Andrea Waltz - Dealing with Rejection

Andrea Waltz is the co-author of the book, Go For No! She recommends the following tactics for dealing with set backs:

Reframe your perception - It is an undeniable truth in life. You are going to run into failure at one point or another. We are all going to hear someone tell us "no" in our pursuits. This is simply part of the route towards achieving our goals. At the point where you are hearing "no" and all things point toward failure, Waltz says that "success is almost always straight ahead."

Clarify your mission - Do you believe in what you have to offer? Most people will answer with an enthusiastic "yes!" Waltz says, "Understand that you are on a mission of service to others. People are out there waiting for what you have; it is your job to find them!"

Take action - Many times, it can seem overwhelming to bounce back. Break it down into smaller pieces and get after it! By concentrating on smaller bite-size chunks, we will be able to see successes and boost confidence. As the confidence builds, start adding bigger chunks.

Reinforce your activity - Waltz says, "Instead of celebrating results, reward action." This coincides with the basic premise of The Positive Coaching Alliance's Double Goal Coach. The only person you can control is yourself; not anyone else. By doing this, you will essentially retrain yourself on your feelings toward rejection or set backs.

Keep going - Waltz offers great advice here, "The truth is most people give up too soon. Most things take longer than we want or expect. Be patient. Stay the path." Kevin Eastman gave me the best advice in regards to this by telling me that the fact that I had the experience can only help in the future.

It's All In the Feet

Late last week, as I was making my drive to campus, traffic was really bad. Dallas traffic during morning commute time is already a mess and this day was worse than normal. I pulled up next to a guy on a fully loaded and tricked out Harley chopper.

This machine was a thing of beauty! The custom black paint job sparkled in the sunlight while the huge V-twin rumbled like an active volcano. It was truly a biker's bike.

The man riding the thunderous two-wheeled demon was clad in riding leathers. His jet black leather jacket was emblazoned with various rally patches and Harley logos. He donned a German army style helmet over a black bandanna covering his head. Fingerless leather gloves with metal studs on his hands as he gripped the handlebars. His legs were covered in leather riding chaps. All signs pointed to this man being one hardcore rider. A loner. A rebel. Free to ride wherever the road takes him.

There was one sign that totally dispelled any of those perceptions. The man was wearing fur-lined tan house slippers. It was clear to me at that point, this was just a normal "Joe" out for a trip to the grocery store and felt like taking the bike instead of the Clark W. Griswold Wagon Queen Family Truckster... or the soccer mom minivan.

It was such a striking reminder that in the game of basketball (and probably multiple sports) feet tell the story. Like film, feet don't lie. Feet can determine success or failure.

In regards to shooting, feet are first on the list for a successful shot. Being shot ready, or as Mike Krzyzewski calls it being "loaded up", the feet come first. Toes pointed to the basket. Shooting foot in front of the other foot in a toe/instep relation. Shoulder width apart. Building a balanced base in order to drive through the shot and land in the same place. Balanced in order to not drift or float.

Feet are the telling tale on defense. Again, balance is the key. A wide stance with one foot slightly in front of the other in a heel/toe relation. The feet should act as a boundary to the shoulders. When the shoulders stray outside of the feet in a lunging fashion, the player becomes off balance and slow. Toes point slightly outward allowing for the player to bend his knees and sit in a stance.

Feet also tell the story of preparedness. Flat feet says that player is slow, unprepared, and about to get beat. With heels slightly off the ground, light, and constantly moving shows that a player is prepared, attack ready, and has the ability to react quickly. Kevin Eastman would tell our players at Washington State, "Don't get ready to be ready." Players' feet will demonstrate whether they are ready or not. Coach Eastman has some great video on YouTube demonstrating proper foot readiness on offense.

Just like my weekend warrior friend in traffic, a player may dress the part with the newest gear, headbands, wristbands, etc., but his feet are going to tell you the truth. We must continue at all levels to teach in the fashion of Pete Newell. Footwork is the key to success!

Hustle Board

This is an idea I picked up from notes that Kevin Eastman took from talking to Herb Sendek in the mid 90's. Herb used a small board in the locker room to keep track after every game of their leaders in various categories. They would post the Best Teammate (subjective), Best Assist/Turnover Ratio, Best Defender (subjective), Most Offensive Rebounds, Most Deflections (must have assistant coach or manager track during the game or by watching film), and Most Charges Taken (again, either during game or afterward on film).

When I got to Eastern Washington and worked under Ray Giacoletti, he had his dad (a marvelous woodwork craftsman) build him a similar leader board. We called it the Hustle Board. We only tracked 3 stats: Charges Taken, Assists, and Rebounds. The difference between Herb's version and Ray's version is that Ray wanted to track cumulatively over the course of the season as well.

