Confessions of a System Newbie, Entry #4

One of my biggest concerns in transitioning to THE SYSTEM has been the implementation of a full-court defense. Defense was not our strongest suit last year as we were largely passive, sticking mostly to a very, very conservative quarter-court 3-2 zone. We had few steals and created little opportunity with our defense.

I remember discussing THE SYSTEM with a coach from another school who shall remain nameless. He was very familiar with THE SYSTEM and criticized it because he believes too much in the importance of defense. I felt perplexed by this comment and still do. In my perspective, THE SYSTEM is driven by defense. The spastic, frenetic chaos of full-court defense is what creates the pace and opportunity that is necessary for SYSTEM success.

I’ve spent many hours researching various presses and half-court sets in preparation for this summer’s transition to THE SYSTEM. But, I believe it may be for little use at this point. I’ve come to quickly learn that less is more in THE SYSTEM at this stage in our progression. Teaching full-court defense has never been a strength of mine, but Coach Holmes and Coach McCanna swiftly and effectively alleviated my instructional fears in a mini-clinic at our school last month.

Coach Holmes was queried by one of our players as to the nature of THE SYSTEM defense as he was introducing the early concepts to our team.

“Is it zone or man-to-man?” she asked.

Coach Holmes cleverly replied, “Yes.”

That bit of humor taught me a lot. My hours of defensive research were erased with the introduction of one word. Chaos.

Coach Holmes went on to explain that chaos is the biggest defensive asset that can be had. Simply put, chaos is good for THE SYSTEM. And, I can teach chaos. Very well. We don’t implement a full court defense to slow the game down; we do it to speed the game up. In emphasizing high risk and high reward gambles with our defensive pressure, we don’t have to worry about getting beat on defense. Getting beat is strangely good for us. It keeps the opposition running up and down the court. And yes, it still feels funny saying that.

Not to say that we don’t work on various defensive concepts. We work quite a bit on defensive positioning, trapping and rotating. We work on chasing and back-taps. We want our girls to recognize opportunities that may lead to the opposition turning over the ball. We stress the importance of trapping “tall and wide” and want the girls to invite lob passes for the purpose of interception. Most important, however, is that we want the ball always moving to the basket to maintain pace.

We have a full and half-court defensive set, but they are mostly for positioning purposes. We want to always trap with the two closest people to the ball. I am also working on some minor modifications, but the simple, primary concepts remain fully intact.

None of these concepts are new. None of them are eye-popping revelations. A difficult part in all of it has been getting the girls to play hard all of the time and to maximize effort with each shift. Getting them to abandon conservatism on defense. To commit on traps without hesitation. To recognize and act on an opportunity to gamble. To anticipate the behavior and options of the opposition.

The sincerely hardest part of it is listening to some groans from the fans when we give up a few layups in the process. It has been tempting to abandon the press, more out of the uninformed perception it creates with the fans than anything else. However, I have to fight it…which has become easier and easier.

I know, however, that some ugly times will meet up with us in game situations when our shots are off and things just aren’t clicking. Then again, that would happen regardless of whether or not we use THE SYSTEM. It’s all a process. We still have a very long way to go, but the seeds are planted. I’m sure that I’m missing something, but it’ll come along the way.

The Lady Scots have a tournament this weekend in Palm Springs. We'll be short a couple of starters which will create an opportunity for some others to step in and step up. I can't wait. But more important, the girls can't wait.

- Zack Delmont, Head Coach of the Rim of the World Fighting Lady Scots of Lake Arrowhead, California

Confessions of a System Newbie, Entry #3

Excuse me while I kiss the sky! Because I am still in a purple haze after Rim of the World’s SYSTEM debut on Wednesday night. The Lady Scots played hard, aggressive basketball in a doubleheader against two teams that had winning records during the previous season. In fact, one of the teams was an amazing 30-3.

So, let's get to it...

To set the stage and provide a snapshot of my mental health at the time, our first game was bumped up upon our arrival. We walked thru the door and were asked to play…in more or less five minutes although we were still short a few key players. So rushed were we that we did not get a shoot-around. We didn’t even start the game with our second shift’s point guard! Rest assured that these issues were not very successful in alleviating my anxiety as we prepped for our first battle.

Of course, we were quickly down 12-0. The other team was much bigger than us with multiple girls around six feet tall. Our tallest isn’t tall at 5’9”. We are really a team of all guards. Our opponent didn’t have any trouble getting layups…but that soon changed. By the middle of the second half—there’s a running clock in summer—the other team was exhausted and couldn’t make shots under the basket consistently. Their passing became sloppy and our press became more effective. They were becoming frustrated with our frenetic full-court defense. One of their players even swung at one of our girls after a unintentional hard foul. Crazy. We closed the gap quickly and had a chance to win with less than ten seconds as one of our girls was fouled. She missed the front end of a one-on-one so we unfortunately lost by one. Only one! We didn’t meet any of our goals--it's tough with a running clock--although we were close on three-point attempts and turnovers forced. Nonetheless, I couldn't be more pleased with our first effort.

