While there can be a lot of valid criticism for the Basketball Hall of Fame and the way in which they induct candidates, there is still something special about having your name enshrined with the rest of the legends in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The class of 2015 has taken their place in a red carpet ceremony at the Hall, so let’s take a final look at this group of inductees.

The headliner (in our eyes) is Dikembe Mutombo, one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history. The Congo born Mutombo won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times and was named to a post season All-Defensive team seven times. The Center was also named a Second Team All-NBA Selection once and made the Third Team twice. He would also lead the NBA in Rebounds four times and Blocks five times.

A special induction in our eyes is that of Spencer Haywood, who not along ago was told he was inducted only to find that he wasn’t. Heywood at one point notably challenged the reserve clause to enter the NBA after spending one year dominating the ABA and winning their MVP Award. As an NBA player, Haywood would make two First Team and two Second Team All NBA rosters and late in his career would win the title with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The actual headliner is John Calipari, the current coach of the University of Kentucky. Calipari has a .773 Winning Percentage in the NCAA and won the title with the Wildcats in 2012. He would take his teams to six Final Fours (though two have been vacated) and has been named the Naismith Coach of the Year three times.

Jojo White, a seven time NBA All Star and two-time NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics, one of which earned him a Finals MVP. White was named to two Second Team All NBA squads.

Lisa Leslie, one of the best woman’s players ever and three time WNBA MVP. Leslie would also win two WNBA Titles with the Los Angeles Sparks and four Olympic Gold Medals with the United States. Leslie was named to eight First Team All-WNBA teams.

Dick Bavetta, who holds the record for the most games officiated in the NBA and never missed an assignment over his 39 year career.

Louie Dampier, who was with the ABA’s Kentucky Colonels during that league’s entire existence. Dampier was a seven time ABA All Star, helped the Colonels win the ABA Title in the league’s last year of existence and was a Second Team All-ABA member four times.

Tom Heinsohn, an eight time NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics and two time NBA Champion as the Head Coach of the same team. As a player, Heinsohn was the Rookie of the Year in 1957 and was the NBA Coach of the Year in 1973.

George Raveling, a former college coach who is Nike’s Global Basketball Marketing Director.

Lindsay Gaze, a former three time player for the Australian Olympic Team and a four time coach of the Australian Olympic Team at the Olympics.

John Issacs, an early African American Player who played for many African-American teams in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s.

Nowadays, it is common to see players who are able to play multiple positions on the court. As everyone knows, there are only five players allowed on the court from each team. Each position on the court can be seen more as a role more than a position. As stated before the game of basketball has developed over the years where you can see players develop a more hybrid role and play more than one position.

Point Guard:

This person tends to be in the leadership role on the court, as he/she brings the ball up every time and runs the plays. The point guard needs to be the best ball handler, dribbler, and passer out of most of the players on the team. The point guard is responsible for bringing the ball down the court on initiate the plays. The point guard tends to be the smallest and fastest player on the team as well and uses their knowledge of the game to coordinate the offense. Not necessarily known for their shooting because that is not their primary role on the court. However it is common to see point guards take just as many shots as other players on the court too.

Shooting Guard:

This player is also one of the smaller players on the team. The shooting guard has to obtain skills such as dribbling fast, passing and having good court vision as well as the point guard would. The shooting guard also has similar skills as the point guard such as bringing the ball down the court and setting up offensive plays. The shooting guard tends to be the player who takes the most shots on the court. The shooting guard also tends to be three point specialist and accurate shooter. In terms of height, shooting guards tends to be taller than point guards and are more accurate shooters than point guards.

Small Forward:

The interesting thing about small forwards is that they usually have the skills and capabilities to play inside and outside. Skills such as ball handling, passing, court awareness, post moves, and occasional shooting.

Power Forward:

The power forward on a basketball team is usually the second tallest players on the team, who are close to the center in attributes and playing style, but is faster in speed. A power forward has the role of playing under the hoop or play in a wing or corner areas on the court. Most power forwards in today’s game tend to have a more developed shot and it is more common to see power forward shooting three pointers.

Center:

On the offensive end of the court the center is responsible to get open in the paint for an easy bucket by using techniques such as jump shots, hook shots, and be precise in using the backboard to make a basket. On the defensive end of the court the center is responsible for locking down the paint on defense by blocking shots and passes and getting rebounds.

