Chapters
- 2.1.1 Planning Practice - Introduction
- 2.1.2 Planning Practice - Setting goals
- 2.1.3 Planning Practice - Stages of a practice session
- 2.1.4 Planning Practice - Planning appropriate activities
- 2.1.5 Planning Practice - Duration of activities
- 2.1.6 Planning Practice - Using stations and group work
- 2.1.7 Planning Practice-Managing Physical and Psychological Load
- 2.1.8 Planning Practice-adding complexity
- 2.1.9 Review-Reflecting on practice
- 2.1.10 Creating a Positive Environment
- 2.1.11 Providing a Safe Environment
- Follow Up
- 2.3.1 Communicating with Athletes - Listen More, Speak Less
- 2.3.2 “Coaching on the Run” Technique
- 2.3.3 Providing Feedback
- 2.3.4 Changing behaviour with feedback
- 2.3.5 Conducting the Session - Organizing Players into Groups
- 2.3.6 Conducting the Session - Introduce the Activity
- 2.3.7 Conducting the Session - Observe and Give Feedback
- 2.3.8 Adaptive Coaching - Changing Activities to be more effective
- 2.3.9 Adaptive Coaching - Coaching Athletes of Varying Abilities
- 2.3.10 Adaptive Coaching - Including Athletes with a Disability
- Follow Up
- 3.2.1 Productive and reproductive approaches to coaching
- 3.2.2 Different approaches according to age of athlete
- 3.2.3 LTAD - making fun a focus
- 3.2.4 Games-based approach to coaching
- 3.2.5 Differing coaching styles to coaching
- 3.2.6 Communication styles
- 3.2.7 Holistic development - “athlete-centred” approach
- 3.2.8 Holistic development - teaching non-basketball skills
- 3.2.9 Holistic development - developing mindset and resilience
- 3.2.10 Holistic development - developing self confidence
- 3.2.11 Holistic development - developing self control
- Follow Up
- 2.7.1 Basic shooting - introduction
- 2.7.2 Basic shooting - teaching lay-up footwork
- 2.7.3 Basic shooting - foundation for the shot - balanced stance
- 2.7.4 Basic shooting - grip on the ball
- 2.7.5 Basic shooting - "top of the shot" - releasing the ball
- 2.7.6 Basic shooting - shooting off the dribble
- 2.7.7 Basic shooting - jump shot
- Follow up
- 2.8.1 The Importance of the First Step
- 2.8.2 Getting post position
- 2.8.3 Drop step
- 2.8.4 Drop step - counter move
- 2.8.5 Basics of perimeter offence
- 2.8.6 Drive fake moves
- 2.8.7 Shot fake moves
- 2.8.8 Catch and shoot
- 2.8.9 Penetrating off the dribble
- 2.8.10 Activities to practice offence in low post
- 2.8.11 Activities to practice perimeter offence
- Follow-Up
- 1.1.1 Matching up - basic principle of man to man defence
- 1.1.2 Distance from opponent
- 1.1.3 Defending one pass away
- 1.1.4 Flat triangle position
- 1.1.5 Stance - denial or open
- 1.1.6 Moving on the pass
- 1.1.7 Help defence - split line defence
- 1.1.8 Help defence - help to defend dribble penetration
- 1.1.9 Help defence - helping the helper / defensive rotation
- 1.1.10 Defensive communication
- 1.1.11 Transition defence
- 1.1.12 Full court man to man defence
- Follow up
- 1.2.1 Defending off ball screens – “lock and trail”
- 1.2.2 Defending off ball screens – “under”
- 1.2.3 Defending off ball screens – “through”
- 1.2.4 Defending off ball screens – “switch”
- 1.2.5 Defending on ball screens – “under”
- 1.2.6 Defending on ball screens – “over”
- 1.2.7 Defending on ball screens – “through”
- 1.2.8 Defending off ball screens – “switch”
- 1.2.9 Defending on ball screens – “double”
- Follow up
- 2.1.1. Motion offence - 5 out - dribble entry - hand-off
- 2.1.2 Motion Offence - 5 Out - Replacing the Cutter
- 2.1.3 Motion Offence - 5 Out - Purposeful movement - timing and spacing
- 2.1.4 Motion Offence - 5 Out - Ball Reversal
- 2.1.5 Motion Offence - 5 Out - Dribble Penetration - Receivers’ Principles
- 2.1.6 Motion Offence - 5 Out - Dribble Entry
- 2.1.7 Introducing Screens - 5 Out - Pass and Screen Away
- 2.1.8 Scrimmage Activity
- 2.1.9 Allowing Creativity in Decision Making
- Follow up
