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Elevate Your Game

The Coach’s Advantage: Attacking the 1–3–1, Competing in Practice, and Elevating Role Players (Ed. 3)

by Shawn Jones on Dec 15, 2025

This week’s edition of The Coach’s Advantage is up on Substack — delivering another three-part edge: one play, one drill, and one mental strategy you can plug into your program immediately. Edition Three breaks down a simple but highly effective half-court set vs. the 1-3-1…

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Say Less. Coach More.

by Shawn Jones on Dec 12, 2025

The art of keeping pre- and post-game talks short, meaningful, and effective. When it comes to pre- and post-game talks, too many coaches do exactly what the name implies: talk. No player wants to sit through a dissertation before or after a game. A wise…

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The Coach’s Advantage: Beating the Zone, Finishing Strong, Staying Sharp (Ed. 2)

by Shawn Jones on Dec 8, 2025

This week’s edition of The Coach’s Advantage is live — delivering another three-part edge: one play, one drill, one mental strategy you can use immediately. Edition Two breaks down a smart baseline out-of-bounds action vs. a 2–3 zone, a guard finishing series to expand scoring…

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The Coach’s Advantage: Your Guide To Winning More Games (Ed. 1)

by Shawn Jones on Dec 2, 2025

Our new series The Coach’s Advantage is officially live — and we’re giving coaches a three-part edge every week: one play, one drill, one mental strategy. Edition One features a late-game scoring action out of Horns, a post-finishing drill progression, and a burnout prevention tool…

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Winning Starts When Nobody is Watching

by Shawn Jones on Nov 10, 2025

For Coach Kellie Kennedy of Loyola University in New Orleans, winning is almost second nature.  With nearly 400 wins, 12 consecutive NAIA National Championship Tournament appearances, 7 SSAC Championships, and being named National Coach of the Year, it might be easy to think that she…

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Stay Connected: The Secret to Stronger Teams

by Shawn Jones on Oct 28, 2025

It’s 10 p.m., and I realize the team bus needs to leave an hour earlier in the morning. I’ve got 12 players, two assistants, and a handful of parents who all need to know — now. How do I communicate that quickly, safely, and effectively?…

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E + R = O

by Shawn Jones on Oct 14, 2025

Spend a few days around a group of coaches, and sooner or later you will hear the philosophical equation “E+R=O”.  A buzz term circulating over the years, it represents “Event + Response = Outcome”. This really is true, when you think about it.  We all…

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Be Ready for the 1-2-2—and for Life

by Shawn Jones on Sep 30, 2025

I have heard preachers say that every day you are either headed into a trial, in the middle of a trial, or just coming out of a trial. That is a sobering thought. I once listened to a former Navy SEAL who said life is…

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The Lost Art of Post Play

by Joyce Ekworomadu on Sep 23, 2025

I’ve been fortunate to see the game of basketball from just about every angle. My journey has taken me from the WNBA hardwood to European arenas, from the global stage with the Nigerian National Team, and even to courts with the Harlem Globetrotters. But maybe…

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Coaching Perspective: Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

by Shawn Jones on Sep 16, 2025

One of the best lessons I took away from 30 years in coaching is this: don’t take yourself too seriously. Of course, we should be serious and intense about what we do—but too often in high school athletics, we carry pressure that belongs at the…

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