UCF Women's Basketball Thoughts

Ten Keys To Winning State Championship

2012-01-31T05:48:00.000-08:00

Many teams are preparing for District, Conference and Regional Championships. Below are 10 key thoughts:

10 Keys for Winning the State Championship

1. GET THERE
Gear for it. Everything is pointing to getting there!
"Practice to beat the best" - Dick Bennett
Must have a system to accomplish that, Chuck Daly had that system with the Pistons and stick to it. Princeton plays to beat the best

2. WHEN YOUR TEAM GETS THERE--IT'S NO BIG DEAL
Don´t make it a big deal. A big deal is winning the championship. Our Attitude: We are going there to win!!

3. DO WHAT YOU DID TO GET THERE
Freak out with changes vs. Faith in the system.
Ordinary players making ordinary plays everytime = extraordinary players
On good team, two players will do the dirty jobs (take charges, get on the floor, etc). On GREAT teams, all the players and coaches do the dirty jobs.

4. BE AGGRESSIVE
Look for ways to win.
Play to win, don´t play not to lose.
Pete Newell liked to press on the first possession and he wasn´t a press coach. He just wanted to come out and be aggressive early in the game.
Avoid Super Bowl Stupor.

5. REST
Mentally and physically; short, intense practices.
Duke goes dummy in tournament practice. No real contact.
more gold medals are lost by overtraining than undertraining.

6. GIVE UP NO EASY BASKETS
No lay ups - no uncontested shots - block out - no putbacks.

7. GET EASY BASKETS
a. Run - Must run but don´t have to shoot.
b. Offensive rebounding
c. Get fouled - neutralize athleticism (make more free throws than apponents attempt).
d. Take the ball at their best player or any player prone to foul.

8. MAKE FT'S
Big part of our skill development workouts.
Free throw swish...swish = +1, rim make = 0, miss = -1...play to +2 or -2

9. MAKE LAY-UPS
Emphasis: perfect lay-ups in practice - no rim touches, net only.
Pressure lay-ups in practice with a defender.
You can also use reduced rims.
In all drills, if not using reduced rims stress the clean lay-up.

10. GIVE YOUR TEAM A REASON TO WIN
"Deserving victory" - Pitino.
Those who work hardest are the last to surrender.
Fight the feeling of championship games against team that are inferior to a team you have already defeated.
In a championship tournament you will likely have a bad night. You must play hard enough to win when the ball doesn´t bounce right.

What Is Hustle?

2012-01-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

Contrary to what you may have been told, hustle does not, nor cannot make up for lack of talent. Hustle is an essential ingredient of talent, a good deal more than frantic energy of a banty rooster. Hustle is the controlled perpetual motion of the precision athlete.

The Gift of Love

2012-01-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

Coach Summitt carried this passage in her planner. It's a great summary of our responsibility as leaders and teachers and parents.

You can love me,

but only I can make me happy.

You can teach me,

but only I can do the learning.

You can lead me,

but only I can walk the path.

You can promote me,

but I have to succeed.

You can coach me,

but I have to win the game.

You can even pity me,

but I have to bear the sorrow.

For the Gift of Love

is not a food that feeds me.

It is the sunshine

that nourished that which I must finally harvest for myself.

So if you love me

don't just sing me your song.

Teach me to sing,

for when I am alone,

I will need the melody.

--Dan Baker

Thoughts on the passage above:

"The worst thing you can do to someone you love is to do something for them that they can and should do for themselves."--Abraham Lincoln

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."

Harvey Mackay's Tip For Efficiency

2012-01-25T04:40:00.001-08:00

If you want to increase your reading efficiency, Mackay prescribes the following formula, called "SHARK". It stands for Skim, Highlight, Assess, Reread, Keep.

Here's how it works: Go through your business reading pile at a quick, even pace. Skim for what you can take in quickly, what you don't need to know and what you need to read in more detail. Assess what you just read. (Do you need to reread it? To save it? To route it?)

Reread in greater detail the items that are truly worth your attention. Keep and label just the clippings you want filed.

If sharks could read, they would read just like they eat: tear into the food, then circle the feeding area looking for the morsels they missed that are worth going back for.

Team Attitude--Unity Among The Parts

2012-01-25T03:21:00.001-08:00

Process Thinking--Baby Steps & What About Bob

2012-01-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

One of our constant messages with our team is "Trusting The Process".. We want a process oriented approach in all that we do versus a result oriented approach. Coach Meyer always speaks about the movie, saying it should be required viewing for all coaches and players-- "What About Bob"..The following clip illustrates the simple process--of one small action compounded will ultimately lead to the desired vision.

January 15-22 UCF Basketball Diary

2012-01-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

Update #17--Saturday 1/21/12--Prep--Practice--Travel
Today was exciting because we are seeing some growth in our team. Their growth is showing through consistency in their attitude, effort and practices. I'm always asked regarding a game, "were you surprised?" The answer is almost always, "No, we see it everday in practice."

The Aristotle quote is true. "We are what we repeatedly do."

We had very specific things we wanted to cover today in practice. And we did just that. Now the next step of growth is to carry the execution from practice to the games and build from there.
Update #16--Post Game Note Sheets--1/20/12

We use the following sheets to organize our game and post game notes. It's a simple way to organize the information, notes and comments we made about the game while everything is fresh on our minds. Then, it gives us the opportunity to easily retrieve when preparing for the opponent later in the season, tournament prep, etc.

Update #15-Friday 1/20/12 6:00am-Defensive Evaluation Questions
Listed below are the questions we use when putting together our Defensive Breakdown, Teaching Points and Adjustments for our team today.

We will use the answers to these questions to build our practice plan and the answers will influence our next game plan.

We also, take our scouting report and evaluate our execution of the emphasis that we discussed and make notes for the next time we will play the opponent.

Evaluation Questions:
Who, What, How, & Why are we being hurt?

Is it 3's? Penetration? 2nd Shots? Transition?
Pressure without penetration or fouling? Do we need to adjust? Skills to work?
Penetration--Did we control the funnel? Do we need to adjust gaps? Steer? How was our help and recovery? Did we give up elbow drives/ Did we coverdown on baseline?
Post defense--Front? Behind? Positioning. Rebounding
Three point defense--closeouts, contesting shots..Where did 3's come from?
Fouling--reaching, stance, gap, late...
Matchups--what are our best matchups?

What do we need change? Improve? Emphasize?
What can we do to help them?
Update #14 Thursday--Home Game Day Routine
This is my routine when it's not my scout. Simple and I'm sure very similar to other coaches.
8:15--Take Cole to school
8:45--Office--Use this as catch-up time. Emails, correspondence, phone calls & scheduling
10:00--Next game scout completed.
11:30--Staff Meeting--specifics to emphasize in film and shootaround...
                                 --Starters, subs, rotations
                                 --Specifics to watch for during the game
                                 --Review how we're defending specific situations
                                 --Review offensive emphasis
                                 --Potential adjustment
                                 --Gives the staff a good picture of how Coach Williams is looking at the
                                    game and to share any ideas we may have.
1:00--Team Film--this is just a review of some clips from our Scout tape..and a couple of
                             clips to emphasize our game keys
                           --Great opportunity to see the team and prepare them mentally before going
                              to shootaround
2:00--Shootaround--much more like a practice than a walk-thru..
                              --Post/ Perimeter breakdown
                              --Offense/ Defense Breakdown--Coach Starkey will review offensive
                                 emphasis, are adjustments...I will take the other half of team and work
                                 closeouts, any specific screening actions to review, go through a period
                                 of blocking out for technique/
                              --We then switch groups
                              --Coach Williams works both ends reviewing specific keys for the game
                                 during this period.
3:00--Pre-Game--we are fortunate that our meal is catered and we eat on the third floor our
                             our offices. Relaxed time and good food.
3:30--Prepare my game sheet for the game, review a few clips, look at stats, etc.
5:30--Downstairs to the arena.

Update #13 Wednesday 1/18/12 1:45pm--Practice Thoughts
One aspect of practice that makes me think and has always caused me concern is the layout of practice. First, we have to decide what to emphasize, then how much time to allot to each period of practice. Those items are hard enough to plan. It's the flow of practice that often causes me concern. It's different every season. Different for every team. Different based on the time of the season.

When looking at what we are planning for practice, I think about contingencies. For example, if we have allotted 6 or 8 minutes to a period and it seems that we are very sharp in execution, and are hitting the emphasis after 4 or 5 minutes--do we stay and finish the allotted time or move on to the next segment? Or if after the designated time we are not executing to we extend the segment? Do we move on and come back to it later in practice? Or do we just move on?

Other questions that come to mind: What is our balance in "Part" teaching vs "Whole" teaching? Are we getting enough shooting in? Are we putting too much/ not enough emphasis on a skill or action? How many reps does each player need?

We constantly tell our players that we will play as we practice...It's a huge responsibility to plan the practice to give them the best opportunity to practice and execute well.

Coach Meyer's formula is certainly the best to follow--"Simplify, Simplify, Teach, Simplify"--though incredibly tough to follow.

Update #12 Wednesday 1/18/12 6:30am--Team Handout--Compete
We talk daily to our team about Competing and Preparation. I've come to the conclusion that there are few players that truly understand what it means to compete and what it means to be a competitor. The ones that understand what it means, are special players.

It then becomes our job as coaches to not only define but teach them how to compete. Here's our handout for today: (click on the picture to make larger)

Update #11 Tuesday 1/17/12 3:45pm--Thoughts From Practice
I take notes on our practice plan and use my dictaphone to track teaching points we are making, especially things that we are having to repeat. Then, look at the tape to see why were were having to repeat, etc.

I also make note of items for future reference, especially when we play an opponent for the second time. It helps me remember what our mindset as coaches was in the practice and preparation:

The best opportunity to drive baseline is on reversal.
Get the defender right in the chestplae when you screen.
Focus and Concentration
Everyone can't wait for someone else to do it.
Missing too many open cutters.
Impressive when teams get to the FT line
There are areas of the game that require skill vs areas of the game that simply require heart and effort
It's everyone's responsibility

I always think back and laugh when I first thought about being a college coach and how great it would be to "just" coach basketball. Well, I was wrong. My in-laws always ask, "so what do you do all day after practice." Makes me laugh. Practice was over at about 12:30 and the next three hours were a series of meetings that weren't actually meetings.

Meeting 1--was with our Director of Operations about a coulple of budget items. Then she was fortunate enough to attend that meeting.

Meeting 2--with our Facilities director to confirm our arena and practice gym times and dates, conflicts, etc.

Meeting 3--back with our Director of Operations about our practice and travel schedule..For thoughts and ideas to confirm with Coach Williams.

Then, throw a few phone calls in and the next thing I know it's 3:30

Update #9 Tuesday 1/17/12 8:15am--Practice Plan

Our goal is to be Sound, Solid and Simple. Below is a plan from last week.

