weak, post moves. Then 2-line lay-ups and free throws. It takes about 20 minutes. We do this early in practice every day.

Closed Practices or Not?

All my practices are closed to anyone but team members. My try-outs even more so. I do not want parents their distracting their child as they try to make the team. I do host 3 open practices on Saturday's so that parents can come in and see what we do.
I would go with closed practices. I have tried to open my practices before and the kids were just try to either impress their parents or everytime I would raise my voice they would look over at mom or dad. I do let parents in during the last 15 mins or so because we are just shooting freethrows and I think this helps them concentrate more, cause each kid must make a freethrow before they can go home. the kid who doesnt make one owes me a lap the next day. I like your idea of allowing parents to see an open practice so they do get a better understanding of whats going on or why their kid doesnt play so much.
I am a proponent of open practices. I like parents stopping by to watch and I enjoy talking with them afterwards. I've known some of my players' parents for many years and find their comments useful. New parents need to feel comfortable with the program, so I invite them to watch (and later to help out with booster stuff!) Parents that get upset are ones that don't know what's going on or feel shut out. Maybe they have been involved with their kids development, and now have to stand back. That's hard. There are so many kids at the high school tryouts, though, that there is no time or place for parents. We get so many kids sometimes that we bus to different gyms for Ctm, JV and Varsity workouts.
My tryouts are open so the parents can actually see how their kid fared against the competition. When they ask me why they're girl didn't make it, I will remind them of the specific results their kid had against the competition. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I have less explaining to do. My practices are also open for the same reason. If a kid dogs it in practice and doesn't get to play much in the next game, the parents know why
Being a jr-high coach we don't get to much option about closing practices. It's not that the school wouldn't let us but the parents would have fits. We rely more on our parents than the high schools do in the sense that they provide transportation to games, manpower for fundraisers and such. Besides from my experience the parent who complain the most about lack of pt or getting cut are the ones who a) don't show up to practice or tryouts to see that just maybe there are better players than their kid, b) are just looking for a babysitter after school or c) have no common sense whatsoever and even if you did play their kid 2 1/2 quarters they'd complain their kid isn't playing 3 1/2 quarters. Also it's nice for the parents to see you're not being abusive to the players incase one of the above situations occur, especially for a male with a female team. However, if i was a high school coach my practices would be locked down tight.

Do you let parents watch practice?

What are your rules for watching practices? I want to close them out completely. I don't let students watch because the girls are learning new skills and may be uncomfortable with others watching. That goes the same w/ parents. I also tell the girls that parents are not allowed because "if Susie's parents are attending practice and Susie plays a lot, others may get the impression that she is playing because her parents are monitoring everything. Which could lead to others coming in to monitor practice. I also believe that if a coach needs to get on a kid, he may not because their parent is there. Where do I draw the line?
I coach varsity and let no one in for tryouts. Once the team is complete, parents may come if a written request is made in advance on an irregular basis. I look at it like I don't need a lot of mini-coaches upsetting my practices.
I coach 7th grade at a school and I close all my practices except for 3 times a year I open the practice up for parents to come in and watch. Absolutely no one besides the players are allowed during try-outs. I tell questioning parents that I do not want any distractions for any of the players during practice. They need to be focused on the team and what we are trying to accomplish. Now if you are in a rec league where the parents pay for their kids to play, you may have to take a less strong stance. If a parent would ever question my tactics and their sons effort, I would invite them in for several practices just to show them what we do, but this has only happened to me once in 10 years.
One of the ways I am weird is that I allow parents to attend practice anytime they want. We have a mezzanine around the gym so its easy for them to watch and not interfere. Parents who watch have a better idea what I am trying to teach. I also welcome their opinions about the team. I found that if they talk to me, I don't have to deal with somebody's pent up frustrations - like about playing time for their kid. If they want to talk strategy, plays, whatever, that's fine, too. Most parents, once they have their say, don't initiate much conversation about coaching. 99% of the parents get along with me pretty well. My whole emphasis is to get parents on the team somehow. I need their help in so many ways, including reinforcing the way I am trying to coach the team. In fact, I like to spend time with parents showing them ways they can help their kids practice at home. At the games, our parents are pretty enthusiastic fans. I love it when they are reminding the players to box out, hustle back on D - all that stuff. Ideally, its a big family thing.
All of my practices are open. I lay down some rules about parental behavior, what I will discuss and not discuss and what to expect during my practices. I have never had a problem that I feel was related to this policy.
Just finished my 5th season with 7th grade girls. Practice is always open. What usually happens is parents who are interested arrive 15-20 minutes before our 1.5 hour practice ends. They get to see a lot activity; sometimes a scrimmage, sometimes drills. We include parents in our team rules - can watch but not interrupt practice. Can talk to the coaches before or after practice, but not games. Never had a problem. What usually happens is they put pressure on their daughters to work harder. They rarely question the coaches. If it's too much pressure, we talk to the girls and remind them that "Mom & Dad expect them to be almost perfect. The coaches know what the player can rally do. These aren't always the same thing." They, too, are vocal during games, shouting the encouraging things like "box out", "keep your head up", etc. Only had 1 parent come for a whole practice in 5 years. Mom was very worried about her daughter "fitting in" since she never played basketball before. Daughter did just fine. Mom went home happy

Practice Planning Before 1st Game

For the high school girls basketball team that I coach, I have a total of 9 practices before our first game. What 5 items do you believe should be emphasized in order to get ready for this first game.
What you need to do is really based on your situation. How many seniors/starters/top players did you lose from last year? What are the skills/abilities of the new players (jvs, transfers, etc.) moving up to varsity? Is your first game against a strong opponent? However, I don't think you can go wrong early in the season by focusing on: conditioning, defense, and rebounding. If you use a ball during your conditioning drills, you also get in some work on passing, dribbling, and ball handling skills.
Why 5 items? Anyway, begin with foundation and build up. Foundation is 1. individual defense, 2. team defense including blocking out, 3. ball handling (pass, catch, basic dribble), 4. shooting, and 5. movement without the ball (spacing, cutting, screening, press break, running your offense). Begin with rules and principles, then break them down into more specific items. For example, the team defense principle might be to "Stop the most dangerous offensive player" which would break down into Stop the man with the ball, double down on the post, sag into lane if your man is on weak side, etc. I read that it is easier to learn principles and then apply them to situations than to memorize a lot of situations and how to respond to each one. I would not spend any time on pure conditioning but run drills long and hard to accomplish the conditioning while learning skills. We run our offense against no defense for about 10 minutes as our warmup, then stretch. We do dribbling drills with defense instead of just running lines. In the limited time you have, combine 2 or 3 things in one drill anytime you can. You might also consider giving homework - learn inbounds plays from paper the day before teaching them in practice?
Hmmm... faced with that schedule with a high school team I would emphasize these 5 things: 1. Pressbreaker - if you don't have a plan and your opponent hits you with a press, your hosed. 2. At the same time the press breaker is developed, practice your own press. Just one. Time is short. You can add more looks later. 3. Individual defense. As mentioned previously, individual basics must be covered (stance, footwork, positioning, etc.) 4. Team Defense - early help, stategy vs post, vs screens, defensive boards 5. Offensive spacing - not much time to develop an offense with all the other stuff to teach, but you can cover balance, entry passes to wings and post. If the kids can pass to wings and posts fairly well, you can get some movement. If they are stymied at that, then you won't have an offense. 6. lay ups - gotta make your lay ups!
Need more than 5 to be ready: Fit offense and defense to personnel, 1) conditioning with transition drills/running 2) Passing vs pressure/traps 3) dribble moves 4)competitive shooting 5)defense-individual and team (stance, shell drill) 6)individual offensive moves/footwork/movement 7)man-simple motion and zone defense (verloads, triangles, movement behind zone) 8)1 or 2 inbounds plays/simple press break/press

9 practices at a high school level.

You have no time to worry about fundamentals, individual skills, etc. Forget it, unless you want you girls to look like total idiots out there. You have to focus on team team team and then some more team play. 1. You need to teach your players a transition offense to use to get up and down the floor 2. You need to teach your players how to find gaps against a zone and to overload a side. You have no chance of getting them to know a offense for 1-2-2, and 1-3-1, and a trap, and a 2-3. So teach them to gap the zone, then they can play against all zones, including presses. 3. Teach them your primary team defense 4. Teach them a few quick hitters that are easy to master 5. Teach them a secondary defense. You have absolutely zero chance to make drastic improvements on individual skills. You have to verbalize skills during the team learning and hope the girls pick up on it, then, after the first game, you can go back and work on the fundamentals. Oh yeah, you will need some out of bounds plays.

Deciding what to teach in practice

Ok guys I need some help!! I coach freshmen basketball and each year I ask myself the same question: Throughout the season should I teach my players a number of different skills and concepts without going into great detail (width approach), or should I emphasize only 4 or 5 areas of the game and hammer away at them through repetition and getting more detailed (depth approach)?? For example, last year I leaned more to the depth approach. 80% of our practice time was geared towards one of these 4 areas of basketball: team half court defense, eliminating turnovers, free throws, and half court offensive execution (screening, cutting, timing). In the prior year I did more of the width approach where I tried to cover a lot of concepts & skills, but only touch on each one briefly. I believe there are benefits to both approaches, but I'm still undecided on which one is better for the FRESHMEN level. I think in grade school the width approach is better because you expose the kids to many different skills & concepts, but at the JV and Varsity levels the depth approach is better because you're focusing on your team to be great at a 3 or 4 things. I think the freshmen level is kind of a transition year, and either could be appropriate. What do you think????
7th grade boys in a very good system. I really do a hybrid of the depth/width method. I prioritize. I begin with the 4 or 5 things that are most critical. Then everyday for the rest of the year, we will hammer away at these basics, but each day or couple days I will introduce a hight level concept and spend 10 minutes on it, but maybe not return to it very often. So I want to expose my players to many skills, because they can use them and develop them outside of practice, but I dedicate most of my time to the top priorities. So give them 10 - 15 minutes a day of advanced skills, but go back to the basics.
It depends on your team. If they are solid in all of the basics, then you can go with width. If there are some basic areas that need to be worked on, then spend your time on instilling the basics, or depth. One thing to consider, if it's too wide your players might not remember anything.
I think it's very important to do both. No matter the age or level, you should do both. Good players can do a lot of skills, without thinking about them. They don't need to concentrate on doing a crossover, pulling up for a jumper, or sliding with their man. They have made these things a habit. To make something a habit, you need to do it time after time after time. It will take a lot of practice to do something new, without having to think about it, everytime. Therefore you really should spend a lot of time on repeating skills. Depth. Most players spend time on basketball outside practise. Make sure you go throw a lot of different skills, so that they always have plenty of challenges. Further more, some players learn some things VERY fast (or already know them). They need to have something to do as well. Width. Therefore I think both is very important. During both will give the best result, I'm sure. Don't underestimate the time and effort your players might spend on basketball. If you see your players doing something wrong, show them how it's done. Even if it's something above their skill-level (players see NBA stars and want to do what they are doing), teach it. If your players will spend tons on hours on something outside practise, they might as well do it right.
I'm a big proponent of depth. While i like to think about complex things i look at my frehsman and if they get more than one instruction in a time out their forgetting all of them. I believe that it doesn't matter how much (width) you do so long as what you do (depth) is done better than everybody else. SO long as you know what to do and out run, outwork, outplay the other team odds are you'll be all right. By hammering a few basic cimple concepts rather than getting complex your players learn how to adapt fundamentals rather than rely on a series of systems to do right in a very chaotic environment.
I was just thinking about the same thing this morning. We had an incredible season last year and I am finding out some of the things I "taught" to the players that are returning didn't sink in. We had a great senior class last year and I think that their athleticism hide much of what they didn't understand. So anyway my conclusion is to go back to the basics and focus on several areas of the game and make sure that we have a good foundation to build on. We may end up spending the whole season on just those foundational things but unless you have a good foundation you can't build a solid house. So for you, my vote would be depth.
Anybody into gardening? If you are you would know that if you work hard at preparing the soil a plant's root system will grow deep and strong. What you are rewarded later on is a very strong plant with alot potential for growth. I believe building a basketball player is very similar to gardening. If you take the time to build a solid foundation of the basics, that player will have a greater potential for improvement later on down the road. You mentioned that these are freshmen - first year of high school and their first year having you as their coach. These kids are probably at different levels of basketball basics so what I would do is teach them hard and long on the fundamentals. Then as they progress to the upper levels they will have a better understanding of the finer skills (width) that they can execute with more meaning. Keep it simple. Oh, by the way, my Zucchini is really producing this year.
Depth is the foundation for your house. Width is the siding. Teach basics until they are mastered but expose the kids to the correct way to do other things so if they practice doing them, they can use proper form/technique. The width approach helps maintain interest because it is fun to do a variety of things, but if the basics are not learned thoroughly, the games will be less fun because good fundamental teams will kick your butt.

Tryouts

Try-Outs

Agree with 3 on 3. Let's you judge players' abilities to play with and without the ball. Would add a zig-zag drill so you can evaluate offensive dribbling skills (crossover, reverse, and weak hand) and defensive skills at the same time. We don't let them steal, just turn their players when on defense. Might also add an elbow to elbow jump shot drill to evaluate shooting form and accuracy.
Coached 8th grade/9th grade for 6 years. During tryouts, I spent a lot of time (as the other coaches suggest) in individual fundamental work. I also provided basic situational play (2-2, 3-3) and 4-4 scrimmage situations. My advice: look for the players who listen and execute THE FIRST TIME: those are the players who will be on the bubble. The "sure cuts" and "sure makes" will sort themselves out early. Don't be afraid to give your "sure makes" (I'd advise no more than 8 players) a day off: this will help you to evaluate the 10-12 "bubble" players for the last 2-5 spots on the team. Finally, have as much OBJECTIVE data that you can gather (made free throws, made lay ups {rh & lh), made jumpers, etc from your individual drills): this will make your SUBJECTIVE decisions much easier AND more defendable IF you are questioned about your reasons for cutting certain players. As a sideline: include LOTS of conditioning work early (full court shooting, f/c tip drill, suicides, etc) early: you will be surprised at the number of kids who WON'T be at the next practice. The reason for this is that, at their age, MOST of them are not aware of how much WORK is involved in being a basketball player. To them, basketball is just something they do in the driveway to pass the time away! By employing some strenuous conditioning drills early in tryouts, the people who WANT to be there will come back. 2nd sideline: DON'T overlook grades and classroom behavior in tryouts. No matter how good you think a player is, if he gets failing grades, doesn't work up to his potential in the classroom or their classroom behavior is not acceptable, DON'T EVEN think you won't see this at practice! The poor grades mean that he will have eligibility problems; the "not working to potential" will loaf or goof off in practice, as will the class clown. The last two presents coaches with more potential problems than the first one does, so BEWARE!
Day one, 6 even groups done alphabetically so that it is easy for you to work on your list with out flipping from Zorn to abbot back to miller etc. I do not teach in the school I coach for so I have the kids stay in exact order so that I can go down my list and learn the names. I do all 2-line drills and conditioning. Lay-ups are the big key. See who can make lay-ups on both sides. All I want to find out is who will not make it past day 3, the obvious cuts. Day 2, take your obvious cuts and split them to 3 groups on one half of gym, the obvious keeps on the other side. Go through most of the same drills, see who improves. All you want to do now is make sure nobody on the cut side should be moved to the keep past day 3 side. If you see a keeper, move them right away and record it. The 3 groups on each side should be divided by position, post forward guard so that you have one cut post group, one keep post group, one forward cut group, one forward keep group etc. Day 3 Same groups, be critical of your keeps, say to yourself, does this player have any chance of getting in the top 18. If not cut them at day 3. Keep 24 after day 3, 18 after day 4, 15 at day 5 and make your team on day 6. This is a big pet peeve with me and I hope you will do this. Tell the players in groups why they are cut, not by a list. Let them know if it was their attitude, talent or skill. Before Day 3 it will almost all be skill
Hi Coach, I coach 7th grade but do not use a skills test, but here are the skills I look for. Must be able to shoot a full speed lay-up from both sides of the hoop. Must have good form on Jumper, making them is not as important as form at this level. Power lay-ups at full-speed from both sides. Speed dribble with both hands. Protection dribble with both hands. 60% ft shooting. Listening is a really good key too.
First of all, no matter what criteria you set for making your team you should put it into some kind of chart or "checklist". This allows you to sya exactly what it was the player did well or needs to work on. This helps to protect you when an angry parent is wondering why their little Johnny All-Star did not make the team. When I run a try-out for a team that I am going to have all season (not a post-season team like AAU), I look for the following things: agility, speed, balance, good listener, good behavior in line, hustle, hard worker, etc. Basically I look for the potential to be a good basketball player. I believe I can teach a kid, that is a good athlete, the game as well as the skills of the game like shooting form. All too often coaches fail to teach the fundamentals because they either don't know how or assume someone else has or will. This is really unfair to the kids that is why skill is not the only factor. Skill can be taught, hustle and wanting to learn and get better cannot.I have a skills checklist that we use in selecting the varsity team that I coach. I used it last year with 7th grade boys. The skills we evaluate are: footwork, defense, rebounding, passing, ball-handling, lay-ups, jump shot and free throws. The player is given a score of 1-5. 5 = demonstrates skill all of the time 4 = demonstrates skill most of the time 3 = demonstrates skill some of the time 2 = needs further instruction to develop skill 1 = has not learned the skill yet. It was amazing how consistently the various coaches ranked the players. When we go to 5 on 5 and 3 on 3 during the try-outs we are more subjective, but are looking for more objective measurements for this year. There is also a comment section where a coach can address issues such as attitude, effort, etc.
Potential is very hard to judge on a check list, however, I always keep at least 2 players not necessarily the best, but with potential. Make sure that your players know attitiude and listening are 2 important factors, they are subjective and up to you alone. I have had parents come to me and say "my son is better than so and so, and he made the team" The first thing I do is stop them and say "I will not discuss other players, it is unprofessional and unfair to both your son and the individual you want to discuss, what I will talk about is how your son can improve his game to make the team next year." I had a parent do this last season and I hand wrote 2 pages of drills specific to what his son needed to improve, the initially hostile conversation quickly turned into a great discussion about how to help his son. He saw that I was not out to get his son, but saw areas of his game that must be improved. Here is what we do for our girls AAU 13's: First practice: (3 hrs) 1. Warm-ups and stretching (pre practice chat) 2. 2 double suicides (everyone is timed on both) 3. 10 full court sprints (everyone is timed on 1st and last) 4. Full court 1 on 1 zig-zags (evaluate both ball handling abilities and defensive skills) 5. Full court 3 man weaves (passing and catching skills) 6. Continuous 3 on 2, 2 on 1 drill (evaluate offense's ability to make defense commit then hit open man for easy points) 7. Free throws - two at each of the six baskets (now that they are a bit tired, FT made recorded by coach) 8. Break (about 90 minutes into practice) 9. Split up perimeter and post players and do 10 and 11 at same time. 10. Perimeter Players: Timed jump shots slide between elbows near the arc. 45 seconds each player. Twice through. Video taped (don't underestimate the value of video!) Evaluate form and accuracy. 11. Post Players: Drop Step Drill player moves from block to block receiving pass, drop stepping and lay up with coach playing D. 45 seconds each player. Twice through. Video taped. Evaluate positioning, footwork, and aggressiveness when posting up. 12. 3 on 3 half court (4 half courts). Coaches pick initial groups and continually substitute. Evaluate movement without ball, pick and roll, give and go, and defensive skills of each player. 13. 5 on 5 full court. Coaches pick initial group and continually substitute. Evaluate key positions matching up players. 14. End (about three hours from start) Second practice: (3 hrs) 1. Warm-ups and stretching 2. Continous 3 on 2, 2 on 1 drill. (Looking at my transition players) 3. 3 on 3 box out drill (Who's gonna fight for the boards?) 4. 3 on 3 - use four baskets (continous substitutions by the coach evaluators). This is done for most of the remaining practice - at least 90 minutes. (Looking at all half court skills) 5. 5 on 5 (last half hour) 6. End We make preliminary cuts after second session (although some not in condition do not return after the first). Everyone cut talks with coach and is given an evaluation of skills they need to acquire/improve upon and are told of rec level opportunities for the season. We may take another two workouts to further evaluate bubble players. Final cuts after fourth workout. Gym allotments drop to two 2 hour sessions per week for regular practice.
I made up a skills list and described the skill level on a 0-4 gpa list for each skill. Example: Dribble - 0= loses ball easily with little defense, 1= has to look at ball, has to move slowly, 2=ok with no defensive pressure, trouble vs tough D, 3 = handles pressure ok right handed, trouble left handed, 4= no problem either hand vs tough D. You can have as much detail as you want. I had ratings for each dribble move (crossover, spin, behind back, speed dribble), various shots, speed, vertical, defense on dribbler, passing, etc. Too much detail and it takes too long to fill out rating sheet.

Drills For Tryouts

For defensive drills: 1 on 1 & 2 on 2 fullcourt. 3 on 2 fast break, middle on offense gets back to stop returning 2 players who break the other way. 3 on 3 name game (3 offensive players on baseline, 3 defenders on foul line extended, coach says name of defender who must touch endline, then get back and help). slides plus taps: start in corner, slide to basket, 3 backboard or net taps, backpedal to half court, slide to left hash sideline then angle back to basket; can have line at opposite corner. 3 on 3 : with points for deflections and steals. closeout 1 on 1 drill where defender starts from foul line and tries to stop offensive player starting at half-court. I may use a few of the Saylor shooting drills with the timed music segments as part of a skills test that also has quickness slides across lane, speed dribbling, consecutive tips SKILLS TEST All events are timed thirty seconds in length except free throw shooting, spot shooting, the mile run and scrimmaging. EVENT: WALL PASS SCORING: Passes X 1 EXPLANATION: Player standing behind a line six feet from wall continuously passes (not slapping or batting) ball, using two hands. Dropped ball does not count. EVENT: SPEED DRIBBLE SCORING: Cones passed X 2 EXPLANATION: Set up five cones ten feet apart. Player starting at one end dribble weaves in and out of cones. Count only cones dribbled around correctly - passing on proper side, not touching cone, etc. EVENT: BENCH JUMPS SCORING: Jumps X 1 EXPLANATION: Both feet must clear bar (15" to 18" high) as player alternates jumping from one side to the other. Player must jump off both feet at same time. EVENT: QUICKNESS SCORING: Across lane X 1 EXPLANATION: Player shuttles erasors (2 on floor, 1 in hand) back and forth across the free throw lane. EVENT: MIKAN DRILL SCORING: Made shot X 2 EXPLANATION: Player alternates shooting hands and sides of the basket in layin type shooting from close range EVENT: CONSECUTIVE TIPS SCORING: Tips X 1 EXPLANATION: Player tips ball against the backboard using one or two hands while in the air. May restart if ball is misplayed. Count longest consecutive number of tips. EVENT: lay upS LEFT SCORING: Made shots X 2 EXPLANATION: Set Up: cone in the middle of the free throw line. Player must shoot and dribble with left hand moving clockwise. Players start at free throw line to left of cone, dribbles left for left hand lay up, retrieves ball, dribbles left back to free throw line around cone and contiues in for another shot EVENT: JUMPSHOTS LEFT SCORING: Made shots X 5 EXPLANATION: Same set up as lay ups left. Player must dribble with left hand but should shoot jump shot with natural hand. Start at free throw line next to cone for first shot, retrieve, dribble clockwise around cone with left hand, stop at free throw line next to cone and shoot again. EVENT: lay upS RIGHT SCORING: Made shots X 2 EXPLANATION: Same set as lay ups left. Same procedure except dribbling and shooting must be done with right hand and movement is counter clockwise. EVENT: JUMPSHOTS RIGHT SCORING: Made shots X 5 EXPLANATION: Same set up as jumpshots left. Players should dribble with right hand but should shoot with natural hand. Movement is counter clockwise. EVENT: THREE POINT SHOTS SCORING: Made shots X 8 EXPLANATION: Player starts and shoots anyplace behind the three point line, retrieves, and shoots again from behind the three point line. EVENT: FREE THROWS SCORING: Made shots X 5 EXPLANATION: Players shoot ten free throws, starting on first made attempt. No time limit. EVENT: MILE RUN SCORING: Place EXPLANATION: Scoring points awarded in reverse order of finish. Example: 20 runners 1st Place = 20 Points 20th Place = 1 Point EVENT: SPOT SHOOTING SCORING: Made shots X 5 EXPLANATION: Set up poly-markers or cones at desired location (each spot is numbered). Player starts at spot #1 and moves to #2, etc., only after MAKING jumpshot from the spot. Player gets one minute or 15 shots whichever comes first. EVENT: SCRIMMAGE SCORING: Subjective EXPLANATION: Choose teams / 5 on 5 full court to 3 baskets. Winners stay, losers go off. Coaches rate players. BEING ON TIME FOR TRY-OUT = 20 POINTS. (Being on time means completely dressed (shoes tied, etc.) and on the court or designated area.

Your Best Drill for Tryouts

The Gauntlet. Split the court into 4 qtrs. First is baseline to FT line extended, second is FT extended to half court, third is half court to other FT line extended and final is FT line extended to other baseline. 2 defenders in each qtr, they may not leave their area. At one baseline, 2 players with one ball. the 2 players have to dribble pass, screen use each other and try to break through all 8 players to score. You will see in this drill some basketball smarts come out. The true players will talk to each other, either on D or O, they will make smart moves like on O, do not pick up the dribble early, do not get caught at one of the boundary lines because then you are playing 2 on 4 instead of 2 on 2. If you do not have the ball, do not advance into the next zone, because then 2 defenders can gang up on the dribbler, and 2 can guard you. Do not rush. And many more. The kids really like it and it is fast paced.
Combination Defensive Footwork Drill ( modified from playbook software download ) Each player does this for 30 sec. I dont just look at form but how many time they can complete a cycle Player line up behind baseline at left hand edge of key. 1. Player closes out an imaginary defender at the elbow. (Emphasis: sprint first half, get in good defensive position, squeaky shoes and use voice "ball ball ball") 2. Player drop-steps and shuffles back and forth across the width of the key. (Emphasise: push hard to drop step, make it quick, feet don't come together) 3. Player closes out another imaginary defender opposite elbow. 4. Player does a defensive retreat along line of key(Emphasise: good stance all the way, back hand above shoulder) 5. Lateral slide to left to starting point. Repeat. A variation would be the Box Defensive Drill Player line up behind baseline at left hand edge of key. 1. Player closes out an imaginary defender at the elbow. (Emphasis: sprint first half, get in good defensive position, squeaky shoes and use voice "ball ball ball") 2. Player Lateral slide to right. (Emphasise: point toe in direction of slide, make it quick, feet don't come together) 3. Player does a defensive retreat along line of key(Emphasise: good stance all the way, back hand above shoulder) 5. Lateral slide to left to starting point. Repeat.
My favorite team drill is 11 (man)person fastbreak. Up tempo, show's me passing, decision making, ability to use floor, head manning skillz, and team play.
Ballhandling---old fashioned dribble tag, each player with a ball. This drill forces each player to dribble with their head up. You can specify left or right hand only.
Rebounding-a drill called He-man I think I learned from BBall Highway. 4 to 6 players lined up in the spots along the free throw lane with a coach tossing the ball off the backboard. The players attempt to put the ball back in the basket and keep score, with the first player to 3 baskets winning and the others doing pushups, laps, etc. This drill gets them used to contact, discourages the use of a rhythm dribble and will show who your most aggressive kids are.
All-around offensive skills-a 1 on 1 closeout drill. One player stands under the basket with a ball with another player standing at the foul line. The player with the ball passes to the player at the foul line and runs to defend. The offensive player is limited to one dribble. If the shot is made the offensive player stays and a new defender enters. If the shot is missed the defender rebounds the ball and is limited to 1 dribble wherever he recovers it. Players continue rotating with each miss and the player who converts stays. Better players will be able to convert the jumper, and fake and drive left or right. I also use this drill to teach kids that they can reach the basket on one dribble from pretty good distances from the basket. I worked a camp this summer and had middle school girls reaching the basket from the foul line with one dribble.

Main Things You Look For In A Player During Tryouts

If your goal is to develop players for high school, I think you have to look at physical potential and attitude more than skills. If you want to win now, then go for kids with skills. We have a no cut policy at the jr high level so I don't get to cut and I think that is great. Some kids who I would have cut ended up being pretty good players by the end of the year. I look for size,long arms, agressiveness, hustle, speed, strength, coordination, willingness to listen and learn, and I try to teach the skills so they will be good players when they get to high school. I had two 8th graders come to camp this summer who did not play last year and who have probably never played much based on their skill levels. Both are going to be very good players if they keep progressing like they did in camp. If I had to make cuts, they might not make it because we have 12 kids with better skills than them. My biggest problem is convincing kids to quit who want to be on the team but don't want to work in practice. I'm going to make the first week really strenuous and act tough and see if some drop out this year. Last year I was Mr nice guy and had 18 7th graders - about 10 of whom were serious. By the way, when I was in 7th grade, I had never played before but a very nice coach took me anyway and put up with my stupid mistakes and taught me the basics and by the time I got to 10th grade, I was playing some varsity at a large school.
I coach jr. high ball and I am interested in only 2 things, ball handling skills and aggressiveness. I am not concerned at all if they can hit the broad side of a barn. I figure I am going to have to teach them the correct shooting form anyway. When a kid hits jr. high here in St. Louis, most have been playing ball for at least 3-4 years. If a rookie tries out, unfortunately they will never make a team. Use my 8th graders as an example. They play 11 months a year and have for 4 years, going on 5. How can a kid who's never played before make a team trying out against this type of experienced player. I'm not saying what's right, I'm just saying what's real in this town.
I have coached 7th grade boys for 9 years. I generally have 40-65 boys try out each year for 12-14 spots. I give everyone 3 days, then narrow it down to 24, then another day to get to 18, and then one to two more days to narrow my team down to the final squad. To make the first cut, players must be able to show good form on both right and left side lay-ups, thats it. That gets me to 24 almost every time. This way I know who has worked on the basics on their own. Some of the other coaches have said that they do not worry about skills, well I do. If by 7th grade the player has not shown enough drive to have developed a lay-up, I question whether they ever will. However, we have a fantastic elementary program which gives the players 3-5 years of opportunites to play. Some of the coaches who are looking past skills may not have a feeder program that develops solid players. Once I get to 24 players, I start instucting on specific form, offensive and defensive, I am looking for who will listen and improve. The biggest key here is who is willing to change if I ask them to. Once I get to 18, I am looking for players that can learn plays, that can play great one on one agressive defense. Ball handling is important and shooting form, not accuracy, but form. I wait until the 5th day to judge form because I have been critiqueing them for 5 days and they have had the opportunity to change if they wanted to. I also look at grades. I will not keep any player who has failing grades.

Tryouts: How Many to Keep & What to do With the Rest

Try a "Saturday Squad". What I mean by that is, keep the kids that would normally get cut on this group. They meet every Saturday for two hours. The first hour, they work on whatever skills necessary. The second hour, they play 3 on 3 and/or 5 on 5 (depending on your numbers). We tried this for a year with our junior high boys and it worked out pretty well. They are not good enough to make the regular team, but you are giving them an opportunity to improve their skills and perhaps have a better chance of making the team next year. We used "working hard" and "improving" as an incentive. If we had players get injured or quit the regular team, we promoted someone from the Saturday Squad.
Saturday Squad Continued: At that time, we had 3 coaches for two teams (one for 7th grade and one for 8th grade). The third coach was there as an extra helper for either team. They were paid, but not much so they might as well have been a volunteer. Anyway, the third coach was the one in charge of the "Saturday Squad". Although, I was there most of the time. They would practice right before or right after the regular team.
In our program (7th & 8th grade boys) we make no cuts. We have A and several B teams. The main idea is to develop the players. Last year we had 25 try-out. Our A team had 8 and one B team had 8 and the other 9. This year we will have around 30 try-out. All I know is that the A team will have 8-10 players depending on how many can compete at that level.
Now that I have had some additional time to think about this topic, I remember another possible option that we used in a girls junior high program. We had a 7th grade team and an 8th grade team. Then we had a "B" team that was made up of 7th and 8th graders that typically would not get any playing time. We would contact all of the schools on our schedule (as well as the referees) and request one extra quarter after the first two games were completed. Most schools (having similar problems caused by the no-cut policy) were more than willing to cooperate. We ended up doing this with 8 of the 14 games in the season.

Cutting Players

We always talk to everyone who is cut. This is not popular with some of the coaches in our organization, but over the years, I've come to appreciate that it is the right thing to do. With each player I cut, I have learned to compliment something positive about the player first (attitude, hustle, willingness to volunteer, anythhing!) Then I try to point out things I believe need improvement, based on my notes and the notes of others taken at the try-outs. You know, work on the weak-hand dribble, moves without the ball, etc. I also take the opportunity to let the kids (I've coached up to 14's) know of other recreational, club, camp, and clinic opportunities that are available to them in our area in the ensuing season. I encourage them to keep playing the game - it is the only way to get better. After some initial awkwardness, the kids and their parents usually (not always) appreciate the extra time spent bringing some closure and providing feedback. This is a time consuming process, and it is draining emotionally. There is another post with 80 kids trying out. I wonder if our approach would work in that kind of a circumstance. We usually have about 25-30 trying out for 10-12 positions per team.
What I have done with my big groups is take them in like groups, ie, take 7 who need to work on their week hand and tell them at once. Then take the 6 who need to get their grades up, etc. I have had great success with this, I shake every kids hand and they shake the hands of the guys in the group.
I noticed this fall when our volleyball coach made cuts that she simply posted a list of numbers on the gym window of those players who had made the team. Apparently she had every player numbered from 1 to however many she had and obviously every girl knew her number. I suppose it's not as personal as sitting down and speaking to each individual player but then again, it's not like you are listing names whereby everyone in the entire school can see that "so & so" didn't make it. As you know, it's not exactly the most glamourous part of the job, but then again that's why they pay us as well as they do (ha, ha.)
I coach at a boys and girls club and I call every player to tell them if they made the team or not. There has been situations where I have had to tell the kids to their face and it was very difficult. Then again I knw many of the kids trying out and getting cut by me is often seen as a personal issue because the kids know me so well. We have had coaches say "if you don't get a call, you didn't make the team", I really hate that. Either way you should talk to the kids, I prefer by phone but you do what you feel most comfortable with.
Here is something that I have used in the past. I tell the kids that I will post a list of who made the team. Then I tell them that if they are not on the list, they have skills that they need to work on. I encourage them to come and talk to me if they want to know why they did not make the team. This seems to work better than talking to every kid. This way I don't waste time talking to kids that don't care why they didn't make it. The kids that are seriously willing to work, will come talk to me. hose are the kids that will get better. It ain't perfect, but it works.
At our HS (and others in the area) the principal requires face-to-face meetings with all players that try out. We must have at least 3 calendar days of tryouts so cuts are usually made each day. Meeting with a kid who didn't make it is difficult sometimes - usually they know where they stand but a couple are always emotional. I think a 1-on-1 meeting is the best for both the coach and player. Making difficult decisions and enforcing them is a leadership characteristic and coaches are leaders. For the player who doesn't make it, he/she will at least be informed on a personal level at the right time.
Right or wrong this is what I have done with 4th and 5th grade girls. At try outs I tell them that I will call everyone on the phone (after the last day of tryouts) and talk with their parents. I don't enjoy it, but I try to give an honest evaluation and point out the areas of improvement needed to possibly make the team next year. On the whole, the parents which I have talked to have generally understood the situation and don't have a problem. I feel its probably best for the parent to break it to the girl at home and in a way they think best. P.S. I did have one parent ask if my daughter made the team. The question sorta caught me by surprise!! Fortunately, I had her ranked #3 out of 12 chosen for the team. About 7 were cut that year. P.P.S. One year, I witnessed another coach at the same school (older boys) line everyone up at the foul line and pick his team by name with the parents watching from the sidelines. I personally thought it was in poor taste.
Tryouts are a tough time for everyone, including the coaches. I was cut in both 7th & 8th grade, I have made cuts as a coach and I've watched my son get cut too. Its not fun and it's never easy. I always tell my players that being cut doesn't always mean you're a bad player. I have cut kids for grades, attitude, sportsmanship and even because of poor parent attitude. Is it right? Not always, I would love to teach them all everything I know but sometimes as a coach I have to make the tough choices. Is keeping room open for a friends kids right? No, but I doubt thats all there is to it. Did you piss somebody off at the "top"? Just remember there's not much you can do about getting your son back on the team but you can tell your son about the fairness of life, and make sure (if HE wants) that he is the number 1 pick next year. Good luck with the AD and know that he will probably be there next year too.
I tell the players on the first day of try-outs that I am looking for 3 things. Talent, Attitude, and skill. Talent is given to you by your parents and God. Because of this, it is the least important factor. Skill is developed by properly executing a drill over and over. This is done on your own in the drive-way. This is very important because it shows if you are willing to work at basketball. The last thing is Attitude. It is the most important factor, grades, listening, effort all are part of attitude. This is a paraphrase of what I tell the players I am looking for.
Now, I have had parents such as yourself come to me with the same reasoning, and I am not saying that this is your case, but here are some things that happen. Being good in summer ball does not always make you good on a school team. I have had some really good players not make my team because they would not listen. They could not learn plays. Or they did not want to play defense. Also, be careful about what another parent says, I have heard so many reasons for why I do things the way I do that just are not true. You can come up with a political reason for any kid in the gym as to why he did or did not make the team. EX: goes to coach's church, went to elementary that coach's wife went to, works with players dad, player is related to a school principal, player has a short hari cut, player is on the student council, players mom babysits coach's daughter, player did not go to varsity coach's camp, players dad is mayor, players dad is rich,
Our 8th grade boys team just completed try-outs and we have made our team decisions. It is a tough time for all. The ones that handle it the best are the players. Our situation may be unique in that we have a varsity and 2 jr. varsity teams. Everyone gets placed on a team - so no one is really cut. However, there is great disappointment in not making varsity. Prior to try-outs we explain what we are looking for: basketball skills, team-orientated attitude and the desire to improve. As we get to the final selection to fill the team the decision may be made on what type of player we need to balance the team (i.e., perimeter vs. post player). That is what happened this year. It will be the most difficult thing that I do this season to tell 2 very good players who played on varsity last year that they will play jv ball this season. I will challenge them to make the most of this opportunity (more PT, bigger role on the team) to become a better player. If I was approached by a parent who wanted their son to play with a friend I would tell them to find a recreational league to play in and not go out for the school team . If an AD suggested who should be placed on the team I would ignore them and suffer the consequences. Some things I have said to high school players I have had to cut were: 1. Thank them for the effort put forth in the try out. 2. Give them a list of main things that I felt they need to improve upon. 3. Encourage them to remain involved at some level (YMCA, AAU, etc.). 4. I may offer them an opportunity to be a manager and still be involved with our team. 5. I tell them that getting cut does not make them a bad person. I also explain to them that if this is the worst thing that ever happens to them, they are probably going to have a great life ahead of them. 6. I gave them an opportunity to ask me a few questions. Most of the time, the players do not say anything at this time. 7. I always ended the conversation by putting the ball in their court. I told them that they needed to cool off...calm down...and think things over. They earned and deserved an opportunity to continue to discuss the matter with me. If they chose to do so, they could schedule an appointment with me and I would be glad to talk with them. Obviously, talent plays a big part in the selection of players for a team, especially at higher levels. However, I know most coaches also equally consider things like attitude, coachability, work ethic, etc. Just my two cents worth...
Suck it up and do it face-to-face. Tell them why they didn't make it and what they need to work on to make it next year. Find out other leagues and coaches that need kids and pass out that list to the ones who didn't make it.
These kids came for 3 nights and gave you everything they had. To not know why they didn't make it isn't fair to them. I have seen a lot of promising kids quit the game because of the way the cuts were announced. The hardest thing about coaching is announcing the cuts. I would rather lose every game than cut a kid. Do it with class and the respect these kids deserve for putting their hearts, their souls, and their future confidence on the line for you. I am sure you will do the right thing or you wouldn't have asked us in the first place. Coach = Teacher, so tell them what they need to work on to improve enough to make your team next year. They don't deserve to be left out to dry! My heart goes out to you because we have all been there!
Saw a good article on this which suggested giving each player a 3x5 card telling her if she made the team and if not, what she needed to improve to have a chance next year. That way they were not shown up in public by being cut in front of their peers. If you have time and place to speak to 30 kids 1 by 1, face to face is the manly way to do it. Welcome back, BBallEd and tell your great daughter she is welcome on this board anytime imho. It is nice to get a smart kid's perspective.
Cuts are about the part of basketball I hate. But, they are a necessary evil. One mistake I have made a couple times is keeping and extra kid (more than planned) because I didn't have the heart to say no for some reason. These situations went sour by mid season, usually because the extra depth compromised PT. I think the kids deserve a semi-private face to face rejection. Last year, on the last day of tryouts, I spoke to each kid individually for a few minutes and called them over in a random order. It is really tough seeing tears in a young man's eyes, but you gotta do it. We offer tips and ask the cut players to come out for our spring league and fall league programs. Usually, I tell them they're just just not ready yet. Another mistake, I think, is over-explaining. You cannot make a cut kid feel better. Just tell them why and answer questions if they have them. Dragging the explanation on and on is fruitless.

