The Complete Guide to Girls' Basketball

As a basketball coach who reads a lot of books, coaching materials, and so forth for personal use and for my hoopsu.com reviews, I have read many so-called 'guides to basketball'. Some are decent, but most of them are so basic and watered-down that you could learn more watching an 8-year old in her driveway. The Complete Guide To Girls' Basketball is not one of those books. The Complete Guide To Girls' Basketball is far and away the most complete book I have read on the basics, fundamentals, and strategies of basketball. This is a great book for coaches at all levels; girl's or boy's. Coach Mullaney didn't just slap some notes between a book cover; he obviously put forth a lot of time and effort writing this book. It is extremely well organized, easy to read, and simple to understand. The main thing I like about this book, in comparison to many of the other 'guides', is that it goes well beyond the basic cookie-cutter information. The basics are discussed, but Coach Mullaney goes further and describes more in-depth and pertinent topics, ideas, and drills. That is why this book is not only great for the first-time coach, but also for even the most experienced of coaches at all levels of play. I also really enjoy Part One of the book, where Coach Mullaney guides you through developing your own plan, philosophy and communication skills. This is an area I would have found invaluable when I first began coaching. The Complete Guide To Girls' Basketball also details offense, defense, and special situations by breaking down all the skills involved and teaching how to perform them effectively. The drills section is also very well put together with over 200 exceptional drills - with easy to follow diagrams. All facets of the game are touched on so you can use these drills to help prepare yourself or your team. The title says, 'The Complete Guide to Girls' Basketball', which it most certainly! If you coach girls basketball, this book is must-have addition to your library. If you coach boys basketball, I also recommend this book...there are so many great ideas in here it is worth checking out! If you want to improve your coaching knowledge and coaching skills, The Complete Guide to Girls' Basketball deserves a look!

Mike Mullaney is very generous sharing his wealth of knowledge regarding instructing kids in all aspects of youth basketball. I have purchased several books on teaching youth basketball, and this book is the most comprehensive for drills and situations. Disregard the title for Girls, an advantage for a coach who teaches any gender.

There are many, many resources out there these days that will tell you all about coaching basketball. A simple google search will conjure up a plethora of books, CD, DVD, VHS and website material. It can be a bit overwhelming to a new coach, so I hope this review is successful in pointing you to a great place to start your coaching education or adding to what you are already teaching your players. What makes Coach Mullaney's new book, "The Complete Guide to Girls' Basketball", stand out from the crowd? Well, there are three distinctive features that set this book apart from its peers. First, this is a beautifully crafted book. Having been involved with publishing most of my life, I truly appreciate the artistry and care given to the organization and layout. Every page has been professionally prepared with relevant pictures, humorous quotes and detailed diagrams. The ease of use is about as good as a book can get. The pictures are sharp and full of action, the quotes will keep you chuckling and looking forward to the following page, and the diagrams clearly explain the drills. Second, this is a basketball coaching resource devoted to girls. How often do you see that? I think Coach Mullaney found a very important niche in the coaching resource market. Consider how many coaches are really a daughter's devoted dad who is challenged not only with teaching basketball, but also with reaching out to a group of young ladies. Not many men have strong experience in that special arena, but Coach Mullaney does. The Complete Guide to Girls' Basketball offers a coaching philosophy, drills and strategies that have been proven effective by the success of his girls teams. He even includes a section on rules that differ for womens play. Third, and perhaps the feature that will matter most to you, is that The Complete Guide to Girls' Basketball really is complete. From basic footwork techniques to basic practice plans to game strategies, its all there. In fact, don't get your nose up in the air if you coach boys. Every one of the 200+ drills, and all of the discussed fundamental skills will benefit your team, too. It is a thorough textbook for the novice coach and is destined to become the well-worn companion of the more experienced coach as well.(...)

This book is a treasure trove of practical advice for coaches, parents and players and is written in a style that is easy to understand no matter the experience level of the reader. I have not seen a girls' basketball book(or boy's book for that matter) that is equal in scope and depth. You can easily pick the book up to spend serious strategic planning time in preperation for the all important Championship Game or just spend a minute or two finding that offensive drill that will give you the edge in the next game. The layout design makes it a pure pleasure to read and I love the humor interspersed throughout the chapters. This book will be useful to anyone interested in coaching or playing girls(or boys) basketball and I highly recommend it!

Thank you Coach Mullaney. This is absolutely the best book on coaching basketball I have read. If you are an experienced coach, you will want this book as a great reference tool. If you are a new coach, this is the only coaching manual you will ever need (I have at least 30 of them and they can all go into the dumpster). If you are a player, a fan or a parent of the next Sue Bird, you will learn more about the game from this book than any other source. The author has divided his book into 2 main sections of skills and drills. The Skills section is superbly organized beginning with Coaching Philosophy and then onto Offense, Defense, and Special Situations. The information is presented clearly and concisely with matching photographs on nearly every page showing the players performing what is written. Every page has interesting and humorous quotes from famous players, coaches, etc. The Drills section is equally well done. It's like getting 2 books in one. Unlike other drill books, the diagrams are clear and the seequences are perfectly understandable without the reader needing to decifer what the author meant. Coach Mullaney continues the terrific photos in this section to keep what is usually a dry and difficult study in other dull books, a much more readable section. If you are a boys coach, this book will be equally useful. If you ignore the ponytails in the photos, it is just as instructive. If you want to improve your coaching skills, this is the best book investment you will find.