Before we can lead our teams and help our players reach the goals that are important to them we need to have our own lives in order. One of the ways to start accomplishing this is by honestly answering the following 11 questions that come from Paul J. Meyer’s Become The Coach You Were Meant To Be:

1. Have I crystallized my thinking so that I know where I stand now and where I want to go?
2. Are my vision, mission, and purpose statements clear to me and to my team members?
3. Do I have a detailed written plan to achieve each important personal and organizational goal, and have I set a deadline for their attainment?
4. Are my personal goals balanced with the need to help my organization achieve?
5. Do my personal goals represent a balance among the six areas of life?
6. Do I have a burning desire to achieve the goals that I have set for myself?
7. Have I developed within my team members and myself a passion for achieving the success we’ve envisioned?
8. Do I have supreme confidence in my ability to reach these goals?
9. Do I trust my team members to strive toward success and to continue to develop more of their innate potential for achievement?
10. Have I accepted personal responsibility for the success of my team – and for the achievement of my own personal goals?
11. Do I possess the iron willed determination to follow through regardless of circumstances or what others say, think, or do?

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The coaching staff of the University of Central Florida Women’s Basketball Team encourage their players to use the 10/50 Rule to improve their lives both on and off the court. This rule takes into consideration that you should always play to your strengths yet continue to work on your weaknesses. To implement the 10/50 Rule you should strive to improve those things that you already do well by 10% and decrease your weaknesses by 50%.

The players are taught that the first thing they must do is to make an honest evaluation of all their strengths and weaknesses. Then they are left with the following thoughts and ideas:

1. There are certain things within their control and they must control the controllables.
2. No one has to do anything incredible
3. Everyone knows what they can get better at, and what they need to do less of or eliminate altogether.
4. Do what we are asked to do 10% better.
5. Don’t let the things that keep you from doing what you need to do occupy your mind.
6. Make it happen before it happens.
7. It takes work, not luck.
8. As you start to think about organizing your spring and individual workouts consider using the 10/50 Rule to get a huge advantage over your competititon.

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This time of year every game is the biggest one of the season and very few of them (Other that the matchups between the 1 & 16 seeds) go as smoothly as planned. “Stuff” happens even to the best of teams and the true mark of a champion is often how they respond to the ineveitable adversity that they are sure to face. In other words, a team’s overall attitude is often more important than their shooting percentage.

Here is what Chuck Swindoll has to say about the impact of attitude:

The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude
on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than
the past, than education, than money, than circumstance, than failure, than
success, than what people think, say, or do. It is more important than
appearance, giftedness, or skill.

The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day
regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past.
We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the string we
have and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is ten percent what
happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you. We
are in charge of our attitudes.

There is going to be some great basketball played over the next several weeks. Between ankle breaking crossovers and rim rattling dunks, watch how the players and coaches respond individually and collectively when things don’t go exactly their way. Is their attitude good because they are winning or will they win because their attitude is good?

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Here are some very insightful thoughts and ideas from author and speaker Jon Gordon:

I meet and learn from Champions every day. Not just in locker rooms but in classrooms, hospitals, homeless shelters, homes and office buildings. I’ve learned that to be a champion you must Think Like a Champion. Champions think differently than everyone else. They approach their life and work with a different mindset and belief system that separates them from the pack.

1. Champions Expect to Win – When they walk on the court, on the field, into a meeting or in a classroom they expect to win. In fact they are surprised when they don’t win. They expect success and their positive beliefs often lead to positive actions and outcomes. They win in their mind first and then they win in the hearts and minds of their customers, students or fans.

2. Champions Celebrate the Small Wins – By celebrating the small wins champions gain the confidence to go after the big wins. Big wins and big success happen through the accumulation of many small victories. This doesn’t mean champions become complacent. Rather, with the
right kind of celebration and reinforcement, champions work harder, practice more and believe they can do greater things.

3. Champions Don’t Make Excuses When They Don’t Win– They don’t focus on the faults of others. They focus on what they can do
better. They see their mistakes and defeats as opportunities for growth. As a result they become stronger, wiser and better.

