The Rumor Is True

Unfortunately, the rumor floating around the school since Volleyball & Soccer season is true.  

The decision was made that athletes will no longer be allowed to wear warm up pants or game shorts to school on game days.  That decision was based in-part on an incident that occurred during Volleyball & Soccer season involving what a couple of the athletes were wearing to school on game days.

I have traded numerous emails back & forth today with the decision maker regarding this issue and although I have pleaded our case to be able to wear the warmups…unfortunately it doesn’t look like I have been able to reverse the decision. However, I was able to get permission to allow the girls team to wear their long sleeve game day shirts to school instead of wearing the jersey with an undershirt beneath it as the boys are going to have to do. 

I know this decision will probably irritate some of you (as it does me), however, please do not voice your opinion to others outside of our team.  That will only make matters worse if the wrong people hear it and it could possibly jeopardize our game day shirts as well. 

I have also asked if the girls can be released from class a little earlier on game days in order to be able to change into our warmups before we get onto the bus.  I have not received an answer yet, so please keep your opinions on this matter to each other and no one else (especially the boys).  

Besides, it’s not the uniform or the shoes that wins the game…it’s the one wearing it.

ON BEING A LEADER ON THE COURT

Came across an interesting article on floor leaders (point guards) and their relationship with their coaches, as well as their relationship with their teammates.

It's an interesting dichotomy.  A coach has to turnover the offense to the PG and give her the trust to run the show, yet the coach also has to hold the PG the most accountable because of that very reason.

The PG has to feel that the coach is behind her, yet feel that she's held to a higher standard because she's responsible for the other four players on the floor.  It doesn't matter if it's fair or unfair, that’s just the way it is.  The tradeoff is that the PG has the opportunity to be creative in her approach, and she gets to carry the torch on the court and usually in the locker room.  She sets the tone and determines how the team will ultimately play.

Do you need a little ego to do this job properly?

Absolutely!  You have to have one, because the PG is usually going against the opponents best defenders on a nightly basis.  Those defenders know that stopping you is the key to winning and they’re going for your throat.  You have to have a little swagger and come in thinking, “I'm running this team and they can’t stop us!”  Does anybody remember how Liz would have a cocky attitude out on the court?  You have to truly believe that losing is NOT an option.  You have to think you're the best player out on the floor to get it done.

Fear None.

CEASAR'S APPRECIATION FOR TEAMWORK

“Before our eyes one incident took place which we thought most remarkable and which I ought to mention.  Standing in front of the town gate was a Gaul soldier [enemy of Rome] who took lumps of tallow and pitch [flammable material] as they were handed to him and threw them into the fire that was burning near one of our towers.  

He was struck in the right side by an arrow from a catapult and fell down dead.  Another man standing nearby stepped over the prostrate body and went on with the job.  He too was killed in the same way by a shot from a catapult; then his place was taken by a third man, who in turn was followed by a fourth; indeed, that position was never abandoned until the fire on the terrace was put out by our soldiers.”

—WAR COMMENTARIES OF CAESAR—

Even Ceasar could appreciate the teamwork and comittment shown by his enemy.

WHO ARE YOU MAKING AN IMPACT ON?

I came across a great article this morning on ESPN that made me stop and think about the impact we can potentially have on others and that I shouldn't take my actions for granted as I so often do.

If you know anything about basketball, then you've heard the name John Wooden before.  I know I've mentioned him here on the Blog several times.  I've read a few of his books and he is truly an inspirational figure to the players that have played for him.  

To give you an idea of the type of man he is, Bill Walton (Hall of Fame) played for him at UCLA and after one particular Christmas break, Walton returned to school with a full grown beard. 

Coach Wooden's rules stated that every player would be clean shaven and represent both the school and the team in a positive manner.  Well, Walton thought since he was one of the best basketball players in the country at the time, that he could probably get away with it.  

So when Coach Wooden first saw the bearded Walton, he asked Walton if he knew the rules about facial hair. Walton replied that yes he did, and that our troops were over in Viet Nam fighting for the rights of freedom and that he had the right to be able to wear the beard if wanted to. 

