Scouting opponents is a important part to being prepared as a coach and to help prepare your team.  A big part of opponent scout is scouting the opponents players and learning about them.  Things to include about personnel are statistics, tendencies, strengths and weaknesses.

Statistics
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Statistic are easy to include into the scouting report and gives a quick overview of the player.  Stats to include: Position, Height, PPG, FGM/FGA, FG%, 3PM/3PA, 3P%, FTA/FTM, FT%, RPG, APG, BPG, SPG.  You can keep the format uniform for all players or vary it for each player or just a few who may stand out in a few categories that majority do not.  An example of adding a statistic that a player may stand out in would be offensive rebounds per game or steals per game.  

Tendencies/Type of player

I think tendencies are the most important part of opponent player scouting because it helps players know and understand how to defend a player.  A tendency might be a player favors his/her left shoulder in the post or a player prefers to drive right and pull up or pass going to their left or a player prefers to face up and shot fake in the mid post.  Some coaches like to label players based on there tendencies and strengths to give a quick overview of the player.  By the player it may say driver/slasher, shooter, 50/50 (a player who can drive and shoot), or post.  

Strengths/Weaknesses

Strengths help give greater detail to who the player is.  It will help your players know what to expect when they are guarding a specific player.  Examples of strengths are good ball handler, athletic guard, great offensive rebounder, really aggressive/active in passing lanes, really good/quick pull up jumper.  Some coaches do not like to include weaknesses in scouting reports for various reasons, but if the weaknesses are obvious I like to include them.  Examples of weakness are: weaker going over right shoulder in post, not a three point threat, not a great ball handler, etc.  

Overview

This part of the scouting report gives your players a picture of type of players they will be going against and defending in the upcoming game.  Give detail, but keep it brief and simple enough for your players to understand.  All of your players should read through and know all of the players in the scouting report because they might defend them in the game or get switched onto a different player.  ​

Visualization in sports and athletic performance has become more common over the last several decades. Teams and players have been using it to help clear their minds, think positively, review the game and improve performance. Athletes such as Carli Lloyd and Lindsey Vonn, actor Will Smith and even Oprah Winfrey have been known to use visualization help their mind and performance. Visualization can help players, coaches and teams overcome challenges and achieve new heights.

Benefits of Visualization

Players and coaches have all experienced feelings of nervousness. Whether a person gets nervous to perform well, a big game, a new situation or anything else that may come up, these are all natural reactions. At times people can become overwhelmed and these nerves can negatively affect performance. Visualization and breathing techniques can help overcome these nerves and fears by calming and centering oneself.

Too often we fill ourselves with negative thoughts or doubts about being able to perform well or be successful. Negative talk is a detriment to performance, and too many players or coaches allow this to happen. Being positive and learning how to control your own thoughts is a skill that can be learned and one that can be improved upon by most people. Learn to remember positive plays or positive thoughts. When negative thoughts or plays come up, you must work to bring the mind back to being positive.

Visualization can help remember plays, games, feelings and emotions of positive outcomes. This can help motivate and encourage a player to perform. This also goes back to positive thoughts and the impact that positive thoughts can have on a person, and the pump up effect it can have when thinking back to when a player played well. Obviously, all players have a role on a team and all roles are different. A role may be to score, rebound or defend - all of these roles are important and one is not more important than the other. All players must believe their ability to play their role, and being aware of these emotions can help get a player gain the confidence to do so.

As coaches, we tell players to start getting mentally prepared, but do all players know exactly how to do this before a game? We often want players to prepare for the game when they get on the bus or once they arrive at the gym. Visualization as a team helps prepare the team for competition, but also teaches players how to mentally prepare themselves for competition, tests, interviews and anything else that life may throw their way.

Introducing Visualization

Depending on your team, players can be weary of visualization if it is something they have never been asked to do before. This is why it is important to explain to players the reason behind visualization and how it will benefit them individually, and help the team collectively. Explaining the why will open players up to the idea of this concept.

After explaining the why, practice visualization with your players. Do it before practice a couple times before attempting to incorporate it before a game. After the players become comfortable with it, it can be up to the coach how often he/she would like to employ visualization. With most teams I have worked with or seen use it, visualization is implemented before games.

Examples to Elicit Visualization

• Example 1:
  • Close your eyes and begin to control your breathing
  • Think back to the best game you’ve ever played, or a time you achieve success
    • Remember what you did that game and how you did it
    • Remember how you felt playing
    • Remember how you shot, defended, passed, screened
  • Now picture yourself playing the perfect game tonight
    • Picture yourself executing your role tonight
• Example 2:
  • Close your eyes, clear your mind and breathe deeply and rhythmically, in through your nose and out through your mouth
  • Remember back to our last win or a game in which you played well
  • Remember a specific play you made
  • Remember exactly how you made that play (think about what led up to the play and where everything was and what you were thinking) (think about the colors and sounds during the play)
  • Think about the feelings you had of making that play
• Example 3:
  • PETTLEP model
  • Physical - imagine physical characteristics of playing (in uniform, can have players even hold ball)
  • Environmental - visualize the environment where you will be performing or where the imagery is taking place (the floor, crowd, baskets, colors, smell, sounds)
  • Task - imagine details relevant to the task (exactly how you set a screen: the angle/contact/stance; exactly how you shot a free throw: where are your feet/elbow/follow through)
  • Timing - can have athletes imagine performance in real time or in slow motion to look at more detail such as footwork
  • Learning - as players advance in skill of imagery and basketball, adjust visualization
  • Emotion - have players remember the emotions and feelings of the play (confident, proud, motivated, excited)
  • Perspective - imagery can be first person (through own eyes) or third person (like watching yourself on a video)

​Laying with Legs Up

Something I have done since high school, as my coaches had us do it for football and basketball, was the legs up the wall pose while using visualization. If you do not know the pose, see the image above - it is exactly what it sounds like. Laying with your back on the ground and your legs on the wall, as if in an L position. There are many athletic benefits to this position (improves circulation, recovers swollen/cramped legs and feet, stretches hamstrings and back, and relieves lower back tension), but also aids in relaxation and mindfulness as well. Give it a try during your next visualization exercise.