Fundamentals of Coaching Basketball Course Now Available From NFHS

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A new coach education course – Fundamentals of Coaching Basketball – is now available through the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) at www.nfhslearn.com. This course is the newest addition to the NFHS Coach Education Program.

The NCHSAA is one of the member state associations of the NFHS.

Fundamentals of Coaching Basketball includes basic and advanced skills in offense and defense and will help individuals to develop a coaching philosophy appropriate for students. The course also provides tips on effective communication with an emphasis on a positive learning environment.

Fundamentals of Coaching Basketball is divided into four units: Introduction to Coaching Basketball, Teaching Skills for Offense, Teaching Skills for Defense and Game Organization.

Don Showalter, boys basketball coach at Mid-Prairie High School in Wellman, Iowa, and the 2009 USA Basketball Developmental Coach of the Year, developed the content for the course. Showalter is 424-176 in 26 years at Mid-Prairie and 540-268 in his overall 36-year career. He served 12 years, including seven years as chair, on the NFHS Coaches’ Quarterly Publications Committee and rejoined the committee last year for a new four-year term. He also is a member of the High School Today Publications Committee.

Clark Kellogg, the lead color analyst for NCAA basketball games on CBS Television and newly named vice president for player relations of the Indiana Pacers, is the host for the course. Several top college basketball coaches provide insight throughout the course.

The NFHS Coach Education Program was started in 2007, and more than 140,000 coaches have taken the core course — Fundamentals of Coaching. Forty-five of the 51 NFHS member associations have adopted the course.

Fundamentals of Coaching Basketball is the eighth sport-specific course available through the NFHS Coach Education Program. Other sport-specific courses are available for football, soccer, softball, cheer and dance, spirit safety, wrestling and volleyball.

The NFHS offers coaches the ability to become Level 1 certified as an Accredited Interscholastic Coach. In addition to the Fundamentals of Coaching course, coaches must complete NFHS First Aid for Coaches, or its equivalent, and one of the sport-specific courses or Teaching Sport Skills, and then can apply for certification online.

All NFHS coach education courses are available at www.nfhslearn.com.