More Tips

Hat tip to Beantownhoops.com for the video.



I used to play a game called "Bill Bradley" where each "make" was PLUS 1, and each miss, MINUS 3, with the game to 11. In other words, you have to make 11 shots and only miss 3 to win. Tough, but doable with practice.

We Need a Shutdown Defender

The surest way to find your way onto the basketball court might be the hardest. The player who becomes a shutdown defender will ALWAYS get minutes. We have players with terrific quickness who have the potential to become this type of player.

But translating that into results means constant concentration, effort, and timing.

• Apply pressure
• Force mistakes
• Seek opportunities

 

• See the ball
• Play by touch (we say use your antennas)
• Don't turn your back

 

• Deny the post
• Footwork to prevent easy entry pass

 

• The defense is NOT helpless
• The defense can force the action
• We teach allowing less space between defender and dribbler
• Note how the defense is about footwork

Passing Fancy: Anything is Possible

Anything is possible.

Winning Effort

The girls put forth winning efforts last night and today, although last night the team did not garner the victory, and today it did. You can play hard and lose, and not so hard and win. The coaches want the players to understand the importance (the spirit of the game) of playing hard and with focus.

Also, we want the players to understand the importance of "playing the game", using the skills we teach, like faking, to make the game 'easier'. Today, more players began incorporating some of those skills into the game, which created more opportunities.

Before the game, I asked the players, what word on a coin is the most important to us on the basketball court. The answer is TRUST. Players have to trust one another, offensively and defensively, as well as off the court, for the team to be successful. Coaches trust the players to put in the effort and the players must trust the coaches to put them in a position to be successful. Although we try to help players maximize their individual skills, we ask them often to put aside their well-being for the good of the team. We try to avoid what I've heard called "night at the opera basketball," in other words, ME-ME-ME.
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All players are not equal in ability, athleticism, or understanding of the game. Every player on the team has equal importance and we understand that we have a basketball 'family', where everyone can have a bad day, and where everyone has feelings.

My coach used to have a saying, "you what I like about you guys?" To which we would all reply, "nothing". The truth couldn't be anything farther away, and I still stay in touch with him today, forty years since I met him.

My routine was always to wait for the official, then walk to the line, dribble three times, breathe out, and shoot. I discourage players from 'spinning' the ball before they shoot, and encourage a compact shooting motion, along with some flexing of both the knees and ankles.

We used to take turns shooting free throws in the driveway, among my daughters and me; in addition to practice, it added some pressure and responsibility to the team. We never could seem to make more than the mid-30s!

Overarching Themes

When a basketball coach looks at his team, she wants to be able to look in the mirror, seeing a team that reflects her philosophy. What is your basketball philosophy?

A lot of my basketball 'beliefs' came from my high school coach, Ellis Lane. Others came from watching and coaching basketball for many years, from reading about basketball coaches (e.g. John Wooden, Red Auerbach), and from studying psychology.

The 'core' of basketball comes from having players with the proper priorities and attitude.

PRIORITIES

1. Family
2. School 
3. Basketball

ATTITUDE

1. Play hard.
2. Play as a team (you must sacrifice your individual good to the well-being of your team)
3. Have fun.

It will be very hard for you to incorporate the right priorities and attitude about basketball and NOT do the same off the court. In other words, success in basketball will translate into success off the court. 

Tips for the Day

You can constantly learn new approaches to get the job done. Here are short videos that can help you improve.

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Every day if you spend just a few minutes THINKING about how to improve, you will!

How to Be a Good Teammate: Move!

Richard Hamilton is one of the two greatest NBA players I have seen moving without the ball, the other being former Celtic great, John Havlicek.
Listen to Hamilton explain his approach.

Dictionary

Frustration set in a bit yesterday, as Melrose lost at home, 22-17.

One reality of sports is that the best teams become consistent and the best players on the best teams are the most consistent. However, very few young players are consistent, because they lack the experience, the motor muscle memory, and game awareness to be consistent. That is just a fact.

There were flashes of what we want, a blocked shot by a player 'chasing' a breakaway, denying the sideline so a player stepped out of bounds, some real toughness by a player who fell down and stayed in the game, and so on. The coaches see everything, not just the scoreboard, and certainly not just the scorebook.

I remind players of a player that I played with...as a young player he was awkward and made plenty of mistakes (even more than I did, if that's possible)...he didn't play on the Freshman 'A' team, but the 'B' team.

Years later, in a game against an undefeated team (St. John's Prep) against a high school All-American, he outplayed him (a future Celtics' draft choice), including a blocked shot to clinch the game. In the next game at the Garden, against Lexington, he made ten of ten free throws against a team that had won three consecutive State Championships, to help us win in overtime.

I can't tell you how many times the coach yelled at him (us), saying that we could play better, if we concentrated more and kept working. And my friend, John, got a scholarship to play college basketball. Moreover, I think that he is a vice-president for a huge corporation, Fluor, because he was also a great student and person. Frustration, leading to success.

Remember, the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.

Around the Back Drill

Practicing a variety of drills improves your overall skill level.

Versatile High Set....Look Familiar?

Half court offenses offer a way to provide motion and spacing. Does this look even vaguely familiar?

Winning Isn't the Only Thing

Coach frequently says "it's a progression", because, well IT IS. We're constantly trying to work for individual and team improvement and we're only at the beginning of a long journey. And the team continues to make progress.

Where can we see progress?