Update #8 Tuesday 1/17/12 6:00am--Post Players Daily Emphasis:
We have 8 Daily Emphasis for our post players. We do not treat them equal on a daily basis. Taking a look at what we need to emphasize based on Sunday's game and in preparation for Thursday's game.
1. Improve Rebounding
2. Sealing & Maintaining Seal & Re-Sealing
3. Four Second Transition
4. Make Scoring Simple
5. Defensive Positioning
6. FT's
7. Fifteen Footers
8. Make Shots Clean In Practice

Update #7--The Balancing Act of Preparation
Left the office for a Cub Scout meeting at our house. Wild night of 10 eight year olds running thru the house and yard and an 18 month old chasing all of them. Anyway, after that finished the Marshall's second conference game.

Have seen enough to plan what we need to emphasize during the week. This is where the balance of game to game preparation and individual skill and team development comes to play.

It's a matter of prioritizing what we MUST emphasize and improve over the next two days for Rice and and the two days after for Marshall. Plus continuing to build a skill base to carry us into our Conference Tournament.

Talked with Coach Starkey (Rice is his scout) about Rice and what we will see from Marshall. We first discussed what things will be emphasized for both games..Then discussed specific things we saw on tape from our Southern Miss games.

Next we put together for Coach Williams what we both think we will need to do for both games. Then, we'll meet in the morning after watching some specific clips to build the practice plan outline for the week and break it down to our daily plans and emhasis.

After that meeting, we'll put together a few minutes of clips for the team to watch before practice. Give them a point of reference for each emphasis in practice.

Our chief message to the team is that we are more concerned about ourselves and the things we can control than who our opponent is and what they do (the things that we can't control)...

Will finish up a couple of things for tomorrow's meeting and the catch two episodes of Seinfeld at 11:00.

Update #6--Defining Your Own "A" Game
Took a break from the Marshall preparation to meet a friend for lunch. He's a minister and national leadership consultant and fortunate to have him as a friend. I call it my "Lunch and Learn" opportunity. As we were discussing several things, Dan mentioned having a personal "A Game" sheet. He mentioned almost in passing, but it stuck with me as I made a note about it, we then spent the next 30 minutes discussing it.

He said the we need a personal sheet, that's not for others to figure out. But it defines who I am. What do I bring to the table? What's my personality? What things do I need up front? What do I need from my job? What do I need from my job for my family? What do I need from my work to put our family in the best situation--spiritually, socially, financially, etc. Define the things that we have choices about...

As Coach Meyer often says, "What's Us, What's Not Us?"
Update #5--Monday 8:30am--Our "Off Day"
We always laugh about our "off" day. While our players are "off", it's another day of preparation for coaches. My routine does change a little on "off" days. I try to take Cole to school on those days. The great thing about living in Florida is that we can ride our bikes or he'll ride his and I'll run with him and then run back home. Then, head into the office. With today being a holiday, no school. So, the boys made homemade waffles (or at least our version). On our "off" I try, to help Teresa a little with the boys before going to the office. It's tough being the spouse of a coach, and it's a small way to try and help...

We also use our "off" day for meetings. I try to have lunch with someone in the community on these days. I'll be meeting today with a couple of leadership and communication consultants who are basketball fans and see what we can bring back to our team.

Update #4--Sunday 11:00pm--Weekly Planning
Weekly planning is a tool that Coach Meyer and Coach Summitt passed on to us. I use the Planner Pad and a Vision board (it's not pretty, but it's functional). Try to plan our week on Sunday. Find out what is going on at home with Teresa and the boys and put them in, then our games, recruiting, etc. The Planner Pad allows you to see your week, tasks and appointments all at one time. Then the Vision board is just another way to keep the HVA (Highest Value Actions) each day in front of me. Coach Meyer always said to get a system, any system and make it work for you. It's a work in progress, but works best for where I am now.

Update #3 Sunday 10:30pm--Paint Possession Chart
We believe that a good defensive possession--keeps the ball out of the paint, contests the shot and blocks out. As Coach Starkey noted earlier in his blog--it's not what you teach, it's what you emphasize and we believe that stats help us to only identify but emphasize these priorities.

I use a Paint Possession Chart, that we used as Lipscomb with Coach Meyer. We break paint touches down to Transition (T), Post Feed (P), Drives (D), Cuts (C) and Rebounds (R). Each possession where there is a paint touch we mark and note what player and the result and what defense we were in. We also note any uncontested shots on that possession. The chart paints a great picture of our defense.

Update #2 Sunday 1/15/12 8:30pm--Removing Space
Evaluating our defensive possessions. Here are the elements we use to break down our defensive possessions. Our #1 defensive emphasis is Blocking Out (we call it Removing Space). Our goal is both individually and collectively attempt to "Remove Space" 90%. We take each shot and freeze the play to see if each player is simply attempting to remove space. They do not actually have to get to the offensive player, simply make the effort...We look at each player and simply use tally marks...One column of Attempts and one column of Completes...Then divide for their individual and team percentages...I encourage you to take a look at this. It is often shocking...We like this stat for the reason that Attempting is within our control..and we focus on all of the things we can control...

Update#1 Sunday 1/15/12 4:15pm

Bill Parcells always said he takes the time to enjoy a victory all the way to the tunnel when leaving the field. I'm not sure Coach Starkey and I were able to do that. Though we were proud of our team for the win over Southern Miss in front of 2,200 fans; our next thoughts move to our next practice in preparation for Rice at Home on Thursday.

We were talking on the way up to the office about the clips we would need to show the team and the emphasis for the week. Generally, we each break the game down. I'll focus on our Defense and Post players while Coach Starkey will evaluate our Offense and Perimeters.

We'll pay careful attention to how Southern Miss exploited the mistakes we made and begin to draft our practice plans for the week.

I do my post game breakdown at home. Usually, eat dinner and play with my 18 month and 8 year old. Then, start the breakdowns after we put the boys to bed.

Intro: Basketball Diary Project

2012-01-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

Sunday 1/15/12
Intro:
I’m excited about working with Coach Starkey on our project this week that he titled, “Basketball Diaries.” One of the lessons that Coach Meyer passed on to us at Lipscomb was keeping a journal. A journal of what you learned, not just a recap of your calendar.

Last week, I met with a couple of local high school coaches and we were discussing our daily, weekly routines; our processes, practices, etc. Afterwards, Coach Starkey and thought it would be interesting to share with each other not only what we did during a typical week but what we learned.
I look forward to sharing and learning this week. If you have any questions/ comments, I would love to hear from you. Feel free to email me gbrown@athletics.ucf.edu.

Thoughts On The Team From Championship Coaches & Players

2012-01-10T05:10:00.000-08:00

THE TEAM

All championship teams always posess the most important factor of success and that is great team unity. Listed below are a few comments from championship coaches and players on why their team won championships.

Red Auerbach – former coach of the Boston Celtics – won 8 straight national titles.
“Some say you have to use your five best players, but I found out you win with the five that fit together best as a team.”

Bill Sharman – coached ABA and NBA teams to championships.
“The only way to win is to sacrifice for the good of the team.”

Vince Lombardi – legendary professional football coach.
“The Packers won the Super Bowl primarily because the team had a lot of love for each other and this unity helped us to hold up under pressure.”John Wooden – greatest coach in the history of our game.

“Our titles would not have been possible without the unselfishness displayed by all our teams, the team wins, not the individuals.”Wilt Chamberlain – greatest offensive player in the history of basketball and member of two NBA championship teams. Holds NBA record for most points in a game, 100, and most rebounds, 55. “This is a team game and one man doesn’t win and one man doesn’t lose. In the end the best team usually wins.”

Jon Havlicek – former MVP of NBA and member of the World Champions, the Boston Celtics.
“We win because we play together as a team"

Bill Walton – considered to be the greatest college player of all time.
“It hurts when people talk as if I’m the only player on the team. This is a team game, and I’m just one of the guys on the team. One-on-one is the most overrated part of this game. Five people playing together as a team decides the game.”

It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit, and when an individual loses himself in something he thinks is better than he, the team, you become a winner.

5 Teachable Moments With Coach Meyer

2012-01-05T13:29:00.000-08:00

We had another great opportunity to spend a couple of days with Coach Meyer on his trip to Orlando.
It's always fun as he comes to Orlando and stays at our house. Coach Starkey blogged earlier about his message to our team.

I wanted to share a few teaching points that he made throughout the day. They were "teachable moments." Below are 5 of the first teaching points...I want to blog over the next few days about these "teachable moments."

TP 1--"The teacher appears when the pupil is ready".
This applied to all of us--team and staff. Coach Starkey and I were loaded with notepads and hard sheets at lunch and I made sure I kept my notepad close as we sat in our living room and he played with my 18 month old and 8 year old.

TP 2--"Adapt vs Adopt"
One of Coach's greatest gifts is his ability to take all the things he sees, reads, hears, etc--Simplify them--repackage them and make them his own. Then he has the gift to apply to multiple situations. Whether it's talking about the St. Louis Cardinals, to Doug Moe and Snow Valley camps, there are so many stories and applications to adopt and apply.

TP 3--"The Innocence of a child"
As he played catch with my two boys in the living room he talked about how he marveled at the innocence and attitudes of children. That is the spirit and quality we should strive for in our own lives. Which lead to the 4th teaching point.

TP 4--"As parents and coaches, our examples aren't the main things in influence, it's the only thing."

TP 5--"It's all about relationships"
We left the house and went to the UCF vs Tulane Men's basketball game. It was fun to catch up with our good friends from Tulane (Head Coach Ed Conroy and Assistant Doug Novak) before the game. After the game the stories, ideas and thoughts carried on to my house. Coach Meyer, Ed, Doug and myself laughed and told Academy, Camp and other stories until after midnight. Here are two coaches that just played a game, a coach who has a 5:00am flight to Los Angeles together laugh late into the night. That's the magic of Coach Meyer. We all talk about the number of nights spent at his house during camps and the summers of Academies.

25 Questions To Answer & Think About

2012-01-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

The "Why" question = Reasons
1.Why not?
2.Why not see all you can see?
3.Why not learn all you can learn?
4.Why not do all you can do?
5.Why not me?
6.If they can do it, can't I do it?
7.Why settle for less?
8.Who am I spending my time with?
9.Why not say please and thank you?
10.Where is my passion?
11.What is my motivation?
12.Where am I heading?
13.What's my dominant aspiration?
14.What are my strengths?
15.What are my weaknesses?
16.Is my greatest strength, my greatest weakness?
17.Who are my mentors?
18.What do I need to add to my life?
19.What do I need to take away?
20.Who are my greatest influences?
21.What are my greatest distractions?
22.Where does my greatest satisfaction come from?
23.Do I have a book list?
24.Do I have written goals?
25.What's my next best action?

