Coach Shane Dreiling Breaking Down Leadership By Shane Dreiling, Head Coach Word of Life Prep, Founder TeamArete.com What is leadership? My definition is quite simple; "Leadership is the act of empowering and communicating a shared vision while serving others through personal integrity and character." Below, I've included some general thoughts on the subject which I hope cause you to reflect your own unique leadership skills. A. Related Thoughts a. An effective leader must be able to positively influence human behavior. b. There is a difference between a leader and a manager. Managers assess tasks and develop strategies to accomplish those tasks while focused on day-to-day operations. c. Leaders are more visionary and interpret the environment to chart the future. B. Leadership Perspectives a. The world's most effective leaders tend to share many of the same traits. What works for some, works for many. b. Shared traits include commitment, focus, passion, advanced communication and listening skills, and self-discipline. c. Effective leaders have strong characteristics that set them apart from others. d. Those who seek self-improvement can always further develop these characteristics by learning from other effective leaders. e. They define roles but allow for "thinking outside the box" opportunities. f. They are task oriented and try to avoid a boss centered environment. g. Leaders are quick to delegate over "telling." h. Two under appreciated traits that many of the best leaders possess are servanthood and note taking. Strong leaders realize that to gain faithful followers, you must put people first. After all, you can't lead if no one is following. i. Effective leadership starts at the top but is nurtured at the bottom of the ladder. C. Effectiveness of Tasks a. Dependent on the relationship between leader and followers, organization and vision of the leader, and the respect the leader garners. D. Leadership Qualities: Communication Characteristics a. Well-informed b. Provide direction and structure to the group. c. Are articulate and have a knack for getting others to buy into their vision. d. Adaptable to an ever-changing environment and group needs. e. Encourage positive interaction by establishing a democratic style. Man Defense Thoughts from Larry Brown 1. When a team runs a 1-4 flat along the baseline at the end of a quarter, half, or game I like switching into a 1-2-2 zone. 2. Get your team in great shape with defensive drills. Put your defense in early as a coach. Let the defense be ahead of the offense. It takes five players playing together to be a great defensive team. They will develop pride in working hard together. This will carry over to offense. Develop chemistry with team defense. 3. If a coach puts his offense in before his defense, the defense plays the play. 4. As a defender, always know who's beside you and who's behind you. 5. When you switch on defense take something away, deny. 6. I never remember losing a game because of constant backdoors or lobs by the opponent. That's why I want to make offensive players "drivers" by pressuring the ball. And, off the ball, I
want to take away passes by denying. 7. You can't pressure the ball on the perimeter and then allow it to be easily passed to the post. Front the post when you pressure the ball. 8. As a college coach I spent 30 minutes per practice on guarding the dribble. 9. On defense I love to deny one pass away. Don't let the offense change sides with the ball. 10. Why would the defense double team in a late clock situation? You will give up a shot unnecessarily. 11. Work on "shell defense" everyday. Don't get caught up in the offense's alignment, mix it up. 12. 4 on 4 and 3 on 3 defensive drills put more stress on the defensive players, assignments. 13. As a College coach, I wanted to become a great defensive team and an equally great rebounding team. I'll take my chances if we are stopping people defensively. 14. Teach full court shell before half court shell. 15. If you front the post, you also must have great ball pressure. 16. In preparation for the Olympics, during the recent qualifying tournament in South America, the defensive emphasis on the ball was "no middle". 17. When you come to help, stop the man, not the ball. Run to his outside shoulder. 18. Little guys should always front the post all the way out with no boundaries. 19. When defending elbow ballscreens, no hedge is needed. 20. Versus a sideline ballscreen go over the screener and under the hedger. You must have a hard hedge to accomplish this. Competition Lessons By Steve Witty (Executive Director of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association) - The most athletically talented teams are not always the most successful. The teams that work the hardest, play fundamentally well within the team concept more often than not are most successful. - Consistently successful programs play the toughest schedules they can. You only get better versus good competition. - Spectacular play attracts attention but fundamentally spectacular play, making the extra pass for the better shot, blocking out, following your shot, etc. wins championships. Pay attention to fundamental details. It's the little things that make the big things happen. - Wins and losses, which team scores the most points, is not the only way to determine success. If a team gives its best effort and at the end of the game they have fewer points than their opponent, the team with the fewer points didn't lose, they just ran out of time. - On successful teams there is no such thing as an MVP. Every one on the team is valuable because they must perform their role to the best of their ability in order for the team to be at their best. - The practices all week are the classroom. The games on Friday and Saturday night are the tests to see how well the lessons were learned in practice. If you haven't worked it out in practice, don't expect to see it happen in the game. - Beware of roller coaster basketball. Roller coaster basketball is when teams play really hard versus the good teams then they compete just well enough to win against the weaker teams. This mentality will never win championships consistently. If a team's goal is to play to their potential and not to the level of their competition, roller coaster basketball is not an issue. - With recognition comes responsibility. The more success a team experiences and the more recognition a team receives the bigger target they become. Every opponent will raise their level of play when they meet to compete. The successful team players must accept the responsibility to be mentally prepared to take everyone's best shot, game in and game out. - It's an interesting phenomenon. Teams and players seem to learn more from their losses than their wins. Why does it take a loss to learn a lesson? Why does it take a loss to get a team's attention? - Beware of games of vengeance. Revenge is a dangerous emotion. When a team loses to a team they know they will face later in the season, a team should never use revenge as motivation. Instead from the first loss to the next game, challenge the team to see which team has improved the most since the last meeting. Successful teams never play to get even; they play
