THE HARD WORK NEVER ENDS

Even though he has been voted to numerous NBA All-Star teams and won a championship, young players would be wise to pay attention to Kevin Garnett’s quote in the Jan 2nd edition of the Boston Globe:

"We all need to work on every phase of the game. When you are finishing at the basket, nine times out of 10 it's in a crowd and it needs to be an aggressive finish.  My game is not perfect by any means, but I do work hard on it.”

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HOW MANY CAN YOU HIT IN A ROW?

On November 15, 1993, a 71-year-old man stepped up to the line in his local gym and sunk 2,750 free throws in a row.  He walked away without a miss -- they were closing the gym and asked him to leave.

This amazing feat, which took 12 hours to accomplish, was witnessed by 10 people who submitted sworn affidavits to the Guinness Book of Records.  The record was accepted by Guinness and he is now listed as the greatest free throw shooter of all time.

So, what was his secret? 

"Focus and concentration," says Tom Amberry.  "When I’m shooting a free throw, I don’t think of anything else.  I am 100% positive I will make the basket.  Never have a negative thought on the free throw line."

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20 Decisions That Can Instantly Improve Your Game

In order to make good decisions in games, you must discipline yourself to develop good techniques and habits during practices and scrimmages.  You can instantly improve your game by avoiding the following bad habits in practice:

1.  No Fade-Aways.  Always take it up strong and look to draw the foul – don’t avoid the contact and risk missing the shot. 

2.  Failing To Use A Fake.  Fakes (if done properly) not only embarrass your defender, but they also give you quick window of opportunity (advantage) over your defender. 

3.  No Box Out.  Boxing out your opponent on EVERY shot attempt makes them have to fight to get around you to get to the rebound.  Take advantage of that.

4.  Improperly Catching Passes.  Don’t get in a hurry.  Keep your eyes on the ball all the way into your hands.  Catch it – don’t fumble it. 

5.  Panicked Passing.  Passing the ball to get rid of it instead of passing to a target for an advantage leads to turnovers. 

6.  Standing Around.  Always be aware of good spacing on offense (EQL triangles) and always skirmish and threaten on defense.  Standing still hurts your team.

7.  Not Hustling.  Hustling back on defense or hustling after loose balls is the #1 thing that shows that you care about winning.  

8.  Not Closing Out Defensively.  You must try and take away your opponents ability to shoot, dribble or pass EVERY time they touch the ball.   

9.  Not Coming to the Ball on a Pass.  You can’t stand still and wait for the pass to get to you. That leads to easy steals by the defense.  Always run to the pass to catch it. 

10.  One Handed Passing.  Passing with one hand instead of coming to a jump stop (under control) leads to turnovers. 

11.  Dribbling With Wrong Hand.  Dribbling with your right hand while going to your left and vice-versa.  If you don’t have a left-hand, you are going to be easy to guard.

12.  Forcing Shots.  Learn to recognize “good shot opportunities” and avoid shooting ill-advised shots against good defensive pressure. 

13.  Forcing Passes or Using Bad Angles to Pass.  Great passes require perfect timing. Create the opportunity (E2) before passing. 

14.  Failure To Stop the Ball.  Allowing the ball to go by you (not stopping the ball) because the ball handler wasn’t your man is a BIG no-no!  Remember, great defense isn’t “me vs. my man.” It’s “us vs. them.” 

15.  Starting the Offense Too Early.  Starting the offense too far away from your teammates or not being ready or in position to make the pass as the play is initiated (timing is critical).

16.  Lunging For the Steal.  Instead of overplaying and lunging for the steal (and getting beaten and embarrassed), just contain your man and force her into passing. 

17.  Being Over-Aggressive On Defense.  Being aggressive is good, but not if it gets you into foul trouble.  Fouls hurt your team, earn you bench time and give your opponent an advantage. 