No "I" in Team, But There Is In "Change"

2012-01-02T11:09:00.000-08:00

The old saying is, "there is no I in team". In our team meeting today, we discussed the fact that the key to change for our team is an "I" mentality. We stress Us, Ours and We. However, for real change to occur within a team, it must start individually. I must be the change I want to see in the team. So, there's no I in Team, but there is in "Change".

The 10/50 Rule For Improvement

2011-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

We spoke to our team today about what we call the 10/50 Rule For Improvement. The message we want them to understand and apply now and throughout their lives is that they must control the controllables. We want them to play to their strengths and work daily to minimize their weaknesses. Thus, the 10/50 Rule
10--Improve the things I do well by 10%.
50--Decrease the negatives by 50%.

First, they must dig deep and self analyze. Then we left them with the following thoughts:
•There are certain things within my control.
•Everyone has the ability to reduce what they do negatively towards an outcome
•No one has to do anything incredible
•Everyone knows what they can get better at, and what they need to do less of.
•Do what we are asked to do 10% better.
•Don't let the things that keep you from doing what you need to do occupy your mind.
•Make it happen before it happens.
•It takes work, not luck.

Lessons From The Movie "The Miracle"

2011-12-18T08:37:00.000-08:00

On Friday, we brought our team back after practice for some "film". As they filed into the film room with their notebooks, we showed the movie, "The Miracle". Many of our players had not seen the movie. Listed below are some notes I made from the movie:

It's your time...so go take it
Great moments are born from great opportunity
The average age of the 1980 team was 21
"The legs feed the wolf"
Be prepared to go through pain
You don't have enough talent to win on talent alone
It's a family.
The important thing is that the 20 players know in 20 years that they left everything on the ice.
Don't defend them, attack them.
Can't be a team of common men, the common go nowhere.
Represent yourself and your teammates
It's one thing to be young and promising; it's another thing to be good.

Satchel Paige on Facing Adversity

2011-12-15T06:38:00.000-08:00

"Never let your head hang down.

Never give up and sit down and grieve.

And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray

when the sun shines."

Brian Tracy's Thoughts On Using Lists To Plan

2011-12-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

Plan Every Day in Advance

Your mind, your ability to think, plan and decide, is your most powerful tool for overcoming procrastination and increasing your productivity. Your ability to set your goals, plan and take action on them determines the course of your life. The very act of thinking and planning unlocks your mental powers, triggers your creativity and increases your mental and physical energies.

Your ability to plan well, in advance of beginning, is a measure of your overall competence. The better the plan you have, the easier it is for you to overcome procrastination, to get started , and then to keep going.

One of your top goals at work should be for you to get the highest possible return on your investment of mental, emotional and physical energy. The good news is that every minute spent in planning saves as many as ten minutes in execution. It only takes about ten or twelve minutes for you to plan out your day, but this small investment of time will save you at least two hours (100-120 minutes) in wasted time and diffused effort throughout the day.

When you consider how helpful planning can be in increasing your productivity and performance, it is amazing how few people practice it every single day. And planning is really quite simple to do. All you need is a piece of paper and a pen. The most sophisticated Palm Pilot, computer program or time planner is based on the same principle. It is based on you sitting down andmaking a to do list of everything you have to do before you begin.

Make Your Lists a Habit

Always work from a list. When something new comes up, add it to the list before you do it. You can increase your productivity and output by 25% or more from the first day that you begin working consistently from a list.

Make out your list the night before, at the end of the workday. Move everything that you have not yet accomplished onto your list for the coming day and then add everything that you have to do the next day. When you make out your list the evening or the night before, your subconscious mind works on your list all night long while you sleep. Often you will wake up with great ideas and insights that you can use to get your job done faster and better than you had initially thought.

The more time you take to make written lists of everything you have to do, in advance, the more effective and efficient you will be.

Types of Lists

There are different lists that you need for different purposes. First, you should create a master list on which you write down everything you can think of that you want to do some time in the future. This is the place where you capture every idea that comes to or every new task or responsibility that comes up. You can then sort out the items later.

Second, you should have a monthly list that you make up at the end of the month for the month ahead. This may contain items transferred from your master list.

Third, you should have a weekly list where you plan your entire week in advance. This is a list that is under construction as you go through the current week.

Finally, you transfer items from your monthly and weekly lists onto your daily list. These are the specific activities that you are going to accomplish that day.

As you work through the day, tick off the items on your list as you complete them. This activity gives you a visual picture of accomplishment. It generates a feeling of success and forward motion. Seeing yourself working progressively through your list motivates and energizes you. It raises your self-esteem and self-respect. Steady, visible progress propels you forward and helps you to overcome procrastination.

Passing and Receiving

2011-12-12T04:42:00.000-08:00

Passing and Receiving Thoughts:

•If you can't pass and catch, you can't play
•Every pass is a shot, every shot is a pass
•Make a bad pass and you've taken away a shot
•Good pass= Right person, Right place, Right time

Coach Meyer Thoughts on Internal Leadership

2011-12-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

Internal Leadership Thoughts And Components:

•Understand the importance
•You can be the greatest leader but if you don't have players who can lead internally, you will have problems.
•Warren Buffett ◦ Gave away $41 billion to Bill Gates charities because he thought Gates could do a better job.
     ◦He told Tom Osborne 3 things that he looks for when hiring:
          ■Work ethic
          ■Intelligence
          ■Character
     ◦The first two, without the last will kill you.

•Leadership emerges. You can pick captains, but you can't pick leaders.
•Nurture the kid that emerges as a leader.
•Wooden's Essentials on Internal Leadership ◦Less self, makes you selfless
     ◦Good leader praises team after a win as if he hadn't been involved with their sucess.
•Don't draw attention to yourself. Don't be like the guy who coughs just before he puts the coin in the collection plate at church.
•Can't be like the coach at the athletic banquet that said, "These boys did a nice job too."
•Do not measure youself in comparisoin to others, but rather on the quality of your efforts to improve--Wooden

Discipline & Passion Precede The Process

2011-12-11T07:48:00.000-08:00

We spend a great deal of time teaching our team to be process vs result oriented. However, as John Maxwell notes in his "Maxwell's Minute" that no process is strong enough to give us discipline and passion.

Discipline and Passion do not come from the process, they come from the soul. We must go inside of ourselves to find those two words--Am I a person that wants to make a difference? In my life? In my family's life? In the lives of others?

Go inside find the answers and make the words active in our lives...Then the process will work for you.

Courage

2011-12-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

"Courage is no more than Stubbornness

and I've got plenty of that. It

means getting up each day and doing what

you have to, going on when

circumstances get you down,

pushing ahead when others

hold you back."

--Lamar Dodd

The Desire To Win

2011-12-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

From the book Wooden:

"Players fifty years ago wanted to win just as much as players today. Foot soldiers a thousand years ago wanted to win the battle as much as combat troops today. Athletes today have no greater desire to win than athletes at the first Olympic games. The desire then and now is the same.

The difference is that everybody worries about it more today because of the media and the attention they give to the question of who's winning and who's losing.

Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: DID I MAKE MY BEST EFFORT? That's what matters. The rest of it just gets in the way.

In classical times, the courageous struggle for a noble
cause was considered success in itself. Sadly, that ideal has been forgotten. But it is well worth remembering.

The Desire To Win

2011-12-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

From the book Wooden:

"Players fifty years ago wanted to win just as much as players today. Foot soldiers a thousand years ago wanted to win the battle as much as combat troops today. Athletes today have no greater desire to win than athletes at the first Olympic games. The desire then and now is the same.

The difference is that everybody worries about it more today because of the media and the attention they give to the question of who's winning and who's losing.

Did I win? Did I lose? Those are the wrong questions. The correct question is: DID I MAKE MY BEST EFFORT? That's what matters. The rest of it just gets in the way.

In classical times, the courageous struggle for a noble cause was considered success in itself. Sadly, that ideal has been forgotten. But it is well worth remembering.

Is there really VISION without COMMUNICATION??

2011-12-07T15:21:00.000-08:00

"If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around......

Similarly, if a leader has a "Vision" but doesn't (can't) communicate, is there really a vision?

Coaching is such a great job because of all the variety that the job brings. As a coach you have the opportunity to meet and talk with so many people and learn from such different sources. I'm fortunate to talk daily with business leaders, coaches, career coaches, ministers, managers and the list goes on. It's always interesting the topics tend to be very similar in all aspects of leadership. The following are some thoughts and questions from conversations with different people at different times but you can see how they likely apply to us daily.

While discussing these thoughts and questions, there were very few answers. And each question generally leads to another.

I believe that without communication, there is no vision.
Nothing is gained when a leader focuses and prepares their vision, if the vision isn't communicated to the people/ team/ staff that must carry out the vision.
A vision is only as good as its execution.
Leaders depend on their "team" to claim and seize the vision.
There can be no sustained effort or intentionality if the team/ players, etc are unsure or unaware of critical elements of a leader's vision.
A vision, a dominant aspiration can't be a "secret". But we often see a lack of communication and the process needed to execute is missing because the team/ staff, etc. is unaware of details, events, etc. that are part of the vision.
The question becomes, "Why?"
- Why isn't essential information about "vision" not communicated?
  - Lack of preparation?
  - Lack of clarity in the process?
  - Lack of trust?
  - Lack of competence?
Is there Vision with poor communication?
- Does the manner of the communication of a vision affect the vision of an organiztion?
- Does the manner/ mode of communication affect the trust, loyalty and passion of a team's process of the vision?
When staff, players, etc. are aware of a lack of communication what should be the process of correcting the issue? Who's responsibility does communication rest with?
Is silence acceptance?
A vision is more than a simple statement written for a policy and procedures manual. It must have an emotional attachment to drive a team, company, etc.
Proper communication about a Vision generates enthusiasm and brings energy. And poor communication will drain energy.
Without proper communication about vision--a team, staff, etc. will tend to fill in the "gaps" with what they thought...As opposed to what really "is". Which leads to a lack of clarity and another vicious cycle begins.
We talk with our team about "clutter". We define clutter as anything that we think about or deal with that doesn't take us closer to our vision. If the vision isn't communicated clearly and intentionally--then everything we do can essentially become clutter. Because it's not taking us to our "vision".
General MaCarthur said, "Don't give orders that can be understood, give orders that can't be misunderstood."

Without clear communication, we are certainly in jeopardy of giving orders that can be misunderstood.

I don't believe that, "less is more" when it involves the clarity and intentionality of a vision of a team.
It's the trust, faith, clarity and intentionality of a vision that drives teams to greatness.

