GOLD STANDARD COACHING @CoachLok

Quite often basketball games are decided by the team that gets the most "easy" shots. A good way to prevent your opponent from getting these easy shots is to improve your teams TRANSITION DEFENSE. There are a number of different transition defense philosophies that vary in the amount of immediate pressure the defense puts on the basketball. These range from "jamming" the rebounder by pressuring him right away with the closest man and getting into an immediate full court press to everyone simply sprinting back to the defensive end. Different styles may be chosen based on the qualities that your team possesses and it’s ability to apply defensive pressure. One of the safest ways to protect against easy fast break baskets is to remember the phrase, "BASKET-BALL-MAN" The phrase, "BASKET-BALL-MAN" refers to the order of protection when retreating on defense. The first player back on defense must protect the BASKET. This will prevent the easiest of shot...

I thought I would share an e-mail exchange that my Principal sent to a parent who had complaints over his son's playing time. The parent responded to the Principals first email, offering *videotape proof*, which precipitated a follow up message by the Principal to make his position clear. It is really good stuff, so I hope you bear with the length. I really appreciated the administrative support on this issue. Names have been deleted to protect the ***guilty*** !:?) Here goes: #1 Dear Mr. ********: Thank you for the email with follow-up information following our telephone conversation of yesterday. As I suspected, and your email confirmed, the "problem" that you wanted to discuss is a matter of playing time and/or role on the team for a particular student-athlete, your son ********. You need to be aware that our policy is that it is totally the coach's decision as to whom and how much an individual student-athlete should play. Since yesterday I did have the opportun...

This article is from a series of posts that occurred at the Coaching Hoops Yahoo! Group. Here is how one parent and son dealt with not making the team. Being cut can be a difficult experience for all (players don't want to be cut, parents don't want their son or daughter to be cut and can find it difficult when there is nothing they can do to help, and coaches really don't enjoy when having to make cuts). If there is one way to deal with it, display phenomenal character, and be a role model for others, this is it! The initial cry for help: GUYS, I REALLY NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS ONE PLEASE Hello Everyone, I need another perspective, besides mine, regarding my son being cut by the coach. We moved to a new town in Texas. My kid was not known in the area and most of the players on the team came up from Middle School or participated in the Coaches camps, and were known. Anyway, he made the Freshman A team. As the season went on, I witnessed my son's mental toughness test...

In "The Legend of Bagger Vance" the movie was in a golf setting but was a tremendous analogy for coaching, life, or the game of basketball. The title character is a mysterious caddie and in many ways, the consummate coach. Bagger Vance helps a down-on-his-luck golfer named Junuh find the deep place inside, where his ego is quiet and where he can “be” with only himself, and where he can be at one with himself. The vehicle for his transformation is the game of golf where he becomes one with the game. This is only possible when he sets aside his ego and the need to validate himself with individual achievement. At one critical point in the movie Bagger says, "...it’s time...time for you to see the field...feel that focus. Alotta shots to choose from, duffs `n` tops `n` skulls. But only ONE shot is in perfect harmony with the field. An "authentic shot". And that shot chooses YOU. There’s a perfect shot out there trying to find each and every one of us - and all we g...

When we coach young kids there are a few premises that we need to keep in mind: 1. Players participate for a variety of different reasons. 2. It's rarely going to mean as much to them as it does to you. 3. We do not know what 100% is for each kid - only they can tell us. 4. Players don't know how much they have to give until they've experienced it. 5. Sometimes we won't get 100% but we should strive to get more than yesterday. If we can create an environment where it is fun to try without the fear of failure, kids will begin to give us a little better effort every day. And the funny thing is - it doesn't really change much as they get older. I heard an interview recently with the Washington State point guard, Derrick Lowe. The legendary coach Dick Bennett retired and the job was passed to his son, Tony. Both are GREAT coaches. Lowe was asked why they were having such a great season after being picked last in the Pac 10 preseason poll. He said, "Last year we tri...