Gail Goestenkors: Building a Championship Program

with Gail Goestenkors, University of Kentucky Assistant Coach;
former Central Michigan Associate Head Coach;
former Assistant Coach for LA Sparks (WNBA) and then the Indiana Fever (WNBA);
former University of Texas Head Women's Basketball Coach (207 - 2012);
former Duke University Head Women's Basketball Coach (led Duke to several Final Fours, Elite Eights, Sweet Sixteens and an NCAA Championship Runner-up finish in 1999);
Associated Press National Coach of the Year (2007);
ACC Coach of the Year (1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007);
WBCA District Coach of the Year (1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004);
USA Basketball National Coach of the Year (2006);
WBCA National Coach of the Year (2003, 2007);
Victor Award Coach of the Year (1999, 2003);
Naismith National Coach of the Year (2003);
GBallMag.com Coach of the Year (2002);
Basketball Times Coach of the Year (2000);
Carol Eckman Award (2006);
2004 US Olympic Basketball Assistant (Gold Medal)

Gail Goestenkors knows what it takes to build a championship program. She was an assistant coach during the transformation at Purdue in the late 80's and more recently built Duke into a national power. In this instructional video course, Coach Goestenkors shares the lessons she has learned in building strong basketball teams and includes eight of her favorite practice drills to reinforce her philosophy.

Building a Champion
Learn how to get your players to invest in one another and commit to improving on the court.

Goestenkors explains the importance of:

• Coaching to your personality and coaching to your team's strengths. She provides useful tips on "team building," including how to establish a team identity.
• Every player on the roster to understanding their role and how to change their role.
• Establishing roles for parents.
• Using a "buddy system" so players hold each other accountable.
• Gaining motivational ammunition using "self" and "team" evaluations.

Game-Competitive Drills
Goestenkors demonstrates a series of timed, game-competitive drills that take five minutes or less to run, but are very intense. The drills you will see include:

• Passing Fast Break - This drill sets the tone of practice early by getting players communicating, moving fast and delivering good passes.
• 2-on-2 w/2 Coaches - Teach your players to go from denial defense to help-side defense and increase your defensive tips and deflections.
• 2-on-2 Closeout - Prepare your team to defend an opponent that can shoot the 3.
• 4-on-4 Change - Train your players to react when they can't get set defensively.
• 4-on-3 - Reinforces moving w/out the ball and how to react versus a numbers disadvantage on defense (reaction, anticipation, communication).
• Tip Drill - Works on defensive angles.
• 3+1 - Focuses on trapping after made a basket.
• 4-on-3 / 3-on-4 - Fine tune your transition offense as well as disadvantaged defense, and teach your team how to press off of missed baskets when they are behind late in the game.

Amoeba Press
Goestenkors spells out the rules for her Amoeba press and how to apply trapping pressure off of a missed free throw without giving up a layup.

Great strategies and techniques for putting your best "team" on the court this season!

Produced at the spring 2010 Las Vegas Clinic.

69 minutes. 2013.