The number of visitors to the Coach's Notebook has increased steadily since July, 1999 when it went live on the internet. Several readers have submitted questions and it seems like a good idea to share those questions with everyone. How is a question submitted? Easy. Send an email to sjordan@alaskalife.net, post the question in the Coach's Guestbook, or click the Ask a Question link on the front page of the site. A personal email response will be sent if requested and the question and answer will be posted on this page shortly afterwards unless it has been asked before. The Coach's Notebook reserves the right to not list all submitted questions. You are also invited to post your questions on the ChalkTalk discussion board and get input from several coaches.
The questions immediately below were posted during the year 2000:
I am trying to find out how to teach temple's 2-3 match up zone ("robber") defense. replies appreciated
I don't have any insights to offer. Sorry - I haven't used that particular zone defense. Perhaps Coach Jackson's Page can help,
I am coaching 3rd and 4th grade boys. I am having trouble teaching the concept of a motion offense. I am running a spread offense, no post in the middle. Are there any videos that I could show them what the motion offense looks like? Any tips on how to coach the motion offense - how to keep them from standing around? Are there any books or videos that teach the North Carolina 4 corners offense?
There is an excellent animated diagram of the motion offense at Hoopsclub.com. Frankly, with 3rd and 4th grade players, my focus would be on basic pick and roll, give and go with a post and scoring off transition. I like to break the offense into basic elements and have the team in small groups practicing those elements so no one is standing around too much. For books and videos, I go to www.powerbasketball.com.
Question: Can you help me take scouting information on an upcoming team, and present it in a wrtten format?
Email sent 12/14/00.
Question: what is the difference between aggressive coaching, and abuse of the kids? My 14 yr old was required to run a mile in Aug (temperature between 95-103 degrees) in under seven minutes. If he didn't make it in the time allowed, a 20lb weight vest was added and 2 additional laps ran. After sever cramps in his side, he was told to keep running. He did as he was told. He has seen kids throwing up, yet told by the coach to keep going, He tells the kids if the bone isn't sticking out , I don't want to hear about it. He failed to inspect my son for an injury to his ankle, that turned out to be a severe sprain. By the time I got to school, (was notified by son, not the coach that he was hurt) the ankle was too swollen to ex-ray. It took 5 days for the swelling to go down enough to x-ray it. Im I being an over protective parent, or is this man cruel and abusive? He also hit a child in the stomach, the child passed out, and again the parents had to hear about it from the child.
Private email sent 12/27/00. I suggest you bring your concerns up to the administration.
Question: I am a coach at LaGrange Academy in LaGrange, Ga. I am having a major problem of finding a good offense against a box and 1. I was wondering if yall had any suggestions of what I could do. Matt Dalrymple
Actually, I have an article that specifically addresses the Box and 1. Look in the topic menu for the article called Beating Junk Defenses. That should help.
Question: I am coaching two 5th grade girls basketball teams. We have the whole range of experience players (none to 4 years). We had our first game last night and it was very frustrating for me and the players. I have never seen so many jump balls in my life. As a coach, I feel I need to put together some type of offense to get the kids moving without the ball. I need to keep it very simple and repeatable, so they will rotate back to the starting position. I looked at the "Alaska" offense and it seems pretty good. Any ideas or comments would be helpful. - Mike
The Alaska Play may be too much for 5th grade girls. I'd suggest something more basic like the Hi-Lo play or one of the others shown in the same article, Easy Offensive Sets. Also, look at the Continuity Plays article. Jump balls are the result of ball stoppage and congestion. I suggest emphasizing spacing to spread the defense out, and having the ball handler and the intended receiver move towards each other. Once the receiver catches the ball, she can't stop. Instead, keep her eyes up looking for the next receiver. The passer shouldn't pass and stop. Typically, the passer should pass then pick away or cut to the basket. The give and go option is one of the easiest and most effective fundamental opportunities, especially against aggressive defense.
I have a point guard in new york who is definitely the best in the city, he's 11 years old right now and in 6th grade, hes projected as a varsity player by 8th grade,at least those are the plans of the coaching staff. The kid gets by with quickness no one his age has. sometimes he plays out of control. my question is what to do with this young potential star, what things do i work on with this kid to get him ready to reach his potential in the future. right now he plays 14 and under basketball, so he is playing up. what does he need to prepare for?
I do not doubt your claims of his ability, but I see warning flags all through your message. First, throw all the projections out the window. They're hype. I hear that stuff, too, like the doctor's say this kid'll be 7'2". Yeah, right. I don't believe I've seen any of these come true. The problem I see is that everyone is telling this kid how good he is and will be, pumping up that 11 year old ego. The fact is that he is ahead of his age-group, but his peers will begin to catch up to him. He won't improve in a linear fashion year after year. Such projections are unrealistic. What is more likely is that he will feel like he's getting worse every year and will feel more and more pressure to meet expectations. Lord knows how parents will react. The coaches will take heat, for sure. If the youngster is pressured and consumed with basketball training that is out of proportion to his real life, you may see him drop out of the sport altogether in a couple years. That's a real possibility you need to consider. I've seen it happen before. The answer is to keep some balance in his life, and hopefully he has strong parents that maintain discipline and respect for authority in their household. Insofar as basketball is concerned, if he is already playing up, teach him the game as you would the older players. He needs to learn to control the ball and play basketball as a game, not a showcase for his talents.
There is an article on the site called Dealing With Superstars. You might try that, too. I wish you the best on this one.
I am a coach looking fore info on temples 'robber" matchup 2-3 zone defense (how to teach it in it's basic form). help would be appreciated. thanks, coach bill
Best source for specific plays and defense patterns is Coach Jackson's site. My offerings are geared toward young teams. Try http://www.geocities.com/ljacksonesc5/acoach.html
Coach: I can't get Coach Jackson's site. I keep getting a Lycos Tripod site when I type in his address. Is something up? Has something changed? Help!
Coach Jackson's popular site is back up and can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/ljacksonesc5/acoach.html
I would like to get as much information on how to break a full-court press?
The article on this site "Press Breaker" explains my methodology for breaking full court pressure defenses.
Question: I have volenteered to coach my daughters 3rd/4th grade girls basketball team in a after school league. Looking for advice on what the main focus should be to help develope future skills and instill confidence in the children.
Question why am I unable to get the articles listed under the headings in your topics menu. As an example: When I go to the topics menu and scroll down to, let's say, "Basic Skills". a number of articles or blue "links" show up. When I click on the "links" nothing happens. I assume an article should be displayed. Maybe I've been bopped too many times during practice(s)... LOL Thanks Coach Mac
Private email sent 12/12/00.
How can I improve in a month by shooting around the three point line and shooting free throws
How much practice time do you have in a month? If you are practicing daily, prognosis is good. You have time introduce proper form and reinforce it with lots of repetition. Then, after some competency is established, practice under competitive conditions. With free throws, after you have laid down a foundation through repetition, practice FTs in twos while running your conditioning.
If you are only practicing once a week, the best you can do is introduce the fundamentals, then encourage the kids to work on their own. Long range shooting is very dependent on skill and concentration. These attributes are not acquired quickly.
Question: whats the best play you got?
Plays are very situational. The most effective play I use is the baseline out of bounds play called box-low. It works very effectively. As a offensive set, the on this site called Simplified Triangle has proven very versatile.
Question: looking for information on how to install Temples matchup zone (robber) in high school. will return favor. coach bill. please reply asap. thanks.
My apologies. I don't anything developed on Temple's matchup. Try http://members.tripod.com/~cldj34/acoach.html which is the url to Coach Jackson's site. He may have what you need.
How many times typically, do you have to teach a play, for it to stick? Also, I have players that don't seem very motivated to play but, by Biddy rules they half to play at least (1) quarter. Any suggestions?
Sometimes it seems like maybe 100,000 repetitions won't be enough. The kids develop a game pattern very early and it can be very hard to break. If your kids are really young, then it could be a couple things - 1, they don't really understand the play very well or 2, you need to practice the skill under more game like conditions. When you scrimmage, stop them as soon as they deviate and correct. Another tool is to get in the game yourself (if you can play). I find I can direct the team easily as the coach/player (with 9th/10th graders). Its useful when you need to demonstrate game pace or style.
I don't know how old your players are. If you are coaching elementary kids, keep the minutes fairly equal, even if the kids don't "put out" in practice. If they feel the team belongs to them and if they believe that they have a chance to win, the motivation should be inherent. It just need to be a rewards-based motivation, not punitive. Remind them how they felt the last time they won and praise them when they do basic skills well.
How to break a full court press? Some good shooting drills?
Both topics are addressed on this site. Check the topic menu for Press Breaker and Basic Skills articles.
