The 5 Minute Basketball Coaching Podcast

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  Ep 1993 Practice Time, Practice Length, and Getting More From Both 16.09.2026 8分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Brought to you by teachhoops.com, a platform built by a coach for coaches who want their limited gym time to count. Practice time is the one resource every coach wishes they had more of, and the one most coaches quietly waste. This episode takes an honest look at how long practice should be at different levels, how to break that time into pieces, and what to cut when the clock forces a decision. Coach starts with length by age group. Youth practices that stretch past an hour and a half usually turn into supervised exhaustion. Middle school and high school can handle more, but more is only better when the extra minutes are purposeful. The point is not endurance, it is quality reps with feedback. A tight seventy five minutes beats a sloppy two hours in almost every situation. The next section is about dividing the time. How much goes to individual skill work, how much to team offense and defense, how much to live competitive play, and how much to situations and special teams? Coach explains why those percentages should shift as the season moves from preseason to conference play to postseason, and why hanging onto the same practice template all year is a mistake. The last stretch is about the hidden leaks. Water breaks that stretch, drills that run long because they are going well, teaching moments delivered to twelve players when they were meant for one, and the ten minutes at the end when everyone is already thinking about going home. Fix those and you find an extra practice worth of time every couple of weeks. For customizable practice plans with built in timing, go to teachhoops.com. https://teachhoops.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1992 How Do You Teach So It Actually Sticks? 15.09.2026 14分

  https://teachhoops.com/ This episode of the 5 Minute Basketball Coaching Podcast is supported by teachhoops.com, where the whole idea is teaching coaches how to teach. Most coaching content tells you what to run. This one is about how you deliver it. Two coaches can install the exact same offense and get completely different results, and the difference is almost always the teaching method. Coach walks through a progression that works at every level. Show it, say it simply, break it into the smallest useful piece, get reps without pressure, then add a defender, then add speed, then put it in a live setting. Skipping a step feels efficient in the moment and costs you three weeks later when players cannot execute it against real defense. The episode digs into how long to stay at each stage and what tells you a group is ready to move up. There is also a real conversation about language. Coaches who use ten words to describe one action get ten different interpretations. Coach talks about picking short consistent cue words, using the same ones every time, and getting your assistants and your youth feeder coaches saying the same thing. When the vocabulary is shared, teaching gets faster every year because you are not starting over. The final piece is feedback. Correction that comes too late, too vague, or too constantly stops working. Coach covers timing your corrections, giving one thing to fix at a time, and letting players self correct so learning transfers to games where you cannot talk to them. Great teaching is repeatable, and once you have a method, every new drill you add becomes easier to install. For the full library of teaching progressions and drills, visit teachhoops.com. https://teachhoops.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1991 Why Do So Few Teams Screen Well, and How Do You Fix It? 14.09.2026 9分

  https://teachhoops.com/ This one is brought to you by teachhoops.com, where coaches find the teaching progressions that make hard skills coachable. Screening is one of the most valuable and least taught skills in basketball. Every team runs ball screens. Very few teams set good ones. Coach calls it an art because good screening is equal parts technique, timing, and willingness, and all three have to be taught. The technique section covers the fundamentals that get skipped. A wide base, a legal stance, the angle of the screen, and screening the defender rather than the spot on the floor where you assume the defender is. Coach explains why the angle is the single most common failure and why most screens that "did not work" were actually set two feet from where they needed to be. Then the episode gets into the user, which matters just as much. A great screen is wasted by a player who runs past it, refuses to set up the defender, or comes off before it is even set. Coach walks through the setup step, the shoulder to shoulder read, and how the ball handler and the screener have to see the same picture. This is where teams jump from running a play to actually running an offense. The last part is culture. Screening is unselfish work that does not show up in the box score, so it only happens consistently if you make it visible. Praise it out loud, track it, put it on film, and let your best players model it. When a program values screening, spacing improves, shot quality improves, and offense stops depending on one player beating somebody off the dribble. For screening drills and full offensive systems built around them, visit teachhoops.com. https://teachhoops.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1990. Are You Talking Too Much to Be Heard? 11.09.2026 8分