The right pair of basketball shoes is certain to give the desired protection, traction, and avoid injury while on the court. But, it is important to pick the type of shoes that match the gameplay. Here are a few things to consider when looking for the right shoes:

What is your shoe size?

Even if you believe you know your shoe size, it is still worth having your feet measured every so often. The feet change size and shape over time. Knowing the exact width and length is essential to buying the well fitted shoes.

Basic styles

The basketball shoes come in three specific styles: low-tops, mid-tops and high-tops. The preferred style of shoe is dependent on your style of play.

The low-tops are the lightest pair of shoes and appreciated by players that depend on quickness and speed. However, this type of shoe is not the most effective at giving support to the ankles.

The mid-tops are the most popular style and give support up to the height of the ankle. This means freedom of movement isn’t compromised and a perfect all-round choice for beginners and skilled players.

The high-tops give the greatest degree of stability and ankle support. But, the extra material for supporting the ankle means they are the heaviest option.

Playing style

A further issue to consider in the process of choosing the right shoes relates to the playing style. Let’s look at a few of the different options:

The all-round player is involved in multiple things on the court and likely to benefit from wearing the mid-top shoes. They can give the desired flexibility, cushioning and support, while not being too heavy or bulky.

For the players that rely on quickness and speed it is important to go with the lightest shoes to avoid being held back. The low-tops are the preferred choice and still provide a useful amount of cushioning and support.

The power players that spend a lot of time involved in jumping and physical contact want the shoes that give the highest stability and cushioning. This type of player is not impacted by the heavy shoes so the mid-tops or high-tops can make a practical choice.

Try before buying

Before making the decision to buy a particular pair of basketball shoes, make sure to try them on to get an accurate feel of the fit. The best time to try the shoes is after a workout or at the end of the day because the feet expand after being active.

As a Coach and teacher for some 40 years or so I have learned a few things myself. Learning is a fascinating thing and yet I think some of us take this for granted. “Life” itself is a tremendous journey filled with constant learning, to help us improve our station in life, hopefully make a good respectable living, and survive to the end in every aspect of life. Learning helps us make the decisions that we become accountable for whether right or wrong.

The power to ‘chose’ is probably the greatest power we have in life. Every single thing we do can be traced back to a thought and then a choice which ultimately lead to a destiny. I don’t want to philosophize too much here but ultimately this article is about leaving an impact through visual symbols which will possibly last a lifetime.

Charles Garfield once said, “A key to self-management is the capacity for self-observation. It is important to realize that self-observation is not the same as over criticism, judgmentalism, or paralysis by analysis. It is rather a consistent monitoring of one’s own performance”.

Another reason I am writing about symbolism is that the greatest teacher of all Jesus Christ taught in parables and symbols and if these parables and symbols left long lasting impressions in my mind then I hope it will have some effect on you the reader.

Over the many years of teaching I have found that I have used more and more visuals or symbols to help the students to possibly see what I see. Another teaching tool like an overhead projector projecting a picture on a screen. There’s a visual right there. It seems we get on the same page faster.

Here are 4 reasons why I use symbols in my coaching methods.

1. Symbols create visuals which help recall important concepts.
2. Symbols can represent and create feelings we can control.
3. Symbols can teach varying principles according to personal readiness to learn or upgrade.
4. Symbols can possibly expedite learning by clarifying imaginary visuals or pictures.

As I have said before when it comes to shooting free-throws in a superbly consistent and efficient manner it takes more than just ‘being a human’. You must become a ‘human doing’. Shooters are not born. They are made. So the first key is to find your maximum capacity as a free-throw shooter by learning what your maximum best average is from the line. If the best in the world namely the NBA players average about 72%, you can measure yourself along those numbers which really are very mediocre for a skill that is so simple and repetitive.

William James authored this comment which is perfect for my message. He stated, “A mind once stretched by a great idea or new understanding will never fully return to its original dimensions”. That’s why once you hit 90% from the line you won’t go back to 70% ever again. You will respect the changes you have made to elevate your numbers through cognitive learning.

Since there are about 25 scientific principles that must be respected when shooting a free-throw or a three-pointer I have found that just about every principle carries some symbolism with it. Don’t forget that every principle has some scientific attachment to it and there are few if any shortcuts. Try to defy gravity. Try drinking unleaded gas. These are scientific principles that we all respect whether its through fear or knowledge is irrelevant. The result is the same and that’s what we want, positive reinforcement and instant gratification.

