Scoring at a High Level

Basketball is a game that has and always will be won by the team who scores the most points. As defensive minded coaches, my husband Kevin and I have always taught our players to commit to defending people so we can take the ball back to go score! It's fun for players and fans to be apart of a high scoring game. 

*San Jacinto College ranked #2 in the nation in scoring points per game (86.4).

Our team broke several records this past season but one that really stood out is points per game that our team averaged 86.4 which is the best in San Jac's history. In our second game of the season our team broke the single game record in scoring 134 points.  Since our team scored so fast and fluently, teams really had to either try to slow us down or attempt to outscore us - which was hard to do with this group.  We had 4 players average 10 or more points and several others between 6-9 points per game. We truly were a team by committee.  With the new rules being passed by the NCAA, the game is moving towards a more offensively inclined format so we had to adjust our approach as coaches.  Here are some techniques that we used to increase our scoring which fueled us to the fastest turn around in the country from 3-27 to 23-9 and a nationally ranked team all season.  Our team drew large crowds and faithful fans who enjoyed watching our team play.

• Teach fundamentals and skills starting on the catch of the ball so players are trained to be in triple threat position: Ready to shoot first, pass second and dribble third.  This also cuts down on turnovers and increases our percentages to score.

• Encourage ALL players to be an option at all times even if we are running a play, each person has got to be an option.  If someone is not an option, they come out the game for forcing us to play 4 on 5. We need everybody to contribute!

• Make practices uptempo, fast, energetic and engaging to simulate a game. Players should be talking the game, cheering for their teammates, counting together and being responsive to coaching in each drill in order to create a positive and necessary habit.

• Find out which plays/drills get your team going! You can ask them or just observe for yourself and use them. People naturally get more engaged the more you involve them.  It might be an Out of Bounds under play they love because your team always scores. Or maybe your posts are going hard running in transition so we want to reward them by feeding them the ball on the next play. 

• Set a specific goal and time on every drill and challenge your team to overcome the goals.  Never have a drill without a goal or time limit. Players need to understand that they don't have all day to reach their goals. They have a short window of opportunity and they need to have a sense of urgency and work together to reach their goals.

• Always give direction and motivation to keep their confidence and intensity level high. This matters a lot with coaching women because we tend to get down on ourselves easier when not performing to a certain expectation. Keep the focus on improving and getting better and the results will come.

• Make offensive rebounding apart of every drill! Even rhythm shooting or just working on free throws - get obsessed with offensive rebounding. Even on a bad shooting night, offensive rebounding and put backs can win you a game! My favorite measuring tool if we are crashing quick enough is if rebounds are hitting the floor. I don't care what drill it is, if rebounds keep hitting the floor, we are going to get beat! Force the issue and get them habitually focused on rebounds!

Our philosophy started on the defensive end by getting steals and defensive rebounds so we could start the break. The more we have to get the ball out of the net, the slower transition will be. We probably spent 50% of practice on conversion from steals and defensive rebounds.  This set the tone on what kind of team we were going to be and we needed to be in really good shape to play this style of basketball for 40 minutes.

Opportunity

March madness is such an exciting time of year especially for basketball players, coaches and fans.  This time of year is thrilling because it is no longer about records or what you did yesterday.  The winner will be who can win now and today!  There is something exciting about one chance, one opportunity and winning the big game!  It is what every team prepares for all season long. 


As a coach, I always encourage my players to make the most of their opportunity because you never know when you will get another one.  This is one of the most challenging tasks to get accomplished but also one of the most valuable for any team.  The opportunity to play college basketball is not something that every high school athlete gets to experience.  In fact, according to a recent study by the NCAA only 3% of high school athletes go on to play college basketball.  So the opportunity to sign, get a college education and play the game you love should be appreciated!  When you watch NCAA basketball, you will see arguably some of the best basketball on TV because these players are hungry, they are trying to prove themselves and they are fighting for the coveted championship! 


Only one team will win the national championship and it is not always the best team in the nation.  It is the team that makes the most of their current opportunity!  Each game is an opportunity broken down by each possession that are multiple opportunities for a team to execute, work together and accomplish everything they have worked for up until this point.  Is it all just a game?  Players who understand appreciating an opportunity will seize it!  They understand that failure is not in losing the game; instead failure would be not recognizing that this is an opportunity to do what you love with your team!  This stage is where stars are born and teams make history!  Each game you will see players overcome their fears and let go of their inhibitions in order to have that one opportunity to be the champion!  There will only be one.

