What Are Custom Basketball Coaching Boards?

Whether you’re a head basketball coach or an assistant coach, having a coaching board at your disposal can make running practices and in-game situations easier and more efficient.  Coaching boards offer basketball coaches an opportunity to create plays, schemes, and situations for both offensive and defensive excellence.

However, with so many coaching boards to choose, a crop of custom coaching boards have emerged.  Below, we are not only going to look at what custom basketball coaching boards are, but also if you should purchase a custom one.  In addition, we will discuss both the pros and cons of using a basketball coaching board and how using one can take your coaching abilities to the next level.

Disclaimer

Please note, we here at Ball Are Life are affiliated with the Amazon Associates Program.  This means we may receive a small commission from any purchases made via our links below.  This is at no additional cost to you.  While we appreciate the additional commission, we would never recommend a product or service which does not align with our core values nor any product which we would not use ourselves.

What Are Coaching Boards?

Coaching boards, in the simplest terms, are portable white pads which contain an outline of both sides of the basketball court.  Their primary purpose is to design, create, and run both offensive and defensive basketball schemes.

Utilizing a coaching board, both head and assistant coaches are able to design plays for their team with expected, predetermined routes.  Identifying each player on the board, a coach can design a well-executed, efficient play for their team to follow.

In addition, by utilizing a coaching board, coaches are better able to control both offensive and defensive schemes that their players run.  While many casual fans of the sport believe that plays are determined on the spot and during the game, nothing can be further from the truth.

Rather, coaches and their staff will determine specific plays on both offense and defense for their team to follow.  By doing so, coaches are better able to control the flow of the game, exploit weaknesses from the opposing team, and ensure that their own team is better equipped to execute on their own strengths.

What Are the Benefits of a Coaching Board?

As mentioned above, having a coaching board not only provides an additional level of professionalism, but also helps coaches to exploit opposing teams’ weaknesses.  By drawing out specific offensive and defensive schemes, coaches and their staff can assist their players in taking advantage of vulnerabilities.

Similarly, by utilizing a coaching board, basketball coaches are better able to run plays for their team.  Through designated X and O shapes on the board, a head coach can configure the best play to run, providing step-by-step instruction for their team.

Lastly, coaching boards are particularly useful for players who may be more visual learners.  By showing each player where they should be situated on the court, where they should move to, and where they should expect the ball to land, they can better prepare themselves for the upcoming play.

Furthermore, by designing and running a play from a coaching board, players are better able to situate themselves on the court to take advantage of the expected play.  Whether that is done by setting a necessary screen or situating themselves to box-out for an upcoming rebound, a more informed player is a better player.

How to Choose a Basketball Coaching Board

Admittedly, a basketball coaching board is a pretty static item.  What we mean by that is that there is little variance or difference between one manufacturer to the next.  However, you will still want to purchase one from a reputable manufacturer for one main reason and that is due to the board’s ability to erase properly.

Unfortunately, with many static, indistinguishable items, a crop of low-quality manufacturers tend to begin selling their own items, often at a worse quality.  To help you avoid purchasing a low-quality basketball coaching board, we have purchased and tested a number of them and are recommending the best below.

And in addition to the quality of the coaching board, you may also want to consider purchasing a custom basketball coaching board.  Custom basketball coaching boards are by no means necessary.  However, by being able to affix your team’s name to the board, you are able to have a more personalized board, which helps to allow you to appear more professional and more invested in your team’s success.

In addition, if you are considering between a custom basketball coaching board or a regular, non-customized one, price really shouldn’t be a consideration.  Most custom and non-customized boards are priced at similar rates.  With that in mind, we tend to recommend thee custom boards for the simple fact that they allow you to appear more professional and invested in your particular team’s success.

Lastly, if you are looking to purchase a gift for your basketball coach, then a custom basketball coaching board is a great gift.  Every coach needs a coaching board and gifting one to your coach is a great and thoughtful way to show them just how much you appreciate their hard work, sacrifice, and time spent on helping you and your teammates develop your basketball skills.

Best Basketball Coaching Boards

HoopsKing Custom Basketball Coaching Board –  our top recommendation for a basketball coaching board is the HoopsKing Custom Basketball Coaching Board.  HoopsKing is a well-known, reputable, and established company, meaning that all of their products are made with high-quality items. 

The HoopsKing Custom Basketball Coaching Board is customizable, allowing you to place your name,  your basketball team name, or your organization name on the two-sides of the court.  In addition, you can choose the background color beneath the custom name, giving you more flexibility in the board’s design.

In addition to adding your name or your organization or team name, you can also emblazon your team logo in the middle of the court.  These basketball coaching boards are made of high-quality material and are our top recommendation for the best basketball coaching boards available on the market.

Keweis Basketball Coaching Board Kit – the Keweis Basketball Coaching Board Kit is another great option.  Although these coaching boards aren’t customizable, they do come with a plethora of added features.  Firstly, the board is enclosed within a leather cover that is closed with a magnetic pitch, making it great for travel.

Secondly, in addition to the included dry-erase marker, this board comes with 2 sets of magnetic markers, numbered 1-5, allowing you to identify each player with ease.  Colored both red and yellow, a coach is able to identify both offensive and defensive players and outline the upcoming play more efficiently.

Juvale Basketball Dry Erase Clipboard for Coaches

The Juvale Basketball Dry Erase Clipboard is, perhaps, the simplest basketball coaching board we’ve tried.  A simple black-and-white design, this coaching board is double-sided, allowing for coaches to run plays, outline strategies, and identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities with ease. 

On the opposite side, coaches are given ample space to jot down notes, while still having a half-court diagram from which to run plays and both offensive and defensive schemes.