When You Find Yourself In A Hole

THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS STOP DIGGING!!

I have no idea how I got here?

It is inevitable that when you coach you will find a time where things are not going well and you find your team facing a significant deficit. Poor defense, turnovers, quick shots and loss of poise usually are contributing factors. The time of the game, the momentum swings and the knowledge you have of your opponent and your own team are factors you consider when trying to stop the "digging." All game time situations can be used as teachable

moments. Teams sometimes panic when they find themselves falling behind. The natural tendencies are to try to make up a deficit too quickly.

You, as the coach, must develop a "feel" for when and if you need to take a

time out to help alter the momentum. It may be a time to change defense

or run a set play.

Players tend to have that "deer in the headlights look when they have lost

game momentum. It is critical the coach maintains his poise and in the words of Coach K you show your team the face they need to see. I even at

times, would drop a clipboard, try to shock them with a short emotional

outburst. Because I seldom acted that way, I hoped to "shock" them enough to focus on the task at hand rather than on what had just happened. What they (the team) did not know is I almost always was putting on a performance. It was planned and I can be a pretty good actor if I want to.

If your opponent is scoring consistently and you in turn come down the floor and put up a quick shot, it is like pouring gasoline on the fire. STOP DIGGING! Take the ball to the rim. Run some offense and make your opponent defend for longer periods of time. A good team will, when they cease control of the game, make you play defense for longer periods of time and attempt to break your will. I really dislike 1 pass shots on offense unless the pass leads to a lay up. Explain to your team how much of the game you may spend on defense if you only use up 10-15 seconds when on offense per possession.

Task 1 when you find yourself in a hole is to STOP digging!