A Pen And A Napkin

He is simply known as Meyer, and he is back on "The Film Room"! One of my oldest and dearest friends, Ryan Meyer, is here to discuss "The Way Back", the 2020 Ben Affleck film detailing a former great players journey back into the game. We break down the film from start to finish and have some good laughs along the way, despite the content of the film. Enjoy!

The concept of transfers coming in and out of programs has trickled down to the high school level, and depending on your geographic location, it can be a major issue. This week, Tony and I discuss numerous concepts dealing with transfers, including recruiting your own players, how to handle situations where players want to transfer into your program and much more!

Summer is fast approaching, and one of the things that almost all of the coaching world will be doing is putting together a youth camp. This week, Tony and I discuss multiple aspects of can help you make a great camp for your attendees while also making it easier on you. We also dive into. "Silly Season", with the multiple firings of high level coaches. Enjoy this week's episode!!

We are back in "The Film Room", and this week we check out the 1992 movie "White Men Can't Jump", starring Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez and Wesley Snipes. Sidney (NE) GBB HC Tyler Shaw helps break down this one with me, and we discuss the immaturity of Billy Hoyle, banking on a "Jeopardy" appearance to save your skin, racial issues of the early 1990s and much more. Hope you enjoy it!

In our latest episode, we have a great conversation with Jennifer Goetz, the GBB HC at Pleasant Valley (IA) coming off the heels of a state championship in Iowa's biggest school class. In this pod, we discuss the 12 year build to the 2023 state title, the culture that she's established at Pleasant Valley, including "The PV Way", along with how she has built her 2-3 zone, player development and much more! What a fun conversation that you're going to mine alot of stuff from

If you do this job long enough, you're going to coach some players that are not a walk in the park to work with. This week, Tony and I take an extended amount of time to discuss difficult players, using NBA players to break down different personality types and traits to differentiate what makes a player difficult to work with. Alot of good stuff passed along in this podcast, along with our usual trivia and playoff breakdown!

AND WE'RE BACK!!!! "The Film Room" is back for the second season, and we lead off with a heavy hitter, the great 30 for 30 documentary "The Fab Five"! My friend Marc Kruger and I break down the documentary from start to finish, including some of the old categories while adding a few new ones. A great discussion on the legacy of one of college basketball's most famous teams!

Scott Guzinski, GBB HC at Oakland-Craig (NE) jumps on the podcast this week for a great conversation! We discuss building a philosophy based on aggressive offense and defense, along with how his philosophy has evolved over the years, building a consistent winner, how his stints as an AD has affected his philosophy and building a strong program through the weight room. Really good stuff from this year's Class C2 runner up!

DeLisha Milton-Jones, the head women's basketball coach at Old Dominion University and two time Olympic gold medalist, joins us on the podcast this week! Coach and I go through alot of different discussion points, including her evolution from a great player to a coach, her coaching journey, the influence of international basketball on her career, player development and much more. Terrific conversation with one of the all-time greats!

There are numerous reasons why you not only should be watching film in the off-season, but why watching film in your off-season needs to be done. In this episode, Tony and I go through numerous things you should be doing with your film. In the second half of the pod, we take a deep dive on the legacy of Steph Curry and our predictions for the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Coaching is about relationships and personal dynamics, and often times we associate that with our players, our parents and our administrators. An often forgotten group of people that you need to communicate with in a positive manner is your relationships with your other head coaches. In this episode, Tony and I breakdown different strategies and perspectives that you should consider when navigating these complex needs and relationships. Of course, we'll also have trivia and NBA playoff discussions, but unfortunately . . . no Chad Angel

Part II of our two-part podcast with Matt Kramer drops this week! This week, we jump more into Coach Kramer's philosophy as a coach, including taking care of the classroom, what you should be looking for (or not looking for) in a job, hiring assistant coaches, fundraising, "Run and Stun" and much more. Really enjoyed this episode with Coach Kramer, and don't forget to check out his books on Amazon!

