Julie, Hiliary, Olivia and Hannah go through their 'post game stretching' routine. For those that want a copy of this tremendously effective post game workout...I've put it on our team YouTube page.

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LINK

Article from the Eufaula newspaper.

IT'S ALL ABOUT TRUST

Although I hated to see some of you hurting like you were last night, it gave me comfort in knowing that it was a hurt caused by being such die-hard competitors.  

Playing with the heart of a warrior is something few athletes do.  I couldn’t ask for a better team.  I would rather have a team that hates losing more than they love winning any day.  

We’ve had a rough month, but in order to put the past six or eight games into proper perspective, I think it’s important to look at what we were accomplishing in the process.

Look at eight of the last 10 teams we have played.  These were not ‘cupcake’ teams.

Rutherford (5A school – beat them by 23 points)

RF Munroe (2A)

Pike (ranked No. 6 in Alabama – lost by 10 points)

Bethlehem (2A)

Providence (ranked No. 7 in Alabama – lost 14 points)

Rocky Bayou 

Crisp (ranked No. 184 overall in Georgia – beat them by 9 points)

Lakeside (ranked No. 4 in Alabama – lost by 1 point)

We’ve probably played the most difficult schedule in the 8 or 9 year history of the girls program at Covenant (in just the first half of our season).  Think about what we have gained as a result of those games and how that will benefit us in the second half of our season as we reach for another Conference Championship and how those games will have prepared us for a chance at a National Championship in March.

Scrimmaging in the gym and playing teams like Maranatha, Central or Grace cannot possibly prepare us for a serious run at a National Championship like the past six or eight games have done.  What you have accomplished over the past 10 games is huge.  Don’t shrug it off.

MaxPreps finally released the State Rankings this week.  They have the Lady Lions ranked at No. 266 overall (in the State of Florida).  As a point of comparison, we finished the season at 401 last season.

2008-09 FLORIDA (overall State)

Mosley 206

Covenant 266

Baker 309

Freeport 348

Port St. Joe 380

Now…think about us losing to the No. 4 ranked team in Alabama (in their gym) by only 1 point. Now try and wrap your mind around these numbers:  we had 28 TO’s, only 27 Rebs and only shot 2 of 12 from the FT line (missed 5 in the final 47 seconds)

This team is far more talented than most of you realize and these games have just made you that much better and prepared you for what will be an incredible season.  Like the blindfold game, you may not be able to see where you are going, or the bumps along the way, but I see it.  Trust each other and know that we will get there together.

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Mentally Stronger Physically Tougher

Ladies we need to come into practice giving full 100% effort. we cant expect to be mentally stronger or physically tougher than any other team without putting in all the effort necessary. i know it takes a lot to show up to practice the day after christmas or to come when youre sick but your there so lets get things accomplished when we have the time.
1st season we played together nobody expected anything great to come from such a young team. we proved everyone wrong. there was nobody who could keep us under the conclusion that we didnt have enough experience to win. we relied on our #1 God and #2 each other and coach. we trusted each other we played together to have fun and with the love of the game came the championship.
2nd season we had some awesome new additions to the team. the season, although we had a disappointing loss of our liz, we all worked through it together and still dominated the court. we learned that through good times, hard times, victories, not victories, pain, work, effort, and sweat we were ladylions and proud of it.
this season.........................is a story unwritten.
Lets work hard, be tough, and have the desire to win this year. i know we want it. but we cant give half the effort and expect the full reward. We cant rely on God so much that we become lazy with ourselves and waste what he has put right in front of us. i love playing this game with all of you and i KNOW we can do great things together as a team.

4:13--I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.

YOUTUBE FIELD TRIP

Take a few minutes to watch this video (with sound and click for HIGH QUALITY) and let it rekindle that fire you once had.

MISSING IN ACTION

Leaders are people who don't compromise their values or beliefs to gain approval.  They live up to their own inner sense of things or how things should be, regardless of the current situation.  Leaders demand the best of themselves at all times and they work to bring out the best in their teammates.  And for this reason, leadership is often different than success.

