JOHN CALIPARI – HEAD MEN’S COACH UNIVERSITY OF

“COACHING & INSPIRING TODAY’S ATHLETE”

• WE WANT THIS THING TO BE A FIST , NOT AN OPEN HAND! (Five fingers working together) (THE FIVE PLAYERS ON THE FLOOR)

• BUILDING TRUST

- MOST IMPORTANT  NEVER PROMISE PLAYING TIME (UNDER SELL/OVER DELIVER)  WITH OUR STYLE OF PLAY, FAST & PRESSURE, ONLY SUPERMAN COULD PLAY ALMOST THE WHOLE GAME

- FAMILY ATMOSPHERE • WE ARE ALL HERE FOR EACH OTHER • I WILL TREAT EACH ONE LIKE MY SON • THEY COME BY THE HOUSE, WE HAVE THEM OVER

• PLAYING TIME

- AM I PLAYING THE RIGHT PEOPLE? - ARE THE RIGHT PEOPLE GETTING PLENTY OF MINUTES? (COACH MUST ASK THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS)

• EARNING RESPECT

- BEING HONEST - MAKING COMMITMENTS YOU CAN HONOR - HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY, “NO!” - ONLY DOING WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO - SHOWING AFFECTION, AFTER YOU GET TO KNOW THEM

COACH CAL, cont.

• CREATING A DIALOGUE

- TO COMMUNICATE, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THEM

[TWO PLACES IN OFFICE TO TALK/LISTEN]  A TABLE IN MY OFFICE, THE “LISTENING TABLE” – WHERE I AM LISTENING 75 – 80% OF THE TIME, ASKING QUESTIONS, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND  AT MY DESK – WHERE THAT PLAYER HAS DONE SOMETHING, I MAY LISTEN TO HIS EXCUSES FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT HE IS LISTENING TO ME, I AM TALKING

- HERE’S YOUR ROLE

HERE’S YOUR ROLE HERE’S HOW WE’RE GOING TO PLAY HERE’S HOW WE’RE GOING TO WIN

 THEY MAY NOT ASK, BUT THEY ALL WANT TO KNOW, “WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?”  THEIR PERCEPTION IS THEIR REALITY WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT AND HANDLE IT

1) BE UNSELFISH 2) DO WHAT YOU DO a. IF YOU ARE A SHOOTER – YOU SHOOT b. IF YOU ARE A DRIVER – YOU DRIVE IT c. IF YOU ARE A POST UP PLAYER – YOU POST UP

*** BE POSITIVE, TELL THEM WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO – MAYBE WORD IT DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU HAVE BEFORE, DON’T POINT FINGERS, GOTTA DEAL WITH THEIR REALITY!!!***

COACH CAL, cont.

• DOING WHAT IT TAKES

- GET PEOPLE TO TALK TO YOUR PLAYERS & GET THEM TO OPEN UP, NOT ALL OF THEM WILL OPEN UP TO YOU

 SOMEONE ON YOUR STAFF  SOMEONE ON THE STAFF @ THE SCHOOL  IN THE COMMUNITY a. MENTOR b. PSYCHOLOGIST

- HAVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS FIND OUT:

 WHAT IS HIS PERCEPTION?  HOW CAN I BE A BETTER COACH?  HOW DO I DO A BETTER JOB OF CONNECTING?

- COMMUNICATION :

 MUST ASK.  MUST TALK.  MUST LISTEN.

 (HAVE AN AREA FOR THIS, DON’T JUST ASSUME BY READING BODY LANGUAGE.)

• MAKING A CONNECTION

- EVERY PLAYER IS DIFFERENT - REALLY PUSH, HUG, ENCOURAGE, AND WORK WITH THE BOTTOM 6 GUYS. THIS REALLY HELPS TO BRING THE TEAM TOGETHER.

• WRITING YOUR OWN STORY

- WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF - WRITE YOUR STORY (YOU DUNK THE BALL, YOU DO THE POST-GAME INTERVIEWS, YOU GET CARRIED OFF THE FLOOR BY YOUR TEAMMATES, YOU HIT THE GAME-WINNING FREE THROWS) WRITE IT ALL! EX.: (, DID THIS TWICE AND IT REALLY HELPED, AFTER HAVING TWO BAD PERFORMANCES IN THE ELITE 8, HIS FINAL ELITE 8 AND FINAL 4 WERE HIS BEST)

COACH CAL, cont.

