Coaching High School Basketball

Mid Season Player Check - What do you enjoy about being part of this team?

2019-02-08T13:19:00.000-05:00

Early Season Cougar Hoops Promo

2019-02-08T13:12:00.000-05:00

Lansing Catholic Boys Basketall - End of year!

2019-02-08T13:09:00.000-05:00

Coach's Note Issue #5 Feb 2 2017

2017-02-02T21:58:00.004-05:00

Coach’s Note –

We are 1 – 3 since my last note. On paper that sounds horrible. In reality, I am happy with our progress. Our 1 win of course came in a great game at Williamston. It was a very exciting night for our program and probably the biggest win we have had this year. Of the other 3 games, we had a terrible night against Fowlerville but competed and did some good things against Waverly and Jackson. The boys are developing a group confidence that is going to help them in the tournament. Now that we are in the “meat” of the season and playing 2 games a week, I would like to address an issue that I play many roles in; the issues of helping your son appreciate the amount of playing time they are getting or trying to increase the amount of minutes they get on the court.

I am very aware that we all want our kids to play and it sometimes seems irrational or unfair that our child does not get into a game. I have and am, part of that right now. My son played for me and started as a sophomore at Olivet, transferred to LCHS and had to sit out a semester and then did not get much playing time his junior season. Even in his senior year on a team that I was an assistant coach, Connor had 2 games during which he did not even get into the game. Now he is playing at Dominican University in Chicago where he has started in a game and not played a minute in another. He has been in games to hit game winning shots and also, has played in games and not taken a shot. So please believe me that I understand and have empathy for any of you parents who would like to see your son play more. The intention of this coach’s note is to help you enjoy the season more.

With that said I would like to thank all of you for your continued support of the program and appreciating the program for the opportunity it provides for our children. I see a lot of very positive interactions between parents and sons. Nothing has happened and nobody has acted in a way that provided the catalyst for this note. I do know that at this time of the season, playing time has shifted and it’s really common to have questions and concerns about kids’ playing opportunities.

The following suggestions are meant to help all of us enjoy the games and season while also supporting the players. A big part of educational athletics is developing a young person’s ability to handle adversity, build emotional and physical strength, learn about positive communication techniques and create a foundation of discipline that will serve the athlete in the “real world.”

Coaches and parents are often overwhelmed by so many Little Pictures that they miss the Big Picture entirely. How our children perform in a sporting event is a Little Picture. Whether they win or lose, play well or badly, laugh or whine after the game – all Little Pictures.

What children take away from sports to help them become successful, contributing members of society is the Big Picture. Whether they remain physically active throughout life, learn to bounce back from difficulties with renewed determination, discover how to support other people within a team context – these are the Big Picture. - (adapted from the Positive Coaching Alliance organization)

With that in mind, here are some concepts and ideas that I have tried (with varying success ;-)) to implement with my own children and things I have suggested to other families.

Instead of going to the coach to request more playing time for your child, consider any frustration they have around playing time as a teachable moment. Explain what motivates a coach and encourage your son to focus on what parts of the game they can control and how they might earn more playing time.
If your child complains about playing time, talk to them about what they can do at practice to get their minutes to go up during game situations. This might involve working harder or spending time outside of practice to work on a skill.
Encourage them to have an honest conversation with the coach. Help them learn the style of conversation that will be helpful in this situation.
From my perspective it is important for all of our players and children to earn their playing time and parents to understand that they can help their child by focusing on the skills necessary to earn the time as opposed to talking to the coach on the player’s behalf.
Some advice for parents and players of athletes that get to play a lot of minutes. Be the biggest cheerleader of your teammates that get limited time! Be aware that many players would love the game opportunities that you or your son gets. Recognize that this is a zero-sum game; when one athlete plays; another must be taken out of the game.

If we support, search for and seek positive moments to cheer for each other, we will have created a positive environment where each athlete has the opportunity to develop to their potential.

Please note! This is not a correspondence to tell parents that they shouldn’t or can’t talk to me or other coaches about your son. We all want what is best for this team and will gladly discuss any topics with you.

Upcoming: We play @ Eaton Rapids this Friday at 6pm.

Thanks for your time!

God Bless…

Coach Dartt

@coach_dartt

Coach's Note Issue #4 January 10, 2017

2017-02-02T21:54:00.004-05:00

Coach’s Note – At the end of the last newsletter I mentioned that we are developing and improving with a “growth mindset.” I am happy to focus your attention on the team’s continued improvement. Sometimes we are outscored by an opponent but still are successful. On the other hand, sometimes we will outscore an opponent and fail miserably because we really did not improve or play as a group. Our game against Portland was a success on many levels. The players were challenged at half time to play with intensity and enthusiasm and not let the opponent come back. We have a group of very nice boys that sometimes lay back a little if we are beating someone. We want to be classy but also make sure we are getting better at different aspects of the game. So, beating someone by 13 at half like we were at Portland is not good enough if our desire is to continue to develop into a team that can compete with better teams. To their credit, your sons responded really well and ended up winning by 37 points by playing aggressive, selfless basketball.

What your son and our team have been working on: We have been working on adding a zone press to our toolbox. Our zone press is a 2-2-1 and is called “22.” We will be utilizing this press in the next few games. We want to be able to pressure our opponents into uncomfortable spots and force them to play at a pace at which they make mistakes. It may give them some easy baskets at the beginning of games (we will try to stop this) but if deployed properly, it will force our opponent to wear out by the end of the game.