Our second game, which I thought would be more difficult as I thought our players would be exhausted, was played with the same intensity and a bit more comfort and confidence by the girls. Of note, the opponent had two starters at about 6’2” which didn’t excite me too much. Regardless, the girls never quit putting pressure on the ball and creating chaos. We trapped and did a lot of chasing. We achieved steals at a better pace than the first game. By the second half, our opponent's players were cramping up and leaving the game. They were beat. We traded baskets often—our threes, their twos. I can’t believe how often these teams missed shots under the basket due to fatigue. We ended up winning by one in overtime. We nearly met our goals for turnovers forced and 20 more shots than the opponent. We did meet our goal for threes attempted.

The night was incredibly exciting with our interceptor stealing the ball from the other team with two seconds to go as we were up by one. The girls huddled, screamed and cheered. Our fans were maniacal. It was mayhem. Everyone was sooooooo happy and energetic—that’s what it’s really all about. Those are, after all, the main things that I want the girls to experience.

Now, I don’t want to mislead you and have you believe that everything was rosy. Our implementation of THE SYSTEM is an evolving process. Our passing was not acceptable. We have to better hit our shooters on the chin with every pass. Our shooters’ timing was thrown off often with poor passes. We missed waaaaaaaaay too many free throws. I expect that we’ll miss many due to fatigue, but our percentage was still unacceptable. Also, we turned over the ball too much. I think this will improve as the girls become more comfortable with THE SYSTEM. Our offensive rebounding was poor, and we definitely need to find more two point field goal attempts, too. Our penetration into the paint was inconsistent. Too much hesitation when receiving the ball. We need to either shoot or get into the paint for a layup or a drive & kick when we get the ball.

That said, there were so many positive things to talk about that the girls are addicted to THE SYSTEM. Both games were played on OUR terms. The team is united and truly believes in what we’re doing. They are focused on our TEAM goals, not individual stats. They are confident and enthusiastic. The concepts of THE SYSTEM are so simple to latch on to. They’re so concrete. Easily comprehensible.

Yes, we still have a lot of work to do. However, there is much optimism in the program…and it’s only June. We have areas we’ll work to improve over the next few weeks. Besides the before-mentioned, our pace needs to be even quicker. We need to be more effective in forcing our opponent up the floor with every possession to maintain pace. Our offense needs to be getting the ball up the court faster to effectively take advantage of transition. So much to do.

I look forward to all of the hard work we'll put in. Every moment is a joy.

Despite all of my anxiety and stress leading up to this game, it’s still good to be the coach of the Lady Scots after our SYSTEM debut. In fact, it’s even better. Thank goodness my nerves didn’t get the best of me.

- Zack Delmont, Head Coach of the Rim of the World Fighting Lady Scots of Lake Arrowhead, California

Portland Run & Gun Clinic Video and T-Shirts Available...

Those interested in still purchasing the Portland Run & Gun Clinic DVD's, please contact Mike Costello at mike_costello@ddouglas.k12.or.us for further information.

The Clinic DVD's are $30 and the T-Shirts are $12.

Confessions of a System Newbie, Entry #2

I am truly blessed to have so many successful coaches who have made themselves so easily accessible and are willingly to openly discuss THE SYSTEM. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of interacting with Coach Holmes, Coach McCanna or Master Smith (The guy is amazing.), they are gentlemen in every sense of the word. Their players are better for it, too. What they do involves more than basketball. Not to sound corny, but they are making this world a better place.

Now, I coach high school girls--teenagers. I love them to death. I consider myself the luckiest guy in the world. That being said, please allow me to explain what THE SYSTEM has done in a very short time.

My first season, which was this school year, was riddled with drama, arguments, back-biting, etc. The program had been down for many years. It was longing for leadership and a vision. Without going into details, many of which are not unique to many teams, please believe me when I say that it was rough. We eventually persevered, but there were some difficult times. I think all of the players learned some very valuable life lessons. Many of them, however, I wish that the girls did not have to learn in a basketball context on my watch.

The Lady Scots are set to begin summer league play on Wednesday night, and there is no drama on our team. Of course, I am scared out of my mind. But, I am the only one that appears to be. Parents and players are thoroughly excited and optimistic. I am told that the program has not had this kind of enthusiasm in many years. Much of that can be attributed to the leadership and vision that THE SYSTEM has given us.

Coach Belf--I could read that guy talk for hours--talked about this, too, in his recent post. What Coach Belf mentioned regarding his players' joy in running THE SYSTEM is incredibly rewarding. I can attest to this truism. I've had many parents come to me expressing how excited their daughters are about playing within THE SYSTEM. So, the rewards are...well...very rewarding.

