Coaching Philosophy

November 13, 2025

Building a Coaching Philosophy: Chad Iske’s Journey from Small Town to the NBA

Every great coach has a story, and for Charlotte Hornets Assistant Coach Chad Iske, it’s a journey built one step at a time. Growing up in a small town in Iowa, Iske’s path to the NBA wasn’t immediate or guaranteed. What made the difference was his willingness to learn from mentors, embrace every stage of growth, and develop a coaching philosophy grounded in patience and purpose.

In this video, Coach Iske shares how his experiences shaped the way he approaches basketball today. From early days on local sidelines to joining the Hornets’ staff, each step reinforced the importance of process over shortcuts, of focusing on fundamentals, and of valuing relationships with players and fellow coaches alike.

What stands out is his belief that coaching is not just about Xs and Os. It’s about understanding people, building trust, and creating an environment where players can grow on and off the court. By learning from mentors, reflecting on his own experiences, and adapting to new challenges, Iske crafted a philosophy that balances teaching, leadership, and the realities of professional basketball.

For aspiring coaches, players, or fans, this story offers a valuable lesson: success rarely happens overnight. The key lies in taking consistent steps, learning continuously, and staying true to a philosophy that prioritizes growth, preparation, and integrity.

October 26, 2025

Lessons from Dawn Staley

Dawn Staley isn’t just a basketball icon; she’s a masterclass in leadership. A five time WNBA All-Star, six time Olympic gold medalist, and now head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks a three time NCAA Division I champion Staley has consistently demonstrated that her influence goes far beyond the court.

In a recent conversation with NBCU Academy, Staley shared a perspective that every coach, athlete, and leader should take to heart:

“I don’t look at basketball principles. I look at people principles, because once you have that, the basketball is the easy part.”

For Staley, the goal isn’t simply to develop basketball stars it’s to cultivate the leaders of tomorrow. Her coaching philosophy emphasizes character, communication, and personal growth, showing that success in sports is inseparable from success in life.

Watching her teams, it’s clear how this philosophy translates into results. Leadership is fostered in every practice, every huddle, and every game, creating a culture where players feel empowered to make decisions, take responsibility, and support one another. Winning becomes a natural byproduct of a team built on trust, respect, and shared purpose.

As coaches and aspiring leaders, there’s a powerful takeaway here: the principles that guide people are often more important than the technical skills we teach. Basketball or any craft can always be learned. Leadership, integrity, and character, once ingrained, shape not just athletes, but human beings ready to thrive both on and off the court.

Dawn Staley reminds us that great coaching isn’t about accolades or stats—it’s about people. And when you lead with that mindset, excellence follows.

September 28, 2025

Building a Lasting Coaching Philosophy: Culture, Teams, and Programs

Developing your coaching philosophy isn’t just about X’s and O’s, it’s about building a culture that lasts. Great teams are more than their talent; they are defined by shared values, consistent standards, and the environment that a coach creates. When players know what to expect, understand their roles, and feel part of a bigger purpose, the team thrives on and off the court.

In this video, Bill Beswick, a renowned sports psychologist, shares his insights for up and coming coaches. He emphasizes the importance of mindset, relationships, and culture in building programs that endure beyond individual seasons. For coaches who want to leave a lasting impact, this is essential viewing.

Key Takeaways:

• Culture First: A program’s culture defines behavior, work ethic, and accountability. Technical skills matter, but culture ensures those skills are applied consistently under pressure.
• Building Teams: Beyond individual talent, coaches must focus on creating cohesion, trust, and communication. The strongest programs aren’t just a collection of players they’re a unit with shared purpose.
• Sustainable Programs: Philosophy isn’t just a set of principles on paper. It’s implemented through daily habits, coaching decisions, and the way leaders handle challenges. A strong philosophy outlives any single season or roster.

For any coach seeking to grow and leave a meaningful legacy, understanding culture, mindset, and the psychology behind team building is crucial. This video provides actionable advice and reinforces why philosophy matters as much as strategy.

August 31, 2025

Leadership and the Value of Struggle

One of the biggest challenges in leadership whether in sports, business, or life is resisting the urge to always provide the answers. Many leaders feel that because they hold experience and knowledge, their role is to constantly give solutions. But there’s a hidden danger in this, when we always solve problems for others, we can unintentionally weaken them.

The story of the butterfly breaking out of its chrysalis is a powerful reminder. If you cut open the cocoon and “help” the butterfly, it will never develop the strength it needs to fly. The struggle itself is what builds the muscles that make freedom possible. In the same way, as leaders, we need to recognize that personal struggle is not always something to be eliminated it’s often the very process that prepares someone for growth.