Symbolism for the Shooting mechanism:

1. The ‘life’ of a free throw which is only about a second or so is symbolic to ‘life’ itself. The free-throw takes a second and life on the average is about 75 years depending if you are a male or female. Females are more blessed and average a few years more according to scientific studies. To shoot a perfect free-throw you need a goal. IT is the goal. It takes motivation, desire, dedication, knowledge and never ending practice of perfect principles to achieve the desired result which is perfection.

To lead an almost perfect “life” requires the same process. The goal is Heaven or eternal life. (Apologies to atheists and non believers. My intent is not to hurt any ones feelings). Diligently seeking and gaining the appropriate knowledge, application of learned principles, desire to follow a certain predicted path (which can be good or evil), personal motivation, dedication, practicing and applying principles and values that provide the desired result. You tell me if its tougher to master the one second to shoot a free-throw in the game of basketball or the 75 years to master yourself in the game of life?

2.  Hand-ball relationship. Not only should the hand be placed with the index finger at 90 degrees to the seams (seams are not crucial here but the index finger in the middle of the ball is). Hand should be as wide as possible to get the palm off the ball and it will be easier to maintain a level of consistency with the wide hand.

The symbolism here is that of writing with a pen or pencil. Do you not get your fingers placed the same every single time on the writing utensil and do you not write with the fingers and not the arm and larger muscles of the body? The fingers do the walking. The yellow pages ad may ring a bell.

3. The guide hand. This is the support hand that stabilizes the ball during the pick up or the catch.

The symbolism here is the visual of the space shuttle ready to blast off into space. Just moments after the rockets have fired up and spewed megatons of fire and smoke into the ground and atmosphere you see the supporting metal scaffolding slowly peel away to allow blast off.

Same as the left guide hand which after steadying the ball into the ‘shot pocket’ it peels away a couple inches to allow for the shot to be fired unhindered by it just before pulling the trigger with the right hand. (Opposite for left hand shooters).

4.  The ‘shot pocket’ is the area of the body near where the ball comes to rest briefly after picking the ball up just prior to releasing the ball. Depending on the size and strength of the shooter is where the shot pocket may be. In may be near the belly, or the chest or the right side of the face or even behind the top of the head

The symbolism here is cocked trigger, before pressing the trigger.

If there is no pause before you pull the trigger then the shot can be called a ‘chuck’ or thrust. A shot is disciplined and a ‘chuck’ or thrust isis undisciplined. This pause usually separates males from females simply due to lack of strength.

5. The shooting arm includes the part of the anatomy from the shoulder joint to the wrist joint. When you straighten it or ‘lock’ the elbow during the shot to give the whole arm an appearance of straight, you are actually symbolizing a rifle barrel with the bullet in the chamber just before it is fired.

6. The follow through which is the final stage of the shot and is simply the wide open hand starting in a palms up position facing the ceiling (holding the ball) to finished with the wide open hand with palm down facing the floor.

The symbolism here is like closing the lid (hinged) on a cookie jar as opposed to sticking the whole hand in the cookie jar. The hand stays somewhat curved with no joints bending except the wrist.

7. The wide finger spread before and after the shot Guarantees consistency in the ball delivery because it limits any excess movement by keeping all finger joints in locked mode. The only joint that bends on the hand during a shot is the wrist.

The symbolism here is like a ducks webbed feet which always stay wide for maximum traction while paddling. Imagine rowing a boat with a broom handle instead of an oar. Same principle. No direction or power with a thin follow through.

8. The Shot arc is usually the same as the angle of release which also equals the angle of entry of the ball in the basket.

The symbolism here for the arc is to imagine shooting out of the top of an old red British phone booth. You definitely don’t want your follow through to be level with your forehead or close to your ear.

9. The ‘complete follow through’ is the holding pattern during the shot at least until the ball hits the rim. This is full arm extended with wrist bent and hand parallel to the floor and no joints bent.

The symbolism here is the Statue of Liberty holding the flaming torch proud and high and for quite a long time. (Hold follow through for life of the shot or till it hits the rim).

10.The inside edge of the shooting wrist If you have the perfect shot pocket just a couple inches above the forehead and the inside edge of the shooting wrist will be in line with the front center of the rim.

