Philosophy on Coaching Basketball and the Student Athlete



Philosophy on Coaching Basketball and the Student Athlete

By Coach Brad Hastings

I believe the most important aspect of teaching and coaching is our ability to positively influence the lives of our student athletes. My role as a basketball coach is to provide leadership and guidance to help student athletes to be successful in high school, as well as prepare them for any obstacle or challenge they may encounter in their lives. Athletics should be used as a mechanism to teach life lessons such as discipline, loyalty, dedication and teamwork, as well as the importance of hard work and perseverance.

My philosophy in basketball has become a combination of my experience as a high school student athlete, the four years I spent working with the University of Texas Basketball program, as well as the knowledge and experience I have gained in while being at Westwood since 2002. I believe all successful programs have one thing in common, and that is that the student athletes truly “buy” into your system and philosophy, and are willing to give their complete effort for the good of the program. It is important to have committed athletes who continue to be driven to learn the game of basketball, and take pride in executing our system.

I strive to put an extreme emphasis on solid man defense, in which we will pressure the ball with intensity, while playing in our fundamental help side position. We will put a premium on TEAM effort on the defensive side, and take pride in getting position to take charges and blockout. We will also look to exploit our opponent by using a variety of trapping schemes to create turnovers at different times of the game. This sort of physical and aggressive play will be the staple of the Westwood basketball program.

Offensively we will look to push the ball quick up the court to gain a numbers advantage, and try to score quick in transition. We will run our lanes hard on every offensive possession, and create an up-tempo game in which we will wear down our opponents. Through tireless practice, we will look to perfect our offensive execution which includes a combination of the Dribble Drive offense, the Traditional Shuffle offense, and a variety of offensive sets. Although we will play a fast paced style of basketball, it is critical to stay focused on fundamentals such as passing, ball handling, and precise execution, so that we will be prepared to win games under any circumstance.

Other points of focus that I consider very important are limiting your opponent to one shot on each possession, maximizing your possessions, and getting to the free-throw line more frequently than your opponent. Teams that can win the rebound battle and get to the free-throw line more often, typically are being more aggressive and executing with more efficiency. It is my contention that these are the necessary principles to building a winning and successful program at any level.

I am dedicated to creating a championship program at Westwood High School, and committed to the success of our student athletes. As with anything worth attaining, this success will come with a price to pay. That price is paid with unwavering hard-work and commitment, as well as the knowledge that if you truly “buy” into the program, then no goal is too lofty to attain.

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