JON GORDON WANTS US TO THINK LIKE GOLFERS

From my most recent email newsletter from Jon Gordon comes a great thought into our mental approach to life:

I found one of the keys to life on a golf course. Golf course, you might wonder? How could a game that makes grown men cry like babies and throw their clubs like toddlers hold the key to anything but frustration and pain?

It’s simple really. The amazing thing about golf is that at the end of the day golfers don't remember the multitude of horrible shots they made. All they remember is their one great shot and this memory inspires them to come back again and again in an attempt to make another great shot. It’s no wonder that golf is so addicting.

I couldn't help but compare this thought process to how many of us approach work and life. Instead of focusing on the one good thing that happened to us each day we often think about the 100 things that went wrong. Instead of thinking about our successes we replay our failures over and over again in our mind. No wonder why so many of us retreat from life and work instead of getting addicted to it.

The key is to think like a golfer and remember the one great conversation, the one energizing meeting, the one act of kindness, the one meaningful accomplishment or the one special moment that made you smile, laugh and cheer.

No matter how difficult our days are, there’s always a positive moment we can choose to focus on. The key is to remember them, focus on them and get addicted to them. Let them inspire you to wake up and take on each day just as you would a golf course. You'll go through life learning from your mistakes but remembering and focusing on your successes.

Sure, there will be days that make you want to give up but the memory of your successes and positive experiences will motivate you to come back again and again. You'll forget the 100 things that went wrong and you'll remember the one thing that went right. You’ll get addicted to the moments that make life the greatest game in the universe and you’ll intoxicate yourself with positive energy, happiness, joy and success!

HCHS COACHING CLINIC SET

Focus of 8th Annual HCHS Basketball Coaching Clinic is helping coaches improve as practice coaches and fundamental skill instructors

The 8th Annual HCHS Basketball Coaching Clinic will be held at Houston Christian High School's Metro Gym on Saturday, October 9, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. till 2:30 p.m. The cost for tuition for the clinic is $25. A discount is offered for multiple coaches from each school. Lunch is also provided for coaches attending the clinic.

For complete clinic details go to kcsbasketball.com and click on the clinic link to download a complete registration form.

The clinic speakers for the 8th Annual Clinic include HCHS Lady Mustang Head Coach Rusty Rogers and long time head coach turned assistant Kevin Sivils. Rogers, a two time NAIA National Championship Coach and NAIA National Coach of the Year, has over 550 career wins as a head coach and is a master of the zone press, a specialization he will share at the clinic.

MACK BROWN: WHAT CONSTITUTES A GOOD COACH

Special thanks to Creighton Burns for sharing this:

-He possesses thorough knowledge of fundamental techniques.

-He is a teacher. The most important characteristic of a successful coach is his ability to teach. Games are not won by what a coach thinks he knows; they are won by what his players have learned.

-He is prepared-at meetings, practices, games.

-He is inquisitive, constantly improving his knowledge and teaching methods.

-He has a positive attitude.

-He is a tireless worker willing to devote time to all phases of the program.

-He has a winning attitude and knows what it takes to win. He recognizes a winner by judging a

player's performance.

-He pays attention to details. Persistence and perseverance regarding the details makes for a

winning program.

-He is willing to assume responsibility for thinking out an assignment and for creatively solving problems.

-He is loyal, honest, and dedicated his fellow coaches and the staff, the school, and the players.

-He does not over-coach. This can take the initiative and instinct out of a player, causing him to be overly cautious.

-He is enthusiastic.

-He is demanding. A good team is built on good habits and discipline.

-He is self-disciplined.

BASKETBALL THOUGHTS FROM JOHN LUCAS

This past weekend while speaking at a coaching clinic in Houston, I had the opportunity to listen to John Lucas who is one of the prominent basketball skill instructors in the South. Here are some of his comments/thought:

"If I have to coach a guy to play hard, I don't want him on my team."

Coaching is:

1. Mentoring

2. Counseling

3. Teaching them how to play

4. Positive confrontation

"Player development is not mass teaching."

"Michael may be a better player but Kobe is more fundamentally sound."

"Great shooters don't count misses."

"Points guards never run for class president." He got this from Bill Fitch in regard to point gaurds doing what is best for the team as opposed to what is most popular.

Best shooter he's seen in the NBA? Dale Ellis. Best in the NBA now? "Probably Ray Allen."

"Your landing says alot about your shot."

Teaches permanent pivot foot.

Three things an NBA players must do well from the wing:

1. Shoot

2. Drive

3. Rebound

"The one thing that separates Kobe Bryant is his footwork. It make a huge difference in his ability to get off his shot."

Two biggest things for a post to master is running the floor and knowing how to seal.

"Dwight Howard is fundamentally poor. If he's not power dunking or blocking shot tell me what he's doing."

"You must convince players you know what you are talking about in regards to shooting before they will take your instruction."

XAVIER DEFENSIVE THOUGHTS

Some great thoughts here defensively regardless of your system of play. Would like to thank Xavier assistant coach Mike Neighbors for sharing this (and a lot more) with me. I'm a big fan of Xavier women's basketball. It is a staff that cares about their players and the game. As they say up north, "Advantage X."

FOUR QUESTIONS YOU MUST ANSWER IN REGARD TO YOUR DEFENSE

1. Can it put you in a position to beat the BEST teams on your schedule?
2. Can it win on the Road?
3. Do you improve as the season goes on?
4. Can you advance in post-season tournaments?