In the picture, you'll notice that the right column is already labeled for the season. In that column, affix three nameplate brackets for each category. Some may wish to use Velcro, but I find that Velcro wears out rather quickly and doesn't look as sharp. Sliding nameplates looks classy. The left column is for the last game played. The top bracket is for the opponent, and only the top 2 for that game in each category makes the board.

I love this tool! It creates a sense of pride in doing the little things that actually have a tremendous impact on the outcome of the game. I posted the toughness essay assignment we did with our team, and this is one way we can hold the players accountable for what they wrote.

Man to Man Defensive Goals

This last week, I was involved in a great discussion with Coach John Harmatuk at Cypress Springs High School in the Houston area. He posed the question of whether to deny on the perimeter or allow ball reversal. My philosophy is that if the ball has chosen a side, it should stay on that side as reversals and middle penetration break down the defense.

Others joined the conversation with their philosophies; some were similar and others vastly different. I definitely understand that there is more than one way to skin a cat. The consensus was that whatever you chose, it is less about WHAT you chose as it is that the players BUY IN to what you have chosen.


It got me thinking about what I want to accomplish on defense. I gathered up my notes from past seasons, notes from clinics I've attended, and contacted many of my coaching colleagues. I've compiled a checklist of common threads. These are things that can be adapted to whatever style you employ. Below that, is a little teaching tool I picked up from my time with Kevin Eastman that we used at practice every day.

DEFENSIVE GOALS

1. Take opponent out of their comfort zone.


2. Allow only one shot per possession. Must have maximum concentration and emphasis on block out.


3. Make that one shot as difficult as possible. Contest all shots. Force opponents out of comfortable shooting areas; make them take shots they don't like to take. No easy shots: high percentage first shots, fast breaks, and second shots.


4. Keep the defense out of areas they would like to occupy. Force them to play option basketball. Occupy their spots before they can get there.


5. Always play 5-on-3 or better. Help defensive positions are extremely important. Discourage penetration before they can think about penetrating. Always think "early help".


6. If they score, it is off the dribble on a contested shot. No open look jumpers. No easy baskets.



Force to the Tape1

Mentors

My friends in hoop, it has been a long while since I've posted. Summer has been a beast! My Wednesday night posting has fallen off and for that I am sorry. If you tune in regularly to this blog, you're probably thinking, "I've heard this song and dance before." I can't deny it, and I still do this at the risk of crying wolf. Enough said about that.

This summer has seen a couple of coaching legends pass on to the big court in the sky. The most obvious was Coach Wooden. The impact Coach Wooden has had on the world is well documented and my little blog post here would not only be just white noise, but it certainly wouldn't do him justice. To say that he is a mentor (to all coaches) is... well, it just goes without saying. We will all miss Coach Wooden!

The not-so-obvious loss to the coaching community (unless of course you live in my hometown of Bremerton, Washington) was Les Eathorne. Although I never had the pleasure of playing for Coach Eathorne, he was a tremendous mentor of mine. I grew up in Coach Eathorne's gym. He was the one that taught me what it truly means to be a hoops junkie. He was a brilliant basketball mind. He perfected his craft and studied the game. Most importantly he was one of the kindest, most caring men I have ever known. He always had time to share and listen. I am glad that I had a chance to have breakfast with Coach Eathorne the last time I visited Bremerton. I will miss him.

Last week, I had the opportunity to work for one of my biggest mentors, Kevin Eastman, at Coaching U Live! in Las Vegas. The day before the event, we were putting together packets and name badges for the attendees in Coach E's room. As I sat there stuffing legal pads and pads of court diagrams into folders, I was washed over with awe. Not starstruck, but rather awed by the amazing knowledge that Coach E possesses and he continues to seek more. One of my friends at the event did not realize that I was, in his words, "part of the Kevin Eastman coaching tree". I not only consider myself part of his "coaching tree", but I consider myself part of his "family tree". It was an unbelievable honor to be able to say that in front of the great coaches attending Coaching U. During my time in Vegas, I couldn't thank him enough for including me! I wanted to say thanks to him for giving me an opportunity, for sticking with me and encouraging me through tough times, for being a role model and mentor... the list goes on and on. So, at the risk of being a complete pain in the butt, I told him... often!

That's really what this is all about. Say thanks to those who helped get you where you are. Take a quick minute to make a phone call, shoot an email, or the best method: jot a quick note. You just never know when you won't have that opportunity any more.

Kevin Eastman's 6 Post Moves to Master

1. Midline jump hook - Own the midline. The closer to the catch/post is to the midline, the less skill is needed to score.

2. Dribble drop step - Feet give the advantage; the ball gives separation. Step = to the basket, dribble = toward front foot, hop = two foot jump stop to a finish.

3. Up and under - Have a counter. Create advantage and potential freethrow situation. Go through the defender's chest and chin.

4. Quick spin baseline - Any time the defender's forearm is on the offensive player's back.

5. Catch/jump hook from block - Highly skilled move. Need to get reps!

6. Free throw - A critical shot for post players to master!

Ending the Trend

One of the hot topics on Twitter amongst coaches this week was feeding the post and how post passes are leading more to turnovers than completions. Coach Eastman mentioned a lot of post passes get deflected or stolen. He goes on to say "give up position for possession". Rick Allison replied to this saying, "avoid bad passing angles." While I agree with both coaches, I think that there is a disturbing trend in the game that contributes to the problem before it gets to either of these points.

I teach our post players much in the same way Don Meyer teaches his post players: work early for position. In this manner, it is easier to make the post feed for the guards and the biggest reason is it makes it much easier to score. In that same breath, I agree with Coach Eastman in that it is much more important to value the basketball if an errant pass is made. I tell our guys to treat the ball like their cell phones (seems that's the most important thing in the world to a young man these days).

Coach Allison brings up a great point as well. I have seen a tremendous drop in guards' ability to feed the post. It has become a lost art of sorts. We get college players that still don't grasp the concept of breaking the angle on the wing by taking a hard dribble or two in order to make a post entry pass.

The trend I am seeing that really makes post passing even more of a challenge is that players are not squaring up on the perimeter when they catch the ball. If they do square up, they have a tendency to stand straight up and down with the ball above their head becoming very easy to guard; not to mention weak and off balance. The old "triple-threat position" has become passe.

In my end-of-the-season reflection, I wrote down that next season we need to emphasize the catch-n-square. I want our perimeter players to sweep through on the catch. I teach reverse pivot square ups. By using the reverse pivot, this creates space between the offense and the defensive player. It allows the offense a valuable split second or two to view the floor and read the situation.

On the reverse pivot square up, the offense has an opportunity to "sweep through" the defense's arms with his elbows. Leading with the elbow, ripping the ball through quickly and low will knock the defender's hands out of the way. This also eliminates exposing the ball t the defender and eliminating deflections.

If perimeter players will execute this, it will enable them to see the post and make a read. At this point we can begin to teach breaking the post feed angles, feeding the post, and releasing to the ball on the pass.

Postseason Evaluations

I recently received an email from Coach Mike Petrino at Central Catholic High School in Portland, Oregon asking about postseason evaluations. I am thankful that Coach Petrino asked because this has allowed me an opportunity to explore as well. I, like Coach Petrino, am always looking for ways to improve.

I think the most common thing we do as coaches at the end of the season is meet individually with our players. While I definitely can agree that meeting is important, it is even more critical that we use this time constructively towards improving our programs. It is a time to find the holes to plug to keep the ship afloat.

I have mentioned Tom Oswald previously in posts. I worked for Tom at Texas Lutheran and consider him one of my biggest mentors. Tom was a very organized and analytic coach. His postseason evaluations were not just with players, but with his coaching staff as well. He would ask questions that would lead the player (or coach, in my case) to discover, on their own, the areas that Tom felt that particular individual needed to work on. It was also an open forum for the player to evaluate the coaching staff as well.

In my case, I had never been in a situation like that as a coach. Tom knew what he wanted out of me, but wanted me to verbalize it myself. I never felt pressured into answering a certain way, but I always ended up saying the things Tom wanted me to improve upon. He also shared with me the responses that the players had when he asked them about me. It was a great learning opportunity for me to grow as a coach!

I also had the tremendous opportunity to work for Kevin Eastman, who is also a big mentor, during his time at Washington State. When he would meet with players after the season he wanted to make sure that the players were on the same page and headed in the same direction as the staff. He also wanted to see what the players thoughts were about the program in general and how they felt about each other. The following are things that he would ask of every player:

- What are the 3 most important things we stress on 1) Offense, 2) Defense, 3) Academics, 4) the type of players we want.
- Rank each player from best to worst in the areas of hardest worker, best leader, etc.
- What is good about the program? What is bad? What needs improvement?
- If we had an unlimited budget, what would you love to see in our program? Nothing is off limits.