Running a Program

Turning around a program

I took over a program that ranks 27th out of 32 in our county for the last 30 years. I was the JV coach of a 17-3 team last year, before getting promoted. We've had several problems here to overcome. We've had a new coach on the average of every third year for the past 15 years--some who have gone on to great things in other programs--but guys who never stayed long enough to see anything through. So, that's the first thing I've done is make a commitment to see this through. I figure, if you can win here, you can win anywhere. I would say that there are 4 or 5 things we're trying to establish in our program. First, we're trying to establish a new sense of discipline and pride in our current players. Second, we're trying to develop consistancy from top to bottom--amongst coaches and players. It's not easy, when the middle school and younger h.s. teams/coaches have done their own thing for years. Third, we're trying to develop a feeder program all the way down to 4th grade--we started a new league which empasizes more teaching and less competition for all of our elementary schools at the high school on Saturdays, rather than allow our kids to just play in their traditional individual school leagues or in the city parks and rec league which is hyper-competitive. Fourth, we're establishing a year-round training program for our high school players to develop strength and athleticism. Fifth, we're taking advantage of summertime opportunities to compete and play with some of the better programs in Detroit/Michigan. We believe that we have to play year round if we're going to be competitive in the winter. Sixth, we're plugging our better players into AAU and making them more aware of other opportunities (ie. camps, etc.).
You mentioned the consistency from one level to the next. I think that has been the key to the success of our girls program. All four of the coaches on our staff have the same philiosophy: It all starts with DEFENSE. I can similar things in the boys program where they try to do something different on every level. something else that I think is critical, yet hard to do, is have a coach on the junior high level who is a teacher of the game first. Winning at that level is wonderful, but low on our list of priorities. Learning the basic fundamentals of the game at that point is critical, as I'm sure you know. Finding the right person (and keeping them!)is the hard part
I've seen and been involved in several of these "program resurrections," and the aforementioned suggestions esp. by Coach Hope are all good ones. My experiences/opinions are thus: There is no one proven "way to win." If there were, everyone would do it. However what you must do is establish in the program the philosophical consistency and self-perpetrating generation of talent which can result in a winning program. Your first task, in fact one which should be done BEFORE you even take the job, is to assess what the problem is. (You need to know if any of the problems are insurmountable, i.e. an actively countersupportive administration. If that's the case, find somewhere else to coach). Is the problem lack of participation? Lack of talent? Lack of organization? Lack of execution? If your program has been under .500 for 30 years, probably it's some of all of the above. But you need to identify where the most SERIOUS problem exists and attack that first with the most vigor. Also, upon assuming command, you must make some noise. Coaches assume jobs under all sorts of conditions. Maybe the old coach was fired, maybe s/he retired, maybe you were hired with his/her full approval. S/he may be a friend of yours. Regardless, if the team has been losing for 30 years, WHATEVER THEY WERE DOING WASN'T WORKING. Depending on the circumstances of the departure of the previous coach, you can be as diplomatic as you want about it, but you have to make it clear from the outset that things are different now, and you are not going to accept past problems as an excuse. Make it FUN to participate and make sure to give ALL players an active role. You can't afford to write off ANYBODY's potential. One thing I would caution is, do NOT necessarily assume that the problem is that the team hasn't been working hard enough. That MAY BE the problem, and regardless of what was done in the past YOUR policy is going to require maximum effort and dedication from all concerned. But many losing teams work very hard - sometimes the talent just isnt there. Don't come in with a guns-blazing boot-camp approach unless it is clearly obvious to you that lack of effort was indeed the primary problem. Confidence, consistency, attention to detail, preparation and 100% EFFORT should be the hallmarks of your new program, regardless of what they "used to do." You will also have to implement separate plans to make the varsity team as competitive as possible immediately, and to improve both the quantity and quality of talent coming into the program from the lower grades. Again, if the program has been losing for 30 years it's inconcievable that talent would not be a problem. And I have never seen a team which couldnt use some more talent. So ensuring your program a consistent flow of solid fundamental talent should be your top LONGTERM priority. In the lower grades I wouldnt worry so much about anything other than to GET THE KIDS PLAYING BASKETBALL. Set up a rec league where everybody can play and encourage all kids to take part in it. As the kids get older they can have school teams or travelling teams which introduce more strategy and technique. But more than anything you have to make the kids ENJOY PLAYING BASKETBALL. Since with most players you have freshman and sophomore years to install your offensive and defensive patterns, I wouldnt tell youth coaches or junior high coaches what kind of offense or defense they must run, with the following exceptions: 1) Make sure everybody plays in every game, even if for 30 seconds. 2) I dont care what offense you run as long as it isnt "one guy hogs the ball and shoots every time down," and I dont care what kind of DEFENSE you play as long as it is aggressive, hustling, high pressure defense with proper ball recognition and reaction principles. You can play zone or man to man defense, either way is fine as long as players are aggressive. If participation (low numbers) is a problem, and at some smaller schools it is, you won't be able to be picky about your players. But at the varsity level at most schools, you DO have some discretion as to who you do or do not keep. Here again you have to make a clean break from the past. Do not feel obligated to base your choices on who was on the team last year. IN FACT, and this is a little brutal, I would strongly recommend to CUT any seniors who are not starters. The last thing you want is some kid or some parent at the end of the bench sniveling that old Coach Jones told them last year that Jimmy would play this season, how come he's not getting playing time, etc. etc etc. To put it bluntly, seniors are not your problem; they're the problem of the previous coach. (You may make partial exceptions here if the senior in question has younger siblings who can contribute.) But be very clear to any seniors you keep, what their playing time situation is. Be realistic and make sure you discuss it with the player AND the parents. And if they don't like it, show them the door. On that same subject, never move freshmen or sophomores UP unless they are going to PLAY. Kids and parents are not mollified by the "practice experience" argument. If a frosh or soph is good enough to play for you, of course move them up. But if a frosh or soph is better than your No. 10 or 11 player... forget it. Keep those kids down where they will get the playing time and build confidence. Finally, believe in yourself and invest as many people as possible in your program. Get parents involved. If there are dads who know the game, have them scout for you. (Scouting is extremely valuable and can help you steal a win or two while you are building the talent base). Have fun, roll with the punches, and make sure you and your players stay focused. Unless Michael Jordan's brother moves into your school you probably won't turn into a state finalist overnight. But you will be more organized, more focused, harder to beat, more fun to play for and before you know it you will start knocking people off and generating some excitement.
I was in a similar situation about 4 years ago. I know what you are going through. Here are some random thoughts. Make sure that you have the administrations support. Make them aware of your long range plans and goals. Make sure that your coaching staff is all on the same page and that they have bought into your philosophy. Convince your players that they must buy into the system as well. Keep things as simple as possible (don't add all kinds of complicated offensive and defensive sets). Find a few sets that suit/fit your personnel. You are on the right track by emphasizing fundamentals. Defense is much easier to teach. You can do this within your regular practice schedule. Continue to spend your off season working on offensive skills. Set up an elementary (feeder) system. Make sure that the coaches at this level are just as loyal to you as the high school assistants. Be disciplined and demanding, but not too militaristic. Your players may have a tough time reacting to a drastic change, so be careful here. You don't want to scare everyone off. Give positive reinforcement when it is earned and deserved. Have the players set individual and team goals. Keep track of these as the year progresses. There will come a time where you may have to re-evaluate and reset your goals. You can help give your players some direction in this area. Don't be afraid to give the younger players a lot of playing time to gain experience. Everybody wants to win, but taking your lumps now will pay off later. It sounds like you may want to center your schemes around the sophomore. Take your team to a team camp, get into a summer league in your area, or both. Be patient. Remember, Rome was not built in a day. Although, there may be some immediate improvements, it may take 3-5 years before you see some permanent results. You are going to be breaking old bad habits and creating new desired habits. "It is not what you coach, as much as what you emphasize."
I'm not sure how large your program is but here are some of the things a number of successful HS programs in our area do to keep the girls constantly involved and improving. First, develop a strength and speed program and expect the kids to stick with it. Consider testing and timing them at the end of the season, set some goals for improvement with the idea that you'll test them again come try-outs next year. The programs I've seen emphasize weights three times a week and running on the alternate three days with one rest day per week. Players keep a log of their activities. Second, develop an individual skills work-out sheet with individual drills specific to the positions they play (post vs. perimeter type skills). Typical workout lasts about 45 minutes and rotates various ball handling and footwork skills over five days but always involves at least 100 jumpers and 50 free throws daily. Players keep a log of their activities. The purpose of the logs in the above two items is to measure progress. You cannot improve that which you do not measure. Third, keep playing the game! Most of the good players play AAU in spring after their varsity season, but do not overlook good pick-up games. In our area, there are tons of good pick-up games in open gyms and schoolyards. Drop in with a group of friends and say, "We got next." Fourth, play together as a team in the fall. In Maryland, the coaches cannot have direct contact, but there are plenty of volunteer coaches who step in and take these teams in fall leagues while their HS coaches observe from the stands. It gives the girls additional opportunities to keep playing with each other and it also gives the HS coaches an added advantage of evaluating up-and-coming talent (JV and incoming Freshmen). So basically it boils down to this, keep working on the game, both individually and as a team. You can't pick up the rock two weeks before try-outs and expect miracles.

Feeder Systems

Here's ours, and it stinks. Starts in 5th in an uncompetitive league. Parents coach. Most are power hungry rather than teachers. They play other 5th grade teams in the district. Instructional program? Zero instruction! Jr. High"s have 1 to 4 teams per school. League is not officially associated with school. Again, power hungry parents coach. The high schoo had had 5 winning seasons in last 20 years. The whole program sucks. The best system I have seen consists of a major public relations league. He runs 3 leagues: spring, summer, and fall. You can enter as a team, or enter as an individual and he puts you on one of his teams.Cost? $35 per player, minimum 10 players per team. His high school players coach his teams, that way the kids learn his system. He advertises it as super select, and gets 900 plus kids per session to play. The league goes from 4th grade through 12th. He gets to see most of the city's players, and he recruits on the side. Think about it, where can you play in the off-season? Especially, if you aren't on a team? Results? Of course he has won the state title. Playing time and cuts? Until March, I am coaching 2 jr. high teams. I play everyone equally. I had tryouts and felt so bad for the kids that I took 2 teams. Suggestion? Find someone with a passion for the game and set up an AAU club. Make it a prestigious thing to join. My 1st year I had 230 plus kids play for me. Next, set up your leagues. Good-luck!
First of all, I totally disagree with bball Ed. Second, our high school had the best winning percentage in the state of Indiana for the decade of the 90's, that includes Varsity, Jv, and Freshman. Here is what we do. We have 11 elementaries that feed 2 middle schools that feed one high school. the 11 elementaries play each other, 4,5, and 6 graders are eligible for the one school team. No zones allowed, no press except 4th quarter, every A team member must play, b- team plays for 10 minutes at half time. Each middle school has 7 an 8 graders. One team per each grade per school. We play schools all throughout north central Indiana, 20 per year. We try to balance playing everyone with winning. 8th grade is more to win than 7th. All middle school players are invited to participate in AAU made up only of our schools players. We play 10 games tops. We try to play larger schools to get a different exposure. Everyone plays equal time, winning does not matter, development is the key. One freshman team with a b-team one JV team One week camp run by varsity coach is absolutely essential. He runs the best camp around. The kids learn how to practice over the whole summer. The varsity coaches run intramurals, open to all kids, not just players at the end of the school year. Once a week open gym all summer long for the middle school kids, 2 times a week for freshman and above. varsity coach gives each middle school and elementary coach a binder with the skills he wants learned at each grade level
I can see where yours works as long as you have the right coaches. Any program works as long as you have the right coaches. The key to any program is to have a coach that teaches the kids. Your program is excellent with those types of coaches. What we have in St. Louis is mostly a bunch of power hungry screaming maniacs that don't teach! If you had these types of coaches, your program would suck. Consider yourself blessed that you have a higher caliper coach. If you can't get the quality coach, then the league program works, believe me, I've seen it.
My job as a jr. high coach is to get my kids ready for the varsity. In my brain that means that I teach them the basics and proper techniques., IE, footwork, shooting form, lay ups, positioning, blocking out, and the list goes on. Every varsity coach I have ever talked to expects their kids to know the basics, so they can teach x's and o's and advanced ball. If I can fit it in to teach them the varsity's basic offense, I will. If it takes too long to teach them the fundamentals, then the varsity's complicated offenses and defenses will fall by the wayside. If the varsity coach is ignorant enough to tell me to skip m-2-m and teach them zone D only, then I will nod my head up and down judiciously, and ignore everything they just said. Every defense uses m-2-m principles and if you don't know them, no defense will work very well. My question is, should your loyalty be to to to, (sorry about the stutter) your varsity coach, or to your kids? Especially when there is a direct conflict between the 2.
I am a Jr. High Coach in a strong program where the varsity coach has helped with the feeder schools, so I am looking at this from the other side as you, but this is our situation. First of all, we have a great school athletic program at the elementary and Jr. High level. We have 11 elementaries that play each other in a league. Then we have 2 Jr. Highs that play Jr. Highs outside our town. Our varsity coach has prepared a 3 ring binder with a breakdown of skills that he would like taught to the younger players. The skills are broken down by grade level. So the first section is huge and goes to the elementary coaches. All the basics. Then each grade level after that has a page or two of more advance skills that build upon the skills learned the previous year. Our varsity coach also runs 3 weeks worth of summer camps. This provides money for the program, as well as allowing him to see the players coming up through the system. All the assistent coaches, JV coaches, and freshman coaches, as well as some of the Jr. High coaches like myself, help run the camp. But we also have all the varsity, JV, and Freshman players there as councelors. Our varisty coach has often said that camp is as much for the high schoolers as the younger players. The high schoolers must "teach" fundamentals to their groups of 5 or 6 players. This makes them really focus on it themselves. Our JV coach runs and intramural program. This is during the spring and the players from the school teams are allowed to play unlike some in season intramurals. Again, the varsity JV and Freshman players become the coaches and the coaches referee and oversee the games. AAU. Our varsity coach has assigned me to coordinate AAU for the Jr. High level. We invite everyone who made the teams at the 2 middle schools to play and divide into to equal teams, but we mix up the 2 schools. This is done because they will play together as freshman and we want them to gain some experience with all the other players. We only play about 10 games in AAU. We encourage practice and open gym among our own, more so than travel teams. The varsity coach has several meetinga each year with the elementary coaches to discuss some points of emphasis and to answer questions. He comes to my try-outs and several practices and 2-4 games per year. The main think is our coach always has a presence in the younger levels. He gets to know the kids. They get to know him. When you go to one of our varsity games, you see on average about 50 kids wearing our camp t-shirt from the previous summer. The results. We have more wins at the Freshman, Varsity, and JV level combined than any other team in the state of Indiana for the decade of the 1990's. Now this may not be possible for everyone, as b-ball ed has reminded me several times by saying "Coach Bonifield, you live in basketball heaven there in Indiana."
I have coached in an elementary girls feeder program for several years. I feel that at the 4th,5th, or 6th grade that you can teach all of the basic individual fundamentals. We "tie" one hand behind the back for weak hand dribbling, emphasize proper shooting technique, defensive footwork,and passing skills. I work alot on rebounding skills, but it seems that they really don't start to box out effectively until late in the 5th grade or 6th grade year. One of the things that I think some coaches tend to ignore is teaching the proper terminology so that the player knows the "foul line extended," "elbow," etc. One other thing that a high school coach can do is to show up at games and practices occasionally. Your enthusiasm will become contagious. We have a "shadow day" every year also where the girls get to hang out with the high school team before and during a game. They go in the locker room before the game and at half-time, and get to sit behind the bench during the game.When the elementary girls hear the high school coach use the same terms and emphasize the same things EVERYBODY'S credibility goes up a few notches. Our high school coach does one other thing that I think is unique. EVERY girl in the school district is invited to the open gyms regardless of age, grade, or ability.IMHO, this has been the single biggest contributing factor to the long-term success of our program. If a 5th or 6th grader shows up, he just somehow finds a way to integrate them into the activities. As a result, the players know and understand the coach and his philosohies and points of emphasis by the time they reach High School.

Fundraising

Have a bottle drive (I am not sure if your state has bottle deposits). Our team was able to get over $500 in less than two weeks by knocking on doors. 2) Have a Free-Throw-Athon were each player goes out to sign people up. The donar contributes an amount for every free throw made out of 100. Afterwards they go back with a signed copy by the coach showing how many they made.
well, one way is to have people sponsor your players for foul shooting. here`s how it works, players, coaches get people to sponsor them for foul shots, shoot 100,maybe not all at one time,and have coach sign a paper confirming the shots, and have them pay so much per shot hit, raise $$ and get shooting practice at same time!!
Here's a few quikies we do well with. 50/50 drawing. If you have a county or independent summer event sale POP! a case costs 5.99 at the store at .50 @ $12.00 profit $6.00 a case. Also a good idea at these are bike drawings, buy an nice yet inexpensive bike set it up during the event and sale chance for $1.00 @. Kids really go for this one.
A Free-Throw-athon. Get a donation for each free-throw a player makes out of 100. This not only raises money, but works on a skill too.
Here's a small one that has worked great. Find a local restaurant that has the NTN Trivia on their tv. This is a free trivia game where the restaurant supplies you with a computer box for answering trivia questions shown on their tv sets. It will also keep track of each individual's score and rank you. Once you find a place that has NTN, get them to let you hold a kid's trivia Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Charge the the kid's $10 or whatever for entering, and give prizes to the winner. We have 3 different 1 hour sessions in an afternoon. We normally make about $250 profit, and the kids have more fun doing this than any other fund raiser you can find. Just an idea.

Off-Season Workouts

The most important aspect of any atheletes offseason is to stay active and competitive. Being involved in any summer camps and or league is the best way to improve as a basketball player. At age 15 she is ready to begin a weight program. The program should involve low weight and high repetitions. Any fitness center or ymca will have professional staff that can help your child develop a program to suit her needs. For increased jumping ability special "jump shoes" are available at around $60 a pair and can greatly increase leaping ability. Having your child stay active and COMPETITIVE in the offseason is just as imortant to her athletic development as any training sessions or methods.

Play Year-Round?

Coach we never quit playing, we play year round in a local league. Last year in AAU we came in 4th place at state, missed qualifing for nationals by one spot. This year no team can stay within 35 - 50 points of us. When they quit there season we were working workning workning. You would like to think in the off season players would work on there own game but its my experiance they do not. Playing year round also weeds out the part time peolple only the dedicated PARENTS and kids stay involved. Ive never cut a kid, this year round program seems to take care of that, the kids that dont want to work hard leave, and the untalented ones that stay develop.
my friends on the college level tell me their best players have been multiple sport athletes. i believe the variety of skills and movement patterns learned from the different sports is critical to developing athleticism. one of the biggest differences between athletes as you go up the ladder(hs-div 123-pro) is strength. you must allow time for off-season heavy strength training which should not be done while you are in season. however, if you are going to be among the very best in your chosen sport you must play year-round in some capacity.
As Jim said, you would expect that players would work on their games in the off season by they dont. I know 90% of the kids on my 5th/6th grade boys team dont. When I was a kid (back in the stone age) we had a group of guys in the neighnorhood who always got together for pick up games. Sometimes we would challenge kids from other neighborhoods. In the winter, we would shovel off the snow and play on icy ground with frozen fingers. Today I never see kids around our neighborhood playing. My own kids rarely go out in the driveway unless I go out there first. I dont get it. Some of the kids on my team last year had obviously never played before, and were helpless when I put them into the game. But I know those same kids will come back next year without any improvement whatsoever. One thing we are considering is to announce to the kids that we will designate two nights a week where a couple of the coaches will oversee open pickup games at the school.
I think year round basketball makes the game ordinary. Too much of a good thing. Soon instead of kids being pumped for a game it becomes just another day at the office. In our program we have a 2 month AAU season after a 3 month Regular season. We play 20 games in the regular season and 10 in AAU and I think this is more than enough. I would say that 25% of our players do a regular workout at least 4 times a week, 50% do it once a week and 25% never. This separates those that are willing to make the committment. Year round ball gives an artificial desire from the player. They are working because they have to because a coach is there telling them to. A player that will work on his own truly has a desire to be better and will become a great player. Now we do not ignore our players in the off-season. We have Intramurals run by the varsity coaches. 2 weeks of summer camp and open gym all summer long. We know who is doing what at these outings. My AAU teams, made up of my regular season team, get killed in AAU every year. We never do well. Who cares. At the varsity level we are consistently in the top 10 in the state. This year we made it to the final four and then ran into Michigan State bound Zach Randolf and his Marian Giant team mates. I think if you are interested in performance at the high school level, you need an off-season.
80 games from Oct. - Apr. and 11 months a year. If you play year round, make sure they have a life off the court. Here in St. Louis, if you don't play year round, you get left in the dust. Both sides have merit.

What is your focus in Summer League Games?

What kind of importance does your staff place on winning summer league games. Are they of the mindset that it's as important as a regular season game or is development more important? At my particular level (8th grade girls) I really could care less about the wins and losses. My main concern is putting forth a "winning effort" and trying to execute the offense/out-of-bounds plays, learning and refining our man-to-man principles and having fun. I find that I seldom look at t he scoreboard. Maybe I'm way off base but I wondered how others approach the summer games. I have used summer leagues almost as a tryout. Put a lot of kids on(jv and frosh level) and see what they can do. And the starters now this they get their minutes too. I always have plyed for the win. For our varsity, JV, & incoming freshmen our summer consists of 2 aspects: playing in summer leagues & playing in a few tournaments. When we play in the league games winning and losing really doesn't make any difference. The important factor is just getting girls playing time and staying active in the game over the summer. Last week I was watching our JV team play a summer league game against a team that played a 1-3-1 zone the whole time. WHY would you play zone defense in a summer league where it doesn't matter who wins and loses??? Now, the tournaments we enter winning is emphasized more, but playing time is still relatively equal. I do both. I took all of the incoming freshman girls who have played before, and put them into a weak league and we play for fun and to learn. Next I took my 3 original remaining girls who have been with me forever, and added 5 average players who have a passion for the game. This is my tournament team. We play to win. I think I know you well enough to know that you don't tell your kids you don't care if they lose, because at some point in time they have to develop that winning attitude. While I don't make an effort to worry about the score during these games, the girls never know this. You make a valid point in saying how important it is to never give your team the impression losing is OK. As far as my team knows, it's a regular season game. I just won't lose any sleep at night when we drop one in the summer! Summer leagues are for fun and learning, so I play to win (you have to learn how to win) but split playing time evenly and run the offense/defense I'm trying to teach even if another offense/defense might work better in a given situation. We play hard and watch the score and will spread out and slow it down if we have a lead late in the game, press if behind, etc. Kids are competitive and they want to win and so do I. I think it helps them develop as players to play it that way. I've stopped participating in summer leagues & instead go to 2-3 tournaments, set up some scrimmages, & go to a week of team camp. I did not like the inconsistency of availability of personel(other camps, family vacations, work, etc.). I now try to get committments for camp & tourneys and "try" to win those games. I just took my team to camp and during most of the games most of the teams were just playing and not paying attention to the score, the score being kept by players on the sidelines not in the game. I found it a better opportunity to make my players aware of the score and time, and to work on situational plays that many of the players may need to know during the season. One coach was upset that I chose to work on a 4-corners offense with 2:00 left, but with a 5 point lead I thought it a great opportunity, they were trying to run a zone defense which just wasn't the proper thing for them to be running in that situation, and they had to change their game to match ours. I coach the Summer and Fall ball for the Varsity Girls at our HS when the coaches can not have contact. We use this opportunity to reinforce offense and defense they will use in the winter. We also try out some new things because the W-L record doesn't matter. Summer is much less structured than fall where I am - I don't have consistent numbers of players in summer ball. We emphasize good habits on the court, and learning to win is one of them. The biggest difference with summer/fall ball however, is that I don't sacrifice equal PT for the win. We try to get those on the floor to execute what we want done, and it may not always be the starters. Thinking here is that everyone needs to learn how to "battle back" when behind or "protect" when ahead. For me, trying to stick to this is no easy task - I find myself wanting to fall back on the starters to nail down a W. I keep trying to tell myself that this is not the purpose of summer ball and try to keep my rather large ego in check. In the past, summer ball was only for Varsity players and realistic candidates for Varsity. We are trying to expand it to accomodate two teams, so we can get our JV and incoming more time to play together as well. We used our league as a coaching tool and work on sereveral different things. we try to win but it really doesnt matter( to the coaches ). my asst. coach the summer league and I watch only ( yes it is difficult ). this gives me a chance to see from a spectator view of what the teams are or are not doing.

Pulling up a Freshman

I think it depends on the kid. Let's assume that if you don't pull him up and he shines as a fresh., that he WILL NOT get the big head and still be a team player. If you assume this, then let's use pro baseball as an example. The better mgrs. in baseball will not bring a player up from the minors until the player is ready and will see playing time. Their attitude is that the more a player plays, i.e. in the minors, the better chance this player will have, when he does make it in the big show. If your player is going to seriously contribute to the jv's, see enough playing time, and still be taught the fundamentals on a regular basis, pull him up. If you are not sure, play him as a fresh.
Potential playing time is the key factor, IMHO. I've seen too many cases where a talented youngster is rostered and practices with a varsity team, but rarely gets to play because he's not ready. The lack of PT hinders full development. Freshmen, especially, need to learn the school's offensive and defensive systems, make game decisions and learn from the consequences. It's very unusual that a freshman will be an impact player in a varsity program.
Will this kid help your j.v. team? How is he fundamentally? If he is ready, then I'd move him up. But if I move a kid up HE'S GOING TO PLAY!!! Don't move him up & sit him. If you feel that he is mature enough and ready for an advancement, then I'd move him up. Remember, you can always move him up later into the year. See how he does in practice, if he's really ready--your going to know it!
If your freshman group is really talented and you expect alot of things out of them over the next few years, it might be a good idea to pull the player up. This will allow some other guys at the Freshman level to be the go to guys and step it up. Then when these guys are Juniors and Seniors, you have 2 or 3 guys who can be go to guys.
Just another thought... some programs up here have recently expressed regret about moving talented freshmen up in their program. The thinking was that the star should've stayed with his peers so that they would have maintained a solid, successful team that moved up together each season. What they got instead was a older team that was marginally improved with the younger player, and a younger team that was weakened by his absence.
i am speaking from the standpoint that the objective of a hs program is to place the best varsity squad on the floor as possible. the fact that his leaving the 9th grade team this year will weaken that team is of no importance. you said it is best for him which will improve your varsity in years to come. it may be bad for the 9th grade record this year, but my opinion is "so what". it will put the ball in other 9th graders hands more often and push those remaining in 9th...hopefully causing them to get better and again ultimately improving your varsity in years to come. you say, what about the time it takes away from the others on jv, i say it becomes a motivator for them. if they do not become more motivated or mope then they are probably guys you wont be able to depend on at the varsity level. just my opinion.

EARLY SEASON & NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULING

I just wanted to get some other viewpoints on scheduling. Do you play the hardest possible schedule and hope your team can learn from the losses, or do you schedule with a little more carefulness. When I initially started coaching I would not go to preseason tournaments. My team is always weak early on and I felt losses in these tournaments would only hurt us. Like I said, I was just starting. Nowadays I go to 2 preseason tournaments, and schedule as many tough non-conference opponents as possible. Gotta play the best to be the best. Our record usually suffers during the season, 22-10, 19-12,etc..., but it pays off come crunch time. I find nothing more rewarding than beating a team in the playoffs that has a much better record than you have. What are some of your guys views? I am interested to know what other peoples reasons are for the way they schedule.
I do like to play a tough non conference schedule. I does make you better if you go in and give it all you got. Toward the end of the season I don't like to have a lot of tough non conference teams though. I like to have a lot of momentum going into post season. But a tough early schedule in my opinion is the way to go.
Coach: We played a very tough non-district schedule last season, and took our lumps. I felt that this year, I would try to balance it out a little more. We'll play in 3 tournaments, and at least 2 games in each will be against quality opponents, and probably more. So for the balance of our non-district schedule, I tried to get teams that I felt we could play tough, or beat. I believe in playing top teams to get ready for district, but I also think there's something to be said for winning, and the confidence that it inspires. I hope our schedule will provide this type of balance. We'll see if my theory has any merit in a few months.
Being the head varsity boys' basketball coach and the Sr. High Dirctor of Athletics, I have both a good & challenging situation. The good part is that I can do my own scheduling, w/ out worrying about haggling w/ the A.D. The challenging part is taking care of all of the other coaches needs while trying to concentrate on my own teams needs--at the same time. This creates a lot of 70+ hour weeks for me. But, back to your question. I like to schedule teams that I know will be tough (everyone on my schedule is tough), but not a 3 or 4A school in the first 5 games of the season. I like to play the first part of my season vs. teams that are in our class (1A). This does not mean that we win the first 5 games of the season, but we certainly could. With high school kids, I like to get their confidence built up and keep it that way. If we were to play a 4A team very early, I feel like we would be doing the program a diservice. Don't get me wrong, I love playing bigger opponents, and so do the kids, but we seem to play w/ them a lot more competitivley after christmas break. Going towards the state tourney (in Indiana this is in the begining of March) we play mostly larger opponents (2, 3, and 4A schools). This is just how I feel, and it has worked for me.

Coach to Win or Develop in 8th grade?

Just wondering what the philosophies are in other programs...by the time your players are in 8th grade is the emphasis in your program still development or does it lean more towards establishing a winning attitude. In other words, do you forsake wins to develop your entire roster or by that time do you have a core of 6-8 who share the PT. Obviously players in 8th grade are still far from reaching thier potential, but do play your best throughout the majority of the game? I have my thoughts, just wondering what's happening in other programs. Thanks for sharing...Coach Gary
Develop. Two reasons: 1. Many 8th graders won't blossom for a couple years yet. An 8th grade sub may still be a 10th grade star. 2. Its rare to see (at least here anyway) a 9th grader that is fundamentally sound and ready for advanced high school play. We need to spend the whole season on fundamentals for the 9th grade players.
I coach a 7th grade girls team and they already understand this scenario: You have 3 seconds left in the game, you're down by 1 point. You're right handed guard has the ball on the left side of the court and that lane is open. She can do a right handed lay up from the left side and win it. Or, she can do a left handed lay up from the left side and only maybe make it. What do you do? My kids know to go left handed. I would rather lose the game left handed than win it right handed. Let's worry about total wins when you make it to the varsity.
In our program, which I would say is very advanced, our 8th grade teams play not to win, but to develop the top players. I know this may sound like the same thing, but I dont think so. Our 8th grade still runs all man to man and only runs team oriented offenses, no clear-outs for easy buckets for one player. By 8th grade, you can tell which players have put their time in on their own. They stand out. These are the players we try to develop. Now my team is the 7th grade team. I play equal minutes in the first half and then play to win in the second. Every player gets at least 4 minutes of a 24 minute game, but then I can work with my top 8 in the second half. Now I rotate the subs in quickly if we have a game under control. I had a team 2 years ago that went 15 and 1, they were great, and we never beat a team by more than 15 because I rotated everyone in.
Play to win and teach fundamentals! I teach my team to win. Why? Because the league keeps score, keeps won-loss records and they give trophys for first and second place. What is the since of competing if you are not competing to win? That mindset goes against the very nature of man. Life is competition and winning or losing, and if a team is going to win it might as well be mine. I teach fundamental man 2 man, but if can't beat a team playing man, why play it? I teach fundamental half court basketball, but if I can fastbreak I will. I play to my strengths not my weaknesses. I rotate all my kids in and out every quarter. We pressure on offense, defense and transition. All my kids have learned basic fundamentals over the past 10 years on my rec teams. After getting cut fromthe school team, I have at least one kid make it the next year. One year I think 6 made the school team. This school won the state last year with some of my rec players! Kids need fundamentals at all levels, even college and pro. What do those coaches do? Teach fundamentals and try to win.

How many players you need (not carry) for your system?

I'm a varsity boys basketball coach and except for practices the perfect number for us would be eight. 5 starters, 1 big man off the bench, 1 point guard off the bench and 1 tweener (guard/forward) off the bench.
9, 10, 11, 12 only get in so I can get them in (if that makes sense) - I don't really need to play them. And sometimes they don't get in. So when 9, 10, 11, 12 get a lot of minutes it is a blow-out one way or the other. Then EXAMPLE: they score 10 points - now the next game is close so they don't touch the floor - what happens mom, dad, arm-chair coach all say why isn't Johnny getting in "he scored 10 points in the last game."
Ideally I'd like to go with an 8 man rotation as well, no more than 9 though because it messes up the cohesiveness of the unit. I have seen a team in our league play about 10-11 guys because they press the entire game so they just keep rotating in fresh legs. This season I feel confident going about 9 deep (I have 13 on the varsity roster). Depending on the situations, I try to get as many guys into the game as possible, but of course if it's a nail-biter there's no way players 10-13 are getting in. Really it depends on practice. If one of the guys on the end of the bench has a great week of practice and shows more desire and improvement than one of the guys in the rotation then that kid should be rewarded. There's nothing worse than busting your tail everyday in practice and outplaying most of your teamates then not getting any reward for it. I think it's also good for the regulars to know that they can't slack off or they'll be sitting next to me on the bench.
Although we have 12 players on the team, our rotation calls for 8 players. We like to keep 2-3 starters in at all times. Our players are told from the start that playing time will not be equal. The game will dictate who will play ( i.e need long range shooter ). In blow out everyone will see action. All parents and players are given team rules to sign and playing time is explained.
Coaches, I like to keep as many players involved in the high school program. I keep 15 and I have 10 in my game rotation. I consider injury, illness and academic problems that can deplete this number. I like to have 5 on 5 competition in practice. Players and parents need to know the contribution that practice players make to the teams success. Players need to be pushed in practice and to know they might loss a starting spot or playing time and I don't think you get the pressure of not playing with 8 or 9 players on a team. Players are not happy just being part of a team anymore, but practice players make practice tough
Ever since we started using everybody every game, life has been happier. Minutes aren't equal at all, but everyone (12 players) gets in.
This year we are so focused on defense, that we rotate players in and out every few minutes to make sure the intensity stays up. The idea is that most our baskets are scored on transition (which has proven true) rather than set offense, so we are willing to surrender advantages like getting certain players in the rhythm of the game, or even maximizing matchups. Sometimes we are badly outsized or outmatched, but if the kids play as hard as they can, they can hold their own for a little while.
So far I like this method. There is no playing time issues, everybody gets real busy as soon as they enter the game, players don't compete with each other for PT, in fact, they sincerely root for each other.
Generally mistakes are made by tired players. We'll see how that goes -the jury is still out on whether we can reduce our turnover count by using frequent substitutions.
As a summer league coach, I have the luxury of being able to carry 10-12 capable, quality players. This is an absolute necessity since we play a man2man or 1-2-1-1 press the entire game. Because my primary emphasis is on defense, and energy expenditure on defense I need the 10 most conditioned players I can get. Like one of the other posters said, we score 75% of our pts in transition, so if you can shoot a lay-up that's about all the offense we focus on. This is what works best for us, a 12-yr old girls team whose focus is on preparing players for high school, not winning games. But, I still have playing time issues with parents. As far as I can tell, all coaches always will, regardless of the system you use.
A friend of mine coaches the varsity boys and he has convinced me that a minimum 10, who see playing time, is the deal. He runs the other teams legs off. By the 3rd quarter, the other team's shots are short and they're dog tired. His players see about 3 minutes of playing time before his fresh legs come in. Up to the top-level varsity programs, you have to remember that your program depends on participation. Your program will not produce consistent talent if participation levels are not good. And I cannot imagine why a player would stay on a team if it were a given that 1/3 of the roster was going to see only minimal game action. We go 12 deep on our roster. We start our best five, play Half the first quarter, and then have a predetermined rotation system where a new player comes into the game at every single whistle. (The rotation order is predetermined so we always have a PG on the court and a couple of big rebounders. We insist on everybody on the team knowing how to play at least 3 of the 5 positions, so regardless of who is out there, we have little trouble running our plays. We use VERY high-pressure man defense, a couple of basic zones, motion and fast break offense, and about 4 offensive plays.) We tell the players and drill it into their skulls that they have to go out there and sprint like wild hyenas every second they are out on the court. We award points after watching game tapes for beating their opponents down court, etc. We tell them to RUN on and off the court, RUN from one side of the court to the other, RUN up court after free throws, etc. They are only going to be in the game for 4-5 minutes at a stretch TOPS so we tell them to play with the pedal to the medal every second they are on the court.) This continues non-stop until the last 2-3 minutes of the game. If at that time we need our best players out there, we come back with the starters (of which a couple are usually in the game already anyway). At this point of the game they are fresh, well-rested and ready to go while our opponents usually have their tongues dragging on the floor. This system has worked very well for us. Our players are enthusiastic and aggressive. They know when they are out there they can play full-throttle and not worry about getting tired. Players do not get mad when taken out of the game because they have been running hard and they are happy to get a breather. Foul trouble is rarely a problem because kids are rotating in and out of the game so fast. We score a lot of points and that makes people happy. Everyone knows they have a significant role to play on the team. You don't have a "garbage time squad" which only gets into the game if you're up 30 points with two minutes left. Even players who may be less talented than some of the stars on the other teams can be effective players because they come in fresh and are running hard while the kids on the other team usually are playing longer minutes and getting more and more tired as the game goes on. You can have Michael Jordan and I could have Ollie the geek from the movie Hoosiers, but if Michael is bending over huffing and puffing because he has had to run the whole game, and Ollie the geek sprints down court for a wide open lay up, there isnt much Michael can do about it. Parents are happy (usually) because every single player has played in every single quarter of every game we have played and still we have won close to .666 percent of our games. (Since the "starters" play the first half-quarter and the last half-quarter if the game is in doubt, your starters will actually end up playing about 3/4 of the game even in this constant rotation system. But if their kids are getting to play every quarter, parents usually dont grumble about it.) Our kids also get lots of experience in PLAYING BASKETBALL since while they are in there the game is fast paced and there are lots of shots, rebound opportunites, etc. We have produced lots of players who have been successful at higher levels including a few who eventually played at high D-I college levels. Opponents hate to play us because they know they are going to get run into the ground and be dog tired by the end of the game. Kids at school want to play on our team because it is known that we have fun, everybody plays, and we win a good share of the time. Now I understand at a Big Time program you are going to have pressure to play your top dog players more. But we arent in a Big Time program, we have a nice program but not a state wide power, so we are not under those pressures. We are coaching for the benefit of the kids in our program and for us this system has worked great. But you do have to make a committment to it from top to bottom of your program. This isnt the type of thing you can decide to do one year and then not do the next. And you may take some lumps the first year or two because your players may not be in condition to play this way. But by year 3 or 4 you will see results. For younger kids especially I would recommend this style of play. Our kids love it.

