*Create an atmosphere in practice that players like to come and improve – positive atmosphere.
*The best teams have the best player working the hardest and the best worker in practice.
*Be consistent everyday regardless of the game outcome – consistent leadership.
*Players are products of expectations.
*What is important to you as a coach will become important to your team.
*Team Building ideas – complete the sentence “I am”, assign book reports, communication circle.
*Team must be invested – player helps with scouting a team, in charge of giving a new set to the rest of the team, change the defense.
*Must hate losing – painful to lose in practice – make drills competitive with either a score or the clock.
*Passionate is a key for learning.
*Teach in the sandwich method – positive-negative-positive
*Ask players “Do I have to coach every play?”
*Don’t worry about the mistakes – just the attitude after the mistakes.
*Teach in sound bites not paragraphs.
*The worst defensive team can guard the strongside so ball must move from strong to weakside.
*Key word for players to remember is AWARENESS.
* Must decide on some non-negotiables in your offensive and defensive philosophy – do not let ball get dribbled to the lane, no baseline drive to the basket, no second shots, always take two dribbles off the ball screens are some non negotiables. Limit to only one or two non negotiables offensively and defensively so players can concentrate on these.
* Play hard, Play Smart, Play Together is an emphasis.
*Play hard can be measured in 5 methods – charges – take at least 2 per game; get the majority of the 50/50 balls; have at least double figures in deflections; shoot more free throws than opponent; get more offensive and defensive rebounds than opponent.