KNOW WHAT CAUSES THE LOSS - THE BIG 5

You have to know what causes a loss before you can know what creates wins. What causes a loss?

#1 - Giving up lay-ups in transition (not getting back on D)
#2 - Shot selection (don't take low percentage shots)
#3 - Dumb fouls (gives your opponent easy points)
#4 - On defense, it's not "me vs. my man" (it's us vs. them - stop the ball!)
#5 - Dumb turnovers. (don't give your opponent extra chances to score)

It's tough to win until you eliminate those 5 things!

(Thanks Stronger Team)

COMPETITORS ALWAYS COMPETE... EVEN AT PAC-MAN

Michael Jordan needed to win at everything.  In those days, when they still traveled on commercial planes, they sometimes spent their idle time in airport game rooms playing Pac-Man.  For a time, Dave Corzine, who always carried a large roll of quarters with him, was considered the Pac-Man champion.  In time, however, Jordan bought a Pac-Man game for his home and practiced diligently, bringing his game up until he could beat Corzine.


(Thanks Coach Starkey)

THERE IS NO EASY BUTTON

I have a dear friend (and athlete) that is struggling with a season ending injury and have come across a few inspirational stories of late and wanted to put one of them out there for others that feel like they're alone on the sidelines.
.....
He had beaten the odds all of his life and then, at age 38, he faced the toughest challenge of all. “It’s cancer, Merril. You have a two to three pound tumor in your back the size of a small football.” The call was devastating, leaving him sobbing like a baby. His spirit was hollow and he could see himself crawling toward death. That is, until his nine year old daughter reminded him of the three words which had driven him through adversity his entire life.“you’re just gonna have to find a way!"

At the age of 12, Merril Hoge, was a slow, and very undersized young boy.  But Merril Hodge refused to allow circumstances to determine his future. At the age of 12, that slow and undersized boy placed two index cards on the wall in his room. The first read, "I will play in the NFL" and the second said..."I will find a way!" Years later, Merril went on to become a starting running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Recently, he was faced with the greatest challenge of his life and is once again determined to be guided by his lifelong philosophy (I will find a way!) and his nine year old daughter.

Today, reach out to someone you may know that is struggling and encourage them. Merril understood that no matter how small the odds of victory might be, no amount of statistical evidence can account for the impact of the human spirit. When the naysayers tell you it can’t be done and when history says it has never been done, one undying spirit can change history forever. One undying spirit can always find the path to victory. So when things get difficult in your life, or in the life of someone you know... remember that you’re just gonna have to find a way!

You see, we are measured not by how many times we fall, but how many times we get back up.

(Thanks Gary Rupert)

EVERYBODY SHOWS UP

It's not enough to just SHOW UP to practice... you must STAND OUT from the crowd through your attitude and your hustle.

4:13

THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO AN INJURY

A month after breaking her left leg and blowing out her right knee in a skiing crash in Switzerland, Picabo Street, the fearless, spunky media darling of the 1998 Nagano Olympics, shut herself in the bedroom of her parents' house and closed the blinds. She would not let family or friends in, she took no phone calls, did not watch television, did nothing for weeks but lie there in the darkened room thinking miserable thoughts.

"I went through a huge depression," Street said. "I went all the way to rock bottom. I never thought that I ever would experience anything like that in my life." What sent her hurtling into a depression was the realization of how long and difficult her recovery would be. In the end, it took 20 months.

It is hard to pin down how common depression is among injured athletes; research in this field of sport psychology is limited. But one study of 343 male college athletes from a variety of sports found that 51 percent had some symptoms of depression after being injured, and 12 percent became moderately to severely depressed.

"I'd say one out of every four or five of the injured athletes who come to our center suffer from depression," said Dr. Gerald Kaforey of the Vanderbilt Sport Medicine Center at the Vanderbilt Medical School.

Those who get depressed may stay that way for several weeks after being injured, their mood lifting only as their injuries begin to heal. Some athletes, especially those with longer recovery periods, may stay depressed for months. And in rare instances, injured athletes have attempted or committed suicide.

Emotional reactions to injury can often be harder to deal with than the actual injury.