Success is determined by the TEAM culture.  When you give the team what it expects, the team will reward that.  But a leader is someone who gives the TEAM what it needs, not what it expects.  

Without the presence of a strong leader on the floor, the team is much like a ship without a rudder...it wanders aimlessly with no real direction.

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IT'S TIME TO STEP UP

Note out of San Antonio about Spurs PG Tony Parker taking on more of a leadership role this season:

“I’m trying to establish myself as a leader, and be more vocal,” Parker said.  “I want to take more responsibility. My biggest role this year will be to get everybody involved.”

That part of Parker’s game has taken a while to come out of its shell.  When he arrived as a 19-year-old rookie in 2001, he experienced considerable and understandable trouble imposing himself on a team overflowing with veterans.

Somehow, he sensed, a 37-year-old NBA graybeard like Terry Porter wasn’t going to be taking basketball advice from a teenager fresh from Paris.  At the time, Parker felt it better to be seen, but not heard.

“When you have David Robinson and Steve Kerr and all those guys, you just watch and you listen,” Parker said.  “Now, this is my eighth year, (and) we’ve got a lot of young guys.  It’s my job to help them.”

Popovich saw signs of that leadership emerging in Parker last season.  Finally comfortable in his own NBA sneakers, Parker had no qualms about bossing around even a future Hall of Famer like Tim Duncan.

“He’s being really demanding of his teammates, and not worrying about hurting somebody’s feelings,” Popovich said.  “He’s not here to win king of the Fun-a-rama.  He’s here to make sure everybody does their job.”

KEEPING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE

The Monday before their 17-16 loss to TCU, Boise State coach Chris Petersen took his red-shirt players to a Navy training base in San Diego for a taste of  a SEAL workout.  About 25 Broncos went through a 45-minute training session at Naval Base Coronado on Coronado Island, not far from the team hotel.

According to Petersen, "the workout started with the SEALs sending the players into the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean (which is about 55 degrees this time of year), then rolling them in sand.  After that, the group did non-stop pushups and situps on the asphalt blacktop."

“It was a piece of what those guys do for six months all day long,” said Petersen. “I think it puts things in perspective when we think we work really hard.  That’s a whole different level.  It’s equivalent to kind of our 5:45 training, but you know it’s six months, it’s more intense, it’s longer.  It just really tells you how many special people there are in this country to have the mental toughness to go through that — the love of this country, to fight for us.”

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HABITS THAT LEAD TO TURNOVERS

#4 - Leaping to Pass

Once you leave your feet, you are committed.  Against weaker teams this probably isn’t such a big deal, because against weaker defensive teams, things do not happen as fast.  But against good teams, things can change quickly.

Once you leave your feet, you loose the option to fake your defender. Yes, you could probably try a quick herky-jerky fake, but against a good defender, one of those quick herky-jerky fakes won’t work.  Against a good defender, you have to really sell the fake with a good emphatic fake and maybe a facial grimmace to guarantee they buy it.

Once you leave your feet and are in the air, you have very little body control and your first option may not be there after all.  Now, if you are the tallest player on the floor and playing against a weaker team…then you’ll probably be alright.  But rarely will you find yourself in that situation.  Players under pressure, will revert to their dominant habits.  

Don’t make it a habit to leave your feet to pass.

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YOU CAN'T STAND STILL

HUSTLE and DESIRE is what puts points on the board.

Many players are under the misconception that they have to be a great shooter or shoot a lot in order to score.  Still others are constantly being pressured and influenced into shooting more during a game by parents.

In most cases, this advice is given out without regard to a total team effort or to the outcome of the game.  In addition, players spend countless hours working on their shooting form and individual moves.  However, players should realize that to become a proficient and consistent scorer it only requires hustle, aggressiveness and determination (not a lot of shot attempts). 