THE SYSTEM appears to have alleviated many issues with our squad. I don't anticipate that it's a temporary fix, either. Players are focused on basketball and are truly collaborating on what they hope to become a successful endeavor. Coach Arsenault has discussed the infusion of joy and excitement that THE SYSTEM created when he was inventing it in the 90s. There are many reasons for this enthusiasm, but I believe part of it has to do with THE SYSTEM providing every player with a more concrete role and allowing each of them to focus on her strengths more successfully. Playing time is no longer an issue for our girls. They all play. It's also easier to hide players' weaknesses in THE SYSTEM than it is in traditional quarter-court basketball.

That said, I am still anxious as the Lady Scots prepare to embark on our summer journey. We have a lot of work to do over the summer. Some of the girls are still following their shots, something that is forbidden within THE SYSTEM. However, girls are beginning to consistently think "DEEP" and rotate to the top of the key so that our offensive rebounders can feed them for a second attempt...40% of the time, our goal in THE FORMULA TO SUCCESS. We still aren't crashing the boards with the ferocity that I'd like. We'll get there in time. So many old habits to break.

Still have a long ways to go, however. And, my nerves will continue to make their presence known as well. But whatever the challenge, WE ARE UNITED!

See you next time...

- Zack Delmont, Head Coach of the Rim of the World Fighting Lady Scots of Lake Arrowhead, California

Coach Smith Drops in on the Vikings

Marina, in the midst of winding down their Spring practices, had the great honor of having Coach Gary Smith drop in on their practice Wednesday, June 6th. The focus of this "mini-clinic" was the press and Coach Smith helped the Marina make some tweaks and adjustments to the kind of pressure Marina plans to put on its opponents this season.

Coach Smith has this infectious energy and passion for coaching that is immediately present. He made a real connection with the Marina kids and the hour and 20 minutes Coach Smith worked with the boy's couldn't have been more productive. If you haven't watched Coach Smith in action and you are committed to extreme fast break basketball, it is a MUST to see him speak, coach and/or just get a chance to exchange emails with him. He has so much too offer and his success certainly speaks for itself. There is probably not a more innovative coach in the country in terms of having been able to succeed in both a slow-down defensive style of play and a extreme fast break style.

We can't thank Coach Smith enough for the time has given to our program and we certainly hope to continue that relationship. We'd also like to wish Coach Smith all the best in his travels to Grinnell College this year. It is a scary thought to think Coach Arseneault and Coach Smith will be sharing the same bench...I'm guessing there will be a lot of D-III coaches in the Midwest losing sleep over that prospect.

If you have any questions and any of the specific details of the clinic, feel free to post a comment and we can discuss it.

Starting the System

It is easy for us that have been running the system for any length of time to advise others to give it a try. Those that run this are passionate about the style of play, but those that are looking at attempting it find it a daunting exercise to totally change their thinking as to how to play. Some things need to be settled in a coaches mind before they can come to the dark side.

I try to tell coaches some of the pratfalls you may face as you try to get traction with the system. First of all if you hit the ground running and have success it will be very easy. If you do not have those changing moments then it will be the outside influences facing your players that will dictate their effort. This system is based on effort in every phase of the game. PERIOD. If you do not get it then you will struggle to make it work.

Before you implement anything to your players, I suggest you educate your Athletic Director and possibly the Principal (depending on how involved they are) as to what you are going to do. They will not understand it so great detail is not necessary, but they will be supportive longer. Each team gets this at different times as the learning curve can be steep and a little time to develop it is always good.

I have used the substitution pattern as a selling feature to my administration. As a teacher in the classroom you can't just teach to 8 people and while you sit the others in chairs against the wall for the entire class period. The gym is your classroom and they are all involved. As for number of players on your team, I would keep only the players you are comfortable playing. This does not mean you need to play them equal amounts of PT, but they are all playing.

As you introduce this to your squad you need to be sure your best two players are on board. Chances are the first year your better players returning will have their playing time reduced and will resent this. A constant reminder that production will increase with less minutes is important.

I believe, along with every coach that has implemented the System, that you need to adopt each part of the system to achieve the desired outcomes. The things that coaches perceive they will struggle with before they begin are not the areas that will give you trouble. The subbing and layups bother parents. Players love the subbing and understand the 3 for 2 and that is erased early. Fatigue and the ability to play on through mistakes will be the factors that you need to hurdle. Every thing that happens is needs to be sold as an opportunity to press. Each group is on the floor for such a short time that they tend to learn to forget just as quickly. Coaches early seem worried that their team can't shoot or are not athletic enough or even are a poor rebounding team. As you attempt this you will find that shooting percentages are irrelevant in the overall scheme. Nobody can shoot 10%, but you can counter an "off" night. You will find that athleticism is not really a key to if you are a good pressing team, but rather we are looking to create constant pace. Anticipation of what is happening next is the real ingredient. And rebounding....this is strictly position but also knowing where the shots are being taken and when. This is why the 3 is critical. It spreads the defense and assists the rebounding. My leading offensive rebounder is a 5' 5" kid that understands how to get position.