Dr. Deborah Saint-Phard, who treats patients at the Women's Sports Medicine Center of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City said, "There's a pervasive sense that athletes are superhuman, not only in their abilities to perform athletically, but also in their morals, their ability to handle pain, disappointment and injury." Saint-Phard, a former Olympic shot-putter, is a physiatrist, a doctor who specializes in rehabilitation.

Athletes themselves take on these larger-than-life expectations and may not reveal to others how much they are suffering. Nicole Detling, who tore a ligament in her knee while playing basketball in college a few years ago, could not endure people feeling sorry for her, so she withdrew into her dorm room.

"I was an athlete," Detling said. "I not only had all this physical strength, but I had mental strength. And being injured felt like a huge kind of weakness."

4:13

(Thanks SFGate.com)

DO YOU REALLY WANT IT?

When Maurice Douglas arrived at the Chicago Bears training camp, he asked legendary runner Walter Payton if he could train with him. According to Douglas, "The first thing we did was warm up and then we walked over to the famous hill he trained on. He explained the goal was to run up the hill as fast as you could and then rest on your walk back down.


So we exploded up the hill. My heart was beating out of my chest as we reached the top…As soon as we reached the bottom we turned around and headed back up. I got halfway up the hill and turned around, walked back down, puked, and then got in my car and went home.” When Maurice finished the story, he confessed, “The difference between Walter and me was that he wanted it more than me.”

ARE YOU SCARED, TENTATIVE OR CONFIDENT?

RECOGNIZING YOUR TOUGHEST COMPETITOR

“Viewing yourself as your toughest competitor is one of the best ways to multiply your results.” - Darren Hardy

Ask any successful athlete to identify when the turning point for their success started, and most will tell you it was when they finally recognized that giving 100% and pushing themselves to do their absolute best in everything they did. That's when growth begins.

How often do you workout or scrimmage and not give your best, your 100 percent? I see it all the time in practices. Players like to play hard when the ball is in their hands, yet they only give 100% on defense when they're mad or after a player 'schooled them' on the last play.

You can't give 75% today and make up for it tomorrow by giving 125% and expect your game to grow... it doesn't work that way.

4:13

WANTING TO WIN vs. PREPARING TO WIN

There is a huge difference between "wanting to win" and "preparing to win." There is nothing special about wanting to win. Ask any player on any team if they want to win and the answer will always be YES!!! Even the worst player on the worst team in any league wants to win. But what usually separates winners from losers isn't always talent... it's desire. I know that sounds too simple to be true, but it is.

Think about how many NBA teams there are that are loaded with great players... but yet those talent filled teams fail to win a championship? The question isn't whether or not you want to win, but instead, what is your team (or you) doing to "prepare to win?"

The teams that win are the teams that do extra... they go above and beyond what the average team does. They have a burning desire to win and they act on it by preparing to win. That's what separates the winner from the loser.

4:13

City of Los Angeles Recognizes John Wooden

The City of Los Angeles has designated October 14th as John Wooden Day. Those living in LA are familiar with Wooden's achievements, but few of today's athletes know anything about Coach Wooden except that he coached at UCLA.

His ten NCAA basketball championships in twelve years will never be matched again, but Wooden’s legacy is best realized in his teachings, in how one should live a considered life with respect and decency.

Despite his team’s achievements, Wooden never made more than $35,000 per year at UCLA, and never asked for a raise. When his Pyramid of Success became a fashionable teaching tool for corporations and coaching clinics, friends begged Wooden to copyright the material so that he could profit from its distribution, an idea that puzzled Wooden. Why would he limit the distribution of something that helped others? And who would want to profit from a blueprint for life?

Wooden was a mild-mannered leader who molded an athletic dynasty at the University of California at Los Angeles by instilling a quiet discipline in his players, emphasizing group effort over individual heroics.

Today's athletes recognize Phil Jackson, Greg Popovich, Pat Riley, Larry Brown, etc as being great coaches, but if you were to ask those same coaches who was the greatest coach ever, hands down they would say John Wooden.

