THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT SPORTS!!!
“The difference between the hero and the coward is one step sideways." Gene Hackman
The difference between winning and losing is NOT taking that sideways step.
Take it head on - Whatever “it” is. - Take the pain head on - Take the hunger head on - Take the confusion head on - Take the rejection head on. Bill Parcells is one of the greatest football minds of all times. He has always been looking for the player who did not take that one step sideways.
This is an except from an article written about Parcells by Michael Lewis in the New York Times on September 12, 2007:
At the back of Parcells’s personal binder there are a few loose, well-thumbed sheets that defy categorization: a copy of a speech by Douglas MacArthur; a passage from a book about coaches, which argues that a coach excels by purifying his particular vision rather than emulating a type. Among the papers is an anecdote Parcells brings up often in conversation, about a boxing match that took place nearly 30 years ago between the middleweights Vito Antuofermo and Cyclone Hart. Parcells loves boxing; his idea of a perfect day in the off- season is to spend it inside some ratty boxing gym in North Jersey. “It’s a laboratory,” he says. “You get a real feel for human behavior under the strongest duress — under the threat of physical harm.” In this laboratory he has identified a phenomenon he calls the game quitter. Game quitters, he says, seem “as if they are trying to win, but really they’ve given up. They’ve just chosen a way out that’s not apparent to the naked eye. They are more concerned with public opinion than the end result.”
Parcells didn’t see the Hart-Antuofermo fight in person but was told about it, years ago, by a friend and boxing trainer, Teddy Atlas. It stuck in his mind and now strikes him as relevant. Seated, at first, he begins to read aloud from the pages: how in this fight 29 years ago Hart was a well-known big puncher heavily favored against the unknown Vito Antuofermo, how Hart knocked Antuofermo all over the ring, how Antuofermo had no apparent physical gifts except “he bled well.” “But,” Parcells reads, “he had other attributes you couldn’t see.” Antuofermo absorbed the punishment dealt out by his natural superior, and he did it so well that Hart became discouraged. In the fifth round, Hart began to tire, not physically but mentally. Seizing on the moment, Antuofermo attacked and delivered a series of quick blows that knocked Hart down, ending the fight. -- The Redskins video is still frozen on the screen behind Parcells. He is no longer sitting but is now on his feet. “This is the interesting part,” he says, then reads: “When the fighters went back to their makeshift locker rooms, only a thin curtain was between them. Hart’s room was quiet, but on the other side he could hear Antuofermo’s corner men talking about who would take the fighter to the hospital. Finally he heard Antuofermo say, ‘Every time he hit me with that left hook to the body, I was sure I was going to quit. After the second round, I thought if he hit me there again, I’d quit. I thought the same thing after the fourth round. Then he didn’t hit me no more.’
“At that moment, Hart began to weep. It was really soft at first. Then harder. He was crying because for the first time he understood that Antuofermo had felt the same way he had and worse. The only thing that separated the guy talking from the guy crying was what they had done. The coward and the hero feel the same emotions. They’re both human.”
Hart took the one step sideways. Antuofermo did not. -- Shared by Dr. Rob Gilbert ______
DON’T MAJOR IN MINOR THINGS
The great tragedy of the world today is that we give first-class loyalty to second-class causes, and these second-class causes betray us.
Lynn Harold Hough (1912-1986)
Methodist minister
______Do You Practice Setting Your Limits?
"If you don't stretch your limits, you set your limits."
Setting your limits: Do you always do what is comfortable and don't get out of your comfort zone? If you are afraid of what will happen, then nothing will ever happen.
Anything worth while is outside your comfort zone.
Stretching your limits is going beyond what is expected. What other people think and say about you doesn't matter. You are making the difference you wish to see.
"Temporary Inconvenience= Permanent Improvement"
~Point Guard College -- Shared by Darren Ventre ______
Walk-Through, Dummy Drills, and Timing Routes...
With NFL training camps opening this week, I was thinking about how football coaches run "dummy" offenses, working on the motion, mechanics, and careful timing of each play. If you've not played football or watched a practice before, teams run their skeleton offenses again and again and again.
Having spent time visiting and observing coaches like Jon Gruden, Norv Turner, and Jeff Tedford, I can tell you it's something they spend a lot of their practice time on.
Of course, basketball teams walk through their plays. Depending on the team's make-up and their offensive system, some coaches spend more time on it than others.
When he was with the T-wolves, my father would, from time to time, dry-run the entire playbook (75-100 plays). Often, when there was a missed shot out of a particular set, he'd run it 5-6 times until the same player made the basket repeatedly.
I've read where the legendary Vince Lombardi would pay such close attention to detail that he'd run the same plays over hundreds of times so that his Packer players could run the plays automatically.
I love watching receivers and QBs connect on timing routes -- pass patterns when the QB releases the ball before his receiver has made his break.
What if passers in basketball focused on delivering the ball to a shooter off a screen the same way a QB does with his receivers? What if it's something a point guard practiced "timing routes" with his team's primary shooters/scorers the way a QB and receiver practice their timing? How much better would a shooter be if the ball was delivered at just the right moment? Is it worth an extra 2-3 points a game?