Most quality programs in today's modern basketball environment have players playing for AAU programs, but it is part of our job, as high school coaches, to help our players with this process. This week, Tony and discuss things that you should be doing as a high school coach to make your players aware of when picking a program, including finding the right fit, financial considerations. expectations, development and much more!

In the first half of my conversation with Matt Kramer, we discuss both of the books that he has written; "The Best Laid Plans of a High School Basketball CEO" and "A Coaching Life". In our conversation, we discuss the origins of the books, building up his program, getting fired twice, coaching at a basketball factory, and other things! If you're interested in ordering Coach Kramer's two books, here's the Amazon links:"Best Laid Plans": https://www.amazon.com/Best-Laid-Plans-High-School-Basketball/dp/1457508087/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RV5BN9HGWQM0&keywords=The+best+laid+plans+of+a+high+school+basketball+CEO&qid=1681737466&s=books&sprefix=the+best+laid+plans+of+a+high+school+basketball+c%2Cstripbooks%2C874&sr=1-1"A Coaching Life": https://www.amazon.com/Coaching-Life-Leadership-Journey-Best-Laid/dp/B0BW2SL4Q5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=A+Coaching+Life&qid=1681737535&s=books&sr=1-1

Formal discussions and sit downs with your players are necessary to run an efficient program, to build trust and to show transparency within your program. This week, Tony and I discuss things that you should do in your exit interviews, things not to do and other ideas to help with your formal sit downs with your players. We also have our weekly trivia, an extended numbers discussion and the usual off-topic chatter. Enjoy!

Pleased to have on retired basketball coach and Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Famer Eddie Andrist on the podcast this week! Coach and I discuss alot of different topics, including his run and jump philosophy, his relationship withDick Bennett and Bo Ryan, his coaching experiences, his international experiences, communicating with parents, and much more. Great conversation with one of Wisconsin's best!

Many times we focus on honing our coaching skills during the season and in-season games, but we also need to think about how we are going to coach our teams during the summer. You're going to have different thoughts and concepts that you're going to want to employ during the summer to help your team get ready for the winter. Tony and I go through these concepts, along with trivia and a discussion on the women's national championship game.

Alot has been said about basketball in the last few weeks, but instead of it being centered on the men's game, it's been about the women's game, and the major reason for that is one player; Caitlin Clark. I thought I'd do my best to summarize my observations and opinions on Clark in this narrative podcast format . . . hope you like it!

Really excited to have Tony Siske, the head boys basketball coach at Crete (NE), on the podcast this week! Tony comes from a family of coaches and has experienced a wealth of success at multiple stops in the state. In this pod, we discuss getting players to buy in to the program, leaving jobs, keys to a long coaching career, teaching his defensive philosophy and numerous other discussion points; enjoy!

One of the great challenges of the spring is to put together a quality summer schedule for your program. You want to play alot, but you don't want to play too much. You want your kids to commit to the program, but they have to be teenagers. You need to do stuff, but you don't want to make it too expensive for parents. In this episode, Tony and I navigate the important details of putting together your summer, along with trivia, March Madness talk and more!

Being clear, transparent and honest in your post-season evaluation and communications is really important to getting your "Improvement Season" off to a great start. In this episode, Tony and I break down the important elements that you should address during individual meetings, how to have a productive meeting and how to make sure that your lines of communication are clear.

In our latest episode, North Polk (IA) Boys HC Aaron Dose comes on the podcast! In a great conversation, we discuss a variety of topics, including trying to get over the hump against an opponent, youth development, passing and ball handling drills, pressbreaks and much more, including . . . fishing??? Enjoy this conversation with one of Iowa's up and coming coaches!

The season is long, full of emotions, ups and downs and then, for most of us, it comes to a crashing halt. What are some things that you can do and should do after your season is over? Tony and I dive into that this week, along with our usual trivia. In an extended podcast, we also give our amateur predictions for the NCAA tournament, and our brackets have been busted already . . .

