5 ENEMIES OF PERSEVERANCE

Although a rather lengthy post, I think it is important…

Successful people, successful teams are persevering. You cannot avoid defeat or failure. However your chosen response will make a difference in whether you succeed or fall short of reaching your potential. In his book "Talent Is Never Enough," John Maxwell talks about perseverance:

French scientist Louis Pasteur said, "Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lives solely in my tenacity." Perseverance begins with the right attitude -- an attitude of tenacity. But the desire to persevere alone isn't enough to keep most people going when they are tired or discouraged. Perseverance is a trait that can be cultivated. And the initial step to developing it is to eliminate its five greatest enemies:

1. A Lifestyle of Giving Up

If you desire to be successful and to maximize your talent, you need to be consistent and persistent. Talent without perseverance never comes to full fruition. Opportunities without persistence will be lost. There is a direct correlation between perseverance and potential. If you have a habit of giving up, you need to overcome it to be successful.

2. A Wrong Belief That Life Should Be Easy

John C. Norcross, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Scranton, has studied people and their goals, and he has found a characteristic that distinguishes those who reach their goals from those who don't: expectations. Both types of people experience the same amount of failure during the first month they strive for their goals. But members of the successful group don't expect to succeed right away, and they view their failures as a reason to recommit and a reminder to refocus on their goals with more determination. Norcross says, "Those who are unsuccessful say a relapse is evidence that they can't do it."

3. A Wrong Belief That Success Is a Destination

The NBA's Pat Riley has won many championships as a basketball coach. In his book The Winner Within, he writes, "Complacency is the last hurdle any winner, any team must overcome before attaining potential greatness. Complacency is the success disease: it takes root when you're feeling good about who you are and what you've achieved."

4. A Lack of Resiliency

Harvard professor of psychiatry George E. Vailant, in his book Aging Well, identifies resiliency as a significant characteristics of people who navigate the many transitions of life from birth to old age. He writes, "Resilience reflects individuals who metaphorically resemble a twig with a fresh, green living core. When twisted out of shape, such a twig bends, but it does not break; instead it springs back and continues growing." As NBA great Jerry West says, "You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days you feel good."

5. A Lack of Vision

Everything that is created is actually created twice. First it is created mentally; then it is created physically. Where does that mental creation come from? The answer is vision. People who display perseverance keeps a larger vision in mind as they toil away at their craft or profession. They see in their mind's eye what they want to create or to do, and they keep working toward it as they labor.

(thanks coach Starkey)

WHEN YOUR "A" GAME ISN'T ENOUGH

Have you ever heard people say, ‘they brought their A game?’ Or maybe a coach will say, ‘you need to bring your A game?’ Better yet, someone in the losing locker-room explaining to a reporter, ‘we just didn’t bring our A game.’

To me, that’s all wrong. You need to bring something stronger. Something much better. Something that gives you a better chance of winning. How about your A+ game!

Yes I know, it sounds funny, but in big games, your A game will not cut it. Playing against weaker teams, your A game will help you win, but against good teams, you’re A game will only help keep you close. In order to win the really big games, you need to bring your A+ game.

We are no longer the hunter… we have become the hunted.

Every possession matters. Every shot, every pass and every rebound…matters! Each time you step onto the court, we must play with energy, defend and take care of the ball.

Your A game isn’t going to be enough… step up and bring your A+ game!

4:13

(thanks coach Finamore)

ALWAYS BE "IN THE NOW"

In any difficult situation you find yourself in, don’t spend time complaining about the problem – instead, ask yourself “what can I do NOW to help our team.”

When you spend time complaining about a problem, you rob your team of time that could've been used to solve the problem.

4:13

WHERE STRENGTH IS BORN

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is where strength is born.”

- Arnold Schwarzenegger

PLAYERS TAKING OWNERSHIP

Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009

Players taking ownership of team

By Bart Wright - The Greenville News

Except for the freshmen who just walked on campus a few months ago, there isn't a Clemson University football player or coach unaware of the change that has taken place in the program this season. Many of this seasons players were in diapers the last time Clemson won an Atlantic Coast Championship in 1991.