Insignificant? Maybe. But over the course of a long season, focusing on details like this could be the difference in a few games.
In the words of Bear Bryant:
"The little things make the difference. Everyone is well prepared in the big things, but only the winners perfect the little things."
-- Share by Eric Musselman
______
I have been watching the NBA and collecting pearls of basketball wisdom from announcer Hubie Brown.
Below are a few of his principles.
You must dunk with two hands
You try to tell guys, will you please wait 'til the screener is set?
You cannot feed a guy in the post from above the free throw line
When you're defending the postman, never turn your back when someone's cutting
You try to tell guys, you never dribble just once
You must remember, young players, who are you fouling?
You cannot allow a big man to take the ball uncontested from half court. You must cut him off at the circle. Your man leaves you, you cut to the front of the rim
You must pound the boards, force the ball up, and the fatigue factor will free up easy threes
You always give it to the guy who's cutting and has the high percentage shot
You must take advantage of turnovers and second shots
When running the UCLA offense, you must jam the passer
Any time the ball goes to the wing and a back screen is set by the center or forward or the point guard, someone must help him out -- or else jam the passer
If you front the low post or gamble for a steal, it's a layup
Any time you get in that area [the lane], you try to make a bounce pass
You're either going to trap or you're going to force the dribbler high -- but you cannot allow him to turn the corner
If you're going to force him, force him baseline -- do not allow him to get into the lane
Post-up guys, will you please catch the ball with both hands, then get good position, then turn to the basket
You always want to create angles when you start the fast break
If you're going to front and you catch a lob you cannot send up anything soft
On dribble penetration you can let your man go baseline, but if they go to the lane instead... Come on! Where's the help?
You cannot send all 3 guys to the basket because the post up man will have no one to pass to
Whenever the defensive team fronts the low post, you must clear out the opposite side low box defender
You try to tell guys, when you're playing against good half court defense not to pass the ball off the dribble because you cannot take it back if the defense reacts You cannot front a great post-up player unless you also jam the passer
In the transition offense you cannot post a man that close to the basket
You cannot leave your feet unless you are shooting the ball
You always tell defenders, make the ball change direction
More Hubie
When Hubie Says 'bang' "When a pivot man is fronted, throw the lob pass to the nearest low corner of the backboard and let him go get the ball. Here's how we'll play a double pick. The cutter is always tailgated. The bottom-side defender moves to close the baseline path, then opens it when the cutter circles his way through. The top-side defender halves the two pickers when his partner is shading baseline, then he steps up to bang the cutter and keep him from curling. And when I say 'bang,' I mean it." ______
Coaches and Conditioning
Heading back from Greece today after almost a week in Athens...
Going through my email box this morning, I came across a story from one of my local papers about Jack LaLanne, the legendary workout king who is still going strong at age 93.
[That's Jack on the cover of a fitness magazine from the 1950s.]
When LaLanne was starting out back in the 1930s, to help promote his new gym, he went down to a local high school, and found two kids: The fattest kid in school and the skinniest one. He visited their homes and talked with their parents about letting their kids come to his gym to not only exercise, but get nutrition tips.
The parents agreed.
Four months later, the big boy had lost 40 pounds and the skinny kid had gained 40 pounds of muscle. That's when people began flocking to his gym. I'm a big proponent of working out every day. It's my feeling that, as coaches, it's important to be physically fit. If you want your players to be in top condition, you -- as a coach -- need to set the example. But it's not just about your players seeing that you value conditioning. Being in great shape will give you the energy you need to be a better coach.
My father was a fitness fanatic. He'd work out tirelessly, lifting weights and running 5-10 miles a day. He also played full-court basketball with his friends a few times a week into his 50s.
One time with the Timberwolves, he challenged rookie Gerald Glass to a full- court sprint. Gerald literally had to dive across the baseline to beat him.
-- Shared by Eric Musselman ______
[Coaches: These are my speaking notes from the clinic in Athens, Greece, from the Summer of 2008.]