18.  No Communication.  Not calling out the following: “shot,” “pick,” “help,” “ball,” or “outlet” hurts your team.  

19.  Selfish Play.  Playing lazy defense but hustling on offense because you want to shoot is selfish. 

20.  Looking Down While Dribbling.  You can’t pass to open teammates if you’re looking down at the ball. 

Let discipline come from a sense of purpose rather than a feeling of guilt.

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Why doesn’t my defender go for my fakes?

They key to effective faking (on offense) is to make the fake look as real as possible.  Let’s face it, for most teams, DEFENSE is a reactionary position.  In other words, you, as the offensive player makes a move (or fake a move), and the defense has to react to it.  

So when you fake a dribble, or a shot, use the same type of motion you do when you really go to dribble or shoot the ball; YOU MUST MAKE THE FAKE LOOK JUST LIKE THE REAL THING.  It has to be believable or the defender won’t buy it.  Make your move too fast (jerky motions) and the defender doesn't have time to buy it (and besides, it doesn’t look believable).  Too slow and it definitely doesn’t look believable.

In this picture, Greg Oden gives such a believable pump fake, that ALL THREE of the defenders TOTALLY BUY IT and go airborne.

The defense won't always react completely, but all you really need is a slight edge.  If you get your defender slightly off-balance, that might be all you need to take her off the dribble or to get your jumper off.

Now go embarrass your defender!

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FREE THROWS

I believe our poor free throw shooting is the result of two things: poor mechanics and an inability to control your mental game.  I am firmly convinced that the only thing limiting you - is yourself!  The obstacles to success exist more in your mind than anywhere else.

Once you master the basic mechanics of the free throw, the rest is mental.  The mental side of sports is often more difficult to master than the physical side.

The importance of repetition in free throw shooting cannot be overemphasized. You have to do everything the same way - every single time.  

A free throw is the only thing in basketball that IS consistent.  Think about it, you shoot from the exact same spot - every single time.  You shoot without defensive pressure - every single time.  You have a full 10 seconds to relax and shoot the ball – every single time.

Okay, let’s take it one step further.  How can we create even more consistency?  

Let’s start with the ball.  Let’s start by finding the little round rubber inflation hole and pointing your middle finger at it.  Then place your thumb on the channel (or groove) of the ball.  Doing this serves two purposes.  The first is to hold the ball the exact same way – every single time.  Secondly, it provides you an opportunity to focus and lock-in your concentration on something other than the hard foul you just took, or the score of the game, or how tired you may be. Remember that the mental side of sports is just as important as the physical side.

By placing your hand on the ball in the exact same way – every single time, you have in essence created a free throw ritual.  A free throw shooting ritual is valuable because it gives you something to focus on other than the pressure you are under.

Your free throw ritual should be close to the following:

Step 1: Feet Square to the line.

Step 2: Bounce the ball once or twice.

Step 3: Put your thumb in the channel, your middle finger pointing at the inflation hole.

Step 4: Make sure your elbow is tucked in rather than out.

Step 5: Bend your knees.

Step 6: Eyes on the Target.

Step 7: Shoot and follow through.

How long will it take for this method of free throw shooting to feel comfortable? It depends on how much you practice and how deeply you commit to adopting this method.

The mechanics of free throw shooting can be learned.  Combine proper mechanics with focus and concentration and you will be astounded at what you can achieve.

Do you want to remain comfortable with the wrong mechanics and a low free throw percentage?  Or are you willing to be uncomfortable (for a short period of time) with the right mechanics, to eventually improve?

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UNLEASHED

“An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.”

Leadership is the ability of a single individual through her actions to motivate others to higher levels of achievement.  True leaders are not those who strive to be first but those who are first to strive and who give their all for the success of the team.  They are first to see the need, envision the plan, and empower the team for action.  By the strength of the leader's commitment, the power of the team is unleashed.

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ON PREPARATION

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win." 

- Sun Tzu (The Art of War)

THE HAND OF GOD?

Click on the picture to the left and look closely, you can see where this driver broke through the guardrail, on the right side of the culvert, where the people are standing on the road, pointing. 

The pick-up was traveling about 75 mph from right to left when it crashed through the guardrail. 

