Basketball Practice:
Turning Players into Teams

Preseason basketball practice makes or breaks the team. A good pre-season will develop players - their conditioning, their fundamental basketball skills, their attitude and ability to work together. And it develops basketball teams. Because a basketball team is more than just a bunch of guys wearing the same basketball shirt.

Coaching basketball begins with tryouts, not with the first game of the season. It is at the first day of tryouts that you begin to build your team. Know what to look for during tryouts - the skills and abilities that will be important for players to demonstrate - and organize your tryout practices with excellent tryout drills to help you make your decisions.

It is these first few basketball practices that will inform you what skills you need to focus on and what abilities your players will be bringing to the team - be sure to perform solid player evaluations during tryouts and the first few pre-season practices so you can set appropriate player goals and team goals, so everyone develops throughout the pre-season.

Once your team has been chosen, the work begins. Every basketball practice is one more opportunity to improve, one more chance to become better than the opponents you will face, and you can't waste any of these opportunities. Plan well. Starting with your season overview, develop your practice plans so that you consistently develop stronger players and stronger teams.

Ultimately, the success of your team comes down to you, the coach. There is a saying in sports - "If the team wins, it's because of the players. If the team loses, it's because of the coach." Well, let's face it - we're not here for the glory. We do our job well, and people will comment on the incredible talent of our players.

Develop players to the best of their abilities, so when they get to the game they can be confident and competitive. Create good basketball practice plans, teach your basketball drills well to develop good fundamental skills, organize your team on the floor so they can perform successfully.

If you do everything right, you'll probably win more games than you lose. But remember it's always an ongoing process - reflect on what works and doesn't work during practice, and make changes as you go along. Not only will your players improve, so will you as a coach.

Good luck to a successful season