WHEN THEY'RE READY...

People change when they...

Hurt enough that they have to;

Learn enough that they want to:

Receive enough that they are able to.

- John Maxwell

ATHLETE NUTRITION PT. II

Time your Nutrients for Greater Muscle Gains and Recovery

The timing of nutrients, especially protein and carbohydrates, are extremely important to repair damaged muscle tissue caused by an intense workouts and games.

Having a combination of protein and carbs immediately post workout can improve muscle recovery by 250% as opposed to not consuming calories. You have a small window of opportunity after your workout to optimize recovery so be sure to grab a shake or eat a meal within 30-60 minutes. Waiting longer than 2 hours after your workout to refuel your body causes your body to breakdown more protein than it will rebuild.

A ratio of 3 or 4:1 grams of carbohydrate to protein has been proven to facilitate protein synthesis (muscle repair) and the refueling of glycogen (your body's gas tank). Here are some convenient post workout options to ensure recovery is acheived.

Chocolate Milk - Milk protein contains the amino acid Leucine, which is the mostimportant Amino Acid to promote muscle protein synthesis

20-30 Grams of Whey Protein + Sports Drink

Muscle Milk Collegiate Ready to Drink Shake with a banana

Balanced Meal (Lean Protein, Complex Carbohydrates, Fruit, Veggies)

MORE NEW KICKS

I know this is a basketball blog and lately I've had more stuff on shoes than I have on hoops, but this is my favorite time of the year with new hoops kicks dropping every other day, and if you're a baller... then you probably don't mind!

I'm a big fan of the Kobe IV (even though it's a low cut) an the latest colorway will drop on October 17th.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

Have you ever witnessed an athlete with a bad attitude either during a game or after a loss? An athlete that fails to control their emotions and lashes out at their teammates or opponent, or pouts after a game, lacks emotional maturity… regardless of the circumstances.

We've all done it at one time or another, or at least I have. The thing we have to remember is that attitude is the COMBINATION of our thoughts, feelings and actions. It's not just our feelings, not just our thoughts and not just our actions – it is literally all three of these added together.

We choose our attitude in any given set of circumstances. Our attitude is completely independent of circumstance, just as our conscious thought is. When something happens, we have the choice to react through pouting or to respond through awareness. The CHOICE is ours (yours) for the making.

99% of the time, a POSITIVE attitude from you will elicit a positive attitude towards you. The better your attitude, the better you feel and when you feel good, people can just tell. You can just tell when some one is in a positive vibe by the way they walk, talk and sound. Your body will instantly respond to changes in your attitude and feelings.

Just as true, 99% of the time a NEGATIVE attitude from you, equals negative attitude toward you and it can be no other way. Remember, with every feeling and action you are sending out a vibe that everyone around you can feel, whether you know it or not. Have you ever been around someone who was in a bad mood? They didn’t say anything to you but you could just tell that they were not in a good mood?

Don’t be the teammate that sends out the bad vibe. Control your emotions and choose to have a good attitude… even in the worst of circumstances.

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HISTORY LESSON ON J's

With Michael Jordan being a ‘slam dunk’ to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year (yeah I know, bad pun), Nike put together a 3D site commemorating each of the J’s.

The online site features a page for each of the 24 Jordan sneakers, all in white color ways, with corresponding 3D graphics corresponding to the shoe, the year it was released or one of Michael’s achievements form that year.

There’s the Bugs Bunny on the top of the XI (the ones he wore in Space Jam), or the Olympic tributes on the VIIs’ page. If you will click on any of the 3D cutouts on each page, a window will open giving a brief description of what happened with MJ and the shoes. For instance, did you know that a special cipher that can only be viewed under a blacklight was present on the XXI's?

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109 PERCENT EFFORT

The LSU Tigers will wear a patch this season commemorating the 109 percent effort Robyn DesOrmeaux said she'd give every day (combining her No. 99 jersey and the 10 percent chance of her surviving five years given by her doctors).

Great story reminding us that there's more to sports than just winning.

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FRESH KICKS IN NEW COLORWAYS

The crazier the colorway... the more I love 'em! Nike has been dropping some fresh new colors with both the Hyperdunk and Hyperize lately. I must say, I'm really diggin' the black & gold HD's and even the newest Hyperize in "Champion Gold."