TWO OR THREE QUESTIONS THAT I ASK MY PLAYERS

1) IN 2 OR 3 YEARS, YOU ARE SETTING HERE (@ THE LISTENING TABLE), YOU’RE SATISFIED, YOU’RE HAPPY . . . WHAT HAS HAPPENED ON THAT BASKETBALL COURT AND IN SCHOOL?

2) DURING THAT PROCESS . . . TO GET TO THAT FEELING, WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME AND WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO SACRIFICE? WHAT WAS STANDING IN THE WAY? BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THIS FOR THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS.

3) WHAT WERE THE STRENGTHS AND WHAT WERE THE WEAKNESSES THAT HELPED CATAPAULT YOU TO THAT LEVEL? THE WEAKNESSES BEING WHAT YOU HAD TO WORK ON AND GET BETTER AT TO GET THAT LEVEL.

 THEY HAVE HAD TO PAINT A PICTURE. WHAT CAN I HANG MY HAT ON? BE ABLE TO KNOW AND HAVE A SENSE OF WHO THEY ARE & WHERE THEY ARE GOING.

• IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

- IF YOU ARE AFRAID TO SAY, “NO!” YOU ARE MORE WORRIED ABOUT AFFECTION THAN RESPECT. AND YOU ARE NOT LONG FOR THIS PROFESSION! - IS AS IMPORTANT AS INSPIRING

 RULE: (@ UMASS) – BE ON TIME OR YOUR PLAYING TIME WILL BE AFFECTED, STARTER WON’T START, SUB WILL MOVE DOWN THE BENCH, LAST PLAYER ON BENCH WILL MOVE ON OTHER SIDE OF THE WATER COOLERS. STARTER, , SWEET 16 MATCHUP, IS LATE. FOR WHATEVER REASON, HE’S LATE. EVERYONE KNOWS IT! WHILE THEY ARE GOING DOWN THE ROAD, HE CALLS MARCUS UP FRONT AND SAYS, “MARCUS, YOU KNOW THAT I CAN’T START YOU, RIGHT.” MARCUS CAMBY SAYS, “COACH, I KNOW, I WOULD BE MORE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU DID START ME.”

- WE ARE THERE TO HELP PLAYERS LEARN AND GROW! - FIRM BUT FAIR - FIRM DOES NOT MEAN EQUAL - BEING FAIR DOES NOT MEAN EQUAL - HOW I DEAL WITH PLAYERS IS A REFLECTION OF ME. COACH CAL, cont.

• WHY CONSEQUENCES MATTER

- HOW DO YOU GET TO WHERE IT IS 5 WORKING TOGETHER AND NOT WORKING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER? - IT STARTS WITH GREAT DISCIPLINE AND STRUCTURE. IT STARTS THERE. YOUR PROGRAM IS RUN WITH THAT.

 THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO ACTIONS. THEY ARE QUICK, FIRM, AND FAIR. CONSISTENCY – EVERY SINGLE TIME!  TIMING  NO EXCUSES!

 A PLAYER THAT PLAYED FOR US ALWAYS HAD AN EXCUSE WHEN SOMEONE WOULD GET ON HIM OR TRY TO COACH HIM. ONE DAY I STARTED COMPLIMENTED HIM WHEN HE STARTED TO MAKE AN EXCUSE. HE LOOKED AT ME FUNNY. I SAID THAT I WAS JUST GOING TO TELL HIM THAT HE WAS DOING GOOD! AFTER DOING THIS FOR A WHILE, HE SAW WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO, AND HE CHANGED.

 WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH YOU, YOU DON’T SPEAK AND HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY!

EXCUSE BOARD

- FIRST DAY . . . WE WILL HAVE 10 MOST COMMON EXCUSES , PUT UP ON THE BOARD

1) IT IS MY TEAMMATES FAULT 2) GIRLFRIEND IS GIVING ME PROBLEMS 3) BED IS NOT RIGHT AND MY BACK HURTS 4) HAD TO STUDY TOO LONG

THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES!

