Strong coaches do this

Look around the sport of basketball, at many different levels, and you will readily notice several commonalities of the quality programs run by strong coaches. Some features include:

• teaching - they believe that players need to be taught, not simply told, not just sport skills but team culture and life
  
• sharing - personal and program growth develops from sharing, encouraging communication
  
• promoting - through networking and community-building, programs realize great gains (get the message out!)
  
• inclusion - being open, bringing people together, adding talented assistants and people-connectors is invaluable
• passion - when others may have run out, leaders still have plenty left and do what others may not
  
• positives - leading by example, maintaining focus, never being satisfied with average, not allowing letdowns
  

Clinic notes - Renato Pasquali part 4

Another entry in the continuing series of notes from a recent clinic featuring Renato Pasquali, hosted by Ontario Basketball, facilitated by Mike MacKay of Canada Basketball. More thoughts from Coach Pasquali:

• "tactical" coaches teach game to game, teach different matchups, apply teaching to a certain player in that game on that day
• "fundamental" coaches teach longterm, teach HOW to play, apply teaching to every situation in every game
• coaches need to ask themselves the question "What kind of coach am I?"
• if your team can effectively defend screen/roll action and defend post then 70% of defensive teaching is done
• in order to know effectiveness of screen/roll defense and defending of post entries, these actions and stats need to be charted (otherwise how do you know) - use your assistants!
• "Two Dribble Rule" - don't allow the ballhandler more than two dribbles, force a pickup with strong defense otherwise shot could open up or ball could drive to the rim
• overall defensive goal should be to have the offense play in areas of discomfort (if they like to enter with a wing pass then deny that wing and force a catch well beyond the 3 point line)
• make the offense work hard, no easy catches, they must have to move in order to catch
  

Active learning time

I am a big proponent of ACTIVE LEARNING TIME. More learning will occur if a learner can spend more time successfully engaged in what is being learned. In simple terms, the more time your athletes spend DOING things in the RIGHT way, the better players they will become.

Several factors affect Active Learning Time - primarily teacher instruction, providing an appropriate challenge, and preparation. Why is it important to become a more effective practice time manager? Regardless of how much practice time is available to any team or coach, that practice time is extremely valuable and must not be wasted or used inefficiently. Studies undertaken indicate that EFFECTIVE Practice Management Time is when 8-12% of practice time is devoted to managing. Whereas INEFFECTIVE Practice Management Time is characterized by managing for 25-45% of any given practice session.

Coaches need to acquire skills and learn appropriate strategies in order to maximize Effective Management Time in their practices. The following are suggestions to help with development:

• Start every practice promptly
• Teach signals/routines plus their meanings
• Use prompts, hustles and enthusiasm
• Reinforce student responses with specific feedback
• Avoid slow-downs and breaks (reduces efficiency and takes away momentum)
• Reduce the number of athletes waiting in line by using more subgroups in drills
• Secure sufficient supplies and equipment so athletes do not wait
• Plan practices to minimize reformulation of groups and equipment set-up time (planned space)
• Communicate as much info as possible BEFORE practice
• Warm-up/cool down outside the scheduled practice time
• Use your assistants (very important concept of delegation - greatly benefits your athletes)