Mailbag: Athleticism secrets, Youth basketball myths, and other FAQs

  Welcome to the mailbag! We’ve received some great questions and comments on our recent articles and content lately.  I hope you enjoy and find this newsletter useful as you continue your coaching journey!  Before we get to the articles and questions, we have a couple of announcements…  1 - Be ready for our March Madness special!    It starts this week on Tuesday with a player development focus.   And the following week, it’ll be all about coaching… with offense, defense, and other strategies.  2 - The 15-User Discount Expires Today for the Athletic Development Program With Cody Roberts  We recently announced a special deal for coaches who want to help their entire team become better athletes during the offseason:  [Introducing the 12-Week Athletic Development Program Multi-User Discount: $300 for up to 15 users!]( It’s our biggest discount ever on this program, and it’s only available until TONIGHT. In the program, Division 1 Athletic Trainer, Coach Cody Roberts, teaches a little-known training method that ANY player can use in the next 12 weeks to develop the speed, strength and jumping ability to: - Out-jump opponents with a head-turning improvement on your vertical leap - Blow past defenders using an explosive first-step - Finish through contact over and above taller defenders - Sky for rebounds in traffic - Become THE lock down defender on your team This method creates dominant athletes who overwhelm opponents (no matter what your level of athleticism is right now)… And, just as important, it molds injury-resistant players who stay healthy and perform at peak levels all season long. So if you want to help your ENTIRE team develop sound movement patterns and athletic habits at our biggest discount ever…  [Claim Your Multi-User Discount and save $2700 on the 12-Week Athletic Development Program for up to 15 players [Discount expires TONIGHT]](  3 - Breakthrough Basketball Community Knocking Off #1 Seeds!  We told you awhile back about Coach Nate Steege (the creator of [the highly popular Zoom Offense)]( knocking off the #1 team in their state’s class.  Well, that isn’t the only #1 seed that fell at the hands of one of our own here at Breakthrough Basketball.  Coach Hilmer (the creator of [the unpredictable trapping Relentless Pressure System]( and his team knocked off the #1 team in their class as well.  And Rob Brost (the expert behind [Uncomfortable Pace]( and [Man Left Defense]( recently coached his team to a win against the #1 team in Illinois!  All three of these teams are currently making a deep run into the postseason, so we look forward to keeping an eye on their progress!  Congrats and good luck!   NEW Coaching Articles, Plays, Drills & Videos (ALL Age Levels):  [4 End of Game Plays]( - 2 DHO Full Court Plays, "Wizard" SLOB, and "Special" BLOB  [Are You Coaching a Team or Leading a Program? 7 Questions to Ask Yourself to Find Out](  [5 DEFENSIVE Special Situations To Consider Down The Stretch](  [10 Keys For Early Attack Offense - Transition Offense After Misses](  NEW YOUTH Coaching Articles, Drills, & Videos:  [Should You Stop Using 1v1 Drills?s](  [How To Teach The Most Important Skills In Youth Basketball]( (Part 1)  [How To Teach Dribbling]( (Part 2)  [4 Great Dribbling Games To Use At Next Practice]( (Part 3)  NEW Training Articles, Drills, & Videos:  [How Increase Your Shooting Percentage By 14% Without Practice](  [9 Tips To Become An Elite Shooter](  Today’s Mailbag  Subscriber Comment:  Hello the [1v1 defense drill]( worked when you suggested that we allow the less skilled player to dribble the ball during the first half of drill without anyone stealing the ball.            –Julio O.  Joe Haefner’s Response About 1 V 1 Drills:  That’s great! Glad to hear that helped. With a full court 1v1 drill, you can also test this out. Don’t allow the defender to steal until the offensive player has reached half court, the 3-point line, or the volleyball line (slightly above the 3-point line). The only issue is that you get fewer shot attempts from your less skilled players.  Subscriber Question About Dealing With Tough Parents  I had a rough time with some parents this past season. Some parents wanted us to be ultra-competitive and only play the best players on the team (we have ten players on a 5th grade team), and others want the time split evenly.  I’m not sure what to do and want to avoid the same problem next year…help!!  –Chad C.  Coach Mark Brase’s Response:  Hi Chad-  Great question and one we frequently hear. It can be tricky when you have parents who want different things for their children on the same team.  For most youth teams I’d recommend keeping the playing time relatively even to help develop all players equally. It doesn’t mean you won’t have games where some kids play slightly more minutes than others, but try to avoid sitting some players on the bench most of the game.   One thing I’d advise if you are coaching next year, is maybe have your philosophy written down to share with parents before the season starts and before the teams are formed.  Maybe you let them know that minutes will be pretty much equal through the game and maybe another belief is that the majority of your practices will focus on skill development to help all players develop. Whatever you decide, put your philosophy and beliefs on paper to share with parents.  This should help you avoid the same problem next year and should help you avoid feeling like you need to please two sets of parents. Some parents may choose to play on a different team, which is fine, too. Your goal is to help positively, develop all of the players on your team. And by being upfront with parents, it should make for a more enjoyable coaching season for you next year!  Good Luck!  Mark Brase Breakthrough Basketball  Subscriber Question About Breaking A Zone in Youth Basketball  I coach 3rd grade girls in Omaha. We’ve had our team together for 3 years. We are in our first year of a high school feeder system. Have enjoyed [the Youth Coaching System by Coach Huber]( well done.  We run 5 out motion, with some 1-4 High/Low, some down screens out of the 5 out, and some ball screens.  We played in a tournament this past weekend that allowed zone defense. The team we played was the top team for a well known program in Omaha area that is more focused on winning than teaching fundamental basketball, unfortunately.  