In coaching, I’ve seen this play out countless times. A player might be frustrated, unsure, or struggling with a new role. The easy path is to step in and “fix it” for them. But the wiser path is to guide, encourage, and then step back letting them find their own way. It’s not about abandoning them, it’s about trusting that their struggle will strengthen them.

This approach requires patience, humility, and faith. It means accepting that our role as leaders is not to be the hero of someone else’s story, but to walk alongside them as they become their own. True leadership is less about giving answers and more about creating an environment where others discover the strength and wisdom within themselves.

As you lead whether in a team, classroom, or workplace, ask yourself: Am I helping by giving the solution, or would it serve them more to find it on their own?

That’s the difference between short-term fixes and long term growth.

August 24, 2025

Urban Meyer on Faith, Leadership, and Vision

This video features a powerful interview with Urban Meyer, one of the most well known names in college football coaching. In this conversation, Meyer opens up about more than just X’s and O’s he talks about his faith, leadership style, and his commitment to building a culture of excellence.

What makes this interview valuable for coaches and leaders in any field is the depth of the questions and Meyer’s honest reflections. From dealing with athletes who come in with big egos, to cultivating relationships with young people fresh out of high school, Meyer explains how he works to build unity, trust, and accountability.

He also shares his thoughts on evolving as a coach over time, the importance of having big dreams, and how he’s focused on developing a leadership center not just a football program. There are also some very personal moments where he talks about loss, weaknesses he continues to work on, and the role of faith in guiding his path.

Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or leader in any walk of life, there are lessons here about resilience, vision, and staying grounded.

Check out the video below and let me know what stood out to you the most.

August 20, 2025

Quiet Strength

Tony Dungy is one of the most respected coaches in NFL history, not just because he won a Super Bowl, but because of how he led. In his book Quiet Strength, Dungy shares his journey of faith, leadership, and character showing that true success isn’t measured only in wins and losses, but in how you live your values daily.

The book highlights Dungy’s belief that leadership doesn’t need to be loud, angry, or intimidating. Instead, it can be rooted in humility, patience, and trust. He shows how his faith guided him through the highs of championships and the lows of personal tragedy, offering a model for leading with integrity in sports, work, and life.

For coaches, athletes, and anyone in leadership, Quiet Strength is a reminder that the greatest victories are not just on the scoreboard, but in the lives you influence.

August 19, 2025

Brad Stevens on Coaching Philosophy

When it comes to modern basketball coaching, few names carry as much respect as Brad Stevens. From his rise at Butler University to becoming the head coach and now GM of the Boston Celtics, Stevens has built his reputation on clarity, adaptability, and a calm, detail oriented approach.

In this short but insightful 5 minute talk, Stevens shares how his coaching philosophy has evolved as he transitioned from the college game to the professional level.

Key Takeaways from Stevens’ Philosophy

• Adaptability: What works in college doesn’t always translate to the NBA. Stevens highlights how adjusting to the talent and pace at each level is critical.
• Clarity of Role: Players perform best when they clearly understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Consistency & Poise: Stevens’ calm demeanor has always been his trademark, showing that leadership is about composure under pressure.
• Team Over Individual: The emphasis remains on building systems where every player contributes to the whole.

Why This Matters for Coaches

Coaching isn’t static it’s a philosophy that evolves with experience, environment, and competition. Stevens’ reflections remind us that the best coaches are lifelong learners, constantly adapting their principles while staying rooted in their core values.

August 10, 2025

Leadership in Utopia

What does leadership look like when it’s at its very best? Not just in theory, but in a real world “utopia” where leaders inspire, connect, and elevate the people around them. In his TEDxUtopia talk, leadership advisor and award winning lecturer Lars Sudmann explores this question with humor, energy, and deep insight.

Sudmann begins by challenging us to think about the best leader we’ve ever worked with. What made them different? How did they avoid the traps that so many leaders fall into the “leadership formula of doom”? His answer: they didn’t wait for leadership to be handed to them. They developed themselves.

Drawing from history’s “golden age of leadership,” his own corporate journey, and years of advising top organizations, Sudmann shares three powerful strategies for self leadership. He reminds us that the first step to leading others effectively is to lead ourselves managing our own mindset, decisions, and growth with intentionality.

From his days as CFO at Procter & Gamble Belgium to teaching at leading universities in Germany, Sudmann has seen leadership in many forms. His message is clear: in a future ultra connected world, leaders who will thrive are those who master adaptability, authenticity, and self-discipline.