  https://teachhoops.com/⁠ If the play breaks down and five heads turn to the bench, that is not a basketball problem. That is a coaching habit. This episode is about moving from the sage on the stage to the guide on the side, and building players who can think when the gym gets loud. What we cover: Handing players real decisions, and why ownership is a muscle that has to be loaded Trading instructions for questions, because a rented answer disappears under pressure Killing excuses by killing your own first, starting with the refs and the schedule Levels, standards, and borrowing what video games understand about motivation Why autonomy without warmth reads as checking out, and why they take hard from someone who cares This week's challenge: at one practice, tally every instruction you give against every question you ask. Then move ten of them over. Resources: Practice plans, drills, courses, on court clinics, and the coaching community at https://teachhoops.com/ Recorded at the Fifth Quarter Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1989 What Would Make Your Practice Better Tomorrow? 10.09.2026 10分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Brought to you by teachhoops.com, the platform that hands coaches a better practice instead of a longer to do list. This episode is about improving practice without changing your schedule, your roster, or your facility. Most coaches assume a better practice requires more of something. Coach makes the case that it usually requires better use of what you already have. The first upgrade is having a real plan with times, a stated focus, and a purpose behind every drill. If you cannot say what a drill teaches in one sentence, it is a candidate for the cut list. The second is raising the intensity floor by adding a defender, a clock, or a score to drills that currently have none. Players compete the way they practice, and nobody has ever built toughness in a line. The third area is feedback quality. Coach talks about coaching one thing at a time, correcting quickly, and being specific enough that a player knows exactly what to change. There is also the flip side, which is knowing when to stay quiet and let a player figure it out. Practices where the coach talks the entire time produce players who cannot function without a voice in their ear. The last stretch is about energy and ending well. How practice starts sets the tone, how you handle the middle sag decides whether you get anything out of it, and what you finish with is what players carry home. Coach suggests ending with something competitive and something clear, so the last thing they remember is the thing you most wanted them to learn. For practice plans you can adapt to your own team in minutes, visit teachhoops.com. https://teachhoops.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1988 Are You Using Your Timeouts or Just Spending Them? 09.09.2026 10分

  https://teachhoops.com/ This episode is presented by teachhoops.com, where coaches sharpen the game management skills that decide close games. Timeouts are one of the few in game resources a coach fully controls, and they get burned constantly on frustration rather than strategy. Coach breaks down when a timeout is genuinely the right call, when it is a waste, and how to make the sixty seconds count once you have used one. The first part is about timing. Stopping a run before it becomes a collapse, protecting your team out of a broken possession, getting a set play in at the end of a quarter, or giving legs a break at the right moment. Coach also covers the other side, which is letting your team play through adversity so they learn to solve problems without you rescuing them every time. The middle of the episode is about what you actually say. Sixty seconds is not enough for a lecture. Coach recommends deciding your one message before you reach the huddle, delivering it in a sentence or two, showing it if you can, and then letting your team breathe. Tone matters as much as content. A panicked coach produces a panicked team, and players read your body language before they hear a word. The last section covers the end of game math. Knowing how many you have left, whether you can advance the ball, when to use one to set up defense, and how many you want in your pocket for the final minute. Coach also talks about practicing timeout huddles so the routine is automatic, including who stands where and who speaks. That is a real practice item, not an afterthought. For late game situation work and full practice plans, head to teachhoops.com. https://teachhoops.