Building A Culture
<p>In this episode, we discuss the importance of building a strong culture in a basketball program. I share my personal experience of taking over as head coach and establishing a culture at Heritage High School and turning around a team the year before that went 4-20 to 14-12 and making the playoffs again. There is a clear need to define and communicate the desired culture and I am working more and more on the role of actions built on core values that play a large part in shaping culture. I will recommend several books on building a culture and shares specific strategies I implemented, such as high fives, picking up teammates, intentional communication, and effort-based goals. I go over my strategy for preseason, in-season, and offseason activities that focus on building a cohesive and successful team. I will also reflect on some mistakes I made in the past and the lessons I learned from them and what I am looking to adjust for this upcoming season.</p><p><strong><em>Previous Episode - Becoming A Head Coach</em></strong></p><p>Coaching Basketball Podcast </p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coaching-basketball-podcast/id1645716799">Apple Podcasts</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/5QF6FuBTFs4kB6JuXyA9tr?si=bd75f459e60c466a">Spotify</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtnlD0_6Shu7pn1Yi99r_TMb3fDgdkQp2">YouTube</a></p><p><strong>Key takeaways:</strong></p><p>* Building a strong culture is essential for a successful basketball program.</p><p>* Defining and communicating the desired culture is crucial.</p><p>* Actions and behaviors shape the culture more than words or preaching.</p><p>* Implementing specific strategies like high fives, picking up teammates, intentional communication, and effort-based goals can reinforce the desired culture.</p><p>* Continuous learning and improvement are important for both coaches and players. Establishing and reinforcing team culture is crucial for success in basketball.</p><p>* Preseason activities should focus on reestablishing the team culture and setting expectations.</p><p>* In-season activities should include regular check-ins with players, culture days, and culture moments in film sessions.</p><p>* Offseason activities should involve consistent check-ins, attending games, and setting goals for individual skill development.</p><p>* Mistakes to avoid include neglecting culture-building activities, not preparing bench players for their roles, and keeping players who do not fit the team culture.</p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p><strong>00:00 </strong>Introduction and Background</p><p><strong>01:54 </strong>Defining and Establishing the Desired Culture</p><p><strong>05:40 </strong>Strategies for Reinforcing the Desired Culture</p><p><strong>09:55 </strong>Continuous Learning and Improvement in Building a Culture</p><p><strong>31:05 </strong>Building a Strong Team Culture</p><p><strong>33:56 </strong>In-Season: Regular Check-Ins and Culture Days</p><p><strong>52:37 </strong>Mistakes and Lessons Learned</p><p>Books & Resources</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3LOdmgj">Extreme Ownership</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3ywOXZm">Jocko Willink Bundle - Best Leadership Books</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3yp6PFy">Culture System</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3WPIwda">Atomic Habits</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3LSRSP6">Coaches Guide To Teaching</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3WZfg49">Start With Why</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3LRFRcU">The Culture Code</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3Szje0p">Practice Perfect</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://amzn.to/3SyUh5x">Moleskine Notebook</a></p><p><strong><em>Note - all books above are Amazon affiliate links.</em></strong> </p><p>The Husky Way</p><p>Culture Folder</p><p>Pre-Season</p><p>-Establish Culture Standards</p><p>-Introduce The Husky Way</p><p>-Conditioning Tests</p><p>-Sniper Tests</p><p>Beginning Of Season</p><p>-Captains Council (Culture System)</p><p>-Ask players 3-4 things they like & respect/expect out of a team captain</p><p>-Vote blindly on 3 players who exemplify these characteristics</p><p>-3 captains in charge of the council (4 if you think someone needs to be on there)</p><p>-Meet With Players Weekly</p><p>Throughout Season</p><p>-Meet With Players Weekly</p><p>-Alternate Coaches Meeting With Players</p><p>-Culture Days</p><p>-Culture Moments (Film)</p><p>-Culture Drills</p><p>End of Season</p><p>-Culture Recap</p><p>-End of season exit meetings</p><p>-What was bad or negative experiences </p><p>-What was good or positive experiences</p><p>-What was your favorite part of practice</p><p>-What was your least favorite part of practice</p><p>Offseason</p><p>-Consistent Check Ins</p><p>-Attending AAU games</p><p>-Give space & time off (July/August)</p><p>-Iron Husky & Snipers</p><p>📝 <strong>Playbooks:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.thebasketballplaybook.com/product/2023-24-boston-celtics-nba-champions-playbook/">2023-24 Boston Celtics NBA Champions Playbook</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thebasketballplaybook.com/product/2023-24-uconn-huskies-national-champions-playbook/">2024 Uconn National Champions Playbook</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thebasketballplaybook.com/product/2024-ncaa-tournament-playbook/">2024 NCAA Tournament Playbook</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thebasketballplaybook.com/product/ncaa-tournament-bundle-2019-2023/">NCAA Tournament Bundle (2018-2023)</a> </p><p><strong>🏀 Resources:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://thebasketballplaybook.com/product-category/playbook/">Basketball Playbooks</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://thebasketballplaybook.com/product-category/clinic/">Coaching Clinics</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://thebasketballplaybook.com/the-basketball-playbook-member-page/">Coaching Membership</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://halfcourthoops.substack.com/">Newsletter</a></p><p><strong>👉🏻 Follow:</strong></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/HalfCourtHoops">Twitter</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/c/HalfCourtHoops/videos">YouTube</a> | <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/thebasketballplaybook">Instagram</a></p><p>Enjoy!</p><p>Coach Pyper</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. 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