Some of the concepts to look for when we are pressing in 22:

· Keep the ball out of the middle: We will work to deny the inbound and then force the ball up the sideline. If the ball gets thrown forward, into the middle, someone made a mistake. We will also try to keep them from dribbling into the middle.
· Transition to man-to-man (M2M) : Once the opponent has gotten the ball over half court into the scoring area and the ball is moved to the middle of the court you should hear our kids yell “Man, ” which triggers our transition from a zone press to half court M2M.
· Trapping: You will also witness our use of our “bigs” at the front of the press. This is to cause trouble for opponents. Our up front traps are designed to force a bad pass or dribble that can be picked off. The “bigs” can force these terrible passes that we may intercept.
· Pace: Mostly the purpose of the press is not to force turnovers but to force the other team to play at a pace at which they are not comfortable. You will notice that they will take quick early shots and miss them because they were going too fast.
· Getting into and out of the press: In our upcoming games against Ionia and Fowlerville we will be pressing with 22 on made baskets and dead ball situations and with M2M when we miss or turn the ball over.

Upcoming: We play at Ionia this Friday at 6pm.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the season and watching your son improve. If you ever have questions or comments I would love to hear from you.

Thanks

Coach Dartt

@coach_dartt

Coach's Note Issue #3 Dec 20_2016

2016-12-20T12:47:00.004-05:00

Coaches Note – That is better! In our first couple of games we shot 27% from the floor. We were getting decent shots but not “great.” The last two games have been much improved. We shot 36% on Tuesday and 44% on Friday. We also wanted to improve our turnover situation. We have improved our turnovers from an unacceptable 31 in game #1 to a more reasonable 12 in game #4. I am SOOO impressed with your sons' ability to take constructive criticism. It is not easy to hear that you need to change or focus on something different, yet your boys do a great job of it.

What your son and our team have been working on: We have been working on improving our offensive movement and spacing to help get better shots and to reduce the amount of turnovers. We have also worked to improve our assist percentage. In our first two games we had assists on less than 50% of our shots. Friday, against Eaton Rapids we had 17 assists on 21 baskets (incredible!).

With all that said, I want to share the concepts or ideas that we have really tried to emphasize.

· On the ball pressure defense: During the second half of our game against Lumen Christi and all of the game against Eaton Rapids we were able to put appropriate amounts of defensive pressure on the ball handler. This really helps us turn their offensive game into a reactive game. When we pressure the ball, any good cuts by them do not get utilized and shots become very difficult. We will continue to work on the fundamentals and the aggressive nature of defending the ball that is required to be successful.
· Free Throw Attempts: Until this week, we were not getting many free throw attempts and our opponents were getting 25 or more. Despite what my wife thinks, this is not because the officials do not like us ;-). Instead it was because we did not attack the rim after we moved the defense and because we were trying to do too much in the offense one on one. The other teams were shooting a lot of free throws because we were not putting enough pressure on the ball and our help defense was not quick enough to get proper position so they reached and got called for fouls.

Upcoming: We have a scrimmage at Grand Ledge on Thursday, December 22^nd then 3 days off for Christmas. We then practice Monday 26^th through the 28^th to prepare for our game at Grand Rapids West Catholic on December 29^th.

Other: Early in the season we asked your sons to list 3 team and 3 individual goals. We will work on how to write effective goals (S.M.A.R.T) later but I wanted to list some of what they had to say.

· Make the team better
· Play team basketball
· Be the best defender
· Everyone develop into better players
· Develop a better jump shot
· Become a close, cohesive group
· Win & have fun
· Become a better ball handler, don’t panic
· Win a district
· Be a leader, even if not voted captain
· Win the league
· Lead the team in assists and be the best teammate that I can be.

I am very honored to work with and proud of this group of young men. We are growing and developing with a “growth” mindset. It is a real pleasure to watch them develop and reach their goals. Thanks for all the positive comments about this communication; I really enjoy talking to you about your sons.

Thanks

Coach Dartt

@coach_dartt

517.231.3113

coachd33@gmail.com

Coach's Note Issue #2 Dec 12, 2016

2016-12-12T14:21:00.003-05:00

Coaches Note –

Well, well, well, that wasn’t exactly the start to the season we were working for. On the down side, we saw our team lose two games that we could have won. On the up side, we witnessed our team improve in many areas and looked competitive on Friday.

What your son and our team have been working on: Our team has a lot of diverse players that will ultimately make this a very good team. It is our focus to figure out who works best and creates the most productive group. We have shot poorly in both games so shooting is of course a focus, but more importantly, the focus has been on being disciplined in the offense to get great shots versus good ones and on limiting turnovers. We have also been talking a lot about toughness.

· Offensive Execution – We were pleased with the improvement from Tuesday to Friday regarding our half-court offense. Because of proper spacing, player movement and passes, we were able to get much better shots (open) than the previous game. When we look at the shots taken in games, we are evaluating them on the following scale:

o The best shooter should have the most shots and our worst shooter should have our best FG%(only takes lay-ups, wide open shots).

o Cougar Rating System *adapted from Coach Don Meyer(We want most of our shots to be 3s or 4s.)