Coach Wooden then asked Walton if he truly felt that strongly about it, and Walton answered "yes I do."  At which point Coach Wooden told Walton that he was proud of him for standing by his beliefs and that he truly respected him for it.  Then Coach Wooden held out his hand to Walton and said I wish you the best of luck and we'll sure miss you.  At that point, Walton decided the beard wasn't that important after all.

Check out the article

Check out his website (how many website do you know that are sponsored byMcDonald's?)

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM

Haley and I had a brief discussion after Tuesday’s practice and she mentioned that she wanted me to continue to correct her anytime she doesn’t do things the correct way.  That is a sign of a mature player that seeks to become better.  She already leads the team in almost every category and could easily sit back and be satisfied, yet she wants to get better.

It is rare for a player to say “keep it coming coach…I want to get better.”  Most players resent constructive criticism.  They get angry, take it personally, or feel that they've been disrespected in some way.  

The problem is, if a player isn’t seeking honest and direct feedback from the coach, there are going to be problems.  For one, the coach won't be developing the players to their full potential.  Second, the players won't reach their full potential.  

It's not about the coach picking on an athlete by pointing out what they are doing wrong.  It's about helping the athlete to become the best basketball player they can be.

4:13

EXCELLENT REBOUNDERS ARE.....

Maybe one of the most unglamorous parts of basketball is rebounding, yet there is a direct correlation between rebounding and winning. 

Rebounding is also a great way for a player to create a niche for herself on a team.  Maybe you can’t dribble the ball exceptionally well or possibly you’re not a good shooter – but if you live on the boards, I think the coach will find playing time for you.

First and foremost, let’s understand what a rebound represents – a possession!

That’s critically important.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a defensive rebound or an offensive rebound, you have just given your team a possession that they may not have otherwise received.

Excellent rebounding teams usually win because they have a greater number of possessions than their opponent.  It means they have more opportunities to score while their opponents have less.

Excellent rebounding teams usually win because they shoot a higher percentage.

They shoot better because they rebound which leads to fast break opportunities.  They shoot better because they get second chance opportunities on the offensive glass which often leads to a follow up shot from close in.

Excellent rebounding teams usually win because they hold their opponents to a lower field goal percentage.  They do this by keeping them from getting out and running consistently.  They also take away the second chance points on the opponent’s offensive end.

Excellent rebounding teams usually win because they get to the free throw line more.

They get to the free throw line more because of extra possessions they create for themselves as well as the ones they deny their opponent.  How many times do you see a fouling situation occur on an offensive rebound put back?

Excellent rebounding teams usually win because they have more heart.

It is heart that is the primary ingredient in good rebounding and if you play with a big heart on the glass, then it is probably going to spill over to the defensive end of the court as well as the offensive end.

A big part of rebounding is obviously technique – both individually as well as a team.

The individual that excels in rebounding has a special blend of physical and mental characteristics that allows her to help her team on the boards.  She plays with a warrior mindset with one goal in mind…to get the next rebound!  It’s more mental than physical.

A good rebounder is a well-conditioned athlete.

Rebounding is one of the most tiring phases of basketball if a player is truly committed to rebounding.  The pace of the game already makes is a demanding game but the good rebounder is going hard to the glass on every shot – and over the course of the game, that’s a lot of shots.  So the good rebounder is going to understand the importance of conditioning.  She is going to work hard with the team during conditioning and probably do a little on her own as well.  She must be tireless in her approach.

A good rebounder is physically strong.

Because the good rebounder knows she must sometime move through people as well as over them.

This doesn’t mean she has to be big and muscle bound but she knows she must have the strength necessary to hold off her opponent when she is blocking out.  She has to work hard, more than the average player.

A good rebounder is mentally and physically tough.

Going to the boards is a very demanding job.  It gets extremely physical inside with a lot of bumping and pushing.  Some players don’t mind going to the boards occasionally, but the good rebounder is tough and not only does she not mind the contact, but she relishes it.  She loves not only to receive the contact but likes to dish a little out as well.  Mentally she knows the importance of rebounding and she blocks out any aches and pains.  Mentally she also makes sure the contact doesn’t go too far.  She wants to bang with her opponent but not to the extent that she draws a foul.

