Solent Suns Coaches's Blog

Lessons from Miskolc 2011 August 8, 2011

I’ve been in Hungary for the past 8-days working with the England U18 Women’s team in their preparation for and participation in this year’s European Championship. Thus far the experience has been exciting, surprising, challenging and highly educational. Its exciting to be surrounded by some of the future talent of tomorrow (if you haven’t heard the name Artemis Spanou, then you’re not really into women’s basketball..or so I was told!), whilst at the same time sharing experiences with players and coaches for  whom these championships will represent the very pinnacle of their respective careers.  I for one definitely feel pride in wearing the three lions on my shirt and whatever happens for me in the future, I will cherish this opportunity for a long time.

The level of basketball differs significantly from country to country.  Greece, Croatia, Latvia and Belarus made up my pre-tournament favourites, based on previous form, individual talent and initial sitings of them in the team accommodation.  I don’t mean to sound un-patriotic, but I’m a realist!  Hungary also illustrated a number of the features of the better basketball nations, features which I will briefly try to outline below.

So what have I learnt so far…(in no particular order)

Competition: most of the more successful countries have players who regularly play in more intense competition than we do in the UK.  They regularly face pressure (both physically, tactically and emotionally), which better prepares them for the rigours of European level basketball.

What can we learn from this?

If we want to create the best players in the UK we have to create more opportunities for players to train and compete in intense situations.  Players, as well as coaches, must take responsibility for creating this intensity each and every time they step on the court.  This is what it takes to be the best – no exceptions and no excuses!

Composure: the best teams have players at multiple spots who can play with composure, when under pressure.  This allows them to follow the team’s game plan, read the game and make good decisions, even when the opposition exerts more pressure or the game is on the line.

What can we learn from this?

The best players and teams understand how to control tempo, create space, stick to the game plan and control their emotions under pressure.  They do this by consistently being exposed to pressure situations, learning from experience and modifying their behaviours and habits accordingly.

The devil is in the detail: Elite level athletes, teams and coaches understand the value of detail.  Whether its knowing the tendencies of the opposition’s offensive and defensive schemes (how they break/apply pressure, play against zone, beat screens etc) or understanding the strengths and weaknesses of particular players, detail is king.  This involves hours of analysis, practice, competition and reflection (in training, video sessions, one to one meetings, team meetings, planning game strategy and self-reflection).  At the championships we plan everything, including; what the players eat, when they eat; what time they go to bed; have a pre-game snack; have individual team and team meetings, watch video; talk on the internet, to the colour of the tape and braces the players are allowed to wear (I love the FIBA regulations).

It also requires a real commitment to learn.  Basketball is a simple game with varying levels of complex skills, schemes, tactics and psychology.  The best players and teams study every aspect of the game.  Those who apply themselves the most, generally come out the winners at the big events.

What can we learn from this?

Success requires a real investment in the game.  We need to constantly challenge ourselves to know more, be better athletes and smarter players and coaches.

Discipline: If you don’t have discipline, you cannot win close games.  Coaches often talk about “closing out the game” or “closing out the period” and discipline is key.  Teams who have players that understand their roles (or ‘job descriptions’) and who buy into playing “we” basketball (as opposed to selfish players who are more concerned with the “me”), will generally have more success in closing out tight games.

What can we learn from this?

Coming into the 2011 season all players must learn Solent’s game plan and understand the style of basketball we want to play.  Each player will be given a job description made up of the things they can do individually (and consistently) to complement the team’s style of play and game plan.  Players who stick to the game plan will play and those who do not won’t!  Coaches will help by providing clear guidelines on player job descriptions and supporting players to develop the required skills to fulfil each individual’s potential and the team’s objectives.

Emotion, Energy and Execution: This is like a holy triad in basketball.  I believe that basketball without emotion is just chess (no disrespect to chess, but from my point of view its not the most emotive of games…sorry!).  Emotion fuels motivation, excitement and energy.  However, loss of emotional control can lead to poor decision-making and becomes disruptive for a team.  This can be exaggerated, when a team is placed under pressure.  Without execution and composure, emotion is like a naked flame – sometimes beautiful, but it can burn.

What can we learn from this?

I want our players to express their passion for life through basketball.   I want them to be confident, enthusiastic and driven, but at the same time aware of how their emotions affect their ability to read the game, execute the game plan and play under control at all times.  We’ll do this by emphasising fundamental skills developing (the what, why and when of basketball techniques) , understanding team fundaments (movement and decision-making with and without the basketball) and the social skills required to play the game together and under control.  Players need to social skills to deal with emotions, through: -

• communication – with coaches, players, officials and parents
• self-reflection – identify strengths and weaknesses
• adaptation – learning new habits/behaviours when are existing ones are insufficient for the task at hand

There are numerous other aspects I could go into and I’m sure I’ll happily bore you with them when I get back to the UK (or in my next post), but these are some of the most important ones for now.  For me I’m learning new skills and techniques to prepare me and our players for the season(s) ahead.  I want to continue developing players who can compete at the very highest level.  I feel really proud to watch one of our own junior players compete at this level and continue to learn and develop.  I know the two players who made national teams this year will not be the last of our Solent family who gets to make take this journey.  I want to make sure we all (players, coaches and parents) continue to learn what it takes, not just to get here, but to achieve our ultimate potential.