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1987 Is Your Practice Too Complicated to Work? 08.09.2026 7分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Supported by teachhoops.com, a resource built on the idea that clarity beats complexity. This short episode is a reminder most coaches need at least once a season. Complexity feels like coaching. Multiple offenses, several defenses, dozens of drills, and a new wrinkle every week all look like hard work. What they usually produce is a team that does many things poorly and nothing well. Coach lays out the case for simplicity. Pick a small number of things your team must do well and repeat them until they hold up under pressure. One primary offense with counters beats four half learned sets. One defense your team can execute beats three they can only walk through. Players play faster when they are not thinking, and they stop thinking when the menu is short and familiar. The episode also addresses the coach's ego problem honestly. Adding new stuff is fun. Repeating the same thing for the fifth week in a row is not. But March belongs to teams whose habits are automatic, not teams with the biggest playbook. Coach talks about how to keep repetition fresh through competition and constraints so simple never turns into boring. The last section gives a practical test. Ask your players to explain your offense in one sentence, or ask what your defense is trying to take away. If the answers vary wildly, you are running too much. Cut something this week and watch the execution improve. Simple is not a lack of ambition, it is how you actually get good. For practice plans and systems built to be taught, learned, and repeated, go to teachhoops.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1986 What Are You Measuring If It Is Not the Scoreboard? 07.09.2026 8分

  https://teachhoops.com/⁠ Summer is over, the banners are hung, and this episode asks an uncomfortable question: did you win because you taught something, or because you found something? One of those lasts. One of those disappears the moment everybody else grows. What we cover: The bamboo mindset and why root systems never show up on a December scoreboard Choosing success metrics before the season, and why whatever you measure is what your players chase Why development over winning is a rotation decision and a practice plan decision, not a slogan Giving shooting real time instead of the last eight minutes of practice Teaching your parents, because the car ride home carries more weight than the huddle Why assigning positions to twelve year olds builds players who run out of runway This week's challenge: write down three ways you will measure this season that have nothing to do with the final score, then show them to your players and your parents. Resources: Season plans, practice plans, drills, courses, and on court clinics at https://teachhoops.com/ Recorded at the Fifth Quarter Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1985 What Does Winning Actually Look Like for Your Team This Season? 04.09.2026 6分

  What Does Winning Actually Look Like for Your Team This Season? Why defining success before the first tip changes how your whole season feels If you don't define winning, the scoreboard will define it for you, and the scoreboard is a brutal boss. In this episode Coach Collins pushes coaches to decide what a successful season means before the first practice, so the team has something to compete for even in the years when the record isn't going to be pretty. What we cover The difference between outcome goals you can't control and standards you can Picking two or three team goals that are measurable and repeatable Improvement markers worth tracking: turnover rate, defensive stops, free throw attempts, rebounding margin, deflections How to talk about winning in terms of daily habits so players stay bought in during a losing stretch Getting parents on the same page early so everyone measures the season the same way Revisiting the definition at midseason instead of letting it drift Coaching point A team that knows what winning means for them plays harder in the games where the final score is already decided. Try this week Write your definition of a successful season on one index card. If it doesn't fit, it's too complicated for your players to remember. https://teachhoops.com/ SubtitleShow Notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1984 Can Every Player on Your Team Repeat Your Vision Back to You? 03.09.2026 6分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Can Every Player on Your Team Repeat Your Vision Back to You? How to make your message simple enough that it actually sticks A vision your players can't repeat is just a speech you gave in October. This episode is about boiling your message down and then saying it far more often than feels comfortable, until it becomes the language of your program. What we cover Shrinking the vision to a short phrase anyone on the roster can say without thinking Repetition as teaching: preseason meetings, huddles, film sessions, hallway conversations Tying every drill back to the vision so players understand why the work matters Getting assistants using identical language, because mixed messages destroy belief Giving players ownership so the vision becomes theirs instead of yours Reinforcing the vision by publicly praising the exact behavior you want Coaching point