Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
John Wooden on "Fight"
"Fight is a determined effort to do the very best we can do. On the basketball court, fight is measured by hustle: diving to the floor for loose balls, sprinting to fill a lane on a fast break, taking a charge, picking up a missed defensive assignment or stealing the ball from an opposing player. It's digging in, gritting our teach, standing our ground. When we have fight, we are always ready to respond. We are quick, but we don't hurry. We make fewer mistakes, because we have the level of our intensity under control. A player with fight has a contained fire burning in his or her belly. This emerges as focused passion. Players with fight never lose a game; they just run out of time. Therese days, I hear a lot of talk about getting up for a big game. No game should be bigger than any other. People with fight can't get up any higher for an important game because they get up for every game. When people with fight step onto the floor, they always give everything they have to give, whether it's for practice, a scrimmage or a championship game. There's no such thing as losing when we've made the effort to do the best we can do. If we use our fight and determination to do our best, success will take care of itself."
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Pete Carroll's Practice Approach
There is a lot of great information in "Win Forever" by Pete Carroll but my favorite section was - "Our Approach To Practice." I've already written about it briefly: http://bit.ly/dkwn5j. Here is even more on Coach Carroll and his thoughts regarding practice and it's role in his success formula:
“Practice is Everything” is one of the core tenets of the Win Forever philosophy. We want to create an environment that will permit each of our players to reach his maximum potential, and one of the ways we do that is by practicing with great focus. A player who is fully prepared on the practice field will feel ready to meet whatever comes his way on game day and thus, feel more confident and able to minimize distractions of fear or doubt.
At USC, we began each practice day with a team meeting. There, I always attempted to set the focus and tone for the day, always with enthusiasm. I was simply demonstrating the energy I wished to see from the coaches and players as we approached practice that day.
Once practice began, everyone was expected to operate at full throttle. I wanted to practice as game speed. We would never allow for anything but full speed and full effort in games, and I wanted us to practice exactly like we played. I believe when you give athletes a chance to perform at varying levels of intensity, you offer an invitation for varying levels of performance.
We liked to remind our players, “If you’re walking, you’re wrong!”
We would always strive to create continuity and consistency. We were even very careful to be precise with our language and terminology. I don’t like synonyms and varied definitions when it comes to terminology. If you want to communicate effectively, you need to be clear with the words you use.
We also recognized the need for a certain amount of variety. You cannot coach for very long without recognizing that routine, through necessary for success, can sometimes become monotonous.
Routine is enormously helpful in teaching players essential fundamentals. If you practice something consistently enough, when the critical moment comes in a game, the players will be able to perform without tightening up. They will be comfortable with the situation and make the right decisions. But if you believe in the importance of practice, as I do, you also know that you have to always keep your players interested and fully engaged. You can’t just do the same thing practice after practice or the players will lose interest.
All coaches facet this problem in one way or another. Too little routine and the message doesn’t get through; too much, and your players can get worn out. Finding the right balance and emphasis is critical for keeping practices fresh and players focused.
The way we handled it at USC was to have a different theme for each day of the week during the season.
“Tell the Truth Monday” was the day when we got our entire team on the same page in terms of what had occurred in our last game. Who performed well and who didn’t’? Why did the game go as it did and what should we take away from this game experience? It was imperative on this day that we think and speak as one and move ahead in harmony.
“Competition Tuesday” was the day we celebrated the central theme in the program – competition. We emphasized creating a great level of competition for the upcoming practice, with minimal attention paid to our opponent and the upcoming game. We accentuated the competitive matchups between individual players, position groups, and the offense and defense.
“Turnover Wednesday” was completely dedicated to the factor we believed most determines the outcome of football games, turnovers. USC won fifty-three straight games when we had a positive turnover ratio. Simply stated, when we created just one more turnover than our opponent, we were unbeatable. Long before this string was established, the first words out of my mouth when addressing our team each fall and each spring were always, “It’s All About the Ball!”
“No Repeat Thursday” was meant to emphasize the execution and precision of our weekly game plan. Practice was shorter on Thursday, with great focus on doing things right. All kicking game phases were emphasized along with a near-flawless demonstration of the game plan to such a precise level of performance that no plays needed to be repeated. Hence the name “No Repeat Thursday.”
“Review Friday” was our final on-field practice session and the last opportunity for all position groups to clean up issues and perfect their performance for game day. This was our most disciplined and regimented practice, where we paid strict attention to the fine details.
For our staff, Friday was all about proving to our players that they knew they were going to win and that we had earned the right to feel that way. We relied on our practice efforts during the week to lead us to this mentality, and we looked toward Review Friday to finalize the week.
via Bob Starkey LSU
Monday, August 23, 2010
Coach Don Meyer always talks about the fact that "if your best player is also your hardest worker, you have a chance to be a good team."
The following, from Pat William's book, "How To Be Like Mike," lends credibility to his statement.
"The first Bulls practice after Jordan made his comeback to basketball in 1995 ended with Michael walking to the baseline, one his own, and running windsprints. Without a word, all eleven of his teammates joined him."
