Basketball Coach Unplugged (A Basketball Coaching Podcast)

https://teachhoops.com/
Late game situations, up three or down two, and practicing the moments you will face in January.
Early in his career, Coach Steve Collins did not really practice the end of games. He figured his team would deal with it when it came up. Then it came up: January, on the road, down two with nineteen seconds left and no timeouts. Five kids looked at the bench, and he looked back with nothing to give them.
That night changed how he used October. The last two minutes of a January game get decided in the first weeks of practice, because whatever a team has rehearsed is what shows up when the gym is loud and the clock is moving. In this two part deep dive, Steve walks through deciding your late game answers while it is still quiet, building a clear up three plan, knowing your shot when you are down two, and turning practice into something that actually feels like January.
Part 1: Deciding Before It Matters

Why the end of a January game gets decided in the first weeks of the season

The questions to answer now: foul or guard up three, two or three down two, the one and one lineup, the last shot when tied

Sitting down with your staff in October to decide twenty situations, and why a decided answer beats a perfect answer invented in a panic

The one page clipboard sheet, and the five situation version every player should be able to recite

Up three: why fouling and guarding can both win, but a team that does not know which one it is doing loses

Clear rules for guarding, how to foul early and with a designated fouler, and why a late foul on a three point shooter is the worst play in basketball

The player who hesitated for half a second, and why players have to rehearse it with noise, a clock, and a score

Part 2: Down Two and Practicing Pressure

Down two: deciding ahead of time whether you play for the tie or the win

One late game play with a second option, and telling the shooter on Monday instead of at the timeout

A no timeout call the point guard can yell

Teaching clock awareness so players know what eight seconds really feels like

Ending practice once a week with live situations, a real clock, a loud bench, and real consequences

Calling the situation only when the whistle blows, and why chaos in October is a good thing

Coaching the drill live yourself, because coaches need late game reps too

The Friday situations that showed up in a sectional game, and the point guard who said, "Coach, that felt like practice"

Why the last two minutes are about calm, and calm comes from having been there before

Chapters

00:00 Coach Unplugged intro

00:16 Opening: the confession

01:19 Pre roll: TeachHoops.com special situations practice plans and situation sheets

01:41 Why October decides January

02:15 Takeaway 1: Decide your answers while it is quiet

04:03 Takeaway 2: Up three, and the half second hesitation

06:35 Takeaway 3: Down two, know your shot

08:12 Mid roll: TeachHoops.com late game sets and the coaching community

08:30 Takeaway 4: Make practice feel like January

10:10 The last two minutes are about calm

10:30 The challenge and post roll

This week's challenge: Write down your up three and down two plans tonight, and finish one practice this week with both situations on a real clock.
Format: Deep Dive, two parts.
Resources: Special situations practice plans, end of game drills, late game sets, printable situation sheets, courses, and on court clinics at https://teachhoops.com/
Recorded at the Fifth Quarter Studios in Madison, Wisconsin.
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TeachHoops.com
Thirty days into the season, the hard conversations start. In Part 2 of The First Thirty Days, Coach Collins covers the first parent email, how to settle your rotation, what to cut from everything you installed, and how to take care of the one person on your team nobody is coaching.
In this episode:

The first parent email and why you should never debate playing time over text

Settling your rotation with practice scores, film, and clear roles

The Keep, Drop, and Save for January audit for your playbook

Coach the coach: your staff, your family, and a weekly reset

The Day Thirty Audit: three sentences, one name, one change

For more practice plans, drills, and coaching systems, visit TeachHoops.com
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The season has started and it already feels like too much. Too many things to teach, too many kids who need something from you, and a practice plan that fell apart by the third drill. In Part 1 of The First Thirty Days, Coach Collins walks through what matters most once the season tips off, and why the answer is not doing more.
In this episode:

The one question every coach should be asking right now

Why your first three practices set your standards for the whole year

How to have the role conversation before game one, with every player, including your stars

Why practice looks good and games look bad, and how to close the gap with pressure instead of more plays

How to handle the first loss: the locker room, the film, and the next practice

Your homework: write your three sentences. What must your team be by February?
For more practice plans, drills, and coaching systems, visit TeachHoops.com
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https://teachhoops.com/

Things that basketball players need at practice. Simplicity wins practice. Everything you need to know to become a better basketball coach today and tomorrow. Let me know if you have any questions. At steve@teachroops.com. #BasketballCoach #Basketball #coaching

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https://teachhoops.com/
What your players learn from how you treat the referee, and how to ask a question that actually gets answered.
Four minutes left in the opener, down three, and the whistle goes the other way. Coach Steve Collins knows that feeling in your chest, and he knows the moment that comes right after it, when every kid on the bench turns to see what the head coach does next. Early in his career he thought working the officials was part of the job. Then he watched film of his own bench and saw his players copying every arm wave and every frustrated face while the other team ran back for layups.
In this deep dive for opening week, Steve breaks down how to talk to officials in a way that actually helps your team. He covers why your players borrow your emotions, how to ask a question an official can answer, when to speak and who should do the talking, and how to give your players a real plan for officials that holds up when they are angry. It is about respect, it is about modeling, and it is about keeping good officials in our gyms for years to come.
Part 1: The Mindset

The opening scenario: a late charge call in game one and the five seconds that teach your bench more than a week of practice

Steve's confession about working the officials, and the bench film that changed his approach

Why your players borrow your face, and the two claps and a point that tell them "next play"

The difference between a verdict and a question, with three questions an official can actually answer

The official who told Steve his driver was leading with his off arm, and how that fixed a problem

Part 2: The Timing and the Plan

Waiting for the dead ball, free throws, and timeouts before you speak, and asking only one question

Why only the head coach talks to officials and assistants never do

Teaching players a plan instead of a rule: captains greet officials, captains ask questions, everyone else plays the next play

Practicing bad calls in scrimmages so the reaction is trained before November

The fiery senior who took a breath, sprinted back, and took a charge on the next possession

Shaking every official's hand, raising real concerns through your athletic director, and being the reason officials stay in the game

Chapters

00:00 Coach Unplugged intro

00:16 Opening scenario: the late charge call

01:18 Pre roll: TeachHoops.com bench management and game day checklists

01:40 Watching film of my own bench

02:29 Takeaway 1: Your players borrow your face

03:39 Takeaway 2: Ask a question that can be answered

05:51 Takeaway 3: Pick your moment and one voice

06:57 Mid roll: TeachHoops.com game management library and community

07:20 Takeaway 4: Teach your players a plan for officials

09:07 Takeaway 5: Let it go before the handshake line

10:10 The opening week challenge

10:29 Post roll: TeachHoops.com

This week's challenge: Before your first game, decide your one signal for a bad call and teach it to your team at practice.
Format: Deep Dive, two parts.
Resources: Bench management guides, game day checklists, game management resources, practice plans, courses, and on court clinics at https://teachhoops.com/
Recorded at the Fifth Quarter Studios in Madison, Wisconsin.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices