Communication combined with skill work in the preseason

The following is from Zack Ryan, Head Boys Basketball Coach at Warren Township High School:

For any team to be successful, effective communication is imperative. At Warren, we put a high emphasis on communication. We view communication as a skill just as we would ball handling, passing, shooting. Here’s an example of how we try to combine skill work while building communication skills in the preseason:

Fall Pre-Season Workout (6:00am-7:15am)

5 min                Individual form shooting on own
3 min                Circle Ball Handling
45 min              3 Man 2 Ball Shooting

• Passer, rebounder, shooter.
• Rebounder reports to coach the shooting results.
• the amount of shots it takes shooter to make 5 (Example = Rebounder says, “Tim went 6, 7, 6, 9, 8”. This means Tim went 5/6, 5/7, 5/6, 5/9, 5/8)” This verbiage is quick, and to the point.
• First Round = 15 feet
  • Make 5 at 5 spots 15 feet away. Maximum 13 attempts. Shooter will never shoot more than 13 shots at a spot
• Second Round = 3’s
  • Make 10 at each spot. Maximum is 25. Shooter will never shoot more than 25 shots at a spot.

This provides players with structure, purpose and accountability. The quicker the groups get done the more time they have to play pick-up games. The groups that shoot the fastest (game speed) and shoot the best percentage get done the quickest. It also forces them to talk, both to each other and to the recorder.

Zack Ryan has been the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Warren Township High School in Gurnee, since 2022. In 2023-24, the Blue Devils went 31-5 winning a conference, regional, and sectional championship. Before arriving at Warren, Coach Ryan was the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein for 8 seasons. Prior to that he was an Assistant Coach at Mundelein High School for four seasons and Mondovi High School in Mondovi, WI for two seasons.