This talk is a reminder that leadership is not a title it’s a daily practice. And the path to becoming the kind of leader people remember starts not with managing others, but with mastering ourselves.

August 5, 2025

John Wooden on Leadership: Lessons That Transcend the Game

In the world of coaching and leadership, few names carry the weight and reverence of John Wooden. Known not just for his championship rings at UCLA, but for his commitment to shaping people not just players Wooden’s legacy goes far beyond basketball.

I recently came across a video summarizing key lessons from his book Wooden on Leadership, and it reminded me why his teachings continue to inspire coaches, leaders, and mentors across generations and industries.

What strikes me most about Wooden’s philosophy is its simplicity paired with depth. He didn’t need to scream or show off. He modeled excellence through preparation, humility, consistency, and a clear sense of purpose. For someone like me, who’s coached at various levels and seen the game from many angles, his approach is a grounding reminder of what truly matters.

Here are a few standout takeaways:

• Leadership is a daily discipline: Wooden believed that success comes from giving your best every single day, not just on game day. As coaches, we must model consistency in effort, tone, and attitude.
• Character over reputation: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation,” he famously said. Especially in today’s world of highlight reels and quick opinions, that lesson hits home.
• Team spirit and individual growth can coexist: Wooden’s “Pyramid of Success” doesn’t pit team culture against personal achievement it fuses the two. A healthy team allows individuals to thrive.
• Teaching is leadership: He was, at heart, a teacher. Whether you coach basketball, run a business, or lead youth in the community, leadership is about teaching values, not just strategies.
• Success is peace of mind: Perhaps my favorite lesson is Wooden’s definition of success not trophies, but peace of mind knowing you did your best. It’s something I try to hold onto, even when results don’t go our way.

This video breaks down five key principles from Wooden on Leadership, and I highly recommend watching it. Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or someone simply trying to lead with more purpose, these principles can serve as daily anchors.

August 4, 2025

Leading with the Heart by Coach K

In Leading with the Heart, legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) shares the values and principles that shaped one of the most successful coaching careers in sports history. But this book isn’t just about basketball it’s about leadership, integrity, and building a culture rooted in trust and love.

Coach K emphasizes the importance of leading with emotion, not ego. He talks openly about his journey, including failures, pressures, and defining moments where relationships mattered more than results. This book reminds us that leading others whether in sports or life starts with knowing who you are and being willing to give your heart to the people you serve.

If you’re a coach, teacher, mentor, or leader of any kind, this book offers timeless wisdom on how to lead with purpose, humility, and courage.

Watch the review video below for a deeper dive into its themes and takeaways.

August 3, 2025

Eleven Rings by Phil Jackson

In Eleven Rings, legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson shares the spiritual, psychological, and philosophical foundations behind his record setting career. More than just a basketball book, it’s a journey through leadership, ego, teamwork, and self awareness.

What makes Jackson unique is how he blends mindfulness, Native American spirituality, and Zen philosophy into the world of elite performance. He coached some of the most dominant (and complex) players in history Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and still found ways to build teams rooted in trust, purpose, and shared mission.

This book shaped how I view coaching not as control, but as guidance, service, and inner clarity. If you want to become a coach who leads people, not just players, Eleven Rings is a must-read.

Watch the full review below.

August 2, 2025

How to Build Your Coaching Identity

Developing your own coaching philosophy is one of the most important and often most overlooked steps in becoming a complete coach. It’s more than just Xs and Os; it’s about knowing who you are, what you believe, and how you lead.

In this video, Coach Pyper shares his personal journey and lessons learned while shaping his own coaching philosophy. His insights are especially valuable for young coaches just starting out, or anyone reevaluating how they approach the game, their players, and their values.

Why This Video Matters

When we’re early in our coaching careers, it’s easy to get lost in copying systems, plays, or what we’ve seen on TV. But without a clear sense of your own philosophy, it’s difficult to make consistent decisions, build trust with players, or grow a sustainable culture.

This video is an honest and thoughtful look at:

• What really matters when forming a coaching philosophy
• Tips and reminders for self reflection
• How your philosophy shapes your culture, communication, and daily decisions

A Word from Me

This isn’t my video, but it’s one I believe is worth sharing. As I continue to build and refine my own philosophy and share it with my players, teams, and peers I also want to give back to younger and learning coaches who are on the same journey.

Take notes, reflect, and if something resonates with you, write it down. Building your philosophy is a lifelong process, and resources like this one are a great place to start.

Check the video below. Let’s keep growing together.

