Happy Wednesday - Make sure you’re taking game shots.

Using Our Platform for Something Bigger

Tonight we're hosting an ALS Awareness game. I’ve also seen a ton of Pink Nights for cancer awareness. If you've ever done one of these nights, you've probably had the thought cross your mind: Does this really make a difference?

I'm here to tell you - it absolutely does.

It's easy to feel insignificant. Like the small donation collected at the door or the awareness ribbon on the warmup is a drop in the bucket. Like you're not really moving the needle on finding a cure or changing anyone's life. But here's what I've found: the impact of these nights isn't just dollars raised. It's what it communicates.

When a family dealing with ALS walks into your gym and sees your players wearing purple, when a mom going through chemo sees an entire student section in pink, when a dad who lost his son to childhood cancer sees gold ribbons on your bench - they feel seen. They feel like they're not alone. They feel like their fight matters to people beyond their own small box. And that, as coaches and administrators, is something we can give them.

We also can't underestimate what it teaches our players. They're watching us. They see what we prioritize. When we carve out time in our season, which is already packed with games and practices and film, to recognize something bigger than basketball, we're showing them what it means to use a platform for something good. We're teaching them that sports isn't just a place to compete; it's a place where a community matters. And great communities are ones that take care of each other.

So don't let yourself believe that your Pink Night or your ALS game or your childhood cancer awareness event is too small to matter. It's not. To the families in the stands who are living through those battles, your gym becomes a sanctuary for a night. You're telling them: We see you. We're with you.

Resources for Coaches Looking to Get Involved

If you're looking to bring cause-awareness games into your program's games, here are some organizations to connect with:

Cancer Awareness: The easiest entry point for most programs is partnering with the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. It's a collaboration between ACS and the National Association of Basketball Coaches that's been around since 1993. They have specific resources for high school and youth programs, including their Suits and Sneakers Week which typically falls in late January or early February. You can request materials, patches, and support through their website at cancer.org. They make it easy for schools to participate.

For childhood cancer specifically (gold ribbon), organizations like the American Childhood Cancer Organization (ACCO) run Go Gold campaigns in September during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is another excellent partner.

ALS Awareness: Hoops4ALS is a newer organization founded in 2024 that's modeled after the success of Lou Gehrig Day in baseball. It was started by families directly impacted by ALS who wanted to bring awareness to basketball. They've already partnered with college programs like Pitt and Duke and are expanding to high schools. You can find them at hoops4als.com. The ALS Therapy Development Institute (als.net) is another resource where you can set up fundraising pages tied to your games.

Special Olympics & Inclusion: Many states now have Unified Sports programs through Special Olympics that partner directly with high school athletic associations. This isn't just a one-night awareness event, it's an opportunity to build ongoing inclusion into your program by combining athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Check with your state's Special Olympics chapter or your state athletic association.

Veterans & Military Appreciation: Consider a Military Appreciation Night tied to Veterans Day or Memorial Day. Organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project have school partnership resources, including their Honor Their Courage program designed specifically for K-12 schools. Local VFW posts and American Legion chapters are often eager to be recognized and can help connect you with veterans in your community to honor at halftime.

Local Matters Too: Don't overlook what's in your own backyard. Reach out to your local children's hospital, Ronald McDonald House, or community food bank. Sometimes the most meaningful awareness nights are the ones tied directly to your community. Honoring a local family battling illness, supporting a cause your players or students have a personal connection to.

The format doesn't have to be complicated. Special warm-up shirts, ribbons, pregame recognition, a halftime presentation, donation buckets at the door, a moment of silence, a guest speaker - it all works. Start simple.

Question for you: We have a unique and impactful platform as coaches. How are you using your platform to help others?

Building Your Coaching Staff: The Foundation of Every Great Program

This is the fourth part in a five-part series on assistant coaches - the most undervalued and crucial component of successful basketball programs.

Part 4: Game Day for Assistant Coaches

If you've done the work during the week like communicating roles, building trust, letting your assistants teach and lead in practice, then game day is where it all comes together. A prepared assistant coach isn't just another body on the bench. They're an extra set of eyes, a calming presence for players, a reliable source for intel and input, and sometimes the voice a kid needs to hear when yours isn't landing or you are focused on the game plan.

But here's the thing: game day can also be where the assistant coach relationship gets messy if expectations aren't clear. The intensity goes up. Emotions run higher. Everyone wants to help. And without a plan, you end up with too many voices, mixed messages, and confusion - for both coaches and players.