Repetition is not nagging. It's instruction. Say it more than you think you need to. Try this week Ask three players separately what the team is trying to become. If you get three different answers, the message hasn't landed yet. https://teachhoops.com/ TitleSubtitleShow Notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1983 Are These Three Mistakes Quietly Wasting Your Practice Time? 02.09.2026 10分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Are These Three Mistakes Quietly Wasting Your Practice Time? The common habits that eat reps, energy, and player attention Most wasted practice time comes from a handful of repeatable errors, and almost every coach makes at least one of them. Coach Collins names the three biggest offenders and gives a fix for each. Mistake 1: Talking too much Long explanations kill reps. Teach in short bursts, get them playing, then correct on the fly. If you're talking for two minutes, you've already lost half the gym. Mistake 2: Standing in lines Too many players waiting, too few moving. Break into small groups, use multiple baskets, and choose drills that keep every player active. Mistake 3: No score, no standard, no consequence Work without a winner turns into going through the motions. Put a score, a time limit, or a target number on almost everything. Also covered Planning practice on paper with time stamps, then actually honoring the clock Closing every segment with one clear teaching point Evaluating practice by reps and energy rather than by how much you said Coaching point Judge your practice by what your players did, not by what you explained. Try this week Have someone time how long you talk during one practice. The number usually surprises people. https://teachhoops.com/ TitleSubtitleShow Notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1982 Is Your Practice Competitive Enough to Prepare Players for Game Pressure? 01.09.2026 9分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Is Your Practice Competitive Enough to Prepare Players for Game Pressure? Building daily competition so game situations feel familiar instead of new Players don't rise to the occasion in games. They fall back to the level of competition they practiced at. This episode covers how to build real competition into nearly everything you do in the gym. What we cover Putting a score on almost every drill so someone wins and someone loses Short competitive segments: first to five, best of three, beat the clock Rotating teams and matchups so the same group isn't always on top Live pressure situations: down two with thirty seconds, one and one at the line, sideline out of bounds with a foul to give Holding a real standard on the losing side, whether that's a sprint, a rebounding drill, or simply running it back Praising competitive effort as loudly as you praise made shots Coaching point Pressure in March feels normal to teams that competed in November. Try this week Take one drill you run every day and add a score to it. Watch how differently the gym sounds. https://teachhoops.com/ TitleSubtitleShow Notes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1981 Does Your Practice Have Games In It, Or Just Drills? 31.08.2026 8分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Your practice looks beautiful. Everybody is moving, nobody is standing around, the whistle is on time, and the assistant with the clipboard is happy. And then the game starts and your team cannot make a read to save its life. That gap between a clean practice and a confused team is what this episode is about. Coach Collins breaks down the shift from block drills to games based practice. Not throwing the ball out and letting them play, which is the other extreme and just as lazy. Small sided games with a constraint, a scoring system, and a teaching point baked into the rules, so the game itself does the coaching while you stand there and ask questions. What we get into: The difference between a drill, a small sided game, and free play, and when each one belongs in your practice Why unopposed reps build confidence but almost never build decision making Constraints as coaching: taking away the dribble, shrinking the floor, adding a shot clock, capping the passes Two on two and three on three as your best teaching tools all preseason Scoring the game so the behavior you want is the behavior that wins Asking questions instead of shouting corrections, and how to build that habit as a coach Keeping the competitive temperature high without letting it turn into a street fight How to script a practice that is seventy percent live and still teaches something specific every segment The one thing to watch for: kids who look great in lines and disappear when there is a defender Your challenge: take one block drill you have run for years, add a defender and a constraint, and run it as a game this week. Watch what you learn about your team in ten minutes. https://teachhoops.