Q&A Mailbag: Butler Drill, Defensive & Offensive Cutthroat

    Welcome to this week's Mailbag!   We’ve received some great feedback on our recent articles and products… and I wanted to share some of those with you.   We also have a question for our own Coach Mark Brase on the importance of understanding the “why” behind the drills we run as coaches… as well as some recent reviews from coaches who’ve been working through our brand new product - [How To Run Championship Practices]( with Coach Ryan Schultz!  But before we get into the mailbag…  Here are some recent articles and videos, in case you missed them:  Coaching Articles, Drills & Videos:  * [25 Reasons To Attend A Top Coaches’ Practice](  * [2 Steps To Minimize Parent Conflicts](  * [The Butler Drill - with Coach Ryan SchultzÂ](  * [NEW Defensive Cutthroat Drill and 3 Non-Negotiables](  * [Deflection Drill To Create Uncertainty In Opponents]( * [Offensive Cutthroat Drill - with Coach Ryan Schultz](  Preseason Athletic Training Workouts  * [11 Essential Upper Body Exercises & Workouts for Basketball Players](  * [9 Essential Leg Exercises & Workouts for Basketball Players](  * [Get in Shape FAST! 20 Minute AT-HOME Conditioning Workouts](  * [5 Best Basketball Speed Drills and ExercisesÂ](  NEW Product Release:  * [How to Run Championship Practices]( with Coach Ryan Schultz   Today’s Mailbag  We received a great question from Coach Jerry… who’s a new coach and was curious about the importance of being able to explain the underlying “why” behind drills.   Hi Jerry-  Thanks for the great question…. I understand exactly what you’re saying and what you're feeling. And, yes, you’re correct - you should be able to explain “why” a drill is helpful.   There’s a ton of great resources, including videos, that help explain the “why” of a drill. For example, in this [YouTube video]( Coach Jim Huber, the first drill (Ball Toughness) teaches players to catch the ball, pivot, and face the basket. Why? Because kids should always face up, and look at the basket when they catch the ball (which is something many youth kids struggle with). They also should rip the ball across their body, either high or low, but not at waist level where it can be stolen.   If there’s a drill you like, but can’t figure out “why” it’s useful, I’d suggest a couple things:  1) Reach out to other coaches for their opinion. I guarantee you’ll get some great feedback.  2) Maybe find a different drill that you’re more comfortable explaining “why” it’s helpful.  That said, don’t beat yourself up too much if you run some drills that you aren’t 100% sure about “why” they’re useful. Most, if not all, coaches have done this at one time or another! Also, since you’re coaching youth basketball, I’d suggest you take a look at [this product]( with Coach Huber that has quite a few proven drills with detailed explanations.  Hope this helps!      Mark Brase    A couple weeks ago, I shared [2 important steps to minimize parent conflicts]( which are: 1) establish a relationship with parents that’s built on trust; 2) get parents to buy into your definition of “success” for their child. Coach Rich Wankel had the following to say about the newsletter:  This email is terrific from my perspective for a couple of reasons. 1 - good insights, and 2 - without necessarily knowing it I have been a transformative type of approach coach…. Realizing I tell every parent “I am a parent first, Coach second.”  Coaching FOR the players, not because of them.   Coaching 5-6 teams a season, ages 7-16 as a volunteer, and school teams ranging from D3 previously, to middle school this season requires the attention and philosophies your email talks about…. Keep up the great work for coaches.  And Coach Leon Dilligard said this about [the same article](  I love the Coach Sanderson approach and will use it also. In addition, I ask parent and players what are the athlete’s strengths and weaknesses on and off the court, because we’re not just building athletes, we are moving the student athletes to the next phase of their life. It allows me as the coach to allow basketball to bring, or enhance, those weaknesses and turn them into strengths.  We also received some reviews of Coach Ryan Schultz’s brand new [How to Run Championship Practices]( which helps coaches improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their practices. And already, several coaches have worked through the product. Here’s what they’ve had to say:  I like the authenticity of practice. I thought the product was great. I would like to see the first couple days of practice and what pre-game practices look like.   Coach Schultz does a great job!  I like the players’ understanding of the system the coach is running. Also, how disciplined and how organized his practices are conducted. In the advantage break drill, it wasn’t clear to me where the two added players are lined up to create the disadvantage.   I will definitely use some of these drills this season. I’ve been coaching for over 20 years and the drills give me a better understanding of how to incorporate them into my system.   I like the drills, it helps create competition amongst the players.  Breakthrough Basketball Fall Camp Update  Well, we’ve officially kicked-off our Fall Camps! These are a great way to get professional guidance from our world-class trainers before the start of next season. Some camps have already sold out, but you can check current availability by viewing our [full camp schedule here.](  Closing Notes I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Breakthrough Basketball Mailbag!  I’d love to hear your thoughts on the type of content you’d benefit from in our upcoming newsletters… as well as recommendations for future products that could help solve a unique issue you’re facing!  So hit Reply and let me know!  All the best,  Joe Haefner Breakthrough Basketball            This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you indicated that you'd like to receive emails and updates from Breakthrough Basketball on 2016-12-16 05:42:39. 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