Please define the term "roll player". In your opinion does it have "teaching" value or is it strictly a fan's term? Is it the same as a "spot" player. Is it the opposite of an impact player or star player? When did it start being used? Thanks
The term is role player. Its used like a role in a play. Some players have special talents, like rebounding or three-point shooting, so they are inserted at times when those talents are most needed. Another way the term role player is used is to describe players that do not play much and don't have a particular talent. In this case, their role is to work hard as practice dummies and sit patiently on the bench without complaining during games. You can probably sense my dislike for labeling players this way. I can see the value of role players in advanced competition (like college and pro) but with the younger kids its pretty arrogant of a coach to assign children with such a role. Let them play basketball. Its a game.
An impact player is one that dramatically changes the way his/her team plays. A star player is generally a scorer, which I feel is another unbalanced label attributed to a single facet of the game.
There's gonna be a world tournament for juniors (thats what i think) in Spain in june, does anyone know if the United States will participate? Our team is goin and im really looking forward to it! holla back and tell me if the national team of the us (born 85-84 boys or girls or older) are goin to Spain to play the world tournament...
Okay I am in 7th Grade we just played a game and got our butts kicked and the way we play looks our best. The Coach is only worried about how good we look like if we don't all have a white t-shirt under our uniform we won't be able to play. and he also runs these wierd plays that are so confusing that even we can't understand but their are 2 plays that are easy Motion and Pic and Roll but he never lets us use them and if we give a suggestion he gets all mad at us for telling him how to run his team. so i am just wondering if their is anyway to win or are we stuck. Thank you for reading this. Jake Halli
Thanks for your note, Jake. On the T shirt issue, your coach is just following the rules. Most leagues and even the high school rule books specify T shirt restrictions. Your coach's plays may seem weird, but give them a chance. They won't work if the players won't execute them. In your basketball career, you may have many coaches. Take what you can from each. This coach may offer you knowledge that will pay off later on. The only thing that bothered me is that you can't offer ideas. Maybe your coach feels you're just arguing with him. Try doing it his way then see if he is more likely to listen to you. Player communication is real important and you all need to make it work.
How can I find a copy of the High School Basketball Rule Book?
Hi - you can order the basketball rule book on-line at
http://www.onlinesports.com/pages/I,CR-189002.html
or you can check with your local youth basketball organization. Too bad you can't get it free.
Question: I'm looking for an article about 1/2 court press - offense and defense.
OK - it's on the list of future articles. Thanks for the idea!
How do you teach aggressiveness to your team?
Aggressiveness is a personal attribute. It's difficult to apply it to someone that simply is passive. You can break a person down to survival mode to induce aggressiveness, but do not recommend anything so drastic for basketball. If you want an aggressive team, pick aggressive players. If you already have a passive team, teach them to play smart. There are many very good players that prefer to think their way through conflict. I can deal with passive, but not submissive. The nature of competition is to excel and to win. Sometimes certain players need to learn to stand up for themselves. A team environment can help them do that. If they understand how badly the team needs a rebound. for instance, it should be motiviation enough to go get it. Sometimes a game provides an emotional moment that will galvanize a passive player. The coach's challenge is to help the player channel game emotion into useful energy rather than frustration or despair.
One thing I do not recommend are drills like throwing a ball into a circle players and seeing who comes up with it. Much to much risk of injury.
I don't believe a coach will have much success changing personality traits. Some
players are inherently more aggressive than others. It is a good wake up call
sometimes to tell a player that they are playing too "soft" and
therefore won't be getting much playing time or will not be making the team.
Then you may see behavior change if the player really wants to be on the floor.
Sometimes coaches mistake smartness for softness. I put a great value in players
that avoid conflicts such as driving through traps, because they know that they
have nothing to gain and something to lose. Its much safer to pass the ball
under pressure than drive through it. Such a player may not be as exciting to
watch, but the turnover count is lower when unnecessary risks are avoided.
What is the best way to play offence against a man-to-man defence?
It depends on the type of man to man you are up against. Usually, I like to run a motion type offense (See the "Alaska Play" on this site). Another effective offense is the Simplified Triangle also shown here. If the defense is really gambling and pushing you far from the basket, try the four corner offense shown in the Stalls section. You can score easily with that 4-corner offense if the defense is willing to venture away from the goal.
Each night that we have our league games, we want to end the evening with some fun drills, activities and contests for third and fourth grade boys. Do you have any suggestions on some things that would be fun and help develop or encourage basketball skills? We were thinking of Knock Out but would like several other ideas that would be appropriate for this age. Thanks.
Sounds like fun. Look in my pre-game warmup article un der the headline "The Drills" and try the drill called Long Short. Keep score as 2 points for each long basket made and 1 point for each layup. The kids call out the score as they go. Set a limit of, oh, 15 points. First team to 15 wins, then rotate the teams to the next spot. Forst team to win three gamaes wins the match. Great fun and easy to teach. Skills reinforced are shooting form and concentration.
I will start keeping stats on my son's 9th grade and 6th teams. Any tips on stat software, stat books and stat junkies.
Someone after my own heart! I love stats. Great memorabilia for the kids. Look at the article Downloadable Tools and get the shot chart. Its the basis. There's also a scoresheet. Our varsity team uses the Turbostat device ($400), but I like taking data off the shot chart. If you have FileMaker Pro, I'll send you my stat database and you can use as you wish.
hi! my question is: "what makes a complete second guard and now i mean EVERYTHING both in defense and in offense????" could you please send me your answer to my e-maill address: sandra_number9@basketball.com thanx!!!/ sandra
In most teams, the 2-guard is a primary shooter. So, I would expect higher than average shooting skills and free throw consistency. Also, the 2 guard should be able to play point sometimes and pass well, too. Defensively, I expect all players to perfect their man to man responsibilities, so there no is no special role for the 2... its really an offensive designation.
How far is the free throw line from the basket?
Yes! An easy question! The answer is 15 feet. But that is 15 feet from the free throw line to the backboard to be exact. I found a very cool site that has a great diagram of the whole court and its particulars. Just go to http://www.handymanwire.com/articles/basketballcourt.html and check it out.
I need some information on your job availability.
I am not sure if you are looking for help or looking for work. Please email me at sjordan@alaskalife.net - Steve
I would like to know what type of 1-3-1 offensive sets I can run with a girls middle school team?
There are a couple plays in the Easy Offensive Sets article that start in the 1-3-1. I am planning to add some more plays soon, but if you are in immediate need of more than I have to offer for plays, I encourage you to visit Coach Jackson's Page. He has more plays listed than any site I have seen.
I play basketball for my school I want to know how i can learn more moves and faster dribbling. Please help reply back as "basketball"
Thanks for your question asking for more moves and faster dribbling. As a coach, though, I must tell you that one of the first things I discourage is players dribbling the ball too much. Excessive dribbling leads to turnovers, even if the ball handler is skilled. I want players to pass. The ball moves faster, safer and transfers from player to player. Dribbling is a very singular skill, not a team skill.
Ball handling skills are very important, don't get me wrong. You have probably seen teams that had no point guard or that lost the ball frequently. For that reason, we practice hard every day on the basic ball handling things - cross overs, fakes, step backs - you probably know of these moves. If you want to practice avoiding steals, invite 2 or 3 younger kids in your neighborhood to try and take the ball from you as you dribble. They'll have fun and its a challenge exercise for you. For moves to the hole, the best way is to go 1:1 with different people. Analyze their individual strengths/weaknesses and exploit them. Watch college and pro players. If you see an interesting move, practice solo until you get it down, then try it on your friends.
What is an easy play for an elementary school team?
Try the Easy Offensive Sets article. It has plays that young kids can run and learn quickly.
Question: will tubby smith send me a play - UK RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, Tubby, send him a play...
What would you suggest as a really good play for High School students?
I like simple plays. They are easy to teach and once learned can be perfected over time. Try the article Easy Offensive Sets. Also look at the Alaska Play for something more advanced.
Question: How can I get my team to be more together, like a team, instead of fighting?
The best way to unite a group of people is to give them a common enemy. How equal is your playing time? Are the kids competing for minutes? I counter that by playing everyone about the same. Do you have parity in your league. If winning is too easy or too hard, the kids may turn their frustration inward. So, my answer is to get them to unite against a common foe or problem. Maybe even something outside the basketball venue.
Question: Hi, I am a coach from Wilson, NC. I was wondering how could I get my players more recognition. I'm also interested in teaching my players better defensive skills. As a 2nd year coach, I'm eager to learn more from a coaching standpoint. Look to hear from you soon!!
For recognition ideas, I suggest you try my baseball site, Bartlett Baseball, at www.alaskalife.net/sjordan The kids loved the internet newsletter about all their games (includes pictures). Once you have such a presence, you can invite scouts and coaches to check it out. Worked for us. Ideally, you need a couple parents to pull it off, but kids can help. Its fun.
