"Look at Johnny!"

"Shoot it!"

Have you ever yelled something like that to a player during a game? I have.

Sometimes we see things that our players don't see. Out of a desire to help, we want to share that knowledge with them. The easiest way to do so is verbally.

But just because it's easy doesn't mean it's effective.

"Look at Johnny" often becomes a turnover. By the time your player sees Johnny and throws the pass, the defense has recovered.

"Shoot" usually ends up a miss. Even though the player might be open, by the time they hear you and shoot it, they are out of rhythm.

The point is this - verbal cues & reminders are not very effective in basketball games.

One issue is that verbal cues work best when given ahead of time. Too often coaches use them to point out something that was just missed, not something coming up.

A second issue is this - the goal is to not have to give as many reminders. How do we get to that point? By equipping players to SEE what's happening on the floor for themselves.

What does work??? Read on to find out.

How Visual Cues Can Drive Situational Awareness

Basketball is a visual game. Players must be able to scan and process what's happening on the court.

How do players get better at visually picking up what's going on around them? By practicing that way.

Imagine you are doing a drill like "kill the grass." You are having your players perform the drill and then attack the rim and work on a certain type of layup.

What's their cue to attack the rim?

• Verbal - you blow a whistle or call out "go" and that tells them to go to the rim
• Visual - you put your hands up or behind your back and that tells them to go to the rim

Visual cues can be that simple. Putting your hands up in a dribble drill means pass.

This might not seem like an important distinction, but it is. In a real game, players are almost never cued verbally.

Almost all the cues they get are visual.

• A cutting teammate
• A defender leaning too far one way
• A hard closeout that creates a driving opportunity

3 Ways To Incorporate Visual Cues

• Shooting drills - use your arms to cue a shot. Hands down could mean catch and shoot. Pointing right or left could cue a one-dribble pull-up in that direction.
• Finishing drills - use your arms to cue certain types of finishes. If they drive and you put your arms up, they perform one type of finish. Hands behind your back cues a different type of finish.
• Passing drills - if you do passing drills with 3 or more players, only allow the passer to pass to someone who has their hands up. This forces them to scan and find a teammate who is open AND READY for the ball.

Make Your Team Quicker By Becoming Smarter

Good players always seem like they are a step ahead. Think of Larry Bird. He wasn't physically quick, but he was always a few plays ahead of his competition, making him quick. Why? His ability to process what was about to happen.

The good news is this skill can be developed. If you give your players chances to process and find visual cues in practice, they will get better at it.

When that happens, you won't have to yell nearly as much during games. They'll already know what to do!

Here's 2 other resources to help you have a great season with your youth team:

What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...

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