Coachbase basketball drills and practice planning

Collect Team Fees Without Stress

January 30, 2015 By Coach Keith Leave a Comment

It’s that painful time of the year again – time to get your parents and players to pay their dues. Although this can be the most frustrating part of a coach’s job, Here’s a step by step guide to make this the easiest year ever!

Get Organised!

Step 1: Create a pay sheet

Before you even get started with chasing up payments, make a pay sheet. I find google docs to be the best tool for this purpose as it’s accessible on mobile as well. As seen in the image below, make a column with all your players on it, and include this key information: parents’ names, contact number and contact email. Here’s my template that you use for yourself

Step 2: Get physically organized

Print out the sheet you made in Step 1 and put it in a small plastic pouch and perhaps some change. You’ll want to carry this around with you all the time. Parents give you team fees anywhere, anytime. The last thing you want to do is mix up the money and forget who gave you what.

Step 3: Devise a system

Once in a while, transfer your physical note to the google doc and figure out what code you want to use to keep track of who has paid or not. I use simple red, yellow and green highlights to distinguish between late/urgent, waiting and paid players. If you experiment with the spreadsheet you’ll notice I’ve already done this for you. Typing “in”, “pending” and “late” will come up with green, yellow and red highlighted boxes respectively.

Step 4: Get a safe

As money gets handed to you bit by bit, you often won’t have the time to go to the bank to cash it in. I suggest having a secure folder or safe in your office that you can use to store your money, and then cashing in everything after everyone has paid.

Tip: Record immediately!

We’ve all been there, you pull out a wad of cash after practice and you can’t figure out who gave you what. Prevent this from happening by using the voice memo function on your phone. Create a shortcut so that you can get to it right away. Turn it on and start speaking to it, “Mary paid team fees for both her sons”. The date on the recording will tell you when they pay and you can easily listen to your own notes when you get home.

Bonus: Teamsnap

Recently, I’ve moved away from paper to the TeamSnap app. It allows you to email your whole team or just the parents to remind them to pay. Parents can pay directly to your bank account. You can also tell them about practice locations and other things which makes it extremely userful. But trust me, just the team fee function alone makes it worth while! You’ll never have to worry about losing envelopes again.

Go out there and coach without worries!

If you want to save time and reduce stress, I highly recommend downloading Teamsnap to manage your team. Check it out on the app store here.

Until next time, see you on the courts!

Keith

How Coachbase is Changing Lives in the Kibera Slums

January 25, 2015 By Coach Keith Leave a Comment

We’re very proud to be supporting and sharing about Coach Gustavo Hellwig’s soccer ministry in Narobi, Kenya.

Kibera is the largest slum area in Africa with more than 1 million inhabitants. Coach Gustavo Hellwig hopes to change the lives of people through soccer there.

We’re very happy to be supporting such a great cause and we believe sport can change lives. If you’re an NGO or charity organization interested in using Coachbase, drop us a line!

How We’re Making Coachbase EVEN EASIER to Use

January 21, 2015 By Coach Keith Leave a Comment

In December, we sent out a survey to all our customers and we’re going to share the findings from that survey. Thank you so much to those who answered our survey!

Most of you were satisfied but for those that weren’t, it was either because:

App was too difficult to use
Android app is not as feature rich as iPad

A surprising number of you use multiple devices. It seems coaches like to do really complex work on their desktop but also like having their plays/drills on the go on their ipad/iphone.

Ease of use scored the lowest amongst all our attributes. We’ve heard you loud and clear, we need to make it easier and FASTER to draw up your drills and plays.

Our goal: Make the app easier to use than a physical clipboard.

Next steps: Making our app easier to use

We’re going to be sharing our revamp process so you can give us feedback and help shape our product as we move along.

Yes, we know. Your head coach won’t use it because it’s too difficult and it takes too long. It has to be easier to use than a physical clipboard or pen and paper.

Take a look at our demo video and give us some feedback on what you think of these changes:

4 Ways to Turn Players into a TEAM

January 13, 2015 By Coach Keith Leave a Comment

In last year’s NBA Finals, we witnessed San Antonio Spurs beat Miami Heat in one of the most one-sided series in recent memory. The Heat, lead by 4-time MVP Lebron James, and future Hall of famers Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, were completely outplayed by Gregg Popovich’s Spurs. Many people were left scratching their heads at how a team with so many great individuals could lose so dramatically. But it was clear to anyone who watched the games, that the secret to the Spurs’ success was “teamwork”. Whilst Popovich’s roster also contained it’s fair share of superstars, including 14 time All-Star Tim Duncan and 2007 Final MVP Tony Parker, his group of players were united as a team, committed to win together.

We’re going to look at some simple ways you too can turn your players into a team.