You do not have to be a great shooter to score.  If you are an inside player, hustle and determination on the offensive boards will produce a least one put back shot opportunity each half.  If you play aggressively you will likely get fouled and go to the line at least one time per half.  As a result, if you make your free throws, you have will have scored eight (8) points per game without taking a shot from the field. 

For backcourt players the same results apply.  If you hustle and play tough on the defensive end of the court, you will be able to steal or deflect a dribble (or pass) to a teammate and receive a return pass for an easy lay-up at least once per half.  If you are aggressive and constantly move on offense, you will likely get fouled and go to the line at least one time per half.  If you make your free throws you have will have scored eight (8) points without taking a shot from the field. 

Therefore, in games when you are shooting well, you may score 10 to 30 points. On nights when you may be shooting poorly, you will still have the opportunity to score in double digits. 

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A GOOD PREDICTOR FOR SUCCESS?

Came across an interesting article.  This is from Coach Tom Crean who is the former head coach of Marquette and the current head coach at Indiana.  

In mining the plethora of statistical data they had at Marquette, Coach Crean and his staff discovered a key stat line for them that they could safely use to predict success and failure.

5 Most Important Stats

The variables of:

1.  Field Goal Percentage - Field Goal % is your offensive efficiency juxtaposed to your defensive efficiency.

2.  Free Throws Made - FTs determines who is the aggressor and the aggressor almost always wins.

3.  Total Rebounds - Rebounding means more shot opportunities for you and less shot opportunities for your opponent.

4.  Personal Fouls - Fouls are usually an indication of poor defensive fundamentals.

5.  Halftime Lead - Lead at halftime can have a psychological effect.

They discriminated winning teams from losing teams in 477 conference games played during the 2005 season in the ACC, Southeastern, Big 12, Big 10, and Conference USA.

1. The team that recorded the higher field goal percentage was the winner in 75 percent of the games.

2.  The team that scored the most free throws was the winner in 70 percent of the games.

3.  The team that scored the most rebounds was the winner in 70 percent of the games.

4.  The team that committed the fewest personal fouls was the winner in 75 percent of the games. 

5.  The team that held the point advantage at halftime was the winner 74 percent of the time.

One more interesting stat from Coach Silver:  "I believe if you can score the first basket in three out of the four quarters you will win just about every game."

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THE PATH TO VICTORY

Winning means…you’re willing to go longer, work harder and give more than anyone else on the floor.

You carry on no matter what the obstacle.  You simply refuse to give up – and when the going gets tough….you just get tougher.  

That is the path to victory.

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REFUSE TO LOSE

You must absolutely commit yourself to winning – there is no such thing as “I’ll try.”  “Trying” is for players who “think” they can win.  

“I Will” is for players who “know” they can.

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THE POWER WITHIN

What this power is I cannot say; all I know is that it exists and it becomes available only when a player is in that state of mind in which she knows exactly what she wants and is fully determined not to quit until she finds it. 

Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. 

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GET BEYOND YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have mastered, you will never grow. 

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EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE

All coaches know that the most important position on the court is the point guard.  The point guard has the responsibility of leading the team, of controlling the ball and of dictating the pace of the game.

If you were to ask most HS level point guards, they would probably tell you the ONLY REASON they like running the point is because they get to touch the ball every time down the floor.  They hate having to know everyone’s position.  They hate having to know & run the plays.  They hate having the opponents’ best defender all over them.  They hate the responsibility.  They hate the pressure that comes with the position.

For the sake of this entry, I’m going to use Liz as my example.  Between her 8th grade and her Freshman seasons, she learned a lot about herself as a player.  Being a shooting guard was easy compared to running the point.  As a shooting guard, all she had to do run was run the floor and be ready to shoot the ball.  She didn’t have to worry about anything except making her shots. That all changed in her Freshman season…when she was moved to the point.  She struggled every bit as much as some of you feel that you are struggling with it now.