They ran a 3-2 zone. The defender in the middle acted like a rover. Anytime we made entry to sideline they trapped. also trapped in the corner. It was relentless.  Hoping to get a few ideas on how best to break this, knowing 3rd graders aren’t yet to the point of quick passing rotations, skips, etc. I thought about a 4 corner offense to force them to defend in man, but want to understand how to best attack this set.  –Josh B.  Joe Haefner’s Response  UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!  Sorry, I had to let that out. 3rd and 4th graders playing against zones gives me indigestion. It's such a friggin joke.  Here are some tips from my brother [Jeff’s article when he coached his daughter’s 4th grade team](.  Be careful not to spend too much time on it. You’ll start sacrificing wins for development over the long run.  Zone Offense – Adjustments  Here are some adjustments to make to the 5 out offense when facing zone defense.  We did not incorporate any of these adjustments this year (we just “let them play” the few times we saw zone). But in years to come these are the adjustments we will make.  1 - Move corner spots in to the short corner.  2 - After you cut, hook back and look for the ball in a gap (for a 2 count).  3 - If ball goes to the middle, look to score or get the ball to short corner players  4 - If ball goes to short corner, top player should dive  5 - Players inside should find gaps and seal defender  6 - Short corner players can play behind the zone and flash cut to gaps (2 seconds).   Subscriber Comment About [This Article on 5 Defensive “Special Situations” Down the Stretch](  Thanks for this, really insightful and informative email. Even if using the trapping strategy once or twice a game, I'm a big believer in every play matters. I've read books and articles from coaches of other sports like Dave Brailsford & his marginal gains concept, so know every little bit helps...it all adds up! Cheers, Dan  –Dan S.  Breakthrough Basketball Camp Update!  It’s hard to believe but our first 2024 Breakthrough Basketball Camp starts in less than 2 weeks in Concord, New Hampshire!  We’ve already had 10 camps sell out, and 21 additional camps have fewer than 15 spots left.  So if you want to make sure you secure a spot before any other camps sell out, [click here to register]( for one of our 400+ camps all across North America.  If you’re wondering what people say about our camps, here’s just a small sampling of the hundreds of reviews we’ve received over the last few years.  Oh, and while we always take feedback into account to improve our camps…  The most common response we’ve gotten when we ask “What would you like to see improved about the camp?” is actually positive: Participants wish the camps were longer!  My son said he was given very specific instructions or suggestions on how to improve his shooting/dribbling. He said these specific things helped him improve and feel more confident about his game. –Rowan H.  Coach made a great statement at Camp: Fundamentals of basketball is like a fossil these days." Not many camps or coaches are teaching fundamentals anymore? Young players have to be taught the fundamentals of the game if they are going to become great players. Breakthrough Basketball is doing a great job of teaching the fundamentals and helping players uncover their full potential. –Maci M.  It very much improved my ball handling and I’m more comfortable with my left hand because of it. The camp also helped me with my footwork and certain moves to do to get past an opponent. The camp also had great coaches and provided great opportunities to ask questions. And most importantly they helped with my mindset of the game, I rly got locked in during the game. –Anabella S.  [Register for one of our 417 Breakthrough Basketball Camps for 2024](  Recent Product Reviews & Feedback Below are a few recent reviews we’ve received on a number of our most popular products. You can click on each individual product for more information if you’d like!  [The Youth Coaching System With Coach Jim Huber:](  “Well organized and very thorough. What an amazing resource! My only regret is not purchasing it earlier. It was quite a financial commitment, but well worth the cost. I coach 3rd graders and have been scouring the internet for months, pulling together a variety of resources, both books and videos. This program is well organized, appropriate for youth of all ages, and has given me a blueprint for progressions in motion offense, skill development, defense, and more. The emphasis on fundamentals through game-like drills (to maximize practice time) is greatly appreciated. You will not regret this purchase. --John  [Ball-Handling & Footwork Workouts]( “The product has my kids wanting to do it everyday. The drills/workouts are quick & keep them engaged. Excellent product. Very happy with the program.” –John L.  [Ball-Handling & Footwork Workouts]( “It gives me a focused and progressive method for helping my kids improve their ball handling and footwork. My daughter (9) and son (12) have both improved their dribbling skills noticeably in just 1.5 weeks of daily use.”–Rusty K.  [How to Run Championship Practices With Coach Ryan Schultz](  “I have all Coach Schultz’s content. This practice is very thorough and extensive. Coach Schultz is an expert teacher and his observations are candid and well explained. This is definitely one of my favorites.”--Steven B.  Closing Notes  Thanks so much for reading this edition of the Breakthrough Basketball Mailbag! Stay tuned for upcoming editions, featuring more of your questions and comments. We value your input and look forward to helping you on your journey to success.  If you have any thoughts on the type of content you’d like to see more of in upcoming mailings, please feel free to shoot us a reply and let us 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. If you don't want to receive such emails in the future, please [Change Your Email Preferences]( or [Unsubscribe All]( Copyright © Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. All rights reserved. Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. | 5001 1st Ave. SE, Ste 105 #254 | Cedar Rapids | IA | 52402 [email.gif] . It’s our mission to build a strong community centered around basketball, personal development and most importantly - fun! 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