§ 4 = Wide Open Lay-Up

§ 3 = Wide open shot by good shooter

§ 2 = Contested shot by good shooter or open shot taken by a poor shooter.

§ 1 = Terrible shot(contested shot taken by poor shooter)

§ 0 = Turnover (Poor decision, contested, little chance of success).

· Reducing Turnovers – We had 31 turnovers on Tuesday (sorry to those who witnessed that!). The good news is that we reduced that number to 22 on Friday. There are many reasons for turnovers and reducing them in a contest is a real challenge. To improve, we need to make sure we understand how to play basketball with each other. We must know that given a certain action that our teammates will most certainly perform a reaction that makes sense. The other component of poor passing is speed. We are asking our kids to go faster than they have in the past. This will cause more turnovers for us in the beginning of the season. We will gradually see that number improve. We should be able to get our turnovers to 12 – 15 per game maximum, by the end of the season.

· Toughness – Toughness in sport has many components. Athletes need to be physically tough, going after loose balls, boxing out to get the rebound, sprinting the floor when their legs tell them “no”, etc. They also need to be mentally tough. Being able to listen to teammates and coaches in the heat of the battle and convert that information into something useful is challenging. Athletes also need to be emotionally tough. They need to be able to handle a bad call, a teammate criticizing them, a mistake made in front of their friends and families, or a coach correcting them. We witnessed some real growth in the emotional part of our game from the first half of Tuesday’s game to the end of the Friday game. We will continue to emphasize the importance of not reacting negatively to officiating or a teammate’s bad play. Please help us with this part by applauding their emotional toughness when you see it.

Upcoming: Second week of play is about to begin. We play Jackson Lumen Christi at home on Tuesday following the 9^th grade and JV games. On Friday we host league opponent Eaton Rapids at 6pm.

Other: We have shot a combined 26 free throws vs our opponents who have shot a combined 61. We need to find ways to limit our opponent’s opportunities and increase ours from the free throw line. There is more discussion to come on this topic next week.

Thank You and God Bless!

Coach Brian Dartt

Assistant Basketball Coach - Lansing Catholic High School

Teacher - Olivet High School

Twitter: @coach_dartt

Mobile: 517.231.3113

coachd33@gmail.com

Coach's Note - Issue #1 Dec 2, 2016

2016-12-12T14:19:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the 2016/2017 season! It is with great optimism and hope that I write this letter to you. It has been a great 3 weeks of basketball practices. Our team is getting ready to challenge for another league title and a possible tournament run.

These are lofty goals for sure given all the athletes that graduated but we have some very dedicated and talented upperclassmen that are familiar with our system and underclassman who bring a lot of skill, energy and enthusiasm. Through regular emails I intend to communicate with you throughout the season about the team and your son. I am hoping that it will connect you to the program and allow you to get to know us a little better. We (the coaching staff) hope that you feel comfortable discussing your son or the team anytime. We are in this together and want what is best for your son and the entire team.

What your son and our team have been working on: At the beginning of every season there is a mad dash to get “everything” in. Offense, defense, transition offense, transition defense, press attack, zone press, man to man press, quick hitters versus zone, quick hitters versus man to man, baseline out of bounds (BLOBS) plays, etc. It can seem overwhelming for your sons at times. Not only are we focusing on the above concepts and all that goes into breaking them down and teaching them, but we are also working to help each player develop the fundamental skills to be successful.

With all that said, I want to share the concepts or ideas that we have really tried to emphasize.

Communicate – we expect our athletes to talk on defense by calling out what they are doing. This simple talking on defense can increase our focus and energy and create a cohesive defensive unit. Athletes are expected to talk on offense by calling out the player’s name that they are passing to. The entire team is to call out any named offensive play. Interesting Note: You will hear our athletes call out “WOLF” during practice or games. This is a warning for the ball handler that a defender is coming from behind. This warning actually came from the days that Darren Zwick and I played at Olivet College for Gary Morrison. We also are urging our kids to communicate with their teammates and coaches about what they think they are good at and what they want help to improve. We are helping each of our athletes be an advocate for themselves, letting the coaching staff what they need. •
Tempo – we are a relatively small squad who does not want to spend a lot of time playing half-court basketball against bigger and stronger athletes. Our goal is to wear teams out by transitioning on offense and pressuring on defense. Ultimately this will give us the opportunity for easy scores as our opponents find it difficult to keep up. At times we are asking our kids to go faster than they are comfortable. The only way for them to become comfortable playing a skilled sport like basketball at the speed that is necessary, is to actually do it.

Upcoming: The season is about to begin. We play Okemos at home on Tuesday following the 9th grade and JV games. On Friday we host league rival Williamston at 6pm. We will be playing the first game of a varsity double header on Friday’s.

Thanks

Coach Dartt @coach_dartt
517.231.3113
coachd33@gmail.com

Video Notes - Al Marshall's 2-3 Zone

2014-01-06T21:35:00.001-05:00

I recently reviewed a very practical DVD on implementing a 2-3 zone defense. It is Al Marshall's 2-3 Zone. Following are my notes as I studied. I have also included a link to a PDF of the notes. This has been a very practical defense for us to utilize depending on the situation or the type of team we are playing.

Al Marshall’s 2-3 Zone “The Defense Your Opponents Will Hate”

Notes and implementation ideas.

