what it takes to be a good coach

Basketball is becoming a global sport and growing rapidly all over the globe like never before. With more players and teams then there ever was before, there is a need for coaches like never before as well. This article is about what it takes to be a good coach. Whether you are just beginning your coaching career or you have been doing it for 20 years this article is for you. Because as a coach in the game of basketball you are always learning and growing. There are many different coaching strategies out there and even though two great coaches might have completely opposite strategies, both may still have great winning records. As a coach the first thing you need to do is develop your own coaching philosophy and strategy.
In college I was able to play at a division 1 school named Liberty University which is located in Lynchburg, VA. During my playing time there I had three different head coaches. This is almost unheard of at the college level and at the time it was pretty frustrating, but now that I look back at it I was able to learn so much about basketball from these coaches. I would like to share with you some of the things that I learned from them and also the other coaches I have had in my playing career professionally.
Before we start let me explain what exactly a coaching philosophy is. It is a combination of a few different things. What style of game are you gonna play? Are you going to be a strict coach or a players coach? Are you going to primarily focus on defense or offense? What kind of plays are you going to run? These are a few of the questions you should ask yourself as a head coach. You philosophy can be adjusted and tweaked at anytime and should be.
All three of my head coaches at Liberty had a different philosophy to coaching and the way that they approached practices and games. As a coach now and looking back between the three coaches philosophies, there wasn't one that I would say was completely right, while the other's were dead wrong. There were weaknesses and strengths for each coaching style.This leads me to my first point. It is okay to pick and choose what you like from other coaches and come up with your own coaching philosophy. Don't do something just because that is the way it has always been done. If you think there is a better way to do it then give it a try and see what happens. A good coach is always learning and able to adapt his coaching philosophy as needed.
Once you have developed your coaching philosophy and the game plan that gives your team the best chance to win, you need to get your players to buy in. It doesn't matter if you have the best game plan in the world, if you can't get your team to commit to it, then it won't work. It is your job as the head coach to get your team to buy into the game plan. Whether it is slowing the ball down and running offense for 30 seconds before shooting or pressing the whole time and shooting 40 three's a game, it doesn't matter, if every player isn't on the same page.
To be a good coach you also have the responsibility to help your players develop their skills. As a coach it makes if you just think about it, if your players get better your team will get better. Spend the time helping your players improve individually and as the season progresses you will see the pay offs. There are plenty of resources out there for you as a coach to learn the drills and workouts to make your players better, Basketballhq.com is a great coaching resource that has hundreds of free drills and workouts that will help your players develop. Also as a coach you owe it to your players to give them a chance to play at the next level.
After reading this article you are now a good basketball coach. Wouldn't it be so great if it was that easy? Unfortunately it is not that simple. A good coach or even a great coach is always learning and studying the game. You always need to be learning new plays, strategies, adjusting your philosophy, etc. There are coaches that have been in the game for thirty plus years and are still going to coaching clinics. Place yourself among other good coaches and learn from them, also find good coaching resources that will help you to grow as a coach.