Climb the "Ladder System" to New School Program Heights by Bruce Brown, Athletic Director and Former Boys Head Coach, Uniontown Lake High School, Uniontown, Ohio

Climb The "Ladder System" To New School Program Heights By Bruce Brown, Athletic Director and Former Boys Head Coach, Uniontown Lake High School, Uniontown, Ohio

OVER THE COURSE of 25 years in coaching at the high FEEDER-SYSTEM OBJECTIVES school and college levels, I've observed several "musts" Junior Varsity, Varsity Level. The objectives and goals of which should be in place for a basketball program to realize the junior varsity program should be identical to those of optimal success. the varsity level. Emphasis should be on preparing players One key ingredient is the establishment of a coordinated, to perform at the varsity caliber of competition. systematic format to teach proper skills and strategies View these players in terms of, "Can this player help us at throughout the feeder levels. The creation of a strong local the varsity level by the time he or she is a senior?" feeder system will pay huge dividends toward developing a winning high school basketball program. Junior High School Level. The objectives and goals of the In 1974, our program developed a "ladder" approach to seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade programs should be con- address the needs of our school's basketball system. With sistent with the varsity and junior varsity levels. You need to minor tweaking and adjustments over the years, this basic also add the offensive and defensive philosophies of your system has been an excellent tool for maintaining continuity basketball program. and teaching essential skills to our players as they grow old- Include as many individuals in your program as possible er and develop. at these levels, yet maintain and work toward consistency The focus of this articleis on the teaching structure and ladder and respectability. system utilized in the junior high and middle school program. Grade School Level. The objectives of your third-, fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade programs should be oriented toward creating a "fun" atmosphere surrounding the entire basket-

SEVENTH-GRADE SKILLS lADDER ball program. The prerequisite for success at any level is I~ Individual Fundamentals that the players should love to play basketball. Your elementary system must foster and initiate this attitude. DEFENSE: OFFENSE: 1. "Ready;' "point" and "stick" 1. Dribbling with both hands You must motivate players at an early age to attain any stances. (change of direction, control degree of consistency in high school. This motivation 2. "In-line" principle. dribbling). comes in the form of building interest through organized 3. "Help-and-recover" principle. 2. Pivoting and cutting: "free play" and general instruction at the elementary levels. a. Catch and low-ball position. 4. Turning the dribbler (to weak As young players get older, the instruction and motivation hand). b. Front and back pivots. Setting a correct screen. 5. "Ball-Yoll-Man" principle. c. should become more specific. d. Low-ball sequence. 6. Ball-side and help-side 3. Jumping and body balance. block-outs. 7 KEY TEACHING POINTS 4. Passing: a. Chest pass. 1. Seventh Grade. Utilize a ladder system to build your b. Two-hand bounce pass. program from one level to the next. Seventh-grade coaches c. Ball and pass fakes. 5. Shooting: should be required to teach six basic individual defensive a. Layup footwork. and individual offensive fundamental skills. b. Strong-hand layup. Expect improvement in these skill areas. Cover thorough- c. 14-footjump shot (cylinder theory). ly with the seventh-grade coaches what you expect and give d. Use of backboard at 45 them the the tools to get the job done (drills, workouts, etc.). degrees. Provide in-service training through pre-season coaching 6. Foul shot routine. meetings along with periodic review during the season and Team Fundamentals during summer camp sessions. DEFENSE: OFFENSE: 2. Eighth Grade. These coaches should review those fun- 1. Talking on defense (with 1. Fast-break spots (on missed damentals at the start of the season and add another set of correct terminology). shots and steals). six new defensive and six new offensive basics during the 2. Team defense (help and 2. Ball-reversal concepts. course of the season. recovery). 3. Floor-balance concepts. 3. Shell concepts ("get in the 4. Basic offense vs-man-to-man- 3. Ninth Grade. These coaches will add another set of ,~ box"). defenses. skills during their season. 4. All of our "50 defense" tenus 5. Your No.1 and 2 offense vs. and concepts. zone defenses. 4. Ladder Theory. The ladder concept is based on devel-