Good rebounders are smart players.

You have to be smart to read where the rebound will likely go off the rim on a missed shot…especially one shot by your opponent.  The smart player can anticipate when and where her own team will shoot.  She makes mental notes on opponents and understands their tendencies in terms of how she can best get around them and get to the backboard.

Good rebounders have a rebounding mentality.

I’ve never seen a good rebounder that didn’t think every shot was a miss.  When the ball is shot, they know that ball is not going in and they follow it’s path and try to make a read as to where it will come off.  Part of that special rebounding mentality is they have a great hunger to rebound.  The good rebounder loves to rebound more than she loves to score.

Good rebounders are relentless.

Good rebounders have a strong desire to rebound – they are relentless.  They go to the boards to try and grab the rebound.  If they can’t grab the rebound, they are going to work as hard as they can to try and get their hand on the ball where the can tip to themselves or to a teammate.  If they get bumped, they recover and keep going.  If they get knocked down, they hustle up.  They are not going to let anyone or anything stop from going to the glass.

STATIC vs DYNAMIC STRETCHING

Many coaches advocate the use of static stretching prior to exercise.  Static stretching involves reaching forward to a point of tension and holding the stretch.  Static stretching has been used through out the years for two main reasons: injury prevention and performance enhancement. 

Does static stretching prior to activity achieve the goals of injury prevention and performance enhancement?  Research has shown that static stretching can be detrimental to performance and doesn’t necessarily lead to decreases in injury.

New research has shown that static stretching decreases eccentric strength for up to an hour after the stretch.  Static stretching has been shown to decrease muscle strength by up to 9% for 60 minutes following the stretch and decrease eccentric strength by 7% followed by a specific hamstring stretch. 

Many of the problems with flexibility begin with its placement within the structure of the workout.  Too many coaches equate stretching with warming up.  However, stretching is not warming up.  You must warm up in order to effectively stretch and gain flexibility.

Out of habit, many athletes perform static stretching during their warmup.  But static stretches before warmup or competition can actually cause tiredness and decrease coordination.  In addition, static stretching improves static flexibility, while dynamic stretching improves dynamic flexibility; therefore, it is not logical to use static stretches to warm up for dynamic action.

The optimum time to develop flexibility is post-workout.  Muscles are already warmed up; consequently the greatest gains can be made at this time.  Post-workout flexibility training also has a regenerative effect, calming the athlete, restoring the muscles to their resting length, stimulating blood flow, and reducing muscle spasm.

Read More Here:

Static vs Dynamic Stretching

Static stretching in a warm-up decreases performance

US Olympic Sports 

THE CLOCK IS TICKING AWAY

I’m sure a few of you (probably most of you) were every bit as frustrated with my constant yelling tonight as I was with the poor ball handling, missed lay ups and sloppy passes. 

I know that every one of you will give your all and lay it all on the line when the game starts, but we can’t depend on the “light-switch” mentality to get us through games.  We can’t assume that we will be able to switch our stuff on & off whenever we want to.  Preparation has always been the key to success, whether in basketball or taking a test at school.   By failing to adequately prepare, we are actually preparing to fail.

There are only six practice days left (four of which are only 1.5 hrs) and a walkthrough before our first game.  Between now and then, we have to accomplish the following:

- Improve our shooting percentage from outside.  We aren’t even close right now and 10 minutes of shooting at each practice won’t be enough time to get us where we need to be.

- Memorize the motion offense.  We’re close to understanding it, but not enough yet to be able to do it by habit, which is what we will need before you feel comfortable running it.

- Memorize the new defense.  Which we haven’t even walked through live yet.

- Get into the habit of boxing out on EVERY shot attempt. 

- Work on our Press Breaker.

- Get our timing & rhythm back on offense.  That’s one reason the passes & drives are so sloppy.

- Memorize last season’s plays. (4, 4-High, Box, Stack, Stack-Man, 22, Deep)

- Get into game condition (physically)

There’s not much time left to accomplish all of that. So I’ll make a deal with you…. I’ll promise not to yell, if you’ll promise to be the player you are capable of being.  Come to practice with the mindset of wanting to learn the new stuff and earnestly seeking to improve your game. 

