How To Get Started In Basketball Coaching

Have you ever been to a basketball game? It is the dream of a lot of young boys to grow up and join a professional basketball league. But there are also athletes who prefer to become trainers in this sport, rather than actors in the game. Perhaps, they would have also asked about how they could become as coaches instead of professional players. Coaching basketball is a rewarding task that you can make a career out of, or you just want to volunteer for the sake of leisure.

Becoming a coach is a realistic goal for many people of all ages and genders. It does not matter if you are a high school, fresh out of college, or even if you played college basketball decades ago and now want to give back, you will probably find something. All it takes is determination, hard work and willingness to learn.

Flexibility is one of the most important attributes of a coach. If you are aspiring to become one, develop such kind of character. New items are always being added. There are always new seasons to be played and new lessons to be learned. One more benefit of coaching basketball is that as a coach, you get to learn as much as the players do. So keep on coming back and check out the new stuff.

Before moving on to knowing how to start coaching, let us first identify the things that build a coach.

To begin, you must have (1) the talent and (2) the ability to play the game. And then you must acquire a (3) a thorough knowledge of the game and all rules and regulations as well. Initially, most coaches start at the secondary level of training, then move on to become coaches for the team of the first class. It is like a step by step procedure. On the other hand, some coaches are retired basketball players. The professional players of all games often turn to become coaches or sports journalists/analyzers, because they have a thorough knowledge of the game, and what it implies. Moreover, you should have (4) heart and (5) the patience, for being a coach is not an easy job. You have to serve as a second parent, or a model, for your players. Finally, (6) be open and (7) flexible in managing changes, and listen to other’s comments and criticisms for improvement.

Now that we know what it takes to become a coach let me enumerate some ideas on how to get started in basketball coaching.

1. Knowledge accumulation
You can acquire, or enhance, your knowledge about basketball by reading books, watching basketball games, watching videos about basketball and asking for advice from previous mentors. Your learning should include run drills, basketball fundamentals, specific offenses, and defenses. Base knowledge is very important to understand fully what are the limitations, exceptions, pro’s and cons of various aspects of the basketball game.

2. Learn to establish connection with other people
Coaching is all about connecting to your players to build a sense of trust for an effective working relationship. For you to be able to coach, you must be able to take that barrier that separates you from your players. You have to work with them as one. Mutual connections are very important because they might help in shaping up your team and giving you plenty of helping hands and minds to initiate strategies, mechanics, techniques; and gaining respect from your team and players as well.

3. Attend coaching clinics or basketball camps
Coaching clinics are very essential for boosting your knowledge about the game, and you get to learn first hand from the experts. This is also one way to widen your connections in building a coaching career. There are a lot of offers from schools or universities, for basketball camps, etc. Always get updates on possible schedules so that you would not be left out.

4. Volunteer to coach
If you love something, you will always find courage and answers as you walk through it. Do not hesitate to coach. Being a volunteer does not make you any lesser at all. Instead, you will gain much experience from it. You can build your self-esteem and have a deeper understanding about coaching with leadership and management. Volunteering is one huge step towards your dreams with the reward of new found confidence and knowledge. It is also the best way to implement or test your learned techniques and strategies.

5. Commitment and Availability
When you want to coach, commit yourself to it. When you do this, you share your valuable time in sharing your knowledge and skills of basketball. Be available to coach, because your availability is highly regarded in the context of having that great desire to teach aspiring basketball players. Everyday experiences accumulate, and valuable tools in improving oneself can help you land better coaching jobs. Expertise is measured through experience and the effort you spent to achieve satisfying results in your coaching.

6. Apply for positions right away
If you want something, go for it right away. Every opportunity in this world is coupled with competition. If you are too slow to act, you might be left behind, and you do not want that one to happen. Be assertive and act right away. When a school or a local community basketball team opens an offer for a basketball coach, go ahead and get this opportunity to execute your basketball talent.

Coaching basketball is a very challenging task. The bright side of it is that you also get to experience the fun and reward it brings. The more you coach, the more you know about basketball and the better you can become season after season. Coaching is an innovation of seasons passed and a new season of learning. If you want to grow on something, you need to water it regularly. If you want to improve coaching skills, you must continually improve you basketball skills, as well as knowledge.