I just posted a short defensive piece on ChalkTalk (www.worldofsports.com):
My points of emphasis in teaching m2m are:
1. If your man has the ball, you should should be applying as much pressure as possible without fouling. You win the battle if you get the dribbler to stop, preferably by herding the ballhandler into a corner or sideline. Steals are not the goal. Steals are a nice-to-have. When steals are the goal, you will have fouls and players out of position.
2. If your man catches a pass, its your fault. You (the player, of course) should feel personally responsible if the player you are defending receives the basketball. The closer your man is to the ball, the more intensely you need to defend the passing lane. When your man is close to the ball, be between your man and the ball so the only way he can get the pass is if its lobbed over your head and behind you.
3. If your man is far from the ball, cheat (sag in the key) so you can help out if a dribbler breaks free. If you are cheating, a long pass to your man won't hurt you. You will have time to run to your man and cover him. Also, if you're cheating correctly, a long pass to your man will be to an area away from the basket, like the corner, where danger is low.
4. All players should watch for lob passes. They are the food that feeds the defense (not steals off the dribbler). Ballhandlers under pressure that find defenders between them and their intended recipients will throw long passes. The defenders behind those passes should anticipate and intercept. Once the players catch on to this concept, they'll be picking off long passes and loving it.
5. Good ballhandlers under intense pressure will be able to drive around the defender. That's a fact of life. The next closest defender must immediately step up and stop or slow the dribbler so his man can recover. When help comes very quickly, the ballhandler will usually stop. Return to your own man.
6. Do not double team. If you want to kill your defense, just leave your man and go double team the ball in open court. Most of the time your man will be wide open, get the pass, and the imbalance will result in a basket. Help as needed, then return. If your teammate has the ball under control, let him do his job and make sure your man doesn't get a pass.
There are other important elements to m2m, but for young teams, I'd focus on above for team m2m defense. Principles apply full court m2m or 1/2 court. When teams are lax in defending passing lanes, there is no real pressure because the ballhandler always has someone to pass to. Accept the risk of playing in the passing lane. The result will be many lob passes that your next line of defense will get. That's the team concept in man to man. Its not an individual approach at all - man to man is somewhat of a misnomer that way.
We are getting a group of fourth grade boys started in a recreational league for the first time. What are your feelings about using a ball that is smaller than a women's size? We don't have the option of lowering the hoops so were hoping to gain better shooting form and ball handling skills by using a smaller ball. Thanks for your great site! We refer to it almost daily!!
I think its a good idea to use the smaller ball. I've seen too many kids with distorted shooting styles to feel otherwise. Some kids arrive at high school tryouts still trying to generate shots from their hips. It takes a lot of strength to shoot a regulation basketball at a 10' basket. A smaller ball will make the game more like basketball for the younger kids and let them concentrate on learning the game instead of struggling to shoot, pass and catch.
I will be keeping the statistics for a high school girls basketball team. What is the technical definition of "assist". I cannot find it in the rules. Thanks for your help.
I'll quote the NCAA Basketball Staticians' Manual (which one may buy on the NCAA website for $4.50).
"A player is credited with an assist when the player makes, in the judgement of the statistician, the principal pass contributing directly to a field goal ..." The gist of it is that if a player finds a teammate free and provides the ball for a score, an assist is awarded. It doesn't matter if the shooter dribbles afterwards, and it doesn't matter if its an inbounds play - its still an assist. The main exception is if the shooter makes a significant move to get free after receiving the ball. In that case, the move replaces the pass as the principal contributor to making the shot possible.
A friend and I coach a girls basketball team. We are in a girls highschool league, but many of the girls have never played before. I have played organized basketball for many years, but can't seem to get the basics in their heads. Sometimes I feel I am explaining things simply, but other times I think I am speaking too complex for them to understand. I have to explain to them what it means to bring down the ball. We try to teach simple concepts, but nothing seems to work. We are a church organization with lack of funds to purchase equipment like basketballs and uniforms. Do you have any suggestions on teaching the game and finding funds. Thank you fo your time..COACH&COACH
My three teaching points are explain, show and listen. The listen part is where they teach you (or one another). You'll pick up real fast on where the confusion is once they explain what they know. Another thing... break the game down into 2 on 2 and 3 on 3. Basketball is rarely 5 on 5 play. Even in our games there will be two defensive players sagging in the key at any given time. Passing skills are easier to learn than ballhandling, so teach them to break presses and move up the court by passing. Teach them to pass before they are in trouble, keep passes short and crisp, and do not pass to people who are standing still. If they pass well your turnovers will decrease dramatically. The basic offensive skills in this site will offer much more.
For fund raising, think of your team as a little company. Brainstorm with the players about skills or services they have to offer. Fundraising can be a team builder and a money maker. I don't think you need me here. A little imagination and work and you can make more money than you think.
I've been instructing players to do wall-sits. I wanted to know if this a good idea? Does this contribute to injuries?
You didn't say how old your players are. I think that would make a big difference. When they are in that fast growing stage I am really reluctant to stress their knees and shins. I have seen kids suffer with shin splints and similar ailments to the point where they cannot play. If your kids are very young, like elementary age, I'd just let them condition by playing the game. The middle school players can get more serious - but be careful. The maturity rates are wildly different among the players. In high school, the kids can safely train with supervised weight lifting. As far as wall sits, they create quite a burn in the thighs, but I worry about knee/shin stress.
At what age is weight training appropriate and beneficial? Are there guidelines for youths? My 12 year old would like to start a program in the off season but I'm wondering if he's too young. Thank you.
You need to be careful here. 12 year olds are still growing. Several areas of their skeletal systems are still developing. I believe that weights offer a significant advantage to athletes who train with them, but that should take place when athletes have relatively mature bodies. Would light weight workouts be beneficial? Probably, but I worry that the risk is too high because kids being kids, might over do it.
what is the secondary fast break?
Its generally good practice to get the ball to an outlet to initiate a fast break, them move the ball to the middle while other players fill the outside lanes. That's the primary break. The secondary break is what happens next. If the fast break layup isn't available, the offensive players already have a plan. Without hesitating, they move to assigned places and begin a quick play. The primary break flows right in to the secondary break. You can run your fast break to secondary as a drill for both conditioning and practice. Ideally, its the natural way the players bring the upcourt and setup. Primary, secondary then if that doesn't generate a shot, run the offensive pattern.
Question: hello coach i am 14 years old my name is jared and i am from brooklyn new york.. i have a question i just started my 9th grade chruch leauge and i am playing horbilble turnovers,getting fouled out, techs, kicking chairs and last year i averged 15 points and 7 assists this year i can hardly dribble up the court without getting the ball stripped or thrwoing a bad pass... it very fustrating and i need some help...would u please help me thank you very much
Jared, I can tell that you are very frustrated. Of course, I have not seen you play, so I am going to guess at the problem and hope I can help. OK, last year you had good numbers and you must have felt successful. Its my bet that during the off season you did a lot of thinking and dreaming about how this year was going to be even better. But in reality, you're playing bigger and more experienced players. Maybe some have improved more than you - which is natural. So, when you don't get the results you expected, you try harder and harder but things just get worse. All the symptoms you described, fouls, technicals, losing your temper ... those are all signs of somebody trying too hard and getting frustrated.
So, how does it get better? First, you need to lighten up. Basketball is a game, not a job. You succeed by playing, not by overworking. Do things that are fun, and stop measuring yourself by the numbers. You can't force the stats anyway. But, if you just forget all that and play, the numbers will come back. Players who set targets of points per game will get frustrated. A made basket is just the final element of a basketball play. Usually other players had a part in making it happen.
Instead of trying to do great things, try to make your teammates look good. Are they all standing around when you have the ball? Its a sure sign they expect you to force something. Try giving up the ball and go down and set a screen for your post guy so he can get free. Encourage your other players to shine and take the attention away from yourself. Soon, you will be taking pleasure in the teamwork that basketball offers and your numbers will improve without you realizing it. Good luck, Jared.
In Australia because of the structure of things we base our offensive structures around motion concepts. This I believe has led to the disappearance of the point guard in our game. Do you agree that motion leads to the need not to have point players?
Nope, don't agree that motion offense negates the need for point players. Point guard is a special position - close and dear to my heart. Teams that have a quarterback have an advantage in most any offense. The PG is a floor leader. He sets the tempo. He gets the ball in the right person's hands at the proper time. He/she is the primary ball handler and minimizes your team's turnovers. If you're blessed with great ball handlers, the PG role may be blurred. But, what I see anymore is many teams with no point guard. In fact, it seems the number of true point guards is shrinking every year. Most young players want to be scorers, and that is a fine thing to be. The thing is, if you populate your team with only scorers, chances are the team won't click. There is internal competition for points.
Point guards and post players ... they are roles our kids do not gravitate to. So, my opinion is that kids who develop those skills will have a special place as long as there are coaches smart enough to recruit and use them.