PLAYING "NOT TO LOSE"

Have you ever watched a game when one team is either winning by a large margin or appear to be in total control, and then for some reason, they relax and go mentally stale for a few minutes?

And then the opposing team decides that they have nothing to lose, so they begin playing with total abandon by taking bigger chances and going for broke, and they start to score and momentum starts to build and good things start to happen. The bigger risks they take, the better the reward. Then the momentum totally shifts. This team is "playing to win."

The other team, who was originally leading and in control, unfortunately allowed themselves to relax and by doing so, now begins to change its focus, trying to play cautiously and protect their lead. This is "playing not to lose."

By the end of the game, the team that is playing to win has caught up to the other team. What seemed impossible a minutes earlier becomes a reality: they pull off a come-from-behind win.

The paradox of playing to win or playing not to lose is this:

When you’re playing not to lose, the best you can hope for is “not losing.” There is no way to win when you’re playing not to lose.

When you’re playing to win, there is no such thing as “losing”; the worst that can happen is that you keep playing.

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2009-10 SEASON PREVIEW

The final revisions have been made to the 2009-10 schedule and although we seriously tried to reduce the number of games we would play this season, it looks like we’ll still end up playing 27 games before the East Regional. In addition, although we’ve been invited to three different Christmas tournaments (Dothan, Eufaula and one in Kentucky), the jury is still out on whether we will accept. With 27 games already scheduled, a little time off may not be a bad thing.

We open the season in Pensacola with an all-out weekend assault against the West Region by initiating newcomer SL Jones into the conference on Friday night, followed by Saturday games against East Hill and, arguably the tallest team in the conference, Aletheia.

NON-CONFERENCE

We have 14 non-conference games on the schedule including a couple of rematches that I am eagerly anticipating (looking to redeem losses that should have been wins from last season) against two outstanding teams from Alabama, Providence (1A) and Pike (3A). Both teams were ranked in the Top 10 when we played them last season. Also on the non-conference schedule this season is Arnold (4A), Freeport (2A), Bozeman (2A), Wewa (2A), Northside and Rutherford (5A).

EAST REGION

The East Region schedule remains the same (Grace, Emmanuel, Maranatha, Tallavana) with the exception of a new member school Eagle Nest, and boy are the rumors already flying… I was told the other day (by another coach) that they have a player that is 6’4. My response to him about her? “You must have forgotten how we play defense… she can’t score if she never gets to touch the ball.”

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Tip #1 to Defend Baseline Out of Bounds Plays

Defending the inbounds pass, especially under your opponents basket, is critically important to winning games, but rarely gets the attention it needs in practices.

Tip #1 - Count the 5 Seconds

The offensive team only has 5 seconds to inbound the ball before a violation is called. You should have this 5 second inbound clock going in your mind. The clock starts the moment the passer touches the ball. Although you should already be placing tremendous defensive pressure on your man, the closer the count is to 5 seconds, the tighter your defensive pressure should become. Totally denying the easy pass will likely result in a forced or hurried pass which usually leads to a turnover.

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ATHLETE NUTRITION - Part I

EAT and EAT OFTEN

In order to keep your body's gas tank full and maintain a high level of energy, eating every 3-4 hours will prevent your body from using muscle (protein) for energy and instead, burn fat. Additional benefits include maintaining a healthy blood sugar, prevention of overeating, and maintaining lean muscle mass.

Skipping meals (going more than 4 hours without eating) causes the body to use muscle for energy which increases body fat and impairs performance. Have a plan by bringing healthy snacks to school to eat between meals, after practice, or lifting. Try some of the following snacks:

Peanut Butter or Turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread

1 Scoop of Whey Protein with low fat milk

Handful of nuts with Fresh fruit

Nutrition Bar (any around 200 calories with at least 10-15 grams of Protein)

Fresh Fruit with a piece of low fat string cheese

Lean Beef Jerky (2-3 ounces) with fresh fruit

BREAKFAST is for CHAMPIONS

You've been hearing this for years from your parents, teachers, and coaches. They got it right. Not only is breakfast the most important meal, it could be the biggest mistake if you decide not to eat it. What time was your last meal the previous night? If your last meal was 9:00 or 10:00 pm, going until 12:00 pm the next day results in 14-15 hours of fasting. Remember what happens when we skip meals? Now you're in continuous muscle burning mode.