It flipped end-over-end bounced off and across the culvert outlet, and landed right side up on the left side of the culvert, facing the opposite direction from which the driver was traveling. 

The 22-year-old driver and his 18-year-old passenger were unhurt except for minor cuts and bruises. 

Just outside Flagstaff, AZ on U.S. Hwy 100. 

Now look at the second picture below...

Now click on the second picture and look closely.  If these two boys were not believers before...hopefully they are now!

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LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY

Anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple.

But no one can count the number of apples in a seed.

If the impact you have had on others ends in your lifetime, then you’re not doing enough.

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ENCOURAGEMENT LEADS TO SUCCESS

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits.  When you treat people as if they were what they ought to be -- you help them to become what they are capable of being.

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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR CHANCE

Tom Brady was selected 199th in the NFL draft.  He was the 13th QB selected and 8 of the 13 selected have already been cut by multiple teams, but only one of the 13 have won a play off game.  That one player, Brady, has also won three Super Bowls. Only three other QB's in the history of the NFL have accomplished that.

Like Tom Brady, you have to be prepared and ready to prove yourself when your chance comes.

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WHY NOT START NOW?

IT’S THE START THAT STOPS MOST PEOPLE.

The hardest part is getting started.  The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu said, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”  Are you procrastinating? Procrastination is getting ready to get ready.  What are you waiting for?  Don’t get ready to start working on a particular skill. START WORKING ON IT RIGHT NOW!!!  Don’t let the start stop you.

ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE UP WHAT YOU WANT NOW FOR WHAT YOU WANT MOST?

I once saw this quote on a T-shirt:  “You can always retake the course, but you’ll never be able to make up the party.”  Typical college quote, but dangerous advice!  For the next few weeks, the important thing is to make the important thing the important thing.  The important thing right now is getting better and finishing stronger than we started.  Fight through those feelings that you don’t need to improve or that’s it’s probably too late to improve. Fight through those feelings when you just don’t feel like working hard.  Fight through those feelings of “senioritis” and “spring fever.”  Delay gratification -- PUT IN THE EXTRA WORK! Don’t sacrifice the MOST for the NOW.

ARE YOU GOING TO SAY, “I’M GLAD I DID” OR “I WISH I HAD”? 

Why should you get started now?  Some day in the middle of March, you’re going to have played at Nationals.  When you look at your results for those games, are you going to say to yourself, “I’m glad I did” or “I wish I had”? 

Don’t let today's temporary “obstacles” get in your way, you’ll happily be able to say, “I’m glad I did.”  But, if you do delay, and let the obstacles interfere, you’ll regretfully say, “I wish I had.”

THE INCONVIENIENCE IS TEMPORARY; THE REWARD IS FOREVER.

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DEFENSIVE STOPS

Defensive Stops are the determining factor of any game.

A Defensive Stop is a possession in which the opposing team does not score.  Defensive Stops are a result of offensive turnovers and defensive rebounds.  Defensive Stops don’t just happen.  They are a product of solid defensive play.

Defensive Stops are a key element to all offensive runs.

It doesn’t do much good to score, if you don’t keep your opponent from scoring.  6 to 0 or 8 to 2 blitzes are a result of combining defensive stops and scoring.

Defensive Stops allow you to play through adversity.

Defensive Stops during a game buy you critical time when your offense is struggling.  If you should experience a four or five minute scoring drought, Defensive Stops will keep you in the game and minimize the hemorrhaging.  Instead of falling behind by double digits, you may only lose 2 to 4 points.

Defensive Stops neutralize and erase offensive mistakes.

Offensive turnovers or bad shots, no matter how severe, can be simply “erased” or cancelled out just by hustling back on defense and making a defensive stop.  The only turnovers that hurt are the ones that the opponent scores after.

Defensive Stops are also crucial protecting a hard earned lead at the end of a game.

End of game leads can evaporate quickly without defensive stops.  The best way to protect the lead is by making defensive stops.  Defensive rebounding in this situation is critical.  Anticipate long rebounds and box out.  Do not allow any second efforts.

