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... more »

Psychologically healing injured athletes

Because of the high demands placed on elite athletes, injury is virtually inescapable. With increasing early sport specialization comes a particular vulnerability to developmental and overuse injuries. In 2013, an estimated 27 million athletes between the... more »

Defeating the four-corners delay offense

Most high school and college coaches have observed, studied or used the four-corners delay offense. Therefore, it stands to good reason that a defensive coach likely would have to face this offense in late-period situations... more »

Cultivating a team identity

For four years as a player and another six as a coach at Rutgers University, “play all nine innings” was a consistent theme under our hall of fame head coach, Fred Hill. It wouldn’t be... more »

Three strategies to battle the conference grind

Conference season can be one of the toughest parts of the year. I like to call it the “conference grind.” It’s the same routine every week: Play Tuesdays and Fridays, while practicing on a regular... more »

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... more »

Movements and strategies that expose defenses

Last year, a college basketball team on the cusp of making the NCAA Tournament faced what seemed to be a weaker opponent. Although it was at home in a critical game, the favored team struggled... more »

Nine principles to crack zone defenses

Playing against a tough zone defense can be a coach’s worst nightmare. Players get used to running man-to-man offense, so a zone often creates turnovers, confuses players and limits scoring opportunities. To break down zones,... more »

9 effective teaching methods for coaches

Productive coaches spend 75 percent of their time teaching the sport to their players, and the other 25 percent of the time coaching. With younger athletes, this gap increases with teaching becoming more important. The... more »

Considerations for designing a set play offense

There are several things you should consider when designing a set play offense for your team. As you will soon notice, some of the points in the checklist below are contradictory. For example, the plays... more »