- 2.2.1 Off Ball Screens - Role of Screener - Setting the Screen
- 2.2.2 Off Ball Screens - Basic Cuts of Screen - Straight Cut
- 2.2.3 Off Ball Screens - Basic Cuts of Screen - Curl Cut
- 2.2.4 Off Ball Screens - Basic Cuts of Screen - Back Cut
- 2.2.5 Off Ball Screens - Basic Cuts of Screen - Flare Cut
- 2.2.6 Off Ball Screens - Role of Screener – Pop or Roll
- 2.2.7 Off Ball Screens - Down screens
- 2.2.8 Off Ball Screens - Up screens
- 2.2.9 Off Ball Screens - Back screens
- 2.2.10 On Ball Screens - Dribbler Options
- Follow up
- 2.3.1 Basic Fast Break - Starting the Break
- 2.3.2 Basic Fast Break - Running Wide Lanes
- 2.3.3 Basic Fast Break - Pass the Ball Ahead
- 2.3.4 Basic Fast Break - 2v1 Fast Break
- 2.3.5 Basic Fast Break - 3v2 Fast Break
- 2.3.6 Basic Fast Break - Moving into Offence
- 2.3.7 Activities to Practice Fast Break Principles
- Follow up
Level 1
1.1.1 Being a Role Model
The most admired coach may not be the one who has the most wins. The most admired coach, and perhaps the coach who can make the biggest difference to a young player, is the one who:
- Nurtures athletes
- Understands athletes
- Sets clear boundaries as to what is acceptable
- Help athletes recognize right from wrong.
What kind of team am I going to coach?
It is very important that a coach takes the time to understand the team they are coaching, using the following questions as a guideline:
- Is it a mini-basketball team? A children’s team? Is it a team made up of promising young players? Is it a first-class elite team?
- What sort of organization does the team belong to? Is it a school team? A club team? What sort of school or club?
- How good are the players? How long have they been playing? What is their potential?
- Why are the players playing? For fun? To spend time with friends? To learn and get better at basketball?
The answer to each of these questions will help the coach to understand the context of the team. This will help the coach to avoid the kind of mistakes that can arise if the coach and players (or their parents) have different expectations for the team.
Once the coach understands the type of team they are coaching, it is important that they communicate their expectations to the team. In the context of coaching young children, this must also include communication with the parents.
“A leader’s most powerful ally is their own example”
coach John Wooden
A coach who is training young players has the responsibility of contributing to the players’ overall development both in sport and life in general – taking a holistic approach. The coach should not only be interested in short-term achievements.
Taking into account all of the above, coaches should decide upon general objectives for the team which reflect that particular team and those players and their particular motivations.
For example: a coach training a mini-basketball school team (ages 9-10) might want to consider the following:
- All players should have equal opportunity to participate in games.
- Some of the players may never have played before; some may have been playing for only a year and in general, the skill level of all players is likely to
be low. - Some players will have good basic movement skills (running, jumping etc.) while others will not and the level of fitness of players may vary widely.
- The coach’s main priority will be to contribute to the personal development of these children in developing a positive and sportsmanlike.
- Therefore, general aims that the coach may adopt could be that the children:
- enjoy themselves
- improve their physical development
- improve their physical development
- learn certain values (such as team work, respect for others, etc.)
- work on overall improvement of basketball fundamentals (dribbling, passing, etc.)
- see that success is measured by the improvement of skills (team and individual) and executing those skills in games.