JULY 27, 2025

Fast, Purposeful, Relentless

In my coaching philosophy, tempo is not just a tactic, it’s a culture. We play fast, we think fast, and we train even faster. Every drill, every rep, every possession in practice is built around one non-negotiable: finalize the action within 17 seconds. Anything slower than that, and we lose the identity we work so hard to build.

Transition Offense & Defense: The Engine of Our Game

I believe in reaching 90+ possessions per game not in a chaotic, uncontrolled way, but through disciplined, designed actions. Whether we are pushing after a miss, flowing into early offense off a make, or recovering into defense, our players know the goal: play with purpose and play at pace.

We don’t run for the sake of running. We build layers of decision making into our transition. Players must recognize space, make early reads, and execute with pace and clarity. At the same time, our transition defense is trained to sprint back, communicate, and disrupt early offense because the first 4–5 seconds after a change of possession are where most games are won or lost.

Everyone Plays a Role

In this system, there are no bench players. Everyone contributes. Everyone has a job. We value depth, we value versatility, and we believe in building a team identity where each player feels essential, not optional.

Whether you’re the first to check in or the last to come off the bench, your role is real. Because in a high-possession, fast tempo system, we need everyone engaged, ready, and trusted.

What You’ll See in the Videos

The following video clips break down how we teach and apply:

• Basic transition offensive concepts: spacing, first three steps, rim runners, early reads
• Transition defense principles: sprinting back, protecting the paint, loading to the ball
• Tempo drills: game like conditioning within decision based drills
• Mental toughness elements: mixing full-court reps and short clock scenarios to build competitive urgency

These aren’t just drills they’re building blocks of our playing identity.

JULY 16, 2025

Coaching Character: How Who You Are Shapes Who They Become

This piece is a deep dive into a question that’s too often overlooked:
What kind of person does a coach need to be in order to truly impact young athletes?

In this dissertation, I explore how a coach’s character, their integrity, empathy, self-awareness, and consistency directly influences the development of youth basketball players, both on and off the court.

Grounded in Positive Youth Development (PYD), Social Capital Theory, and the TPSR (Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility) Model, this research connects theory, observation, and real voices. Through interviews, surveys, and game footage analysis, I studied how coaches shape young people not just through drills, but through who they are in moments of praise, correction, and presence.

Key Themes Explored:

• The link between coach behavior and youth character growth
• How trust, consistency, and modeling shape long-term development
• What effective coach education looks like in this space
• Tools to measure, observe, and enhance character-based coaching
• First-hand perspectives from both coaches and athletes

This research isn’t just academic it’s practical. If you’re a coach, educator, or youth worker, you’ll find applicable insight on how to be the kind of leader young athletes remember and model.

JULY 15, 2025

IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A DAILY (SEASONAL) PRACTICE PLAN

JULY 14, 2025

HOW TO CONDUCT YOURSELF DURING THE PRACTICE

JULY 13, 2025

ROAD TO BECOME A BETTER BASKETBALL COACH

JULY 11, 2025

HOW TO DEAL WITH A TOUGH LOSS

Every coach, every athlete has suffered through a tough loss at some point in his/her athletic career — the only difference is in how well they deal with it. Of course, some losses are easier to bounce back from than others, but the potential to be swept up in the moment is always possible. The way in which you recover ultimately determines the personal growth you’ll find in your sport. Try not to get discouraged when a game doesn’t go your way; but, on the flip side, it’s equally important to never become comfortable with the feeling of defeat.

Oftentimes, one lost game turns into a series of fixable problems if you let it impact your confidence over long periods of time. The world’s best coaches and athletes learn from defeat — how can you train harder, be better, and grow enough to defeat your opposition next time? 

Watch film on the game

If you have access to game film, don’t take that for granted! One of the best ways to improve is by dissecting your game — critique yourself and identify the areas of your game that need improvement. Remember, being HONEST with yourself is a huge key — nobody succeeds by believing they’re already flawless.

Change your mindset

Some losses are due to A LACK OF CONFIDENCE, believe it or not. Maybe, deep down, you don’t believe you can win a tight match or execute the game-winning play. It’s easy to accept defeat in those situations, but it’s more rewarding to have faith in yourself, refocus, and then come out victorious — so, next time, try switching up your approach.

Know that it’s okay to lose a hard-fought game

Of course, losing is totally FINE, everybody does, but don’t meander off the track. You must make sure you learn from a loss, utilizing tips, observations, and instructions to make the right play in your next opportunity. Try not to get comfortable with that feeling by making sure that a loss fuels a greater fire to work harder and win the next one.

