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Communication During a game, the coach ́s behaviour can decisively influence the players’ performance, either positively or negatively. How should they behave so that their players do their best and make the game a beneficial experience? Below are some suggestions for differentiating between active periods (when the game is playing)…

…the players’ behaviour. Also, right before a game, the coach should keep in mind that the players tend to be nervous, and that under these conditions their attentional capacity is quite reduced. Accordingly, the coach must avoid trying to transmit too much information or very complex information. Pre-game goals should…

…much wider application in the lives of a player than simply their playing basketball. Commitment Coaches should be clear on the commitment they require from players and hold athletes accountable for fulfilling this commitment to the team. Making a commitment requires that sometimes the player will have to give up…

…previous game; Provide a short written report (which can be written in the style of a newspaper article) after each game. Parents who may be unable to watch a game will particularly appreciate this and it allows the coach to focus on the transfer of skills from practice to training….

…players or coaches instinctively have a better “feel” for the game than others, however anyone can develop their understanding of the game. Watching games and discussing them with other coaches or players is the best way to develop an understanding of the game. Unfortunately, TV coverage of games tends to…

Talk as little as possible The coach should introduce themselves at the start of the game, wish them all the best and then say thank you at the end of the game. Particularly when coaching juniors, this may be the extent of communication with officials. Yelling is a Distraction There…

…assist, there are no points scored and players may be discouraged from repeating the behaviour. Coaches can use the “points game” during games by having an assistant coach keeping track and then providing feedback at time-outs. Using Penalties A coach working with young players should predominantly use rewards, but the…

The coach should introduce themselves to the officials (referees and scoretable) before the game (if there is time) and should thank the officials after the game. That should be the extent of the interaction with the referees when coaching young teams. The coach should focus on their players, not the…

…or a game. The video can focus quite closely on the coach, which will give good information to evaluate the coach’s communication style and, in particular, unconscious communication such as their body language. Another technique can be for the coach to keep a journal or diary, where they record on…

…children. Having an objective, constructive and positive attitude is particularly important. Objective, because they should objectively assess what their players can do (before the game), what they are doing (during the game) and what they have done (after the game). Constructive, because whatever happens during the game, coaches should use…

Interacting with Referees In most games there is little reason for the coach to interact with the referees. If the coach spends all game complaining to the referees and querying calls, they should not be surprised if their players also focus on referee calls – players (and parents) will mimic…

…“give and go”. The player passing the ball, then cuts to the basket looking to receive a pass back. “The Puzzle Game” In the earlier examples, individual players moved but there was little cohesion between players. The Puzzle Game is a simple passing activity that can be used to help…

…age, games are an excellent test of the effectiveness of the work done during practice sessions. With this in mind, it is necessary to consider the following steps: before each game, coaches should establish the collective and/or individual performance goals that they consider most important for that game, taking into…

…what the team has been doing in practice and the coach should not introduce something in the game that has not been done in practice. The coach should also resist any temptation to set up a play for a particular situation in the game (e.g. last shot of the game)….

…dynamic game and players must quickly be introduced to passing while on the move and passing to a team mate that is moving. Players can quickly progress to “leading” for the ball, simply by having them run towards the player that will pass the ball to them. This is a…

What is fitness for basketball? Fitness is a generic term that simply means the ability of a person to complete a particular task. In the case of basketball players, this means the ability to perform in the final quarter of a game at, or near, the same level they performed…

Setting Goals The coach needs to identify two or three key goals for each training session. These should relate to the overall goals for the season and may also be linked either to the previous game or the next game. Linking them to a game helps define how and when…

…is important to keep in mind that the players should be rested before a game. So, training sessions in the day or two before a game should have a lighter physical workload. Similarly, training sessions for the day after a game should be relatively light. Most importantly, the balance between…

…complain to the coach that they are not winning games because they are not playing the “best” players all the time. The coach should explain (at the start of the season) that they will be making sure that all players get to play. Providing Feedback Particularly with young teams, games…

…second foot returns to a balanced stance. It is important that the step is to an angle, keeping the defender’s torso pointing at the offensive player. A common mistake that players make is that their first step goes behind them, which turns them sideways to the offensive player. Once the…

Pass the Ball Ahead To effectively run the fast break, players must develop a mentality of passing the ball ahead to a player that is open. They must also develop the ability to throw the pass and this can be challenging for young players. Rather than throw the pass…

…players Intense coach Strong emphasis on winning Driven and focused on what needs to be achieved Focused game plan Sets high expectations High anxiety often transmitted to players Often has “outcome” focused goals, but lacks detail of the “process” Easy-going coach Very casual May give impression of not taking game…

…it is not appropriate for this age group to spend training time on specific game preparation. For teams of 15-18-year-olds, learning, repetition, exposure to game conditions, and specific preparation for games should be adequately combined. Learning drills should generally be done early in the practice session (when the psychological load…

…points after training sessions; Prepare a short playbook that sets out key concepts and teaching points; Watch a game with your team and discuss with the team how your team’s rules would apply to situations in that game; Have one of your games or training sessions filmed and then watch…

…“games-based” approach the coaches also ask questions to stimulate the players to think about the game and to discover how and when to use the skills when playing that game and, more importantly, when playing the sport itself. For example, the coach may ask: What do you have to do…