Baker’s Buzzer Beater Takes Down Kansas Wesleyan
When Baker University took on Kansas Wesleyan in basketball, it came down to the last second, literally. With two seconds remaining in regulation, a Kansas Wesleyan player tried to throw a deep pass to run out the clock, but Sam Kenney picked off the pass and launched a half-court buzzer-beater that won the game for Baker.
The Shot
Coaching a motion offense in youth basketball
I’ve had an opportunity to review Don Kelbick’s excellent book, How to Develop a High-Scoring Motion Offense. If you’re coaching a youth basketball team, I highly recommend that you check it out at BreakThroughBasketball.com.
I’m coaching a 6th grade girls team with most of the players returning from the 5th grade team that I coached. We introduced some of the principles of a motion offense from a 5-wide set to the players last year; and this year it’s our primary half-court offense focus.
As 5th graders, our team generated most of its points from aggressive defense; and players were usually able to score effectively. We had a few set plays, that in most cases worked very effectively. Our set plays usually only involved 2 – 3 players, with the other players scrambling to get into the best rebounding position. Against better defensive teams, our set plays proved to be less effective, especially after teams adjusted to seeing them the first time or two.
After reading Don Kelbick’s book, we’ve incorporated many of his principles into our offensive strategy and practice strategy this year. Here are a few things that I like about the motion offense approach compared to having a few quick hitter plays:
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More players are involved in the half-court offense. A motion offense, like the one that Kelbick suggests, involves all of the players. It’s a much more interesting game to watch when all of the players are involved, not just a couple. With all of the players getting more touches, you can see player improvement across the board.
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Less time is spent helping players understand where and when they should move in a patterned play. The educational equivalent of a patterned play is like learning vocabulary or times tables. There’s a reason they call it “drill and kill.” Teaching a motion offense is more like teaching someone how to write. It has some generally accepted rules, but it’s more open-ended. When players learn how to run a patterned play, they’ve learned how to follow directions. When players learn how to run a motion offense, they’ve learn how to play basketball.
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Skills learned from running a motion offense will more easily translate to players’ future teams. Principles learned from understanding a motion offense include: court spacing, give-and-go, cuts to the basket, setting picks and finishing drives. These are the types of skills that nearly all coaches like their players to have a good handle on.
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How you practice is how you play. Kelbick has done a fantastic job of providing practice suggestions to get players up to speed on the motion offense. By incorporating some of the fundamentals of motion offense right into your drills, players will pick up on the concepts quickly. You might find yourself eliminating traditional basketball drills like the 3-man weave, in favor of 3-on-3 drills with players practicing pass-and-break to the basket or pass and screen away. You’ll practice some of the concepts with no defense at all in order for players to understand the movements and build up to full, aggressive man-to-man defense against the offense.
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There are lots of variations on Kelbick’s motion offense. You can start from different sets, e.g. 5 wide, 4 out and 1 post or 3 out and 2 posts. In player huddles, you can switch the direction of the offense by changing a rule or two. For example, in the first quarter of a game, you might instruct your players to pass and break to the basket. In the second quarter, you might ask them to pass and screen away. If you have a player with a post advantage, one of the rules might be that the post player must touch every 3rd pass. There are lots of options as a team progresses with this offense. I think the key is to start slow and get players comfortable with some of the principles and slowly add new wrinkles.
It’s very early in our season, but results are encouraging. Granted our players are a year older, with increased size and strength, but we’re putting quite a few more points on the board and our scoring is more balanced. The quality of shots we’re getting is very high including many uncontested lay-ups. More importantly, the players are learning the right type of skills that will develop their games for future teams.
Don Kelbick’s ebook sells for $29.95. You can purchase it here: BreakThroughBasketball.com. It has everything from the overall philosophy, explanation of different sets and rules, step-by-step drills and practice suggestions. My own take is that the principles probably work best for 5th grade and above teams.
Lastly, one of my favorite things about Kelbick’s motion offensive philosophy: how quickly you can implement it (at least at a basic level). To truly learn all of the sets and variations would take a team some time, but to understand the core principles and some simple rules can be done in as little as 2 practices after you’ve read the book. Also, the book is a quick read with lots of diagrams explaining positions and drills. I read the book in one sitting, but find myself going back for more as the season progresses. You may too.
FREE: Youth Basketball Practice Plan
Below is an excerpt from Michael O’Halloran’s 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans. Each practice plan includes an agenda for a 10-minute, pre-court time meeting with players and a minute-by-minute breakout for a 90 minute practice.
When coaches come prepared with a practice plan, players learn more, coaches can focus on teaching in the moment vs. thinking what they’re going to do next, and the whole team benefits. Below is one sample practice plan.
Excerpted from 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans. Copyright © 2010 by Michael O’Halloran. Excerpted by permission of Publisher. All rights reserved.
