"A good defense will not allow the ball to be reversed easily, since reversal breaks down the weakside defense and puts a lot of pressure on the inside defenders to change their body positions to prevent an inside pass. Any number of bad things can happen to the defense when the ball is reversed easily … Continue reading Winning Defense: Defending the Swing Spot & Switching
Player Burnout
When I was competing as a student-athlete (Division III), Christmas Break was pretty much the commitment period. We would have a mandatory week off over the holidays being able to go back home to see our families and friends. This was a time to retain that brief sense of zero responsibility and limitless leisure that … Continue reading Player Burnout
Winning Streak
When you find yourself in the middle of a winning streak, one of the best things that you can do is keep doing what you have been doing. One of the mistakes that can be made when on a winning streak is to change what has been working, to something that you have not been … Continue reading Winning Streak
Winning Defense: Transition & Early Halfcourt
"Players other than the man defending the ballhandler must slow the advance of the ball, of course. And it's not enough for the rest of the team merely to run back quickly on defense, though that is the second-best strategy. The best strategy is for the teammates to make a quick transition with purpose. That … Continue reading Winning Defense: Transition & Early Halfcourt
Losing Streak
It can be two or twenty-two games, losing streaks all create a similar effect - questions. Where are we playing poorly? What can we adjust? How have we been practicing? How are our rotations? Who has played well for us, who needs a shorter leash on the floor? Why doesn't practice transfer to the games? … Continue reading Losing Streak
After. Time. Off
We just finished with #BalancingTheHolidays. Each program handles winter break differently, some coaches make philosophical decisions, while others are at the mercy of their actual game schedule. Either way, it is a unique time during the season where coaches have to consider sports-life balance and the re-activation upon return. https://twitter.com/CoachsClimb/status/1210343084988534787 In our season, there is … Continue reading After. Time. Off
Balancing the Holidays
Holiday Hoops Redefined We are all shaped by our circumstances. This is a commonality present in all communities and cultures. But it wasn’t until 5 years ago that I truly understood the weight of these words. I joined the varsity basketball team of Texas High School in 2000 as a sophomore. Texas High School is … Continue reading Balancing the Holidays
Winning Defense: Developing Individually Within a Team Concept
"It's not overwhelmingly difficult for a committed group of players with other average individual basketball skills to put together a very good team defense. Many good defensive teams are far better than the sum of their parts." Winning Defense is set up into three (plus drills) separate parts: Developing Individually Within a Team Concept Rotating … Continue reading Winning Defense: Developing Individually Within a Team Concept
Season Part One
To me, it is funny that this topic is #SeasonPartOne because as I was pondering what to write it came to me that for winter sports teams and more importantly basketball teams there are really like 6 seasons within a season: pre-season, practice season, non-conference season, conference season, championship season and postseason. And honestly, there … Continue reading Season Part One
Coaching the Best Player
The best players I have had the opportunity to work with have shared these characteristics: Different Investment Levels - Consistently put in extra time Competitor Hardest critic & biggest fan - Confident, but never satisfied It is their identity - Love being in the gym Different intuitiveness for the game - Game was slower for … Continue reading Coaching the Best Player
Coach's Climb 