What are so methods to use before practices and games to relax beforehand? thanks

Are you talking about the players or you as a coach?

IF you are talking about yourself.... have a well thought out PRACTICE PLAN... IF you are prepared... going into practice is easy. Then as the kids are warming up.... which should be a "light" time for them.... you can walk around talk to your players... mix it up, talk to different ones each day.... you can talk about the game, how their day was in school, how things are going in general.... just to let them know you care about them as people and NOT just as basketball players.

Be prepared for practice, the kids will know if you aren't. If you are, the rest pretty much falls in place. I don't remember every being HYPER before a practice unless I had a bad day in school and then I let them know in advance.... they would just moan haha Once practice started I forgot all about my bad day.

I was all business at practice - that doesn't mean that we didn't have a laugh if one of the kids messed up on something that was funny... and you have to be able to laugh at yourself.

I have several stories of things that happened to me ( involving water) that the kids had a big laugh over....while I always wanted to win ( varsity baksetball ) its still good to have some fun and laugh. JMO

I am talking about myself as a player but thanks for the response.

Ok Dan -

Remember this should be FUN for you!! So take a few deep breaths before you hit the floor. Have some idea as to two things that you really want to improve on - 1 offensively and 1 defensively... then take the floor and warm up a bit, have a few laughs with your friends while you are getting ready for practice. IF getting ready for practice is stressing you out, it seems to me that you are worrying to much. Do the best you can, thats all anyone can ask of you.... some days its better than others, thats just the nature of things... that goes for coaches, players, teachers, parents etc.

One of my best shooters that I ever had ( and I had several ) did this before he ever took a shot.... he dribbled aournd the court using every dribble imaginable... made up some I think... 2 times... THEN he started working on his shot AND that should be the fun part, yes?? Who doesn't like to shoot?

You need a good laugh to relax... if you want one, let me know, I will tell you something that happened to me during a game... with 7 seconds on the clock and were down 2..... ball 84' away from the basket were shooting at.