Move on

It’s easy to dwell on a bad game when you keep replaying scenarios in your head over and over again, trying to figure out how it could have gone differently. But, most of the time, the absolute best way to bounce back is to forget about it.  Although there’s always room to improve, you are more than just the sum of one moment. There are many minutes in a game and many plays that lead up to the end result. Truly, despite how it may feel, the outcome of the game cannot be attributed to one or two moments — so try not to take the blame on your shoulders alone. The best way to learn from a game is to figure out WHAT SKILLS NEED IMPROVEMENT AND THEN FOCUS ON THOSE DETAILS. In doing so, you will build your confidence to pull ahead next time and then stay there. 

The most important thing to remember is that a tough loss, no matter how harsh it feels, is ONLY ONE GAME. Losing is acceptable, but the key is to not let it turn into a losing streak. If you’re able to convert the frustration of losing into motivation to improve, the bounce back is accomplished in a natural, healthy way. In summation: don’t dwell on a tough loss, turn it into an opportunity for improvement!

5-) WHY & HOW DO YOU MAKE A SUBSTITUTION DURING THE GAME? (October 5, 2022)

Every coach prepares their team technically, physically, and mentally. If the coach has done a great job of teaching and each player knows their role and assignments, substitutions should be just, basically, limited to keeping players rested and out of foul trouble.

However, players should be well aware that it can be a real advantage to come off the bench since it gives a player the opportunity to watch and analyze their opponent actions and strengths. Offensively is the opponent a penetrator? A spot up shooter? A post up player, A screener? An offensive rebounder? etc. Defensively, how do they defend the post? are they zoning? If so, what type of zone and where are the open shots? Also, because officials have a tendency for the officials to call more fouls at the beginning of the game, by coming off the bench these early foul calls can be avoided.

Suggestions & Tips:

• Before each game inform the players as to the planned substitution order and timing. When the substitution order is known, the players will be better mentally prepared when it comes time to enter the game. Otherwise, you will have players watching the game clock, hoping to get into the game, instead of watching the game and analyzing their opponents’ actions.However, must be flexible since the best of game plans can go awry with early foul trouble or player injury.
• Any time a player(s) come out of game, make it mandatory to sit next to coach for communication purposes. Inform the player of the reason for the substitution, even if it is just for a short rest. To start the game this requires that the sixth person (first sub) sit next to coach on “Ready Alert” mentally prepared to enter the game. 
• GREAT Substitution rule to use in order to encourage players to hard at all times along with preventing players from hitting the fatigue “wall” along with removing any fear or doubt of not getting back into the game:If players take them selves out of game (by tugging on shirt) they get to put themselves back into the game when ready. If coach makes the substitution, then coach will make decision when to sub back into the game.Note: when subbing back into the game, player may not necessary go back in for player who replaced them.
• On player mistake(s), try to wait until the player makes a positive play or touches the ball before making a substitution. You certainly do not want players on the court worried that if they make a mistake they will immediately pulled out of the game.
• To avoid serious player foul trouble, substitute on second personal foul in first half and on third personal foul early in the second half.
• AUTOMATIC SUBSTITUTION: On any behaviour technical foul substitute immediately and have the player sit down next to coach until cooler head prevails. There is no place on the court for a player that has lost control. Players must be able to play through adversity and not let a bad call, play or opponent action cause them to loose control. 
• At the beginning of the season, it is wise to rest your top players as much as possible. This will save their “Legs” for the critical end of the season and play-offs as well as reducing the risk of injury resulting from playing when physically tired. However, just as important, by giving reserves valuable playing time and experience, it will develop a team’s depth. In the event that a top-lined player is lost during a game or for the season, a player with quality game experience will be able to step-in and take their spot.

At the university level, where RPI ratings are important for post season play and ratings, resting top players is very difficult. However, the basketball season is like a marathon, and you need players with “Fresh Legs” at the end. Forget the stats and rest your top players whenever possible. Go for the “Gold.” Many of Championships are lost because of tired legs.

Strategic Substitutions

• Early in the game, use substitutes to make changes and adjustments rather than taking a valuable time out.
• If you plan on using a player, be sure to get them some playing time in the first half. Certainly, do want to put a player into the game for the first time at the end of a close game.
• Make a substitute on a free throw situation to set a press or defense.
• Alternate offensive and defensive substitutions at end of game on free throws and time outs.
• When fouling to the stop the clock at the end of the game, make defensive substitutions whenever possible and put players into the game that can afford to foul instead of losing their best players because of disqualification. Once a foul has been committed, stopping the clock, players in foul trouble can be reinserted back into the game. Close game may go several overtimes.
• Make sure to have your best free throw shooters in the game when the opponent is in a must foul situation.
• Get an extra ballhandler on the floor against full court pressure.
• Make a mass substitution on rare occasions. If starters are not playing hard substitute immediately and let them sit for awhile. They will definitely get the message and their attention.
• To increase defensive motivation and intensity have players play until opponent scores a set amount of points, such as 6 points. They can score all they want, but just do not let the other team score. Once the opponents score six points substitute. You can adjust the points allowed such as six points for starters and four points for reserves.

