Book Review: Dan Gable's A Wrestling Life (2015)

I never thought of coaching this way because I had so many beginners; furthermore, even the best youth players had weaknesses they could improve upon. Looking back, if I had more time, it would make perfect sense to try to create techniques or exercises that would maximize a player's existing strengths.

I enjoyed Dan Gable's book.  It's a short, interesting read--I didn't know Gable was a high school swimming champion, or that a neighbor murdered his older sister in her family home.  At the same time, I wish he'd explained why he chosen to coach at the University of Iowa rather than his alma mater, Iowa State.  I also wish he'd given his thoughts on Cael Sanderson as well as Olympic coaching techniques and strategies.  He hints there will be more books, so perhaps Gable fans need only be patient.

Bonus: like me, Gable appreciates Asics' contributions to the sport.  Asics supported wrestling long before Nike or other apparel companies paid much attention to it.  When I was wrestling in high school, almost everyone had Asics gear--not just the shoes, but the kneepads, headgear, etc.  Today, Japan produces the best women's wrestling in the world.  Check out Risako Kawai and Kaori Icho.  As Hobbes from Calvin & Hobbes would say, "Hubba hubba."

Bonus: Charity Nebbe interviewed Dan Gable in 2016 and in 2017. More HERE (2016) and HERE (2017). 

Coaching Girls vs. Coaching Boys

I've been coaching basketball for about seven years now, usually 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. After a recent game, a girl on my team had to wait for her brother to finish his practice, so she had free time. I spent about 30 minutes doing one-on-one drills with her. She picked up certain skills that had eluded her in the team practice very quickly. I was surprised and left wondering why I wasn't able to teach her the same skills during the team practice.

Someone else offered the following hypothesis: although every child benefits from individual attention, young girls seem to respond even better to it, because individual attention creates a bond between the coach and player. This person said that while boys enjoy competitive drills, girls tend to be more interested when working together as a team or doing activities that create relationships.

I also remember a tough game where we lost by about fifteen points (final scores at this age level are usually 40-35, 32 to 25, etc.--relatively low total points). I always make sure to tell my team that I don't care if they win or lose--I only care if they play hard and have fun. But no one wants to lose, so everyone was dejected. I complimented everyone, and I also told them to work on some specific things. Here is my point: when I complimented the boys, there was no visible emotional effect. The result was exactly the opposite with both girls--they immediately smiled. I don't know what lessons to take from that post-game experience. Perhaps I need to figure out what to say to the boys to make them happy even if they lose.

Youth Basketball: Passing Drills

Some readers may know I coach youth basketball on Saturdays. Today, my team finally started passing the ball effectively. (Not quite as good as the L.A. "Showtime" Lakers, but our team is indeed named the Lakers.) The first month of coaching, it's so hard to get the kids to do anything other than basics. Most of the kids don't know each other, and some personalities may clash, but after a few weeks, coaches should move the focus from basics to teamwork. In short, if you want your kids to play effectively, teach them to pass well.

One drill I use to teach kids to pass is "2 on 3." I pick a kid to play defense with me and the rest of the team forms a line in front of us. Then, the first three kids in line have to score against me and my defensive teammate. There is always one offensive player open because it's 2 defensive players against 3 offensive players. If either defensive player swats/blocks the ball, the entire non-defensive team does five pushups. Once there is a change of possession, the next three kids play offense, while the first three offensive players go to the back of the line.

Initially, I make sure any kid who doesn't take a wide open shot gets his shot swatted with authority (I've always wanted to use the phrase, "swatted with authority," in a sentence). After the entire team does pushups several times, no one wants to get his/her shot blocked again. As a result, this drill creates a team culture/peer pressure against taking covered shots.

After about five minutes of this swatfest, I ask who wants to play defense. By this time, the kids are either tired of doing pushups; think it's fun to block shots; or just want to follow the coach. Thus, the drill also manages to make playing defense fun. I highly recommend this drill.

The other passing drill is "2 on 2," with the offensive team having to pass the ball at least three times before taking a shot. The kids move from defense to offense and go through the line. The passes must be at least three feet away--no handoffs are allowed (I call this rule, "No football"). If anyone does a handoff, both offensive players do 10 pushups and move to the back of the line. For some reason, "2 on 3" is much more effective than "2 on 2."

Passing is the key to having an effective youth basketball team, and unfortunately, it is the most difficult skill to teach. Good luck to all the coaches out there, and please post a comment if you have other effective passing drills.