One of the areas many of us need to work on as we are coaching basketball is the fact that we tend to be a bit long winded.
When as a coach explaining training concepts to the group or giving an athlete feedback, sometimes we forget that they are not quite as excited or interested in the topic as We are.
That is why I encourage coaches to adopt–
The 2 Minute Instruction Rule
Studies show that when listening to audio or watching video, the rate of listening/viewing begins to fall off rapidly once the 2 minute barrier has been crossed.
So when instructing athletes on a particular concept or skill, as well as in giving an athlete feedback, you should be able to get your point across in 2 Minutes or less.
If it takes longer than that, you are not doing a good job in explaining it and your athletes are going to stop paying attention and just stare at you blankly until you quit talking.
Let’s say you are going to begin teaching the“ critically important concepts of the 2 on 1 fast break drill-both offensively and defensively. The concept and series of related drills that reinforce the idea can’t be explained and taught in 2 minutes.
So I recommend giving a 2 minute explanation of what we want from the offense in a 2 on 1. Then get your athletes moving and active by having them perform your 2 on 1 drill. Use no explanation for the defense and what they are to do except try to not let the offense score.
The next time you go back to the 2 on 1 drill give 2 minutes of instruction giving the defensive player the concepts you want to stop the offense.
Then keep your athletes active by having them begin the drill again.
By giving your athletes easily digestible pieces of information, followed by a related activity, your athletes will stay interested in what you have to say and learn the concepts and skills they need to continue to improve.
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