Mike Leach and Unconventional Wisdom

Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach is probably my favorite coach in any sport. Besides being unconventional, he’s hilarious. His office is decorated like a pirate ship. That’s awesome.

Michael Lewis’ Moneyball is one of my favorite sports books. I’ve written articles based on it and I think I wrote a graduate school paper based on it.

Reading an old N.Y. Times article written by Lewis about Leach, then, is pure fun.

Leach changes the way you look at football.

Leach remains on the outside; like all innovators in sports, he finds himself in an uncertain social position. He has committed a faux pas: he has suggested by his methods that there is more going on out there on the (unlevel) field of play than his competitors realize, which reflects badly on them. He steals some glory from the guy who is born with advantages and uses them to become a champion.

I said the same thing about the UCLA SpecialOlympics program when I was in college. We did more as volunteer college students than the paid staff in our area, so they tried to stop us because we reflected poorly on them. We forced them to work harder.

People, and coaches included, like the status quo. People defend the current basketball system at length because they profit from it. If the system changes, or if players developed differently succeeded, they would have to change to stay relevant, and change is hard. It’s much easier to latch onto a mediocre system with which you are familiar, even if you think it is flawed, than to change it.

Leach’s agent says:

“He makes them nervous,” O’Hagan says. “They don’t like coaching against him; they’d rather coach against another version of themselves. It’s not that they don’t like him. But privately they haven’t accepted him. You know how you can tell? Because when you’re talking to them Monday morning, and you say, Did you see the play Leach ran on third and 26, they dismiss it immediately. Dismissive is the word. They dismiss him out of hand. And you know why? Because he’s not doing things because that’s the way they’ve always been done. It’s like he’s been given this chessboard, and all the pieces but none of the rules, and he’s trying to figure out where all the chess pieces should go. From scratch!”

I stopped working basketball camps because I had the same reactions. Coaches dismissed my questions or points as soon as I made them because they were different. Before I published my book, people on the yahoo coaches’ board thought I was a lunatic and automatically disagreed with every point that I made.

I question things. I don’t think crossing your feet on defense is wrong and I don’t think defenders should look at a player’s stomach. This is just crazy talk to most coaches. I think static stretching and running miles are useless for basketball, which goes against the old school approach. I don’t think you need height to win. I hate the shell drill. Heck, I hate 90% of the drills that you see at a normal practice. Zig-zag drills are a waste of time – I have a whole set of drills that I call “time wasters” that include such standards as the three-man weave. So, I’m crazy: Crazy like a pirate…

I just do not understand doing things because that’s the way they have always been done. I don’t believe a drill is good because Billy Donovan does it. I don’t think it matters what offense you run. I think the coaches that get on message forums and try to copy a play, drill or system exactly as someone else does it are unimaginative and probably not very good coaches. Just because Vance Walberg has his guard cut one way when this happens does not mean that you can’t tweak it to fit your personnel – the whole offense will not fall apart if you adjust to the players on your team. It’s not an all or nothing proposition.

I think we spend far too much time worrying about the incidentals of coaching – what play should I run? what’s a good press break for a 2-2-1? is a 2-3 better than a 3-2? – rather than the important aspects of coaching – communication skills, motivation, emotional intelligence, motor skill learning.

I don’t understand why so many people fear change. Without change, there is no growth. Without growth, life stagnates, and when it stagnates, it dies.

Iranian Basketball Development

This season, the first player from Iran will play in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies. Today I have an interview with Safa Ali Kamalian, former Iranian national team assistant coach and former Director of Mini Basketball committee in Iran.

TCM: What is the structure of the national team program?
SAK: All of our national teams are under the supervision of the National Team Organization which appoints the national teams’ technical staff – in cooperation with Coaches committee – and approves their programs by consultation with the National Federation Directing Board.

TCM: What are the ages of the players?
SAK: National age group teams are: Mini Basketball (U12), Passerelle (13-14), Cadets (15-16) and Juniors (17-18)

TCM: How are players selected? Is there a try-out?
SAK: Players are recommended by each province’s basketball board as well as recruiting by National team coaches during the national championships.

TCM: Who finances the academy/underage programs?
SAK: National Federation which is under the supervision of Physical Education Organization (PEO) finances all the national team programs and players usually get paid for their transportation to their home towns. Their accommodation and food is also covered while they are in national team camps.

TCM: Does the academy play together as a team? Do the players play individually with other teams?
SAK: Players play as team(s). It is sometimes possible for some age groups to organize 2-3 teams in each and supervise them throughout the whole program.

TCM: Do players attend school? How is the academy organized around school requirements/activities?
SAK: All the camps are organized during the summer, weekends or national holidays by which players are also enabled to fulfill their academical obligations.

TCM: How is the year structured? Is it structured around a season with a normal pre-season, competitive season, post-season, off-season? Or is the year periodized differently?
SAK: The season is usually organized considering the international programs which are in every 2 years and the coaches try to periodize the whole year defining goals and participating in internationally organized tournaments as well as playing against stronger/older teams locally.

TCM: How many hours per week do players train? Can we get a sample week for the average player? Do players train outside the club with other teams/organizations/clubs/schools?
SAK: Weekly practice hours are different because of the available time during the school time. 4-6 sessions could be organized during this period. But in summer week long camps could be organized in which they practice twice per day – morning/evening practices.
During this time and within the intervals of national team’s rest period players usually attend their clubs’ or home town team’s activities.

TCM: How many games would a normal player play at various age (U-12, U-15,U-18) groups in one calendar year?
SAK: Depending on the age group they usually have between 10-20 games.

TCM: Do the players lift weights?
SAK: U-15 and younger teams don’t lift weights but U-18 teams start weight lifting carefully!!!

