Making Hard Decisions: Cutting Players From Your Team

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches | 0 comments

Sometimes a team can do everything in its power to become better and improve, and sometimes it will seem like nothing is working. Training will be tweaked, as will the practices themselves, they will be increased or decreased. While many changes can be attempted, they may not work and sometimes this can leave the coach in quite the bind. The coach may have to cut a player from the team for one of many different reasons. Lack of skill, along with a lack of respect, and causing distractions to the team are a few of the reasons that come to mind immediately. No coach likes to cut players from their team, but eventually they will have to.

Making the Hard Choice
While it is hard to cut players from a team, it may come down to the simple fact that they do not fit in the current system. They may be better elsewhere and they aren’t happy, and if you are currently losing you likely aren’t happy either. Although winning teams may also look towards cutting people as well if they become an issue that causes negativity for the team.

There are too many reasons to simply list them all hear, all that anyone can do when thinking about cutting a player is sit back for a few moments and ponder if the cut will actually improve your team. Sometimes players are cut and made into scapegoats. This is what a coach has to avoid doing. Coaches while accepting input from the players, and other coaches with the team, need to ensure that the reasons for the release are completely professional and do not boil down to one player not liking another player. Politics, while you cannot deny it has a presence in the game; you can deny it a presence in your decisions.

Cutting a player is the last resort. After you’ve tried to work with them, taken corrective measures, and tried everything that you can think of, cutting them may be the only option. Sometimes it may even be a temporary cut and they could be welcomed back to the team when a certain action is taken and completed. It could be a few steps required, either way it needs to be analyzed and needs to be well thought out before it is done. It is not something you can just tell a player you are thinking of doing, because that can instantly demoralize them, and can instantly cause them to act out.

They also are likely already aware that it is a potential action, and are likely already trying to remedy it. Sometimes simple reminders in practice that roster spots are not guaranteed and only go to those that work and perform to their highest potentials and that give it their all game in and game out, will remain on the roster. Sometimes this simple and small speech worked in properly will jolt people to make the required improvements themselves, or seek out the help they need, or even remove themselves if it is realized it just isn’t working out.

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Which Basic Skills are required to play Basketball?

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There are very few skills that are required to play. A majority of the skills that basketball players possess are developed through training and exercise, and happen over time. No player is an instant star and can shoot free throws and 3 pointers perfectly every single time. These skills are developed with practice and patience and aren’t forced.

One of the most essential and required skills is the ability to work well with others. Team work is absolutely essential if you are to succeed and win in basketball. A dysfunctional team can lead to many problems, the biggest of which is no one will be having fun.

While fun to some people isn’t necessary, even people that like to win, have fun, and without that fun and love of the game, people wouldn’t be playing. If you cannot work well with others or do not enjoy working with others, then you shouldn’t be playing a team sport period.

Self Improvement is another important and key skill in basketball. No matter how good you are, you must be willing to improve and work at something. The best basketball players in the world still work out, still run drills, and still find ways to improve themselves.

You need to not only practice what you are taught by coaches and other players, but you need to seek other sources of improvement as well. Watching other players from leagues like the NBA and WNBA will show you what you can aspire to be, and what you can achieve with hard work. Being an athlete is only hard if you let it be. If you get yourself in a proper daily routine, and eat properly, you will find that you will develop the discipline required to be a basketball player. Discipline is something you need to enforce upon yourself, while coaches can teach you the basics, and you can read about it, you need to practice discipline in every aspect of your life.

Another essential aspect of basketball is a personalized warm up routine. This warm up routine should incorporate aspects of your team warm ups, but also aspects of drills that assist you in developing some of your weak points, while accenting some of your stronger points. These drills also need to be progressive in nature and need to evolve as your skills increase so that they keep up with you as a player and don’t fall behind.

Communication falls under the above mentioned teamwork, but also deserves a complete section of its own. You need to let your team mates know on the fly what you’re doing, or where you’re going. Communication is essential on and off the court. Coaches rely on it for feedback, and to sort out any issues and deal with them.

These above items are some of the very basic needs when going into basketball, some of the skills are specific to basketball, and some of them are just general life skills. When the above are present they form today’s basketball player.

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Organizing an Away Game Day

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Away days are a unique experience for players. There is a certain amount of travel involved so when you are planning the trip, you want to be able to allot extra time in case of traffic or other stops that may happen. Players will need to ensure they have all the necessary supplies needed for the day out. Without being at home you don’t have the luxury of having everything you need within a short distance.

One thing that people like to do when travelling to away games is car pool if there are no team buses. Coaches will need to set arrival time to ensure the team is either at the team bus or at the destination no later than that time so that you can keep all of your game day preparations in order.

Being the away team means that you will need to prepare in unfamiliar ground, and will need to bring additional supplies like extra clothes, and your away uniforms. You will need to bring any necessary equipment with you like extra pads, and anything that you may require throughout the game.

Most of your game preparation will be done before you even get to your destination. Pre game studying, game strategies and even equipment preparation are usually done in advance, and are just reviewed when you arrive at the game site. Recreational teams sometimes do not go over detailed strategies but competitive leagues have new strategies in place for each and every team that they face in an attempt to exploit their weaknesses.

While it may seem like common sense, you may prefer taking full advantage of available warm up time on the home team court just to get a feel for the venue and get used to it. Each and every court is different. Things like lighting and even the court can just react differently to what you are used to and you will need to familiarize yourself as much as possible.

Team Spirit is even more important while you are on the road because you don’t have the home team crowd pumping you up. Coaches need to ensure that the team spirit remains positive and that they don’t get overwhelmed by the opposing team’s home crowd.

