I'll try to be to the point.

I coach a high school men's team. My priorities are 1. Match-up zone defense, 2. rebounding, and 3. motion offense.

In trying to prioritize and emphasize rebounding, I've found I agree with the Haefners that aggression, mentality and anticipation are most important. Thus, I want to start each practice with rebounding, but also make sure it is present throughout our practices.

Thus, I'm contemplating that when we practice the Attack & Counter skills and the cuts/screens/shots for our motion offense that we make a clear rebounding priority—e.g. a rebounding line that goes for every miss.

Here's where I feel there might be a conflict: I seem to remember Don Kelbick saying he doesn't like to layer or stack skills on top one another. I understand that to mean not trying to make drills to involve too many points of emphasis at once. Though I am a young coach with brief experience, Don's philosophy really speaks to me; I do not want to corrupt his thoughts on skill development by adding stray ideas of my own.

Thus, I'm happy to be told that adding in rebounding emphasis in this way is unhelpful or counter-productive. Please let me know your thoughts on this. Also, please let me know how else you feel rebounding emphasis can be worked into defense and offense practice without compromising the focus of the practice.

Best wishes,

Graham Lettner
Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada

Graham,

I'm not sure those cut/screen/shooting skill drills are the right place to emphasize rebounding... but I suggest giving it a try. See how it works. Personally I take bits and pieces from Attack & Counter to make my own. I tweak quite a bit. I personally see no problem with you trying those things.

That is a big part of coaching. You try things... then see what works and what doesn't work. Then adapt and improve.

I know some coaches that do not do any rebounding drills. Others that spend 20 minutes of rebounding specific drills every day. Yet they both get great results. They just have different way to get the results they want. I guess that's the great thing about coaching... lots of ways to do things and make the practices your own.

Personally I like to spend a few minutes a practice (not much) on a rebounding specific drill and then spend the rest of the time emphasizing the rebounding in context of drills.

Here are some ideas for you:

- track rebounding stats in practices and/or games. report it to the players and put that at the top of the list. simply measuring the stat, emphasizing it, and reporting it to players will help them improve.

- end every drill with a "finish". so if a shot is missed, someone has to follow the shot and put it in. this develops a follow the shot mentality and to finish every play.

- award points for every offensive rebound in your 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5 games. You can award 1 to 3 pts for offensive rebounds. You play a normal game but also get points for rebounds. First to 10 wins (or whatever for time limit or score limit). This does two things: first it motivates players to crash the offensive rebounds. second it motivates players to box out. if you do not get defensive rebounds, you will lose!

Hope this helps. Good luck

Many thanks, Jeff. I think for me that "end every drill with a finish" suits my coaching philosophy. And I appreciate what you said about experimenting. I think I will try to add in this "finishing" component to the drills and see where it works and where it doesn't.

Best wishes,

Graham