Find out more about 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans.
“The Dream” Shows Dwight Howard How
Hakeem Olajuwon mentored Dwight Howard on his post moves this past summer — see video. Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and a two-time NBA Champion, was noted for his nifty footwork and post moves. His signature move was the “Dream Shake” and was next to impossible to defend.
The Dream Shows Dwight Howard How
Michael Jordan once said of Olajuwon, “If I had to pick a center [for an all-time best team], I would take Olajuwon. That leaves out Shaq, Patrick Ewing. It leaves out Wilt Chamberlain. It leaves out a lot of people. And the reason I would take Olajuwon is very simple: he is so versatile because of what he can give you from that position. It’s not just his scoring, not just his rebounding or not just his blocked shots. People don’t realize he was in the top seven in steals. He always made great decisions on the court. For all facets of the game, I have to give it to him.”
Read more about Olajuwon at NBA.com.
10 Common Mistakes Youth Basketball Coaches Make
To make the most of coaching your son’s or daughter’s basketball team this season, try to avoid these common errors.
1. Forcing your team to run killers. Running lines, killers, 30-second drills or whatever you want to call them is very old school. Getting your team in good cardio shape is a valid goal. However, with gym time being a precious commodity, make the most of it by having your kids work on ball skills instead of just running without the ball. If you want to run killers, have each player execute the drill while dribbling a ball. In addition to improving their conditioning, their ball-handling skills will also get better.
The Cable Guy warms up by running "Killers"
2. Spending too much time on intra-squad scrimmages. Many basketball skills are learned best by focused, repetitive practice. Breaking down complicated sequences into simpler parts makes it easier for young players to learn. Scrimmaging can an incredibly valuable tool for a team, buy it shouldn’t replace focused drills and activities to teach key elements of the game. Relying too much on scrimmaging is frequently the sign of an unprepared coach. Don’t be that type of coach.
3. Ending practices with conditioning drills. John Wooden was a believer in ending practices on a high note. Identify favorite drills, perhaps a shooting contest of some type, and end practices with that activity. Kids will end the practice wanting to come back for more.
4. Executing drills without enough instruction. A coaching role is primarily a teaching role. It’s not enough just to put players through a series of drills; you need to identify what players are doing well and what areas need additional instruction and help. Explain the drill, demonstrate the drill, have players execute it, observe their efforts, instruct, encourage and repeat as necessary.
5. Practicing too many set plays. Teach your players skills that they can take to future teams. Shooting form, cutting to the basket, pick-and-roll, how to rebound, and other fundamentals are the types of things coaches should focus on. Teaching young players how to execute too many, detailed set plays takes away a lot of time from the most important aspects of the game.
6. Losing sight of the big picture. Kids play basketball for lots of different reasons. Some want to develop their skills, some want to hang out with their friends, some want to stay in shape and some just want to have fun. “Winning” is way down the list for most kids. And yet, for many coaches, it seems to be the top priority. The focus for developmental basketball teams should be on player development, not on winning championships.
7. Placing too much emphasis on offense. When 2 competitive teams play, many times players will spend about equal time on the court playing offense and defense. Make sure defense is getting its proper due at your practices.
8. Practicing without a plan. By coming to each practice with a plan, you and your team will get so much more out of each practice. Plan each practice by breaking your court time out into 5 or 10 minute segments. A 90 minute practice might include: warm-up & dribbling drills, shooting exercises, defense skills, offensive sets, specialty situations (inbound plays, sidelines, etc.) and working on pressure (offensive and defense). If you’re looking for ideas on your youth basketball practice plans, check out 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans.
9. Being too strict. Kids, and adults, make their best contributions when they’re feeling confident. In addition to providing suggestions on how to improve aspects of your players’ games, look for situations when they’re doing things right, and let them know. Don’t just be a disciplinarian, be a coach!
10. Acting like coaches you see on ESPN’s Sport Center. Remember you’re coaching kids, not college or pro athletes. During games, don’t get caught up in critiquing referees performance; focus on your own players’ activities. Certainly, learn from the successful approaches of good coaches. But, be yourself in your approach to bringing out the best in your players.
Top Software Reviews gives The Well-Prepared Coach’s “Basketball Special” its highest recommendation
Top Software Reviews recently reviewed The Well-Prepared Coach’s “Basketball Special.” The Well-Prepared Coach’s “Basketball Special” includes 2 ebooks (30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans & Never Forget They’re Kids – Ideas for Coaching your Daughter’s 4th – 8th Grade Basketball Team), an award certificate maker and basketball coaching forms.
It received their “highest recommendation.” Here’s an excerpt from the review:
“Neatly organized with an overall season plan, and separate practice agendas that youth coaches can take with them to practice, it delivers on its promise to make coaching a team easier. With these plans, most coaches will be able to get ready for practices in 5 minutes or less. With court-tested practice plans that have produced some impressive results, it’s easy to see how you’ll get your team playing some of their best basketball with 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans.
