SATURDAY COACHES SHARE

Coaches help coaches by sharing.  Email your response to today's Coaches Share question and have your response added to tomorrow's blog entry.  Your response can be as long or short as you like.  Email your response by 8:00 CST Sunday (September 2 - tomorrow) to  dietelgreg@gmail.com


QUESTION:  What is the routine of your team prior to taking the floor to warmups?  What do you and your team do to prepare?


Email your response to dietelgreg@gmail.com and be part of the discussion.  Your response is then posted in tomorrow's blog.

YOU EXPECT IT, BUT DO YOU PRACTICE IT?

You require your players to do certain things in game situations. These requirements could also be considered expectations. There is one question a coach needs to ask themselves about these expectations:

If you expect it, are you practicing it enough?

One example of an expectation coaches have for their players is to step in and take a charge on defense.  Do you actually practice taking a charge?  Taking a charge is a part of the game that needs to be drilled so players can feel comfortable stepping in and give up their body for their team.

Another example is diving on the floor for a loose ball.  Do you practice this?  If you expect your players to do it in a game then it needs to be practiced so it becomes second nature to your players.

A third example is setting and using a screen.  Do you practice it?  Your players probably know when and where screens are to be set within your offense. Showing your players and drilling your players on how to set and use screens is important for it to carry over into game situations.

Letting your players know they have to do something is one thing, but practicing it and making it part of "what you do" is another.  Coaches are always looking to improve their X's and O's.  Coaches are always working on helping players with their technique.  But are coaches having their players practice the expectations of the coach (like taking a charge or diving on the floor for a loose ball)?  Telling your team it is important is one thing, but practicing it and drilling it is going to help your players meet these expectations.

Figure out what is important to you as a coach for your players to do well.  Expect that they do it well, but don't forget to give them a chance to practice or drill it in practices so it becomes second nature to them.

HAWK REBOUNDING DRILL

The Hawk Rebounding Drill not only works on blocking out, rebounding, and promoting an aggressive mentality in your players, but it also works on communication and court awareness.

Four offensive players line up around the three point line.  Space the players out equally apart and as far apart as they can get.  This will force the defenders to work even harder to get to their blockout.  These four players have their backs to the baseline.


The drill starts when the coach (with ball) yells out one of the defensive players names. At the same time the coach will pass the ball to one of the four offensive players.

The name of the defender that the coach called out is also the player that will execute a closeout on the player who received the pass from the coach. At the same time the other three defenders must scramble and communicate as to which of the other three offensive players they are going to guard.  They all must yell out, "I have _______!"

The offensive player that caught the pass from the coach will immediately make one pass and that player will take a shot.  Defenders will allow the shot to be taken for the purpose of the drill.  All four defenders must blockout the offensive players as they all go for the rebound.

Scoring System
+1 for a defensive rebound
+2 for an offensive rebound

The team with the most points at the end of the drill, wins.  Give each team an equal number of opportunities to be on offense and defense.

10 QUESTIONS TO DEVELOP A REBOUNDING PHILOSOPHY

Do you have a philosophy when it comes to rebounding?  There are so many things to consider when it comes to developing a philosophy when teaching rebounding to your players.  Below are 10 questions to answer that will help develop your rebounding philosophy.

1. When on defense do you want your players to make contact with their player when a shot is taken?  Or do you want them to just go get the ball?

2. If you want your players to make contact, how do you want them to do it?

3. How do you want your players to grab for the ball?  Two hands?

4. Will you teach your players where most rebounds are attained when the ball is shot from a specific spot on the floor?  How will you teach them to anticipate the spot the ball will be for the rebound?

5. Will you use specific rebounding drills in practice?  Or will you have rebounding be something you work on during team play in practice?

6. In games how many players will you send to the offensive boards?  Do the players know who is supposed to go for offensive rebounds?

7. Are you going to teach rebounding as an attitude?  How will you teach your players to be aggressive with rebounding?

8. How will you teach rebounding during free throw situations, on offense and defense?

9. When on defense, how will you teach your players to get in rebounding position (to blockout) if the offensive players is in between them and the basket?

10. Where do you want your players arms and hands to be during a blockout?

5 TRIPS TRANSITION DRILL

The purpose of this transition offense drill is to have all five players
understanding their roles in the numbered break. It is also a VERY good drill to do for conditioning purposes. Instead of just lining up and running, the team will get a chance to work on their basketball skills while running the floor.  The drill is continuous with 1 shooting first, then 2, then 3, then 4, and finally 5.  Note: All 5 players must sprint downt the court each time even if they are not the player shooting the ball. Running for your teammates will get others open.

Alignment All 5 players start in the lane area. Coach (C) shoots the ball. On a make 5 will take the ball out of bounds like they would in a game. If C misses then 5 will secure the rebound and outlet like they would in a game. This diagram shows the first trip down the floor with 1 getting a shot. 5 outlets to 1, and 1 continues with a speed dribble down the court for a layup or a short jumper.

After 1 shot the ball the drill continues with 5 securing the rebound and throwing an outlet to 1. All five players continue down the court to their respective spots. This diagram shows the next part of the drill when 2 gets their shot. 1 makes the pass ahead to 2, and 2 will attack the basket with a layup.

The next player to get a shot in this continuous drill is the 3. After the 2 shot their layup, 5 secured the ball and outlets the ball to 1. 1 then makes a dribble and passes ahead to 3 down the left side of the court. 3 then attacks the basket for a layup. Again, all 5 players are sprinting downt he court, not just the person getting the shot.

4 is the next player to get their shot in this continuous drill. After 3 completed their layup, 5 will secure the ball and outlet to 1. All five players sprint down the court to their spots. RUN FOR YOUR TEAMMATES! 1 catches the outlet pass, takes a dribble or two, and then passes ahead to 4. 4 then attacks the basket for a layup.

5 is the last player to get their shot during this continous full court drill. After 4 shot the ball, 5 secures the ball and outlets to 1. All five players sprint down the floor to their spots. Instead of 1 making a pass ahead they will speed dribble down the floor to one side of the free throw lane extended. 1 will jumpstop at the three point line area, make a ball fake, and then pass to 5 as they come down to the three point line as the trailer. When 5 catches the ball they will make a shot or pass fake and then attack the basket for a layup.

DRILL VARIATIONS

*Include a manager at each end to provide some sort of distraction for the offense as they attempt to score or on the outlet pass.
*Designate which players can shoot 3 point shots instead of layups.

COACHES SHARE RESPONSE: SHOOTING IN PRACTICE

Thank you to the coaches who took the time to submit a response to the Coaches Share.  Every comment submitted has the potential to give other coaches a new idea that could help their team.

This week's Coaches Share question:  What is your philosophy as to how many minutes of shooting you do in one of your practices?  Do you have a set amount of time for each practice?  Do you try to get your players a certain number of shots?  Does it vary from day to day?

"I make sure to dedicate at least 20 minutes of formal shooting drills for practices.  I always have one drill that is specific by position."

~Coach Michael

"We play a style of basketball that gives us a lot of three point opportunities so we shoot plenty of 3's each day in practice.  I don't set a certain number of minutes each practice that is dedicated to shooting.  I would estimate that each of our players shoot at least one hundred 3's a day though."

~Coach B

"Our first fifteen minutes of practice are dedicated to shooting during and loosening up.  Some days we do more at the end of practice as well."

~Coach T.R. (MA)