The Two Best Compliments You Can Receive as a Coach

As coaches, we are as human as anyone else.

We love to hear people say positive things about the players we coach, the teams we lead, and the way our teams play. For all the time invested, it’s validating to hear someone appreciate what we try to instill in our players.

However, two of the best compliments we can possibly receive are:

1. Your kids play hard
2. I wish our team shared the ball like your team does

Let’s take a look at each.

“Your kids play hard.”

I think “playing hard” and “competitive fire” go hand-in-hand. I don’t think they can exist without each other.

How do you get players to play hard or with competitive fire?

• Make losing in practice suck
• Have conversations about what playing hard/competitive fire means
• Use examples from film
• Play the guys who play hard!

“I wish our team shared the ball like your team does.”

How do you encourage sharing the ball?

• Drill Work — add passing and sharing the ball to your drill work, insert drills that focus on “one more” passes, use drills that put players in advantage situations so they can attack a scrambling defense, etc.
• Film Study — show your team clips of teams sharing the ball the way you’d like them to, use NBA and college teams as examples, constantly reiterate that winning basketball occurs due to sharing the ball
• Praise Them When They Do It — if a player makes a great extra pass, passes up a good shot for a better shot for a teammate, or is just unselfish in general…stop practice and praise them RIGHT there…reward the good behavior!
• Emphasize Sharing the Ball in Practice — give extra points in drills for throwing the ball ahead in transition or throwing “one more” passes, chart “hockey assists” (the assists that lead to an assist), get creative with how you score your drills and games
• Play the Players Who Share the Ball — the ultimate motivator is the bench — if you want your players to share the ball, play the ones who do and sit the ones who don’t

These are simple, but powerful ideas.

The main point is that, in order for your team to do ANYTHING you want them to do…you must emphasize it, praise, reward it, and show them what it looks like.

Your teams will not magically start sharing the ball if they don’t understand what you mean by the phrase “share the ball”. You can’t just talk about it. You have to show them examples of what you’re looking for, drill it in practice, and praise them when they do it the way you want!

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