"Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there." - Virginia Burden

Your Worth to the Team

Some good questions for basketball coaches to ask their players
  

    To check you value to our basketball team, ask yourself these questions:

    Am I mature enough to work at things seriously?

    Do I observe the rules of basketball?

    Do I expect and respect authority?

    Do I conform to all training rules?

    Am I willing to sacrifice for the team? And for myself?

    Do I work hard in prepractice to improve my fundamentals?

    Do I recognize correction from the coaches as an effort to help me to improve rather than as a criticism of my performance?

    Do I help and encourage my teammates when they are striving to improve?

    Do I stand up for the team or a teammate when I hear criticism?

    Do I tell a teammate to stop complaining?

    Do I report any dissension among players to the coaches?

    Am I dedicated to the point where I’m willing to make any sacrifice which will improve our team, improve myself, or improve the image of our team?

    Do I recognize the fact that while on or off the basketball floor my actions and performances are a reflection on my family and on the team?

    Do I take pride in my actions, dress, and speech on and off the basketball floor?

    Do I have a spirit of cooperation with other team members and the coaches?

    Do I have a burning desire to win?

    Do I continually work to improve—never being satisfied with my present development?

    Do I have the self-discipline and mental toughness to fight back when the chips are down?

    Am I all business before and during the game?

    Am I a hard loser? That is do I profit from my mistakes by thinking and talking over the cause of defeat and make sure the same cause never defeats me again? (There is a great difference between a hard loser and a poor loser)

    Do I recognize the privilege and honor of making the team?

    Am I eager to learn more?

    Do I spread enthusiasm to others through my enthusiasm and eagerness?

    Do I set an example for younger players which will make them eager to become the same kind of player and person as I am?

    Am I respectful to the officials, my coaches, my teammates, the opposing  team members and opposing coaches?

"Basketball is a thinking game.  But, as a coach one of your major responsibilities is to take as many situations as possible out of the thought process and turn them into quick reactions requiring no thought at all."  --   Dick Divinzio

Multipurpose Ball Handling, Passing, Cutting, and Finishing Drill

Check out the video by Jeff Haefner at Breakthrough Basketball below of this great multi-purpose drill that will improve your ball handling, passing, cutting, and finishing.



You can see the diagrams here http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/drills/multi-purpose-ball-handling.html

Defensive Concepts

Lawrence Frank (Head Coach Detroit Pistons) 

“Your every day habits will determine your execution.”


To play on a good defensive team you must:
a. be a good individual defender.
b. be a good team defender.
c. be both a & b.
** If neither, you won’t play! **


Defensive non-negotiables:
1. Sprinting back on defense.
2. Protecting our paint.
3. Closing out hard and contesting the shot.
4. Playing aggressively without unnecessary fouls.
5. All five players blocking out and rebounding.
** No Layups
** No Freethrows
** No corner 3′s


If the ball gets into the paint, what are the consequences for the offense?
1. Charge
2. Steal
3. Deflection
4. Blocked shot
5. Hard “NBA” foul
** Never mention anything about scoring!


Transition Defense:
1 back = Dunk (or Layup)
2 back = Layup
3 back = Jumper
4 back = Got a chance
5 back = GAME ON!
- Win the first 3 steps!
- Stop the ball above the 3-point line
- Get the ball out of the middle 1/3
- Think “help”
- Open shots beat you in transition, but mismatches rarely will.
“Accept who they are. You job is to make them better than they were.”

Orlando "Tubby" Smith  Head Coach University of Minnesota

1. Wherever the ball is, be on the ball.

2. Contest every shot.

 3. Apply Constant Pressure.

 4. Quickly retreat to the ball line.

 5. Overplay/Deny penetrating passes.

 6. Allow non-penetration passes.

 7. Always see ball and man.

 8. Play up the court as close to the ball as possible.

 9. Attempt to intercept all lobs and bounce passes. Go for a steal with hand closest to the defender.

10. Say Ball and always pressure the ball. Pressuring the ball means to be one arms length away. Communicate with the correct terminology.

 11. Drives must always be stopped

 12. Defending the ball off a pass: when in the passing lane go for a steal with hand closest to the receiver—it leads to less grabbing. Passes away are defended  with one foot in the paint, sprint to the ball, sprint to the help. On pass from top—wing, get butt to baseline.

Brad Stevens Head Coach Butler  University

1. Commitment

• Your players must be completely committed to the system
• In 11 years, never had a player in the program that worked his tail off on the defensive end that wasn’t a great teammate/student
• People that do their job on every play make you feel proud to be a part of the program
• Starts with establishing the correct mindset
• Referenced Doc Rivers from last year’s clinic: Believe or Leave
• If your players believe, you can establish a Defensive DNA
• Felt that when he had young teams, having a great defensive team gave him the best chance to win
• Challenge your team statistically
  Example: Earlier this season, Butler was giving up 45% from the floor, but they found out that if they had gotten three more stops per game, they would be giving up 39%. Defensive FG% dropped 2 percentage points for every stop.
• Your team is never too far away from being great, and never too far away from being bad
• Uses the 10 day break during the season to be tremendously beneficial .
• Really admires how davidson plays-They are unpredictable, yet they have a system that they believe in.
• Your system must be built to defend everything, no matter what is being run against it. (i.e. something you didn’t cover in scouting)
• At the same time, have a degree of unpredictability.