Lineup Analysis

After the game, in addition to box score reports and shot charts, be sure to review the various lineup reports. Examine the most used lineups, most productive lineups, best line up to make defensive stop, and best lineups to force an opponent turnover.

JULY 9, 2025

PLEASE STOP OVER COACHING!

We’ve all seen it thousands of times before. A coach pacing the sidelines continuously ordering at their players.

> “Pass to Brad!”

> “Rotate the ball!”

> “Set a screen for Kevin!”

The loudest coaches can often steal the show, making sure everyone knows they’re in charge. They’re the red-faced coaches growling through a timeout huddle, snarling at players every time they make a mistake, and snapping the whiteboard when the referee makes a bad call. All of these coaches have something in common:

Over-coaching! 

At the youth basketball level, over-coaching runs rampant, with some grown men and women looking more like rabid dogs than the teachers and mentors they should be. This approach does far more harm than good. Sure, a player botching a set or making the wrong read can be frustrating, but the sideline explosion from the coach never makes things better.

The problem with over-coaching at the youth level is simple:

It hurts development and robs young players of the joy of the game.

What is Over-Coaching?

Over-coaching can be hard to define, but you definitely know it when you see it.

You can hear it as well. Step into any gym hosting a youth tournament and the coach’s shouts will usually outnumber the squeaks of sneakers.

For the most part, over-coaching involves flooding players with too much information.

If you want an example of this happening, think of the last time you watched a coach micromanage an entire possession from the sideline.

When this happens, young players become paralyzed with indecision. The coach is yelling “make the extra pass!”… their father screams out “shoot it!”… while the player’s initial thought was to attack the hoop.

Panicked and overwhelmed from all the instructions conflicting with their instincts, the player either (1) does nothing or (2) makes a mistake.

Examples of Over-Coaching in Basketball

The main example I’ll refer to in this article is coaches constantly telling players what to do during games, but “over-coaching” comes in many different forms:

Other examples include:

1. Adding too much “strategy”

I’ve seen coaches try to teach an U12’s basketball team 3 offences, 3 defences, and 8 plays. Expecting kids that young to learn and retain that much information is absurd.

2. Making too many changes during a timeout

When you speak during a timeout, I always recommend keeping to 1 or 2 points of info. Any more than that and players will be so overwhelmed they’ll forget everything.

3. Giving a player too many responsibilities

If you take a player to the side before the game and give them 6 things to remember, they’re going to be overwhelmed and forget the vast majority of it. Again, too much information just leads to confusion.

4. Too many corrections when teaching shooting form

“Bend your knees more, turn your feet slightly, get your elbow in, don’t flick your balance hand, make sure you hold your follow through, etc” — it’s too much! Identify the biggest problem and focus on that instead of blasting a player with 100 cues.

Why Over-Coaching Hurts Development

Because it comes in many different forms, over-coaching negatively impacts players in a variety of different ways.

Here are just a few of those:

1. Players get confused and nervous

The most obvious reasons are that over-coaching leaves players confused and nervous. If the coach is telling you to pass, a parent is telling you to shoot, and your brain is telling you to drive, all of that information is going to lead to confusion. Confusion leads to nervousness, which results in apprehensive and poor decisions.

2. Players don’t make their own decisions

When a coach is shouting out exactly what to do, players are following orders instead of reading the game and making their own decisions. And if players don’t get to make their own decisions, they won’t gain experience and learn.

3. Over-coaching hurts a player’s confidence

Barking orders at a player shows you don’t have trust in them. Players don’t want (or need) to be told what to do every second of the game. And they definitely don’t need to hear you shouting every time they make a mistake.

4. Players will stop listening to you

When you say less, what you do say will have a bigger impact. If you never stop talking on the sidelines, players will start to tune out.

5. Takes players out of their “flow” state

Over-coaching leads to over-thinking. And when players are thinking too much, it’s impossible for them to play at peak performance.

6. Takes the fun out of the game

This should be self explanatory after reading the 5 other reasons. How is a kid meant to have fun when they’re confused, nervous, and lacking confidence?

Reasons Why Over-Coaching Occurs

There are a variety of reasons why over-coaching is so common.

