Have A Plan

As a coach, we are given the ultimate in leadership responsibility. John Maxwell describes leadership as "influence. Nothing more. nothing less." I tend to agree more with Dr. Donald Christian, Dean of the College of Business at Concordia University Texas, when he describes that leadership "is about two words: people and influence. Of course, the other aspect of that is that one needs to influence people toward something, i.e. shared goals." The most important part of leading, or in our cases coaching, is people. We must not forget the people that play for us and work with us on a daily basis.

"Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now."
-Alan Lakein, Author

The personal touch is just the reason that planning becomes even more important. We must remember that our players at the collegiate, high school, and middle school levels have lives outside of athletics. They are in school to get an education first and foremost. That education is in the classroom and time spent hitting the books, studying, reviewing notes, etc..., but it is also in their social development; spending time with friends and family, developing relationships. We have a tremendous opportunity to teach these young people the value of time management in order to fit all of these things into a busy day. This opportunity carries with it the responsibility to be well organized and have a plan that our players are able to schedule around.

"You need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan."
-Zig Ziglar

We must also take into consideration those that work with us and our own relationships. Without a clear plan or schedule, our families and the families of the staff will suffer. You may have a plan, but if it is not clearly communicated early, it will seem to those around you like you don't have a plan at all. This goes back to the definition of leadership by Dr. Christian above, it is about people. Coaching carries with it numerous responsibilities to lives other than your own. Early organization and communication of your plan is a critical component to serving the others in your program.

"Planning is a process of choosing among many options. If we do not choose to plan, then we choose to have others plan for us."
-Richard I. Winwood

I definitely understand that situations "pop up" and we must be able to be flexible. That is not the point of this. The point is to organize, plan, communicate, and execute a course of action within your control as early as possible. This breeds less contempt and frustration within the program. The members of the team are more likely to learn the value of time and be able to manage it. The byproduct of all of this is respect from those involved in your program from support staff to coaches to players and all of their families.

"At first, we couldn't be establishment, because we didn't have any money. We were guerrilla marketers, and we still are, a little bit. But, as we became number one in out industry, we've had to modify our culture and become a little bit more planned."
-Phil Knight, Nike founder

As you and your program become more successful, it is even more important to plan ahead. Flying by the seat of your pants will end up biting you in that same location. When you're on top, you've got to have a strategy to stay on top. A foundation is good, but what you build upon it must be structurally sound in order for it to stay standing. An absence of a plan can produce a sense of confusion, leading to discontent, which ultimately can tear down what you have built.

"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail."
-Benjamin Franklin

Terminology

Friends in basketball, I once again apologize for not posting last week. We were on the road, my laptop battery was dead, and I left my charger at home. Doesn't mean I couldn't post another day of the week, but I like to reserve Wednesdays for right now as a posting day. The day before the first game of the week is a great time to reflect on what I feel is important in my own philosophy and to share with you.

That stated, I don't remember where I was reading about the use of terminology in the past week, but this past weekend it really hit home. One of our young, less experienced assistant coaches had the responsibility of scouting and doing walk-through on one of our opponents. During the course of the walk-through, he used terminology that was inconsistent with terminology used in our program as well as just flat out incorrect terminology. I could sense that this young coach was losing the team; slowly but surely. The team was trying hard to listen, but I could see that this coach was losing credibility with every misspoken word. Without any fanfare or drama, I quickly alerted this young coach to his mistake.

So my best suggestion is to meet as a staff, especially early in the season, and determine what terminology the staff will be using. Come up with a glossary of terms that will be frequently used in teaching your own team. Case in point: some coaches prefer the term "pick-the-picker"while others prefer "screen-the-screener". Both have the same meaning, but can lead to confusion when one member of the staff uses the former and another member of the staff uses the latter.

It is also important to define other terminology. One of the big mistakes this young coach made last week with our team was that he was calling a stagger screen on the baseline, a "double ball screen." The players KNEW it wasn't even a ball screen, but the coach continued to use the term. Because of this coach's inexperience, he was nervous and just picked a random term. When I notified him, he was embarrassed, but realized his mistake and remembered our terminology.