2. Positioning

• First Step to proper positioning is your transition defense.
• Your transition drills have to simulate what happens in the game
• Goals for transition defense
  Stay in front of the basketball
  Protect the basket
  Pick up the basketball
  Find good shooters
• Defending the ball
  First important question where are you on the floor?
  If you have an athletic advantage, you can pressure more
  If you are at an athletic disadvantage, you can pressure more
  If you are at an athletic disadvantage, you have to trick the offensive player in different ways to keep him off balance
  Butler plays a lot of 1 on 1–both bigs and guards.  Everyone must be able to guard 2 dribbles on the perimeter (Bigs will often switch onto a guard late in the shot clock)
• Closeouts
• Three steps then break down (chop your feet) with your arms up; closeout to his dominant hand
• Closeouts are dependent upon personnel
• If you’re closing out to a great shooter, close out to his shooting hand and give him less room to get his shot off.
• If you’re closing out to a great driver, you don’t want to break down as much.  ”A great drive beats a great closeout every time.”

3. Prioritizing

• Are you prioritizing what’s important?  The goal is to stop the other team from scoring
• Scouting is a large part of the equation
• Their system must be adjustable and flexible in terms of guarding different teams/players
• Coach Stevens gave an example of how he used their trip to Italy to work on some different things, and “it took (Butler) three months to get back to our identity.”
• Even though you (as a coach) are thinking about jumping to the ball/your identity all summer doesn’t mean your players are.
• Learned that you need to start back over every year
• Tony Dungy example from his new book: Concept of “regenerative leadership”  Older players spreading the culture to the younger players, and the younger players continue the cycle when they become older players

4. Awareness

• Awareness can allow a marginal athlete to become a very good defender—more so than a great athlete with marginal awareness
• The 4 levels of competency:
• Unconsciously incompetent-You don’t know what you don’t know
• Consciously incompetent-You know that you have no clue
• Consciously competent-You know what’s going on
• Unconsciously competent-You begin to see things before they happen.  You can rely on your habits because of how many times you’ve done it before
• Coach will allow players to have “mature freedom” to make reads when they are in this stage of competency.
• When you’re in the first two categories (unconsciously/consciously incompetent), you should be a great follower/listener.
• 60% of awareness comes from what you have built through practice/drills/habits
• 40% of awareness comes from who you are guarding or what the other team is running
• Uses lots of 4 on 4 work in practice

5. Execution/Technique

• Technique is easy to work on in individuals
• Coach Stevens spent some time at the Indianapolis Colts off season
  Was struck by the consistency in their approach
  Quarterbacks spent 5 minutes per day working on their hand offs with no defense. (Attention to detail)
  Described Peyton Manning as “Elite in his preparation”
• Butler ¡s big on drilling and technique
• Be deliberate in your practice and approach
• The strength and conditioning coach will drill the players in the off season around techniques that the players will be executing all season (i.e. hedging a ball screen) ”Deliberate conditioning”

6. Completion

• The importance of “finishing plays”
• Guys that really care and understand the concept of blocking out
• Butler teaches blocking out based on the individual personnel of their players
• Less mobile player’s responsibility is to keep the offensive player from getting the ball
• A more mobile player (with a nose for the ball) may just hit his man then pursue the ball.

 

Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown  Head Coach Southern Methodist University

 

“I never remember losing a game because of constant back doors or lobs by the opponent. That’s why I want to make offensive players ‘drivers” by pressuring the ball. And, off the ball, I want to take away passes by denying. ”


“You can’t pressure the ball on the perimeter and then allow It to be easily passed to the post. Front the post when you pressure the ball. ”


“In the NBA you can’t allow the offense to run their plays. They will kill you. You must disrupt.”


“As a college coach I spent 30 minutes per practice on guarding the dribble."


“On defense I love to deny one pass away. Don’t let the offense change sides with the ball."


“Why would the defense double team in a late clock situation? You will give up a shot unnecessarily.”


“Work on *shell defense* everyday. Don’t get caught up in the offense’s alignment, mix it up.”

Mike Rice Head Coach Rutgers University

Player Rankings

I challenge you not to get caught up in the Player Rankings.  Focus on development and daily improvement.  Focus on getting better every day.  Focus playing because you are passionate about the game and you want basketball to help you earn an education, make lifelong friends, and travel to new places. Focus on the purity of the game. If you do that, everything else will fall into place.
 
As the legendary Morgan Wootten used to say…
 
“Make sure you use basketball, don’t let it use you.”
 
Respect the game,
 
Alan Stein
www.StrongerTeam.com
www.Twitter.com/AlanStein
www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam
www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom

Building Team Unity by Dean Smith

My philosophy is team unity -- basketball is a team game. We can't succeed unless we do it as a team. Point out to the players that everyone must play defense. It is important to have goals for team unity. Points are not the only thing. You need each other. Team play is built in practice. One idea is to have an emphasis of the day and then give credit during a practice to those players that are accomplishing that emphasis. Players must be aware that if they let down at any time they are hurting the team. 