Why consider playing a 2-3 zone?

1.       Limits # of Fouls
2.       Allows a coach to play less athletic players
3.       Rushes the opponent
4.       In HS most teams have average passers.
5.       Fewer offenses can run against this defense.
6.       Very adaptable to the personnel

3 Goals

1. No second shots
2. No layups
3. No fouls

3 Principles

1. High Active Hands

a. Keep ball from going inside and makes it hard to rotate the ball

2. Stay in your stance

a. Weak side so not vulnerable to pin screens. Be prepared to close out. Crucial that back side guys are in a stance with “heads on a swivel”.

3. Move on the flight of the ball

a. Meet when they actually get the pass.

Who should use it?

· Al uses it at the JV and Varsity level only.
· Not at lower levels because they want younger kids to work on footwork and principles even though the zone would probably be more effective at that level.

Basic Slides of the Al Marshall 2-3 Zone

· Basic Setup

o Two guards at elbows near the 3 point line– close enough to defend the high post.

§ Guards initially take away pass to middle until opponent goes to the high post. Then they have to move in.

o Two Forwards at “volleyball line”, a little higher than some 2-3 zones.

o Center is a little deeper than the forwards.

· Slides

o Vs 1-3-1 Offense

§ Initial pass to wing, forward is going to “Close out – Then retreat immediately with his back to the baseline”.

§ Allow guard to get to wing.

· Guard doesn’t have to get right in front. He should close out to high shoulder. This forces baseline into trap.

· Opposite guard is going to gap the high post and guard .

· Center is going to gap the high post and the short corner.

· Opposite forward is dropped into the lane with his “butt to the baseline”.

· Forward should be able to defend the pass to the short corner.

· If wing drives baseline side, the forward steps up and forms a natural trap with the guard on that side.

§ On reversal the opposite guard closes out and prevents direct drive to the basket. “Flare him to the elbows” . Help will come from either the guard or the opposite forward.

§ Ball is reversed to opposite wing.

· Forward closes out with proper fundamentals.

· Must take the shot away

· Off- take away the post or short corner

· (it is possible to alter this depending on the opponents personnel).

§ Center is not really concerned with the High Post guy.

§ On reversal the now opposite forward is dropped to block.

§ If ball comes into Side Post area. Want to front from the baseline side.

· Guard can help

· This allows the wing drive to come into a post player stepping out.

· Forms a natural double team.

§ Skip pass is handled the same way as a reverse through the middle guard.

· Opposite Forward will close out. And take the shot away.

· Screen and Skip pass – handling

o Opposite forward is going to go OVER THE TOP

o Center is going baseline side of post player.

· High Post to Short Corner pass,

o Center must go low to stop shortcorner cut to basket.

o Forward is going high hands to block

o Oppsiste forward gets into lane

o Guards swarm the ball OR center comes up and forwards drop.

· Short corner from wing pass

o Try to stop this happening with normal slides.

o High Post offensive player dives to rim.

o Forward and Center trap

o Opposite guard drops quickly.

§ Guard fronts post player dropping from high post.

o Ball side guard needs to get to the middle and he is guarding the wing and top of key.

§ Guards may have to switch spots to handle this situation.

· TEACH THE WHOLE FIRST (ALL OF THE ABOVE)

o Shell drill, offense going at about ½ speed.

o Get defense working on slides.

Individual and Team Drills

· Drill #1: Defensive stance

o 1 minute in stance (kids get a feel for what it feels like)

o Talk to players about what will happen in practice

· Drill #2: Step Slide

o 1 minute with push-step with hands up.

o Make sure hands stay up when they move.

o Two steps in each direction.

· Drill #3: Deflection Drill

o 3 players on the outside and 1 in the middle.

o 45 seconds at a time. Each person goes.

o Keep the passers closer. Adjust as they get better.

o Defense must be in a stance and keeps his hands up.

o About 12 feet apart.

o Anticipate

· Drill #4: Pressure Drill

o 2 players 1 ball.

o Offensive player can not dribble

o “Get into bubble”

o Defensive player should be very active with hands.

o Trying to stand him up.

o 20 to 30 seconds. Then rotate.

o Next

§ Dribble “right” – two dribbles and then pick it up.

§ Defense must pressure on both ends of the dribble.

· Drill #5: 1 on 1 full court

o Maybe every 3^rd night

o 1 on 1 conclusion – 3 times

o Sprint to recover

· Drill #6: 1 on 1 closeout

o Coach at ½ court

o 1 on 1 then offense passes to coach and then touches ½ court, defense touches baseline and he closes out and tries to contest shots.

· Drill #7: Closeout drill

o Focus on defender staying in stance

o Guard and forward on defense on weak side.

o Offense wing to wing pass.

o Work on show and recover

o “ON and OFF”

o Drill add: Skip pass to the corner

§ Forward stays on top

§ Guard gets to middle.

· Drill #8 – Guard Overload

o 1 -3 offense

o Working on moving guards and high post.

o High hands

· Drill #9 – Forward overload

o Coach at top with a wing player, corner player and post player.

o On pass to wing, he has to show and back to post.

o On pass to corner, he closes out

o Begin outside of post player

o Cheat inside first then get out.