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1980 What Are the Five Attributes Every Great Rebounder Has? 28.08.2026 10分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Title: What Are the Five Attributes Every Great Rebounder Has? Subtitle: Why the best rebounders on the floor are rarely the tallest players in the gym Show Notes Every coach says they want a team that rebounds. Very few actually teach it. In this episode we break down the five attributes that show up in every great rebounder, and how to build each one in players who do not have length or leaping ability on their side. What we cover: Anticipation. Reading the shot before it leaves the shooter's hand. Understanding that most misses come back long and to the weak side, and how that knowledge gives a player a half second head start on the ball. Toughness and physicality. Rebounding is a contact skill and a decision, not a talent. The willingness to initiate contact and hold ground under the rim is what separates a rebounder from a tall player standing nearby. Positioning and technique. Finding a body, making contact, and going to get it. Hit and go, not hit and stand. Players who box out and then admire their work hand the ball right back. Pursuit and motor. Most rebounds are not caught on the first jump. Keeping the ball alive, tapping it out, and chasing it down again is where possessions get won. Securing and finishing. Two hands, chin it, land strong, then make the right next play. A rebound you cannot keep is not a rebound. Drills and teaching points to take with you. How to build these attributes into your daily practice plan, how to track rebounding in a way players actually respond to, and how to make it a program value instead of a pregame talking point. Join the conversation and get more coaching resources at https://teachhoops.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1979 What Should Your Basketball Team Be Doing Before Practice Even Starts? 27.08.2026 7分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Title: What Should Your Basketball Team Be Doing Before Practice Even Starts? Subtitle: How the ten minutes before the whistle shape everything that follows Show Notes Most coaches think practice begins when they blow the whistle. It doesn't. The habits players build walking into the gym, grabbing a ball, and getting shots up set the tone for the entire session. In this episode we break down what a purposeful pre practice period looks like and why so many programs waste it. What we cover: The difference between players "warming up" and players preparing. One is filling time, the other is building something. Form shooting and ball handling stations that players can run without a coach standing over them. Give them a routine they own. Getting the body ready. Dynamic movement, hip and ankle work, and short activation pieces that cut down soft tissue issues over a long season. Using the time to teach. Pull one or two players aside for individual work while the rest of the group runs the routine. Over a season those small conversations add up. Setting expectations early. Arrival time, phones away, shoes tied, ball in hands. When the standard is clear, you stop policing it by December. Managers, film, and whiteboard setup so the transition into the first drill is instant. No dead time. How the pre practice routine changes from October to February, and what to keep constant no matter the point in the season. Coaching points to take with you: pick three things you want every player better at by March, and build the pre practice period around those three. Keep it short, keep it repeatable, and hold the standard every single day. Join the conversation and get more coaching resources at https://teachhoops.com/ What Should Your Basketball Team Be Doing Before Practice Even Starts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1978 Are You Letting One Game Define Your Season? 26.08.2026 8分

  https://teachhoops.com/ How quickly can one basketball game become an entire story in an athlete’s mind? A player has a great opening night and thinks, “This is finally my year.” Another struggles and immediately thinks, “Here we go again.” A player gets fewer minutes than expected and decides the coach no longer believes in them. A teammate has a breakout game and suddenly someone else begins wondering whether they are falling behind. In this episode, Coach Collins explores one of the most important mental-performance lessons athletes and coaches can learn: one game is evidence, not a conclusion. The problem is not that athletes have emotions after competition. That is completely normal. The problem begins when those emotions start creating conclusions that the available evidence does not actually support. One poor shooting night becomes “I’m not a good shooter.” One turnover becomes “I can’t handle pressure.” One change in playing time becomes “Coach doesn’t trust me.” Coach Collins explains why athletes need to learn the difference between what actually happened and the story they are telling themselves about what happened. Those are two very different things. This episode introduces a simple method athletes can use following games. Create two lists. On the first, write only the facts of the performance: minutes played, shots taken, defensive communication, turnovers, effort, body language, and specific moments. On the second, write the interpretations your mind immediately wants to create. Seeing those two lists