Building Team Unity:

* Do not let one teammate yell at another.

* No one is perfect. Have you ever seen a perfect game by a basketball player?

* A player needs encouragement when he makes a mistake. You must care about the last man as much as you care about your stars.

* Never substitute on a mistake. If a player is trying, what more can you ask?

* Respect every player on the team.

* A life lesson is tolerance for one another. We should go out of our way to respect and satisfy each and every person, even though Society evaluates success by the number of wins and losses.

* Build a respect and rapport between player and coach.

* Praise correct performance and effort.

* Players on the bench should always stand and applaud team plays and players coming to the sidelines following a substitution.

* Give emphasis to unselfishness among team members and to give credit to the players who do the little things.

* Acknowledge the passer. Point your finger to the player. (Give both a verbal and physical response.)

* Always have players on the floor let you know when they are tired (we do it by having them raised a fist). Starters usually come out of five to six times in a game.

* Get players to go as hard on defense as they do on offense.

* Stress constantly recognizing the need for each other.

* After a game, try to give recognition to the opposing coach.

* Why do we run sprints? For PRIDE. We think we are in better shape than the other players. Sprints help build team morale.

* Convince your players not to let their teammates down. The best way to build team unity is to teach players at the correct way to play the game is to play hard. Secondly, players must understand that every player is important.

* Emphasize to the seniors that this is their team; they will make the rules and the coaches will force them. Do not allow any phony rules -- they hurt team unity.

* A player wants to be disciplined; this helps to develop both team and self-discipline. Give a player a second chance when it is appropriate.

Coaching Hints:

* Get substitutes to realize that they are not in the game just to score.

* Correct without criticizing the performer.

* Never embarrass a player in a game or practice.

* Hold yourself accountable.

* Promote self-confidence in all your players.

* Positive thinking is essential. Teach your players to control their attitude.

Substitution System:

* Our "Blue Team" (players 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12) entered the game as a unit -- always in the first half -- and play at least one or two minutes.

* The first team gets a rest and comes back harder.

* Most opponents prepare for your best players, not for your subs.  Opposing players often try to increase their averages and take bad shots against our "Blue Team."

* Have a designated player ready to go in for a particular player whenever that player gives the tired signal.

* Decide, whether you want to win or make parents happy.

* Good things happen to winning teams.

Player-Coach Relations:

The game of basketball requires a great deal of teamwork, and certainly more than five players must be ready to play when called upon. At the start of the season we convey the objective of team play and the importance of team unity. Players are not rated one to 12. They are rated by positions. They know where and when they are apt to play. We believe our first group will play better knowing there are substitutes ready to replace them. Each player is taught the role that will best help our team. Our goal is that all players will take great pride in their roles.

We also applied some sound military practices to our situation. For example, during World War II, the "buddy" system made one soldier dependent upon another. Few deserted. We find the same principle works for us. During our six-week period of running prior to the season, we ask our seniors to be models and set the example for the rest of the squad. We divide our team into three running groups according to how fast they can run. When practicing free throws, the whole team runs when free throws are missed. We do things in practice to help each other. When running sprints, we measure the last bread and insist on maximum effort. We also practice drawing the charge because it is team play.

Practice sessions become game situations for team unity. Prepare your young players for entry into the game. A young substitute is better for one minute than a tired star. If you see someone loafing and you do not take him out, he will never give the tired signal. Allow your seniors to come to you with problems, not names. Your success as a coach is the attendant upon your ability to instill teamwork and develop team unity.

“Toughness” by Jay Bilas

I have heard the word "toughness" thrown around a lot lately. Reporters on television, radio and in print have opined about a team or player's "toughness" or quoted a coach talking about his team having to be "tougher" to win.

Then, in almost coordinated fashion, I would watch games and see player upon player thumping his chest after a routine play, angrily taunting an opponent after a blocked shot, getting into a shouting match with an opposing player, or squaring up nose-to-nose as if a fight might ensue. I see players jawing at each other, trying to "intimidate" other players. What a waste of time. That is nothing more than fake toughness, and it has no real value.

I often wonder: Do people really understand what coaches and experienced players mean when they emphasize "toughness" in basketball? Or is it just some buzzword that is thrown around haphazardly without clear definition or understanding? I thought it was the latter, and I wrote a short blog item about it a couple of weeks ago.

The response I received was overwhelming. Dozens of college basketball coaches called to tell me that they had put the article up in the locker room, put it in each player's locker, or had gone over it in detail with their teams.

Memphis coach John Calipari called to say that he had his players post the definition of toughness over their beds because he believed that true "toughness" was the one thing that his team needed to develop to reach its potential. I received messages from high school coaches who wanted to relay the definition of toughness to their players and wanted to talk about it further.

Well, I got the message that I should expound upon what I consider toughness to be. It may not be what you think.

Toughness is something I had to learn the hard way, and something I had no real idea of until I played college basketball. When I played my first game in college, I thought that toughness was physical and based on how much punishment I could dish out and how much I could take. I thought I was tough.

