THOUGHTS FROM JOE FOLEY AND UALR

I had an amazing time this weekend speaking at the University of Arkansas of Little Rock.  The best part of the weekend was watching Joe Foley, Robert Dallimore and the staff teach.  They are excellent teachers and it was evident in the structure of their practices and the effort of their players why they have had so much success throughout the years.  If I was a coach in the Little Rock area I'd be a constant visitor in their gym.  Their practices alone are clinics.  Here are just a few things that I got listening to Coach Foley during the week:

"If there aren't bruises on our arms, we aren't doing a good job of using our screens."

"On all post fakes with our back to the basket we want to show our eyes."

On post play: "Embrace the contact."

"It's important to get them from drill to drill quickly.  No dragging around.  Practice structure has to be set up like a game -- in fact, more difficult than a game."

"Point guards make your team."

"If you can't talk it, you can't do it."

"Positioning makes you quicker...put yourself in position to make plays."

"When things are going well, you'd better work harder."

"It's getting harder to find kids that play with enthusiasm."

"Nothing pisses me off more than seeing a bad practice.  When I stop getting upset with a bad practice it will be time to get out."

On motion offense: "The more rules you have, the more patterned you become."

Quote he got from Joe Kleine: "Kids will do what you teach and what you tolerate."

"You don't win with X & Os -- you win with people."

"If one fails, we all fail.  If one is late, we're all late."

"Soft passes lead to more turnovers than anything else."

"A huge key to coaching is simply figuring out what your team needs."

Another Joe Kleine thought in regard to post play: "If you're 1/1 you'd better be able to screen."

"Easy baskets aren't easy -- you have to work to get easy basket."

Another motion thought: "Until you learn how to use screens, be a screener."

"It's pretty tough to be a player.  I mean a real player.  It's pretty tough."

Must utilized word by Coach Foley during two days of practice: CONCENTRATION