Open Gym

I coach a at a middle school, 7th and 8th grade only. I have open gym once a week all summer long. I invite all the 7th and 8th graders from my middle school and the other one in town who were on the team. Then I invite all the 6th graders interested in trying out next year for the 7th grade team.
We lift, then the kids have a list of things to work on for about half an hour (dribble drills, shooting), then they are free to scrimmage. Of course, with our state high school regulations, we are not allowed to coach at all or even play with the kids or tell them what they should be doing. We tell them during the season and just observe in the off season (except during the two weeks of camp we are allowed). We have high school thru middle school girls, but usually just a few of the high school girls show up.
the last month of school, may, varsity practices tues, thurs, sun for 2hours lifting and skills. jr high goes sat and sun 2 hrs. beginning the first week school is out both grps go mon thru thurs 2 hrs each thru july. both grps follow the same general schedule--30min lift, 60min skills, 30min practice. the exception is weeks or weekends of team camps. the varsity will play 40 to 50 games in the summer , jr high about 30 to 35.
In our area, open gym can be a little frustrating for the coaches. The coaches are not allowed to provide instruction or run the activity. They can only be there and babysit. The gym must be open to anyone - not just your team or your school's students. If people complain that you are having "practices", you lose the gym time. So, like you expressed, play is unstructured. Some kids will cause arguing. Most kids just want to scrimmage,although a few will work in a corner and do something constructive. If the coaches actually play in the scrimmage, the games are more orderly and have some value, but we heard flak over that, too.
I make the open gym 2 hours, the first hour is drills/skill development and the second hour is pickup games. I try to divide the teams evenly and keep the games moving, straight 10 no deuce. I tell the guys that if they don't come to the first hour, don't bother trying to get in for just the games because I lock the door. Any fights or argueing and you are sent home and not asked back. It's probally more orderly because we only allow our students to come and I know everyone by name.
Coach C you have it great. What state do you coach in? It sound like we have about the same rules in Texas as Alaska has. Babysit. But it is a chance for them to play. We officially open the gym from 3-7 pm Monday-Friday. But I also open it from 2-4 on Sunday. I only live two blocks from the school so kids are always coming by and wanting it open at other times, so it is open then usually. (I'm a softy about that.)And my sons also want to go at other times and they usually call some friends so it's usually open then too.
Here is what I do. No Zone, No Press, Only 2 people can call a foul (the person who got fouled or the person who did the fouling), all shots count as 1 point. I coach middle school and tried playing to 10, but one court would be done and the other court would take 10 more minutes to finish. So now I go 10 minutes and whomever is ahead when I call time it the winner. If tied, we play sudden death. If play starts getting individualized with little passing, I put in a 2 dribble limit per player per pass. So every time you touch the ball you have 2 dribbles, then you have to pass.
Been doing a once a week open gym for 7th and 8th grade boys. Getting 25 to 30 each week. We play 5 on 5, 2 courts, winners stay. After about 1.25 hours, the play starts to turn south real quick. I gave everyone a 10 minute break at that point hoping to bring play back up. It did not work. I think the 95 degree weather had an effect. So, when play turns bad, what do you coaches do to try to get it back on track. One thing I have done in the past is limit all players to 2 dribbles in order to encourage passing and team play.
See this alot too but here are some things that we've tried with varying success depending on the group. Have the gym open with the kids deciding to do a fast break drill continuation, 11 man fast bbreak, 3 on3 continuous or something. Then after your break go back to that before games. Let them play some of their own music during games to pump 'em up (yuck) Mix up teams reugularly. Never ever allow d to play zone. Make d pick up full / half whichever will work better. Send em the hell home and tell them next time to be ready to play some real ball. Your dedicateds will get on the other guys!!!
I also invite some other Dinosaurs to play with myself against the boys, after the kids have been playing 45 minutes or so, that seems to get the older kids going. I've done the same thing with the girls, inviting some women or ex-grads, and I've seen a better turnout from the older girls. With girls I like to start a game of bump, 21-hustle, or 7-up or some other shooting game towards the end of open gym just to keep up the competetiveness and it seems to get them going again.

Preseason Organizational Meeting w/ Staff

We all want to be the best prepared and to have the entire staff on the same page to start the season. What specific areas, topics, etc. do you cover with your staff at your pre-season organizational meeting?
review goals and philosophy, who is returning, team & players strengths / weaknesses
Last year was my first year to have asst. coaches and it is only 7th grade, but I tried to divide the responsibilities and give each of my 2 asst specific areas of the team the were to focus on. I am a post player, but both of my asst were guards, so I assigned the wings to one and the point guards to the other. 15 minutes of every practice was theirs to run for individual development of those positions while I worked with the post players. Then I assigned one of them offense and one defense. Particularly in the games so I knew who to go to with questions about certain facets of the game. I know this is not quite to the level of a college teams first meetings, but that is what I did.
I have been coaching for almost twenty 23 years with eighteen of those as a head coach.I spend time with my coaches throughout a year both in-season and out of season talking and planning with them. We always spend two to three days before our season at a clinic. This is where we discuss stratgy, terminology, drills and mechanics of what and how we are going to teach those skills. I take a dry ease board and markers to help illustrate. I usually have all our coaches 7-12 go to this clinic so we can do this.

Saturday Program For Elementary Kids

I have decided, after suffering through a miserable season this fall with my 7/8th grade girls, to run a Saturday morning program for 3rd and 4th grade girls in an attempt to create some further interest and obviously develop what is coming up through the ranks. I have two hours and intend to spend the better part (first :45 to hour on nothing but ball handling, ball handling, and little more ball handling. Now, what to do with the last hour. I'm looking for some specific drills, games, activites to do during this time. I would expect that later in the program (last few Saturdays) I will let them actually play a game but that would be like putting the cart before the horse early on. Anyway, what kinds of things are YOU doing with your elementary feeder programs. One other thing, I intend to charge $25.00/girl for which they will recieve a reversible mesh practice jersey and a basketball as awell as the 7 weeks of instruction. It's been my experience that if it's free, I'm looked at as cheap babysitting service and every yah hoo in the world signs up. I hate to exclude anyone who can't afford it but it seems to keep out those who arn't truly serious about learning the game. Is $25.00 out of line? Thanks for taking the time to share your ideas.
I have no experience running elemenatary clinics like this, but as to the money, $25 is a bargain. You could easily spend that on a reversable shirt by itself, plus they get a basketball and instruction. I would go to a local service club like the Optimist club and ask if they would provide scholorships for less fortunate girls. Put at the bottom of the sheet that scholorships are available for those who can not afford it. Make those families contact you and then you can decide who gets the money and who does not. In our elementary girls program, we use about an hour on 6 stations (taught by our high school players - great role models for our little ones)...dribbling, passing, rebounding, shooting, lay-ups, and ball handling. The girls rotate from station to station. This leaves us about a half hour which we use for a defensive stance drill, group dribbling drill, group shooting contests, group dribbling contests, ect. We also play some short games the last 4 weeks of our 8 week program. We also charge 25.00 for the program with the girls getting a T-shirt and basketball. The excees money is put into our girl's program to use for the high school (and middle school, sometimes) teams. Good luck with the program. It is essential to run a youth program if you want to have a continuing, successful program in your district.
Still looking for some ideas for my Saturday program for fourth and fifth grade girls. This is a introductory program. First hour is ball handling. Second is still up in the air. Looking for specific drill ideas, preferably very basic ones. What kind of things are you doing with your similar program? Thanks for the thoughts last month Coach Bonifield and Country Coach. I will indeed be sticking with the $25 registration fee. I can get a reversable mesh jersey with a print on one side for $14.95 from a local shop and a sporting good store here can get me a nice women's ball for $4.95/ball. Looking forward to hearing some other ideas.
I think a 2 on 1 drill would work well. They would get some shots and use a pass, as well as play defense. The simplist way I do a 2 on 1 is 2 lines at half court and one defender under the hoop. The 2 players drive on the one, the last offensive player to touch the ball stays and plays D. The only draw back is on 3 players are going at one time. If you have helpers you could split it to several hoops. Keep Away. Have 2 passers about 10 feet apart and one player in the middle. Keep passing around the defender until she gets the steal and then the passer is in the middle. Outlaw lobs or passes above shoulder height. If you have some help, stations might be a good way to do this. That way the girls do not get bored. There will be very little down time. Have a lay-up station, jump shot, defensive stutter step, passing, agility run of some sort (like backwards then forwards), jump rope. Basketball tag. Every girl has a ball, they all start dribbling in a defined area and as long as they keep their dribble, no double dribble, they stay in. Each player tries to knock the ball away from the others while maintaining their own dribble.
Here is a drill I made up to get my 5th/6th graders used to passing the ball with some zip on it. The kids love this drill. Its called the Sideline passing drill. Split into two groups. One from each group in the paint near blocks, the rest on opposite sidelines. Man in paint chest passes to each group member on sideline, and they pass back, as he slides up paint toward free throw line. After receiving pass back from last group member, he makes a lay up at opposite basket, passes back to the next in line and joins group on sideline. First group to have every member complete passing and make a lay up, wins. It has the added benefit of getting them to dribble the length of the court in a hurry and making a lay up with the pressure on.

Your Program: Secrets of Success & Problems You've Faced

I'm a varsity girls coach, public school. I believe the secret is having a good feeder system. This is my first year with this school system, and I am spending more time on installing a good feeder system than anything else. I believe that a successful varsity coach should spend more time teaching advanced plays and moves, than they do on the fundamentals. I want our 6th graders to know how to make an opposite handed lay up. I shouldn't have to teach that to jrs. and srs. Hand pick your lower level coaches and make sure their goal is to teach their players the game. I am giving a print out of Ed Riley's book to all of my coaches. His book is as good an introduction to teaching the game as I have found. If your feeder system is solid, your varsity is solid.
7th Grade Boys School team in Indiana As Teach 1969 said, the feeder program helps to make the varsity successful, well it is a circle. If the feeder system is good, the varisty has a leg up on others, if the varsity is good, the feeder system gets a boost. If the varisty coaches show interest in the kids at a young age, you bet they will work harder earlier. Our 7th grade program is successful because our varisty coach did hand pick his 7th, 8th, 9th, and JV coaches. Both 7th grade coaches, myself included, one 8th grade coach, and the 9th grade coach all played for our varsity coach and he asked us to join the program when we came back to our home town after college. I have an open line of communication with the varisty coach. We share ideas, plays, drills, philosophies all year long. I know my work is appreciated by the varsity coaches. It also gives me someone to answer to. They expect me to do a fantistic job so that they can cover higher level skills when the boys get to them. Problems- Our school system, like most around the country, is becoming very liberal, and I use that term in the most derogatory way possible. "Let everyone win, let everyone have a chance" Well, not everyone is a basketball player. I get encouraged to keep certain boys at times to see if basketball will help them. I have always stood on the "I am not going to punish a good kid by cutting him so that a kid who could use basketball as a means to change his life can play." The school is also becoming very lax about grades. I would usually cut any player with failing grades because it meant a 6 week suspension. Now we give them one week probation repeated for 3 weeks and then if they still do not get their grades up, they get a 3 week suspension. Probation means practice, no games. So I have lost one of my biggest reasons for using grades as a determining factor for the team. Now I have been told I can still use grades, but I can not tell the player that is why they were cut. I have had 5-6 kids over the 10 years I have coached who I cut because of grades and their parents supported me and they came back the next year on the honor roll and made the team. The parents even said basketball was the motivation and cutting the kid for grades was his wake-up call. Now I can not say that to try to motivate a kid to do well in school.

General Coaching Advice

Make Sure You Always:

have the proper #'s in the scorebook
make sure to always HAVE FUN
MAKE SURE THAT YOU SET YOUR GOALS, OR WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE BY THE END OF THE SEASON.
MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE YOUR PRIORITIES IN THE RIGHT PLACE, THE KIDS COME FIRST
listen and keep an open mind
come to practice with a well prepared plan of FUN drills you will leave with a great feeling and an " I can't wait until next week attitude."
have a time in practice that is fun... find something that the team really enjoys doing and do it everyday we work hard enough everyday we ought to have some fun along with it...
meeting the parents ASAP
Take the ref's word as gospel and move on
Let the players play the game. Let them make a decision right or wrong
Concentrate on the basic skills in practice (particularly dribbling and passing).
Concentrate on being positive and "encouraging" in practice and games.
Read as much as you can about coaching
watch as many youth games as you can
Make sure you are fair and consistent
assume that YOU will have to set up the scoreboard, chairs, clean the floor, etc. I have found that if you take this stance, you'll never be surprised when you have to actually do it. As a result, get to the game early!

Make Sure You Never

Never yell at your kids for making mistakes instead pull them aside and explain what they did wrong and what you want them to do. If you are coaching young kids check out www.ysn.com and look at coaching tips...
tell a kid to not do something without telling them the desirable alternative(s).
discuss a player or their performance with another parent.
hold a meaningful discussion with a parent immediately before or after a game.
Never Quit.
yell at kids in public
discuss playing time with parents. That is between you and the player. If a player is not playing, 99% of the time, they know exactly why. I believe that parents who are overly concerned with their son/daughter playing time are more embarrassed for themselves not their child s.

How to Coach Young Centers

Don't label them as centers at 14, they could still turn out to be a point guard in the NBA :-) The point being make sure you expose them to all fundamentals of the game. Not just those skills generally regarded as big kid skills.
We take about 10-15 minutes a day (before or after the team practice) and have them work on some basic post moves. We would start by teaching them how to post up, receive the ball, and utilize good footwork (pivoting). Then we teach them one or two basic moves (maybe a drop step and turn around jump shot). The players then work on mastering these moves to the point at which they feel comfortable using them in a game. From there, we would add a third and possibly fourth move later on in the season. I believe the key is "repetition" of these moves on a daily basis. We have even had this be part of the forwards/centers pre game warm up.

General Advice

I would also add that you need to know that you may have limitations in teaching when you start. You need to evolve as a teacher of the sport. I knew basketball when I started coaching, but I had to learn how to transfer the knowledge to the players. I think you have to be patient with yourself. You don't know it all when you start!
The biggest step I took in about my third year as a coach was working more closely with another coach in our system who did an outstanding job of breaking fundamentals down and teaching skills step by step with great progression. This enabled me to teach things, ie. man to man defense with help, in a more logical, progressive manner. I would suggest that any new/young coach find a mentor like this, and spend the extra time with him or her learning their system of teaching and breaking fundamentals down in a logical, progressive manner. It made all the difference in the world for me.
If there's one thing that I know now that I did not know 10 years ago when I started, it would be the importance of fundamentals. When I first started, I had this warped perception that all I had to do was put in a nifty little offense and things were going to just take care of themselves. I now know that fundamentals are the key to basketball at any and every level. I find myself today continuing to do fundammental drills even late in the season. They can never be fundamentally sound enough for me.
To quote Morgan Wootten, "It's not what you coach, but what you emphasize." Also, be yourself and coach what you do know. All those fantasies of running high tech offenses and precision defenses go right out the door when you have your first reality check as a rookie coach.

Being a Better Bench Coach

First off, get yourself an assistant. I took over a varsity girls team mid-season last year without an assistant and it was awful. When I pulled a girl out of a game to tell her something, I missed the action on the court. This year I have an assistant and I know it will help me greatly. Also, just try to watch as many games as you can. These can be either College, NBA or other high school games...and try to learn from what those coaches are doing. If you see them react to certain situations, make notes so that you can learn from them.
One thing that helped me become a better bench coach is the use of video tape. Tape your games and watch them once for stats then go back and watch them again a 2nd or 3rd time. Imagine yourself faced with the same situation and see if there is anything you could have done differently or the same.
To be a better game coach I feel you should sit on the bench with your varsity coach and learn from him. Just like any skill you get better with practice. One thing to keep in mind though, is as a JV coach your responsibility is to prepare your kids for the varsity level, not to really win games. No one but you and the kids you coach care about your record. ( and how parents feel does not matter) Just keep working on making your kids better,teach during the game, and your coaching will get better. But one thing that really helped me was go and work a lot of camps. This way you get exposed to a lot of different ideas, you get to coach in games that don't matter,so you can experiment. Also, unlike clinics you will have time to sit and talk to these other coaches and learn.

What Makes A Good Coach At The Youth Level

I have watched games where the coach stood and shouted out instructions all thru the game. I don`t think that makes a good coach. Seems like a good coach would have the team ready when the game started so he/she could basically watch and make adjustments, let the kids think and play for themselves. Have you ever saw a kid on the court or softball field look to coach, mom or dad for approval in the middle of a game. A good coach, probally under normal circumstances, should have the team ready to play with out him shouting instructions the whole game. Kinda like playing God ,directing things from the side line. Wanting every kid to play just like he wants them to all the time
I situationally disagree. At the college and High school level, you may be right. But most of us here coach JV or below and especially at 7th grade or below, the players have not played enough to know everything I want them to know. I only get 3 months with my team, not 3 years like a high school or college coach. I am constantly shouting instructions, especially early in the season. Later in the season not as much but to say a coach that continually HELPS his team is a bad coach is absolutely not true
Coach = teacher This is the simplest definition I know of. Think of the best and most caring teacher you ever had and pattern your coaching career after that teacher.
A good coach at this level will... 1. teach the kids the fundamentals of the game and how to properly execute them. 2. teach the kids proper footwork. 3. allow the kids to have fun while playing basketball. 4. make learing the most important factor, not just winning and losing. I want my feeder coaches to teach the kids how to win, by being fundamentally sound and disciplined. 5. teach the kids how to conduct themselves on and off the court. 6. teach the kids how to play fundamental defense and offense. 7. develop a team concept over individual success.
I believe that a good coach first develops GOOD PEOPLE. Then makes a team from these. A good coach is a good role model. A good coach is a student of the game.

What have you learned from experience

One thing I did my first year as a coach and will never do again is mention the name of a player that made the team to an upset player whose son just got cut. Talk to a parent on the phone the night of cuts. I will gladly set up a face to face meeting. 2 years after my first disaster on the phone, I had a parent call. I immediatley set up a meeting for 30 minutes after practice. Time enough to get the players out of there before this parent came in. What I had prepared is a sheet with his son's strengths and area's for improvement. Beside each area for improvement I listed 2 or 3 drills to help that area. The father actually agreed with me on his son's areas of improvement. I mentioned one and he said "oh yeah, now that I think about it that is a big problem" He left thanking me for the talk and said he could tell I did not make my choice lightly. His son ended up making the team next year and the Dad told me during that season that the drills really helped. I used to yell at the refs alot. Now I rarely do it. Most of the refs work with me many times a year, year after year. So now it is to the point that if they hear me complaining a little, it is like a huge scream because they know I won't complain unless the call was really bad. It is amazing how much more the refs help our team now that I stopped shouting. Lesson 1: Just because you believe in miracles doesn't mean they do. Lesson 2: Apparently in some really sick peoples minds basketball is no the end all and be all of existence. Lesson 3: More talented kids catch more breaks!! It's rough but that's life. Lesson 4: Unless someone gets killed your never getting an offensive foul call. Lesson 5: When you win the kids played great, when you lose the coaches are at fult. Lesson 6: Never ever tell a kid whose not practiced it to foul to stop the clock. Ever!!! Lesson 7: If during tryouts the kid disagrees with you, says they can't/don't box out, or walks through a drill. They shouldn't need to check the cut list. Lesson 8: When listing players who made the team do it while awake, and be sure to check it again. Lesson 9: Sometimes RUdy is just a movie. Lesson 10: Every once in a while, by times, the ref might have made the right call.
1.No Surprises!!! Tell the players and parents exactly what you plan to do and what your philosophies are and then stick with them through the season. 2. It's better to have someone on the inside peeing out than on the outside peeing in. One of the best ways to quiet your critics is to ask them to help you. 3. You are never as good as your best day, and never as bad as your worst. 4. The bandwagon always gets bigger when you're winning. 5. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. 1. I have learned to be myself and my team will benefit so more, than from anything else I could do. I teach, I don't coach to win, I TEACH! This spring/summer I gave up that mindset. I decided that for the first time in my life, I was going to go for the almighty win! I couldn't have been a crappier coach. 2. I handpicked a bunch of "Superstars," thinking they were my ticket to winning. I will never again do this. I will handpick PLAYERS that want to learn. Screw the supposed "Superstars" I'll take attitude over them any day of the week. 3. I am going back to my philosophy of "If I teach them enough, they will win!" If I'm not a good enough teacher, then we lose, BUT I GOT TO DO WHAT I LOVE DOING. 4. COACH = TEACHER AND ROLE MODEL and I was the worst this spring/summer. But I have found my way back to the light, and I even threw away my sunglasses! sunglasses
I have learned: (1) to try to forget how bad a coaching job I did my first year (its too embarassing to think about) (2) that coaching is very, very different from playing (3) that most kids dont have the passion for the game that I do (4) that most kids wont turn anger from a loss or turnover into positive energy (i.e. more hustle or practicing) (5) that it is better to teach man-to-man to younger kids, than zone defense (6) defense wins games, rebounding wins championships

The Hardest Thing in Coaching Basketball is

is sideline coaches...because they think their kid is the next superstar 2. is teaching/doing fundamentals because most kids just want to play
So far for me the hardest thing is getting the co-operation of parents .never bring their kids to pratice or games early, either a few minutes late or don`t come at all. My kids do good once they get there.
The parents and lack of their support has always been the problem, until this summer when I borrowed a contract from a fellow coach. Now, all my kids and their parents sign a contract, or they are not on the team. I don't have the parent problem like I used to. So now my hardest thing to deal with, has been losing players because they don't live up to the agreement. It's hard to tell one of your players adios. But, it's still worth it, because saying good-bye is easier than putting up with all the grief.
Teaching a team to play man to man offense, because it requires thinking and moving without the ball.
the hardest part is making cuts at tryouts, because there is nothing harder to do than tell kids they can't play.
In my opinion the hardest thing in coaching basketball is using your players correctly. Selecting the right system for them to play in (the right combination of Offense, Defense and Tempo). I think we all know how we want to coach. Mine is full court pressure defense and a fast tempo on offense. But just because I want to coach that way doesn't mean that this way is best for my team. I must select my defense, offense and tempo as that which best suits my players - Not my ideals
the hardest thing for me is getting players to commit and work HARD in the off season.
WATCHING A SON OF A ''*^#@#@''OF A COACH RUN THE SCORE UP AND PRESS EVERY SECOND OF A GAME AGAINST A HELPLESS OPPONENT
I would have to say getting kids to understand (after repeated, repeated instruction) help-side defense. Nothing seems to be as tough for kids to learn as this, and the principles I teach have been handed down from outstanding coaches.
Parents who sideline coach because the parents who know something about the game are smart enough to be quiet and the one who don't have any basketball sense yell the loudest.

Team Management/Motivation

Losing Mentality

I am currently coaching a high school girls team with only one senior, one junior and 10 sophmores. This team is inexperienced and lacks leadership. They have potential, but are falling into the rut of, "we're going to get beat anyway, what's the use"?
You have to set goals other than winning. If winning games is the motivation for the girls they will indeed be disappointed quite often. Have your scorekeeper keep track of turnovers, fast break point for and against, rebounds (offensive and defensive) etc. Then set team and individual goals to improve in these areas. the girls will have something to strive for and can take pride in their achievements without necessarily winning games. You will also be surprised to find that winning games may be a result as well!
I also coach girls and i found out that letting them know im more concerned about other things than winning the season went alot better. Set achievement gols like " lets try to win, but if we lose let make it close - within 10 points. Lets see how many turnovers, steals, rebound we can get.. My team could not make a breakaway lay-up. they would miss 9/10 everytime. I told them if they made 6/10, I would do laps. dont you know by the end of the season i was the best conditioned coach and we won 4/5 and ended the season at .500. This year they set their own goal and want to win 7 / 10 games.

Dealing With A Weaker Schedule

Be demanding, especially with the execution of fundamentals. (Example: Even though a sloppy screen may work against a weaker opponent, it will not work against an experienced contender.)
Make your practices more difficult than games. (I am not saying run your team into the ground.) I am saying, use overmatch situations such as 6 players vs. 5 players. Run your offense allowing only a specified player to score or you can only score after so many passes or you can only score on a lay up.
Increase you expectations (make 80% of Free throws instead of 70%). Hold your opponents to under 30 points per game. Set short term goals for each game to challenge your players.
Break blow out games up into mini-games (run specifice offenses, plays, defenses - keying on perfect or near perfect execution).
You can also use this as an opportunity to build the strength of your bench. However, I would caution you to make sure your starters still get at least 3 quarters of total action. When you need them in a big game, you want them to be in game shape and used to playing a full game, not only half a game.

Players Accepting Roles

To quote John Wooden, "A team is like an automobile, you have one big engine which makes the car go, (your star), but that car goes no where with out four solid wheels, (your other starters). The wheels make the car go. Each wheel needs several lug nuts to keep it in place, (your non-starters). Without all these items in place the car, our team, goes no where. And of course you need a driver to guide the car in the proper direction, that is me." This may sound corny, but I figured if John Wooden could use it with Lew Alcinder and Bill Walton, I could use it with my 7th graders. They responded well and I heard comments about this analogy all season. The greatest comment was right after we won our conference championship. We got in foul trouble and several of our reserves had to step up big time for us to win. At the end of the game I was commenting on how proud I was of our bench play when one of the starters that did not play much because of fouls stood up and said, "Thanks you big lugnuts." We all got a laugh and felt like a true team.
One thing I used to do with my teams (junior high through varsity) to get them to realize the importance of things other than scoring was to give out "hustle jerseys". These jerseys were just like our regular practice jerseys except they were a different color. Each one had a name that represented a certain aspect of the game in which we felt was important to excel in (examples: "Chairman of the Boards" - rebounding, "Dr. Provider" - assists, "The Glove" - defense, "6th Man" - outstanding non starter performance/contribution, etc.) You could come up with your own depending on what you want to emphasize. We would keep track of the stats by the week. At the beginning of practice on Monday, we would have a mini awards ceremony and give out the "hustle jerseys" for the week. The players wear them instead of their practice jerseys for that week and return them to the coach the following Monday before practice. Our kids really started seeing the importance of things other than scoring. It even became a competition who could keep a certain jersey the longest, who could get each jersey at least once, etc.

Parents

First, you have to separate the comments from the individuals. Realize, especially at the age that you are coaching, that parents are individuals who have their own vision of where their kids fit in with the team, and because they are protective, become very emotional when their vision does not fit with the vision that the coach has for the team. They are concerned about the success of ONE player, and the coach is conscerned about the success of ALL players. Second, remember that most parents are good people who want the best for their kids, and get very emotional when talking about them. Anything that may seem unfair to them will fire up their protective instincts. What may seem to you (and the players involved) like an innocent decision will bring a parent charging in ready to tear you apart. You need to diffuse the situation by saying something like, "Thank you for your suggestions, let me have a chance to think about it and decide." Third, one of the problems you're facing, surprisingly, is that your team is successful. When you succeed, everyone wants part of the action and the credit. This is natural. In twenty years of coaching, the years that my teams have been the most successful have been the toughest years in dealing with dissatisfied parents.
well,i tell the parents `i`m not perfect`,i make mistakes..i also say ``i run this team`!! i also don`t allow parents to belittle there kids from the bleachers,with negative words!! sometimes they think that their kid supossed to play ``perfect`` ball,but they are just learning.
First of all, you coach players, not parents. As long as you are making your best attempt to teach the fundamentals of the game, you are treating the players fairly, the kids are enjoying the game, and you are not doing anything immoral...then no one has a legitimate complaint. Your skin needs to be like rubber...let the parents' complaints/criticisms bounce off and unless valid, don't lose any sleep over them. In most all cases, it is very common for parents think that their son/daughter is the best player on the team (unless they are truly realistic). And, most parents think that they know better than the coach. However, very few parents are willing to coach and put up with the behavior that you describe, let alone put in all of the hours. Trust me, it does not get any easier at the higher levels if you allow things like this to get you. If the parents believe they are getting to you and that they can influence your decision making, it will only get worse. Stick to your guns, take a stand, learn, and grow from the experience.

Parents & Playing Time

My philosophy is if a player is not good enough to warrant at least some playing time in EVERY game, then I don't pick him. The player is better off playing somewhere that is more at his level than riding the pine because "he will learn from practice" I don't buy into that a player has to play in order to relate to what you are teaching in practice.
If the kids are young, there are good reasons for playing everybody on the team in every game. The difference between zero time and even one minute is huge for a young player. I still remember when my son played on a 4th grade all-star team (3 years ago). The jerk who coached the team would only play about 8 players out the 12. I still get mad when I think about how he practiced 2 hours a day, 4 days a week, we paid money for warmups, gym rental, and admission to each game was $8 for our family. And half the time he didn't play a second. "Darn." Don't get me started. My boy got over it and kept playing basketball. He made his 7th grade school team and has chances to go on further. But he gets the credit for that, because he was determined. That coach didn't help a lick.
Some parents will never be satisfied no matter what you do, but you can alleviate most complaints by granting some time to each player each game. I have found that the least capable players on my roster still have things to contribute when they play, just like sometimes the stars will stink it up for whatever reason. When the lower guys go in, I often give them very specific assignments. If they go in the game and meet those assignments, then they get kudos. I want all the kids to feel they had a part in the game's outcome, and I really want them to feel successful. Sometimes playing time needs to be abbreviated to maintain that sense of success. For instance, I don't leave kids in long when they are failing. If I take them out quickly, then they get another chance later in the game. I have also gone through the pain of watching my older son sit out the last three games of his senior varsity season - for no reason. The coaches even brought up a JV player and used him (the games weren't even close). I get angry thinking about that one, too. How hard can it be to give a kid a chance to help his team?
The key is expectation going in. If you know they're not goig to play everygame they have to know that going into the thing and be allowed to make a decision. We have recent;y had a case of a high school coach who picked up a talented freshmen (it is a top level school) the coaches idea being she wouldn't grow in JV ball and could learn from the expereinced players. He never discussed it with her and when she sat all the games up to the halfway point of the season the coach got sued by her parents for more time!! Human righs was brought in and the coach was forced to give her minutes in every game. We play everybody all the time just becasue of the defnse systems we run. But i don't see anything wrong with people sitting. Make sure they now their role on the team, if you want them to learn and develop they have to play and if you can;t find time reasses why the player is there and how you'll use them.
I make it clear at the start of every season that there are 2 things that are a coach's perogative and are not negotiable; #1 Starting Positions; #2 Playing Time. Having said that , I also make it clear that I will do my best to play everyone as much as possible. Then I walk that tightrope between winnig and playing time all season until tournament time. Then I tell them flat out that we are playing to win every game and there are no guarantees of playing time for anyone. So far I have had only a few minor complaints, mostly from parents who were inclined to find something to bitch about anyway.
I tell concerned parents that I appciciate their concern for their boy, but I have the entire teams best intrests at heart. Each of those boys' is running around on the court every Friday and Saturday (now Tues & Thurs due to gender equity)with a piece of my paycheck in thiers mouths. Since I like receiveing a paycheck, I am going to play the boys' that are perfoming the the best for us. I video tape practice and have shown parents some tape clips of their boy. I will not talk about another boy when speaking about ones playing time. I have a policy that the boy must come to me first without his parents and ask me why he is not getting the minutes that he thinks that he diserves, if this does not work then I will meet with the parents. I always have my staff and A.D. sit in on the meeting. I've had and still have some real problems with satisfying everyone. But, if you worry about that too much then your thinking about the wrong things. Coach the coachable, don't spend a lot of time on boys that are not going to ever be happy. Find the boys that want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. My wife has even been attacked by parents, varsity boys' basketball can bring out the best and not-so-best out of ordinary people.
One thing is for sure - no matter what you do, someone will complain. My policy has always been to play every player at least 7 or 8 minutes a game. This is 5th & 6th grade boys at a parochial school. This year, after taking into account some discussions here on chalktalk, and considering that I have a little more balance on my team this year, I decided to split up playing time evenly for all the kids on my team. (At least during the regular season.) The interesting thing is that I never got complaints in past years when playing time was uneven, but this year I am getting complaints now that playing time is equal! Of course, it is the parents of the kids who are more talented that are complaining whenever their kid comes out of the game. Interesting though, they only complain in the bleachers, just loud enough so that my wife hears them - they have never said a word to me. Now that playoffs are here, I asked the kids if they wanted to continure with equal playing time or if they wanted to change things around and go for the championship. They voted to go for the championship even though it meant uneven minutes.

Dealing with Parents: Your Philosophy

I was just wondering what some of your policies are regarding parents. Especially with the dreaded "playing time issue". Next year I plan on instituting a policy where the parents can talk to me about anything about thier daughter except one thing - PLAYING TIME. They can always ask me what their daughter needs to do to get better, but not about playing time. Every time that issue comes up it is almost a guarantee the parents will bring up names of other players and I don't want to get into a comparison with other players. Are there any things you do to form positive relationships with parents?
This is not a written policy, but I have very few complaints about PT, and this is how I operate. I have a team dinner, parents too, befor the first game. I say pretty much what you say. "I will gladly talk to you about anything concerning basketball except playing time. I will discuss what your son needs to do to be better, but not why he is or isn't playing" I do play every player at least 3 minutes each in the first half. So regardless of their talent, they will play when the game still counts. Then I play to win in the second half. If a parent confronts me about PT. First rule is, I do not discuss it then. I have a tendency to get very to the point and aggitated by after the game confrontations, especially the ones that occur before I even get to talk to the boys after the game. So I politely say. "I would be glad to discuss this situation with you. Please plan on coming into the gym at the end of practice tommorrow and I will discuss this matter with you." Then I prepare my talk. I write it down. Make a copy for the parent, and most importantly, I dictate the direction of the conversation. I do not sit back and say "what's up"
In the first parents' meeting every season I lay down the ground rules.
1. Coaching is not a democracy.
2. I never discuss anything with a parent right before or right after a game.
3. Playing time and starting positions are a coach's perogative and are not negotiable.
4. I will not discuss anything about any other player with you. Likewise, I will not discuss anything about your child with any other parent.
I started something 2 years ago that has worked beautifully. For the most part, the kids are dependent on their parents for transportation to and from games and practices. I never really thought it was fair to the kid to discipline them for being late when it probably wasn't their fault. Now, if they come late for practice, they stay after practice is over and work on whatever skills I think they should work on. Which means that when the parents come to pick them up they have to wait on them to "serve their time."(I do it on a time-and-one-half penalty scale. i.e. 10 minutes late, stay for 15 minutes after practice.) This has cut down noticeably on the chronic offenders. Some you will never cure.
1. I'll talk with parents about grades, attitude, college choices, and personal problems in the home or with the young man.
2. Never talk about playing time, game or practice strategy, other players, or your administration (unless it is a postive statement).
3. Never talk to parents about other staff members or coaches. Let them stick up for themselves, with your supervision.
4. If you are wrong - admit it and go on. But, don't try to justify all of your actions or they will think that they are in charge. Admit that you made a mistake and move on.
5. If you are right, they don't care, all they remember is your mistakes.
6. Be honest at your team parent meeting. Lay down the rules and follow through on them. Be specific and even come across as a little stand offish. Let them know thay your main concern is the players, not pleasing the parents. Tell them that your not always going to make them all happy and that you realize this. But, it is how THEY handle themselves that will set a lot of the pace for a workable relationship w/ the coaches. Hand out the team rules and expectations to the parents. Go over them together, as a whole. They must know that rules apply to all team members, even their perfect son. HAVE YOUR ADMINISTRATION ATTEND THE MEETING AND MAKE A BRIEF STATEMENT & MAKE SURE TO TELL THE GROUP THAT YOU HAVE YOUR ADMINISTRATIONS SUPPORT.
8. Tell them that you are not going to go to their place of employment and tell them how to do their jobs, so you demand the same treatment.
9. If a parent really needs to speak with you they need to make an appointment through the ad's office.
10. If their is a real problem, the young man must come to coach FIRST and try to resolve the conflict. Then if that doesn't work - make an appointment. (This builds mental toughness and responsibility in the players).
11. Now, live up to your end of the bargin and coach adhering to your/the philosophy. Make the young men better people through the medium of basketball.
I have a team meeting before the season and discuss the team rules. The most important being, I will not discuss playing time with parents. If they call me, I will respectfully tell them on the phone,"I don't discuss playing time as stated in the team meeting" and hang-up. If they approach me during/after practices and or games, I respectfully tell them,"I don't discuss playing time as stated in the team meeting" and I will walk away. I've had too many confrontations in HS in the past, when I was just beginning and felt it would be productive. It never is. But, make sure you tell the parents, if the player has a concern you will discuss between the coaches and the player.

Having Assistant Coaches

as one who has been a head coach and going to the asst. role this year, i think its inpotant to know your role. i thought its best to be an asst coach instaed of co coaching due to that problem. just let them know that you are in charge, but let them give input.
Just a couple thoughts. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received from another coach was 'make sure you surround yourself with good people'. It's something I failed to do once and regretted it tremendously. I'm sure if your friends are looking into coaching in the future they'll do a great job for you. Another area was mentioned before and is extremely important (IMHO) and that is roles and responsibilities. Your idea on having each assistant specialize in an offensive area (what about def?) is a good one, I think, just make sure they're teaching what you want them to. Little things can make a big difference so make sure what they do fits your system. Assistants can be a great help when everyone is working together toward a goal(s).
make sure that you and the other 2 coaches are in agreement with what your priorities are, and what systms, offenses, defenses, roles, and anything else you can think of. you 3 have to w ar one game face. you can not disagree about anything in public. if you do, you'll divide your team into factions. that will kill your team. wish you luck!
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT IDEA ABOUT DELAGATING RESPONSIBILITY. WE HAVE BREAKDOWN DRILLS EVERYDAY WHERE WE BREAK DOWN INTO GUARDS AND BIGS. THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR YOU TO USE YOU ASSISTANTS. LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU WANT DONE AND ALSO GIVE THEM THE FREEDOM TO DO SOME ON THEIR OWN. ALSO GIVE EACH COACH A RESPONSIBILITY ON THE BENCH. WHETHER IT BE CERTAIN STATS OR CERTAIN SITUATIONS SUCH AS OUT OF BOUNDS, DEFENSIVE CALLS. ETC.
Been on both sides of this fence, so here are some best/worst experiences that may help you work with your new assistants: 1. as an asst... Best: In latter part of the season, switched roles with head coach for a couple games. Worst: Coming to practice to find out (same time as the players) that the entire offensive plan had changed. 2. as the head coach... Best: accepting help from a "volunteer dad" that added a whole new dimension to our defensive game. Worst: one season of no assistants and no parental help. Had to provide rides, raise money, etc. etc. as well as coach. More work than fun.
Being an assistant coach myself i will give you some info on what we do. I am a 8th grade girls assistant coach and have the following responsibilities; 1. talk with Head coach on monday plan the drills for tues & thurs practice. 2. warm up girls and have them ready to practice. 3. assist HC with overseeing drills ( we do stations ) 4. def. cordinator - set up defense formation for practice and game 5. keep and maintain stats database 6. keep subs. log 7. if possible scout opposing teams my main assignment in the off season is to put together a playbook and to learn every thing i can about the 1-1-3 pressure def.
I mostly agree with everything in the previous posts, but I'd like to add one thing. YOU are the chief decision-maker here: whatever happens, it's gonna come back to you, whether it be good or bad. Just make sure that your assistans subscribe to the same philosophy that you do; disagreements between you and your assistants should be noted, but YOU are the final authority on everything. Make sure that you know what they are teaching and how it fits into the overall program philosophies. Have confidence in your assistants, but don't argue with them. Oh, and one more thing: LISTEN to your assistants before you make decisions. I've been on both sides (head coach & assistant) except I started as a head coach: when I finally got an assistant, I (for whatever reason: to this day, I haven't figured out why! ), I didn't give much weight to what my assistant suggested, postulated or otherwise told me. After more experience, especially as an assistant, I learned the above. Players Keeping Notebooks/Giving them Handbooks
You may want to include a sheet for them to use for setting personal and team goals. Also, you may want to periodically give them some motivational material.
I have required notebooks for 7 years. I don't know why. They tend not to serve much purpose. The 7th graders will draw a 5 reversal play on one halfcourt, it looks like my daughters coloring books. I think this year I am going to provide computer generated plays and information to give to them. I will require them to get a 3 ring binder and I will only give out plays when we get to them.
I have used notebooks in the past ( 6th & 7th grade girls) and just like coach B the kids think its not important. this year im going to stress the importance of the book, and give out homework from it. i keep plays, goals, schedules, copy of player contract ( new this year ) and drills they can do at home.
The most practical reason to have your players use a notebook is so they will have that information forever. They can build on it anyway they like. Add motivational material, devote a section on defensive philosophy. Notebooks can be valuable for players down the road.
As a high school boys coach, I don't require anyone in my program (7-12) to have a notebook. I guess I don't really see the value in doing it although I know some coaches, like Don Meyer, swear by it. I'm not sure there is a connection between understanding it on paper and understanding it on the court.
Basketball is a thinking sport, that you need to turn into reflexes. I am teaching 7th grade girls as well. This year as part of my practices, we will have some classroom type lessons. AND YES, I will have notebooks and I've always had quizzes. I believe a coach should be more of a teacher than anything else.
I work for a JUCO men's team & we use notebooks & I love the concepts of them. We put something motivational, acedemic related, scouting reports, weight programs, etc. We read the materail out loud before practice daily. I think it is a great idea if you inforce importance. We even check these from time to time to see if the players are keeping up with the material.
We use notebooks every season w/ our varsity team. I feel that the notebooks serve a good purpose, in that they reinforce what you say to the kids everyday in practice. For example, our team notebooks will have all of our team goals, philosophies, plays, motivational quotes/sayings, our schedules, the kids grade check sheets that they have to turn in, our team rules, our team code of honor, and a section that they can turn in to the coaching staff (i.e. questions or comments). It takes a lot of time to get the notebooks ready to give to the kids, but we feel that it is well worth it.
I put the teams goals, my philoshy, plays, drills. they place this into a 3 ring binder as things are added such as weekly stats, schedules etc. they are placed into the binder. they are suppose to have this binder at every pactice i will do a spot check to insure they have them. no binder 1st offense 2 suicide liners, next offense 2 suicide liners for every one x # of players missing books.
I've just completed ours. It covers motivational sayings,Team attitude, mostly at this time our daily conditioning schedule and rules, nutritional guidelines, and a Sept.& October schedule. we will add things weekly when we see something or want to put something in. Later, it will contain all of our offensive sets, O/B plays, press breakers, etc.