I found out pretty quickly that I wasn't, but I toughened up over time, and I got a pretty good understanding of toughness through playing in the ACC, for USA Basketball, in NBA training camps, and as a professional basketball player in Europe. I left my playing career a heck of a lot tougher than I started it, and my only regret is that I didn't truly "get it" much earlier in my playing career.

When I faced a tough opponent, I wasn't worried that I would get hit -- I was concerned that I would get sealed on ball reversal by a tough post man, or that I would get boxed out on every play, or that my assignment would sprint the floor on every possession and get something easy on me. The toughest guys I had to guard were the ones who made it tough on me.

Toughness has nothing to do with size, physical strength or athleticism. Some players may be born tough, but I believe that toughness is a skill, and it is a skill that can be developed and improved. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo always says, "Players play, but tough players win." He is right.

Here are some of the ways true toughness is exhibited in basketball:

Set a good screen: The toughest players to guard are the players who set good screens. When you set a good screen, you are improving the chances for a teammate to get open, and you are greatly improving your chances of getting open. A good screen can force the defense to make a mistake. A lazy or bad screen is a waste of everyone's time and energy. To be a tough player, you need to be a "screener/scorer," a player who screens hard and immediately looks for an opportunity on offense. On the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team, Bob Knight made Michael Jordan set a screen before he could get a shot. If it is good enough for Jordan, arguably the toughest player ever, it is good enough for you.

Set up your cut: The toughest players make hard cuts, and set up their cuts. Basketball is about deception. Take your defender one way, and then plant the foot opposite of the direction you want to go and cut hard. A hard cut may get you a basket, but it may also get a teammate a basket. If you do not make a hard cut, you will not get anyone open. Setting up your cut, making the proper read of the defense, and making a hard cut require alertness, good conditioning and good concentration. Davidson's Stephen Curry is hardly a physical muscle-man, but he is a tough player because he is in constant motion, he changes speeds, he sets up his cuts, and he cuts hard. Curry is hard to guard, and he is a tough player.

Talk on defense: The toughest players talk on defense, and communicate with their teammates. It is almost impossible to talk on defense and not be in a stance, down and ready, with a vision of man and ball. If you talk, you let your teammates know you are there, and make them and yourself better defenders. It also lets your opponent know that you are fully engaged.

Jump to the ball: When on defense, the tough defenders move as the ball moves. The toughest players move on the flight of the ball, not when it gets to its destination. And the toughest players jump to the ball and take away the ball side of the cut. Tough players don't let cutters cut across their face -- they make the cutter change his path.

Don't get screened: No coach can give a player the proper footwork to get through every screen. Tough players have a sense of urgency not to get screened and to get through screens so that the cutter cannot catch the ball where he wants to. A tough player makes the catch difficult.

Get your hands up: A pass discouraged is just as good as a pass denied. Tough players play with their hands up to take away vision, get deflections and to discourage a pass in order to allow a teammate to cover up. Cutters and post players will get open, if only for a count. If your hands are up, you can keep the passer from seeing a momentary opening.

Play the ball, see your man: Most defenders see the ball and hug their man, because they are afraid to get beat. A tough defender plays the ball and sees his man. There is a difference.

Get on the floor: In my first road game as a freshman, there was a loose ball that I thought I could pick up and take the other way for an easy one. While I was bending over at the waist, one of my opponents dived on the floor and got possession of the ball. My coach was livid. We lost possession of the ball because I wasn't tough enough to get on the floor for it. I tried like hell never to get out-toughed like that again. The first player to get to the floor is usually the one to come up with any loose ball.

Close out under control: It is too easy to fly at a shooter and think you are a tough defender. A tough defender closes out under control, takes away a straight line drive and takes away the shot. A tough player has a sense of urgency but has the discipline to do it the right way.

Post your man, not a spot: Most post players just blindly run to the low block and get into a shoving match for a spot on the floor. The toughest post players are posting their defensive man. A tough post player is always open, and working to get the ball to the proper angle to get a post feed. Tough post players seal on ball reversal and call for the ball, and they continue to post strong even if their teammates miss them.

Run the floor: Tough players sprint the floor, which drags the defense and opens up things for others. Tough players run hard and get "easy" baskets, even though there is nothing easy about them. Easy baskets are hard to get. Tough players don't take tough shots -- they work hard to make them easy.

Play so hard, your coach has to take you out: I was a really hard worker in high school and college. But I worked and trained exceptionally hard to make playing easier. I was wrong. I once read that Bob Knight had criticized a player of his by saying, "You just want to be comfortable out there!" Well, that was me, and when I read that, it clicked with me. I needed to work to increase my capacity for work, not to make it easier to play. I needed to work in order to be more productive in my time on the floor. Tough players play so hard that their coaches have to take them out to get rest so they can put them back in. The toughest players don't pace themselves.

Get to your teammate first: When your teammate lays his body on the line to dive on the floor or take a charge, the tough players get to him first to help him back up. If your teammate misses a free throw, tough players get to him right away. Tough players are also great teammates.

Take responsibility for your teammates: Tough players expect a lot from their teammates, but they also put them first. When the bus leaves at 9 a.m., tough players not only get themselves there, but they also make sure their teammates are up and get there, too. Tough players take responsibility for others in addition to themselves. They make sure their teammates eat first, and they give credit to their teammates before taking it themselves.

