How to Build your Man Defense

Here is an outline to help you build your man to man defensive philosophy.  

What do we want our identity on defense to be?

What are our target stats?

What habits will we reinforce?

Full Court principles

           Turning the ball handler

            Forcing to the weak hand

Half Court principles

            Denial

            Pack Line 

            Help rotations-help and fill system

Communication

             Terminology

Transition

             How are we guarding the advance pass?

On ball positioning

            Stance: top, wing, corner

                   Are we forcing baseline or middle?            

            Ball pressure

            Hands

            Jump to the ball

Off ball positioning

            Open or closed stance

            Position on the line from the ball to defender

            Bumping cutters

Closeouts

            Approach: straight up/force baseline/force middle/to dominant hand

            Distance

            Hands

            Slides vs. penetration-be able to guard your yard

Post D 

            How we guard the post must be aligned with how we are playing on the perimeter.

            Positioning: top of the key, ball above the FT line, ball below the FT line at wing, & corner.

            Footwork

            Trapping

Help and Rotation

            Stunt and recover vs. penetration

            Rotations based on penetration from the top-wing middle-wing baseline

Screening: How are we guarding screens?

            Downpick

                        Strong side

                        Weak side

            Back screen

                        Big to little

                        Little to big

            Cross screens 

                        Little to big

                        Big to little

                        Like size-big to big, little to little

            Diagonal

                        Little to big

            Pick and Roll

                        Who is the ball handler? 

                              Shooter, driver, both

                        Who is the screener? 

                              Shooter, driver, both

                        What is the angle?

                              90/45/flat/step up/baseline

                        What part of the floor is the screen?                        

                              Side-middle-drag-elbow-corner

                        There are at least 7 ways to defend the pick and roll.

      Ice or Down

      Switch

      Jam

      Trap

      Soft hedge

      Flat hedge

      Hard hedge 

                Basic Play Actions

                              Flex
                              UCLA
                              Zipper
                              Horns
                              Iverson-1-4 high set guards go over top and other under
                              Elevator-top or side
                              Floppy-single double

                              Staggered
                                    Big-Big for little
                                    Little-Big for little
                                    Big-Little for little
                              Hand offs/dribble weave
                                    Big to little
                                    Little to little dribble weave
                                    Big to little dribble weave

            

Rebounding

               In the paint

               Outside the paint

               Outside the 3 point line

10 Commandments of Good Human Relations

A great reminder for us all on how to treat others.

1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word or greeting.

2. Smile at people. It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile.

3. Call people by name. The sweetest music to anyone's ears is the sound of their own name.

4. Be friendly and helpful. If you would have friends, be friendly.

5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.

6. Be genuinely interested in all people. You can like almost everybody...if you try.

7. Be generous with praise and cautious with criticism.

8. Be considerate with the feelings of others.  It will be appreciated.

9. Be thoughtful of the opinions of others.  There are usually three sides to a controversy: yours, the other persons and the right one.

10. Be alert to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for others.

Add to this a great sense of humor, a big dose of patience, and dash of humility and you will be rewarded many-fold.

-Robert G. Lee

WHERE is your leadership?

So far we have covered WHO, WHAT, WHEN, and today we look at the WHERE questions of your leadership philosophy. 

The WHO questions should of helped you define the type of person you are and WHO you want to lead and learn from.

The WHAT segment hopefully helped you define your role, your followers needs, and WHAT you believe about leadership.

Your WHEN answers should have helped you define times WHEN you are a good leader and times WHEN you need to be more effective.

Now it is time to reflect on WHERE you want to be a leader and WHERE  you need to grow as a leader. I have included a few of my personal answers to the questions.  I hope you are enjoying the process of developing your leadership philosophy. 

