A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

Here's some really great stuff from Mitch Cole of the Texas A&M men's basketball staff.  Mitch puts out an outstanding email newsletter and if you haven't signed up for it your missing out.  Email Mitch and request to be on the list and you will regularly get stuff that will help your program.  Here is some of what's in this week's edition:

As I gathered some notes from various clinics, conversations and roundtable discussions this off-season, I wanted to pass on a few random phrases and thoughts that I jotted down as I heard them from different coaches, leaders, and basketball people during the past few months. I thought you might find some of them interesting:


ON LEADING A PROGRAM:

-Fight for your culture everyday.

-Be "relentlessly self critical" as a leader.

-in the off-season, teach the players: 1. How to work 2. How to love one another.

-Most leaders vastly UNDER-communicate their vision.
 

ADVICE FOR COACHES:

-Establish key roles for players that don’t revolve around scoring.

-Coaching is taking a player where he can’t take himself.

-Embrace the other coaches in your department.

-The best coaches continue to learn.

 

ON DEFENSE:

-“I’ve never heard a coach say “hey, you need to dribble more”. Therefore, we want to deny all passes to make the other team dribble more!”

-If you are a help team, the HELP cannot get beat.

-Have your "nose on his top hip" when guarding the wing.

-Always convert on any steal in practice.

-Pressing coaches need to have “amnesia.” You might give up a layup, but forget about it.

-Always Chart contested shots and deflections.

-Use more film, less drills.

 

ON OFFENSE:

-Shot selection is a HUGE factor in offensive rebounding.
 

-Goal is to get 45% of misses back vs Zone Defense.

-2 things that will not be tolerated: 1. Lazy cuts 2. No effort on offensive glass.

-Work on pivoting to finish, and pivoting to pass.

 

ON EVALUATING PLAYERS:

-Need on court and off court selflessness.

-Need players I don’t have to rev up every day. Motor!

-Can he guard his position? More than one position?

-Does he have a realistic view of himself?

-How does he handle adversity?

 

ON DEALING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA:

-Players are now concerned with THEIR BRAND more than their game.

-Confront the disillusionment of a player’s ego.

-Social Media is a privilege. Your BRAND is not bigger than OUR BRAND.

-Most players are not equipped to handle it. If you like taking compliments, you better be ok with taking criticism.