Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast

We are fortunate to have Jon Yu on this episode.  Yu is passionate about teaching the game through a Constraints-Led Approach. Much of this episode focuses on Yu's use of the CLA, especially when it comes to shooting. Yu is from British Columbia, Canada who is coaching this year in Vietnam for the Saigon Heat and as a player development coach for The Performance Lab. Prior to moving to Vietnam, Yu was held the same role for College Prep Italy under friend of the pod, Alex Sarama.Yu also has coached high school and AAU basketball in Canada.

Alex Sarama from Transforming Basketball joins the podcast again for a Thanksgiving discussion. Sarama discusses his roles with the London Lions, Portland Trail Blazers, and Rip City Remix. He also reflects back on lessons learned while leading College Prep in Italy. Finally, he shares information on his new venture, Transforming Basketball. Did you know that the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast has a newsletter? Be sure to subscribe at coachingidaho.substack.com.

We are fortunate to have Phillip O’Callaghan on this episode.  O'Callaghan is a tennis coach and secondary PE teacher in Cork, Ireland. He has a popular twitter account and Substack newsletter dealing with skill acquisition. NOTE: There are a couple of minor technical issues involving the audio. EPISODE TOPICS 1:20 - O’Callaghan’s interest in skill acquisition 3:25 - How frustration led to a better way to train 5:00 - Skill acquisitions impact on other aspects of coaching 6:16 - Defining some skill acquisition terminology - Ecological Dynamics, Non-Linear Pedagogy, Constraints-Led Approach 8:15 - More terminology - Affordances & Scaling 11:30 - Individual development vs. Team development 12:30 - How to use CLA when introducing athletes to a sport 14:50 - Why should you use a defender to train an athlete a new skill 16:45 - The principle of representative learning design 18:30 - Using CLA with advanced athletes 20:25 - The role of decision-making in practice planning 22:15 - The role of the coach in using CLA in development 24:05 - Evolving as a coach using a CLA approach 25:20 - Thinking of constraints as opportunities 27:30 - Giving players freedom to play 28:30 - What coaches can expect from players using a CLA approach 31:45 - Can there be some wrong ways to use the CLA 32:45 - Untraditional ways to success are OK 34:00 - Using the Practice Activity Continuum 36:20 - The process of planning a practice 38:50 - Why players enjoy learning in a CLA environment 42:00 - Why you shouldn’t jump head first into CLA

We are fortunate to have Nicole Symons on this episode of the podcast.  Symons is the head girls coach at Coeur d’Alene High School. She led the Vikings to a 24-2 record and the 5A state title in Idaho this past season. It was the first state title for Coeur d’Alene since 2014. EPISODE BREAKDOWN 2:20 - Approach to turning a program around 4:25 - Timeline for competing for a state title 6:55 - Selling players on the hard work 10:50 - Bring swagger and confidence into a program 15:00 - How do you make practices harder than games 18:10 - Building a relationship with players so they work hard 20:25 - Helping players become the right type of leaders 24:45 - Keys to coaching your child 28:25 - Having two parents as basketball coaches 30:20 - Deciding to come back after your child has graduated 32:45 - What’s the role of the high school team for high-level recruits 36:00 - Determining team concepts with a D-1 recruit 40:30 - Dealing with expectations after a state title 43:50 - Advice to yourself: Dealing with Parents --- The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast has a newsletter. Check it out here: coachingidaho.substack.com

We are fortunate to have Kurt Guelsdorf on this episode of the podcast.  If you are like me, you’ve probably used one of Coach G’s resources, especially if you run any Dribble Drive action.  Guelsdorf was a very successful high school coach in Oregon. He is now the associate head coach at Clackamas Community College. In this episode, we talk some Dribble Drive but also hit on a number of topics of interest for coaches young and old. Episode Topics 1:30 - The impact of asking why as a coach 3:30 - Experience leads to simplification 4:00 - Willingness to share concepts & ideas with others 7:45 - The role of reading in success 9:15 - Advice to first-year head coaches 11:10 - Thoughts on choosing a system as a head coach 14:50 - Deciding when it might be time to move on from a program 18:40 - Environment vs. Culture and its importance in success 23:55 - Planning for the upcoming season in late summer 27:30 - Filtering what you’ve learned into a workable format for the season 31:30 - What is that intrigues you about the dribble drive? 33:40 - The evolvement of spacing concepts in the dribble drive 36:25 - Defenses that can disrupt a dribble drive offenses 39:00 - Melding different systems with the dribble drive 42:55 - Thoughts on implementing press defenses  47:42 -  Shot-clock considerations: 2v1s, end of shot clock considerations 51:15 - Incorporating special situations into practice The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast now has a newsletter. The newsletter has a bunch of great resources including drills and concepts that I use with my program. It also includes write-ups to help you become a better coach. To subscribe to the newsletter, go to CoachingIdaho.substack.com. There you will find an archive of the past newsletters.

We are fortunate to have Christian Narciso on this episode.  Narciso is professional basketball coach from Italy who has had the opportunity to coach at different levels across Europe. Most recently, Narciso was a head coach in Malta where his team enjoyed a successful season, including claiming the Louis Borg Cup. The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast is now on Substack. Subscribe today at CoachingIdaho.substack.com/

We are fortunate to be visiting David Arseneault Jr. for today’s episode. Coach Dave is the head men’s basketball coach at Grinnell College in Iowa where he was a standout player for his father.  Grinnell, of course, is know for its System — a fast-paced style that employs trapping all over the court and quick shooting.  Before taking over at Grinnell, Arseneault was the head coach or the Reno Bighorns for two years, including a season where they set a D-League record for offensive efficiency.

We are fortunate to have Carly Clarke on today’s episode. Clarke is the head coach at Toronto Metropolitan University. She lead TMU to an undefeated season and national title in 2022. Clarke is also a coach with Canada Basketball. She’s an assistant for the senior women’s national team, and this summer she will coach Canada at the FIBA U19 World Cup. In this podcast, we talk about the rise of the women's game, developing a process as a coach, providing and receiving feedback, and the role of a mental performance coach. Be sure to check out the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast Newsletter. https://coachingidaho.substack.com

We are fortunate to have Jason Hardy on this episode. Hardy was a standout at Valley High School before attending the University of Idaho. There, he was a manager for the mens team for three years. Hardy’s life changed drastically this winter when he did an internship with the University of Toledo’s woman’s basketball team. The Rockets upset fifth-seeded Iowa State in the NCAA tournament before losing to Tennessee in the second round. Hardy recently announced he will be a graduate assistant at Toledo next season. The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast has a newsletter. Check it out! https://coachingidaho.substack.com/

Note: There were some audio issues in this podcast. We are fortunate to have Shawn Freeman on this episode of the Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast. Freeman is the head boys coach at Sugar-Salem High School. The Diggers beat Bonners Ferry to win the Boys 3A State Title last month. It’s Sugar-Salem’s fourth state title since 2017, and Freeman’s been at the helm for all of them. The Idaho Basketball Coaching Podcast now has a weekly newsletter. Sign up at CoachingIdaho.substack.com.