This article was written by University of Evansville assistant coach Matthew Graves.

In thinking about writing an article on enhancing practice shooting, I believe several areas can be considered for improvement both as a team and an individual. Obviously, a quick google search will lead a coach or player to countless shooting drills and videos that can be used to aid in performance.

I will discuss a couple of my personal favorites later, however, no matter what drill(s) you utilize, I think shooting proper shots while going at game speed and charting the results are ultimately the key ingredients to seeing improvement.

The first area I would like to discuss is how much information can be taken from adequately putting in the time to accurately chart your results. Below is a sample excel spreadsheet from a team summer shooting drill.

Sample Team Shooting Chart PDF

Five Items that can be gathered from the chart:

1. Overall Shooting Percentage and a Standard that Applies
2. Daily Number of Shots Made and a Standard that Applies
3. Red Bold # Indicates a Personal Record
4. Individual Trends Showing Improvement and Consistency/Inconsistency
5. Team Improvement from Workout 1 to 13 (Note: approx. 8% Improvement)

We would post this chart after every time we did this particular shooting drill. The amount of communication among teammates was awesome to witness.

1. Competition for the Top Overall Shooter for Summer and a Daily Winner
2. Players Wanting to Jump to Different Levels (This led to additional practice)
3. Helped to Define Roles on the Team (i.e. who are better shooters)
4. Team Peer Pressure was a Good Thing to Get Guys in the Gym
5. Overall Confidence Improved as the Summer Went On

This simple concept can be taken to almost any type of shooting drill. The amount of time it takes to put together and chart these shots is well worth the benefits.

My suggestion would be to have a couple of different drills to utilize for the entire team to create this competition. Also, changing up the drills from Spring, Summer and Fall make it more enjoyable for the players.

Shooting Drills

There are a lot of great shooting drills out there, and you may already have some in mind, but if you need a couple of ideas, here are a few of my favorites. These are great shooting drills for game-specific shots and also for charting.

Championship Shooting- One Ball/One Rebounder 

Five Minute Shooting- One Ball/One Rebounder

The shooter will be able to shoot from wherever they want (you can decide midrange or three). They will have five minutes to make as many shots as they can.

*Standards 60+ Great, 50+ Good and 40+ Average

37 Point Challenge- One Ball/One Rebounder- One Minute to complete each quarter

• Shoot 3pt shot from Corner, Wing, Top, Wing, Corner (15pts Possible)
• Shoot RH pull-up from each Spot (10pts Possible)
• Shoot LH pull-up from each Spot (10pts Possible)
• Finish with 2 FT’s (2pts Possible)
• Repeat 4 times (Simulating four quarters)
• Add up the total score

Again, many drills can be utilized but, keeping accurate track of results will significantly impact a shooters improvement.

Charting Individual Shooters

This same concept of charting can be used for an individual player as well. You will be able to see a player's progress as well as what types of shots and where on the floor that they shoot best from.

Sample Individual Chart PDF

I enjoyed this part of my job as an assistant coach while at Butler University. We would have 2x per week that we would have one on one instruction. This was an opportunity to not only get better with an individual player but also help to build a great relationship and trust.

These workouts were designed to shoot game specific shots at game speed. I am a big fan of doing combo shooting reps. The combos can be done in 2,3,4,5 shot sequences and repeated.

In the case of the sample attached, I did a two-shot combo repeated five times. The focus was on utilizing the same footwork/technique on each shot while going at game speed. This was also a great way to get conditioning accomplished while working on a basketball skill.

Also, when I had another player that had a similar ability, creating a competition utilizing the same workout was a lot of fun. The attached workout was one day of shooting for Kellen Dunham. I also worked out Rotnei Clarke using the same workout, and then both of them would have friendly trash talking of who the better shooter was in those drills and pushed each other to get better.

As a side note, it was incredibly easy to rebound for both of these guys as you simply stood under then net!!!

Conclusion

When it comes to improving shooting in practice, it is critical that you record your progress, shoot at game speed, and make shooting a healthy competition between the team and individuals.

Great shooters want to be challenged constantly, so developing points, time, different shot combo’s that are charted and challenged, can only enhance a player’s performance.

