"Play" should be your preseason motto (here's why)

   In today’s newsletter, you’ll get access to two of our most recent articles...  In [Planning Your Basketball Preseason Part 1 - Play!]( going to find out: - How to navigate preseason constraints to make the most of your practice time - 3 reasons "Play" must be at the core of your preseason - Teddy Roosevelt's advice for coaches Then in [Why FIBA 3x3 is Gold For Youth Basketball Players]( you’re going to find out: - How to play a unique 3x3 game modeled off the FIBA Olympics - 3 reasons why this game is such a fun, effective and "sneaky" opportunity for player and team development - Constraints you can add to spice it up and work on different skills Okay now, onto Part 1 of the content...  Planning Your Basketball Preseason Part 1 - Play!  If you’re like me, you are excitedly thinking about the upcoming basketball season. It’s hard to believe we are only a few months away.  But before we get to our actual seasons, we have the Fall - the preseason.   In the coming weeks, we’ll tackle how you can maximize this period.   All of us have different constraints in the fall. Some states don’t allow coaching of any kind. Others of us coach at schools where most of our players are in a Fall sport. Some have issues getting gym time around fall sports.  That said, there is SOMETHING you can do to help your program. So let’s start examining the elements of a successful preseason!  3 Reasons Play Must Be At The Core Of Your Preseason  We recently covered some ways to [spice up your open gyms]( I would recommend going back through that list and seeing which apply to your situation.  Here are a few things to keep in mind that should apply to every situation:  1 - The value of playing to develop chemistry and apply their training - most kids today only play when someone else organizes it. Very few kids go to the park and play on their own.  Thus, we need to provide opportunities to play. Players need game reps. Open gyms are a way to get them.  There are numerous benefits to playing. Of course, playing gives your players reps where they can apply the skills they’ve been working on.  A second key benefit is starting to develop chemistry with their teammates.  Of course, you won’t have all your athletes present for open gym (if you do, you’re very lucky!). However, the ones who are there can develop synergy with their teammates that will benefit them when the season starts.    One common issue with this is a lack of numbers (perhaps due to kids playing a Fall sport). If that’s a situation you’re in, try scheduling open gyms with other schools. If that won’t work, encourage your players to play 3v3.   Bottom line - don’t let numbers be an excuse to not play.   Conversely, a few coaches have the issue of having a ton of kids who come to open gyms. This sounds good, unless some of those kids only come to goof around.   In most cases, you can’t limit open gyms. If that’s the situation you’re in, consider moving your open gyms to before school. You’ll quickly learn who’s serious about getting better (it also solves most gym availability issues).  Bottom line - don’t let numbers be a reason your open gyms suffer.  2 - The value of competing and valuing winning - this is crucial. Open gyms are often sloppy. Make sure yours aren’t. Stress to your players the value of competing and playing the right way.   Competing is a skill. It’s been devalued in today’s world when kids might play 5 games in a weekend at a youth sports tournament. You want your players to compete at everything. Stress to them that your expectation (and more importantly, theirs) should be maximum effort at all times.  Remind them they are always building habits - good or bad. They need to choose good ones. If your state allows you to set conditions for open gym, set conditions that encourage good habits. If your state does not allow this, talk with your leaders about the importance of competing in open gyms. Task them with upholding the standard of competition. This can be an effective way of empowering them to lead (more on that to come).   3 - The value of conditioning through play - a later installment of this series will talk about [conditioning]( Getting into top shape should be a preseason priority.   There are multiple ways to do that. Of course, running is one. But playing is another. The game is the best conditioner out there.   Remind your players that if they come and play at a high level of intensity, that will take care of most of the conditioning needs.   They’ll be happier because they are playing more and running less. You’ll be happier because they are playing harder!  Teddy Roosevelt’s Advice For Coaches  Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Do the best you can, with what you can, where you are.” I doubt coaches were his intended audience, but it’s great advice!  Many of us focus on what we CAN’T do during the Fall. Don’t be one of those coaches.   Instead, focus on what you can do.  One thing you can do is get your players playing. Somehow, someway, you can create playing opportunities that will help them improve. Find that way and start building to a great season.   ---------------------------------------  Now onto Part 2 of the content...  