Take a charge: Tough players are in a stance, playing the ball, and alert in coming over from the weak side and taking a charge. Tough players understand the difference between being in the right spot and being in the right spot with the intention of stopping somebody. Some players will look puzzled and say, "But I was in the right spot." Tough players know that they have to get to the right spot with the sense of urgency to stop someone. The toughest players never shy away from taking a charge.  

Get in a stance: Tough players don't play straight up and down and put themselves in the position of having to get ready to get ready. Tough players are down in a stance on both ends of the floor, with feet staggered and ready to move. Tough players are the aggressor, and the aggressor is in a stance.

Finish plays: Tough players don't just get fouled, they get fouled and complete the play. They don't give up on a play or assume that a teammate will do it. A tough player plays through to the end of the play and works to finish every play.

Work on your pass: A tough player doesn't have his passes deflected. A tough player gets down, pivots, pass fakes, and works to get the proper angle to pass away from the defense and deliver the ball.

Throw yourself into your team's defense: A tough player fills his tank on the defensive end, not on offense. A tough player is not deterred by a missed shot. A tough player values his performance first by how well he defended.

Take and give criticism the right way: Tough players can take criticism without feeling the need to answer back or give excuses. They are open to getting better and expect to be challenged and hear tough things. You will never again in your life have the opportunity you have now at the college level: a coaching staff that is totally and completely dedicated to making you and your team better. Tough players listen and are not afraid to say what other teammates may not want to hear, but need to hear.

Show strength in your body language: Tough players project confidence and security with their body language. They do not hang their heads, do not react negatively to a mistake of a teammate, and do not whine and complain to officials. Tough players project strength, and do not cause their teammates to worry about them. Tough players do their jobs, and their body language communicates that to their teammates -- and to their opponents.

Catch and face: Teams that press and trap are banking on the receiver's falling apart and making a mistake. When pressed, tough players set up their cuts, cut hard to an open area and present themselves as a receiver to the passer. Tough players catch, face the defense, and make the right read and play, and they do it with poise. Tough players do not just catch and dribble; they catch and face.

Don't get split: If you trap, a tough player gets shoulder-to-shoulder with his teammate and does not allow the handler to split the trap and gain an advantage on the back side of the trap.

Be alert: Tough players are not "cool." Tough players are alert and active, and tough players communicate with teammates so that they are alert, too. Tough players echo commands until everyone is on the same page. They understand the best teams play five as one. Tough players are alert in transition and get back to protect the basket and the 3 point line. Tough players don't just run back to find their man, they run back to stop the ball and protect the basket.

Concentrate, and encourage your teammates to concentrate: Concentration is a skill, and tough players work hard to concentrate on every play. Tough players go as hard as they can for as long as they can. It's not your shot; it's our shot: Tough players don't take bad shots, and they certainly don't worry about getting "my" shots. Tough players work for good shots and understand that it is not "my" shot, it is "our" shot. Tough players celebrate when "we" score.

Box out and go to the glass every time: Tough players are disciplined enough to lay a body on someone. They make first contact and go after the ball. And tough players do it on every possession, not just when they feel like it. They understand defense is not complete until they secure the ball.

Take responsibility for your actions: Tough players make no excuses. They take responsibility for their actions. Take James Johnson for example. With 17 seconds to go in Wake's game against Duke on Wednesday, Jon Scheyer missed a 3-pointer that bounced right to Johnson. But instead of aggressively pursuing the ball with a sense of urgency, Johnson stood there and waited for the ball to come to him. It never did. Scheyer grabbed it, called a timeout and the Blue Devils hit a game-tying shot on a possession they never should've had. Going after the loose ball is toughness -- and Johnson didn't show it on that play. But what happened next? He refocused, slipped a screen for the winning basket, and after the game -- when he could've been basking only in the glow of victory -- manned up to the mistake that could've cost his team the win. "That was my responsibility -- I should have had that," Johnson said of the goof. No excuses. Shouldering the responsibility. That's toughness.

Look your coaches and teammates in the eye: Tough players never drop their heads. They always look coaches and teammates in the eye, because if they are talking, it is important to them and to you.

Move on to the next play: Tough players don't waste time celebrating a good play or lamenting a bad one. They understand that basketball is too fast a game to waste time and opportunities with celebratory gestures or angry reactions. Tough players move on to the next play. They know that the most important play in any game is the next one.

Be hard to play against, and easy to play with: Tough players make their teammates' jobs easier, and their opponents' jobs tougher.

Make every game important: Tough players don't categorize opponents and games. They know that if they are playing, it is important. Tough players understand that if they want to play in championship games, they must treat every game as a championship game.

Make getting better every day your goal: Tough players come to work every day to get better, and keep their horizons short. They meet victory and defeat the same way: They get up the next day and go to work to be better than they were the day before. Tough players hate losing but are not shaken or deterred by a loss. Tough players enjoy winning but are never satisfied. For tough players, a championship or a trophy is not a goal; it is a destination. The goal is to get better every day.

