PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: How to Make the Fast Break Second Nature
Pushing the ball up the court is second nature for me. It was drilled into my head as a high school and college player, and I did my best to instill the same fast break mindset into the players that I coached. A run-the-ball mentality doesn’t happen over night, but by using drills that focus on the fast break, and consistent encouragement, your team can learn to move with ease into transition offense.
A Fast Break Mentality
Make sure your players know from day one, that they are going to be a fast break team. Explain what it will take to become a great running team and the advantages they will gain from the effort they put in. How they can get easy baskets and win games.
Set the Expectation of Hustle
To be an excellent fast break team your players need a different mindset. They need to hustle throughout practice. To sprint when they meet you at the baseline for instructions, and when they line up for drills. They need to make hustling a habit. Not only will this help get them in shape, it will build their fast break mindset.
Push The Ball
We ran our transition offense up the middle of the court, but many teams run sideline breaks, they key is to move the ball up the court quickly. Normally one thinks of a fast break happening after a shot is missed, but a fast break mindset will help even after your opponent makes a shot. If your inbounder is trained to get the ball out of the net and hit a guard right away, you can often beat your opponent up the court and score before they can set up defense. Push the ball!
Start With The Rebound
You can’t run the ball if you don’t have it. Teach your players how to […]
PEN TO PAPER: Sonya’s Writing Tips
While I was writing this week, I came across a list of writing tips on my computer that I’d given out in a Write On! Workshop that my friend Jenny and I taught years ago. We had put the workshop together to inspire other writers. We shared what we knew about the process, ways to stay accountable to writing goals, and enjoyed an evening where writers gathered to learn and create. Magical.
The fact that I found the list, was a sign for me. A reminder of what I need to do to get my stories on the page. I haven’t written much lately, but after taking in my own advice, I’m eager to get to work. I even added to the list. PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE! Then I printed it and hung it by my desk. So, I figured that I would repost it (with the addition), for anyone looking for inspiration to get back to work.
1. Make plans to go to “The Office”
Is it difficult for you to work at home? Are there dishes to wash and laundry to clean? Does life always seem to get in the way? Then make plans to go to “your office.” Designate a space in your house as your office, and if possible go in and close the door. If you can’t find a quiet space in your house where you can focus, find a café, a coffee shop, a nearby park, an open seat in your car, or any space that takes you away from your daily chores and allows you the freedom to write. A new space may even spark creativity and enhance your writing. Bottom line is, find a place to write. Find your “Office”.
2. Put down your phone!
Phones have changed significantly. Emails, texts, social media. All […]
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Lesson Young Athletes Learn From Sports
I played basketball because I love the game. Little did I know that the lessons that I learned on the court would one day save my life. When I was twenty-four, I was nearly killed when the car I was riding in was hit by a train. Knowing how to work through challenges and set goals helped me to make it through the most difficult time in my life; to set goals, to commit to physical therapy, to handle the stress, to believe in myself and to go on living.
What you learn on the court, rink, diamond or whatever playing field you take when you participate in your sport, will be with you the rest of your life and shape the person who you become.
Belief In Yourself
You can define this as resilience or developing a never give up attitude. Your time playing sports will teach you to believe in yourself and understand that you are capable of more than you think you are. When you participate in sports, you have setbacks and learn more about yourself. You loose games, you deal with injuries, you find that life is not always fair. But you also learn how to overcome these obstacles. This is a powerful lesson.
Set and Work Toward Goals
You overcome obstacles on the court, diamond or sports field by setting goals and working toward them. You learn what steps to take and how to adjust along the way to reach your goals. When you loose a game you, and your team, will work on drills in practice so that you improve. If you get injured you will do physical therapy so that you can play again. Setting goals and working to reach them is part of life; it’s how you reach your dreams.
Commitment & Work Ethic
To reach your dreams […]
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Is Using Humor And Sarcasm Appropriate While Coaching?
A great way to have fun and bring a team together is by using humor. However, some coaches may think that they are using humor when in fact they are using sarcasm. Sarcasm can be hurtful to players and destructive to the team, so it is important to be aware of the difference.
Humor vs Sarcasm
Humor, the quality of being amusing or comical, can keep athletes laughing and help them enjoy a sport that at times might be difficult and intense. It can give players a break and make things lighter. When a coach uses positive humor, it is a great thing. Sarcasm on the other hand is the use of irony to mock or convey contempt and is often used to cut or give pain. Sarcasm is hard on players and teams. And unfortunately many coaches don’t understand the difference.
How many times have you heard a coach make fun of a player? They might say, “Nice pass,” when a player made a terrible pass. The coach thinks they are making light of the situation, but instead it only brings resentment and pain for that player. If the player acts hurt, a coach may even respond with, “I was just kidding or it was a joke.” which doesn’t help. The damage has been done.
A Fine Line
There can be a fine line between humor and sarcasm. If a coach has a close connection to a player and they understand the humor of that player, they might joke in a way that is close to sarcasm. The player may also think it is funny and the comment does the trick of lightening up the mood at practice. But it’s best to proceed with caution and truly understand the difference. Be aware of your intent with a comment, but more important consider how a […]
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
Blog
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: How to Make the Fast Break Second Nature
Pushing the ball up the court is second nature for me. It was drilled into my head as a high school and college player, and I did my best to instill the same fast break mindset into the players that I coached. A run-the-ball mentality doesn’t happen over night, but by using drills that focus on the fast break, and consistent encouragement, your team can learn to move with ease into transition offense.
A Fast Break Mentality
Make sure your players know from day one, that they are going to be a fast break team. Explain what it will take to become a great running team and the advantages they will gain from the effort they put in. How they can get easy baskets and win games.
Set the Expectation of Hustle
To be an excellent fast break team your players need a different mindset. They need to hustle throughout practice. To sprint when […]
PEN TO PAPER: Sonya’s Writing Tips
While I was writing this week, I came across a list of writing tips on my computer that I’d given out in a Write On! Workshop that my friend Jenny and I taught years ago. We had put the workshop together to inspire other writers. We shared what we knew about the process, ways to stay accountable to writing goals, and enjoyed an evening where writers gathered to learn and create. Magical.
The fact that I found the list, was a sign for me. A reminder of what I need to do to get my stories on the page. I haven’t written much lately, but after taking in my own advice, I’m eager to get to work. I even added to the list. PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE! Then I printed it and hung it by my desk. So, I figured that I would repost it (with the addition), […]
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Lesson Young Athletes Learn From Sports
I played basketball because I love the game. Little did I know that the lessons that I learned on the court would one day save my life. When I was twenty-four, I was nearly killed when the car I was riding in was hit by a train. Knowing how to work through challenges and set goals helped me to make it through the most difficult time in my life; to set goals, to commit to physical therapy, to handle the stress, to believe in myself and to go on living.
What you learn on the court, rink, diamond or whatever playing field you take when you participate in your sport, will be with you the rest of your life and shape the person who you become.
Belief In Yourself
You can define this as resilience or developing a never give up attitude. Your time playing sports will teach you to believe in […]
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