I Get It, Coach!

About the Book

The drills in this book are intended to help your basketball program. Preparing your team to perform at game time is what practice is all about.  I have learned that training the team to respond to different situations and adversity during practice will make the team more adaptable and comfortable with the demands placed on them at game time.

I have used all the drills in this book during my own practices and they helped not only keep my team motivated during practice but also instilled confidence in their own skills so they were not afraid to push themselves at game time.  Confident players are more versatile at game time and can perform the plays that help win the game.

As a coach, hearing the words, “I get it, Coach!” is music to my ears.  When my players understand how to execute my plays, my drills or the methods I am working during practice it is the greatest feeling. 

One of the most effective ways to build confident players is to keep your players sharp in the area of fundamentals.  Providing a good base of technical skills will pay off at game time.  There is a right way and a wrong way to everything and as a coach it is our job to instruct our players how to do things the right way.  As a coach, having five fundamentally sound, confident players on the floor is a dream come true. There is no better feeling then coaching a skilled and motivated team to a win.

The drills in this book will help you build your team’s confidence by practicing and building on their fundamental skills and most of all adding some variety will keep them motivated. 

About the Author

I love coaching.  It allows me to teach, mentor, compete and spend time in the gym which is one of my most favorite places.  As a coach I set goals for my team, I find ways to motivate the players, improve their skills and help them to be better people on and off the court.  I set the same sort of goals for myself.  I need to find ways to keep myself and my staff motivated, improve my coaching skills and be a better teacher and mentor. 

One way I find that helps me stay motivated is to study and participate in the practices of other coaches, especially great coaches.  I had the pleasure of watching and studying with Bob Weiss, and Bob Hill of the Seattle Supersonics and the hall-of-fame coach Bob Knight at Texas Tech University.  I had a good time and experience with the coaching staff at the Supersonics, I will continue to value the techniques I learned from them.  I had a marvelous time at Texas Tech with Bob Knight and his staff.  Mr. Bob Knight is a legend in College basketball and I was honored to be at his practices and experience his style and coaching first hand. 

When the individual members of your team begin to master the fundamental skills in this book, the entire team will recognize it, and they will develop pride and team spirit.  When a team reaches this level, we know that we are on our way to a successful season.

Use practice to build their image. Practice is not just about running drills and conditioning. If you can facilitate an atmosphere that not only allows players to develop themselves as good players and teammates but also builds their self-esteem, then you are really providing your players with something they can take out into the world. When you correct them, build them back up by mentioning qualities you know they admire in themselves. As a coach the worst thing that can happen is if a player looses his self-image on or off the court. 

Use the drills in this book as a coaching tool. The overall objective of this book is to provide coaches with drills to help them motivate their players, create a successful practice environment, and improve their players’ fundamental abilities.

I hope you have found the drills in this book helpful and easy to incorporate into your practice.  Good luck!