A Pen And A Napkin

In a two-part interview, we have nationally renowed Bob Starkey, the new associate head coach at Auburn University, one of the preeminent assistant coaches in the country. We chat about his experiences with Hall of Famer's Dale Brown, Sue Gunter and Gary Blair, being the coach of TWO #1 overall draft picks from different genders, coaching Shaquillle O'Neal, his friendship with Don Meyer and "The A...

Execution at the moments of highest pressure is what separates many teams, and the comeback game is no different. Inevitably, your team is going to fall behind at various points of the game, so what is going to be the plan when that happens? Here are some thoughts and tips to look at the game with the end in mind and to put your team in a situation to be successful when it seems the most unlikely.

In an abbreviated but terrific version of "Quick Hitters", we have Kelly Kielsmeier, the Associate Head Coach at Quincy University (IL) coming on the pod to talk offensive actions and movement. The second half of our "Quick Hitter" is Chris Oliver from Basketball Immersion; we chat about all things basketball from the 30,000 foot view, including comparing HS coaching to AAU and European ball. Enjo...

In part three of our three part series on the mental game, we explore practical applications to the mental game, both for you and your players. Things like breathing, "Think Time" (borrowing from Kevin Eastman), cue words, phrases, self talk and more, here are some ways that you and your program can conquer the toughest opponent of all; yourself.

It's another "Quick Hitter" pod, with Nate Wall of David City Aquinas coming on to talk about building a youth program. Dave Runchey, the longtime assistant to Scott DeJong at Ankeny Centennial, discusses the qualities of a good assistant coach. We wrap up with Sarah Goodwin, who discusses 1 on 1 workouts and how to build trust with individual players. Alot of great information, including a teaser...

Just like any skill(s) in sport, you have to practice the mental game and prepare for certain scenarios just like we would offense and/or defense. In this Foundation Friday, we take a look at strategies for prepping your players and yourself as a coach for practices and competitions, including how to handle adversity and what to do after games to keep your mental edge.

For the last few months, I've been thinking of ways to expand the "APAAN" universe, and the result of that is "A Pen And A Napkin University", a program to help coaches in a more direct fashion to hone their craft. It's an affordable program that is flexible and can fit both your schedule and your wishes as to what you would like to sign up for, all done in the off-season! Make yourself a better c...

Longtime Howells-Dodge (NE) GBB HC Scott Polacek comes on the pod this week for a lively discussion. We jump into building a summer schedule and what to look for in a summer camp, bringing football and mock trial experiences into coaching basketball, reaching 400 wins, "Becker Time" and the importance of press breaks. Alot of really good information tossed back and forth . . . Enjoy!

In the first of three in a series, we talk about the mental game and how much it plays into our programs. We often talk about the importance of the mental approach of our players, but what about leadership and the coaching staff; how you do you mentally prepare before each practice and competition? Here are some thoughts and ideas on what you can do to improve the mental approach of both yourself...

New Oklahoma MBB HC Porter Moser goes through a detailed description of his background and coaching philosophy in his new book "All In". In this short, compact read, Moser talks about his failures and how he confronted them, how he bounced back from getting fired at Illinois State, the values he leans on and instills into his program, and much more. Great read for anyone interested in leadership!

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith MBB HC Jim Boone comes on the podcast this week to discuss a multitude of topics, including the benefits and drawbacks of multiple stops in a career, pushing players beyond their comfort zone, the packline defense (just a quick hitter), closeouts and motion offense. We also delve into really important stuff like late 70's Baltimore Orioles baseball, and perhaps Co...

As Coach Meyer used to say "You'll never end a season saying that we were just too tough." But how do you establish standards within your program to create toughness and a commitment to the team first? Here are some thoughts on how to build toughness up and down your program, but build toughness the right way.

Yep, you read the title right . . . Robert Sutton gives you guidance on how to identify people in your life (including evaluating yourself and how you treat others) and how to deal with "jerks" in your life. Any organization needs to make sure that they have everyone rowing in the same direction, and if anyone is disrupting that flow, they need to be dealt with. Sutton gives us all tips on how to...

The next couple of months are a great time to take a look at your practice plans and analyze how you spent your time; did you spend too much time on defense but not enough time on shooting? Too much time on special situations that your team was never in position for anyway, and not enough time on free throws? How about shaking up the order of your practice? Here's some thoughts on looking backward...

Great discussion with 4x state champion Humphery St. Francis (NE) GBB HC Bryan Reichmuth. In this pod, we talk about building a strong culture at a small school, bouncing back from a state championship game loss to set up the 2020-21 season, being part of the recruitment of a Power 5 player, defensive pressure, offensive transition and practice set up. Great information from one of the best small...

Legendary Georgetown Coach John Thompson's autobiography "I Came As A Shadow" is a tremendous summation of one of basketball's legendary figures. As one of the most influential and controversial coaches in college basketball history, Thompson casts a long shadow, both literally and figuratively, and after reading his life's story, you have a greater understanding of Thompson's life and why he was...

Hastings Adams Central (NE) Boys HC Zac Foster comes on the pod to discuss the development of his program and how he has built a perenial power in central Nebraska. We discuss the influence of Paul Beranek, developing championship habits, developing a quality youth program, shooting and we wrap it up with a discussion on the merits of a shot clock in high school basketball. Great information for a...

We're all going to spend alot of time this off-season breaking down film, possessions, drill work, practice plans and everything in-between, but how much time are you going to spend breaking down yourself? What are your greatest strengths? What are your greatest weaknesses? What are you going to do to emphasize your strengths and what are you going to do to shore up your weaknesses? Taking the lea...

"It's the most . . . wonderful time . . . of the year!" Casey Hall and I get back together to talk about the 2021 NCAA tournament bracket, from our favorite first round games to our analysis of the regions into our picks, which we take all the way through to the national champion. Enjoy!!

Great new podcast with up and coming coach Jeff Janssen, the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Indianola (IA). In this pod, we talk about lessons learned as a new HC, crossing over basketball and cross country, transition offense, practice organization, delegating authority and much more! Alot of great information!!

In this Foundation Friday, we take a look at some real-life scenarios that have played out at various state tournaments the past 10 days or so. Some of these are traditional situational examples, while others are based on the mentality that you try to build up within your program even before you get to the state tournament. Alot of different scenarios to think about on this one!

It's important that you communicate to your players both about the season that you just completed, but also the future and how they fit into your program. You also have to have a plan as you go into these conversations, and you want to make sure that you communicate what you want exactly how you want. Here are some tips to help with these vital conversations!

We are excited to announce our 1st Annual "A Pen And A Napkin" Coaches Clinic! Mark it on your calendars; Saturday, May 1st at Fort Calhoun High School. We are planning on having six speakers to speak about how to make your program better! Along with our speakers, we plan on having small group break out sessions over lunch to where coaches can bounce ideas off of one another; you get the chance to...

Ballard of Huxley (IA) Boys HBB Coach Jeff Schertz comes on the podcast this week to discuss his journey to Iowa from the deep south, including a stop as the oldest men's basketball manager in the country. We also discuss different regions of the country, along with transition offense, flowing into motion offense and scouting. Alot of great information!!

Another great "Quick Hitters" cast with Jodi Steier, Assistant Women's Basketball Coach at Iowa State University (Player Development), Josh Luedtke, Boys Basketball Coach at Omaha Creighton Prep High School (Developing a Defensive System), APAAN "Triple Threat" Tyler Shaw, Girls Basketball Coach at Sidney (NE) High School (Special Situations), veteran Omaha official Chris Peterson on the game from...