Statistics

Sitting down with your team and watching the video of your last game is just about the most important learning tool you can use to help your team improve.  Second to watching video (in my opinion) is another extremely important aspect of both team and player development – Keeping game statistics (stats). Turn-overs, free throws, steals, missed shots, missed lay-ups, rebounds, and overall shooting percentage are just a few areas of the game that a coach can track. Once a coach explains how turn-overs, missed lay ups (for example) affect the outcome of a game – the players will respond to the feedback and hopefully work harder to help the team’s performance.  It’s up to the coach to discuss individual stats with each player and work with that player to improve their game.  Stats should always be communicated in a positive manner, and never used to “blame” individual players.  Stats can tell a “story” about an individual players performance, but most of all – the teams overall performance. Stats will tell you about each game and pinpoint areas that need improvement as well as areas that are a teams strong points. Use game stats as a tool to help improve your team’s performance as a whole – it is a great tool that should not be ignored.

Statistics "Mailer" (Handout) – CLICK HERE FOR HANDOUT!

Younger Players / AAU Teams

If you really want to help your team be more successful, you must keep stats.  I have always kept basic stats for any of the younger teams I have coached. My teams are always receptive to the feedback.  We always set a goal for each game and the players seem to try harder to make sure we reach the goals. One example would be – Lets limit our turn-overs to 12, and have more steals than turn-overs.  When the team reaches a goal (or goals), win or lose, they always feel a sense of accomplishment!

Note:  Usually with the younger team’s – parents are ready to assist with taking stats for the coach (all you have to do is ask).  Make sure that the parent understands exactly what you are looking for, and how to take the stats if they do not have any experience at it.  I usually assigned the stat taking to any parents that are overly aggressive with their yelling (parents that spend more time yelling at the refs, and their child, etc).  Giving these parents the task of keeping stats – helps to keep them pre-occupied with the task and cuts back on the yelling. Try it – it works!

Younger Team Stats Form – CLICK HERE FOR HANDOUT!

High School Team Stats

High School coaches are usually required to keep stats: 1) To use as feedback for the players. 2) To use for Newspaper articles / scores, etc.3) Documentation for the school (just to name a few). Coaches need stats to assist with player / team development. Use stats to help pinpoint areas that your team needs to improve on, and to “praise” your team’s strong points as well. Stats do not “lie” and are cannot be “contested” by players (although excuses will arise from time to time).  If a team loses a close one (by 4-6 points for example) and the free throw percentage was 8 for 23 (35%) for the game – you may want to work on free throws (go figure).  I have seen many high school programs not even worry about taking stats at their games.  Knowing that this type of feedback is extremely beneficial – I can never understand why a coach does not take advantage of such a great learning tool.  In my experience I have found that High School players appreciate hearing about the team stats as well as their own stats – both the good and bad.  Help your team be the best they can be – take statistics – use them as a feedback tool for individual and team improvement.  The handout is geared towards individual stats for each player, but also the total team stats.

High School Team Stats Form – CLICK HERE FOR HANDOUT!

Individual High School Stats - How important are they?

One main reason to use stats is to update individual players on their game performance, but another very important reason is for College Recruiting purposes. College coaches want to know the stats of players they are recruiting. One of the first things a college coach will ask for are a players individual stats. How important are high school player’s stats?  Stats could be the difference on getting a college scholarship or not?  A college coach wants to know about steals, shooting percentage, free throw percentage, turn-overs, assists, rebounds, etc.  If you are a post player – rebounds are very important, if you are a point guard – assists and steals are very important…

Individual Player Stats Form – CLICK HERE FOR HANDOUT!

Notes on AAU / Competitive Basketball Stats

These days most college coaches are also looking at a players AAU stats (as well as the players High School stats).  College coaches like to know that players they are recruiting are playing all year round.  Keep the AAU stats and High School stats separate, but include both in any information that you send to a college coach.  College coaches want to see how a player performs on their AAU team because the player is on a team where the talent level is very high – so the stats will tell another story here.

Last Word on Stats!   

Stats are used as an important tool in developing and preparing players to do their best in the games, but should always be communicated in a positive manner (without blaming individual players). Using stats to motivate players to work harder can only have a positive affect on the team as a whole.