Can-Am Clinic's Don Meyer

The Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic had the distinct pleasure of hosting Coach Don Meyer two years ago. It was indeed an honor to present such a successful coach and engaging speaker to our attending coaches.

November 9th is a special day for Coach Meyer. Today marks the release of Buster Olney's book, entitled How Lucky You Can Be, (available at Amazon.com) that chronicles the life of Coach Meyer. He portrays the highs (graduating players, plus most wins) as well as the lows (the horrific car crash, discovery of cancer) of Coach's life and career. With the holidays coming, this book may be the perfect gift for somebody (even you)! Regardless, congratulations to Mr. Olney and Coach Meyer for their collaboration.

Shot form - expanded BEEF

There are plenty of resources available to coaches and players to help them teach/learn proper shooting techniques - books available at Barnes & Noble or online at Amazon or Indigo, dvd's listed at Championship Productions and Human Kinetics, to name a few. Coaches often use the acronym of B.E.E.F. to help simplify shooting instruction - what follows is an expanded version with some extra teaching:

• Before - you catch the ball, need to be ready to catch and shoot, legs loaded, fingers pointing to the sky
• Base - feet far enough apart so a coach could not tip you backwards if they pushed a finger at your forehead
• Balance - be centered in every way and not leaning (to a side or front/back)
• Behind - need to get it down low enough to use big powerful muscles in the legs
• Eyes - focus them at the rim (visualize the ball going in)
• Elbow - under ball for power and direction, holding a ball should look like a waiter balancing a tray of food
  
• Elevate - shot power comes from legs, up through the body to the arms, and the ball must use that power to go up with a good angle of arc (for entry into the hoop)
• Extend - shooting arm should take the ball up (over a defender's hand) NOT out (toward a defender)
  
• Every time - repetition, get in shots using the same routine on a daily basis, must develop the muscle memory
• Evaluate - be the master of your own shot, understand enough to know why a ball is missing left or right or coming up short
• Energy - do shooting drills on the move, simulate game conditions, transfer forward motion into upward energy
  
• Feet - need to be squared to the target every shot
• Fingers - last two to touch the ball on release should be the index and middle (fork)
• Follow through - when ball leaves the shooting hand, fingers need to be pointing at the target and held there (don't pull the shooting hand back)
• Free Throw - beyond shots from in close to the hoop, FT line is a great place to practice shot form (same distance, same form, routine, lots of reps)
• Feet moving - active feet, follow your shot, rebound the ball (you have the advantage over the other team as you took the shot and know the path)
• Far - take your shots from further away ONLY when you have mastered your technique and are shooting a high percentage closer to the hoop
• Fun - shooting is one of the most enjoyable aspects of basketball, do it properly, take plenty of shots
  

Coaches Toolbox - Twitter

There are many terrific sources of information for coaches - books, dvd's, clinics, other coaches, watching games, online resources, blogs, etc. Add Twitter to that long list. Twitter is yet another avenue where coaches who want to learn can connect with coaches and leaders that like to share.

Getting started is easy. Finding resources is easy. Staying connected is easy. The rest is then up to you. If you wish, simply follow people that offer material that interests you - whether on nutrition, quotes and phrases, physical development, mental training, x's and o's, motivation, leadership, coaching resources, the list is endless. If you want to share, then that is available too - who knows, you may develop a list of learners that want to follow you.

Regardless, it is yet another great tool in your box. The best part of all is that the information comes to you - after you set up the list of people from who you'd like to learn, they automatically teach and share with you on a regular basis. Unlike books, dvd's, and watching games, you don't have to go looking for this information - it comes to you. Going to http://twitter.com/ will get you started.

Motivation for ANY time of year

What follows is applicable all year, forever - not just today or this season. However, if you do need a motivational boost NOW then read on. Finish Strong (a title from Simple Truth's), by author Dan Green, was recently made popular again due to the success of the New Orleans Saints. The Saints, led by their determined quarterback Drew Brees, adopted the Finish Strong book, bracelet, and movie as their "battle cry" early in 2009.

After 41 tough seasons, the team was determined to achieve success and win the ultimate football team prize - the Vince Lombardi trophy. One year later, they did it, and are now Super Bowl champs - some say the party has not ended! Looking for similar motivation, watch the 3 minute Finish Strong movie at http://www.finishstrongmovie.com/miami/ - indeed, VERY inspiring. Go to Dan Green's site, www.finishstrong.com, for more information on what he has to offer.