She learned what it was like to be pressured 80 feet from our basket.  With her limited skills at the time, she was baptized with a full court press.  She was so focused on not turning the ball over that she forgot about everything else that needed to happen.  She would often be too predictable by going to the same spot every- single time and make the same pass to the same spot every-single time.  She would try and throw some ‘thread the needle’ passes that she wished she could have taken back.  She had games where she had 8 or 10 turnover’s in the first-half of a game.  There were games that her confidence was shaken to the core.  

However, those things are just part of the maturing process for a point guard and they made her a stronger (and better) player in the long run.  

Many young point guards simply miss the focus of what is important with each possession.  Their minds tend to get jumbled up with too many thoughts and it screws them up.  This causes hesitancy and a few of you are probably agreeing as you are reading this.  Understand that the position comes very natural and easy to some and others not so much.  Either way let's make it simple by boiling it down to one thing.  The point guard’s primary responsibility is directing the offense with the prime objective of creating the best shot possible or giving the team their best chance to score.  

THE ULTIMATE POINT GUARD GOAL: Get the best shot possible!

First, don't worry about being fancy.  You don’t need to dribble between your legs and around your back.  Just get the ball up the court and only use a between the legs or behind the back if you have to.  If you are being pressured, then remember to use the court that you have.Don't just go in a straight line and don't go the same speed.  Accelerate when you have to and don't shy away from the challenge.  Be unpredictable to the defense.

Second, identify and KNOW the strengths and weaknesses of your teammates.  Who are your best players or better yet, always ask yourself - which player has the best match up right now and how can I get her the ball?

A true point guard loves to get her girls the ball in good position so they score.  She loves being in control and making sure each player feels involved and that she is going to do everything in her power to help her team win. 

Without someone on the floor accepting and embracing that responsibility (for running the offense), the team is pretty much lost.  Embrace the nervousness.  Embrace the responsibility. Embrace the challenge.

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YOU CAN'T MICROWAVE YOUR SHOT!

Found an article tonight that couldn’t have been more perfectly timed to coincide with some of the shooting issues a few of our athletes are struggling with.

UCLA's Nikola Dragovic, a 6-9 junior forward from Serbia, has connected on just five of his 30 (16.6%) 3-point attempts this season. 

As a point of comparison, Dragovic's teammate Michael Roll is 16-28 (57.1%) from 3-point range this season.

Although Dragovic's 2FG% is up overall from last season (38% vs 33%), something is just not clicking for his outside shot this season.

According to this article, "Dragovic has talked about feeling hesitant, passing up open shots."

To improve his shooting, UCLA "coaches want him to crouch lower when he receives passes, so he gets his legs into the shot.  Beyond that, [UCLA coach Ben] Howland doesn't want to make a big deal of Dragovic's low percentage."

"When everybody starts talking about it, and it's the same question, it becomes too much thinking about it rather than following your routine."

Too many times I see one or more of our athletes start to droop and get frustrated (in practice of all things) over missed shots.  If you allow missed shots to mentally take you out of your game, then you haven’t heard a single word I’ve said.  

When you set unrealistic expectations, like thinking you should be shooting 40% or better from outside, you are setting yourself up for discouragement and frustration.  

Relax and chip away at your goal a little at a time.  Practice (and only practice) will turn you into a better shooter, but don’t think it will happen overnight.  

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SOUL OF A CHAMPION

Came across an article in USA Today titled Soul of a Champion: Athletes share common competitive thread by Erik Brady.  The article highlights various interviews and quotes from numerous champions within different sports.

Joe Dumars: "I think soul of a champion means what's inside of you," he says.  "How much you are willing to do, how much you are willing to sacrifice. ... I think that determines and defines the soul of a champion."

Mia Hamm: "It takes great skill for Tiger to hit a 2-iron 260 yards over water," she says.  "But it also takes the courage to go for that shot.  He doesn't think about failure.  That's what's so impressive." Hamm goes on to say "I don't put myself in a category with Jordan and Tiger.  Their skills are unbelievable.  But I know how hard they work.  They are always finding a way to get better — physically, technically and psychologically."

