NEW Article With Videos - Improving Defensive Quickness & Debunking the “Don’t Cross Your Feet” Myth

By Joe Haefner

Check out this new article with videos that shows a great drill to improve defensive quickness and also discusses the crossover step.

Improving Defensive Quickness & Debunking The “Don’t Cross Your Feet” Myth

New Basketball Drill To Improve Ball Handling Against Pressure

By Joe Haefner

Check out this new drill used to improve ball handling against pressure and to beat the double-team.

1 on 2 Pressure Ballhandling Drill

Being A Good Teammate Like NCAA Champion Marvin Williams

By Joe Haefner

I’m currently reading Hard Work by Roy Williams which is a very good read by the way.

When Roy Williams of North Carolina recruits players, he looks for talent and character. They can have talent, but no character and vice-versa.

When Roy Williams was recruiting Marvin Williams, he recognized how talented he was. So next, he wanted to see what his character was like.

During a high school game that Roy Williams attended, Marvin fouled out. Instead of throwing a fit, sulking, or being angry, he got all of his teammates water during the next timeout. Roy said that is when he was sold on Marvin Williams. The following year Marvin helped North Carolina and Roy Williams win the NCAA championship.

Now, Marvin plays in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks.

That’s what great leaders and teammates do. They do the little things that help their teammates even if they’re on the bench.

Respect

By Joe Haefner

This was passed on to us by a coaching friend, Bud Leonard.

Respect.

This is a topic I have spoken on at many camps and to quite a few young basketball players across the province. I feel that it is the basis of a good understanding and attitude toward the game of basketball. Respect is the foundation and building block to many things that are, or should be, important to you as a player and a person.

To start with, you must have self respect. Not the phony chest beating macho kind you see on the streets and on TV, but the kind that can serve you well in all that you do. Self respect doesn’t include being aggressive, a show off, or the center of attention; that is known as bravado and often denotes a “thug” or “smart alec”. Self respect is the inner assurance that you know how to do the right thing and are prepared to do so. It is that something inside you that lets you know that what you are doing or how you are playing is the ‘right way” and will end in satisfaction for you.

You must always respect your team mates. They are very important to you; they are part of your team, now and forever. In future years they will become a large part of the bank of memories you have about your basketball experience. At present you may feel that you are a better player than they are. That may be true at present, but it is up to you to help them become better! You can’t accomplish this by making fun of them and their efforts to play the game that only beats them down. What you can do is respect their efforts and show them that you care about them and need them as a team mate. Remember that nobody misses a shot, drops a pass, or runs the wrong play on purpose; and you must respect the effort they make.

Respect for your opponent is also necessary. They are players just like you, playing a game they love, just for the fun of it .If they seem to be the type of player who is a “show boater”, show them the right way to play through your style as a player. There is no need to “chirp” at them all game long, just play your game and they will learn. Your sense of self respect just may change theirs!

A great aspect of respect shown by the best players is that shown to the game officials.These men, or ladies, are mostly former players who are “giving back” to the game. They have one of the toughest jobs on the court. Yes, they will make a mistake on occasion; this is not done on purpose, just as you don’t miss a shot or fail to rebound on purpose. The more respect you show to the officials, the more respect they will have for you as a player and as a person.

Respect for the coaches is mandatory. Your coaches are there giving up their time to help you to become a better player. They were all once players and understand how difficult the game can be , how time consuming practices can be when homework needs to be done , and how much you want to win. Mostly they are there to help you succeed!

If you can master the art of respect, and show it in your play and attitude at practice and during games, your game, and your enjoyment of the game, will increase to levels you never expected.

Coach Bud Leonard.

6 New Forum Discussions

By Joe Haefner

Here are 6 new forum discussions. Ask questions and share your ideas and thoughts.

Player Skill Evaluation Form

Correct Shooting Arc

How Often Should a 5th Grade Boys Team Practice?

Smarter Passing

Offensive Advice – New Coach

Has Anybody Employed The Weave Offense

Caron Butler’s Drug-Like Withdrawals & How Drinking Soda Can Hurt Your Game

By Joe Haefner

When I coached JV, the players’ health habits were terrible. They would eat chips and drink soda before every game. Unfortunately, they didn’t know any better. I believe it is our job to at least educate the players on this.

Recently, I read an ESPN article about Caron Butler’s symptoms when he stopped drinking soda.

“I was going through withdrawals,” Butler said on NBA.com. “… Honestly, those first two weeks without the Dew [were] the roughest two weeks of my life. I’m talking headaches, sweats and everything.”

If that doesn’t convince you that this can affect your health and your play, read this study done by the Nutrition Research Center where it states,

Hopefully, this makes you think twice before you down a soda before the next game.

Look at the ingredients of your drinks and avoid the ones with high fructose corn syrup.

Instead, drink some milk, water, and/or squeezed juice.

NEW Play & Video - Kobe’s Game-Winner

By Joe Haefner

Check out Kobe’s game-winner against the Memphis Grizzlies on 2/23/2010.

NEW Play - Kobe’s Game-Winner

The Player’s Point Of View (They Like Defense Too!?)

By Joe Haefner

Here is another guest post from our friend Coach Ken Sartini.

This is a response from one of his former players about his favorite things playing for Coach Sars.

• Playing against 6 defenders.
• Defense footwork drills. These built endurance and desire to play D!
• Working on running our fastbreak lanes.
• Help side defense. Learning how to play up the line.
• Having knowledge of what our opponent was going to do so we can prepare with repetition on how we will run our sets in games. EX: the GNB game (they were ranked #8 in the State at the time) we executed that game plan perfectly both offense and defense. The way we practiced was how we played the game…… We were always more prepared than the other team.
• I think the way we practiced…ALWAYS HARD…. Made us have that same mentality in games, very important!

To be honest, everything we did in practice had a direct correlation to our games, we had no wasted time.

New Article: Do You Yell At Referees?

By Joe Haefner

Check out the new article called Do You Yell At Referees?

NEW Coaching Article: The 9 Most Important Questions for Every Basketball Coach. Ignore Them at your Peril.

By Joe Haefner

Check out our new article: The 9 Most Important Questions for Every Basketball Coach. Ignore Them at your Peril.