How To Earn More Playing Time Without Getting Better At Basketball

I recently ran a clinic for elementary school-aged kids.

We were working on shooting footwork. There was a 3rd grade boy who was struggling with the footwork. He kept taking extra steps and traveling.

I called him over and demonstrated for him what he needed to do. As I demonstrated, he was watching me and nodding along.

After the demonstration, I asked him if he understood. His response blew me away.

He said, "Yes, coach." Then he went on to accurately repeat back to me what I had said to him.

Finally, he came over, said thank you, and gave me a fist bump. He then went back to his hoop and applied what we talked about.

I'm not sure how great of a basketball player he's going to be. But I feel pretty confident he's on his way to developing some great character attributes!

Do You Know What Being Coachable Means?

You've probably heard coaches talk about being coachable. It's one of those things that is often left undefined.

However, many players don't actually know or understand what it means to be coachable.

If that's you, it's not your fault. Chances are, you've never been told how to be more coachable.

Let's rectify that!

9 Ways To Be More Coachable

Here are some attributes of coachable players. Beyond this list, you might want to ask your coach what being coachable means to them.

They will be pleased with your initiative. That will also eliminate any miscommunication around what they mean by the term.

That said, the following characteristics will serve you well in almost any setting.

Make eye contact - this is huge. Eye contact is a sign of respect. We've all spoken to people who are looking anywhere but at us. When that happens, you can't help but wonder if the person is hearing anything you're saying.

Beyond that, if you're looking somewhere besides the speaker, you are less likely to absorb the information. That makes it more likely you'll make the same mistake in the future!

That's the type of stuff that drives coaches nuts and gets the player a label of being uncoachable.

Stand still - a quiet body is better prepared to listen. When you are rocking side to side or moving around, it's a distraction to both you and your coach.

Close your eyes and picture soldiers being spoken to by their commanding officer. What do you see? People standing still and listening intently.

You should do the same.

Face the speaker - one thing sure to get your coach upset is if you are walking away from them while they are speaking. That comes across as someone who is disrespectful and disinterested in what the coach has to say.

You may not intend. In fact, maybe you're trying to hustle back to your team or get back in line. However, what you intend and how it's perceived may not align.

If your coach is taking the time to give you feedback, stop and face them. That is a sign that you care about what they are saying.

Hold the basketball - this is probably my #1 pet peeve. I've observed high school practices where the coach is talking to the team and a player is off at the other end shooting and dribbling. That boggles my mind.

It is incredibly disrespectful to your coach to be doing something with the basketball while they are speaking. If you have a ball in your hands, rest it on your hip on your stomach and don't mess with it.

Seek feedback - coaches LOVE it when players ask for feedback. It's a sign that you care and want to improve. It's a sign of a growth mindset.

Too many people (coaches included) are threatened by feedback. They forget feedback is meant to help us grow. By showing a desire for feedback, you show respect for your coach, in that you value their opinion.

When seeking feedback, specific is better than general. It's okay to say "how did I do today?". However, it might be better to ask "how was my defensive communication today?" or "what's one thing you saw me do well and one thing I can do better?".

That type of feedback is more beneficial to you. It's also easier for your coach to then follow up on those 1-2 things you've identified than just general performance.

Acknowledge feedback - every coach has had players who give a thousand yard stare when receiving feedback. They stand there and provide no visible or verbal sign that they understand what the coach is saying. Don't be one of those players! That's really frustrating for a coach.

Your coach will feel much better if you acknowledge their feedback. You can do this in a couple ways.

Verbally - you can tell your coach you understand what they said. Even better, you can paraphrase the key points back to them. If you're not sure, continue to ask questions until you are.
Physically - while the coach is speaking, use physical cues to show you understand. This could be nodding along as the coach provides instruction.

Once the coach is finished speaking, give some sort of sign that shows you understand and are ready to try applying the feedback. A thumbs up or a fist bump are great ways to do this.

Learn from other's mistakes - so far, we've covered how you should respond to feedback given to you. This one is about feedback given to someone else.

Just because the coaching is being directed at one of your teammates does not mean you shouldn't pay just as close of attention as if it were being given to you.

This is a common mistake players make. Many are relieved they are not the one on the receiving end of the coaching. As a result, they relax and don't focus with the same intensity.

What then happens? They are more likely to make the same mistake their teammate just made.

Ultimately, you will learn and develop much more quickly if you can learn not just from your mistakes, but from the mistakes of your teammates as well.

Watch film (of everyone) - this may not apply to all players, but it does for many. The prevalence of Hudl and other platforms has made watching video easier than ever.

By high school, all players should be watching film. But how you watch film is crucial.

Don't just watch yourself. And don't just watch the ball!

There is so much to learn by watching film. If you have a teammate who is great at creating for others, watch how they gain an advantage to set up their teammates. If you have a teammate who is a great rebounder, see how they box out and track the ball as soon as it's shot.

Use film as a learning tool and you'll get better faster!

Seek help - your coach doesn't expect you to be perfect. It's okay to ask for help. In fact, it's a sign of strength.

If you need help working on an aspect of your game, ask your coach to work with you. They will be pleased you want to address the weakness.

If you don't understand a concept, ask them to explain it to you (not in the middle of practice, but before or after).

Too many players fear looking dumb by asking for help when they don't understand something. But consider this - what's a worse look, asking for help when you don't know, or not asking and then having no idea what you're doing in game time? Seems pretty obvious.

2 Unexpected Benefits To Your Coachability

Imagine a team with two players - let's call them player A and player B.

Whenever the coach talks to player A, that player responds by using the list above. They give their full attention, acknowledge the feedback, and ask questions.

Player B responds with indifference, or even worse, with disregard. They walk away while the coach is talking, look anywhere but at the coach, and don't say anything in response.

If those two players are of similar ability, who do you think the coach is going to give more opportunities to? On my team, the choice would be an easy one!

But it's not just about winning your coach over. Being coachable is going to make you a better player.

In the scenario above, which player is more likely to improve? Clearly, it's player A. If they seek feedback and look to apply it, they will improve much more rapidly than player B. Player B's attitude makes it likely they won't get better at all.

So by being coachable, you'll get the double benefit of winning over your coach as well as becoming a better player.

If you do both those things, you're going to find yourself on the court more and more.

Why Coachability is More Than A Basketball Skill

Coachability is a skill. But not just a basketball skill - it's a life skill.

People can generally be broken down into 2 camps - learn-it-alls and know-it-alls.

Learn-it-alls are coachable. Know-it-alls aren't.

Which one do you want to be, on the court and in life? If it's a learn-it-all, apply the tools above and watch yourself develop, on and off the court!