12 WINNING HOOPS www.winninghoops.com March 2002 oping individual and team skills from year to year in a duced and taught, coaches should be free to incorporate their building-block format. own strategies (out-of-bounds plays, last-second plays, etc.). The same drills, terminology and points of emphasis will The bottom line should always be maintained that by the be taught by all the coaches throughout your ladder system. time a player gets to the high school level, he or she should 5. Develop A Defensive Philosophy. Coaches at all levels be expected to totally understand the basic elements and in our system strongly emphasize team play with man-to- concepts of your offensive style of play. man defense at the half-court level. While we believe in 7. Spend Time Teaching Proper Shooting Technique. using full-court pressure and zone presses at times, we fall The No.1 point of emphasis in the skill development of back into man-to-man. junior high school players should be shooting technique. Note: During Christmas break, our coaches may use time Coaches need to devote daily practice time to quality shoot- (taking advantage oflonger practices) to develop a zone ing instruction. Under no circumstances should unsuper- defense to utilize at half-court after Jan. 1. However, all vised shooting for middle school players be allowed. man-to-man principles and terminology must be maintained. 6. Offensive Philosophy. All the coaches throughout the ASSESS NEEDS, PROGRAM GOAlS ladder system should stress the development of specific The particular skills, terminology and strategies we've individual fundamentals (see charts) within the framework developed for our system dovetail nicely into our varsity of your five-player, half-court offense. philosophies. Coaches who wish to implement a similar Provide coaches with a basic sequence of team offensive approach to their basketball program want to assess the development, based upon your primary offensive concepts. needs and appropriate skills for his or her particular system. A simple zone attack should also be taught along with your With the ladder system, a sequential, logical and well primary fast-break offense. thought-out design must be created for a program-wide cur- Once the primary concepts of your offense have been intro- riculum. Design a plan to "coach the coaches" within the system to make sure that they teach and emphasize these fundamentals with the same degree of exactness. , EIGHTH-GRADE SKILLS lADDER Individual Fundamentals NINTH-GRADE SKILLS lADDER DEFENSE: OFFENSE: Individual Fundamentals (Review of last year's (Review oflastyear's performance/skills). performance/skills). DEFENSE: OFFENSE: 1. "Catch up" defensive 1. Setting proper screen angles. (Review of last year's (Review of last year's footwork. 2. Dribbling: performance/skills). performance/skills). 2. Ball-side overplay (passing a. Change-of-pace dribble. 1. "Recovery and stop" concepts. 1. Setting aggressive screens; lanes). b. Speed dribble. 2. Close-out techniques. proper cutting reads. c. Dribble. 3. Taking a charge (technique). 3. Early help defense principles. 2. Dribbling: 4. "Hedge move" on screens. d. Behind-the-back dribble. a. Between-the-legs dribble. Improvement of "low" ball 4. "Cover down" techniques in 5. Post defense techniques. e. b. Special work with point handliiig. the post. 6. "Jump to the ball" concept guards. 3. Shooting: 5. "Bust the cutter" (deny the on all passes. > post flash). 3. Shooting: a. Off-the-dribble jumper. Use of shot fakes with 6. "Hedge" techniques. a. shot-fake penetration. b. Continued use of backboard. c. Post moves: Up-and-under moves, ball fakes. d. Jump shot to 3-point range. e. Low-ball techniques (with drive-and-dish emphasis). ~crease passing quickness and fakes. 5. Offensive rebounding aggressiveness. Team Fundamentals 6. Foul shot routine. DEFENSE: OFFENSE: Team Fundamentals 1. "Blitzing" defenses (run and 1.Fast breaks into your jump) from "50" and "75" continuity offense. DEFENSE: OFFENSE: positions. 2. Expand ball-reversal concepts. 1. Jump switch concepts. 1. Transition. 2. "Box" pressure concepts. 3. Expand floor-balance 2. "Box" press and traps. 2. Ball-reversal concepts. 3. Introduction of your half-court concepts. 3. Full-court and half-court 3. Floor-balance concepts. and three-quarter court 4. Refinement of basic offense rotations. 4. Basic offenses vs. man-to-man r> presses. vs. man-to-man defenses. 4. Emphasize your defensive 4. Half-court rotation techniques. 5. Ifitt()dUctroi:rofffi~ coiffplex tradition! 5. Block-out consistency. offenses vs. man and zone offensive sets vs. zones and defenses. match-up defenses.

March 2002 www.winninghoops.com WINNING HOOPS 13