COLE VALLEY CHRISTIAN BOYS BASKETBALL PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY!

Transcription

1 COLE VALLEY CHRISTIAN BOYS BASKETBALL PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY! Purpose! This program exists to carry out the mission of Cole Valley Christian Schools by shepherding, challenging and preparing students through the game of basketball. In each area of the program we will seek to honor Christ in our attitude, actions and speech.! Style of Play! We play an attacking, up tempo style of basketball. This style requires a high level of drive, enthusiasm, intelligence and conditioning. It also demands sound individual fundamentals and consistent teamwork from the opening tip to the final buzzer of each game. Core Values! Our program will be built upon our core values of attitude, teamwork, toughness, aggressiveness, character and knowledge. Our commitment to these values will allow us to out-work, out-execute and out-play our opponents. The following qualities are the most valued components of our program. These qualities should not only characterize our overall team play, but should be easily identifiable in each player. Our values are identified with the acronym ATTACK: A Attitude: Our players must possess positive, energetic and determined attitudes when faced with a difficult challenge. Adversity should be accepted as an opportunity rather than a setback. (Philippians 2:5) T Teamwork: Our ability to work together in an efficient manner will dictate what we are able to accomplish. It enables us to accomplish something that cannot be achieved by individual efforts. This must be a key component of who we are. Our strength will be found in our ability to blend our individual skills and strengths into one cohesive unit. (1 Corinthians 1:10) T Toughness: Our team must be made up of players who are both mentally and physically strong; who are characterized by an uncompromising determination to finish what they set out to accomplish. We must never give up or give in! (Hebrews 12:1-3)

2 A Aggressiveness: As a team we want to be the aggressor on both ends of the floor. We want push our opponents to their limits, keeping them off balance and out of sync. Each player must possess an internal intensity and drive to compete on every possession. (1 Corinthians 10:31, Colossians 3:23) C Character: We expect our players to display Christ-like character on and off the court. Integrity, respect, sportsmanship, responsibility and servant leadership are found in the character of a champion. (Titus 2:6-8) K Knowledge: Each player must be a student of the game, viewing each day as on opportunity to learn something new. He must also know his role and work hard to fulfill his role when called upon. It is critical to play our best when our best is needed. We pride ourselves on knowing how to handle each situation that we encounter, being ready to make a play. Defense! We are committed to playing solid team defense every game. Our defense will help us establish the tone for how the game will be played. We want to set this tone and not allow the other team to settle into their offense. We will use both man-to-man and zone defensive schemes to keep our opponents off balance. The key elements to our man-to-man defense are: Communication Closeouts On Ball Pressure Denial Defensive Help Hustle Plays Aggressive Rebounding Ball pressure will result from explosive closeouts that prevent the offensive player from shooting, driving, or passing the ball. We will relentlessly contain and harass the ball, preventing dribble penetration whenever possible. We will put an emphasis on preventing penetrating passes and look to make the offense pass the ball out to the perimeter as quick as possible. When it is passed out or reversed, we will close out with quickness and balance remaining in a pressure stance with active hands and feet. Every defender must commit to playing team defense in order for us to be successful. We will also stress our off ball defensive position. We will deny the pass to players one pass away. We will play on the line / up the line to help on defensive penetration. We will physically deny all basket cuts and force

3 cutters wide and/or behind us. We will front the strong side post and will help down or across when the ball in passed into the low block. Will give up no easy baskets and all shots must be contested. We will defend with a high level of tenacity, but keep fouling to a minimum. Vision (seeing the ball) and communication (talking to your teammates) will be keys to our defensive attack. Once the ball is dead, we will go into an all out denial position and anticipate poor passes that we can intercept and turn into easy baskets. When in a zone defense, we will continue to contain and harass the ball, seal the middle, and contest passing lanes. Our goal is to encourage our opponent to take a contested outside shot, and secure the rebounding position in order to prevent second chance shots. Both our man and zone defenses will share many of the same concepts and rules. Rebounding! Our board play will be aggressive and relentless. We must seize defensive rebound position with a sound, firm, block out technique. Our block out technique is broken down into three steps: contest, contact and step through. Once we seal our man, we must be vicious as we rip down the ball and make a quick, smart, outlet pass to initiate the break. We must step hard and block out tough in all free throw situations. When we are on offense, we must attack the offense glass aggressively to create second chance shots. Anticipation and effort are the keys to out rebounding our opponents. Second and third efforts must become routine. Offense! We love to play up-tempo basketball. We push the ball up the court at every opportunity looking to score easy baskets. If we are not able to score in transition then we will look to score out of our early offense. Although we want to score quickly off our break, we don t want to take bad shots. If nothing develops in our early offense, we will move right into our half court offense. We teach the importance of playing with our head up, making the extra pass, setting and using good screens, making the defense chase us with constant motion and taking good shots. We stress individual offensive fundamentals and drill technique in the areas of ball handling, catch-and-face footwork, shot fakes, pass fakes, dribble penetration and using screens on a daily basis. Transition Game: Early Offense & Secondary Break! Our transition game is focused on the principles of spacing, communication and awareness. As we push the ball up the floor we prefer to use the pass to

4 advance the ball rather than the dribble. We will fill lanes and keep good spacing as we enter the scoring area. We will look to run our early offense if we are unable to get the ball inside or ahead for a lay up. We will also use the skip pass if the defense is overloading one side of the floor. We want the defense to have to play the entire width of the floor immediately.! Half Court Offense! Our program will run a combination of Read and React (R&R) offense and quick hitters. The Read and React offense is a principled framework out of which players can play. It is based on specific reactions for specific reads while maintaining good spacing and player movement. Our goal is to create high percentage shots, often placing the defense in a fouling predicament. A high priority is placed on taking care of the ball and making high percentage shots. We will also use set plays call quick hitters to get the ball in the hands of our scorers early in our possession. They are designed to exploit a certain weakness in our opponent or to get a specific player a certain look during the game. Shot Selection! We are big on shot selection. Shot selection is the single most important factor in the development of successful offensive play. A poor shot is just as bad as a turnover. We want to do everything in our power not to take bad shots. The key to good shot selection is taking open shots in high percentage areas. Shot selection will vary from player to player, from possession to possession, according to each player's ability to shoot the basketball. That being said, each player needs to be working hard to run our offense correctly, and if called upon, be ready to take a shot within their designated range. To us, a good shot has three components. 1. It is on balance - The player is able to control their body throughout the shot. 2. It is not rushed - The shot is taken within the flow of the break or offense. 3. It is not forced- The player is able to get his shot off without having to alter his shooting form or break one of the first two components due to defensive pressure. Offense Execution! Our offenses are designed to have multiple options. It is the responsibility of each player to execute their responsibilities within the offense while they are on the floor. As a team we don t have to score off our first option. Many times it is in our best interest to make the extra pass and allow the defense to

5 spread out and breakdown. A smart team will look for the best opportunity to score while on offense and capitalize on defensive mistakes. With that being said, we want to score the ball as much as possible and will look to take the first good shot the defense gives us. We want to put constant pressure on the defense and the rim. We don t play backwards. Special Situations! In the event that our team encounters a special situation (last second shot or inbounds play), we will execute individual assignments with a high level of intelligence, concentration, and efficiency. We will play with physical, mental and emotional poise throughout the game, and pride ourselves on being especially effective and productive at the end of each quarter. Our players must continually read, react and adjust. We will be our best when our best is needed.