With the high school and college seasons now finished, this is the time for a complete review of your program. It’s time to make sure you and your staff are “in shape.” As coaches, while we demand that our players stay in optimal shape – both mentally and physically – we should also demand the same of ourselves! I’m not talking about exercising – although that is important to our mental and physical well-being – I’m talking about the program that you work for.
No doubt the next 6 months will pass by quickly so take the time now while many things are still fresh in your mind. Don’t hesitate to get in shape with a comprehensive review of your entire program and processes.
To help get you started, I have listed below several “fitness” areas to use as a checklist:
1. Digital Fitness
2. Scouting Fitness
3. Game-day Fitness
4. Facility Fitness
5. Player Fitness
6. Recruiting Fitness
7. Rules Fitness
8. Staff Fitness
9. Support Staff Fitness
10. Brand Fitness
11. Booster Fitness
12. Family Fitness
Digital Fitness
Social media is simply too big to ignore and therefore every coach must consider the advantages of being tech savvy. Those coaches that can manage the logistics of social media correctly will be able to place themselves ahead of their peers. The off-season is a good time to review how social media plays a part in your program
• Twitter
o How can this be used for a recruiting and/or program advantage
• Facebook
o Another way to promote you program
• School Website
o Is it conveying the right message for your program?
o Are you communicating to the marketing department (or person in charge) what you want on the site?
o Is it being updated on a consistent basis (scores, stats, photos, etc.)?
• You Tube
• Many coaches at the college level have a “second” Director of Operations (sometime called assistant DOP or Director of Student-athlete Development). Budget permitting it may be wise to consider hiring a Director of Basketball Technology instead to manage:
o Video Coordinator
o Head coach twitter account
o Head coach personal website
o Basketball analytics for the program
o E-mail blasts to boosters, alumni, fans, etc.
o Development of presentations for head coach
o Liaison to marketing department with regards to the program’s website
o Liaison to media relations department
Scouting Fitness
It’s critical that everyone is on the same page with regards to scouting. How many times do you hear a head coach complaining about one of his assistants who was not able to present the scouting report in the correct / consistent manner?
• Evaluate the way you scout
o How many films are assistants required to watch?
o What is important to the head coach (i.e. if you’re a pressing team do you need the opponents press offense, etc.)
• How much do your players really absorb
o How do you present the information?
• Interview players (especially seniors) for feedback on your scouting reports
o Don’t assume players can digest a scouting report (verbal or written)
o Is every staff member (head coach and assistant) consistent in their presentation?
• Use of video
o Again, ask your players if your edits are useful
• What kind of technology do you have / can you have for coaches? Players?
Game Day Fitness
Many times as coaches we analyze what we’re doing during games, but not how we’re doing it. It’s important to evaluate everything we do on game day
• Pre-game
o Was your warm up routine effective?
o What do the assistants do during warm ups?
o Are your players taking game shots during warm ups?
• Bench
o Player / coach alignment
o Are players getting constructive feedback when they come out of the game?
• Time outs
o Are you running an effective timeout?
o Are your players listening?
• Halftime
o Do you have the ability to show video?
o How do assistants assimilate the information to the head coach?
• What do assistants keep for in-game information?
o Is the information being used?
Facility Fitness
The off-season is a great time to work with key decision-makers at your school (high school or college) to upgrade your facilities
• Athletic trainers as well as strength & conditioning coaches spend a lot of time with players. Do their facilities confirm your program message(s)?
o What messages are on your locker and weight room walls? Are these messages up-to-date?
• What can you do during the office season to enhance your facilities?
Player Fitness
What was the health of your team this past season? Did you do everything possible to help your players and coaches stay healthy?
• Consider having a full EKG done for every player
o Sadly, each year a player dies (cardio myopathy)
• Flu shots
o Did you make this mandatory last year?
• Sharing of towels and water bottles
• Pre-season conditioning
o Did you condition for the way you wanted to play or simply for toughness? Did it help the team?
o Collaborating with the strength & conditioning staff. Is everyone on the same page?
• Consider paying for the strength coach to visit other “basketball programs” to gain new ideas in order to keep the pre-season fresh for returning players
• Second half of the season
o What did you do right / wrong during the second half of the season as it relates to players conditioning and well-being?
o Coaching their minds, more than their bodies
Recruiting Fitness (for college coaches)
There is truly no off-season in recruiting at the college level, but after the spring signing period you need to evaluate your processes.
• What is really important to the head coach?
o Are you recruiting to fit needs or simply your philosophy?
• Message to recruits, coaches and decision-makers
o Was everyone on the same page?
o What will be the message in the next recruiting cycle?
• Are you efficiently using your recruiting software system?
o Proper player information
o Ability to cross-reference / rank / compare
o Who is in charge of the most important database in the office?
• Also, assistants must be “fit” in the world of technology, regardless if they a have a twitter account
Rules Fitness
Recruiting and game rule changes demand attention. It’s important that every coach understands all changes and how to best adjust to “fit” their program.
• Is your staff “up-to-date” on all rules changes, especially as they relate to recruiting?
o Clear understanding of changes and how to work within the framework
• Anticipate what’s coming
o Use the off-season to collaborate with other coaches / staffs
• “Don’t be bitter, be better”
o Some rule changes simply may not be advantageous for you. Don’t waste time and energy on things you can’t change
Staff Fitness
Besides an annual review, head coaches as well as assistants need to visit in order to make sure there is full alignment about the program (expectations and goals)
• It’s up to the head coach to keep his staff in shape (mentally and physically)
o Challenge them
o Help develop them
o Delegate and make them better
• Making sure assistants add something to their skill set each year
o You either get better or you get worse, you never stay the same
o Clinics, videos, business seminars
o Visit other staffs for recruiting / individual development ideas
• Consider rotation of assistants
Support Staff Fitness
It’s also critical that the support staff has a clear understanding of the head coach’s vision.
• Do not underestimate the value of a good administrative / personal assistant
o Don’t assume anything
o Perform a thorough annual review regarding likes and dislikes
• Athletic trainer / strength coach
o Are they on the “same page” as the basketball staff?
o Important to have end of year meeting with these individuals
o As a coach, do you understand their process?
• Student managers
o Who oversees them?
o Does the head coach speak with them before the season? Do they understand their importance?
o Are they trustworthy?
o How can you reward them, especially at schools that do not provide financial assistance?
• Camp workers
Brand Fitness
If you don’t brand yourself, you can rest assured that others will brand you and that can be risky business, especially in the public world of athletics
• You should have as much control as possible in determining your reputation, your image, the perceptions and ideas that other people have about you
• You must constantly look to re-invent
o Do a yearly inventory on how the program is perceived
• Media perception
o Understand the only team you will never beat is the media
o Spend time with “beat writer” and others in the media during the off-season
Booster Fitness
The off-season is time when coaches can spend time with key boosters that can help their program
• Invitation to post season banquet
• Utilize breakfast and lunch for meetings
Family Fitness
As the late Al McGuire once said, “Don’t let basketball be your mistress.” Too many times families take a back-seat during the season, so as much as possible put family first in the off-season.
• Too many coaches believe activity equals achievement – at times, just get out of the office
• Find time to re-charge with family and friends
These are just a few of the areas that require attention during the off-season. I think it’s understood that coaches will spend time on the “X’s and O’s” of the game during the off-season, but it’s also important to have a complete program, one that is “Fit”.
Best wishes for a productive off-season!
