Another interesting thought posed by Kevin Eastman at the Coaching U clinic that I attended last fall was what would or should be heard by a blind man in your basketball gym.  The interesting thing is that seeing someone do something is one thing, but hearing is something entirely different.  In this situation where the sense of sight is removed, hearing becomes an even more powerful tool.  For success in basketball, basketball players must not only listen but actually hear what their coach is saying, and to do so requires concentration as if their sense of sight was non-existent.  Here is Kevin Eastman’s list of what a blind man should hear in your gym:

1. Low man wins.

• Your shoulder needs to be below your opponent’s.
• It is a fist fight to get open, it is a foot fight to score

2.  Fouling negates hustle.

3.  Win the last step.

4. Defense is about commitment, offense is about comfort.

• Take the offense out of their comfort zone.
• The best defensive teams do the unrequired things.
• For example: in a zone, you cannot guard air.  If there is a hole, plug it.

5.  Any time they hit the paint, they hit a body.

6.  BIG EYES, BIG EARS, SMALL MOUTH.

7.  You play defense with your feet; your hands just help you.

8.  The one guy who should never get beat is the helper.

• He should see what is happening before it does.

9. Contest the first shot, DO NOT allow a second shot.

10.  See how many times that you can get three stops in a row.

11. Fight the natural instincts late in games.

• Leaving your feet on shot fakes.
• Hugging your man.
• No leak outs.  Box out, finish the possession.
• Contest the shot, block out and get a rebound.
• Lack of awareness (guarding your man too much).