Basketball is full of terminology that sounds fancy and seems to qualify the person verbalizing these terms as a coach. This is a point worth examining if you are a coach to take inventory on the words you do use and what they really mean. Communication is probably the number one attribute that all successful coaches have making our words worth gold. Take a look at your own words as a coach and you’ll be surprised at what you see.

During a drill as a high school coach I stopped the action to point out a mistake being made in screening. As I made my point, this young man became visibly frustrated. I continued on when suddenly he burst out, “I don’t get it, one time you call it a pick and other times you call it a screen. Which one is it?” This became a moment of clarity for me and was a major learning success in my coaching.

One of the problems with our use of terminology as coaches is our perspective. We get so used to “knowing what we know” that we expect our players to think, talk , and act as we do. This is the #1 mistake made by young coaches in our game. When you assume your players know exactly what you are talking about, you are half beaten.

Here are a few guidelines to be challenged on in regards to using terminology:

1. Use words as if you are the player, not the coach. Come at it from the players perspective.

2. Write down your system of terminology and be consistent with their usage. Define each and apply them to an exact coaching example. For example, do you call it a pick or a screen? Is it a block out or a box out? Is it the post or the pivot?

Coach, do you have your terminology written down and described?

3. Only use terms that you know exactly what their meaning is and how it applies to teaching basketball.

4. Teach your players the terms and how they are properly used on the floor. This will enhance your communication with players immensely.

5. Let players come up with their own terminology. It will foster ownership by the players and they will respond better to a made up term like “Gonzo” than the terms you have used for years.

6. Share your terminology and the importance of it with your entire coaching staff and feeder system staff. Encourage they to know it as well as their own name!

Proper terminology and its use are the conduit to healthy communication in team sports. If nothing else, I hope this article helps you take a serious look at your own terminology and ways you can improve it for next year and the years to come.

Randy Brown has passion for the game of basketball. He works as a basketball consultant and mentor for coaches. Visit him at http://www.coachrb.com for free resources, Q & A, newsletter, and coaching programs. A speaker and writer, he has authored 75 articles on coaching and is nationally published. His 18 years in college basketball highlights a successful 23-year career. Mentored by Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson at Arizona. Resume includes positions at Arizona, Iowa State, Marquette, Drake, and Miami of Ohio, 5 Conference Championships and 5 NCAA apprearances. His efforts have helped develop 12 NBA players including Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, and Jaamal Tinsley. To contact Randy, email him at rb@coachrb.com.