This article was written by Rice University assistant coach Chris Kreider.

One of the things that I enjoy doing at different times and especially at the beginning of every season is looking over the notes I have taken over the years. I have found it helpful to take a quick inventory of what is happening in the here and now, while also remembering a few things I have learned as a coach over my career.

There is no specific order or grouping to these thoughts, just as I have written them down over the years. Hopefully, you are able to pull a few helpful notes from what I have learned over the years. If you have any notes or thoughts that you believe would help coaches as well, please feel free to share them below in the comments. 

Identify your “Why” and Hold on to It

As a Coach, we wear a lot of hats but remember why you coach. It seems that coaching at every level has become more and more time consuming on a year-round basis, which makes this that much more important to keep at the front of our minds.

Stay Organized

Come up with a system that works for you. Separate notebooks for daily to-do lists, recruiting and basketball along with a whiteboard and some kind of recruiting software is what my mind needs to function. Whatever YOU need, figure it out ASAP! Once you figure out that system, just know that over the years it could change. Be on the lookout for ways to make your system better.

Write it Down

Keep a notebook around. If you see something that you either like or dislike, write it down. Whatever you see that works and also anything that doesn’t. Whether it’s a quote, a drill, a late-game play or whatever it might be, write it down. Then come up with a system to “Group It” and file it for use later on down the road.

Think Ahead

Recognize the value of always putting yourself in different positions and think “What would I do right now?” Think like a CEO in whatever position you may hold at any point in time.

Compete With Class

Whether it’s a win or loss on the court or in recruiting, just like we preach to our players we always have to keep the big picture in mind. With pressures that surround us, this gets hard to do sometimes but still has to be embraced. Don’t get too high. Don’t get too low.

Live in Reality

Who you know gets you there, and what you know can keep you there. Get your foot in the door at the level you want to be at and do the best job you can. From here, meet and develop meaningful relationships with as many people as you can, and know that the right door will open.

Be Who You Are

Don’t try to be someone else. Don’t try to coach like someone else. It may work, I just haven’t seen it happen yet. Players are different. Coaches are different too.

Teach and Learn

Coaching is teaching. Find the best individual learning style of each player and adjust accordingly. Coaching is learning. Find someone that does something well and study them. Learn as much as you can from your players. Ask them questions. What do they like or what don’t they like? What works best for them?

Develop a Language for Your Program

Come up with a “language” as a program for everything and speak that “language” consistently. Come up with names of drills, names of actions, names of moves and try to use them. A word or two or even a phrase that is catchy is always helpful.

Value Self-Awareness

Recognize your strengths and attack your weaknesses (both on and off the court). The offseason is a great time to do this. Once you know what you need to work on, come up with a plan to do so. Every year, come up with three areas you need to improve on individually!

Recruit! Recruit! And Recruit!

As an assistant coach, a lot of our job comes down to this. Recruit. Every single day. It’s like shaving, we all have our system of how we do it, but whatever that may be, do it every day. There are so many factors that go into recruiting, but one of the main components is a willingness to work at it. Not far behind that is finding a way to stay organized in the collecting of information.

Recruit Character

Recruit character, not just talent. Find guys that specifically fit your head coach, your University and your Program.

Embrace Technology

Learn how to use the latest version and anything new out there that can help you become a better coach. Some things are a waste of time, but there are a lot of great tools out there that can save time and make things easier. These are the tools that we must seriously consider!

Have a Brand

Use every opportunity you have to stand for something. The platform we have as coaches is an incredible one that we often take for granted. Don't take your platform for granted.   

Have a Plan for Everything

Nothing has ever been accomplished without one. Always think big picture. Then break it down into smaller segments with measurables and reachable goals to get you where you want to be.

Who Would you Hire?

If you were a Head Coach today, who would you hire on your staff? Why?

Surround Yourself with Great People

Work for and work with high character people. We spend so much time together that this can be one of the more essential yet underappreciated parts of the coaching profession.

Pay it Forward

Remember, someone gave you your first shot and others helped you along the way. Remember those times when you asked all those questions about their coaching philosophy, a ball screen coverage or how they got into coaching. Someone took the time to help you when they didn’t have to. Look for ways to help someone else in those ways.