Some things to think about when putting your glossary together:

Keep it consistent. Once you choose your terminology, stick with it. Don't deviate. You don't want to confuse your players.

Keep it simple. Don't over complicate it. Stick to simple words; the fewer syllables, the better.

Define areas of the court. As with the "screen" or "pick" situation above, determine what you and your staff will call parts of the floor. Is it the "key", the "lane", or the "paint"? Is it the "hash mark" or the "28-foot line"?

Share your glossary with your players. Make sure that they know what it is you are trying to communicate.

These are only a few ideas. I challenge you to think about the terminology you wish to use with your players and staff.

Defending the Ball Screen

How do you guard ball screens? Do you have a set way to guard all ball screens regardless of personnel and location? Do you change how you play ball screens dependent upon where the screen is set? Do you scout opponents and play ball screens differently for different players?

Whatever your defensive philosophy, here are some thoughts to playing ball screens.

1. Hedge high and go under - Usually utilized for great penetrators that don't shoot the ball extremely well. Pluses - Keeps the ball out of the key. Minuses - Can give up open look jumpers.

2. Hedge high and go over the top - This is probably the scariest way to play a ball screen. It almost forces the rest of your defense to switch. Pluses - I honestly can't think of any. Minuses - Puts tremendous amount of pressure on your helpside defenders, gives up slip to the basket, easier to split the defenders.

3. Drop off the screener and go over the top - Usually for a great shooter coming off. Pluses - Shouldn't give up open jumper, help is built in if the on ball defender gets caught on the screen. Minuses - Easy reversal pass, gives up jumper to the screener on a pop.

4. Drop off the screener and go under - Usually for a total penetrator. Pluses - Can beat penetrators to the spot, help built in with the screeners defender. Minuses - If the screeners defender doesn't drop far enough it could become a double ball screen, gives up open look for the screener on a pop.

5. Jam the screener and go under - Usually used for good penetrators and teams that like to slip or pop screeners. Pluses - Forces screen to be set higher up the floor than they want, prevents slips, easy to recover to pop. Minuses - Potential for a double ball screen, very little help.

6. Trap - Usually used for excellent all around players. Pluses - Very aggressive and maintains pressure, forces quick decisions for the ball handler. Minuses - Risky if the defenders are split, MUST have great rotations by the other 3 players.

7. Jump high on the ball handler and low on the screener - Usually used on the outer third of the floor for penetration middle. This is where the ball defender jumps all the way on the high leg forcing the dribbler baseline and the screeners defender drop below the ball handler. Pluses - Plays to most man-to-man principles of forcing baseline/sideline, unorthodox and can cause confusion. Minuses - Gives up pop to the screener, can create mismatches is big on little screen.

Mental Discipline by Coach Meyer

As the season hits the "home stretch", mental discipline becomes the separator of the good teams and the great teams. I am very proud of my post players in regards to this as they have really taken to the idea that it takes something special between the ears to accomplish great things. We have discussed this frequently and they have truly responded in a major way. Many of the 12 points Coach Meyer mentions in the following, our posts have bought in to.

It's How You Play the Game: Mental Discipline
1. Communicate with teammates vs. talk with opponent (or officials, opposing school crowd, opposing coaches, etc... They all have the same mental effect.)

2. Taking a charge vs. backing away from a charge.

3. Calling out and communicating assignments on the freethrow lane vs. violations at the freethrow line.

4. Take charge or block shot to a teammate vs. wild leaping or goal tending.

5. Smart foul vs. dumb foul

6. Intense position pressure defense vs. wild lunging defense.

7. Poised offense vs. anxious offense.

8. Use the glass or grab the ball vs. don't use the glass or tip.

9. Inside game vs. outside game perimeter lapse.

10. Make lay-ups vs. miss lay-up and they score.

11. Positive one; look for ways to win vs. negative one.

12. Great effort each possession vs. great play syndrome.

Don't let weak people bring out the weakness in you.
Intensity and technique lead to hustle plays.
Play against the game.

