BASKETBALL COACH. Score In Floor WEEKLY. Full-Court Finishing. Request Player Goals Now Practice Drill. 22 Box Develops. Learn Train Develop Enjoy

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Open Floor Focus On Full-Court Finishing Learn Train Develop Enjoy September 03, 2015 Issue 101 $5.

1 Earn A Trophy But At What Cost? BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY Washington s John Wall can cover 94 feet and score at the rim Score In The Open Floor Focus On Full-Court Finishing Learn Train Develop Enjoy September 03, 2015 Issue 101 $5.99 Request Player Goals Now Practice Drill 22 Box Develops Better Defenders Fire A Pass, Finish At The Other End Demand Consistent Layup Form Even After 2 Full-Court Sprints

Washington s John Wall can cover 94 feet and score at the rim Contents Is A Trophy Worth Your Dignity?

97062 Editor-in-chief Michael Austin michael.austin@ basketballcoachweekly.com Contributors Troy Culley Earn a Trophy BuT at WhaT CosT?

$99 DEmanD ConsisTEnT Layup Form EvEn after 2 FuLL-CourT sprints The Little League Softball World Series rarely gains a fraction of the notoriety of the baseball side.$ That all changed a couple weeks ago. In what s becoming an all-toofamiliar story when youth sports teams are competing in pool play within a larger tournament, the South Snohomish (Wash.

That all changed a couple weeks ago. In what s becoming an all-toofamiliar story when youth sports teams are competing in pool play within a larger tournament, the South Snohomish (Wash.

2 Washington s John Wall can cover 94 feet and score at the rim Contents Is A Trophy Worth Your Dignity? BASKETBALL COACH September 03, 2015 Request PlayeR Goals Now PRactice DRill 22 Box DeveloPs BetteR DefeNDeRs Basketball Coach Weekly Issue 101 Basketball Coach Weekly 9325 SW Iowa Drive Tualatin, OR Editor-in-chief Michael Austin michael.austin@ basketballcoachweekly.com Contributors Troy Culley Earn a Trophy BuT at WhaT CosT? Score in the open Floor FocuS on Full-court FiniShing fire a Pass, finish at the other end Illustrations Mike Renwick Pictures Action Images Design Andy Shore Publisher Kevin Barrow kevin.barrow@greenstarmedia.net Customer Services Duncan Heard duncanh@ basketballcoachweekly.com Managing Director Andrew Griffiths WEEKLY Learn Train Develop Enjoy Issue 101 $5.99 DEmanD ConsisTEnT Layup Form EvEn after 2 FuLL-CourT sprints The Little League Softball World Series rarely gains a fraction of the notoriety of the baseball side. That all changed a couple weeks ago. In what s becoming an all-toofamiliar story when youth sports teams are competing in pool play within a larger tournament, the South Snohomish (Wash.) girls softball team took a dive in an attempt to keep the Central Iowa All-Stars from advancing. Sometimes the best simply needs to be the journey the team takes South Snohomish nipped Central Iowa, 4-3, before ripping its next two pool-play opponents. In its final game of the pool, South Snohomish sat many starters and, according to an account published in The Des Moines Register, had players swing at pitches in the dirt and make bunt attempts with two strikes. South Snohomish was no-hit and lost, 8-0, which created a three-way tie and was to eliminate Central Iowa. Little League officials stepped in and forced a one-game playoff between South Snohomish and Central Iowa for the final spot due to not following the sportsmanship rules by intentionally trying to lose. Central Iowa won the playoff. And while we can debate the merits of pool-play tiebreakers and if the South Snohomish coach was within his rights to throw the game, my main concern is how can a coach place his 11- and 12-year-olds in that situation. How can you look in the eyes of a group of preteens who have given you their lives for the last several months (not an exaggeration when you consider the practices and tournaments required to reach this level), and ask them to lose? Worse yet, you are asking the bench players, who rarely see the field, to use their limited playing time to do the exact opposite of what you ve been coaching them. With so many people now claiming we live in a trophy culture where youth athletes are getting tokens they don t deserve, it s fascinating this coach decided to value a shot at a potential trophy over a true teaching moment. I get it. Every coach wants the best for his or her team. But, sometimes the best isn t winning a title or competing for a championship. Maybe I m naive but sometimes the best simply needs to be the journey the team takes, the obstacles the players overcome and the lessons learned along the way. As the conversation turns against rewarding youth players with trophies for competing hard all season regardless of the outcome, the next part of the debate needs to center around how far we re willing to go to ensure youth players earn a trophy. If the best way to earn a trophy is to throw games and avoid competition, count me out. Michael Austin Editor-in-chief In this issue... 3 Score In The Open Floor Install drills pushing players to the brink while requiring them to convert on the move if you want to be an up-tempo team 4 Fire A PASS, Then Finish Utilize both ends of the court to get players moving quickly to receive long passes in stride for strong layups 5 Sprint To Score In Full Court Run this drill properly and expect players to be winded when they complete the actions 22 Box Develops 6 Better Defenders Keep players engaged in the closing-out process by introducing new drills to sharpen this critical skill (c) Green Star Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Click here to read the full disclaimer. To subscribe to Basketball Coach Weekly please contact Duncan Heard at Green Star Media Ltd, Meadow View, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Guildford GU5 0AB, UK. You can contact Duncan via Skype at basketballcoachweekly or via at duncanh@ basketballcoachweekly.com QUICK HITTER School either has just started or is about to start just after Labor Day. Give your players an extra homework assignment. Request now from them what their team and individual goals are leading up to your season. With summer leagues and offseason skill work fresh in their minds, and the symbolic start Request Goals Now of a new year as classes begin, players most likely are eager to share their thoughts, ideas and aspirations rather than a month from now. Ask for these goals in some sort of written form on a paper, in an , in a Word doc just have something concrete to refer to when your season begins. You don t want there to be any miscommunication. And, ask for them to take their time on this project. You want real thought delivered. At the same time, if you provide them too long a window to submit it, you lose some of the newschool-year luster. Give them a week. Get the goals in writing. Get your preparation going. Issue 101 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY 2