Communication:

The Crazy Gang

In 1988, an English soccer team named Wimbledon famously beat Liverpool in one of the greatest shocks in FA Cup final history. The Liverpool team that lost were considered to be one of the greatest ever in English Football and the team who beat them, nicknamed the Crazy Gang, were thought of as an average team of hard-working players. Wimbledon were captained by Vinnie Jones, now a movie star who appeared in X-Men and Snatch, and managed by Dave Bassett who created a team spirit so strong they felt they could beat anyone. They fostered a collegiate team atmosphere that was like a brotherhood within a changing room. Wimbledon were nicknamed the Crazy Gang for a reason and some of their team-building activities got wild, crossing the line of appropriateness at times. What was special about them, though, was they created a team environment that players enjoyed being in. Many point to this team spirit was what helped Wimbledon to win the Cup. In today’s world, replicating type of setting in the changing room is even easier.

How to Create Team Spirit in 2014? A. Use Technology

Back before everyone had a smartphone, most team bonding took place at the field or at practice. Now, you can build team spirit using just your smartphone. On team sports apps such as Mitoo, you can constantly stay in touch with your players. We’ve seen coaches use Mitoo to:

Enjoy jokes and banter with players
Send links to funny sporting videos
Tell their players how excited they are about an upcoming game
Congratulate their players on last game performance

Simply communicating regularly with your players can make a massive difference to team spirit. So utilize the technology to bring your players closer together.

Responsibility:

Egos in teams

The reality is in any team there are some players who are better than others. This can sometimes to lead to some players developing an ego or an attitude where they feel certain tasks, like defending, are below them. This can cause problems in teams -See Kobe and Shaq – and the factions that came up. The best teams have no egos.

Squad Rotation:

Popovich, a former member of the US Air Force, would never tolerate an ego in his roster and employed a hugely successful squad rotation policy. The Spurs’ bench finished the regular season first in scoring per game (44.5 ppg), field-goal percentage (47.8) and assists (10.9); second in rebounds (16.8) and 3-point percentage (39.1); and third in steals (3.3). Speaking on the squad rotation:

“It also does develop the bench, give them some confidence to play,” Popovich said of his carefully monitored rotation. “And hopefully in the end when playoff time comes, sometimes it’s a role player that steps up in a certain game and has a heck of a night and helps you.”

What you can do:

I advise that you organise one thing that a different player is responsible for each week and rotate whose turn it is every week.You could trust the players to wash and bring the kit, but that can be risky as players may forget. So if you’re less brave and can’t risk a player leaving the kit at home, just choose the socks. Always bring a enough spare old pairs that have a few holes in and are a little wet. No person wants to be the one who forgot the socks and caused the rest of team to wear smelly old socks. Having every player, even the superstars, have to do the same unwanted task removes ego and puts everyone on the same level, regardless of skill level.

Keep things transparent:

Be open in communication and let it be clear what everyone’s role is publicly. This will let everyone be aware of why decisions were made and why someone needs to take one for the team.

Different Horses for Different Courses:

There are styles of play that require a certain role for certain players. For example, Tim Duncan has been one of the best power forwards in the NBA for the past two decades. With a player like that, it would be unwise to not tailor some plays around his talents and his bank shot. Inevitably, though, this will affect other players’ role in the team. If you let the whole team know why you’ve made one player sacrifice for the team for others, you help the other players understand exactly the job that player is doing for the team. This works two-fold, in that players gain respect for the hard-workers and appreciate the work they do. The player making the sacrifices for the team doesn’t need to feel frustrated not taking shots because they know their role is valued and not measured in the same way a player like Duncan is.

Sports team communication platforms such as Mitoo allow you to connect your whole team directly, meaning you can keep important team news out in the open.

When to keep things Private:

Of course, there will be times when you need to speak privately. However, aside from personal issues like discipline and off-the-field matters, most of what you say should just be extensions of what was told in public. For example, details on exactly how the player should play the role or team tactics.

Creating a great team spirit takes time but trying some of these tips may help you to get closer.

Check out the Mitoo sports blog for more articles on the best ways to run your team and league.

Image Source 1: http://bit.ly/1xXrdFx

Image Source 2: http://fifa.to/1KGqU7l

Image Source 3: http://bit.ly/1yaOTXm

Why Usain Bolt and Dwight Howard have a Chiropractor

October 29, 2014 By Coach Keith Leave a Comment

Many high-performance, competitive athletes and their coaches have found that a Chiropractor plays a significant role in managing acute injuries, maximizing performance and preventing injuries. By Dr. Bluestein

– “World’s Fastest Man”, Usain Bolt, receives treatment from his chiropractor

Chiropractors are doctors that are well equipped to help sports athletes perform at their very best. Chiropractors optimize the nerve-muscle-bone system. In an effort to reduce injuries and increase performance, individual athletes and many sports teams look toward Chiropractors to design custom tailored health programs.