Mental Toughness Thoughts

2011-12-07T14:04:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I was going through a notebook I have on mental toughness and came across the following. I'm not sure where the notes stem from, just a collection of thoughts:

Mistake Management--you will never outperform your own self-belief system.
The great ones are great because of how they react to mistakes
Players need a mental toughness routine
Self-Talk is either your best friend or your worst enemy
What would show up if your self-talk was projected onto a big screen for all to see?
Law of Dominant Thought--brain/ body doesn't distinguish between do/ don't

"You Can't Fake Leadership"

2011-12-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

Sally Jenkins wrote a fascinating article on Leaderhsip (Followership) (click on the highlighted text to read the article). I encourage you to read the entire article. Below are some key points I took away from her observations:

Leadership isn't about domination, it's about persuasion.
Leadership only works when people find you credible and grant you their cooperation.
Leadership is more than charisma and talent.
The study of Leadership should be on the followers, not the leader. Therefore, the study is on "Followership".
Followership--Followers want four things: (a) Integrity (b) Confidence (c) Decision-Making (d) Clarity
What Followers Do Not Want: (a) Irritability (b) Moodiness (c) Untrustworthiness (d) Indecisiveness (e) Needless Micromanagement (f) Excessive Authority--Followers see these things as incompetent.
Leadership study of the number of flight errors of a crew correlated to the personality of the captain.
Crews led by captains perceived as agreeable, self-confident and emotionally reliable made the fewest errors.
Crews with captains considered arrogant, hostile, passive-aggressive or dictatorial made the most errors.
Leaders lose their teams when the followers withdraw their consent to be led.
Red Auerbach--"You don't motivate teams, you motivate players, one by one, by building relationships."
A leader is worth nothing without voluntary commitment, because the followers are actually more in charge of the outcome.
Ever aspiring leader should ask, "Would people choose to follow me?"

Organizational Secrets of the New England Patriots

2011-12-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

•Respect opponents. Do not undermine your competition.
•It's leadership..not luck.
•Humble ownership. Top management sets the right direction.
•Consummate leadership is the key.
•Coachable players and staff.
•Look for overlooked talent.
•Focus on value; performance.
•Expectations. Past performance is no guarantee for future results.
•Everyone is a coach. Every member of an organization needs to take a lead.
•Being competitive is not a bad thing.
•The best marketing is a good product.

--Taken from James Lavin's book Management Secrets of the New England Patriots

Jeff Goins On 5 Ways To Connect

2011-12-05T05:27:00.000-08:00

Jeff Goins on connecting and networking...Here's how to begin:

Quit hiding behind your work. Schedule some time in your day, week, or month for socializing. This is an investment.
Use social media as the means to an end, not the end itself. Reach out to people on Twitter and Facebook and ask to meet tem in person.
Take a stranger out to lunch or coffee... and pick up the bill.
Sign up for meetups, mixers, and conferences.
Start doing favors for people without expecting anything in return.

Strongholds That Keep Us From What We Want

2011-12-05T03:30:00.000-08:00

Strongholds are the things that keep us from what we want. Dr. Kevin Elko lists three Strongholds that hold us back in our lives.

3 Strongholds In Our Lives:

COMFORT--we always want to be comfortable. Can't get what I want because there's discomfort out there.
APPROVAL--want everyone to like me.
NEED TO BE RIGHT--This will keep you from Peace & Happiness. It's fighting because they're "right". We must let go of the need to be right. Pick your battles--big enough to fight and small enough to win. If there's nothing to be gained, then there's no reason to fight. Don't get sucked into another's need to simply be right. If I win the argument, what did I win? We all know people that challenge you to go nowhere. Keep your focus to being a blessing to others instead of simply trying to be right.

Key To Coaching

2011-12-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

Coaching is an art not a science. The key is finding a different way to reach every kid on our roster.

We are teaching kids how to play basketball and how to live their life. We're not coaching basketball, we're coaching kids.

Great Advice From Coach Gene Stallings

2011-12-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

I have been fortunate to hear Coach Stallings speak several times. While at one of his events he signed his book and said that this was the best advice he could offer to any coach.

John Maxwell's Thoughts On Results

2011-12-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

In our Game Day Team Meeting we shared John Maxwell's, "Minute with Maxwell" and his thoughts on results. We talked about Results from the perspective of our Process.

"Amazing that some people are surprised that

they aren't getting some positive return

out of their laziness..."

A few thoughts that we shared from Maxwell to the team:

Work Hard & Work Smart
Make a list of the things you want to see accomplished at the end of the game, the results you would like to experience.
What will you INTENTIONALLY do tonight that will give the results you desire to the at the end of the game.

Wooden & Walsh On The Process

2011-11-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

The following was taken from an interview that Steve Jamison did about writing about these two coaches.

Bill Walsh said the score takes care of itself. And he really meant that. In our conversations, he explained how he placed his emphasis on doing things the right way. His primary focus when he took over the 49ers was not on telling everyone when the team would win the Super Bowl. He talked a great deal about his expectations for everyone in the organization. He wanted players, coaches, and staff members to focus on executing the details of their roles.

John Wooden has some maxims on this topic that I really like. He says, “Little things make big things happen,” and “There are no big things, only an accumulation of little things done well.” He never said, “We will win a championship this year,” or “Our goal is to go undefeated.” He never talked like that. He never announced an audacious goal such as winning a national championship. He focused on doing the right things right now.

Good Player, Great Player, Superb Player

2011-11-29T14:32:00.000-08:00

GOOD PLAYER, GREAT PLAYER, SUPERB PLAYER

Positioning, Anticipation and Technique give Quickness; Therefore, you can always get quicker.

A Good player knows where he is on the court.
A Great player knows where everyone is on the court.
A Superb player knows where everyone is on the court and what everyone is going to do.

If It Doesn't Serve, Don't Say It

2011-11-29T04:38:00.000-08:00

We talk to our team about focusing on the words they speak. Words have power.

From the book, "Rolling Thunder, an American Indian medicine man":

"People have to be responsible for their thoughts, so they have to learn to control them. It may not be easy, but it can be done. First of all, if we don't want to think certain things we don't say them. We don't have to eat everything we see, and we don't have to say everything we think. So we begin by watching our words and speaking with good purpose only."

Marshall Thurber, successful realtor in San Francisco, agreed with his staff to only speak with good purpose. That is, "If it doesn't serve, don't say it."

Seth Godin On Productivity & Taking Action

2011-11-28T11:21:00.000-08:00

Productive Magazine recently interviewed Seth Godin. Below are some of Godin's thoughts on productivity:

I focus very much on the things that have leverage and try very hard to avoid things that are stalling.
I focus on things I can do well and do them with leverage and passion and don't let the resistance slow me down.

Productive Question to Godin--"So, if you are busy and and you have so many things to do, how do you balance your family life? How do you find time for the ones you love?"

Godin:--"You know it's funny. People never say, "how do you find time to have lunch or dinner? or how do you find the time to sleep?" We are not talking of life-lunch balance. So I'm not sure I'm interested in conversation about life-work balance. I think you have to have the discipline to have the life you want to have. And if you are stealing from one part of your life in order to make the other part work, you are going to pay for it."

Winning The Games Within The Game--Baseline Out of Bounds

2011-11-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

We try to cover some special situations every practice in a 5 minute period.
A game situation to cover is Baseline out of Bounds and Sideline out of Bounds.
In the breakdown the defense has to get a deflection on the inbounds pass or they do push-ups, etc.

Great Leaders Do Not Avoid Small Duties

2011-11-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

There is an incident told of the Revolutionary War, about an officer who ordered his men to cut down some trees which were needed to make a bridge. There were not nearly enoubh men, and work was going very slowly. Up rode a commanding-looking man and spoke to the officer in charge, who was urging his men but doing nothing himself. "You haven't enough men for the job, have you?"

"No, sir. We need some help."

"Why don't you lend a hand yourself?" asked the man on horseback.

"Me, sir? Why, I am a corporal," replied the officer, looking rather affronted at the suggestion.

"Ah, true," quietly replied the other, and getting off his horse he labored with the men until the job was done. Then he mounted again, and as he rode off he said to the officer,

"Corporal, the next time you have a job to put through and too few men to do it you had better send for the Commander-In-Chief, and I will come again."

It was George Washington.

The Battlefield of the Mind

2011-11-23T04:36:00.000-08:00

It's been said, "The mental is to physical as 4 is to 1." The longer we coach, the more we know that to be true. I recently listened to Dr. Jason Selk, Director of Mental Training for the St. Louis Cardinals talk about their mental training.

One statement made me really stop and think about our team's mental training. Selk said that players will not, "outperform or underperform their self-image very long."

Self-image is largely determined by how we talk to ourselves. Therefore, to increase performance we must help our players improve their self-image.

Adversity is assured for all of us

2011-11-22T05:12:00.000-08:00

ADVERSITY IS ASSURED FOR ALL OF US.

I recently read Don Yaeger's new book: Greatness: The 16 Characteristics of True Champions.
I've included some of his thoughts on adversity. As a coach/ parent it's the toughest thing to teach how to respond to. Below are some great thoughts on attacking adversity in our lives.

The truly Great use adversity as fuel.
The truly Great find opportunity in the worst of times.
Adversity, be it in life, health, business or any other realm, can be the distinguishing factor between a successful leader and an unsuccessful one.
Transform disappointments into Great success.
Adversity is one of the most potent forces in life, one that can bring out your best or your worse. Ultimately it's up to you. How will you handle obstacles? Will they be roadblocks or springboards?
Think about one or two of the most difficult challenges of your life, and count how many positive things ultimately came out of the experience.
Our reaction to adversity shapes our character, clarifies our priorities and can fuel our path to Greatness.

Transcending Ordinary Effort

2011-11-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

Ordinary effort is when you're comfortable. That's mediocrity. A lot of athletes work within their comfort zone, physically and technically. They don't feel like they are going to lose control, or pass out from fatigue. But when you practice within your comfort zone you are not preparing yourself for a game. In a game situation, the other team is trying to take you out of your comfort zone. So, as soon as they do, you're in unfamiliar territory. You panic. You make a mistake, or lose the ball.

The challenge for you as an individual athlete is to find a way to elevate your environment. That's not easy. It's tough to keep yourself on edge independently. But this is what separates the truly great players apart. It is their capacity to do what Dorrance calls "flame on"--to hit a button and just ignite.

Take your practice to the most intense level and then your improvement is going to be remarkable. It will separate you from the ordinary.

--Taken from The Vision of a Champion by Anson Dorrance

10 End of Game Situations: Thoughts to Consider

2011-11-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

1. Emphasize how often last-second offensive rebounds win games.
2. With 3 seconds or less, try to create forward momentum for your shooter.
3. Can your players deny the ball from opponent's best FT shooter?
4. Practice denial when your only hope is forcing a 5 second violation.
5. Can you inbound the ball to your best FT shooter when you know the defense must stop the clock?
6. Find out the exact inbounding location before diagramming a last-second play.
7. Insist that your players ask the referee, "Can I run the baseline?" when inbounding after a timeout.
8. Who inbounds the ball for you in last second situations?
9. Who throws the length of court baseball pass with 3 seconds or less? Who catches?
10. Who on the staff charts timeouts, fouls, opponent FT percentages & possession arrow?

Teaching & Learning

2011-11-14T14:05:00.000-08:00

"Nothing has ever been taught until learned;

nothing has ever been learned until taught."