Symbolism here is the inside edge of the shooting wrist compares to the peep sight on the tip of a rifle or shotgun. Thus when you have the perfect line you will have the center front of the rim, the inside edge of your shooting wrist and your eyes form a perfectly straight line just like a long rifle barrel.

A good closing statement for all the above symbolism was given by Frank Andrews when he said “Mindfulness is the practice of aiming your attention, moment to moment, in the direction of your purpose. It is called mindfulness because you have to keep your purpose in mind as you watch your attention. Then, whenever you notice that your aim has drifted off, you calmly realign it”. Absolutely perfect.

Copyright 2009, Ed Palubinskas. All rights reserved.

A new basketball hoop is a fun addition to your home. It will allow your friends and family to exercise while playing an exciting game of basketball. A hoop is an investment that should be considered carefully to satisfy your budget and situation. Here are some features that you should consider.

Portable or Permanent

The decision to make the hoop permanent or not depends on your needs. If you do not have a lot of room and have to move the hoop around then you may consider a portable solution. This may require the help of an adult as the hoops tend to be weighted at the bottom to prevent tipping. This is not a great solution for teens that like to dunk the ball as there is less rigidity. Also if you live in an area prone to high wind then the hoop is at risk of damage.

If there is a location that will always be used for basketball then you may want to consider a permanent installation. More popular brands allow for semi permanent solutions where anchor bolts are cemented in the ground and the pole is secured on top. This is more desirable than sinking a pole in the ground, which requires a lot of work to disassemble.

Adjustable

Most backboards can usually be adjusted by a handle. Read reviews on how easy it is to adjust the backboard on the hoop as some may need the help of an adult. Smaller children will be able to shoot a ball between 6 to 8 feet. Children over the age of 9 can play at the regulation height of 10 feet.

Breakaway Rim

This simply means that the rim will flex if a overzealous teen does a monster jam. The feature prevents the rim or backboard from flexing too much and causing damage. It is a good option to consider if you have a lot of basketball fans in the family that like to recreate NBA highlights.

Backboards

The type of material in the backboard can affect your budget as poly carbonate and acrylic tend be cheaper while tempered glass is more expensive. Poly carbonate and acrylic are clear and provide some rigidity. Tempered glass is higher quality, which provides the best rebounds.

As the size of the backboard increases then so does the price. Most backboards range from 32 to a massive 72 inches. I recommend keeping the size within the 50 to 60 inch range. The larger size will allow for more rebounds and less chasing after air balls.

Pole Size

Width of the pole is not that important for portable hoops but is more of a factor in permanent installations. As with backboards, the larger the width then the more expensive the hoop. Higher priced systems have poles as large as 5 inches across. If you plan to have rough play then consider a wider pole. Some poles may come in two pieces and are considered less sturdy but will be more budget friendly.

Other Tips

• Look for rust resistant coatings on all metal parts
• Consider options such as pole and backboard pads
• Multiple year warranties provide reassurance

As a basketball player it is important for you to jump high. Nobody is going to argue about that. Everybody who is physically healthy is able to jump, but to stand out from the rest of the world basketball players have to jump higher. Especially if they play in a team and have just the slightest ambition to perform well. So therefore it is important to focus on your vertical jump training.

Those athletes whose vertical jump is good tend to be better in their whole performance, not only at jumping. The vertical jump is a tool for more than just jumping. It increases the explosive strength of your body and the ability to use your strength and it also helps to show your power in your sport. In the world of sport the vertical leap is a way for coaches of measuring what kind of sportsmen they have in their team.

So vertical jump training is essential when you play basketball. Maybe you train with the whole team on that, but to get real results it is important to train your vertical jump four to five times a week. You probably do not train that often with your team – unless you are a pro – so the message here is to do a lot of that training by yourself. If you do not have instructions from your coach or trainer, you may surf the internet to find some good exercise programs. Some are free, for some you pay. You should also look up some basketball blogs or forums where people exchange the best tips on vertical jump training.

Make sure you give your legs a few days a week the rest they need. Or you need, more specifically. Getting a high vertical leap is not coming to you overnight; you have to work hard and long for that. So bursting out in a few weeks of seven days of training and then let go because you are fed up, is not the best way to go about it. To stay committed to the vertical jump training you must give yourself some days off.