TCM: Is there a nutritionist? Are the players’ diets monitored?
SAK: Nutrition in National team camps is under the supervision of Nutritionist and medical doctors.

TCM: Are athletes tested? Fitness tests? Anthropomorphic tests? Is there a standard evaluation used?
SAK: National teams usually get tested in our Olympic Academy Test Center for their standard physical abilities.

TCM: How many coaches/trainers in the Academy? How many players?
SAK: Technical staff in each age group usually consists of 1 head coach, 2 assistant coaches, 1 physical trainer and each group has 20-40 players in one or two teams.

TCM: What are the coaching qualifications? How does the academy hire a coach? Are coaches volunteers or paid staff?
SAK: Coaches are licensed by coaches committee and assigned by National teams’ organization. They get paid.

TCM: What does an average workout entail? Are workouts individual, group or team practices?
SAK: Most of the practice time include the individual and team fundamental workouts.

TCM: Is there a specific methodology?
SAK: Methodologies are different from coach to coach and unfortunately there’s no harmonized frameworks!

TCM: Is there a specific skill development curriculum for players? Is there an assessment or evaluation process where a 12 year old should have X skills and a 16 year old should have Y skills?
SAK: Unfortunately not yet, but the coaches committee has established basketball training centers throughout the country in which educated coaches who should pass specific qualifications supervise trainings and the final goal is to reach to that point.

TCM: How are coaches evaluated? By wins and losses? The fundamental quality of the players?
SAK: Coaches are evaluated by test during the refreshment clinics, their overall programs and performance monitored by coaches committee and national team organization.

TCM: Is there anything else you can add that may be valuable to our readers?
SAK: Our national U-17 and U-20 teams won the titles in 2004 Asian championships and the National U-17 team was the runner up in 2002.

Argentina Basketball Development

Carlos Diodati, Head Coach Club Lanus (Buenos Aires) under-19’s and former assistant coach, Argentina National Team, answered several questions about player development in Argentina.

TCM: What is the structure of the Academy or underage program for the club? Are there teams at each youth age groups which meet the individual’s development needs or is there something beyond normal underage club teams for players?
CD: The structure is formed by clubs with different categories according to the ages. 7 to 10-years-old: pre-mini-basketball; 11 to 12: mini-basketball, they play with a low rim ( 2,65m) and different ball size; 13-years-old: pre- infantiles; 14-15 infantiles; 16-17 cadets; 18-19 Juniors; and under 22. There is a coach for three categories. The game day is Saturday. At the end of the last game, the coach’s brain is burned.

TCM: How are players selected? Is there a try-out? Are players cut?
CD: Big clubs recruits from poorest clubs. They use a summer basketball camp.

TCM: Do players attend school? How is the academy organized around school requirements/activities?.
CD: The education system is not related with the clubs, it works separately. That is one of the reasons why the under-17 talented players abandon school to play in Europe. Pepe Sanchez (Temple University) and Facundo Gorgi (Florida International University) are two exceptions.

TCM: How is the year structured? Is it structured around a season with a normal pre-season, competitive season, post-season, off-season? Or is the year periodized differently?
CD: It depends on the coach (his preparation) and the clubs (the commitment with sport). All players play approximately 30 to 35 games in the year. We do a master plan (periodization) with different blocks: conditioning, individual technique, tactics, special situations, etc. depending on the stage of preparation.

TCM: How many hours per week do players train? Can we get a sample week for the average player? Do players train outside the club with other teams/organizations/clubs/schools?
CD: Big clubs train all days 2 hours. Small clubs, three times a week, hour and a half. The players play with others teams in the summer (Off-Season).

TCM: How many games would a normal player play at various age (U-12, U-15, U-18) groups in one calendar year?
CD: Approximately 30 to 35 games

TCM: Do the players lift weights? Is it part of the academy program?
CD: Yes they do it as part of their preparation in the pre-season.

TCM: Is there a nutritionist? Are the players’ diets monitored?
CD: No. The coach guides them.

TCM: Are athletes tested? Fitness tests? Anthropomorphic tests? Is there a standard evaluation used?
CD: Yes, it is done by the conditioning coach.

TCM: How many coaches/trainers in the Academy? How many players?
CD: One coach has three categories or teams. One trainer for all teams (four teams).

TCM: What are the coaching qualifications? How does the academy hire a coach? Are coaches volunteers or paid staff?
CD: The people in charge of hiring the coaches are volunteer workers because they have a son playing there. Coaching here is no easy job. The coaches work most of the time without a contract. We do it because we love the game and the spirit of the competition.

TCM: What does an average workout entail? Are workouts individual, group or team practices?
CD: We workout in both ways individual and team practices

TCM: What is the attrition rate? How many players drop out from year to year? Do new players join, or is there a funnel effect, where there are fewer and fewer players as the ages progress?
CD: This changes in different clubs. Clubs with professional teams are recruiting always.

TCM: Is there a specific methodology for the entire club?
CD: Yes and it has to do with coach philosophy.

TCM: Is there a specific skill development curriculum for players? Is there an assessment or evaluation process where a 12 year old should have X skills and a 16 year old should have Y skills?
CD: Yes, it is given to each player as part of his improvement program. It is different for each player. They work on his weak points.

TCM: Is there anything else you can add that may be valuable to our readers?
CD: Yes, I would like to share this: most of us have others jobs; someone works at the office or teaching in three or four different schools in a 8 to 10 hour a day. We practice at night in the winter in the most of times alone with a bunch of players in a dirty court with a few balls and poor salary too. We won a gold medal in Olympics games, we have five players in the NBA, and others players in Europe. How is it possible? Because coaches and players have the same feeling for this game. We love it.