Coaching Philosophy
Overall Vision
The overall vision for this basketball program is to be a source of pride in the school and community. We will play an entertaining brand of basketball that players, students, and fans will enjoy. There will be a connection for players from the past to present players, to future members of the program. This program will measure success not after the basketball season has ended, but years after. We will measure success by how this program has developed young men into proud husbands and fathers who still feel the pride of playing basketball in this program.
Philosophy on Winning
Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. We want to develop players who know how to and expect to win basketball games. Believing you can win and executing that belief as a team builds attitudes that are successful when these players enter the real world. Having a growth mindset will not disable, but empower our players in life after basketball. Winning is part of sports and players who have strong competitive spirit will be rewarded in this program and in life. We want to foster a winning culture in our program. However, the only areas we will not compromise in place of winning is our program philosophy and player discipline.
If a player does not work hard in practice/games, is a poor teammate, and is un-coachable, then he should not be playing over players that embody our program values. Teamwork and chemistry are fragile traits of winning teams.
Relationships with Players
Basketball is supposed to be a fun experience for the student athletes. Coaches will be positive with all players and provide constructive criticism. There is an appropriate level of demanding excellence from players. I believe when players have fun and are engaged, they are more likely to listen and apply what the coach is teaching. I want players to want to come back to games after they have graduated to build a sense of pride in the program. Coaches should try to communicate with players often about topics other than basketball. “The kids don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Developing Players
Projecting the size, speed, and skills of youth basketball players is a difficult task. We do not know how kids will develop. Because of this, every player needs to work on all skills. Do not have the two tallest kids just practice post moves. We want all players to be diverse. We want posts who can handle the ball. We want strong guards who can post up. In a motion offense, all 5 players essentially are position-less once the play is initiated. Be creative and progressive by using unique lineups. Having five players with no weaknesses is a powerful team and one that will be successful in any system.
Developing basketball players takes trust. During games, let them be free to make mistakes. Correct them after the mistake, but give them the freedom to make a mistake. We empower our players to make plays. The hardest offense to guard is an unpredictable one. My ideal game coaching is not calling a single play the entire game. Now there are certain situations that call for structure, but kids should be given freedom to explore their capabilities. It’s easier to rein players in at higher levels, than it is to force them to be “better at basketball.”