"I think the great athletes go back to their childhood," Wayne Gretzky says.  "They go back to their love of the game...It never left me," Gretzky says.  "Even when I became a champion, I always had the same feeling I had in the backyard."

Patrick Cohn, sports psychologist and president of Peak Performance Sports, suggests four mental and emotional characteristics common to champion athletes:

• Competitiveness: "This is someone who loves the heat of battle," Cohn says. "They're motivated by testing their skills against the next person. Obviously, they love to win and hate to lose.  You need that.  People might think, 'Well, isn't everyone competitive?'  The answer is 'no.' The really competitive person digs deeper than the next guy."

• Confidence: "Self-confidence is probably the No. 1 mental skill that championship athletes possess," Cohn says.  "Simply put, it is their belief in their ability to perform.  They see themselves as winners.  They think, act and behave in very confident ways, sometimes to the point it can turn people off."

• Composure: "This one has a couple of connotations," Cohn says.  "The first is: Can you keep it together under pressure at crunchtime?  It's the last minute of the game, and you're trailing by three: It's how well you can stay under control emotionally and can perform when you need to. 

"The other component is how well you deal with mistakes.  Can you stay composed and forget about them?  Or do you get upset and frustrated and thrown off your game?  Athletes who are composed don't get rattled and compound one mistake into many."

• Focus: "The idea is to give focus and attention to what's most important — and, when you do get distracted, to refocus quickly," Cohn says. "This is the key component to success in sports such as gymnastics and diving, but it's important in all sports."

Williams interviewed 1,500 people for a book on Jordan and found unanimity that Jordan had an uncanny "ability to block out distractions, zero in on what's important. It was like he was in a total vacuum — totally zoned in.  I think that's the hallmark, really, of a champion ... focus, focus, focus."

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ARE YOU A COMPETITOR?

Real competitors are hard to find.   Legendary Coach, John Wooden, once said that “If you have one competitor on your squad you will be successful.  If you have two you will be competing for the conference title and with three a national title.”  He had no idea what four or five competitors on a single team would be like since he had never witnessed it.

Real competitors view adversity as a challenge not as a detriment.   In trying situations, they compete and work hard to over come it rather than get frustrated or angry.  Michael Jordan is a classic example of a real competitor.  He competed every night despite the fact that he was facing the opponent’s best defenders, double teams and even triple teams.  Despite constantly being held and grabbed, pushed and shoved, he rarely ever complained to the officials or lost control of his actions.  Instead he accepted the challenge and was more motivated to succeed.  When Jordan stepped on the court he was bound and determined to be successful no matter what the opponents threw at him.

Competitors are “Erasers.”  After bad calls or turnovers, rather than griping or complaining, they hustle back on defense to make a defense stop.  They are fully aware of the fact that the only turnovers that hurt a team are the ones upon which the opponent scores.  If/when the opponent does not score after a turnover then, no matter how bad, that turnover is erased!

Competitors don’t have to look at the score board to know the score.   Winning is certainly important, but how it is achieved is more important.  To them the most satisfaction and pleasure comes in playing the game, not with the final game score.  They know that when they are passing, shooting, rebounding and playing solid defense well, the scoreboard will take care of itself.  They play every play in a game as if it was the last play of the game. After the game, regardless of the score, they are satisfied because they gave it their best effort. 

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BE OPEN TO NEW WAYS OF DOING THINGS

There’s a saying: “Minds are just like parachutes: They only work when they’re open.”  Want to become an elite player?  One of the things that you’ll need to help you get there is an open or “beginner’s mind.”

 

What’s a beginner’s mind?  A beginner’s mind is an attitude of openness, an eagerness to learn that is not burdened by ego, needing to be in control or defensiveness.  Someone with a “beginner’s mind” is open to looking at herself and willing to try new ways, to learn new things.  Someone with a “beginner’s mind” will eventually learn more and develop the competitive edge because of this attitude.

