Hello, Its been a while since I've been on here. Let me tell you what I've been up to. This past summer, I have been a Assistant coach for a Jr. High boys basketball team here in the Kansas City area. This was my first ever job as a coach, but it went great. Most of my players respected and took what I said to heart and some even stayed and had me work them out and improve their ball handling and shooting skills. I was wondering if there were any coaching clinics that I could attend that could get my name out more. I am going to be enrolling in a coaching career class by a former great coach named CoachRB. I am also wanting to be a assistant coach for the Jr. high team of my school. I was wondering if anybody could help me out by giving me pointers and answering questions. If you would like to stay in contact with me my twitter name is n_martin11, and I have a Facebook as my name Nathan Martin. Thanks, Nathan

Hi Nate -

Welcome to the greatest gig in the world... coaching! You are going to have to pay your dues by doing what you are doing.... coaching at the lower levels. Be patient and things will work out for you.

Do a search for clinics in your area, you should be able to find something. You can always go to the high school coaches in your area and ask them if you can watch their practices and maybe ask the coaches some questions. You can always ask them if you could help them out in any way.

If you want some help answering questions, there are some good experienced coaches on this site, Jeff, Joe, Coach Mac, Don Kelbick and myslf just to mention a few. I don't have all the answers but I would me more than happy to help you out. You will find that our answers might not be the same which is a good thing.... but you can bet that most of us are on the same page.... like defense.... all of the coaches above will agree on one thing defensively.... play m2m at a young age and work on fundamentals. Ok that was 2. lol

Here are a few sites that I found... hopefully they will help you.

http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/kc/past-clinics.html

http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/kc/PastCamps/high-school-clinic.html

http://kcprepbasketball.net/

http://www.bluevalleyrec.org/page/coaches_clinics.php

Thanks a Bunch for all your help. Like I said I am only 17, I am trying to play Varsity basketball while coaching a Jr. High team while trying to pass Algebra 2. Can you tell me of any motion offenses that are for Jr. Highers, Thanks, Nathan

Wow, only 17. I'm glad that you already have a goal. AND.... you have a head coach that you can pick his brains. Talk to your coaches and ask them for some advice.... If you look on the left side here...... you will find all kinds of information that can help you.


I'm glad its you trying to pass Algebra 2.... I would be in trouble. lol

If it were me, I would run a 5 out motion... open post.

http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/offense/5-Out-motion-offense.html

Good luck Nate

Thank you sir, and I was wondering on one other thing. I have a option on whether to play the next to years of my high school or make this my last year and then maybe become the head coach of the Jr. high team. I am wanting to be a Student Manager in college and I now that is how I can develop some interest or get my resume started and attract colleges who I want to attend. Also I was wondering if you could give me some advice on how to get hired as a Student manager or a Student Assistant. Thanks, Nathan.

Sir??? You are making me sound older than I already am. LOL But thanks for saying that.... coach is good enough.

You have two more years at the high school level? You only go to high school one time in your life.... enjoy it... and IF you can play basketball at the varsity level.... PLAY. It is something that you will never forget. You will learn a lot of things about the game..... become a student of the game. Watch what your coaches do, pick the good out and get rid of the bad.

Ask the coach for copies of his practice plans.... write down your own ideas from day to day. Keep everything in a notebook, that way you will always be able to go back and see what you did. Keep every handout he gives to the team.

If you want to become a manager at the college level, ask your coach to write a letter of recommendation for you... I did that for one of my managers and he ended ujp with a scholarship for 3 years.

Lets see what some of the othcer coaches have to say....

sorry about that, I'm all about respect and that's something that I want to teach my players this year. Love the notebook idea as well, Thanks again for the advice, Nathan

No problem Nate.... just kidding with you. Great idea about teaching your players respect.... for the game, for other players, refs and teammates..... and everybody they come in contact with.

I wish you well.

Here is a great article form Breakthrough for all coaches Nate -



7 Ways to Make a Lasting and Positive Impact on Your Players!
- By Craig Cleveland

Wooden, Krzyzewski, Knight, and Boeheim are some of the most storied names in the game of basketball, setting the bar pretty high when it comes to winning games and championships.

As a coach, we all want to have many winning and successful seasons like these famous coaches -- but does winning games become the only measure of impact and influence you have as a coach on your players, your school, or your community?

This is a question that I had to ask myself as I began my coaching career some seventeen years ago and truthfully, have had to ask a few more times along the way. Let's just keep it real shall we? We all want to win! We love the feeling of victory and want it more than the sting of defeat. Personally, I hate to lose whether it's playing basketball, coaching basketball or just playing Uno with my nephews.

Winning is what really matters, right?

Well, the answer to that particular question will vary depending upon who you ask. But, over the years I've come to firmly believe two things...

First, it's important to teach my players how to display character in winning and losing because they are both a part of the game.


Second, making a positive, long lasting impact on the players that come through my program is more important than double digit wins in a season or a playoff run to the state tournament. In my opinion, the legacy I leave behind as a coach should be measured more by the way my former players positively impact their own families and the world around them.


Coaching That Impacts the Next Generation
Are you currently a coach or want to become a coach who makes a lasting, positive impact on your players?

If so, here are 7 things I′ve learned along the way that have helped me tremendously and I would love to share them with you.

Practice what you preach – One of the greatest ways to lose the respect of your players and others around you is to be a hypocrite. Players need to see and know that you live by the standards you are trying to teach them.

Admit mistakes and seek restitution – No one is perfect and we all make mistakes. As a coach you have to be willing to admit when you′ve messed up, seek forgiveness and then change the behavior that got you in that situation in the first place. This kind of humility goes a long way with your players and leaves a lasting impression.

Be available – Players have to know that they can count on you to be there when they need you. Try to make yourself available to your players as much as possible. Consider meeting before or after practice or even on the weekend if they need to talk with you about things going on in their lives. This shows that they have importance in your life beyond the realm of basketball.

Listen intently – When you spend time talking to your players, make sure you listen intently and pay close attention to details. Look your players in the eye when they are talking to you so that they know you are truly paying attention to what they are saying. Listening intently also helps you read between the lines for those hidden messages or even hidden agendas that might be there.



Be fair and consistent – Simply put, when it comes to discipline, team rules and how you run your team etc., don′t play favorites. Don′t let your stars get away with things that you wouldn′t let the 6th man off the bench get away with. Hold all your players accountable for their actions both on and off the court. This also goes back to practicing what you preach.

Keep in touch with your former players – This should not be hard to do with all the technology and social media options we have available at our fingertips. One sure way to make a lasting impact on your players is to keep in touch with them as they turn the page into adulthood. Email, snail-mail, text messaging, Facebook or phone call, it doesn′t matter just pick one. Check in with them every now and then to see how they are doing at school or how the wife and kids are doing. Always invite them to come back and invest in the current players you have in your program. This is very important and you should make the time to do this. I promise, they will love and want to hear from you.

Have a sense of humor – When you work with kids you have to have a sense of humor. In fact, I don't see how you can work with or coach kids without having one. Your players will love being around you when they know that you are someone they can laugh and kid around with while not crossing the line of disrespect. Youth players and kids in general are full of life, energy and humor so why shouldn′t you be?

As a coach, how do you want to be defined? What kind of impact do you want to have on your players? What kind of legacy do you want to leave? Will wins and losses be the determining factor or will you do what it takes to look beyond the games or championships won in order to make a positive, lasting impact on the next generation?