Offence - screen of screener for high-low

This movement has plenty of options and gets every player involved. To begin, shooters (2 and 3) are spaced as corner threats, post (5) is ballside above the low block, trail big (4) is outside of three and opposite the ball (1). 4 sprints across and turns/hooks to set a ballscreen for 1 to use and read off the top. 5 clears the post to set a corner screen away for 2.

4 sets a second screen as the top of the stagger (with 5) to open up 2 sprinting from the corner. 1 finds 2 with a pass coming off of 4's stagger. 1 must be thinking a dive (give and go) off the top and is reading their defender (move with the pass?) as well as the play of 2. For 1, there is also the possibility of setting a ballscreen for 2. 3 is looking to space accordingly opposite and is 'shot ready' at all times.


4 continues and sets downscreen for 5, then rolls to pinch post or iso. 5 is reading the defence and uses the post screen with the intent to catch and play off the high-low pass from 2. In order to best take advantage of the defensive reaction and recovery, the timing of the pass from 1 to 2 and the second screen of 4 for 5 should be highlighted and emphasized. If 5 catches inside, but is not able to play, then 3 must be spaced and ready for the kick opposite for an open look.

Sharing ideas

In order to gain an edge in any sport today, many coaches are looking outside of their sport for ideas. Football coaches are reading about successful baseball managers, hockey coaches are looking to soccer for different agility drills, and basketball coaches are using lacrosse balls in their dynamic practice warm ups. The sharing of ideas is truly great to see. Go to a coaching clinic, such as the Can-Am On-Court, and observe coaches outside of the structured sessions - they're sharing, and their athletes will soon be improving because of that unselfishness.

Mike MacKay of Canada Basketball is a constant promoter of sharing amongst coaches and certainly leads by example. Any coach that has looked inside Mike's tickle trunk (his basketball tribute to the late Ernie Coombs) is likely a more creative coach today! Mike, with great regularity and humility, willingly sends out ideas to his email broadcast list - coaches can email him at mmackay@basketball.ca. Dave Cross, of Yes I Can Volleyball, is another example of unselfishness in coaching. He recently sent a marvelous reminder of the importance of proper practice planning in volleyball. As you read it, you will quickly discover how much the concepts described by Dave relate to basketball. For many of you, Dave's article is likely a refresher. For some, it may be a very timely reminder. For others, it may be just the help you were looking for. Regardless, the real power is in the sharing by coaches - for the sake of all of us, that needs to continue. Without it, many coaches and athletes would not be enjoying as much success as they do today. The promotion and practice of sharing is at the core of the values of our program and our Coach Development blog.

Balance is important

As coaches, we are repeatedly emphasizing the concept of balance to the players in our program. In a court sense, balance with respect to their feet when shooting, their stance when defending, etc. Also balance away from the gym with respect to family, school, volunteering, friends, work, community, and many other important priorities.

It is equally important that, as coaches, we remind ourselves of the balance that is vital to maintaining our passion for coaching basketball. In the wake of the health problems experienced by Coach Urban Meyer of Florida, Andy Katz of ESPN.com wrote a timely article concerning the great importance of life balance for coaches. In his entry, Mr. Katz relates the balance issue to Coach Billy Donovan of Florida, Coach Dino Gaudio of Wake Forest, and Coach Stan Van Gundy of Orlando. With respect to Coach Donovan, Katz cites the topic of balance as a guiding light in Coach Donovan's decision to remain at Florida and NOT make the jump to Orlando. Coaches may never achieve the balance that they seek but that is no reason to stop striving for something close to it.

Offence - Isolation for a 4

Do you have a 4 that can attack the basket or shoot it? This might work well for your team. Shooters (2 and 3) space to corners as threats and to spread the defence. Your 4 starts at the weakside low block or short corner. Trail big (5) is opposite the ball outside of three. 5 starts the action off the top by sprinting a weak to strong side lane cut to the ballside corner. The new position of 5 spaces 2 to be a wing threat. 4 times their flash cut up to the weakside elbow and looks to play (Princeton chin action) after receiving pass from 1. For 1, the first option is to sprint a brush cut under the ball to the strong side corner (which spaces 3 to a wing threat).