Jon Palicki, the GBB HC at Resurrection College Prep (IL) jumps on the podcast this week to chat about a variety of different topics. We discuss offensive and defensive philosophies, while we also discuss podcasting, coaching and teaching at two different schools at the same time, being part of the state board and numerous other topics. Enjoy this podcast!

In our last roundtable discussion of the 2023 state tournament, I sit down with Tom Tvrdy of Omaha Marian (NE), Kelly Cooksley of Broken Bow (NE) and Nate Pribnow of Fremont Bergan (NE) to discuss a variety of topics, including the implementation of the shot clock, building a championship culture, Improvement Season plans and much more!

Our second state tournament roundtable features Kirk Walker of The College of St. Mary (NE), Steve Selk of South Sioux City and my main man Casey Hall of Millard West. We discuss a variety of topics, including different state tournament formats, Improvement Season adjustments, summer camps and much more! Also, Carter Plum gives his "Pizza Review"!

In the first of three roundtables from the Nebraska Girls State Tournament, Nate Wall, Dexter Goodner, Tom Krehbiel and I sit down to go through a variety of topics. We chat about holding kids accountable, defensive transition, differences in the mens and women's game, making yourself better during "Improvement Season" and much more! We had a great time at "The Mellow Mushroom" in the Haymarket District in Lincoln; be sure to check them out!!

Many times people believe that once the last buzzer goes off, your season is over. In actuality, you still have numerous things left to do at the end of the season before you move forward. This week, Tony and I discuss your responsibilities as a coach and what you can or should be doing to finish your season before the next season starts.

Kristin Meyer, the head girls basketball coach at West Des Moines Dowling (IA) jumps on the podcast this week for a great conversation! We talk about a variety of topics, including leaving one highly successful program for another, being Caitlyn Clark's high school coach, scouting, half court defensive philosophy and communicating with parents. Great conversation this week with one of Iowa's best!

The game becomes different in the post-season, and you have to do some things differently while also maintaining your routine. This week, Tony and I break down some things that you need to consider as you move further and further into the post-season, from what to worry about to what you should not be doing. Alot of great thoughts shared this week!

There are four major roles in every competition; players, coaches, spectators and officials. In this episode, Tony and I discuss various things to think about when working with officials; how to approach them, what not to say, how to use humor to help you get your point across and many other thoughts about working with the folks that make every competition go!

Jake Nannen is one of Nebraska's up and coming basketball coaches, and we're really excited to have him on for episode #161. In this episode, we discuss a variety of different topics, from his background to coaching and sharing of athletes in a small town. We also talk about implementing a system in your program from top to bottom, we trade ideas on defensive concepts, we take a look at stats and much more! Great conversation with one of our Coaches Clinics presenters!!

Some of the toughest decisions that you have to make as a coach is who you are going to play at the end of the season. This week, Tony and I go through the different scenarios and thoughts that we have on narrowing your rotations, the variables to consider and how to break the news to those that might not be receiving the minutes they anticipate. In addition, we have the world's worst trivia question, plus a lively discussion on the NBA trade deadline.

Jenna Bolstad, the head Women's Basketball Coach at Miles Community College (MT) is our guest this week! Jenna is a real up and comer in the coaching profession, and she shares with us alot of her philosophy, including her favorite drills, building a great camp, coaching international players, preparing to be a head coach, game management and much more. Enjoy this week's podcast!!

One of the challenges of any head coach, especially as the season moves forward, is making sure that all of your players feel valued and part of the program. Many times you get focused on your Varsity group or your rotation players, and because of that, some players on your may not feel as involved in your program. This week, Tony and discuss strategies to try and make all players feel involved in the program.

Episode #159 features BJ Blase, the boys basketball coach at Central City (NE). In this episode, we discuss a variety of topics, including the importance of facilities, teaching kids how to win, not rushing players up, transition offense, building a playbook and building a tradition where there hasn't been alot of tradition. Enjoy this episode with one of Nebraska's best!

