Here's an excerpt from There's Only One Way To Win, a book Dick DeVenzio wrote about his dad, the legendary Coach Chuck DeVenzio, better known as "Coach DV." Dick played for his dad in high school, where their undefeated 1967 Ambridge team has been called the best in Pennsylvania history. Basketball coaches are typically fond of talking about all the things they do with their teams to get an advantage over other teams. Coach DV stayed out of these conversations. They irritated him. “Coaches … [Read more...]
6 Tips to Survive and Thrive as a Basketball Coach
How do you survive and thrive as a basketball coach? The following tips may seem like common sense suggestions but, as we all know, we often need the reminders! These 6 tips are offered as advice to help you not only survive in coaching but to prosper as well. Faith and Family First. As a basketball coach, you know how time intensive it is. It is important to that you make time to spend with your family and in your faith. Allow yourself some quiet time in the morning and/or evening. Go … [Read more...]
How to Plan a Good Basketball Practice
Planning basketball practice is one of the most important details in the job of a basketball coach. Planning a good basketball practice is even more important. Regardless of the level you coach, basketball practices should be planned out in advance. It amazes me that there are still coaches who do not have a written plan prior to leading a team through practice. If you are one of those coaches without a practice plan and find yourself to be successful, think how much more successful you could … [Read more...]
Tips for Coaching Shooters
1. Familiarize yourself with the player you are coaching. Learn to listen more than you talk. A player wants to feel comfortable with you and have confidence in you before they work with you. At times you will coach a player that will feel that you think he cannot shoot. Always start with what the player is doing well. 2. Coach each player individually. You do not want a player to learn everything that you know about shooting. You want each player to learn what he wants to know in terms of … [Read more...]
Coaching Tips on Out of Bounds Plays
One of the great old basketball coaching books in my collection is Pressure Basketball by Dr. Jack Ramsay. The book, published in 1963 while Coach Ramsay was at St. Joseph's, is a top-notch coaching guide that shows how to coach and teach an aggressive style of play. There is a ton of step-by-step coverage of offense and defense but one of the things I really like is that he ends each chapter with coaching tips. This article highlights his tips on coaching the out-of-bounds situation. If … [Read more...]
You Blew It. Now What?
A momentary lapse of concentration cost Holland’s speed skating king, Sven Kramer, a gold medal in the 10,000m at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. But it wasn’t his concentration that failed him. His coach, Gerard Kemkers—momentarily distracted while recording split times—looked up and incorrectly instructed Kramer to cross into the inside lane. Kramer instinctively followed the directions and though he finished first by four seconds, the blunder disqualified him, costing him not only the gold … [Read more...]
Lombardi’s Recipe for a Winning Team
I’m a perfectionist in the kitchen. I want to know exactly how much of each ingredient to add so the finished product tastes just like my mom’s! Similarly, coaches want to know the recipe to create a winning team. How much practice, weight training and conditioning will it take? What about perseverance, inspirational quotes or team bonding experiences? The amounts may vary, but according to former Green Bay Packer coach, Vince Lombardi, it takes three main ingredients to make a winning … [Read more...]
Coaching Difficult Players
Unguarded, the ESPN documentary about former NBA player Chris Herren and his struggle with addiction, received tons of positive reviews this week. A powerful story of redemption and hope that with help, we can overcome the addictions that seek to destroy us. I'd imagine that a number of Chris' coaches along his tumultuous journey didn't know what to do with him. Maybe you have players like that on your team. Perhaps they're not addicted to cocaine like Chris was, but act out in ways that … [Read more...]
Basketball Coaching :: 3 Keys To Successful Bench Coaching
Article by: Pat Anderson http://www.Online-Basketball-Drills.com Game Day Coaching While most basketball coaching will occur during practices, bench coaching, or coaching during game play, is also very important. Coaching from the bench provides both direction and morale during intense games, when the team needs it most. Successful bench coaching will leave the players feeling confident and ready for their next challenge on the court. Before the Game The keys to preparing for a … [Read more...]
Kids Basketball Coaching – Drilling The Vocab
Article by: Pat Anderson http://www.Online-Basketball-Drills.com A strong foundation in the basics is essential for young basketball players. The following beginner basketball drills teach both movement and vocabulary, so athletes can better respond to coaches' plays during games. Instant Response In the Instant Response drill, players pair up and space out on the court. The coach yells a basketball move, and the player with the ball must execute the move within 3 seconds. If the … [Read more...]