to get better. - Beware of the big game mentality. When a team is focused on the goal of becoming the best team they can be, every game regardless of the opponent is a big game because it's an opportunity to get better. - Beware of the disease of me. Team success leads to individual recognition. Sometimes superstars can get caught up in their own self-importance. Basketball is a team game. Everyone has a role to perform. No superstar including Michael Jordan ever won a championship without his teammates performing their roles to the best of their ability. - Beware of becoming a victim of your own success. Sometimes consistently successful teams become satisfied and forget or take for granted all the hard work and sacrifices they had to make to attain that success. - In the World of Basketball competition, individual recognition comes about as a result of team success. - Dealing with adversity or failure in the heat of a competitive battle is always a challenge. Successful team players, when things are not going well, don't complain and don't point fingers; they work just that much harder to find a way to get it done. Successful team players make positives out of negatives and believe that whatever the adversity, that some how, someway, somebody will make up for it. - Truly confident players and teams never feel pressure, they only see challenges. - In this completive world we live in, the quickest way to get things you want is to help everyone else get what they want. MAXIM: IF YOU DO IT IN PRACTICE, YOU LL DO IT IN THE GAME! The following: Small (Practice) Details (Habits) That Make A Big Difference, were designed by the legendary Coach Matt Masiero, Director, Five-Star Women s Basketball Camp. Turnover 1. Lack of Hustle: At the start of each drill, in-between drills and during breaks. Steal 1. Hustling: Time is crucial! Although it may seem so, practice doesn t last that long and time should not be wasted. Get there and get to work! Example: During practice there are too many aspects to cover and time cannot be wasted in between or on one drill. Turnover 2. Non-Game Condition Pre & Post Practice: Certain shots taken or dribbling around during pre-practice, between drills and/or after practice that waste time and do not improve your game. Not working on your weaknesses.
Steal 2. Game Condition Pre & Post Practice: Again, time is crucial, so make use of pre- and post practice time to improve your shooting & dribbling from different areas of the floor. In between drills put the ball down and get to where is needed for the next drill. Work on your weaknesses. Example: Taking half-court shots or dribbling between the legs in one area is not a game like condition; focus the time to work on the weak areas of shooting and game conditioning dribbling. Turnover 3. Wasted Drills Offensive & Defensive: Because the drill is either offensive or defensive in nature, the offense and/or defense tends to go through the motions, especially when it is a 5-0 drill. Steal 3. Productive Offensive & Defensive Practice: This is extra time and the perfect opportunity to work on the both the offensive/defensive ends of the floor. Make the offense/defense work harder and improve. Example: Develop the disposition of creativity & visualization. Practice the team s offensive & defensive philosophy when involved in drills of the opposite intent. When 5-0 practice hard and pretend the offense or defense is present. Turnover 4. Blending Skills In Drills: Only working on one skill for that specific drill. Steal 4. Many Skills In All Drills: There are various skills that can be worked on and pre-exist in the drills, they just need more attention. Example: Develop the attitude and disposition of flexibility. When a drill is primarily designed to improve shooting, remember that chances are rebound must be taken down and a pass must be made in order for the next player to shoot. Work on all three phases of the game. Turnover 5. Lack of Attention/Focus: Not listening or focusing on what is being taught during drills or when reviewing an opponents scouting report.
Steal 5. Familiarity with All Positions: Learn all positions on the floor, all aspects of the drill and the opponent s tendencies. Example: Keep eye contact on the coach and what is happening during drills at all times. Make sure to be familiar with what your opponent is going to do. If possible, sub in for teammates of a different position. Turnover 6. Talking & Listening: There is a time when to ask questions and a time to be quiet and listen. Steal 6. Timing: During the explanation of drills strategically pick the opportune time to ask questions. Example: Do not talk while on the sideline/baseline during a drill. Develop an openmind to what the coach is saying even though you may not initially agree. Once the coach is finished explaining, then it is the opportune to ask questions. Turnover 7. Passing & Catching: Making a poor pass a good catch. Steal 7. Catching & Passing: Step to receive all passes and catch them all 2 handed by moving the body in position. Make crisp 1 & 2 handed passes with your outside hand and away from the defense. Example: Do not try to catch passes 1 handed by trying to slap the ball. Do not standstill waiting to receive a pass. Remember a steal or pick-off is catching someone s bad pass. Lastly, do not always pass 2 handed and across the body where the defender could be. Turnover 8. Lack of Concentration Shots: Missing open shots close to the basket when no there is no defender. Steal 8. Concentration Shots: Focus on making the easy, open shots in all drills, especially with no defenders.
