The third post in our Goal Setting for Coaches series discusses the process of actions evolving into long term habits. In the last couple of weeks, I have been discussing goals. In the post, “Be Goal-Driven,” I started the conversation by discussing the importance of setting achievable, challenging goals. In last week’s post, “Be Action-Oriented,”…
What Do YOU Think?
Counseling Coaches Series: What Do YOU Think? Forming your OWN thoughts about basketball matters. (Note: This blog originally appeared at radiusathletics.com and is reposted with permission.) In the summer of 2015 some coaching friends encouraged me to begin sharing basketball info on social media and in blogs. This information was well-received and thanks to some…
Goal Coaching: “Plan the Work, Then Work the Plan”
Setting goals can be daunting, but these goal coaching tips will help you prepare and achieve yours this year. 2019! Can you believe it? It’s here. And yet, it seems like at the beginning of every year, we say the year out loud and exclaim, “I can’t believe it’s (insert year). Where did last year go?” In fact,…
Getting To 1.0
Getting to 1.0 points per possession (PPP) places your offense in the upper echelon of the competitive landscape. In the 2017-2018 NCAA basketball season 25 out of the 353 Men’s Division I basketball teams operated at 1.0 points per possession (PPP) or higher. That is roughly seven percent of all teams. (per Synergy Sports) On the…
More Than Just Talk: Building Communication With Your Team
Communication is a basketball skill just like any other, which coaches can develop by emphasizing in practice. *This is Part 1 of a 3-part series. Read Part 2 on Defensive Communication and Part 3 on Offensive Communication. If you’ve coached long enough, you’ve probably run into multiple situations where one of your players failed to…
Coach’s Role in Building Confidence: Part 3 – Words of Teammates
Developing confidence in athletes is a key part of coaching, as is the way teammates communicate with each other. *Final post in this series. Check out Part 1 – Preparation and Success; and Part 2 – Coach’s Words and Actions. This is the final post in a short mini-series on confidence and our role as coaches in…
Action Bias Pitfalls
A tendency toward action bias can at times lead coaches and players astray and undermine short and long term progress. Read more on Cognitive Biases and how they relate to coaching: The Impact of Optimism Bias Avoiding Outcome Bias The Perils of Confirmation Bias Survivorship Bias in Coaching Coaches are hard workers. One does not ascend…
Keys to Designing a Dribble Drive Motion Practice Plan
A comprehensive approach to creating a practice plan that simultaneously focuses on skill development and game-like situations. The Craft of Practice Planning Practice planning is one of the great obsessions of basketball coaches at all levels. There is probably no aspect of their job that coaches spend more time on then designing the perfect practice plan. As a…
Spacing vs. Positioning
Spacing and Positioning both play a role in effective offense, so what’s the difference between these two concepts? (Note: This blog originally appeared in our September 15, 2018 newsletter. Subscribe here.) Often I receive an email that goes something like this… “Coach, I love the info you share and I really love the four-out and…
Head Coach Roundtable: Advice for Your First 100 Days
With so much work to do when starting a new job as head coach, having a plan for the first 100 days is extremely important. *This article was originally posted by our partners at AthleticDirectorU on its website here. What does it take to have a successful start to a head coaching tenure? AthleticDirectorU sat…