Andy Gillen, the highly successful boys HC at Ogallala (NE) comes on the podcast this week to discuss a variety of topics, including his influences like Phil Jackson and Bill Belichick. We also discuss "Truth Sessions", the pros and cons of multiple stops, building chemistry, his defensive philosophy and much more! Great conversation with one of western Nebraska's best!

Every team is going to have its strengths, and almost every team is going to have some sort of weakness; most teams are going to have multiple weaknesses. How do you minimize those weaknesses, and how do you improve those weaknesses while also playing to your strengths? That's what Tony and I break down this week!!

Terrific conversation with Dane Bacon, GBB HC at Bellevue West (NE) High School. Coach Bacon and I go through a variety of topics, from rebuilding the culture of the T-Bird program to the keys to winning close games. In addition, we talk about their recent 93-91 game (you read that correctly), along with shooting drills, transition offense, BLOB philosophy and more!

January is a tough month for basketball teams; no holiday break, the grind of the season has set in and it can be a battle to get the performances that you would like to get from. your team. This week, Tony and I discuss some of the strategies that we have used to help our teams work our way through "The Dog Days" of the basketball season!

We're back on the interview trail with Jason Dolliver, the head girls coach at Pender (NE) High School. Coach Dolliver and I touch on a variety of topics, including being a leader in the community, changes in coaching basketball, his basketball influences, how he gets his teams to not foul, communication with parents and much more! A terrific interview with one of Nebraska's best educational leaders!

90-95% of the parents in our programs are terrific people who understand their boundaries and are supportive of the coaching staff. However, we all know that, from time to time, parents can sometimes be a little too passionate about their children and their goals. This week, Tony and I break down our experiences in working with parents and strategies that you can use to help work through these situations.

Game day organization and preparation are what we are geared to do; it's one of the biggest reasons why we coach! In this episode of "The Coaching Staff", Tony and I break down our game day procedures, how we prepare for competitions, how we organize our benches, what we do at our pregames, halftimes and post games, and much more!

It's essential that you have an organized bench during your games to make sure that your team's execution can be as sharp as possible. In this episode, Tony and I discuss bench organization, the use of managers and how to stay as organized as possible!

We're all coming up on a nice holiday break, and there are numerous ways to make your team better, depending on your circumstances. This week, Tony and I discuss two quite different circumstances that we are under over the holiday break and how we play to navigate them. Of course, we will have our trivia, our sporting events to look forward to and a thank you from APAAN!

DeMarcus James, the highly successful boys HC at Fort Worth OD Wyatt HS (TX) comes on the podcast to discuss a variety of topics, from marketing your program to the growth in Texas basketball to playing a challenging schedule. Along with that, we discuss transition offense, SLOB's and off-season development. Great discussion with a terrific coach from the Lone Star State!

Scouting is both an art and a science . . . what makes a good scouting report? How much is too much? When do we simplify too much? What should we be worried about? What should we NOT worry about? Tony and I tackle these questions and much more, including a round of "History 101" by Coach Vis; enjoy!

This week we are excited to talk to Tim Sandquist, the highly successful Men's HC at Kirkwood CC (IA)! Coach Sandquist touches on a wide variety of topics, including his basketball journey, hiring of assistant coaches, the stresses of being a head coach as opposed to an assistant, practice execution, half court defense and more! Terrific conversation with one of the best JuCo coaches in the country!

As games begin and the results starts to get real, there's a process that almost all of us go through; what to change and when to change it. This week, Tony and I talk about all of the things that may bring about those changes and our advice for making changes. We also to through our usual trivia and we end up talking a little World Cup!

Our newest episode features Justin Bowen, a terrific up and coming coach from Southside (AL). Coach Bowen has coached numerous sports and has already made a big difference in his first season as GBB HC at Southside. We chat about his influences, coaching multiple sports, things he felt like he was and wasn't prepared for, the "Champ Chain", defense and much more! Great conversation with a young, rising star in the profession!