Yolett McPhee-McCuinn

How do players come into the season improved and have a ground breaking year? Even become the most improved player of the year? 

The Off season is one of the most important and vital aspects to a players development, team contribution and overall performance. 

During the off-season, you have the chance to focus on improving your movement, building muscle strength, and improving your power and mobility skills. These improvements make you a more complete athlete. As competition season returns, it is the off season preparation that will prepare players to perform at the highest level. 

Players from all levels, from high school to collegiate to professional take the time during the off season to work on their draft. Off Seasons are when basketball players refine their skills. A player who focuses on improving his jump shot, ball handling skills, rebounding and other aspects will be able to dominate on the court during the season.

Maintaining athletic stamina and muscle memory is important because we all know it's easier to stay in shape then it is to get into shape. In summary, after having completed a season of training, off-season training is important regardless of the sport, because it provides players with the time to develop, improve, rest and enhance their skill sets.

Developing your players is one of the most important things for long term success of your basketball program, no matter what level you're coaching at. It is also one of the biggest factors that determines whether players will have a chance to get to the next level - whether it's from high school to college, or from college to professional basketball, players need to develop their individual skills in order to get there. 

In this course, Coach McPhee-McCuin talks about the strategy she uses when it comes to player development, how she manages time during limited workout hours, analytics that goes behind player development, and shares the drills she uses with her team in the offseason.

Building a successful program from the ground up is a daunting yet gratifying mission. 

Every year coaches across the country embark on the challenge. It may take one year, it may take two to three years or maybe you're coming in on a losing team that needs a complete rebuild. Regardless, it takes time, persistence and dedication to achieve the goals you set. 

First, any coach who takes over a program needs to establish a vision for where he or she wants it to go within a specified time frame. It's vital to a program's success to have a clear understanding of the standards set and what is expected from the ball club. “Setting the tone” is a phrase commonly used by coaches who have taken over a team and for good reason. It's tremendously important to set the standard, mood, energy and respect to not only your players but coaching staff as well. It's an “all on the same page” tone.

Once the vision is clear and the tone is set. You’ll notice you have questions but no answers and there's no one better for the job than your coaching staff. Your supporting staff is significantly important to your program build. It may change depending on the program's needs. However, any good head coach knows you must hire and bring on great assistant coaches and managers who not only know what they're doing but more importantly match the energy and vision you desire. That goes to everyone from the top to bottom, the support staff is just as important as the coaching staff. 

Remember, you can build a ceiling without a solid floor.

In this lesson Coach McPhee-McCuin talks about what the keys are when trying to build a successful program from the ground up. Having done this twice before at Jacksonville and now at Ole Miss, her success turning a program around has made her one of the best coaches around women's basketball today.