XAVIER NON-NEGOTIABLES
1. Committed to Transition D
2. Keep the Ball out of the Post
3. Must Pressure On-Ball
4. EARLY help on dribble penetration
5. Awareness off the ball
6. Contest ALL shots

DICK BENNET/SEAN MILLER
1. Identity
... A. Important Concept
... B. Do What WE Do
... C. Xavier Defense/Rebounding
2. How To Measure the Success of Identity
... A. FG% Defense
.......... 2009– 33.2%— 1st in NCAA
.......... 2010– 34.9%— 11th in NCAA
... B. Rebounding Margin
.......... 2009-- +11.2— 3rd in NCAA

.......... 2010-- +11.1— 4th in NCAA
3. Terminology/Language

LET US NEVER, NEVER FORGET

SPEAKING AT HOUSTON CLINIC SATURDAY

I will be in the Houston area this Saturday to speak at a Coaching Clinic on the campus of Texas Southern. The clinic is at the HP & E Arena and the cost is $60. For more information, you can contact Texas Southern assistant coach Wesley Brooks at: brooksww@TSU.EDU

SATURDAY - SEPTEMBER 11, 2010

8:30 - 9:20
Daryl Armstrong - Dallas Maverick - Shooting

9:30 - 10:20
John Lucas - Player Development

10:30 - 11:20
Mike Carey - WVU - Man Defense

11:30 - 12:20
Bob Starkey - LSU - Offense

The clinic has a great list of speakers and I'll be there bright and early to listen and learn from them. If you make it by, please come up and introduce yourself afterwards. I'll be glad to stick around and talk basketball with anyone interested.

SEAN MILLER'S 4/4 TRANSITION DEFENSE DRILL

1. The drill begins with live four on four action taking place at a basket. On the shot by the offense or the command of "change" by a coach, a conversion takes place. If a shot is taken two forwards or bigs attack the offensive glass while the two guards get back on the shot. A coach is assigned the offensive rebounders and a second coach is assigned the two guards "getting back."

2. On the conversion, all four defenders must cross the halfcourt line in 2.5 seconds or the drill stops and the four converting defenders will run. As the drill continues the defense gets set and live four on four action takes place at the other end. Once again, on a shot by the offense or the command of "change" by a coach, a conversion takes place. There is no out of bounds. This action takes place for several minutes. The coaches are paying particular attention to offensive rebounding, getting the guards back on the shot and making sure all four defenders cross halfcourt in 2.5 seconds or less.

3. To ensure more shot attempts the shotclock can be shortened for the offense promoting more rebounding opportunities and more conversions.

BALL SCREEN DEFENSE OUT OF THE PACK MAN

The following is the way Jim Boone of Tusculum College defends ball screens out of his Pack Man Defense:

• Hard Show:

The screener defender gets in the dribblers path and has his “shoulders facing the ball”, while the defender on the ball gets over top of the screen and under the screener defender. The screener defender must force the ball handler to pick-up the dribble, go around the high side, or take a charge. We must help the helper with our other post defender, Big supports Big. We use this method of defending the ball screen vs. a great ball handler that can create and score with the jumper behind the screen.

...

• Soft Show:

The screener defender positions himself in the lower plane of the screener with his shoulders tilted toward half court, two steps away from the screen (we are in a better position to recover to the screener popping), his job is to force the ball to dribble out and around, thus giving our ball defender ample opportunity to recover. He absolutely cannot allow a dribble around or pull-up Jump shot. The ball defender goes over both the screen and the screener defender, over taking and recovering to the ball. We employ this method of defending the ball screen with a great ball-handler that is creative with the dribble, can shoot the pull-up, and the screener can pop and shoot it.

...

• Slide:

The screener defender positions himself “2 x 2”; two steps under the screen and two steps away from screen, allowing the ball defender to slide under the screener and over our screener defender. We defend the ball screen in this manner when it occurs outside of the scoring area, or the ball handler is not a threat to score.

...
• Flat:

The screener defender pushes up into screener while the on ball defender goes under both. We use this vs. a screener that can shoot-it, or a great screen and role guy.

DEVELOPING THE HABIT OF BEING PERSISTENT

The following is written by Napoleon Hill and came to me as a passout from Green Bay Basketball. It will make our team notebook:

Persistence is a state of mind, therefore it can be cultivated. Like all states of mind, persistence is based upon definite causes, among them these:

1. Definiteness of purpose

Knowing what one wants is the first and, perhaps, the most important step toward the development of persistence. A strong motive forces one to surmount many difficulties.

2. Desire

It is comparatively easy to acquire and to maintain persistence in pursuing the object of intense desire.

3. Self-reliance

Belief in one’s ability to carry out a plan encourages one to follow the plan through with persistence.

4. Definiteness of plan

Organized plans, even though they may be weak and entirely impractical, encourage persistence.

5. Accurate knowledge

Knowing that one’s plans are sound, based upon experience or observation, encourages persistence; “guessing” instead of “knowing” destroys persistence.

6. Cooperation

Sympathy, understanding, and harmonious cooperation with others tend to develop persistence.

7. Will-power

The habit of concentrating one’s thoughts upon the building of plans for the attainment of a definite purpose leads to persistence.

8. Habit

Persistence is the direct result of habit. The mind absorbs and becomes a part of the daily experiences upon which it feeds. Fear, the worst of all enemies, can be effectively cured by forced repetition of acts of courage. Everyone who has seen active service in war knows this.