Now combine skipping breakfast and you will see the negative impact it has on performance. Doing so increases the risk of you eating larger portions at night when you are less active, promoting the storage of body fat and the potential for weight gain. Start the morning with a well rounded breakfast (egg whites, oatmeal, whole grain cereal, fresh fruit, 100% juice, whole wheat toast). If you have an early morning lifting session and have trouble eating whole food, take 1 scoop of whey protein with water or low fat milk and a piece of fresh fruit to activate your muscle tissue.

(thx coach Starkey)

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THE HALL OF FAMER THAT SUCCEEDED WHILE FAILING

From "Failing Forward" by John Maxwell:

On August 6, 1999, a major-league baseball player stepped up to the home plate in Montreal and made another out -- the 5,113th of his professional career. That's a lot of trips to the batter's box without a hit! If a player made all those outs consecutively, and he averaged four at bats per game, he would play eight seasons (1,278 games straight) without ever reaching base.

Was the player discouraged that night? No. Did he think he had failed himself or his team? No. You see, earlier in the same game, in his first plate appearance, that player had reached a milestone that only twenty-one other people in the history of baseball have every achieved. He had made his 3,000 hit. That player was Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres.

During that game, Tony got on base with hits four times in five tries. But that's not the norm for him. Usually he fails to get a hit two times out of every three attempts. Those results may not sound very encouraging, but if you know baseball, you recognize that Tony's ability to succeed consistently only one time in three tries has made him the greatest hitter of his generation. And Tony recognizes that to get his hits, he has to make a lot of outs.

One of the greatest problems people have with failure is that they are too quick to judge isolated situations in their lives and label them as failures. Instead, they need to keep the bigger picture in mind.

"The difference between greatness and mediocrity is often how an individual views a mistake."

-Nelson Boswell

(thanks coach Starkey)

FOR THOSE THAT DON’T KNOW

They have Rules for a reason...

How many times have you seen players, coaches and parents openly complain about a referee’s call? Yet, if the truth were to be known, I would be willing to bet that 95% of those complaining don’t know the rules governing the disputed call to begin with.

I have provided a list of what I think are the 12 Most Misunderstood Rules in Basketball.

The Rules below are straight from the High School Rule Book:

1. A ball that touches a player or official is the same as the ball touching the floor at that location.

2. A ball handler, who dribbles from the backcourt toward the frontcourt, is only in the frontcourt once the ball and both feet pass the half court line.

3. Charging is illegal when there is contact caused by pushing or moving into a player’s torso.

4. High School Basketball Rules state: that “closely guarded” occurs when an offensive players is in possession of the ball and their opponent/defender is within 6 feet of them.

5. When a player attempts a shot and one of their teammates commits a foul, there is no continuous motion if the shot has not been released. If the ball has been released and is in flight, there should be continuous motion on the play.

6. High School Basketball rules state: that a screener that comes up to the defender from behind, the screener needs to give the defender a distance of one normal step backward without contact.

7. When a screener wants to set a screen on a moving defender, they must allow enough time and distance for the defender to avoid the screen.

8. High School Basketball Rules state: that a “legal guarding stance” is when the defender has both feet on the floor and they are facing the ball handler.

9. High School Basketball rules state: that the “principle of verticality” needs to be preceded by a legally defensive guarding position.

10. From a legal defensive stance, a defender my rise or jump vertically (occupying only their vertical plane).

11. The defender’s arm may be raised (only within their vertical plane) as the defender is on the floor or if they jump in the air. (see photo)

12. If the defender moves any part of their body outside of their vertical plane, it should be called a foul. (see photo)

MOST KNOW... FEW REMEMBER

RUN THE BASELINE

If you are the player that is inbounding the ball (from out of bounds), remember that on made baskets you can run the length of the baseline after you grab the ball from the net or ground.

Although most players know this, very few utilize it to give themselves a better passing angle and to get closer to an open teammate.

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If what you did yesterday still looks big...

"The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be good enough for tomorrow."

- Buffalo Bills Locker Room

"I will give my all for Tennessee today."