To finish, I had a parent that was a constant complainer about how we played to the AD (never to me = nice protocol). Finally when he did whine to me I asked him if he has ever asked his daughter about it. Answer? No, he hadn't. Next day he apologized to me as he found out his kid loved it and was embarrassed at his demeanor. By putting ownership back to the players will go a long way in loving the system.

I think we are ready to install.....

Confessions of a System Newbie, Entry #1

My hope is that this post and the ones to follow will provide a sort of window into the mind of a coach implementing THE SYSTEM for the first time. Allow me to provide a little information about my situation and program. I am the varsity girls head coach at Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead, California. I have recently completed my first season as head coach and eagerly await the start of my second. Our program has been down for some time. We were 0-8 in league play before I took the reins. We managed a humble 4-4 mark in league play this season, mostly thanks to solid 3-point shooting. Our overall record was 11-15. Heading into next season, we are incredibly undersized, our tallest returning girl is 5'8", the next tallest is 5'7". After that, the dropoff is disturbing. However, what we lack in size, we makeup in speed. I offer this information as a context for other coaches who may be in a similar situation.

THE SYSTEM has intrigued me since I first discovered it only a few months ago. As I neared the end of my first season as head coach, I had learned that we were a decent 3-point shooting team and had good speed with a solid bench providing quality depth. I knew that we were losing all of our size as our post players were seniors. It was at that moment I deciced that we would pursue becoming a run & gun team at season's end in preparation for 2007-08. I googled "run & gun" and discovered an article at D3 Hoops mentioning Coach David Arsenault, Coach Bob Belf and Coach Gary Smith at the Univesity of Redlands. Being that Redlands is a mere half hour from me, I promptly sent him an email and took a few road trips down the mountain to see extreme fast break b-ball at its best.

I took my team on a field trip to watch the Redlands boys play so that the girls could have a framework with which they could better understand my vision under THE SYSTEM. Coach Smith put me in contact with Coach Belf which was a much needed interaction and reality check. I say this b/c the prospect of implementing the system is risky for coaches. It's radical, extreme and unconventional. Coach Belf bluntly informed me that I needed the support of my players and athletic director for implementation of THE SYSTEM to be successul. People are easily frsutrated with break away layups, not to mention the seemingly chaotic substitution pattern and reliance on 3-point shooting. Basketball purists balk at the notion of dishing the ball back out to the arc on an offensive rebound. They also ask, "How can giving up layups be good for the team?" Well, if you're visiting this blog, you know the answers and reasons for these issues. But, the basketball lay person does not.

I promptly began conducting positive public relations with all of the folks that I value that are involved with my program--my assistants, volunteers, parents, the principal and athletic director. The players, however, were my most targeted. I figured that if the players were positive and understood the strategy, positive repurcussions would stem from that. So far, so good.

We have been hitting THE SYSTEM hard the last couple of months with support from Coach Smith but also Coach Holmes and Coach McCanna. I would be lying if I didn't say that I was anxious about our prospects as we prepare for the summer. Do I worry a tad that people may think I'm an idiot? Of course, I do. And yes, I probably am. That doesn't diminish the value of THE SYSTEM, however. I believe in THE SYSTEM, and mostly everyone around me knows what we're trying to do and support it. I've made sure of that. I've put them in contact with folks and articles that provide THE SYSTEM with credibility. Nonetheless, I'm a little nervous. We've introduced and utilized much of THE SYSTEM in spring play, but it remains largely unpolished. We'll get it looking shiny and new very quickly. I believe our family and friends support what we're trying to accomplish. This summer will be a challenging learning experience for us and I'm eager to get it underway.

However, when presented with the slight fear that I mentioned earlier, I must provide the following context: Would our team be successful playing more conventional half-court basketball? I am certain that I know the answer which gives me great faith in THE SYSTEM and my players. They are loving what we are doing. No one is complaining about playing time. Everyone is involved. And every player is believing in what we're doing.

I believe the before-mentioned steps and actions have been an essential and necessary process in our on-going transition to THE SYSTEM.

With these issues behind us, we can now better focus on the nuts & bolts of THE SYSTEM. My nerves are still troubling me a bit. I'd be lying if I didn't admit it. Until those first few games are behind us in the next few weeks, I suppose that I'll still be anxious.

- Zack Delmont, Head Coach of the Rim of the World Fighting Lady Scots of Lake Arrowhead, California