As for the other teams that do not win, they will go into the off season training and preparing to position themselves again next March to win again.  They hope to learn from their mistakes, improve as a team and begin again more wisely as Henry Ford stated.  Opportunity - athletes prepare for it all year long.  The question is, how long are you willing to prepare for your opportunity?  Will you be ready to take the risk, let go of your inhibitions, forget your fears and go after what you want?  Win or loss, recognize and appreciate each opportunity and live a life that you can be proud of!

Effort & Energy

One of the hardest things to do is getting your team's best effort and energy.  Those are two words that coaches hate to discuss because most of us feel it should be an automatic.  Although it may seem like it should be automatic, the habit must first be formed.  Giving constant effort and energy first as a coach is a great way to set the tone.  Second, having a coaches meetings before practice to communicate how you need your staff's energy spent for the day will help them know how to give their best effort.  Third, effort and energy must be a standard at every practice and meeting so that the players understand to bring their best every time they step into any environment.  When my team struggles with effort or energy, the next practice we address it immediately because that is a non-negotiable.  The players need to understand they have to take ownership and if they expect the best results, they need to first give their best energy and effort!


The truth is, you will not always get their best energy and that is because you are still teaching them to form the habit.  As long as they can admit they could give more, then they should be willing to get after it in the next practice.


Sometimes the best cure for a lack of effort or energy is a break away from the normal routine to try something new.  I sometimes like to throw something different at our players to keep them on their toes.  One day I told them to come to practice with their favorite sunglasses.  When they showed up we had music and literally had a dance off on center court before practice.  Our manager voted on the winning team and the girls had a blast!  The icing on the cake was them seeing me - their head coach get out and dance too and it made them all laugh.  Practice that week was full of energy and effort....our team had fun getting better. 

How do you feel?

When dealing with women within a team environment, feelings are often a hot topic.  We women can be emotional or sensitive based on how we feel.  It is so vital to every coach, captain or leader to know how their team feels, addressing any negative feelings promptly and keeping high positive energy in the locker room.

As a player and now a coach of the game, the season goes on six months and with 12 or so different people so many things can either pull you a part or pull you together.  During the course of a season, someone on your team may deal with a death in their family, someone's parents may be going through a divorce or someone on the team may encounter a physical injury that would stop them from playing the game they love.  All of these events can effect people and how they feel during the difficult time of their life.  We as coaches can either teach our players to use these situations as reasons to lash out, or take away from the team's energy level; or we can teach our players to build a support system around one another to pull through the tough times.  We teach our players to recognize when a teammate is down and give them a hug of encouragement.  One thing we preach to our team is they may not always like one another or dislike someone's action, but we are family.

Feelings vs. Facts

One of the main teaching points is becoming aware of the facts of the situation and voicing feelings with respect.  We believe there is power in someone (respectfully) voicing their feelings because we should care how we make someone else feel.  Yet once the feelings are spoken and out on the table, the facts must be addressed.  The bottom line is decisions must be made based on facts regardless of how we feel.  Just like coaches tell our players all the time, you can't play basketball only when you "feel" like it.  The same thing applies to everyday life.  If we only work when we feel like it, we would not be very productive.

In conclusion, an activity that could start the dialogue in your locker room is the feeling test.  Buy some emoji stickers with a bunch of different emotions from happy, sad, in love to angry and put them in the locker room.  Ask your players to put the sticker that describes how they feel the most on their jersey.  Before practice have a group talk about how everyone feels and allow them to recognize each person's feelings.  This small and inexpensive activity helps create awareness and allows you as a coach to know the pulse of your team so you can stay as productive as possible.

Team Camaraderie

CAMARADERIE is the spirit of good fellowship. It’s the mutual trust and friendship that emerges among people who spend a lot of time together.  The importance of camaraderie in a sports locker room or act of play is significant. No matter what kind of team sport it may be, a united dressing room or environment is indicative of a team that will function more effectively than one where players are bickering or feuding. Teams often take measures to ensure that players have the opportunity to develop camaraderie. For example, during a long road trip, teams are often encouraged to dine together, particularly early in the season when not every player is familiar with their teammates. Teamwork on the court or field also leads to stronger relationships. Using a hockey example, football offensive linemen must spend plenty of time together formulating game run and pass block strategies, then executing them on the on the field. This time spent together can help build stronger relationships away from the away from football.