· Drill #10 – Short Corner to High Post

o Let it go to shortcorner

o Opposite guard dives

o Center and forward trap

o Wing player and short corner and high post

o Only pass is to short corner

· Drill #11 – High post to the short corner

o Ball begins on wing.

o Forward starts up to work on his rotations.

o Ball to high post (high post throws a bounce pass every time).

· Drill #12 – Triangle Drill

o Post player, corner and wing. Wing player has ball

o On pass to corner

§ Center gets under, forward closes out and guard drops.

· NOW THE WHOLE

o Few minutes with scrimmage

DVD 2

· Common Offensive sets

o 4 out and 1 in.

§ Make sure the center is playing the low side of post player.

§ Ball goes into the post, then opposite guard goes into double the ball.

o 1 -3 – 1 with a high and low

§ Center is still playing on the low side.

§ Guards need to handle high post OR defend with Center and forwards drop.

o Skip pass with a screen on the baseline

§ Pass from wing to corner

§ Weak forward comes over the top and Center must guard post center on bottom.

§ Guard the ball side when skipped with forward getting to shooter and then ball side guard drops to help with post.

o Short Corner

§ Setup is 1-2-2 with opposite post going high

§ Pinch with guards OR have center guard high post.

· Special plays vs 2-3 zone

o Backscreen and Lob

§ 1-2-2 set.

§ Pass to wing and post player on ball side low, sets a back screen for opposite wing.

§ Defense: Opposite forward can step in the path or burrow backwards against screener.

· Pressure the passer

· Watch the guard because he usually backs up because they are passing.

o Screen drive and dish

§ Ball screen and pin in screen by forward.

§ Guard should go under the screen unless he is a shooter.

§ Forward defender needs to stay high

· How to Make Adjustments

o Athletic Guards

§ Have guards pick up higher and really moved everyone up a little.

§ Alternate setup is to line the players up in tandem

· This allows for more pressure on ball.

· On first pass it becomes regular

o 2 -2 -1 Press

§ “44” with denial and it will naturally flow into a Marshall’s defense

o 1-1-2-1

§ Best ball defender play M2M

§ On throw to wing then it begins in normal

o Outstanding player = 1-3 with a chaser

§ Forwards need to be higher.

§ Center gets the high post

o Trap the Elite player

§ Attack the Elite Player

§ Where ever he is, they trap.

o Shade Poor Shooter

§ Simple recognition – closeout effort

§ This allows you to pick who shoots.

§ Weak point guard shooter,

· Center handles the high post; guards put effort to getting to wings.

o Great Post Player

§ Opposite guard is going to dig with the strong side as well.

o Alternate Coverage for Short Corner

§ If a team keeps coming

· On pass to short corner

· Center goes to short corner and forward drops down

· Hold kids accountable, demand and sell this defense.

· Questions and Answers with Al Marshall

o What else do you emphasize?

§ Good shots and limit turnovers so they do not get good transition hoops.

§ Try not to foul.

§ Turn teams into perimeter jump shooters.

o Do you spend a lot of time on offense?

§ Yes, probably more time than on defense because it is harder to teach.

o How do you get players to buy-in to the 2-3?

§ Show examples of success.

o How do you decide what drills to do?

§ Use drills directly applicable to what we do on the court.

o How important are the three points of emphasis and three goals for your teams?

§ They work together to produce the outcome.

§ These things turn teams into a jump shooting team.

§ Keeps the ball fanned out on the perimeter.

o “Defense is important to me so if they would like to play, then defense better be important to them!” – Al Marshall

· Closing

o Make adjustments that make sense for you.

Order by November 17th and get it by Christmas

2013-11-01T10:58:00.003-04:00

Show your Eagle Pride! Check out this website to order Olivet Eagles basketball attire.

https://olivetbasketballspiritwear13.itemorder.com

Youth Coaches: Zone, Man Press?

2012-12-03T20:04:00.001-05:00

In the article linked below, Joe Haefner discusses the ideas of why some youth coaches consider playing a zone defense at young levels so appealing. Joe also discusses why your youth organization should fight against this concept.

www.breakthroughbasketball.com/defense/age.html

Olivet Youth Basketball

2012-12-03T19:52:00.000-05:00

Over the years many athletes have benefited from the selfless support members of our community have given to help Olivet Youth Basketball (OYB). This support has allowed us to provide an effective program that has benefited both the Men’s and Women’s programs at OHS. This year we plan to build on our past successes and to implement some new activities that build on what we know about how young children grow and develop. These new activities will provide more opportunities for students to develop developmentally appropriate skills as well as basketball knowledge. These skills should allow them to enjoy the sport of basketball for a long time.

Other schools have chosen a different path for their youth basketball programs and a trend of elitism has emerged. These schools have chosen to develop youth programs that focus primarily on working with players who mature early. Within these programs, the most mature 2^nd or 3^rd graders tend to handle the ball and take the most shots because they may be the only ones that have the physical ability to do so. This type of system does not value the normal developmental stages of children. In a system like this, coaches tend to hand pick the most mature players and pool them together to participate on “travel” squads. In effect, the early maturity of some players gives them the benefit of additional repetitions and increased coaching. These mature players represent only about 10% of all the children participating in OYB. In this type of system, the majority of young athletes do not get sufficient coaching and encouragement – some don’t participate at all.

