LAKERS USE "FUNDAMENTAL" APPROACH

The following comes from an article by Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com:

There's a scene in the charming yet forgettable 1994 Disney movie, "Angels in the Outfield," when the ragtag baseball team is reeling from pathetic performances. In walks the manager, played by Danny Glover, to the postgame clubhouse and he informs the players to report to the field early the next day to work on fundamentals.

"Fundamentals, in the middle of the season?!" one veteran incredulously asks.

Amazingly enough, 34 games into the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in the same predicament as those fictional Angels.

And while Hollywood "It" guy Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who co-starred in the movie as an early teen) could very well show up at Staples Center in courtside seats, he won't be flapping his arms signaling the time for some heavenly intervention from Christopher Lloyd like he did to save that bunch from Anaheim.

Nope, the only way the Lakers can bust out of their current slump that includes four losses in their past six games, three losses in their past four home games and four losses in a row by a margin of 15 or more, is to get back to basics.


So, at Monday's practice, their last chance to breathe before beginning a six-games-in-nine-days stretch, the practice schedule sitting on the table at center court was from Sept. 26, 2010 -- their second practice of the preseason. And they ran until it hurt to breathe.

They lined up for a training camp drill in which the whole team has to complete 82 full-court layups in two minutes. It's a constant-motion exercise that tests physical as well as mental stamina because the drill allows for only a couple missed layups as a team before the 82 becomes an unreachable goal.

The Lakers ran it six times Monday before finally reaching the mark.

If at first you don't succeed, try and try and try and try and try and try again.

"We're changing some things, but we believe it will make us better," Kobe Bryant said. "It's like changing your shot or changing your golf swing. If you change your swing it takes a little while to get it back in sync, but when you do you're a better player."


What they're changing primarily is their approach.

Simple concepts such as running the offense properly, talking on defense to ensure proper rotations, moving to the ball when receiving a pass, and following your shot by crashing the boards are usually imparted by the time the preseason rolls around, not the New Year. But something had to be done with 48 regular season games remaining and it's a better plan to go back to square one than continue to sweep problems under the rug.

"If we do the small things -- take care of the ball, play team defense -- we're going to give ourselves a pretty good chance to win," Odom said. "If we don't do those things, we'll lose games that we should win and we'll be up and down, up and down, up and down."


One of the most overused maxims in sports is take it one game at a time, but Phil Jackson has always further focused that message, preaching to his players to take it quarter by quarter and, even more specifically, timeout to timeout. By concentrating on winning enough 2-3 minute-long spurts in a game, you'll end up winning whole games.

Lakers co-captain Derek Fisher, a 15-year veteran, is committed to taking it even further, buckling down possession by possession.

Read the entire article at: http://es.pn/edpslY

THE BELICHICK WAY

Thanks to Coach Joey Burton for passing this article on to me:

Bill Belichick strode through the crowded locker room - his head down, his arms swinging, his face set with the serious look of a man on a mission.

The Patriots coach ignored the players and reporters filling his domain. He had something to take care of before Wednesday's practice.

Rodney Harrison had seen that determination countless times.

''His motto is, 'Listen fellas, I'm going to do everything I can to make this team better, so whatever decision I make, it's not about you. It's not about me. It's about the team,' '' New England's former star safety said. ''You can do nothing but respect that.''

It's the Belichick Way.

It's the Patriots Way.

And it's worked for a decade, from the Super Bowl championship in the 2001 season to the best record in the NFL this season. Players change. Assistant coaches leave. The Patriots Way endures.

The approach has many parts - focus on team over individual success, prepare thoroughly, shut out distractions, build team depth and look no further than the next game.

It has one goal - winning.

''When you embody the Patriots spirit, it's guys that aren't worried about who gets the recognition,'' said Harrison, now an analyst on NBC's Football Night in America. ''If you win football games, everybody looks good.

''The other thing about the Patriots Way is preparation. When you prepare everyone, it creates depth and it begins to build confidence in guys who accept their roles.''

Belichick's players prepare exhaustively, even for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins that means nothing in the standings. The Patriots (13-2) already have homefield advantage as long as they're in the AFC playoffs.

Few situations arise in games that the players haven't seen in practice. No detail is too small. After all, it might save a game that can lead to a title, so Belichick springs questions on players during meetings.

