Things to consider when taking over a Basketball Program

Posted by Eitel in For Coaches | 0 comments

As coaches there are big things you envision for the basketball program that you are headed to take over. Although the process is not easy and involves a lot of patience, understanding and cool, the positive events that unfold are always gratifying. Some of the best coaches have said that »Success lies in its simplicity; it is a process and not an event.« Although as coaches we might want a quick fix to every issue that crops up either with players or their games and attitudes, the key here lies in analyzing the situation at first and then organizing a strategy that works for you as well as your team. Being a coach is all about being a leader and the approach when taking over a program is the same as in business.

Corporations, Business and Basketball

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Basketball has many different playing levels and different styles of leagues all around. From the professional competitive leagues, to recreational leagues, and even youth, it all comes down to money in the end. You need money to travel, to afford equipment, and to do a wide array of other tasks that aren’t listed here. Most of the time the fund raising efforts depending on the level of play are handled by the team, or specific staff members that work for them team, but often one aspect that is left completely out of the loop are corporations and businesses that make donations.

Donations of any sort are an absolute essential part of any sports team. You require money to cover your costs, weather you are a professional team paying your players a salary, or a recreational team just looking to cover equipment and other costs. Without a certain amount of money coming into your team, you would quickly find yourself in a hole that could cause your team’s performance to drop, or even cause your team to not exist.

When you approach a business or corporation for money, it is ALWAYS best to have a proper plan laid out for how much money you need to take care of your costs, and show how you would spend any money’s that were given to you. Without the plan, and without a proper presentation, you will likely strike out in your attempts to gain funds. Many teams, charities, and other groups are looking to seize the funding that is out there for grabs, so if you come to the table unprepared, you will be setting yourself up for nothing but rejection and negative images. If it is your first time fundraising for a team, just think of what it is that would have you giving money to an organization if you were approached. Would you give money to someone who walked up simply with their hand held out, or would you give to the people that explained why they need the money, and how they plan on using the money.

With the current costs of operating a team at all levels of sport sky rocketing, you cannot rely on the old fundraising techniques. While you previously may have been able to rely solely on the donations from the private sector, you may now have to seek places willing to sponsor your team to provide you with the money.

While some people will shy away from trying to get corporate dollars, and don’t want to look like they are begging, businesses and corporations are frequently willing to sponsor teams and players of all skill levels and play levels. If you offer them some advertising in return for their investment you will even be able to form long term relationships that will go that extra step in ensuring that your team will be financially stable for years to come.

Not every team has to fund raise, some have owners or coaches that are able to afford the daily fees out of pocket, but for those that need to get outside sources of funding, don’t count businesses and corporations out of your equation, they can play a big role!

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Maximizing the Benefits of Time-Outs

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Fans and players alike occasionally misunderstand the importance of a time-out. It can make or break your game. A poorly timed time-out can derail a good drive, or it can provide that break you need to turn the tables around in your favour. The timing isn’t the only crucial element of the time-out, the actual use of the time is absolutely crucial. You get a small amount of time and you cannot afford to waste it period. It is up to the coach to set the tempo and purpose right off the bat and get done what needs to be done.

Things that are as simple as using the time-out to refresh your players by getting them a quick moment to grab a breath and a drink of water. While they are doing this, the coach could go over some plays, and relay some potential trends observed in the opposition. This could give the team just the right amount of edge and allow them to finish off the game for the win.

It can also be used to allow the coach a moment to bang heads with his players, a coach doesn’t always have to have every answer, and a player might have noticed something and would need to relay the information to the coach.

It is the responsibility of both player and coach to ensure that only the necessary information is relayed and that chatter is cut out entirely, there is plenty of time after the game to socialize with your friends. The time-out is serious, and needs to be treated as such. The pace will be set depending on the condition of the game, if your team is winning; the time out might be either an attempt to “ice” the other team’s defence, or to give your team a quick breather.

“Icing” a defence is a common use of a time-out. The time-out is taken to break-up a defence’s hot streak and cause it to sit around for a short time and cool down. This can work both positively and negatively. It has grown in popularity over the years and recently has become a widely used tactic.

Players need to go into the huddle with a singular mindset. The team as a whole needs to go into the time-out as a whole, and come out showing a united front. While this has been said before, and will be said again, it cannot be said enough. Teamwork is absolutely crucial, on and off the court. If player’s went into a time-out all thinking for themselves and speaking their own takes on every single aspect of the game, then your time-out would be spent arguing, and completely wasted.

If the coach highlights the positives of the game so far, a few improvements, and discusses a quick game plan that maximizes the team’s winning potential, then you are set. Players should just simply take the time to listen, and get a quick breather in!

Photo credit: Dave Shearn

What to say in a News Interview

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Athletes are known for their powerful forms that gracefully move to the beat of victory. When a basketball player strives to better his game by running bleachers and wind sprints he is praised. Many athletes find their dynamic personalities are often eclipsed by their body’s energetic performance on court. Athletes should allow their sparkling minds to shine along with their sweaty, sinewy biceps. When an athlete is called upon to discuss his performance and that of his team in a news interview there are a few basics which should be kept in mind.