Full-Court Finishers Scoring at the rim after sprinting the length of the court takes concentration and focus Score In The Open Floor Talking about being an up-tempo team isn t going to cut it

3 Full-Court Finishers Scoring at the rim after sprinting the length of the court takes concentration and focus Score In The Open Floor Talking about being an up-tempo team isn t going to cut it install drills pushing players to the brink while requiring them to convert on the move We want to be more up-tempo. We re going to push the ball more. We want to play fast. Words & Drills by: Michael Austin I hear this all the time from coaches. And, most coaches do dedicate themselves and their teams to playing faster in a full-court setting. They devise drills in which they push the ball on every miss. They show players where to be on a 3-on-2 or a 2-on-1 break. They spend ample time working on floor spacing, as well as the effort needed to race past a scrambling defense. One area where teams still need more work is finishing in the open floor. Everyone is working on running, passing, moving and spacing but sometimes the finishing isn t stressed enough. And, when players are sprinting the floor and attempting to score at the rim while on the move (and possibly tired), fundamentals and concentration must be stressed. Sure, scoring a layup seems easy but you hate to go through all the struggles and exertion to get into a position to net two points only to have your player blow the easy bucket or travel en route to the goal. So, while today s two drills seem fundamental and basic on the surface, they play a critical role in your squad s success. We have all the stats in the world to supplement and complement our coaching philosophies, but it simply boils down to who scores more points than the other team. You don t want to leave points at the rim after creating the layup chance. The first drill involves a player at midcourt taking a dribble or two and firing a pass to a player streaking toward the hoop. The receiver catches, doesn t dribble and scores in rhythm. Then, the passer sprints to the opposite end to receive a pass from the opposite-line s next player. The pattern continues for as long as you like. The drill on the following page utilizes quick passing to matriculate the ball down the court as the original passer sprints the length of the floor and receives a pass to score the layup. The player then passes the ball to the opposite wing and completes the same actions heading back toward the original end. By the time the player completes the second layup, he/she is exhausted (if doing the drill properly) and focus on scoring becomes critical. These are the reps must complete to excel on game day. Issue 101 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY 3

Full-Court Finishers Fire A Pass, Then Finish This fast-paced, up-tempo drill utilizes both ends of the court to get players moving quickly to receive long passes in stride for strong layups WHY USE

4 Full-Court Finishers Fire A Pass, Then Finish This fast-paced, up-tempo drill utilizes both ends of the court to get players moving quickly to receive long passes in stride for strong layups WHY USE IT Players love thinking they want to play up-tempo basketball until the real work arrives. This drill pushes them to hustle and see the effort needed to score in an open-court, transition setting. SET UP Divide players into two groups they are positioned at opposite sides of mid-court. There is only one player who doesn t have a ball the first player in the white-jersey line. HOW TO PLAY The player without the ball races to the left basket. The first player in line on the opposite side takes a dribble or two, then fires the pass ahead to hit the cutter in stride [1]. After making the pass, the player then races to the opposite side of the floor. As this is happening, the first white-jersey player with a ball takes a dribble or two toward the right goal and fires a pass to the cutter in stride. [2]. The cutter shoots the layup. The actions continue with the passer racing to the opposite side of the floor in anticipation of a pass [3]. TECHNIQUE After shooting the layup, the player grabs the ball out of the hoop and races to the back of the original line. To add another layer of difficulty to the drill for experienced players, have a coach standing near the hoop with a pad. The coach gives the player a little contact on the layup attempt. 1The only player without a ball begins the drill by sprinting to the left-side hoop and is ready to catch the ball in stride 3No dribble is necessary to score the layup when this drill is done properly as the pass hits the receiver in the hands a step or two from the hoop 5Make the layup, grab the ball out of the net, get off the court in a hurry and sprint to the back of the original line 2Only allow one or two dribbles before passing as you want this to be a fast-paced drill 4After making the pass, sprint to the opposite end to meet the pass coming from the opposite-side teammate Player movement Ball movement Dribble Shot Issue 101 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY 4