Hi, Could you give me some information about a 10min teaching episode which meets the following criteria 1. Development of a skill to be used in a tactic or the teaching of attacking & defending at the same time 2. Demonstration of this teaching in conditioned games
Well, it sounds to me like your asking for a breakdown session. That's where you isolate a facet of basketball and rehearse/refine it with the mininum number of players required. I like three man drills. You can practice 3 vs 3 with as many restrictions or focus elements you want. For instance, we may break in to 4 teams of 3 and create a mini tournament where players are only allowed to use a pick and roll. For such a session, we would discuss the activity near a basket, then demonstrate it. Then I'd have players participate and correct actions as needed. Sometimes I challenge the players to teach the play. Anyway, afterwards we compete for fun and learning.
Do you have any guidelines for youth coaches as far as what to expect from kids at each different age? Should they be able to dribble with both hands, look up while dribbling, set good screens, understand a certain number of plays, have good shooting form, understand and execute the triple threat position, etc.? We are coaching boys in grades 4-6 and would like to know what expectations we should have for them and what they should expect from themselves without being discouraged. Thank you.
Everything you mentioned is possible. Shooting form may be the toughest for the smaller kids. They may need to bring the ball down before they shoot just to get the strength to launch. However, there is no reason that the ball handling skills can't be pretty well developed. At that age (12), the kids should be able to dribble and do layups with either by the end of the season. There will never be an easier time for them to learn. If they wait until ninth grade, it'll be harder to learn and they'll be behind. Also, they should understand screens and plays off the screen, such as pick and roll.
You didn't mention defense. The kids should understand man to man defensive play, including help defense, pass prevention, sagging without the ball, keeping sight of the ball and the man - all the points covered in the article Pressure Defense.
Try and get the kids to run the floor in lanes during the fast breaks. If they understand how to fill the outside lines and use the whole floor that would be great, too.
So, can you develop all this in grades 4 to 6? I think so. I've seen some really well coached team at the 6th grade level, so keep your expectations high. Good luck, coach.
Question: how to dribble
Look in the topics menu (upper right). There is a section titled OFFENSE and under that, and article called "Basic Skills" If you read that, you will see what I have already written about dribbling.
Question: Where can i find a site that will explain how a basketball is correctly shot??
There are two sites on my links page that you should check first.
Question: How do you play basketball?
Not very well anymore. Too old. It was great fun for the 25 years I did play, though. Now coaching is the best way I can enjoy the game.
Question: Dear Coach, I am a freshman at a small college. In the summer I coach a AAU basketball team. I have some players how want to play in college, how do I contact the college coaches. I would also try to play a ta higher level. I have the stats and abilty like my players to do so. thanks for helping me?
I received similar questions last spring, so I added a page with just links to college information sites and camp sites. You can click on the blue text here or look for College Camps and Info in the topics menu.
Question: Hello!!! I never play basketball since I have the knowledged of the world. Now I'm already nineteen years old and have less confident because I felt something is lacking and that is 'how to play basketball'. You know I want to find myself playing inside the court, but the problem is I am ashamed maybe they will belittle me. Can you teach me the basics so that I could build up my confidence? thanks!!! jaynonz
I will offer you two things. One, read the articles on this site that deal with basics. I have tried to break the game of basketball down into its simplist parts. Read the article called Analogies. It takes a look at the game from a different angle. The second idea is to become a coach yourself. You could learn a great deal about basketball and about yourself by working with young kids that know less than you, but will have a ton of questions. If you really want to learn the game, try explaining it to a child. Good luck.
Love your site! I've been coaching junior high and high school boys for about 5 years now and have found many useful drills and plays. My question: We face a lot of 2-3 zone in our league, and this year we don't have the shooters to beat it - any advice on how to defeat a 2-3 zone without an outside shot?
Do you have any good big guys that can play low post? In the younger leagues, big players are almost always effective if they can score under pressure. The main trick is getting them the ball. But, if you're looking to score with your guards against a packed in zone without hitting outside shots that's going to be tough. How else can you get them away from the basket? One way is go uptempo. If you increase the pace, the defense will string out. If you're slow, they'll set up early and force to you shoot long. Success in outside shooting is part technique and a big part confidence. Do what you can to keep them confident. I'd be curious to see how your team responds.
What is the single most important thing for a coach to do to build during the off season?
My advice here is a little radical. During the summer months, especially, give it a rest. Don't burden your players with a long summer league. Don't burden yourself and family with another long schedule. Instead, let your batteries recharge. Follow a different sport (not as a coach!). Believe me, you will come back feeling fresh, not all burnt out.
In the spring (after the normal season), its a good time to play some spring ball and get a look and some new kids. I wouldn't spend much time teaching new things. The kids are probably tired of that whole grind. Just play for fun.
In the fall, its time to prepare for the upcoming season. Use the fall leagues to see new kids and try new things - like that defense you've always been curious to try.
As a player, you can use the summer (or any of the off-season) to work on personal aspects of the game. Work on shooting, particularly the weak hand. In the fall, I like it when players run cross country to get in shape. Excellent idea. The fall is a good time to work on weights to add strength.
So, the most important thing? Rest. Really.
Question: I've been coaching aau girls for about 2 years now, and your web site has been extremely helpful! I have a quick question for you, What is the best way to teach girls to jump? I know this sounds silly, but I'm sure there are other coaches that would like to know the answer to this. It seems instinct for girls is to play flat footed even while rebounding and shooting. What an advantage it would be to teach this skill, many girls we play do not jump either but girls who do certainly stand out. Thanks for your time and great info. Mike Roberts 8 th & 9th grade girls coach.
Recently I flew to LA and the lady sitting to me was a volleyball coach. We talked about training and the subject of jumping popped up. Her team uses an exercise where the girls jump from a flat footed stance onto a 24" platform, then hop off. They do this in sets based on time, like 30 seconds, then work up. She feels it gave them significant improvements. I thought I'd try it with the high school boys this season. Other than that, weight training is a big plus.
Question: need a basic offense to run with Junior high age particularly against zones
Go to the article called Easy Offensive Sets. There are a couple of good, yet easy-to-learn, plays that work against zone. Also, try the new article, Continuous Plays.
Question: I have been trying to find advice for a boy about to enter organized high school sports. In asking friends I have collected a number of suggestions which might capture the type of thing I have in mind:
--------------------------------
Remember the coach isn't your buddy. The coach is the coach.
The coach is always right. (Unless he is really crazy, and then you don't want to be playing for him.)
Nobody likes a complainer, don't complain and just accept your fate if you aren't the star of the team or if things are going badly this season.
The team is the thing. If you end up being a blocker for the star, or the assist man for the guy who gets all the points, then that is life.
Cheer the other guy. If you have a problem with someone don't go talking about him behind his back, go directly to the source of the problem and speak you mind.
Give 100%, work your butt off.
Don't think you are hot stuff coming out of 8th grade onto a high school team. (Or at least until you have proved it.)
Don't get on drugs.
Don't back down when guys try to intimidate you, they want to know if you are tough enough to be there when things get bad.
You have to learn to take criticism and use it to improve. (How you manage to do this is another whole matter.)
------------------------------ Each of these, of course, has many exceptions and qualifications. But they could be beginning points of a more extensive discussion of the issues they raise. What I have in mind is social advice on how to NOT end up being the outcast of the team through being aware of proper team sport's etiquette and having good social skills for this type of situation.
I have been told that more traditional sport specific coaching books will sometimes offer similar thoughts and comments often in the context of slogans and witticisms, such as the classic: "There is no I in TEAM".
This list also could be considered to be a subset of a much more general discussion of how to get along in any male group since much of it would apply to how any male group would work. (general guy advice/ boy scout type advice/ etc) And, of course, this type of advice would also apply to girls teams to a fair degree.
Have you run across any especially good books(s)/ source(s)/ article(s)/ newsgroups/ individual(s) which/ who might be able to greatly expand on such a list for players on sports teams, both in depth and the number of items?
Please feel free to forward this question to anyone who you think might be interested.
Best Wishes, Charles DeWitt c-dewitt@uiuc.edu
Thanks. Excuse the long wait to respond, but I have been out of town on business. I will use/fwd your list for future development.
Question: IS DISTANCE RUNNING A GOOD PRESEASON PROGRAM FOR CONDITIONING TO GAIN ENDURANCE OR JUST CONSTANT SPRINTING?
I ran cross country four years in high school. The basketball season started short after XC running. I thought basketball was a breeze and felt that I was very well prepared to play basketball. Now, its true that if you want to be a good distance runner, you run long and if you want to be a good sprinter you work on power and short bursts. Basketball needs both, but I think the endurance you get in distance running is more valuable because it helps you maintain pace. You don't really sprint constantly in a game, but probably spend a lot of time hopping around and running to get back on defense. More important than speed is quickness. You can do a lot of drills to help quickness, and they don't require running at all. So, I guess my point is to build an endurance base and near basketball season you will be strong enough to really work hard on your quickness and speed without getting exhausted as fast as the sprinter guys. XC runners also work on sprinting, so it is not like they are totally away from the speed aspects.
