Coaching Beyond the Court: Tools for Success at the UPB Coaches Clinic

2 Minute read
By: Andrea Aruino

UPBasketball will be hosting another coach’s clinic this year on Monday, October 6 from 6:30pm-8pm. During this clinic, current coaches or those who are aspiring to be a coach are all encouraged to engage in learning what best practices work when leading a group of players. Coach’s clinic this year will be led by Coach Packie and Coach Hannah who are highly seasoned coaches. Their main goal is to share what has worked for them and how others can tailor their style of coaching to one that works best for their players. 

Three main themes will be the focus of this clinic including practice planning, skill development, and coaching leadership. Being a coach encompasses more than just teaching players how to make a defensive stop or score as many points as possible. Being an effective coach requires an open-mind and the willingness to do whatever it takes to create a safe space for your players that challenges them and allows them to grow. Strategy is one of the most important components this clinic will be teaching. Not only will Coach Packie and Hannah focus on what plays work best but they will focus on how to reach players in a way that places everyone under the same goal. 

“At the coaches clinic we will be giving tools to the coaches they can use for practice planning, game situations, and even tools for off the court. Just giving them different ideas on strategies,” Coach Hannah said. 

These game situations include defensive and offensive drills that can be run during practices. Off the court activities include creating a schedule that works for the team and how to use the time one has with their team, as effectively as possible. Planning also requires incorporating how the role of each player or staff member will be beneficial to your team’s goals during each season. For example creating a starting five and knowing which bench players to substitute into the game and when is something to think about. Although some coaches attending this clinic may not know who their starting five or bench is, this is a good place to ideate how they want their defense and offense to run. 

One thing our coaches consistently strive to instill in every clinic is the importance of mindset. Coaches bear the responsibility of being the foundation to a team’s success. Culture, mindset, and passion starts with how they start and it’s up to the players to keep that train going. During this clinic, our UPB coaches will make sure to emphasize how and why it’s important to create a strong and lasting connection with players. Creating a strong base for a team can lead to many successes that don’t always look like winning a championship. 

By the end of the clinic, Coach Packie and Hannah want to share just how valuable it is to be able to share knowledge from one coach to another. Although they’re the ones leading the clinic, each coach will have an opportunity to share their experiences and be able to learn from each other. It’s a space where coaches can ask questions and be open about what they are either struggling with or what works for them. 

“People are the best learning resources. Everyone has different experiences and being able to talk to people and learn from others is a great way to learn and train as a coach. If coaches can take even one  thing new that they didn’t know or didn’t think of then to me that’s a success,” Coach Hannah said.

UPBasketball welcomes anyone who is interested in learning what it means to be a coach. It’s a space where anyone can grow, build connections with other coaches, and prepare for the upcoming basketball season. This clinic will serve as a hub to learn and exchange knowledge. Sign up here and we hope to see you there!