--Jud Heathcote

Direct Your Players In Their Interests, Needs & Ability

2011-11-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

Interest/ Needs/ Abilities—direct your players in this way.

How you will handle the team.

We are constantly looking for the best way to Teach/ Coach our team. As we head into a new week of practice after a game and preparing for another--we look for the best way to communicate our message.

The first thing we must look at are the Interest, Needs & Abilities of each player.

This is critical because each player is at a different point in each of these areas. So we must bring clarity to the situation. Basically, asking "What are we trying to do here?"

We want the, "Next Best Action"..

To determine our Next Best Action, we look at those needs and then determine what is the outcome we desire..Then, what must we commit to accomplish this desire. Next, is simply what's the next thing needed to do to move toward that goal.

A few things that we do to meet the Interest, Needs & Abilities:

1. Use film to Show, Encourage & Conclude with a Challenge.

2. Individual reps of a situation or skill needed.

3. Identify their ability to be able to master the skill.

Paul Azinger--Winning Strategy

2011-11-09T04:13:00.000-08:00

I've been re-reading Paul Azinger's , "Cracking The Code". The book details his process and strategy for building and coaching the Ryder Cup Team. How to take the world's best individual players and get them in position to work as a TEAM.

As a coach, we must do this daily, monthly and yearly with our teams. Here are a few take-aways:
1. Control the controllables
2. Trust and Empower
3. Communicate with each player appropriately, based on their personality type.

Use these three items to foster camaraderie, creativity and fearlessness.

Coaching The Mental Game

2011-11-09T03:27:00.000-08:00

We work to develop the 3 areas of skills daily with our team--
1. Physical--strength and conditioning
2. Skill Sets--specific to their position
3. Mental Skills--dealing with adversity and anxiety which is mental toughness

In studying how a lot of our players are "wired" mentally, it was brought to our attention that many play the game on their heels. Playing not to mess up. Often, the players that we (as coaches) want to "carry/ lead" the team, simply aren't wired to do so. This is something we have to work with.

One process we work with the players that "play the game backwards"; meaning that they are thinking in the past. It's a 3 step process:
1. Identify--the mistake or problem we want to correct
2. Resolve--must help the player come to a resolution or they are still playing the game backwards.
3. Put Them In The Right Frame of Mind--different manners depending on the situation--film after practice, talking to on sideline in practice, sitting next to a coach during a game.

This it tough to do. We typically coach/ teach to our own personalities. But much can be gained when you understand how your team is "wired".

Jon Gordon On The Best of the Best

2011-11-08T04:16:00.000-08:00

The Best of the Best by John Gordon

I had the opportunity this past week to speak to the Atlanta Falcons football
Team. As I prepared for these talks I thought a lot about what I should say that would benefit them.
After all, I would be talking to people who have reached the pinnacle of their industry.
What could I say that they haven't heard before? I realized that there was nothing new I could say.
They have heard it all. We all have. But what I could do was say it in a way that would inspire them towards positive action. My job was to help the best of the best get even better. This inspired a series of thoughts about what makes someone great in their field of work. I realized the best of the best, whether you are a sales person, teacher, athlete, nurse, entrepreneur, etc, share a number of similar characteristics. Here are three. I hope they inspire you to be your best.
1. The best are always striving to get better.
When I was speaking in Dallas in June, Zig Ziglar was in the front row and to my surprise he was taking notes. Wow, I thought. Here was one of my heroes, eighty years old, and he's still learning and growing. Any speaker could have been up there and Zig would have had his note pad and pen ready. How about you? Are you striving to get better? Are you a life long learner?

2. The best do ordinary things better than everyone else. (Chuck Noll).
There really isn't anything new when it comes to success principles. It's not about doing anything different. It’s about closing the gap that is bigger than the Grand Canyon-the gap between knowing and doing. The best take action. They execute and excel in the small things that create big results. They know that to be the best you must do a hundred simple things 10% better than everyone else.

3. The best stay positive.
Every individual and team faces negativity and challenges but the best rebound with positive energy, resilience, hope and faith. The best stay positive and don't let adversities and obstacles sabotage their individual and team success. The best don't let naysayers and energy vampires keep them from their goal. The best teams get on the bus together, stay positive and move forward with a shared vision, focus and direction. –

3 Areas That Coaches Build

2011-11-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

Three Areas That Coaches Develop and Build
1. Build Vision
2. Build People
3. Build Accountability and Responsibility

4 Things Leaders Work To Provide Their Followers

2011-11-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

4 Things Great Leaders Work To Provide Provide Their Followers

1. The opportunity to LEARN
2. To help them to grow in RESPONSIBILITY
3. The opportunity to CONTRIBUTE to others
4. The chance to be RECOGNIZED

Talent Is Overrated

2011-11-03T03:37:00.000-07:00

In Geoff Colvin's book, Talent is Overrated he concludes that there's no magic. A lot of times there's this misconception that people are just given this talent, that they never had to work hard to get where they are. Their common denominator, he says, is the willingness to submit to "that grueling, grinding, not-fun task, and to do it over and over. That's what successful people do."

Attacking Problems

2011-11-02T05:25:00.000-07:00

"For every 1,000 hacking at the leaves of a problem, but 1 is hacking at the root."--Thoreau

Thoreau's Definition of Success

2011-11-02T04:19:00.000-07:00

Thoreau's Definition of Success:

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

4 Skills For Our Student-Athletes To Leave Our Program With

2011-11-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

The workforce just like the court is very competitive. It takes more than just a college degree. Graduates must have a skill set to take to the work force. The more of the following skill sets they can offer the more valuable they will be.

We work with our Life Skills, Academic and Career Counselors to make sure our Student-Athletes leave our program with at least one of the following skills to enter the workforce with:

1. The Ability to "Fix" something.
2. The Ability to "Solve" a problem.
3. The Ability to "Sell" something.
4. The Ability to "Create Value"

Mental Skill Development

2011-10-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

We work in 3 areas of Skill Development for our players:
1. Skill Sets (that are specific to on the court)
2. Physical Sets (strength, agilities, quickness & conditioning)
3. Mental Skills

We all talk about Mental Toughness. We understand that it comes down to how players handle adversity and anxiety. Anxiety beyond butterflies is what gets a player.

First, we have to look at mental energy. This is the ability to sustain thought. To concentrate. Especially in something that they do not like.

Next, it's key to realize that one person's anxiety, may not be another's.

Muscle memory originates in the mind.

Thoughts on Efficiency

2011-10-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

All the greats know how to keep it simple. Efficiency is crucial. Below are a few thoughts on efficiency as we prepare for our practices for the rest of the pre-season.

•Review production of each player and the team.
•Keep specific stats of areas emphasized.
•Spend time and energy on things needed to produce.
•It's not about making plays, it's about eliminating poor judgment, carelessness and a casual apporach.
•Chart and track the things that are important to you.
•As a coach, it's not what we Know, it's what they Execute.

Protecting Your Confidence

2011-10-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

As coaches, we hear about our player's confidence constantly. We must be aware of their confidence. Bill Parcells said, "Confidence comes from demonstrated ability."

One of the things that we often see with players that are having confidence issues is that their focus is off, not their confidence. They choose not to focus on the areas where they have demonstrated ability.

Their minds are cluttered with things outside their control, or they are pursuing things, skills in which they haven't demonstrated ability.

Here are 4 ways for players to protect their confidence:

1. Focus on the things that are working

2. Maintain a positive focus

3. Have multiple streams to feed your confidence. Look at the different ways in which you are demonstrating ability.

4. Be grateful for what is working (the areas you are demonstrating ability).

Andy Andrews--"The Buck Stops Here"

2011-10-25T05:17:00.000-07:00

Andy Andrews shares 7 decision we must choose to make in our pursuit of greatness in his book The Traveler's Gift. The first decsion we must make:

THE BUCK STOPS HERE
1. Your future is what you decide it will be.
2. Our thinking creates a pathway to success or failure.
3. Outside influences are not responsible for where you are mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, or financially
4. Your thinking dictates your decisions. Decisions are choices.
5. The words, "It's not my fault should never come from our mouths"

3 Thoughts On The Use of the Dribble

2011-10-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

3 Thoughts On The Use Of The Dribble

1. Misunderstood

2. Over-used

3. Best decision you can make when you receive the ball is to SAVE the dribble.

The Mirror Principle--Leading Yourself

2011-10-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Learning to lead yourself is one of the most important things you will ever do as a leader.
Leading yourself means that you hold yourself to a higher standard of accountability than others do.

LOOK IN THE MIRROR
The "Mirror Principle"--The first person we must examine ourselves. If we don't look at ourselves realistically, you will never understand where your personal difficulties are coming from.

Most people use two different sets of criteria for judging themselves and judging others. We tend to judge others according to their actions. It's very cut-and-dried. However, we judge ourselves by our intentions. Even if we do the wrong thing, we let ourselves off the hook if we believe our intentions are good. That's part of the reason we allow ourselves to make the same mistakes over and over again before we are willing to make real changes.

KEYS TO LEADING YOURSELF
1. Learn Followership--learn to obey. Only a leader who has followed well knows how to lead others.
2. Develop Self-Discipline--It's said one day, thta Frederick the Great of Prussia was walking on the outskirts of Berlin when he encountered an old man walking down the street in the opposite direction.
"Who are you?" Frederick asked the old man.
"I am a king", replied the old man.
"A king!" laughed Frederick. "Over what kingdom do you reign?"
"Over myself," was the proud man's reply.

Each of us is a monarch over our own lives. We are responsible for ruling out actions and decisions.

3. Practice Patience
Leadership isn't to cross the finish the finish line first; it's to take people across the finish line with you.

TAKE ACTION:
In which of the 3 preceding areas--followership, self-discipline, or patience--do you most need to grow? What new taks or practice could yo take on to develop in that area? Give yourself a conrete goal and a deadline.

4. SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability isn't just the willingness to explain your actions to others. It begins ling before we act. It starts with seeking and acccepting advice from others.

A HIGHER STANDARD
Leading yourself means that you hold yourself to a higher standard of accountability than others do.
Leadership is a trust, not a right. For that reason, you must "fix" yourself earlier than others may be required to.

Thomas Watson--"Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself."

What leaders do day-to-day always pays off in the long run. Success or failure isn't an event, but a process.