Why FIBA 3x3 is Gold For Youth Basketball Players  If you’re like me, you thoroughly enjoyed watching the Olympics. The stories of the athletes are incredible. The opportunity to see different sports is fun. It is truly a great event.  One of the breakout events of this Olympics was 3x3. I talked to numerous people who were completely taken with the game.   It makes for a great viewing experience. It’s fast paced and exciting!  It’s also an incredible way to teach your players how to play. Make it a staple part of your practices going forward!  How To Play  The rules are simple:  1 - Half court 3x3  2 - Take the ball back beyond the 3 point line on a change of possession. The defense can steal the ball as the offense takes it back so they should apply immediate pressure.  3 - 10 minute game  4 - :12 shot clock  5 - No breaks after scoring  6 - Game ends at 21  That’s it!  3 Reasons Why You Need To Play This Game  We’ve talked a lot about 3x3 recently. We discussed why it’s [ideal for developing players](  Some of those reasons are: - More touches - Enhanced decision making opportunities - More players involved - Easier to coach - Easy to adapt We shared an example of a [3x3 game]( you can use. We covered how to [teach your offensive actions]( through 3x3.  This game does all those things - at high speed! Here are 3 unique benefits to FIBA 3x3:  1 - Increases speed of decisions - the game never stops. Most 3x3 drills reset after a basket. In FIBA 3x3, players take the ball out of the net and immediately play.   Thus, players are constantly looking for opportunities to score. When a change of possession occurs, the 3 offensive players must look to find space to create an advantage.  If they can’t, they need to quickly look to generate an advantage through some action (cutting, screening, etc.).   At first, your players will struggle with this. Over time, they’ll start to recognize opportunities more quickly. Their basketball IQ will grow and the game will slow down.  2 - Conditioning - this game is amazing for conditioning. I would not start by playing a 10 minute game. I would start with 2-3 minutes. If your players are going hard, this will be the limit of their endurance.  If you start at 10 minutes, the games will get sloppy and bad habits will emerge. Start with short games, then extend them as players decision-making and conditioning improves.   3 - Communication - FIBA 3x3 is great for defense, too! Players are constantly changing matchups. There is a lot of switching. Players have to recognize their positioning on a change of possession and [react and communicate]( quickly.  We usually focus on offensive decision making. However, defensive decision making is just as important. If your players can immediately react to what the offense is doing, they’ll be in better position to stop it.  FIBA 3x3 trains those reactions.   3 FIBA 3x3 Basketball Constraints to Add for Maximum Improvement  FIBA 3x3 is not just rolling the ball out. You still have to coach. Using constraints is one way to do this.   There are many ways you can constrain your small-sided games.  Here are 3 that are effective with FIBA 3x3.  1 - ‘Change’ call - as players are playing, randomly yell out ‘change’. As soon as you say that, the player with the ball must set the ball down. The team on offense immediately goes to defense. Their rule is they can’t guard who was guarding them.  For the defense, this forces them to communicate and get matched up.  For the offense, they have a momentary advantage while this is happening. They should look to exploit the advantage before the defense can get back to neutral.  2 - Shot selection scoring - young players struggle with [understanding what a good shot is](. Reinforce this through your scoring system.   Make layups worth 5 points. Make open jump shots off the catch worth 3 points. Make contested jump shots or off the dribble jump shots worth 1.   Players will quickly adjust in an effort to win the game.    3 - Penetrate-pass-pass rule - too many youth players want to dribble every time they touch the ball. Use the penetrate-pass-pass rule to combat this.  Explain that if the player who has the ball before you drives, you probably shouldn’t. This is because the defense is already compacted and so a drive would be ineffective.  If the player ahead of you drives and passes to you, you should shoot or immediately pass.  Under this rule, consecutive drives are a turnover. This is a good principle of play for players to start learning at a young age.  FIBA 3x3: The Fun Way to “Sneak” in Improvement  Too many drills feel like drills. Yes, players might know they’re learning, but it’s not very engaging.  With FIBA 3x3, players are having so much fun that they don’t even realize how much they’re learning.   Because it’s fun, they’ll want to do more of it. When they do more of it, they’ll continue to grow and improve.  Fun and improvement? Mission accomplished.  Related Resources  [Jim Huber Beginner Basketball Ages 5-9](  [The Youth Coaching System With Jim Huber Ages 9-14](  [3v3 Drills For Offense And Defense](  All the best,  Jeff Huber Breakthrough Basketball  This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you indicated that you'd like to receive emails and updates from Breakthrough Basketball on 2016-12-16 05:42:39. 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