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How Good Coaches Deal With Poor Game Performances
By Coach Randy Brown

As long as sports rely on the scoreboard to determine the success, there will always be winners and losers. This article looks at how basketball coaches handle their teams following a loss. The way you deal with your team in defeat will greatly affect the result of your next game.

The first thing to remember following a defeat is that the game is over. No matter how much you fret and stress over losing, this fact still remains. If you watch the video tape, the results will be the same. The issue for you is to decide how you are going to deal with your team. The first inclination is to be a "yeller and screamer" in the face of defeat. What makes the coach feel better rarely is a positive learning experience for the team. Take a step back and look carefully at the game. Then devise a game plan on how to approach your team the next day.

A good coach will determine:

1. Why the team played poorly? Were they not well prepared by the coach? Not mentally ready to play?Outplayed by the other team? Shot the ball poorly? Turned it over too much? As a coach, analyze the game and try not to get angry with the players. Keep an even keel and a level head and look for the answers to why they played so badly.

2. If your team was beat bad because of EFFORT, there is no excuse! A good, hard practice is what will get their attention. I don't believe in excessive running just because the coach is dissatisfied or the effort is poor. You can get their attention much better by running hard drills and being very demanding on the floor in your next practice.

3. Use the next practice to drill and teach the parts of the game (rebounding, defensive transition, turnovers, poor offensive execution, bad shot selection, etc). It is your job to tighten up those areas in practice before the next game.

4. Put conditions on them in practice. For example, if they take a bad shot, or don't block out, you will take them out and replace them. You may have them run, but most players hurt enough by being taken out of the practice to stand on the side and watch for a while.

5. Make all of your drills competitive so there is a winner and a loser. The loser has consequences determined by the coach after losing a drill.

6. Finally, use constructive criticism to get their attention and get them to realize EXACTLY why they lost. Improve on these areas and get them prepared for the next game.

As always the best way to learn these finer skills of coaching is to consult with experienced coaches. You can read about these skills, but ask a veteran of 800 games how to handle a tough loss if you really want to improve as a coach. Experience is a great teacher!