It is my belief that this type of philosophy seriously undermines the integrity of a community’s basketball program. A program that focuses only on mature players in the very early grades will suffer from decreased participation and underdeveloped and burned-out players. By the time these young players reach middle and early high school, many aren’t interested in the sport – and neither are their parents.

The goal of OYB, grades K-3, is to nurture and support all athletes and encourage them to become well-rounded and active. Our program will strive to increase opportunities for all participants, no matter the maturity level or ability.

This year’s plan is to utilize the expertise of our volunteer coaches and create situations where all athletes will have a greater opportunity for success. The adjustments for our K through 3^rd grade include:

§ Continuing to add resources for coaches to be more effective.

§ Continue with co-ed K/1^st grade and keep the 3 on 3 format

§ Add 3 weeks to 2^nd and 3^rd graders.

§ Moving the 2^nd and 3^rd grade form co-ed to gender based.

§ Also allowing 2^nd and 3^rd graders to compete full court in a 4 on 4 environment.

The above changes will create a transition from the less competitive learning environment of the K/1^st grade part of our program to the more competitive travel league that our 4^th through 6^th graders compete in.

The goal of our basketball program is to help children become active and well-rounded, both athletically and socially. We hope a balanced approach to teaching basketball skills as well as recognizing other activities will help us do this. By making these changes we intend to increase the instruction level and student’s opportunities so they will be able to develop skills appropriately, which will lead to increased enjoyment of the sport of basketball.

We can always use more input and guidance at the board level for OYB. If you are interested let us know. Any comments, suggestions or questions are welcome at darttb@olivetschools.org.

Work to join the Shot Club!

2012-05-22T12:28:00.001-04:00

Eagle Pride Basketball

10,000 Made Shot Club

For Boys currently in 7th – 11th Grade

Beginning May 1st, 2012 – Ending November 11th, 2012 The Eagle Pride Basketball Made Shot Club is a chance for you to improve your shooting skills over the summer giving you a goal you can achieve. Making 10,000 quality shots during the course of the summer is all it takes to greatly improve as a shooter and become a member of the club. That is just 100 makes a day for 100 days. You actually have approximately 200 days between May 1st and the start of your basketball season. When you break it down, it shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes a day to make 100 quality shots. Challenge yourself or challenge your friends and get out there and get it done. You can do it!

How it Works

1. Attend a shooting clinic held by the Olivet Boys Basketball coaching staff on Sunday April 29th from 5pm – 6pm.

2. Register to be part of the club. There is a $15 fee to cover awards. Registrations forms are included in this packet.

3. Each day you shoot, choose one of the 3 workouts or create your own.

4. Record how many shots you make on the shooting chart for the workout you do.

5. Every Friday, email your weekly totals (made shots only) to Coach Dartt at coachd33@gmail.com. We will keep an updated list of shooting rankings on a chart in the HS gym.

6. Weekly goal should be a minimum of 500 makes. (In the 26 weeks of the program that would allow you to make 13,000 shots).

7. Throughout the summer and fall we will have open gym times that you can meet with coaches to re-evaluate your shot or help keep you on the right track. We will conclude the program with a post test on November 11th, 2012 at 6pm in the HS gym.

Note: Simulate game speed while shooting. Repetition will build shooting muscle memory. Every workout you will be gaining confidence after seeing hundreds of shots go through the net.

Reward Levels-Total Shots Made

Eagle Level – 10,000 made shots. Recognition at a varsity basketball game and a 10,000 shot club t-shirt.
Spartan Level – 15,000 made shots. Recognition at a varsity basketball game and a 15,000 shot club t-shirt.
Celtic Level – 20,000 made shots. Recognition at a varsity basketball game, 20,000 shot club t-shirt, and a 20,000 shot plaque.

How Much is too Much? Ideas for Balance in Your Kids’ Lives

2011-10-18T08:53:00.001-04:00

By: Coach Dartt

As a coach in our community I receive many questions regarding what is best for athletes that want to play basketball. The questions range from “How do I get my 3rd grade daughter interested in playing basketball?” to “My eight year old son is a great dribbler. What should I do to help him be a great high school player?” These are great questions and illustrate parents’ natural interest in helping their children succeed. From my perspective as a parent and a coach, I think we need to make sure we have a definition of success that is broader than individual achievement. Balance is the key here: balance among activities and experiences. And, perhaps the most difficult balance to achieve – teaching kids to demand much of themselves while still enjoying the activity itself.
History Tells Us…

From a basketball program perspective the worst thing we can do to our youth participants is narrow their scope of experiences. Our most productive athletes have been dual or three sport athletes that played in the band or sang in the choir. They were active in their family, school and church. Players like Karson Messenger, Geoff Britton and Joey Wilson exemplified “well rounded” individuals. When it came down to crunch time, these individuals had a perspective that allowed them to be successful.

Players like Zane Gay and Jason Fox were great players not because they were on “traveling” teams in 2nd grade but because they were supported and encouraged to try many activities. They were supported whether they achieved individually or not and the emphasis was on enjoyment of participation and improvement rather than winning. These players were successful because of their genetic gifts, parents that supported and held them to a high moral standard, and their intrinsic desire to become the best they can be. These same players might have quit the game of basketball had it been over emphasized at a young age.

What Can Work…
Following are some basketball ideas or skills that are age appropriate. If you want to provide an environment and the support that can foster a love for basketball, encourage development of the following skills and attitudes.

