Simplifying your offense | Stretch less?

   In today’s newsletter, you’ll get access to two of our most recent articles...  In [Mastering Offensive Flow: The #1 Rule to Blend & Simplify Dribble Drive & Motion]( you’re going to find out: - A simple way to get players to run 2 offensive schemes well - How the Cardinal Directions can simplify your offense - A popular and unique offense that allows you to integrate these concepts and get the most from every player Then in [Ditch the Stretching: Energizing Warmups Kids Will Love]( you're going to find out: - How to turn warmups into a player-favorite part of practice - 3 benefits of "warming up" through playing - The ultimate sign of success for youth sports Okay now, onto Part 1 of the content...  Mastering Offensive Flow: The #1 Rule to Blend & Simplify Dribble Drive & Motion  Getting players to run 1 offensive scheme well is an accomplishment. Getting them to run 2 schemes well is off the charts.  Why? Because players often get confused when you merge ideas. Players who are spending time figuring out which scheme you’re running are not players ready to execute.   As a result, many coaches give up on this idea and choose one scheme to focus on. There’s nothing wrong with that.  But many coaches want to blend schemes. It allows you to take advantage of the different strengths your players possess.  With that in mind, what if you could blend two schemes in a way that maximizes player talent AND keeps it simple for players?  Well, you can. Just follow this idea from the [Hybrid Attack Offense With Coach Ryan Schultz](   At 5:08 in the video below, Coach Schultz describes this rule.   In addition to that, the video also covers: - What the Hybrid Attack system is - How the Hybrid Attack solves the problem of choosing an offensive scheme - Proper spacing within the offense - The importance of an attack mentality - The basics of the kick up and kick back action that is a core element of the dribble drive portion of the offense WATCH our NEW YouTube Video, [The Perfect Offense For Imperfect Players - The Marriage of Dribble Drive & Motion](.  How The Cardinal Directions Can Simplify Your Offense  The Hybrid Attack offense blends elements of dribble drive and motion. That makes it unique and hard to guard.  But the question remains - how do players know whether they are in the dribble drive portion of the offense or the motion portion of the offense?  This is where your compass comes in handy!  Here’s the rule - is the ball going towards the rim?  1 - Any attacking dribble or pass (towards the rim, or North-South) initiates the dribble drive element of the offense.  2 - Any non-attacking pass or dribble (not towards the rim, or East-West) initiates the motion element of the offense.  For example, any time the ball is penetrated, players know they are in dribble drive. If the ball is passed around the perimeter, they know they are in motion.  This creates clarity for players and allows them to seamlessly transition between the different elements of the offense.  And the great thing is - it’s 1 rule! Players don’t have to look for 3-5 cues to figure things out. One piece of information tells them everything they need to know.  What you end up with is an offense that’s easy for the offense to figure out but nearly impossible for the defense to solve.   As a result, the action never stops. Individual possessions can toggle back and forth between dribble drive and motion a handful of times. This makes life miserable for the defense!  While Coach Schultz cue may be unique to the [Hybrid Attack]( the general principles applies to the countless coaching decisions we all have to make. In the words of the US Navy. . .  KISS - keep it simple, stupid. . . the easier the cue, the less your players have to think. The less they have to think, the better they’ll play.  Looking For An Offense That Get The Best From Every Player?  The [Hybrid Attack’s]( beauty lies in how it combines 2 great offenses in a smooth way. Some players are great at attacking off the dribble. Others are great at playing off the ball.   Many coaches struggle with how to choose an offense that fits the various types of players they have. The Hybrid Attack solves this problem.   It allows all your players to do what they do best, from youth through high school.  Check it out to put all your players (and your team) in the best position to be successful! ----------------------------------------  Now onto Part 2 of the content...  Ditch the Stretching: Energizing Warmups Kids Will Love  A couple years ago, my daughters signed up for a local basketball clinic. They were 8 & 5 at the time.   Each clinic was one hour. Of that hour, the first 15 minutes was a warmup. The warmup consisted of stretching.  Now, don’t get me wrong. I am a big advocate (and practitioner) of stretching. However, I’m 42!   I’m not even sure if you can pull a muscle at 8 & 5. Perhaps the instructor was attempting to teach them a skill that will benefit them in the future. If so, I can understand the intent.  However, I would still question if it was the best use of their time. They found it boring. They were there to play basketball and spending 25% of the time stretching took away from that.  As I said, they were there to play basketball! So are the kids on your team. So why not make that your warmup?  Turn Warmups into a Player-Favorite Part of Practice  Recently, Joe Haefner and I were discussing this issue. He shared an idea that he incorporated with his son’s team last year that totally changed the way kids approached warmup and practice. The great thing is, it’s simple and almost no work on the part of the coach!  It’s simple - play basketball. Try this rule. As soon as 2 players arrive for practice, they play 1v1.   As soon as 4 players are there, they play 2v2. When 6 have arrived, play 3v3.  You get the idea.   Depending on the age and ability of your team, you could even play some advantage games with odd numbers - 3v2, etc.  How they play 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, etc., is up to you. You could just let them play. You could give them a rule for the day (perhaps a dribble limit or shot clock). Over the course of a season, you could develop a small menu of games they can choose from.   That’s something for you to think about.   3 Benefits Of “Warming Up” Through Playing  1 - Players WANT to be at practice early - as we said, kids sign up for basketball to play basketball. How many times has a player asked you, “when do we get to scrimmage?” If you warmup this way, the answer is “as soon as you get here.”  We all want players who are excited to be at practice. Do this and they will be.  2 - Players get developmental reps - most players come in and shoot around while waiting for practice to start. In truth, it’s largely wasted time.  Not anymore! Now, players are working on their game without feeling like they are working on their game. They get live reps with the ball and guarding the ball. That’s a great way to develop faster!  3 - You maximize time on task - every moment is now being taken advantage of. The beauty is that once you establish this system, the kids run it. You don’t have to be giving orders and keeping players on task.   Because they are getting to do the thing they want to do, they are focused and engaged from the start.  Having Fun & Getting Better? The Ultimate Sign Of Success  Youth sports should be fun. Youth sports should help players develop their skills.   Warming up like this does both, with almost no work for you.   Make it a staple of your team. If you do, you’ll see players stretching their abilities, not just their muscles!  1 - If you want access to more ways to make the game fun for young players, check out [Jim Huber Beginner Basketball Ages 5-9](. It teaches the game in a age appropriate way, ensuring success and growth over the course of the season!  2 - For those looking for an A-Z approach, [The Youth Coaching System With Jim Huber]( is for you. Coach Huber gives you a comprehensive approach to youth basketball based on decades of experience. If you follow his formula, players will improve and you will have a great year of coaching.  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. If you don't want to receive such emails in the future, please [Change Your Email Preferences]( or [Unsubscribe All]( Copyright © Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. All rights reserved. Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. | 5001 1st Ave. SE, Ste 105 #254 | Cedar Rapids | IA | 52402 [email.gif] . 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