Team attitude: Philippians 2:1-5

Success Lessons from Papa John

There is something about this guy that amazes me. He seems so down to earth, and yet he seems dead set on world domination at the same time. I would love to have someone say the exact same thing about me. Here's some advice John Schnatter recently doled out to Brenna Fisher in a recent article:

The Do's and Dont's:

DO:
- Love what you do. Schnatter says, "If you have a passion and you're proud of it, you'll do a good job." I think we're all passionate about the game. That shouldn't be an issue for most coaches.

- Be the best in your class and offer the best product. "We want to be the best pizza delivery company in the world and we think we can be," he says. We as coaches are pretty limited in the area of physical product. Our product is ourselves and our teams; our character and teaching.

- Teach people leadership. "It is very fulfilling to watch people grow," Schnatter says. I think this is why I like this guy so much. He invests in his people. We as coaches need to take this same approach. Sure we want to win, but think past wins and losses. Invest in your players and they will in turn invest in the program. A great resource for this Is Jeff Janssen!

DON'T:
- Give up hope too early. I recently read on twitter, Kevin Eastman touched on this. He said, "Coach your team every day -- even if losing games -- don't let the result keep you from your job!! Hard to do some days -- but necessary!!" (I consider myself EXTREMELY lucky to have spent 5 years working for Coach Eastman; such a great basketball mind)

- Be afraid to confront the facts (especially the ugly ones) and tackle challenges. The efficiency rating I posted earlier is a great objective tool to assess the facts. Another great nugget from Coach Eastman on this, "Continue to evaluate what you are doing for your team every day; are you getting the most out of your ability? Are you doing your job completely?"

- Be arrogant. Schnatter states, "When companies start to fall apart, it's because they think they're smarter, they're not open and they don't watch trends." There is a lot to be said about character. Being arrogant will eventually catch up to you.

Goal Achievement - Making Your Case

This is something that I share with my post players. It can be translated from on the court to the classroom and obviously to the business world. I remind our guys frequently that if it really is important to them, they'll find a way. I like the way this is explained in that they have to answer the question of why it is important to them. The answer has got to be more specific than just "because".

From Success magazine's February 2010 issue:

Is Your "WHY" BIG ENOUGH?
Make your case to achieve your goal.

If someone you love calls you with an emergency, you rush to help, right? It's because your "why," or reason your reason for doing it, is clear and important. You don't have to give it much thought. Your actions are almost automatic.

When your reasons for doing something are big enough, you will have the motivation to make sure it happens. If you want to run your first marathon, publish a book, break your sales goal, spend more time with your family or take your business to the next level, you first have to answer the question: Why? Your answer builds your case for staying disciplined.

1. Write out your why. Ask yourself, "Why do I want X?" and write down your answer.

2. Be specific and clear. Example: "I want to be able to bench-press 200 pounds, because then I will be in better shape." Or, "I want to work harder on my business to land that big account." Include how your life will improve if you hit your goal.

3. When you find yourself slipping on your goal, remember or reread your why. Or use it as your personal mantra.

Once you make your case strong enough, you will win your personal trials.

Three Point Shooting License

I know it is a little late in the season for this, but this is something that you can maybe tuck away in your bag of tricks for next season. The idea behind this is players have to earn their right to be able to shoot beyond the arc. Similar to driving, players have to pass a "test", or in this case a series of tests, to obtain a license.

It is a series of 50 shots. Players have to "pass" with a minimum score of 35 out of 50 on five separate occasions. They do not have to be 5 consecutive (in a row). Players can only shoot for their license once in a given day. The series is as follows:

1. SET SHOTS - Five spots on the floor: deep corners, freethrow line extended wings, and top of the key. The shooter rotates shooting around the horn, shoot twice in the opposite corner and come back around the horn returning to the original corner. The passer (coach or manager) stays one spot ahead of the shooter. 10 shots. Record the makes.

2. BREAKOUT CATCH AND SHOOT - Using the same five spots, the shooter starts underneath the basket. The shooter sprints to the corner, catches, squares, and shoots. The shooter then sprints back under the basket, sprints to the wing, catches, squares, and shoots. The shooter goes around the horn, shooting twice in the opposite corner, and comes back around returning to the original corner. The passer stays one spot ahead of the shooter. 10 shots. Record the makes and add to the set shots total.

