3 Ways to Coach Against Turnovers
The turnover is the single largest reason for a team getting beat in my opinion. A turnover creates a possession where no shot could be attempted and without shots you can’t score or at least at last check.
What can coaches do to help eliminate the issue or problem of turnovers? I’ve got some ideas that I’ll share that will help cut them down because they’ll never be eliminated completely.
1. Analyze the error: Was it a mental error that caused the turnover? Physical? Some players turn the ball over because they don’t know the play or they pass the ball too early. Some players turn the ball over because they put themselves in a bad spot by jumping in the air to pass and get in trouble. So many different things are done to turn the ball over that, as a coach, it is your job to judge and find out what is going on there. I believe most turnovers are mental. I lump emotional in with mental because mental laziness is the main cause.
2. NEVER punish a player for a turnover where full effort and focus was being done. We’ve all seen this or have been a part of it. No player should be punished by being taken out of the game when he turns the ball over while going hard and playing focused. No player wants to be looking over their shoulder the entire game whenever a mistake is made. Mistakes will be made but more mistakes will be made when players are playing scared or tentative. Let players know up front that they won’t be taken out for a turnover that is made while playing hard and you’ll get maximum effort from your players.
3. Correcting turnovers is done through preparation that is mental and physical. It’s a mindset to truly value the basketball. The defense should exist to create turnovers and the offense to protect the ball. Players need to practice in environments where pressure defense is constant. Players need to be put in situations that make them uncomfortable so they can get used to it. Think of the first time someone guarded you full court and how uncomfortable it made you feel. When that happened to me the first time I just took the ball and went as fast as I could to the other end like it was a fast break. My coach had to pull me aside and tell me that they weren’t pressing, they were just playing full court defense. I had never practiced against that before so i made plenty of mistakes.
Players should be challenged in every area and that includes protecting the basketball. Don’t punish in practice when working on these situations, just teach and let the kids learn by experience. Throw at them situations that they’ve never seen before and let them fail. Then coach them and teach them. Don’t let them get down on themselves in these situations but let them fail and learn. Only punish/discipline for lack of effort that is mental and/or physical.
Working on these areas will help your team in a number of ways. This all seems so simple and self explanatory but some of these kids have never been taught the correct way and that’s why it is your job to make sure they know.