First through Third Grade
• Encourage participation in many activities.
• Focus on non-competitive basketball events.
• Begin teaching rules; watch games on television together.
• Attend the high school games.
• Introduce the idea of teamwork through discussions while observing competitions.
• Teach skills like catching, dribbling, and shooting (only with a small, light ball on a 6’ to 8’ rim).

Fourth thru Sixth Grade
• Continue to encourage participation in many activities.
• Play in the Olivet Youth Basketball League.
• Participate in skill development clinics held throughout the state (See resource section at end of article)
• Work ethic: help children understand that it is ok to work and sweat at improvement.
• Emphasize skills such as shooting and passing.
Seventh & Eighth
• Olivet Middle School basketball runs from November (Boys) through February (Girls)
• Fundamental skill development like Jason Otter’s School of Basketball. (See resource section at end of article)
• Face the basket moves
• Skills: Shooting, Passing, Catching, Athletic Stance, Teamwork, V-Cuts

High School
• Athleticism
• Coachability/Eye contact and listening skills
• Post play, post entry passes
• Pick and roll
• Traveling summer teams
• Summer clinics (team and individual)
• Teamwork
• Fundamentals: Stance, Teamwork, Shooting, Ball-handling

Varsity
• Post moves
• AAU
• Reading the defense
• Passing off of the dribble
• All fundamentals mentioned above.

Creating a healthy, happy, and responsible child is becoming more difficult every day. Athletics and other extracurricular activities can be a great tool that parents can use to teach responsibility, respect, teamwork, work ethic, perseverance, and many other positive attributes. If pushed too early, a child may make the personal choice not to participate.

At the same time, kids often need an example or some encouragement to step out, try hard, and enjoy something new. Let’s start early in teaching our kids that a broad array of experiences and balance between individual achievement and teamwork is how Olivet defines success.

Resources

Web Sites
 http://www.otterbasketball.com/ Jason Otter is an expert at teaching the fundamentals of the game from the physical aspect as well as the mental.
 http://www.powerbasketball.com/ a youth basketball coaching and athletic resource
 http://www.yboa.org/ Youth Basketball of America is an international governing body which promotes youth basketball worldwide.
 http://www.basketball-drills-and-plays.com/youth-basketball-drills.html As a youth basketball coach, your main job is to make sure your kids have fun, and develop good discipline and physical conditioning.

Books

 Coaching Youth Basketball: The Guide for Coaches & Parents (Betterway Coaching Kids Series) by John P. McCarthy
 Youth Basketball Drills by Burrall Paye and Patrick Paye
 Coaching Basketball Successfully (Coaching Successfully Series) by Morgan Wootten

Coach Dartt has an extensive library of books, videos, and information gathered throughout his coaching career and while finishing his Master’s degree in Kinesiology, which are available to anyone who requests them.

Heifer International - Quinn Dartt

2011-08-21T16:46:00.002-04:00

My son has decided to do something to help others in need. He has created a website to collect money for this worthy cause. Please check out the link below. Thanks for helping.

From Quinn:
"My Grandma and Grandpa Bartlett have donated to Heifer International for many years. Their support has motivated me to find ways to help needy children around the World.

Team Heifer is a grassroots movement to end hunger and poverty. Your support will help families in need achieve self reliance and sustainable livelihoods.

Please donate towards my goal today and join the fight against world hunger!"

Coaching and Leadership Books

2011-08-03T14:34:00.002-04:00

As August begins, I find myself reflecting on what influences I have had in my life. In particular the influences that have helped me be a head coach. I have had many people and experiences change the path of my life. Most of my success as a coach is attributed to many people that have entered my life to teach me a timely piece of life information. It is hard to share in a blog most of these situations or advice. However, I have also been influenced through hundreds of books about coaching, managment and leadership. I have attached a list of 20 valuable books that I have used to help me be a better coach. Check out my collection of coaching books in the list to the right. They are in no particular order. Enjoy!

Olivet Eagles High School Basketball Home - MaxPreps

2010-03-01T08:56:00.000-05:00

Follow the Eagles....

Olivet Eagles High School Basketball Home - MaxPreps

How to track the Olivet High School Boys Basketball Team

2010-01-26T14:08:00.000-05:00

Media coverage may seem like a minor issue when dealing with a high school athletic team. However, coverage can add a different dimension to a program because of increased community involvement. If the community is informed about the good things that are happening then a sense of pride and enthusiasm becomes the prevailing attitude surrounding your team.

We are currently in a league that is not covered by the area media. We previously were covered by the Lansing State Journal and the Battle Creek Enquirer. Even though they post our scores, sometimes, we are really not on their radar. So in an effort to inform the community of our efforts I have been posting team information and links to any articles that are published onto Max Preps. The direct website to our page is:

http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/zkIXKjIXgka9_bQpgRPMlg/olivet-eagles/basketball/home.htm

You can also just go to http://www.maxpreps.com/ and lookup Olivet.

Team Captains

2010-01-22T09:32:00.000-05:00

A Team Captain
A team captain is an integral part of a successful team. The good captain has the ability to motivate, encourage and keep in line the entire team. Without a good captain it is easy for a team to spiral into negativity when adversity hits. The coach should always have a finger on the pulse of his team and he can only do that if he has a trusted captain to help him lead the group.
Our captains have come in all ages, abilities and personalities. Even though they may go about it in different ways a good captain will have the following:
1. The respect of his teammates which will let them guide the team to do the right thing on and off the court.
2. Knowledge of the program and its nuances and rules.
3. The ability to communicate at various levels, being able to discuss important issues with fellow players, coaches and the media.
4. The desire to push his physical limits, thus leading by example.
5. The confidence to be unafraid of ridicule if he says something unpopular.
A captain can accomplish the above through words or actions. Most of the best leaders will lead by example AND be vocal. A successful captain is modest and humble yet very enthusiastic about the team.
Our captains in Olivet are developing. We have 3 captains who have very different personalities. They all understand the game and our system. They all do a great job of communicating with the coach. Best of all, they all work to make us better.

Championship Ramblings

2010-01-13T13:22:00.001-05:00

Tuesday Jan 12, 2010: We lost a heart breaker last night against the number 2 team in the state of Michigan. Schoolcraft showed all the poise, skill and confidence of a highly ranked team that had been in the state championship game the year before. The final score was 80 – 66 but everyone who witnessed the game will tell you it was a lot closer than the score at the buzzer. Early in the 4th quarter we actually held a 3 point lead.
I have been asked many times by fellow coaches, “How does someone get a team from being average to playing like a champion?”. The thing that I have realized more than anything is that the answer to that question is always changing. It depends on relationships with players, physical and mental ability of your athletes as well as the system of play.
One of the keys is to get kids to believe they can be champions. Championships can be relative; one team thinking that winning a league title is a great accomplishment while another may think that only winning a State Championship is success. Each coach and team must define their own success.
To get a team to believe they can be a champion they must witness a team playing at that level. We purposefully go to Hope Team Camp each summer so that we can witness and play against championship caliber opponents. This gives our kids a feel for what it will take to get to that level.
We are currently competing with the upper level teams in our league but our record is only 2-5. All five losses are to good teams that deserved the victory. However, all five losses could have been wins IF a few little things could have been taken care of. The number one thing we are struggling to achieve is leadership. Our leaders are not getting the most out of their teammates.

Possible Letter to Parents

2010-01-12T13:38:00.000-05:00

The following is a modified example of a parent communication from the MHSAA.

Dear Parent:

I have been entrusted with your child for 2-4 hours a day for the next four months. During that time they will run, jump, shoot, dribble, sweat, laugh, cry, pout, push themselves to exhaustion, learn sportsmanship, learn the rules of the game, learn something new about basketball or themselves each day, get angry with themselves, get angry with a teammate, get angry with the coach, learn to deal with their emotions, learn teamwork and go home in a good mood or a bad mood each day.

As their coach I will learn that my players are either in shape or out of shape, leaders or followers, good shooters or not so good shooters, good ball handlers or not so good ball handlers, aggressive or not very aggressive, able to follow directions or not able to follow directions, good sports or not so good sports, able to deal with disappointment or not able to deal with disappointment, quick learners or not so quick, able to accept their role on the team or not able to and I will go home each day in a good mood or a bad mood.

We are in this together. There will be extreme highs after big wins or outstanding individual performances. There will be extreme lows after heartbreaking losses or dreadful performances. I will have to deal with each player in a different way in all these situations since they are all different individuals. I have experience as a coach. I am not a psychologist although at times I must try to be one. I do not have all the answers. I will not be able to push all the right buttons at the right time. But I will make decisions based on what is best for the team. It might not be best for an individual, but since that individual is part of the team, he must understand and accept it.

I will make my decisions based on hours of contact with your son. I see them in school. I see them in the gym. I see them in the locker room. I see them on the team bus. I get to know them very well. I know their strengths and their weaknesses when it comes to basketball. They will know their place on this basketball team. They might not be happy with that place, but they have an opportunity every day in practice to bring about change. Their playing time will be in direct correlation with how well they do in practice. How they perform in practice will determine how much playing time they get.

Direction: Where are we heading?

2010-01-12T12:49:00.000-05:00

Below is our program's mission and goals.

Olivet Eagle Philosophy

1. Coaches will possess the ability to connect with kids and have a deep understanding of the game. Throughout our program we should create an environment which allows for maximum learning.

2. We are committed to the continuous and systematic development of specific basketball skills. If you are not good at something it is hard to have a good time doing it. Without the proper development of these specific basketball skills, good athletes will drop out of our program.

3. Success for athletes and teams will be defined together by coaches and athletes and will include individual and team goals beyond the win-loss record. Winning will never be the sole goal of this program. Competition will be utilized to create better players and better teams.

The Program

The Program includes all male athletes that compete in basketball for Olivet Community Schools from 7th through 12th grade. It also includes all coaches, managers, statisticians and cheerleaders. For the purpose of this handbook the term “Program” will refer just to the players unless otherwise noted.

Creating a consistent and cohesive program is fundamental to the Olivet Tradition so that we take full advantage of the opportunities we have with these athletes to help them become the best athletes they can be. More importantly helping them become the best person they can be.

A consistent program will also help perpetuate itself. The longer we have athletes in our program, the more we can teach them about our philosophy, methods and principles. By doing this we help future community members understand and appreciate Olivet Tradition and create a desire to have their children play in the Program.

Mission

To nurture the young men in our program and to help them understand the value and responsibility of being an Olivet Eagle.