Managers - The lifeblood of the program

A few days ago, Jesse McLean at King's University in Edmonton asked me about job descriptions and/or guidelines for managers. Having started out in college basketball as a manager for Kelvin Sampson at Washington State, I was more than happy to assist!

Before I get into the meat of this post, let me just say that being a manager is a great start for young guys wanting to coach. It presents a tremendous learning opportunity to learn, grow, and observe. Lawrence Frank is probably the most high-profile former manager, having served in that capactity for Bob Knight at Indiana. My friend, Steve Finamore head coach at East Lansing High School, wrote a great piece about being a student manager and breaking into "the business".

That being said, on to the actual request from Coach McLean. Here is the job description for our managers that I created when I was at McNeese State:

Before your job is outlined, there are two things you must know about our program and your place in it. First, the job you have is vital to the success of our basketball program. Many of your duties will take place behind the scenes and many will go unnoticed, however, you must understand that they are necessary for the smooth operation of our activities. No detail is too small. It is critical that you understand your importance to the program and you take pride in your job; doing it to the best of your abilities. The second thing you must know is that everyone who is a part of the day to day running of our program is a member of our family. You will be given the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as the coaches and players, so behave accordingly.

Like any family, there will be fun times and not-so-fun times but at all times we must remember we are a family. Things that occur at practice or in the privacy of a meeting or the locker room remain within the family. In doing this, you as a student manager, will be treated like a member of the family. you will be included in every aspect of our program, both on and off the court as well as socially.

Your success as a student manager will depend on four keys:

1. ACADEMICS - First and foremost you are a STUDENT manager. Academics are your first responsibility. Basketball comes second. This means that we expect you to manage your time and schedule in such a way as to effectively complete both responsibilities on a daily basis.

2. EFFORT/HUSTLE - Your success in this role will be directly related to your effort. Be early to everything you are required to be at. Hustle and work hard to get jobs done as quickly as possible. Run, don't walk. This is especially critical during practices and games. Unfortunately, your tasks may only be noticed if they are not done at the proper time or if they are not done to the best of your ability.

3. PUBLIC RELATIONS - Every member of our program is expected to be aware of their image within the community. We want to project a positive, success-oriented, hard working image to anyone who visits or comes to a game. This includes your speech, dress, appearance, mannerisms and vocabulary. Put your best foot forward in relating to the public.

4. WORKING RELATIONSHIPS - Develop positive relationships with all coaches, players, trainers, equipment managers as well as SID's, other sport coaches, other team managers, opponent's staff, etc. Behave, dress, and speak in a professional manner at all times. Your relationship with these people are public relations within our own athletic department.

The following are some general guidelines to follow. Remember that you can never be over-prepared and nothing is worse than being under-prepared. Your duties include, but are not limited to:

A. GENERAL
1. Keep equipment clean and organized
2. Know practice and travel schedules
3. Keep locker room and meeting room clean
4. Maintain accurate inventory of equipment

B. PRACTICE
1. Issue equipment - Practice gear, shoes, socks, etc.
2. Be at the facility one hour before practice
3. Prepare all practice areas:
a. Clock
b. Balls
c. Clean/sweep the floor
d. Check and replace nets if needed
e. Towels - Each manager, under each basket, and at scorers table
f. Trash cans at each end of the floor
g. Appropriate charts, forms, pens/pencils
h. Jump ropes
4. Coordinate all equipment for practice (ropes, cones, heavy balls, big ball, etc.)
5. Have practice plan and prepare ahead for the next segment
6. Keep appropriate stats
7. Assist with drills (passer, defender, etc.) when necessary
8. Maintain a safe environment
9. Be ready to change directions at a moments notice
***Once the players begin to take the court, remember this is not time for you to shoot around. Be available to rebound and assist with players.

C. GAMES
1. Be readily available an hour and a half before game and throughout the game
2. Have locker room open immediately on arrival
3. Issue equipment - Uniforms, warm ups, etc.
4. Check with and assist in game management set up
5. Take assigned stats
6. Assist with bench management and time-outs during the game
a. Pick up warm ups
b. Water for players exiting the game and during time-outs
c. Towels for players exiting the game and during time-outs
7. Collect, count, and inventory equipment after game

D. TRAVEL
1. Pack and bring all equipment
2. Bring back up equipment
3. Arrange laundry
4. Keep players on schedule and assist with hotel monitoring
5. Know the itinerary

E. FILM
1. Set up and operate
2. Test camera/recording device(s) early
3. Constantly check for malfunctions
4. Bring extra tapes, DVD's, cords, etc.

F. ASSIST COACHES WITH ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AS NEEDED
1. Check in with assistant coaches during the day
2. Maintain open communication with assistant coaches

Pete Newell - Component Parts Of An Offense

As some of you know, I recently moved to Dallas. Most of you can agree that after a move things get shuffled around an you end up finding treasures you forgot you have. I just so happened to come across one of these treasures in the form of the 1975 Medalist Flashback Notebook that was given to me by my dad, who in 1975 was coaching himself. (A total random thought, but some of you are "seasoned" enough to remember that Medalist was the company that created Sand Knit uniforms that would rub your skin raw and should have been more accurately called sandpaper knit)

The two contributors in the Medalist book really stood out to me: Pete Newell and John Wooden. Their thoughts and ideas are timeless; still very much relevant to today's game. In future posts, I will incorporate Coach Wooden's thoughts, but this week is all about Coach Newell. I know that this will make a couple of coaching colleagues very happy: Herb Welling and the new head boys basketball coach at East Lansing High School, Steve Finamore! (Coach Fin, I hope that you will be able to use some or all of this on the Newell blog you started: http://fatheroffootwork.wordpress.com/) So without further ramblings, I hope you enjoy and find something useful!