Question: How do I get an article and link added to your site. Luther Gilford
On my links page is a animated graphic that can be used as a hyperlink. The correct url to use is http://www.alaskalife.net/sjordan/notebook/ Do not include anything beyond notebook/ as a script will take care of directing the visitor past that point. If you want to have your site appear in the Coach's Notebook, all you will need to do is email me the url and any graphic you may wish to see. I will visit your site to assure suitability and I also reserve the right to shrink graphic elements if they are too big to fit the links table. As you can see, I have been fairly liberal in that regard.
Question: what are the tactics and strategies of basketball?
I have tried to answer that question 50 some different ways. Try the article "Basic Advantages" for a start. Your tactics and strategies should be based on the experience and physical abilities of your team and the flavor of basketball the coach can best teach.
Question: This is a wonderful site!!!! My husband and I are starting our own girls traveling team. Our goal is to be competitive in AAU tournaments. What would you suggest should be including in flyers we are designing for our tryouts? We want girls that are serious about basketball and who are willing to work hard. There aren't any traveling teams representing our area (south central l.a.) and we want our flyer to be appealing to serious ball players. Any suggestions? The ages are 12u & 13u. P.S. look for me to be asking plenty of questions!!! (smile).
You're always welcome to ask questions. Sometimes I learn from them, too. You are wise to state your purpose up front - being a competitive team vs recreational. It would be fair to say you're looking for the best players the area has to offer. That should appeal to the better athletes who would appreciate the honor of belonging to an elite club. I suggest listing the tournaments you are planning to attend, how often you plan to practice (and where) and maybe a quick bio about your coaches if that helps your cause. If the players are expected to pay, be very clear about the financial commitment. Good luck.
Question: I got into your web site and went to out of bounds plays and several other links and clicked on them and they will not open. Is there a problem with the site? Gary
Private email sent 8/6/00.
I truly enjoy this website and check it out weekly. I am fairly new to coaching and have recently been hired to take over a girls varsity team that did not win a game last year. I am excited about the challenge. My goal is to build a program from grade school up which the school system does not currently have. I have two questions for you at this time. 1) If you could buy 1 book for coaching basketball, which one would it be. 2) I am looking for some type of motion offense that can be used against a zone or man-to-man. I know you have discussed the simplified triangle and Alaska play offense on your website. Do you feel that those are appropriate offenses to run at the high school level. Thanks much for your time and website.
1. I am currently reading a new book, "Coaching from the Heart", by Duke's Coach K and plan to write a review on it. Coach Wooden's "Practical Modern Basketball" is very good. I wouldn't call it modern - I'd call it timeless.
2. The Alaska Play and the Simplified Triangle are appropriate for high school - I've used them at that level already. On my links page are other sites that list plays in abundance, so I am not going to try and publish many more plays unless I find/create more I really like. If your girls become confused playing by rules, as the Alaska Play is run, it may not fit. Also, you may need to develop post fundamentals and really work on passing skills to make the Simplified Triangle a success. It really depends on the level of your team. Don't be afraid of running something very simple. The important thing is how well they can run the play, not how sophisticated the play is. It always comes down to executing the basic fundamental things as I am sure you know. I wish you the best.
What do you think is the defense most suited to stopping a 1-3-1 offense with a post entry as the number one option?
Hi, Coach Crawford. My answer will expose my bias towards man to man defense. I'd put a good jump/pass deflector on that middle guy. He would be dead-fronted as far as the free throw line and 3/4 fronted up to the three point line. We'd play pass denial on the two wings. That puts a big burden on my back defender. He'll need to be gambler for the lob passes to the middle man and to the wings if they try to cut inside. The point will get a lot of pressure to make passing more difficult - the same treatment the wings will get should they have the ball. If the ball is on the wing, my weak side wing defender will sag into the key. If the middle man gets the pass, I'd like my point to try and double team and see how it works out, but not the wings.
I have used this style offense against zones and it was pretty successful. Unless the opponent dedicated a man to fronting my high post, he got the ball and kicked out when the defense collapsed on him.
A pool tourney is held to determine seedings for bracket play. 3 teams finish 3-1 team A beat team B team B beat team C team C beat team A. How would you suggest setting the brackets or seeds? Thanks for your opinion. Ed Maker
Coach Maker, In pool play, its a good idea to have tie breaker rules. The
situation you described is not uncommon. Generally, if the win/loss records are
equal, the
next test is point differentials. The three teams may have the same record, but
if you add up each team's points scored and subtract the points scored against
them, you might get something like:
TEAM A: 18
TEAM B: 4
TEAM C -2
So TEAM A is your number one seed and TEAM C is your number three seed, even
though TEAM C may have beaten TEAM A badly. Its a fair and objective rule. If
the point differentials are exactly the same for two teams, you can say
whichever team scored the most points gets the higher seed. Or, you can simply
flip a coin at that point.
Its best if the tie breakers are published up front. If they weren't, just make
a decision using one of these methods. If the coaches don't like it, that's
their problem. Next year you'll be wiser for the experience. Good luck.
Why not have one offensive concept that works regardless of the defense being played? This question is in reference to your "how to beat zones; man to man; box and one; triangle and two; etc. sections. Isn't that what John Wooden did? Thanks
Sounds good to me. Why burden a team with a playbook full of offenses to run against various defenses? One of the challenges a basketball coach faces is matching an offense to the team. Considerations should include your team's experience level, previous offenses run, predominant defensive style in your league and maybe most importantly, what kind of offense does the coach know how to teach. Some coaches choose a style that works well until they are confronted by a gimmick defense - like the triangle and two - and then the offense sputters. Why? Because the defense changes the balance of the game by focusing on one or two offensive elements. In those cases, if the offense can adjust, the defense will be unusually vulnerable outside their focus. If an offense can counter a gimmick defense, the defense won't stay in it very long.
I like an offense with a simple, repeatable pattern. Players should be encouraged to score whenever they recognize a decent opening. The plays I put on this site work against man to man or zone, but may favor one or the other. Last season, we ran the Simplified Triangle explained here. It worked fine against all the teams we played, whether or not they were in a zone. They key was the pass penetration to the post and rotation to the weak side - pretty standard stuff. The team I coached before that used the Alaska Play versus man or zone.
So, all I advocate is picking a pattern that your team can learn quickly then spend the season perfecting it. The gimmick counters are something simple you can practically sketch during a time out if you have an experienced team. For more plays, I suggest a visit to Coach Jackson's page. He's got a bunch of them.
Question: Is there a book I could read about the differences in the psychology of coaching girls vs. boys basketball? I saw a news program wherein Mia Hamm was interviewed saying that yelling doesn't work for her. The Connecticut Coach, Auriemma, was implied as having co-authored something on the subject, but I can not find it. Anything you can recommend on this topic would be appreciated. I have already found that Mia was right, yelling DOES NOT work!
I haven't coached girls before, but I agree that yelling doesn't work. It may seem to work with boys, but I disagree that it is "good" communication. The best communication tool is having something worthwhile to say. If you do, people listen. At least the smarter ones do. It helps to keep the message short and to the point. Repeat your point by saying it a slightly different way. Use humor if you can. Don't if you can't. Be sincere. Care. Kids will listen if they believe you are willing and able to help. After all, they just want to win or to be better players. When you work with older players - like high school age - use compliments. Kids yearn for positive feedback. Often a little praise will open the door for constructive suggestions. If the only way to get your point across is to yell, then the communication skills are pretty primitive. That said, it can be frustrating working with conceited, egotistical players. A lesson from Pat Riley (Lakers, Knicks, Heat) ... you can get anything you want if you are willing to help others get what they want. The proper motivation may require investigation and soul searching, but it can be done - without yelling.
I do not have a book for you, but I will keep it in mind.
Question: I don't know much about basketball, but being a Webelos Scout leader, I am learning. Some of the boys want to use basketball for their fitness activity badge, and I have to be able to ask them what the rules of the game are--just the basics, nothing too extraordinary. Do you think you could possibly let me in on the basic rules? That would be wonderful. Your help would be greatly appreciated, and I will let you know how things go with my scouts. Thanks!
Sorry for the late response, but I had a chance to do some wilderness fishing
and have been gone awhile. Anyway... here are some basic things that may serve
as test questions:
1. Height of basket from floor ... 10'
2. Distance from basket to free throw line ... 15'
3. Time allowed for offensive player to be in the key (painted rectangle in
front of basket) ... 3 seconds
4. Number of players per team ... 5
5. Number of personal fouls permitted ... 4 - the 5th disqualifies player
6. Number of team fouls that grant opponent bonus free throws ... 7 (give
opponents 1 ft plus one more if first is made). At 10 team fouls, the fouled
player is granted two free throw attempts.
