Basketball is a game of habits, and it takes time and patience to develop proper habits and to break bad ones. One of greatest mistakes of many coaches is likely to be the lack of patience. If I ask myself what is coaching....there are 4 recognizable answers that I find:
Simply put, coaching is leadership. To be a great coach, I believe you must be a great leader. Leaders are people who have developed the skills needed to motivate, guide, and direct others in a positive direction. Leaders are made through discipline, training, experience, and the desire to continuouslly improve... The coach must never forget that he is a Leader and not only a person with authority.
A coach must be able to react in a incredible philosophical manner to the unpredictable emotional reactions of players, fans , opponents, and all others who have, or think they have, a very personal interest in the participants of the game.
Secondly, the coach must be at the same time a Psychiatrist and a Philosopher.
But the most important responsibility of a coach, in regard to the actual playing of the game is to teach his players properly and effectively to execute various fundamentals of the game, he is first a Teacher.
Here are my 6 basic principles that I learned from the older and more experienced coaches in
2. Learn to be kind but not weak.
We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. Coaches must constantly look for ways to show their players that they sincerely care about them as individuals.
3. Learn to be bold but not a bully.
It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, and discover the first sign of trouble. Coaches need and must be tough, but don't go over the line.
4. Be proud but not arrogant.
It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride to build a winning basketball program. It takes pride to be the best basketball team in the country. Your program will develop this attitude when you train your players to strive for "Excellence." I demand that my players behave and look like Champions. I want them to believe they are the hardest working team in the country because we train so hard. Our team motto is "Excellence in All We Do." All these little things build pride. It just does not happen by chance.
5. Develop humour without being a clown.
That's important for a leader. In leadership, I learn that it’s okay to be fun, but not foolish.
As a coach, when my team is practicing on the court, I'm all business. But when we are off the court, I try to fellowship and have fun with my players as much as possible in a professional manner.
6. Never past negatives down.
You're team will reflect your attitude. If you want a positive, upbeat team, then you must portray that image. Leaders keep presenting the positives, keep pointing everyone toward the accomplishment of the group's desired goals, and keep setting the example for everyone else to follow.
Assistant coach
The role of the assistant coach is very difficult and not very glamorous which means that I must be very understanding and very tactful in working with him. Make certain that he feels that he is working with you rather than for you. I must be ready for suggestions from my assistant.
We will not always agree, but I need always to listen and avoid being disagreeable when we disagree. He needs to have a pleasant personality, to have ambition, desire to improve, knowledge about basketball, to be optimistic, unselfish, loyal and to be enthusiastic.
A good assistant coach is a very Important part of a successful team, a good assistant coach makes club-head coach and a team for 50 % better.
The journey to becoming a complete Championship team, a great team, is the most frustrating, yet also the most fulfilling facet of the Basketball game.
The search for the complete team is a journey where you need to have a plan and great patience.