''I can remember my first week being here,'' said linebacker Rob Ninkovich, who joined the Patriots as a free agent before last season. ''I was sitting there before the Buffalo game and he's like, 'Rob, could you name all their tight ends and their strengths and weaknesses?' ''

The nervous newcomer was speechless. So he opened his book to look it up.

''He was like, 'close your book,' '' Ninkovich recalled, ''and then he came up to me and said, 'Hey, you've got to know their shoe size by the time you play them, so take this as a lesson.' ''

Read the entire by AP Sports Writers Teresa Walker in Nashville and Brett Martel in New Orleans at: http://bit.ly/f80Ltr

DEAN SMITH'S METHOD FOR MAINTAINING RESPECT AND DISCIPLINE

I recently read an article about Dean Smith, basketball coach at North Carolina, describing how he maintains discipline and respect for his authority. He makes sure his players know that being on the court is a privilege, not a right, and he demands that they respect his authority by training hard, playing hard, attending all team activities, standing from the bench to applaud and encourage teammates on the floor, attend classes, and follow directions. “I think as a coach, I can manage discipline and command respect because I have in my hands the one thing players must have,” he said, “and that’s playing time.” You cut a player’s playing time and other privileges, and he may not like you—but he’ll soon learn to respect you and to follow your directions as leader of the team.

From "The Magic of Team Work" by Pat Williams

GREG MADDUX ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PROCESS OVER RESULTS

“People judge too much by results. I’m just the opposite. I care about more than results. I’d rather make a good pitch and give up a bloop single than make a bad pitch and get an out.”

-Greg Maddux

BELICHICK: WE ALWAYS EXPECT OUR OPPONENTS TO PLAY WELL

“We always expect our opponents to play well. We have a lot of respect for every team we play, as well as the players and coaches in this league. You can look at the scores every Monday morning, and there are games that probably come out differently than the way most people though they would. So if you play well in this league, you have a chance to win. If you don’t, you have no chance.”

-Bill Belichick

NAPOLEON'S KEYS TO VICTORY (VIA BRIAN TRACY)

Interesting post by Brian Tracy today on leadership with a historical reference:

The only real measure of leadership is results. This requires the ability to act boldly with no guarantees of success. The greatest obstacle to overcome is fear of the unknown.

The Key to Confidence
Most fear however, is rooted in ignorance. The more knowledge or skill you have in any area, the less fear it holds. Napoleon Bonaparte is considered by historians to be perhaps the greatest single military leader who ever lived. More than 100,000 books have been written about him since his death on St. Helena.

Pay Attention to Detail
Napoleon's courage was legendary but it was not vain or impetuous. Napoleon was famous for his fastidious attention to detail, for taking pains to study and thoroughly understand every military situation he ever faced. He led the French army in hundreds of minor and major engagements and lost only three, the last one being Waterloo. The more you know about what you face, the lower your level of ignorance, the more courage and confidence you will have naturally. The more time you take to think through a situation, the more capable you will be of dealing with it when it arises. Napoleon planned for every contingency.

Think About the Possibilities

He carefully considered and followed through to its natural conclusion every setback or possibility of defeat he might encounter and then he prepared against it. To be caught unprepared for unexpected setbacks is a mark of weak leadership. Confidence comes from the constructive use of pessimism, thinking about what could go wrong long before it does.

Action Exercises
Here are two ways you can apply Napoleon's strategy to your situation.

First, become an expert in your field. Never stop learning and growing. The more you know, the more confidence you will have.

Second, get the facts. Double check everything. Be prepared for unexpected setbacks and reversals. The more prepared you are, the more confidence you will have.
Be sure to check out: www.BrianTracy.com

WOODEN: MAKE BETTER PEOPLE NOT BETTER PLAYERS

Received this today from Coach Dale Brown:

Coach John Wooden said, "A coach's primary function should not be to make better players but to make better people. Lift others even with your critical analysis. This is still the best method to get the best out of someone because pride is a better motivator than fear. I never wanted to teach through fear, punishment, or intimidation."

JOHN MAXWELL: ENCOURAGE OTHERS IN THEIR PURSUIT OF THEIR DREAMS

Encourage others in their pursuit of a dream is to give them a wonderful gift.