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Kevin Eastman Tips for Shooting
1. Be ready on the catch.
2. Ten toes to the rim.
3. Only change his form if the shot doesn’t go in. Make him the best worst form shooter.
4. Two second rule: As soon as it’s 1 cm into our players fingers I’m counting one two. Players don’t have a great understanding of game speed when working out.
5. The better the shooter you are, the better your shot fake needs to be. Definition of a shot fake is a real shot that you don’t shoot.
6. When you chart your players’ shots give them percentages for free-throws, lay-ups, jump shots and three-point shots.
7. Break it down so they know what to work on.
8. Players can be receptive to stats.
via Bob Starkey LSU Basketball
Thursday, August 19, 2010
5 Things that kill a player's potential
5 Things That Kill Player's Potential
1. Low pain threshold.
2. Low Basketball IQ for what we do
3. Selfishness
4. Can the person do the intangibles? (charges, loose balls, pitch aheads, rotations)
5. Drugs and Alcohol
via Greg Brown
http://ucfwbbthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/08/5-things-that-kill-players-potential.html
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Bob McKillop's 7 keys to basketball
1. Seeing
See the game
Makes you quicker
See that you are denied and go back door.
2. Talking
Families break down because they do not talk
Talk with your hands and your mouth
Ask for the balls with 10 fingers
3. Flesh on Flesh Contact
Set hard screens body to body
Box out physically
4. Be detailed
Run to the ball as a teammates saves it OOB
Do not dribble a loose ball. Pick it up and chin it
Sacrifice position for possession in the post
Screens
.....A. Crack the opponent
.....B. Point your crack in the direction you want the cutter to come
Catch a ball low and loaded
...........
5. Always be on balance
Defensively
With the ball
6. Finish
Finish every play
Finish every shot you miss in practice
The last part of the play needs to be the strongest
Finish your basket cut to the rim then space out to the 3 pt line
7. Be an actor
Foot fake
Fake the screen away and basket cut
Pass fake/shot fake
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Got this list via Darren Hardy of Success.com through one of his great tweets:
1. Make sufficient sleep your highest priority.
After breathing, sleeping is our most fundamental need. It’s also the first thing we’re willing to give up in an effort to get more done. Begin quieting down at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep. Avoid anything stimulating, such as the Internet, mysteries, and intense conversations. Wind down with mellow music, a bath, or herbal tea.
2. Exercise begins with the First Step.
If you’re struggling to find the time or motivation to start an exercise routine, buy a pedometer and record the number of steps you take every day. Shoot for 10,000—the recommended daily number of steps to ensure you are getting enough movement in your day to be fit.
3. Prioritize your tasks the night before.
The number of potential distractions, interruptions, and fatigue tends to increase throughout the day. Do the most important work of your day first, before checking email, if possible.
4. Become a Type A Eater.
Decide in advance what you’re going to eat, in what portions, and at what intervals. That’s the best way to avoid endless temptations, unconscious cues, and “that-looks-good!” surprises that override our self-discipline and cause us to veer off track.
5. Breathe deep.
If you feel negative emotions coming on, or when you feel frustrated, annoyed, or anxious, simply take a few deep breaths. Extend the exhale to decrease your physiological arousal and quickly restore a sense of calm.
6. Give Thanks.
Write a note of appreciation to someone in your life once a week. We’re far quicker to notice what’s wrong than to celebrate what’s right in others. You might be surprised to discover how energized and inspired people are when they feel recognized and appreciated.
7. Log Off Your Email.
Try turning off your email completely for at least one hour a day. Use that time to devote your full attention to a significant task or larger challenge you’re facing.
8. Daydream for Breakthroughs.
Schedule at least one half-hour a week to brainstorm around some issue at work. You can help access your right hemisphere by doodling, listening to instrumental music, going for a long walk—anything that lets your mind wander.
9. Take a break.
Taking time to renew every 90 minutes keeps your body in alignment with its natural rhythms. Much as we cycle through stages of sleep at night, so we go through a similar cycle every 90 minutes throughout the day, moving from a state of higher energy slowly down into fatigue.
10. Accentuate the Positive.
Make a list of activities that you enjoy most and that make you feel best. Intentionally schedule at least one of these activities into your life each week.
via Bob Starkey LSU
From Matthew E. May at OpenForum.com
Friday, August 13, 2010
Gene Stallings on planning and conducting productive practices
GENE STALLINGS ON PLANNING AND CONDUCTING PRODUCTIVE PRACTICES
1. Every team in the country has good Xs and Os. The difference is in performance, and good performance comes from lots of research, hours of planning, and proper use of time.
2. It is important for everyone to use the same terminology. Both the offense and defense should use the same names for plays, coverages, formations, forces, alignments, stunts, techniques, and personnel. To reduce confusion, the offensive and defensive coaches should use the same name in speaking to any combination of players.
3. Important Points to Remember:
• Football players win games by making plays. A player cannot consistently make good plays if he’s confused.
• Players must use techniques properly. Learning to do this is what practice is all about.
• Being loud does not make you a good coach.
• There is no substitute for knowledge.
• You cannot coach well without some enthusiasm.
• The best-coaches teams usually win.
post via Bob Starkey LSU
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Matthew Kelly quote on self discipline
"Successful people are in the habit of being disciplined. Undisciplined people are in the habit of being unsuccessful"
- Matthew Kelly
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