Monday, April 11, 2011

Creating good habits

Creating good habits is one of the most important things for us coaches and even more important for us coaching in countries where basketball aint that big.



When talking about the most important habit as I see its not any technical or foundamental part of the game, its the foundamental in school, in life, yeah in almost everyhting if you wanna get better at something.

Extra practise and findning soluation to practise more than others to become better than others. In the start of my coaching days I didn`t preach as much about this like I do know. Not giving you an excuse, but for me as a player practising extra and as much as possible wasn`t something somebody told me. I practised several hours extra each day and weekends alone or with a friend we could spend hour after hour just us to and the stereo shooting from downtown and playing 1 vs 1.

Dont exactly know why, but it just felt like something you had to do if you wanted t get better and I did.
So when I started coaching in many aspects I didn`t ask, didn`t find out, but instead assumed that everybodu thinks the same and some year later I got on track and understood thats not the case, far from it.

You as a coach, the leader of a group of kids playing a sport they like, your are their guide and the need a shitload of guidance to get on track in mnay aspects not just basketball.

But getting them to practise extra is foundamental if your kids will succeed later on as players. The habit of training many hours with a team, by yourslef gives them the chance to become the best they can be.
When I start with a new team I become a preacher man in many areas, but I always put extra push on practising extra. After the first preaching I usually wait a week or so and the ask the questions that makes many youngster get into the mood.

How many practised extra the last days?

You will always get somebody that says something like this:

The gym was locked!
I was on vacation!
I sprained my ancle!
I had schoolwork!

Just a few examples to make the point.

The gym as locked, Isn`t there more gyms did you check them?, There most be some streetcourt neart you? To cold, couldn`t you practise ballhandling in your garage, celler? Was you feet broken, so you couldn`t run? Cant you do pushups and situps and more in your room? Can you practise shooting techninc without a ball or basket, well yes you can?!

I was on vacation, OK, basketball is thw second biggest sport in the world with over 400 millions people playing it are you saying that there are no courts, basket where you where? Hell no!

I sprained my ancle, well you have the rest of the body you could practise so excuses dont work here.

I had schoolwork, NO you didn`t, you choose to have schoolwork, "but I had a test", test in the evening dont think so, "I studied", well bad planinng, when did you find out about that test? case closed!
Maybe you shouldn`t have played 10 hours of worthless killing computer games?

What I`m a doing with this, I`m not trying to make the look stupid but I try to use their excuses and give them solutions.
I`m also very clear with that if somebody doesn`t wann become better, thats also a choose, but if you wanna start now and not later, because later can be to late.

I have succeeded with this specially good the last few years and when this in place, you come to important stuff like WHAT do practise, when do practise extra and so on.

Some coaches, make extra practise as something they choose for the players, you WILL know practise so and som many hours and on this extra. I think this fails especially in non basketball countries, it has to come from players, but you can sure as hell lure them in to it.

I always say also to players that really become better that I fyou want to practise extra with me, asked me and if I have the time I will do it. Dont asnwer know I say qyickly since players wanna please their coach, if you wanna you come and tell me later and we find out when that can be done. This is my way, maybe not your but it works for me.

I did the same with my boys 98 that I started with in september last year and they got it many of them practise many hours extra every week its just so nice. Two players 12 years old has called me, asked face to face if we can do extra practises together thats just great and hearbreaking that I have had to say no all of the times. But it gives me extra energhy to give all I got in practises, these guys really want it, my job to deliver the goods.

I love my team and this outstanding sport, cant wait for next practise and that is tomorrow.