7. A player closely guarded in the front court must pass the ball within ... 5
seconds
8. After a made basket, the team with the ball must advance past the half court
line within ... 10 seconds
9. A player who has the ball out of bounds must throw it in bounds within ... 5
seconds
10. The clock starts running when an in-bounded ball ... touches a player.
These should be some easy questions for a test! Good luck.
Question: How would an exceptional high school girl's coach get to the pros?
Email sent 7/17/00.
Question: Any idea where I can look to find information concerning the criteria high school administrators use to determine coaching salaries. I am researching for my thesis. Thanks for any help.
I can only offer these two sites and hope that they can help you.
Basketball Jobs http://www.basketballjobs.com/
Hoop Jobs http://www.hoopjobs.com/hoopjobs/
Question: What are the dimensions of a basketball court?
The ideal measurements for a high school court are 50' by 84', however a court may be as long as 94', or as short as needed to fit the available space. Check the rule book published by the National Federation of State High School Association for the allowable variations. About the only fixed dimension in basketball are the height of the basket - 10' - and the distance from the basket to the free throw line - 15'.
Hi. We recently published Coach Mike Krzyzewski's book LEADING FROM THE HEART. Although he's the coach for Duke University Basketball, his message is very applicable to high school students, parents and teachers. The book's message is very clear, easy to read and emphasizes respect for authority, respect for the team and teamwork. May I send you a complimenatry copy of the book? Perhaps you could review it on your site and recommend it to parents who want to coach... If interested, please send me your name/address (no PO Box). Thanks. Linda Cook
Sure - send the book! Alaskans are fans of Coach K. Langdon - Boozer - go Blue Devils!
Question: Hi Steve, have you gotten any comments on your website heading? When I pull the site up, where it use to say "Coaches Notebook" I know get HTTP ERROR 404 not found, so I can't use the scrool to go to the different areas on your site. It may just be our campus network, but if not wanted to alert you to this. Kathy Herr
Thanks for the alert ... I believe the problem is fixed. If not, please email me.
This is the first time that I will be coaching a 9 and 10 year old basketball team. I was wondering if you could suggest certain drills for the kids to help them with their dribbling, coordination etc. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Ruben
Try the topics menu, under the heading -OFFENSE - and you'll see an article called Basic Skills. In that article is a section on dribbling. It contains drills and teaching points appropriate for your team's age group. We practice ball handling every day at the high school level. You should encourage your players to work on their skills on their own time as well as your practice time. When they are older, if they cannot protect the ball and be trusted with it, they won't get to touch it very much. For some inspirational ball handling drills, try Steph's page ... Steph's Dribbling Drills.
Question: what type of g.p.a. do you have to have to get into a university
It really depends on which school you wish to attend. You may have a local community college that will take anyone who can pay tuition. But, if you plan to attend a large university, there will be entrance standards for high school GPA and SAT scores. These standards are posted in their handbooks, or usually on their web sites. If you are hoping to play sports, it may be even tougher. Major college sports programs put a huge investment into their athletes. They can't afford their players to be declared athletically ineligible halfway through the year. So, recruiters and coaches always ask, "What do his or her grades look like?" very early in any conversations they have. Frankly, if you have a 2.0 in high school, your academic survival potential in college isn't looking very promising. I think you'd want to be a minimum of 3.0 to even be considered by most well-known schools. Remember, college is a very competitive environment. Coaches have many, many players to choose from. So, work hard for good grades in high school - your competition is trying to get better grades than you.
Question: How can I get better with my basketball skills?
Practice, practice, practice. Even when you get in an informal pickup game, work on your skills. There's plenty of advice on this site and in the sites listed on the links page to keep you busy working on fundamentals.
I am a basketball player in high school and i want to be better. What is a training program you would suggest to do in the off season. Like how many (foul shots, 3pointers, 2pointers, and lay-ups) I should do a day to be good this next year so I might get some playing time.
You're off to a good start already. I like your attitude. Don't worry about a certain number of shots, but practice regularly and keep track of your progress. For example, on FTs, chart your progress so you can see improvement over time. Its more fun that way, too. If you work on jumpers, don't scatter your shots. Pick a few places and get expert at them. Practice getting maximum height on each shot. If practicing gets boring, stop. Basketball should be fun. One important thing, though. Work on conditioning. Run cross country for your school team. You will get in such good shape that basketball will be easy. You will have a big advantage at the start of the season.
I would like to find out as much information as possible on the Princeton offense. I am a high school basketball coach that is very interested in the Princeton offense.
I love the way Princeton plays. For play info, though, I will send you over to my colleague, Coach Larry Dean Jackson. His site has an amazing collection of documented plays. If you don't see what you want, email him. He is really helpful. You can find his site at http://members.tripod.com/~cldj34/acoach.html
What is the shell defense?
The shell drill is a well known and very effective means of teaching defensive rotation principles. It is such an important coaching tool I devoted an entire chapter to it. Just select "Shell Drill" from the topics menu or click here.
What is the triangle offensive play?
The triangle offense, made popular by the Chicago Bulls, is a flexible, single-post oriented offense scheme best utilized by experienced players. There is a chapter in the offense section entitled "Simplified Triangle Offense". Read that and you will know what I know.
How do I grow taller? I'm 5'6, and how to I get skinnier legs to drive faster because my muscle in my legs are getting more buff and prevents me from driving faster.
Be proud of the body you have. Each body style has advantages and disadvantages. The skinny kids are probably jealous of your buff legs and they can't even hope to compete with you on rebounds if you learn to box out well. You are like a rock to them. They can't move you. Taller would be nice, but there is no way I know of to extend your height. But - you can learn to play smarter and use your body to its fullest potential. On driving, instead of trying to simply blast past people, use misdirection to fool them. Use your eyes and jab steps to make the defense lean left when you want to go right. Develop your cross over dribble skills to the point where you can change direction instantly. Work hard on your outside shot so the defense must respect it. That way you will draw them close to you when you are far from the basket and you can manipulate the defense more easily.
The most powerful basketball weapon you can develop is the ability to make sound decisions - understand the game. The next most important thing is to be in shape. After that, skills such as ball handling and shooting. Height is waayyy down the list of things that make up a good basketball player.
Do you have any information about measuring aerobic system and body composition in basketball. thanks
Nope. Sorry.
Question: How much do coaches make a year
This question came up a while ago. I'll reprint my answer here
Well, that depends on what level of basketball you coach, doesn't it? Most coaches work for free (like me). I have heard of a few high school coaching salaries around the country and they varied from $2,000 to $10,000 and that's if they weren't exaggerating. I expect that college coaching salaries vary wildly. Some prominent college coaches take home some significant cash, but you need to consider that they are running a substantial business.
I coach boys basketball and soccer anywhere from 5th grade through high school seniors. I have seen a large increase in the amount of testicular injuries to young athletes. At what age should boys begin to wear a jockstrap? How can you convince them to do so?
I do not doubt your claim at all, but your question made me try to think of similar cases. Of all the basketball teams I've coached, I can't recall such an injury. The most common injuries I've seen are ankle twists, knee twists or bruising, floor burns, jammed fingers and collisions. I think, however, that boys should start wearing protective gear like jockstraps even at the 5th grade level. The best way to implement their use is to tell the parents you want the kids to wear them and you expect them to be part of the game and practice apparel. The parents will enforce their use.
I also suggest use of mouth guards (all ages). Injury from elbows or unseen basketballs can be prevented.
Yes, I am a 20 year old college student who loves basketball, playing and coaching. I really do not know how to break into the field. I am a finance major at at OU. I did coach a summer camp last summer, youth, ages 5-12 and really loved it. They are not needing anyone outside of their regular staff this year and I am wanting to coach. I have played sports since I was 5 years old and was All-State 3 years in a row in high school. It seems like a part of me is missing when I'm not playing or involved with sports but it seems like it's not a lucrative profession to pursue. Also, I don't really know how to go about getting a degree that would enable me to coach, except maybe a physical education major, and that, I feel is too risky as far as me being marketable if coaching doesn't pan out. I am looking for coaching jobs this summer and have coached and played basketball and soccer. Please give me advice and any contacts you might have in my area.
Thank you, I look forward to hearing from you.
Ryan :
Private email sent 5/4/00.