Here are the 4 WHERE questions:
 

     1.     Where are you a leader?

a.     Work

b.     Family

 

     2.     Where do you want to be as a leader?

a.     Be more polished and confident as a public speaker

b.     Head Coach

c.      Confident-Sure-Bold-Effective manager of people

     3.     Where do I need to grow in order to be where I want to be?

a.     Professional Network-network up

b.     Experience as Head Coach and decision maker

c.      Keep growing as a leader/teacher/mentor/coach

d.     Personal growth

     4.     Where do I want to take my group?

a.     PGs: vocal, confident, lead by example, close knit, trusting, maximize potential as players, leaders and people

 

The 3 WHENs of Leadership

Part of being a good leader is knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are and surrounding yourself with people who compliment those areas.  So far we have discussed the WHO and WHAT of developing your leadership philosophy, today, we are going to address the WHEN. 

Understanding WHEN you are at your best and WHEN you are not can help you recognize the areas you need to improve in as a leader and in what areas you excel. Also, understanding your WHEN helps you know what situations you may not be the most effective leader you can be.  You may also learn that you thrive during crisis situations!  Take some time and really be honest with yourself about when you are an effective leader and when you are not.  I have included a few of my personal answers to the questions down below. 

 

     1.     When do you need to lead?

a.     Teaching new concept.

b.   Group lacks direction.

c.   Feel uncertain or unsure on next steps. Help organize and create action plan.

d.   Group lacks confidence and needs a boost.

e.      Finding a solution to a problem.

 

     2.     When are you most effective at leading?

a.     When overprepared and clear plan.

b.     Comfortable with material.

c.      When things need positive vibe.

d.     When things get hard or tough.

     3.     When are you least effective when leading?

a.      Not confident in what teaching or feel unprepared.

b.     Teaching people who don’t care or listen.

c.     When angry.

d.      When task I don’t want to do or indifferent about.

 

The 5 WHAT questions

Hopefully you have spent some time thinking about the WHO questions of your leadership philosophy.  Remember the key to building anything great and sustainable is to have a solid foundation.  With that in mind let's discover more about the 5 WHAT questions needed to develop your leadership philosophy.   Take some quiet time to reflect and enjoy the process!  I have included a few of my own personal WHAT answers. 

     1.     What is your role?

a.     Make my boss' job easier and support decisions.

b.     Mentor younger coaches/peers/former players.

c.      Encourage, support and maximize potential of players mentally, physically & emotionally.

     2.     What do your followers need?

a.     Players: time, love, energy, direction, discipline, basketball skill set, life skills, emotional support

b.     Coaches: professional & personal growth, how to be a professional, direction, goals, mentors

     3.     What are your strengths?

a.     Continual Learner

b.     Consistent

c.      Calm, collected, fun

d.     Trust, loyal, respectful, professional

     4.     What are your weaknesses?

a.     Communication:can be too short on words  

b.     Controlled emotions: lack of immediate reaction can be seen as aloof

c.      Network Up better 

     5.     What do you believe to be true about Leadership?

a.     Leadership is about People

b.     Leadership is about relationships. People have to know you care, are competent and trustworthy.

c.     Groups want discipline and consistent accountability principles.

d.     Hard conversations usually lead to growth.

e.     There are different types of leadership styles:  by example, energy, vocal, & by position-title.

f.       For effective leadership everyone involved in the group has to be willing to receive info & communicate out.

g.     All groups have a leader.

h.     Everyone needs a coach and a cheerleader.

i.       Time and tone are important.

j.       Catch people doing things right.

k.     Praise publicly and criticize privately.

WHO are you?

The purpose of the next few blogs is to help you develop your leadership philosophy.  We will be breaking down the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY, and HOW of leadership into smaller pieces to jump start your thinking.

Today we are going to reflect on the WHO questions.  Again, I strongly encourage you take some time and write down your answers. This should be an ongoing process as you develop your leadership philosophy.

Who are you? 
Who are you as a person? As a coach?  What principles guide you in your daily life? Motivations?

Here a couple of things from my personal list to give you an idea:
People first. Relationships are important to me. Make and find time for others.

Golden Rule: treat and talk to others as you would like to be treated.

