Are you prepared to win the championship?
The postseason can be difficult to prepare for. With the Section V “Sectional” playoffs beginning here in Rochester for high school basketball, it got me thinking about how I used to prepare for the postseason. I have learned many things as a basketball coach, but one of the most important is how to properly prepare your team for the one-and-done situations. What should you do differently? Below are some tips on this very topic in this week’s #CJJblog but make sure you let me know if I missed anything in the comments below. Enjoy.
- What can each of you do? As each player this question and get them to think about doing their job. Each player has a job and it will be magnified in the postseason. How can you make the team better?
- Play to your strengths. What did your team do well to get to this point? What did they not do well? The postseason can make people do things out of character. Don’t be a hero and stick to the script.
- Reignite the team. Your team just spent a tom of effort, mentally and physically, to get through the regular season. Setup a team-building activity to reset their mindsets and come back rejuvenated. This will also be helpful in building trust within your team as well. How do you like to reignite the flame before big games?
- Be exceptional. Focus on the things you can control, such as your team’s mindset, effort, and hustle. Do what you do well and do it to the best of your ability. Try to avoid too many clichés, but conveying this to your team can be extremely beneficial.
- Focus on effort plays. In basketball, a postseason game can come down to one effort play. Taking a charge, diving on a loose ball, or even a simple made free throw. Put your team in the best position to make these plays when the time comes.
Did You Know? Coach Jim Johnson’s former team, Greece Athena boys varsity basketball is entering the Class A1 Sectional tournament as the #1 seed and the new coach, Mike Setzer was named the Coach of the Year.
Life Tip #32: The harder you work, the luckier you get
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