Friday, September 6, 2013

Lessons from Brad Stevens and Tom Cruise

One of my biggest struggles as a first year head coach was the way I interacted with them. To put it bluntly, I spent too much time on them. Whether it was just talking, disputing a call, or worrying about a call that I thought was wrong, I allowed myself to become distracted too frequently and often too strongly. We constantly talk to our players about having a "Next Play" mentality - focus on the next play because it's the only one you can impact (adopted from Coach K and Duke). In all honesty, I did not embody that characteristic enough as the head coach and leader of the program.

While watching the NCAA tournament last year, I was observing coach Brad Stevens. His demeanor on the sideline. The way he interacted with his assistants, the players, and the officials. The thing that stood out to me the most about his interaction with the officials was what he lacked - interaction. Now I have no doubt that he was talking with them at various points throughout the game. But there were never any demonstrative gestures or prolonged conversations. Only once did I see a noticable disagreement, and it came on a closeup of coach Stevens as the game went to commercial. A call had just gone against his team, and he was not happy with it. But as he walked toward his team huddle, he made his point in a brief, but firm, manner. I thought about how I would have reacted to the same call and knew it would have been much different.

Later in the spring I was watching A Few Good Men, one of my favorites because of it's lessons about leadership, and about maintaining vision of what is truly important. In the film one of the defense attourney's objects to a line of questioning, and her objection is overruled. Her reaction is to immediately state that she "strenuously objects" to the questioning, and is again overruled. Finally she objects a third time, citing specific legal precident and regulations. By then, the judge has had enough of her objection and blasts her for it.

Later on, she is taken to task by another defense attourney. Here is the quote from the movie: "I strenuously object?" Is that how it works? Hm? "Objection." "Overruled." "Oh, no, no, no. No, I STRENUOUSLY object." "Oh. Well, if you strenuously object then I should take some time to reconsider." In that moment, I immediately made a connection between the movie and myself on the sideline. The second attourney goes on to explain his point by saying that you object once to make yourself heard. After that, all you're doing is making yourself look like you're afraid of whatever you're objecting to (in the movie - a doctor, in coaching - the call or the play in question).

One of my goals this year is to be extremely careful about my own "strenuous objections". There are going to be times I disagree, that's human and competitive nature. But to belabor the point sets a poor example for the young men I'm leading, and it takes away from the focus of everyone on our team. There will be times when it's necessary, but I'm hopeful that after the lessons from Coach Stevens and A Few Good Men that I will have a better understanding of when I'm making a stand for my team, and when I look like I'm scared of a travel.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

I'm Back!

It's been 15 months since I last posted in this space, and in that time my career has taken a number of sharp turns from where it was headed in the spring of 2012. In May of 2012 I made the difficult decision to leave Houghton College, where I had spent the previous 6 years - first as a student assistant and then as the head assitant coach for the men's basketball program. In the time that has passed, I've had three fantastic coaching opportunities open up for me.

The first is that I started my own skill training business, called Dynamic Basketball Development. DBD opened in June of 2012, and since that time I have hosted two camps, been invited to speak at 4 others, hosted multiple skills clinics, and worked with other 200 individual athletes. Additionally, in the spring of 2013 I was able to lead the first ever DBD AAU team - a select U17 team made up of 10 players from 7 high schools. We what I would call a successful first year, and ended the season on a high note by finishing 2nd in our last tournament.

The second opportunity, which was brought about through my work with DBD, was to become and Alpha Trainer for Point 3 Basketball. Point 3 is a performance-based apparel company out of Atlanta, and the Alpha program is made up of skills trainers around the nation who are dedicated to teaching the game at the grassroots level. As both Point 3 and the Alpha program have expanded since I joined them in March, I have developed great relationships with a strong network of coaches and trainers, who have inspired me to be a better coach myself.

Lastly, but certainly not least, I was hired in August of 2012 as the head coach of the Campbell-Savona Central School varsity boy's basketball team. Some people may see the move from full-time college assistant to high school coach as at the very least a lateral move, and probably a downgrade. For me, that could not be farther from the truth. To have a chance to become the head coach of the school that I proudly played for, and to be given the opportunity to restore the program my family had helped build into a sectional power and state championship contender, was a dream come true.

Taking the Campbell-Savona job is actually what prompted the hiatus in my blogging. Being a first year coach, I wanted to focus completely on the court. With a new business, new job, and new players I felt like I wouldn't be able to devote the time necessary to continue this project with the standards I had set. Entering year two of all of those opportunities, I feel ready to again produce content that is thought-provoking, motivational, and instructional. I am excited to begin writing again, and looking forward to sharing a number of the lessons I learned over the course of the last year in the coming days. From there, it'll be full steam ahead with skills development, leadership, coaching, and motivation.