I coached a 7/8 grade girls basketball team last season. The team was ten players in grade 6 and 7, so we had some real competition! The problem? My tallest player is 5' 6. The last team we played consisted of 15 players the shortest was my height 5' 7". I know this will be a disadvantage next season, but my kids are tough and follow directions well. We managed to win 4 of 8 games last season which gave us the opportunity to play in playoffs at the end of the season (you have to have a 500 season to participate). The team we played killed us, and the coach at half time (although 20 points up) said he was sorry but had to play his first string so he could be competitive the next day ( why are guys so cruel?). Your suggestions on how a small team can take advantage of tall players would be appreciated. Many thanks! Coach Herr
Basketball favors taller teams. I can't change that. John Wooden was pretty clear about it. He said, "When both teams are tired, the tall players will still be tall." However, its rare that two two teams are perfectly matched except for one team being much taller. The shorter teams usually have advantages they can exploit as well. Tall teams must be in shape and be able to play fundamentally sound basketball in order to win just like anyone else. We were very successful this year against taller teams. We used the "Pressure Man to Man" defense described in an article by that name on this site that featured pass denial, including fronting the post players. We also ran the court as hard and kept the game pace as high as we could which forced the taller teams into turnovers and fatigue errors as they tried to keep up. Another article that may help is "Desired Traits" that explains the importance of various player attributes.
I think the coach's rationale for keeping the starters in even though up by 20 at half was pretty lame. Another article, "Coaching Conduct" talks about the issues of managing scores in games like that. Most coaches have too much regard for players in general to treat the opposing team like that. You just had the misfortune of playing against a jerk. Maybe next year you'll meet again and you'll have the stronger team. How will you handle the situation?
Question: I have quite a bit of experience coaching boys ages 9 - 18. In fact most of the better players in the city that I live have played for me at one time or another. I also coach in the city's Pro/Am summer leagues and other highly competitive adult leagues in the area. Now most of the youths I originally started coaching are preparing to go off to college and the different high school the coaches of the different high school they attend have not and are not preparing them to make the next step. Most of these students/players are from the inner-city and their parents really don't have a clue about the directing their child so for the most part they come to me for help. What I would like to know is how or who should I try to contact for these young men. Some have good grades some are marginal. I'm not sure if it is permitted by the NCAA for coaches to be in contact with third parties or not. I'm not an agent nor looking for anything in return, I just want to help these student take advantage of the opportunities available to them. Most of these kids are like sons to me. I mentor, tutor, help find jobs for them, provide transportation and quite often financially support them with little or no support from anyone. I would like to have some kind of connections to help direct them after they finish high school. I don't know any of the local college coaches. I'm pretty busy trying to make a difference and it seem to me that these local college coaches are always looking out of town for their talent but when I take some of the youths to the games I feel that the local (overlooked talent) is just as good if not better. Sorry for being so wordy but I want to make sure you understand where I'm coming from and what my concerns and intentions are.
Private email sent 4/29/00. This is a good question. I offer these sites for
more information about college placement for high school basketball players:
1. http://www.allouthoops.com/
2. http://www.competitiveathlete.com/
3. http://www.hoopacademy.com/
4. http://www.ETeamz.com/HoopAcademy
I am doing an I-search for school on coaching basketball and i was wondering if you could tell me what traits a coach should have to be a good coach? Also if you could email me addresses of sites on coaches with addresses other than .com. thank you. George Johnston
I don't believe there is one type of person that makes a good coach. A combination of traits that work for me may not work for you. What I feel is very important is a coach's motivation in the first place. If the first priority is to teach basketball and to help each player get the most of the season, it will be hard for the coach to go wrong. Good coaches are usually competitive people and sometimes in their zeal to excel, the purpose of the game is to build a w/l record. Stay away from that. Skills that help a coach are communication with kids and parents (and that IS a skill to develop with practice), organization and the depth of understanding of fundamental basketball. Use your unique personality characteristics and life experiences as best you can. That's what makes you a special coach.
How do you coach?
Private email sent 4/27/00.
Question: Do you feel coaching differentiates between boys and girls?
Private email sent 4/26/00.
Question: Hello Coach,
Thanks for all of the great info. My question is hopefully easy to explain. When I get your Coach's Notebook page, I can easily print out any of the new articles that you list on the page. But when I click on the topics menu at the top right of the page, click on the topic I want, then try to print it, all I get is the "Coach's Notebook" heading, and the rest is blank. Can you help clear up this technical difficulty for me. Thanks, Bob Q.
Question: When a coach what are all the things that you look in the player, including everything from personality to the game ? What are your standards and what do you expect them to be able to perform and do ?
There is an article in the Coach's Notebook that answers much of
this. Its called Player Traits. I suggest you read that.
Concerning
personality, many coaches look for aggression. They like scrappy players and
are willing to put up with temperament that goes along with it. In fact, many coaches write asking how to increase aggressiveness in some of their players.
They feel their player(s) is too passive and demonstrates that by not working
hard enough for rebounds and loose balls. Or, they see a kid with
great athletic potential, but little internal drive, and want to know how to
fire him/her up.
I don't believe a coach will have much success
changing personality traits. Some players are inherently more aggressive than
others. It is a good wake up call sometimes to tell a player that they are
playing too "soft" and therefore won't be getting much playing time or will
not be making the team. Then you may see behavior change if the player really
wants to be on the floor.
Sometimes coaches mistake smartness for
softness. I put a great value in players that avoid conflicts such as driving
through traps, because they know that they
have nothing to gain and something
to lose. Its much safer to pass the ball under pressure than drive through
it. Such a player may not be as exciting to watch, but the turnover count is
lower when unnecessary risks are avoided.
I do not have certain
performance standards, such as a specific FT% to qualify for the team. I do
have benchmarks that I want the team to meet.
2pt FG% 60+%
3pt FG%
33+%
FT% 70+%
Turnovers - 15 or less
These are predicated upon
achieving 1 point per possession - ideally around 80pts a game. This year we
(9th graders) were a little under all those benchmarks (except the turnovers)
but still averaged 68 pts/game. I think they are good targets for the team
and the individuals.
I expect that the players be ambidextrous dribbling
and on layups by the end of the season. Kids that come to tryouts able to use
both hands well have a big advantage over kids who are single handed. I also
expect the players to always play hard, even in practice, and to follow the
team plan. Players that work against the team by not running the plays or not
playing defense the way we've practiced won't play much. We've cut some good,
tall athletic bodies because they didn't follow directions well.
DOES YOUR SITE HAVE PLAYS IF SO WHAT DO I CLICK TO FIND THEM?
There are plays, all right. Not a whole lot, but these plays offer simple plans that a team can learn with limited practice time. Look in the Topics Menu and select the article called Easy Offensive Sets. You may also enjoy Coach Jackson's Page. He has listed many, many plays. Some are explained meticulously. If you have questions, just email me back.
What do you think of "private lessons" for a 12 yr old girl in basketball? There are two, reputable coaches in my area selling private and semi-private lessons for up to $35.00 an hour (minimum 2 hours). My daughter is tall and has done quite well on several age appropriate teams (AAU, CYO, Rec) and I want to do the right thing. Would kids in college basketball tell me they had had such instruction at this age? Can basketball be taught this way?
Thank you, GH
I'd even pay $70 for myself to get two hours instruction from a coach I respected. Knowledge is gold, IF it is applied. If you decide on the lessons, go and take notes. Your daughter will need to learn and practice what they have to offer. You may need to remind her what the coach was teaching. The only negative I see here is that 2 hours is kind of long. If that time could be spread into 1/2 hour segments, she could get good direction, then practice, then come back for questions and clarification. You don't need to pay for drill time. She just needs to understand the concepts and perform them under guidance to make sure she has it. She'll need to perfect the skills on her own time. I don't think 12 years old is too young to learn good fundamental skills. Every year we look at the new crop of 9th graders coming into high school and only a few can demonstrate that they have been taught well. Will the lessons make a difference in her getting into college basketball? Maybe ... if she works hard now applying the lessons. She'll need other important attributes - good grades, continued enthusiasm for the game and a willingness to work hard simply because she loves to play.
Question: I agree with your opinion of off season training 100%. I usually take my team to one team camp with some minimal practice beforehand, and all of the other activities of the summer are things such as cookouts etc.. However, I have a couple of very motivated girls who have asked for individual workout ideas to do on their own time. I was looking for some creative workouts (maybe 15-20 min) they could do on thier own. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Lynda
Question: Again, great sight, Alaska! You know the folks from C.T. are looking for a new home. Later, b-ball ed
Question: I need more information about the trap defense. I am coaching a minor league basketball team in Italy and we are going to the playoff in a month. Will like to step up our defense by trapping mid court the opponent. Thank you
Luigi Cesari
In the article on defensive fundamentals there is a small section on traps. I plan to expand it with some additional ideas. Briefly, those ideas are:
1. Only trap in the back court, like during full court pressing situations.
You have time to recover when the traps are beaten.
2. Trap when the ball handler turns his back to the basket. He won't see the
second defender coming.
3. Do not trap when the ball goes into the extreme corner. The reason is that
one player should be able contain the ball handler sufficiently to force a bad
pass. Its more important that all the receivers are covered.