5 Full-Court Finishers Sprint To Score In Full Court Expect players to be winded when they come off the floor if they properly execute the actions of this drill it s not for the faint of heart WHY USE IT Sprinting to score in back-toback full-court sprints forces players to focus on finishing when winded. 1Start by throwing the ball off the backboard, grabbing the rebound and passing, or simply throwing an outlet pass SET UP Place a player or a coach at each of the four hashmarks. A line of players with basketballs is located on the right baseline. HOW TO PLAY The first player in line either throws the ball off the backboard and gathers the rebound, or simply starts by throwing an outlet pass to the person at the near right hashmark. After making the pass, the player sprints the length of the court. The ball then moves from the near-side hashmark to the one further up the floor. Then, that player passes to the sprinter in stride [1]. The player makes the layup, grabs the ball and sprints back toward the original line. The ball is passed up the court and, again, a final pass is made to the sprinter in stride. After the first layup, the next player in line starts his/her same movements [2]. Both players make layups at opposite ends [3]. TECHNIQUE The passers don t wait for the sprinter. They quickly pass the ball up the floor. The sprinter must run hard to catch the ball in stride and shoot the layup without the aid of the dribble. Watch players shooting form on the second layup as they now are exhausted but must concentrate to finish the drill. 2Catch the ball, do not take a dribble and score a strong layup at the rim, then grab the ball out of the net and outlet to the player/coach at the opposite hashmark 4Again, this player hustles and is in perfect position for a layup at the far end if he/she doesn t move quickly, the ball ends up thrown away 3Once the player at the opposite ends receives the pass for the layup, the next person in line starts the same movements 5Concentrate on scoring the layup at this end as players are tired by this point, which affects their shooting form Player movement Ball movement Dribble Shot Issue 101 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY 5

6 Closeout Drill 22 Box Develops Better Defenders Keep players engaged by using this drill as another way to illustrate to defenders about the importance of closing out WHY USE IT Closeouts are critical to a defense s success, so you need a variety of methods to drills this skill in practice so players don t become bored with the same repetitions over and over. SET UP Four players start in a box formation with two located just outside the lane lines on the baseline with the other two extended outside the 3-point line in alignment with the two baseline players. HOW TO PLAY 1 passes to 2, then closes out on 3 with hands high and short, choppy, controlled steps. 2 passes to 3. Ideally, 1 is on 3 in time to disrupt the next pass [1]. On the pass to 3, 2 then closes out in the same way on 4. 3 passes across the top of the set to 4 [2]. Now, the drill is live. Players compete 2-on-2. The offense is not allowed any screens or post-ups. And, the offensive players must keep a spacing of about 15 feet as they try to score [3]. TECHNIQUE The offense tries to score under the previously mentioned parameters. The defense looks to get a stop. Give a point for a made basket or a stop by the defense. After each possession have players switch roles. Closely watch your players who are closing out and ensure they are using the proper method this cannot be a lazy set of movements. Play to a predetermined score. 1On the catch, 2 immediately passes to 3, forcing 1 to close out quickly do not allow this to be a slow pass 3After the pass to 3, 2 immediately uses close-out steps to guard 4 on the catch By Troy Culley, apprentice coach, England U18 national team 2Make the initial pass to 2, then use close-out steps (hands high, choppy) in racing to the perimeter to cover 3 4Once 4 catches the ball, the drill goes live with the pairs competing 2-on-2 until the offense scores or the defense gets a stop 5When the drill is live, the offense isn t allow to screen or post-up, and the player need to keep about 15 feet of space between them Player movement Ball movement Dribble Shot Issue 101 BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY 6

BASKETBALL COACH. Rim Runner. Rips Opposition WEEKLY. Passing, Demand Hustle, Determination. Today s Players Not Just On- Why 39:51 Attentive Players

BASKETBALL COACH. Rim Runner. Rips Opposition WEEKLY. Passing, Demand Hustle, Determination. Today s Players Not Just On- Why 39:51 Attentive Players Start Practice With 4 Corners Passing Drill BASKETBALL COACH WEEKLY Learn Train Develop Enjoy November 6, 014 Issue 59 $5.99 Rim Runner Rips Opposition Demand Hustle, Determination Drill Accurate Passing,