Responsible Coaches Teach the Fundamentals

Thanks to Coach Mike Oppland (https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/mike-oppland-0230a733) for authoring this post.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” 

This quote from Benjamin Franklin is pertinent to any athletic coach or teacher. By not preparing your pupils to the fullest extent possible, you are most likely setting them up for failure. Failure is going to occur regardless in some form or another in any athletic arena, and that is perfectly OK. As Morihei Ueshiba put it:

“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.”

It is the responsibility of any basketball coach to teach his or her students the fundamentals of the game.

The basic building blocks of sport can’t be neglected.

One of the most discouraging things I see in basketball today is that some coaches don’t focus enough on the basic fundamentals. There are so many kids who want to be great basketball players, but they have not been taught even the most basic fundamentals. 

In Europe where I have spent nearly the past decade playing and coaching, the value on fundamentals seems to be improving. Youth coaches are beginning to understand that kids can’t walk before they can crawl. The expectation that a child should know how to make a layup or make a chest pass or dribble the basketball aren’t valid. Kids need to be taught how to do everything in this game from footwork to jump stops to simply how to hold the basketball. 

But kids aren’t the only students who need to be instructed on these basic fundamentals. Even as players get older and develop their fundamentals, you continually need to drill them on these fundamentals every day. Perhaps there won’t be time to work on all the fundamentals during one practice session, but you need to pick out one or two and drill the crap out of them. Make them do it until it is done correctly.

What are the most important fundamentals for a basketball player?

The list below details the fundamentals that I believe are most important for basketball players of all levels. I coach players from as young as 6 years old to as old as 30 years old, and I utilize these fundamentals for all of them. Here's a core list of the basic ones.

How to:

• Be in a low and wide athletic stance
• Properly hold a basketball
• Make an effective bounce pass, chest pass, overhead pass, and wrap around pass
• Execute an effective jump stop
• Set a proper on-balanced screen
• Effectively catch a pass with a jump stop
• Shoot layups with proper footwork from both sides of the floor
• Dribble the basketball without looking down at ball
• Play on-the-ball defense (stance and slide and closeouts)
• Appropriately box out and rebound (find man, make contact, turn and drive, release, go get ball)
• Shoot the basketball properly (from stationary position and on the move)
• Make an effective reverse and front pivot with both feet
• Operate from quadruple threat position (shoot, pass, pivot, and dribble while holding ball in shooting pocket)
• Play team defense and be in help side position
• Pass and cut, pass and screen away on offense

How do you utilize fundamentals in practices?

For the younger players you will need to take time to go over basic fundamentals such as pivoting and jump stops. These will need to be drilled for a long time before they really begin to understand them. This requires a lot of patience and persistence. 

For older players you have to be consistent with drilling fundamentals, and find ways to utilize drills that encompass a lot of fundamentals. You don’t need to do passing for example, if you ensure that your players are always making great passes no matter what kind of drill they are doing. You don’t need to do rebounding drills either if you create competitive drills where boxing out is a must. If your players fail to make great passes or box out then they need to be held accountable. 

Non-basketball fundamental

Lastly, and most importantly, it is necessary to create a culture where non-basketball fundamentals are the norm. 

Examples of non-basketball fundamentals include:

• Showing up to practices promptly ready to practice
• Exemplifying great sportsmanship with your own teammates and the players you play against
• Great work ethic
• Constant communication
• Positive attitude
• Respect for teammates and coaches
• Overall being a coachable basketball player

About the author: Coach Mike Oppland is the head men's basketball coach at Racing Basketball Club in Luxemburg. Visit https://xpertcoaching.com and connect with Mike at https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/mike-oppland-0230a733.

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***Tool to Improve Basketball Team Player Communication https://www.basketballzoop.com/2016/10/tool-to-improve-basketball-team-player.html***