- University of Tennessee Locker Room

"If what you did yesterday still looks big, you haven't done much today."

- New York Mets Locker Room

"Perform at your best when your best is required. (P.S. Your best is required every day.)"

- Henderson State University Locker Room

"Be proud of the way we work."

- Pittsburgh Penguins Locker Room

"The tougher our standards, the deeper our commitment."

- Dallas Cowboys Locker Room

"Play like you're in first, but practice like you're in second."

- Lawrence University Locker Room

WHEN IS ENOUGH... ENOUGH?

Sooner or later, every team gets one… and one is usually all it takes to ruin a good team.

Ask any coach that’s been around for a few seasons and they’ll tell you in a hurry that a selfish player wanting to play by their own set of rules and ignore the standard of conduct the rest of the team adheres to can poison a team.

The most recent example of this type of behavior was announced today when the Denver Broncos suspended Brandon Marshall for the rest of the preseason for insubordination.

Coach Josh McDaniels met with Marshall Friday morning and informed him he was being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team after exhibiting open acts of insubordination Wednesday on the practice field.

What was this disruptive display? The list is long and coach McDaniels had finally had enough.

Marshall was held out of the Broncos' preseason game at Seattle on Sunday night after admitting he didn't know the playbook and then to make matters worse, on Wednesday, Marshall was walking when the rest of the team was running during warmups, purposley punting the ball away instead of handing it to a ball boy and swatting away a pass that was thrown to him.

Marshall said during an ESPN interview Thursday night that "I'm not out there trying to be a distraction to the team.”

Oh really?

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THE POWER TO ENDURE

The power to hold on in spite of everything, the power to endure - this is the winner’s quality.

Persistence is the ability to face adversity again and again without giving up. To push on in the face of great difficulty, knowing that victory can be yours. Persistence means finding a way to overcome every obstacle, and to do what’s necessary to reach your goals.

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ARE YOU READY?

10% of our life is made up of significant Game Day moments and 90% is made up of the time preparing, practicing and waiting for those moments to happen.

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WHO WILL STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE?

Each coach has a different method or criteria for choosing team Captains. Most feel the team leaders should be the best players. Others feel it should be the most experienced or oldest players (upper-classmen or Seniors).

Although both of these are probably valid reasons to select team Captains, I think a team leader is one who understands the long-term vision the team has for success and works to make that vision a reality. I think it requires a level of maturity that goes beyond that of just being a player... it requires accepting responsibility for success or failure. A leader can't be a leader in title only, they must take ownership of the team and play an active role in delivering the team to it's intended destination.

With the loss of four upper-classmen from last seasons roster (two of which were team Captains), our team enters into the 2009-10 season with only one Senior and a relatively young team. Who will step up into the role of being the team leader?

Being a leader is much more than just holding a title. It's a privilege, challenge, and a huge responsibility. To do your job effectively, you must bring out the best in your teammates and be able to deal with them when they are at their worst. Your success depends on your ability to develop and master the Six “R’s” of Respected Team Leaders. As you read through them below, honestly evaluate yourself on how well you fulfill each of the six important responsibilities.

1. ROLE MODEL

All leadership begins with self-leadership. People will respect you as a leader only if you can walk your own talk and lead yourself effectively. You must model the commitment and work ethic you expect from your teammates. You must have confidence that you can achieve your team’s goals. You must maintain your composure when the inevitable storms of adversity strike. And you must do the right thing even when it isn’t the popular or a convenient choice to make. You must continually model the attitudes and actions your coach expects and be an example to your teammates.

2. REMIND

As a team leader, you must frequently remind your teammates about what is important – the team goal, the game plan, and making smart choices. Remind your teammates that all of the commitments and sacrifices they are making now are really investments in the team’s success and their future. Remind them that the time they spend practicing, getting involved, and doing the little stuff the right way will pay off immeasurably in the long run.

3. REINFORCE

You’ll also spend a lot of time reinforcing the positive strides your teammates make. Be sure to compliment them often to build their confidence and fuel a positive momentum and environment on your team. It’s surprising how fragile confidence can be for some of your teammates. It’s amazing what a simple word of encouragement can do for them coming from you. As Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Acknowledge and appreciate your teammates often as a way to reinforce the positive things they do.

