Mentoring Program for Young and Experienced Coaches
(Compiled/Written by Steve Witty, IBCA Executive Director)
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You Got the Job, So What Happens Next?
Program Organization (Purple? Because it is Coach Witty’s favorite color!)
I. Introduction (Complete Outline of Material)
II. Meet players, parents and become visible in the community. Identify power brokers, key faculty, administrators and community members. If new to the community have a “meet the coach” night.
“ If you want to be successful and respected but not necessarily liked or loved as a coach”.
III. Hire Assistants
Traits of a good assistant coach
Characteristic and qualities of assistant coaches
Expectations of varsity assistant
Assistant coach game responsibilities
IV. Promote and establish a basketball philosophy. Develop a philosophy and document it.
“Six key characteristics of a championship program”
“Things I wish an older experienced coach would have told me when I was young”
Six coaching sins and how to avoid them
“Playing the Game the Way it is Supposed to be Played”
V. Identify style of play
What are your teams known for? What is the foundation of your basketball program? Do you play up-tempo, controlled, press, half- court defense, zone or man to man, motion or set plays, many plays or a few, positionless spread offense etc.…?
When people hear your team’s name mentioned, what style of play do they think of?
VI. Yearly calendar-
“Basketball Program Organization”
VII. Preseason Staff Meeting
VIII. Weight training
“Weight Training and the Practice Schedule”
IX. Fall conditioning
X. Team selection/team building
“Gentling the cruelest cut of all”
Three Kinds of Players
“Players Coaches Love”
“Reasons Players Reach Their Potential”
Important Items to read and consider: Many Smiles in the information below!
“Do You Want to Be Cool or a True Champion”
“Basketball Terminology”
“Core Values of a Quality Basketball Program”
“Are You a Good Team Player?”
“Considerations Involving Team Discipline”
“4 Methods to Improve Athlete/Coach Communication”
Traits and qualities of a team leader
“Team Performance Test” utilize in January to see if players and coaches are on the same page
XI. Basketball parents
Preseason Parents’s meeting outline
Dealing with the parent problem in the preseason
“Do your parents work for you or against you?”
“A letter to a parent from a coach”
Handling the parent problem. Tips to deal with parents
“Strategies to handle the Ball-istic parent
XII. Individual and team goals
“Two Pre-requisites for Effective Goal Setting”
“Goal Setting with Direction and Commitment”
Goal setting,” Individual and Team goals”
XIII. Player Ten Commitments. In all successful programs there is discipline and attention to details. Eliminate rules and replace them with expectations (sematics)
“Player Ten Commitments”
“Wooden/ “Pyramid of Success”
“It’s the Little Things That Make the Big Things Happen”
XIV. Organize your season schedule
“Dividing the Game Schedule into Thirds”
“Typical In-season Weekly Game Plan”
“Organizational Tips for Coaches”
XV. Coach/official relationship:
Communicating with Officials
Coach-Official relationship: One officials perspective
Working with game officials- Part I and Part II
XVI. Practice organization. In all skills you teach, repetition is the key. Teaching sequence requires: instruction, demonstration, correction, repetition. Teach to meet the three learning style of your players. Some players learn better by what they hear, some by what they see, some by what they do.
Practice plan form
Practice organization
Practice principles to consider Organize your practice plan
Organize your practice time
Practice Tips – Krzyzewski
Practice observation/assessment
XVII. First game checklist
“First Game Check List-Ed Schilling
XVIII. Game management considerations
“momentum Getters/Momentum Killers”
“Time out/What happens next?”
Communication during time-outs
What to say at half-time
“Bench Organization”
XX. Thoughts on leadership/Coaches legal duties
Five essentials for leadership in coaching
“Difference Between Managing and Leading”
“Nine Legal Duties of a Coach”
Facts vs myths regarding liability for sports injuries
XXI. Post season coaches evaluation and program evaluation.
Thoughts on Evaluation Process
Coaches self- evaluation check list
XXII. Thoughts for the Day, a dose of positive each day
XXIII. Fun Cartoons
Cartoons/This is supposed to be Fun
XXIV. Testimonials
Successful program testimonials
Ben Davis won title with teamwork not stars
Best Hoops Team
Ben Davis at the Buzzer
Final Thoughts and suggestions and Conclusions