When I was playing, the players I respected most were not the best or most talented players. The players I respected most were the toughest players. I don't remember anything about the players who talked a good game or blocked a shot and acted like a fool. I remember the players who were tough to play against. Anybody can talk. Not anybody can be tough.

The Habits of Great Defenders

• Great Defenders are NOT afraid to take a charge - in fact, they embrace it. 
 
• Great Defenders dive on the floor for loose balls whenever the situation presents itself. 
 
• Great Defenders communicate when they are double-teaming or when a screen is coming. 
 
• Great Defenders don’t gamble. They make the right play, the easy play, the smart play. 
 
• Great Defenders know that THIS possession is THE most important possession of the game – regardless of time and score. 
 
• Great Defenders play aggressively but intelligently. 
 
• Great Defenders never take a play off. Resting is NOT in their vocabulary. 
 
• Great Defenders dictate what the offense is going to do. 
 
• Great Defenders approach each game thinking ‘I'm going to shut my guy down tonight.’ 
 
• Great Defenders do not let the ball go to the middle of the floor on penetration.  
 
• Great Defenders understand the concept of ‘ball-you-man.’ 
 
• Great Defenders keep the offense uncomfortable and off balance as often as they can. 
 
• Great Defenders understand that defense wins championships. If the other team can’t score, they can’t win. 
 
• Great Defenders don’t commit lazy or stupid fouls. 
 
• Great Defenders take pride in deflecting passes. 
 
• Great Defenders have their heads on a swivel and see the entire court (always see their man and the ball). 
 
• Great Defenders play the pick & roll effectively - they hedge with a purpose! 
 
• Great Defenders delay the other team from getting into their offensive sets. They keep the offense out of rhythm and control the tempo. 
 
• Great Defenders pay attention to the scouting report and film sessions. They know who the other team's best players are. 
 
• Great Defenders are CONSTANTLY talking - they relay information quickly & efficiently.

ACL Injury Prevention for Basketball (Females)

http://youtu.be/y4V9MgTCss8

Circle Drill

Coach Ron Sen presents the circle trap defense (and offense) drill which can help young players practice both their offensive and defensive skills:

Young players need to learn to apply and to cope with pressure. As general rules, we teach defenders not to allow players to dribble out of trap defenses, to deny ‘gut passes’ through traps, to deny passes to the high post from traps, and to force players to throw over their outside shoulder.

Offensive players must learn to protect the ball, to see ‘through’ trap defenses, move the ball quickly, use ball fakes, look off defenders, and use pivoting effectively.

Every player is a potential offensive or defensive player. The coach inbounds the ball randomly to a player. There is no dribbling allowed. The two adjacent players become TRAPPERS (T) who aggressively trap. INTERCEPTORS (I) must react to defend the other offensive players (O) who cannot move off their spots. When the ball is passed successfully, the adjacent players become the new trappers and new interceptors come into play.

Ron Sen, MD, FCCP @rsen01 on Twitter
Ron Sen is an assistant coach in a middle school girls basketball program and a primary and specialty care physician

Burpees

Squat, plank, and vertical leaps using nothing but your body weight done for the benefit of full body exercise. 

Do as many as you can, rest 1 minute and repeat for 3 sets.

1. Drop down into a squat position with your hands on the ground.
2. Push feet back in a quick motion for a front plank position.
3. Go back to the squat position in a quick motion.
4. Return back to your upright position.
5. Repeat to failure.

THE 17 ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A TEAM PLAYER

BY JOHN MAXWELL

1. Adaptable: If you won’t  change for the team, the Team may change you.
2. Collaborative:  Working together precedes winning together.
3. Committed: There  are no halfhearted champions.
4. Communicative: A TEAM is a  single heart with many voices.
5. Competent: If you can’t, your  team won’t.
6. Dependable: Teams go to go-to players.
7.  Disciplined: Where there’s a will, there’s a win.
8. Enlarging:  Adding value to teammates is invaluable.
9. Enthusiastic: Your  heart is the source of energy for the team.
10. Intentional:  Make every action count
11. Mission conscious: The (big)  picture is coming in loud and clear.
12. Prepared: Preparation  can be the difference between winning and losing.
13.  Relational: If you get along, others will go along.
14.  Self-improving: To improve the team, improve yourself.
15.  Selfless: There is no I an team.
16. Solution-oriented: Make a  resolution to find the solution.
17. Tenacious: Never, never,  never  quit.

"The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I'd made my teammates play."

-Bill Russell-

Dribbling in a Game

Only dribble for the following reasons:


A. To take the ball to the basket
B. To improve a passing angle
C. To balance the floor and maintain proper spacing
D. To escape trouble (trapping situations, etc.)


You don't need more three dribbles to achieve any of these dribble maneuvers. Don't dribble with your back to the basket. You need to be able to  see  action as it unfolds. Stay in a position to see.

Catch the ball, pivot, and look ahead for a possible pass as well as to read the defense. If you pick up your dribble without looking ahead or reading the defense, you become an easy target to be trapped with very few options.

Points for playing defense

#1 STOP THE BASKETBALL

This is the overriding principle of good defense. Stop the ball every time.