Offensive line coach Brad Scott was on the staff at Florida State that year when the Seminoles went 11-2 and earned a trip to the Cotton Bowl, but he's been at Clemson since 1999, long enough to recognize the change in this year's team compared with those he's been associated with the last 11 years.

"The players have taken ownership, that's the first thing that jumps out," Scott said Saturday after Clemson's 43-23 victory over N.C. State put them on the doorstep of the school's first Atlantic Division title and a berth in the league championship game Dec. 5. "The players are finishing things off, they have work mentality and I think it's because of the leadership. "When you have people like [C.J.] Spiller, [Thomas] Austin and [Michael] Palmer, you're going to have leaders that won't let things slide."

Saturday's win was Clemson's sixth in a row against the Wolfpack, its longest current streak against an ACC opponent and longest in the series, surpassing a five-game streak that went from 1971-76. It was the 50th win in the series (50-27-1).

It is also the longest win streak against any ACC opponent since the eight consecutive wins against Maryland from 1993-2000.

4:13

ONCE THE GAME STARTS...

Once the game starts... every player on the court (on both teams) want to win, there's nothing special about that. Every player on the court, hates to lose, there's nothing special about that either.

But what separates the winners from the losers, is discipline. The discipline that winners have to prepare to win long before the game ever starts. Winning isn't difficult... the preparation to win is what takes time and effort.

The discipline it takes to prepare to win is what makes the difference.

4:13

WHEN PLAYERS ARE MADE

"The time when there is no one there to feel sorry for you or to cheer for you is when a player is made."

- Tim Duncan

DEVELOPING STRENGTHS AT PRACTICE

Practice is also about developing our strengths. Having already analyzed our weaknesses and what the competition does better, we must also take time to determine where we find our competitive advantage. What are the things that our team can do better than the opposition?

The answer comes from investigating the competition in addition to analyzing our own talent. The way we practice, then, is determined both by the language of our competitive environment and what we find to be our own competitive edge.

From "The Gold Standard" by Mike Krzyzewski

THE ABILITY TO FOCUS IS WHAT SEPARATES

The following comes from Chris Widener and speaks to an area that is often under taught by coaches and not fully understood by student-athletes.

The ability to concentrate... the ability to focus... for extended periods of time has always been what separates good players and good teams from the rest of the field.

One of the common elements you see in almost all successful people is focus. They saw what they wanted to achieve, and they focused in on it like a laser.

Focus is what sets two people apart who have equal skills

(thanks coach Starkey)

POST PLAY MOVES

EVEN COACHES NEED OCCASIONAL ADVICE

“Coaching is a profession of love. You can't coach people unless you love them.”

~ Eddie Robinson

“Make sure that the team knows they are working with you, not for you.”

~ John Wooden

"A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are."

~ Ara Parasheghian

“You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.”

~ Bob Nelson

"If you don't invest very much, then defeat doesn't hurt very much and winning is not very exciting."

~ Dick Vermeil

4:13

COLD HARD FACTS

If it seems that I've been somewhat irritated of late, there is a good reason for it.

Although we aren't as deep as we've been over the past few seasons, we certainly have the talent to compete with every team on our schedule (even Providence & Pike). However, stats don't lie. We’re scoring less and giving up more than we have in the past five seasons.

The scoring drought is easily explainable by looking at a couple of things:

We haven't had a "true" point guard since we lost Liz in 2007-08. That's not a slam in any way-shape-or-form on Sheff or Olivia, but a "true" PG knows how to set up her teammates and make them successful, which gets everyone involved. A true PG understands the flow of the game and when to get the ball to the "hot-hand" and when to take it inside. A true PG understands her real value to her team is running the offense. She also must understand that her team can't afford to have her sitting on the bench due to foul trouble.