A positive attitude, pleasantly smiling face, relaxed shoulders, straight posture, and a congenial tone are the first steps to successful communication in a news interview. Whether an athlete is speaking with a newspaper reporter or in front of a camera with a sportscaster, it is important to know that the impression made on the interviewer will dictate the tone of the interview.

How an athlete conducts herself with the interviewer will set the tone of the interview as it is edited or written about in the interviewers down time. Viewers and readers will judge the athlete and her team by the impression that is made from the statements the athlete makes. Here are a few basic things to remember as an athlete being interviewed for the news. Always remember a respectful, polite interview is best. As Bobby Knight the famous Indiana Hoosiers coach said, “The key is not the “will to win”…everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.” Preparation is the key to a great news interview.

• Be positive and upbeat when discussing your team and team members.
• Discuss yourself, your personal athletic goals, your team goals, and your athletic regime in regards to diet and exercise.
• Use proper language and diction. Use grammatically correct language.
• Discuss the game and how you felt while playing.
• Discuss your future goals, hopes, and positive expectations.
• Discuss your passion, exuberance, excitement, and love for the game.
• Discuss things that inspire you to strive for excellence. Your mentors included.
• Gather together quotes from people you admire to use as segues during the interview.
• Discuss your motivations. Reasons behind why you took certain actions: sponsored an event.
• Discuss memories that are positive that support your role today as an athlete.
• Discuss community support and thank those who support you and your team.
• Talk about upcoming events, fundraisers, tournaments, and games that you will be participating in. Discuss if you need community involvement. This is a great way to increase support for your team.
• Do not make open, public criticisms of your team, other teams, coaches, or parts of the community.
• Do not discuss your opinion on politics, religion, social change, or topics that are irrelevant to your team sport.
• Do not discuss any type of team discord or lay blame for any team failures. Keep these things private between yourself, your coaching staff, and your team.
• Do not make racist, derogative, or bigoted remarks.
• Do not use foul language. Keep the use of slang to a minimum.

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How to prepare for a News Interview

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The power and drive behind an athlete’s success is usually fired by perfectionism. Most athletes want to dominate their sport bringing home the victory. There are times in many athletes’ lives when their personal love of the game is brought to the public eye through the media. It is important whether an athlete is a child, adult amateur, or professional that they know how to handle themselves in front of a reporter.

The camera may only capture 60 seconds of an athlete’s life but it can be replayed for millions of viewers for decades. Time in front of the media is very important to every athlete because it gives one the opportunity to express oneself for the greater good of the team, your athletic career, and to gain much needed support from your community.

A good athlete knows that the support of one’s community can give one greater overall success. Here are some tips on what to say in a news interview. Remember that you don’t always have the opportunity to make a second impression so be sure to practice how to present yourself to the public. Practice in front of a mirror, with a family member or friend, or in front of a video recorder so that you can obtain feedback on your presentation.

• Research different types of interviews done by your favorite players. Watch local sporting news programs. Read interviews in local newspapers done with athletes. Review the types of questions that are asked by the reporters. Write out the questions and your answers in a notebook. Think about how you would answer the questions if you were the athlete being interviewed. Truly think about what image you want to represent you and your team.
• Look at the interviewer and make eye contact when speaking to them. Do not look down at your shoes or over their head. If the interview is on camera when answering the question, look into the camera, and stand up straight. Have good posture. Make sure that you have a pleasant, relaxed facial expression.
• Practice basic grammar rules. Speak clearly and concisely. Enunciation is very important when communicating with the public.
• If you do not hear the question when asked by the reporter or media personnel politely ask for clarification before answering the question. You can say a phrase like, “May I have you repeat that question, thank you,” or “I do apologize, please repeat that question for me. Thank you very much.” Do not randomly answer if you do not hear the question nor give a pat answer. Answering the question asked properly is important to the viewer and will ensure that you have the presence of an intelligent individual.
• Paraphrase a question back to the reporter to ensure that you both share the same understanding of the question. If you are confused about what a question means or the intent of the reporters questioning you will find paraphrasing is useful to avoid major media blunders. An example is as follows. A reporter may ask you what types of things you do regularly. This leaves things a little unclear because you are not sure if the reporter means for: conditioning, drills, eating practices, for fun, etc. Paraphrase the question back to the reporter. Say something like: “You are asking me what types of things I do regularly for strength training and conditioning to make me a successful athlete, correct?” Now it is the reporter’s responsibility to either confirm yes to the question you posed in your paraphrase or restate their question with a little more clarity.
• Remember that the person asking the question is interested in your response. They want to know what you think and how you feel about the topic. Their job is predicated on getting your opinion. So it is ok to pause, take a breath, and smile.

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