Defensive Stops are also crucial in catching up at the end of a game.

All the scoring in the world will do you little good if you don’t keep the other team from scoring.

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WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?

I believe I’m a work in progress and there will always be a gap between whom I am and who I want to be.

I believe every day brings opportunities to learn and do something meaningful.

I believe the true test of my character is whether I do the right thing even when it might cost more than I want to pay.

I believe no matter how I behave, some people will be mean-spirited, dishonest, irresponsible, and unkind, but if I fight fire with fire, all I’ll end up with are the ashes of my own integrity.

I believe life is full of joys and sorrows and my happiness will depend on how well I handle each.

I believe pain is inevitable but suffering is optional, and if I can control my attitude, I can control my life.

I believe kindness matters and snide comments and badly timed criticisms can cause lasting hurt.

I believe there’s joy in gratitude and freedom in forgiveness, but both require conscientious effort.

I believe what is fun or pleasurable is not always good for me and what is good for me is not always fun or pleasurable.

I believe no one is happy all the time, but in the end I can be as happy as I’m willing to be.

I believe the surest road to happiness is maintain good relationships.

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STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE - NOT PERFECTION

The need to be perfect or a strong intolerance for anything short of perfection is not always the athlete's friend as it appears to be.

On the surface, striving for perfection or to be the best seems like a pretty positive trait to have.  It helps you set big goals and then motivates you to go after them.  The drive to be perfect also motivates you to look for imperfections in your technique and performance, thus helping you to actually get better.

The perfectionist athlete is never satisfied with her performance and therefore constantly looks for ways to improve.  On the surface, this seems like a pretty good trait to have if you have big dreams that you want to turn into a reality.

The problem arises when your perfectionism gets away from you.  When your drive to be perfect prevents you from appreciating what you've already accomplished your perfectionism is out of control.  When your need to be perfect blinds you from seeing that your last performance was actually a good one, or when it causes you to obsess about one minor mistake and thus lose perspective of the entire performance, then you know that your need to be perfect has turned against you.  When your coach, friends or parents tell you that you did well and you are absolutely convinced that they are all wrong, this is yet another clue that your perfectionism is out of control.

 

While it’s fine to strive to be perfect, to do everything in your power to improve as much as you can, it’s a huge NO, NO to expect it!  If you expect perfection every time you go to compete, then you should plan on spending a lot of time frustrated and disappointed!

 

Perfectionism sets up a vicious cycle in athletes that will kill your joy and ultimately lead to performance problems and burn out.  When you come up short, you’ll tend to respond to yourself with anger and impatience.  

The other nasty thing that perfectionism does is it tends to rob you of the opportunity to feel good about what you did do well.  If you’re always looking for things wrong and, in your mind, whatever you do is never good enough, then you'll never have a chance to appreciate those times when you did play well.  The games when you're "on" tend to feed your self-confidence.  However, if you always interpret these performances as negative or “not good enough,” then you lose a valuable opportunity to build self-confidence.

Strive for excellence…NOT perfection.

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Hmmm.....

Eufaula, AL 

Lakeside Lady Chiefs (Eufaula, AL) fans were in high spirits Friday as they witnessed their basketball squad thwart the visiting Pike Liberal Arts Patriots (Troy, AL), 61-48 in a non-league bout.

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DISCOURAGED?

Katie told me about one of her teammates that is having a tough time right now due to an ACL injury.  It reminded me of a parable-like story I recently read.  It’s a story written about the tools of the enemy that I believe we can really learn from.

“Some time ago, an advertisement appeared in which the devil was putting all his tools up for sale.  On the day of the public sale, each one of his tools was marked with its selling price: Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on.  Set apart, however, from all the rest of the pile, was a harmless-looking tool, well-worn, but priced very high -- it was discouragement!

Someone asked the devil, ‘why is that one priced so high?’  He replied, ‘Ah, that one is more useful to me than all the rest.  With it I can pry open a man’s heart and enter, when I cannot get near him with any other tools.  Once inside, I can lead him any way I choose.  The tool is very worn because I use it on almost everyone, since few people know it belongs to me.’”

