The By Any Means Coaches Podcast

In this episode, Coleman Ayers explores one of the most important concepts in modern coaching and skill acquisition: degrees of freedom. Drawing from biomechanics, motor learning, and tactical basketball coaching, Coleman breaks down how the number of options available to players directly impacts control, adaptability, creativity, and performance. Using examples ranging from driving on highways to DJ boards to jump shooting mechanics, he explains why too much freedom can create chaos while to...

In this solo episode, Coleman Ayers breaks down a fascinating research study on fatigue and shooting performance, turning complex science into practical takeaways for coaches. Using the study “Basketball Fatigue Impact on Kinematic Parameters and Three-Point Shooting Accuracy”, Coleman explores a question every coach has seen firsthand: why players miss more shots late in games. While traditional coaching often emphasizes “using your legs” or simply training through fatigue, this episode refr...

In this episode, we sit down player development coach Justin Cooper to unpack what player development really means, beyond drills and workouts. Justin shares his holistic philosophy of meeting each athlete where they are, empowering them to take ownership of their growth, and blending live, constraint-based training with intentional technical work. From youth athletes to pros, he walks us through how he builds individualized plans rooted in reality, context, and honest conversation. We also d...

In this solo episode of the podcast, Coleman Ayers breaks down three extremely common things coaches say that often work against the outcomes they’re trying to create. While phrases like “move the ball,” “snap your wrist,” or “you’ve got to want it more” are well-intentioned and widely used at every level of basketball, Coleman explains how these cues can actually limit learning, decision-making, and performance when used without context. Using insights from coaching experience, motor learnin...

In this episode, Tyler sits down with co-host, Alex Silva, for a deep dive into all things principles of play. With the AU season right around the corner, this conversation centers on how and why coaches should be thinking about building out their team principles now. Alex and Tyler break down what principles of play actually are, how they differ from just running sets, and why they serve as the foundation for clarity, alignment, and identity within a program. They also explore when to implem...

In this solo episode, Coleman Ayers breaks down how to evaluate basketball players through the lens of ecological dynamics and the constraints-led approach. Rather than focusing solely on what a player can currently do, Coleman challenges coaches and scouts to look deeper—into an athlete’s constraint history, adaptability, mental models, and ability to solve problems in representative environments. This episode is less about how to run practice and more about how to see players clearly. Colem...

In this quick-hitter episode of the BAM Coaches Podcast, Coleman Ayers breaks down a concept that most basketball coaches overlook: how to build truly basketball-strong players. Not weight-room strong. Not just bigger or more powerful. But athletes who can absorb, create, and manipulate contact in ways that directly translate to the game. Coleman reframes strength as a skill, one rooted in timing, momentum, and feel. Rather than brute force. He organizes all on-court physical interactions int...

In this episode of the By Any Means Coaches Podcast, Coleman Ayers dives into one of the most common, and most mishandled, questions in basketball: how do you develop players during the season without sacrificing team performance? With limited time, energy, and gym access, Coleman breaks down why generic “vitamin” work and feel-good reps often fail to transfer, and how intentional player development can actually solve team problems rather than distract from winning. Coleman outlines a practic...

In this solo episode of the By Any Means Coaches Podcast, Coleman Ayers breaks down the concept of nonlinear pedagogy, reframed as the nonlinear progression model, and explains why learning, development, and skill acquisition in basketball are rarely clean, linear processes. Drawing from research across sport, education, and motor learning, Coleman challenges the traditional “start simple and build up” mindset and makes the case for starting closer to (or slightly above) an athlete’s true cha...

In this episode of the By Any Means Coaches Podcast, we sit down with Rikki Broadmore, head coach at Barking Abbey Academy and one of the most respected youth development coaches in the UK. Rikki breaks down how he designs principles of play around personnel, why efficiency metrics matter more than systems, and how Barking Abbey reverse-engineers the modern game to prepare players for college, professional, and international basketball. The conversation offers a deep look into how winning, de...

In this episode of the BAM Coaches Podcast, Tyler Clark, Alex Silva and Coleman Ayers host an open group discussion with coaches from the BAM community - diving into real-world challenges, questions, and reflections around some of the most common mistakes made when putting together small sided games and designing practices. The conversation explores what coaches are currently wrestling with in their own environments—from practice design and communication to confidence, leadership, and navigat...

In this episode of the BAM Coaches Podcast, Coleman Ayers walks through a thought experiment: how he would design and run an entire country’s basketball federation if it were built around ecological dynamics, skill acquisition, and long-term athlete development. Drawing from experiences working in over 35 countries, Coleman explores how culture, environment, and structure shape the way athletes learn the game. The episode covers everything from offseason competition models and facility access...

In this episode of the BAM Coaches Podcast, we break down a simple but powerful framework for evaluating, building, and teaching offense in basketball. Coleman Ayers introduces a three-part lens: advantage creation, advantage maintenance, and advantage finishing to help coaches cut through the chaos of offensive evaluation. Instead of getting lost in systems, sets, or play calls, this framework allows coaches to clearly identify where their offense is breaking down and why. The episode dives ...