Over the course of a season, athletes will experience periods of success and periods of failure. A group of players with a strong sense of camaraderie will be able to provide those in a slump with the support necessary to help snap out of it when adversity comes. This is done through regular encouragement during games and practices, and can extend to off-the-field or court gestures, as well. Why do you see different teams with special team slogans or team rituals they do before practice or games or just in general? It’s the perfect way to build team camaraderie and doing these kinds of things gives each team member an individual sense of ownership over the common team goal they are trying to reach and also provides the motivation to stand by one another in tough times.

Great teams make an attempt to be on the same page. Great teams are there for one another in times of need. Great teams push harder when adversity comes along. Great teams never hang their heads. Great teams will respect each other and respect the game they play. Lastly, great teams want to do everything they can to be defined as GREAT and that’s CAMARADERIE!

SWISH!!!

The definition of Swish is; sink (a shot) without the ball touching the backboard or rim.

     The crowd and even players seem to go wild all the time when a player shoots the ball and it goes swish; straight into the net, no backboard and no rim.  Now just think, how did that shot go swish?  The shot went swish because of the work ethic and practice of form shooting the player has done to perfect great shooting efficiency.  A lot of players and fans want to see the results of the swish shot but don't really understand the process that goes into that kind of shooting, especially players.  One would ask, how do I get that kind of efficiency?  Here are a few tips:

1. You have to have a strong work ethic and a high motivation to get better.
2. You have to really think about the process of shooting rather than the results all the time.  The process includes: Squaring up to the goal, bent knee position, elbows tucked in, ball in the pocket of your shooting hand, jumping up into your shot releasing the ball at it's highest peak, follow through with your elbows above your eyelids, and flick your wrist.
3. Practice tip #2 over and over and over again!  You have to practice #2 even when you are laying down in your bed without a basketball.
4. You have to make it a goal to make, not shoot, but to make at least 100 jump shots a day which would be a minimum.  Also, your last shot of the day, has to be a make so you can finish on good and positive note; Confidence Builder!

   Coaches, make sure you are encouraging your players to concentrate on the process to get the results they are looking for and players, listen to your coaches when this encouragement comes.  It's always a great feeling to see a player working hard on their skills and they start getting the production they are seeking due to the process they stick to. As for shooting, or being a great shooter to start swishing some shots; it all boils down to are you going to be just a shooter or a maker?  Makers get Swishes!!

The Locker Room

Definition: The place where players and coaches meet to discuss game plans, strategies and scouting reports; also known as the place where athletes get dressed and prepare for games/practices; a meeting place for teams. 



We all know what a locker room was originally designed for.  A private place for a team to come together, prepare and bond.  As a player - it was a place where we would come to hang out in between classes.  It was a safe place to crack jokes on each other or confess secrets that nobody but a sister would understand.  My sisters were there for me, they called me out for not being there on help-side or they congratulated me for hitting a game winning shot in the locker room.  We would turn on our favorite song and dance until we laughed and the stress was no longer on our mind.  We could say whatever we wanted in the locker room and there would be no judging or repeating to people outside of the locker room. It was one of my favorite places to go and clear my mind.

As a coach have you ever thought about the value of the "locker room" to your players?  Why? -- You want the locker room to be a place your players feel a sense of ownership and safe.  Its where you come for pregame, halftime and post game discussions.  

Here are a few ideas to create a comfortable, safe and fun locker room for your team:

1. Music - Have a place where players can plug in an ipod or listen to some sort of music.  Music can help player set the tone for practice or games.  Let the music be their choice so that it is something they relate to.  Based on your school's policies, they may not be able to listen to any kind of music during pre-game warm ups out of respect for the crowd, but the locker room is theirs!  Let them play whatever they need to get ready for the task at hand.
2. Motivation - Hang posters or paint inspiring words, favorite quotes or scriptures so that players read them on a daily basis.  This is a sub-conscious way to reinforce the culture you want to create and keep players engaged mentally.
3. Memories - Hang pictures of the team from some of their favorite moments such as a thrilling overtime win or a trip to the beach your team took.  Seeing pictures of the "family" is a great way to help them overcome adversity.  When things get tough and they get mad at their sister (which is natural) you can remind them to stay together.  Or you could have trophies or awards won hanging in there as motivation for players to strive towards reaching again.  Everyday when they come into practice it may also start some dialogue for players to work hard so they can reach their common goals -- to win!