In the mean time, please feel free to browse through older posts and comment on any that you enjoy!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

2011-12 Season Quotes

Each Monday I try to post a new "quote of the week" in my office. Something short and simple for our players to see when they walk in to inspire them for the week ahead. Sometimes it's motivational, sometimes practical, sometimes philosophical. But it also serves as a daily reminder to me. I've compiled the quotes I used this season here.


  • "You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good." -- Jerry West
  • "20% of your efforts lead to 80% of your results" -- Pareto Principle
  • "You're not allowed to be average in anything you do. We expect excellence." -- Jeff Capel
  • "If you're comfortable, you're not developing. It's not my job to make you comfortable. It's my job to help you develop. I create chaos." -- Mike Rice
  • "What can I, and only I, do that will make a real difference?"
  • "Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all for yourself." -- Eleanor Roosevelt
  • "There is profit in all hard work, but endless talk leads only to poverty." -- Proverbs 14:23
  • "WHAT mistake was made doesn't matter. WHO made the mistake doesn't matter. HOW we respond is the only important part. Next play!"
  • "Don't focus on getting THROUGH your workout, focus on getting FROM it."
  • "To compete is different than to play hard. Competing is playing hard with a purpose."
I'd love to hear any quotes you used with your team, staff, or organization this year! Please leave them as a comment below.


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Zone Offense Principles

A common idea that you'll hear at clinics is that the best coaches are the best imitators. They see stuff (plays, patterns, actions, defenses) that works, and they implement it with their own personnel. In my own experience I've even taken things that were effective against our team and turned around to add it to our package. In regards to zone offense, I think there are 4 things that you should look for when implementing a system, whether it's your own or someone else's.

Ball Movement - The ball must move quickly and fluidly against a zone. Against a man defense, there is usually action coming toward the ball. That means that at times the man with the ball must hold onto it and create an opportunity to make a play. Against a zone, holding onto the ball allows defenders time to adjust and communicate as they assume new positions on the floor. Also, defenders are prone to watch the ball, so when the ball moves quickly their focus is taken away from other players in their primary area even more.

Court Use - Swinging the ball from wing to wing over and over again will rarely create opportunities to get quality shots. Use the deep corner, short corner, and high post to force the defense to flatten out and make true rotations, not simply shift from side to side. Post entries are also vital against the zone. You don't have to get a shot out of it, but a post entry will collapse the defense and open up cuts and shots for perimeter players.

Screening Action - I think screens are really under-utilized in most zone offenses. When you screen a zone, you're creating confusion for the defender. He has to make a choice to who to guard. He has to communicate with a teammate who is not focused on either man involved in the action, and that teammate also has to choose who to pick up when he realizes there is a screen happening behind or around him. This goes for ball screens and screens away from the ball.

Dribble to Pass - When using penetration against a zone, design it to create an opportunity for another player. Attack gaps and occupy two defenders at one time. As those players converge on the ball, open spaces will open up. Try screening other players or running cuts into those spaces to create favorable shot opportunities. Getting all the way to the rim may happen if you have a perimeter player with a combination of quickness, strength, and ball handling, but it can be just as effect as a means to set up others. 

Lastly, whether you're designing your own sets or imitating from somebody else, don't be afraid to get innovative. There's no sense in running an offense for two post players if you only have one, or don't have any at all. Take a realistic look at your own roster and build to the strengths of your team!

If you have most zone principles you'd like to share, please leave them as comments below. Also, if you're in the Twin Tiers, check out www.facebook.com/dynamicbasketballdevelopment - a new training and consultation opportunity opening this summer!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

#purposefulpickup Thread

After my entry about Purposeful Pick-Up became the most successful one-day post I've ever done on Monday I decided to try to get a #purposefulpickup thread going on twitter that night. I was amazed at some of the responses that came in during that time, and wanted to share some of them. Thanks to everyone who joined in!

"Everybody sprint back on D after a turnover" - @NBNBball
"Don't get lazy on the boards and just rely on jumping; get a solid, intentional box out on every shot." - @adubb928
"best be closing out with high hands and getting on the floor" - @CoachEvans12 (my favorite response of the night, coming from one of my former players)
"never getting out played by alumni or anyone else for that fact" - @CoachAndrewWeb
"letting your play and wins do the talking, not the mouths." - @CoachAndrewWeb
"Take charges" - @cammu51