Managing Your Basketball Team Health Throughout a Season by John Mietus

While we as coaches have only limited control over the health of our players, we are capable of minimizing the risk players endure over the course of a season. Here are a few ways to promote good basketball team health within a program:

1. Listen. Coaches who listen to their players, not just what they are saying, but the meaning behind their body language, end up with vastly healthier groups in the long run. This is a soft skill, but one that can be crucially important when it comes to maintaining player health throughout a five-month grind. Five months is a lot of time for a human to have fluctuating health, and in addition to the everyday bumps and bruises, coaches must be concerned with colds, flu, exhaustion, and any number of other health detractors. Simply by listening attentively, we can catch minor issues before they turn into major health problems.

2. Encourage a healthy sleep pattern. Many scientific studies have shown the incredible detriment that a lack of sleep causes the human body and brain. Players certainly cannot function near peak capacity if they are not resting their bodies and brains. While sleep is one of the most difficult aspects of player health to monitor, a coach can at least show concern with the amount and type of sleep players are getting. Eight hours of sleep is what experts suggest for a high functioning adult, and teens who are involved in heavy exercise could probably use more rest than that. Exhaustion is often worn like a badge of honor in our society, but it has no correlation to sporting success. Busy-ness needs to be avoided as much as possible, and rest should be a priority for players. If players need a role model in this, they can be reminded that Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James are famously fond of naps.

3. Minimize stress by the routinizing of practice. If at all possible, practice at the same time and for the same length every day so that players can acclimate their schedules and prepare for the rigors of training. A set schedule gives the players consistency, certainty, and calmness to their day. Changing practice times frequently upsets this even keel.
4. During practice, give water breaks when requested, not just at set times. Pay attention to players’ needs throughout the practice, rather than simply pushing through dehydration or exhaustion. If players feel empowered to request their water breaks, they will likely use them at the appropriate times.

5. Take care of yourself first. A coach who does not have a healthy life will project that image onto his team. A lack of balance in a coach’s life means more stress, anxiety, and a higher chance of illness. Too many coaches go to extremes with some hours worked rather than focusing intently on the quality of their teaching ability. They believe that a higher hour total correlates to winning games. But as the great football coach Steve Spurrier once said, “The coaching graveyard is chock full of guys who will talk your ear off about how hard they worked.” Busy work will not help your team; it will only add to the anxiety you feel as a coach.

There is no magical solution to prevent ankle sprains or the flu. However, we as coaches can take great preventative care of our players and give them the biggest chance of being healthy. The healthier a team is at the end of a long season, the better chance it has of being successful in important games.

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Managing Your Basketball Team Health Throughout a Season by John Mietus