“I can’t put you in the game if I can’t trust you”

These are the famous words that most players that find themselves on the bench when it matters hear... and hate! But they are true. Coaches play players that give the team the best chance to win games and if players can’t consistently make the right play or turn the ball over too much, eventually they will lose their coach’s trust to execute down the stretch of close games.

Every competitive player wants to be on the court when the game is on the line and every player wants the green light, but those are earned through consistent, steady play. Coaches LOVE low-risk, high reward players that value every possession and make plays within their system.

As a coach/trainer, it’s our job to teach players how to work and how to play. Part of teaching them how to work is teaching them what to work on. We live in a society where basketball workouts are dominated by flashy, innovative drills, because that is what sells. I’ll admit that when I started my career as a skills coach, I used tons of clown drills (drills that look cool but lack substance) because I bought into the crap as well. But as I’ve matured and grown as a teacher of the game, I have become obsessed with helping players work on and master the skills they’ll need in games to help their team win.

But it can’t stop there. After you help players master the skills they’ll need in games, you have to ensure that they are using those skills in games and the best way to do that is by repping game-like decision making drills that force them to read and react just like they will in games. Now, you are teaching them how to play the game, which is one of the greatest skills a coach can have.