next to each other can be powerful. The first contains evidence. The second contains a story. Coach Collins also challenges athletes to approach performance more like scientists. Good scientists do not perform one experiment and immediately announce a conclusion. They gather information, look for patterns, remain curious, make adjustments, and continue testing. Athletes can do the same thing. Instead of asking, “What does this performance say about me?” ask, “What is this performance teaching me?” One question pushes athletes toward identity and judgment. The other pushes them toward curiosity, development, and growth. And this lesson matters after great games too. Athletes can become just as trapped by positive conclusions as negative ones. One great performance does not mean everything is solved. Celebrate it, enjoy it, and then study what created it so those behaviors can be repeated. For coaches, the message is equally important. Our reactions help determine the story athletes attach to their performances. Correct mistakes. Hold standards. Teach the game. But do not allow one performance to become an athlete’s identity. A season is long. Roles change. Players develop. Confidence moves up and down. There will be great nights and difficult ones. The athletes who continue to improve are usually the ones who remain curious long enough to learn from all of them. One performance should never tell an athlete who they are. It should tell them what they can learn next. basketball coaching, basketball leadership, mental performance, athlete mindset, sports psychology, coaching athletes, basketball confidence, handling bad games, athlete self-awareness, player development, basketball mental toughness, performance anxiety, overcoming mistakes, basketball season, coaching confidence, athlete identity, growth mindset, basketball coaches, high school basketball, youth basketball coaching, player confidence, learning from failure, coaching mistakes, sports performance, basketball podcast, TeachHoops Keywords Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1977 Coach Collins Art of Coaching Lessons 25.08.2026 12分

  https://teachhoops.com/⁠ In this episode of Coach Unplugged, we're diving deep into the world of coaching success with insights from legendary coach Steve Collins, who has led teams to 3 state championships and a record 14 consecutive conference wins. We explore the philosophy behind his platform, Teach Hoops, and how he mentors coaches to build programs that don't just win games but leave a lasting legacy. From dealing with involved parents to creating a strong team culture, Coach Collins shares his blueprint for success, emphasizing mentorship, player relationships, and the deeper “why” behind coaching. Tune in to learn how you can elevate your coaching game and create a program that thrives both on and off the court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1976 Guarding Your Yard 24.08.2026 9分

  Teachhoops.com⁠ ⁠WintheSeason.com⁠ ⁠CoachingYouthHoops.com⁠ ⁠https://forms.gle/kQ8zyxgfqwUA3ChU7⁠ ⁠Coach Collins Coaching Store⁠ Check out.  [Teachhoops.com](⁠https://teachhoops.com/⁠) 14 day Free Trial Youth Basketball Coaches Podcast Apple link: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coaching-youth-hoops/id1619185302⁠ Spotify link: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0g8yYhAfztndxT1FZ4OI3A⁠ ⁠Funnel Down Defense Podcast⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/funnel-down-defense/id1593734011⁠ Want More ⁠Funnel Down Defense⁠ ⁠https://coachcollins.podia.com/funnel-down-defense⁠ [Facebook Group . Basketball Coaches](⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/basketballcoaches/)⁠ [Facebook Group . Basketball Drills](⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/321590381624013/)⁠ Want to Get a Question Answered? [ Leave a Question here](⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/Teachhoops⁠) Check out our other podcast [High School Hoops ](⁠https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/high-school-hoops-coaching-high-school-basketball/id1441192866⁠) Check out our Sponsors [HERE](https://drdishbasketball.com/) Mention Coach Unplugged and get 350 dollars off your next purchase basketball resources free basketball resources Coach Unplugged Basketball drills, basketball coach, basketball workouts, basketball dribbling drills,  ball handling drills, passing drills, shooting drills, basketball training equipment, basketball conditioning, fun basketball games, basketball jerseys, basketball shooting machine, basketball shot, basketball ball, basketball training, basketball camps, youth basketball, youth basketball leagues, basketball recruiting, basketball coaching jobs, basketball tryouts, basketball coach, youth basketball drills, The Basketball Podcast, How to Coach Basketball, Funnel Down Defense FDD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep 1975 How Do You Build Real Confidence in Your Players? 21.08.2026 7分