Team Building

Last year we took our team on an overnight camping retreat. We played games, cooked over the campfire, stayed in tents...basicly everything but basketball. Even though we were taking "city kids" into the "wilderness" and they were scared to death at first, it ended up being one of the highlights of the year. It proved to be very beneficial in the initial development of trust and bonding between players and coaches. We would like to do it again this year, however, we are looking for some additional ideas or possibilities. Has anyone else done this or something like it that helps build team "togetherness"? Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.
Each of the last 3 years, the day before the first game I invite all the players, managers, and parents to my house for a carry-in dinner. This has proved to be a fantastic start, more so for me and the parents, than the players. But it allowed me to talk about our team goals and philosophies with the parents which helped all year long.
THE OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES ARE GREAT, BUT I'VE HAD MORE LUCK BUILDING THE TEAM CONCEPT IN MY PRACTICES. I.E., BECAUSE OF THE SCARCITY OF GYM TIME, I TRY TO MAKE EVERY MINUTE COUNT. IF I YELL BASELINE, THE WHOLE TEAM HAS 6 SECONDS TO MAKE IT THERE AND LINE UP. IF ANYONE IS TOO SLOW, THE WHOLE TEAM RUNS 2 LAPS. THEY LEARN TO RELY ON EACH OTHER, AND HELP EACH OTHER. NO ONE ON MY TEAM RUNS LAPS BY THEMSELVES. IF ONE GIRL DOES SOMETHING TO DESERVE A LAP, THE WHOLE TEAM RUNS WITH HER. WHENEVER POSSIBLE MY GIRLS DO EVERYTHING AS A TEAM. THEY GET REWARDED AS A TEAM, AND REPRIMANDED AS A TEAM. I STILL DO OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES, BUT THE PRACTICES DO MORE FOR MY TEAM'S TEAM SPIRIT THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
I feel like the outside activities aren't just great but imperative. It bonds yourself with the players in a completely different way than on the court. There is only so much bonding that can be done on the court. Having the kids over for dinner, a night of bowling, or anything along these lines will benefit the team incredibly. I do think there are things you can do on the floor like you mentioned, but I don't think you'll get the type of team bonding that Coach Creighton is talking about.
In the past, I've secured complimentary tickets to college bball games, hockey games, etc. Most schools will give you a block on nosebleads seats if you write and explain your reason for bringing your team. We've also ordered professional wrestling pay per views and had cookouts. (The wrestling gives the kids something to do besides trash your house.) I think any time you spend with your team outside your school is beneficial. Team camp in the summer is another great bonding experience. You get to live together for a week and really develop that 'us against the world' philosophy. We had almost as much fun playing cards in the dorm at night as we did playing the games during the day. (I did say ALMOST).
I have taken my kids to a college basketball games, college basketball practices, and to a nursing home. We make a whole day out of these activities by taking them to breakfast, lunch and dinner. I know what most people who read this post are thinking, "why to a nursing home?" I want my players to understand that their time is limited, and see how people live outside of their comfort zones. I am not trying to scare the kids, just trying to broaden their horizons, so to speak. The kids end up meeting an older gentleman who played in the 20's or 30's and they love to hear them tell stories about the old days. I am contemplating taking my kids to a prison. I think it's a good idea for kids to see people who thought that they could cut corners in life or beat the system. I really enjoy spending time w/ my team outside of school. It is my contention that kids need to see their coach as a normal (or somewhat normal) person outside of the gym. The kids need to see that we can be human once in a while.
One idea we are using this year is having our kids go into the elementary schools to read to the students. i'm sending them in groups of two or three to read a couple of times a week for 15-20 minutes. Not only a great team building idea, but also a great way to promote your program.
This drill really puts everyone on the line and tests your team. 4-Minute lay-up drill. In 4 minutes running, the team must make 12 right hand lay-ups in a row, 12 left hand lay-ups in a row, 12 right side power lay-ups and 12 left side power lay-ups. this drill can be done in less than 2 minutes, but I have had team take 27 minutes to do it. Every 30 seconds that goes by after 4 minutes is a suicide. Note, this is based on a 12 person team, if you have more or less, then adjust how many in a row they must make. The teaching point is we only succeed if everyone does their part. You must be careful about negative leaders and verbally reward your positive leaders. You will get some kids saying in a mean tone, "Come on guys, make your lay-ups" Then you will also have guys giving pats on the butt and high fives to those who miss in order to encourage them. This also gives some of the weaker players a chance to be a hero. When they get to that last set and one of your weakest players happens to be the last shooter and he makes it, wow, what a celebration that kid gets.
Came to a revoultionary decision that may be a direcdt result of too much free hippy love propoganda spouted by my eduation program. Next yerar i want time set aside for team building. SOme things i was thinking of: enlist the team into a school lipsync competition and have them work together on a team routine. Every week or two weeks at my place or one of the parents houses host a team night. PIzza or spaghetti and they watch ball or a movie together. (hoosiers, the program, remember the titans, rudy that sorta stuff). maybe even . . .gulp . . a team therapy session. Since basketball is mental sit them down and have them talk about what's going on in their lives: girls, parents school and junk and have them work it out together.
Pat Summit said at a coaching clinic I attended that they have a "family night" where each kid brings something...show and tell like...that reminds them of something or somebody that has some significance in their life. They do this early on so they can better understand where everybody comes from etc. We did a modified version of this and I thought it worked well. I think this makes kids and coaches practice opening up. I think this "opening up" has great value in team building and self-awareness.
A variety of team-building activities exist which encourage team-oriented approaches to problem-solving, leadership development, trust development, etc. Some are very simple. Others are more complex. An example of a simple one: Have your players stand facing in a tight circle, all with both hands in the center of the circle. Have each player grab the hand of another player. The only rules - you can't grab the hand of the player next to you, and each player must hold the hands of two different players. After all hands are matched up, tell them they have to untangle as completely as possible, without letting go. You won't always get a good circle at the end, but the kids will have fun trying to get there. You'll also see a lot of chaos at first, especially, as kids all talk at once, or try to untangle themselves without first consulting each other. The ultimate hope is that one or two people will lead the group to a successful conclusion, with others able to throw in ideas the group accepts. Afterward, talk to them about the importance of communication, both speaking and listening, and how no one is successful if the team isn't successful. If you have a larger group, divide them into teams and make the exercise a competition. Then, you'll add the notion of working under pressure to the equation. More complex: If you have a ropes course in the area, and certified instructors, you can take the team to the ropes course, where they can undertake team and individual problem-solving activites. In college, I participated in a high ropes course team-builder. High ropes involves a lot of climbing so we were required to don mountain climbing gear (i.e., belayed to a person on the ground). One activity required climbing a 25 foot telephone pole, walking to the end of a 2 x 10 plank, and leaping to a trapeze hanging from an adjacent tree. They called it the Pamper Pole, because the pole shook so badly once you reached the top, you needed to have on a pair of Pampers. 1) TEam Drawing - One person holds a picture up and then another person across the room describes it to a blinfolded partner who must draw it on a white board. 2) Wave machine- All particpants must link arms facing a partner. THen stadning shoulder to shoulder with the other partners pass a teammate along as if their arms were a conveyor belt. Complicate by adding turns and obstacles. 3) Who am i - Everyone gets a name tag with a person place or object on it stuck to their forehead. THey must then figure out who or what they are by asking others questions. 4) Human scavenger hunt - You make up a list of questions and on the back but corresponding boxes. THe questions can be anything but for team building normally along the lines of who has done what??? You must then wander around and find someone who can answer the question or meets the criteria. You find out and right down the answer and their name. You can only ever use each name once.
Instead of movies, we study our own game films. We do this about once a a week during the season, although we did it twice a week during state playoffs. It provides good team bonding experience and the players really seem to enjoy it.

Team Slogans

Success Is A Choice, Team First, Me Second Play (Practice) Like A Champion Today; Raise The Bar
Hold my trophy, while I kiss your girlfriend. Chairman of the Boards. Gravity sucks! It ain't pain till the bone shows.
"Girls Kick Butt, and we're just the girls to do it!"
Offense sells tickets / Defense wins championships

Motivational Quotes

"Confidence alone cannot win a game, but over confidence alone can lose a game" -- Tarkanian "If your not practicing, someone somewhere is; and when you meet, he'll win" -- unknown [rebounding] "It comes down to hustle and how badly you want the ball" -- Damon Stoudamire "The teacher can but open the door, it is up to the student to walk through" -- some Chinese philosopher Success is a choice - Rick Pitino - This is on my screensaver at work. Deserve your victory - Rick Pitino. I write this on my whiteboard before every game. " VICTORY OR DEFEAT IS NOT DETERMINED AT THE MOMENT OF CRISIS, BUT RATHER IN THE LONG AND UNSPECTACULAR PERIOD OF PREPARATION" WORLD WAR II U.S. GENERAL

Half Time Pep-Talks

Be very careful about being satisfied at the half. Even if you are ahead or behind you can always box-out and rebound better.
Be specific in what you ask them to improve on and what your goals are. This might be boxing out, # of offensive rebounds, quicker help-side defense, more patience on offense, shots in the paint or whatever. Get them to focus on their assignments and responsibilities, rather than the score, which helps keep their head in the game. I'm sure you're already doing this but if ahead, a good time to have your bench get some experience. If behind, same philosophy applies. Tell them what specific things you want them to do.
I read "Success is choice" by Rick Pitino and he would always get all over his players if they were ahead and be very kind and instructive if they were behind and lift their spirits. I plan on trying it this year.
I usually pick out specific things we're not doing and tell them those things at halftime so they have some continuity and structure all the time. You can always have big halves and terrible halves and I try to maintain the same demeanor no matter what. If you're all excited, the players tend to look past doing what you're supposed to do to ignite the good play. If you're down, the players are down. Now, that is with girls I think the way I do it can be successful. I've coached boys, though, and I think Coach Pitino's is a great idea for them. They are different mentally and their approach varies also and that's why I do it that way for girls.

Motivational/Reward Systems for Individuals & Team

for defensive motivation i use "touches" . a touch is any time you touch the ball on defense . this could be a reb, steal, deflection, or any other time you get a hand on the ball even if the offense recovers it. i track this in one segment of every practice even if it is for 5 or 10 minutes only and every game. i tell my players the best defensive player is the one who gets the most touches.
I like Coach Rick's idea. We do similar tracking during shooting drills for individual bests, but no tangible rewards beyond recognition of who had highest percentage. I like team rewards, though. We'll take the team out for pizza, for example, if a challenging team goal is met. The problem with individual rewards is that the "losers" (I don't call them that either) feel slighted and sometimes criticize the contest instead of feeling congratulatory.
I like a pizza party every now and then for our team.I say stuff to the team like,if you play hard and win,you get a pizza party at my house.Now ,we know they don`t allways win,so they get it anyway.They allways play hard.I can`t demand that they be sucessful on the court,just try to be.I think thats worth a little something extra every now and then.
I have been using a reward system for over three years now. This is not based just on wins and loses , but on achiveing team goals. ie last year we played a team that beat us by 20. the next time we played them i told the team lunch was on me if the won at least one quarter. they played hard winning 3 quarters but ran out of gas. yes lunch was on me. we have a tourney next week and what was the first words out of their mouths...so are you buying lunch after we win this thing.
I use motivational and demotivational, so to speak. I'll go with the "de" first. To promote teamwork all of my practices are done as a team. When they hear the whistle they have 5 seconds to make it to the baseline. If 1 player doesn't make it, the whole team runs 2 laps. If a kid starts fooling around they get 1 warning, the next time, the whole team does a suicide. They look to each other to do the right thing. Peer pressure is a wonderful thing. Motivational, this works for girls. Boys, who knows. If they do something exra-ordinary, I take them to a restaurant where they have karioke. My kids love to sing. Or I take them for a pizza, shake, whatever, and we do team kids trivia with special prizes, even boys like this one.

How to Motivate Polite Girls to be Aggressive

Tough problem!! If they have brothers or sisters its easy. tell them to act like they are guarding their closet and thier B/S are trying to take their favorite shirt. It works at my house!! On offense tell them thier B/S have it!
One thing I am going to try in our first game this saturday, is to bring a rebounding score sheet to the game and record how many rebounds each player gets - no other stats, just rebounding. I told the kids that the player who gets the most rebounds over the season will get a hat as a prize. I am hoping this provides some motivation.
I coach 8th grade girls. I had this problem at the beginning of last years season and found a drill that helped me alot. I read that this drill was used by Phil Jackson when he was with the Bulls, so it is called the "Chicago Drill." Line your girls up around the 3 point line. The first three girls start the drill. Put a ball on the floor under the basket. On the whistle the first three girls race for the ball. All three girls are on their own trying to score. The rest of the rules are that "their ain't no rules." No fouls. No out-of-bounds. A player must score three times before they are finished. Once a player scores three times she rotates out and the next player rotates in. To make the rebounding more aggressive and the game a little more interesting I told my girls that if the ball goes outside the 3 point line all three girls give me 10 push-ups (meanwhile I retrieve the ball and place it back under the basket) and the first girls finished with her 10 can get the ball and try to score before the others get finished. After I introduced this drill my girls begged to do it every practice. I taught the same drill to my girls this year and now I get the same reaction. They want to do it all the time.
I have had much the same problem with the 5th/6th grade girls I have. What seemed to work for most was what we call the butt drill. We take as many girls as we have on the team 7. Place them in a circle about 12 feet in diameter. they are instructed to touch back to back legs bent and start pushing at the signal the object is to try to push one an other out of the circle. Let them know it is ok to touch. The second drill we do is the defender has her back to the pressing forward. The defender stays in touch with the forward by hand checking. The forward attempts to roll past the defender. The defender is instructed to stay low this is extremely effective in blocking out.
At this age level it is very important to give immediate praise, even during a game. Getting her attention after she boxes out or makes a good defensive play and telling her, "That's what I'm talking about! Do it again!" will be sure to bring a smile and a repeat performance
I agree with Jim about modeled behavior. I try to take my players (girls high school varsity) to a local (100 miles away?)Division II practice. This program is known for their aggressive defense, attacking the basket, and rebounding. It opens some eyes, and I see the results right away. It's always worth burning a regular practice. The coach there is a friend, but most college coaches will allow you to watch a practice. As a male coach working with high school age girls, a live demonstration from young women whose scholarships are tied to their performance is worth a thousand words.... they really "get it" when they see it!
I teach my players to be "decisive" rather that aggressive - DECIDE that the next hands on the ball will be yours, DECIDE that the next rebound will be yours and then reinforce "Good decision, Mary, great job on that rebound" Girls have been taught not to be aggressive, but they WANT to make decisions. Remind them that deciding is using their brains AND their bodies and that a smart player can beat an aggressive player any day...good luck, coach, I'm glad you asked the question!

Team Leadership/Team Captains

My idea of a team leader is a player who shows a good attitude thru it all without complaining.Allways trys their best to do what ever is at hand at present time. trys to encourage teammates,has a good knowledge of the game (according to their age level),shows good behavior at pratice and games ..someone who will represent our team and school well ,especially on the court and pratice.the players I thought would be team leaders on our team did poorly,we have a player who has been used for several positions they really hated to play,played hard all last year (no complaints)and has showed a lot of maturity this year,thats our team leader. So this year ,I feel Our team leader needs to be rewarded....just my idea
On my 12U team I have the eam vote for a team captain after our first scrimmage. I tell them to vote for who they believe is responsible, is committed, hard worker, good sportsman,, shows respect to coaches officials, etc. My captian is responsible for initiating warm-up drills before games and in beginning of practice, decides what we say coming out of TO's or into quarters (ex. 1-2-3 TEAM), also he is expected to help me in motivating the players and discouraging improper attitude/behavior.
I have my players select the captains in the Spring. I want the captains to be in place all summer long. This is when we set the tone for next year by our effort during the summer and fall months. After they are selected I sit down with them and discuss rules, respons, expectations, etc. that I have. Focus a bunch on leadership and give them handouts on leadership and motivational things. This has worked real well for me especially selecting them early.
Because I feel the point guard must be the leader on the floor, I designate my starter and reserve pt guard as the captains. This way I will always have one of them on the court. The Pt guards lead us in stretches and are responsible for locker room behavior.
I let the kids (9th-10th gr girls) vote for the captains with the caveat that I have the final vote. This has worked well for 3 yrs and I haven't vetoed any selections yet. I also use a 'game captain' that can be any starter and since I try to give everyone a start they all get a shot. Team captains are responsible for picking the jersey logo for the year, organizing a few outings, school radio announcements, leading prac warm-ups, ...
I let my kids vote of captains as well, with the (unspoken) understanding that I have final veto power. We vote by secret ballot and I've never had to veto a selection. I think the kids know who they can look to among their peers for leadership. I've seen some kids who were voted captain because they were the most skilled players but were initially somewhat shy grow into more vocal leaders as the season progressed. I think the kids are more likely to take leadership from someone if they feel they had a say in the selection.

Choosing Captains & their Responsibilities

I feel that it is necessary to select captains based on leadership of the team. This has been a difficult decision for me over the years because sometimes the person I think is best for the captain role the team does not want to follow or is not willing to lead. So I think that it is important to get team input when making that decision and make sure that it is something that the player that is selected is comfortable with.
Here are a few ways that my captains have been selected over the years and a brief comment. Players vote on captains. This is the most popular way, and most of the time all it becomes is a popularity contest. Players select one captain and the coaching staff selects the other. If the same person is selected by both groups, then you only have one captain.
Coaching staff selects the captain(s). This allows you to pick players that you feel will work best with your staff and be the best leaders. We went this route this past season and found it to be the best for our situation.
One final consideration. Select your captains before school ends. That way you have some extra help when trying to organize the troops in the summer and preseason. By picking the captains early, they can assist you in these duties and assume more responsibilities. Captain's Duties and Responsibilities 1. Be LOYAL. (To your school, your teammates and coaches, yourself.) You need to be someone that we can all count on and trust no matter how tough the situation. 2. Be an extension of the coaching staff, both on and off the court. If someone asks you a question, you should be able to give them the same response that a member of the coaching staff would give. If you do not know the answer to something, refer to the coaching staff for help. 3. Be a leader, not a complainer. (Especially lead by example: Be the first one on the court and the last one to leave. Outwork everyone. Take an extra 50 shots after practice. Ask for extra help if you need it.) 4. Be a liaison between the coaching staff and the players. Keep the lines of communication very open and active. Everyone should be on the same page. Keep the coaching staff informed of any problem areas that may need addressed. Remind your teammates of expected behaviors, attitudes, etc. 5. Work together, not only with the coaching staff and your teammates but, with each other. You must function as one, not as separate individuals. You may not always agree with everything, but you must be supportive. 6. Be on time. Better yet, be early. 7. Remember that as an athlete, you are under the public eye more than the normal student. People put you on a pedestal, whether you like it or not. You are a role model. If there is any doubt, don't do it.
I don't like choosing a "captain". The players are already aware of who the "floor leader" is. I don't feel that it is necessary to turn it into a popularity contest between the players or for the coaching staff to select. If I had to choose a method I would select the "senior" on the team. The player that has been with the team the longest, etc.
I was in strange situation last year, made a decision I that was best for the team, and it caused nothing but problems. I had no seniors, 2 non-starting juniors, and 5 sophomore starters as my main varsity players. After talking about the importance of leadership I gave the team a simple handout with some questions and asked them to list the two top leaders on the team. It was overwhelming to a certain two sophs (even the juniors felt that way)....soooooo I named them captains. Let me tell you, we had problems from not ony the juniors who felt slighted, but by other jealous sophomores. After the first five games I talked to the captains, and they had received enough grief that they didn't want to be captains of the team any more (even though they felt it was a great honor. I had a team meeting and told the team I had made a mistake (even though it was an honest one that I thot went along with their feelings, and we were going to have two different speaking captains for each game the rest of the year. This seemed to 'gel' the team and we pulled together and finished off a decent season. To make a long story short (I know...too late), I probably will not name caaptains anymore. The girls know and have their leaders, but I will go with game captains.
What I do is name a team capt. and rotate the game capt among the other players. I have been doing this since the mid 80's while coaching u12 girls softball. I have since carried it over to my basketball teams I like to rotate game captains so everyone has a few turns at it. Also rotate who starts. Game captains and starting are things that don't mean that much to me but the kids all like a chance to do them so we share the experience. In terms of team leadership, I hope to foster a team identity rather than a leader/follower style. This is hard to explain concisely, but the all kids need to have the courage (and support of their teammates) to take big shots or make big plays rather than look to their "leaders" when the pressure is on. There are usually dominant players/personalities on each team. Honoring certain players with special status is often resented by those not recognized. That's why I don't like naming captains even as a reward for good effort in practice. I'm not criticizing coaches who name captains and treat it as an important honor. That obviously works well in many programs. I just believe in a definition of "team" where all are united and equal in purpose regardless of ability to contribute.
The main reason I asked was that in 20 years as a varsity coach I've never named a captain or had a team elect a captain. My opinion: I want positive leaders on the team not captains. Leaders will rise to the top. They do need to be elected or chosen. I feel that a possibility that could happen is you name a captain or the kids elect a captain and while he may be good he may not be your best leader. Or he may not be your best leader by the time you start your league (district, conference, ..) play. Now the player that would have risen to the top as your leader holds back because he "knows" he is not the captain. I agree with Alaska Coach in that I want all my players to have the traits mentioned in the post on captain's responsibilities. But I feel that positive leader will naturally rise to the top if there isn't a captain in his way. As Henry Ford said, "Asking who ought to be the leader is like asking who ought to sing bass in a quartet. The answer is obvious - the guy that sings bass." But if we elect or appoint a tenor to sing bass, our quartet won't sound very good.
Some years we have gone with a "bench captain". This person is not a starter. They are responsible for keeping the bench fired up and attentive to what is going on in the game. This position is usually rotated from game to game. This is in addition to our regular captain.
I allow the team to vote for the captains and I never hold the vote until about a week or so before the first game. Duties and expectations include: pregame meeting with officials, being the last one out of the locker room and making sure the team area is secure, policing any inappropriate behaviors in practice BEFORE I have to do it myself, calling team in the event of last minute change in practice schedule (weather, etc.), represent the team at functions like athletic banquet, pep club meetings, etc., leading the team in stretches, making sure that restaurants/bus are clean following road games, and basically anything else I can think of. I sell them hard on being a leader and reserve the right to overrule the teams choice if I feel it became a popularity contest. I've never had to do that, the kids know who the leaders are and it's not always the best player or leading scorers.
At the High School level I really believe that captains need to be picked by the Head Coach. (with assistant coach input) Team captains need to be on the same page as the coach. Team captains must be the hardest workers. Team captains must be totally dedicated to our basketball program. Before I choose any captains they must agree to these three principles.

Team Concept/Selfish Players

Get rid of the stat sheet. Tell your players colleges are looking for players that are team players. Are your practices competitive? How can your team make each other better? Look for better competition. Make one of your goals team unity.
I agree with Coach T but I would keep track of one stat and would be for assists. Any player without at least five in a game (or what ever number you want to use) will not start the next game! That is the only stat that counts from now on. That should produce some results
Show them the stat sheet!!!! But only show them the "assists", "field goal percentage", "free throw percentage", "three-point percentage", "rebounds", and "turnovers". You may keep a few more stats. "offensive rebounds by your opponent", "points scored off offensive rebounds by your opponents". I heard Rick Majerus speak a few years back. he said his players were all trying to be like Jordan. So he had his assistants take clips out of some Bull's games. He showed them an hour long tape of Jordan playing. And all it had on it was "Jordan diving after loose balls", "Jordan making an assist", "Jordan taking the charge", "Jordan diving into the stands after loose balls", "Jordan playing defense (on the ground)". And at the end he told them if they wanted to "be like Mike" they had to do all these things.
I keep stats but the only stats that count are TEAM stats. TEAM stats are: assists, rebounds, blk shots, forced turnovers and steals. i player get one point for each Ie: [player A 2 steals, 3 assists, 4 rebounds = 9 pts.) the player with the most team pts at the end of the season is the TEAM MVP. I dont tell them that is the award they get i just tell them that player will be rewarded for his efforts at the end of the season. After doing this you will be surprise how balanced the team becomes.
Not sure if your system allows for it, but what I do very early in a season is take the team to a weekend tournament some distance from home and encourage the parents to stay together for the weekend (eat out at the same places, see sights together, etc). The boys are then able to spend time with each other without the distraction of their non-basketball friends and interests. This gives them some valuable bonding time away from the court as well as match practice. An additional benefit is that the parents get to know each other and I can develop relationships with both parents and players. The result of tournament?...who cares.
I nevere have one of my players run laps or suicides for losing a competition or for messing up. I have a whole group run. I.E. At ther beginning of my learning sessions, practices, I blow the whistle and yell baseline. They have 5 seconds to get to the baseline I point to. If even one kid doesn't make it in time, the whole team runs 2 laps, not just the guilty party. Everyone succeeds or everyone pays. All of my drills are competitive. I will divide the team into 2 or 3 groups to compete in a drill. Losing teams do a suicide. No individual is singled out, win together - lose together. The moment a negative comment comes out of a player's mouth, everyone runs. Peer pressure is more powerful than pressure from a coach. Everyone one of my learning sessions contains a 10 minute no-dribble scrimmage. To move the ball down the court they have to pass to one another. This makes them depend upon one another, better than anything else I have ever tried. Just a few ideas!

Avoiding Team Burnout

The season can get very long and grueling. So about once a month, pull a surprise on em. Have everybody do their normal warmup drills, then throw a mini-party ... pizza, maybe watch a movie, whatever. Just break the routine of practice. Never announce this ahead of time, just let the players wonder when it is gonna happen. It can really break those midseason blah's and give the kids a reason to keep looking forward to practice.
Let them play full court 3-on-3. My girls would rather play this than 5-on-5. It's great for passing, conditioning, and moving without the ball
give them a night off
I like to shake the routine up a lot the last month of the season. One idea is to let the kids pick the drills to prepare for the next game. The main requirement is that they do it in an organized fashion. Having ownership in the plan seems to motivate them. With the younger teams, our end of the season parents vs players scrimmages have been really fun. I'd get a real ref, clock, the whole bit. We even had an emcee to do play by play - so funny! I like the fall youth league and the high school season but feel its time to take a break for spring and summer, play some softball, coach some baseball. Some of the kids play spring and summer basketball leagues, but I won't coach it. The quality of basketball drops a lot (here anyway) during the off-season, so its a good time to recharge.

Practice Attendance & Consequences

I applaud you for your attitude and actions. The quickest thing to ruin the rest of your kids is a cancerous attitude. All my girls and their parents sign a contract. One unexcused absence is = sitting on the bench for a game, and they have to come to the game and sit. 2 unexcused absences and it's adios. You mentioned a contract, what does it say? Do you have the right to kick them off according to the contract? Did the player and their parents sign? Use this for ammo. Next, write down all your examples of why they should be gone. Document, document, and when you think you're done, document some more. Stand by you decision but let them know why in a rational, unemotional way. Also the success of any team depends on participation. You don't want to get the reputation as some attila the hun who boots kids off for the slightest thing.
You do have to document absences. Take attendance at practice. Tell the kids that not being dressed to play = not being there at all. I don't boot kids off the team, I just sit 'em. Unexcused absence = Sit out 1 game. Waaaaaay down on the end of the bench and at the end of warmups you go back to the locker room and change back into street clothes. (I dont want people wondering why those kids havent gotten in the game, and I don't want myself to get tempted to put em in). About 2 weeks of that and they quit on their own volition. Whatever policy you adopt it is a good idea to put it in contract form and have all players and parents sign it at the beginning of the season. Then, if you have documented unexcused absences, you are perfectly within your rights to boot kids if they exceed your allowed number of absences I didn't catch what level you coached but I'll tell you my coaches method. I play on my high schools varsity team. You don't even think about skipping if you really wanna play. If you skip say a two hour practice you either have to jog an equivelent of 120 minutes or do 60 ladders before you can begin to play in the games again. Also you cannot run for missed practices during a practice. It has to be at a seperate time. Our team is very disciplined and in shape!!
The best way to get your players to participate in practice is to sit them in games. If they are really serious in playing then they shouldn't have a problem in practice should they? You have to be fair though, if you play a starter after a missed practice then a guy on the bench is gonna wonder what the use is.

Players Violating School & Team Rule

Four of my players were suspended from school last Thursday for coming to a school dance drunk. Now they were not eligible to play in Thursday's game or to practice on Friday. Now, because that suspension was only two day's they are allowed to come back to school and participate in the games and practices. Now, because they violated a TEAM rule I called them up and said don't bother coming to the practice or game that are being held today and tomorrow thus, I gave them a team suspension. for an extra two day's. The four that cannot participate until Wed., are four of my key players. One of them questioned why I was doing this, He said that they were already punished by the admin., and that my punishment was uncalled for. What's your take on this? Should I lift the suspension or should I stick to it?
was this rule in place at the beginning of the season? was it communicated to the team that you had your rules in addition to the school's adm.? If the players knew about the additional rules/consequences, it's their tough luck. They are lucky to still be on the team for violating training.
I don't think you should lift a penalty you already imposed. Besides, its a serious infraction. They're getting off lightly as it is. I know of similar cases where the individual's seasons were over at that point. I think you're well within your role. Gee, I wonder if the parents will complain?
Stick to your guns. Don't set a precedent that you don't live up to your word. The kids will then believe that you are an easy mark. If you are a varsity coach whose job depends on wins, then go to your A.D. and Principal and explain your position.
Wow--your school sounds like a very soft touch on substance use/abuse. The starting point guard for our varsity team last year got drawn for a random drug test and tested positive for tobacco (chewing tobacco). He was ineligible for 4 weeks of the season for that first offense. Can't see how you could be questioned for two extra days of suspension after kids showed up drunk at a school function!
I like your stance and your courage. I know these things are not easy sometimes. There are many times in life when punishment is administered by various parties and not just one. Did you ever break a window as a kid? First your mama jumps on you. Then it's wait till your daddy gets home. Then you have to pay the neighbor for the window. Then tell the person who window it was that your sorry. Then your grounded. Let's hope the law didn't catch you running away or it is another punishment handed out. You get the idea! In this case you are just another level of punishment for a serious offense. Your boys represent the school and because of that, in my mind they are held to a higher level of behaviour that the regular student and your punishment should impress the fact on their minds.
Stick to it, At our school, offense #1 is 365 days of no sports participation. They should feel lucky that is all you are doing.

Having Players Play Multiple Positions

At the JV and Varsity level is when the players should know every position. They must know where their team mates will be at all times. It is not unreasonable to expect your son to know this spot. It might be unreasonable to expect him to do real well, but he should know the cuts. This is even more true of the point guard. At 7th grade, I try to have each of my players learn 2 positions, but not all 5 yet.

Goals You Want to Accomplish This Year

At the start of last season I told my girls we had 3 goals: 1. to be the best team the school has ever had. 2. to be win the last tourney of the season. 3. to beat the best team in the city. This years goals are simple due to the fact that I will be at another school with new / unknown personnel. It this...to be better players than you were last year.
My girls are in 8th grade. As a team we only have 2 goals, to make the varsity team in 10th grade and to learn enough to win the state championship in 2004 and 2005. My job is to teach them enough to make the varsity team. Their job is to learn enough to make the team and then go for the states. A great second part to this question is how do you plan to accomplish your goals? In my case, I don't care if we lose every game between now and 2004, as long as we are learning something every day. The neat thing about learning is, THE MORE YOU LEARN, THE MORE YOU WIN. Don't ever forget, COACH = TEACHER!!
I coach 7th grade boys. 7th grade is the first year of Jr. High, so I am taking players from 6-8 different elementaries and making the Jr. Hi team. This is the first year they are called Tigers, our high school nick name. My Goal: To give each player the knowledge required to be a fine young man. To give each player on my team the knowledge required to succeed in Tiger basketball, with a focus on the skills required at the 8th grade level. How do I do it. 1. We Have Fun 2. Review and relearn the fundamental groundwork they will need to succeed in Tiger Basketball 3. Introduce them to the Tiger method of Man to Man defense 4. Teach them the basic Tiger transition offense and secondary break. 5. Teach them how to work hard all the time These five methods help accomplish my 2 goals. I judge myself by several things. First, do the players that listened and put into practice what I taught them make it in Tiger Basketball over the next 5 years, but more importantly, and I am just now seeing this as I now have 3 classes of players out of high school, are they fine young men. I get such a thrill from a former player that comes up to me and thanks me for what I did for them 5 years ago on the 7th grade team. Many of my former players thank me, but they are not even in basketball anymore, they used the knowledge of working hard to focus on football, or school or many other things. I forget what football coach said this, I think he was from Chicago or Illinois somewhere. A reporter asked him how he felt he did with his team this year and he said he didn't know, he would tell them in 20 years.
I don't think goals relating to number of wins or winning a championship are effective. Useful goals are attainable and controllable. For instance, we set targets for turnovers committed. The number is objective and by practicing our fundamentals and exercising good judgement, we can reduce turnovers. If the goal is to win a certain game or tourney, it may be what you strive to do, but you can't control how good the opposition is, only how well you play. A season is not a failure because you lose the final game, its just disappointing. What counts is how much you learned and how well you played. Difficult to measure those concepts, I agree, but that's what matters.
I coach varsity girls. Our goal this season is that we are going to put the emphasis on the importance of preparedness - as opposed to the necessity of winning. Our team motto this season is ; The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare.

Substitution Systems

I recently read an article about a coach at a college in Oregon. He implemented a new subbing system that he says has given his team new life. This system has helped his team chemistry, effort in practice, team morale, etc. What he does is this. Basically, he has his first team, team up with a partner at the same position. (10 players). Each tandem decides how they will split up the minutes prior to the game. They have 20 minute halves, and they are to split up 18 minutes. So for example, Player A may start the game and go for the first 6 minutes, then Player B comes in for the next 7 minutes, and maybe they split the remaining 5 minutes of the half. This is just one tandem, at the same time, the other 4 groups of 2 are doing the same thing, but splitting the minutes up a totally different way. Each game, different combinations of players end up on the floor. The last 2 minutes of the half, the coach puts players 11 and 12 in with any other 3 players he chooses. Think about it, all 12 players have played within the flow of the regular game. The second half is much the same. I can't remember exactly how he said he would control the last part of the game, I think he decides who plays the last 6 minutes of the game or so. I coach high school basketball and started thinking about this strategy. Certainly some adjustments would need to be made in order for it to work at this level. I thought that instead of allowing the players to split up the minutes, I could use the same concept and divide up the minutes myself doing the same thing. Except because we have 2 8-minute quarters, I would divide up 14 minutes between them, and leave the last 2 minutes the same way this coach did. Your assistant coach could control putting the players in at these times you have written down. The players would all be involved, and feel like an important part of the team. Some are probably thinking, I'm not that deep. Maybe your backup point guard isn't very good. You could split the 14 minutes up by bringing in your backup for the last 2 minutes of the first quarter, and letting him play for another 2 minutes of the second quarter. Now he's played in both quarters. He gets 4 minutes in the first half, and your starting point guard gets 12, yet the backup is stoked, even though he only played 4 minutes. Again, this would be going on at each position. Just wondering what other coaches think about this idea. Is 4,5,or 6 minutes of time to backup players going to be so detrimental to your teams chances of winning that it outweighs all the positives of this system. I for one have over the years just randomly subbed when I felt like it. Usually I get about 8 players in during the first half, and maybe 7 or 8 during the second half. I couldn't imagine getting all 12 players in, in the FIRST HALF. Let alone a few more minutes in the second half although I feel that I will most likely distribute more of the minutes in the second half to the starters, but still use the same system just to a lesser degree. I would really like to get some other coaches feelings on this. I just think it would be unbelievable for the team chemistry. Or, do any of you coaches use a similar type system that has worked well for you. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
I like the ideal of playing everyone in the first half. This year I have 12 players and will try to play them all in the first half. I looking at using a system where players rotate in at designated times. I will mix the teams, odd and evens i.e 1,3,5 7,9 start then I sub in next 2,4,6,8,10. If i have 12 players the remaining 2 play last 2. min of 1st quarter and first 2 of second quarter. they also start first 2 mins. of 2nd half. players 1-10 then get all remaining time unless its a blow out by either team, then I try to let 11 - 12 get alot of playing time. I also script the substitutions for the first 3 quarters (6 min) so everyone gets to play and we always have a good ball handler and good post in. Then in the 4th quarter, I play kids according to their performance and the situation. Advantages: Kids don't feel like they are getting benched every time they make a mistake so that reduces pressure. They know they are going to play X minutes so they don't sit on the bench anxious about whether they will play. I don't have to be thinking about who has played and who hasn't during the game, it's already planned. In case of injury or foul trouble, I have to adjust on the fly but hey, that's why I make the big bucks.
I'm as guilty as anyone of getting caught up in the game and looking up at the clock to see that you haven't subbed once in the first quarter. I'm going to be fortunate enough to be 2 deep at every position this season. My question is where do you give the minutes for players 11 and 12 if you are platooning? Sure seemed like playing deep into the bench worked for the Florida Gators last season, huh? Did you guys find that you had complaints from the parents of the kids who used to play heavy minutes before you went to the platooning system?
What's the primary complaint from parents? My kid didn't get to play (or play very much). What's the usual reason kids quit or become demotivated? Lack of playing time. We don't script the lineups, but everybody plays both halves. We usually sub 5 new players in every 3-4 minutes. If the kids don't feel they were in long enough, we tell them they didn't play hard enough. Kids that bust butt for 3-4 minutes will be ready to come out. The great thing is the team does well. Every kid can expect a chance to contribute, so the effort is there in practice. And, it removes that horrible sense of pressure a bench player feels when he finally gets in and tries to do something to earn more PT next game. The coach in Oregon that implemented this at I believe Linfield College, played his 11th and 12th man the last 2 minutes of the half. He chose 3 of his best players to play with them. Of course, if you're deep, 11 and 12 can sometimes do just as much as 7 or 8. You never know. A little harder if 11 and 12 are horrible. Still, will putting them in for a couple of minutes, even at the varsity level, override the importance of developing team unity? I'm expecting practices with major intensity. Also, who's to say that 11 and 12 stay 11 and 12 forever. Don't you think they'll be striving to get in the 10 man rotation system. And how much harder will that player work that they're trying to beat out. In the second half, my plan is to not play them unless it's a blowout situation, but at least they got in the game.
You raise a good point about motivation. I have had players that start busting their butt when I tell them they are not in the top rotation and playing time will be limited, I have had others go into a shell and never come out. Personally I like the idea of earning a spot in the 10 man rotation, but I do not coach that way. At 7th grade, I play everyone almost equal minutes in the first half, including my 11-12, or even 14 some years. 11 and 12 get the fewest minutes. It is a challenge getting them in. Some one else will need to give up a couple minutes in their normal platoon time. Usually, somebody gets in foul trouble and makes it easier to decide who to sub for. We give 11 and 12 some chances to start games. Also, if the margin is wide, they stay in longer at the end. No complaints from parents who think their kids deserve more time because the used to play more minutes on previous teams. Ninth grade is really an instructional venue and it isn't hard to sell it at that level. I would expect more problems at the varsity level where parents think the coach is responsible for funding their kid's college education by packaging the player for a scholarship. Doesn't that blow your teamwork ideals apart? But, I've seen I've seen it happen.
I just wanted to add a cautionary note. Some of the coaches touched on motivation with a pre-scheduled subbing scheme. Since I am not allowed to make any cuts on my team, I have had to use a pre-scripted subbing system for two years now. After the first few weeks of practice, I work out the subbing and minutes on paper very carefully to make sure that everyone gets a reasonable (not equal) amount of minutes while the combinations on the floor at any given time are balanced. One thing I saw last year was that the kids all knew about this system and worked hard up to the time when I put the minutes down on paper. After that I saw a considerable drop off in effort at practices since the kids knew that their minutes were set. This year I am thinking about putting together a blank template of a substitution pattern, based on the number of kids on the team. I won't fill it in until after the last practice before each game. This way I can show them that those who work the hardest will get the lion's share of minutes. I don't think you keep a consistent number of minutes for each player. I think in order for this to work, the minutes will change from game to game. Base minutes on the effort given in practice, and the attitude that kids display. Maybe the backup 3 plays better than your 3 starter, flipflop their assignments and see how the former starter handles it. You would assume he would try to get his starting spot back. Also, you can remind them that many teams play only 7 or 8 players, and that they might not get in at all if that were the case.

