“Coaches who can sketch plays on a blackboard are a dime a dozen. The ones that win get inside their players and motivate them.” –Vince Lombardi
One of the biggest challenges facing basketball coaches at all levels is the challenge of keeping their players focused, motivated to play and play as hard as they can. The following are 10 tried and true tips to keep your team motivated. Set a preview on the first day of practice. Setting your expectations early on is the best way to not only establish your role within the team, but also to let your players know what kind of coach you are going to be.
For example: When your first practice starts and the players are hanging around, blow your whistle and call them into the center of the gym. If they don’t run towards you, they can run right then and there. After they have run, blow the whistle again. This time, all your players will be running towards you with enthusiasm. And what is more important, it will have your undivided attention for the rest of the year.
2. Show your players that they matter. Probably the most effective method of getting your players to work hard for you and themselves is to let them know you care. Show interest in their lives outside of basketball. Get to know your players as individuals. Spend time talking to them one on one. It doesn’t have to be for hours; a couple of minutes will do the trick. The point is to let them know that they matter to you on and off the basketball court.
3. Model motivation in all your actions. Have fun, stay positive and let your players know what is expected of them right away. Your players will pick up on everything you say and do and will respond accordingly. Verbalize your philosophy so your players know what to expect and what to fight for.
For example: If you tell your players that the best rebounders will start, all the players will strive to be good rebounders. You have told them through your words and actions that rebounding is important to you.
It’s all about what you emphasize! If you constantly talk about rebounding, your players will notice and become good rebounders.
4. Offer verbal rewards. Rewards get attention: Players and people love compliments. Whether you’re running basketball drills for beginners or drills that require more skill, praise improvements and hard work.
Occasionally, for significant effort, praise players in front of the team. Praise from the public is usually well received and players will work hard to earn that praise. Remember that if negative feedback is required, put it in between the positive feedback. For example: “You did a great job running down the court, next time expect a better shot. Keep it up and the good shots will be there for you.”
5. Offer occasional nonverbal rewards. Players can be motivated to achieve their goals by occasionally offering tangible rewards like a Gatorade or by using a tactic from the great Morgan Wooten. Wooten offered “Permissions” to his players.
Permissions were rewards given to players based on outstanding efforts or achievement of set goals. Permissions are earned throughout practice and then added up at the end. Each furlough resulted in one lap down, suicide, or another conditioning drill.
You can also add laps to players for not meeting expectations. For example, you can set up a basketball rebounding drill and players who get 5 or more rebounds get a pass and those who get less than 4 get a lap.
6. Coach team success. When it comes down to it, it’s more fun to win together than it is to win alone, and basketball is a team sport. Your players are more likely to work harder if they know your team has them. By reminding players, through their actions and words, that they are a team, they will be motivated to work together to succeed.
This can often be accomplished by verbally praising players who work well together or by offering a non-verbal reward for practices where they work particularly well together. In addition, by knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your players, you will be able to be aware of possible conflicts and reinforce a team attitude.
7. Add competition to your exercises. A great way to spice things up and get players working hard is to add competition to their drills.
As an example, you can set up teams for a shooting drill and reward the team or individual player who makes the most successful shots. With a little imagination, you can find ways to make almost all of your exercises competitive.
Just remember that comparisons between teammates can make some players feel bad about themselves and can lead to rivalries between teammates. In short, it can crush a player’s motivation. If you need to compare teammates, do it just to model a desired behavior or skill. For example, “Watch how Joe follows up on his free throw, try it next time you’re on the line and see how he feels.”
8. Teach visualization. Visualization is a valuable training tool and it is the one skill that all athletes can take from their sport, no matter what level they perform at, and use the skill to achieve success for the rest of their lives.
Teach your players to visualize achieving their goals. Visualization teaches focus, it teaches planning, execution and success. Build a few minutes of visualization into each practice by asking the team to visualize a play they’re having a hard time perfecting, a shot they need to work on, or run the drill of their choice.
Teach them to use all of their senses in visualization so they can hear the ball bouncing, see the ball bouncing, and feel their gym shoes squeak on the floor.
9. Do not punish, discipline with the intention of teaching. Punishment for poor or inappropriate behavior only serves to fragment teams’ focus and hinder their motivation. Instead, discipline with the intention of teaching your players how to behave properly.
Instead of yelling or punishing players who don’t live up to their potential, ask them, “Is that the best you can do? Are you trying your hardest?” Often simply by acknowledging to you or to themselves that they aren’t trying their best, players will try harder, especially if they know you notice.
Also, discipline with consistency. For example, if it is unacceptable to be late for practice, everyone who is late for practice will receive the exact same consequences no matter what.
10. Set the right guy of goals for your team and for your players. Players and teams need goals so they know what to focus on and know what to fight for. But the key is the “type” of targets you choose.
I’m a firm believer that you should NOT set goals for prestigious stats like scoring the most points and even winning games. Players already want those things without setting goals. Not to mention it gives them the wrong idea.
However, if you set goals for other critical aspects of the game, you will see great success!
You can set goals for low turnovers, team shooting percentage, opponents shooting percentage, team rebounds (not individual), defensive stats, and possessions per game. You always want more possessions than the other team and that comes from counting and taking care of the basketball.
You could even have conditioning goals like 100 push-ups or run a mile in under 5 minutes. Just be careful about the message you send to your players when setting goals. When used correctly, goals are a powerful motivator.
Don’t forget to reward players for achieving their goals.
Know that what motivates some players will not motivate others. It is important to know your players as individuals and how they will respond individually and as a team to motivational tactics. In the end, if you’re engaged, excited, and willing to take the time to keep practices interesting, then your team will respond.