THE KEY TO GOOD TEAM CHEMISTRY

Players often make the team based on their skills... and they often get kicked off based on their personality. Make sure you focus on constantly developing both.

THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT

"I'm looking for players who make their teammates better. You do that with enthusiasm and passion."

- Mike Krzyzewski

LUCK COMES FROM SWEAT

"Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get."

- Ray Kroc

ON FAILURE

"A failure establishes only this, that our determination to succeed was not strong enough."

- John Christia

3 STEPS FOR GAINING CONFIDENCE

Anytime you have something to do, it feels good to have a method or formula that you can count on – a foolproof scheme that cannot be denied. When you have it, suddenly you have the terrific ingredient so often talked about: confidence.

How do you get confidence?

There’s no secret there. You become good at what you do. Or you get a formula you know will lead to excellence, and then confidence just sort of seems to sneak in on its own.

So how do you learn to perform extremely well? What is the secret formula for achieving, for getting things done?

The formula comes in three distinct parts.

STEP 1: Realize that any journey begins with a single step, and take that first step.

Regardless of what you want to do – write a book, be a star athlete, build a house, run a marathon, own a business – you have to start! Many great undertakings fail simply because they never begin at all.

STEP 2: Divide your journey into small steps, and commit yourself to a schedule for achieving each one. Try to take a step every day.

Take a small step toward your goal each day. Not a huge, difficult step, but a small “takeable” step. Do something you can do, and move ahead.

We are all impatient to achieve our goals, fulfill our dreams, realize our visions, and so on. Impatience is natural. It’s a part of everyone. Replace it. Relax. Be patient. And, enjoy the towering inevitability of step 3.

STEP 3: Watch the passage of time.

Try as you may, you cannot stop time from passing. That seems the same as saying nothing at all, but actually it is saying a great deal if you have followed steps 1 and 2. If you have begun, and if you have committed yourself to taking daily steps, you must go forward. If you want to write a book, writing one page a day will absolutely assure you of having a 365-page book after just one year. If you want to be a basketball player, you shoot 1,000 shots every day for a year. That becomes 365,000 shots! Anyone who takes 365,000 shots becomes a good shooter. It is inevitable. That is the magic of the formula. Of course it takes effort and commitment and determination. But in some ways those are scary words – things we all fear we lack. Personally I prefer not to think in those terms. Rather, I want only to concentrate on one day. Not a full year of days. Just this day. Can I take my step today? That I can do. And I will do.

In other words, narrow your thinking. Once you decide on a course of action, forget the big picture. Deal with your challenge a day at a time. Just do today’s work. Take today’s tiny step, and let the inevitable passage of time work for you, not against you.

(From Dick DeVenzio's 'Running The Show')

WELCOME CATIE!

Over the past few years, we've been fortunate enough to be able to bring up a handful of young guns from the middle school and they have proven themselves at the varsity level.

A few months back, I spoke to a father via telephone that would likely be relocating the family to PC (from Indianapolis) in late-May and was asking about our girls basketball program.  He said his 12 year old daughter has played everything from point guard to post and had been playing since 1st grade (including AAU ball).

I met her this afternoon for a two-hour workout with Liz and Hannah and I was NOT disappointed. The girl can flat-out ball!  It was obvious that Catie had been well-coached at Heritage Christian.  For those that may not know, in addition to winning four State titles in the past four years, Heritage Christian was also the school Kelly Faris recently graduated from before becoming a star of the 2009-10 National Champion UConn Huskies.

Please make our newest young gun feel welcome!

4:13

YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF YOUR GAME

I routinely remind players that significant improvement happens in the off-season.  Just as important, I've seen players lose ground during the off-season.  You can't stick your skills in a locker at the end of the season and pull them back out when the season starts again.


Players can lose ground or gain ground with their skills & careers during the off season; it's an important choice that they actually control.


4:13

START NOW!

Your failures in an empty gym in the summer is what leads to your successes in packed gyms in the winter!

PREPARING FOR BATTLE

Be concerned with your preparation, not theirs.  Your execution & desire, not theirs.  Don’t worry about them.  Let them worry about you.