Second option for 1 is to set a little on big ballscreen for 4 to use and read up top. Regardless, 4 is looking to attack the rim, kick out to a shooter, or shoot. After screening, 1 reads the defence and spaces appropriately (flare, lane roll to rim, etc). As with any action off the top, timing and spacing are important.

Strategic thoughts and concepts

Some general thoughts and specific strategies:

• when teams trap your ball screen action, the easiest pass for them to defend is the pass to your rolling screener (especially if they use a zone concept to protect the lane)
• when defending a 2 on 1 break, the defender should bluff at the ball then plant both feet with shoulders square to the drive and take a charge
• teams need trust in order to be a great defensive group (especially if you press) - players, when doing their job, must know that teammates have their back
• strong offensive rebounders don't accept being hit on box outs - they spin or swim, keep their feet moving, and watch the ball NOT the rim
• a trapping team should have a "no trap call" in order to disrupt the rhythm and movement of the opposition's press break
• in the offensive post position, the key to a post player's balance and power is a flat foot on a drop step or post move
  

Offence - Isolation play

Check back regularly for plays that will be posted. This one will be helpful if you are trying to isolate a player at the top of the key. 1 dribbles at 4 which pushes 4 to sprint the lane line then space to the ballside corner. 5 sets an angle screen for 3 to use coming off the wing. 3 makes an "Iverson" cut off the screen while receiving the pass from 1. Both 4 and 2 are available for kick passes and corner shots, while 5 spaces (flare, roll, etc) to be visible after setting the screen.

Material for practice plans

Some thoughts to help with the planning of practices. The list below contains some drills or concepts to include in every practice:

• in order to get lots of shots in a simple shooting drill, go with two balls and three shooters (or 3 balls with four shooters depending upon space availability), feet always moving, rotation is space to a shot, catch and shoot, follow shot and rebound to another "shot ready" teammate, space to a new spot and quickly "prepare to shoot"
  
• in any drill, always reinforce that shot quality is greatly determined by the quality of the pass - need to emphasize quality passing in all drills
• include at least three defensive rebounding drills per day (emphasis on catching the ball above the head or above the net), with progression to box outs into fullcourt transition to simulate game conditions for the new offence and defence (want to promote handling the challenge of the quick switch between offence and defence)
  
• in any drill that results in a winning team, they should validate their win with a made free throw (depending upon philosophy or emphasis, coach can pick, losing team can pick, or winning team can select the shooter) - if free throw is missed, then the winners and losers will be conditioned together (no advantage for the win)
  
• in defensive drills, consider that most ball-handlers are likely to only take max of three dribbles in game conditions so defensive movements should mirror that scenario in practice (three slides to one side before help arrives, ball picked up, passed, or shot) - good idea to start along the imaginary centre line of the court and work to one side or the other (2 or 3 steps left or right)
  

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)

The importance of communication

Regardless of the age or gender of your athletes, I can guarantee you that you've covered the topic of communication - in your practices, meetings, and games. As coaches, we often need to address "proper talk" - the clear communication of a message between a sender and receiver. Communication is a vital component of any team's success.

An online article, this time not directly related to basketball, at USA Today highlights the (in this example, critical) importance of clear communication between members of any team. Essentially, after an accident, a man passed away and the possible reason is a fundamental breakdown of a very simple concept - people speaking clearly to others. The line that jumps right off the page is "A police officer......should be sent to talk to people."

In the sport of basketball, this translates so well. Many times, problems can easily be avoided if somebody would just go and talk to another person. Perhaps situations would not get out of hand? Conflicts could be avoided. In the above example, disasters averted. With any person in our programs, we need to encourage clear communication - no mixed messages, no misunderstandings. In our technologically advanced age of electronic messaging, a good old face to face meeting stands the test of time.

Great notes from BCAM clinic

Special thanks are offered to the very organized and generous Dave Ginsberg (Traverse City St. Francis Varsity Coach) for recently making his clinic notes available. If you visit the excellent BCAM site, you will find all of the notes that Coach Ginsberg took during the October clinic. Coaches in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario are fortunate to have so many terrific local coaching clinic options available to them - sessions such as the Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaches Clinic in the offseason, and the BCAM clinic in preseason.