Planning for the Season

This is mostly for school coaches or coaches that have a set season, games are already lined up and you are not scheduling games as the season goes on. How much do you outline your season's practices before day one? Do you have every practice planned? Do you have a basic outline for each day planned and then fill in some time for what you need to work on more? Do you plan each practice the night before or an hour before? In the mold of Wooden, do you keep records of past practices from previous years.
I begin by preparng a master practice plan for the year. This covers everything I want my teach my team by the end of the season. I also include deadlines plus things such as parent meetings, when uniforms will be given out, when certain handouts will be distributed and even the year-end party. Then I break the season down into parts such as 1) Tryouts 2) Before the first game 3) Before Christmas Tournament, etc. and decide what I want to teach in each part. I use these plans to develop individual practice plans. I prepare these for the upcoming week then adjust the daily plans for things that I wasn't able to cover the day before. The plans include any specific points I want to stress to prepare for a certain team or to work on something I noticed from a game we played. As far as year to year, I've found that what I want to cover before the first game stays pretty constant. In particular I make sure I review the rules with the team, make sure we have a press and press break ready and also have an out of bounds play ready (including a sideline play) This has really helped us do well early in the season. I coach 5th to 8th grade and move up with the players each year then back to 5th after 8th, so what I teach changes each year. A really good book that covers the topic of practice planning is "Youth Basketball - A Complete Handbook" by Garchow and Dickens. They also include a list of the suggested skills to teach depending on the age of the players. I refer back to this every year.
I plan similar to previous posts' comments. I have a list on Excel spreadsheet of all the things I want to teach going down the left side of the page and the weeks of the season going from left to right across the top of the page. I fill in the cells (where week column meets row for each skill to teach) for the week where we introduce, learn, and review each skill. If I plan to work on it 5 days that week, I put a 5 in the cell, if just 2 days, I enter a 2. That gives me an outline for the season. Then I write my daily practice plan each evening after finishing the previous practice or game, with changes to cover any areas where we had problems. I have also accumulated a list of drills (about 7 pages) on MS Word which I can cut and paste into my practice plan.
I have a pre-season plan for the practices up to the first game. This includes all that I want to get down in that amount of time, and this stays pretty constant each year. From that point on, I plan each day's practice the night before or during the day of each practice. I keep all my practice plans each year. I can show you what I was doing during practice at any time in the last 28 years......my wife says I need a life. Guess I figure I have one...coaching.

Team Rules

I suggest you write the rules down, too, and hand them out. Some teams make a contract out of it. There's a lot possible rules... I'll just start with a couple. Your rules of timeliness and listening are essential.
1. When I blow the whistle to call you together, hustle to the huddle. I usually go to the center of the court, blow the whistle, and count to five. If anybody is still straggling, instead of introducing the practice plan, we run. Hopefully, this translates into your team hustling to you for time-out at the game. One of my pet peeves is wasting precious time out seconds while players amble over.
2. (For younger teams) When the practice is over, go home. There seems to be a few kids who will want to pull a ball out of their gym bag and start shooting around. Hustle the kids out. The awaiting parents will appreciate it as will any teams that have the floor after you.
Here are some of my very basic guidelines:
1. Listen
2. Do what I ask when I ask without question
3. Have Fun and stay loose
4. Play hard or go home
5. Respect teammates
6. Obey all school rules and District polices
I make it real clear in my try-outs that during the season, practices can not be missed due to other commitments. That way the players know whether or not to continue trying-Out or not. I run into bowling on Saturdays and Soccer during the week. Missing practice or games due to these types of reasons results in an unexcused abscence. 1 and 2 of these are dealt with during practice. A third one gets a game suspension, a fourth one is removal from team. I coach a school team in Indiana and we expect full commitment for the season. However,during my AAU season with the same team I am much more forgiving because basketball is not officially in season anymore. Here are mine...I just cut and pasted them from a word document so they might be hard to read. If you give me your email I will send you the word file if you want it.

NIGHTHAWK GIRLS BASKETBALL Team Rules
I. Nighthawk Necessities (From Pat Summit)
A. Develop and Demonstrate Loyalty
B. Take Full Responsibility
C. Learn To Be A Great Communicator
D. Discipline Yourself So No One Else Has To
E. Make Hard Work Your Passion
F. Make Winning An Attitude
G. Be A Competitor

II. Appearance
A. Off the Floor
   1. Neat and presentable at all games (coaches discretion)
   2. Wear some type of nice looking clothes (no jeans)
B. On the Floor
   1. Only uniforms and warm-ups issued by the school are allowed
   2. No headbands or jewelry
   3. Any offensive body markings must be covered
   4. Everyone will wear white game socks unless the TEAM has a certain sock they want to wear
   5. Hair out of eyes without the use of barrettes

III. Conduct, Expectations, and Penalties
A. School Conduct
   1. If you are late or you miss practice due to detention or behavior problems in class, you will also be penalized in practice
   2. If you are going to be late because of an academic reason (example test retake) then notify a coach or bring a signed note from your teacher.

   3. You will be a positive leader and NOT a divisive complainer
B. Conduct Out of School 1. This will be dealt with under the athletic code
   2. Remember that as a part of this program everything you do represents us, anything that brings dishonor on our program will be dealt with
IV. Practice
A. Build your confidence and self-respect every day by coming to practice with the mentality that you PLAY LIKE YOU PRACTICE.
B. Push each other positive.
C. Mistakes are necessary on the way to success. RALF THEM (Recognize, Admit, Learn, Forget)
Show no emotion when you make a mistake. Have self-control and make up for your mistake with all out effort.
D. When you are on the floor you will be recognized as part of a team. Decisions will be made accordingly
E. Be dressed and ready for practice on time. The team will not wait for you. Respect others by showing that you care enough to be on time.
PENALTY: 3 sets of lines for every 5 minutes you are late (rounded up)
F. Wear a practice jersey to practice each day. PENALTY: 5 sets of lines
G. Bring your notebook to practice each day. PENALTY: 3 sets of lines
H. Stop all activity on the whistle or stop call, focus your attention on the coach that is speaking
I. When team activity is stopped to correct an individual, pay close attention in order that you will not make the same mental mistake.
J. When not directly involved in the practice situation you will either STAND on the baseline or at half-court
V. Game Day
A. The bus will not wait for you. If you miss the bus your parents will need to transport you.
B. Sleep only 1 hour later than you normally do.

WE WILL AS MEMBERS OF THIS TEAM:
� SPEAK-UP TO HELP EACH OTHER
� PICK UP A TEAMMATE IF WE KNOCK ONE DOWN
� HUSTLE TO HUDDLES / TIMEOUTS / RUN TO THE LOCKER ROOM
� STAND UP FOR SUBSTITUTIONS
� HELP TEAMMATES OUT FROM THE BENCH WITH CLOCK, SHOT CLOCK AND WOLF RECOGNITION
� ACKNOWLEDGE AN ASSIST
� BE RESPONSIBLE TO HELP THE TEKOA-OAKESDALE BASKETBALL PROGRAM IMPROVE
� BE RESPONSIBE TO HELP MAKE THIS SEASON FUN AND ENJOYABLE

GOAL SETTING

AT THE END OF THE SEASON I SIT DOWN WITH ALL THE PLAYERS WHO HAVE A CHANCE OF MAKING NEXT YEARS TEAM. WE LOOK AT WEAKNESSES IN THEIR GAME AND HOW THE PLAYER CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS. LAST YEARS TEAM DIDN'T SHOOT THE BALL REAL WELL, SO THIS IS A PRIORITY. I GAVE EACH PLAYER SHOT CHARTS AND SHOOTING PROGRAMS, I PAST OUT CAMP INFORMATION AND SUMMER LEAGUE INFORMATION. OUR TEAM GOAL IS TO RAISE OUR SHOOTING % FROM THE FLOOR AND THE FREE THROW LINE. WE ALSO HAVE GOALS ABOUT GETTING STRONGER AND FASTER. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO ON THE FLOOR AND THEN SEE IF YOUR PERSONEL MATCHES YOU PHILOSOPHY. ASK THE PLAYERS WHAT THEIR GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR THE BASKETBALL SEASON. GOALS ARE IMPORTANT. PUBLIC GOALS LIKE WINS AND LOSES ARE WHAT EVERYBODY SEES AND THE PRIVATE GOALS LIKE SPORTSMANSHIP AND PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT AND GROWTH ARE WHAT REALLY MATTER TO YOUR PLAYERS AND I HOPE TO YOU AS WELL.
I agree totally with setting goals. My goals are very simple, and go along with John Wooden's way of setting goals. To play as well as we possibly can. To strive for perfection in what we do. This goes for team, coach, and players. I have a real problem with setting a point goal for players. Here are some of my reasons. #1 I have had many players that are invaluable to the starting 5 that never score more than one bucket a game, but their assists, defense, and leadership allow others to succeed. With your point system, if you do not score 90 points a game, you have failed, 50 from the 5 starters and 40 from the subs. the 2 to 1 rule is deceiving as well. Lets say you face the best team around, play an overtime game, your kids hustle their butts off and pull out a 1 point victory, they failed. Try goals like points per possession. This is a great team goal. Say 1 point for every possession. Set goals that will be achieved by playing well.
The key to getting the most out of setting goals is to make them both challenging and achievable. An objective goal that a player can work towards and attain can be a powerful motivator. But, its essential that the player have control. For example, some goals that have been given to teams I have been associated with that did NOT work: This year, our goal is to win a state championship. 2. We will hold our opponents to under 40 pts/game These goals sound great, but they lack the element of control. In the first case, you may do everything humanly possible to prepare and still not even get to the finals. In the second case, your opponents offensive efficiency has a lot more to do with how many points they get than your defense does. Examples of goals that do work include team shooting percentage and free throw percentage. You can set a baseline of 60% for twos, 33% for threes, and 75% for free throws. Each player can review their personal numbers as the season progresses and watch their contribution to the team totals. In practice, we count consecutive lay ups made or time required to complete a drill and try to beat the team "record". Sometimes, when the team reaches a target, I like to buy them pizza, then raise the goal. Individual stats like points, assists and even rebounds don't make the best goals because a player just can't force them to happen without hurting the team. Good players will find different ways in different games to help their team win. Overall, I want the team to be better at the end of the season than they were at the start. You can demonstrate some of that through performance numbers and comparing videos. The rest of it is measured by parent feedback and the enthusiasm the kids show looking ahead to the next season.
When setting goals 2 things must happen 1. R they attainable goals 2. is there a reward for reaching them At the beginnig of the season i sit down with my players and we set player and team goals. Players goals; make 50% free throws of your free throws 2. make 60% of all shoots in the in the $$ zone ( inside of the paint area ) 3. make 40% of all other shoots. 4. keep turn over below 5 per game 5. get a +3 on defense ( i.e each def reboumd or take away = 1 pt. ) teams goals; make 50% free throws of your free throws 2. make 60% of all shoots in the in the $$ zone ( inside of the paint area ) 3. make 40% of all other shoots. 4. get a +10 on takeaway / turnover ratio ( ie we get 10 def boards, 4 steals cause 3 lane violations thats a +17, but at the same time we give our oppents the ball 7 time due to our mistakes that - 7 for a total of +10 we then give our season goals they are the same as team game goals ( above ) except we set a number total ex would be season total 100. which means at the end of the season our total turnover takeaway will add up to more than 100. if it does coaches treat of lunch for 1 week. ( not to exceed $ 5 per day per player ) if we dont get our total then players treat must wash coaches & parents cars and make the team end of the year dinner. needless to say in the last 2 years with this team we are even. this is their last year together ( forgot to mention middle school team ) so we will see who will win. and yes this year total was per set to 200 after the team won last year...

Eliminating 1st Game Jitters

Try to be as relaxed as you can...encourage them to have fun and relax. Don't build it up as too big a deal...it's an opportunity to learn and get better. Be positive no matter what the outcome. It's the winning effort and teamwork (win or lose) you're after. Emphasize what your team needs to do..not what the others may do.
Getting the jitters before any game is perfectly normal. I know I still get them but I don't want the kids to know. If it starts to effect my coaching then I'm taking the game too seriously and the bottom line is that it's only a game. I tell myself before each game to enjoy the moment and have fun watching the kids. I feel the kids pick up on on this and it helps them keep loose. A simple smile during warm ups and during the game goes a long way also. In other words, we as coaches can keep the jitters to a minimum with the way we approach the game with our attitude.
Joke with them, tell them about something really dumb that you did when you were playing ball at their age (even if you have to make something up). You could also tell your kids that the other team looks a little nervous and start in a full court press to take advantage of their jitters. Pressing takes your mind off things because you are so focused and active on playing. Thinking the other team is nervous about playing your team might help your team feel more confident. The adrenalin rush at the start of a game causes quicker fatigue so be ready to run other kids into the game early even if just for a minute. Good luck. You sound like a coach who has the right perspective.

Preparing for a Championship Game

What got you there was successful, so if the faucet ain't broke - don't fix it! If you want to throw a minor twist in, it couldn't hurt. I found with my girls, that it's more important for them to be mentally motivated, than anything else. Of course, throwing in a convertible and a trip to Disney World couldn't hurt. Ar, Ar, Ar!!
No way I'd change for one game unless you have seen something in scouting or something. Staying with what you do best will give the players confidence in what you're doing
MY PHILOSOPHY IS SIMPLE, DO WHAT GOT YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE AT. THE ONLY ADJUSTMENTS THAT I MAKE ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1) I WILL PUT IN A NEW B.L.O.O.B. PLAY. BUT SINCE YOU'VE ONLY GOT ONE PRACTICE, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT EVEN DO THAT. 2) IF YOU'VE GOT SMART AND SAVY PLAYERS I WILL PUT IN A DIFFERENT ENTRY INTO YOUR BASE M2M OFFENSE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU RUN A PATTERNED OFFENSE. IF YOU ARE A MULTIPLE OFFENSE COACH THEN I WOULD NOT WORRY ABOUT IT. 3) IN THIS SITUATION I ALWAYS CONCENTRAT ON THE LITTLE THINGS LIKE BLOCKING OUT, PICK UP POINTS OF OUR DEFENSE, F.T. SHOOTING BLOCK OUT, AND KEEPING THE BALL OUT OF CERTAIN AREAS OF THE FLOOR. 4) IF YOU AND YOUR STAFF DO A LOT OF SCOUTING, REVIEW THE SHOT CHARTS OF THE OPPOSISTIONS SHOOTERS, REVIEW THEIR TENDENCIES, REVIEW THEIR QUICK HITTERS, REVIEW WHO YOU NEED TO PRESSURE AND WHO YOU CAN LEAVE TO HELP WITH DOUBLING THE POST. 5) EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT A PRESSING TEAM, COME OUT AND PUT PRESSURE ON THE OPPOSITION RIGHT AWAY, TELL THE OPPOSITION THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DICTATE HOW THE GAMES TEMPO IS GOING TO BE PLAYED. 6) DO WHAT YOU DO WELL AND DO IT WELL. I THINK THAT COACHES SOMETIMES WORRY TO MUCH ABOUT THE OPPOSITION AND NOT ENOUGH ABOUT THERE OWN TEAM.
OK, I can understand if you've had a lot of success over the season then it makes sense to go with what got you there. But we are 0 and 4 against the last two teams we need to beat to win the championship. I haven't used a 1-3-1 zone at all this year, although I have used it with other teams in the past. I know it would work well against both of these two opponents. I am seriously considering introducing it this week in practice. Do you think this is crazy or would it help to throw a new wrinkle in against teams we are 0 and 4 against this year? We only have one practice this week and if we win we will have one practice next week before the championship game.

Losing in the Championship: What do you say?

Don't sugar coat it but point out somebody has to. Let them know that this is a point like any other challenge you buckle and let it drag you down or you learn and overcome. One lost game doesn't stop them from being champions as players or people. Focus on the life experience and its suppose to suck not liking the way you feel will remind you that you never ant to feel it again.
Be positive..if it was a winning effort, even if you lost, tell them you're proud of the effort...right after the game, keep it simple..positive about season if this is your last team meeting comment on the season...if you have another meeting, a quote might be good, you wish them well, challenge them to work hard over the summer, continue to develop skills and that you'll look forward to watching them in high school..knowing you from you're posts, they will remember you as having made a difference
One of the toughest parts of the job - saying good-bye to a group of kids. A number of things need to be said. Remind them that no matter what others (parents) say - winning has to be determined by the effort involved. If they gave their best with what they had - they were winners (again, despite what the common perception is). Remind them of the good times together, the hard work, the friendships, the love of the game, etc. Continue to teach them - tell them what it will take to get better. Explain that the other players will be working on their game in the off-season, and that they have to continue to work on their skills if they want to be better players the next year. Be positive...turn a negative into a motivating experience.
Without going into much detail, here is what I did. Instead of standing up in front of them and lecturing, I sat down with them at eye level and we talked. I let them talk. We talked about the season. We talked about where we go from here. I thanked them for the efforts. I also reviewed all the positives from our season. I let them know that the reason it hurts so bad is because we put so much effort into it. I forget the author, but one of our programs quotes we often use at the high school level is " If you don't put forth much effort, losing does not hurt very much and winning isnt all that special"
Here is a "basketball as life" lesson that has stuck with me through the years. JV Christmas tournament, final game. We had just won the previous night's game in double overtime. We lost that final in overtime. We were emotionally drained, hurting badly, and in need of an uplifting talk. Coach asked us to think back to the previous night's victory - to the sheer elation and pride we felt deep inside. He then turned our attention to our loss - the pain and humility we likewise felt. Yet in each of those two games, the difference was one missed basket over the course of 32 minutes. How fragile was that line between victory and defeat? Anyone can feel humility with defeat and pride with victory. True champions, however, recognize and appreciate how razor thin the difference between the two really is. True champions know how to feel humility in victory and how keep their pride in defeat. The pain did not go away, but that lesson was burned into my soul.
I say ... THANKS! What a thrill to be able to compete in a special game where so few athletes get to participate. After a long season, especially one with a climactic ending, I have a special relationship towards the players, and I thank them for that and tell them that I look forward to watching them play in the future (assuming there is a future). Either way, each season is special unto itself and worthwhile on its own merit. Losing the last game doesn't diminish any of that. Even for those who won't be playing in school again will likely play in rec leagues and eventually coaching kids themselves. So there will more championships to strive for. Winning a championship is so much more special after you've lost a few.

Statistics

FT Percentage

What kind of percentage to you expect to see your team from the foul line? When you give your answer, please include what level you work with. I have junior high girls and my best teams have shot around 50%. More often than not though we were around 35-40%. Strangely enough, my best junior high boys teams shot about the same, 50%, while most averaged around 40-45%.
At the varsity boys level, I expect a team % of not less than 65%. 70% is our goal and we come close to meeting it most years.
Last year I coach 8th grade girls. Our "goal" was 70% as a team in each game. We seldom reached this goal. I ended up with only one out of ten that achieved 70% for the season. This year I am coaching 6th Grade boys. My stated "goal" is 60% as a team in each game. I will guess that this goal will be met in less half of the games.
Your percentages look normal to me. We have tracked our kids team stats from 4th grade up through high school. Last year, our high school C team (grades 9-10) shot 54.5% and the opponents 48.8%. Our highest shooter was 70.6%. The 5th and 6th grade boys hovered around 50%. A high school team percentage of 70% is a good goal - hard to achieve but attainable with commitment.
I coach 8th grade girls and my goal is 60%. last year we got fouled alot and the best shooter was about 45% considering in games when she used the technique she was taught it was closer to 66%.
I will spend more time teaching free throw shooting this year due to the fact we lost close games by less than 6 points. If we make half our freethrows we would have been 9-1 instead of 2-8.
Last year, my girls 13 AAU had their best year ever, 58%. Rick Majerus spoke about this topic at a clinic. He stated that in practice, all free throw drills should mimic game like situations. Never shoot more than 2 at a time, and make sure that each player is tired when they do. AND, no chatting or talking to your partner. Track your % this way, and you won't be too surprised in games. We adjusted our practice format to do 5 sets of two FT just before our first break at practice - typically after a bunch of full court drills and a set of double suicides. Second set (5 sets of two FT) is done just before second break - again after a series of full court drills. Last set is at the end of practice. Five 1&1's. Miss the first and you do a double suicide. Make the first and miss the second, a single suicide. This is for each set of 1&1. The kids did a lot of running at first, but they started to understand that they need to concentrate on EVERY shot as opposed to getting into a groove after 3 or 4 shots. Our practice % over the year was around 55%. Had a lot of kids see the light thinking they were 80%+ FT shooters. Despite the marked improvement, looking at our losses last year, 4 out of every 5 were winnable with missed FT's. We talk so much about strategy to get points in other ways, but maybe we ought to look here for an extra 6 or 7 per game....
I coach boys varsity. I would love to have a team that shot a solid 70% from the line. However, where I coach is solid football country. I don't have the type of kid who spends a great deal of time in the gym. Free throw success comes from repetition of proper mechanics. I may have a player each year that spends time shooting free throws. Most of them play pick up games at the rec-center if they play at all. Consequently if I have 1 solid free throw shooter it is a blessing. We try to keep the ball in his hands at the end of games. On average my teams shoot around 60-65%.

FTs Per Game

I'm going over old score books and looking at stats. My question for you guys is: How many Fts per game do you set as a goal for your team? We've gotten to the line an average of 19 times per game over the last 4 seasons, that's in a 24 minute game so I'm pretty confident we are getting good shots and being aggressive. I've found 5 games so far that we would have won if only we'd have shot 70% from the line that game. What are your goals for FTs shot per game and team percentage???
Over the past 5 seasons we've won 65% of our games, if we had shot 70% from the line over that same period our winning percentage would have jumped to 73%, and if we never missed a FT our winning percentage would have been 87%! Guess what our point of emphasis will be this season? (Not that we don't always make FT shooting a priority) I love going over stats, too, so I'll share some FT numbers for comparison. These are from 3 recent teams I coached, freshman and JV. The numbers are FTM, FTA, FT%, FT/Gm, W/L record 236 455 .519 21.7 16-5 198 363 .545 17.3 21-0 236 382 .618 18.2 17-4 The FT% are pretty low, but very comparable to our opponent's FT%. My observations so far ... 1. You cannot control how many free throws you get. It depends on the refs and the agressiveness of the opponent. You can, however, influence the number of FTAs you give up. Some of my shot charts show 50+% of the opponent's points in the 2nd half coming from FTM because they received double bonus so early. Defensive aggressivess is great, but steal attempts and blocked shot attempts can add up to big negatives for what you gain. 2. Most teams don't shoot well at the line. I bet most youth teams are around 55%. You can use that percentage to your advantage at the end of the game if you need to. 3. How much will it cost to get your team's FT% up to 70% (a good target - I agree)? If you have limited practice time, it may be too expensive as other team skills pay higher dividends. We put FTs into out conditioning drills and that helps. But the only kids who excel at FT are the ones willing to put in extra time and take the time to understand their technique. Those are the kids who are in the game at the end!
Coach Morgan Wootten (DeMatha HS) has a way of practicing free throws that I'm thinking of trying. I might as well because I've tried everything else. He shoots FTs 3 times during practice. About 20 minutes into practice (A) Each player shoots 10 FTs straight - manager records. 20 more minutes of practice (B) each player shoots 5 sets of 2 FTs = 10 - manager records. Near the end of practice (C) each player shoots 5 "One-and-Ones", a miss on the first shot = 2 misses - manager records. For each set of ten FTs. If a player makes 9-10 they get a "Permission" (they get out of one set of running lines). If a player makes 7-8 they are ok. If a player makes less than 7 they owe a line drill. Of course I'm sure he has great shooters to start with at DeMatha but it sounds like it might work. Another thing I'm thinking of trying while I'm on the subject of FT shooting. We are thinking about doing some 2-2-1 full court pressing this season. When working on it in pre-season when going from a FT situation I line up the four non-shooters in the press - the shooter (unless he must play the safety, i.e. big slow kid) will play one of the front spots. Now make or miss we are in our press. Last season we made more free throws than our opponents attempted. In 32 games we got 11 offensive rebounds off missed FTs. We scored on 2 of them. Another reason we're setting up in the press. I tell the kids that those spots are for teams that don't make their FTs, since we are going to make ours we'll just go ahead and set up in our press. (Maybe a little positive psychology won't hurt.) While you can't determine how many free throws you take per game I think you can on the over-all season by being aggressive on offense and not making silly fouls on defense. 14 years out of the last 20 years we have made more free throws than out opponents have attempted.

What is a good 3-point FG Percentage

Arright ... I love this question! I watch our percentages pretty closely and I like to educate the kids on the relevance of stats. The way I approach it, in a high school game, I want to average 1 point per possession. Typically, there are about 80 possessions, so if we keep the tempo up and our turnovers down and shoot well, we'll be close to 80 points a game. so, our team target is 33% for threes (1 point per possession). My best three point shooters have been just over 40%. Generally I have 1-3 kids that can hit that consistently. My teams average about 30% which is OK. At half time, we look at the shot chart and see where we're at and make adjustments if our percentage outside is low. I think 3pt percentages are often exaggerated because they are not measured accurately or consistently. 45% over time is exceptional. The "average shooter" is probably around 25-30%. People easily forget how many shots they miss and remember the ones they make.
I coach a 7th Grade boy's team. This year, so far, we have shot 75 3's, we made 27 of them, for a shooting percentage of 36%. The opposition has shot 57 3's and made 14, for a percentage of 25%. Inside the arc we are 197 made from 537 shots, for 37%. The opposition is shotting 166 out of 473 for 35%. It is kind of embarassing that our field goal percentage and our 3-point percentage are almost identical. This abberation is due, in part, to the fact that the defensive coverage loosens up quite a bit behind the arc -- at this age. So, the 3-point shots tend to be wide open, while the regular attempts are generally contested. My goal is to be above 40% from the field and above 33% from behind the arc.
This depends on your level of play. It would be different for a junior high team, a high school team, or a college team, as well as different between girls and guys. To look at it in another way...as a girls high school coach, a we strive to shoot 40% or better for a game. If we take 50 shots and make 20 for 40%, we are scoring 40 points from those 50 shots. To get the same number of points from 3's we only need to make 13 of them or 26%. I know that this seems low, but it's another way to look at it. Another thing to look at is that even if your team is shooting 26% from the 3 point line, chances are you are getting more of the long rebounds from 3's than regular offensive rebounds because the ball usually rebounds out a lot farther on longer shots. So you would probably get more possessions.
4-9 for 7th grade girls (only 1 girl shot them). 2-22 for 8th grade girls (I should have shot 1 girl) 3-9 varsity girls (1 game where I have stats) 5-14 jv girls college men 35% vs 54% on 2 point attempts last year. Important point on stats. Measure points per shot, not total field goal percent or at least keep 3 point shots out of your overall field goal percentage and call it 2 point percentage. Also, 33% from 3 is not equal to 50% from 2 although both equate to 1 point per shot. There will be more missed shots (17%) shooting 3s so you will have more opportunities for offensive rebounds, plus they tend to bounce long so a quick team will probably get more long rebounds than short rebounds where height is more of a factor. The college men's team I did stats on got 67% of the defensive rebounds from 2 point shots and 66% from 3 point shots and their offensive rebounding on 3s and 2s was identical (33%). (Free throw rebounds 86% went to defense). Lastly, making a couple 3s will open up the inside and lead to more dribble penetrations or better scoring opportunities from the post.

Statistics

The season is over and I am going over year end statitics. I personally like to pour over statistics. How much value do you put on team statistics or individual statistics? What are the main stats that you look for? As far as defense is concerned, how do you determine your progress statisticly? I am thinking points divided by possessions might be a good way to rate a defense but not sure. Just wondering what your thoughts are concerning statistics
Points per possession is the best measure of defensive efficiency, but it does not take into account the strength of your opponent. If your efficiency is getting better as the season goes on, or even staying the same, then your defense is getting better since offense tends to improve more than defense over the course of the season. I give away a stats program that calculates defensive efficiency and a million other things. You have to enter the play by play (live or from film) and it does the rest. If you want a copy, email me at avamac@aol.com Our defensive efficiency for hs girls is .76 for the season, .66 when pressing, 1.08 for transition possessions. When our best defender is playing, defensive efficiency is .60 but our offensive efficiency drops from .79 to .69 when she is in (still a net gain).
I love stats, too, and am willing to share whatever I have. The most important stat I look at is total field goal attempts vs the opponent. In our games, 80 possessions is about normal and I hope for 60+ shots/game. Turnovers eliminate shots, offensive rebound add them. This year, in 21 games, we got 1276 shots vs 943. Good thing, because my inexperienced team didn't shoot well, 37.1% vs 41.7%. However, we outscored them 55.0 to 48.5 points thanks to more efficient generation of shots. When facing a better shooting team, we prefer to accelerate the game. A faster game widens our shot differential and actually improves our FG% because more shots are uncontested.
I taped our 7th and 8th grade boys games this season, then reviewed the films later, putting together detailed stats for the coaches. I don't know about the coaches, but one stat I found to be a pretty helpful to compare other aspects of a player's game against was the number of touches a player had in a game. We used number of touches to determine, among other things, turnover percent. Touches also helps to differentiate between two players who may have an equal number of, say, assists, but who handled the ball a vastly different number of times. Compiling touches may sound pretty tedious, but by the end of the season I was able to complete all the stats for a six minutes per quarter game in about 35-40 minutes. At the coaches request, I also prepared a shot chart for each game. We broke down the shots taken into four categories: misses, misses but fouled, makes, makes and fouled. One other category we charted, that I'm not sure how is charted at higher levels, was forced turnovers. If your player draws a charge, or forces an opponent to, say, dribble out of bounds, your player probably doesn't get credit for a steal, but it amounts to the same thing. Our 8th grade team was a very good pressing team, and racked up quite a few "team" forced turnovers (walks, passes out of bounds, etc).

Posting Stats to Players

Do you post your game stats for your players to see. If so, what is your rational? If not, what are reason(s) why? Are your players permitted to look at the scorebook after a game?
Over the years, I have developed the following philosophy regarding stats. It has worked well with me. Score book is off limits until I've had a chance to verify all stats - I am not only interested in points scored. I then post team totals at the next practice (total team rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers forced, turnovers made, points, shooting %, FT %) and we discuss them relative to the past few weeks' worth of games. The idea is to focus on areas of concern due to past performance or to set goals. Benefit is that all players feel as though they are contributing toward the team's goals (totals of each stat) whether or not they are scoring. I do discuss individual stats with players privately from time to time, especially if they've had some great games or are struggling with something.
I like to share the stats with players. Every couple of weeks I update them and post them on the web. If you go to http://www.alaskalife.net/~sjordan/ and look for the Bartlett Basketball title, you'll find links for our CTm, Jv and Varsity stats. The Ctm data goes back three years. I'll also made a top ten list for the C team guys. Its all done for fun - the kids really like seeing their numbers. Depending in the maturity of your players, you may have some kids try to shoot too much, but if there are several measurable categories, everyone is good at something. Kids playing for the sake of stats hasn't really been a problem. I give them benchmarks to strive for as a team and chart the team progress. Overall, I think the stats are a good motivator.
If you don't measure it, it is hard to know if you are improving it. Kids need to see how they measure up. I will post info on our team web site aftr each game trying to tell something good about anyone who had a praiseworthy stat, especially rebounds, assists, and steals. I also give a printed stat sheet to the player or two with the highest ratings (rating based on a bunch of criteria) so they can show it off to Mom and Dad. I discuss team totals but do not mention individual bad stats to the team. I will talk to individuals about poor shot selection or excessive turnovers. Any player who wants to see stats gets to see his but not everyone else's. These are jr high girls and they are sensitive. Their mom's can be more sensitive. I mentioned in our web site that the team won by 12 points while a certain player was in (in a game where we won by 4) and the mother of another player complained to me that it made the other kids feel bad to see that. I also emphasize that scoring lots of points is not important, it is your shooting percentage, rebounds, steals, and low turnovers that count most.

High School Girls Basketball Research
What statistic has the biggest correlation with winning?

I just finished my master's thesis and am getting ready to defend it and I just thought that I would take a minute or two and post my results and see what you think. Sorry if my language is too "researchy" sounding but its the only way I can think right now. In my research I used all Washington Girl's State Tournament Basketball games (160). I investigated the tendencies that various statistics had on a positive game outcome (winning). Here is what I found: Teams that shot a better shooting percent won 80% of the games. Teams that had more shot attempts won 61.57% of their games. Teams that shot the best 3-point percentage won 63.08% of their games. Teams that had more 3-point shot attempts won 37.69% of their games. Teams that had the best free throw percentage won 57.69% of their games. Teams that shot the most free throw attempts won 57.69% of the games. Teams that had more offensive rebounds won 52.31% of their games Teams that had a greater offensive rebound percentage won 63.85% of their games. Teams that had a greater number of defensive rebounds won 63.85% of their games. Teams that had a greater defensive rebound percentage won 63.85% of their games. Teams that had a greater number of total rebounds and rebound percentage won 62.31% of their games. Teams that had the least number of fouls won 63.85% of their games. Teams that committed the least amount of turnovers won 60.77% of their games. Teams that had the most steals won 58.46% of their games. Also I found that there is no significant relationship between any of the statistics mentioned above and points scored or individual game point differentials.

Special Situations

Time & Score Situations

With playoff time approaching, I am sure that each of us work on "Time and Score" situations. I would be interested in hearing what "Time and Score" situations each of you run in your practice sessions? Also, do you practice them on a daily or weekly basis? Down 5, 45 seconds. Down 1, Just got rebound, 10 seconds. Down 3, just go rebound, 10 seconds. Down 4, just got rebound, 10 seconds. I also practice fouling properly at the end.
I call these situations "end-game scenarios" and introduce them mid to late-season. All the basic stuff has a much higher payoff toward winning a game than the last minute plays, so I don't even talk about it until we have our game plan stablized somewhat. However, near the end of the season, its a very fun element to practice. The kids love it. And, as our games tend to tighten up at the end of the schedule, the time is well spent. I like to cover score time/score situations up to 6 points and 2 minutes to play. The leading team will spread the floor, the other will apply pressure and then foul. Like Coach Bonifield suggests - practice fouling. Its the only way you'll prevent a flagrant/intentional foul against you just when it hurts you the most. As time decreases, we have a couple sideline plays to use following a timeout and a couple full court, desperation plays for the final seconds. Practicing defense against these plays is just as important as trying to score. The other night in practice we spent 20 minutes on end-game scenarios and it paid off in the very next game. Fortunately, we were able to take advantage of our time defending the last second shots as we were up 2pts. Another thing - Assuming we have the ball, I want the players to shoot with 5 seconds left. It allows time for a put back yet limits the possibility of the opponent going full court to score. The kids tend to go for the buzzer beater which often means they get a poorer look, rush the shot or turn the ball over. One more thought ... if you need to foul to get the ball back, start doing it early, not just the last minute. You need to weigh the free throws they will make against the field goals you will miss during your rally. Some coaches wait so late, the only way they can win is if the opponent misses every free throw and they make every field goal attempt.
I totally agree about the fouling at the end. I have never understood why some coaches wait until under 2 minutes. If the game is not within 4-6 points with 3:00 left, I start my desparation strategy. I use my suicide presses (no one back to protect basket). I use fouls. I try to get the game managable with one minute left. Then if we are within 4, we can try playing hard D instead of fouling. If we are still down by more than four, then we go completely to fouls and extemely quick offenses.

Down in the 4th Quarter Strategies

What are your strategies when you are behind in the fourth Quarter? When do you start fouling or do you? When do you start pressing? When do you throw up your hands and put in the second team?
I'll start fouling early if we are down by more than 8 points because the oppositions worst free throw shooter(s) that play a lot are usually still in at this time. If the coach pulls his weak foul shooters out at the end of the third, I'll put the press on. I just don't want to be fouling with less than a minute to go if we are down by more than 8 points or more. I don't use any of our sets until the second half, so we can usually put some points on the board, just can't trade baskets when your at a time disadvantage.
Your point about fouling early while poor free throw shooters are in the game is excellent. It really puts the pressure on the other coach. Does he pull a key player for a lesser player that shoots well from the line, thus giving you some possible mismatches when on offense, or does he stay with the poor shooter?
Most coaches will pull out their poor f.t. shooters in this situation. This helps us in two ways: one, by the coach subbing in bench players we can exploit them while we are on offense and defense. Two, this allows us to possible apply a press if the subbs are not good ball handlers. So much depends on the scouting report, my staff and I try to watch at least 5-6 tapes to get a general idea of their substitution patterns.
I have been in this situation where we are down 4 and about a minute and a half left BUT we only have 1 or 2 team fouls. I will call a time-out and tell the players to really play aggressive and not worry about the fouls so that we can get to 6 fouls so if we have to put them on the line, we are in position to do so. What has happened 80% of the time is that we generate more steals than fouls and end up with the lead and no need to foul.

In the lead, tight game: When to start eating clock?

The most time I like to use to eat clock is four minutes. That means we literally freeze the ball (take no shots but open lay ups off a back door play) until the game ends or changes dramatically. I'd do this with a 10 point lead. Satlling longer than 4 minutes is risky because the concentration breaks down. Turnovers are a disaster. Most teams are a little stunned when we spread out and pass. Some will sit back for a minute and puzzle it out while their time drains away. If the team applies no pressure, we won't even pass or dribble. I've seen some cases where everything stops for as much as 30 seconds. Eventually, the other coach will freak out (if the crowd isn't already doing so) and call for a foul. He can't call a time out of course. Man, I love having the ball at the end of the game. If your team is smart, they'll avoid the foul by passing quickly. If they're not (and most kids want to shoot free throws) they'll passively accept the foul. One of the hardest things I've had to teach is this point ... make them waste time trying to foul. Don't just stand there. If a team is down 8-10 points and they have been scoring at a pace of, say 2 points per minute, they have a significant problem at the 4 minute mark. If you can chew up a minute or two, they may be practically eliminated from victory. If they could've scored at a faster pace earlier, they would have done so. Your team needs to understand this to help them retain their poise. Poise may be If they keep their composure, they cannot be beaten. The losing team must foul to get the ball (make your free throws and then play solid, conservative D), or take huge risks to steal the ball. Huge risks by them should equal easy baskets for you. I have seen several 8-10 point margins balloon to 20 in the last few minutes. If we have a 6 point lead with 2 minutes left, we'll stall. With a 2 point lead, I am real hesitant to stall at all because the risk of a turnover at midcourt is too high. I'd rather run the offense and take just the best of shots.
I don't believe in a stall offense, seen to many teams beat themselves by trying to eat the clock. However, if we get an 8 point lead at any time in the second half we will go to an offense that spreads the floor and exploits pressure defense. In this offense we will only take lay up shots or short corner jumpers (because we'll have triangle rebounding position if the shot is taken from the short corner). Now, we might run a minute or longer off of the clock, but my boys are still attacking the defense and moving the ball. I guess we just adjust or shot selection and widen out the passing lanes. I also try not to ever use time outs in the first half, so if we need a t.o. to refocus on our offense I have some to burn. I think that cat and mouse is a lot better than sink or swim.
At 7th grade, we have trouble stalling in a four corners or similar type offenses. What I do is take our secondary break offense, which we run 80% of the time, and yell out "10 reversals". The first time I do this each year the kids all look up with scrunched faces saying "huh". Then I explain, usually during a T.O. that we are trying to use clock. By staying in our offense, the 7th graders feel comfortable running it and know how to read the defense better. I will go to this any time I have a 4-5 point lead with under 3 minutes to go. Just when the game might start to get exciting and we might get in a hurry, I slow it down, calm my team, and that really makes them concentrate on their passes.
Let your players skill level answer this question.If you have a few good guards and an overall intelligent basketball team-eat as early as you like. However, I believe that this is one of the most difficult things for young players to do. If you have good overall talent and players that can get up an down the floor, then let them be. Isn't that what got you the lead in the first place? I personally coach a very average middle school team. I don't think I could ask them to play a different style-there just not very skilled.

