Next steps

First of all, Happy New Year to all of you that read this ongoing blog, attend COBA camps, make an annual trip to the Can-Am coaches clinic, as well as support our team.

At an average of one blog entry every two days, this has certainly been an active year of sharing and growth. As coaches do with their teams, we are focussed on the journey of this blog, not just making it a destination. With that in mind, we welcome your feedback. If you have enjoyed it, let us know (cobacamp@hotmail.com). If you have questions, thoughts, or suggestions then please do share a quick email.

As we look ahead to 2011, this blog will continue to evolve. COBA player development camps will grow to meet new challenges and demands (look for updates very soon). The Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic (June 3-4) will once again provide coaches and players with superior value - announcements confirming speakers will be forthcoming. True learning develops through teaching.

Can-Am Clinic's Dave Odom

This past June, Coach Dave Odom taught with great passion at the most recent Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic. Coach gave the attending coaches plenty to think about, and did so with tremendous energy. We remain grateful for his efforts and sharing. For ongoing teaching as well as early info on next year's clinic, go to the Can-Am clinic's Facebook page.

As the college basketball season heats up, Coach Odom now finds his days full with preparations for the annual EA Sports Maui Invitational. In his second season as Tournament Chairman, Coach Odom is looking forward to this year's strong field - one that includes Michigan State and Kentucky. Next year, the field expands with additions of teams and game locations (see the ESPN article). Just as he did at our clinic in Windsor, Coach Odom has made a positive impact on the annual Maui event.

University of Florida Defense Wins Championship Notes

Defense Wins Championships

Here are some notes from University of Florida assistant basketball coach Larry Shyatt on their defensive system, skills and drills. Coach Shyatt was a guest clinician at the 2009 Can-Am On-Court Coaching Clinic. He is a tremendous teacher of the game who is passionate and demanding in all the right ways.

Notes: http://www.scribd.com/doc/38747453/Defense-Wins-Championships

A video on Don Meyer

Three months after having the pleasure of hosting Coach Don Meyer at the Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic in June 2008, we received horrific news - Coach Meyer had been in a terrible accident. Coach touches the lives of everybody with whom he has contact. This video, produced by ESPN for their E:60 features (narration by author Buster Olney), chronicles Coach Meyer, his outstanding impact on lives, and his recovery from his September 2008 collision - it is a "must watch":

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4068083

Renewal

This time of the year and season, if you are open to it, can be a tremendous source of positive energy for coaches. It can be a time of renewed spirit, enthusiasm, and fresh approaches.

Students have a fresh start built in to every new school year and semester, and therefore have an energy boost - their interest is refreshed. Teachers have a fresh start with a new group of students, new classroom, or new course - their subject gets new energy.

Coaches have the very same opportunity. Use what you've learned over the summer (based on what you've read or watched), use knowledge gained from coaching clinics (such as the Can-Am), and apply a fresh approach to the opportunities presented by the upcoming season. Mix in some new drills. Do something different to build team unity. Breathe in the crisp fall air and embrace the renewal of your passion to coach. Find positives, make this a year that you will look back upon with great fondness. Enjoy the journey.

Can-Am 2010 Clinic Footage - Greg Kampe Set Play

Set play - 1-4 Ballscreen from Greg Kampe (Oakland Univ) at Can-Am 2010 Coaching Clinic. Coach Kampe provides some of the options and in additional footage he went through the counters for the play.



Interested in getting a copy of the Can-Am 2010 Coaching Clinic hosted at the University of Windsor? Clinic sessions for Greg Kampe (2), Dave Odom (3) and Chris Oliver (1) are available at a cost $30 for 2 DVD's and include shipping/handling (Please note the clinic footage is not professional quality but the audio and video are more than sufficient for learning from the coaches). Contact cobacamp@hotmail.com for more info or to order today.