#2 HAND ON THE BALL

Pressuring the basketball in the proper manner allows the overplaying of the passing lane and the extending of  help. Constantly influence the basketball away from the basket. When it is up top,  influence it to the sideline. When it is on the sideline, influence it to the corner or back towards the jump circle. You ALWAYS want a hand on the ball. Regardless of whether it is before the dribble, during the dribble, or after the dribble has been picked up. If the ball is passed, we want a hand on the ball. If the ball is shot, we want a hand on the ball.

►If the ball handler has the ball but has not used her dribble, we want to be down in our stance with one hand “mirroring” the basketball at all times.

►If the ball handler is dribbling, we want to be down in our stance with our outside hand pressuring the basketball.

►If the ball handler picks up her dribble, we want to get as close to her without fouling as possible and have both hands aggressively “mirroring” the basketball.

►If the ball handler is attempting to pass, we want to have our outside hand extended in the passing lane, attempting to alter the pass or deflect it.

►If the ball handler attempts to shoot, we want to get a hand up on the ball in an attempt to block or alter the shot. This is an aggressive maneuver, but we want to challenge every shot taken by an opponent. We do not believe that a hand in the face will effect a good shooter — we want to make her change her shot.

#3 JUMP TO THE BASKETBALL
Anytime the ball is passed, all five players jump to the ball. More importantly, they must be jumping on the airtime of the pass. Begin your movement the instant the ball leaves the passers hand. Too often, a defensive player or team, moves after the receiver has caught the ball — that’s not quick enough.

#4 CONTESTING THE LOW POST
When the ball is above the free throw line extended, we want to 3/4 the low post with our lead foot in the passing lane. When the ball is below the free throw line extended, we want to front the low post. Don’t allow any low post touches.

#5 CONTESTING THE HIGH POST
This is simply the most dangerous place on the court for the basketball to be. Not only is it in the middle of the court where we cannot establish helpside and ballside principles, but it is close enough to the basket to be shot or driven. Defensively we must be able to anticipate the post flash and contest the pass to the high post.

#6 HELPSIDE POSITIONING

The key to helpside is to take away offensive spacing for our opponent. Our opponent should constantly be looking at 3 (offensive players) vs. 5 (defensive players) situation if we are stationed properly. If the ball is above the motion line, we want the helpside defensive player to have 1 foot in the paint forming a triangle with herself, the ball, and the player she is defending. If the ball is below the motion line, we want the helpside defensive player to have 2 feet in the paint, again forming a triangle.

#7 EARLY HELP

Anticipate situations that need help. Help must come early. We don’t want to have to help once the ball is in the paint, rather before it gets to the paint. Recovery is just as important as help. Help and then return to your assignment.

#8 CLOSEOUT
Know who you are closing out on and defend accordingly. Contest every shot.

#9 BLOCKOUT

Make contact, maintain contact, find the basketball, and go rebound the basketball. A rebound represents a possession. Limit the other team  to one shot at the basket each time down the floor.

#10 DEFEND WITHOUT FOULING

There are three things that we don’t want to give up on defense. One is an open shot by a good shooter. We take this away by putting our hand on the ball when it is shot. The second is to not allow an uncontested lay-up (we will talk about this in #12). And finally, we don’t want to bail out the offense and let them get to the free throw line for easy points.

#11 TRANSITION DEFENSE

Sprint back, stop the ball before it makes it to the paint and take away easy opportunities from our opponent when they fast break. Stop the basketball first and make sure we don’t allow any open lay-ups. Then pick up you assignment.

#12 KNOW YOUR SCOUTING REPORT

Know what our point of emphasis is defensively and understand who they are defending individually.

#13 BE MOTIVATED TO DEFEND.

Defense is a daily event — with no days off.  Be excited about playing defense. Be difficult to score against.

#14 STAY IN STANCE

If you are going to be solid defensively, you must stay the proper stance and, more importantly, condition yourself to stay in that stance. The stance begins at the bottom where we want the feet a little wider than shoulders width. The body should be low, bent at the knees (not at the back) with the head up. Keep your elbows tucked and tight to the body with hands extended and palms up.

“If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you'd like to win, but think you can't
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world we find
Success being with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are:
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.”
― Walter D. Wintle

"As a coach, I feel you if you can get your players to play hard and play together on the defensive end, they will  automatically be unselfish on the offensive end."   -- Ralph Ransom

"I try to do the right thing at the right time. They may just be  little things, but usually they make the difference between winning and  losing."   -  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Sportsmanship is not just about being nice. It is much more important than that. It’s about realizing that you could not compete without an opponent, and that she has the same goals as you.  -- Stephanie Deibler

"Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence.  The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning." -- Dennis Waitley

Champions DNA, According to the Boston Celtics

Kevin Eastman - Asst Coach, Boston Celtics

1. Opportunity for Simplicity: 
The results of confusion lie in complication. 

Champions DNA, According to the Boston Celtics (4 Parts)
A. Culture: What allows us to be successful
B. Standards: Daily reminder of how we operate and conduct
ourselves
C. Success Checks: how we motivate; are we working efficiently
D. Core: Strengths of our team & program

Do you have a X & O System or a Champions DNA??