The enemy loves to sow discouragement -- but believers have a tool much more powerful -- encouragement!  We can speak a word into the lives of those who desperately need to hear it.  We have the power in our lips to rekindle a discouraged soul.  Let’s inspire one another with words of encouragement!  It costs nothing, and reaps an eternal reward…”encourage one another daily, as you see the Day draw near. (Hebrews 10:25) 

Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

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ZONE WEAK SPOTS

1-3-1 Zone

Major strength is across the free throw line and down middle.

Major weak spots are in the corners.

3-2 or 1-2-2 Zone

Major strength is preventing outside shooting.

Major weak spots are in the middle and corners.

2-3 Zone

Major strength is along baseline and low post.

Major weak spots are the wings and middle.

WHEN THE FUN IS GONE

Big news this week….Elena Delle Donne, the most sought after and highly recruited female basketball player in the country, has asked to be released from her scholarship commitment at UCONN.

She was provided with a personal trainer from age 7.

She was obsessed with being the best, always afraid someone was working harder than she was.  Her skills seemed to be exceeded only by her maniacal work ethic.

Elena Delle Donne towered over the competition.  The 6-foot-4 guard from Wilmington, Del., could handle the ball as easily as the expectations.  She could shoot like Larry Bird.

She was on the fast track to greatness until her heart began steering her in a different direction.

"About age 13, I thought, 'I don't know if I want to do this anymore,'" Delle Donne says.  "'It's not fun.'"

But fun was never the objective.  Delle Donne was the consensus 2008 Naismith National High School Basketball Player of the Year.  She saw herself as the future of women's basketball.  So did most everyone around her.  She was supposed to follow her idol, Diana Taurasi, to Connecticut, win four national titles and become a superstar in the WNBA.

The problem is that the three-time State Champion, three-time AAU National Champion and McDonalds All-American says she’s just burned out on basketball.

Read the full article here on ESPN

The Difference Between Being a Player and Becoming a Player

The difference between being and becoming a player provides a strong lesson for all basketball players and athletes in general. The average sports fan believes that college and professional athletes are at their highest level of play. This idea has many flaws as witnessed by the constant work that Tiger Woods does with his swing. If Tiger says he has room to "become" a better golfer, what does that say about you?

The journey of a basketball player is like a slow climb up the Rocky Mountains. It begins slowly with small measures of success. Step by step effort turns into hours and hours of hard work and dedication. A look down the mountain makes you realize you are just beginning. Others with you may want to stop and accept where they are on the journey. Because you are committed, you keep climbing. Step after step, you climb with the resolve needed to be the best you can be.

The differences become obvious half way up the mountain. Some players declare they have arrived as a player, even if they are still young players. These players feel as if they ARE the player they strive to be. Each feels she is a "player" and their game is ready for anything. However, the committed climber knows that her journey has a long way to go. She knows that her game is a long ways from arriving at its peak! This player is what being dedicated to the game is all about.

The committed player is realistic, listens to her coach, and strives to be a little better each day. She is constantly "becoming” a player. Michael Jordan was a mountain climber of the greatest proportions. His game got better and better, regardless of the awards, NBA titles, and claims of being the best ever. His drive, heart, and personal pride did not allow him to stop "becoming” a player.

As a player, evaluate yourself and your drive to be your best. Do you believe you have arrived as a player? If so, be ready for the game and watch as other players to pass you by. When you stop improving mentally and physically, you become stagnant and ineffective.

Persevere with the commitment of a champion, you will gain the satisfaction of never being satisfied.

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HARD WORK WITH NO HEADLINES

Defense is floor burns, bruises, and jammed fingers.  It's a skill with no scoreboard.  It is hard work with no headlines. 

There is no good reason for a player to work hard on that end of the court, unless, she wants to prove that she can’t be beaten.

