Great teams prepare for critical situations on the practice court and in the video room, discussing what will happen ahead of time and debriefing what actually occurs. It is easy to coach offensive plays and decisions but often less time is devoted to the defensive component. There are a number of ways to handle each situation so all players must have a sturdy grasp of what the team will do at this moment in time. Misunderstanding and miscommunication leads to mistakes. Below are a handful of late-game scenarios that result in stops because of solid play and sound strategy. No …
Winning Football Teams
Last Sunday, the Detroit Lions played on Sunday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints. The young team, comprised of talented young draft picks, committed eleven penalties, including three personal fouls and were shredded by the efficient Saints who exercised control in their precise offensive sets and discipline on the field. Tonight, the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Cleveland Browns. While the physical defense has struggled with league rules regarding hits to the head, the team has been remarkably consistent over the past twenty years, frequently making the playoffs and winning two Super Bowls. The Steelers have drafted late in …
The Dangers of Coaching, Part I: Teaching a Motion Offence
Introducing a motion offence provides many benefits to a basketball team. Offensive efficiency relies primarily on precise execution of individual skills and team systems and it is easier to master a small number of concepts than a wide array of plays. Instead of memorizing a pattern for every possible defence, players apply the same principles and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Individual abilities are free to shine and the entire exercise will improve performance under pressure. However, coaches must be mindful of a number of issues while instructing such an organic system. Above all, it requires the support …
Making Better Decisions
When a crisis occurs during the year, the players are ultimately responsible for the resolution. Coaches can recommend actions but players must execute these actions. Sometimes, the players must pull themselves together and move forward on their own. Adversity occurs during every minute of every game and practice: there are always battles between you and an opponent (or you and yourself) that present opportunities to set a personal best. Adversity also occurs every day of your life. How we make decisions under pressure decides how we handle adversity. Decisions made under pressure in sport will recur under pressure in daily …
Communication between Athletes and Coaches
Players are people. People should think because intelligent thinking optimizes performances. Therefore, players should think. Young players are new to the game. They encounter multiple situations for the first time with which they must learn to cope. They must process what is happening is on the court, place it into context, and select a course of action. For inexperienced players, coaches are the primary source of cues on how to interpret information and make a good decision. Sport is a vehicle to teach life skills, including how to make decisions under pressure. Basketball is inherently stressful – physical and mental …
Curling Faux-Pas
On Sunday evening, during the tenth end of the World Championship Final, Kevin Martin threw his first rock away. The match was tied 6-6 and Canada was lying one after David Murdoch’s first shot. Martin was worried about hitting the mess of rocks on the out-turn side of the house and wanted to maintain an in-turn draw for his last shot. Everyone knew Scotland was going to raise one of their rocks with their last shot. They did and Martin missed a double-takeout with his final stone. Never hand the opponent anything; that’s what friendlies and pick-up games are for. …
5hrs 41min of Madness
Some of Phil Garner’s decisions last night adversely affected his team. First of all, the athletes on the field (the Houston Astros) were given several excellent chances and could not execute. They share a great deal of responsibility because they did not deliver any clutch hitting. But it is questionable as to whether the best Houston line-up was on the field at times. Garner has had a strong post-season and made some great moves. Clemens and Burke in Game 4 of the N.L.D.S. were examples of the right players at the right time, as was Vizcaino pinch-hitting in Game 2 …
Freakonomics
Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt interesting book for the guy who likes to generate “controversial” discussions at parties. So sumo wrestlers cheat, drug dealers live with their parents, and real estate agents receive a higher closing price when they sell a house that they own themselves. OK. Steven Levitt delivers his arguments in a light, easy to read, slightly esoteric format. The economics are sound. Basically the pretence is that every individual is interested in maximising their utility. OK. The most contentious chapter concerns Levitt’s belief that the decline of the crime rate in the late 1990s was caused by …