PETE NEWELL

Before you can actually run an offense, obviously you have to prepare for it. Although you are fully aware of these things, I would like to review them with you.

1. Conditioning - Founded upon sound training habits - prime requisite for team efficiency. Your physical reserve is the determinant in many close games. You should never be beaten because your team was not in better condition than your opponent. Often, superior conditioning can offset slightly better ability. Conditioning drills should be differentiated from fundamental individual and team drills. Each is distinct in its purpose. Fundamental drills are for the purposes of conditioning the individual's reflex, increasing his skills, and achieving a unity of team play. The objective of the conditioning program is to increase stamina and endurance through prolonged physical exercise that taxes the reserve of each player. It has been my experience that the least popular conditioning drills are the most effective.

2. Drills
a. Fundamental - Must know not only how, but why you are doing a drill. This must be carefully explained.
b. Repetitive - Habits are the results of repetitive acts. They will be somewhat boring to players, but they are essential to improvement.
c. Progressive - Break down offense to simple part method teaching.

3. Balance
a. Shooting Balance - Every player wants to score - that's the name of the game. Some possess more natural skill than other, but this should include the opportunity for every player to get free for a shot. Players won't develop their skills to the fullest extent without encouragement and opportunity. Besides individual shooting balance, it is necessary to be sure that the offense is not limited to certain areas of the court - opponents would overplay you.
b. Team Balance - All 5 men must be included in the offensive system. Every player must feel he is an integral part of the offense. Even the exceptional player needs the ball to score or needs court room to operate.
c. Floor Balance - Most systems initiate offensive movement from some form of floor balance. It is important that a pattern of play maintain some semblance of floor balance throughout. If a player knows where the other 4 men are to be and what their next move might be, then he is more prepared to anticipate the play option without chance of running into a teammate or his defensive man.
d. Rebound Balance - Can be done only through rebound responsibilities - hard to have responsibilities if the players have no idea when a shot is going to occur - or where they might be when a shot is taken. Rebounding depends upon individual initiative, but it also depends upon numbers. If a system of offense always ends up with a triangle of rebounding, percentages will take care of the rest.Sometimes individual initiative can be a detriment if the men become overloaded in one area. They often get in each other's way causing a fast break by opponents. Must learn how to judge both long and short rebounds. A team which has good rebounding balance will always be considered a strong board team regardless of its individual jumping ability.
e. Defensive Balance - Synonymous with rebounding balance - possible to have strong individual rebounding without having good defensive balance. - a team should revert to defense as soon as a shot is attempted. This does not mean we concede the ball to opponents - but we must be prepared to make the adjustment. Defensive balance will add advantages to a team's chance for success - may give rebounders more liberty to rebound aggressively and to play the ball even after opponents gain control of rebound. When lack of balance is difference between winning and losing a game - best to check system and see if responsibilities are clearly defined.

4. Elements of Offense
a. Simplicity - Execution vs. surprise - some coaches in their eagerness to win do not have the patience to work toward the refinement of their inherited theories and will switch to a system of play which has brought success to others. This way brings initial success, but there is no guarantee for lasting success.
b. Flexibility - Must have ability to adjust during that game. Here is where sound fundamentals will help. A set offense is considered flexible when it can meet demands of the defense without losing its effectiveness. That means a flexible offense can be "fluid" against a man-to-man defense as well as a switching defense without altering its basic pattern. It can operate against most zones. It must be able to work against pressure. The fewer things a player must learn to do, the better he will do them.
c. Continuity - Important in case a certain play situation does not present a reasonable shot attempt. In actuality, continuity is nothing more than a series of plays including two-man play (guard-forward), a three-man play (guard-forward and post), and another three-man play (post and two forwards). Movement must be done with a purpose and successive play situations should develop with each motion of the player and the ball. Continuity should incorporate rebounding balance, floor balance, and defensive organization in its execution. A continuous pattern will often eliminate chance for defense to anticipate more than the initial move.
d. Tempo - The team that controls the tempo of the game will most likely emerge as the victor. There are contrasting tempos. Some teams run all the time - they have practiced that way and their habits have been created under such conditions. Others are content to move cautiously - hoping to eliminate most mistakes. Others strive for a balance somewhere between those. It is necessary not to attempt to control the speed of the game, but also to be prepared to play at more than one speed. Many teams cannot adapt when forced out of their tempo and become ineffective and disorganized.
e. Correlation to Defense - Offensive system must be correlated to the type of defense used - one compliments the other. Generally, a zone and fast break go hand in hand - men are in same positions all the time and prepared to run the same pattern after a rebound. Each man's responsibilities are limited and defined. The switching defense compliments a fast breaking offense for the same reasons. A team which may want to depend more upon its set offense to score and which wants to be set up before it begins it's operation may spend more time and manpower securing defensive rebounds. A strong man-to-man with switching options may match defensive men against offensive men for this purpose. They may hold-in all 5 defensive men - thus eliminating a fast break.