Furthermore you must see to it that you eat enough proteins after an exercise session. That can be in natural food like grains, cereals, nuts, lentils or peas or by supplements. On the other hand you must also take enough carbonates and fat in to keep your body in athletic top form. Your club may have a diet advisor you can consult or will know whom to send you to. There is nothing wrong with hard training as long as you take good care of yourself.

Basketball, just like any sport, is important for any child during their development and growth. Basketball can be played by both boys and girls and men and women. Organized kid’s teams start as early as 6-7 years old. Basketball promotes team work, team spirit and helps get children into better physical shape.

Not only do people play organized basketball in some sort of league but it is also played in a pick up format. Pick up basketball can be played by just showing up to the park and getting in a game among people who you may or may not know. As an added bonus playing basketball is a great way of meeting other people whether in organized leagues or during the weekend at outdoor pick up games at the park. Quite often, people who meet each other on the basketball court end up being off the court friends further down the road. These relationships can last many years, which all begin on the basketball court.

Basketball is a great sport, since you don’t always need someone else to play with to enjoy the game. You can practice shooting free throws, dribbling the ball and do some wind sprints to keep you in shape. Even playing with one other person is a lot of fun and there are many games like five-three-one and horse that you can play for hours at a time, while trying to improve your shot. If you find a few other people, you can play two on two, three on three or five on five. You can choose to either play full court games or half court which demands less running. There is just so much flexibility in getting out there and playing.

It might surprise you when you find out what the most missed shot in basketball is, and you probably have fallen a victim to it as well. No, they are not making free throws that you have to make for your team to be tied in points. No, they are not shooting 3 pointers that only the “naturally” gifted players make with ease. It is actually the layup. So why is the layup the most missed shot to make in basketball when is it considered an easy point? It is quite simple, basketball players will become increasingly overconfident when performing shots that are considered easy to make such as the layup. Missing the layup shot can cost the team some valuable points and those points can lead up to beating your opponents. Here is a little guideline to improve your skills to make more layup shots.

The one handed layup shot is the most important shot in basketball. Therefore it is important that you learn how to master this important fundamental in basketball. Every basketball player knows that you should attempt the layup when you are going for the basket. You should practice doing layups, it is important that you practice doing layups in pick up games because their are many athletes with years of experience that will pressure you to make a shot under pressure. This is a good level of practice and would be the same if you were to play basketball in a real school game, where winning will lead to the championships. Here is a simple over view of how to do the lay up.

1. When the ball is in your possession, choose a side in which you will execute the layup shot.

2. If you are on the right side of the basketball court then dribble with your right, and vice versa.

3. If you are dribbling with your right hand then take off with your left foot, if you are dribbling with your left hand then take off with your right foot, try to jump higher than your opponent.

4. Aim for the backboard, the square box preferably, then go for the layup shot.

Practice, and continue to practice until you are tired. How do you think NBA players make it to the NBA? It is simple, they practice until they master their skills. That is what you need to do as well. Practice the layup shot and remember to execute the move with confidence. If you have confidence in your shots then most likely you will be able to make the shot. Think about how much better you would be of a player if you never missed the layup shot.

Most people think basketball is all about getting the physical edge on the competition, but I beg to differ.

I’d rather have the ability to make smart decisions on the court over being physically strong with terrible decision-making skills.

The Power Of Decisions

Every time you step on the basketball court you will have to make decisions. Your performance on the basketball court will be determined by the decisions you make.

Not only do you have to make smart decisions, but you also have to make them quickly and you can’t dwell on a decision once it is made.

You need to be able to react to the defense and you need to be able to force the offense to turn over the ball.

Smart decision-making is the key to winning basketball games. That is why coaches are necessary in organized basketball teams. In most cases, a basketball coach has extremely high basketball IQ and he/she has the ability to make the right decisions under pressure.

Decision Making vs. Athleticism

How is it possible that a non-athletic basketball player can outperform an extremely athletic basketball player?

It all comes down to decision-making.

The better player will always be the one who understands the game of basketball better, and who knows how to use his/her God-given talents to the best of his/her ability.

It doesn’t matter if you are 6’6 and you have a 50 inch vertical. If you don’t have the ability to make intelligent decisions on the basketball court, your game will suffer.

Examples of NBA players who excel despite their lack of athleticism include Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Andre Miller, Zach Randolph. These guys are proof that decision-making is crucial to high performance in the game of basketball.

