At the heart of PGC is the word “SCHAPE,” an acronym invented by PGC’s Founder, Dick DeVenzio. PGC says that its mission is to SCHAPE the basketball world—but what does that mean and how does it impact you?
The verb “shape” means to mold or to form, as in the way that a potter “shapes” clay into a vase. Dick DeVenzio changed the spelling of “shape” and created an acronym in which each letter stands for an essential aspect of championship performance. Dick’s acronym—“SCHAPE”—means not just to form, but to transform—to uplift, change or alter something in order to make it the best it can be.
The essence of SCHAPE is to bring passion, intensity, care and full attention to whatever is in front of you—the task at hand—so that whatever you do, you do it the best that you can. We then apply this “psychology of excellence” to what our athletes and coaches care the most about—striving to achieve excellence in the game of basketball.
At PGC, we attempt to “SCHAPE the basketball world.” How? By injecting the six crucial ingredients represented by the acronym into everything that we say and do. We teach players how to SCHAPE their practices, their games, and their off-court environments in ways that make everyone that they’re associated with the best they can be.
The full meaning of the acronym is much deeper than what we can cover here, but here is a brief overview of what the six aspects of SCHAPE mean to PGC:
Spirit
The following passage comes from his book, "Think Like A Champion."
Our passion and enthusiasm. We inspire coaches and athletes to get in touch with what they truly love about the game.
Communication
We communicate our values in everything that we say and do. We use a creative vocabulary to make our teaching and communication more memorable and effective.
Hustle
We consistently look to do more than our share and more than what’s expected.
Approach
Our actions are always aligned with our purpose. We are always conscious of and consistent in our approach, making sure that our actions are sourced from our values.
Precision
We pay attention to the little things in all that we do and maintain an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Enhancement
We continually look for ways to make our curriculum, our staff, and the athletes and coaches that we work with the very best they can be.
The notion of SCHAPE-ing pervades everything that we do at PGC. This is not about a fancy pep talk or another topic for a lecture: The acronym SCHAPE provides the foundation for all of our courses and is the thread that runs through all that we teach and do.
SCHAPE is the essence of Dick DeVenzio’s legacy. This legacy is what makes PGC unique—SCHAPE-ing the basketball world is “The PGC Way.”
"Any athlete involved in a team sport can often help his team by instructing his teammates, but this can be a delicate subject. There aren’t two athletes out of a hundred who like being told what to do. It’s bad enough having a coach constantly barking out commands without having teammates do the same. Nevertheless, I think this whole subject can be dealt with effectively by keeping on rule in mind. Instruct before a mistake is made. Not after."
Excellent advice for players but can certainly apply to coaches as well!
Dena and PGC sell Dick's books including his classic "Stuff." If you are interested click on this link:
