Lee Taft Performance Podcast

Free Play is undervalued. If adults realized how crucial free play is for the development of athleticism and creativity, they would start to find time more time for it. Listen in as to why free play needs to be a bigger part of the lives of our youth.     

Youth basketball has a problem. The cart is being put before the horse. If youth players can't make a left-hand lay-up or dribble with their left hand, why are they paying huge amounts of money to play in AAU tournaments? Learn my thoughts!

Any time we want to change something, we have to have a reason to do so. Parents who feel AAU is the only options need to know that it's one of the worst options for their child.  There are many more options than serving their child's current ability better. 

Only a few things can make me want to turn a basketball game off, and flopping is one. I have argued against it for decades. There is no denying that flopping ruins the game. It destroys games, seasons, and careers. Learn why flopping has to go to save the game. 

There has been a crazy trend of basketball coaches talking about not teaching their defenders to shuffle and ONLY laterally run. What a big mistake! Listen in as I break down many reasons why it's a big mistake. 

End your training sessions and practices with a WIN! Planning too much "stuff" in one practice is a sure way to eliminate wins. Concentrate on a few exercises and skills so the athletes can learn and remember the information. Always have a primary focus for the day and sprinkle in the secondary focus when appropriate. 

Give your basketball players better context when teaching them a new skill, concept, or method. It is crucial to "catch" them at the moment. This awareness is where the magic of learning occurs.   For more knowledge about basketball performance, visit BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com.

If you want to make more significant impacts with your programs, you need to consider running basketball camps. They are a great way to fund your team's expenses, support your staff, and build your overall basketball program. Don't miss out on this golden opportunity.   For more knowledge about basketball performance, visit BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com.    

We have to stop thinking the only way to build your basketball program is by subjecting parents and kids to expensive AAU programs that require long weekends, lots of travel, and stress. There is a much better way. Listen as I walk you through how I accomplished this with multiple programs.    For more knowledge about basketball performance, visit BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com.

Being on your toes is wrong! We have to stop telling players to get off their heels and way up on the balls of their feet. This position causes slower movements during COD and increases ankle sprains. The weight should be toward the ball of the foot with the heels down so the ankle is dorsiflexed. Listen in to learn why. For more knowledge about basketball performance, visit BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com.

How do you build a powerful basketball program without using AAU? Here is the 4-step system I have used for years to build a strong high school program.  

I hate when coaches make players run lines for honest mistakes. Why is attempting to make the correct decision but executed wrong, missing a shot, or making a turnover punishable by running lines? Punishment for these types of errors is what takes away confidence and creativity. There are many more effective ways to handle on-court mistakes and keep the players' confidence and performance headed in the right direction. 

I will make many people mad, especially in the Physical Education World, but the Beep Test needs to go! It teaches horrible running form, tells us what we already know- kids are not in shape. Coaches will use it to test conditioning and often never use it again. Let kids get in shape by playing small-sided basketball games, fast full-court drills, and scrimmages- Bingo! 

A coach's most significant role is to build a strong program from the feeder system through the varsity level. If not, the program will never be consistent. Don't confuse wins and loses with a well-run program. Listen to some crucial ideas to make sure on-court and off-court x's and o's are taken care of if you want a solid program.

It's tough to define a solid reason why NOT to strength training. It benefits in so many ways, and not being strong is showcased when seen—improvement of performance, reduction in potential injury, ability to withstand high force, and produce high forces. Strength Training scares people because it's often depicted as powerlifting. It isn't, and I'm going to share why. Listen In!   For more information on becoming a basketball performance expert, check out www.BasketballSpeedCertification.com

There is way too much skill work going on for too long without live-action. Live-action teaches us if players are transferring the skill to game action usability. In the early stages, using a no-defense strategy to learn the skill is the way to go; however, the defense quickly must be included.   For more information on becoming a basketball performance expert, check out www.BasketballSpeedCertification.com

This is a huge rant of mine—kids who are being punished because of low GPAs in schools and can't play basketball. If kids are simply not completing the work, exhibit poor behavior, and cause issues- then, by all means, they should be dealt with sternly. However, many students learn differently to have an arbitrary GPA dictating whether they can participate in sports. If coaches are unwilling to find out why their students are struggling, stop coaching or get rid of a GPA system.   For more information on becoming a basketball performance expert, check out www.BasketballSpeedCertification.com

Nothing infuriates me more than parents who yell, scream and belittle their youngsters when teaching them basketball. It is such an abusive, irresponsible, and punishable behavior. We have to continue the education and mass marketing to get these parents to realize their lifelong damage to their children by constantly verbally abusing them when teaching them basketball.

It's sloppy coaching to not use specific or direct words to help athletes and other coaches understand what you want. When we use very general words, but the situation demands specific words, we create confusion. This is a short but powerful message that will improve your player to player, coach to player, and coach to coach communication. 

When coaching on-ball defense, you have to find players that are okay with getting beat now and again- and still willing to get back in the game and fight. Tactically, you have to support aggressive on-ball defense with smart help defenders who can take away penetration and rotate to help kick-out passes. Practicing on-ball defense is a must if you want players to know their options.

Sit in on a Virtual Round Table Conversation with two top professionals - you don't want to miss this! Ty, Trevor, and I dove deep into the various components of agility and what makes it different from other forms of training.

The problem with drills is they often become the lead. Coaches tend to use drills more than"Live Situations." Players end up not learning how to read their environment and make decisions. They look great in practice but lost during games. Listen as I share with you how and when to use drills.   For more information on becoming a basketball performance expert, check out www.BasketballSpeedCertification.com

Coaches often get in their own way when it comes to coaching movement on offense. They have their players cut non-stop. In theory, it sounds great, but what happens is players often are in the ideal spot, and they cut out of it into a more difficult spot. Cutting and moving is about knowing what the job of the defense is. If we know what the defense is supposed to do and where they must cover, the offense can be way more effective.   For more knowledge about basketball performance, visit BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com.

We must stop picking drills randomly off the internet. If you know exactly what you are looking for, feel free to use the internet to find it. Basketball coaching is about solving problems, and the drills you select should be an integral part of solving those problems.   For more knowledge about basketball performance, visit BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com

When teaching basketball players a skill, focus on the big rocks to have single attention during the learning phase. If you try to coach all the big rocks and little rocks simultaneously, they can't absorb much of anything. Give them wins every day! For more knowledge about basketball performance, visit BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com

Being a mentor might be the most important aspect of the coaching profession. Basketball coaches need to take this role seriously. Too many coaches take the job for granted and are not the leader players, and staff needs to grow. For more knowledge about basketball performance, visit BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com

Some of the greatest basketball players have never had formal coaching. They learned from the streets! They mastered the game because they stayed on the courts. When we put our practice or training plans together, we need to allow some ugliness to come into the session. The practice must have some live competitive situations where the players must be forced to make hard decisions. The results of this strategy usually cause some ugly plays to come about. That is what learning is all about. Allow the "Ugly"! For more knowledge about basketball performance, visit BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com

Deceleration, for a basketball player, has two purposes. The first is to physically train the CNS and muscular system to be able to hand load. The second is to prepare the player for a change of direction and agility as the game unfolds. If you are not highly knowledgeable in these two areas, I highly encourage you to listen and learn.

When improving the retention of your basketball players, it's essential to give them context. A way to accomplish this is by putting them in a tactical situation to see the need for proper technical footwork. Teaching and learning are best when a connection as to WHY something must be done.

You can't just say you want a better defensive culture, and it will happen. You MUST be willing to create the habits that will ultimately lead to a better culture on defense. Learn some fundamental strategies that can build your team's defensive culture.

Come and enjoy a great talk with Brady Howe, VP of Health and Performance for the Phoenix Suns. Brady shares what it is like to be adaptable and flexible to ensure players get what they need. He also speaks about the value of fundamentals and never allowing those to stray.   Check out www.BasketballSpeedSpecialist.com for my new course!

In my mind, the most crucial area to prepare a basketball player in is their feet and ankles. If they have the appropriate range of motion and stability in the feet and ankles, they can move efficiently. When the foot quickly strikes the ground, it tells the rest of the body what to do- making it essential to allow the foot and ankle to send the right message up the chain.   For more about moving efficiently on the court, check out www.BasketballSpeedSpecialist..com

Do you have a philosophy on how you want to train your basketball players for speed? If not, it is vital to create a philosophy with skills that can be practiced daily. Having a philosophy but not building a system to work on that philosophy isn't a successful way to coach. Join me as I share mine and give your ideas on developing yours.

Coaches must stop dominating training with conditioning. This means working in bursts of speed from 1-2 seconds, 3-5 seconds, or possibly 6-7 second bouts. Typically my drills last 1-3 seconds because I am attempting to maximize my players' speed and quickness. If the athletes are faster, they will be faster when tired. Train for speed so your players will benefit.

It is critical to help communicate between players and coaches - have a language both players and coaches understand. When a coach uses general words, it can often lead to a lack of complete understanding. Using familiar terms to describe the exact movement you want the athlete to complete will give context and clarity.

One of the most frustrating things for me to hear is when coaches yell, "Get Lower"! These two words can kill athletes' lateral quickness. Being low is relative to the play, sport, and individual athletes. Coaches need to pay attention to how our athletes naturally move. Simply telling all players to get lower is a great way to slow them down.

If you are not good at planning, then learn it! Planning and being organized will sell your program as much as anything. It isn't uncommon for parents to enroll their children at a different school due to some programs' lack of structure and organization. Don't let that happen to you!

We know better, but we want to stuff as much into a workout as possible for some reason. If you can do no more than 1-2 skills per speed training workout, your athletes' learning and results will rise. This doesn't mean you can't do many variations of that one skill to add variety and challenge learning... keep it simple, so the athletes leave feeling great!

The problem, I feel, most coaches have with giving the proper rest period to develop speed is they don't feel they can give that much time. It's all about planning. If you know the athletes are going to need a 3-min rest btw sprints- plan non-compete exercises during the rest like balance exercises, partner toss and catch, quick hand drills, etc... these help develop an ability/skill while resting. This also gives the athletes more buy-in. Plan ahead of time for a proper rest. 

There are way too many times when we think we can decide on the footwork pattern the athlete needs to take in a team sports environment. The reality is the athlete subconsciously will choose a footwork pattern that accomplishes the task and solves the mass and momentum problem. You can't afford to miss this show - You need to understand how footwork choices are made. 

One of the mysteries of human movement is why coaches refuse to abide by human laws of motion. Teaching athletes to use the traditional crossover is an example of not understanding human motion. The Lateral Run is what the athlete does because it abides and applies the three primary laws of motion.

It is essential to understand the difference between change of direction training and deceleration training. Deceleration training typically deals with stopping and not going in a new direction. Change of direction training must deal with amortization forces that position the body differently than just stopping. In my opinion, it is critical for performance coaches to grasp the concept of this topic.

The backpedal is so critical on many levels. It allows us to have a great evaluation tool and strategy to challenge the athletes. We look to challenge the toe, foot, and ankle for the lower body and quad and hip function. The backpedal can also be intertwined with the 180 Series to challenge the body and spatial awareness.

This podcast is a teaching tool for the various methods, strategies, and principles I have used to build my speed and performance model and systems. Let's dive into the 7 Movement Patterns that should be the foundation for all athletic development programs. These 7 Patterns are fundamentals that allow the more sport-specific movement skill to become safer and more efficient. All athletes, ages, and abilities can and should be trained in these Movement Patterns. Have a listen!

VJ Stanley, Founder of Balanced Excellence, is a world of knowledge. He shares his approach to making youth sports fun again. Coach Stanley dives into how learning is not being approached the right way for young minds to develop and why pressure is driving kids away from the sport because the fun is gone. If you are involved with youth sports, I highly recommend this must-listen interview if you want happy and healthy kids in sport and activity.

This topic will be around for the long haul! Self-Organization is one of the polarizing topics that keep the conversation going. As I see it, the problem is we do not have enough coaches to distinguish the difference between "facility" training and preparing athletes to perform on the field and court. They want their likes to go up on social media, so they put too much make-up on the pig. You have to allow the pig to be ugly so real learning can occur. Understanding when to dig in hard and teach is the ART of coaching.

Judah Boulet brings a vast amount of experience to this week's show. A performance coach and business owner, he merged his experiences and has become a business coach specializing in helping start-up businesses find the resources that help them become successful. Coach Boulet and I sit down the other day for a fascinating conversation. I was so intrigued by how much knowledge and mentoring Judah offers to all types of business owners. This podcast is one of those you will continually listen to over and over.

A great all-around coach, Brian Harrington delivers beneficial advice and direction by sharing how his system works, cultivating a winning "team"- his staff, the importance of treating athletes with respect, and how he includes mentoring his youth athletes in his program. Coach Harrington thrives on being an example of how his athlete can be the best version of themselves. And, let's not forget that Brian's training strategies are spot on as well. You really must listen to this interview!

It was such a pleasure to have Coach Mike Robertson on the show. Mike is one of the top professionals and has impacted the "game" by helping his clients and athletes from all walks of life achieve their physique and sports performance goals. Our conversations led to Mike diving into his systems, coaching strategies, why having a model to coach from is important, and even beyond. It's awesome to have the opportunity to listen to a coach with this much experience.

Coach Dallas Price, owner and founder of Rock Fitness in Toronto, Canada, shares pure gold in the episode. She is a very talented performance coach, as well as a Rugby coach. Coach Price shares her passion for both, not to mention her athletic exploits. Dallas explains how she blends keeping her young female rugby players healthy while challenging them to reach higher performance levels as an athlete. Take a listen and share! Her experience and perspective will impact so many coaches and trainers.

One of the most accomplished S&C coaches in the profession, Coach Raph Ruiz shares his methods and concepts behind his training methods. I have followed Coach Ruiz for years, and he inspires me to challenge my thinking of why I do what I do. Make sure you take the time to listen with a notebook in-hand. Taking notes is a must!