Character: hard worker, loyal, trustworthy, giver, take initiative, resourceful, problem solver, prepared, fun, love to learn & grow, confident with humility

Skill: Teacher, leader, mentor, listening, compassion, empathy, demanding, personal and professional development

Who do you lead?
You can lead in many different areas.  Consider your roles at home, in the community, within your family and at work.

Who do you follow?
Thought leaders
Boss
Family
Mentors
Spiritual

Would love to hear any questions or please feel free to share any comments as you go about developing your leadership philosophy.  Hope you find the process helpful.

Chris Widener's Leadership Philosophy

 

 

Do you know who you are as a leader? What do your followers need from you as a leader? When are you most effective when leading?  Where do you want to be as a leader? Why should people follow you?  How does your group need to be lead?

 

Over the next two weeks I will be posting blogs that will break down the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW of leadership into smaller pieces.  My hope is that you will take the time between posts to explore your own answers to these questions.  The purpose is to help you create a strong foundation of your leadership philosophy and principals. 

 

The program I will be sharing with you is from Chris Widener's Extraordinary Leader's 13 CD set. 

His program has really helped me define who I am as a leader and where I want to be as a leader.  I think before we begin the process we have to first understand what his philosophy of Leadership is.

 

 

Chris Widener’s Philosophy on Leadership   
Every group has a leader-a primary influencer(s).    
If you have 2 leaders then you will have 2 groups.

 

     Every group needs a “good” leader.

Can have a position/title leader but that does not make them a good leader.

Any person that has influence is a leader.

If there are not good leaders in your group then you need to make them good leaders.

     Effective leadership is character and skill.

     Leadership is long term.

     People choose to follow based on character and skills.

          Nice guys= good character & little to no skills

          Charlatan= poor character & good skills

          Short term leadership=poor character & excellent skills

 

      Leadership is based on relationships.

      Followers must have attachment to your character or your skills.

 

      Leadership is an opportunity; a given chance to make the world better for others,
      to lift others up, & to grow others

      Leadership is a responsibility: to make things better.

      Leadership is a privilege: attitude to gratitude.

      Leadership is for other people.

      Leadership must be BOLD!

      Dare to dream. Take risks. Bold decisions= bold actions.

     You want to cause action with greater commitment.
     Attempt to do great things.

      For Leadership to be effective long term it needs to be methodical, consistent, & purposeful.
Leadership must keep the group focused on the vision.
The natural tendency of a group is to move away from mission/vision/purpose.
Must be constant reminders of the vision.

 

Leadership by Jim Rohn

I just received my complete set of Jim Rohn's Guides and I am really looking forward to diving in to some new material.

Starting next week I am going to start a series on how to develop your Leadership Philosophy based on the teaching of Chris Widener a disciple of Jim Rohn.

I have found http://www.success.com to be a great resource to purchase materials and to find articles, links, checklists, videos and blogs.  I also appreciate that the site runs a lot of regular sales and discounts on material. I will make sure and promote the next sale on my twitter @coachkarenblair if you are interested in stocking up on some new personal and professional growth materials. Also, if you are interested in the Jim Rohn set you can find it at The Success Store.

Here are just a few sample quotes from the Guides:

A life best lived is a life by design. Not by accident, and not by just walking through the day careening from wall to wall and managing to survive. That's okay.  But if you can start giving your life dimension and design and color and objectives and purpose, the results can be staggering.

From The Jim Rohn Guide to Goal Setting

Be strong but not rude.
Be kind but not weak.
Be bold but not a bully.
Be humble but not timid.
Be thoughtful but not lazy.
Be proud but not arrogant.
Have humor without folly.

From The Jim Rohn Guide to Leadership

If you have read the series and have a favorite please leave me a comment and I will make sure and start with that one!

Team Culture

 

I have been spending time this week reviewing my notes from the WBCA/NACWAA Whiteboard session we hosted at the Unviersity of North Texas and I wanted to share some great points and ideas that LeTourneau University Head Coach Leslie Reinecker shared with the group about culture.


Culture is a pattern of shared assumptions invented, discovered, or developed by a group as it learns to cope with its problems by external adaption and internal integration.