  https://teachhoops.com/ How Do You Build Real Confidence in Your Players? Subtitle: Why confidence is built in practice, not handed out in pep talks Show Notes Every coach has said it. "Just be confident." It has never once worked. Confidence is not a mood you talk a player into. It is a byproduct of evidence. In this episode we break down where confidence actually comes from and how you engineer it inside your program. What we cover: 1. Confidence comes from competence Players believe what they have proven to themselves. A kid who has made 500 shots from the left wing in practice does not need a pep talk when he catches it there in a game. Build the rep count and the belief follows. 2. Give them a role they can win at Confidence collapses when a player is asked to be something he is not. Define a job that fits the player in front of you, then celebrate him doing that job well. A great screener who knows he is a great screener plays free. A great screener trying to be a scorer plays scared. 3. Praise the process, correct the outcome If you only praise made shots, you teach players that their worth is tied to results they cannot control. Praise the right read, the right cut, the right shot. Then they can miss and stay confident. 4. Be specific "Good job" builds nothing. "That was a great job of getting your feet set before the catch" builds a memory the player can go back to. Specific praise is a deposit. Vague praise is noise. 5. Watch your body language after mistakes Players read your face before they hear your words. The eye roll, the turn to the assistant, the hands on the hips. That does more damage than anything you say. If you want confident players, be the same coach after a turnover that you are after a layup. 6. Let them play through failure Confidence is not built by never failing. It is built by failing and surviving it. If every mistake means an immediate sub, you are teaching fear. Leave them in sometimes. Let them fix it themselves. 7. Film is your best confidence tool Show them clips of themselves doing it right. Most players carry a highlight reel of their worst moments. Replace it. Five clips of a kid doing his job well can change how he sees himself for a month. 8. Separate confidence from playing time The end of your bench needs confidence too. Those players determine practice quality, and practice quality determines everything. Invest in them like starters. Coach takeaway: You cannot give a player confidence. You can only give him the reps, the role, and the evidence that make it impossible for him to doubt himself. More coaching resources, practice plans, and the Coaching Community at https://teachhoops.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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  Ep. 1974 What Should Your Preseason Philosophy Actually Be? 20.08.2026 11分

  https://teachhoops.com/ Title: What Should Your Preseason Philosophy Actually Be? Subtitle: Deciding what preseason is for before you ever blow the first whistle Show Notes Most coaches script their preseason before they ever define it. Drills get picked, days get filled, and three weeks later the team is tired but not better. Philosophy comes first. Once you know what preseason is FOR in your program, the practice plan writes itself. What we cover: 1. Preseason is for building capacity, not winning practice Nobody hangs a banner for a great October. The purpose is to raise the ceiling of what your team can handle later. Conditioning, habits, toughness, and shared language. If your preseason is built to look good, you built it wrong. 2. Pick your one non negotiable Every program needs a single thing that defines preseason. Some coaches choose defense. Some choose conditioning. Some choose culture and connection. You can only be great at one. Pick it, say it out loud to your team, and let everything else serve it. 3. Teach the why before the what Preseason is your best window to explain the reasoning behind your system. Once games start, you are correcting, not teaching. Front load the concepts now so that in December you can say two words instead of two minutes. 4. Compete every single day Habits form in preseason. If your players spend three weeks going through drills without a winner and a loser, you are training them to be comfortable. Score something every day. Make someone lose something every day. 5. Build the bench relationships early Roles get decided in preseason whether you address them or not. Talk to players about what their job will look like before they figure it out from the scorebook. Honest conversations in October save you from quitters in January. 6. Leave room to be wrong Your best guess about your team in week one will be partly wrong. Build a preseason that gathers information rather than locking in decisions. Flexibility is a philosophy too. 7. Finish with clarity, not exhaustion The goal at the end of preseason is a team that knows who they are, what they run, and how hard they are expected to play. If they are just tired, you spent the time but you did not spend it well. Coach takeaway: Preseason philosophy is simply answering one question. What do I want to be true about my team on opening night that is not true today? Everything else is just scheduling. More coaching resources, practice plans, and the Coaching Community at https://teachhoops.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices