Game day: Vermont’s Matt O’Brien

The day of a game has a unique feel and setup that is different from other days we have in college basketball.  It is also very different than what many people think-it is not nearly as busy as many fans believe.  At its essence, it is slow and dull until tip off.  All of your preparation is done; you’ve watched all the tapes, the game plan has been reviewed, watched film with your players, written the scouting report, and met as a staff.  There are many factors than can disrupt or change a coach’s game day routine.  Game time, location of the game, administrative meetings and other schools facility schedule.  On the day of the game you fill your time with a few activities to get you ready for the contest.

Before we get into what coaches do to stay busy, there are a couple of scenarios that affect the routine that coaches have.  A 1:00pm tip off is very different than the 7:00pm game.  The early game forces coaches to get a workout, shoot-around, nap and meals in much earlier than the late game does.  The benefit of the early game is there is less time to kill through the day.

There is also a difference between home and away games.  At home games during the week, you end up in the office like a normal workday.  It can make for a long day but also a chance to be productive.  The home shoot around can be hard because players have classes.  Road games can be relaxed because you are hanging around the hotel all day.  But traveling between hotel and gym for shoot around kill some time.

So how do the coaches fill time the day of a game?  Like most players, coaches have routines on game days.  One of the staples of many coaches is a workout.  It is a great way to relieve some of the stress of the game.  Running on a treadmill can help you go over different situations that a coach may face in the game.  It is a great way to mentally train yourself as you get closer to tip off.  A workout also acts as a time killer.

There is also the team shoot-around.  Most teams in college basketball do these.  This is an opportunity to run through your offense, defensive rotations, the other team’s sets, other important keys, and get shots up with your players.  Some teams go hard in shoot around, others just walk through their stuff in a more relaxed environment.  At the University of Vermont, our shoot arounds fall somewhere in between the two philosophies.

When I was playing I always took a pregame nap.  It was a good way to shut my mind down while getting refreshed.  When I started coaching, I found that I was tired around 5:00pm for a 7:00pm game.  I felt that getting some time to close my eyes helped refresh me the way it did when I played.  I added the pregame nap to my coaching routine.  As when I was playing, it is a good chance to rest my mind and stay fresh.

Game day is also an opportunity to start watching film on the next opponent.  Games come quickly as you go through the year.  The long game days provide a chance to begin getting a look at your next opponent.  The drawback to this can be that the two teams offensive sets and tendencies can run together with each other.

The day of a game is not the controlled chaos of the actual game but it has its routines and preparations that are very important. All week, coaches prepare the team, game day is a day for us to mentally prepare.  At Vermont, we keep the day focused but relaxed trying our best to be productive while staying fresh for the game.

- Coach O’Brien

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