How To Make Better Decisions On The Basketball Court

If you want to make better decisions on the basketball court, you need to play more basketball. Pay attention to situations where you make bad decisions and address them on your downtime.

If you find yourself turning the ball over every time you drive left, you probably need to develop your left hand dribbling and scoring ability.

Learn from your mistakes (trial and error). Your practice sessions are the best time to try different things, and learn what works and what doesn’t work. Leave your bad decisions for practice, so when it is game time you can be confident in your decision-making.

Learn from the professionals. If you want to start making better decisions, watch videos of the top players in the world. Analyze what the pros do on the basketball court and start doing the same.

Running your first practice as a basketball instructor can be a little intimidating. However, it doesn’t need to be! As long as you do a good amount of preparation before the practice, you will be able to run things pretty easily. All you need to do is construct a good schedule of what to do and how long to do it. So how do you make a schedule?

Making a schedule is something that will get easier the more that you make. I recommending having it written down or even typed up a few nights before. The hardest schedule to make it the first one because you don’t know your team yet and you don’t know what they need to work on and practice. The way to combat this is to cover all areas of the game and work on fundamentals that all teams will need to work on. Now we can get into some specifics.

The beginning of practice should start with stretching and warming up the muscles. Some coaches have this as a part of the practice right at the beginning, others make it clear to the players this is part of their job and they should warm up before practice and be ready to go right when the first whistle starts. I believe the ladder is more appropriate for older age groups. When it comes to youth practices I think it should be made part of the practice to ensure players are warming up correctly. This warm up could last about 15 minutes and include stretching and running. This will get the heart rate up and hopefully the players can begin to break a sweat. From here, a nice transition into ball handling usually goes well.

Ball handling drills can include one ball or two. Two-ball drill examples would be dribbling two balls at once while standing still and then dribbling two balls while walking/running up and down the court. For any ball handling drills it is important for you as a coach to emphasize looking up while the players dribble. It is important for them to get comfortable dribbling without looking at the ball. Other ball handling drills include dribbling a basketball in one hand while catching a tennis ball in another. Personally, I liked this one because I thought it was the most helpful in reaction time. Coaches will throw the tennis ball to the player and they would have to catch it and throw it back all while dribbling. Once this becomes easy, the player should be asked to do moves like crossovers, or behind the back in-between tennis ball throws. After about 30 minutes of ball handling you can move to teamwork drills.

An example of a teamwork drill would be the “3 Man Weave.” this is a drill where three players run down the court together weaving around each other. A video explaining this in more detail can be seen here. The benefits of running this drill is to enhance communication while practicing game like speed. This drill tends to be hand at first for younger teams. If your team is really struggling with it, do not waste the entire practice working on it. Give it a certain amount of time (e.g. 15 minutes) and after that time move on to your next drill. However, do not forget about it the drill. Come back to it the next day and the day after that. You would be surprised how quickly the players will pick up on it the next few times you do it.

From here you can move to more game like situations. A good example of this would be scrimmaging. This is a great way for kids to get a good feel for what it will be like during the games and the type of coaching you will be giving during the games. Trying to stay consistent with you messages to the players is important so they know what you want from them. While scrimmaging, do not hesitate to blow your whistle and stop the game. If there is a situation or a play could be used as a learning experience it should absolutely be explained so that everyone understands what went wrong. It is better to do this right after it happens as opposed to at the end of practice.

To finish off practice, I always enjoyed when our coaches implemented practice end of the game situations. This would entail them giving us a certain situation, such as being down by 2 points with the ball and 15 seconds left, and then we have to practice what we would do if it was a real game. This drill would be done 5 versus 5 and usually would switch offense and defensive after each try. Not only is it very fun, but it gets the players comfortable with “high pressure” shots.

Overall, making a practice schedule should not be stressful it should be exciting. You should be excited to enhance your players abilities. The more practices you schedule the easier they will become. Once you see your team play a few games you will have a better idea of what needs to be worked on and where time can be spent during practice.

A few sides comments in regards to coaching. All coaches have different styles and the way they teach is different. With that being said it is important for you to find what works for you. If you get better results from being a positive and optimistic coach and lead by example, then you should do that. If you are the kind of coach who pushes your players to the limits and isn’t afraid to yell, that could work too if your players respond to it well. It depends on the players and yourself. I know some coaches who adapt their coaching styles completely based on the group of players they have.

Overall, the improvement of the players is the most important thing as well as having fun when you play.