2FG% - We aren’t attacking the basket with confidence. Instead we’re rushing and throwing up garbage. We’ve missed 172 attempts from inside the arc in our first five games, most of which were lay ups.

3FG% - Over the past two seasons, we’ve had a tendency to be impatient and jack up the first open look we get rather than making the defense play defense for a few seconds. If we’re hitting the shots, it’s not a big deal… but our 3FG% this season is the lowest it has been since 2004-05. Shot selection is usually the #1 reason teams win or lose.

FT% - When we aren’t attacking the basket, it’s hard to get to the line. When we do attack and get the call, we must learn to slow down, both mentally and physically, and focus on making our FT’s. As a team, we are shooting 32.1% from the line (which is absolutely embarrassing). Remember when the jokes about Shaq and his FT shooting were funny? He was at 52%. Those jokes aren’t so funny anymore.

Mental toughness – although this can cover a lot of stuff, it comes down to being disciplined on both sides of the ball. When we play overly-aggressive defense, we get into quick foul trouble. In addition to having to sit our players due to the foul trouble, we send our opponents to the line for uncontested FT’s. So far this season, we’ve given up 44 points at the line to our first five opponents (in 84 attempts) compared to our 27 points in 84 attempts. Do the math and it’s easy to see to that we’re sending them to the line and we aren’t hitting ours. 21.4% of the points we've allowed this season have come from the line.

NEXT WEEK

Here is a preview of what we can expect next week against Freeport & Pike.

IMPROVEMENT MUST BE INTENTIONAL

If you are content with being an average player... then the following words can be used to describe your game: mediocre, normal, regular, common, run of the mill, and ordinary.

If you want to become a good player, then you have to recognize that being average means you are just as close to the bottom as you are to the top. Average never wins championships

Improvement must be intentional -- nobody improves by accident.

4:13

THE GREATEST FORM OF FLATTERY

Went to Troy, AL tonight to scout the Pike vs Freeport game, and much to my surprise... realized that we've been unknowingly cloned!

Freeport, the team we spanked last season, has apparently found a new look and some new plays...

Yep, they're wearing their hair the same as we did, they're wearing black socks & black shoes as we did (even the same Soldier III's), they're using a "We Ready" chant on the court before the game, and if that seems a little too coincidental... they're also running out of a 1-4 High set now (including our inbounds "44" play) and playing FC Man. Hmm... wonder if maybe they saw something they liked last season? ;)

I also wonder if they'll feel even slightly awkward as they come to our gym next week believing they are better than the real thing?

4:13

ON MAKING IMPORTANT DECISIONS

Seek first to please God, then the difficult decision on which bridge to cross and which to burn becomes crystal clear. You have a choice... earnestly seek God's will... or try and seek justification for your decision.

Unnecessary (and often unpleasant) experience comes from bad decisions.

"It's not what's happening to you now or what has happened in your past that determines who you become. Rather, it's your decisions about what to focus on, what things mean to you, and what you're going to do about them that will determine your ultimate destiny.” ~ Anthony Robbins

4:13

DEFENSE EARNS RESPECT

A special thanks to Coach Eric Musselman for bringing this Sports Illustrated article to my attention. Written by Phil Taylor, it talks about the importance, understanding and recognition of good defensive play. Here are just a few passages from the story:

• Defense earns scholarships.

Contrary to popular belief, coaches sometimes recruit players more for their ability to get stops than to get points. Four years ago then Nevada coach Mark Fox (now Georgia's head man) was so impressed by 7-foot JaVale McGee's promise as a shot blocker that he decided to recruit him after watching a summer-league game in which McGee scored only one basket. McGee went on to block 122 shots in two seasons at Nevada before becoming the Washington Wizards' first-round draft pick in 2008.

• Defense brings playing time.