7 Qualities Elite Performers Share

2011-10-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

Listed below from Juan Pablo Favero are seven qualities that elite, mentally tough players share. We are sharing this with our team today. The thoughts in the parentheses are specific thoughts for our players:
1. A strong desire to succeed (must first define success)
2. Positivity in the face of challenges and pressure (what does this look like?)
3. Controlling the "controllables" mentally (what are some examples)
4. A high commitment/ balanced attitude approach (what is your commitment)
5. A high level of belief in self and team (describe this)
6. Process oriented thinking (give an example for practice)
7. Positive communication and body language (give a situation and example)

Rick Majerus--How To Win 20 Games

2011-10-19T05:02:00.000-07:00

Majerus teaches getting the following 4 items will lead to 20 Wins and a Conference Championship:

1. No fast break baskets ever against. Two people back. One at basket and one at half-court.

2. Hand up to contest every shot.

3. Block out...No second shots.

4. Talk...You cannot talk enough. 5 players talking.

Characteristics of Being Reactive & Living In Circumstnace

2011-10-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

We talk a great deal to our team about being PROACTIVE in their lives--in the classroom, with the trainer, with their skills, nutrition, etc. Too often, we are all guilty of living in circumstance and not in Vision.

Listed below are some actions/ attitudes and thoughts of being Reactive:

Reactive players/ followers respond after the fact to whatever life throws at you.
Reactive people live their lives as a function of other people's weaknesses or circumstances that they believe they have little control over.
Reactive people waste their precious time because they focus on the items they can't control.
All things are created twice: First in the mind, then physically. Until our thoughts grow, out actions can't grow.

Life Isn't A Brief Candle

2011-10-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

From a character in Shaw's "Man and Superman":

"...I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

Leadership & Vision

2011-10-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

Management of attention through vision is the creating of focus.
Intensity coupled with commitment is magnetic.
Vision grabs.
Initially it grabs the leader and management of attention enables others also to get on the bandwagon.
Coaches need unbridled clarity about what they want from their players.
Vision needs to bring about a confidence of the followers.

Edwin H. Land, founder Polaroid
"The first thing you naturally do is teach the person to feel that the undertaking is manifestly important..."

Vision animates, inspirits, and transforms purpose into action.

The Power of the Huddle

2011-10-14T04:59:00.000-07:00

To Richard Lapchick, UCF professor, DeVos Sport Business Management Program Chair, Director of both the National Consortium for Academics and Sports and the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, there’s more. Epiphanies of injustice shaped the racial conscience of Dr. Lapchick, molding him into a champion for equality in sports and society.

Dr. Lapchick often speaks of the power of sports that comes out of the huddle. Inside the huddle it doesn't matter if you are black/ white, rich/poor, Christian/Jewish, etc.

Dr. Lapchick encourages coaches and players to take the "power of the huddle" from the court to the classroom, to the boardroom and use the power throughout society.

High Post Shooting Workout

2011-10-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

The key to improvement is Repetition & Intentionality. Below is a simple High Post Workout we use as a part of our skill development.

High Post Shooting Workout
7 Reps at each of the 3 Shots
1. V-Cut & Catch at FT line--Jump Shot
2. V-Cut & Catch at FT line and Shotfake 1 Dribble Pull-Up
3. V-Cut & Catch at FT line, then finish at the basket with left hand, right hand, jump hook, etc. Key is different finishes.

Goal of making 17 of 21 shots

UCF Women's Basketball To Honor Coach Summitt In Alzheimer's Walk

2011-10-11T05:15:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest learning experiences for me each year while on the staff at the University of Tennessee was the first team meeting when we discussed the Definite Dozen. We discussed each element as a group. We talked about what each meant to us and Pat would share what each meant to her.

After receiving the news about Pat's diagnosis, I went through a notebook that I have with all of my notes from our Definite Dozen meetings. Number 11 from the Definite Dozen jumped out at me--"Change Is A Must".

Recently, George Diaz, of the Orlando Sentinel called me about the Orlando Walk to End Alzheimer's and our team participating. Our staff and team are excited to be a part of this event. George and I spoke about his mother suffering through disease, my first hand knowledge of the disease and the effects on a family. My wife lost grandparents from both sides of her family over the last few years from the disease.

My first year at Tennessee was Kara Lawson's senior season. Then, as now, Kara is very proactive. After learning of Coach Summitt's diagnosis, Kara nad her husband made plans to raise funds and honor Coach Summitt. To learn more about Kara and her plans click here--Kara's Plan To Honor, Kara's Fundraiser

The UCF Women's Basketball Team is uniting with Kara and so many others to honor Coach Summitt and raise awareness of Alzheimer's. We ask that you participate. Find a local walk, or any event. Pledge to support Kara or our UCF Team or a group in your local community. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at gbrown@athletics.ucf.edu.

Our team is participating in the Walk To End Alzheimer's on October 22nd at Lake Eola in Orlando.

I'm sure Coach Summitt will approach this "Change" in her life as she does every part of her life by using her Definite Dozen Philosophy to guide her.

I chose a "dozen" thoughts from "Change Is A Must " from my notebook.

1. Everything in life changes, transitions.
2. You do your best and we are here to help you.
3. There is always change, but something special brought you here.
4. Keep your confidence through change.
5. Change can equal self-improvement.
6. Push yourself to places you haven't been before.
7. There must be change before there's growth.
8. Change is the opposite of security and familiarity.
9. Overcoming fear is the most broadening thing in the world, if you make yourself do it.
10. Success in any field is about who is best able to change fluidly.
11. In any line of work, you have to be able to adust to emergencies. THings rarely go as planned, no matter how meticulously you keep your appointment book or how organized your planner is.
12. Think about all the reasons we resist change. Change can make you feel out of control. But, in fact, if you learn to be comfortable with it, the opposite will be true: You will find yourself in charge of every situation.

Success & Simplicity

2011-10-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

Success Lies in the Simplicity,

Confusion Lives in Sophistication

8 Qualities To Develop When Building Trust

2011-10-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

We know that before anyone buys into a vision/ goal they must buy into the "person". To develop the "buy-in" it all comes down to trust.

Trust is a characteristic that must be developed like a skill. List below are 8 qualities that we must model to develop trust.:

1. Integrity--hold fast to this
2. Attitude--only thing we have control over. Colors the way people see us when we engage.
3. Focus--on our vision, not getting caught up in "things"
4. Initiative--Do the things that must be done.
5. Insight--Study, aspire for wisdom
6. Perseverance--"is a good substitute for talent"--Steve Martin
7. Excellence--pursuing in all things
8. Vision--begin with the end in mind

Self-Trust, First Key To Trust

2011-09-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

We break our huddles in games and practice with "Trust". But, I don't know if we have painted a clear picture of what trust is. We are making a conscious effort to daily define how and what trust looks like, manifests itself and all the intangible that go with it.

The following thoughts come mostly from Stephen Covey's book, "The Speed of Trust"

The First Wave of Trust--Self Trust--is all about credibility.

It's about developing the integrity, intent, capabilities, and results that make you believable to both YOURSELF and to others. It boils down to two simple questions:

1.) Do I trust myself?

2.) Am I someone others can trust?

Trust in yourself begins with the little things.

Am I justifying myself for letting things slide "a little at a time?"

Goal is for our commitment to be clear and to act with integrity. Otherwise we continue to lose trust in our ability to do what we had made personal commitments to do.

Repeated failure to make and keep commitments to ourselves hack away at our self-confidence (confidence comes from demonstrated ability).

We cannot borrow strength from position or association. It's not real. It's not ours.

Jack Welch said that a huge part of leadership is building self-confidence in others.

A lack of self trust often limits our ability to trust others.

Cardinal de Retz, "A man who doesn't trust himself can never really trust anyone else."

The good news is that every time we do make and keep a commitment to ourselves or set and achieve a goal we become more credible. The more we will trust ourselves.

"Self-trust is the first secret of success...the essence of heroism."--Emerson

1-4 Entry

2011-09-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

We wanted to share a very simple but effective entry for your offense. We do not run "continuity plays" but rather entries into our offense. It doesn't matter what the defense is running or how they are defending, our entries remain the same. We are reading the defense, and taking advantage of what's there.

Most of our entries are designed to get the ball inside. We determine inside as a drive, cut or a post feed; not just a post feed.
Diagram 1
1--attacks elbow, creating space and angle to feed the post
2--spaces
3--occupies defender
4--spaces to high post
5--walks defender down to seal and pin

Diagram 2
1--reads 5's defender--if defense is high side, 1 passes to 2 for feed; if defense is low side, 1 either feeds or reverses to 4 for the correct angle to feed
4--catches and looks to feed high low, if no feed then reverses to 3
3--gets open for reversal

Diagram 3 & 4
1 & 4 stagger screen for 2
5 follows the ball
3 looks to feed 5 or reverse to 2 coming off the stagger

Diagram 5
You can now enter your half-court offense

Simple Process To Average 18 Points In The Post

2011-09-28T03:50:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I have met a post player that feels they get enough "touches." They don't believe that they are getting the ball enough, and that if they got the ball more, they would score more.

The following is a "process" to average 18 points with only "2 post feeds".

Process To Average 18 Points In The Post

1. Run the floor for a layupà2pts

2. Two offensive rebound putbacksà4pts

3. Two cheap basketsà4pts

4. Two post feedsà4pts

5. Four FT’sà4pts

TOTAL—18pts

5 Rules For Leading Your Teammates

2011-09-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

5 Rules for Leading Your Teammates

"It’s not enough to do your best; you must know what to do, and THEN do your best."

–W. Edwards Deming

Contrary to what you may have heard, great leaders aren't born. They're made. Exceptional team leaders are shaped by following these five rules.

Rule 1: Be Prepared Team leaders earn the right to lead by being prepared. The prepared leader is always in the process of improving. They stimulate improvement by always asking more of themselves. What am I doing well? Where do I need to improve? How do my behaviors impact my teammates? Leadership grows out of self-knowledge, character, integrity, discipline, competence and commitment to a personal vision of excellence. When these building blocks are in place you have the foundation to model the way for your teammates.

Rule 2: Build Right Relationships The ability to effectively lead your team will be determined by the quality and character of the relationships you build. Exceptional leaders build genuine relationships with teammates based on authenticity and appreciation. Leadership is always a two-way interaction between leaders and followers—between you and your teammates. Exceptional team leaders ground interactions in respect and genuine care, and understand that right relationships emerge when everyone has a mutual influence and impact on each other.

Rule 3: Foster Integrity Leaders function at their best when they are consistent in their values, actions, and words. Part of the sport experience is dealing with losses, failures, and disappointments. How you handle and help teammates work through adversity will influence trust and loyalty among team members. Supporting and reassuring teammates in times of doubt will help others learn, grow, and change. Acting with integrity is the glue to building a cohesive team.

Rule 4: Exert Influence Your success as a leader will be found in getting teammates to go beyond themselves—to give more to the team than they ever believed they were capable of giving. Leadership is fundamentally about change. A common problem is that most people feel little need to move beyond their comfort zone. This requires motivating teammates by persuading and influencing them to change in some basic ways, challenging them get out of their comfort zone. Your actions and attitudes will exert influence through your personal example—providing energy by embodying high standards and demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the team’s vision.

Rule 5: Know Where You’re Going The difference between being an average team leader or an exceptional team leader is knowing where you’re going. Great team leaders cultivate an attractive and inspiring vision for individual excellence and contribution to the team. This requires understanding the Big Picture and using it as your road map and rudder. To motivate others to follow you need to sell the Big Picture, getting your teammates to believe in the team’s purpose, vision and goals.