TEN OF THEM LINED UP ON THE BOARD.

 JUST GIVE US A #, WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO HEAR THE WHOLE DRAWN OUT VERSION.  WE WILL EVEN TAKE TWO #’S. COMBO IT, “COACH, IT IS #’S 2 & 7 TODAY.”  IT COMICAL! THEY START TO UNDERSTAND. WE DON’T ACCEPT EXCUSES! JUST LET US COACH YOU! COACH CAL, cont.

 WE DON’T WANT TO HEAR EXCUSES!  WE ARE ABOUT GETTING THINGS DONE! NOT , HEARING WHY WE DIDN’T GET ‘EM DONE!  WE ARE COMING EVERY DAY IN A PERSISTENT WAY! IN A CONSISTENT WAY OF HOW WE APPROACH IT.

• SHOWING WHAT’S IMPORTANT

- IF IT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU, IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO THEM.

 ACADEMICS  CONDITIONING  WEIGHT TRAINING

• FIGHTING OUTSIDE INFLUENCES

- INTERNET - RATINGS - POSITIONS PLAYED

 MEET WITH THEM FOR 10 TO 15 MINUTES FOR PRE-PRACTICE  MEET WITH THEM MORE TO WIPE OUT & NEGATE OUTSIDE INFLUENCES  “MAJOR IN THE MAJOR” – JUNIOR SEAU, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS LB WHILE THEY WERE UNDEFEATED DURING THE 2007-08 NFL SEASON o DON’T MESS WITH THE MINOR STUFF o CONNECT o COMMUNICATE o BUILD TRUST  “CREATE OUR OWN HAPPINESS” o DON’T LET SOMEONE ELSE DO THAT FOR US o DON’T LET OTHERS DEFINE WHAT OUR SUCCESS IS  MEET WITH THEM FOR 5 MINUTES FOR POST-PRACTICE o TALK ABOUT WHO PLAYED WELL o TALK ABOUT WHO DIDN’T o TALK ABOUT WHO NEEDS TO STEP IT UP

COACH CAL, cont.

 YOU MAKE ME WHAT I AM! ∎ YOU WANT ME TO BE A CHEERLEADER, DO THINGS RIGHT! ∎∎∎ YOU WANT ME IN HERE YELLING & SCREAMING AND GOING CRAZY, ACT LIKE YOU DON’T CARE, BE SELFISH, AND DON’T LISTEN TO THE COACHES! - THEN YOU’LL MAKE ME THAT GUY. YOU’LL MAKE ME WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE!

• DON’T LEAVE MAD BY YOURSELF

- MY FRIEND AND MENTOR, HALL OF FAMER , TOLD ME TO NEVER LEAVE AND BE THE ONLY ONE MAD. - IF I AM MAD, AND THEY MADE ME MAD, I AM MAKING THEM MAD. EVERYONE WILL LEAVE MAD . . . ∎ COACHES ∎ ASSISTANTS ∎ MANAGERS ∎ PLAYERS WE ARE ALL GOING TO LEAVE MAD!

• SETTING TEAM GOALS

- LET THE TEAM CREATE THEIR OWN GOALS. - YOU STEER THEM, BUT LET THEM CREATE THEM. LET THEM RUN W/IT. - LET THEM DICTATE HOW FAR TO TAKE IT. - MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY IT TAKES SOMETHING TO GO UNDEFEATED.

• COMMITMENTS

[IN A MEETING AFTER THE “TEAM GOALS” MEETING, ANOTHER DAY]

- “WHAT WILL YOU COMMIT TO THIS TEAM?” - GO AROUND TO EVERY PLAYER AND EVERY COACH. - WHATEVER IT IS, IT IS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO.

COACH CAL, cont.

 I AM COMMITTING 8 REBOUNDS A GAME TO THIS TEAM.  I AM GOING TO BRING IT, EVERYDAY, IN PRACTICE.  I AM GOING TO SHOW ENTHUSIASM.  I AM GOING TO LEAD THIS TEAM.  I AM GOING TO HAVE A WORK ETHIC LIKE NEVER BEFORE AND I COMMIT THAT TO THIS TEAM.

