THE ROLE HATE PLAYS IN OUR DEVELOPMENT

The following comes from "9 Things a Leader Must Do" by Dr. Henry Cloud:

Our character is in some ways formed through a process of what we hate and move against.

So the first thing that hate does for us is help us move against certain traits and issues, thus becoming different from them. We push away from attaching ourselves to the things we hate. Our hatred serves as a preventative force.

The second way hate benefits us is that it causes us to protect what we value. We hate it when things we love are threatened, so we move to protect them. In that way, hate is a protective emotion, urging us to stand for operating openly in the light.

The third way that hate is a good thing is the flip side of protection. Hate moves us to destroy bad things, which are often the things that threaten the good. The hate of evil protects the good not only by shielding it but also by cleansing the environment of the bas things that move against it.

As the apostle Paul wrote, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).

Choosing what you hate is serious business. What will you tolerate? What will you not? What will you work with and what will you absolutely under no conditions allow? What you do not hate well is going to find its way into your life.

Make your values intentional. Think about situations you have found to be hurtful, and what you should see as worthy of taking a stand against in order to protect what you love.

Mix hate with love and respect. A déjà vu leader shows up with what we call integrated character.

Build your skills. Taking a stand against the things that destroy life can be tough if you have never learned the skills needed.

BELIEF

"Nothing great has ever been achieved

except by those who dared believe that

something inside them was

superior to circumstances."

-Bruce Barton-

THE SOUNDS OF A GOOD PRACTICE

Last spring I posted a blog of hearing Buzz Williams speak and his thoughts on what a good practice would "sound" like.  He had some great thoughts about it and you can re-read the post at:

http://bit.ly/aOCj6A

We spoke to our team about it last week and asked them to compile a list of what a good practice would sound like and here are some of their thoughts:

◄High fives being given

◄Coaches saying “good job”

◄Positive phrases from teammates like “good job” and “keep it up”

◄Hands clapping

◄Shoes squeeking

◄Constructive criticism from teammates

◄Hearing the net when we shoot free throws

◄Echo yells

◄Defensive talk “I got ball,” “I’ve got your help,” “

◄Coaches not repeating themselves

◄Leaders giving direction

◄Calling out who you are screening for

◄Calling out your cut

THOUGHTS ON OFFENSIVE SPACING

Above all, remember what Chuck Daily taught us: “Spacing is offense, offense is spacing.” It will be one of the most important principles to the foundation of any offense.

In regard to motion, for us to be able to feed the post, drive the basketball, and make the cuts necessary for good offensive execution, we must first have good spacing. For us, good spacing will be 15 to 18 feet apart from all of our offensive teammates. The only time that spacing should close from that distance is during a screening situation when a cutter will cut off of screen. However, following a screen, it is important that the screener become the second cutter in order to redevelop good spacing.

Part of spacing refers to our spacing off of the baseline. During practice sessions, we will have a line taped across the court. We will refer to it as the “Motion Line.” We want every player ABOVE that line with the exception of the low post player or a cutter. If you should move below that line to cut or screen, we will expect you to “work your way back out.”

The other line involved with spacing is the 3-point arc. We want all of our perimeter players outside the arc, even (and especially) if they are opposite the ball. Again, if cutting or screening takes you inside the arc, your second movement should have you “working your back out.”

Everything involving spacing is designed to give us room to work. The one phrase that you will hear each day of practice is “HIGH & WIDE.” High refers to getting above the motion line. Wide refers to getting outside of the 3-point arc or away from your teammates. SPACING WILL BE THE KEY TO OUR OFFENSE. We can break down in certain areas and if we still maintain our spacing, good things can happen. The biggest key to spacing is your ability to “see” the floor. Don’t get caught watching the ball.

PURPOSEFUL OFFENSIVE PLAY

At UCF, we utilize motion offense as a primary means of attack.  To be a successful offensive team in regards to motion, our play on offense must be purposeful.  In other words, in all that we do there is a why and a how.