If you just received the 30 Youth Basketball Practice Plans, you’d be pleased. What pushes this into the “Incredible Value” category is the 3 bonuses.”
Review “The Special” here. Read the review at Top Software Reviews.
10 things youth basketball coaches should consider as the season tips-off
Youth basketball seasons are beginning or on the verge of starting in many places. If you’re new to coaching, the idea of facing 10 youngsters in a gym for the first time might make you a little nervous. Here are a 10 things you should be thinking about as a youth basketball coach as the season begins.
1.) Solicit the help of a couple good assistant coaches. Assistant coaches, not only serve as back-up if you’re late or can’t make a practice, but they also make things go smoother when you’re there. With 2 assistants, the teacher-student ratio is greatly improved. Also, give thought to what parent might help you with some of the administrative aspects of coaching a team.
2.) Identify some solid basketball reference sites that you can visit to get ideas on basketball drills, instruction, plays and more. A couple of my favorites are: Coaches Clipboard and Breakthrough Basketball.
3.) Pick your favorite team name and slogan. Sports Feel Good Stories is an excellent source for ideas.
4.) Develop your overall practice plan. What are you going to teach and when are you going to teach it? Individual and team defense are excellent places to start. If you can keep a team from scoring easily, your team can stay in most game.
5.) Make some contacts with coaches from neighboring communities. Before your first tournament, you might want to scrimmage a team to put some of your practice learnings to the test. Identify the coaches from local community basketball websites and determine their interest level in setting up scrimmages for a later date.
6.) Create a website for your team. Shutterfly offers a free package that includes photo sharing, a calendar, RSS feeds, and more.
7.) Set objectives for the kind of season you’d like to have and for the kind of coach you’d like to be. Define some of the keys to your approach during practices and during games.
8.) Go over your expectations with your players and your players’ parents in separate meetings. The best time to get everyone on the same page is at the start of the season.
9.) Read a good book on coaching. Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court is one I highly recommend for youth basketball coaches.
10.) Be yourself and keep in mind the big picture. It’s not about the won-loss record. Plan a season where kids learn and have fun along the way.
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7 tips for deciding on a basketball team nickname
You’ve volunteered to coach your child’s basketball team and one of the first tasks is to come up with a team nickname. Should you be “The Fast and the Furious,” “The Banana Slugs,” or “The Basket Hounds”? Or, something else?
Here are 7 tips for deciding on a basketball team nickname:
1.) Start broad with your search before narrowing it down to your favorites. Look at sports leagues from all different sports for inspiration. There’s a great list of basketball team nickname options at www.sportsfeelgoodstories.com.
2.) Involve your players. Have your players suggest team nickname ideas and have them vote on 3 finalists that you’ve whittled the list of possibilities down to.
3.) Consider how the nickname sounds. Is it easy to pronounce? Is it memorable?
4.) How do the nickname alternatives fit your team, your players and your community? “Runnin’ Rebels” works better for a fast team than a slow team. “Giants” might work best for a tall team. In Minnesota, a high school team’s nickname is the “Blossoms.” Doesn’t make too much sense unless you understand that the high school is situated in Blooming Prairie. The school’s mascot is the “Awesome Blossom.” Is there a team nickname that fits your community to a “T”?
5.) Is the nickname distinctive? Do you ever wonder how many teams are nicknamed “Tigers”? Be different. Find some alternatives that are less common.
6.) Eliminate inappropriate options. You don’t want to offend others with your choice of a nickname for a youth basketball team.
7.) Give thought to how well your nickname plays out as a logo. How do the options play out graphically. There’s a reason that many college names are linked to animals — they lend themselves well to logo creation.
Have fun with your team nickname. Develop a team logo and use it on your team communications. Tip off the season in style with a great team nickname and logo!
Is executing the “Barking Dog Play” good sportsmanship?
In youth basketball play, the team inbounding the ball under their offensive basket, instructs one of their players to get down on hands and knees and bark like a dog. The distraction apparently works, as the inbounds pass to another player results in a short shot for a basket.
However, if YouTube comments are to be believed, the referees disallowed the shot because of trickery. Is play calling like this fair game? Is it good sportsmanship? What do you think?
The Barking Dog Play
Correcting Basketball Shooting Errors
When working with youth basketball players on shooting form, it’s important when they make mistakes that they understand what they did wrong and how to correct it.
Coach Hal Wissel, a former college coach (Fordham and others) and NBA coach (Memphis Grizzlies & Golden State Warriors), demonstrates in this video how he works with players on correcting shooting errors. You might pick up a tip or two for your youth basketball practice.
Correcting Basketball Shooting Errors — Coach Hal Wissel
