Category: preparation »
Creating a summer open-gym regimen that gets results
Offseason open-gym workouts — in which specific skill areas are focused on — have proven critical in preparing our teams for the following season. There was a time when we wanted to play as many summer-time games as possible. A couple of years a...
The 55-minute shooting workout
Teaching the correct fundamentals of shooting can be frustrating at times, but it’s a must for every high school and middle school program. These days, it’s becoming commonplace to see players with a plethora of bad shooting habits. Many of these...
Scouting the opposition
Tips for gathering and dissecting information that matters Scouting is agonizing for some coaches and simple for others, but the process of identifying tendencies of upcoming opponents is a lot easier for everyone if they have a system. Honey Brown,...
Building tenacity in players and teams
As we approach tournament time, the most important time of the year, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. This is by far my favorite time of the year. A time where teams literally separate themselves from the pack. I want to share some...
13 tips to sharpen your daily practice plan
A major part of coaching is the ability to prepare your players and your team. That process takes place on the practice floor. The limited time you have for practice is sacred. It’s the time that you have the most influence on your players’ prog...
Structuring a well-organized plan for practices
After more than 40 years of coaching high school basketball, it has become apparent to me the importance of having an organized practice plan. How a coach sets up his or her practices and how effectively they are run ultimately determines a team’s ...
Strength training principles to get players ready for the season
About 25 years ago I was attending a basketball camp at Washington State University. I thought I was pretty good, but that was until I met a man named Kevin Eastman. If you’ve ever been around Eastman, a respected coach and trainer who spent time i...
Teaching your players to be true point guards
Editor's Note: Shaka Smart wrote this article for Winning Hoops in 2002. At the time, Smart was the coordinator of basketball operations for the University of Dayton. Good point guards are hard to find. Sure, every team has a player or two who's...