The notes from the presentation by Coach Jim Boylen of Utah are especially pertinent at any time of the year - a great reminder of some solid fundamentals. Simple is good. Don't complicate the game. Take care of the basics. When the long road of the season hits a fork or a bump, what do coaches say? Many times, they can be heard offering the tried and true statement of "we need to get back to basics." Thanks Coach Boylen and Coach Ginsberg for reminding us.

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.

Sharing and preparing

If you have the chance, attend a clinic that has Coach Don Meyer as a presenter - it will be well worth your time. Coach Meyer spoke at our Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaches Clinic in 2008 and many coaches still mention that experience. In the meantime, if you come across any "Meyerisms" then take a moment to read them. Given Coach Meyer's success, there are many pearls of wisdom that he has passed along. Beyond the list of some favorites that apply to coaching young athletes, the more powerful message is that Coach Meyer is always willing to share and help teams prepare. Truly, he is an example of that servant attitude that so many coaches strive for in their programs.

Of the many gems from Coach Meyer, we are especially fond of the following:

• effort and attitude are the two most important changes you can make (in yourself and in others)
• move people mentally
• you get what you accept, expect, and inspect
• have a servant attitude (program, coach, player, volunteer, etc.)
• a great team does not need a coach to tell them to talk
• appreciate hard work and effort
• learn how to compete on nights when you don't have it
• you can measure a person's character by how they treat people that can't do them any good or can't fight back
• in skill development, go fast enough to make a mistake
• confidence comes from demonstrated ability
• it's not what you teach, it's what you emphasize
• assess your personnel - are they energy givers or energy drainers?
• understand that loyalty is a two-way street
• be passionate about teaching and helping others improve their lives
• give more than what is asked, take less than is deserved

Keeping life and basketball in perspective

Some of you may be well aware of the story of Elena Delle Donne. We encourage you to read the following
article (written by Dick Patrick) that recently appeared in USA Today. It outlines the struggles of a
high level athlete that has worked hard to put family, basketball, life, and school into balance.
When you read the article, consider the importance of the "whole athlete" as well as the concept of
truly making an effort to view situations through the eyes of another.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/womensbasketball/2009-11-26-delle-donne-delaware-cover_N.htm

The article highlights several major concepts:

• the importance of family - in this case, Elena's strong relationship with her sister
• the value of taking time (if necessary, for however long) away from sport to renew a level of passion
• the line "The game is fun again" - sport has to be fun, on many levels
• the great humility and grace of Coach Geno Auriemma (UConn - National Champs) that recruited - and then lost Elena - to say "if you're a basketball player and you're playing, it doesn't matter where"

Highlights from 2008 Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaches Clinic

For two days in June 2008, at our Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaches Clinic, we had the pleasure of hosting many keen coaches from the US and Canada. Thanks to the great instruction and sharing by Don Meyer of Northern State University, Dave Smart of Carleton University, and David Arseneault of Grinnell College, our attending coaches went away with heads and note books full of information.

For a brief glimpse of some teaching offered by Coach Meyer and Coach Arseneault, visit the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG2nwcWAD_o . They, along with Coach Smart, are excellent coaches and have enjoyed success on and off the basketball court. Every summer, we offer clinicians that encourage and challenge coaches to pause and look at teaching basketball in many different ways. 2008 was no exception. We look forward to another strong roster of coaches in June of 2010. So far, Dave Odom has enthusiastically agreed to lead some insightful and entertaining sessions for us. As soon as our complete lineup of presenters is confirmed, we will be sure to pass along the update as well as our early registration details.

Like a fast break, the COBA blog is up and running

Read, enjoy, learn, visit often, and share in return. That is all we ask as you make our blog a destination in your
travels of the electronic basketball coaching world. Our entries promote sharing of knowledge and ideas,
as well as basketball coach and player development. Through regular visits, you will discover concepts, clinics,
plays, health guidance, drills, camps, and insight.

Upcoming Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaches Clinics include a special visit by Dave Odom (plus other insightful
coaches) in June, 2010. For an intense and fun week of individual player development, consider COBA camp in
August. Want updates on clinics and camps? Be sure to save www.cobacamp.com. We look forward to sharing
with you!