36 DAYS

Only 36 days until the June Session

"With the summer months approaching, it becomes critical for players to work on their individual skills and to come back better players. "


- Kevin Eastman 

TOO FUNNY

22-Year-Old Accused of Posing as Student Released

Updated: Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 6:43 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 12 May 2010, 6:43 PM EDT

By Betsy Blaney and Schuyler Dixon

ODESSA, Texas (AP) - A 22-year-old man accused of posing as a high school basketball player in Texas was released from jail Wednesday.

Guerdwich Montimere posted $500 bond a day after he was arrested on a charge of failure to identify himself to a police officer, said Ector County sheriff's Sgt. Debbie Bruce.

School officials said Montimere admitting calling himself Jerry Joseph, and claiming to be a 16-year-old sophomore when leading Permian High School to the state playoffs. Permian is the same school made famous in the American football movie "Friday Night Lights."

Suspicions about the player's identity first arose when three Florida basketball coaches familiar with Montimere recognized him last month at an amateur tournament in Little Rock, Arkansas Montimere graduated from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale in 2007.

The 6-foot-5 (1.95 meter) Montimere presented himself as Joseph after moving to Odessa in February 2009 and enrolling as a ninth-grader at a junior high, said school district spokesman Mike Adkins.

He showed officials a Haitian birth certificate indicating he was 15 and claimed he was living with a half-brother in the dorm of a local university, Adkins said.

Montimere eventually admitted the person was a friend, not his half-brother, when the friend left the state last summer. Montimere then moved in with Permian boys basketball coach Danny Wright, Adkins said.

Permian administrators said they received an anonymous e-mail April 27 that alerted them to Montimere's true identity. Officials initially rejected the allegation, and a judge granted Wright legal guardianship that allowed Montimere to remain enrolled at the school, Adkins said.

But school officials, police and immigration agents confirmed Montimere's identity Tuesday, and he confessed after being confronted, Adkins said.

The district said Joseph claimed to be an illegal immigrant from Haiti, but authorities determined Montimere was actually a naturalized U.S. citizen from Haiti.

If convicted of the misdemeanor, Montimere could face up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. Bruce said there was no record of an attorney for Montimere.

The allegations against Montimere mean Permian will probably have to forfeit the 2009 basketball season in which it advanced to the playoffs.

Playing as Joseph, Montimere was named newcomer of the year.

20 WAYS TO GET MENTALLY TOUGH

From Jon Gordon's "Training Camp."

1. When you face a setback, think of it as a defining moment that will lead to a future accomplishment.

2. When you encounter adversity, remember, the best don’t just face adversity; they embrace it, knowing it’s not a dead end but a detour to something greater and better.

3. When you face negative people, know that the key to life is to stay positive in the face of negativity, not in the absence of it.  After all, everyone will have to overcome negativity to define themselves and create their success.

4. When you face the naysayers, remember the people who believed in you and spoke positive words to you.

5. When you face critics, remember to tune them out and focus only on being the best you can be.

6. When you wake up in the morning, take a morning walk of gratitude and prayer.  It will create a fertile mind ready for success.

7. When you fear, trust. Let your faith be greater than your doubt.

8. When you fail, find the lesson in it, and then recall a time you have succeeded.

9. When you head into battle, visualize success.

10. When you are thinking about the past or worrying about the future, instead focus your energy on the present moment.  The now is where your power is the greatest.

11. When you want to complain, instead identify a solution.

12. When your own self-doubt crowds your mind, weed it and replace it with positive thoughts and positive self-talk.

13. When you feel distracted, focus on your breathing, observe your surroundings, clear your mind, and get into the The Zone.  The Zone is not a random event. It can be created.

14. When you feel all is impossible, know that with God, all things are possible.

15. When you feel alone, think of all the people who have helped you along the way and who love and support you now.

16. When you feel lost, pray for guidance.

17. When you are tired and drained, remember to never, never, never give up.  Finish strong in everything you do.

18. When you feel like you can’t do it, know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength.

19. When you feel like your situation is beyond your control, pray and surrender.  Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t.

20. When you’re in a high pressure situation and the game is on the line, and everyone is watching you, remember to smile, have fun, and enjoy it.  Life is short; you only live once.  You have nothing to lose.  Seize the moment.