1. They want to show everyone they’re in charge

Sadly, some of the youth coaches you come across have enlarged egos. When they’re coaching, these people want everyone to know how smart they are. They want to be seen as the authority figure… the reason for the team’s success… so they patrol the sidelines and use a loud voice to show everyone how much knowledge they have. They want to be the “chess master” moving their little chess pieces around.

2. They feel pressure to win and prove themselves

Similar to the above point, except these coaches have less ego and are more insecure. This is often true for beginner coaches in their first or second seasons.

3. They don’t realize it hurts development

There are also those who will over-coach simply because they don’t realize how much it hurts development and enjoyment for their players. Many of these people will change their ways once they realize the truth.

4. They don’t realize they’re doing it

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment as a basketball coach. Something I recommend all coaches do at least once is stick on a microphone and record yourself during games and practices. You’ll be surprised how pointless and incoherent most of what you say is.

5. They lack faith in their players

Another time over-coaching occurs is when coaches don’t believe in their players. This lack of faith manifests through the flood of information that characterizes over-coaching. These coaches try to control every bit of motion and every decision.

6. They feel like they have to do “something”

Truth is it can be hard to just sit down on the bench and keep quiet. As a coach, you’ll feel like you should be actively doing “something” that helps the team.

What Coaches Should Do Instead:

What coaches should do instead varies depending on what kind of over-coaching is happening.

1. Instead of patrolling the sidelines constantly shouting

Spend more time sitting down on the bench with your mouth locked shut. Realize you’re doing more harm than good micromanaging every possession of the game.

2. Instead of adding 7 offences and 18 plays…

Install one good motion offense like the 5 Out Motion or Dribble Drive Offence. These have multiple options from every spot, so you’ll have no problems attacking any defense. Then throw in 2 or 3 baseline + set plays.

3. Instead of giving 14 “pieces of advice” during a timeout…

Keep your timeouts simple. Focus on the one or two most important changes that need to be made.

4. Instead of giving a player too many responsibilities…

Same as the advice about timeouts. If you want a player to remember what you said and execute on the floor, stick to one or two points instead of overwhelming them with hundreds of snippets of information.

5. Instead of making 5 corrections to a player’s shooting form…

Focus on one change that will make the biggest impact. Then, give them time to make the change and figure it out. Once they’ve done that successfully, move on to the next thing.

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Last Thing

Over-coaching usually comes from a good place.

Most of the adults who over-coach do so because they truly want their players to be successful, and they believe giving their team as much information as possible is going to help. Coaches who learn about the negative impact of over-coaching and make changes to their behaviour will create an environment to maximize development and enjoyment.

JULY 8, 2025

HOW TO ESTABLISH AN EFFECTIVE PRACTICE PLAN FOR U18 TEAMS

One of my favourite basketball quote. I don’t remember where I heard this quote but it stuck with me.

“Players win games. Coaches win practices”.

Practices are the time coaches have the biggest opportunity to impact the basketball skills of a player However, I constantly attend practices that are inefficiently run. The coach spends half of practice trying to work out what drill to run next.

All coaches should be spending the majority of their time encouraging and providing feedback to their player, not working out what the next drill is going to be.

How do coaches fix this and make practices more efficient?

Create a basketball practice plan.Having a plan for each practice is absolutely essential.

Here is how to do it:

8 -) Basketball Practice Plan Structure

I like to breakdown a typical practice into 5 sections…

1. Dynamic Warm-Up/Body Movement
2. Skill Work
3. Team Strategies
4. Scrimmage/Small Sided Games
5. Cool Down

First, let’s discuss each section in more detail.

Later on I will break down how long you should spend on each of the sections.

And then I’ll share a complete practice plan that you can use with your team.

1. Dynamic Warm-Up/Body Movement

This section of practice cannot be skipped.

Most youth teams perform a 2-minute warm-up before moving immediately on to other sections of practice.

When I watch youth basketball games, it becomes quickly apparent that the best players have fantastic:

• Balance
• Coordination
• Change of Speed
• Change of Direction

The players who struggle haven’t learned how to control their bodies yet.

It’s extremely important to help players establish an athletic foundation. With this foundation in place, it becomes much easier to learn new basketball skills as they progress.

This section of practice will help your players with much more than their basketball skills. It will help prevent injuries and will help them in all sports and movements of life, because as we all know, players shouldn’t be a specializing solely in basketball at a young age.

Here are a few examples of body movement and coordination movements you need to incorporate into your dynamic warm-up.