Because dreams are at the center of our souls, we must do everything in our power to help turn dreams into reality. That is one of the greatest gifts we can ever give. How can you do it? Follow these six steps:

1. Ask them to share their dream with you. 

Everyone has a dream,  but few people are asked about it.

2. Affirm the person as well as the dream. 

Let the person know that you not only value his or her dream but that you also recognize traits in that individual that can help him or her achieve it.

3. Ask about the challenges they must overcome to reach their dream. 

Few people ask others about their dreams; even fewer try to find out what kinds of hurdles the person is up against to pursue them.

4. Offer your assistance. 

No one achieves a worthwhile dream alone. You’ll be amazed by how people light up when you offer to help them achieve their dream.

5. Revisit their dream with them on a consistent basis.

 If you really want to help others with their dreams, don’t make it a one-time activity you mark off your list. Check in with them to see how they’re doing and to lend assistance.

6. Determine daily to be a dream booster, not a dream buster. 

Everyone has a dream, and everyone needs encouragement. Set your mental radar to pick up on others’ dreams and help them along.

From “25 Ways To Win With People” by John Maxwell

PETE CARROLL: PLAYING IN THE ABSENCE OF FEAR

A head coach’s primary objective is to orchestrate the overall mentality of his team.  Great teams commonly display an air of confidence that separates them from others.  They have earned the right to be confident through their hard work and success.  The best teams utilized that confidence to share a feeling where they not only expect to win, they know they are going to win.  That knowing is what allows a team to play in the absence of fear. 

In my time as a coach I’ve learned that possibly the greatest detractor from high performance is fear:  fear that you are not prepared, fear that you are in over your head, fear that you are not worthy, and ultimately, fear of failure.  If you can eliminate that fear-not through arrogance or just wishing difficulties away, but through hard work and preparation-you will put yourself in an incredibly powerful position to take on the challenges you face.

I am a firm believer in the idea that more often than not, people will live up to the expectations you set for them, and when it comes to our players, we set those expectations extremely high from their first day in the program-often even well beyond what the player himself thinks he can achieve-and we make sure they know it.  High expectations are one of the most powerful tools we have.  But we also understand that, if those expectations are unrealistic, inappropriate for the individual player in question, or so overwhelming and long term that players don’t have the opportunity to enjoy smaller accomplishments along the way, then we are just setting our players up to fail. 

Ideally, we want to create an atmosphere or a culture where our players can perform in the absence of fear.  It is my job to orchestrate this “knowing we are going to win” mentality.  Achieving that means finding ways to prove to players that they can rely on themselves and their teammates to perform at the highest level in the face of any challenge-even losing. 

 While the Win Forever philosophy sounds great when things are going well, what happens when things go wrong?  How do you Win Forever given that everyone loses sometimes?  The reality is that, no matter how well you practice, how fully you develop your philosophy, or how effectively you recruit, you will lose now and then.  What separates those who have a true Win Forever outlook from those who don’t is the ability to approach that challenge of losing with the same competitive spirit with which they approach everything else.  When I say that “everything counts” or that every challenge in live is a chance to compete, I mean it. I don’t’ mean “everything except losing.”

From "Win Forever" by Pete Carroll

CHUCK DAILY: USING OFFENSE TO HELP TRANSITION DEFENSE

I’ve really enjoyed on this trip reading “Chuck Daily Coach U” written by Brendan Suhr. It goes into great detail at so many reasons why Chuck Daily was incredible successful at the highest of levels of coaching. Coach Suhr gives you inside information as to the teaching and coaching philosophical thoughts of Coach Daily. But there is also an X & O section of so many of the offensive sets and defensive schemes that the used. Here is just a short snippet on transition defense:

It all starts with “transition defense,” you cannot give up fast break points. Chuck stressed these 4 points.

1) Get to the free throw line

2) Offensive rebounds

3) Don’t turn the ball over

4) Take good shots, not quick shots

It’s interested how his mind worked, he just gave you 4 offensive tips to help your transition defense. He had a very strong believe that as a coach you can emphasize only 2 things to your team to be “GREAT” at, he chose: 1) DEFENSE and 2) REBOUNDING.

You can order the book at: http://coachbrendansuhr.com/?p=149

Portions of the proceeds go to the Jimmy V Foundation.