I am an assistant varsity and JV coach. Our varsity team tends to get panicky during close games, often turning the ball over, missing short shots, coming up short on threes, for ex. I think our head coach over coaches, yells out too many instructions during play, and on time outs talks incessantly. I always felt as a coach one of your biggest roles is to keep the team calm. Thoughts on over coaching? Strategies to discuss with varsity coach. Thanks,

Ouch!!! Talking stategies with the head coach can be tricky. This all depends on the relationship you have with him and his willingness to discuss it with you...... and this should be done over a "pop" after a practice or game. You will have to find a way to make it seem like its his idea if you are going to get anywhere here.

As for TIME OUTS..... I found out that the players are not going to remember much... so our rule became... one thing on offense and one thing on defense... repeat it to them a couple of times.... then walk out on the floor with them and repeat yourself..... and they still might forget.... but at least you have a better chance of them remembering what you want. Use the KISS method here.

Try to make your practices more difficult than any game might be.... make your drills competitive so they don't get nervous in games. Two other things:

1- We ran "situations" at the end of every practice so they had a good idea as to how to handle things at the end of games and in close situations. They might not do it correctly but at least they wont panick since they have done it in practice.

2- I always felt that IF my players were over stimulated I would just talk Xs and Os.... that way they could calm down and refocus....... IF they were in la la land, I would use Fire and Brimstone...

Make it three -

Find a way to get them to laugh and relax..... situation.... up one 12 seconds on the clock, we trap their player, he throws it out bounds (or so I thought) one of their kids dives into the stands and before he lands, turns and throws the ball at the basket.. yes..... COUNT IT.... now we are down 2, 8 seconds on the clock and my center calls time out. I look at my assistant and say... "Oh s***"" he looks at me and says whats wrong... I said "now I have to come up with a play. " He laughs.... kids sit down, I am diagramming something that we run all the time...... the kid in front of me chokes on a glass of water and spits it right in my face....... I know they want to laugh.... so I do this... I Look down at the posey board and back up at them.... and say..... " I didn't think the play was that bad!" They are laughing like crazy.... they go out on the floor laughing.... run the play, ball gets to our best 3 point shooter and SWISH at the buzzer. Greact coaching right? NOPE, they relaxed and played the game.

Just a few ideas.

Thanks Coach Sar, I especially liked the one tip on offense, one on defense on time outs, makes sense. How about game management, when do you just sit back and let them "do their thing" within your structured offense? Didn't coach K once say, most of his game coaching he did in practice prior to the game, and when the game started he primarily sat back, although we both know he didn't always.

I agree, do your job in practice and once they hit the floor its on them. In my last 8 or 9 years as head coach we ran an Open Post Offense called Double Up...... the most I would say to them is to BALANCE the FLOOR. The rest is on them..... we taught them how to read the defense and how to react to what they did. Make good passes and protect the ball.

Half the time they cant hear you anyway. That's what the time outs are for or free throws etc.

Don't get me wrong.... I was pretty animated LOL ..... walked the side line a lot... likedd to talk to the refs too and have fun with them. They knew me and knew that I was a little crazy with jokes and stuff. Its hard as the head coach to just sit there and say nothing, but we have to let the kids play the game.