Taken from Cory Dobbs at Sportleadership.com

Lombardi's 5 Motivators

2011-09-26T05:48:00.000-07:00

4 Things Players Want From Their Coaches

2011-09-23T05:02:00.000-07:00

All coaches/ leaders work to be difference makers in the lives of their players.

There are four items that players/ employees look for value from their leaders:

1. Affirmation

2. Validation

3. They want to add value

4. They want to be stretched

Culture of Accountability

2011-09-20T04:07:00.000-07:00

We use the term "ACCOUNTABILITY" daily with our team. Often, I think we use it but do not give them enough information about all that is involved with accountability. Listed below are some thoughts that we will use with our team and ourselves over the next few weeks while teaching ACCOUNTABILITY.

Accountability is "Answerability". Do you willingly answer to someone else.
We must make ourselves accountable to someone.
Without accountability we will never be as much as we can be with it.
There are many elements to accountability (Trust, Commitment, etc). It doesn't stand on its own.
Accountability is built on the foundation of Trust.
People thrive in an accountability culture. They thrive because you are better than you could ever be on your own.
An environment of, "you do your thing and I'll do mine will never thrive. Could be good, but never great."
We must value accountability.
In an accountable culture there is not an avoidance of difficult conversations.
The key is to go humbly to address issues, not avoid them.

--Dan Holland, September 18, 2011

New England Patriots Head Coach Goals

2011-09-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

1. ELIMINATE BAD FOOTBALL

2. BE FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND

3. BE TOUGH & SMART

UConn's Screen/ Screener Action For Taurasi

2011-09-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Here is good screen the screener action from the UCLA cut. UConn used this for Taurasi. The other action that opnes up is the lane line drive from #2 and an open block drive for #4 on a reversal.

5 Thoughts On Daily Routine Management

2011-09-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

We joke that coaching is actually crisis management. However, that is exactly what takes place as a leader. Often, crisis are simply things outside our control, that give no warning.

What I have found in my daily routine is that the crisis or interruptions, unscheduled non expected items are what take up so much of our time.

So, as I traveled this summer I met with people that I respected and wanted to see how they disciplined their routines to accomplish their "Highest Value Activities" and still had the time to accommodate the crisis of the day.

I met with an athletic director, coaches, ministers, business consultants, etc. Here are a few of the things that I'm working on:

1. Wake Up & Bed Time--these are the only two times of the day that we actually control. Get us as early as you need to; Stay up as late as you have to.
2. Exercise in the morning. If you don't do it then, it won't get done.
3. Find Your 3rd Place--a place where no one can get to you (family or work). Build up the right attitude to serve early in the morning. Several people talked about working from Panera, Starbucks, a park, etc. before going into the office.
4. The slightest adjustment in your daily routine can make for big lifestyle changes.
5. List your three highest value activities. These are the 3 things that must be accomplished today. These take you to your goal/ vision.

5 Consistencies of Great Leaders

2011-09-15T04:49:00.000-07:00

1. Competence
2. Respect
3. Integrity
4. Discipline
5. Resolve

What Tough Players Thrive On:

2011-09-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

Tough players thrive on the following:
They make no excuses.
They take responsibility for their actions.
They believe in preparation with a purpose.
They fight off all temptations that interfere with their goals, and with their application they apply their values and principles to their purpose.

Responsibility Never Ends

2011-09-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked, "What is one thing that you learned while working on Pat's staff". The following quote best summarizes the lessons Pat teaches:

Responsibility never ends. It’s not a step. Or just a chapter. You don’t finish it and then move on to something more fun or interesting. Responsibility is a constant state of being…”

Giuliani Studies Churchill In Time of Crisis

2011-09-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

After dealing with 911 and being up sixteen hours, Rudolph Giuliani went home at 2:30a.m., but instead of going to sleep, he picked up the biography of Winston Churchill and started to read. Why? He had to look at how someone else who led overcame the odds and rose above invasion. From what Giulani extracted and formulated from his reading, he developed his process that led New York city and its people back.
Whom have you studied and who has done what you would like to do?
Who do you know who has beaten the odds?
How hard have you tried to have a meeting with that person?

Harvey Mackay's Networking Circle Breakdown

2011-09-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Breakdown of Network:

5% Family

10% Friends

15% Business/Vendors

20% Associates/Acquaintances

25% Clients

25% Prospects

Guidelines For Dealing With Mistakes/ Failures

2011-09-12T05:26:00.000-07:00

Design our lives to make effective use of failures.

The question is, "What do you do with mistakes?"

4 Guidelines for Handling Mistakes/ Failures

1. Recognize
2. Admit--Don't Blame...Accept Responsibility...Own my part...Do what's required
3. Learn/ Correct--make the mistake work for you...Draw clear lines of responsibility
4. Forget & Move On..Make the Next Best Action

Discipline Is The Highest Form Of Love

2011-09-09T03:52:00.000-07:00

Nothing is more harmful to the team than the neglect of discipline;
for that discipline, more than talent or athleticism, gives one team superiority over another.”

DISCIPLINE IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF LOVE

TEAMS--Toughness & Trust/ Effort/ Attitude/ Motives/Servant Leadership

2011-09-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

I was so excited for our team to be able to listen to Coach Meyer talk about leadership and being a TEAM. Those are the two things that I will always associate with my time at Lipscomb and Coach Meyer. Coach once again used the acronym TEAMS yesterday as follows:

T oughness & Trust--

some players don't do well when things go bad, they end up with the "loser's limp"
you can't follow someone if you don't have trust in them.
use the "Foxhole" test as a measure of trust

E ffort
A ttitude

these are the only things you contribute yourself
these are our responsibility
people look to you as a leader to see how they will react
what would this team be like if everyone had my attitude?

M otives

why do I do what I do?
be careful how I do what I do?
can't fool people

S ervant Leaders

if you can turn out servant leaders you're really doing something as a leader

Coach Meyer Defines Servant Leadership

2011-09-06T04:28:00.000-07:00

LEADS BY EXAMPLE… Not the main thing, the only thing.
INSPIRES CONFIDENCE AND RESPECT
RADIATES CONFIDENCE
QUICK TO GAIN THE TRUST OF OTHERS
COMMANDS THE ATTENTION OF OTHERS
EFFECTIVELY USES POWER AND INFLUENCE
INSPIRES OTHERS TO BECOME SERVANT LEADERS
HAS THE GIFT OF HUMILITY THAT COMES FROM WISDOM

What Great Teachers Have In Common

2011-09-06T04:20:00.000-07:00

In an informal survey, a number of students and teachers were asked to remember a special teacher they had and to list the qualities that made those teachers special. The survey's participants formed a diverse group, which included adults in education, research, business communities, and students in public schools, some who were receiving remedial tutoring. From the descriptions received, 11 common practices of good teaching were extracted, all directly related to challenge and engagement.

1) THE MAKE LEARNING ENGAGING.
2) THEY HAVE PASSION FOR THE MATERIAL.
3) THEY HAVE DEEP SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE.
4) THEY ARE EXTREMELY ORGANIZED.
5) THEY ARE INTENSE.
6) THEY KNOW STUDENTS NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR EVEN SMALL PROGRESS.
7) THEY TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT.
8) THEY ARE FAIR.
9) THEY BELIEVE ALL STUDENTS ARE NATURAL LEARNERS.
10) THEY MAKE IT IMPLICITLY KNOWN THEY LIKE BEING WITH THEIR STUDENTS.
11) THEY PLACE PRIORITY ON INDIVIDUALIZED TEACHING.

-Swen Nater and Ronald Gallimore, taken from You Haven’t Taught Until They Have Learned, John Wooden’s Teaching Principles and Practices.

Don Yaeger's 16 Consistent Characteristics of Winners

2011-09-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

1. It's Personal

They hate to lose more than they love to win.

2. Rubbing Elbows

They understand the value of association.

3. Believe

They have faith in a higher power.

4. Contagious Enthusiasm

They are positive thinkers... They are enthusiastic... and that enthusiasm rubs off.

How They Prepare

5. Hope For the Best, But...

They prepare for all possibilities before they step on the field.

6. What Off-Season?

They are always working towards the next game... The goal is what's ahead, and there's always something ahead.

7. Visualize Victory

They see victory before the game begins.

8. Inner Fire

They use adversity as fuel.

How They Work

9. Ice In Their Veins

They are risk-takers and don't fear making a mistake.

10. When All Else Fails

They know how - and when - to adjust their game plan.

11. Ultimate Teammate

They will assume whatever role is necessary for the team to win.

12. Not Just About the Benjamins

They don't play just for the money.

How They Live

13. Do Unto Others

They know character is defined by how they treat those who cannot help them.

14. When No One Is Watching

They are comfortable in the mirror... they live their life with integrity.

15. When Everyone Is Watching

They embrace the idea of being a role model.

16. Records Are Made to Be Broken

They know their legacy isn't what they did on the field. They are well-rounded.

The 9 P's of Winning

2011-09-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

Want to know what all the most successful businesspeople, athletes, celebrities and politicians know? Author Frank I. Luntz says winners (not the Charlie Sheen kind) possess nine common principles that anyone can incorporate in their own life. It’s no magic potion. It’s these essentials:

People Centeredness – Paradigm Breaking – Prioritization — Perfection –
Partnership — Passion — Persuasion — Persistence — Principled Action

People-Centeredness

Winners know what makes people tick, and they connect either to our fears or our aspirations—or both. The job of all winning communicators is to recognize what is missing in others’ lives and then try to address it. Winners help us imagine the possibilities that change our realities. The people-centered approach is to address, resolve, and alleviate personal pain—to focus on “solutions” rather than the management of the problem.

Winning Trait: Discover what people need and help them get it.

Paradigm Breaking

Winners are not improvers; they are game-changers. Remember, as much as we say we want change, it is natural to resist it. As human beings, we innately fear the unknown, even if we simultaneously embrace it. The best communicators know how to position their new product or idea as an improvement that people should expect to have—not a burden they’ll have to bear.

Winning Trait: Present change as an improvement, not a burden.

Prioritization

They (winners) know how to separate what must be done from what should be done—and that has a direct correlation to what they say and when they say it. In fact, identifying and effectively articulating priorities may be the single most important component of successful communication. Winners prioritize their messages. In fact, in the era of texting and Twitter, the longer you speak, the less people hear.

Winning Trait: Carefully select what you say and what you do.

Perfection

If you’re not driven to perfection, you’ll never reach excellence. It’s one thing to work sixteen-hour days because you have to. It’s another to work sixteen-hour days because you want to. Winners who are passionate about their work don’t mind a sixteen-hour day if that’s what it takes for them to be the best they can possibly be.

Winning Trait: You don’t have to be perfect. But you have to be your very best.

