How do you handle constructive criticism? I’m not referring to the kind where your coach screams nasty comments at you. I’m talking about when he or she tells you something you have been doing incorrectly.

Do you go into sulk mode? Do you get angry? Or, are you the kind of person who takes what they say and works to change the behaviour that was causing the problem? Be honest with yourself.

Sometimes the way we see ourselves, in our minds, doesn’t quite match with reality. I have heard players say their coach just doesn’t like them, which is why they are giving them a hard time. Speaking from personal experience, I would advise it is probably just the opposite. I can tell you the players I like, and respect, are the ones I push the hardest. If you tend to put out no effort and make faces every time I point something out to you, there comes a point where I write you off. On any given team, I will have between 10-12 girls playing for me. If other coaches are like myself, they never have enough practice time. Why waste that precious time helping someone who doesn’t want to be helped? I prefer to focus on the people who want to improve their game.

So, next time your coach points out something you are
doing incorrectly, smile and resolve to change it. It will do wonders for your game!!

Have our kids become a bunch of wimps who need to be coddled? Is there room for the Bobby Knights, of the world, in todays basketball?

It used to be the successful basketball coaches were the ones who screamed and ranted the most. But these days, they are having much less success. Parents won’t tolerate the berating of their children. Even more so, kids won’t tolerate it. It used to be sports was one of the only games in town. I recall, as a young boy, playing street or pond hockey from sun up, until sun down. Back in the day, we didn’t have as many things to amuse us. Now, kids have Nintendo, cable TV and the Internet to entertain them.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are, unfortunately, still too many basketball coaches who haven’t changed, and think the best way to coach is by yelling. Thankfully, there are a lot less of them.

Today’s successful basketball coach pushes his or her players, but treats them with respect. They understand it is better to have your players willing to do whatever it takes to please you, because they like and respect you, than because they fear you.

I was having a discussion the other day, with one of my post players. We were in the middle of doing dribbling drills, which I try to spend the first 20 minutes of every practice on, when she asked why she needed to be doing them.  

She informed me, since she played the post, she didn’t get to do “all those fancy moves”, as she referred to them, during games.

In the past, in North America, post players tended to do just that, play the post. As more and more Europeans are making their way to this side of the Atlantic, and we face them in International competition, we need to have our players much more well rounded. In Europe, every position is interchangeable. Posts can dribble as well as point guards and point guards can play with their back to the basket. Think of the advantage this gives them. No more worries when your post player moves from under the basket and someone gives them the ball. Defenses will actually have to give some respect to the post player on the perimeter, because they will actually be a threat to drive on them.

Make yourself the best all round skilled player you can be.