Can-Am coaching clinic a success

Following in the success and tradition of previous Can-Am coaching clinics, the 2010 clinic has now wrapped up, been enjoyed and appreciated by plenty of coaches. Special thanks to ALL of the attending coaches, especially those that brought friends and traveled great distances! Once again, we are grateful to the many friends and supporters that promoted the clinic and reinforced the values of sharing.

This years guest presenters, coaches Dave Odom, Don Casey, and Greg Kampe, gave all of the coaches tremendous content, shared several stories (illustrating examples of what is required to be a better player at any level), and demonstrated their expertise with wonderful passion. Thanks again to all three of them for their support and willingness to share. When combined with Coach Oliver's session of practice drills and individual workouts, the overall clinic provided a fantastic opportunity for learning. Stay tuned to the blog, Twitter, and Facebook fan pages for continued learning from the clinic.

Final thanks are owed to the University of Windsor Athletic Dept. and staff, valued clinic sponsors, COBA, host hotel (Holiday Inn Select, Windsor), Windsor Lancer coaches and players (the men and women that worked very hard on court both days), drivers of the guest coaches, and countless volunteers that helped along the way. Next year's clinic is only 12 months away, and the work has already begun!

Coaches are ready to teach

Final preparations for the Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic have been completed. One week from today, the fun begins - Friday June 4th at 5pm. To say the three clinicians - coaches Dave Odom, Don Casey, Greg Kampe - are ready to go is an understatement. They are pumped, and looking forward to sharing as much as possible.

Imagine how keen Coach Don Casey (Temple of Zones) is right now! He's watching Phoenix cause LA all sorts of difficulty because they are playing great zone D. As Coach Casey said yesterday, "the stars are aligned" perfectly, it's a great time to teach concepts and principles of zone defense. He went on to say that "regardless of the outcome of the series, Phoenix has shown that zone defense should be part of the defensive package for all teams."

Clinic attendance is growing daily. Coaches are signing up with friends and saving money. If you plan to attend, go to the clinic site to see details, and get the form. Given the timing, please just bring your form and payment with you but email cobacamp@hotmail.com so that your name is on the advance list (for prizes, free lunch, etc). Looking forward to seeing you!

Schedule for coaching clinic

With the Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic (June 4-5) set to begin one week from Friday, the schedule has been confirmed as the following:

Friday evening - Kampe, Casey, Odom
Friday night - coaches' social
Saturday morning - Odom, Casey
Saturday lunch - free, provided on-site
Saturday afternoon - Oliver, Casey

The clinic begins at 5pm on Friday June 4th at the St. Denis Centre on the campus of the University of Windsor. Registration tables will be set up in order to confirm attendance and receive last minute registrations. The coaches' social will likely begin 30 minutes after the final Friday evening session concludes.

It's not too late to register and experience all that Coaches Dave Odom, Don Casey, and Greg Kampe have to offer. Email Coach Oliver at cobacamp@hotmail.com if you're planning to register at the door. For clinic information and a registration form simply go to the cobacamp.com site. See you in 9 days!

Coaching Clinic 10 days away

Registration for the Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic continues to build on a daily basis. The clinic begins at 5pm on Friday June 4th - just 10 days to go! If you're planning to attend, it's best that you bring your registration form and payment to the clinic as opposed to mailing it. However, please email cobacamp@hotmail.com so that the numbers are known for our coaches social plus free lunch on Saturday.

Watch the blog and the Can-Am facebook page for the complete clinic schedule that will be released later this week. Coaches Dave Odom, Don Casey, and Greg Kampe are all keen to share and meet with the attending coaches. Limited Saturday only registrations are available - simply email cobacamp@hotmail.com and advise that you're coming Saturday (and you'll receive a reduced rate). Bring a friend, bring a pen and notebook, and bring an open mind - the learning is going to be incredible!

Ball Tough Drill

Happy to be posting our 100th post for the COBA Coaching Development Blog. Would love to hear any feedback about our posts and any requests for specific info. Please send me any feedback at our Can-Am Coaching Clinic facebook page, my twitter page Chris_Oliver or email us at cobacamp@hotmail.com. We want to help you with your coaching development needs so please don't hesitate to contact us.

In honor of our 100th post here is a video from a past Newmarket Coaching Clinic. The drill is one we use at our COBA camps and individual workouts to develop proper ball toughness, pivoting skills and general toughness/competitiveness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHIhdGqvleE

Coaching clinic in 15 days

Two weeks tomorrow. That is when three terrific presenters will be sharing their knowledge with attending coaches at the annual Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic. Coaches Dave Odom, Don Casey, and Greg Kampe have announced their respective topics and are keen to get out on the court and work hard for you June 4th and 5th.

Attendance is growing every day, mostly by word of mouth - special thanks to all those spreading the news! The coaches' social is set for the Friday night and is all organized. The host hotel has reserved many rooms for visiting coaches but only has a few remaining at the great low clinic rate. Lunch on Saturday has been ordered. The draw prizes (happening all weekend) have been boxed and are ready to be awarded.

A few coaches have indicated that they are only able to attend on Saturday. Not a problem - there's an even lower rate for just one day. Contact Coach Oliver for the rate and he'll make sure you are on the registration list. The learning will be tremendous, and the sharing even greater - don't miss this great opportunity!

Gregg Popovich - emphasis in drills

Coach Popovich pays great attention to detail and places emphasis on doing the right things the right way. If he is listed as a presenter at a clinic, that clinic is definitely worth attending. Who knows, maybe he'll be a headline coach at a Can-Am Basketball clinic (next one is June 4-5) in years to come? On the topic of drills, Coach emphasizes:

• be strong on the fundamentals of the game (footwork, hands, body positioning)
• work on being perfect before fast - do it properly, then be quick enough to be uncomfortable
• drills need to provide enough of a challenge for your team that your leaders will rise up and talk, lead, get others doing properly
• want adversity, want players to have to think and talk
• give a change command to the next group in the drill but only give just enough time that they have to communicate and organize quickly
• transition within a drill or between drills should be done without delay, want chaos
• if a group is playing too slow or not correctly then give a point to the other team and boot the poor performers out of the drill
• look to test mental strength of players, important to know who gives up too early, who battles to the end
  

Clinic topics confirmed - Coach Odom

Coach Dave Odom, joining with coaches Don Casey and Greg Kampe, has confirmed his topics for the upcoming Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic. The clinic begins three weeks from today and runs over two days - June 4th and 5th. For info, go to the clinic link at cobacamp.com.

Coach Odom will begin his three sessions by devoting two of them to the defensive side of the ball with a focus on setting your defense inside of 3. His third teaching component will focus on the offensive end of the court with an emphasis on BLOB, SLOB, late shot clock, late game clock, quick hitters, etc.

Make plans to join all three excellent presenters in Windsor in early June. For the clinic brochure or further details on the weekend, go to cobacamp.com. There are reduced rates for bringing friends, and they'll thank you for taking them to the coaches social on Friday evening!

Clinic notes - Renato Pasquali part 3

Some more concepts from a recent Renato Pasquali clinic hosted by Ontario Basketball, facilitated with the help of Mike MacKay from Canada Basketball. if you're looking for an upcoming clinic, the Can-Am is only three weeks away - runs June 4th-5th, features Dave Odom, Don Casey, and Greg Kampe.

• when learning, players understand 80% what they SEE, 20% what they HEAR
• coaches must incorporate different ways of learning into their teaching
• more than ever, need to get the attention of today's player, there are many distractions and players are learning in small sound bites due to shorter attention spans (adapt!)
• whole/part/whole - teach players in 5 on 5 setting to show (especially young players) how the game should look, then develop individual skills, then put back together 5 on 5
• do not coach in negatives (i.e. "don't shoot that way"), use positives with constructive feedback (i.e. "that shot had good arc but try holding the ball the way a waiter holds a tray of food")
• always strive for greater offensive effectiveness, fewer turnovers (better passing decisions), and higher FG and 3 point percentages (better shot selection)
• at all levels, coaches need to plan in a way that makes their players want to come to the gym (players need to be self-motivated but coaches can help that concept)
  

Clinic announcement - Casey topics

Another exciting day as the momentum builds towards this year's Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic! Coach Don Casey has confirmed his clinic topics for the June 4th-5th weekend in Windsor. Over his three sessions, Coach Casey will progressively build the foundation for his Temple of Zones.