(Thanks Scipio Tex)

FRIDAY'S QUOTES

"Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles."
- Alex Karras

"Edison failed 10,000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times."
- Napoleon Hill

"It's not, can you? It's will you?"
- Tony Robbins

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger

"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there."
- Josh Billings

“Success is not measured by what you do compared to someone else. It is measured by what you do compared to what you’re capable of doing.”
- John Wooden

'A leader doesn't just give his coach his undivided attention; he tries to make sure that his teammates do the same."
- Dick Devenzio

BE A SMART DEFENDER

Why do defenders typically allow their opponent to dictate when and how they are going to initiate the offense?

To gain the upper hand when defending your opponent, you must be able to quickly evaluate three things:

What is your opponents primary strength?
If know your opponent's strength is shooting, then it makes sense to play them in a such a way to take away the shooting option. Closeout quickly forcing them into either putting the ball on the floor or passing.

Can your opponent handle the ball with their weak hand?
If your opponent isn't a strong ball handler with their weak hand, then it makes sense that you can gain an advantage over them by taking away their strong hand and forcing them to use their weak hand to dribble or pass.

What is your opponents shooting range?
If your opponent isn't a strong shooter or doesn't have long-range capability, then it makes sense to back off of them whenever they are outside of their range. This entices your opponent to take a low percentage shot (a bad decision) and allows you to play better help-defense.

If you are guarding a point guard:
Do they start the offense/play on the same side of the court each time? If so, that is likely the side of the court they practice the play. Force the PG to the opposite side of the court and force them to run the play from a formation they rarely (if at all) practice.

It is often the small and subtle advantages that will dictate which team wins or loses a game.

4:13

WHAT IS YOUR GAME REPUTATION?

Every team has a reputation and is known for something.  When people ask about a team, they typically hear stuff like "They're a great defensive team... they suck... they'll press you... they're aggressive" the list can go on and on.  Have you ever thought about it and wondered what is YOUR team's reputation?

Now break it down even further... every player has a reputation and is known for something.  Ask someone to describe a player's game and you'll probably hear stuff like "Unbelievably quick... they're lazy... they're slow... great shooter... smart player... great passer... they're cocky... boxes out every time" and that list can go on and on as well.  Have you ever thought about it and wondered how others describe YOUR game?

The best way to get the reputation YOU want to have is for YOU to CREATE it by DOING the things well that you want people to recognize you for.

4:13

WORDS OF WISDOM

"A fundamental job of a coach is to help the athletes get their priorities in order. At DeMatha, we encourage our players to devote themselves to four things:

1. God
2. Family
3. School
4. Basketball

Everything else must come after these. Show me young people who have their priorities in order, and I'll show you players who have the best chance of getting the most out of their lives, both on and off the court."

- Morgan Wootten
(Thanks Alan Stein)

ME RARELY GETS US AS FAR AS WE

Never look down on a teammate that doesn't have the weapons you may possess and is called upon by the coach to be a role player.  

A great role player is really just as valuable as a star, and almost as hard to find and develop.  

ME rarely gets us as far as WE.

4:13

The only EASY day was YESTERDAY

Navy SEALS have a philosophy regarding why their training is so demanding... The point to the intensity of any training program is, and should be, to identify those who are going to work when it really counts.

The same concept should hold true on your team this preseason... pay attention to those that take shortcuts in drills and choose to take the easy way out... those are the ones you will not be able to depend on when it really counts.

4:13

GREAT PLYO BOX DRILLS

THOUGHTS FROM THE BENCH

A ship in a harbour is a safe ship - but that's not what ships were built for."
- Earl Nightingale

"If you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep getting what you've been getting."
- Zig Ziglar

"Anyone who angers you conquers you."
- Elizabeth Kenny

"Obstacles are only opportunities to succeed or fail; how we handle them determines what will happen."
- James Caan

LEADERSHIP REQUIRES INTEGRITY

“To be a leader a man must have followers. And to have followers, you must have their confidence. Hence the supreme quality of a leader is unquestioned integrity. Without it, no real success is possible whether it is in a section gang, on a football field, in an army, or in an office.

- Dwight D. Eisenhower


(Thanks Coach Starkey)

FRESH KICKS

Nike is at again with new technology.  They've taken the Hyperfuse and incorporated Air Max technology to produce the Air Max Fly By to be released Summer 2011.

KEVIN EASTMAN'S THEORY OF TWO'S

It takes two minutes to show any skill.