MOVE WITH A PURPOSE
.....Cut to get open -- be a receiver
.....Cut to create space -- occupy your defender
.....Cut to create help -- occupy a help defender

SCREEN WITH A PURPOSE
.....Screen to get a teammate open
.....Screen to create help
.....Screen to occupy your defender

DRIBBLE WITH A PURPOSE
.....Improve your passing angle
.....Direct drive to the basket
.....Balance the floor/Center the ball
.....Attacking the ball screen
.....To escape trap/trouble

CATCH WITH A PURPOSE
(This is not just about your hands but your feet and eyes)
.....Ready to Shoot
.....Ready to Pass
.....Ready to Drive

PASS WITH A PURPOSE
.....Find the open man
.....Find the best shooter/driver
.....Pass to create an assist opportunity for a teammate

COACH JIM BOONE ANNOUNCES WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COACHING CLINIC

The West Virginia Wesleyan men's basketball staff will hold its 25th annual fall coaching clinic Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22-23rd at Rockefeller Arena.

This FREE event, scheduled from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Saturday, and 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Sunday, will include over 7 hours of instruction, two Team Practices, Two Skill Development Sessions (one each for perimeter and post players), along with a lecture by Coach Jim Boone, The Pressure Pack Line Defense: Advanced Tactics. This year’s clinic will also be filmed by REVMA Media a professional film company from Kingsport, TN in order to produce Coach Boone’s next DVD: The Pressure Pack Line Defense: Advanced Tactics.

Wesleyan men's basketball head coach Jim Boone is a well-known speaker at clinics around the nation. His resume includes speaking at High School Associations around the nation; including the states of West Virginia, Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, and Iowa. As well, Boone has held his own Clinics for 25 years and has hosted such noted speakers as Don Meyer, Dale Brown, Kevin O’Neil, Dean Lockwood, Bob Donewald, and many more.

In his first year with the Bobcats, Boone will lead a squad with three returning starters that posted a 19-11 record in 2011 and a trip to the NCAA tournament. Coach Boone enters the season with 409 career victories including 7 post season appearances, two Final Four appearances and the nation’s number one ranked NCAA Division II team in 1992.

The Wesleyan staff, consisting of Jimmy Boone, Ryan Sharbaugh, and BeJay Corley, will be available throughout the Clinic. For more information, contact Ryan Sharbaugh in the men's basketball office at (304) 473-8131 or Boone_J@WVWC.edu.

SEIMONE AUGUSTUS: PROFILE OF GREATNESS

It was certainly a proud moment for me to see Seimone Augustus stand in front of the world and be named the Most Valuable Player of the WNBA Championship only minutes after capturing the title with her Lynx teammates.

I have had several thrills in coaching and many of them include being a part of some outstanding teams and having the opportunity to coach some special players.  Seimone came to LSU at a time when we had good teams but we were not an elite program.  We had a fan base but it was small in comparison to the nation's best.  Neither of those facts deterred her in her effort to leave a legacy.

If I had a wish for every player I coached, it would be to be able to take them back in time to watch Seimone practice.  Everyday she was driven to be her best.  She didn't need external motivation -- it all came from within.  She was just as competitive in a shooting drill as she was in big game.  In fact, all games were "big" for Mone because she loved to compete.

And she was a great teammate!  Only one major problem ever arose from coaching Seimone -- we couldn't get her to shoot enough.  She wanted to involve her teammates in the offense.  She was consummate teammate.  Being part of a team is important to her.  It's why on possibly the biggest state of her career, with all the world watching, and the best of the best presenting her with the MVP trophy, she first complimented her owner than her coach and then turned to her teammates and said, "I am so thankful I had the opportunity to play with you wonderful women."


She also loved to play the game!

It would be nothing in the summer months for her to play pick up for a couple of hours with the Lady Tigers only to leave there and go play pick up the boys team of Coach Chauncey Moore across town at McKinnley High School.  If you stopped by the rec center you might see her schooling some guys there as well -- Mone was always hunting a game.

She was also a student of the game.  She knew about a lot of the old school NBA players in large part to the education from her father Seymour who started teaching her the game at an early age.  She watched games on television -- no, she studied games on television. 

She had an insatiable thirst to improve!

She worked just as hard in the weight room.  She was a warrior in conditioning.  And her competitive spirit -- along with a few other special players in LSU uniforms -- transformed a program to elite status.  Seimone not only made the players around her better but she made the coaches better.  We were stretched to keep up with her competitive desire.  The marketing and promotions department at LSU went to another level to keep up with the desire of the nation to know about Seimone.