Not only does Coach Casey have tremendous knowledge of his topic for the upcoming Can-Am clinic, he has an overwhelming passion for sharing that knowledge. All coaches in attendance will benefit greatly - make sure you are there to hear it all. Coach Casey joins Dave Odom and Greg Kampe at the Can-Am clinic in just over three weeks. Registration is growing daily and space is still available. Go to www.cobacamp.com/coaches clinic.php for details.

Greg Kampe: Oakland University Topics Announced

Clinician Greg Kampe, Head Coach Oakland University Men's Basketball
Topics Announced for 2010 Can-Am Coaching Clinic - Two topics on half-court offense
1. Incorporating Concepts from Dribble Drive Offense
2. Set Plays

Article on Greg Kampe and his success and love for coaching at Oakland - Oakland basketball coach Greg Kampe finds dream job, Detroit News
http://detnews.com/article/20100318/SPORTS0203/3180347/Oakland-basketball-coach-Greg-Kampe-finds-dream-job#ixzz0nX1AZ2zK

Coach Kampe coming to Can-Am

Coach Greg Kampe of Oakland University is the most recent addition to the roster of Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic presenters. The clinic is just over four weeks away (June 4th-5th), with the first speaker set to grab the microphone at 5pm on the Friday night.

This spring, as the team prepared for yet another trip to the NCAA tourney, an informative article regarding Coach Kampe and the Oakland program was written by Tom Markowski of The Detroit News. In it, Tom outlines the vision and dedication of Coach Kampe, as well as a funny story about Oakland's first trip to the NCAA's in 2005. Sign up for the clinic and see Coach Kampe work his craft in person.

Coming soon - coaches clinic

In just less than five weeks, the Can-Am On-Court Coaching Clinic will be hosting three tremendous guest speakers - Dave Odom, Don Casey, and Greg Kampe. The three presenters will be covering basketball from many different perspectives, on both sides of the ball, providing terrific insight on a wide range of topics. This clinic is a "must see" especially when you consider the content, the depth of presenter experience, the interactive format, plus the coaches' networking social on the first evening.

Coach Don Casey writes a blog and it is worth bookmarking and reading with regularity. He tries to post something weekly, the material is always well-written and full of valuable insight into the game - both at home and internationally. To read Coach Casey's Temple of Zones blog, go to http://templeofzones.blogspot.com/. To see Coach Casey in action at the upcoming (June 4-5) Can-Am Clinic, go to http://www.cobacamp.com/coaches%20clinic.php and register by downloading the form. Bring plenty of paper - you'll need it for all of your notes!

Clinic notes - Renato Pasquali continued

When Coach Pasquali presented at a recent coaching clinic, he outlined a daily team practise plan (within the context of long term player development). In both percentages and minutes (based on a two hour practise), Coach Pasquali suggested the following format.

Part A - 30% or 35 mins.
Shot form, dribble start or pivot, combination (dribble, pass, shoot), defensive skills

Part B - 30% or 35 mins.
1 on 1 decision-making, 2 on 2 game situation, 3 on 3 game situation with a built-in handicap, 2 on 1 transition drill, 3 on 3 with a built-in handicap

Part C - 40% or 50 mins.
4 on 4 breakdown, 5 on 5 offensive and defensive systems, 5 on 5 scrimmage

The Can-Am On-Court Basketball Coaching Clinic is fast approaching - only 5 weeks away. If you're interested in learning from Dave Odom, Don Casey, and Greg Kampe then use the form on the COBA Camp site and register ASAP. Be sure to make note of the coach's social event on the first evening of the clinic - a great event for networking and sharing.