To be a great defender, you have to be mentally stronger than your opponent.  It takes tremendous will power to constantly push your body around the court so that it says NO! to your opponent.  No, I'm not going to give you a good shooting position!  No, I am not going to let you drive around me!  No, I am not going to let you get rebounding position on me!  No, I am not going to let you do what you want with the ball!

Championship teams are built on solid defense.

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PROBLEM SOLVING - HABITS

Much of what we do is habit, from brushing our teeth to which shoe we put on first.  Changing habits isn’t easy. But if you reflect on how your life is now, how you got to where you are now, you should be able to get a picture of how your life will likely be next month if you continue without change.

It’s the same with regard to your basketball habits.

You need to evaluate where you are right now and then think about where you want to be at this same time next month.  Are there habits you have that need to change? 

The whole purpose of reflecting on your current situation, is to discover what isn’t working and what needs to change.  But don’t jump to conclusions and decide on a plan of action without analysis.  You must first ask yourself the WHY question:  

For example, if you are struggling at the FT line, you must ask yourself “WHY am I struggling?”

It’s unrealistic to think you can instantly become a better FT shooter if you do not fully understand WHY you are struggling in the first place.  It’s easy to say “I’m struggling at the line.”  Heck, just about anyone in the gym can recognize when a player is struggling at the line, but it’s much more difficult to identify the exact habit that is causing you to struggle.  And you must identify the habit that is causing the srtuggle before you can hope to change it.  Is it in your shot form? Is it in your release?  Is it in your mind?

Part of  problem solving is being honest with yourself and asking for help when you need it and being open to altering your habits.  If nothing changes, where will you be this time next month….next year?

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READY FOR A CHANGE?

If you want to change your 'basketball life,' there are three keys to succeeding at the highest level that will not only create the change you want to make, but also make that change sustainable and lasting.

Model Strategies That Work

Remember, success leaves clues.  There’s a Pathway to Power; a way to achieve what you want in a shorter period of time.  And the way to find it is to model someone who’s already achieving what you want.  If someone is successful at anything, whether they have a great relationship with their teammates, or are extraordinarily successful in basketball, or they have the body and energy that you desire, they’re not just lucky.  They’ve got a set of strategies that they apply and those strategies work.  You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.  You don’t need to reinvent a way to succeed.  It’s best to learn from others.  That’s how you compress months into days. Emulate what already works.

Intensify Your Emotions

It’s inevitable that life will give us obstacles to deal with, whether we just aren’t as athletic as others, maybe we don’t have the basketball skills of others or maybe we feel that we are physically limited.  But the critical moment in your basketball career is when you face your obstacles directly.  Once you face them, you will start to gain the muscle of life -- psychological strength – to conquer those obstacles.  If we can simply look at it as a gift from God and find a way to use it – you WILL succeed.

Lance Armstrong is a great example.  When he faced cancer, what did he do?  He didn’t give up. He intensified the emotions that he had to find a way to succeed more than he ever had in his entire sports career, even though he thought he had maximized his capabilities.  And what happened?  After conquering cancer, facing another biker was nothing.  He won seven Tour de France events in a row.  Remember, he had never won any Tour de France before that.  He turned something that could have been the most traumatic moment of his life into a launching pad for some of his greatest victories.  He chose to intensify his emotions and find a way to conquer, not be defeated by what life offered him.  The moment we turn to face our obstacle is the moment that determines our destiny.

Raise Your Standards

While this may sound like a tired old thought process, none of us who are honest can deny the truth that changes do not last long term until they become a part of our identity, until we literally begin to see them as the standard we live by.  Raising your standards truly means turning your shoulds into musts.  Everyone has a list of shoulds: ‘I should spend more time working on my ball handling.’  ‘I should spend more time working on my shooting mechanics.’  ‘I should push myself harder in practice.’  I should, I should, I should.  People don’t actually change.  They just end up what I call, “shoulding” all over themselves. Convert those “shoulds” into “musts” and your entire basketball life changes.

Identify the ‘standard’ and then live it every day.  When you feel that you absolutely must get something done, you will find a way.

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