Away teams need to ensure that they feed off of their coach when they can’t feed off of the crowd. A coach is everything to a team when they are on the road. He is their coach, and their cheering section. Coaches are one of the most essential tools on the road and at home and are sometimes underestimated. Teams need to listen to what their coach has to say and follow his instructions.

While you will be caught up in getting prepared for a game, you need to still have some fun and enjoy the surroundings. Whether you are an hour away from your home town, or 12 hours away, enjoy the trip! Being in unfamiliar territory during game day doesn’t mean you can’t take a few team mates and go have a bite to eat or try something new. Coaches will occasionally organize team outings during away game days just to keep the tension low, and to ensure that the team has fun. After all, some play to win, some play for a love of the game, but no matter what you play for, everyone needs to have fun.

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Organizing a Home Game Day

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Home Games are the most important games to any team no matter what style of league you are in. You have the support of the home town crowd and your team just has an energy about it that cannot be explained. You are playing in front of your friends and family and will usually play that little extra mile to try for that win.

The home game day doesn’t just include the game. There are many pre and post game activities that can be done. Starting with pregame, you will need to get your team fired up and ensure that they are ready to go. While warm up’s are essential you will need to lay out a game plan and be as mentally ready for the game as possible.

Warm ups are an essential next step, it will ensure that you are ready to go and that the crowd gets a look at your team. It starts to fire up the crowd and gets your team feeling the energy and gets them hyped up and warmed up for the game. Then before the game starts you need to have one final “pep talk” of sorts to ensure that the coach fires up the team and has them all on the same page.

Equipment is less of a worry for home games as your equipment is usually already at the venue, and already in the locker room. One thing you do at home games that you don’t do at away games is have a pre game rally of sorts. In high school they were called pep rallies, but a lot of teams have small rallies or outings just to get the players in game mode and get the butterflies out before game day. Team outings happen after the game, with wins or loses to keep team morale high and to just relax after some good hard play.

While a home coach needs to ensure that his team is taken care of, he also has to ensure that the away team is taken care of and has all of the necessities. Change room(s), warm up time, and access to necessary things like washrooms and even possibly showers. Some home teams even go an extra mile and like to provide extra equipment, just in case of someone forgetting something, or in case of equipment failure.

Coaches need to capitalize on the home crowd and feed of the energy that it provides the players. Not every game is a home game, and when you are at home, you as a coach need to ensure that your team takes full advantage and gets the crowd hyped and keeps them hyped up throughout the game.

No Home Game Day ever goes perfect, and no team wins every single home game. The best home games are the ones where both teams, home and visiting, can walk away proud of the way that the game was played, whether they won, or whether they lost.

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How to Teach: Concepts of Teaching

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Teaching is an abstract art. As a teacher one must enter the mind of one’s student with the intent to engage. A teacher must engage ones student in the process of absorbing, understanding, applying, and then retaining new knowledge. It is said that it takes the average human 21 days to create a new, repetitive behavior. It takes 30 days to make the habit part of one’s everyday life.

In games of physical sports the mind and the body must come together to take the knowledge given by a teacher to a new level. Not only does the basketball student have to incorporate their cerebral cortex but also their body in the learning of new concepts to master the game. The athlete must transcend the mind to bring to the court physical performance. In regular classroom settings, students learn concepts and facts that they may never use in their day to day living. Special techniques are required to take concepts from the chalkboard to the court.

The magic happens when coaches spark the desire of the athlete to use their bodies to perform the mental pictures and concepts in their minds during the heat of competition. It may be difficult to explain to the athlete that one must use ones instincts about one’s body, to learn one’s body, in order to become a phenomenal player. Concepts like power from the legs, concentration, focus, adrenaline, may not be at first easy for the young athlete to understand. Mature athletes will say that the best teacher they ever had was experience. This is where the concepts of teaching come in to assist a coach in helping their young athlete learn while they gain that experience. When creating your lesson plan on how to train a basketball player keep these basic concepts in mind.

• Begin teaching by using clear language. Make sure that you explain basic concepts of basketball. Do not assume that all players have come with the same experience. Teach what you want to be known on your court.
• Break concepts down into basic components. Do not teach offense and defense in the same day. Separate your concepts. Create a curriculum where you build on knowledge day by day. Use only words and visual aides to explain the concepts. Do not bring the physical side of the concept into the lecture.
• Allow for your students to ask questions and to take notes. Sometimes athletes are not taught to incorporate things like literature and note taking in their game but it is important for their development. Athletes are intelligent and should view themselves as using their brains while playing. Reading books on your topics and concepts is also a good idea for the development of your athlete.
• Watch videos of examples of the concepts that you are teaching.
• Explain that mistakes are made while learning new concepts and that is how growth and progress are gained. Encourage the student to practice their skills daily.
• Once your concepts have been introduced and the student athlete has learned the basic form to be used begin the court drills or exercises with a game. Make up games for the student athlete that will bond them with their peers. If for instance you are teaching the concept of offense you can play a game of hot potato with the basketball. If you are teaching the concept of free throws, after the youth athlete releases the ball into the air throw them a small piece of candy. If they catch it they can eat it. If they make the free throw then they get a second piece for doing an excellent job. For the youth athlete it will build self-esteem. Be creative in your curriculum.
• There are many ways to introduce concepts to your youth athlete. If you make the learning part of the game fun and memorable it will encourage the youth athlete to not only practice, but also to relax. This will enhance their overall game
• Give constructive criticism in a kind, gentle way. Explain concepts like discipline early on and help the youth athlete to achieve small goals as they learn new concepts.
• Have your youth athletes keep journals where they can keep their notes on concepts and questions or concerns. Go over their journals with them once a week and respond to their needs accordingly. Let your student athlete know that you are there for them.

Photo credit: johntrainor