(Thanks to Coach Starkey)

RIP

Just learned of the recent death of a friend today.  John was a 6’8” Division I baller years ago and he used to jokingly say his claim to fame was being schooled by both Barkley and Jordan during his college career.

I met John during my first season of coaching when his son Kane was on the middle school team.  What made this so memorable was that Kane also happened to be autistic.  It was often difficult to know with certainty whether Kane understood the directions being given.  Heck, John & I used to jokingly say we weren’t sure whether Kane even knew the difference between offense and defense, but he always played with intensity and 100% effort.

We won the championship that season in a close hard fought game, and afterward, the team decided to give the trophy to Kane.  Not because he was the MVP or a phenominal player, but because he gave everything he had each time he stepped onto the floor.  John knew his son would never play college ball due to his autism, but he said watching Kane clutch that trophy was a close second.

4:13

WHAT WILL YOUR TEAM REMEMBER ABOUT YOU?

Louisiana State created an award in honor of Allison Hightower, one of several new WNBA Connecticut Sun rookies.

LSU has named many of its awards after past greats.  The "Floor General" award, for instance, is named for Temeka Johnson, the starting point guard for the defending WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury.

The LSU coaches announced at April's team banquet that they established a new award - the "Allison Hightower Outstanding Practice Player."

"Coaches are always looking for great practice players and great practice teams," LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey said.  "We never had anybody practice as hard as she did."

"She had the best work ethic of any player I've ever coached.  I've coached both sides (men and women), and that's not to say that I haven't coached players with a great work ethic.  Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles both had a great work ethic.  On the men's side, I coached Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who was then known as Chris Jackson, and both had a great work ethic.  I can honestly say that I never recall Allison Hightower ever taking one play off or one drill off."

(Thanks Coach Starkey)

TO GROW - GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE!

Hip hop superstar 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) is having a majority of his tattoos removed in an attempt to help land more movie roles and give off a more professional appearance. 

He is making a distinct change to his image to achieve an even higher level of success.  He is reinventing himself, which in my opinion, is a brilliant move on his part.  He has conquered the music industry (sold millions of albums).  He has conquered the business world (sold his stock in Vitamin Water for $400+ million).  Now he is going to conquer Hollywood!

One of the most significant ingredients to success is your ability to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Your comfort zone is your enemy.  It makes you soft.  It leads to complacency.

You have to constantly and consistently step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.  There is no reward for always playing it safe.  The player who can push themselves further once the situation gets uncomfortable is the one who will win. 

(Thanks Alan Stein, Stronger Team)

''The masters all have the ability to discipline themselves to eliminate everything except what they are trying to accomplish."  

- Dale Brown

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE #1

Working out in the off season is not enough; you not only have to "work out" but you must "outwork" everyone else; go above what the best do.


- Kevin Eastman

GREAT DRIBBLE MOVE

The following video is from the 3 Point Academy and illustrates a great move to help get past your defender.

THE UPLIFTING POWER OF KIND WORDS

“Life is short and we never have enough time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us. Oh, be swift to love!  Make haste to be kind.”  - Henri Amiel

Rarely do we realize how a few kind words or a small gesture of kindness towards someone can be exactly what that person needed at a difficult time.  I am blessed to have such awesome players!

4:13

DON'T ALLOW YOUR OFF-SEASON GOALS TO FAIL

Why do so many people fail at their new year’s resolution?  Research shows 78% fail at achieving their January goals by February, but why and what does this have to do with basketball?

Here are the results on why they failed: No structured plan, lack of motivation or discipline, not fully committed to the cause and tried to make too big of strides instead of small successful steps.

The same thinking goes for your off-season resolutions, so many players have big plans to really improve this off season, but in the past so many don’t make the strides they envisioned, why?

They don’t have a structured plan of attack.  Break your goals into simple tasks and step by step achieve those, reward yourself and never lose sight of that goal.

Here’s a concrete example:

For instance, if your goal one day is to make 50 out of 100 FT's (in a row), and you have never hit over 20 in a row, then first strive for 21. Once you hit 21, reward yourself and the next day strive for 25 and so on until you hit 50.