Example: When involved in drills such as the 5-man weave, focus on finishing lay-ups. Turnover 9. Making Excuses & Being A Spectator: Taking the easy way out of responsibility and watching the game take place. Steal 9. Being Responsible & A Participator: Don t tell the sea is rough, just bring the ship in. Don t think someone else with do it. Be the one who steps up and initiates the action. Example: When coach needs a player for any drill, be the one that steps up and initiates the drill. Turnover 10. No I In Team: Supposedly there is no (I) individual within the team. Steal 10. I Within Team: True, that no individual is greater than the team, but the sum of each individual player can be greater than the team as a whole. Example: If each individual is accountable, takes the responsibility of developing their game and makes a contribution, then the team will be much stronger, as opposed to letting teammates do the job. Turnover 11. Logical/Predictable Passing & Catching: Player s tend to throw passes that are logical and predictable. They also tend to catch passes facing the direction the ball came from. Steal 11. Illogical/Unpredictable Passing & Catching: Make passes that the defense can t anticipate. Pass to away from the next area anticipated. Catch the ball and be facing the basket, so the defense doesn t know what the next move is. Example: When the ball is passed from the wing most players have a tendency to catch looking at the passer. They should catch facing the basket in triple-threat (basketball) position. This forces the defense to have to defend three possibilities as opposed to one.
Turnover 12. Non-Basketball Positioning: Player s always stand flat footed and straight up. Steal 12. Basketball Positioning: Be bent down and always on the balls of the feet. Be on the move. Example: When defending, shooting, passing, catching, dribbling and/or rebounding being a slightly bent position allows for easy movement. Standing straight up only wastes time because in order to move you must bend down. Turnover 13. Perimeter/Post Dominate: Team s and player s tend to favor one area of the floor. Steal 13. Perimeter/Post Equality: Distribute the ball to both areas of the floors equally. Balance the offense. Example: When passing around the perimeter make a rule that every 3 rd pass should touch a post player s hands. If passing high to low post make sure a pass reaches the perimeter every few passes. Turnover 14. Blindness: Player s who don t use the backboard when shooting at an angle and around the basket. Steal 14. Corrected 20/20 Vision: Make use of the backboard when shooting at an angle and around the basket. Example: Get in the habit of using the backboard to help improve shooting % and finishing the shot. Turnover 15. Succumbing To Screens: Allowing a screen to be set. Steal 15. No Screens: Don t allow the screen to be set and give up once it is. Example: When playing defense try and not allow the offense to set a screen. If they do, execute your team s philosophy and don t fight through chest-chest: giving up once contact is made.
Turnover 16. Letting Mistakes Dominate: Giving up on the play after a mistake is made. Steal 16. Dominating Mistakes: Develop the attitude of risk taking towards mistakes. Don t give up because of a brief failure. Example: When a bad pass is thrown and the opponent steals the ball, get back on defense instead of sulking about it. Turnover 17. Tangibles: Anybody can shoot, dribble and pass. Steal 17. Intangible: Do the small things that make a big difference on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Turnover 18. Poor Shot, Pass & Dribble Selection: Using poor judgment and forcing shots, passes and dribbling. Steal 18. Smart Shot, Pass & Dribble Selection: Knowing the location, game situation and what is going on during the game is crucial. Example: If the team is up 5 with: 10 left in the game, there is no need to shoot a 3 pointshot, pass to a teammate that is double teamed or dribble thru traffic to the basket. Turnover 19. 1-2-3-4-5 Numbering Player s System: Player s have become used to what number they are labeled, that they try to develop their game according to it. Steal 19. Just Being A Basketball Player: Develop a game that is conducive to all positions on the floor. Practice drills/skills that with help improve the total game. Example: If you only practice shooting from the perimeter because of the 2 label, then you will be hard pressed to drive to the basket, post up if necessary or run the team. Turnover 20. Poor Stretching: Just going thru the motions when warming-up and stretching.
Steal 20. Smart Stretching: Go thru the whole routine before & after workouts. Example: Don t just do 1 stretch for a short period of time. Do a few different stretches, 3 X s for each body part and use a: 10 count as a standard.