Fight the Fight

The daily struggle in the coaching profession is to find the balance between being the best spouse or parent we can be with the consuming tendencies we have as coaches. This might be the most difficult challenge we face. I believe you can do both, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Find a group of fellow coaches that can hold you accountable with this.

Detailed Account

Keep an accurate account year by year description of your coaching journey. It helps you remember where you came from. It is an excellent reminder of little things that happened, doors that opened and people that helped you along the way.

Have a Circle

Find like-minded coaches that can hold you accountable along the way and ones that can be a sounding board when it comes to making decisions.

Every Day is an Interview

Resumes are necessary but often aren’t used. Do the best job you can where you are. If it’s meant to be, the right door will open at the right time.

Watch More Film

Study your team. Study other teams. Not just when it comes to scouting either. Pick someone that does something well and study it.

Keep a Running Master “To Do List”

So much is going on and is coming at you so fast, but it only takes a minute to add something to a list. You never know how that entry could help you out down the line.

Work at Your Craft

Go to Clinics, Read Articles, observe practices…etc. Always be improving and growing as a coach. 

Make Drills More Game Like

Always look for ways to make drills and workouts more game-like. For example, when it comes to shooting: find a balance between shots within the offense and getting reps. The biggest thing should be making it game-like.

Emphasize What is Important

As coaches, we get what we emphasize! What do you want to be good at? Then we have to stress it daily. Over and over again.

Promote Leadership

Finding ways to teach and promote leadership within a team, staff and program can be beneficial to each person individually as well as the collective group. When the ball stops bouncing or as we move on in our careers, leadership will always be part of what we need to be successful. As Jon Gordon said, “True leaders don’t create followers. They create more leaders.”

Core Values

Our core values as a program can be even more powerful when the team is given input to come up with them on their own! They may need some guidance along the way, but team meetings help to allow input from all, and can increase buy-in!

New Staff

If you are ever part of a new staff in Year 1, it is always that much more important to get to know every player and parent and develop healthy relationships. It is just as important to remember that there are different ways to do things. Talking about the previous staff in any way other than with complete respect can undermine the mission of the group moving forward.

Value Your Time

Determine what things are a waste of time and what is productive. Some things have always been done a certain way for no reason. Be careful not to fall into the trap of spending time on things of little value. There are only 24 hours in the day and a lot of meaningful things to do!

Find a Cause Bigger Than Basketball

Find a cause more significant than the game of basketball that you value and use this powerful platform that it provides to help others!

Have a Backup Plan

Make sure that you have a Plan A, but also make sure to have a have a Plan B and a Plan C as well. Always be ready with the next option, whether it be recruiting, scheduling, etc.

Three Dribbles

Three. Three dribbles or less on offense. Guard for at least three dribbles on defense.

Late Game Situations

Plan and develop a detailed system for everything that can happen. Implement it early. Play a lot in practice and take advantage of situations that come up every day to teach. “Practice before you get there.” – Brad Stevens

Learn From Those Around You

Learn from everyone you work for and everyone you work with (Coaches, Staff, Players, Administrators, etc.)! Don’t stop there though. Do your best to maintain these relationships over the years. The awesome part over the years is seeing the different paths everyone takes and always having those special bonds is one of the cool things about what we do.

Carry-Over

Carry-Over has always been the most fascinating. How do you get it? There are different ways to hold our guys accountable but having a system for this in practice is a great way to build help take those skills from drills to live action.

Have the Right Perspective

Perspective at all times. It’s bigger than basketball. The ultimate reminder of this is if or when we are ever let go. For us that have been through that unfortunate experience, the most important part about it is remembering how we felt, what we learned during that time and who was around us to help us.  

Favorite Quotes

“What doesn’t challenge you… doesn’t change you.” – Fred DeVito

“Root not fruit.” - Jon Gordon

“Talk is intimidating.” – Kevin Garnett

“Confidence comes from repetition.” – Shane Battier

“Good teams have good players. Great teams have great teammates” – Roy Rana

“Hunt or be hunted has always been my mentality.” – Kobe Bryant

“The starting point of achievement is desire.” – Napoleon Hill

“Victory is in the struggle.” – Bill Parcells

“Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” – Bill Gates

“It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” – Ernest Hemingway

Conclusion

The biggest take away from all of these notes is the idea of always learning and growing. This doesn't just happen though, it needs to be a conscious effort and a game plan must be put into place to make this happen. So figure out the gameplan that works best for you and start seeing yourself progress both on and off the court.