If you want to quantify production, I don't think there is a better tool than Danny Miles' efficiency rating. In a recent phone conversation with Coach Miles, I asked him if he used the efficiency rating scores in his postseason evaluations. The answer was a resounding, "YES!" He said that often players would come to him after the season wanting to improve their rating in order to gain more minutes the following year. At that time, Coach Miles would break down the formula and show the player his deficiencies. In that same conversation, the player was shown how he can improve his overall rating within his game and playing to his individual strengths.

I think Coach Eastman's comment was probably the most important part of postseason evaluations: "The biggest thing I can tell you is that the coach has to be honest with the players but in a way that it is received and acted upon properly."

I would love to hear how other coaches evaluate their respective teams. If you have other thoughts and ideas on postseason evaluations, please comment.

Communication

How many times do you hear coaches exclaim, "You've got to talk!" or even simply, "Communicate!"? It happens frequently; probably more times than not. Talking, especially on defense, is often demanded but seldom ever taught. We preach, but don't teach.

After spending the last week with a good amount of new players to our program, I am realizing that players just don't know HOW to talk or communicate.

Communication is critical to success. It brings unity and a sense of purpose to the team. Proper communication means assuring all of the players on the floor that they are on the same page. Communication can increase intensity and energy while becoming an intimidating factor for the opponent. Players may talk or communicate, but as we are all different, we also communicate in different ways and even interpret messages in as many different ways.

To this end, I have taken it upon myself to teach our team, new and returning players, exactly HOW to talk to each other on the floor. This will eliminate sending mixed messages, interpreting messages incorrectly, and keep us all on the same page specifically on defense.

- Name First - Any time a player is directing talk at a specific player, the name must come first. I have seen too often where a screen is communicated, but the action came first. By the time a player's name was spoken, it was too late and he got caught on the screen.

- Be Specific - While a player communicates "Screen coming!", it does not communicate where the screen is coming from. In our defensive system it is imperative to know where that screen is originating to determine how we are going to play it. Have players tell their teammates where they are on the floor in help situations. Define it for them.

- SSS - Short, sweet, and simple. This may sound like I'm contradicting myself from the above statement, but I have had players get hung up in wordy, detailed talk. They are so concerned with painting a picture that they lose focus themselves.

- 3 is the Key - Repeating what is communicated 3 times gives better odds that the message will be received.

- Daily Emphasis - As Don Meyer says, "It is not so much what we teach, it is what we emphasize." Incorporate communication into every drill from warm-ups to conditioning.

Defending a ball screen, for example, will sound like this to the on-ball defender: "Kenny, Screen right! Kenny, screen right! Kenny, screen right!" Being an on ball screen, Kenny would respond with: "Brad, jump it! Brad, jump it! Brad, jump it!"

One thing I will always take with me from my time working for Kevin Eastman is "Talk loud. Talk early. Talk often." Once players have a common system that everyone understands, talking becomes a powerful weapon!

I encourage you to explore a simple communication style that works for your team.

Defensive Principles

Communication - Essential and detrimental to our success on defense. Everyone has got to be on the same page. Something I learned by working with Kevin Eastman was "Talk loud. Talk early. Talk often!" Kevin's work with Doc Rivers and the Celtics has added the rule of three. Verbalize things three times, "Pick right, pick right, pick right!" or "Switch, switch, switch!"

Transition - Must quickly change gears once the opponent has secured possession of the ball. Responsibilities: Ball stop, Ball side denial, Opposite help, Up big, and Basket big. Guards verbalize their responsibilities. Bigs sprint to half court, communicate up or basket, and play up the floor from there.

Ball Pressure - Tremendous on ball pressure! We want to turn the ball handler 3-times before half court. Defense determines where the offense is allowed to go. Where the ball is, a hand is! We want to get deflections. Deflections lead to steals. Steals lead to quick baskets. Quick baskets lead to us repeating the process.

Early Help - Force the ball handler to put the ball on the floor and "Early Help" to make him pick it up. Jab and retreat at a dribbler from deny and help positions. If the dribbler gets out of control, take a charge from deny or help positions. Do not leave your teammate on an island! On ball defense is much more effective if the on ball defender knows he has help.

Front the Post - We aggressively defend the paint like our lives depended on it. 3/4 on the high side when the ball is in the middle third of the court. "Knock down elbows" and step through to front. Hands up and take up space. Treat this as if you were posting up on offense. When the ball is reversed, spin off the shoulders around to the 3/4 deny. (I will be talking more in-depth about how I want my players to defend the post later)

All 5 on a Side - When the ball has chosen a side of the floor, we want all 5 of our players on ball side of the midline. We want to aggressively keep the ball on one side of the floor. The only option for the offense to reverse the ball is by skip pass. No reversal and no paint!

Rotate - Sprint to spots and communicate spots. I will be discussing various defensive rotations in later posts.