For Head Coaches: Give Them a Job Before the Game Starts

The best thing you can do for your assistants on game day is give them something specific to own. Don't just assume they'll figure out how to help. Tell them. Be Specific. “Here’s your job on game day” or “Here’s what I need from you during games”. Don’t mince words.

Maybe one assistant is responsible for tracking the other team's sets and tendencies and calling it out during dead balls. Maybe another is locked in on your post players - watching their positioning, their effort, their body language, and giving them corrective feedback when a player comes out of the game. Maybe someone's job is simply to manage the bench, keeping players engaged, making sure the next sub is ready, keeping the energy right when you're locked into the game.

Whatever it is, make it clear before the game starts. "Tonight, I need you to watch their ball screens and let me know if we need to adjust our coverage." That's a job. That's purpose. And it keeps your assistant engaged in a way that actually helps instead of just sitting there feeling like a spectator.

The other piece is timeouts and halftime. Who talks first? Who talks to which group? Do you want your assistant pulling a specific player aside while you address the team? These things should be understood before the game starts, not figured out on the fly.

And here's something that gets overlooked: let your assistants contribute in the moment. If you've built real trust, there will be times when they see something you don't. Create space for them to share it. A quick word in your ear, a 10-second correction during a timeout, notes on the board at halftime, or whatever system works for your staff. The head coaches who never let assistants contribute in-game are leaving value on the table. The ones who empower their assistants to feel comfortable to give input (without undermining the final decision) are maximizing their staff.

For Assistant Coaches: Your Job is to Help and Provide Value

Now let's flip it. If you're an assistant coach, game day is your chance to prove your value. But it's also where you can do real damage if you're not careful.

First, come prepared. Know the scouting report front and back. Know your team's game plan. Know the adjustments that might be coming. If your head coach has given you a specific responsibility, be locked in on it. Don't watch the game like a fan, watch it like someone who's going to be asked for answers to a test. Because if you've got a good head coach, you will be.

Second, bring the right energy. This doesn't mean being a cheerleader or putting on a show. It means being steady, being present, and being someone players can look to for encouragement or guidance. Kids pick up on nervous energy. They pick up on frustration. And they definitely pick up on assistants who look checked out. Your presence matters more than you think.

Third, and this is the big one, know your lane. Game day is not the time to assert yourself. It's not the time to yell instructions that conflict with what the head coach just said. It's not the time to have side conversations with players that undermine the message. Your job is to support the head coach's decisions, even if you might have done something differently. There's a time and place to share your perspective, and it's rarely in the heat of the moment with players watching.

That doesn't mean you're invisible. If you see something important, find a way to communicate it - to the head coach, not to the whole gym. A comment during a dead ball. A quick note during a timeout. "Hey, #23 is cheating in the passing lane every time we're in our Horns sets, we might be able to get a backdoor." That's helpful. That's what good assistants do.

What you don't do is yell adjustments from the bench that the head coach hasn't called for. You don't grab a player coming out of the game and ream them more than the head coach would. You don't sulk or show frustration when decisions don't go the way you would have made them. Players see everything. And if they sense division on the staff, it creates cracks.

Communication is Everything

Whether you're the head coach or the assistant, the common thread here is communication. Before the game, during the game, after the game. What are we looking for? What did we see? What can we do better?

The best staffs I've been around talk constantly, but efficiently. There's no ego in it. There is mutual respect for each other. The head coach wants information. The assistants want to help. And everyone understands that the final call belongs to one person, and have the maturity to respect that the decisions falls on their shoulders. I’ve heard it said before: “When you’re an assistant coach, you get to make suggestions. Suggestions are easy. When you’re a head coach you have to make decisions. And decisions have very real consequences both good and bad.”

Game days can be stressful. They can be emotional. But when your staff is prepared, on the same page, and working together, it takes weight off everyone's shoulders. The head coach doesn't have to see everything because he's got people he trusts watching. The assistants feel valued because they have real responsibilities. And the players feel the stability of a staff that's unified.

That's when assistant coaches go from being extra bodies on the bench to being genuine difference-makers in your program.

Questions for head coaches:

Question for Assistant Coaches: How can you provide more value during games?

The Scouting Report is your weekly dose of resources that can help your coaching. Plays of the Week, videos, drills, etc. What’s the old joke? The best coaches are just the best thieves?

IOWA STATE - FLASH PNR

ARIZONA - Miami Action

Shared Resources

BAYLOR NO MIDDLE DEFENSE:

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Let’s remind each other we’re not alone in this coaching journey.

That’s a wrap on Episode 29 of Game Shots. Thank you for subscribing.

My mission has always been, and will always be, to support coaches around the world who love the game and want to keep getting better.