Coach ,

Basketball coaching has never been more difficult than it is today; especially in regards to the ‘I’ Generation (the term used to describe children born between 1995 and 2012 who are growing up in the Internet age (therefore the letter I)).

Yet, Jenny Boucek has found ways to negate these negatives that the ‘I’ Generation has grown up with.

Coach Boucek is currently an assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers. Boucek has been on the Pacers staff since coach Rick Carlisle took over coaching Indiana in 2021. Before that, Boucek was also on Carlisle's Dallas Mavericks staff, becoming the NBA's third female assistant coach in 2017. 

When Coach Boucek isn’t helping the Pacers prepare for their NBA Playoff series against the New York Knicks, she’s studying creative ways to teach the ‘I’ Generation. We have pulled some insights from her ‘What You Need To Know About Coaching The `I Generation’’ course, which will give you useful tips on developing the next wave of basketball talent.

“I Generation” - Characteristics

“I Generation” - Characteristics

“We cannot be a great, great, elite leader if we don’t lead from a place of compassion and empathy. And we don’t have empathy if we don’t understand,” Coach Boucek says. 

She then notes how this generation is experiencing spikes in depression, anxiety, suicide, and mental health issues, more generally. 

This is important to understand because it can allow coaches to unlock empathy when teaching these young players. Realizing that a player’s resistance to your wisdom and other selfish tendencies on the court may be because they’re dealing with anxiety or depression. 

Some Suggestions

Some Suggestions

Coach Boucek offers a few fantastic suggestions when trying to get this generation of players more engaged and receptive of your teaching: 

• No phones allowed in the locker room or on the bus.
• Invest in them individually (spend more 1 on 1 time with each of them)

Taking the time to get to know each of your players not only helps you better coach them on the court, but it will also allow you to make a bigger impact on them off the court. 

• Create an environment where it’s safe to make mistakes, and where players can be honest with themselves and with others. 
• Promote communication and ownership.

One way that Coach Boucek recommends to accomplish this is by breaking them up into small groups during practice or film sessions. Once you’ve done so, give them small assignments that require them to collaborate and problem-solve together. 

• Ask them questions before you give them solutions.

Internal Feedback - Learning From Themselves

Internal Feedback - Learning From Themselves

“The more the feedback can be internal, instead of coming from you as a coach, the more effective it’s going to be.”

Coach Boucek says that having peer leaders who share your values and can communicate and exemplify those values to their teammates, is extremely beneficial. 

What Coach Boucek means by making feedback internal is that, rather than just throwing instruction or critique at your players, make them recognize the critique themselves. 

For example, if you want a player to shoot with more arc, don’t just tell them that. Instead, try challenging them to make three straight shots, with the ball touching nothing but net.

If you can get teammates to institute these types of challenges upon each other, then the culture you’re creating will inspire the “I Generation” to teach themselves. 

Never get out-coached,

Coaches Clinic Community of Coaches Helping Coaches