4. REASSURE

Because there are so many obstacles, setbacks, and adversities involved in every season, you will need to reassure your teammates when they feel nervous, scared, frustrated, helpless, and hopeless. Give them a sense of hope and optimism even if your team has lost six in a row. Let them know that no matter what happens, every thing will be okay and the team will get to the finish line as planned.

5. REFOCUS

Your teammates will often become distracted throughout the season. With the countless temptations and distractions with boyfriends, parties, television, cell phones, etc., it’s no wonder that some players lose their focus. It is easy for your teammates to get their priorities out of whack. A leader’s primary job is to establish a vision for the team and then continually refocus the team back on the vision when they get distracted. Put simply, your job is to keep “the main thing” the main thing. That also goes for helping your teammates refocus back on to what’s important when they begin to stray athletically, academically, and socially.

6. REPRIMAND

Last but not least, you must be willing to constructively confront and reprimand your teammates when necessary. That doesn’t mean you should be bossy or turn into a scolding parent figure. You must hold them accountable to live up to and maintain your team’s rules and standards (including Christian standards). Confronting your less disciplined teammates is often an uncomfortable and a sometimes difficult task for most leaders, but one that must be done if your team is going to be successful. Part of being a leader is becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable. You must have the courage to constructively confront your teammates who aren’t willing to do the right thing. You may not be liked all the time when you hold your teammates accountable, but you will be respected, which is much more important anyway.

(thanks Jeff Jansen)

ARE CHRISTIAN ATHLETES DIFFERENT?

What if... somebody, unknown to you, had secretly placed a hidden camera & microphone on your clothing and recorded everything you did and every word you said for a 24 hour period...

Then, smiliar to American Idol, showed the recording on television and allowed viewers to text in their votes to determine whether or not you display Christian character. What do think the majority vote would be?

I got asked a question today that got me thinking about the impression & message we as Christians send out to the rest of the world through our daily actions. The question was… “Can Christians curse (or cuss)?"

Sure we can. Christians can swear. Christians can lie. Christians can steal. Christians can cheat. Christians can do or say pretty much whatever we want. We're still free-willed beings. We're still human. And some do. I have. Does that mean we should? No, of course not.

Athletes are typically ultra-competitive and tend to push themselves harder both physically and mentally than non-athletes and because of that, the slightest mistake in a game can often elicit a burst of self-anger, frustration and sometimes the occasional “$#!%@!&!” Uh oh, is it the end of the world? Of course not. Should we just shrug it off as if it doesn't matter. No.

Recognizing that it was an unintentional "oops!” moment and making a conscious effort to avoid repeating it is what we, as Christians, should do. Scripture is full of verses telling believers to maintain clean mouths and to watch what comes out of our mouths. Are there occasional slip-ups? Sure. However, even the unintentional slip, no matter how accidental, sends out an impression that represents our Christian character (representing Christ) to those around us.

We should give serious thought to the “ways and appearances of the world” and whether we as Christians, should seek to try and blend into that world… or as Christians, realize that we have been chosen and set apart and we should be a light unto that world.

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SPACE JAM RETRO

The Air Jordan 11 “Space Jam” Retro will officially hit retailers on November 27th, 2009. This is one of the most popular and sought after shoes of the Jordan Signature series and I expect they will release it for only a brief period. Get ‘em while you can…. If you can afford the $175 price tag! OUCH!!!

WHY SHOT SELECTION IS IMPORTANT

A bad shot is the first pass for your opponent’s fast break.

A bad shot should be thought of as any shot that is rushed, contested, off-balance or outside of your range. Against weaker teams, it may not be that big of a deal, but you won't beat many good teams by taking a lot of bad shots.

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ARE YOU USING ALL OF IT?

If a player has talent and fails to use it, she has failed. If she has talent and uses only half of it, she has partially failed. If she has talent and somehow learns to use all of it, she has succeeded beyond measure and experienced a satisfaction few ever know.

(thanks Thomas Wolfe)

LEBRON SOLDIER III

Team Lebron dropped a handful of new colorways this week for the Soldier III, including the royal & black.

FRESH KICKS

The Nike Hyperize “Decades” Pack will be released this Saturday, August 29th. Sweet colorway.