4. Champions Focus on What They Get To Do, Not What They Have To Do – They see their life and work as a gift not an obligation. They know that if they want to achieve a certain outcome they must commit to and appreciate the process. They may not love every minute of their journey but their attitude and will helps them develop their skill.

5. Champions Believe They Will Experience More Wins in the Future – Their faith is greater than their fear. Their positive energy is greater than the chorus of negativity. Their certainty is greater than all the doubt. Their passion and purpose are greater than their challenges. In spite of their situation champions believe their best days are ahead of them, not behind them.

If you don’t think you have what it takes to be a champion, think again. Champions aren’t born. They are shaped and molded. And as iron sharpens iron you can develop your mindset and the mindset of your team with the right thinking, beliefs and expectations that lead to powerful actions.

You can read more from Jon Gordon at JonGordon.com

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With the beginning of March Madness there will be ven more importance than usual placed on good guard play, both at the offensive and defensive ends of the court. Ernie Woods has have long been recognized as having one of the best defensive minds in the game of basketball. The following review points come from the chapter entitled “On Ball Defense” from his book Advanced Basketball Defense

1. Ball pressure is the single most important element of team defense

2. To be successful, players must possess a working knowledge of the basic defensive concepts and fundamentals.

3. “On Ball” defensive fundamentals are comprised of three basic components: Pressuring and attacking the player with the ball, containing a dribbler and attacking the picked up dribble.

4. Pressuring the ball handler makes dribbling and passing more difficult, and increases the chances of an offensive mistake.

5. When guarding a player with the ball, the defender should attack and take away the “Triple Threat” options by forcing the opponent into dribbling.

6. The defenders should influence ball handlers to the closest sideline or baseline push point. In keeping the ball out of the middle of the court (“Red Zone”), it not only reduces the offensive operating area, but it also creates help side defense.

7. On dribble penetration, it is important that the defender protect the “Elbows” and “Blocks”. Do not allow the dribbler penetration into the three second area.

8. Defenders should constantly anticipate and immediately attack any player that picks up their dribble.

9. Defenders must have a hand up and contest every shot. Since shooters know where the ball is going as soon as it leaves their hand, they must be boxed out.

10. Taking a charge is a really big play in basketball. However, in taking a charge, players need to be taught to absorb contact by tucking their chin in and executing a shoulder roll.

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Almost all of the teams still playing this time of year have their own identity and style of play. This identity has obviously been emphsized over and over by their coach throughout the course of the season and you only have to watch a couple minutes of game action before you can determine exactly what that emphasis has been. Whst is your team identity? What areas of the game are the most important to you and to the success of your program?

Take a look at the list below and decide right now how your team will be identified one year from now.

You can be good in several areas but can only be great in a few so choose wisely!

1. Man to Man Defense (Pressure or pack)
2. Rebounding
3. Unselfish play—team unity—team attitude
4. Transition game
5. Half court execution
6. Pressing team—running team
7. Physical, hard nosed, aggressive team
8. 3-pt shooting team
9. Zone defensive team
10. Ball and player movement team, etc.

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To make a deep playoff run, it’s widely accepted that you must have an outstanding point guard. But what makes an outstanding point guard?  Mike Procopio of The Hoop Consultants recently wrote an article entitled How to Build a Point Guard that offers some insightful answers to that question.

Everyone has different ideas on how to develop a player. Every coach that works with players have their own philosophy when building strategies to get their players better. I’ve been blessed with being around a lot of great teachers and evaluators of the game.

I think coaches who are getting into the field of developing players should understand how to evaluate a player’s talent. Being a scout in the NBA for 4 years as well as consulting many scouts and front office people for over ten years has really helped me when it comes to working with players. It helps me analyze player’s strengths and weaknesses as well as understanding what type of player they will be.

Every position has different types of player in it. Because of different sizes, athletic ability, length, basketball IQ, etc. players have to be put in different categories. Having worked with some very smart basketball people early in my career really helped not only my ability to make players better, but understand the evaluation process very well.