A program that struggled in attendance became top 10 in the nation.  During Seimone's career we had more sellouts in the PMAC than the men's team.  Her senior year LSU lead the nation in road attendance.  And of course, she was directly responsible for three consecutive Final Four trips and indirectly responsible for the two we made after she graduated.

And she never stopped working!

Off to the WNBA and the Rookie of the Year along with All-Star selections and an Olympic Gold Medal!  She was simply one of the best players to have ever played the game.  Still her greatest triumph was ahead of her.  And it wasn't just winning the WNBA title and being the MVP -- it was doing all of this with an upstart program that was struggling when she arrived and then doing it after tearing her ACL.

The rehab process for an ACL is one of the most difficult and trying things for an athlete -- but Seimone treated it as an opponent and showed her competitive spirit.  I can't tell you how many times I would be walking through our arena late at night and hear a basketball bouncing only to stick my head in and see Seimone working out.  Spending endless time with her former LSU trainer Micki Collins.

It is something about the great that the good don't understand -- the work ethic -- the desire not just to improve but to be the absolute best -- and that's Seimone Augustus.

Yes indeed -- it was an honor to coach Seimone.  And of course she's not done -- I guarantee her greedy, competitive nature is going to want to win a second WNBA title and a second Gold Medal.  And I know she will keep working towards those goals -- the great ones always keep working!

PRACTICE POINTERS #5: OVERLOAD DRILLS

This signifies drills in which we place a larger burden on our players in a drill than they would face in game situations. There are three basic ways to create overloads.

#1 We might add another ball to work on individual player development.

2 BALL STATIONARY DRIBBLING
This drill we utilize to work on our ball handling and dribbling.  We have the players in a line on the baseline with one player in front as a leader.  Each player has two basketballs and the leader takes them through a dribble routine of various ball handling exercises.  We stress that they utilize the arms for dribbling and not just their wrists -- we want to pound the ball.  We want them down in their stance with their head up.  Utilizing two basketballs allows us to overload their work effort -- working on their strong hand and weak hand at the same time.

#2 We might add an additional player to a drill to make it more difficult for the defensive team.

5/4 OPEN PERIMETER
One of our favorite drills is 5/4 in which we have four defensive players that have to defend five offensive players.  The for guard offensive players are cutting and screening and looking to score.  At any time, they may pitch it to the 5th and unguarded player.  The unguarded player may only receive the ball when outside of the 3-point arc.  When she receives the ball she is looking to drive the ball to the rim for a score.  If our defense rotates properly and helps, she passes to an open player and we recover and continue playing until the possession is over on a miss, make or turnover.  Forcing four players to defend five is extremely difficult but a great way to stretch your team defensively.

#3 Offensively, we might add a restriction to make it more difficult for the offensive team to perform.


4/4 NO DRIBBLE
Almost daily, we take the dribble away from the offensive team to place a premium on our ability to be strong with the ball, make good passes and execute our cuts against pressure defense.  This is especially a great deal for motion teams.  You can imagine how difficult it is to execute offensively without the use of a dribble.  The defense can really pressure the ball without fear of being beat of the dribble.  It forces the offense to work hard on their cuts to get open.  The offense must get good, solid screens to get their teammates open.  The player with the ball must work hard on low ball transfers and making good, quick passes aware from the defense.

Other offensive restrictions include:

Low Post Touch before a Jump Shot...of course the defense knows the restriction so they are working hard to take it away...but this makes your offense work in posting and sealing...spacing...and low post feeds.

2 Ball Reversals before a Jump Shot...great way to make your team think about reversing the ball...again the defense is working hard to take it away.

2 Touches for Aisha before a Shot...this restriction is designed to have your team work to get the ball to a key player...we obviously want the defense to work to take the touches away.

We Can Only Score off of a Down Screen (or Back Screen/Elbow Screen/Ball Screen)...again, placing emphasis on a specific part of our offense.

Restrictions are limited to a coach's imagination and what they believe their team needs to work on.  One note however, we always allow a lay-up regardless of the restriction.  For instance, if we say "Two ball reversals before a shot" and we make one pass and have a drive to the rim for a lay-up -- we will take the lay-up.

