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Coaching Thread

Discussion in 'Sports Board' started by Gummybear75, Dec 21, 2009.

  1. Gummybear75

    Gummybear75
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    I am sure I am not the only person on this board that is a coach for High School, College, or even professional athletics.

    FOCUS: Discuss strategies, workouts, philosophies, ect.
     
  2. Nettdata

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    Cleaned up the focus, and moved to the Sports forum.

    Definitely worth a shot.
     
  3. Riggins

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    I'm a high school varsity basketball coach, and have coached at the college level. I also coached one of the major AAU teams in Texas.

    I'm always up for a good basketball discussion.
     
  4. Gummybear75

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    I coach High School Track and Field and Football and am down to talk either or just general coaching philosophy, strategy, discipline. I think this could be a useful resource, lets see if we can make this work.
     
  5. Nettdata

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    I'm quite interested in the psychology of coaching as well.

    I currently coach people competing in handgun competition, as well as high performance driving, and in most cases its the mental aspect that has the potential to reap the biggest rewards.
     
  6. Gummybear75

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    Nettdata, I agree the psychology is almost the biggest battle. Quick question, do you coach both males and females?? Because I have to do both and it almost is rep to rep and I find the differences between the two sexes in this reguards fascinating.
     
  7. Nettdata

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    We have a female driver that I help coach, but it's totally weird, or different.

    She doesn't seem to be able to deal with the logical details as well as some of our other drivers, and talks more about how things feel, rather than in being able to recognize and relay details of what the car is doing, or what she's doing.

    She's also way more difficult to help, as she doesn't handle criticism as well as the others. She takes it very personally, and gets snippy and overly defencive.

    I'm not saying this is a gender thing at all, by the way, just that she's the only girl we coach, and she behaves differently.

    She's also really short.
     
  8. Gummybear75

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    I would go as far to say it is a gender thing... In my deelings with females(which by the way as time has gone on I actually find them more rewarding to coach now. Which is a very big surprise to me), you really have to relate to their feelings. They cant seem to cope things in a "so stop being dumb and doing this" coaching method without feeling its a personal attack.
    Females, in my experience need to be reminded that whay they are doing is good, but they could be doing much better if they tried x instead of y. I have had much more luck letting them feel like they discovered it themselves instead of being told x is wrong and y is right. It also helps to ask questions instead of giving details, tips and advice.
     
  9. Riggins

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    I'm interested to hear how you handle discipline and whatnot in regards to females. I know there are times when I get in a kid's face and can scream and holler (with a few choice words especially) and then make them run and other types of disciplinarian techniques as punishment (and when it's done the boys realize it's over and done with), but I'm not sure I'd be able to do that with females. How do you handle the differences?
     
  10. Nettdata

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    For me, it's easy. If they become problematic, they don't get to drive. Granted, it's a pretty unique situation that won't be applicable to many other situations, but it works for us.

    Typically, the drivers on our team don't pay for rental of the cars, or fuel, or entry fees, etc. Basically, it's free racing, in a relatively modern Porsche.

    If they don't do what we want, they don't drive.

    That's a pretty big kick to the nuts, even if you are a chick.
     
  11. Mike Ness

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    I have coached for years and have just recently acquired the AAU position here outside philly. One thing never ceases to amaze me; that is the handle these kids have on the ball.

    I'm guessing it's because of all the streetball videos and athletes like Jason Williams but my one and two guards have ridiculous left hands already and they are only 14. When I played collage ball (cough div. III,) I still didn't have a very good left hand.

    The downside? None of them could shoot!! I only had one kid make more than 15 (out of 25) free throws!

    We had a drill we used to do when I was a varsity player in high school that I HATED. The whole team would line up and have to make two free throws in a row, if ANY player missses the whole team runs a suicide and you start all over again. I was always the first guy to go (because I was the worse free throw shooter) and you can bet that if someone missed down the line I was going to add a suicide or two because I was getting tired.

    Anyone do this drill? Is 14 years old to young do you think? I will admit I have the cream of the crop here, excellent players and athletes and much to my suprise and enjoyment coachable. The kids respond much better to a younger coach who they knew played ball, I'm not sure playing for a PA state school impressed them but seeing my picture in the local high school probably gives me more credibility. I know I hated my high school coach, he wasn't very good either.

    Lastly I may also take job coaching junior varsity girls, any thoughts? I never coached girls before.
     
  12. Jeff

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    We did a version of this when I played high school ball. I think it was we had to make 80% as a team or we all had to run. Given the situation you described, this might make more sense, as they will likely still have to do some running but won't spend the whole practice running.
     