- GOES IN/PUT IT IN THEIR LOCKER. COACHES ARE POSTED OUTSIDE OF OFFICES.  WHAT THEY TOLD THEIR TEAMMATES, PLAYERS, AND COACHES, WHAT THEY COMMITTED TO.

• DEFINING ROLES

- DO AS A STAFF, AFTER WE WATCH OUR TEAM. TAKE ONE TO TWO WEEKS TO REALLY LOOK @ THE TEAM. THEN DEFINE ROLES OF THE TEAM IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.

 EXAMPLES:

∎ JOHNNY AND BILLY, YOUR ROLE IS ENTHUSIASM AND PASSION, EVERYDAY WHEN YOU WALK IN THIS GYM @ PRACTICE. WHEN I WALK IN I AM GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY’S READY TO GO. BUT, THAT IS YOUR JOB! YOUR ROLE! DURING PRACTICE, IF THE LEVEL OF ENTHUSIASM STARTS TO DROP, I AM GOING TO LOOK @ YOU TWO! GETTING GUYS UP, THAT’S YOUR JOB!

∎ TONY, YOU ARE COMING OFF OF THE BENCH, YOU ARE INSTANT OFFENSE FOR US. EVERYONE HERE ACCEPTS YOU ARE GOING TO SHOOT THE BALL WHEN YOU GET OPEN. BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND AND RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EXPECT YOU TO BE IN THE GYM SHOOTING TO KEEP THAT ROLE GIVEN TO YOU. YOU NEED TO BE GETTING UP EXTRA SHOTS BEFORE AND AFTER PRACTICE TO EARN THAT RIGHT.

∎ JOE, YOU ARE A POST PRESENCE, YOU ARE A STARTER. ETC.

COACH CAL, cont.

- GO THROUGH EACH PLAYER. - MAYBE EVEN MENTION MINUTES. - “DOES ANYONE HAVE A PROBLEM W/THEIR ROLE?” A. EITHER YOU CAN’T DO THE ROLE OR YOU MAYBE THINK YOU DESERVE TO DO MORE THAN THAT. B. DOES ANYONE HAVE AN ISSUE? C. DOES ANYONE FEEL THEY SHOULD BE STARTING THAT’S COMING OFF THE BENCH? D. DOES ANYONE THINK THEY DESERVE MORE MINUTES THAN THEIR GETTING OR WILL GET?

AND

E. THESE POSITIONS CAN CHANGE . . .BECAUSE OF INJURY, DISCIPLINE, OR SOMEONE PLAYS REALLY WELL AND SOMEONE ELSE DOESN’T PLAY WELL @ ALL. F. ALL OF A SUDDEN WE FLIP ROLES. G. BUT, RIGHT NOW, THIS IS WHAT I SEE.

- BE VERY SPECIFIC.

• BUILDING A TEAM

- 2008 TEAM, WERE FRIENDS FIRST AND TEAM MATES SECOND. - THEY DIDN’T LIKE EACH OTHER, THEY TRULY LOVED EACH OTHER.

 “FEEL GOOD DAY”

∎ JOHNNY, WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT TOM, PHIL, AND JACK? WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT ‘EM?

[GO AROUND THE ROOM AND EACH GUY IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THREE GUYS ON THE TEAM AND WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT ‘EM.]

[THEN THEY ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT ME. THEN I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEM (OUR TEAM) AND MAYBE A FEW INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS.]

 WE DO HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES, BUT BOTTOM LINE, WE REALLY DO KINDA LIKE EACH OTHER HERE AND WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT EACH OTHER. NOW LET’S GET ON THAT PAGE INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON OUR DIFFERENCES.

COACH CAL, cont.

• DEALING W/PARENTS

[@ A TEAM MEETING W/PLAYERS]

- THEY LOVE THEIR CHILD. THEY LOVE THEIR CHILD. THAT IS THE WAY THAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE. IF WE ARE 2-20, AND THEIR CHILD IS GETTING ALL OF THE SHOTS – THEY’RE HAPPY. IF WE ARE 20-2 AND THEIR CHILD ISN’T GETTING ENOUGH SHOTS – THEY’RE NOT HAPPY. THAT IS NORMAL! THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY AND WILL ALWAYS BE THAT WAY.