It takes two weeks to do it every single day to get comfortable with the skill.


It takes two months working on a skill every day to get good enough to confidently execute it in a game.

(Thanks PGC)

YOUR GAME IS NOT BASED ON YOUR OPPONENT'S SKILL LEVEL

When a team plays poorly against an opponent of less talent, we often hear the phrase, “We played down to their ability!”  Everytime I hear this comment it annoys me.  Our ability to perform at our best is not a condition of the skill level of our opponent. What we become in life depends on choice, not conditions.  We must understand that whether our opponent has little or great skills, we are faced with a decision; whether to play at our best…or not!

Anson Dorrance, Coach of the legendary University of North Carolina girls soccer program, addresses this problem by setting the goal of trying to play the perfect soccer game.  It is not about the opponent, but about his team’s ability to execute the fundamentals of the game to the highest possible degree.  At UCLA, legendary Coach John Wooden never scouted his opponents because…it was not about the opponent, but about his team’s ability to execute the fundamentals of the game to the highest possible degree.

Today, no every day, I encourage you to recognize that what you become in life depends, not on conditions, but on decisions…choices.  Are your goals based on, and subsequently driven by, your opponents?  Or are you driven by the idea of “playing the perfect game” in spite of whatever challenges you face along the way?  Life IS about choices, so I encourage you to choose to execute the fundamentals of the game to the highest possible degree.

(Thanks Gary Rupert)

THE PACT

In 1982 a few members of the Minnesota Twins, Gary Gaetti, Kent Hrbek, Gary Ward, and Tom Brunansky made a pact between themselves to be the best they can be by following a set of guidelines shown below.  I have adjusted a few words here and there to apply it basketball.

Be ready to play and be at my best every day.
If that means telling friends, family, etc., that I can’t stay up late the night before a game, so be it. I will be rested and prepared when I go to the gym.  I don't just for myself, but also for my team.

Nothing or no one will get in the way of or distract me from having quality practice and going through my pre-game routines properly.
If that means I need to stay away from friends and fans in order to maintain my focus and be mentally prepared to dominate my opponent, so be it.

Play hard all the time.
I will always be “plugged in” and engaged on every play.  I will always anticipate (never assume). In games, I will show respect to my opponent, but I will not be “Mr. Nice Guy.”  I play to win - period.  If they think I’m a jerk because of the way I play, I’m willing to pay that price.

I will be the intimidator, no one will intimidate me.
When they knock me down or throw a cheap shot at me, I will get up, take my time, get back in, not allowing myself to be upset or distracted (they will not get inside my head). Then I will take that cheap shot to use as motivation and focus that enegery on dominating the next play.  I will be mentally tougher than my opponent.

No matter what happens, I will keep my poise and act professionally.
There’s never an excuse for trash talking, curding, throwing elbows or cheap shots.  That is what those who have trouble competing do out of frustration.

I will be a good teammate.
I will encourage, support, and make sure every one of my teammates is engaged at all times in both practices and games.  It’s not about “me” it’s about “we.”

(Thanks Coach Starkey and Karl Kuehl, John Kuehl, and Casey Tefertiller)

RECREATING YOURSELF

Your value to your team is not your coach's responsibility; it’s your responsibility. Your coach has no control over your value, but you do.


The real challenge is not to try & repeat yourself, but to use what was learned to re-create yourself - to create a new vision of YOU for this year's team.

(Thanks LLaBB)

CONQUERING YOUR OBSTACLE

One of the great keys to personal growth in this life is the ability to face challenges and meet them head-on.  Easier said than done, because facing and meeting challenges involves overcoming fear -- fear of the unknown, fear of embarrassment, or fear of failure.


Challenge plays an extremely important role when it comes to character. Character is not necessarily created by facing challenges, but rather it is revealed by them.  We may be completely unaware of our own character until met with seemingly daunting obstacles.  It is the manner in which we deal with them that reveals our true inner self.


There are several things you can do to help yourself deal with challenges more calmly. Essentially you need to open yourself up to new possibilities, new experiences, whether you think you are ready for them or not.

Accept the challenge without hesitation.  Think of it as opening a new chapter in your life.

4:13

(Thanks David B. Bohl)