Chiropractors have an excellent clinical toolbox used to effectively assess and treat the athlete. Two such tools are the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA) and Functional Range Release® (F.R.®).

SFMA is designed to assess fundamental patterns of movement such as bending and squatting. The clinical assessment is done from the perspective of a movement pattern. The system identifies problems that may be seemingly unrelated to the main complaint, but contribute to overall physical health of the athlete.

Functional Range Release® (F.R.®) is an advanced system of soft-tissue treatment based in the principles of myofascial release, but with multiple improvements. This system expands on the basic tenets of myofascial-release treatments by simultaneously assessing, expanding, and strengthening the patient’s functional range of motion. F.R.® is currently being utilized in the USA’s top professional and college performance programs.

– Houston Rocket’s centre, Dwight “Superman” Howard, being treated with F.R.®.

– Functional Range Release® (F.R.®) is currently being used by the above medical staffs. The list of who utilizes this system is growing every year.

Chiropractors are also able to cooperate with the members of your existing healthcare team and coaching staff to ensure they are maximizing the athletes’ full potential.

Dr. Bluestein holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Honours Biology from Western University. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. He is currently practicing in Central, Hong Kong at Align Chiropractic Healthcare Centre.

Tips for Team Managers: Become the Coach’s Right Hand

October 10, 2014 By Coach Keith Leave a Comment

The better you are at something, the more you’re asked to do. While that may seem like a pain, when it comes to helping out with your kid’s sports team, it can also be a blessing. It means you’re there with your child, experiencing the good times and bad, taking an active part in his or her life. It also means you’re making the job easier for the coach, who is often a volunteer and often has way too much to do.

While some team managers think their job is over as long as the uniforms have been ordered and someone remembers to bring refreshments to each game, being a great team manager really means taking responsibility for all the off-the-field logistics of running the team — leaving the coach free to, well, coach!

Although thinking of everything that needs to be done can be daunting, once you have a system in place, it’s truly a rewarding experience and you’re making memories that will last a lifetime. So what does it take to be a great team manager? Here are a few tips culled from our more than 500,000 coaches on how to get off on the right foot and moving in the right direction all season long.

Don’t do it all yourself.

Of course, there is a ton to worry about, and between work, home life and the kids’ other sports, where do you find the time? The mistake many team managers make is that they fail to delegate. With some of the simpler tasks, like bringing snacks, planning or hosting the end-of-season party, recording stats, etc., let other parents chip in! Make a list of all the jobs you want others to handle and add them to the list of other required team volunteer positions like referee and field prep, so you know just how much help you need.

Get organized before the season starts.

Now that you have your list of jobs, it’s time to “strongly encourage” people to volunteer. Many team managers simply email the list of jobs out and hope parents sign up. Although everyone means well, we all know that email will sit, unread, in the inbox as parents hope someone else volunteers for team duties. This inevitably puts the team manager in the position of resident nudge. Consider having a preseason team BBQ or picnic and have your list ready. This serves two purposes: you let parents and players get acquainted or reacquainted in a fun setting off the field, and you can make sure every volunteer job is filled before the end of the event. Leave the email for reminders, not sign-ups.

Be Prepared

The team manager is kind of like a superhero, and you never know when you’ll need to duck into a phone booth to don your cap. Being as prepared as possible will ultimately make your job easier. One of the most important things you can do is create a team roster with everyone’s contact information, especially cell phone numbers. While it’s a good idea to distribute this to every parent on the team, no one needs it more than you do. Although you can easily have paper copies available, there are also team management apps that allow you to access the roster online or on your mobile phone. That way, if you’re at a field and two players are late, you can call the parents to find out where they are and when they’ll be at the field, while the coach is getting the rest of the team ready to play.

Other smaller crises can be averted by thinking of the little things: have an extra pair of socks in your bag for the player who ran out the door without them; remember a few plastic baggies for players’ earrings or watches; keep a pack of hair ties in your bag. And, of course, always carry a Sharpie and duct tape!

Let technology make your job easier

Thankfully, most people are now comfortable with email and text as the primary method of communication for team info, which can dramatically speed up your job. However, there are other ways to make your job as team manager easier as well. Team management tools, like TeamSnap, automate a lot of these processes for you. In addition to letting you create, update and store a team roster, tools like TeamSnap let you see players’ availability for games and practices, assign snack duties and keep track of who has paid their registration or uniform fees.

Have fun!

Finally, being a great team manager is about keeping the team running smoothly so the kids can have fun! And that’s what it’s really all about.

Want more tips? Check out the TeamSnap Resources page on TeamSnap for everything a coach, manager or sports parent needs, or subscribe to blog.teamsnap.com. We’re here to make your managing and coaching experience as smooth and easy as possible!