Kramer, Purdue's 6'3" linebacker-tough stopper, thought he might be headed for a redshirt season as a freshman until then assistant coach Cuonzo Martin explained to him how he could avoid that fate. "He told me that if I played defense—I mean really dedicated myself to playing defense—I could play here right away," Kramer says. He followed the advice so well that he started 24 games in his first season and made the Big Ten all-defensive team.

• Defense wins awards.

Or at least nominations. Tiller was named one of the 50 finalists for the Wooden Award for national player of the year even though he has never averaged more than 8.4 points per game. "It's tremendous that a single-digit scorer could make that list," says Missouri coach Mike Anderson. "It shows what kind of impact he has. Scoring a ton of points isn't the only way to make people remember your name. Good defenders can get themselves noticed."

To read the entire article: http://bit.ly/7RKhAw

(thanks coach Starkey)

BEATING UP ON YOUR LITTLE SISTER

With Arnold's 65-0 win last week and Providence's 73-8 win earlier this week, it seems that playing starters all four-quarters and beating up on weaker teams is becoming common-place.

I know some of you could have put up some amazing numbers in last night's 50-15 win at Tallavana, but when we have a weaker team on the schedule, it gives us an opportunity to develop some of our young guns and prepare them for some of the more difficult teams we will be facing this season.

YOUR ATTITUDE vs YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE

What separates good teams and individuals from great ones is the manner in which they handle adversity.

You must choose to outlive your darkest day. You must never accept failure as your final destination.

Any fact facing you is not as important as your attitude toward it, for that is what determines your success or failure.

4:13

STUMBLING BLOCKS OR STEPPING STONES?

Where are you in your game today? Are you the player you want to be? Or have you allowed minor setbacks to take your eyes off of your goal?

When you are chasing success, you are going to have setbacks. What determines what happens from there is how you deal with these setbacks. Are you going to use them as stumbling blocks or use them as stepping stones?

When you experience a setback in your game (or life), it is only a test. It is up to you on how bad you want to achieve your desired outcomes. Do you have the will to succeed? Do you have the will to win? If you believe in your abilities to achieve and stay committed to your desired outcomes, you will find a way.

It is hard to keep a person who is infected with persistence down. You have to decide that no matter what happens along the way, failure is not an option. You are going to succeed because you believe in your abilities to achieve. Nothing is going to stop you. Get your passion burning hotter than ever.

(thanks Hooman Hamzehloui)

DON'T ASK FOR PERMISSION, JUST DO IT.

If you want to achieve greatness, stretching your ability is something you will have to get comfortable with.

Remember, you can achieve anything you desire if you truly believe that you can achieve the outcome that you desire. You will have to challenge yourself because you are trying to achieve something that is outside of your current abilities.

Achieving greatness is never going to be easy to achieve. In fact, it might be one of the most difficult challenges of your life. You have to be prepared to for a struggle. You have to be committed to your success. If you are thinking of failure even being a possibility, you are destined to fail.

If you believe that success is your only option, you will succeed.

Challenge yourself today to achieve something that is outside of your current abilities. Get excited about your goals. Get excited about your life. Live with passion and urgency.

(thanks Hooman Hamzehloui)

WANTING TO BE COACHED

Timberwolves rookie point guard Jonny Flynn speaking about head coach Kurt Rambis:

"Oh, he's definitely on me. But it's good for me. He's got to be harder on his point guard. Every coach in the league is going to be tough on the point guard because that's the heart of the offense, that's the engine that makes the train run. So I welcome it. ... Kurt being on me, wanting me to be my best, it's really helping me. Sometimes you need the toughness of a coach to make you a better player. It's motivating me, hopefully to be something special in this league."

(thanks Coach Cooley)

WORKING THE LEFT HAND

Ohio State junior Evan Turner was asked by head coach Thad Matta to switch positions this year from forward to point guard. Last year, Matta was weary of making the switch because of Turner's inability to make an accurate pass. Here is how Turner gained the confidence to make a pass with his left hand:

Matta has used Turner as a de facto point forward in the past, but he was reluctant to shift him to the lead spot until Turner proved he could handle it. Last spring, Matta asked Turner to throw 10 passes with his left hand at a target. He missed all 10 times.

A couple of weeks later, Turner came to Matta and pointed at a spot on a far wall. Then he fired the ball with his left hand and nailed it. "I said wow, how did you do that? He said when he walked through campus, he picked up rocks and threw them at street signs with his left hand," Matta says. "That shows you the type of kid he is."

(thanks Coach Cooley)

WHEN WILL WE RECOGNIZE?

I once heard the definition of insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results each time."

Last night's loss left me with a handful of questions that need to be answered if we are to expect to have a successful season.

8 Questions that need to be answered:

1. When will we recognize that FT’s are usually the reason close games (less than 6 points) are won or lost? The game is played at a frenetic pace and you must be able to recognize, that when you go the to line, you have to slow your mind and body down in order to concentrate and focus on your FT mechanics. You have a full 10 seconds without a defender… that’s probably why they call them “Free Throws.”

2. When will we recognize that NOT knowing the play hurts your team? Each team gets roughly the same number of offensive possessions in a game. The team that capitalizes on those possessions usually wins the game. When a play is called and you don’t know the play, especially after your coach has asked if everyone knows the plays and all answer “yes,” …it drastically reduces the chance of that possession being successful.

3. When will we recognize that stats don’t lie? Stats are a good indicator of what a team or a player is or isn’t doing well. If you are struggling in a particular phase of your game (and your coach has told you what you need to do to correct it), it’s up to you to either put in the work to correct it or live with the consequences of not correcting it. Ignoring the changes you need to make doesn’t make the problem go away …it is what it is.

4. When will we recognize that each player on the team is expected to fulfill a particular role the team needs during different times within a game? This is not a democracy or a youth league. Basketball is a game of strategy based on the talent on the floor at any given moment (of both teams). Just because you played 18 minutes in the last game, doesn’t mean you’ll play in the next game.

5. When will we recognize that following specific instructions is important for a reason? Again, this isn’t a democracy. When the coach gives specific instructions based on the players on the court, the score, the clock, or whatever… and you take it upon yourself to do something different (and it isn’t successful), you hurt your team. If you follow the coach’s instructions and it fails, it’s the coach’s fault. When you do it your way and it fails… you start to make your coach wonder if having you out on the court at critical times in a game is such a good idea.

6. When will we recognize that fouls are mistakes and no different than turnovers? There are rare times within a game (such as last night) when your coach wants you to foul for a specific reason. Other than those rare times, overly-aggressive defense that results in a foul isn’t considered as “great defensive hustle.” It is instead an indication that the defender is playing out of control.

7. When will we recognize that sloppy passes rarely lead to easy scoring opportunities? A successful fast break depends on two things… the first pass and the easy lay up. We can’t accomplish the easy lay up without the first pass.

8. When will we recognize that our success or failure this season, will be based on whether or not we consistently make smart decisions on the court?

4:13

HOW EXPENSIVE ARE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES?

28 Turnovers

35 Missed 2FG

7 Missed 3FG

21 Missed Free Throws

A chance to tie it up with the last shot of the game...

...and we lose by 3 points.

Nothing is more expensive than missed opportunities.

Seek Circumstances Which Assure Victory

Seek Circumstances Which Assure Victory from Sun Tzu: For Success by Gerald Michaelson

Thus, there are five points in which victory may be predicted:

He who knows when to fight and when not to fight will win. (scheduling)

He who understands how to handle both superior and inferior forces will win. (system of play)

He whose ranks are united in purpose will win. (chemistry)

He who is well prepared and lies in wait for an enemy who is not well prepared will win. (practice)

He whose generals are able and not interfered with by the sovereign will win. (leadership)

(thanks coach Starkey)

THURSDAY BEGINS A NEW SEASON

Coaching can easily become like raising kids… with the first child, there’s tight control and worry about everything. By the second child, you’ve learned a little through your experience with the first one and you slack-off on the tight control. By the third child, they’re in the kitchen juggling knives and it doesn’t phase you.

