In the quest for more effective basketball practices, the answer lies in simplicity, engagement, evaluation and positivity. Every coach understands it’s not what happens in games that determines the outcome of a season. It’s what happens during the practices leading up to games. Here are four simple suggestions to make sure you’re getting most of those…
5 Keys to Less Turnovers
Turnovers drive coaches crazy and keep us up all night. We watch film trying to figure out ways to improve the next time our team takes the floor. Turnovers often lead to easy points for opponents and can break a team’s momentum or completely change the rhythm of a game. Often turnovers occur at the…
Practice Structure Ideas – Philosophy
As most high school coaches are gearing up to start practice within the next month, I wanted share a list of Top 20 Tips on practice structure. These are personal to our program, so obviously take what you like and adjust it to fit your team. The emphasis should be on doing the things your team…
Drill Progression – Phasing
Basketball coaches must acquire the valuable and fundamental coaching skill of phasing drill progressions. Practice planning is a skill, and like any other skill it must be practiced before there is proficiency. Expert level skills from players, such as shooting and passing, are not hard to spot. Just as players with the expert level skill in those…
Maximizing Your Minutes in Practice – The First 40
Yes, “we talkin’ ’bout practice,” as our good friend AI would say. I am by no means an expert on planning practice, but I think a few things are basic truths, especially at the high school level. This post is designed to help coaches in these situations maximize their practice. There is a lack of…
Triple-Double Combo Rhythm Perimeter Shooting
By Coach Rick Allison This is one of my favorite progressions for working rhythmic ball handling and shooting. It can accommodate multiple shooters (1-6) and gets them a lot of shots while moving to different spots. Emphasis is on quick handles and quick shot off the bounce with active feet and good vision. Settings: Location…
Practice Planning Process
A look inside the practice planning process by examining a one-day “snapshot” of a basketball practice plan. Practice planning is an art form best learned through trial and error. There is no perfect plan or template. Coaches must tweak their process until they feel what they are doing with practice time elicits the most transference…