Strategy: How do you start your game?

Do you have certain things you like to do early in a game to "set the tone"? I like to press early, get the game going fast. I also like to play aggressive D, we may get some fouls early, but the idea is the refs start thinking, "well that is just the way they play", so they generally back off which allows us to keep playing aggressive. On offense, I like to establish the post play, either with drives or post feeds. I want to get the opposing big men in foul trouble.
Any other year i would like to press and put pressure on d telling my team to take quick shots early and up the tempo. THis year has been a different story. My guys need to be under control and playing within themselves so we start straight half court man on d and depending on the game will not allow them to shoot until they get a lay up or have run the offense for 20 seconds. I've also got a good shooter whose big drawback is confidence. If he doesn't shoot alot or misses his first few shots he shuts down. i like to get him the ball earlier in a matchup that works for him to either get his shot going or get to the foul line. I do know most teams we play against establish their inside early or get their scoreer going. If we had an inside game i'ld establish it!!!
Mine is the same every game. We play full court pressure m-2-m defense. We deny every inbounds pass. I tell them if they play 5 seconds of super hard D, we will get the ref to hand us the ball everytime. Also our goal is to go baseline to baseline within 5 seconds, every time we get the ball. We have no heigth, but we are quick. As I play all my girls equally, the only thing that ever varies is my starting 5.

Strategy: Key situations in games

Do you have any special times during the game where you coach your team to focus on? As an example, I coach my players that when we get down by 5, it is critical that we make a push and focus to recover, conversly, if we get up by 7, we focus on pushing even harder to bump the lead up to 12. These are moments where I want my players concentrating even more than normal. They are games within the games that I try to direct my players to. I do not want us solely concentrated on the full game, but key moments within the game. Another example is that I want to make sure we work hard for offensive rebounds. I consider an offensive rebound something special and I want to make sure we beat the other team on the offensive boards.
WE let down something fierce in the last 2/3 min of the first and come out slow in the second half. These are times we've been keying on to improve and focus. Additional question: You playing well early and have a good flow going you know you have to sub or these guys will get tired and killed down the stretch. Who, When, How do you sub in that situation?
Early on I platoon just to get guys in, but when it comes to the second half and I am playing to win, this is what I do. After about 2 minutes into the 3rd, I will sub one back-up for one starter, then about every minute, I will sub another sub for another starter, but I will put back in the starter that came out before. So at any given time, I only have one sub on the floor. This gets a one minute rest for all my starters. Now if I have a 6th man that does not hurt us, I will rest a starter even longer and let that sub play more minutes. Or I often make sure my best sub can play several spots so that he can take a 3 minute rotation and get 3 starters a one minute break each.
I try to be proactive on the subs. Even if we have a good flow going, I watch for the tell-tale signs of fatigue - execution errors, risky decisions, short-cuts, not getting back quickly on D, etc. then sub. Early in the game, five will go in, late in the game, maybe just for those who need the rest. The point is that I don't want the guys to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are tired. If they are successful when I take them out, I have momentum going for us, and the subs can use that. Sometimes the players gripe about flow, but I know if they have been going real hard for 3-4 minutes, they can use a short rest. Its less frustrating than pulling a player out after he makes a couple costly errors.

Down By 2, 20 Seconds Left: What do you do?

I would run my Red 1 play. I have my 4 man setting a pick at the top of the key for my point man. Wings in each corner. Post man on the weak side block. 1 man reads the screen and either shoots, attacks the rack, or drives and kicks. I would look for the best shot possible as soon as possible. On the shot I would tell my guys to crash the boards and get the ball. If we give up a foul we have stopped the clock and force them to make free throws. Hopefully we don't miss.
I would probably run a quick double screen low for my post once my pg crossed half. Or I'ld run a 1-4 low and get a drive to the hoop right away. I'ld rather make sure theirs a rebound if we miss and win or hold on def. I don't think i'ld have the nerve to shoot a trey.
I like the 1-4 low set with a quick drive to the basket if its there. If not, I'd immediately have the ball side post go to the ballside elbow while the wings come back toward the ball (point) --then break to the basket. Our preferred pass is point to high post to ball side wing who is breaking toward the basket. Wing (upon getting the ball) is looking for a driving lay up, but would settle for a short jumper or dish to the weak side post. Both posts and both wings should expect a miss and look to rebound (and shoot again). If you end up with nothing you should still have about 15 seconds left to get the ball back. Basically, we want to get a good shot as quickly as we can, hope it goes in and let our defense try to hold them off. For my team (younger girls),the odds are better with an early score (or attempt) followed by the defense tryng to get one last stop for another quick attempt for the win/tie. I may think differently if I had a big dominant post, but I have several really good perimeter players.
Ooohh ... I want to go inside asap and have big man shoot, maybe get a basket and one. If we blow the shot, plenty time for a offensive rebound. If we blow that, still time to pressure D and/or foul.
I put in my 5 best ball handlers and shooters, irregardless of size. Their mission in life is to get an 8' shoot off while shooting into the side of their defender, going for the foul. If we miss, everyone crashes the board. If they get the ball, we foul immediately.
That is tough. Obviosly whatever your choice is, you will have to do something that you have practised. Nothing more dangerous than just drawing something up. As we don't have all that much practise time, we don't have any plays we can play. We will just play normal offence. In fact I wouldn't probably not call a time out. That might just confuse or get the players nervous. Just keep playing. Then the opponent doesn't have time to set up a counterplay either(zone purhaps).
My team just went through a similar situation today. We were down by one with 7 seconds left and we were taking it out in the backcourt. During the timeout I told my kids to set up in pressbreak formation. If they weren't pressuring us (they were pressing us in the later part of the game up to that point) the wings were to start heading down court and spot up in the corners. In the backcourt our best slasher would use a screen to get the ball. After he receives the ball he is to take it all the way for a possible lay up or dish it off to the wings if their man moved over to help. What actually happened in the game was a little different. Our wing on ball side was alert enough to see we were having trouble getting the ball inbounded. He came back and received the inbounds pass and then returned the pass to the imbounder. The inbounder drove hard up the middle and passed it to our slasher near midcourt. Because of these extra passes it seemed to help isolate our slasher with his man and the wing's defenders were not able to react fast enough to help. The slasher drove hard beating his man and making the winning lay up basket. After the game the parents were coming over to me to praise the play I drew up during the timeout. I told them it wasn't my play but the kids play and they should go over and congratuate them. My kids were able to read, react and improvise to the situation in front of them. They have become basketball players!

Game Strategy: I love it when

Inspired by Aussie Coach, I would like to know what game situations you love to be in because you have a great strategy to use. My example. I love it when we increase the lead to 5 or more against a team playing all 2-3 zone and the opponent is forced to switch to man to man. Then I immediately go into my back door plays and before the other team knows what happened, we have extended the lead to 9 or 10. So what situations make your mouth water at the opportunity to make a great coaching move?
I love it when our full court pressure has forced the other team into a time out to try to set up a 'new' way to attack it. During the time out I love switching to a diiferent press (usually at 1/2 court) and hit them harder and from a different area. It's great to see the questioning looks of dispair as we get more turnovers and cause another time out. Of course at that point we usually go back to the full court pressure or change to another defense.
We run the matchup zone in our program which is very difficult for some coaches to recognize because of its man and zone characteristics. So I love it when the coach and/or players are "fighting" amongst themselves whether we are playing m2m or zone when the funny part is we are playing neither.
WE teach all our guys how to play the post. What i love is when a team has match up problems and we run a high post motion called "big" with a persons name attached. I just luv sending the best miss match to the middle and getting lay up, having the player sub out or switch and then being able to send someone else in to get lay ups.
We work on our pressbreak every practice. I love it when we get our opponent down 8 or 10 points and they decide to press... and 2 minutes later we're up 14.

Other

Features of a Good PG

If you can do the following, coaches will want you to play point for them: 1. Bring the ball up against any pressure and get the offense started. 2. Be a scoring threat - able to drive to avoid being overplayed to pass and able to shoot the jumper to avoid having your guy double-team. 3. Get the ball to scorers in a position where they can score. 4. Shoot 75% from the foul line. This is critical for a PG in close games where they must control the ball a lot. 5. Not be a defensive liablity. 6. Allow the coach to communicate through you on the floor. 7. Be a leader in words and actions. You must work hard and get others to work hard as well.

Aggressiveness

This brings up a favorite subject of mine and that is the mental aspects of basketball. Agressiveness, intensity, hard work are all a mental thing. Everyone has the ability to be intense or work hard but not everyone does it. I find the best way to encourage it is to explain what you want, expect it demand it an reward it. I always ask my kids to rate themselves from 1 to 10 on their intensity after training and after games. This is all geared around our number 1 priority which is to deserve our victory. I demand a level of 9 out of 10 on defense. I will never know if each individual is at that level or not, only they will, but the players know that is what I expect and they know I can tell when they are not close to it. I guess my gripe would be that I don't see enough coaches spend time talking about the mental side of the game. This is where some of the best life lessons are. We need to give the childeren some credit, sometimes they understand alot more than we think they can.

BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A COACH

This may sound trivial, but here it goes anyway. In all honesty, my biggest problem year in year out is realizing that my players don't have the desire that I have and that they need some time off. They are young!! Now I use the word desire, but I am not sure what to call it. I want to work all year long, everyday. I also want my players to work all year long. Although I have many extremely deicated players that work in the summer, I still find myself frustrated. Every year I have to tell myself,"Let them enjoy there summer a little". I know that I am right by letting them have some time off, but it still burns me. Does anyone else find themselves wanting to work the kids too much in the summer?
In the summer is when most players improve their game. My experience as a player was one of playing basketball on the play playgrounds. No coaches, no drills, no AAU traveling teams just a couple of playground leagues and one high school league. This was 20 years ago but I went from being cut in 6th grade to playing some college ball. I see today, as a coach, that my players are in too many controlled ball games. Players need to work on their game, but do we need to travel to all parts of the country with a select few players. In WI I know coaches who have players on four different AAU teams. When the players ran their own teams and there wasn't the money and convience for collge coaches to see players more players on the fringe developed and teams grew closer by working team problems out by themselves. Finally I would love my players to play year round, but I also like to see them in other sports and spend time with their families. COACHES VS. PARENTS VS. COMMITMENT I COACH YOUNGER GIRLS SO HERE'S MY LIST: 1. TRANSPORTATION 2. PARENTAL VIEWS ON PLAYING TIME AND SUBSTITUTIONS. 3. KEEPING A STRONG COMMITMENT FROM ALL THIS SUMMER IT APPEARS I HAVE SOLVED MOST OF MY PROBLEMS. I DREW UP A CONTRACT THAT PLAYERS AND PARENTS MUST COMMIT TO AND ABIDE BY. ANY CANCEROUS ATTITUDES, TARDINESS, OR ABSENTEEISM IS CONSIDERED AN "UNEXCUSED ABSENCE." THE FIRST UNEXCUSED ABSENCE RESULTS IN BEING BENCHED THE NEXT GAME. IF YOU GET 2 "UNEXCUSED ABSENCES" YOU ARE OFF THE TEAM. I AHVE HAD MORE SUPPRT AND BETTER ATTITUDES THAN IN ANY OTHER YEAR. My biggest challenge as a varsity coach has been keeping all 12 players on the varsity roster happy. At the High School I'm at we play a very demanding schedule, therefore I am forced to play my top 6-7 players for the better part of most games. What I've been doing to aleviate this problem is using my unskilled players to press, especially at the end of quaters or halves. Kids want to play, and rightfully so, but as every coach knows, you had better win or get fired! You can talk with kids and give all of them the positive feedback in practice that you can, but they still want to play. By using all players in our defensive presses I have relinquished a lot of the bench depression, and instilled bench enthusiasm. This does not mean that we never face the same old problem, but it has helped a lot more than it has hurt!

Likes/Dislikes

I like kids who hustle and have floor burns the first night!
I don't like kids who assume they should play cause they did last year.
I like people who try, who work, who rebound, and who do the little things.
I don't like people who say i can't or it doesn't matter.
I like kids who give a damn.
I don't like kids who care about image more than substance.
I like good funadamentals, but love heart more.
I don't like people who think scoreing after going 1-5 for 3 trips means they got game.
I don't like interfering, monday morning quarterback coach parents.
I do like young bball moms escpecially when i see them again in the morning!!!
I like the ones who can't afford the best shoes, yet bust thier a$$ and comptete like there's no tomorrow.
I like the ones who have studied the game and don't have to be taught what to do with the ball up by 4 with :36 seconds to play.
I like the ones who, after having been corrected, make the correction.
I like the ones who hang on your every word.
Most of all, I like the ones who shoot like Jimmy (Chitwood.)
I like a kid that would run into the wall to win a game. I like a kid that shows up on time gets their shooting in and doesn't run out the door when you're done for the nite. I like a kid who every time you tun your back for 5 minutes isn't goofing around. I like a kid that every year has gotten better due to her hard work during the summer. I like a kid that gets up during the summer to lift weights. I dislike it when your best player doesn't ever show up for open gym in the summer and doesn't ever make it to weight lifting. I dislike parents that think playing time is a right not something you earn. I like the first practice of the year and hate the last. I dislike parents that threaten to take their kid to a different district if the program doesn't inprove. I like coaching great kids.
What I like in players is when we are up against a strong team that they raise their game to meet the challenge. If you have a few players with this type of characteristic they will lead the way for the rest of the team to respond also. What I dislike about some players is they will quit if the going gets tuff. I tell them that you can walk away from losing a game if you gave it your all but if you lose your self-respect because you quit that will follow you around wherever you go.
I like players that play as hard as they can play every second. I like players that try to make it as hard for the other team as they can make it. I HATE players who run to the scorers' table at the end of the game and ask "How many points did I have?"

Bad Habits By Players

1. Player misses shot so goes and fouls the rebounder.
2. Player has opponent locked up in a trap then fouls trying to reach in and grab the ball
3. Player is boxed out but tries to rebound anyway and commits "over-the-back" foul ... again.
a. player steals ball and throws it away during transition.
b. player gets a 1-1 and airballs the shot.
c. player get rebound under own basket and passes the ball out to another player 15 feet away.
Players leaps past shooter on a break away lay up, shooter misses lay up, gets own rebound and scores. Catch the ball, take one dribble(going nowhere), and pick it up. � Player wants to block shoot. Player jumps. Player fall for another pump fake. � Player wants to make a fake jumper, passing to a teammate. Player can't find nobody to pass to. Player passes anyway and give opponent an easy fastbreak. � Player with the ball running the fastbreak wants to pass ahead. Player takes up ball, but finds out the pass is not open anymore. Player travels. 1. Bring the ball "down" after getting an offensive rebound. 2. Failing to square up to the hoop after receiving a pass.
Committing fouls in the back court in the first half of a game or fouling in the back court any time when you are more than 10 points ahead.
Picking up the dribble just across 1/2 court. Dribbling into the #$%! corner. Helping "up" and leaving the post unguarded. Running at the offensive player.
Receiving a pass and immediately holding the ball above the head. Now your only a single threat, not triple. Picking up the dribble without knowing why.( no one to pass to and not open to shoot)
"Lunging" into the passing lane with the wrong hand. 2) Watching the ball when you release it on a shot. 3) Simply not boxing out. 4) Not giving a gap on a screen 5) Not recovering after helping on defense 6) Not working to your potential Should I keep going or am I boring you? - Catching and taking one dribble no where before trying to shoot. - One player makes good help and no body else rotates so she/he looks bad. - Player could get run over and take a charge and steps out of the way. - Players who hand check or straighen up when playing defense. - Players who take 20 dribbles and 15 seconds to get to the rim.
Never save the ball under the opponents basket. I don't know how many times I have seen this happen. 9 times out of 10 it results in the opponent scoring.
Never dribble a loose ball. Pick it up and gain possession first. How many times do players try to dribble a loose ball only to lose control of it or have an opponent grab it from them? I'd hate to count this one.
Standing still, waiting for the pass to you to arrive (and watching the D cut in front for the steal). Putting a dribble down before you turn and face the basket you are attacking. Dribbling into double teams and traps. Spectating (instead of picking up a body to box-out) as the shot goes up. Having the ball stolen because of mindless dribbling then reaching in for the foul because of frustration (or embarrassment). Running back on D half-assed with your back to the break developing right behind you without a clue.
Missing a shot and dropping head and jogging back on d.
Throwing a pass away and not sprinting back to contest the lay-up, (maybe even with a hard foul)
Catching a pass with one hand.
Tipping a rebound when you could grap it.
Double pumps.
Fade away jumpers in the lane.
Shooting with your toes on the 3 pt. line, worst shot in basketball, Either step back for a 3 or dribble in for a 18 ft jumper.
Not being lower than the player you are defending.
Dribbling before establishing triple threat.
Not jump stopping to pass, leads to the dragging toe travel call.
Passing out of the lane when you only have one defender on you, score or get fouled every time in the lane if they do not double hard.
Not talking on defense.
Picking up your man in transition before stopping the ball and the lay-up.
Rebounding instead of blocking out.
Not cutting close enough to the screen being set for you.
Letting yourself be screened.
Not talking during a screen on defense.
When hitting the court for the first time of the day, you start jacking 3's instead of warming up close to the hoop.
Watching the ball after you shoot.
guys watching instead of getting into position for a rebound; (2) Four guys stand and watch from a distance as a team mate rushes to jump out of bounds and save a ball that was last touched by your team, instead of going over and getting in position to catch the saved ball; (3) someone makes a great block and the team mates stand still and yell WHHOOOOAAAAA, as the other team retrieves the block and regains posession; (4) some guy works his tail off battling for a rebound, then throws an outlet and the guard makes a really dumb, careless pass and loses the ball.

Pet Peeves

A player misses a shot, not a big deal, we are all going to miss shots. But, then get so upset at themselves that the hurt the whole team by jogging back on defense.
One of my biggest pet peeves is reaching in, particularly if the defender has gotten the offensive player to pick the ball up.
Failure to block out!
Jogging back on defense for any reason. Going through the motions in transition, but not making a real attempt to beat the ball down court.
My favorite (?!) is lack of execution after a timeout. I've been totally amazed many times when, after careful instruction and re-instruction, we go out completely forget what was just said.
Without question, my biggest pet peeve is the complete disregard to palming the ball by refs. I see this in boys, girls jr. high, HS, and college. Seems like players nowadays are almost putting thier hand under the ball and holding it, then continuing the dribble. Then, when you point it out to officials that "#4 is carrying the ball,", you get this look like "Come on, this is the '90's, EVERYONE does it." Anyone else get fried by this?
Parents that think their child is an all-star when in reality the player is not even one of the top 10 kids on the team.

What will you change this season?

I plan on doing a better job communicating with my veteran players. I sometimes think we as coaches take for granted all of the good things experienced players do. They need good reinforcement as well as constructive criticism, just like everybody else. I will also plan an alumni game for this year. We did one a few years ago and it went very well.
I plan on returning to the style of coaching I used my first year. I was much more positive, and used reinforcement more frequently. In tern I enjoyed my coaching experience much more. As far as X's and O's I plan on adapting to the players strengths and weaknesses. I believe it is necessary to make small adjustments each year to fit the personnel, especially at the high school level.
I plan on stressing game speed in all drills I do. Over the last few years I have been too soft, i need to get on my guys early to set the tone for the rest of the year.
I am going to give my players a list of terms that I use and have descriptions of basic offensive actions. Every week or so, I will test my players on this information as well as other information we have discussed. I plan on using notebooks as well.

You Know it s Going to be a Long Season When

When a group of your players ask you in Sept. if they can miss basketball practice for choir practice.
When your team has no concept of defense...
When you see 4 of your projected starting 5 standing on the sidelines with crutches during the final week of football season.
when five people attending your preseason meeting ask if they can be in ski club and still be on the team.
The candidates line up for lay ups during a tryout session and the first kid takes the ball under his arm and charges to the basket - no dribbles! (true story).
when after looking at the calendar of practices, a player blurts out, "What...practice on Saturdays? Is that mandatory?"
a mother gives you a list of ten dates her daughter will not be a practice due to dance lessons. Of course, none of this is mentioned prior to the girl making the team. To top it off, the mother "does not expect this to affect her daughters playing time". My response: "It shouldn't affect her playing time because she won't be at practice enough to earn any playing time." (Let alone know the plays, be in shape, etc.)
When parents of three of your best players meet you before the first practice and discuss how they are experimenting with the kids doses of ritalin.
when your varsity girls team has 37 turnovers in their first game. A majority unforced!
when your varsity girls team misses 29 shots within 3 feet of the basket in one game!

Community Service Project

I took some of my arrogant 7th & 8th grade boys to a childrens (up to age 18) hospital ward to volunteer last year. Great results. Not only did they realize how lucky they are to have good health but they also helped out in their community. We now include them in our pre-game prayer with "...and thank you God for blessing us with good health to compete tonight." I know its different but it helped my kids come back to earth.
I have not done this, but our varsity team has. They go to some of the elderly supporters of our program and sing Christmas carrols. They also hit up the feeder system coaches like myself. I tell you, it is hilarious to see these big macho basketball players come to your door and sing.
While most teams have a soap scrimmage during preseason we collect can food for admission that we than donate to the local food pantry. We have usually before Thanksgiving which is when the food pantry's need the extra food.

Catchy Saying You Use as a Coach

here are a few I heard and will use 1. Defense - Leave ur feet you get beat 2. When using the wheel offense - pass it down, cut around 3. For young players who stand around in the game - do spectate, participate
I tell my boys that scoring alot of points may impress the girls, but defense wins games and rebounding wins championships.
Learn to do the simple things perfectly.
I find myself always saying just before we break the huddle for a game tip-off "In the words of Marvin Gaye...Let's get it on!" Of course they all look at me like "who's Marvin Gaye?" Needless to say, I think Marvin had something else in mind! I also will tell them the day before a game "Bring your hard hats and lunch pails, we're going to work." One game my 8th grade girls team actually all brought lunch pails. Of course this would only happen in the wonderful world of coaching junior high girls...

Great Sayings

This is one of my favorites. I think it's from Jerry Tarkanian (even though I have little respect for him and his program.) It goes a little like this: A reporter once asked him why he never had music being played during his team's warm-up. He replied, "If someone was coming over to your house to kick YOUR a$$, would you put on music and dance around?"
"We need to get better shots than our opponent (THAT DESCRIBES OUR OFFENSE) and we need to get more of them (THAT DESCRIBES OUR DEFENSE)" Pete Newell
IF you can't win shooting lay ups and foul shots your not working hard enough - My old man
ZOne is saying your not man enough or good enough to play them.
Offense brings fans, defense wins games, rebounds win championships.
Basketball is not a game, its a life style choice.
Want is a state of mind, Desire is a state of being.
If you don't invest very much, then defeat doesn't hurt very much and winning is not very exciting. Dick Vermeil
If people knew how hard I have had to work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem wonderful at all. Michelangelo
The time will come when winter will ask what you were doing all summer. Henry Clay

T-Shirt Slogans

Intensity is Not a Perfume
PRIDE - More than an Attitude
Want to play a nice, friendly game of basketball? Neither do we.
Survivor - OUTHUSTLE, OUTREBOUND, OUTSCORE
IT all starts with attitude.
WORK!
WE all live for a purpose. WE all die for a reason. LET"S PLAY BALL.
Don't Worry! WE're still wearing warmups!
two of my alltime favorites(although a little brash) are: "We work ours off so we can kick yours" and on the front "You talk a good game but can you play?" on the back "We can play" (Duke had those made before they played the Fab 5)
Two that I have used recently : A TEAM ABOVE ALL...ABOVE ALL A TEAM; and Demanding Excellence From Everyone No Selfish Exceptions.......as you can see the first letters of each word spell the word DEFENSE, which was displayed vertically on the back of the shirt.
"The meek might inherit the earth, but they aren't getting the ball from me"
You wanna win too!!! AAWWWWWWWW isn't that nice!!
Pain fades away, Pride lasts forever.
Mariner Pride
Mean Aggressive Rebounding Intense Never give up Effort Relentless
All it takes is all you got.
Effort is not Effort until it HURTS! We not Me Go hard or go home!

Use of Time Outs

I like to save as many TOs as I can for the end of the game. I use a TO to stop a run of between 7 and 10 points depending on the opponent and if we are at home or on the road. The important thing to remember is there is no script for calling TOs. You have to feel the game situation. I let players call timeouts only at the end of the game to stop a turnover.
I try to save my time outs until the end of the game. I've been in too many close games where I wished I had time outs left. If it's obvious that I need to rearrange something before it's too late, then I use them. Other than this, it's not uncommom for me to have 4 time outs left, with two minutes left in the game.
I do not have a steadfast rule, but in general, if a team is taking advantage of something I know we can fix, then I will call a time out and correct it. I only like to use 3 of my 5 time outs before the last 2 minutes. If another team is out scoring us, but we are in position and defending well and they are just making shots, I will not call a time-out. If a team is getting second shots and outscoring us, I will. Probably the 2 most common reasons I call a time-out are lack of helpside D and lack of rebounding. I rarely call time-outs for offensive reasons. In the last 2 minutes, I like to use one of my time-outs between 2 and 1 minutes to set up our game plan for the final minute. I would only use them in a tight game. Then I save the last time out for time-outs needed at the end. I also like to use one time out, generally late in the 3rd or early in the fourth just to rest and praise my players. Get them a drink and get ready for the final run. A few weekends ago I was out of TO and hand to call one to stop the clock. We were down 4 and we hit a 2 pointer with 2 seconds left and I called TO. Of course I was given a T, but my hope was they would only make one of 2 FT and we could steal the in-bounds and make a hoop. Otherwise, the clock would have run out and we would have had no chance.
I think time outs are all associated with momentum. If things are getting out of hand and it's either sloppy or the other team has rattled of a series of baskets (4 baskets minimum). I saw mentioned about the tail end of the 3rd start of the 4th quarter is a good idea...I always make sure I have at least 2 the 2nd half. Different reasons warrant time outs early. I make it a priority to have at least 2 in the 2nd half... If we have a nice little run of defense--baskets going, we just let it keep rolling. The momentum has built and regardless of where we stand you have to force the other coaches hand.
Time outs are for teaching and for stopping opponenets momentum. Also for setting up a play and stopping the clock at the end of a period. Every point counts the same whether it is scored in the first period or the fourth so I will use a timeout to set up a last second shot at the end of any period, not just the end of a game. This helps teach the kids to run last second plays in a game situation and gives you a chance to score. If you run out of time outs, you can still use fouls and substitutions to stop the clock and instruct your players. If the game ends and you still have 3 time outs left, you missed 3 chances to teach during a game when the kids are most receptive to learning.
We get 3 full and 2 thirty second time-outs in our games. In the first three quarters if I need to call a time-out I'll use my 2 thirties, if necessary. That way in the last few minutes I'll still have my 3 full time-outs. My main 3 reasons for calling a time-out during the first 3 quarters are: 1) Stop the opponents momentum 2) A lack of effort on our part 3) Something they're doing tactically is really giving us fits. Other things I do regarding time-outs: If the other team calls time-out because they're having trouble I'll immediately change our defense for the next posession or 2 in order to keep them off balance. Late in the game before I take a TO I'll always take a quick peek at the other bench to see if the other coach wants a TO. I've saved quite a few by doing this and letting the other coach waste his. If it is a blow-out (either way) and late in the game I'll call a TO to sub in my 3rd string instead of waiting for a dead ball.
Had to call a time out at the start of the second half several times this past year.... 7th grade girls... We are not allowed to have water bottles on the bench so the girls have to use the schools water fountain. They were just late getting back from getting a drink or going to the bathroom. Several games I didn't call any timeouts because I had some girls playing soccer right after the BB game. I was just trying to get the game over as soon as possible. I've also called time outs early when I knew some girls were coming late. Sometimes you do what you gotta do.
99% of the time I think it is a sin if you lose a game and still have time outs remaining (there are a few exceptions that I can think of). However, to do "everything" possible to win a game, you will most likely need to use your time outs. Otherwise, you miss out on some excellent teaching/learning opportunities with your players. One of my pet peeves is to see a team lose by a few points, yet see that they had 3 or more time outs remaining. I think the coach is doing his players a great disservice in this scenario.
I don't think having time outs left after a close game is necessarily a sin. I will call time near the end of a game to explain the situation to them - for example, if we are up by a few points and there is a minute or so left I will remind them that the clock is on our side and we do not have to throw up the first outside shot they get. lay ups only. There are other situations I will call time out but I am very careful not to get in the way of my kids winning the game. I believe you can be too controlling with your kids and they will start to look to me too much and not react to what's going on on the court. I do the bulk of my teaching in practice so when game time comes around it's basically their's to win or to lose. Coach, if you coach high school ball maybe it's different but I believe in the lower levels there is such a thing as over coaching.
If time-outs are in short supply, another option is to use subs. Talk to your bench to explain the changes that need to be made and then repeat the message to the players who come off. Obviouly, this might not be so effective late in the game, but by using this tactic early you can save time-outs up for later.

Injury Liability Form

Check with the local church or YMCA league, they ought to be able to supply you with one. Please remember this, no disclaimer can take away a person's legal right to sue for remedy. All they are, are deterents and a good bluff.

Parent/School Transportation Policy

I am looking for policies from other districts regarding parent transportation after away games. If a parent takes his son/daughter home, what do they have to do...sign a form...just tell you...give you a note? Our district will not allow a player to ride home with another parent (rightly so) unless they have a signed note from the parent. I'm just wondering if a verbal "I'm taking Johnny home" is enough or do you require a note from Johny's parent saying they have thier son. Overkill or covering your backside? Obviously this would apply to public school coaches. Thanks in advance.
Legal counsel for the Ohio High School Athletic Association advised that the kids should go home on the bus NOT with parents. When challenged he asked - would you know if the parents were impaired, licensed suspended, ARE they the parent, etc. There is now written policy that kids must go home on the bus.
Countywide Policy (Howard County, Maryland): Players at away games may only go home with their parents (with a note). Under no circumstances can a player ride home with anyone other than their parent - in this case they take the bus back to school. Parents and Players sign an acknowledgement to this at the beginning of the season.
Up here, kids are allowed to go home with parents if the coach is notified by the parent. This has been the policy for about 30 years. We had a tragedy 30 years ago where 7 kids were killed in a two-car collision following an athletic event. They were driving themselves home. There were no adults in either car. After that, kids had to ride the bus back or travel with parents.
Of course parents have ultimate authority over their kids, but the most sensible rule I have seen is: Players must return home on the team bus unless they have a signed note from the parents - PERSONALLY DELIVERED BY THE PARENT TO THE COACH. None of this "Jimmy can ride home on his own, signed Jimmy's Mom" BS. For liability purposes, and for the purpose of your team to whom the participation and presence of all is vital - that's the best solution.
My school district's policy is to let the kids go home with a parent or "responsible" adult. I don't like the rule but it is one I am forced to live with. The coaches policy is no talking on the bus after a loss. Our last game only 7 kids (out of 24) kids rode home on the bus. The rest rode with their parents and stopped at a fast food joint. The kids on the bus saw them in there having a good time and this caused many problems the next day in practice. This issue is tearing the team apart. Personally, I feel that you "go as a team" you "come back as a team". We did when I played. I think it made us much better. It certainly created some long lasting memories!

Coaching Own Kids: Pros & Cons

I have coached all three of my boys teams at different times. The good 1. I get to spend time with my son.(This is the best) 2. I have control over what to teach, behavior and the other aspects of the game that I think are important.
The bad 1. It takes a lot of time away from other family activities. I have 5 kids so balancing the time I spend with each child becomes a challenge. 2. Sometimes you can be too hard on your own kids. You can expect too much from them. The ugly 1. Other parents will think treat your own son better. They will believe that you are not doing enough for their son. You will be criticized. Evaluate their comments for validity, do what you think is right and don't take it personally. They love their kids and want the best from them. P.S. With regard to playing your own son, I am reminded of a story about Al Maguire the former coach of the Marquette Warriors. Al had his son playing for him and one of the other players who was playing behind Al's son made a comment that he was just as good as Al's son. Al's response was that "you have to be a lot better than my son to play in front him. You see I love my son. I don't love you." Overall it is a very positive experience.
Here's my addition, I have coached my daughter from 4th thru 7th grade. This summer I will let someone else coach her for the summer. I want her to get someone else's perspective of the the game. Maybe she will do for them, what she won't do for me. Just a thought!
POSITIVES: 1. I got to share a key experience with my boys. We still love to play together (No, I can't keep up with them) 2. My kids think like coaches and they help me think like a player. Kids are different nowadays. NEGATIVES: 1. A time comes when your kid needs space from you. That is a painful time for Dad. 2. It can be a real test of character to turn your son over to another coach and become a spectator.
I wish so bad I could agree, its tough in my case my son can not separate home from basketball. He is the reason behind all of this he seems to take my advise to personal like dad to son not coach to son. i am open to any advise
I have two perspectives in coaching one's child, having coached my son since he was 7 years old until this year when at age 12, I turned him over to another coach. The first perspective is one in which it is fine to coach your son/daughter if you have a good relationship with him, particularly in terms of being able to communicate with him, his willingness to listen, follow direction, comply with rules applicable to all, etc, and he enjoys playing and continues to develop his basketball skills. For those fathers who have that kind of relationship, coaching their sons can be a joy, as I have seen this to be true in some instances. Unfortunately, I learned over the years that when it came to coaching my son, I did not have the same kind of relationship. As he grew older, he became a better player but I did not think that he played up to his ability under my coaching. Around 11, he became sensitive to anything that I said and he viewed it as criticism of his play. When the same kind of comment was said by me to a teammate, it was viewed by that player as a correction or as instructional, and was not viewed by the player as criticism of his play. It was not hard for me to decide that maybe it would be best for someone else to coach my son. Finding the right coach and the right team was not hard to do because while playing 11U, besides playing under me, I had him play in another league on a team coached by the person who now coaches him. This permitted a easy transition for him and for me. Another problem I had in coaching my son was the fact that I could not focus on him alone. As coach of a team, I felt compelled to focus on the 9 or 10 other players of the team. This is not to say that I ignored my son, since I did work with him outside of our team practices. However, in practices and games, my attention was on the team and not on my son. Since I no longer coach him in a team setting, I find that I can go to his games to watch and singularly focus on his play. After games, I am able to talk to him about the game including things that he did well and not so well. To be honest with you, when I was his coach, I could not tell you whether he played well or not in a game. Just some of my experiences in coaching.
Had an incident I learned from. My child is not the best kid on a the team by any means. So, he finds some time on the bench in the 2nd half like all my kids. He is 9. beginning of 4th quarter we had been trailing by 9 pts all game. So my son asked as 5 other players hit the floor if he would play more. I figured sure, been trailing 9 pts all game. I'll get everyone in. So I said, "Yes I'll get you all in again". Well go figure, the 5 boys on the court started 'happening' it does happen occasionally. They got us within 2 and I could not break their momentom with a substitution for anyone. Well, we didn't win (20-22). And my son called me a lyer. It hurt and made me mad. But, I talked with him later about what happened and why I did what I did. I apologized but insisted I had no right to make that promise because anything can happen in basketball. Also, I stress that there is good and bad when I coach. Bad is I'm going to make dicisions as a coach not a dad. Good is if you're in the game your're there because the team needs you there. It was tough on both of us but, I think he understood.
my sons are 14 and 12. i have coached them both in grade school, jr high, ymca, aau teams and individually. this includes not only bb but baseball track, cross country, wt lifting , and running programs. some off you guys are thinking-get a life! yes i spend an enormous amount of time with my family (wife does it all with us too). all is now great and the boys are very successful. but it wasnt always that way . every thing you can imagine bad about such close parental involvement i think ive been thru! POINT of this discertation is things got really good about a year ago when i adopted a "relentlessly positive" approach . not falsely positive and with a huge dose of respect for all others .

Games & Contests for Summer Camp

Here are a couple of fun ones that can be a good break in the day. Basketball Tag. Everyone gets a ball and must start dribbling on the whistle. While maintaining your dribble you try to knock the ball away from the others. The last one left without losing their dribble is the winner. I start out using a half court, then as the game is still going I tell then inside the 3 point line, then in the lane so as to keep the players close together. Knock-Out. Everyone in one line at a chosen spot. First player shoots the jumper and then follows his own shot until he makes it. Second player does the same. If second puts the ball in first, the first shooter is out. As soon as you put the ball in or are eliminated, pass the ball to the next person in line who tries to make it before the person that just shot.

Gift Suggestions for Coaches

Gift certificates and food in it's factory sealed container are always nice. I got a team photo in a nice frame this year, that was a good gift.
a gift certificate to local restaurant or sporting goods store. Sweat suit with name on it...This one i received 2 years ago and is one of my prized possessions. The team that gave it to me finished 3 - 8, but every girl came out this year.
I have gotten a few different things but I have most appreciated a gift certificate to one of our local restaurants. After spending a great deal of time coaching and traveling it is nice to take your OWN family out for dinner.
I have also received plaques with all the kids names on it. One year all the team signed a basketball for me. The plaque and the basketball are still displayed in my house.
My end of BB season presents have ranged from a T-shirt autographed by the team to a $50 gift certificate at a local restaurant. I still wear the T-shirt from my 1997/1998 4th grade girls team. It's my favorite shirt. (12 girls are on the team). My favorite soccer present was a "funny" group photograph of the team also signed by everyone. Here are some additional ideas: (1) an engraved name plate / pen holder to use on the coaches desk. (2) a nice whistle and lanyard (3) dry erase clipboard (4) basketball signed by all of the players

Points of Emphasis Over the Summer

Personally, my point of emphasis this summer is the same as always...ball handling, ball handling, ball handling. I have my girls do King Drills but I am not a big fan of them. I have been doing more dribbling with two balls (simulataneously and alternating), 3 bounce (sit on floor with legs straddled...bounce on right, then middle, the left, then middle, and so on.) Finally, I spend a lot of time working on cross-over dribbles, spin move, behind the back dribble. Sounds ancient but I set up rows of chairs and the go through them. Gets them tons of reps. I also go through the three man weave a lot as I find it helps them master being able to catch and pass w/o traveling. I have 7th and 8th grade girls. Our season starts August 14 with two-a-days leading into our first game in early September.
I have 8th grade girls and my emphasis is also on ball handling. I wasn't familiar w/ 2 ball dribbling until it was mentioned on this site. I'm using it religiously now and have seen a great improvement.
Nike has a saying I love, BASKETBALL PLAYERS ARE MADE IN THE SUMMER. TEAMS ARE MADE IN THE WINTER. I am doing nothing more than the fundamentals this summer. I'm teaching footwork and shooting form. I figure if the girls actually get the footwork and shooting form down correctly, it will be an ultra-productive summer. I'm not working on any team things, exceot spacing. Everything is based on individual skills

Coaching Resume

Important points for a resume: List every team you played on, the coach, position you played, any honors you were awarded, what you learned on that team. List the teams you have coached or assisted, your duties, what you taught the kids, references of coaches and parents who liked your coaching. Include personal information - family, other jobs held (reference from each one). Also write a note telling why you want the job and how it fits into your life goals and list the assets you have to offer as a junior high coach. Follow it up with phone calls and ask for an interview and keep asking until they give you an appointment (but don't be demanding or obnoxious). Just let them know you are very interested in the job. Good luck. I got a job coaching jr high girls a year ago and have never enjoyed anything as much except maybe playing (and I'm 50 years old).