• Defensive positioning has clearly improved
• Recognition of 'help' situations is 'night and day' better
• The guards' ability to see downcourt because of dribbling head up really was noticeable
• Players' capacity to pass without traveling also is making strides

We still have plenty of room to grow in all areas. Some we'll work on tomorrow include:

• Jumping
• Quicker release of shots

I can't emphasize enough that everyone's basketball growth occurs at different rates, in fits and starts. Coach John Wooden would give each player a basketball after the season and ask them to return with the basketball in the fall, the basketball an easy 'marker' for how much the player worked to improve. Every player decides how much time basketball fits into their life, after family, school, and other activities.


Notice how players step to the ball, pass stepping to the receiver and use good technique all the time.


This is what we teach, but you have a graphic reminder here. Good luck. 

Seeing is Believing

We've watched the girls long enough to know that many need not only repetitions but a lot of visualization. We probably won't be one of the tallest or strongest teams, but we can win in three ways:

• Our minds, our knowledge of the game
• Our bodies, our athleticism
• Our skill, the ability to do what we must

Here's a video to help illustrate some of what we need to do.



Although I may not be at the games this weekend, I'm keeping up with the news...and I'm willing to pay the price to help our team succeed over the years.

Working on It

Yesterday, the team played improved defense in a loss to Wilmington. The defense is way ahead of the offense, as the offense still needs to work hard on:

1. Spacing
2. Timing
3. Controlling the middle not the edge
4. Avoiding dribbling into traffic

Video lessons.


Watch and learn.
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"Good Loss" with Improved Offense Opportunities

Melrose had a schedule cancellation, and as a result got to face the tough Woburn team that has been beating teams handily. Although Melrose lost 23-18, the girls made progress offensively, looking more aggressively to find good scoring opportunities.

Melrose had pulled even several times during the game, only to have some offensive doldrums, with Woburn getting a key hoop late at 20-17 to put the game out of reach.

The coaches were pleased with the effort and the team's overall progress.

At Monday's upcoming practice, we may have a new athletic wrinkle...as we need to get the girls used to jumping.

Yes, we can, jump that is. On the right is Paula Sen (at college), who has helped out a few times at practice, showing that girls have 'ups', too. We just have to help you find them.

Afternoon Nap

The girls traveled to Wilmington, a future Middlesex League entrant in a couple of years. The results weren't quite as pleasing as the morning game, as the Wildcats prevailed 31-11.

Maybe it was the 20th anniversary of the Simpsons that gave us a premonitory 'Doh'.

It's easy to 'forget' that progress and 'work in progress' occur with regularity in ten and eleven year old children. And it's a lot like Tom Hanks Forrest Gump, "Basketball is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get."

One Small Step for a Man...

When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in 1969, he spoke "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." Today, against Reading, the girls took some positive steps:

1. Much more advancing the ball with the head up
2. Better passing
3. Improved finishing around the basket

The results were scoring over 20 points in each half and putting up fifty overall, while everyone played solidly.

That isn't to say that improvement can't happen, as we continue to need to improve in all areas, especially the use of the backboard in shooting, blocking out, and concentrating on getting the ball to the middle on the fast break.

As the proverb goes, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

More Progress...in Defeat

The girls traveled to Billerica and came away with the glass half-full, losing 22-9.

Last month, Billerica handily defeated Melrose 35-5, and have been hammering all the River Valley 'A' league.

Melrose actually held a 4-3 lead and trailed 12-5 at half-time and had a 12-9 second half deficit. Improved defensive help and switching held the hosts down.

Melrose faces Reading and Wilmington today. "Experience is the best teacher, but sometimes the tuition is high."

Understanding Motion

I want to introduce some sites to help you gain a better understanding of motion offense and defenses.

This site shows you the animation.

Beantownhoops Shows the Love

Beantownhoops.com gives a little love to the little girls.

The Defense Never Rests

The team traveled to snowy Winchester Sunday and came away with a 22-15 win against the Winchester 6th grade team in a hard-fought battle.

Improved defensive concentration and intensity, as well as improving rebounding at both ends were the keys.

The players continue to work hard at both ends of the floor:

Offensively: we are breaking into smaller groups for tutorials on play from the high and the low post, as well as using picks both with and without the ball.

Defensively: we are focusing on proper fundamentals of both footwork and hand positioning, as well as help defensive both help and recover and in double-teams.

The team will get another chance at its first River Valley win tomorrow night.

Gradual Improvement

The girls' season continues with a solid 3-1 tournament last weekend at Woburn and a schedule revision today with a 27-10 victory over Stoneham. The team has won 9 games and lost 5.

Weather permitting, the team travels to Winchester tomorrow to face the Winchester 6th grade team.

The overall defensive coordination, with switching and help and recover defense has improved. Additionally, the understanding of the goals of inbounds plays and setting screens has similarly progressed.

The coaches reviewed areas that we consider very important that require more attention going forward:

• Better facilitation of the transition game with the outlet pass going to the strong side guard. We will continue to work on this in practice until it becomes automatic.
  
• Advancing the ball upcourt with the head up to see open players. The transition game is the DNA, the fabric of Melrose basketball.
  
• Improving the timing of the initial pass in set offenses. The pass must occur during the cut, not after the receiver has made her move.
• Attacking the basket offensively.
• Avoiding dribbling into traffic.
• Maintaining discipline in spacing. We are not playing "youth basketball" anymore with five players magnetized to the ball.
• Defensively, we need to understand how the guards and 'bigs' work both separately and in tandem, learning how to double-team with other players rotating from the weak side.
  

The girls have come a long way from the initial practices, and we will continue to encourage learning good fundamentals.