There's a ton of strategic decisions coaches have to make. This week TJ and Sam go through four of them to uncover things you should be thinking about to put your team in the best place to be successful. Depending on your age and stage, there's likely enough games that get decided in the last minute of a game, and all four of these decisions have implications for late-game execution. 

Show Notes:
• Who should inbound the ball?
• Where, who and when... personnel-based decisions
• System implications
• The skill of inbounding
• Practicing end of game situations
• Building basketball IQ
• Practicing situations versus plays
• Do overs
• When to pull the goalie
• Changing strategies when you're down
• How many defenses should you play
• Variety, adjustments, and creativity
• Having a change up
• Having too many

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Building teamwork has never been more challenging in today's culture. But if you can get individual players to buy-in to the importance of team and sacrifice for the greater good, it's quite a rewarding endeavor. In this episode, TJ and Sam discuss the challenges and practical ways you can overcome individualism and emphasize team throughout your season.

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Blindspots are inevitable. We all have them. And how we find them and work through them can make or break our coaching careers. Having a growth mindset is part of the process, but in this episode TJ and Sam discuss the importance of figuring out both your strengths and your weaknesses as a coach.

Show Notes:

• Blindspots for coaches
• First step is acknowledging your blindspots
• It’s called a blindspot for a reason 
• Growth mindset and humility
• Are you in pursuit of “mastery”?
• Blindspots hold you back from becoming great
• Knowing your strengths and weaknesses
• To grow others you must grow yourself 
• The work is the fulfillment 
• Don’t let blindspots be your downfall this season

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This week TJ and Sam discuss 10 quotes from or about legendary UCLA coach, John Wooden and how we can apply wisdom that has stood the test of time and apply it to our own coaching.
Show Notes:
• Learning about yourself
• Growing through adversity
• Intensity with transformation
• John Wooden's 3 rules
• "Ability is a poor man's wealth."
• "Listen if you want to be heard."
• Leading by example
• "Basketball is played between the ears..."
• "Happiness begins where selfishness ends."
• Person over player

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This week TJ and Sam discuss pros and cons of different defensive decisions you’ll have to make for your team. This season, don't get caught without a process that allows you to identify the strength and weaknesses of your defense and knowing ahead of time where you'll need to invest more time.

Show Notes:
• Current trends
• To pressure or not to pressure
• What comes with pressuring the ball
• Have a process that allows you to be great at what you do
• Personnel factors
• More pressure may equal more opportunities
• 5 to the glass?
• Why to send 5 to the glass
• Winning the margin
• Can't be in limbo
• When to punt on it
• Switch everything?
• Double the post?
• Inbounds Underneath Defense?
• Forcing to a side?
• Trap or under on ball screen D?
• Transition D - press or sprint back?
• 1 Type of closeout or personnel driven?
• Positioning of backside help

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To kick off the Be A Light Pledge and we want to give you the opportunity to join like-minded transformational coaches, learn the L.I.G.H.T. framework to put your values into practice and receive free resources for coaching beyond the game. In this episode, TJ and Sam discuss what that looks like with the 4 must-wins to sustain success.

• Winning on the court and off the court 
• The quadruple win 
• Leaders put themselves last 
• The impact of coaching on your body and health 
• The value of boundaries 
• Evidence of excellence in the quadruple win 
• Planning and executing 
• Being great at the process 
• The power of consistency 

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This week TJ and Sam talk all about offensive actions and what personnel they’re good for to give you ideas for building and enhancing your offensive strategy.

Show Notes:
• Figuring out the best offensive actions for your personnel
• Learning from what we're seeing in the NBA
• Best players and role players in their best spots
• 1, 2, and 3 player actions and hammering out pros and cons
• Reads, counters, & adjustments
• Maintaining pace within your actions
• What gives defenses the most trouble
• Implement specific actions for specific personnel
• Getting every player to be dangerous
• Having good terminology and making it simple for your players

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Like your X’s and O’s, but not sure what’s missing? - This week TJ and Sam explore what it looks like to up your conditioning level and get your players to give max effort in practices and games. It might just be the x-factor you need for next season. 

Show Notes:
• Defining max effort reps and rethinking conditioning
• Why this is important
• What’s good conditioning
• Physical and mental fatigue
• Sharing past experiences
• Comparing to pick-up basketball
• Fighting human nature
• Coach effort
• Giving players specifics
• Practice ideas
• Going to the players for individual buy-in
• Rewarding max effort possessions
• What effort can achieve for a team
• Improving both physically and mentally
• Boost in confidence
• Focusing on the right things

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This week we’re joined by Justin Joyner, Assistant Coach at Michigan to first breakdown all things ball screen defense. Then we dive into culture, leadership, and what he’s learned in his coaching journey. Justin Joyner spent 7 seasons at Saint Mary’s College under Head Coach Randy Bennett and this past season joined the staff Coach Dusty May’s staff at the University of Michigan. Last year they finished second in the Big Ten and reached the sweet sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

Show Notes:
• Where ball screen defense starts – Knowing who you are
• Having two types of coverages
• The Why and personnel considerations
• Guarding the 3
• Contingency plans and switching
• What offenses are doing
• Matchups, switching, and must do’s of ball screen D
• Flat/middle ball screens
• Rebounding teaching points
• Being aggressive against unorthodox ball screen offense
• Weakside rules / zone – helping on ball v. the roll
• Culture of joy and flexibility in leadership & coaching
• Learning your team in the summer
• Having an approach of gratitude
• How Randy Bennett at Saint Mary’s wins the margins
• What separates Dusty May at Michigan

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This week we discuss various ways and give tangible ideas for training leaders in your program. And coaches, if you want to go deeper on this topic with PGC Coaching staff and members there is an upcoming leadership track to help you master this facet of your coaching. Go to PGCCoaching.com to learn more.

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