Activity Sports Fees

Recent news in Alaska. High school sport activity fees were raised from $75 to $175 per sport for each kid. Families with multiple kids in several sports have a three fee limit. Middle school kids pay $75 (for the minimal quality of remaining sport programs) per sport. Does your school district also charge sport activity fees. If so, how much? We have a fairly affluent state that houses a citizenry of curmudgeons who don't want taxes of any kind. I fear for the future of our school sports, I really do.
Our jr. high teams are not supported by the school at all. The average cost per kid to play on my team last year was $400 for 11 months of playing. In our sr.high, each team has it's own fund raisers that pay for everything. I'd say each kid probably spent $40 max of their own money. This year fund raising will be simple, with 40 kids per team to recruit, sell, and work it. (Had to get my cut, play on words, in on our no cut policy.) For just playing 1 season and free gym time, it sounds like you folks up north are just a titch high at $175/player.
I never heard of a fee for playing high school sports. Here in Pennsylvania it is absolutely free for kids to play a sport of any kind. (at least in my area). And that includes their physicals, uniforms, traveling, etc. What is all this money used for?
I too have never heard of public schools charging the athletes a fee. Most everything is free, uniforms, shoes, some limited team meals. There would be a huge outcry if kids had to pay. It would tend to favor the upper class kids and discourage some underprivileged players opportunities. Now we do have rather high property taxes that are used to fund the schools.
At the jr. high private school that I coach at it is $50.00 per child per sport max. $150.00 No fees at public schools
None for our HS in Maryland .... except for the booster club membership, bull roast tickets, car washes, program ads and personal ads in the basketball program, pizza and cheescake kits, car raffle, and the 50/50 raffle. Yep, no fees... Don't get me wrong, at least the money raised here stays in the program (or at least I think so.) Who gets the money you mention and how does it make it into the sports programs?
No fees for high school or junior high here in Texas. I'd hate to think of it if we had it. I might not have a team.
We had fees a few years ago when our district was in financial trouble...fees used to offset the cost of officials, uniforms, supplies, coaches wages to the school district. After our latest levy passed a few years ago, the fees were discontinued.
Sounds inexpensive too me! This month I've written close to a $1000 to Football and Basketball boosters for the privledge of my son having made the team. These fees cover coaching, uniforms, travel expenses ... I pray he doesn't decide to add a 3rd sport. We are also required to seel advertising and other miscellaneous item. Basketball boosters informed us each kid will need to contribue approximately $850 each.

Rather have a natural athlete or a kid that had to learn how to become a player?

Every natural athlete I have coached has ended up being a "KWBA" (Kid With Bad Attitude.) I don't have a single natural athlete on my team now. Everyone has had to spend hours learning things that come naturally to the NA's (natural athl.) Now I only coach jr. high, and maybe it's dramatically different for varsity ball. But for youth ball I would rather have players than NA's. How bout you?????
I would rather have the hard working kid who had to put in the hours to try to become a player over the 'natural' athlete anytime, anyway, anyhow...... I've had too many athletes who I've wished could have had a heart transplant to get the dedication and desire they needed. Nope - give me the self-made hard working less 'athletic' kid anytime. By the way, when you find a natural athlete who is as concerned about the game and getting better as the 'hard worker'....then you've got a real player.
First an opinion on natural players: If they are physically advantaged early in life, they trust their strength, not their technique, to succeed. And, succeed they do. A lot of "natural athletes" aren't so gifted a few years later when other kids catch up. Then their weaker fundamentals kill them and its is hard for them to learn late what they should have learned early. If an athlete (great or not) has the great attitude we all cherish, then learning fundamentals will happen, and the story has a happy ending. The thing that gets my pot boiling is the prejudice that average players face when they move to higher levels (I'm talking high school). This is the case where the JV or varsity coach selects their team and basically pulls the most athletic kids out ofthe tryout pack. In their arrogance, they believe they can teach those kids all they need to know in a season. Doesn't work that way. Building fundamentals and learning to make advantage decisions in the dynamic game of basketball takes years of work. Our C and JV teams have been very successful. I believe that is because there is so much emphasis on skills, team play and PT is shared more. In contrast, the varsity team has struggled with strife and poor decision making. We have had some kids that have really paid their dues to understand and play this game, yet be denied a chance to play varsity or spend the season on the bench watching younger, but more gifted players learn how to play basketball at the team's expense. So, there's my emotional outlet. To me, all those things that roll into GOOD ATTITUDE count the most. Natural athlete isn't enough. To be really good, to be a champion, you need both - talent and good attitude.
I once coached a traveling team that played together from the 4th through the 8th grades. On that team were four players that I would classify as gifted athletes. They were able to acquire skills easily, and in the 4th grade had progressed further than the other players. Over time, other players who were good but not gifted athletes, moved from being in the 8th through 10th slots on the team to being in the top five. By the 8th grade, the key members of the team were the good athletes with good attitudes and good work ethics. It seems to me that when things come so easily to gifted athletes, they get used to excelling without having to work hard. This works OK in the lower grades, but by the 7th and 8th grades, the good athletes who work hard have caught up and surpassed the gifted athletes. The gifted athletes on my team didn't have bad attitudes, they had just become accustomed to getting by on their sheer athleticism.
At the varsity level I need both. I need kids that have natural ability AND work hard. The lower levels tends to weed out those kids who only have one of the two traits so by the time the get to me they usually have some of both in varying degrees. It has been my experience that the kids with just the natural talent tend to get weeded out earlier and I have had some less than natural talented athletes that have played for me simply because of their work ethic. It is very difficult for me as a coach to weed out a kid who works hard but doesn't have much athletic talent but the reality of my job is that I have to win.
I understand that at the varsity level, winning=job. I will never have a problem with this. I do have a problem with younger kids making winning the #1 priority. I like to win and my team likes to win. Last year we won 85% of our games, we were 60 wins and 10 losses, or close enough for rock-and-roll. So, I am not worried about having natural athletes for the win. 8 of my 10 girls hve been recruited by various high schools to play for them, and none are a NA. Why is it that coaches believe you have to have the NA's to win? I do understand that an NA with the right attitude and work ethic is the best of all worlds, but it isn't the only way, is it!How many coaches would give their eye teeth for an 85% winning %, even if they didn't have an NA on the team? Or would they be complaining that they didn't have the horses?
The reason basketball is the greatest sport in the world is a player can make it at the varsity level in high school just on hard work and very little talent. We have that all the time on our teams here. The player that is not very fast, can't jump, but can shoot the lights out is still valuable. We had a player go through a few year ago, Kevin Ault. Indiana Mr. Basketball, played for Steve Alford at SW Missouri State. He had almost no natural talent. He was about 6' 1", slow, could not jump, but he knew basketball so well that he used his head to anticapate and make up for it. I do not think it is a silly pipe dream to tell our young players that if they work really hard, no matter their talent level, they can become a good player in high school. Now when you look at college and the NBA, then you have to have a great deal of natural talent combined with the hard work. But I don't think we should be reluctant to tell elementary and Jr. High kids that if they really want to be a player, they can do it with hard work (let me change that, proper practice) You can work real hard on bad habits, it is proper form plus repetition that we want.

Your Best Prank

There is a team that we play once a year and in 5 years, we have never beaten them. The coach and I became friends so I decided to have fun the next time we played him. I have 2 16 year olds boys that I know real well. Both are great kids, and both are real "Hot" according to every girl on my team. One of them lives next door to me. Whenever he mows his parent's lawn, my daughter calls her friends and they come running over to our house. They will look out the window for hours, just watching him mow. Ineveitably, he gets hot and takes off his shirt, and the girls go wild. The other boy has the same affect on the girls. Now the other team's players know these 2 boys as well, and they go just as bonkers. So for fun, I talked these 2 boys into coming to the game to watch us play this team we had never beaten. I warned my girls and told them if they focused in on the game, and played their hearts out, I might be able to talk these boys into going to grab something to eat afterwards. Next I had the boys sit behind our bench, about 5 rows up but close enough to the other team's bench for the ohter team to notice them. Throughout the whole game, the other team consisted of straining necks where their players were staring and drooling over these guys. These girls had to have stiff necks after this. During one of their freethrows, one of the boys stood up and went to the concession stand. The girl shooting the free throw threw it over the backboard. There were balls flying off shins, heads, and every other bodypart throughout that game. My whole team lost it in laughter at one point in time, laughing at the other team. The neat part was that my girls got to see just how goofy it was and looked when someone acted this way. Hopefully this helps them later on in life. The other coach is still trying to find a way to get even.
I had 1 girl who refused to where a tshirt under her jersye like the rest of the team. She would always get to the gym about 15 minutes before game time. One game i told all the players to where a t-shirt over their game jersey. when the girl got to the game she was told we were white, so she put on her jersey and when she got to the bench she saw the rest of the girls in blue. she ran back and i told the girls to reverse colors. guess what when she came back out she was now blue and the team white. this went on right up until about 1 min before tip off...talk about clueless, but it solved a big problem.....
Actually, this one was played on me when I was in high school. We used to enter the gym from the locker room running in a single line and would circle the floor before starting the warmup routine. The crowd would be screaming and so would we ... very exciting. Anyway, it was an honor to be the first in line leading the team, so I was really pumped when it my turn to charge out the door. The signal came and I charged out the door, dribbling a basketball and screaming ... but the crowd was laughing. I stopped and looked behind me. My whole team was back at the locker room door laughing their collective butts off.
Last year I had a small but quick and atheletic team. Early in February we played a game against the dominant team in the area -- they had the premier "big man": a quality player that stood 6 or 7 inches taller than my tallest. The day before the game it was clear that my boys had some "self-doubts". Anyhow, the coaching staff all wore Hawiian print shirts and Bermuda shorts to the game (this was February in Minnesota - about 15 below and snowing outside). Then we had our smallest point guard jump at center court to start the game. This broke the ice. My boys played loose and played hard. We won the tip (perhaps because the other team was laughing so hard), and we won the game by 3 points.
This happened yesterday. Down by 3, 5 seconds to go. We had just scored so they get the ball out of bounds under our basketball. They call time out, then come back to throw it in, and their whole team is laughing. They throw it in to my daughter 3 FEET FROM OUR BASKET, ON PURPOSE. My daughter is so suprised she blows 2 seconds wondering what just happened, then she puts in it. Of course time runs out, they win. I had to laugh and applaud the move, because we were so stunned we couldn't pass it out to 3 point land in time, and they didn't contest her lay up so they didn't foul. I thought it was great.

Toughest part about coaching

The toughest part is definitely not the X's and O's. Team unity, building self confidence for the players, etc. I have always found the psychological part of the game the "toughest". I have a yearly goal to improve all my athlete's mental toughness. Their ability to make better court (game) decisions. I am very verbal and would like to regain my voice by not being so verbal during games. This is the next part of coaching I am going to work on personally. But, bottom line, high school and down, kids need to learn to rely on their teammates as much as their coach during game situations!
I think the toughest part of coaching is (all in the same week) telling some kids that they can't play on your team because they are cut; finding out your own kid was cut from the team he was trying for; then meeting with parents of the kids I cut and asked to explain to tearful parents why their son wasn't good enough ... I have had quite enough of this particular coaching responsibility. The most difficult thing to accomplish, I think, is changing game behaviors. Its not so hard to make a drill work a certain way, but to change game behavior is a whole 'nuther matter. Their seems to be some sinister genetic programming at work in the kids I have. In your case, it may be the kids are used to losing, they know how to do it, and they are prepared to deal with it. Winning imposes a whole new set of requirements: working harder, executing properly and most importantly - daring to care. Its not scary to not care and lose. Its real scary to lay out your heart and effort and still lose - a much bigger risk. The safe route is to not invest any emotion. All I can suggest is discussing this with your team and finding out what they really want out of this experience. They may not want to win nearly as bad as you do. Maybe they do not believe they are capable of winning a game. But they need to understand who they are and who they want to be. Hopefully they just haven't decided who they want to be yet.
I'm with A.C. Cutting a kid from the team is the toughest thing I have ever had to do. I made tryouts soooo tough that I thought that maybe enough would quit and I wouldn't have to do the dirty deed. It only made it worse. After the kids damn near died trying to make the team I still had to tell them the bad news. The double dribbles, bad passes, dumb shots, and even behavior problems I can handle. Telling a girl she can't play with us will eventually be what makes me quit the game.

Stories of Parent Problems

Here's a chance to tell your stories of parents who went a bit "over the line". I'll start, of course. Its halftime, JV game. Team is in the closed coach's room. We're talking to the kids. Knock on the door. Its a young kid with a note from his dad. The note is a long, handwritten list of all the things we're doing wrong. Parent of my most talented player says he won't be playing this year so he can concentrate on piano lessons. But he can play the next season. She just wants to balance his music and his sports.
We had a coach(aau)who was doing terrible and was(allready agreed on) supossed to quit.We had another coach,so when it can to quitting time for 1st coach, the coach raised heck,and recurited 3 other parents to kick up a fuss.One parent called the persident to try to get their money back,said he didn`t get his money`s worth.President said,we got a new coach,we`re trying to do something about that.Parent threatened to sue if he didn`t get money back..parent went with original coach to start a new team.,you know ,the coach he claimed wasn`t getting him his money`s worth...what a dope!!
Girls 12u AAU team. Had ( girls on the team so everyone got good quality playing time every weekend. Had one set of parents who were just sure that their daughter should be the starting point guard. She was a pretty good 2 and usually started there, but I had a really solid point and a backup that was better that this girl. My starting pointt guard's parents had a wedding they had to go to one weekend and said that they would be unable to make it on Sat. They said their daughter could come and play if she could find a ride and someone to stay with Fri. and Sat. night.(It was an out-of-town tournament). For a number of good reasons I don't supply transportation or lodging in any circumstances so I told them to try to work it out with one of the other families. The 2 guard's family said that they would be happy to have her come along and stay with them. Guess What? They show up Friday evening for our first game without her!....Oh my gosh... We forgot all about her! (Yeah, Right)
Yesterday our 7-0 team plays another undefeated team. Our kids start out very sluggish and nervous. Our parents have been pumping up the other team all week. Before we blink we are down by 10. One parent sits behind the bench berating kids and coachs for too many turnovers. Trying to tell us how to coach, that he could do abetter job. He said he has been wanting to tell us this for the last 7 games. These boys average about 35 pts a game while giving up about 15.This was our first loss in this age group in 2 years. The age of these boys are 7 and 8!
Every year I have a pool party at my house as an end of the summer blowout. We just played 11 months, no break. At the pool party I give them all a flyer saying the next month we take off, no ball. Also it states when our practices are after that, Tues. and Fri. nights. Next thing I know I see a player talking with her dad, then tries to secretly talk to all the players individually. It seems that their mixers are on Fridays, so because the one player doesn't want to have practice on a mixer night, she is recruiting all of my players to quit the team and come play for her dad on a new team. Needless to say, she was the 1st player I ever dumped. Ps, no one else left the team.

Dealing With Refs

Fellow coaches - lets say you're in an emotional game and suddenly your team is hit with a disputable call. I'm not talking about referee's mistake, I'm talking about a competent ref that just saw it differently than you and the call really hurts your chances. The question is, how do you handle the situation? What do you say to the ref (if anything)? How would you advise a young coach to cope with the call? Thanks for your advice. I always explain to my players that the refs are as human as the rest of us, sometimes maybe a little less human. Also, that they have to learn to play through any given situation. On many occasions, I have expressed that we must be better than the other team and the officials that call the game. Bottom line, they must learn to play through it all, no matter how terrible the call. I have gotten T's in the past for arguing a call (3 seconds in particular) and will probably continue to get them. I am always the voice on the team, the players realize this and respect it. They know that I (the coach) am ultimately responsible for the team's reaction to such incidents, not the athlete. These situations will continue to plague all of us as officials continue to call youth sports (yes, including high school) like it is the NBA.
Great question! It made me reflect on how much I've learned by doing the wrong thing, how much I've changed, and how much more I still have to learn. When I was younger (ahem) I had much less control over my Italian temper and, in a situation such as the one you describe, would have jumped all over the refs about the call. Result - technical foul, two shots for the opponent, and a possession to the opponent. Did the team get fired up? Most of the time not very much - maybe if the other team missed the FT's. Bottom line, I ceded control of the game away from my players and me over to the other team all because of my temper and emotions - STUPID! I still have a temper (goes with the ethnicity) but I work real hard to keep it in check. Over time, I've learned to show restraint and control, and I think it has a more settling effect on the players. How can we tell our players to settle down and play under control if we as coaches don't provide an example when they need it most (and actually hurt them in the process)?
Coach, the best advice I've seen regarding a controversial call in an emotionally charged game was actually given by you in a previous post. It's not verbatim, but... CALL A TIME OUT, SETTLE DOWN YOUR TEAM, AND FOCUS THEM ALL ON WHAT THEY NEED TO DO ON THE COURT WHEN PLAY RESUMES. Many benefits - dampens some of the raw emotions of anger, shows the players you can control a difficult situation, and redirects the focus back where it belongs - the minutes ahead of them, not the past events. Notice that this response implies you ignore the referees in this process - a much better approach in my opinion. Cool your jets and save the discussion with them for after the game.
My first year coaching we lost some close games and probably lost the championship because of some technicals called against one of my players who thought that every call against him was a bad call. Starting in the following season and right up to today, I start out my first practice of the year by explaining to my players that the instant I see one of them start to argue a call - regardless of how bad the call is - I will pull them out of the game. I tell them that I will never argue a call either. In all my years (too many to mention) I have never seen a ref reverse a call because someone argued about it. What I have seen is refs get agravated to the point where they are looking for an infraction against the player who argued. On my first practice of the year I tell the kids that everyone makes mistakes - they will miss some lay ups in the game, I will probably make a bad coaching decision, and the refs will made a bad call or two. Whenever I see a really bad call in a game either for or against my team, I turn to the players calmly say, "Oops, he blew that call". When they see that I dont go ballistic over a call, they figure they shouldnt either. What I do after a questionable call is walk down the sideline with my water bottle, take a couple of sips, walk back up the sideline and continue coaching my kids. We can do more harm to our kids than the refs by loosing control. Teaching your kids to be calm and controlled during a critical time in the game gives them a chance to come back and pull the game out.

What has worked for you with referees?

Ask informed questions!!! If they are a bad ref then god knows what's going on but in the case of a solid official that just doesn't seem to be seeing something ask questions. During a break in the play (quarter/halftime/t-out) you or your assitant go ask about a rule. Normally the one you think is being broken. We played against a kid who was really quick but would travel everytime he took off. The ref's weren't calling it so during a timeout ahlf way through the second half (thiers) i let my assitant diagram the press break. i went to the ref and asked about traveling violations. When the pivot foot could leave and knowing the rules made sure that i interpreted it the same as they did. I didn't even mention who i thougth was doing just a general question for reference sake Once i did that they were thinking about it, and they knew i was thinking about it. Everytime the kid went the rest of the game they called it. Know the rules, be informed, let the refs know you know the rules. Also make sure if your begging for reach in calls that your team isn't doing the same thing. If its going both ways you might as well forget it.
When I approach an official, I am non-confrontational. I tell him what I see, and why I think it is a foul/violation. Sometimes I am told they did not see it, and I politely ask if they could look for it. If he replies that he does not see it as a foul/violation, I briefly explain why I see an advantage/disadvantage, and then let it go. This technique works when combined with very limited "chirping" from the bench. The key is communicating efficiently without emotion. Also, know the rule book, so you can use the terminology correctly. For example, do ask for an "over the back" call. An experienced official will tell you that call is not in the rules-what you really want called is a pushing foul. This sounds minor, but lends credibility to you as a coach.
Refs have feelings like the rest of us and don't like for you to get the fans riled at them. Try to speak quietly to them while they are at your bench or during stoppage in play. Also, when they call something on one of your kids and the kid seems to dispute the call, back the ref up loudly so the parents don't start yelling at the ref. I think we as coaches are better off to focus on our players and leave the refs alone unless it gets really one-sided. (easier said than done)
I was a ref for a couple of years before I started coaching and I think that was the best thing I could have done. You not only learn the rules of the game, but you also get to feel like what it is to be on the "other" side. I will never argue a judgement call. If I feel the refs are not calling something I address them in a respectful and calm method or ask one of my captains to do so in the same way. To me there is no other way to do it. Yelling, screaming and "working" the officials just takes time away from what you should be doing...coaching. You are a poor example to your athletes by yelling and I have seen this happen many times...A coach starts yelling at a ref and the parents and fans immediately start in also. Before you know the crowd is questioning every call and the game is ugly in a hurry. We as coaches are role models and our players and fans many times will mimic our actions. I think every coach at some time should give reffing a try.
talk to them at timeouts and halftime, don`t hollar and fuss, works for me

Definition of a Good Coach

to improve their basketball skills and knowledge,experience,while slipping in a few good morals along the way
a good coaching philosophy that you can add to and that you believe in,be yourself,be eager to learn from other coaches and your own players,touch kids and peoples life,have your proitities in place help kids put thier priotities in place,setting goals for the season,help players set thier individual goals to meet for the season tell your players and thier parents if their is a problem that they can come and talk to you about it, your there to help show them that you care about them as human beings not just basketball players, be a coach that you would be proud to have your son or daughter play for!I hope this is a good coach because this is what I believe is a good coach and would be proud to have played for!
My first goal is to teach the kids the game. Before having fun. BUT, I focus on teaching in a way that is fun and will be understood by the players. I have seen some really knowledgeable coaches that could not effectively pass their knowledge on to their team. One aspect of my coaching style that I think the boys like is that I am committed to the team and teaching the kids basketball. They respect that and know that I want each of them to grow and succeed both as basketball players and people. I come on time, prepared (practice plan) to all games and practices. I have found that if the boys are learning, in a way that is fun, they will compete and have a failry good win-loss record, which does help them have fun. Lets face it 0 and whatever is not much fun. But they need to understand that getting beat is ok (not losing, getting beat -- there is a difference) as long as you learn and improve. Well I have already gone too long but I am an emotional Italian that is passionate about everything he does.
My goal is to be a coach and COACH = TEACHER AND ROLE MODEL
After the season I will ask each of my kids three questions: 1)Did you learn to be a better player this season? 2)Did you like being on the team? 3)Did you have fun? If they answered yes to all three then I can say I was a good coach to them. If somebody answers no to one of the questions, then I failed in some way to be a good coach to that individual. My goals for the week - to learn something new about basketball either through TV, books or talking with other coaches. My goals for the season - to see definite improvement of each member of the team. My goals for my career - coaching is not a career for me but a passion. I do it for free. Eventually I would like to drop down to the age level I started at and start all over again. Hopefully I can continue to coach until the Good Lord has a coaching position for me in heaven.
I don't know about boys, but with girls, YOU NEED TOO BE A GREAT SHRINK AND FATHER CONFESSOR!!

Rating yourself as a coach: Looking back at your season

I believe Alaska tried to start this last month. I wanted to take a different twist. First I would never let my players' parents rate me, my ego is fragile enough as it is. I wanted to go a different route. Most of our regular seasons are over. Look back and rate yourself as a coach. Plus's, minus's, if you could change one thing, what would it be, that kind of thing. If you could recommend one positive thing that you did that might help someone else, what would that be? we can all learn a little about and from each other!
I am two coaches: head jr high girls in fall, assistant varsity at high school in winter. As jr high coach, if I were doing it over, I would: be tougher on kids who did not work hard in practice - would make them sit out of practice for punishment and cut their playing time. I would reduce complexity of our offense and spend more time teaching post moves, jump shot, individual skills, and letting them scrimmage (controlled with interruptions to teach). As assistant at high school, I would ask the players with potential to stay 15 minutes after practice (1 or 2 at a time) to work on whatever they need help with or get permission to take them to a side basket while the rest of the team is doing drills. A few did this on their own the last couple weeks of the season and made good progress, but we could have done it all season if I had been proactive. Practice time is mostly varsity vs others doing team things, little time spent learning fundamentals which we are weak on. I would also play with the girls in drills and scrimmage to show them how to play instead of just telling them (assuming head coach doesn't mind).
We had a wonderful, almost magical season this year and actually won the state tournament for our classification so I just thought that I would share some thoughts about some things we did that got us to the state tournament and helped us do well once we got there. First of all we spent most of our time teaching kids how to play instead of teaching them plays. Although we ended the season with quite a few entries into our motion offense, the bulk of our practice time was spent inproving out players as individuals. When the time came we had kids that could step up and play instead of being able to run a play that the other teams have scouted and found ways to defend. Second we encouraged our kids to spend time shooting free throws. Although we were never a team that would shot 90% in a game we had kids that had the confidence that when the game was on the line they could step up and make one. Third, we encouraged our girls to get on a weight program. For the ones that did it, it really showed toward the end of the four day tournament. Last, we used a notebook this year. Many of the things that we put in their notebooks were things that were motivational things that pointed toward them getting to the state tournament. In no way do I feel like I have arrived as a coach. I still have so many things to learn and probably always will but I just thought I would throw out a couple of things that I think were really critical for us winning the state tournament.
My kids had a very successful season. In fact, it was the most successful they've ever had. Even so, I don't believe it means I can give myself a high rating with this reason alone. I look at my kids and see a big improvement in their individual defensive skills. I see them playing better as a team on both offense and defense. I see them being unselfish and moving better without the ball. I see my two newest players make big strides in improvement. I see my kids maturing as a team together and it makes me as their coach so proud. The wins were a nice addition but without the rest of it, it wouldn't mean as much. I still need to improve my coaching during games but it has improved from last year. The one thing I would have done differently this season is not try and teach them a pattern man offense. I come to realize that a pattern offense reduces their ability to read and react to the defense. After spending half the season trying to find a pattern simple enough for them to learn I finally decided to throw it all out and gave them the freedom to create the three plays - give and go; pick and row; backdoor cuts. Almost immediately I started to get results. So, no more pattern offense for me - at least not for awhile.
One thing I wish I did better was getting to know my players better with regards to their non-basketball related areas. I want to build a better trust between me and the players so that when the time comes that we are in the heat of battle and we need to make a decision, they trust that I will do what is best for the team. One thing I do that I wish every coach would do is to coach the whole game, even when down 20 or 30 points. I received many compliments this year from parents about how I showed my concern for all team members, not just the players, not just the star players, but the managers, stars, and subs. I expect every member of the team to do things the right way, all the time, no matter the score. I hope that no player ever feels that I am not willing to work with them and help them in any way I can.
I like to think of myself as a teacher. How successful? Sometimes not very! I teach the fundamentals and basics. I don't hold practices, I hold learning sessions. My major faults are 3-fold. Until now, I haven't cared that much about winning or losing. My job has always been to make sure that I teach my girls enough so that they can make their high school varsity team. But it has never been to win every game, no matter what. Well sometimes this has hurt my girl's competitive edge. We have been up by 20 and almost lost because I don't want to bury another team. This attitude could hurt them in high school. My other weakness has been that I never taught them a set offense. They read the defense and go. It's works great when they play with our team because the chemistry is great. I am afraid they will get bored or even lost with their high school's set offensive plays, and when the coach notices this, they get benched or get booted. This is a very real fear of mine. Trust me when I say that our public school kids are not going to have the greatest coaching minds coaching them. They are more on power trips than true coaching trips. And this could appear to them as a major negative. And last, my major fear is that I have totally screwed up my daughter's chances of playing high school ball, if she decides to do it. Most of you have seen last months posting, I DON'T BELIEVE. Well, over the years I have contacted everyone I could contact about the lack of coaching at my daughter's future high and I know that the present coach hates the sound of my name. Especially when I was offered the asst. coaches job behind his back. If my daughter does decide to play for this idiot, he may blackball her. How do I rate myself? Ok in training players to reach their potential. Nothing more than a bull in a china shop for the rest of my coaching attributes.
Based on the things that went on this year I would stress more time working on fundamentals under game like situations. After speaking with the HS coach I found out that many of my players had the basic fundamental, but some lack the ability to use in a game i.e. getting the ball into the post. Communicate more with the parents, even though i used email, website, old fashion paper seem to work best.
To put it bluntly I stunk!!! I got too involved in winning with 5th & 6th graders. We went 5-0 to start the season when I stressed team work and defense. We went 0-4 to finish and all I stressed was my self. We worked on the team concept at the start of the season then "I" let our team slip from that to just watching our two best players go to work. Moral of the story, toward the end of the season we had to play 2 against 5 and that didn't work. I make no excuses for it. It was totally my fault. I will not make that mistake again!
As a coach would be mediocre. I tought out kids good fundamentals all year and good offensive sets but I lack the experience to realize my mistakes until after the game or season. I don't teach them the killer instinct quality which allows other teams to get back in the game and that cost us our first round game in our divisional tournament as a team that had only lost once all year. JV age community ball! As this is only my 3rd year coaching I don't know exactly how to transmit what I want to say clearly enough for them to understand sometimes and that is a major problem. The main reason that I give myself a mediocre rating is because all of my community players who wanted to make their school team, did. And the 1 that didn't try out was begged to join. I feel like this is a major accomplishment. As well in my feedback forms everyone of the kids and their parents said that even though they lost in the first round this was the most fun they had ever had on a team and they learned the most they had since they first started.

Preparing for an interview

Interview tips: Ask friends to ask you questions you think might come up so you can practice answering. Write your own list of possible questions and think through your answers. Get yourself in a frame of mind where you know you will still be ok whether you get the job or not so you can be relaxed and be yourself and feel more confident. Discipline: I like using playing time as the motivator to behave. Misbehave, lose playing time. Also making a player sit out of practice for 10 minutes or kicking them out of a practice gets their attention. Finally, I let the parents know as soon as possible if a player is starting to cause problems and ask them to talk to her. That usually takes care of it without me having to confront the player. (Private Catholic school, may not work as well other places). Yelling works the first couple times but is subject to diminishing returns and sore throats. btw, Ed said to bare our souls so here is an interview story. I was asked to interview for a varsity boys job for home school kids because a friend gave me a real good recommendation. I now do JV girls and jr high girls. I told them how much I love the kids I coach now and pretty much convinced them that I should just train and supervise their coaches (varsity, JV, 7th and 8th) so I could keep my current job. They agreed to that, then my wife tells me she doesn't want me to do that because I would be away too much. So I have to choose between the two jobs. I decide to take the boys job and call them back. But now they have already asked other people to come in for interviews. I felt like a total dufus. Now I'm on hold waiting for them to decide if they want me or if I go back to my old job. Luckily, I love my old job so either way it will be ok. I just feel like an idiot for talking them into something and then telling them I can't do it. Coach D., Mac gave some great advice and I'll just add a few additions. I have 60 plus people who work for me and I do the second interviews of every applicant. Here's what I look for:
1. Are they confident, but not cocky?
2. Do they have the knowledge neccessary to get the job done?
3. Can they motivate others?
4. Do they convince me that they can walk the walk, as well as they talk the talk?
5. Are they honest and sincere?
6. Are they themselves trainable and flexible enough to learn from their supervisors?
7. Are they themselves constructively competitive?
8. Have they been winners in their own life?
9. And most importantly, can they teach?
Just a few extra thought for you to chew on.
Here is the question that I personally feel that you should prepare the most for. I hate this question myself as an interviewee but as an interviewer it can tell you a lot about a person. The question is "So tell me a little bit about yourself." Generally a question like this comes up early in the interview and can make or break the whole interview. Remember you only get one chance to make a first impression so start off with a bang and get well prepared for a question like this. As an interviewer it is seemingly harmless questions that tell you most about a perspective coach. Like for example I have heard that someone in an interview was asked something to the effect of "How was your drive?" and the candidate went off and was complaining and whinning about the drive and when it came down to selecting a candidate that person lost the job because of that. Be careful to stay positive at all costs. Last I would say be yourself because if you act like someone else and they hire that person and they find out that you are really not all you said you were neither of you will be happy in the long run. As to discipline I have found that the bench is the greatest motivator of all. Kids turn out because they want to play in games they don't just want to practice so in my mind that is the most effective way to deal with any problems that may come up.
Don't worry about what they might ask, that is the wrong approach. You can not control them, they will do what they want, just like an opponent in basketball. What you can worry about is you. Get your philosophy down on paper, print it out like a resume but not quite so boring of a format. Put down your thoughts about discipline, grades, goals, playing time, offensive and defensive schemes, relations with partents, head coach, and athletic director. How you will involve the teachers, students, even cheerleaders. How do you see yourself running this program. Do a lot of soul searhing and answer these questions to yourself. Get it on paper, study it, revise it, study it, revise it, and then go into that interview strong knowing where you stand, do not tell them what you think they want to hear. Stay true to your philosophies. Then at the END, let me repeat, AT THE END. Hand each one a copy of your coaching philosphies. Do not give it to them first because they will pay too much attention to that and not enough to you.
I wish you luck in your interview. I went through this experence last season and afterwards wrote up three articles: Coaching Interview, Coaching Philosophy and Coaching Resume'. If you read those, you will get some insight into how my interview was conducted and what was asked (and answered). As a strategy, however, I agree with Coach Bonifield in having your coaching philosophy well defined. If you can state your philosophy concisely and then be able to elaborate upon it, you'll not only make a good impression, you'll also have a foundation to support any answers you give. Be positive and put the kids first. You'll do fine. Chances are, even if you do not get the job, you may walk away with other things to make you stronger: favorable contacts, interview experience and a little better understanding of who you are.

I have been coaching freshmen girls basketball the past three seasons in Wisconsin. Two days ago I had an interview for the head varsity coaching position at another school in our conference and I'd like to share my interview experence with you. I used to post messages a lot more on this board, and I was inspired by bball-ed's plea to us to revitalize our discussions so here is my contribution: my interview expereince. I was greeted by the Athletic Director (AD) and he led me to a conference room. There to interview me were the AD, the principal, a former boys basketball coach at their school, and two current varsity players in their program. They went round-robin asking me questions for about an hour. The following are a list of questions, in no particular order, they asked me that may help you in a future interview (I don't remember all of the questions, though):

In general, how do you view the role of athletics in the educational system?
Describe your coaching philosophy?
How would you anticipate running your offense and defense?
Do you believe in making your players conform to a style of play, or do you develop your offense & defense around your players?
How would you view your role in the girls basketball program at the elementry & middle school levels?
How do you promote sportsmanship to the players & parents?
How do you view the role of the assistant coaches at the high school level?
How would you handle a situation where one of your players comes out of the game frustrated & crying?
What are your strengths & weaknesses as a coach?
Describe how you teach the motion offense (asked after I metioned I like running a motion offense)?
How do you see your role changing from being a freshmen coach to a varsity coach?
How would you handle try-outs?
What do you know about our program?
Give me 5 words that you would want your players to use to describe you after the season?
How do you handle dicipline problems?
How do you handle players with academic problems or conflicts?
Why should we hire you?

At the end they asked me if I had any questions. These were the questions I asked them:

What are your expectations of the varsity coach and what are you looking for in a successful candidate?
Tell me about the current coaches in the program and what kind of say would I have in choosing my staff?
From what you've seen, what is the most common mistake varsity coaches make in any team sport?
How do you handle fundraising?
In your opinion, why has the girls basketball program not been so successful (winning wise) in the past decade or so?
How is the feeder program currently set up?

At the end of the interview, I handed them a packet with
1) My updated resume
2) References
3) Sample practice schedule from last year
4) A sample player evaluation I filled out last year 5) A bullet point document summarizing my philosophy on offense, defense, parents, dicipline, practice, etc.

Finally, at the end they asked me within the next two days to give them the names & phone #'s of two of my former players so the two players that were part of the interview could call them to do a background check on me.
Side note: As far as how I thought I did? I think I did very well. I was a bit nervous at first and kind of rambled a bit on some questions, but I anticipated most of the questions they asked me, my views on topics mainly matched up with their views, and I think I impressed them with my knowledge of their program.

As far as getting the job, I'll find out next week. They are interviewing two other candidates: One a current varsity coach at another program, and their varsity assistant from last year. Personally, even though I think I did well I don't think I'll get the job because 1) I'm not a certified teacher 2) I have no varsity experence and 3) they have someone internal who is interviewing.

Anyway, I thought the questions were interesting.
I'll share the ones I had to answer when I interviewed for a head coaching job:

Briefly describe your coaching experiences at various competitive levels with High School age athletes.
Describe experiences that you have had supervising coaches. What criteria would you use to judge the merits of assistant coaches?
Describe your coaching strategies with respect to practice and competition.
What criteria would you use to select student athletes into team levels such as Varsity, Junior Varsity, and C Team?
How will you communicate the criteria to students and parents before tryouts? How will you communicate the results to the students and parents, especially students that are cut from the tryouts?
If you were selected as the Head Boys Basketball Coach, how would you arrange coaching/practice time between the various levels of student athletes?
How often will you have parent/team meetings and will your practice sessions be open to them and others.
How would you handle multiple coaching instructions from assistants, parents, and others, if they were different from you own?
What additional team rules and expectations will you have beyond Anchorage School District rules and ASAA Rules?
How will these rules be communicated to students and parents?
Describe discipline matters that you have had to handle during your role as a coach.
Describe how you will fund raise to support the Boys Basketball program? How will you include parents, booster club, and students?
How would you handle criticism from parents, students, fans, community members?
Student safety is of primary importance in all sports. What safety issues are you aware of with respect to this basketball and what do you believe your role will be in ensuring student safety?
Why would you be the best candidate for this position?
Will your schedule be flexible enough to maintain practices between 2:30pm until 8:OOpm?
Will your schedule be flexible enough to be present for all practices and competitions for the entire season, including the Region and State Meets?
just did an interview for girls varsity job same setting, AD, player rep, vprincipal, xcoach,and 2 parents. Not all qestions included, but some new ones. Why do you want to coach girls bball? Where do you see the program in two years? What characteristics do you look for in assistant coahes? What are your philosophy on team building, disipline, sportsmanship, and commintment? (a problem area last year) What stategies or principles would you use to condition a team who may not be self-drive(again a percieved problem) Must one take a different approach between coaching male and female athletes? (I was the boys assistant) What strategy would you use to break a full court press? Make up a height disadvantage? Get all players involved in the game? Your down by 8 with 6 minutes left?(I laughed at this one) There were others but this is a few different ones, I ended up with the job even though I laughed at most of the situational plays.
When you go for an interview is it acceptable to have notes or a notebook infront of you?
In response to above question: Absolutely. Have your questions prepared. Jot down the answers as they give them to you. Give them the impression that you are interviewing them. That you have to make sure they are right for you, not just that you are right for them.
In response to above question: I got a new job once and later found out that I was successful because I took notes and asked questions for clarification. It made the right impression on my new management.

Telling players the truth: Do we sugarcoat things too much?

A few post back a question was asked about discipline, but it was part of another post, so I wanted to bring it up again. Coach Riley (sorry ed, couldn't resist) mentioned the positive reinforcement that kids need, and I agree. But when does positive reinforcement become blowing sunshine blah blah blah. You want the truth, you can't handle the truth. When a player really plays terrible, and we pull them out of the game, do we give a high five and say good job because we do not want to hurt their ego in front of the fans. I admit, I have. I will basically lie to a player saying "good game". Is that right, I don't know. I guess I think to myself, "self, do not destroy this player for this one game, deal with it at practice" But then I also think "self, if I deal with it now while it is fresh in the players head, I will get better results." So when do we give them the truth. How much truth can they handle. Too much truth could be a hard thing for some players to handle. In Coach K's new book he talks about always laying out the truth, but a Duke player could handle a lot more truth than what any of my 7th graders could. But am I fooling them into thinking they are better than they are if I hold back.
The truth and only the truth . . . but perception is reality. Quite simply my detailing of the truth is dictated by a kids age. 4-5 year olds who keep screwing up get praise over things they do well try, pass, have fun then get suggestions to make it better next time. 7-11 are going to get encouragment and taken aside if they are really screwing up. if it's effort or attitude then a loud lecture followed by time-out or running. 12-14 more punishment and personal levures in front of their peers not on floor but locker room for a game. 15+ they should know better and if they don't they need to in a hurry. Spade a spade. If you can't handle it then we have a problem, after an outburst and reality check thier are private and quiet follow ups and chats. But if you are sucking out you should know before i'm up reminding you what you already should be doing.
Surprise, but I am brutally honest with my 8th graders. If they screw up, I tell them IMMEDIATELY, but I follow up with how to correct it and I know that they will do it right the next time. When they do it right, I am the biggest cheerleader in the gym, and the loudest. My team and parents laugh at my antics a lot, but as everybody always says, My point was to continually praise them when they do, do something right, and do it with emotion, not monotone.
When I pull a kid out who is not playing well I will always find something positive to say first. If the effort is there I will always praise him for that first. Then I will tell him what he is doing wrong and what he needs to do to correct it. I finnish by telling him that he will play better when I put him back in. I believe in this method because it starts off positive, he learns what to do to correct the problem and he knows I have not given up on him. The only time I am not as nice is when there is a lack of effort. I will definitely use THE TRUTH to correct that problem.
"Speaking the truth in love" is part of a bible verse about getting along with others who have screwed up, and I think it applies here. Some might use "truth" as an excuse to ream a kid because he didn't play well and you are upset.
The overriding guideline should be: Do what is best for the player. They need to know how to improve and need feedback about their performance. For them to take it right, you must be credible and they need to know you like them. Credibility is lost if you praise them even when they screw up, but you do need to praise them when you can do it truthfully so they will listen when you need to criticize. I've heard about using a "praise sandwich" when you correct a player: praise their effort or whatever, then point out what they need to improve, then give some other praise. My human relations prof always said to praise in public, criticize in private.
This might sound like a pat answer but I have really found that it varies with each individual. This is why it is essential to know each player on your team. My tendancy as a coach is to be positive and for most players I feel like this works well but honestly I have found some players (and I coach girls) that if you don't give them the straight up honest truth they don't respect you as a coach. If I may, let me give you an example. Late in the season this year one of my players just quits playing offense (rare I know) but she won't shoot the ball or even look to score. So at halftime I am in the locker room and and say to her in front of the team (and I think this is honestly the first time this season I singled out a player in front of the team) "You need to start playing some offense!" Well to make a long story short she ends up scoring 18 points in the second half and goes on to make first team all-state having three games where she scored 20 or more. If I would have taken the "positive approach" where I sandwhiched that criticism between two postive things I can tell you without a doubt in my mind she would not have heard whtat I was really tyring to say and would not have went out and did as well as she did. In that same game for the most part we were not being patient enough on offense. So I said "We need to be more patient on offense." One of my players looks at me and I can tell she is thinking "He is telling me not to shoot." So I say "I am not telling anyone not to shoot I am saying that we just need to increase the quality of our shots and make the other team play defense longer." You have to know your players! Am I saying that any one thing doesn't work -- no. All I am really trying to say is that the best way to discipline and teach your athletes is to know works best for each individual. Some kids can't handle the straight truth and I believe some kids can't handle it when you don't give it to them straight. Know the difference.
Well, there are several reasons to take a kid out of a game - tired, injured, someone else's turn to play, rattled, playing horribly or selfish. To stay in context, I'll just respond to rattled and horrible. No high fives or compliments. They are not deserved here. After the player sits, I might go and sit next to him (or request he sits with me). There's no need to tell him he was horrible - he knows it. So I usually just ask questions, like "This isn't like you ... why are you having trouble hanging on to the ball?" Or, "Seems like you're having a frustrating game - what's up?" Point is, I'm not accusing, I'm asking, and I'll usually get a response I can use. Generally, there is something specific that can still be praised - maybe the kid is just trying too hard or playing too fast. If that's the case, I'll tell him I appreciate the effort, but let's focus on when you go back in. If this kid is too emotionally involved, I'll ask him to tell me when he has calmed down so I'll know when I can consider him for reentry. My players are usually harder on themselves than anyone else. The exception is when they come out flat or overconfident. Then its time to get angry. Reminders of the last time they played flat sometimes snap them out of it. All I really expect out of them is to try their best - if they're not doing that, they're wasting everyone's time. If they are horrible because they are flat, then they deserve to feel down. I just make sure they understand that basketball is no fun unless you put everything into it. The proof of their effort level is how they feel.
I think I worry too much, think my players are too fragile. I need to work on being able to criticize without embarassment during the game. I really think I suger coat too much during a game. I do think the points about about your players not respecting you if you don't tell them the truth is very valid. I may have overstated my actions in the original post. When a player comes out who has done poorly, it is usually a low five and no comment. So it is not the truth, but not a lie. I have at times when something went terribly wrong or I knew we need a correction right away that I will keep the player standing up next to me and explain my point right into his ear. Between him and me, and then a slap on the back of the head to wake him up. But I think I need to use that more often.

