Advice for Coaches
6. Read
Below are just a few of the best books out there.
Some are basketball related, while others are broader in scope.
These are some of the best basketball / self-improvement books, in my opinion, and it’s my hope that you use this time in the house to get better.
Wake up early, make yourself a coffee, find a quiet spot, and voraciously consume these!
Here’s a quick list from my current bookshelf:
- The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck
- Sum It Up by Pat Summitt
- The Sixth Man: A Memoir by Andre Iguodala
- Rebel with a Cause: The True Story of Jerry Tarkanian by Danny Tarkanian
- Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow
7. Connect With Your Team
This is a great opportunity to strengthen the bond with the players on your team.
If it’s appropriate to do so, check in on them during this difficult time.
Doing so will show each player that you care about their health and wellbeing as a human, not just for their abilities as a basketball player.
If you can develop trust now, they’ll run through walls for you when the season starts again.
Which leads me to the following…
8. Send Your Players Workouts
Players with the right mindset and a fistful of work ethic can take advantage of this lockdown time to improve their basketball game.
But, many players don’t know what to do…
That’s where a coach can step in to help!
Reach out to your players and see if they would like your help with skill / conditioning workouts.
If they do, ask them what resources they have available so you can put together their workout.
Example questions:
- Do you have a basketball?
- Do you have access to a basketball hoop?
- How much space do you have to shoot?
- Do you have cardio equipment?
Depending on their answers, put together workouts they can do at home.
These can be full shooting workouts if they have access to a hoop with space, stationary ball-handling workouts if they only have a basketball and small area, or even bodyweight workouts if they don’t have a basketball.
There’s always an opportunity to get better.
9. Expand Your Basketball Network
Depending on your coaching goals, expanding your basketball network might be a wise use of your time while we’re all stuck at home.
Coaching is all about relationships, after all.
There are many ways to do this:
a. Get Online
Add your own opinion to our coaching discussions on Twitter, or join one of the 100’s of FaceBook groups dedicated to becoming a better basketball coach.
These giant platforms give you an amazing opportunity to connect with thousands of basketball coaches from every corner of the world.
If you’re willing to reach out, you’ll be surprised how many fantastic coaches are happy to share their knowledge to whoever asks for it.
b. Reach Out to Former Coaches
Another option is to rekindle friendships with some of your former coaches (and teammates).
If they’re anything like the retired basketball coaches I know, many would be over the moon to hear from a past player.
Ask them how they would handle a particular situation, see if they have any effective quick hitters out of a timeout, or ask for their favorite rebounding drill.
10. Review Game Film
Another way for coaches to get better is to watch recordings of previous games.
There’s a lot you can learn from this:
- What are our strengths?
- What are our weaknesses?
- How is our transition defense?
- How are opposition teams attacking us?
- Are we helping / rotating correcting?
- Which team wins more 50/50 balls?
- Am I drawing up good set plays?
- Where does our offense break down?
- Is there anything I should do differently?
There are 100’s of questions to think about.
If you commit to doing this for several games while taking notes, you’ll come up with many ways your team can improve next season.
11. Improve Your X’s and O’s Knowledge
After you’ve finished watching your own team’s games, it’s time to expand your knowledge.
Schedule time in your day to study the game of basketball.
12. Throw On a Podcast
Another great idea for development:
While you’re going about your daily tasks at home, put on a podcast.
These are fantastic because, unlike video / film, podcasts don’t require your undivided attention.
Putting on headphones and listening to experts speak on topics they’re passionate about is a great way to pass time productively while doing meaningless at-home tasks.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Solving Basketball
- Way of Champions
- A Quick Timeout
- The Talent Equation
- The Basketball Podcast
- Thinking Basketball
- The Help Side
- Coaching U
(If you’re looking for a podcast player, I use Pocket Casts)
13. Spend Time With Your Family
Last but not least…
Cherish the time you get to spend with your family.
Without question it’s a difficult time for everyone right now (emotionally, financially, etc), but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the extra time we get to spend with those we love.
Don’t be so focused on improving (or the virus) that you forget to enjoy it.
Be safe everyone.
And remember to wash your hands!
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