how to be a basketball guard

Responsibility

More than any other position, your guards must be willing to take responsibility. All plays flow though your guards. They must be able to handle the ups and downs of the game and be able to stand up and say, "I will take the responsibility!"

Your guards must learn not only their positions, but all positions. You must teach them not only what to do, but why to do it and what the objectives are. When the game starts, the coach cannot be on the court. The guards must be an extension of the coach's philosophy.

You would be hard pressed to find a successful team where the guards and the coach are not on the same page!

Pace of the Game

Your guards are the gas and the break pedals of your team. They must understand the pace that you need to play to be successful, the pace of the game as it is being played, and any adjustments that need to be made. They must have a feel for situations related to time and score, scoring runs, and scoring droughts. Reacting properly will go a long way toward your team being successful.

Teammate's Abilities

Your guards must know the abilities of their teammates. If they give a post player the ball 20 feet from the basket and the post player turns the ball over, it might be recorded as the post player's turnover, but it is the guard's mistake. They never should have put their teammate in that position. By the same token, if there is a shooter open in the corner, it is the guards' responsibility to hit the open shooter with a well placed pass. Your guards have to play traffic cop, only giving the ball up to players who are in position to do something positive with it.

Spacing

The most valuable commodity on the basketball floor is space. Proper spacing allows players to have room to operate, to slash to the basket, and makes your team more difficult to defend. Your guards are in charge of space!

They should not destroy space with their dribble or decisions; they should CREATE it. For example, if there are three players on one side of the floor and your guards goes to their dribble, they should take the ball away from the crowd, allow the other players to adjust toward the ball, and, thereby, create better spacing on the floor.

Leadership

Because your guards always have the ball, the entire team looks to them and will take on their personality. They can be fiery and emotional, but they have to funnel that energy in a positive direction. They cannot get down on their teammates or show their frustration when things don't go right. They always have to remain in control of themselves and the team.

Your team will look to your guards for direction and calmness. They cannot lead if the team does not trust them!

The Coach's Role: How to Develop these Traits and Great Guards

Because guards are an extension of the coach, the coach must spend more time with his guards off the court.

While they are on the court, players must be treated equally. Good play should be rewarded; while poor play must be corrected. However, the coach must be careful not to send mixed messages. Wanting your guards to remain positive while often correcting their play could undermine your overall objective.

The coach should encourage his guards (and all players for that matter) to sit with him after practice and should teach them what goes into the decision-making process.

With guards, teaching is always the priority. It cannot always be done in practice because there is too much going on. Teaching them before and after practice and correcting them during practice will help your players understand the big picture and will make it easier for the coach to trust them during the intense atmosphere of a game.