![March 8, 2016 - Minneapolis, MN, U.S. - North head coach Larry McKenzie read an inspirational quote to his players before the start of practice Tuesday afternoon. ] JEFF WHEELER • Minneapolis North Polars, a program synonymous with basketball excellence, is back in the state tournament for the first time since 2003. They practiced after school Tuesday afternoon, March 8, 2016 ahead of their tournament game on Thursday. (Credit Image: � Jeff Wheeler/Minneapolis Star Tribune via ZUMA Wire)](http://team.fastmodelsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/20160308_zaf_m42_0041-540x360.jpg)
Every coach knows that time is of the essence in the off-season. Between open gyms, individual workouts, weight training, video sessions, youth camps, coaching clinics and more, a coach’s calendar fills up fast. Being organized and efficient with one’s time is crucial for any coach. Lucky for them, there are great tools to help save time and energy. Along with using FastDraw,…
I Am A Coach’s Wife
(This article was originally published at Her View From Home by Renae Zimmer) I am a coach’s wife. I signed up for it, back when we were young and stupid and didn’t have a penny to our name. I said yes to an awesome guy and yes to being a coach’s wife. I love sports, that…
The Art of 1 on 1 Defense – Part 2
This is a second entry regarding the qualities and skill sets that make up a great defender. Part 1 on the art of 1-on-1 defending laid out 4 important qualities of a superior defender, this time we will focus more on 3 specific drills that will help create a better defender. Transition Track Down: This drill…
The Art of 1-on-1 Defense – Part 1
We live in a basketball world where style usually gets noticed more than substance. A player with strong 1-on-1 offensive skills (jab, shoulder fake, foot-fake, spin, pull-up jump shot) often gets rewarded with millions of dollars from an NBA contract and endorsements. While this “highlight” brand of basketball may dominate the talking points on ESPN…
Drills to Develop Your Team’s Needs
The game of basketball has been around for well over a hundred years, and while some rules (and of course the jerseys) have changed with time, the same concept and essence of Dr. James Naismith’s game has endured. As basketball has evolved, so too have the drills and plays run to teach the game. In…
Practicing “Time and Score” Situations
As the Men’s and Women’s Final Four approaches, you can guarantee that these elite teams are practicing “time and score” situations daily. For those of us already on “summer break,” it’s never too early to start thinking about next season. One thing must be made clear: practicing “time and score” situations ahead of time will by no…
Traits of a Quality Scouting Report
Creating a quality scouting report that accurately breaks down the strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies of your opponents and their individual players is an important step towards winning any game. There are a number of aspects/sections (see below) of a scouting report that are basic necessities, whether you are creating a report for your high school…
Disguised Conditioning Drills – Part 2
As discussed in Disguised Conditioning Drills – Part 1, getting your players excited or at all interested in conditioning is a hard thing to do. That’s why coaches often need to disguise conditioning drills as skill development drills. There is certainly a time for basic on the line sprinting (the off-season), but throughout the rest…
Welcome!
Welcome to FastModel Sports and our TEAM! FastModel Sports has spent 10 years working with the most successful coaches on the planet. These coaches helped us build the best play diagramming tool on the market – FastDraw. As of today, FastModel is a lot more than just the X’s & O’s. Objective: To build a community of passionate…
The Power of Positivity
The image of a coach that yells, curses, makes threats, overreacts and might even throw a ball or chair around is not hard for people to picture. Think Bobby Knight or former Rutgers coach Mike Rice, not to mention many AAU and volunteer parent coaches. But is that the best way to motivate, inspire, encourage,…