4:13

Failure Isn't Failure....

Few phobias in basketball are more widespread than the fear of failure.  But what is failure?

We’ll use Michael Jordan as an example.  The only things we remember about Jordan are his accomplishments:  

1981 Breaks record at McDonald's All-American game by scoring 30 points

1982 Scores winning points in NCAA championship game

1984 Named college Player of the Year

1984 Wins Olympic gold medal with U.S. basketball team

1985 Named NBA Rookie of the Year

1986-87 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1987 Winner, Slam Dunk Contest

1987-88 Named NBA Most Valuable Player

1987-88 Named NBA Defensive Player of the Year

1987-88 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team

1987-88 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1988 Wins Slam Dunk Contest

1988 Named NBA Most Valuable Player

1988 Named NBA All-Star Games Most Valuable Player

1988-89 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1988-89 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team

1989-90 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1989-90 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team

1990-91 Named NBA Most Valuable Player

1990-91 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1990-91 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team

1991 Leads Chicago Bulls to their first NBA title

1991-92 Named NBA Most Valuable Player

1991-92 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1991-92 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team

1992 Wins Olympic gold medal with U.S. basketball team

1992-93 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1992-93 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team

1995-96 Named NBA Most Valuable Player

1995-96 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1995-96 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team

1996 Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History

1996 Named NBA All-Star Games Most Valuable Player

1996-97 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1996-97 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team

1997-98 Named NBA Most Valuable Player

1997-98 Named to the All-NBA First Team

1997-98 Named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team

1998 Named NBA All-Star Games Most Valuable Player

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career, I've lost almost 300 games.  Twenty six times I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed.  I've failed over and over and over in my life.  And that's why I succeed!"

-Michael Jordan

So many successful athletes (and people) have had a hard road up the mountain of success.  All you see in the press are the accolades they've received.  The press very rarely writes about the problems they have faced getting there.  

Bruce Bowen is another example of a player getting past their failures.  Bowen wasn’t even drafted out of college, yet he is called upon to guard Kobe, Dirk, D-Wade, Steve Nash and LeBron.  How successful has he been?  He has three championship rings and has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team for the past five seasons.

These are good examples to keep in mind when you see the barriers to your own success….

If you're doing anything worthwhile at all, you'll suffer a dozen failures before you figure out how to make it succeed.

Get past failing so you can start succeeding.

4:13

ON FACING ADVERSITY

All successful achievements are simply a long series of small adversities which must be overcome.  It is not unusual to face adversity, in fact it is quite common, and it is our job to overcome it.

The real test is not when we are successful when there is no adversity, but when there is adversity and we triumph over it.  When we face these challenges and position them so that we feel we have no alternative, that there can be no excuses, we can accomplish the impossible.

From "Wisdom Of The Generals"

By William A. Cohen, Major General, USAFR, Ret.

BROADENING A PLAYERS PERSPECTIVE

Sounds like a combination of playing on the U.S. Olympic team and maturityhave helped change Chris Bosh for the better.

According to Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell:

"His practices are unbelievable, really unbelievable.  In the past, Chris would just come in ... not necessarily just go through the motions but just do enough to get by.  Now, everything, every possession, every play is 100 percent all out.

I used to tell him all the time, the difference between Kevin Garnett and 95, 98 percent of the league is Kevin played like he practiced.  And Chris is getting it, I think the light came on.  I can't remember one play that he's taken off in the pre-season, not one.  Not one time when he was supposed to run and get to a spot has he not done it.

Chris has got the talent to drag us along.  I think he's realizing just how good he really is and how much better he can become."

Says Bosh:

"I've grown mentally as a player over this past summer and everything.  Just being in that environment broadened my perspective a little bit, and I just started thinking more.  That's what we've been talking about a lot in the past, he (Mitchell) is always telling me how I need to be a better practice player, make sure I push the guys and push myself to get better in practice.  I really took that to heart and I'm really taking advantage of being healthy right now."