[TO PARENTS]  NO DISCUSSION WITH PLAYING TIME, SHOTS, OR MORE MINUTES  ACADEMICS WE WILL MEET FOR 2 HRS. IN MY OFFICE  JUST LOVE YOUR KID. I WILL COACH HIM. THAT IS WHAT HE NEEDS FROM YOU.

• PERFECT PRACTICES

- HOW DO WE START TO BOND?

TO

- WHAT DO WE HAVE TO OVERCOME? (ON THE PRACTICE FLOOR) - YOU MUST WIN OR GO HOME!

 1) TEACH ‘EM HOW TO WARM-UP ∎ PRE-PRACTICE ∎ STRETCHING [BOTH ARE WARM-UPS TO PRACTICE] [BOTH ARE DONE BEFORE PRACTICE EVER STARTS] ∎ YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO GO @ A HIGH LEVEL ∎ 5 MINUTES INTO PRACTICE WE START PEER PRESSURE DRILLS ∎ TIME AND SCORE ARE KEPT ON EVERYTHING!

COACH CAL, cont.

 2) HAVE TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING IS CHARTED. EVERY SHOT IS CHARTED. EVERY PLAYER, EVERY POSSESSION – IT’S IMPORTANT! ∎WINNER AND LOSER ON EVERY DRILL ∎ DO NOT DO DRILLS FOR THE SAKE OF DRILLS ∎ WE WANT THEM COMPETITIVE – ONE PERSON OR TEAM WINS AND ONE PERSON OR TEAM LOSES. ∎ IF YOU LOSE YOU RUN! THERE IS A CONSEQUENCE TO LOSING. ∎ WHATEVER IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO YOU AS A COACH, THAT IS WHAT YOU DO EARLY IN PRACTICE. DO IT WHILE THE KIDS FRESH AND FOCUSED IN ON WHAT YOU ARE DOING. ∎ CAN THEY GO 40 MINUTES BEFORE BREAK? THIS IS WHERE WE REALLY GET BETTER!

 3) FROM THERE YOU DO A SHOOTING DRILL AND A COUPLE OF OTHER DRILLS. (THERE ARE OFFENSIVE DRILLS AND THERE ARE OFFENSIVE ATTACK DRILLS)

 4) FINISH PRACTICE WITH SCRIMMAGING OR DRILLS, (USUALLY OFFENSIVE) WHICH THEY LOVE TO DO. ∎ EVERY SHOT MATTERS! ∎ YOU AREN’T JUST SHOOTING TO SHOOT! ∎ YOU ARE SHOOTING TO MAKE! ∎ I HAVE A LOT OF SHOOTERS, I NEED MORE MAKERS!

RECAP OF PRACTICE PLAN

1) WARM-UP 2) PEER PRESSURE DRILLS  TO BE @ A HIGH LEVEL OF INTENSITY 3) DEFENSE  30 TO 40 MINUTES 4) SHOOTING DRILLS  EVERYTHING CHARTED  5 TO 8 MINUTES 5) OFFENSIVE ATTACK DRILLS 6) SCRIMMAGE

THAT’S PRACTICE!

COACH CAL, cont.

• HOW TO MAKE FILM WORK FOR YOU - INDIVIDUAL FILM SESSIONS WATCHING THEMSELVES  THEY WILL WATCH FOR 6 HRS. - 8 MINUTES MAX UNLESS YOU ARE REALLY MAD, THEN WATCH WHOLE TAPE

• POSITIONING YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS - I ALWAYS LOOK @ A YOUNG MAN’S HEART, IF HE’S GOT A GOOD HEART, I’LL TAKE HIM.

- BE A PROGRAM BUILDER, BE AN UNBELIEVABLE TEAMMATE, DON’T BE A BAD GUY.

- BE ABOUT GIVING YOUNG PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY AND A CHANCE TO CHANGE, HELP THEM CHANGE.

- COACH AND INSPIRE TEACH AND INSPIRE

- OFFENSE:  PLAYERS HAVE MORE FUN  THEY BECOME MORE AGGRESSIVE  THEY LOOK TO ATTACK MORE