Are there areas in your performance as an athlete that could make you faster, stronger or more skilled?  Be open to new experiences.  Don’t just settle for the status quo.  Challenge yourself and all that you know.  Approach new experiences with the eyes of a beginner, with an air of curiosity and openness rather than preconceived notions.

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LEARN TO READ THE PLAYER WITH THE BALL

Effective team defense begins by being in the proper position on the floor.  The first step, to be in proper position, is for defenders to see both the ball and the offensive player she is defending.  The next step to help defenders be in proper position is to continually read the player with the ball, and recognize indicators that should initiate movement by defenders. 

The following are some actions by the player with the ball, which if recognized, can help the off-ball defenders move into better position:

 When an offensive player brings the ball overhead. This is an indicator for off-ball defenders to move a step closer to the player they are guarding. When the ball is brought overhead the ball-handler does not have the ball in a position to drive, only to pass or shoot.

 When the dribbler starts to bring their other hand to the ball they usually are going to pick up their dribble. This is also an indicator for off-ball defenders to move closer to their man. When most players begin to bring their other hand to the ball they are going into the motion of shooting, passing or stopping – all actions which should result in defenders moving closer to the player she is defending. 

 When the passer turns her body and looks to one side of the floor she has lost vision on the other side. This movement allows the defenders on the side of the floor the passer is not looking towards to move a step closer to the players they are defending. 

 When the dribbler goes into a skip step or hops it is usually the beginning of a hesitation move into a drive.  Defenders on either side of the ball should be ready to cover the drive-line and take away the opportunity to penetrate. 

 When a post player, with their back to the basket, begins to drop their back foot toward the basket a drop step or spin move back the other way is likely to follow.  If off-ball defenders are close enough they may be able to steal the ball if it is dribbled on a spin move or take away the path to the basket.

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I'LL DOMINATE YOU

"When I step onto the court, I'm ready to play.  And if you're playing against me, then you'd better be ready, too.  If you're not going to compete, then I'll dominate you.  If it's going to be "I'll let you score and you let me score," then no thanks.  It's not good basketball. 

Basketball is about competition.  That's the essence of the game.  If you're letting somebody score on you and he's letting you score on him, like an all-star game or something like that, then that's not competing.  Then it's just a show, an exhibition with everybody acting like they're playing.  If that's the case, I'd rather not play."

--Michael Jordan 

SNEEK PEEK 2K9

Just because I live with an absolute sneaker nut, I'm forwarding a couple of pictures of next season's hottest kicks in the event that any of you care.  The Jordan Signature 2009 (3rd pic) isn't quite what I expected for the money, but I guess it will have to grow on me.  I like the Pure Pressure (2nd Pic) but the new CP3 (1st pic) is an absolutely beautiful shoe.

The CP3 and Pressure are expected to be in the $120 range, while the 2K9 will likley see a price around $190 (OUCH!!!).

Thoughts From the Couch

Two or three summers ago, I attended a week long hoops camp with about 120 athletes and a dozen or so coaches from around the country, from both the college and high school ranks.  The camp usually ended somewhere around 10:30PM each night and the coaches would end up gathering in the dayroom of the dorm and drape ourselves across the furniture like we were back at home in our favorite chair (minus the remote control of course). 

We would talk well into the night about the things we had learned that day, but somehow, the conversation would always seem to turn to the problems that they faced in dealing with motivating players, grade-issues, parents, injuries, etc.  

I remember being really disappointed at the time, because I was hoping to gain some valuable insight and scoop up some nuggets of gold (wisdom) from a group of seasoned coaches.  Like which drills were the best, which motion offense was the best, you know…the secret stuff that it takes coaches years & years to learn.  But instead, I found myself having to sit and agonizingly listen to what amounted to a group therapy session each night.  

At the time, I didn’t really understand.

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