4. Do not trap at mid-court. Pressure at mid-court is great, but traps will get
you into trouble when playing good teams. They will draw two players to the ball
then pass and you will spend the rest of the possession rotating to cover the
open man. How may times do you see mid-court traps force a turnover? How many
times do you see teams draw a double team then pass to an open man and get an
easy basket? To me the math is simple. I do not advocate traps at mid-court,
even when you are desperate.
The better answer is to pressure the ball handler and vigorously protect the passing lanes. The ball handler is not really under pressure unless there is no one to pass to. When defenders one pass away from the ball sag back, the dribbler has an easy escape route, but if his teammates are all covered, he will make riskier choices. Concentrate on pass denial - it really works. The biggest danger is back door cuts, so you need to have players two passes from the ball sag into the key to help.
Where can I find a good individual workout for high school girls to do in the off season? I am looking for something that would provide activities for specific positions as well as general skills for all. I would like to find something with variety to help prevent boredom. Thanks.
By the time we reach the end of the season, our players are "done". We've worked hard for nearly six months. Things get a little goofy or suddenly tempers flare up. That's when you know it's time to back as off a a coach. During the last week or two of the season we give the kids a lot latitude in choosing practice drills and in general try to make practice fun. Otherwise we won't accomplish much. The point is that it is really tough to expect much from most players in the off season unless they are preparing for college. Some of our kids get into other sports, work weights, run, or practice personal skills. I think its very important to avoid burnout. If you keep the kids together as a team, make it fun. Try another recreational sport. Take them out to a movie.
I realize I have not answered your question as expected. Its just that I haven't seen a real successful off-season program and am somewhat skeptical. Some of our high school teams make a special summer trip and attend a tournament. That has proven to be good motivation for the kids.
How do you "take over" a game at the point guard or ball-handling position?
This is a great question. Thank you. The answer depends on who you are. Are you someone who is clearly dominant compared to the other players? Can you score at will? Are you reliable enough at shooting that your teammates can screen your defenders and give you quick looks? If you can answer "yes" to these questions, maybe you can actually take over a game as a point guard. I know that many kids dream of such things. Now, read the next paragraph carefully.
I have seen far too many games that were lost because some point guard decided to save the team. The game plan is abandoned and the man with the ball attempts to score at all cost. The team loses confidence. The offense becomes dysfunctional. The game ends ugly and players are so frustrated their eyes are full of tears. Now, read the next paragraph carefully.
I have seen smart point guards that keep their heads when the pressure is on. They execute the offense and are careful to put the ball in the right player's hands for the score. There is no concern for personal point totals, only the win, and it doesn't matter who makes the last shot. The entire team is enthusiastic because each member is part of the solution, not a bystander that never has a chance to contribute because the ballhandler is over-controlling the game.
So, decide what kind of player you are. Five men are stronger than one. If you can get all your teammates working together, then you have truly taken over the game. Chance are, the game won't even be close. Good luck.
Question: is their any way that you give me some pic of plays
Most of the plays on this site are diagrammed. You can view animated plays on some of the other coaching sites. Try the Basketball Highway. During the off-season I hope to add more plays and drills that have diagrams. I have many sent in, but haven't had time to develop them. It takes a while...
What are some basketball plays?
Look in the topics menu, above right. Towards the bottom of the list, under the category OFFENSE you'll see an article called "Easy Offensive Sets". Inside that article are several plays explained and diagrammed. They're very basic and effective. For more ,try my coaching links page. Some of them have dozens upon dozens of plays.
I need information on teaching the 1-2-2 match up zone. I coach freshman boys and would really like to use this defense.
I don't have an article yet on matchup zones. Our team uses zone full court presses then matches up man
to man if the opponent gets across half court. The concept is as simple as sticking with the closest man. Some unusual matchups occur, but we don't
switch unless its easy to do so. The switching was causing more problems than the mis-match. Besides, smaller players that are fundamentally sound do
OK against bigger people, so we don't force the switch. Here is a link to an
animated matchup zone,
http://www.eteamz.com/basketball/instruction/tips/tip.cfm/Match%20Up%20Zone/
but it looks a lot like our Pressure Man to Man style (I do have an article on that). Also, I recently saw a similar question on
an egroups.com basketball discussion site and somebody suggested a video on Temple. I'll keep your address and if I find something better, send it your
way. Hopefully, I'll have matchup zones as an article for next season's coaches.
I need to know the referees hand signals for a time out, backcourt violation and substitution. Please Help. Mark Hemmings
I found a site that shows pictures of common referee hand signals. http://www.nba.com/Basics/00422964.html The signals are also shown in the high school basketball rules book.
This is a great site for tips on coaching basketball. Is there one like this for little league baseball?
I think I've seen about all the basketball coaching sites. That has left little time for baseball surfing, although baseball and softball are my summer time sporting passions. This site has some web coverage of our high school baseball teams - go to http://www.alaskalife.net/sjordan/ - my home page to see the section leading into baseball. There's no coaching advice there, however. I have already started a page that is devoted solely to hitting, but it is a month away from completion. It'll be pretty interesting I suspect as I have a long list of opinions on that subject.
Anyway... InfoSport: Baseball has a real nice list of baseball links. I suggest you start there. Go to http://www.baseball-links.com/ and if you find a great site, please let me know.
What is a good source on coaching information on the fundamentals of defense? I’m not looking for a book on defensive plays, I want a book or video that talks about things like foot work, stance, and drills that I can use to improve the defensive skills of my team. I coach a grade school basketball team through the city parks department each year. I start coaching a team in fourth grade and stay with them until sixth grade. I have been doing this for about eight years now. I understand the technical aspects on a lot of different positions in the game, but I don't feel I understand the technical aspects of defense the way I should. Thanks, Mike
I do not have much of a coaching library of books and tapes. I have been blessed with good mentors and good kids that helped me learn on the job. I have asked some friends to provide recommendations that may serve you better. One site I like with books and tapes is Power Basketball. I'll send you an email when I get some response.
How do you do a lay-up?
I don't do them very well any more, I'm afraid! I'll assume you want to show
someone new to the game, so here is how I would teach a layup ...
1. Start without the ball. Mark the take off point on the floor, maybe 3-4 feet
from the basket at a 45 degree angle. Begin about 20' from the basket and have
the kids run and jump off the proper foot at the take off point (left foot from
the right side of the basket, right foot from the left side of the basket).
Praise them for height and trying hard, but insist on the proper foot at the
proper point.
2. With a ball, have them try to make the layup using the same principles. If
they cannot dribble well enough to do this drill, move in close so they just
take one dribble, take off and shoot. A novice team may need substantial time on
just these two points.
3. Show them how the square on the backboard is a target. You may need a
separate drill with no movement where they just bank the ball in.
4. When they gather the ball in to take off, teach them to keep the ball close
to the body, raise it to the shooting shoulder, then with one hand, straighten
the arm and shoot.
5. Teach follow through, palm to the basket, ball spinning directly backwards.
The idea is to keep the layup as simple as possible, keep the body square to the
basket, eyes on target. They should see the basketball go through the basket
even after a fast run at the basket.
6. In time, move the take off point back and work on acceleration upon approach
to the hoop. But that is lower in priority to simple motions and consistency. If
your team is accurate at the simple layups, they'll do fine.
7. Do a lot of layups in practice. Challenge the team to make as many as they
can in a row. Establish a team record, then beat it. It will help the kids shoot
successfully under pressure.
Hope this met your needs. If not, send me an email.
Question: I was looking over your Alaska Play offense and feel that it looks effective and plan to implement it into our junior high girl's offense next year. My question is do you feel this offense should be used strictly against a man-to-man defense or is it also effective against a zone defense. Thanks for your time.
We used the Alaska Play during our fall season against both man to man and zone (U17 boys). Against a zone, if the defense extends to the ball as most teams do these days, the pass to the post and subsequent cut will be effective. In fact, that aspect alone opens many possibilities. Instead of handing off to the cutter, our post would pivot and follow the cutter finding an opening in the wake so to speak. If the cutter isn't open on the cut, the post can kick the ball back out where it is quickly rotated to the weak side where the cutter now awaits.
The main advantage to the Alaska Play is that the players know what to expect any time the ball is passed. The play unfolds on its own, yet has some structure to it. It will help them with motion style offenses used by their future coaches. TIP: Practice layups using a pass to a post and hand off. I was amazed at how much time the boys needed to get used to that concept. They don't do it in their playground play, so were clumsy at first. They learned it well after a couple weeks. The kids also need work learning to pass in to a post under pressure and posts need to learn how to make space and create pass openings.
I'm looking for a motion offense and a weight training program for my HS team.
I am kinda partial to the Alaska Play on this site. Its documented pretty exhaustively. There are many motion based plays out there, though, and some are even animated. Sites I'd suggest if you're play hunting are C