• Jogging
• Sprinting
• Backpedaling
• Sliding
• Change of Direction
• Change of Pace
• Jumping
• Landing
• Lunging
• Skipping

2. Skill Work

The bulk of a youth basketball practice should be skill work. The drills should be fun and interesting while still improving the skill of your players.

This includes drills that teach players how to perform the skill movement correctly, along with drills that assist them to learn when to use the skill.

Drills that allow the player to learn when to use the skill are commonly skipped over.

We need to put players in positions that require them to make decisions and gain game-like experience. 

A lot of coaches will show players exactly what they need to do… they’ll give fantastic instructions, and the players will eventually look brilliant at training.

Then, the players will get 
into the game and it’ll look like they’ve forgotten everything!

Why does this happen?

Because they haven’t learned to play against competition.

We need to include drills that will teach players the technique, and drills that will teach them when to do it in the game.

I recommend splitting these two types of drills up 50/50…

Dribbling Example:

5 minutes of stationary ball handling and then a game of 1v1 in the full-court.


Shooting Example:

5 minutes of shooting form and then 1-on-1 partner close-outs with the offensive player deciding whether to shoot the ball or drive.

Passing Example:

5 minutes of form passing and then a 10 minute game of 5 vs 4 keep-away.

While I list small-sided games at the end of practice, I still use them in this section to improve individual skills while making decisions.

3. Team Strategies

Team strategies are the least importantcomponent of a youth basketball practice.

And in my opinion, they are not necessary for players under the age of 10.

The team strategies section of training includes:

• Offense
• Defense
• Set Plays
• Special Situations

If you decide to use this section of practice with your team, dedicate only a small amount of time to it.

Too many coaches steal practice time from skill development and spend half of practice helping athletes memorize set plays.

Remember that we want to teach our players how to play basketball, not give them a couple of spots on the floor they have to run to each possession. 

So, I’m not opposed to teaching team strategies… I’m just opposed to spending half of your valuable practice time on it.

Only practice team strategy for the recommended amount of time, or less.

4. Scrimmages / Small Sided Games

Scrimmages and small-sided games are very important to include in every basketball practice plan.

What’s the point in your players learning how to do a crossover with great technique if they don’t understand whento use it in a game?

Technique is important, of course… but allowing kids to practice when to use it is just as important.

This doesn’t mean letting them loose in a 5-on-5 game every practice…

Most of the game-play in a youth practice should be “small-sided”.

Small-Sided Games (SSG’s) have fewer participants on each team than a normal game. (1v1, 2v1, 3v3, etc.)

There are many benefits to using small-sided games with your players:

• More Touches
• More Space to Practice Moves
• More Opportunities to Score Points
• and many more

Small-sided games result in the players developing quicker and having a lot more fun!

If you have more than one ring and basketball available, play multiple small-sided games!

Another thing I love to do in scrimmages or small-sided games is incorporate rules to work on different skills.

For example, one of my favorite rules is the “no dribble” rule, which forces kids to read the play and make cuts to get open.

Without this rule, you’ll find it’s common for a youth player to take 5 or 6 dribbles with their head down before throwing a wild hook shot at the ring while 3 of their teammates stand around wide open.

5. Cool Down

The cool down section of your training should consist of a couple of minutes of slow jogging and walking up and down the court and then a few minutes of static stretching.

This allows the body to decrease in temperature and begin to flush out the waste products (lactic acid), amongst other things.

The stretching part of the cool down is a great time to talk to the players. We might talk about an upcoming game/tournament or how we felt practice went.

Recommended Practice Plan Structure

Now that you understand each section of practice, let’s work out how much time during practice should be dedicated to each section.

The first thing you’ll need to decide is if you’ll be implementing any team concepts like offenses, defenses, or set plays. If so, I still recommend only spending the listed amount of time on it.

If not, I recommend adding the extra minutes to skill work.

The following is how I generally divide up the minutes depending on the length of practice time you have.

60 Minutes
Dynamic Warm-Up/Body Movement – 10 minutes
Skill Work – 25 minutes
Team Strategy – 10 minutes
Scrimmage/SSG – 10 minutes
Cool Down – 5 minutes

90 Minutes
Dynamic Warm-Up/Body Movement – 10 minutes
Skill Work – 45 minutes
Team Strategy – 15 minutes
Scrimmage/SSG – 15 minutes
Cool Down – 5 minutes

120 Minutes
Dynamic Warm-Up/Body Movement – 10 minutes
Skill Work – 60 minutes
Team Strategy – 20 minutes
Scrimmage/SSG – 20 minutes
Cool Down – 5 minutes

This structure combines the technical learning of the skill with the practical application of the skill.

Too many practices overlook teaching players when to use skills.