Quick Thoughts on Heading into the Off-Season
Some simple but effective ways to have a great next few months
I’m not going to pretend that each of you has the same off-season.
Some of you are coaching high school teams in states that give you full access to your players.
Some of you are coaching at “football” or “baseball” or “soccer” schools that play basketball as a filler sport.
Some of you are coaching in college, for AAU programs, middle schools, or recreational youth programs.
But it doesn’t matter WHERE you are coaching - there are a lot of things you can do to come back stronger next season wherever you are.
Here are some ideas:
Honestly evaluate your team/program
There are a few ways you can do this:
Get an experienced coach to take a look at your game film, practices, offseason workouts, program in general.
Take a look yourself using the Program Audit (or something similar).
Ask your players about their experiences being a player for you (especially those who have graduated/moved on).
Determine what your biggest gaps from your competitors are…and focus on closing them.
Model yourself after other programs
Figure out where all the teams you want to be like are playing this spring/summer. And go there. Watch, observe, take notes, implement.
Clean up your playbook/drill book
What worked last season? What didn’t? What drills got the most results? Which ones were pointless? What about your offensive and defensive scheme? What can you keep that fits your personnel for next year? What should you drop?
The earlier you decide and commit, the earlier you can start focusing your spring and summer around those things.
Study and master a part of your coaching
Come back after the summer with an increased knowledge base on something around coaching.
Maybe you want to master the 1-3-1 or a new leadership strategy or how to better teach finishing.
Whatever it is, come back with something in your repertoire. You can’t ask your players to get better every summer if you’re not going to.
Plan the next 12 months in your program
What do you want to accomplish each month? When are your camps? When does pre-season starts? Where are your dead periods?
Get a calendar out, start a rough draft of your plans, and communicate with those you lead as soon as possible.
Read something and grow.
It doesn’t have to be about basketball. Here are some books I recommend if you need some help.
Read some Hoops Companion stuff (see below)
How to Work on Your Game This Summer (as a coach)
We talk to our players about improving their games each summer, but what are some things we can do as coaches? This post goes into that.
Create Your Coaching Portfolio
This is a great exercise for coaches looking to organize their program AND coaches trying to get a new job. This will wow interviewers.
What did you do well this season as a coach, team, and program? Not so well? How can you do more of the good stuff? This will guide you through the entire process.
Here are some shooting challenges and drills you can add for your team’s workouts this summer.
Open gym the same old way can get boring and monotonous. Not with this list.
End of Season Program Evaluation
Your season may have ended a few months ago, but this free resource will guide you through an evaluation of your program…and where you want to go.
7 Organizational Tips and Ideas for Coaches
Organization is never out of style. Here are some ways to get your stuff in order.
Ways to Make Your Workouts and Open Gyms More Fun
It’s okay to have fun - especially in the summer. Keep your gym packed with these fun ways to make open gym a more enjoyable environment.
Organizing Your Playbook for the Upcoming Season
Having a good grasp on what you’re going to run next season will help dictate the drills you run and how you spend your summer. Use this post to help you get there.
The Hoops Companion Master Playbook
This is the best $10 you could possibly spend on Xs and Os on the entire internet. Over 550 plays and drills.
AND you get (for no extra cost) an updated version sent to your inbox every month or so. Can’t beat that.
P.S. - Whenever you’re ready, there are a few ways I can help you as a coach!
Hoops Companion Master Playbook/Drill Book with almost 500 pages of plays and drills
Join Hoops Companion Extra - for $5/month, you get the Master Playbook, 5 of my favorite things I’ve seen in the hoops world in your inbox every weekend, special member-only posts, access to our group chat, and more!