The game was everything great about our team, and everything that drives me crazy. We start the game and look like we are playing our first game of the season. We dribble into traps, trail cutters, miss boxouts, etc. Somehow, after about five minutes, we remember how to play the game. We held them scoreless for a nine-minute stretch. Amazing that within the span of two minutes we go from trailing cutters on a flex cut and surrendering lay-ups to taking away any good looks at the basket.

We never give up, and we flight to take the lead. However, we stagnated late because when we feel pressure, we try to do things ourselves. We take quick shots and dribble too much. We don’t reverse the ball against a zone but show our stubbornness trying to pound it through the zone on the strong side. We faced a 3-2 and both of our zone sets would create easy shots for our primary ball handlers if we make two quick passes, but instead our ball handlers try to create shots with the dribble with no movement.

We had two chances to win the game and missed shots. We should have gotten the ball back with three seconds to play (potentially on an intentional foul), but did not get the call. Instead, we stole the out-of-bounds pass, but the official would not grant me a timeout. Lots of chances and could not convert one last big play. It happens when you expend so much energy coming back from so far down.

I feel like we are finally to where we should have been at the beginning of the season. we are starting to see things and learn the basics, like moving to help position on a pass or switching out if someone is beaten at half court. Some of the guys think too much, which hurts their performance, but overall, we are starting to get there.

Since we are getting closer to where we should be, I instruct more. I expect more precision offensively and defensively. Early in the season, I wanted them to gain more game experience in practice scrimmages. I wanted the skill practice within the games. I wanted to prevent them from thinking too much or trying to do things one certain way. Now, I want them to see more things. We know how to run a pick and roll. Now, I want them to see the best option in the pick and roll. I want them to see the difference between a side PnR with two guys on the strong side versus a side PnR with three guys on the strong side. I want them to know when to cut to the ball side against a zone and when to cut to the opposite corner. I could run plays calling for one or the other, but then they would not necessarily learn to read the defense and make the right choice. I want them to learn to read the defense and make quick, accurate decisions. It leads to mistakes, but it also leads to greater understanding in the long run.

I watch one of the guys who nearly was cut on the first day of tryouts. On the first couple days, I watched tryouts. We didn’t think that I would be able to coach because of my school commitments. The sophomore coach ran the tryouts and did a lot of drills, like three-man weaves and three-on-two/two-on-one. This one guy looked terrible. He looked out of shape. However, he had decent height, so he made it through the initial cuts.

Is it the player’s fault that he is out of shape on the first day of tryouts? Isn’t that part of the coach’s responsibility – to get players into shape? There was no off-season program for the freshmen: Should a lack of conditioning disqualify a player?

He has transitioned to a competent post player and a surprising all-around player. He knocked down a three-pointer in the last game and stepped up and almost made another three late in the game that would have won the game. Some people watch our team play and cannot believe that I allow him to shoot threes. Why? Because he is the third tallest player on the team? He shoots as well as anyone else on the team; why yell at him when he misses? Some people cannot believe this.

They would be even more surprised if they watched our practices. He now handles as well as many of our guards. He isn’t perfect, but he can handle the ball. He puts forth the effort in each and every drill, so he really has improved. He has gone from afterthought to consistent starter; from taking up space to making post moves and knocking down threes. He is one of the three or four players who I would say really loves to play. It shows. Imagine if we had cut him because he was not in great shape.

Our best player knocked down 9/10 free throws last game, a big change from the beginning of the season when he was shooting about 40%. Seeing these type of changes are the most gratifying parts of the job.

Due to injuries to our top two post players, we are going to adjust our offense slightly for the last two games of the season, as we only have two post players left. We will spend the rest of the week working on a more traditional four-out offense, using some of the Blitz Basketball ideas. We also are shooting more.

We do not have a league championship or any game for which we need to peak. Therefore, I am taking advantage of every hour that we can be in the gym to continue working on skills and understanding. My goal is and always has been for next season, when they have to compete to make the team and the team can compete for a league championship. I want guys from this team to make the varsity, but that requires work. We’ll see who is ready to make that commitment in the off-season, but for now, I want to continue developing skills as much as possible.

By Brian McCormick
Author, Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball Development
Director of Coaching, Playmakers Basketball Development League

When we consciously or unconsciously detect someone else’s emotions through their actions, our mirror neurons reproduce those emotions. Collectively, these neurons create an instant sense of shared experience.

Why do some coaches seem to get players to play hard while others do not, even though they appear to say the same things? It may be due to the way the coaches communicate, not the message.

In a recent study, our colleague Marie Dasborough observed two groups: One received negative performance feedback accompanied by positive emotional signals—namely, nods and smiles; the other was given positive feedback that was delivered critically, with frowns and narrowed eyes. In subsequent interviews conducted to compare the emotional states of the two groups, the people who had received positive feedback accompanied by negative emotional signals reported feeling worse about their performance than did the participants who had received good-natured negative feedback. In effect, the delivery was more important than the message itself.

According to this research, the followers reflect the leaders. When a coach is excited and pumped up for practice, the players are more likely to be excited about practice. When the coach looks tired and disinterested, the players are likely to have less energy and enthusiasm.

The article continues:

And everybody knows that when people feel better, they perform better. So, if leaders hope to get the best out of their people, they should continue to be demanding but in ways that foster a positive mood in their teams. The old carrot-and-stick approach alone doesn’t make neural sense; traditional incentive systems are simply not enough to get the best performance from followers.

What happens when a coach feels that his players are not listening or playing hard? He grows frustrated. Maybe he makes the team run or he threatens the team with some form of physical punishment. Is that the best way to get players to perform better?

I know a team that has lost two games this year because they are shooting under 50% from the free throw line and left more than 10 points on the board in the two games. After the last loss, the team shot free throws and sprinted after every miss. This is a common teaching tool. But, what does it teach?

Are the players missing on purpose? Should they be punished for a lack of skill? If there is a physical or mental error at the free throw line, is running sprints going to improve the performance or correct the error?

Most coaches assume that being a hard-ass or instilling discipline is a job requirement. This goes along with the popular command-style of coaching as well as the “my way or the highway” philosophy. However, is there a better way to motivate and inspire players to their best performance?

Top-performing leaders elicited laughter from their subordinates three times as often, on average, as did mid-performing leaders. Being in a good mood, other research finds, helps people take in information effectively and respond nimbly and creatively. In other words, laughter is serious business.

Eliciting laughter may not be the best protocol throughout practice, especially depending on the circumstances (don’t want to make fun of a player). However, the ideas differ little between an office place and a basketball court.

Leading effectively is, in other words, less about mastering situations—or even mastering social skill sets—than about developing a genuine interest in and talent for fostering positive feelings in the people whose cooperation and support you need.

Players respond to coaches who trust them and show interest in them. They respond to coaches who show enthusiasm for practice or the sport. They appreciate coaches who show their humanity rather than acting as if they are beyond reproach or unable to error. Players respond when a coach’s actions match his words.

Brian McCormick
Director of Coaching, Playmakers Basketball Development League

• “Toe – Tack – Target”
• “Valve the Basketball”