Partnership

No one is perfect. Honest, open communication is paramount for a partnership to survive. Without it, trust and respect will simply wither. Partnerships thrive on achieving the right balance that maximizes the “good” and minimizes the “bad” that each side brings to the relationship.

Winning Trait: Don’t let “bad” fester. Communicate clearly with your partner and turn it into “good.”

Passion

There isn’t a winner anywhere who doesn’t bring passion to what they do or how they communicate. There are three language attributes at play:

First, they communicate confidence in themselves and in their products;
Second, the message always rests on results and solutions; and
Third, there is a clear call to action at the end.

But passion is about more than just words and languages. Effectively communicating passion requires focus on style and delivery.

Winning Trait: Passion isn’t something you just have; it’s something you share.

Persuasion

Winners don’t preach; they persuade. They tell you exactly why you should accept their point of view, yet you feel like you came to their conclusions on your own.

Winning Trait: Persuasion is explaining why an idea is great; not how it’s their great idea.

Persistence

Winners know how to succeed over the long haul. In fact, they know that winning is defined by repeat performances and increasing achievements. Winners never give up, never accept defeat, and work as long and as hard as it takes to get the job done right. Winners commonly say, “Don’t tell me why I can’t do it. Tell me how I can get it done.”

Winning Trait: Persist until you perspire.

Principled Action

What good is winning at work if you lose at life? The concluding chapter puts in perspective the essential nature of a set of the guiding principles that define true winners. It focuses on those who gave up their morality, humanity, and decency in the chase for success—and how they fell from grace because winning wasn’t just everything, it was the only thing.

Winning Trait: Winning is whole-life success in all areas, not just one.

–Chapter read and annotated by Ashley Glenn, SUCCESS Marketing Manager.

Snooze you win, Stanford study on sleep and shooting percentage

2011-09-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

Snooze you win? It's true for achieving hoop dreams, says study

Young basketball players spend hours dribbling up and down the court aspiring to NBA stardom. Now, new Stanford University School of Medicine research suggests another tactic to achieving their hoop dreams: sleep.

The study suggests that “sleep is an important factor in peak athletic performance,” said first author Mah. In the paper, she and colleagues wrote that “athletes may be able to optimize training and competition outcomes by identifying strategies to maximize the benefits of sleep.”

It’s no secret that lack of sleep can have negative consequences. Extensive research has shown the impact that sleep debt has on cognitive function, mood and physical performance. But, as Mah and her colleagues point out in the paper, very few studies have looked at the opposite: the effect that sleep extension can have on performance. And few other groups have looked specifically at the effect of sleep on athletes.

While things such as nutrition and physical training are part of an athlete’s daily regimen, Mah said competitive athletes at all levels typically do not focus on optimizing their sleep and recovery. They are usually just told to get a “good night’s sleep” before a competition.
“Intuitively many players and coaches know that rest and sleep are important, but it is often the first to be sacrificed,” she added. “Healthy and adequate sleep hasn’t had the same focus as other areas of training for peak performance.”

Mah began working with sleep expert William Dement, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and they turned their attention to the men’s basketball team. Over the course of two basketball seasons, Mah and colleagues worked with 11 healthy players with a goal of investigating the effects of sleep extension on specific measures of athletic performance, as well as reaction time, mood and daytime sleepiness.

The researchers asked the players to maintain their normal nighttime schedule (sleeping for six to nine hours) for two to four weeks and then aim to sleep 10 hours each night for the next five to seven weeks. During the study period, players abstained from drinking coffee and alcohol, and they were asked to take daytime naps when travel prohibited them from reaching the 10 hours of nighttime sleep.

At the end of the sleep extension period, the players ran faster 282-foot sprints (16.2 seconds versus 15.5 seconds) than they had at baseline. Shooting accuracy during practice also improved: Free throw percentages increased by 9 percent and 3-point field goal percentage increased by 9.2 percent. Fatigue levels decreased following sleep extension, and athletes reported improved practices and games.

Using a questionnaire-based sleepiness scale at the beginning of the study, Mah and her colleagues also discovered that many of the athletes had a moderate-to-high baseline level of daytime sleepiness — indicating that they were carrying sleep debt accumulated from chronic sleep loss. She called this one of the most surprising aspect of the study.

“The athletes were training and competing during their regular season with moderate-to-high levels of daytime sleepiness and were unaware that it could be negatively impacting their performance,” she said. “But as the season wore on and they reduced their sleep debt, many athletes testified that a focus on sleep was beneficial to their training and performance.”

The findings suggest, Mah said, that it’s important for sleep to be prioritized over a long period of time, not just the night before “Game Day.” She called optimal sleep an “unrecognized, but likely critical factor in reaching peak performance.” She said the findings may be applicable to recreational athletes and those at the high school, semi-pro or professional level.
--By Michele Brandt

Why Leaders Should Keep Journals

2011-09-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

Why leaders should keep journals?

1. Daily goal-setting

2. Work through confusion

3. Record gratitude.

4. Refocus on what matters.

Keys To Finishing In The Post

2011-09-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

How many times have your teams gotten the ball inside and done everything but make the shot. Coach Don Meyer would always say, "The operation was a success, but the patient died."

We use the "Reduced Rim" in most of our Post Workouts. Some Observations:
1. Players tend to focus on the "reduced rim" instead of their target initially.
2. We want our players to get their eyes up early. (Sight the target)
3. Their eyes should be on the top near corner of the backboard.
4. We want the ball to hit on the way down.
5. When we do not use the reduced rim, we emphasize "clean" shots. (The ball doesn't touch the rim).

Coach Don Meyer Leadership Tour

2011-09-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

I want to make you aware of a special leadership seminar, next Wednesday, September 7. Coach Don Meyer will be in Winter Springs, FL for part of his national Leadership Tour.

The seminar is based on his “Million Dollar Roundtable Presentations” over the last year.
The seminar addresses two areas of Servant Leadership—
(1) Do I have what it takes to be a servant leader and
(2) Building a Team of Servant Leaders

Coach Meyer has a story to tell of how God worked through adversity. His story is one of courage and determination that will inspire you for years to come.

Over the last two years Coach Meyer has broken the record for number of wins, had a near fatal car accident, a leg amputated and battles an inoperable cancer. He received a 2009 ESPY (The Jimmy V Award) and was just honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naismith Hall of Fame.

The event will be beneficial to all those in any leadership position. Coach Meyer is the winningest coach in NCAA basketball; he has been featured on ESPN recently and Buster Olney from ESPN has written a book about him that was released last November.

I had the opportunity to serve and work with Coach Meyer at Lipscomb University as both a student-assistant and later as a director of his basketball camps. Outside of my parents he is the most influential person in my life and my career.

I have included two links, so that you can have a chance to learn a little more about Coach Meyer.

I have a link from his ESPY speech and from Buster Olney’s book.

Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you plan to attend.

The cost is $50 and includes lunch. The event will run from 9-4.

Video link from Coach Meyer’s ESPY Award
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoOkHawZKa4

Link to Buster Olney’s book, “How Lucky You Can Be”
http://ballantine.atrandom.com/2010/09/01/read-how-lucky-you-can-be-the-story-of-coach-don-meyer/

Activiate Your Power To Choose

2011-09-01T04:59:00.000-07:00

Who decides what direction your life will take? You do.

You and I possess the power to choose. Every day, we make many choices. Some of them seem small. But no choice is altogether small, for even on the most seemingly unimportant choice may ultimately determine the outcome of your life. Someone said that history swings on small hinges. In an almost identical way, human life develops according to small decisions. So we determine our future by our immense power of choice.

4 Essentials of Post Play

2011-09-01T04:38:00.000-07:00

HEAD--read and under control, 60% FG
HEART--want contact
HANDS--safely receive
FEET--get open, stay open, run the floor

Post Player Daily Emphasis

2011-09-01T03:35:00.000-07:00

POST PLAYER DAILY EMPHASIS:

Improve Rebounding
Sealing & Maintaining Seal & Re-Sealing
Four second transition
Make scoring simple
Defense
FT's
Fifteen footers
Make shots clean in practice

3 Things You Can Do On Offense

2011-09-01T03:32:00.000-07:00

3 Things You Can Do On Offense:
1. Move the ball
2. Move People
a. Player being guarded with ball
b. Players away from the ball
3. Screen

"Know Thyself"--Teacher/ Coach Theory From Bob Knight

2011-08-31T07:17:00.000-07:00

A. Evaluate Yourself
     1. Know your strengths and weaknesses
          a. What you can’t do is more important than what you can do in deciding things
     2. Know what you want and don’t want to do
     3. How well do you discipline yourself?
          a. can’t be late
          b. show up everyday
          c. be responsible
    4. How good are you with people?
          a. 2 things you must be able to do to succeed.
               Talk
               Write
    5. How well do you work for people?
          a. take directions
          b. can you do what is demanded of you?
     6. How demanding can you be?
          a. there is a strong correlation between learning and what is demanded
          b. must get people to do what they don’t want to; make them go beyond their comfort zone
          c. how tough can you be?
          d.can you control a classroom?
          e. demand that players graduate, go to class, or don’t play
          f. you should feel that you know more about what is good for them, than they do
     7. How well do you accept criticism?
          a. “Any fool can criticize, and they all do.”
          b. be prepared for it, everyone feels they could do it better
          c. involves critiques, public criticisms
     8. How well do you prepare/plan?
          a. “The will to prepare to win is ultimately greater than the will to win.”
          b. most teams are even, the team best prepared to win, will
          c. preparation is vital

Who, What & Where Questions for Student Athletes In Recruiting Process

2011-08-30T04:21:00.001-07:00

When we talk to student-athletes about recruiting we encourage them to take ownership and responsibility of the process. We encourage them to ask questions. The following questions are an outline of that process. We call it the, "Who, What & Where" questions for student-athletes.

WHO
Coaching staff's philosophy of education
Coaching staff's philosophy of basketball
Coaching staff's experience
Student population: Too Big/ Too Small
Character and spirit of the campus in general
Can I respect the Head Coach and staff?
Future teammates
Type of players being recruited
School's athletic policy…Guarantee if injured
Position coach
Recruiting coach
What do former players say of their experiences?

WHERE
Miles from home
Availability of air, train, bus travel
Living conditions
Dining facilities
Weather conditions
Size of city or town
Attitude of community to the University

WHAT
Academic reptutation in my desired major
Alternative academic offerings
Academic facilities in my major
Can I compete in the classroom?
Do the athletes succeed in the classroom?
Is there tutoring help available?
Is there study hall?
Can we win?
Practice and workout facilities
Equipment
Schedule
Opportunity to go on and play professionally
Style of play
Can I continue to grow in the church of my faith?
How soon will I play?
Off season programs
Discipline

GENERAL QUESTIONS
Availability of summer employment
Quality of recruiting--How much do they want me?
Wishes of Mom/Dad
High school / AAU Coach's feelings
What does my principal, counselor or favorite teacher think?
Insurance Policy