Hardwood Hustle

This week we’re joined by Micah Mills, head coach at Wilmington College and PGC Coaching mentor to discuss managing the energy, emotions, and egos of your players as well as yourself.Show Notes:• Bringing energy & being your authentic self as a coach• Teach players how to bring their own energy• Individual hype numbers• Engaging with individual players• Managing your own energy• Changes with time• Consistency with the option to change it up• "Don't let your circumstances dictate your behavior."• Regulating emotions• Individual differences• Helping your players - Walking a fine line• Ensuring your team has an edge• Buying into a team mentality• Having the right conversations• The role of social media today• Speaking the truth to players• Controlling the narrative• Getting it right before its too lateSend us a Message.

A good passing team is a well coached team. This week we discuss all things related to helping your players be better passers this season.Show Notes:• Why you should consider being a pressing team.• Thinking ahead in your season• Developing better passers and emphasis in practice• "Passing is like leadership"• Executing your sets• "Make the simple play"• Inability to pass is limiting - Minimize risky decisions• Defining good passing• Coaching pet peeves• Coaching different types of passes• What will you do the most in your offense• Jump Passes• Taking care of your possessions• Team confidence• Better Passing = More FunSend us a Message.

Building a successful program is all about how you cultivate the identity of the team. This week, TJ and Sam discuss 4 principles to help shape your team culture and strengthen your team identity in something bigger than any individual.Show Notes:• Topic Intro• Shared Ownership- Getting players to lead- Working through conflict• Shared suffering- giving players ownership• Individual Responsibility- Having it come to life in practice• Collective pride- Why its important- The challenges coaches faceSend us a Message.

This week the team discusses “Less & More” -  where as coaches we should be looking to add more to our programs both on and off the court and where can we make additions by subtraction.Show Notes:What should players do less and more of?Relationships, social media, fundamentalsWhat should parents do less and more of?Perspective, teaching, blaming, relationship buildingWhat should coaches do less and more of?Preparation, mindset, drama, improvementOffense: Shot selection, transition, teachingDefense: Aggressive, switching, emphasisSend us a Message.

TJ and Sam discuss the Xs and Os decisions all coaches have to make going into their preseason and the implications for your team.Show Notes:• Topic IntroOFFENSE• Why + Who = What + How• Does it matter if it's a fun offensive system to play in?• Balancing freedom & structure• Testing your team's IQ• Does your team know:- What they're hunting- How to hunt it- How to improve• Does talent need structure?• Getting player buy-in• Ability to spread the floor• Making up for deficits• Questions to ask• How many things can you be great at?DEFENSE• To pressure or not• Matching your offense and defenseREBOUNDING• Both sides of the ball• Tagging• Creating rolesSPECIAL TEAMS• How committed do you want to be?• Defense• Low Clock / Late GameSend us a Message.

This week we’re joined by Head Coach Missy Traversi from Army women’s basketball. With over 16 years of coaching experience at all levels, Missy shares how she’s developed as a leader, been able to adjust her team’s style of play and how the culture at West Point has shaped her coaching.Show Notes:• Leadership• Sprinting toward failure• Changing style of play• Understanding the analytics• Generating the right shots• Finding what will help your team win• What others are doing well• Controlling the pace of the game• Next Right Thing• West Point Culture• Being the model for your athletesMore about Coach Missy Traversi:Coach Traversi is going into her 4th season as the Head Coach for Army Women's Basketball. Previously, Missy spent 5 seasons as the head coach at Adelphi University. At Adelphi, she coached the Panthers to an 83-37 (.692) overall record, two NE10 Southwest Division regular-season championships, an NE10 Tournament Championship in 2017, and two NCAA Division II Tournament berths. In 2019-20, Tra

How does your team react when they face a high pressure defense? This week the discussion is around the habits, mindset, and principles you’ll want to instill next season in your players in order to be great at breaking and handling pressure.Show Notes:• Intro to Topic• Teaching necessary skills and habits• Flipping the mindset - Pressure is a facade• Being the aggressor• Making it part of your style• Who passes the ball in• Availability of the first pass• Squirrel analogy• 3 available receivers• Attack out of first or second reversal• Alignment and stretching the defense• Why you should be a pressing team• Role identificationSend us a Message.

This week TJ and Sam discuss fundamentals, but maybe not in the same way you’re used to. They’re talking about how to develop and communicate core principles that set the foundation for your team’s success.Send us a Message.

If you want to better teacher of the game it’s important to understand how your coaching is received. This week the discussion is about putting yourself in the shoes of the learner so you can maximize your coaching.Show Notes:Why focus on your teachingOvercoaching v. undercoachingSetting goals and creating a learning environmentConnecting with playersContinuous improvement in your coachingUnderstanding the psychology behind coachingEmbracing the role of the learningFinal thoughts and a challenge for coachesSend us a Message.

This week the discussion is all about playing time. It’s a topic that plagues most players and coaches all season long. How many players do we need or want in our rotation? How do we handle seniors who aren't going to play much? How do we communicate playing time decisions without closing the door to growth and adjustments down the road? How do we keep players who aren't in the rotation motivated through an entire season? - It's a lot to work through, but TJ and Sam share how we can navigate some of the toughest playing time decisions and reevaluate our approach every season to ensure we're maximizing our current team.Show Notes:• Thoughts after watching Team USA• Coaching philosophies• Managing egos• Honesty and empathy• The realist vs. optimist conversation• How many in a rotation?• Navigating challenges• Other factors• The Impact on player rhythm and chemistry• The importance of communication and leadership• The value of every player• Challenges in implementation• Adapting to the team&a

This week Sam and TJ share 3 Preseason Mistakes you’ll want to avoid in your planning for the upcoming season and how you can begin preparing to have your best season yet.Show Notes:• Lack of vision• Defining the win• Reverse engineering weekly and monthly plans• Role clarity for staff• Humility, empower, train & delegate• Building culture• TJ's experience at Emmanuel• Creating a culture plan• Sharpening the axeInterested PGC Coaching Tracks? - Click here: https://coach.pgcbasketball.com/tracks/Send us a Message.

