Team Bonding...With Your Team's Parents That is...

Since I got the job at Hastings, I have been doing a lot of reading and research on how to get off on the right foot with my players. Almost everything I have come across over the past few months has not only focused on ways to build relationships with players but also with their parents. Parents play a few key roles in the success of your program, and if you can get them on board with your vision everything becomes so easy.

Here are few things parents can definitely help with:
(1) getting in contact with other parents
(2) access to the district's "basketball community"-meaning AAU, REC, and CYO programs. Keep in mind those programs are essential parts of your program because you get your future players from those groups. Also, those opportunities can provide athletes with the opportunity for player development and a chance to hear from a coach other than you.
(3) Often times, at least in my district, parents are a huge part of the Booster Club. The Boosters provide money and financial backing/support for our athletic programs in Hastings, something which is invaluable to athletics. They provide opportunities for fundraising, and definitely for funding.
(4) They spend the most time with your players, they know their in's and out's and can have insight on how their kids really tick.

Those are just a few great things about parents and what they can bring to the table. An important thing to remember when it comes to parents is that they are resources, not liabilities. I have heard from a couple of places (PGC and my graduate program) that relationships can be thought of like a bank account. Everything you do either makes deposits or withdrawls from that "relationship bank".  By considering this every time we interact with our teams, their parents, or anyone we encounter we can help ourselves build strong relationships on trust and good feelings.

Similar to your athletes, parents want their voices and concerns heard. They like to be cared about, which is a basic need for just about everyone. There are plenty of things you can do to help add "deposits" to your relationship with your team's parents. Here are a few that I am currently using:

(1) a parents meeting at the beginning of the season where we discuss goals for our season, keeping lines of communication open, fundraising opportunities, and other things that are going to happen during the upcoming season. At this meeting also ask them what their goals are for the upcoming season. Ask them to avoid looking only at the win/loss record as major goals, encourage things like: teamwork, having fun, and being competitive. One more thing to consider is that last year is in the past. At the parent's meeting I had earlier this month we did a great exercise about moving on. I had them write down things they didn't like about last season, and right before they got to share it they ripped up their paper and we threw it out. Let them know that you are truly trying to look towards the future, its the healthy thing to do!
(2) Asking them to attend fundraising events, to reiterate that with their help we can make things happen! For example at Hastings my squad will do the concession stand for a few of the varsity football games. Not only do we have the athletes there, but their parents too. Bringing together the entire Hastings Basketball community.
(3) Be flexible and accessible. Let them know that you WANT to hear what they have to say, that you like hearing from them, and that what they have to say is valuable.
(4) Keeping them in the know. Emailing them with important information is one of the best ways to keep everyone informed.
(5) Its as simple as saying "hello". Saying "hello" to someone goes a long way, especially with people you are going to be spending a few months with. Acknowledging one another is a good way to establish rapport and provides you with an opportunity for a few deposits into that bank.
(6) An individualized letter to every parent in your varsity program. Our's are going out soon, but shhh they don't know! This letter can be used as another way to reiterate important information and let the parents know that you really do value their contributions. Think of how rare actual letters are in the mail these days, this is a unique way that only takes a little bit of effort for a major gain.

Those are just a few things I do/will do with my parents (and that is only for the preseason!).
Keep in mind what we talked about before parents are a resource, not a liability. Let them know they are important and it can make a big difference on how your season goes.

over and out.
thirteen

A Few Quick Hitters

I've been thinking a lot about primary breaks and the options teams have off of quick hitters. I figured I'd give you guys a few looks I've done before, they're relatively easy to learn and run.

First lets talk primary breaks :

Off a rebound, every team has to have their players in a position to advance the ball down the court immediately. Last post we talked 3-on-2 and 2-on-1 breaks, but now we are focusing on breaking against 5 men back on defense. On the rebound the forward who did not get the rebound is going to be the "rim runner". Call it whatever you want, but the "rim runner" runs as fast as they can down court and to the rim. This way if the ball is advanced up court quickly, you have an opportunity for a layup. The off guards, the 2 and the 3 in this diagram, will fill the wings, and the 4 will be the trailer. The trailer usually follows the ball up the court, to provide the 1 with another option if they are pressured in the back court. This set up of a forward at the rim, two wing players, a trailer and the point guard on top is typical of a lot of team's primary breaks.

Sometimes teams run into problems balancing the court. They have their two wing players on the same wing running down court on a primary break. To better balance the court, try this simple trick that we called "thru" at Purchase.

If two guards are on the same side try running "thru". The second guard, furthest from your scoring basket, tells the guard ahead of them "GO THRU!". The guard ahead runs to the baseline and thru to the other wing, instead of cutting across the court. Cutting across the court wastes time and can ruin other opportunities in the break. Running baseline can catch the defense's attention.

Now that we have the set up down lets take a peek at a few quick hitters.


Here is a stagger look: 

The 1 starts with the ball and reverses the ball to the 4 who reverses it to the 3. As this ball reversal is occurring the 5 is following the ball in the low post, eventually stopping on the ball side block (the 3's side). The 2 is moving towards the corner away from the ball reversal.

Now that the 3 has the ball the 4 and 1 go and get the 2 in the weak side corner on a stagger screen. The 2 sets up their defender and uses the stagger wisely. The  4 who is the second screen in the stagger is "cleaning up the garbage",something we used to say at Purchase, meaning they are finding the 2's defender and making sure to screen them. The 2 then rises to the top of the key for an open shot. Remember this is a quick hitter, so the action has to work relatively quickly.

If the stagger doesn't get the 2 an open shot there is still hope for a bucket off this break. The 5 can then screen across for the 4 who is on the weak side block. The 2 then screens down for the 5 on a screen the screener look. The 5 pops up and should have an open shot at that point of the offense.




Now here is a little back screen action, still off of a primary break: 

Very similar to the start of the stagger quick hitter, the ball is reversed from the 1 to the 4 to the 3. The 5 still follows the ball to the weak side. The 2 keeps spacing and stays idle on the wing.

Once the 3 has the ball the 2 is now ready to move. The 2 cuts to the weak side block and then sprints to the top to back screen the 4's defender. The 4 waits until the screen is set (until they hear two feet hit the floor) and goes tightly off the screen for an over the top pass from the 3. If this doesn't get a layup the 2 can pop for a shot or the action used earlier in the stagger example can be used also.




These are just a couple simple quick hitters to run off of a primary break, against five defenders. If the ball hasn't been moved up the court fast enough it might be wise to just go into a set offense rather than trying quick hitters against a fully settled defense.

Keep in mind:

• Players receiving screens should WAIT, WAIT, and WAIT SOME MORE before going off a screen. The player being screened needs to set up their defender and also prevent the likelihood of a moving screen by waiting for the screener's two feet to hit the floor. 
• The ball should be reversed quickly
• If the ball can be moved up the court it should be done by passing rather than dribbling. The ball travels faster in the air than it does bouncing from the ground back to a player's hand.
• Keep good spacing to make it harder for the defense to cover all the ground. 

That's all I have for now, I hope these quick hitters are helpful.
'Til next time.
thirteen.