Cultures form out of common ideas/beliefs.

Developing culture is intentional and continuous.

Championship Cultures have great respect among team members and they take pride in fulfilling team roles.

Help players develop their Why. Coaches do not be afraid to share your story and Why.
Young players usually have not greatly developed their why/story yet. Help them shape theirs.

Inspire players to work.  This will help determine long term success.

Leaders must live/participate in the core values consistently.

Constructive feedback is the only kind that helps the team. All other types just tear down the culture.

Players are always more sensitive to criticism than to compliments.  You give them 10 compliments but they always remember the 1 criticism.  Be aware because your less mature players will turn that into a reason "why you don't like them." Don't let this become a trust killer.

Team Culture is about building relationship and trust.

Know that incoming players are products of previous cultures. Change takes time and consistently.

Players are always watching you.

YOU MUST WIN THE LOCKER ROOM BEFORE YOU CAN CONSISTENTLY WIN ON THE COURT.

You will see your team's true culture when things go badly.

There is no magic time frame when creating a successful team culture but generally it takes a minimum of 3 years.

Leaders it is your responsibility to shape and model the program you want.  You get what you tolerate.

"The maintenance of a culture is ongoing process that require regular effort. The effort is worthwhile, though, particularly when you take into account just how much culture dictates behavior, focus, ethic, and results. Culture is a powerful component of every organization, and to a certain extent it take on a life of its own." Joe Frontiera and Daniel Leidl in Team Turnarounds

Most coaches want to focus on changing something physical rather than mental because it is easier. Working the mental side is more work, but gives better results.

You have to have a strategy but it is the culture that determines whether or not that strategy will be successful.

Time spent on X's and O's is very important but wins or losses are based on aspects of the team's culture.  The team's attention to detail, effort, players' ability to execute together. During times of high pressure players will fall back on their habits.  

Burn Your Goals Part 3

http://www.traintobeclutch.com/burn-your-goals-to-become-the-person-of-your-dreams/

I wanted to give a big thank you to Sallie Guillory, Associate Head Coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, for allowing me to share her notes from Burn Your Goals by Joshua Medcalf and Jamie Gilbert. If you are not receiving Sallie's Coaching newsletter you are missing out.  She does a great job with her content.  When I started this blog I was hoping to create a space where coaches could share ideas so thank you Sallie for sharing this week.   

Burn Your Goals Part 2

http://www.traintobeclutch.com/burn-your-goals-to-become-the-person-of-your-dreams/

I wanted to give a big shoutout to Sallie Guillory, Associate Head Coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, for putting together another great Coaching Newsletter this week and sharing her notes from Burn Your Goals by Joshua Medcalf and Jamie Gilbert. 

This is part 2 of Sallie's notes.  Enjoy and please not only read the notes but take the time to reflect.  A lot of great quotes and material here.

Burn Your Goals Part 1

http://www.traintobeclutch.com/burn-your-goals-to-become-the-person-of-your-dreams/

I wanted to give a big shoutout to Sallie Guillory, Associate Head Coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, for putting together another great Coaching Newsletter this week and sharing her notes from Burn Your Goals by Joshua Medcalf and Jamie Gilbert.  I will be sharing her notes for the next few days.  From looking at the notes this is a must read for coaches.  Enjoy and please not only read the notes but take the time to reflect and answer some of the questions.  What are you doing with your time?  Is there something you can do more of or less of?  Is there a specific controllable commitment you can start this week?  Ideas are just ideas until you put them into action.

Core Values

http://www.coachwooden.com

The foundation of your philosophy is based on your principle core values.  

Values are defined as broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes.  

They should reflect a person's sense of right and wrong or what "ought" to be.  

Down below is a great exercise to prioritize your core values.  

First, do the exercise thinking about yourself personally and

then do the exercise again thinking about your program.

Value Sort Exercise

1. Cross out the values that do not apply to you.

2. Select your top 10 values

3. Narrow your list to 5.

4. Prioritize your top 5 with #1 serving as your most important value.