This week Sam shares Coach Pat Summitt's Definite Dozen as the team discusses leadership principles that have withstood the test of time and how coaches can apply them to their teams.Show Notes:1. Respect Yourself and Others2. Take Full Responsibility3. Develop and Demonstrate Loyalty4. Learn to be a Great Communicator5. Discipline Yourself so No One Else Has To6. Make Hard Work Your Passion7. Don’t Just Work Hard, Work Smart8. Put the Team Before Yourself9. Make Winning an Attitude10. Be a Competitor11. Change is a Must12. Handle Success Like You Handle FailureSend us a Message.

This week we discuss our topic comes to us from a question posed by one of our listeners as we discuss what it takes to incorporate new players into your team. When players leave and new players come in, how do you ensure that your culture as well as your systems and strategies are going to be the right for your current group? In this episode TJ and Sam share things you need to be aware of as you avoid growing complacent and seek to bring the best out of the group in front of you.Show Notes:• Intro: The Impact of Player Addition or Subtraction• Acclimating New Players while Maintaining Confidence and Roles• Starting from Ground Zero Each Season• The Interplay Between Culture and X's and O's • Adapting to Changes in Personnel for Long-Term SuccessSend us a Message.

This week our topic questions the behavior of basketball coaches on the sideline, simply, are we yelling too much as coaches? In this episode, TJ and Sam discuss the factors that lead to coaches yelling and if and when it’s necessary.Show Notes:• Introduction• Expectations of a coach• The best coaching happens in practice• Difference between passion, anger, and putting people down• Leadership and communication• Demanding high standards• Coaching effort and attitude• Urgency and context of a game• Teaching mistake reactions• Getting more out of 'kids these days'• Why NBA coaches don't yell• Coaching insecurities• Reacting to players and their response• When players tune you out• Striking the balance• Reflecting on your experienceSend us a Message.

This week, TJ and Sam are joined by Pastor Tracy Reynolds. With a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership, Pastor Tracy shares about the importance of second chair leadership, how not to get caught up in comparison or your next career move, and how you can thrive in your leadership role regardless of position.Show Notes:• Introduction• Why this book• Advantages of second chair leadership• Navigating disagreements as an assistant coach• When the grass isn't greener• Embracing where you're at• Synergy and collaboration in well-run organizations and teams• Where first and second chairs get it wrong• Final thoughtsSend us a Message.

This week, Coach Zak Boisvert from Saint Louis University with over 13 years of college coaching experience joins TJ and Sam to discuss building your offense, key elements of player development, along with some quick tips for defense and rebounding.Show Notes:• Building out your offense• Motion v. set play offense• Getting players to play to their strengths• Creating a malleable offense• Teaching basketball literacy• Small-sided games & asking questions• The role of the 4s and 5s in your offense• Learning from the Celtics• Be an expert on your personnel• The key elements of player development• Putting shooting in your practice plan• Diagnosing your defense• 5 areas you have to be good at on defense• Prioritize drilling or emphasizing rebounding• Tips for your coaching journeySend us a Message.

This week, TJ and Lisa discuss how to attack zone defenses with great habits, spacing, and screening, along with the types of sets you should have in your playbook, and the reminders that you'll want to give your team next time you see a zone defense.Offensive identity v. zone3s, rim shots, and counter movesAttacking the paintScouting your opponent's zone defenseDisrupting rotations with screensPlayer roles & limiting optionsZone habits & remindersMaintaining flowRunning sets v. zoneTiming and paceQuick-fire zone tipsHunting layupsRole identificationSend us a Message.

Dick DeVenzio, founder of PGC Basketball, wrote a book titled Think Like a Champion. And in that book is chapter titled, "Teammates You Don't Like." This week TJ and Sam discuss that chapter and the insights DeVenzio shares that could be a game-changer for your players individually and as a group next season.Send us a Message.

This week we’re joined by Matt Phillips from Pro Athlete Advantage to talk about the secret to peak performance, mental toughness. In this episode Matt defines mental toughness and shares tried and true principles and practices we can put into action to help take our performance and leadership to the next level.> Sign up for the “Masters of the Game: Exclusive Interview Series with Athletic Titans” at www.proathleteadvantage.com/newsletter>> If you are a coach interested in teaching your athletes the mental side, join us by going to www.proathleteadvantage.com>>> Subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive interviews and training at http://www.youtube.com/@ProAthleteAdvantageShow Notes:• Defining Mental Toughness - Confidence, Focus, Emotional Control, Energy, Consistent Intentional Action• Fake it 'til you make it?• Compete don't compare• Why and How of Confidence Building• Asking quality questions• Taking ownership and accelerating your growth• Developing emotional control• Pr

This week we’re discussing how intensity can be your team’s separator next season. In a sports culture where players are playing so many games and rewarded for individual performances over team wins, TJ and Sam discuss how you can bring intensity, energy, and effort to life in your programs.Show Notes:Intro TopicTimberwolves & Anthony EdwardsAchieving something specialCompeting on the defensive end"I don't coach effort & attitude"Gaining skill with intensity without overtrainingPractice goals and designMore games & social media influencesIntensity and toughness"Never stop playing hard - Never stop talking"Udonis Haslem storyGiving your team an edgeFun to coachWinning players make winning playsDon't cheat it and stay hungrySend us a Message.