Breaking down game film

I do stats first using PC so I have offensive effeciency, defensive efficiency, rebounding, etc for each player and combination. (Software is free download from Alaska Coach's web site) Then I just make notes of any problems I see so we can work on them in practice. I also write down the outcome of each possession and why so I can show the kids how important it is to avoid turnovers or to block out, etc. I watch film to help in planning the next few learning sessions (Bball-Ed's term) rather than to see why we lost or won, but it does help motivate the kids when they realize how much it hurts the team when they don't do what they are supposed to. Preseason Parent Meeting Philosophies on playing time Practice times Pick-up expectations (in other words, you will allow a player to be picked up 15 minutes late 2 times, but after that, penalties will be administered Game transportation Open or closed practices When you will field questions and complaints. For example, I will not field playing time questions the day of the game, but instead set up a meeting after the next practice. Expectations for school, public places, grades, bedtime, night before a game. This is a big one for Jr. High, how to handle spending the night at a friends the night before a morning game. Your phone number Phone tree for the team so the parents can set up carpools. Game day attire, for me it is slacks and a sweater, or shirt and tie. No jeans. Dress during the cold months. I require all my guys to wear a hood or stocking hat. Sign up sheet for treats or drinks after games. Purchase of any warm-up t-shirts. Schedule of games. Excused vs. Unexcused absences. Practice expectations over Christmas break. I make Christmas practices optional if for a family event or vacation. Otherwise practice attendence is expected. Medical forms Insurance forms Volunteers for video recording, scoreboard, score book. Your background. I also have every player stand up, introduce their parents, tell us what elementary the played at last year. Favorite college team and favorite pro team. Player contract could cover most of this. Athletic departments drug and alcohol policy. Schools grade policy
My last season started in Feb for my off season team. We met in a restaurant that had karyoke (sp). The girls got to meet each other and make fun of the idiots who thought they could sing. This gave all of the girls something in common to talk about. This may have also been the last time these "Superstars" ever got along. The parents got to eat and drink and get to know each other. This also gave all of them something in common to talk about, bragging about their daughters and how much playing time they deserved. As the drinks flowed, so did the boasting about their daughters prowess. I liked the format, but I will limit everyone in the future to no more than 4 hours of libation. Riddle me this: What's worse than the "Parents From Hell?" Drunk Parents From Hell. All kidding aside, this format worked out great. I only hold a meeting so everyone gets a chance to meet each other and it gives me a chance to figure out who to watch out for.
We emphasize the importance of safety and supervision before practice (we begin at 6:45am), and after games...where we want parents to pick up (we have a very large building). We want them waiting in one area. Safety and travel procedures are important. Parent behavior...we expect them to be sportsman-like at all times. We let them know that we understand that they will not always approve of our coaching. We tell them they can make an appointment to discuss anything except playing time. We do not discuss playing time with parents. We welcome opportunities to discuss playing time with players. Nor do we discuss other kids...their skills or character etc. We tell them this meeting should not occur before or after a game or during practice time. Basically, we use our parent meeting to establish expectations of athletes and parents. We make an effort to seem both flawed (because we are) and approachable. We really seek to create a partnership. We recognize that they are truly the POWER PLAYERS and we want them to understand that we are all on the same team. We depend on them for some really big projects...we host a huge tournament, fund raisers etc. Our philosophy is ...everybody works. I have improved my relationships with parents during the past 8 -10 years. I think a good parent meeting is a big part of it. We have a small booklet that we use. It is a good idea to include your schedule and directions to all away games. This cuts down on phone calls on game days. We require parents to attend. We offer a meeting and a make-up meeting. We consider work schedules. We get email addresses for all parents. We use a "team mom" philosophy. This way we can make one call and get timely information out. I coached for 3 or 4 years before I realized that kids, some of them, play "I've got a secret", when it come to information parents need. If you coach girls be sure to set your date for team pictures and include that on you schedule. This is a big day for us. Ha. Oh yeah... one of the most important things you can do in a parent meeting is give parents an opportunity to verbalize some of their expectations of you. They may or may not speak up at that time but it opens the door for feedback. We want to know when something needs attention and we want them to come to us with their concerns...not the principal or other parents. Be sure you communicate your goals for the program and team goals. Our kids drafted a mission statement last spring. We will discuss the team mission statement and the staff mission statement with the parents.

Awards Banquet

Our school went to this format and it works real well. Awards night is one hour. The first half an hour is a time for each coach for that season to give a brief overview of the team and announce the Mental Attitude Award winner. Then the last half an hour, everyone goes to a class room according to team and then the coach can go more in-depth with the players and parents without boring the cheerleader and wrestling parents. I prepare a brief speech, include one humorous story,introduce the team, and announce the Mental Attitude award winner, short and sweet. I also thank the administration and cheerleaders for their work. Back in the room I wing it with all my awards, certificates of participation and a big thank you to the parents. In our room, every kid earns a letter or emblem if they got a letter in football/cross-country and a certificate of participation, then I do my awards.

Summer Reading Coaching Books

I will second the motion on Wooten's book and Duke's Man to Man defense. Krycheiski's (?) new book "Leading with the Heart" is fantastic. Wooden Reflections on life, basketball .... Playing the Post by Burell Payne (?) 101 Defensive Basketball Drills by George Karl Coaching Basketball by Jerry Krause (it is a compilation of various articles by hundreds of coaches from the NABC) Five Star Basketball Drills
Looks like it's unanimous re Wootten's book. Two more to consider is the girl's equivalent to Wootten: "Coaching Girls Basketball Successfully" by Jill Hutchison, and "Multiple Offense and Defense" by Dean Smith. Although Smith's book is more about x and o's, just reading his explanations about why and how he teaches certain things is useful reading. I know this book helped crystalise a lot of my philosophies on coaching.
I recommend the book A SEASON WITH COACH DICK BENNETT with Eric Ferris. I read this book about two years ago, its very good. The video THE PACK DEFENSE with Coach Heidimen from Wisconsin Green Bay is good.
This book is 15+ years old and I don't know if it is still in print. But it is a mother lode of little tips and hints on how to PLAY BETTER BASKETBALL. It's written in short installments so it's ideal for a player aged anywhere from about 10-18 (or older) to pick up things on a quick basis. And it's ideal for a coach to read and memorize. There aren't a lot of X's and O's (some, but not real complicated). It's not about how to run the flex offense or a matchup zone or any of that stuff. It's about how to **play better basketball** regardless of what kind of system you are in.
Search it out and pick it up if you can.
My top three books: Basketball Steps to Success by Hal Wissel Youth Basketball - A Complete Handbook by Karen Garchow & Amy Dickinson Coaching Basketball Successfully by Morgan Wootten
Try Basketball Skills and Drills - Second Edition by Jerry Krause, Don Meyer & Jerry Meyer

Restrictions on Player's Appearance

Day of game away or home player must dress up. Men this means dressy shirt and slacks (no jeans) women this means a dressy outfit of some kind that is more demure than demi moore. THis is so everyone knows we play that night and that those he see us know we wish to reflect ourselves and our school admirably. Other than that you can look however you want so long as it won't interefere with the game. ie. no piercings if they are going to have to recieve special attention cause they can't be removed during game time, if coloration or style of hair interferes with effective playing, if you show up to school dressed like a mac daddy and have 50 girls hanging around when you should be focusing. Finally nothing that can be seen as detrimental to any cause or person as their views may not be conducive with the views of the school they represent. This isn't censorship just my allowing them to continue playing. So no anti-other team shirts, nothing with a political or social stance appearing. Only twice did this come into effect had a young man with pot images no his tie and a girl who had a WWF (not wrestling) emblem on her scarf. THe second didn't neccessarily offend me but met the criteria so to be fair its was out.
On game days that fall on weekdays, the boys have to wear a dress shirt and tie. The girls have to dress nicely, but I can't remember if they have to wear a dress or not. Our school district has imposed a pretty strict dress code, so most unacceptable items are eliminated by the school.
In general, my only request for off the court appearance is a short hair cut. I have only had one parent complain about this. I told her it is a request, not a demand, but I do it because I want to present a certain image with my team. If your son does not want to do it, I can not force him. It is just a request. He did it anyways. And I realize they probably feared playing time repercussions, so the complied. Oh well. For practices, I expect practice jerseys to be tucked in. shorts to be worn on the waiste line, not hanging low. We provide the shorts and jerseys, so I do not have to worry about style. I also do not allow any jewelry, necklaces, ear rings are the main ones, watches are another. For game day, slacks and a sweater or shirt and tie are required. No hats other than stocking caps. Players must wear a stocking cap or a hooded jacket during cold weather. For game dress, I request no black shoes, but do not demand if a player insists, but we purchase shoes as a team, players pay for them, but I pick the style, and I prefer shoes that are primarily white, so if a player buys their own, I request that they are white so that they match as closely as possible everyone elses. I demand we all wear white socks. This is just so that we look like a team, I consider it part of the uniform. Plus I think black socks look really bad with white shoes. If we went with all black shoes, then the black socks might work. Most of my request are based on the fact that I hate Michigan and it was the fab five that really brought out the black shoes and black socks. At least in Northern Indiana.
Our girls wear uniforms at school, so there is no conflict there. As far as their dress on the way to games, they usually wear those uniforms, or a "nice outfit", which basically means clean, well kempt, and no "Van Halen pants". As far as the black shoes go, our school colors are black, white, and silver, so they fit right in.

Dress Codes

We don't have dress codes for us at our high school. I must confess that earlier in my career as a coach I would dress in a sport coat and tie or a sweater and tie. The last number of years, I have simply dressed in a nice shirt and sweater or a nice shirt and a vest. Not that I meant any disrespect or anything; I have just found that I am more at ease and comfortable that way. I feel that dressed in that manner, I can still be professional looking and have a professional attitude and demeanor.
Yes, I only wear Old Navy green plaids , I can't continue, it's too wet for even my warped sense of humor. For jr. high I dress comfortably, shorts and shirt, or sweats in the winter. Look up casual sloppy in the dictionary, and you find St. Louis.
In our program we demand that our players dress nice on game days so we also do the same. While we don't have a specific dress code we try to convey the idea that game days are special so we will dress nicer than we normally do. I think that it is an important part of the mental preparation to be thinking about the game. So both players and coaches begin the day thinking about the game by choosing what we are going to wear on a game day.
Our players wear ties, dress shirts and nice pants (no jeans or pants around their knees) and the coaches wear coats and ties. I believe you act classier when you dress classier!

Coaching Philosophy

Overall philosophy is that BB is a game and its purpose is to prepare the players for life while allowing them to have fun competing, but I think you are talking about the "How can I win the most" kind of philosophy. Mine is to help each player develop their skills, teach them an offense which gives them opportunities for easy baskets and which takes maximum advantage of their particular strengths, teach them defensive rules which prevent easy baskets, teach them how and when to gamble on defense, and help them become unselfish. At the jr high and high school girls level, the most important skills imho are: ball handling, blocking out, defense on the ball, defense off the ball, shooting, screening, and getting open in that order. Once they know those, then it makes sense to work on offenses, presses, etc. I don't know if that qualifies as a philosophy but it is what I use.
I follow the FDR Philosophy!! (F) = FUNDAMENTALS: Everything starts here. We must be grounded in the fundamentals of the game of basketball, both offensively and defensively. (D) = DEFENSE: Nothing we do is more important than defense. First and foremost it must be a mind-set! We will be grounded in tough 1/2 court man to man. I really don't like to press alot, prefering to spend most of our time on 1/2 court defense. I will use a press, if needed, I will use a zone if needed, but we are comitted to 1/2 court defense (I like to use the Dick Bennett System of Defense). (R) = Rebouding: We must take rebounding seriously. We must be willing to outwork our opponent on the boards. I don't use size as an excuse, we work on boxing-out and positioning. ** I feel if we stress these things that it puts us in a better situation to win games. I will be more flexable concerning our offensive game, depending on our personell. Do we have the atheletes to run or should we slow down. That will change, but FDR is our foundation!!
Very simply: WORK! If you can't hold an opponent to under 60 pts a game your not working hard enough and sacrificing yor body on defense. If your getting outrun your getting outworked. If you can't get a lay up or foul shot everytrip down the floor your not working hard enough to cut, get position, and crash the boards. SO long as you can out work opponents (practice and games) i feel we can be successful.
I think that basketball is one of the few games in which tempo can be controlled and should be. By shortening games using slower tempo, it is possible for less skilled teams to compete. Holding the ball to get the last shot at the end of each quarter is extremely important...one coach in my conference (varsity boys) kept a stat of our games over the past two years. We played a total of 4 games which equals 16 end of quarter possessions. He figured it out that my team scored the last basket in 14 of those quarters and missed another attempt.
Very interesting comments so far, many involving fundamentals and out-working your opponent. I can't argue with knowing fundamentals or with working hard: both are very important, especially at the lower levels (I coach jr high girls which is about as low as it gets). However, I remember the slogan that IBM made popular in the 70's "Work Smarter, not Harder". Pete Carill of Princeton says "The strong take from the weak but the smart take from the strong" yet we all have our kids lifting weights all summer. Maybe we should have them watching basketball videos and reading? Along with teaching fundamental skills and working hard, we have to make our kids smarter to succeed at higher levels. I try to make them smarter by playing with them any time I can and being a screener/passer and frequently stopping play to show them what would have worked well in the situation we were just in, or to point out something smart that one of the players did. Btw, the seven fundamentals mentioned above included body position. Does this cover setting screens, cutting off screens, help side defense, taking charges, etc or is it just a wide low athletic stance?
On my team, defense is the number one priority. I teach pressure on the basketball and what I want them to be conscious as a team is to be close enough to the man with the ball where the referee starts the five second count. If the referee is not counting I want the kids off the ball and the kids on the bench to tell their teammate guarding ball to get closer. Also, in order to have the confidence to put this amount of pressure on the ball, the person guarding ball must "trust" that he will receive help if he is getting beaten on the dribble. All four of his teammates must be in position to help in order to give him the confidence to apply the kind of pressure that is required. Proper positioning, communication and trust is what total team effort on defense is all about.

Can we teach toughness?

I am starting to think that skills and athletic ability are over rated features in a player, what we really want is tough players. Players who will scrap and claw and get mean if they have to. Those are the players that tend to take a team from average to great. Obviously if a tough player also has skills and talent, all the better, but maybe toughness should be the first thing we look for. So, can we teach toughness and in a 5 day try-out, how do you test for toughness.
It starts with the first chat and continues with drills. I tell my players if they are not will to hit the floor, bang under the board, then this isnt the team for them. I then do drill where there is going to be alot of contact. I did these last thurs and this weekend, one of my girls who always complains about everything got cut under the eye in a tournanment game. The cut needed stitches and she wanted to stay and play. PS she called us ( coaches ) said she got 2 stitches and would be at practice today. 1 month ago, she would have called and said she would not be coming to practice.
I dont know if you guys agree or not, but I think kids overall have lost their toughness and competitiveness. Sure you may get a handfull of kids now and then that have that and they are usually the ones that end up the winners. I think some of it stems from the overall attitude that parents and kids seem to have and that is "Well if everyone gets to play equal time and we have fun, then everything is ok." Sometimes I really hate that attitude. I like to try to win everytime I play something and give 100% every time I participate in any competition. This statement really drives me wild as a teacher. I hear kids say this when playing in PE class and not giving their all. "Well its only PE class" I remember PE class and going all out because you didnt want to get beat by your friends and here about it. We are in a world where if things are not going the way they should, you can just hit the reset button and kids give up way too easy.
I would have to say you are hitting the nail on the head. This world of no losers has created a world of no winners as well. No cuts, everyone plays, don't pick sides, give U's instead of F's,label kids instead of expect them to work harder. Now this is filtering into the work place. You can not expect workers to give their all, you might hurt their feelings if you tell them to work harder. AHHHHHGHHHHHGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good question. I've got a couple of points. First, I've had my fair share of really aggressive and tough players. I agree that these players can elevate a team to higher levels of performance if I understand the type of toughness you refer to. This trait is a mixed bag, however. Sometimes, these kids will turn on their own teammates and this internal drive leads to frustration that can bring down the team's performance. Overall, I want kids who are aggressive and have some "attitude" - just want to make a point that it's not all rosy... Second, you can teach toughness, but only to a degree. And I'm not sure you can teach agressiveness all that much. We do a lot of high octane drills with lots of contact, with intentional bumping and fouling players. I wonder if all that is accomplished is getting them to overcome their fear of hard contact, however. This is not quite the same as teaching agressiveness.
Well maybe as coaches do we go back to when we were kids ( talking about those of us over 35 ). Now Im not talking about being like the coach from hell, but get coaches at the middle school / jr high levels to remind the kids that the triangle get smaller as you go up. I know I start telling my kids in the 7th grade that many of them may not play next year (8th grade). I also explain my philosophy not only to the kids, but to the parents and school officals. If this (the 8th grade) is going to be the last year that most of these players will play for a school team, then we are going to go out on top. That means setting a goal of winning every game, every tournament, which means not everyone will play in every game. I tell them this before try-outs starts. They must have the 3D's or they are wasting my time and theirs. NO CUT doesn't mean Must Play.
I saw a video which taught the use of competition in every drill with immediate reward for winners and penalty for losers. I tried his technique and the girls responded with a much more competitive attitude. The video was: Revised Competitive Motiviation System - with Tom Cooper I think we can instill a competitive attitude by giving rewards/penalties to winners/losers daily in practice and I also think the kids will enjoy it more.
Ever since 4th grade, my Learning Sessions have consisted of competitive drills with suicides for the losers. I do mean every drill is competitive. My GIRLS have always been competitive. Aggressive? The boys teams don't want to bang bodies, because the girls are too aggressive. Competitive drills work! On the flip side, I just had the worst team in town. We were not blocking out. We were not moving bodies out of the paint. We didn't care if we lost. Why? Because the team consisted of 50% pampered "Superstars." Can you say whiner, moaner, constantly ragging on something or somebody. Their previous coaches never made them competitve as a team. They were brought up to believe that as long as they got their 15 points per game, then defense, winning, and teamwork didn't matter. Just as I believe you can teach toughness, you can also teach feeble and WEAK.
I don't believe you can teach toughness. You can enhance it a few degrees; you can teach to control it; you can steer it towards a positive part of a players game, but if they are not naturally agressive they will always lack the amount of toughness you want in your players. I started coaching my team when they were 6 years old and you can tell which ones are going to have that special toughness. They are the ones that will dive for loose balls, grab balls out of the hands of opposing players (sometimes even their own teammates) and pop right back up after a hard fall. I didn't teach them this. They just had it in them to do whatever it takes to win the game. On the flip side there are those kids that will not go down for a loose ball, stay on the outside while everyone else is fighting for the ball, stay down when they fall and basically not try very hard to win. Today the ones that were tough back then are my tough kids now and the ones that were timid have improved but still are not at the level I would like them to be. As for drills that will show you who has the toughness - have them go one on with 5 baskets being the winner. What you want to watch is the player that loses. Does he try harder when he falls behind or did he just give up. If he played hard to the end, you may have something special if you give him a chance.
Basketball doesn't build character; it exposes it. Drills don't build aggressiveness, but they can expose what agressiveness the players have. Competition in practice is fun and keeps things intense, but it won't change the nature of the player. The best you can hope for is that when a player loses the fear of contact/pain/taking risks, that some aggressiveness may finally show through. It may never happen though. How many times have you heard coaches/parents describe a big player and say, "If only he/she were more aggressive!"? Trying to change a person's nature only serves to make everyone miserable. Like that old joke, Don't try to teach a pig to sing. It doesn't work and it annoys the pig. Now the positive side... some non-aggressive kids can be a real asset, especially if they're analytical. A kid with a cool head can be a real stablizer for the more emotionally charged teammates. Don't get a whole team of analyticals, though, because they might be best at explaining why they lost.

Working Camps

First of all, the kids are there to have fun. So have some fun with them. I love talking to the kids at camp because it is a more relaxed atmosphere than the regular season. But, with that said, some of the most lasting impressions I ever had about doing things right, came from camps when I was a kid. You say thank you when you get your food, you don't cut in line, you work hard every minute you are there. So if you see kids goofing off beyond what is reasonable, get them back in line. If the camp has 100+ kids, you don't want a bunch of goof balls making it tough on you to enjoy your time. Now to basketball. I think most camps are run with station drills. So you will probably have a skill that you must teach to small groups over and over. Just take your knowledge and give them the best teaching you can. If it does not match every other coach their, that is OK. As a player, something I always enjoyed was hearing different coaches teach me the same thing because each one had a different take on it and by listening to all of them, a player can take bits and pieces and make them fit his/her style. Also, if you are unsure about something, ask the head or asst coaches at the school. Most coaches love to talk about skills and how to best teach them, so do not be afraid to ask. Take a whistle, you will probably have to referee games while the college players coach the kids in their games. Also, with 100+ kids, a whistle may be needed to get their attention. I am sure the head coach will instruct you on where and when you need to be places, (Unless this is a division 1 college, and then you may never even see the head coach except for picture day). Good luck and remember, you are there to have fun too, so enjoy it.
1. Be enthusiastic. It will make your experience (and the campers experience) much more rewarding and enjoyable.
2. Use the camp to network. Develop your coaching contacts. Make sure that you introduce yourself to everyone that is on the staff. Most camps have coaches from a variety of levels and areas. This may help you in many areas down the road (scheduling games, new job opportunities, references, new ideas, etc.)
3. Take the time to work extra with campers that either request it or are too shy to ask for help.
4. Do your best. You will most likely want to work the camp again next summer.
Take a clipboard and tablet with you. You will be able to neatly keep track of your daily schedule and any handouts. Also, you may want to diagram plays, names and addresses or write down a few reminders. Consider purchasing a small fanny pack. You can keep a variety of things here...keys, pens, highlighters, wallet, change, etc.

What Zone Do You Prefer & What Zone Do You Prefer to Play Against?

I like using the 1-1-3 once in awhile along with the Man defense because it pressures the ball no matter where it is in the half court. It also keeps my better rebounders near the basket. My response differs for girls and guys...

Girls: TO PLAY - 1-3-1 half court trap. ups energy and tempo, increases defensive pressure, and less area for them to have to cover than full court.

PLAY AGAINST - 2-3 as we want to play uptempo and generally has the over team play more lax and lazy vs the girls team we meet.

Guys: TO PLAY - 2-2-1 3/4 court trap its not played alot around here and it fits in best too our cut the court in half theory of defending.

PLAY AGAINST - 3-2 as much difficulty as i've has some teams see against this defense. I just love to see it coming and set up our 1-4 offense and overloading the defenders on every rotation.
Best zone to play -- if you can teach it and your kids are intelligent enough to understand it my vote is the matchup zone. Best zone to play against -- any zone defense if you teach your kids to read defenses and understand the weakness of each zone. This might not answer your question but in my opinion it is easiest to run quick hitters that get great looks (layins) against the 3-2 zone.

What does every successful coach have in common?

I'd like to take a survey of what quality you think all successful coaches have in common. Elaborate on that quality, and then list the 3 other qualities you think are most important for a coach to be successful. Experience?? Knowledge?? Work Ethic?? Organization Skills?? Motivation Skills?? Communication Skills?? Discipline?? Teaching Skills?? Others
**** A PASSION FOR THE GAME **** If you have a true passion for the game, you will be a student of the game. So passion, desire to learn, ability to communicate.
Better Players! Friend of mine went to the Nike clinic and Geno Auremmio spoke there. He said that the reason the UCONN women beat the crap out of most other teams is because the have better f@#$%^& players than the the other teams... (ahem) As for me, I'm still learning to be successful (not so good sometimes) so I look forward to everyone's responses.
First I would want to see your definition of a successful coach. Winning games does not make you a success because so many other factors determine who wins: talent, competition, distractions, resources, etc. Our head coach was MO Coach of the Year a few years ago in football when his team won state but he says he was a better coach the year before when he went 6-4 with less talented kids. I'd say a good coach is one who helps his players set optimal goals and achieve them. Skills needed are motivation, communication, knowledge of the game. All the attributes you listed are important but I think these are most important for a coach. Optimal goals are goals which are very challenging, which will result in the players becoming better people and better players, but which are realistically attainable. We use the SMART acronym for goal setting: Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic, and Timely.
In my opinion a successful coach is one who can get the best out of their players while also teaching them about life. If you a CARING person, who is able to MOTIVATE their players to do their best, you will be successfull. The other main attribute is having a LOVE or PASSION for the game yourself, because that will show through to your team. To Recap: True Caring for your team, and respecting them enough to show that you are not just their for this season but that you are always willing to help them out. Motivating them to do their best, not only on the basketball court but in school, work, life in general. A genuine Love of the Game, because they will see how much you love to see them succeed, and if you have developed their respect through the first 2 steps, your players will want to play even harder for you.
Actually, I have two opinions on how to answer this question.
1. The FUN part of the game is teaching the kids basketball skills, mental aspects, and life skills. The FUN would be at a level of coaching where winning does not matter.
2. If you are a high school coach or up, you better be winning. I am not sure how important life skills are at this point. Teaching the kids proper attitude, continually developing skills, and mental aspects are the most important. Let's face it, if you don't win games you are not going to coach for long. Bottom line, you HAVE to go for the "W" to keep coaching. (I am going to get a lot of heat for this one. But I feel that this is true. Unless, you are coaching at a school that does not mind losing a lot.)
The best test I know for a successful season - how much better is your team at the end of the season than the start?
Are the kids executing the new skills they have learned? Are they taking the concepts they learned and creatively building upon them? Are they jumping up and down with joy at the end of a game because they played much better than they thought they? Those are signs of success. Three attributes of a successful coach? I'd choose these:
1. Ability to teach - doesn't matter how much you know or how good a player you are (were), it only matters how much you can convey to the kids and help them incorporate into their game.
2. Respect - The kids need to value what you say, not just acknowledge your authority. If they listen because they believe you will help them, then they can learn.
3. Personal Example - If you want to teach lessons about life, you must be the person you want them to be. Honesty, commitment, enthusiasm and personal conduct ... all such character values are taught by the coach's example. The personal example earns respect. With respect, you can teach.
Knowledge of the game 2. the Desire or the communication ability necessary to impart that onto your players 3. Respect of your players that comes from 1 or 2 4. Let's face it we all need another 2nd job 5. and it could be #1, a great group of athletes to work with!!!! Coach K: In my humble opinion, I think the most successful coaches have an uncanny way of getting his/her players to go through a wall for them. I think its easier said than done. The most successful coaches I've seen have been able to do this. After 13 years of coaching, I'm still trying to figure out how to do better and better. The first 3 are for all coaches 1. Love of the game 2. Ability to teach and communicate 3. Creativity 4. This one might differ depending on what ages you coach. For sixth grade and lower you better love kids, have patience, be able to teach fundamentals and not let losing bother you. For Junior high you must be able to control behavior , teach fundamentals and win more than you lose. For high school it's behavior control, X's and O's and winning. COACH = TEACHER & ROLE MODEL HEART, you have to have heart!! A successfull coach must be a motivator. A motivator is able to communicate the proper action and then instill the desire to do it. That is a coach. A successfull one can do this very well. You can call it heart, passion or whatever you want but a great coach is one of those who can find a way to get his/her kids to buy into a system and a philosophy. If anybody knows how please tell me!!!!!!!!! 3 attributes every coach needs, 1) Perspective - Unique enough to be creative and innovative while worldy enough to be mature and recognize the importance/ego line. 2) Confidence - in themselves, in their kids, in the system/philosophy, and the game itself. 3) Love - of the game, teaching, and being successful however you define it. Confidence & knowledge. The fact that they are single or have the most understanding wife in the world. Let all just stand up and face the true....Hi my name is ...... and I'm a basketballholic. We are addicted to the game.

Unique or Interesting Basketball Ideas/Concepts

1) About two years ago from a string on ChalkTalk titled "Trick Plays" I learned a play that I have used with my freshmen team. At the start of the second half if your team gets the ball to start, have your team get on the court first and have them line up at the wrong basket. See if the other team matches up, and if they do break someone long to your "real" basket for a lay-up. If the other team does not fall for it, nothing's lost, just inbound it and run your offense. Now, when I first read about this play I thought, "No team would fall for it" but in the past two years we have done this play 8 times and have gotten an uncontested lay-up 4 times. Actually last year we were playing an important game against a team that was 13-1 at the time, successfully used the play and ended up winning by 4. If we didn't get those first 2 points of the second half, I'm not sure if we win.

2) This in not really a unique idea, but more of a fun thing to do with your team. The past two years towards the end of the season we have done a parents vs. players game. The parents really have fun with it and it is a good way to incorporate a fun activity late in the season when the players may be burning out.
Something I don't see done very often but it is very effective: using a cutter (and his defender) as a moving screen by timing your cut or drive to run your man into them. Post players with the ball can drive off the tail of a cutting guard and get lay ups - I know, I've done it many times even though I am old and slow.
Changing defenses in mid-possession: A college team I know of would switch from man to zone as soon as the offense set up in their man2man offense, then the offense would reset to run against the zone and the D would match up and go man again. By then, the shot clock was getting low and they would have to hurry up to get a shot.
Taking the last shot of every quarter: If you have possession and there are less than 45 (or whatever) seconds, run a delay game until you get a lay up or the clock runs down to 10, then try to get a shot with 4 or 5 seconds to go.
Pressing to delay the offense when the clock is running down: A 221 press which allows a reversal pass but prevents long passes and fast dribble penetration can keep the other team from getting a shot when they have the ball in with under 10 seconds.
Taking a time out to set up a last second shot at the end of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters: You do it at the end of the game if the score is close, so why not do it every period? The points you might score at the end of the first quarter count the same as points scored the last second of the game. Plus, the more times your kids run the last second plays in game situations, the better they will get at running them. They may get so you can run them without needing to take a time out (unless you have to stop the clock to have time for a shot). We did this last week and hit a 3 at the end of the 3rd quarter and ended up going into overtime.
Throwing deep on the inbounds play when there are less than 3 seconds on the clock: Most people throw it in, the clock starts as soon as they catch it, then they dribble to half court and throw up an air ball as time runs out. Why not throw deep, the clock won't start until the ball is touched, and you have time to drive to the hole and draw a foul or at least get a good shot. You also may be fouled trying to catch the ball. If the pass is stolen, the other team will not have time to dribble all the way back and get a good shot.
Run a defender into a screen and flop to try to draw a foul in a last second situation: Down by 2, 2 seconds to go, you try to set a screen on a defender's blind side (your best free throw shooter is the screener) and run him into it as hard as possible. The screener goes down like he was hit with a cruise missile and you are shooting free throws with no time taken off the clock. If you don't get the call, the cutter may be open for a long pass.
Using your fouls to delay the other team when you have fouls to give: Say you have 4 team fouls and there are 10 seconds to go. Everytime the other team gets the ball in, foul before they can shoot.
Fouling to avoid giving up a three: Up by 3, very little time left, they are dribbling down the floor to try a 3 pointer. Foul the dribbler, he shoots 2 (or 1 and 1), he can't score 3 points and you get the ball back to run out the clock. This applies more to teams where people can make a 3 under defensive pressure, not to jr high girls.
Putting 4 rebounders on the lane when your team shoots a free throw: This keeps them from blocking out your shooter and allows running some stunts. One of the outside rebounders is assigned to get back quickly to stop a fast break if the other team gets the rebound.
Stunts on offensive free throw rebounds: Two that I've seen work are (1) low offensive man screen high defensive man, high offensive man back out and go behind and try to sneak in front of low defensive player (who is moving away from the basket to block out the low offensive player). clear as mud? (2) low offensive players try to cross lane and one of them screen the defensive player coming from the other side of the lane. These are not nearly as effective now that you can't enter the lane until the ball hits the rim, but they can still get you an extra possession once or twice a game.
Stripping the defensive rebounder: When you know the other player is going to get the rebound, move around to the baseline side as he is in the air and bring your hand up as he brings the ball down and try to knock the ball upwards out of his hands. This will work several times per game and if your teammates have not already left, they can recover the ball and score once in awhile.
Get their stud in early foul trouble: first 5 possessions, isolate their stud and dribble drive at him, shoot it in his face, jump into him, etc, and give him a chance to get in foul trouble. Especially when playing at home. 1) Coach I worked with runs confusion defenses on is his "Too Hot to play Defense" he spends 10 min a practice having his kids jump from theri knees or throw themselves to their feet froma prone position. Once they've mastered it they'll hustle back on d everyonce and a while a sit down/lie in their defensive alignment they all jum pto thier feet when the ball enters 25 feet. Offenses either try to throw a quick pass to the basic which they jump up and intercept or the offense stalls not sure what to do next. 2) Its a little cliche but the barking dog play (i've seen this work once) Need a basket. Players line up one breaks away from the basket and throws themself on floor barking like a dog. When everyone turns their heads next player cuts to the basket for a lay up. 3) Saw a team win a game like this. In a game with no shot clock team A is up by 5 with a little over 2 minutes left to play. Coach A calls time out and asks the ref 2 questions: 1) If a player pushes a player without ball who is standing away from the basket is that intentional? 2) If a player is reaching for the ball from out of bounds and fouls shouldn't it be an intentional since he's obviously not going after the ball? The answer to both questions was yes. Team A comes out of the time out and has a plyer dribble over half. THe rest of team A then forms a wall around the player with the ball. PLayer picks up ball and starts pivoting passing ball off players backs who are less than a foot away. Opposition has to push other players or reach in from out of bounds to get to ball. Intentional foul 2 shots and maintain possesion.

What your team does better than others year in and year out

For me, it's something as simple as the pivot foot. I think that for a middle school team, we do an excellent job of being aware of our pivot foot. I bet we play some teams who travel more in one game than we do an entire season. It's the first thing I talk about on Day #1 and I'll continue to stress it in most every drill we do.
Being a Family: I tell my team we are a family and must support each other at all time. One time we had invited a group of 6th graders to play in a tournament. The weeks leading up to the game, the 7th graders invited the 6th graders to eat lunch with them. Now this might not be a big deal to most, but think back to when you were that age. These 6th graders felt more part of the team and from that point on they tried twice as hard in practices and games.
5 second defense. When the other team has to inbound the ball, we play extremely tight defense to deny the inbound pass. If they can't pass the ball in 5 seconds, it's our ball. We are lazy. We would rather spend 5 seconds of hard D, than spend 60 seconds of chasing them, stealing the ball, rebounding, fighting through screens, whatever.
I think that my teams stregths lie in our overall defence. We consistently hold our opponents to the lowest per game average in the league. I attribute this to good kids who are willing to work. And personally gaining there trust and respect in their teammates and myself so that they are more willing to work harder for their teammates and to some degree to be more willing to listen to what i have to say and execute it!
We feed the post better than most teams we face. Being a post player myself, we really stress seeing the basket area and feeding the open man. Our opponents always complain that we get all the calls and that fouls are uneven. Well if you look at a shot chart for our games, you would see a bunch of lay-ups for my team and a bunch of jump shots for theirs. Our philosophy is "Score or get fouled" every time we get the ball in the lane, unless their is a double team.

Clinic for Beginning Coaches

I have run hour long clinics over the past several summers. We go Monday through Friday, one hour each morning. We break down the hour into five areas. (Defensive footwork, dribbling, passing/catching, pivoting, and shooting form/technique) We usually work on each skill for 3-5 minutes individually, 3-5 minutes within the group, and then 3-5 minutes within a game type activity. They love it. Another key ingredient to the success of this program is to have your junior high, JV, and varsity players come in to assist you. I really try to have at least a 2 to 1 ratio (participants to player), but most of the time we have a 1 to 1 ratio.
Make sure that you have the game adapted to them. The basketballs should be smaller and the hoops should be low enough so they can make shots with ease. Nothing shuts off young kids than not having success. Basketball must be adapted or don't do it. Baseball has done a great job of adapting their game to young kids - beginning with T-Ball, progressing to Coaches Pitch and later Little League
If most of these coaches are quite green, clear out the tables, bring a few basketballs in. And them make each coach direct the other coaches in a drill. Come up with a list of drills equal to or bigger than the number of coaches. Let them pick a drill. All will be passing or D since you have no hoop. But then have them run a drill and you and the other coaches can give them ideas after the drill is set up and briefly run. This will do several things, it will get your coaches to know each other which could make your season go much better, and it will get the coaches thinking about how to best explain basketball. Also, make the coaches participating in the drill get into the mind set of the age they are coaching. This will help them when they have to do it for real.
How about showing some videos? If you can get them in time, there are many videos available (e.g., at Sysko's)that are devoted to youth basketball. If you have a little computer expertise and can get a projector, you might want to show them several web sites including this one.
I think you could take advantage fo such a night discussing local league rules, winning versus teaching and coaching conduct. Perhaps you could get a representative of the officiating association to visit and talk about rules changes or interpretations (such as the traveling dialog above). I really like the coaches coaching coaches idea, too. You could easily consume an evening covering facets of pick/roll or post play. Rookie coaches will feel awkward at first, but it will be good for them.
Try doing some ro;e playing that might help the coacheslearn to anticipate the obstacles they may face with parents, players, and officials. Set up various scenarios (parents irate about a "ball- hog" on the team, playing time etc.)and have them role play how to react and handle these (and other) situations. Then turn the tables so that they take the opposite side and see how much more proficient everyone becomes. This is practice for the coaches, just the same as drills are practice for the players.

CHALK TALK TOPICAL ARCHIVES

Years: 1999-2001

Table of Contents

DEFENSE (41 topics)

MISCELLANEOUS (136 topics)

OFFENSE

Motion Offense

M-2-M Offenses (Besides Motion)

Miscellaneous Offensive Topics

Statistics