In the women's game, another form of overload is to occasionally work against males.  We have a group of men that come in from time to time to work with us in drills or scrimmage situations.  They are a little big, stronger and quicker -- and that pushes us to work at our maximum if we want to be successful against them.

IDEADS ABOUT WINNING COACHES FROM THE COACHING TOOLBOX

Each day I look forward to my email of basketball knowledge from http://coachingtoolbox.net/blog/. Brian Williams and his staff do a great job -- if you haven't got on his email list, click on the site above and sign up...it's free and comes every morning with great stuff.  I really liked what they sent out this morning:

I have had this article in my files for quite a while. I am not sure where it came from, but I really like it.

1.THE DOUBLE WIN: Winning Coaches employ the DOUBLE WIN PHILOSOPHY which states that: Winning on the bottom line (wins and losses, profits, etc.) comes only as a direct result of winning on the top line (Investing in the academic, personal, and athletic development of the total athlete).

2. CONTRIBUTION: Winning Coaches develop systems that support a basic human need: the need to make a positive contribution. The greatest, but most difficult contribution, is allowing others to contribute to us. Winning Coaches remain open toward allowing others to contribute to them.

3. THE POSITIVE LEARNING CYCLE: Winning Coaches use a method of teaching in which there is no such thing as failure. The only source of competition for the athlete is with themselves in striving to reach their own greatest potential. Winning Coaches create an environment where setbacks and breakdowns are regarded as opportunities for learning, rather than failures.

4. THE STEPPING STONE METHOD: Winning Coaches employ the STEPPING STONE METHOD of steady improvement. This method involves building one small success after another, reaching towards the final or highest goal. The strategy of the coach is to progressively teach only those skills that are needed to empower the athlete to climb to the next level.

5. RESPONSIBLE FREEDOM: Winning Coaches develop an environment of responsible freedom where mutual trust, relatedness, and open communication are encouraged and acknowledged. Within the limits and guidelines of responsible behavior, an environment of safety is developed that encourages openness and honesty between the coach and players.

6. A BALANCE OF EXTREMES: Winning Coaches have learned to be both highly directive and highly supportive in their relationships with their players. They develop a supportive environment for constructive risk-taking and growth, and yet instill a demand for perfection that is unyielding.

7. INTEGRITY: Winning Coaches act as models and not critics. They foster a mutual commitment to Integrity through (1) actions and behaviors that are in alignment with personal values, (2), upholding all promises and agreements, and (3) through demonstrating their loyalty and commitment to their players. Through their personal integrity and commitment to their players, Winning Coaches earn the highest sense of integrity, commitment and loyalty in return.

8. OPENNESS: Winning Coaches fight to remain open. They resist the most common human tendency; THE NEED TO BE RIGHT, which inadvertently makes others wrong. Winning coaches take the path not taken; which is to remain open to innovation and new learning, as well as permitting themselves to be supported and directed by others.

9. SYNERGISTIC SYSTEMS. Winning Coaches develop and perpetuate an environment in which the system is greater than the sum of all the parts. The system creates a continuous s self-renewing chain of success.

10. STRUCTURE FOR FULFILLMENT: Winning Coaches create a structure for fulfillment that is based upon abundance as opposed to scarcity. This structure becomes a roadmap through which players are empowered to progress toward both their own personal goals, and to actualize the larger vision that is communicated by their coach.

CREATE A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The is a brief excerpt from an article written by David Lee for www.SuccessMagazine.com :

No matter our age, one of the best ways we can put ourselves in an environment to learn is to surround ourselves with mentors and others we can learn from. SUCCESS for Teens points out three ways to learn something new:

1. Study how it works and what to do.

2. Learn by actually doing it.

3. Find someone else who’s already mastered something you want to do. That person can teach from his or her experience.

Learning from someone who has gone before us and already experienced the successes and failures can be invaluable. Help your teen identify his support team. Who can he learn from? Who can help him reach his goals? Help him set up meetings with these people so he can stay in contact and learn from them. If he learns what works and doesn’t work for them, and if he can find a way to apply that knowledge to his life, he can really get a head start in reaching his goals.

Read the entire article at: http://bit.ly/q1WIPZ