Coach Dad 🏀

Stop coaching basketball like it's a dance recital. In @BBallImmersion's recent podcast, he broke down why focusing on "macro" skills is WAY more important for young players. A must read 🧵 for coaching juniors:

@bballbreakdown AFL had a couple of gruesome leg injuries which were the catalyst. Maybe this will be the same

@HoopsCoachDad wow - and that's good to hear. My solace is that this time around, the amount of people pushing back is dwindling

You may have seen me advocating for less diving for loose balls. One reason is possessing the ball while on floor is worst position you can be in (best players stay on their feet as much as possible) but reckless diving like this can end another player's career. And I'm sure there are coaches out there that would applaud the "effort" and I implore them to take a breath and find more optimal ways to coach their players to be aggressive while not risking injury to themselves or others.

@eco_hoops @kidsneedplayorg Nice post Adrian. Definitely a better approach out there than 'tough love'

Here's a new blog from @kidsneedplayorg about the harms of believing in "Tough Love" kidsneedplay.org/blog/why-tough…

Interesting discussion. Agree that a quiet coach is confident, but a loud coach can also be seizing the chance for teachable moments and reminders pending age/experience

Shooting with absolute clarity - I know I'm going to shoot when I catch - is what practice shooting often is. But the hesitation/confusion that is caused by "should I shoot this?" can affect a player's shot so dramatically (especially in youth) that it needs to be incorporated into the practice of shooting as much as possible

If a drill’s only option is to shoot, there is no decision making (choice). There is perception (alter technique to avoid defender’s contest), but players learn to perceive the wrong cues or perceive cues incorrectly (shoot contested shots vs attacking closeouts).

@BBallImmersion Was great to listen to someone using a conceptual offence at a high level. Enjoyable listen and I'm looking forward to breaking this episode down.

“When you practice at a pace, it could seem chaotic at first, but there has to be structure within that chaos. And probably the biggest thing you’re going to teach your players is to just make the simple play.” - Grant Leonard, Queen's Basketball basketballimmersion.com/the-basketball…

The ultimate "KPI" for a junior coach: Do your players like coming to training?

@DagsBasketball Big fan of this approach, well articulated. Will share this video in my newsletter.

THE BIGGEST THING TRAINERS GET WRONG… Everything is about ‘skill’ … skill only takes you so far in a game. You need to do the little things that will allow you to impact the game. Rebound, sprint the floor, guard on D, get deflections, etc. Those things need to be emphasized and taught in training sessions. Without them, it’s hard for players to find the floor!!

@Coaching_U @OhioStateHoops @JakeDiebler Interesting choice of name. Can it really be a "perfect" closeout drill if the defender knows the player/coach with the ball is never going to try and drive?

🏀 @OhioStateHoops head coach @JakeDiebler demonstrates the Perfect Closeout Drill, focusing on defensive closeouts, positioning, and communication. Any mistake resets the drill, reinforcing accountability while teaching defensive fundamentals.

@transformbball @CoachLJefferson @Coach_Twigg95 Look forward to watching this one!

Our latest YouTube is out! Behind the scenes from our Super Clinic weekend with the Norwegian Basketball Federation. @CoachLJefferson @Coach_Twigg95

@HoopsCoachDad 😎😍synopsis of these topics 🙏

Something that doesn't get talked about a whole lot for a coach. Document as much as you can. It might not seem much when you start out, but don't underestimate the value of a growing library of games, drills, ideas and concepts. You'll never know what you wish you wrote down.

@BballCoachMac Some of your players might go on to play basketball professionally, but ALL of your players will go on to play life.

Coaches: Your program must teach your players more than basketball. It must teach them life skills.

@CoachJonBeck This should be at the forefront of every junior coach's mind. Praise what you want to see, don't criticise what you don't. Will share in my newsletter. Cheers.

Kids give up on sports when it’s no longer fun. When parents & coaches pressure kids to over-perform, they want to quit playing. You can encourage & support, but don’t constantly make a kid feel criticized or undervalued. There are so many ways to teach while also keeping it fun!

@BBallImmersion I love the mixing on this one. Great for retention but also enjoyment. Will share in my newsletter.

A common question is how to teach pivoting within a game based philosophy: ⤵️ Create a pivoting constraint before live player (video example) 🖱️ Incorporate traditional pivoting drills with finishing drills (mixing increases retrieval practice leading to retention) youtu.be/fFYTG5f5wX8?si… 🖱️ Incorporate into SSG youtube.com/watch?v=7XttyI…

The best junior coaches I've worked with are amazingly empathetic with their players, yet have a thick skin when dealing with everyone else. The sooner you get ok with people having their own opinions of what you do, the better you'll be.

It's a cliche, but it's true. If you stand for everything, you stand for nothing. It's especially true when working with juniors. Choose your principles of play, be ultra clear and reinforce them constantly.

@DagsBasketball "I wanted to get better, I didn't know how". Be a lot of 12yos like this! Love the approach.

OUR JOB IS TO TEACH KIDS ABOUT WORK ETHIC!! How do we do that? By setting the standard and expectation in our gym about the level of focus/work/communication. Players will raise to that level, or they won’t and we’ll have to keep pushing them. We set that standard and expectation with our words, but more importantly with our actions!!

@brianmccormick I like this one. Understand the context around 1 pair at a time, but obviously would work well with multiple stations as suggested by @CoachFrick. Will share it in my newsletter.

Morning workout fun. Skill development. Dribble Knockout 1v1: Winner on offense; loser on defense.

This is just one concept from Chris' excellent podcast: The Art of Coaching: Chris Oliver's Decade of Game-Based Coaching and Player-Centric Methods Watch it on Youtube below: youtube.com/watch?v=6Hsls5…

Here's a challenge: Next practice, focus on ONE macro skill, like spacing. Design drills around it. Ask questions. Observe how players react. You might be surprised by how quickly they pick things up.

Imagine two players. One has flawless form but no game sense. The other understands spacing and decision-making but their technique is still developing. Who's going to be more successful in a game?