This type of mentality and thoughtful process is what it takes to make the personal skill development improvements you want to. Take it slow, work hard and have a plan.

(Thanks Danny of iAthletes)

STAY IN THE MIDDLE

You feel pretty good after a huge scoring outburst, right?  It's always nice to score 30 points, everything went your way and things just seemed to flow so naturally for you, you were "in the zone"...does this sound familiar?
Pretty awesome feeling right?
On the other hand, you feel awful after a terrible game in which you scored 2 points, your team lost and your shot wasn't falling at all...this should bring back a terrible feeling you once had?
Has this dynamic ever happened to you?
A huge lesson I had to learn was that I was never as good as my 35 point games and I was never as bad as my 2 point games...I was somewhere in the middle and that was something I had to understand. The true lesson to learn here is that consistency reigns in basketball and the more consistent you are the better off you will be. The faster you find "your middle" the more comfortable and confident your game will be.
Never get to high on yourself and never get to down on yourself, strive for excellence and your"somewhere in the middle" will be just fine!

(Thanks Danny from iAthletes)

WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOUR BRAND?

What are your favorite brands? 
Nike? Apple? Facebook? BMW? Vitamin Water? 

What traits come to mind when you think about your favorite brands? 
Elite? Durable? Stylish? Performance? Quality?

Do you consider people to be brands?  Well they are!  The most obvious is Michael Jordan (heck, his company is called the Jordan Brand).  What about Donald Trump, Jay-Z, and LeBron James?  Do you consider them brands?  I certainly do.  Why?  Because the characteristics that come to mind when you think of them as individuals are automatically associated with the product they endorse. Make sense?  You won’t see Donald Trump endorsing Wrangler Jeans.

If you want to be successful, both on and off the court, you need to start viewing yourself as a brand as well.  Think of it as “brand you.”  Everything you do affects your brand in some way (either positively or negatively).  The way you dress, the way you act, and even the way you play.


You need to take your brand very seriously if you want to make it to the top.  And just to clarify, I believe in being authentic.  I am not telling you to act like someone else or to try to please others just for the sake of it.  You need to be real.  You need to be genuine.  You need to believe in your own brand, and equally important, set the standards of your brand.  You need to decide what characteristics you find most important and then live up to them every day of your life.

Is your goal to play college basketball?  Then carry yourself as if you already do!  Hold yourself to the same standard of excellence as an elite college basketball player would… now… don’t wait.  Carry yourself with the same honor, character, humbleness and work ethic as college superstars Evan Turner (Ohio State) or Wesley Johnson (Syracuse).  Those two represent everything that is right with college basketball.  Evan and Wesley know the importance of their brand. And now both are surefire lottery picks. 


(Thanks Alan Stein)

ARE YOU DONE GROWING AS A PLAYER?

"We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are." 

- Max DePree

HOW SERIOUS ARE YOU?

"Success is fully available to anyone who decides to make the effort and the commitment." 


- Pat Chovan

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL

You can't force someone to be an effective leader or to make the right choices. A coach sees potential and then works to develop it. Patience is an important part of the process.


4:13

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK

A great story about the importance of being a part of a team from Coach Jim Tressel's "The Winners Manual."


A man became lost whole driving through the country. As he tried to read a map, he accidentally drove off the road into a ditch. Though he wasn’t injured, his car was stuck deep in the mud. Seeing a farmhouse just down the road, the man walked over to ask for help.


“Warwick can get you out of the ditch,” the farmer said, pointing to an old mule standing in a field.


The man looked at the haggard mule, and then looked back at the farmer, who just stood there nodding.


“Yep, old Warwick can do the job.”


The man figured he had nothing to lose, so the two men and Warwick made their way back to the ditch.


After the farmer hitched the old mule to the car, he snapped the reins and shouted, “Pull, Fred! Pull, Jack! Pull, Ted! Pull Warwick!”


With very little effort, the lone mule pulled the car from the ditch. The man was amazed.


He thanked the farmer, patted the mule, and asked, “Why did you call out all those other names before you called Warwick?”


The farmer grinned and said, “Old Warwick is just about blind. As long as he believes he’s part of a team, he doesn’t mind pulling.”


(Thanks Coach Starkey)