The point guard is the centerpiece to any team. Some say a point
guard is born and not made which is true to a certain extent. Some coaches
don’t have the benefit of having great guards every year and need to develop
their point guards just the same. I think it’s important for a coach and the
player to understand the traits that make a serviceable and stable point guard.
All coaches have different ideas of what they think make up a great point guard.

Here are mine:

This is how I see the point guard position and the traits needed
to be great in it. You may say that there are other traits that make up a great
point guard and you may be right. As I’ve stated many times in blogs this is
why basketball is such a great sport because people see the game differently
and that’s great for the sport. A point guard to me is so important, because
that is the player on the floor that get everything organized. Sure you may
have a great shooter or dominant big man on your team, but without a point
guard to find a way to get them the ball those players in spots where they will
be successful.

1. Be a Leader No doubt the most important trait of a point guard. A leader isn’t someone who bosses players around. It means they are the one that organizes the offense and makes sure everyone is on the same page as far as the offense and defense is concerned. They should take the brunt of the heat when the team doesn’t convert so they make sure everyone is on the same page. They should be the voice in the player huddle.

2. Play with two speeds
A high level point guard knows how to change speeds. Guards who play full speed all the time can be effective in transition, but in the half court find themselves easier to guard if they are going at one speed at all times. Playing with two speeds enables a point guard to set their defender up at a slower speed and then when making a move change speeds to penetrate the teeth of the defense. Even if a guard isn’t very quick they still can get in the lane and be a penetrator. It’s all about setting up their defender and playing with two speeds

3. Give the ball to teammates where they will be successful. I don’t really like the phrase a point guard makes players better. They don’t put the ball in the basket more for teammates or make them more athletic. No, a point guard understands where and when. Where on the floor to throw the ball to a player and when in the game to do so. A great point guard wont give the ball to an energetic center with little skill in transition 20 feet on the run. They know that a player like that should only get it on drop offs or hard rolls to the basket. A good point guard understands their teams strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. They wont call an isolation and give it to a one trick pony spot up shooter against the other team’s top defender, they know that they’ll have to penetrate and kick to them or run that player off screens. Those are a couple of examples of this remember a great point guard knows where and when.

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When two members of the girl’s basketball team at Judge Memorial High School in Salt Lake City were caught drinking alcohol in their hotel room while at a tournament recently, they were sent home immediately. However, when it was discovered that a dozen other members of the program were aware of the situation but did nothing about it, they were each suspended for two games.

“A couple of girls made a mistake,” Judge athletic director Dan Quinn told reporter Amy Donaldson of the Deseret News. “And other kids either found out, knew about it or watched it happen and they didn’t do anything, so they’re being held accountable as well. … These are high school kids and we need to take the opportunity to teach, even the good kids, even the kids who wouldn’t think of drinking, about peer pressure.

The reason I am posting this is not to let you know what happened but to get your opinion. Should team members have the responsibility to watch out after each other and inform coaches of any poor decisions? Should a player’s “loyalty” be his coaches or to his teammates?

Readers of this blog include thousands of coaches, players, and parents and I’m really hoping to hear from many of you. I’ll share the overall findings, as well as my own personal opinion, in a future post.

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Here are some more very useful coaching coaching nuggets that I received from Alan Stein, Assistant Basketball Coach at legendary Dematha High School.

1. Players must be aware of how careless fouls hurt their team.
2. Coaches who play pressing defenses successfully, teach recovery. Anybody can double-team.
3. Take as many situations as possible out of thought processes & turn them into quick reactions requiring no thought.
4. Tell them what you want done, not what you don’t want done.
5. Every day you teach attitude.
6. Surround yourself with the best assistant coaches possible.
7. When you surround yourself with good assistants, know when to get out of the way.
8. Losing teams are more vulnerable to criticism. Screaming at them may be harmful. They need positive coaching.
9. The key to team chemistry is clearly defining roles and expectations for each team member.
10. To emphasize rebounding, award 4 points for an offensive rebound in scrimmages.
11. Don’t give instructions that CAN be understood. Give instructions that CAN’T be misunderstood. -Rick Torbett

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Here are the 17 essential qualities possessed by every team player according to author and leadership expert (and former high school basketball star) 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.

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