IBCA Mentoring Program
Mentoring Program for Young and Experienced Coaches
Mentor Resources
Mentor Resources
| Date | Format | Topic / Focus |
|---|---|---|
| September 21, 2026 | Program Welcome & Activation — First contact welcoming everyone to the Mentor Program; encourage IBCA membership and discuss available benefits. Set up the AEA Institute Activate 7 Program for new head coaches. | |
| September 28, 2026 | Activate 7 Debrief — Review findings from the Activate 7 Program, pillars of the program, and goals for the season and team. | |
| October 5, 2026 | Mentor/Mentee Introduction & Preseason Preparation — Mentor introduction to mentee; preparation for upcoming tryouts; feeder program development; fundraising; working with parents; social media; practice planning; and establishing a strong program culture. | |
| October 25, 2026 | Video | Round-Table: Season Preparation — Group discussion focused on preparing coaches and programs for the upcoming season. |
| November 9, 2026 | Basketball X’s & O’s — Drills, motion offenses, defensive concepts, quick hitters, and scouting reports. | |
| November 22, 2026 | Video | Round-Table: In-Season Challenges — Discussion of early-season challenges, general coaching questions, and offensive/defensive concepts. |
| December 14, 2026 | Midseason Leadership & Culture — Maintaining program culture, staying sharp and focused at midseason, and handling the ups and downs of the season. | |
| January 11, 2027 | Tournament Preparation — Tournament preparation, postseason mentality, and positioning the team to peak at the right time. | |
| January 24, 2027 | Video | Round-Table: Tournament Preparation — Group discussion on preparing teams and programs for tournament play. |
| February 8, 2027 | Postseason & Recognition — End-of-season nominations, voting, and establishing goals for postseason play. | |
| March 29, 2027 | Season Wrap-Up & IBCA Clinic — End-of-season reflection, program evaluation, lessons learned, offseason planning, and preparation for the IBCA Clinic. |
Program Organization
Program Organization
Compiled/Written by Steve Witty, IBCA Executive Director (2002-2022)
I. Introduction (Complete Outline of Material)
II.Meet players, parents and become visible in the community. Identify power brokers, key faculty, administrators and community members. If new to the community have a “meet the coach” night.
“ If you want to be successful and respected but not necessarily liked or loved as a coach”.
III.Hire Assistants
Traits of a good assistant coach
Characteristic and qualities of assistant coaches
Expectations of varsity assistant
Assistant coach game responsibilities
IV.Promote and establish a basketball philosophy. Develop a philosophy and document it.
“Six key characteristics of a championship program”
“Things I wish an older experienced coach would have told me when I was young”
Six coaching sins and how to avoid them
“Playing the Game the Way it is Supposed to be Played”
V.Identify style of play
What are your teams known for? What is the foundation of your basketball program? Do you play up-tempo, controlled, press, half- court defense, zone or man to man, motion or set plays, many plays or a few, positionless spread offense etc.…?
When people hear your team’s name mentioned, what style of play do they think of?
VI.Yearly calendar-
“Basketball Program Organization”
VII.Preseason Staff Meeting
VIII.Weight training
“Weight Training and the Practice Schedule”
IX.Fall conditioning
X.Team selection/team building
“Gentling the cruelest cut of all”
Three Kinds of Players
“Players Coaches Love”
“Reasons Players Reach Their Potential”
Important Items to read and consider: Many Smiles in the information below!
“Do You Want to Be Cool or a True Champion”
“Basketball Terminology”
“Core Values of a Quality Basketball Program”
“Are You a Good Team Player?”
Intimidation Not Needed to Motivate Kids
“Considerations Involving Team Discipline”
“4 Methods to Improve Athlete/Coach Communication”
Traits and qualities of a team leader
“Team Performance Test” utilize in January to see if players and coaches are on the same page
XI.Basketball parents
Preseason Parents’s meeting outline
Dealing with the parent problem in the preseason
Handling Parents and Playing Time
“Do your parents work for you or against you?”
“A letter to a parent from a coach”
Handling the parent problem. Tips to deal with parents
“Strategies to handle the Ball-istic parent
XII. Individual and team goals
“Two Pre-requisites for Effective Goal Setting”
“Goal Setting with Direction and Commitment”
Goal setting,” Individual and Team goals”
XIII.Player Ten Commitments. In all successful programs there is discipline and attention to details. Eliminate rules and replace them with expectations (sematics)
“Player Ten Commitments”
“Wooden/ “Pyramid of Success”
“It’s the Little Things That Make the Big Things Happen”
XIV.Organize your season schedule
“Dividing the Game Schedule into Thirds”
“Typical In-season Weekly Game Plan”
“Organizational Tips for Coaches”
XV.Coach/official relationship:
Communicating with Officials
Coach-Official relationship: One officials perspective
Working with game officials- Part I and Part II
XVI.Practice organization. In all skills you teach, repetition is the key. Teaching sequence requires: instruction, demonstration, correction, repetition. Teach to meet the three learning style of your players. Some players learn better by what they hear, some by what they see, some by what they do.
Practice plan form
Practice organization
Practice principles to consider Organize your practice plan
Organize your practice time
Practice Tips – Krzyzewski
Practice observation/assessment
XVII. First game checklist
“First Game Check List-Ed Schilling
XVIII.Game management considerations
“momentum Getters/Momentum Killers”
“Time out/What happens next?”
Communication during time-outs
What to say at half-time
“Bench Organization”
XX.Thoughts on leadership/Coaches legal duties
Five essentials for leadership in coaching
“Difference Between Managing and Leading”
“Nine Legal Duties of a Coach”
Facts vs myths regarding liability for sports injuries
XXI.Post season coaches evaluation and program evaluation.
Thoughts on Evaluation Process
Coaches self- evaluation check list
XXII. Thoughts for the Day, a dose of positive each day
XXIII.Fun Cartoons
Cartoons/This is supposed to be Fun
XXIV.Testimonials
Successful program testimonials
Ben Davis won title with teamwork not stars
Best Hoops Team
Ben Davis at the Buzzer
Final Thoughts and suggestions and Conclusions