PGC’s impact through the eyes of a college basketball coach

Two years ago the staff of the Dixie State College Women’s Basketball program, a NCAA Division II school, attended our Think the Game basketball training course. Head Coach, Angela Kristensen and her assistant, LaNay Larson, came to our 5-day long program as Observing Coaches. They took notes in the classroom sessions, were actively participating in the video analysis, and took notes during our on-court instruction, studying our drill progressions, key teaching points, and gaining understanding of the teaching principles and concepts covered.

Last year, they finished with a 17-8 record and already this season, they have been impressive in early play defeating three NCAA Division I opponents in exhibition games. I asked Coach Kristensen a few questions about the value of the time spent at Point Guard College and how it has helped to impact her program for the better.

How would you explain your PGC experience?

AK: “Going to this session I truly didn’t know what to expect.  I remember going to basketball camps when I was younger, which were typically just roll the balls out, play some “fun” camp games, get your tshirt, meet the players, and be done.  But PGC was something completely different than I ever experienced. For me, as a coach, we talk about how the game is 90% mental.  The part that I loved about PGC was the classroom setting.  That is something that no other camp or clinic does –  and it allows the student athlete to truly “think the game”. They would take what they studied in that classroom and head to the court with drills that were structured around that lesson.  You would see immediate results and from a coaching standpoint it doesn’t get much better than that.”

As a basketball coach, why was the experience valuable for both you and your assistant basketball coach?

AK: “As a coach I feel like if you don’t learn something daily you are selling not only yourself short, but your athletes as well. There is so much current literature available to coaches in many different avenues – TV, internet resources of online videos or blogs, and books. PGC gave us so much information in such a short time. I have been to tons of coaching clinics, listened to some of the best coaches in the nation, both on the men’s and women’s sides, but I took more away from this week than I have anywhere else. They pack enough information in one week for that basketball player to last them a lifetime!”

What specific basketball skills, concepts, or ideas have you integrated into your basketball program?

AK: “For us the biggest concept we use on a daily basis is getting our players to ‘peek’ at the rim immediately on every leather touch. One of the biggest mistakes basketball players make is the first thing they do on the catch is put the ball on the floor. Everyone wants to dribble, dribble, dribble. We have incorporated that into our program daily. If you don’t peek, it is a turnover. It is amazing how many more players see things because they actually are looking up and we are able to create easier and better shots. We talk about the fact that it isn’t how fast you do things, it is how effective they are.  Sometimes slow is actually better. The speed of the game was a huge take-away for our program and teaching our players how to change their speeds to increase deception.”

Have you attended a course with us? If so, share what some of your favorite moments or key teaching points that you use on a daily basis? We’d love to know!

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