Choking At Game-Time

I coach a wheelchair basketball team, but I have a problem that all coaches have faced at one time or another.  I have what Dick Vitale would call an “All Airport Team”.  Guys who are excellent athletically and look great in practice, but either choke or go “brain dead” in games.  I really feel we have the most talent in our conference, but it doesn’t always show in games.  One factor that is problem different than for most able-bodied coaches is that I only have one 2 hour practice a week in which to attempt to correct this problem.  Any suggestions?
Coach Simon
Wisconsin


Dear Coach Simon,

There could be a lot of reasons for why your team fails to “mentally” show up on game days.  It could be you are not practicing with enough competitive intensity in your abbreviated practice period.  It could be they are confused about what to execute which may lead to sluggish decision making.  It could be the players aren’t responsive to you because you generalize the problems the team is facing and tell them “what they aren’t” or “can’t do”, instead of “what they need to do” to improve, concentrate, and perform consistently over the course of the game.

However here is my educated guess.  Most teams that have physical ability and demonstrate their basketball prowess in practices but fail to bring to games have problems with concentration.  I would attempt to challenge my team to focus on goals, whether it’s reducing the number of turnovers, making physical effort to every single rebound, charting the number of times a player stops penetration in practice.
Players can focus if they are given goals and have measurement tools to evaluate their ability to achieve goals.  Whether you have 2 hours of practice a week or 20, get someone (it doesn’t even have to be a player or coach) to chart your practices and keep statistics on execution.  If players are being challenged and know they are being evaluated they are more likely to “stretch” their concentration efforts over longer periods of time.  

Without question the lack of practice time is not helping you here.  But that is what you have to work with so you must deal with it.  Try to do some warm-up exercises or basic skills (such as passing) off the court before practice begins.  If you can hit practice on the run, warmed up with full concentration it will carry over to game situations.  

Secondly, I would suggest you make your practices more competitive.  I have never in all my years as a player or coach, seen teams that have very intense practices in general perform “brain dead” as you call it over the course of several games.  Intensity is brought to a higher level by playing for something of value.  Practices should be essentially like games.  Whenever possible in all of my practices, we play for a winner and loser.  In other words we practice “competing”.  Free throws, Shooting contests, 4 on 4 on 4 where teams get points for scores and take-a-ways, rebound counts in scrimmage situations.  I love competition, and want my players to love it as well.  Improve your teams concentration, and improve their competitive instincts and see if that doesn’t go a long way toward improving your “All-Airport Team’s” game performances.

Thanks for Asking the Coach


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