Possession by Possession

A great Dean Smith quote,
"Pay attention to execution, not the score"
answers another question, "How to get players to play - LOOSE"

During our best season we had a slogan on the back of our t-shirts
that said, "POSSESSION BY POSSESSION"
and our guys completely bought in. Leads or deficits never really
affected their play because it doesn't really matter. We spent a
year trying to take the focus off of the scoreboard because it
doesn't really matter in regards to your effort. What are the
players going to do during "crunch time" - try harder? If so
-shouldn't they have been trying that hard to start with.
Concentrate? Focus? That should start at tip-off.

The score, winning or losing really doesn't matter. The only thing
that matters is NOW. The task at hand. A game isn't just a game - it
is 100+ battles. 50+ on offense and another 50+ on defense. Within
each of those battles might be a dozen different decisions, skills,
techniques, strategies, and tactics that a player has to execute and
each and every second is an adjustment so that you are in the right
stance and spot to get it done.

This is a mentality that has to be fostered in practice. You can't
all of a sudden emphasize the importance of the ball when you
haven't respected the basketball all week during practice. it has
to be a habit - a mentality. You have to start wit hthe first
whistle on the first day of practice. The best thing about this
approach is it allows players to get over mistakes and not dwell on
them or compound them. It allows them to approach an important
possession with the same level of stress as a random possession in
the second quarter.

Early in the year, during a pre-practice soliloquy, I remember
ranting that you should approach every possession like it was a
"*4th quarter in March*." After a year full of never using the word
"WIN" once during a practice, pre-game, halftime talk or time-out we
had an opportunity to play in the finals in 17,000 seat arena that
wasn't anywhere near full - but felt like it. Especially when we got
a big blocked shot that led to a deep 3pter at the buzzer ending the
3rd quarter, giving us the momentum, and giving the crowd a reason
to get loud and crazy. Over the noise I asked the players if they
knew what time it was. They looked at each other trying to figure
out what answer I was looking for, and I reminded them,

"It's now a *4th quarter in March*!".

Why do we coach?

A coach should ask him/herself , "Do those players*play for me*?" or
"Do I coach those players?"

Our great profession got it's name from a vehicle (a coach) that
would take very important people from where they were - to where
they wanted to go.

Are we doing that?

The kids aren't under contract, aren't getting paid (generally!:?),
and have other things going on. If they aren't there - they are
missing out. If we haven't created that feeling then we just have to
keep working harder to get there. Sometimes that is a tough job in
certain places and those coaches have an uphill battle. That's why
those jobs open up more often and the ones where the climb is not so
steep aren't available.

For those that have "hard an fast rules" about summertime, consider
this story:

Facing a demanding schedule of games and travel and weeks of
answering recruiting calls from college coaches has left one of the
top girls basketball players in nation feeling overwhelmed.

So instead of burning out, Ursuline's Elena DelleDonne decided to
take a step back from it all and enjoy the rest of her summer.

DelleDonne took a two month break and played no summer league
games, no tryouts for the U.S. under-19 national team, and no
contact with college recruiters, lest they'd like to hurt their
chances of DelleDonne attending their school. Instead she spent
the rest of her summer volunteer teaching at a Wilmington school
for children with disabilities

And some coaches, according to their *hard and fast rule*, would cut
her ?

Developing Coaching Philosophy

Bobby Knights' retirement and the subsequent secession of his son, Pat Knight, to head coach reminds me that moving over a chair or two to the head coaches seat is so tough - now you HAVE to make those tough decisions.

I think that it's great to take any variety of situations, on and off the court, and play "what if.." to determine what you might do.

Trying to find where, we as coaches, draw the line goes a long way into forming our coaching philosophy.

Too many times young coaches sit down and say, "I want my teams to do A,B, & C and I want to stand for X,Y & Z". Then they are face with a decision and find out that what they believe doesn't always fit into that alphabet scheme that they initially felt was important.

It is MUCH better for a coach to role play through several scenarios, like this, and figure out what they would do. THEN develop your coaching philosophy based on those answers.