Player Substitutions - use them wisely

It is a given that coaches have MANY responsibilities - both in the big picture as well as in a detailed sense. Paying attention to small details, beyond being good for your program, can also help you gain an advantage in games. Consider substitutions. The strategic subbing of players, if done well, can be of tremendous benefit to your team. Give some thought to:

• how do your players sub in?
• encourage them, much like free throws, to have a routine (while waiting to sub in) that helps them focus and get ready to work
  
• subs need to hustle over to you then the scorer's table when called upon
  
• players should sprint on and off the court (with enthusiasm and/or good body language each way)
• subs entering need to shake hands of teammates exiting the game, get matchups, and communicate current defensive/offensive calls
• in order to slow down tempo or set up defensive pressure, sub after a made free throw
• to disrupt opponent's matchups, sub at timeouts (preferably at the end of the TO)
• to help your first subs off the bench prepare mentally and develop a game-to-game routine, consider advising them of what time they should expect to enter the game for their first substitution
• end of game situations may require you to sub for defense or offense - be prepared, have a plan, anticipate the scenarios, and execute