Christmas Break, especially if you’re not participating in any holiday tournaments, offers some extra time to help grow your team in multiple areas - togetherness, culture, identity, extra skill, more practice reps, etc.
If used wisely, you can return from your break as a better team (and program).
With Christmas Break and the holidays right around the corner, here are a few ideas on maximizing the extra time you’ll have with your team:
Do something fun
This doesn’t even have to be basketball-related. Go to a movie as a team, play a game of volleyball/dodgeball/kickball, go bowling, etc.
If you want to do something basketball-related, host a Program 1v1 or Program 3v3 Tournament. Get a poster board and draw up a bracket. Or have a 3 point contest/half court shot contest at the end of practice. Have fun with it.
Give back to your community
Volunteer in some capacity - this could be officiating rec league games, soup kitchens, shoveling snow, or anything else similar - this is a great time (with ample opportunities) to serve and give back to the community your team is a part of
Attend a college practice or game
Shoot an email to a college close to you and see if your team can attend a practice or a game. Most colleges (especially smaller ones) will hook your team up with tickets - especially over winter break when students are gone.
This is also a great way for your players to see the game played “the right way” and at a higher level as an example
Have the team over to your house
Have the team (maybe even parents) over to the house just to hang out. Have each family bring a potluck, put a game on the TV, and just commune.
Host a Christmas Party
Ask your school if you can use the cafeteria to host a Christmas party. Invite your program, parents, the girls team, their teachers, the cheerleaders, faculty, staff, administration - WHOEVER. You can make this something huge or intimate.
You could also do a White Elephant Gift Exchange or something similar
Involve the Alumni/Former Players
Invite the alumni to a practice, host an alumni game, have them jump into drills/practice over the break, invite former players to games - the options are endless here to include former program players.
Take a team photo/Christmas card
Have your kids deck out in Christmas gear and sweaters and take a photo
Post it on social media, print it out, give it to the faculty, email it to your email list - you choose how to do it
Use the extra time in the gym (you probably don’t have to worry about the girls basketball team needing the gym right at 5:30) to get reps in and add new skill stuff
Open the gym 30-60 minutes early every practice for kids to get in extra reps
Pick one thing for each kid to consciously work on over the next 2
Have a trusted coach look at some film
You’ve played a few games, have an idea of what’s been working or not working, and your identity is forming - why not have a neutral eye take a look at your team and see what they see?
Take some extra days off
You know what your team might need? Some time away.
Get involved with your youth/feeder program
Host a Winter Break Camp, go to AAU tournaments, invite youth teams to your practices or workouts - get involved in some capacity with your future players. Plus, it connects and streamlines your program.
Do a ton of situational stuff
Make sure your players are crystal clear on your end-of-game strategy, sets, and how you want them to handle certain situations - both on offense and defense
Something else to consider - put two minutes on the clock with a tie score and let them coach themselves through situations
Add a wrinkle to your offense or defense
This is a great time to throw in a new offensive concept, add a set or two, adapt your offensive/defensive wrinkles, etc.
Clean up some areas that are lacking
It’s also a great time to shore up any areas that may be struggling or behind. Struggling to rebound? Emphasize it hard during these few weeks. Too much middle penetration? Same thing. Turning it over too much? Make it priority #1 in every drill over break.
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