3. WING FAST BREAK CATCH AND SHOOT - Starting at halfcourt on one side of the floor, the shooter sprints to the hashmark (28 foot line), breaks to the arc at a 45 degree angle for the shot. The passer stays in the middle of the floor. 5 times on each side. 10 shots. Record and add to the total.

4. WING FAST BREAK ONE DRIBBLE PULL UPS - Same as above except that the passer must deliver the pass early (get it to the shooter at the hashmark). The shooter catches, one hard dribble, and shoots. 5 times on each side. 10 shots. Record and add to the total.

5. TOP OF THE KEY FAST BREAK CATCH AND SHOOT - The shooter starts in the middle of the jump circle. The passer is on the wing. The shooter sprints opposite the passer, setting up his cut, plants and sprints to the top of the key for a shot. 5 times on each side. 10 shots. Record and add to the total.

The license system brings the cream to the top. It helps the other players on the team recognize who shooters are. When I have used this in the past, it helped to define roles within a team setting. When running zone offenses, for example, I could quickly point out who we wanted to find within our scheme.

In my first season at Eastern Washington we had a player shoot for his license every day of the season. He "passed" the test 4 times going into the last week of the regular season. He was not allowed to shoot a 3-pointer throughout the season. He finally "passed" the test for the fifth time on the Tuesday before our last regular season weekend. I don't recall if he shot a 3 in our last two games that year, but I do remember the sense of accomplishment that this young man felt and the additional confidence it provided him.

Merry Christmas!

I wish you, your families, and your teams all a very blessed Christmas!

Player Efficiency Ratings

Our returners have lately come to feel like they are entitled to start and/or play major roles without truly working for and earning those roles. I was trying to think of a relatively simple yet effective way of delivering a message to the returners that they needed to produce to earn their minutes. We've tried talking, watching film, running, and a number of things, but nothing worked. The message either was not being received, or they were simply just lazy. I heard a coach once say to a player, "You're either ignorant or defiant. Neither is any good."

I wanted to quantify things. Make it very black and white for them with no gray area. I remember we had a grading system at Eastern Washington that awarded points (both positive and negative) for certain stats that were weighted for what we felt was important. We would add up the points and instead of posting a box score in the locker room, we'd post a single number for each player. The problem with that: A) we'd have to watch the film afterward, B) players didn't get their score until the next day, C) some of the stats were arbitrary and subjective, and D) I can't find that particular grading system. (I'll post it once I dig it up)

So I started calling around to friends and colleagues. What I found was an efficiency grading system that has been used by Oregon Institute of Technology Head Coach, Danny Miles. Coach Miles has a number of accolades next to his name and is a brilliant basketball mind. His efficiency rating is easy to do and can provide instant feedback, even at halftime. This efficiency rating follows:

(Points + Rebounds + [2 x Assists] + [2 x Steals] + [2 x Blocks] + [3 x Charges Drawn])
Divided by
([2 x FG missed] + FT missed + [2 x Turnovers] + [2 x Fouls])

The rating scale is:
Excellent = 1.75 and above
Very Good = 1.5 - 1.74
Good = 1.25 - 1.49
Fair = 1.0 - 1.24
Poor = Less than 1

You can also use this without the charges drawn. That rating scale is:
Excellent = 1.6 and above
Very Good = 1.35 - 1.79
Good = 1.1 - 1.34
Fair = 0.85 - 1.09
Poor = Less than 0.84

The thing I really like about this system, is that it is very objective and takes minutes played out of the equation. It emphasizes to players that they have to be productive, no matter how many minutes they play. I tweeted last night, "Basketball isn't like AT&T. There is no such thing as roll over minutes. Use 'em or lose 'em."

Basketball Court Diagrams

I know that I am always looking for court diagrams to scratch on. You are probably the same way. I figured I would save you the trouble of having to constantly look for them. You can print these off and use freely! Enjoy!

Practice Plan Court Diagrams

Full Court Diagram

Scouting Report Court Diagrams