This article was written by Presbyterian College Assistant Coach Patrick Moynihan.

I was blessed with the incredible opportunity to grow up around one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time. My grandfather, Lefty Driesell, was a winning machine. Whenever we were together, we spoke about the importance of winning.

However, my favorite memories are the ones that I spent with him at the Final Four. The interactions he had with his former players are unforgettable. Each man would sincerely thank him for everything that he had taught him as a player. They all gave my grandfather credit for helping them become successful businessmen, coaches, and/or husbands.

Those conversations made me realize that coaching basketball is more than just a game. It is an opportunity to change lives!

Seek Excellence

Success is found in excellence, but excellence takes time to develop. Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Therefore excellence is not an act but a habit.” Habits are built over time. Habits are built through a process. Excellence is a process, but this process must be sustained. Every coach talks about “The Process.”

We have a conditioning segment called “The Process” because we understand that this is what it takes to be our best. Our motto at PC is; #TakeTheStairs. The motto is simple; it is process driven. We value every step towards excellence. We know that we must work one day, one practice, one skill session at a time. If our players stay focused on that concept individually, then we will grow exponentially as a team.

Seeking excellence is more than just being a great basketball player. One should seek excellence as a student, as a citizen, as a husband, or as a professional. If you try to skip steps as a player, you will inevitably develop habits of skipping steps in other areas of your life. As a coach, I firmly believe that when a player grasps this concept of adhering to the process, they will thrive on the floor. More importantly, they will succeed in all areas of their life.

It is also important to realize that some players may not choose to seek excellence under your guidance, regardless of how hard you try to coach them. As a coach, this is not a reason to give up. I heard some of my grandfather’s players say that they did not appreciate his lessons until later in their lives. Some players take longer to understand and employ the concept of excellence. There will come a day when they will remember and be grateful for those valuable lessons.

Do not Fear the Scoreboard

How many times have we seen a team panic when the clock gets under a minute? Many coaches understand that there is always time, but when players see those tenths of a second on the board, they begin to fear the possibility of a loss.

John Wooden wrote, “Success is a peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of. There is no comparing to others. There is no scoreboard. Success is a feeling inside of you, and only you know whether you've achieved it or not.”

Failure only occurs when we do not give our best effort to the task at hand; failure is internal! Do not fear to make mistakes. People aren’t perfect. But, do not let mistakes turn into failures by not learning from them. View failure as feedback; learn from it, and keep moving forward.

There is an old Tibetan saying, “Wisdom is like rainwater; it gathers at the lowest point.” If we fear mistakes, then we may shy away from taking chances that could lead to great opportunities. If you take a risk to improve yourself, and it doesn’t work out as planned, learn from it and move on.

Strive to be a little wiser and a little mentally tougher every day of your life. Fear will hold you back from amazing opportunities. Never fear the scoreboard. We should always stay focused on giving our best efforts, and seeing every second as an opportunity to do something special!

The Team, The Team, The Team

Nelson Mandela preached about Ubuntu. This simple yet powerful South African term, translated into English means, “I am because we are.” Nelson Mandela explained, “If we are to accomplish anything in this world, it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievement of others.”

Without the success of others, you will never reach your real potential. No one accomplishes great feats alone. Michael Jordan passed the ball to John Paxton for four three-pointers in a game seven of the NBA finals to claim his first of six NBA Championships. Julian Edelman made a spectacular catch to help Tom Brady claim his fifth Super Bowl Championship.

Every day, a player should look in the mirror and ask himself, “How did I help the team today? Did I give my best effort for the team today? Did I want to see my teammates succeed today?” When a player can honestly answer yes to those three questions, then the team will unite and will find great success.

Teams are everywhere, not just in sports. The team is a concept that when executed correctly, can become more powerful than any one individual. An old African proverb advises: “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go with a team.” Treat everyone in life as a team, and you will go far.

