Wooden: Principles of Offensive Success Part I

Excerpts from John Wooden's UCLA Offense by John Wooden and Swen Nater:

10 key principles that together provide a structure to facilitate team play yet also create opportunities to maximize the talents of specific individuals on the squad: *parts 6-10 will be posted later*

1) Spacing: On the strong side, players should be spaced approximately 15' apart. This facilitates safe passing distance and provides operating room for the player with the ball while also limiting additional defensive help. A pass more than 15' is in the air too long and subject to interception; a pass less than 15' may be difficult for the receiver to handle.

2) Triangles: Adding a third receiver produces more and better passing angles and scoring opportunities than a simple two-man game.

3) Penetration: The heart of any successful offense is unselfishness, confidence, and constant penetrating movements from spread and balanced areas of the floor. Cuts and screens (think UCLA screen) must be perfectly set-up by faking away from the desired destination, setting yourself up at a 90 degree angle to the direction you wish to go, and then changing pace when you change direction.

4) Passing: Ball movement keeps the defense reacting. Dribbling keeps defenders in good defensive position. But the mere act of passing accomplishes little; when the defense stops one option, the ball must be quickly and strategically moved to the weak-side for immediate attack.

5) Strong/weak side balance: Balance makes things work as they should. To balance an offense, it must have good weak-side action for two reasons: to help make strong-side action work and to create an immediate weak-side attack, should the ball be reversed.

Video clip from John Wooden's UCLA Offense DVD.

Quote of the Day:

At a coaching clinic years ago, in front of a large audience, one of the attendees asked, "Coach Wooden, what part of the game of basketball is most connected to winning?" to which he replied, "Some say the team that outrebounds the opponent usually wins the game. Some say the team that has the least number of turnovers usually wins the game. Some say the team that makes the most free throws usually wins the game. Still others say the team that shoots the highest field goal percentage usually wins the game. From my experience, I say the team that scores the most points usually wins the game."

Quote of the Day:

“If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone.” -John Maxwell

Imagination, Growth and George Carlin

"If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play" (John Cleese).

George Carlin, a controversial and often times vulgar comedian, had a basic idea in one of his stand-up routines- parents allow too much electronic entertainment and over-schedule activities for their children. Carlin makes a strong point that "each kid should be made to sit in a room, by themselves, and look out the window for 15 minutes each day so they can exercise their imagination".

What can creativity, imagination and "free time" do for us as coaches?

Planning/Prioritizing: before "putting your nose to the grindstone" each morning, spend 10-15 minutes looking at the day and week ahead of you; prioritize your tasks, plan for upcoming projects, review deadlines, etc.

Strategizing/Projects & Action Steps: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Before diving into a project, allow some time to think about the 'big picture'. Brainstorm ideas on paper, talk to colleagues, do some research and think about a plan of attack.

Thinking & Creativity: What is one thing could you do (that you aren’t doing now) that if you did on a regular basis, would make a tremendous difference in your personal or professional life?

John Maxwell: There is no off-season

A huge assist to Bob Starkey for posting the following from John Maxwell:

How well did you approach your off-season?  Did you have a plan of attack?  In all actuality, we need to come up with another term instead of "off-season."  Because thought we aren't actively involved with our teams per rules and guidelines, we are always (or should be) working to develop ourselves and our organizations.  Here is what John has to say about "off-seasons":

Leaders are revealed during the busy seasons, but they are made during the offseason. Work done for months behind-the-scenes determines what happens onstage the night of the show. Here are five ways leaders, and the teams they lead, can make the most of the offseason.

Develop Stamina
During the offseason, leaders develop stamina through a mixture of rest and training. Recognizing that they’re ineffective when worn out, leaders prioritize rest during the offseason to replenish energy reserves. However, leaders must also condition themselves to be ready for the rigors of the upcoming season. Much as a runner would be foolish to show up for a marathon without having trained, leaders cannot remain idle throughout the offseason and expect to be at their peak when the season arrives.

Revisit Vision
The offseason is an opportune time for leaders to revisit vision and values, and to make sure their team is focused on what matters most. Once they’ve gained personal clarity, leaders then can help their team generate its goals for the future. Keeping a vision in front of a team, and giving it goals to reach for, brings much-needed purpose and motivation to offseason activities.

Build Team Unity
During the offseason, teams face less stress than at other times of the year, and they do not have as many critical tasks to accomplish. This makes the offseason a prime occasion for investing in relationships. When teammates connect meaningfully during the offseason, they form bonds that can sustain team unity during the pressure-cooker of busy seasons.

Pursue Personal Growth
The frenetic pace of life’s busy seasons crowd out time for personal growth. Conversely, during the offseason leaders find themselves with plenty of room to breathe. Wise leaders make productive use of their extra time by attending training seminars, studying industry experts, and reading up on cutting-edge strategies. Those leaders who develop their skills and enhance their knowledge during the offseason have an advantage over the competition once the season starts.

Rehearse
Much as a music band must rehearse before going on a concert tour, a team must practice together in the offseason to prepare itself for future projects. Championship teams spend the offseason shoring up their strengths and working out the kinks in their systems. They conduct trial runs and pilot programs to test new ideas and fine-tune their processes. The practice that a team puts in over the course of the offseason improves its performance, and instills confidence for the upcoming season.

Quote of the Day:

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Butler Offense

Here's a nice little set that Butler runs with a few great options.