Coaches toolbox - what do you use?

When coaches meet, whether at a clinic or tournament or game, there is usually some tremendous sharing that takes place. Invariably, beyond the discussion of offense and defense (that sometimes involves the old school salt and pepper shakers moving around the table!), the talk turns to recent dvd's, books, or coaching tools/aids purchased. In terms of aids for teaching in practices, some good tools for your equipment bag follow:

• heavy (usually yellow) basketball to make passing and dribbling tougher
• reaction balls (have knobs at odd angles) to help with quick footwork
• agility ladders or hurdles, again to improve footwork
• dribble glasses that remove the ability to see down to the ball (promotes a good heads up dribble and better feel for the ball)
  
• lacrosse balls for footwork drills in warm up (more reaction work)
• football or rugby blocking pads for physical play and intense work in the post
• tennis balls for tossing while dribbling to promote looking up and ahead
• ropes to show help lines for defenders (between the ball and their match up) as well as the physical distance of offensive player away from the ball
• soft foam ball (from a dollar store) to use when mixing in a fun game (provide a change from usual routine)
  

Thoughts from the book "Destination Basketball"

In their recent book, Destination Basketball, authors Andrew Hemminger and Dave Bensch provide coaching insight from 29 successful NCAA coaches. Essentially, the two college students from Ohio traveled thousands of miles to personally sit down and interview some of the best male coaches that have ever walked the sidelines. By way of example, a few interesting answers follow:

• when John Beilein of Michigan was asked what he tries to improve as a coach, he responded with "communication." He then went on to say that it's not WHAT a coach knows but rather what a coach can get his players to know. As a result, he looks to hire assistants that are excellent communicators.
• Bruce Weber of Illinois mentioned, when developing and executing his program philosophy, an underlying rule is that "no job is beneath you." This is very similar to what Coach Don Meyer at NSU has always promoted - "everybody picks up garbage."
• when Bo Ryan of Wisconsin was asked what he hopes his players will take away after being in their program, he commented that he hopes "they will be good neighbors" after they leave him. First, they will need to look after the needs of their own families and then be considerate citizens, help in the community, give back, and be good neighbors. Again, this is the "servant attitude" that many coaches promote - unselfishness, thinking of others.
• Tom Izzo of Michigan State wants to be remembered as a coach that told his players what they needed to hear, NOT what they wanted to hear. He firmly believes that physical and mental toughness are keys to every type of success in life. He feels that part of his role is to combine his players' individual goals (recognizes that all people are partially selfish) with Spartan team goals. Asking for individual goals shows that he cares about his players - they then care about what Coach Izzo wants for the team.

Overall, a good read - quick and easy too. Consider it when looking for a gift for a coach, or even treat yourself to a well-deserved book. For those of you that prefer to order online, good options are amazon.com and chaptersindigo.ca.

Last minute gift suggestions

At this time of year, many people find themselves looking for that perfect gift for a coach, assistant, athlete, volunteer, etc. Consider a book. Learning is indeed a lifelong process. There are plenty of great basketball books (old and new) available in stores and online. Of the many titles, in no particular order, here are a few recommendations:

• The Ultimate Coaches' Career Manual by Pat Williams
• Beyond Basketball by Mike Krzyzewski
• Court Sense by John Giannini
• Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
• Wins, Losses, and Lessons by Lou Holtz
• Coaching Team Basketball by Tom Crean and Ralph Pim
• Dream Big Dreams (Jack Donohue) by Mike Hickey
• Born to Believe by Butch and Cris Carter
• The Carolina Way by Dean Smith
• Sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson
• Roger's World (Roger Neilson) by Wayne Scanlan
• Beyond Winning by Gary Walton
• My Story by Bob Knight
• Basketball Basics - How to Play Like The Pros by Jay Triano
• A Coach's Life by Dean Smith
• The Miracle of St. Anthony (Bob Hurley Sr.) by Adrian Wojnarowski
• A March to Madness by John Feinstein
• You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned (John Wooden) by Swen Nater and Ronald Gallimore

The holidays are a wonderful time to catch up on some reading. Encourage it. Share it.