Over the past few seasons, I have little by little, slacked-off on the discipline and work ethic we need to be competitive and it bit us in the butt last night. I knew Providence was a good team, I just didn’t realize how far we had fallen.

There’s an old saying among coaches that a team will play the way they practice. That is, a team that has good-focused practices, filled with enthusiasm and effort, will play the same way. The teams that take practices lightly… whether they intend to or not, will play the same way.

Good-focused practice, means the players are giving their all in everything they do. They’re working to improve a skill, not just going through the motions. It means they purposefully seek to “learn and know” the plays because their team depends on them to know them for the teams success.

Thursday’s practice will be the beginning of a new season. Gone will be the lazy attitude of just going through the motions that our team has grown accustomed to… and that was my fault.

4:13

A DIFFERENT KIND OF MVP

One of the most underated parts of the game that often goes unnoticed, is the passing game. The average fan (and the average player for that matter) rarely understands the importance of good passing within the game.

A great example of a pure passer is San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili. Although he is capable of some amazing acrobatic feats of getting to the rim and finishing almost at will, when he comes into the game, the Spurs offense starts to hum as each and every worker bee gets in on the honey-making action. In last night’s game, he delivered six assists in 18 minutes.

A great passer doesn't have to score a lot of points to be the teams most valuable player.

4:13

(thanks Graydon Gordian/Timothy Varner)

THE RIGHT FIVE

An immature player places a lot of emphasis on being a starter. Whereas a mature player understands that a team’s final five is sometimes far more important than its starting five.

4:13

WHY “TALK” ON DEFENSE?

1. Intimidates opponents.

2. Gives the defense a head start on the play.

3. Gives man on the ball more confidence.

4. Wakes up a disengaged defender.

5. Catches mistakes before they happen.

6. Energizes the team.

(thanks Kevin Eastman/Bob Starkey)

NEWS HERALD'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to Rachel for being selected as the News Herald’s Player of the Week. She recorded a combined 41 points, 36 rebounds and 14 steals in two games this week against SL Jones and Aletheia.

4:13

THE REAL TEST FOR COMPETITIVENESS

"We compete, not so much against an opponent, but against ourselves. The real test is this -- Did I make my best effort on very play?"

-Bud Wilkinson

SECOND GAME - SECOND WIN

In addition to beating Aletheia on their court, had a couple put up some pretty decent numbers tonight.

Katie's first game in blue & silver started out with a BANG! She hit her first four touches from 12-15 feet out and finished with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 6 steals. Rachel had a great night as well with 13 points, 20 rebounds and 7 steals. Hannah D had 9 points and 6 steals. Olivia had 7 points and 5 assists.

4:13

FIRST GAME JITTERS OUT OF THE WAY

With only nine on the roster for last night's game against SL Jones of Pensacola, and our PG with four fouls in the first half, we managed to squeak-out a 67-36 win.

Rachel went-off last night for 28 points, 16 rebounds and 7 steals. Hannah D finished with 14 points, Olivia with 8 points, 5 assists, Rebecca with 5 points & 5 rebounds and Hilliary had 6 steals.

4:13

Eighteen Random Rules of Life

Here are 18 random rules of life worth posting on your mirror or wall.

1. Find the lesson in every failure, and you’ll never fail.

2. The likelihood that you’re right is not increased by the intensity of your conviction.

3. Real friends help you feel worthy and make you want to be better.

4. When you’re in a hole, stop digging.

5. Don’t confuse fun with fulfillment, or pleasure with happiness.

6. Refusing to let go of a grudge is refusing to use the key that will set you free.

7. Hating hurts you more than the person you hate.

8. Counting on luck is counting on random chance; your odds are much better when you plan and work.

9. It’s better to be kind than clever.

10. Don’t underestimate the power of persistence.

11. The easy way is rarely the best way.

12. It’s much easier to burst someone else's bubble than to blow up your own.

13. You can’t avoid pain, but you can avoid suffering.

14. Self-pity is a losing strategy; it repels others and weakens you.

15. Shortcuts usually produce short success.

16. Control your attitude or it will control you.

17. It’s more important to be significant than successful.

18. Don't be a part of the problem. Be part of the solution.

(thanks Coach Jackson)

DEFENSIVE HABITS - Part I

PLAYING BEHIND THE POST

This is when you play behind the offensive player positioning yourself between the player and the basket. You are basically conceding the pass inside and trying to force the post player to score over you.

Advantages?

There aren’t many... conceding the pass to the post is rarely a good idea. Most decent post players are going to score or get fouled if they catch the ball in the low post. Defensively it is important to find ways to prevent this from happening.

Despite efforts to prevent the pass to the post, every team will end up giving up that pass from time to time. Work to recognize the offensive players’ tendencies on the block.

For example, most post players at and below the high school level tend to make their moves in the same direction most of the time. If you are defending a player who makes a move to her left

every time she catches on the block, then you should try to “sit on the left shoulder” when the offensive player catches the ball in order to disrupt her timing and rhythm.

Obviously, if you play behind the post consistently you will find yourself in this situation more often, so you might want to spend extra time practicing “sitting on the post player’s favorite shoulder."

(thanks Josh Stinson)

THE SIGN OF A PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE

One of the things I routinely hear from other coaches and oaccasionally other players (opponents) is how impressed they are with the attitude of our team.

I guess it’s rare for a high school team to approach a game with a “professional” attitude. We don’t trask-talk, we don’t get rattled, angry or show much emotion... we just get the job done.

I think that is the sign of a mature team, one that understands the big picture.

Came across the following quote this morning and it reminded me of how lucky I am to have the athletes I have. They show class in everything they do… thank you Ladies!!!

Attitude Takes Work

"Attitude is not something that comes by instinct. It has to be practiced over and over or relearned over and over. The more our players study and practice this fundamental, the more they believe they are able to control how they feel.

They realize they have power over their attitude. Their coach doesn’t have that power. Neither does the referee or their professor. How they approach their attitude is their choice.

We have to choose to have a good attitude. And we have to keep reminding ourselves, in the midst of newspaper publicity or things other people are saying, that we are going to be in charge of how we think. That’s a powerful principle in the life of a football player, a trash collector, a pastor, a dad, a stay-at-home mom, or someone who works in an office."

- Coach Jim Tressel

“The Winners Manual”

(thanks Coach Starkey)

ANSWERING THE QUESTION - BANANAS vs APPLES

Carbohydrates Fuel Athletic Performance

By Nancy Brinch, MS, RD, LSW

The issue of incorporating carbohydrates in the diet is especially critical for athletes seeking an edge to improve their performance. Let's start with some basic facts:

•Carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy and the only source of energy for the brain and the nervous system.

•Carbohydrates spare protein so it can be used to build and repair muscles and make enzymes, hormones and antibodies rather than being used to fuel our bodies.

•Carbohydrates are essential for fat metabolism. Without sufficient carbohydrate fat cannot be burned completely.

•Carbohydrates are stored in our muscles and liver to be used as energy between meals and snacks. This storage of carbohydrate is essential for athletic performance.

The bottom line:

If you don't have enough carbohydrates in your diet you won't be able to continue doing high intensity activities. What are the best sources of carbohydrates for athletic performance? The answer depends on the timing of carbohydrate intake.

During exercise and immediately afterward carbohydrates that are quickly digested and absorbed are the best choices. They provide a source of glucose to fuel exercise and to replenish glycogen stores after exercise. These so-called "high glycemic index" carbohydrates include foods such as most breads (i.e. white bread), most breakfast cereals (i.e. cornflakes), sports drinks, chocolate milk and white potatoes.