  13. Gummybear75

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    Disciplining girls actually isnt the hardest thing in the world you just have to approach it a little differently. It is more about clearly setting out the ground rules and expectations, (Like you would with guys so its not different that way). However, instead of yelling at them once or twice and getting in their face without say making them run as you can do with the boys wont work. With girls, as soon as they dont meet your expectations, make them run, sit out, miss games.. But you have to do it in a more stern but uplifting way.. ie "alright ladies you know the rules about goofing off during free throws get on the line". then make a joke or two while they are running to let them know you still care and move on...
    Mike Ness, my advice would be to not have any lower expectations about their athletic performance and the way you make them practice from the boys. You just have to change how you interact with them. Our girls varsity coach has the team ranked in the top 25 nationally with only one middle of the road college player, just because he sets such high expectations and makes them live up to it. He also does a great job off the court talking to them and letting them know where things stand and how they are doing(which you will have to do more than you think. You will spend much more time out of practice talking and relating to the girls)
    Kind of a ramble I know but I hope this helps
     
  14. Riggins

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    I run a free throw drill that seems to work pretty well. First off, I keep a clock for everything. During drills, every missed layup adds one point on the scoreboard for the "visitors." Then, during defensive slides or any other drill, I continue to add points if they get out of position or stand up. The points vary, too. Talk back? Add 5. Get on a teammate in a negative manner? Add 10. Etc

    Throughout practice, I line the 12 varsity players on the baseline and each has a chance to shoot a 1-and-1 (a possible 24 points). Each make adds to the "home" score. They run the differences. A suicide adds 3 to the home score, down-and-back adds 1, a 10 (down and back 10 times in minute) adds 5, and such. Each one is timed, and if not met, don't get the points.

    It's set up so that they always get their sufficient running, while having to step up and hit key free throws. The kids think they control their running destiny -- and they do for the most part -- but it's easy enough to manipulate the points how you want.
     
  15. Mike Ness

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    So the visiting team is the amount of time they run? After practice? I like it.

    I also always make my guys run, my strategy has always been full court press and make the other team run. (It came from three straight years of having the shortest center in the league)

    I assure you there is no better way to go on a nice run then to get a solid press working. Honestly the ways you get beat on it is usually some stud guard who just run's by all your players, all varsity players no how to pass out of it but they get panicky and make mistakes.

    Whenever I encounter the older coaches they have a giant in the middle and they run a perfect fundimental stack offense or another form of this. They have shooters a good guard that see's the floor well and a monster (sometimes terrible athlete) in the paint. When my boys are running on all cylinders we can put up huge numbers they get alot of break away baskets. Your boys HAVE to be in shape, or the outside shooting and free throw shooting will suffer.

    I love the three man weave drill, I do a form of it when the ball isn't allowed to hit the floor. I'm not some genius but I took what was given to me. I think now I lean towards taking the speedy guards rather than the temptation of of the 6'3 15 year old kid.

    This board was a great idea, it's nice to know there are plenty of like-minded inviduals on the board.

    Lastly, (sorry to ramble) advice on problem parents is always appreciated. I have already been grilled about playing time (AAU has not requirement, I can sit a kid the whole game if I want) I don't want to sound nasty but it really bothers me, especially after a win!
     
  16. Wagon

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    I'm not a coach, so this will be my last post in this thread.

    Thanks to all the coaches out there, you guys really are something special. Many of my fondest memories stem from playing ball, and the enormous amount of time spent by our coaches helping us become better players. Now that I'm a little more grown up, I see that they were helping us become better young men in the process. Remembering to face adversity with effort and toughness, to pursue your goals with dedication and sacrifice, and to value the success of a team over individual accolades; these traits, when I manage to muster them, have helped me immeasurably.

    In short, you guys are great.
     
  17. Riggins

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    Question: do you have "open door" practices or are they shut off? If my practice starts at 5, the players know they better damn well be there by 4:45 at the latest stretching and once 5 hits, I close and lock every door there. If for some reason someone needed to be in the gym, they'd have a key.
     
  18. Mike Ness

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    My AAU kids are subject to rides, so they run after being 15 min late. When I was asst coach for high school, we shut the doors at 3:05. If you missed practice you were punished.

    The answer is do that to high school kids and kids old and responcible enough to get themselves to practice, I don't like making kid's run because of flaky parents.
     
  19. Dcc001

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    If this is out of line, then the mods will just delete it, but all the talk on this thread about the difference about coaching men versus coaching women made me think of the best example I've ever seen of what not to do:

     
    #19 Dcc001, Dec 24, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 27, 2015
  20. Mike Ness

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    I can tell you what everyone of my kids got for christmas, super expensive sneakers. They also fell all over the floor because of the slick new bottoms of the shoes and my shooting guard has a huge blister.

    They look so silly because they are are pretty skinny kind of lanky with giant beaming white bright sneakers!