The road to success is rarely quick and easy, not for basketball and not for life. This halftime speech draws attention to that and the constant battle on the court for victory. Hopefull it’ll inspire you to never give up! Be sure to ‘Like’ on Facebook!

A few weeks back we showed you a trailer of the inspirational documentary about former UW baller Isaiah Thomas. Here’s the latest trailer for film created by T.J. Regan which is set to be released next year. This story shows just how far hard work and dedication can take you. Share with your friends, and maybe you can inspire them!

Check out this little mix tape of a variety of different moves you should definately try out on the competition. Watch out though, as you can see from the video, not all of the moves go according to plan. Enjoy and share with y0ur friends!

Lebron James does a little showing off at practice and takes it back all the way to the other side of the court. Check out these shots!

This video runs through some of the basic ways of making the ball through the basket for all of you new ballers. Coach Tony from Kennesaw State University shows seven different key techniques that are necessities for every aspiring player. Check out this article from Coach Ken on the keys to Great Shooting.

Most of us can only dream of playing ball in the NBA. Isaiah Thomas’s story shows that that dream can become a reality with dedication and hard work. Despite being told again and again that he was too short for the pro’s this UW player put in the time and hard work to make it to the big time. 
Check out this trailer for the soon to be released documentary about Isaiah Thomas’s “Road to the NBA” created by T.J. Regan and keep a lookout for the documentary due out next Winter.

Passing, shooting, dunking, dribbling and defending are all skills that every basketball player must master in order to become a truly great player. Yet there’s one more skill that isn’t taught by most coaches that can prove to be invaluable during a game. Acting. Check out this clip that shows some of the pros using their best moves to try to take advantage of every opportunity they can.

Getting the ball through the hoop can be a little challenging especially when you’re doing it from a springboard, yet some how this kid manages to swish his entire body through the hoop! Please, do yourself a favor and don’t ever try something like this on your own.

We’ve seen some wild trick shots over the past few months popping up on YouTube, but this little compilation of weirdness takes the cake. Every one of these shots was done by the same guy and each one gets a little crazier. This guy may have a little too much time on his hands. Check it out and try your own at home!

No matter how sick of a move you do on the court, it can be instantly ruined without the right finishing techniques when you get to the rim. These drills will give you a few ideas on how to practice a smooth transition from the court to the basket after any move you put on your defender. The drills are adaptable so that they can be moved to any direction on the court. Try them out and let us know what you think and be sure to share them on Facebook!

Coach John Kreese lays out a few quick offensive plays. This is a great option for setting up the layup and breaking through the zone defense. Try out this play with your team and check out more in Coach Ken’s archives Offense 101

Gold medal Team USA from the 2008 Summer Olympics shows off the moves that got the team the Gold. Jason Kidd, Lebron James, Manu Ginobili and Kobe Bryant show off their moves. Our personal favorite here at Guide to Coaching Basketball is the “behind the back” by Manu Ginobili. Share with your friends on Faceboook and tell us about your signature moves.

Dwayne Wade is known as an incredible ball player, and here he accredits his father for the well known windmill crossover. As Wade says in the video this move works best on smaller defenders but is even effective on larger defenders when perfected. Check out this move and let us know what you think.

Great video for understanding how to execute a Triangle offense as well as the benefits and negatives for the play. The video also breaks down the different shot options for the play and how the play operates against different defenses. Enjoy the video and be sure to share with your friends on Facebook!

Check out this shot from a college game back in 2005! 00.6 seconds left on the clock and he hurls it from one end of the court to the other to win the game, amazing shot!

Squats, box jumps, deadlifts, regardless of the training technique you use to increase your vertical, we can all agree that it generally sucks. So here’s a little inspiration to get you amped about your next training session. Check it out, and share it with your friends!

Kobe Bryant has been an incredible player his entire basketball career, which began after being recognized as the greatest high school basketball player in the country. After his graduation he went straight into the NBA and has won multiple NBA Championships and MVP awards since. So why not learn from one of the best players of the last two decades? Here are a few of Kobe’s Signature moves that help make Kobe one of the best! Check out more techniques at our Home Page.

Check out these five moves broken down by Sedale Threatt. There aren’t too many feelings more gratifying than seeing the confused look on the face of your opponent as you blow past them after completing one of these quick moves. Our personal favorite is the double between the legs crossover around the back. Like this video if you think you can master all five moves !

This video lays out several options for creating pressure on the offense using easy to follow examples and great tips for your young players. These five great plays will give you and your players a variety of options when playing the offense and attemptng to regain control of the ball. Enjoy! And be sure to share on Facebook!