The best teams have a locker room that players feel a sense of family.  It's like in the older days comparable to the dinner table.  When families would sit together to give thanks, share stories from the day and bond.  If you can get your locker room to be a safe place for your team to open up, it will set a tone for how they also perform on the court.  The locker room is a place to hold players accountable or to recognize high academic achievements.  Its the place to discuss and strategize.  The court is strictly for basketball and business!  How do they mentally get ready for the day?  It all starts in the locker room!

Get in the Gym

Join us in motivating players to get in the gym to improve their game! The ultimate goal in our game is to score more points than the opponent in order to win.  So we have to get in the gym and shoot! Work on all areas of your game but never leave the gym without practicing some form of shooting!!! Players can prove their commitment to winning by getting in the gym....coaches can meet them half way by making themselves available to them. Together we can commit to growing our game!  #GetInTheGym #KBJAcademy

"The Bench"

     What does Bench mean in terms of basketball? According to Sports Charts and the NBA, the definition of bench is (1) The group of players on a basketball team who do not start the game but may come into the game as a substitution.  (2) The physical location players occupy when they are not on the basketball court (i.e. chairs).

     Coaches, what are the mindsets of your players on the bench during the course of a game?  Most coaches out there all have rules for their bench or bench protocol during games but do your players really understand the bench and what great insight they can learn about themselves and the game on the bench?  Some players who either start the game on the bench or come out the game to the bench by the coach sometimes get down on themselves or get mad about being on the bench.  If players thought of the bench during a basketball game as a front row seat up close and personal to the action on the floor and they could analyze what their teammates and opponents are doing during the game to help them be productive for the team according to their coaches game plan then they would feel different about the Bench. 

     Here are a few tips you can give your players to grab ahold to while they are on the bench to get a new perspective about the bench:
1. You get to see the mistakes that are going on in the game so you will know not to make the same mistake when you get in the game.
2. You get to see all the positive things going on during the game to build on for your team when you get into the game.
3. You get to see everything different your opponent is doing on the floor that maybe your team didn't see during film session and get the inside adjustments that are going to be made against them to help the team when you get in the game.

     Keep in mind coaches, players need to understand that the Bench is a vital part to the game of basketball and their team's success.  The bench can be a momentum changer and the ultimate real life action packed classroom to better players IQ in the game and it's our job to make our teams complete and the Bench is part of it.

Goal Setting

Why set goals?

Without goals, one can lack purpose and direction and eventually lose motivation.  Setting goals can drive someone to be ambitious to achieve desires.  Accomplishing certain goals will give confidence to reach even higher in the future.

Goal setting involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-targeted (S.M.A.R.T ) goals. Work on the theory of goal-setting suggests that an effective tool for making progress is to ensure that participants in a group with a common goal are clearly aware of what is expected from them. On a personal level, setting goals helps people work towards their own objectives most commonly with financial or career-based goals. 

Goal setting features as a major component of personal development.

Studies have shown that specific and ambitious goals lead to a higher level of performance than easy or general goals. As long as the individual accepts the goal, has the ability to attain it, and does not have conflicting goals, there is a positive linear relationship between goal difficulty and task performance.

Goals are a form of motivation that sets the standard for self-satisfaction with performance. Achieving the goal one has set for oneself is a measure of success, and being able to meet job challenges is a way one measures success in the workplace. It has been said that "Goal setting capitalizes on the human brain's amazing powers: Our brains are problem-solving, goal-achieving machines.

Setting goals affects outcomes in four ways:

1.      Choice: goals narrow attention and direct efforts to goal-relevant activities, and away from perceived undesirable and goal-irrelevant actions.

2.      Effort: goals can lead to more effort; for example, if one typically produces 4 widgets an hour, and has the goal of producing 6, one may work more intensely towards the goal than one would otherwise.

3.      Persistence: someone becomes more prone to work through setbacks if pursuing a goal.

4.      Cognition: goals can lead individuals to develop and change their behavior.

 

Achieving Goals

When you've achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Absorb the implications of the goal achievement, and observe the progress that you've made towards other goals. If the goal was a significant one, reward yourself appropriately. All of this helps you build the self-confidence you deserve.