Here is one of my favorite coaching tips from Coach Geno Auriemma. It is about a way that he shows players the proper pace they should be using on the basketball court and the amount of effort / focus that he expects.
Effort is critically important to a player’s development. If a player doesn’t stretch outside their comfort zone, they won’t become one of the players that win.
Coach Wheeler “It’s about Effort”
I use “up & backs” as a key part of the conditioning program for my teams. Basketball is a game of acceleration and getting from one point to another. It is also about putting out bursts of effort and recovering quickly.
Most people don’t realize that the key part of the up/back drill is how long it takes for a player to be ready to do it again. The best players can do multiple runs with minimal rest but the drill must push players so they put out their best effort both while running and when they set their “restart threshold”.
Through years of trial, I now use a “sorting technique” where the 1st 5 players who are ready and step up to the line are moved to their right side of the line. The rest of the team waits until they are done (usually 10 seconds) before they run. Anyone from either group who finishes in less than 10 seconds can “step up” to run with the top 5. This process quickly shows who is in shape and who is willing to put in the extra effort. Maybe I will offer $100 like Coach Auriemma next time…