Out of the number of tactics and techniques that coaches can teach, those which improve balance achieve disproportionate results on the court. So often, children are not ready when they play basketball. Youth coaches do not instruct balance during high school or club basketball and nobody considers balance once athletes become adults.
Footwork, footwork, and footwork are the keys to all the locks across many sports. They volleyball player requires the fundamental footwork skills to get in position to set a ball or approach a spike in the same way that the basketball player needs to explode into their first step or plant and change direction. Young athletes keep their legs too rigid or tilt their centre of gravity to one side. Recalling how Jasmin Repeša reminded coaches at a clinic last year that anyone must first bend their knees before attempting to move and how Wayne Dawkins told top prospects that keeping their centre of gravity close to their core (as opposed to a lopsided position to one side) enables them top move more quickly in each direction, it is obvious that there remain many ways we can make young athletes more explosive.
If you watch a school or club team practice a drill, players subconsciously favour their dominant – usually right – foot. Coaches need to ensure there are enough quality repetitions on both pivot feet. Positive feedback that congratulates athletes using the appropriate foot (farthest away from the defence) will get everyone’s attention. Slowing down the drill so that there is an advantage for the offensive player will enable young players to develop confidence in their balance, instead of panicking at the first sign of pressure. The opposition will force players to pivot towards their weak side anyways so players might as well take initiative to master good balance themselves.
Sometimes players and coaches tell others to box out without explaining how it should be done. Throwing forearms and elbows in the post is not only bad because it is a foul but because it provides the offensive player with easy access to levers that will improve their position. Like the water polo defender who needs to drive towards the opponent to stop their advance, the post defender should body up in order to get low and generate more force. Recently there has been online praise for Pete Newell’s teaching style. Newell is known as a team defence coach and a pioneer big man instructor. He achieved great success by encouraging players to utilize both feet and develop a multitude of post moves in multiple directions.