Winning shot, off the back! This is the kind of shot that will make any player unforgetable. This kids was only a sophomore when he made this shot to send the Minnesota team into a double overtime and eventually win the State Championship! Awesome shot! Be sure to share this with your friends!

Here’s a little video from Coach Pat that lays out a prime offensive play from UCLA. This is a great video to use for a reference when teaching your young players some different options with the half court offense. Check out some of Coach Ken’s offensive plays at the following link Basketball Offense 101

Check out the Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown winner Zach Jonesy and some of his top moves from the event! Take it from him that creativity is ultimately what wins this type of competition. It’s awesome if you can pull some of the same moves that the big ballers are throwing out but making up your own is ultimately whats going to set you apart. Be sure to share this with your friends!

Here are three great conditioning exercises that will both get your young players into shape and help to hone their layup skills. Each of the exercises is flexible, so when your players are less challenged with a particular drill you can add more sets or repetitions to ensure that they are constantly being pushed.

Check out Coach Ken’s article on how to teach the one handed Driving Layup a critical move that these drills help to strengthen!

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Coach Pat outlines a great, 55 second drill for your young players! Ball handling is an essential skill to practice for your little ballers, and this drill does an incredible job of working ball handling in with a great conditioning exercise. Basketball season will be here before you know it so train hard! Be sure to share this with your players on Facebook!

Time and time again the game can come down to the last few seconds. Here’s a play that can mean the difference between a win and a loss for your young players. This play provides four different options for your players to make that final shot. Check out Coach Ken’s Archives here for more key plays for your team and be sure to share this with other coaches!

At Guide to Coaching Basketball we love to bring you some of the best B-ball videos we can to keep you up to date on the wild moves and training techniques out there. But here’s a little mix of the moves we hope you’ll never have to get caught doing on or off the court. See anyone you know? Share this with your friends who you’ve seen pull some of these moves!

The ability of your players to quickly release the ball back to the basket after a rebound will greatly determine the success of your team. Here is a quick video of how to give your players a little more of an edge after they recover a rebound by teaching them to position themselves in a lower stance. This lower stance or “dip” not only gives them more protection from the opponent, it also allows them to explode from the lower postion to the basket. Help out your team mates by showing them this technique!

Coach Ken lays out some other rebounding moves that will give your players that game winning edge at the following link: Rebounding that Wins Games

Footwork has become one of the most important fundamental skills for ball players and here Magic Johnson lays out a simple training exercise for strengthening that skill. Although this drill is very straightforward it engages the entire body and very efficient. Suggest this exercise to your players!

Hard work and training can teach you to be an incredible athlete, pushing you to be faster, more agile and stronger than your opponents. But no amount of hard work can teach you the moves that Shaq and LeBron showed off during this dance off. Take notes! Are these players headed to “America’s Best Dance Crew” after the NBA?

Speed and agility are vital for any player to be successful in basketball. Training techniques like those shown in this video are what carved the  fundamental skills that players like Allen Iverson and LeBron James use everytime they come up against an opponent. The agility and speed of your players is what determines whether they take the ball to the hoop, or have the ball taken from them. Share this with your friends and team mates!
A special thanks goes out to Coach Ido Singer for producing such a quality instructional video. If you liked this video, check out more videos by Coach Ido Singer at his website www.IdoBasketball.com or his YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/user/idolb8!

Smooth offensive transitions are vital to the success of every team, and the earlier your players learn the fundementals of this, the better off your team and each individual player wil be in the future. Mark Watkins, the NSW Basketball National Champions coach, shows us the ins and outs of the offensive transition by slowing down and describing each key element. Take some time to check this out with your team mates!

If your looking for a little more training material check out Coach Kens Basketball Offense 101

For all of you coaches who want to get your little ballers playing like this kid, check out some of Coach Kens training articles at the following link: Summer Manual for the Gym Rat.

We gave you a little preview of T Dub a few weeks back from the 2010 Nike Contest, here’s a little compilation of a few dunks you’ve never seen before. This guy is incredible! With a 55″ vertical leap, every dunk looks effortless. Our only question here @ GuidetoCoachingBasketball is: can anyone top this guy? Share this with your friends!

Coach Ken breaks down some additional techniques to break past your opponents here: Nine Fundamental Skills of Basketball. Thanks Coach Ken!

Here’s a couple different new drills for some of your more advanced little players. The touch-and-go drills and the 7 foot barrier are two unique ways to train your players on what to do when they come up against a larger opponent. Stay low, be aggressive and the opponents size won’t be a problem.

Coach Ken lays out a great training plan for the offseason on the following page: Suggestions for Physical Training in the Offseason Put in the training now so you’ll be unstoppable come game time!

Offensive basketball is primarily played with the ball in a teammates’ hands. Four-Fifths of the time, you don’t have the ball. What you do with this time has a direct relationship to your and the team’s success. It all starts with your fundamental position. Coach Bob Hurley gives a great lesson in the video above. Have a watch.

Coach Ken breaks the Motion Offense down further for us on the following page: How to teach and coach the Motion Offense This page will literally walk you through where you need to be, where you need to go, and how the motion offense fundamentally works. Get it in motion!

Here’s a few training techniques for all you coaches looking to bring your little ballers to the next level! This sixth graders skill is incredible and shows how far hard work and commitment can take your players. Be sure to share this with your friends on Facebook!

Check out  Jacob Tucker. Although he attended a smaller school (Illinois College) he was able to get himself accepted into the 2011 NCAA dunk contest from this viral video he uploaded to YouTube. Over 4.3 million views sealed his fate and earned him a berth into the big college dunk contest.

His victory was just getting there. But he also held his own and performed quite well against the big boys. For all you ballers with big dreams beyond your small school or small town, remember that it can get done if you work hard … and have an insane 50″ vertical! Enjoy this video. It serves as an inspiration to all of us small guys with big dreams!

If you’re looking for an NBA player to model your game after … look no further. Start taking notes, cause this guy has it all. Keep it up Dirk.

This guy is just ridiculous. Although we @ GuideToCoachingBaksetball.com stress learning and developing the fundamental skills of the game, getting some serious hops and fine tuning a few insane dunks can also get you to some great places … just take it from T-Dub!

Enjoy this compilation of T-Dub’s winning effort in the 2010 Nike Dunk Contest in L.A.

Some times just looking at a pure shot is enough said…. Ray Allen definitely has that shot.

Make some notes as you see him extend through the shot, line up the ball and his body, and of course – follow through. Everything looks good right down to the back spin on the ball. There is a reason you hear these things over and over. They really do work. And there is no reason besides a lot of perfect practice that you can not have a shot as sweet as Ray’s….

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So you want to teach your youth basketball players how to shoot. Start with the fundamentals and the Mikan Layup drill!

Your players probably want to start practice off by warming up with some deep threes, but do yourself and them a favor and have them begin in close with this simple, effective drill. Gone are the days of missed layups!

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Sometimes there’s just no way to coach your players to hit that buzzer beating shot. In those instances … it pays to have to have this guy throwing it up. Nice shot dude!

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Check out this simple youth basketball drill to improve your players’ on one-on-one defense. The best offense, starts with great defense and defending the dribbler is the single most important defensive skill to develop for a youth basketball player.

This drill should be fundamental to your practices. If you’re not actively working on your players’ footwork, start @ your next practice! Good luck coaches.

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You can’t win with turnovers! Help your ball handlers protect that ball by putting them through a series of routine and regular ball handling exercises. Your guards should have a foundation built on solid, fundamental ball handling.

Try incorporating these 2-ball drills into their practice routine. These “two ball same” / “machine gun” / “high low” / “two ball kill” / “two ball chase” drills will get your guards protecting that ball and with time these skills will help establish qualtiy ball handling skills which will become second nature, and help your ball players lift their heads and see the floor even better. What are you waiting for, get to dribbling now!

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This story inspired our country last year. If you haven’t seen Jason McElwain’s story yet, now is the time. If you’ve seen it before, it’s worth seeing again.

Jason is an inspiring student athlete not only for the autistic and disabled communities, but for anyone who understands the value of a good teammate, friend and role model. Watch this CNN news article and take a lesson on how to be a better teammate. If you and your players can follow Jason’s example, your team will be better for it. ENJOY!
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Dude Perfect!

Dude! Perfect! You’ve got to love these guys. Maybe it’s not a great idea to highlight these guys and their trick shots on a website that focuses on teaching the fundamentals of the game … but you’ve got to admit that they’ve got skills and what they’re doing is very cool. I guess we can at least say that if you practice enough, you too can make incredible basketball shots like these guys.

Enjoy watching some of the most amazing basketball shots you’ll ever see. These Dudes are … well … Perfect!

Simple Motion Offense for a Youth Basketball Team

Learn how your youth players can be active and create open shots with a simple Motion offense. If you have only 1 play in your playbook, this is the play for a youth basketball team. With this simple philosophy, your team will never be caught standing around on offense.

Any good youth basketball coach has a simple motion offense in their arsenal. Watch the video and then go HERE to get some visual aids. Good luck!

Improve Footwork – Improve Speed – Defense Wins!

The importance of good footwork on the defensive side of the court can’t be overstated enough. Besides just getting your footwork correct, its important to develop quickness and reactivity time too. This simple drill is a great way to get your players to not only practice proper footwork, but to increase speed, reactivity and develop muscle memory. Watch this video and add this into your practice routine!