Before exercise, eating low or moderate glycemic index carbohydrates provides a sustained level of blood glucose. This even level of blood glucose enhances athletic performance. These carbohydrate foods include juice, most fruits (i.e. apple, orange, banana), rice, yogurt, milk, oatmeal, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, most pastas, muffins, crackers and most cookies.

The recommended amount of carbohydrate for athletes is 3 or 4 grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight per day. Higher levels are required during periods of intensive exercise. Nutrition labels are a good source of information on carbohydrate content of foods. Another source is the USDA National Nutrient Data Base at www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/.

The bottom line... yes Hannah D... apples are fine. ;)D

PROPER MECHANICS UNDER PRESSURE

"Anyone can develop the proper shot mechanics, given just minimal amount of athletic ability. The key to shooting, however is not just the mechanics, but being able to utilize proper shot mechanics under pressure. This factor is extremely important in the development of good shooting."

From "Basketball According to Knight and Newell"

By Bob Knight and Pete Newell

VETERAN'S DAY

As a veteran, I fully understand the sacrifice and commitment that has been given by those serving our Country.

Thank you.

4:13

SECOND SCRIMMAGE

Tonight's scrimmage against the boys proved that the fire has definitely been lit.

After we jumped out to an impressive 11-4 lead, the guys were on their heels and wondering what had happened between yesterday and today. Although we went through a mental lapse late in the scrimmage that allowed them back in the game, our 1-point win was a nice way to finish the week going into the Pensacola trip.

Saw some great things tonight. SL and Aletheia better be ready.

4:13

USING TODAY TO CREATE YOUR TOMORROW

I thought I'd share a quote with you that Coach Starkey emailed to his players last night that really grabbed me...

Lady Tigers:

I just posted a great quote on twitter and it made me think about us. Here’s the quote: "How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I'm committed to?" - Tony Robbins

It could be paraphrased a variety of ways: "How am I going to practice today in order to be tomorrow, the player I’m committed to be?”

Or…

“How are we going to work today in order to be the team we are committed to be in March.”

It all comes back to what?

Do what is necessary TODAY in order to have the tomorrow you want.

4:13

DETERMINATION

This was just too good to pass up. Came across an article this morning on perseverance and determination that is almost unbelievable. Wonder how long it will take her to get the driving portion down?

4:13

SOME WISDOM ON REBOUNDING...

Rebounding is:

1.) Athletic ability

2.) Effort

3.) Basketball IQ

And 2 & 3 can make up for 1

(thanks Coach Cooley)

HONORED TO BE CAPTAIN

With two of our three Captains chosen, I came across a good blog entry that spells it all out.

4:13

AN UGLY SCRIMMAGE

Our first real scrimmage this season (against the boys) didn't go as well as I had hoped, but I'm glad because it gave us a chance to see where we need some work.

THE GOOD

We did a great job of forcing the tempo in the first quarter. Numerous times Coach Burman was screaming "slow it down." We forced them into taking rushed shots, contested shots and shots that were off-balance. That was due to aggressive man-to-man pressure.

THE BAD

Our offense was completely ineffective. We had little or no movement, extremely poor spacing, sloppy passing and probably a half-dozen more that I won't name. We spent too much time focusing on the first & second option (even when neither were there) that we forgot how to just play basketball. We forced passes to players that were covered rather than throwing to the open man or just pulling back and resetting the offense.

Defensively, after the first four-minutes, this did not look like the same team from last season. We cannot just stand and allow our man to survey the situation and decide where they want to pass to. We attack the ball!!!

Your job (on the ball) is to put so much pressure on the ball handler that they worry more about you than they do about the offense. Off the ball, your job is two-fold, first, deny your man the ability to catch the ball. Secondly, your job is to "stop the ball" not just guard your man.

Tomorrow's scrimmage will give us a chance to work on several of the things we discussed tonight.

4:13