-A- Celtics Culture:
1. Winning: Everything you do and decisions we make are helping
the team win

2. Personal Sacrifice: Be 'WE' Driven, Not 'ME' Driven. 

3. Teamwork: Formula is
Teamwork divides effort,
Teamwork adds efficiency,
Teamwork subtracts selfishness
Teamwork multiplies rewards

-B- Celtics Standards:
1. Professionalism. (commit to acting in a first class manner every
day of the year, being a pro or being professional)

2. No Personal Agendas. (one agenda & one agenda only, to do
whatever is necessary to help team win championships)

3. Professional & Respectful Communication. (commitment to
listening & how we send messages to one another)

4. Think of the NOW Only. (this team, this year)

5. One Way. (commitment to teaching & learning One Way)

6. Efficient Team. (execute within the system with simplicity to
produce maximum efficiency)

7. Team of Execution. (commit to learning our Off/Def system)

8. Never have bad Practices. (commit to giving great effort & exe-
cution daily)

9. Responsibility. (commit to holding ourselves personally respon-
sible for our actions, efforts, fulfilling designated roles) 

10. Trust. 

11. No Excuses. (we either get it done or we don't, but the next
play or quarter or game, becomes the Celtic Standard)

-C-  Success Checks
1. Invest in Success
Do you have a Sense of Entitlement or Investment? Teams of
Entitlement, never win titles. 
Investment means:  Read what you need to Read, Listen to what
you need to Listen to, Study what you need to Study, Learn what
you need to Learn. 

2. Passion. Combine passion with new knowledge and you will
never stop growing.  Passion is powerful, people see it, feel it,
and follow it. Its not about how much you know, its how much you
can bring. 

3. Paycheck is your responsibility. Not your employers. Do you
complain about earning more, or do you become more?
Money cannot: enhance your image, give you respect, or  buy
your Championship Ring.  You can only earn those. 

4. Embrace the C's:
Culture, Competition, Change
If we fight change we fight the future, if we fight future we fight
success. 
High risks, have high rewards at all levels. Work to make it work. 
Learn from the past, produce in the present, and get to the future
first!

5. Have Big Eyes, Big Ears & Small Mouth. 
(Keys)
I need to know what you know
Arrive ready to achieve
Be there before you get there
Show me your date/time planner
Do the Details
Take 1 Shot - 1,000 times
To Do File / Get Better File


6. Personal Success Checks
Character, leads to your choices
Choices, define your reputation
Reputation, becomes your brand
Brand, leads to your legacy
Legacy, is what you leave behind
Do you want to leave a job or a legacy??

7. Self Evaluate
Do you use a con?
Should never con yourself, look in the Mirror & tell the truth. 
Get guys with small circles, posse's con each other. 

8. Pain of Discipline or Pain of Regret?
Dreams are killed by ourselves, don't kill your own dreams
Don't go to your grave, with your dreams, leave them above
ground with your legacy!
Dreams + Work Ethic = Success
List 10 People you want to meet

9. Don't fear the consequences of failure. Fear failing to try. 

10. Get Past Hard. 
It is hard to get to Championships. 
Take the "It's" out of your vocab. 
Stands for “Impossible To Succeed” 
Once you start to Blame, you will lose the game. 
Touching on Teams is so Important. Pick teammates up, slap 5,
slap ass! Grab back!
Don't Turn, Touch!

-D- Core
1. Work Ethic; work on days you don't feel like it. 
2. Focus; complete attention to detail. 
3. Discipline; discipline yourself to be disciplined. 
4. Character; we want Character, not Characters
5. Commitment; no expiration date. Must be 100% in
6. Buy In
7. Sacrifice; success is a choice. Not reaching, but not going after
it. Price is what you need to pay to get there, your choice is to go
for it. 
8. Resolve; ability to do it again, regardless of the previous result.
Even with success. 
Good offensive teams score points, but good defensive teams
don't give up or give in. They get the next stop. 


What Enhances Teams:
- Play FOR a team, not ON a team. 
- Handle the 'Bilities'
Responsibility, do your job completely. 
Accountability, what you must do within the role you're given
Availability, workers work
- The Truth, must be able to
Live It, Tell It, Accept It
- A message is only a message if it is received & acted upon
- Trust Needs:
Time, Consistency & Proof
Do it, be there & deliver
Speak as you mean, do as you profess, perform as you promise. 

What makes Championship Relationships:
Players like, trust & respect coaches. 
Coaches like, trust & respect players. 
Players like, trust & respect other players. 
Coaches like, trust & respect other coaches. 
Strong Relationships + Truth = Building Trust

Eastman on Leadership:
- More than what you have and are given, it is!
- Position of Power, don't abuse it!
- Position of Responsibility
- You can build or Destroy Leadership
- Get into the mind & heart space of your players to reach them. 
- Not about catering to players, its about having empathy. 
- Players eyes & ears will tell us if they are bought in to follow us
as coaches & a staff. 
- What you say they will evaluate, what you promise they will re-
member, what you do they will see.  


Eastman on Scouting 
Give 3 Keys, for 3 positions, per position, per game. 
Point Guards, Guards, Forwards.