We should never envy or be jealous of other people’s successes. We should applaud and support their accomplishments. If you are with the team, then you will find personal success along the way!

Conclusion

We aren’t just coaching basketball to athletes for four years. We are coaching them for the rest of their lives. When they genuinely understand the importance of striving for excellence, seizing opportunities, and focusing on teamwork, they will find success. Our careers as coaches may be measured in wins and losses; however, our value lies in preparing athletes to be great people for the rest of their lives! It’s more than just a game; it’s an opportunity.

This article was written by Augusta University Head Men's Basketball Coach Dip Metress.

Anyone can coach, but how many people can have a coaching career? I am considered one of the dinosaurs in my profession but wanted to give you some different perspectives on how to make coaching a career, and hopefully allow you to stay a part of this great game for as long as possible.

In this article, I am going to provide you with the ten commandments to coaching longevity that have I have picked up over my years of coaching.

The 10 Commandments of Coaching Longevity

Observe Other Team’s Practices

When my wife and I went to buy our first house, the realtor said, “even though you don’t like the house from the outside go in and look.” The same concept is true regarding watching other teams practice. Watching another coach lead a practice will allow you to pick up different ideas and get your mind rolling, from there you can implement anything that you like as well as come up with new variations that you may want to try with your team. It is always good to be learning from other coaches that you respect.

Read, Learn, Grow

When I first got into coaching, this was a great piece of advice. Reading multiple books at one time is ok. Have a library card and use library services. You may not be able to pick the mind of one of your favorite coaches in person, but you can read their coaching book and learn from them that way. Books give you access to so much great information; if you don’t take advantage of them, you are going to stunt your coaching growth.

Become a Teacher of the Game

Find a new offense or defense and research it and learn about it. I would agree with the adage that the game is over coached and under taught. However, the more you can learn and master, the more you will be able to teach. Being a teacher of the game is not only going to help others around you, but it is also going to challenge you and hold you accountable to continue to learn yourself.

Evolve or Die

Times change and the game changes, but that doesn’t mean fundamentals are not important. As we get older the kids we coach stay the same age. There needs to be a balance of helping our kids master the fundamentals but also making sure that they are as successful as possible in the current style of the game. Just because a new system becomes popular doesn’t mean you need to throw out everything that you previously knew, but the game is always going to continue to evolve and morph, so make sure that you are evolving with it as it does.

Develop Real Relationships

The late great Al McGuire that coached at my alma mater Belmont Abbey said, “every day you have to build your army.” You have to get to know the people that are stakeholders in your future. This happens by spending time cultivating real relationships and continuing to connect with other great people.

Empower Your Assistants

Let your assistants coach in practice. It is incredible to me how often assistant coaches have no voice in practice. Not only will your assistant coaches help to fill in the gaps that maybe you are missing, but allowing them to coach is also going to allow them to grow as a coach.

Learn From Other Coaches

Model your career after coaches that have longevity in their program. It does not have to be in your sport either, but coaches that have done it for a long time have something figured out. Learn from those coaches and do your best to emulate what they do when it comes to longevity.

Stay True to Who You Are

Never try to be something you are not. Lacking persistence doesn’t allow you to figure things out when adversity hits. If you are consistently trying to reinvent yourself or please someone, you are not going to be able to show and master who you are as a coach. So stay true to what you believe the right way to do things are. This doesn’t mean you can’t evolve and grow, but your core values should be strong and uncompromising.

Quality Habits

Remember that it is easier to put good habits into place than it is to eliminate harmful practices. Any form of selfishness needs to be removed. Coaching at its core is about serving and helping others, and selfishness is the antonym of serving.

Represent Yourself Well

You can’t have a bad practice as a head coach. So much of leadership ability is about how other people experience themselves in your presence. A great leader has a presence that makes other people bigger. If you allow yourself to be up and down as a coach you will lose the respect of your players and those around you. You must represent yourself well daily and stay consistent.

Conclusion

Coaching is one of the most rewarding professions on the planet. You can impact lives regularly and make a lasting impact on those around you. If you are looking to make coaching a lifetime profession, these ten commandments will give you an excellent foundation to stand on as you go.