Pick-n-roll offensively and defensively Offensive pick n roll - Work on this in your layup lines with pick n roll lines
Pick-n-Roll Angles Wing Middle Horns Step up Double Double twist On the move , off a screen Strong side, corner filled
Weak side action - gaggle - bump off double down - slip
Pick n rolls -2 on 0 pick n roll - 2 on 2 pick N roll - working on technique - show - hard hedge and contact show - push up and under - trap (toes to sideline) 3 on 3 pick n roll shell with 3-man rotation 4 on 4 pick n roll shell with rotation 5 on 5 pick n roll defense vs live sets
Defenses - trap
Post defensive traps - Determine where on floor is your post up "box area" - Determine when you trap - on the pass - on the catch - on the dribble - on the move - "bait" trap - fake trap and cut off passing lanes - digs, stunts
Types of post traps - "snap back" off passer who cuts - X trap - 2 passes removed - Y trap - first player - Z trap - 2 players removed - Big to Big trap - hits - off designated man
Defending the post up of "Triangle offense " - ball pressure, sit in lap of post We designate a color of our opponent. Each player assigned a color in regards to the quality of shooter he is (e.g., superior, average, mid-range, non)
Defensive technique on - Dribble handoffs - Split action Screener's man is loose, defender receiving screen into body of Defending "guard around" into and loose or into then under with support
Post defensive technique - Butt front - passer pressure hands in quarterback's eyes - weak side alert like a defensive back - sit butt on post-up legs, hands up on butt front
"Special situations" Inbounding Define your best "inbound passer" - full court, half court, 3/4 court
Defending inbounds - staggered jump - deflections - two defenders defend inbound pass
Special defenses vs special players
Special rules vs special players Started with Chuck Daly and the "Jordan Rules" - A . Iverson - on catch, pressure AI, other 4 to form a "box" on elbows and post blocks - K Bryant - mix up Vs isolation - Force right in the first half , force left second half Vs post up - force baseline Vs Stockton, C Paul, S Nash - trap right as they cross halfcourt the "face deny" don't let them get ball back Vs Ray Allen (and other good catch-n-shoot players) "Hover" hand of the ball Vs D Wade - Anyone guarding him must have a foot in the paint
Free throw Hammer play Runner play
Jump balls -read the tap - blind spot for each jump ball - find and form your "alley" Hammer play Play to score off the jump
Side out of bounds - "50 set " (50, 50 up, 50 down, 50 red, 50 double away) - X play
Baseline out of bounds 4 o'clock ( lob )
Your team's best lineup for... - come back game - 3-point shooting - pressure defense - up 10 points with 5 :00 to go - need a rebound - playing with a 2 point lead
-- Special situation drill “Bubble drill” 7:00 on clock up 18 points. Team has lead has a bubble over basket so ball can’t go in. Other team can score. Team with lead must learn to take care of ball and run clock down. Plus get offensive rebounds and defensive stops to hold the lead. Example: LA Lakers vs Boston Celtics at LA (Game 4, ‘08 NBA Finals)
Best shots in an NBA game - a layup - a free throw - a corner 3 point shot -- Shared by Eric Musselman ______
In an issue of Fortune magazine, the author asked two CEOs and one business consultant about failure and what it means to them. Four goods points:
1. You can be tolerant of failure, but not of mediocrity and incompetence. Incompetence is a lack of commitment to excellence. In coaching, it's important to be able to recognize the difference between a player who failed (in a game, in reaching a personal goal, etc.), but who is driven to succeed, and one who is simply not committed to winning.
2. Failure is a motivator. Thomas Edison achieved his great success through repeated failure. The best coaches bounce back harder after failing to achieve a goal.
3. Give people who have failed another chance. Give them more resources or the opportunity to institutionalize what they've learned. Critics considered Doc Rivers a failure following Boston's 2006-07 season. Danny Ainge not only gave Doc another chance, he also gave him more resources (i.e., an upgraded roster). We all know the result.
4. The only way to come up with a breakthrough is to take bigger risks. That might mean taking a risk on a player, making a big trade, or trying a new scheme. -- Shared by Eric Musselman
______Nelson Mandela on Leadership
The long flight to Greece gave me plenty of time to read through a stack of magazines, including TIME, which has a great piece on Nelson Mandela's eight leadership principles. The lessons and applications are clear for coaches.
[Following are excerpts from the article.]
1. Courage is not the absence of fear — it's inspiring others to move beyond it. Mandela was often afraid during his time underground. "Of course I was afraid!" he would tell me later. It would have been irrational, he suggested, not to be. "I can't pretend that I'm brave and that I can beat the whole world." But as a leader, you cannot let people know. "You must put up a front."
And that's precisely what he learned to do: pretend and, through the act of appearing fearless, inspire others. He knew that he was a model for others, and that gave him the strength to triumph over his own fear.
2. Lead from the front — but don't leave your base behind. Prison gave him the ability to take the long view. It had to; there was no other view possible. He was thinking in terms of not days and weeks but decades. "Things will be better in the long run," he sometimes said. He always played for the long run.
3. Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front. When he finally did speak at meetings [with his staff], he slowly and methodically summarized everyone's points of view and then unfurled his own thoughts, subtly steering the decision in the direction he wanted without imposing it. The trick of leadership is allowing yourself to be led too. "It is wise," he said, "to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea."
4. Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport. As far back as the 1960s, Mandela began studying Afrikaans, the language of the white South Africans who created apartheid. This was strategic in two senses: by speaking his opponents' language, he might understand their strengths and weaknesses and formulate tactics accordingly. But he would also be ingratiating himself with his enemy. He even brushed up on his knowledge of rugby, the Afrikaners' beloved sport, so he would be able to compare notes on teams and players.
5. Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer. Mandela would often invite into his home men he didn't fully trust. He had them to dinner; he called to consult with them; he flattered them and gave them gifts. Mandela is a man of invincible charm — and he has often used that charm to even greater effect on his rivals than on his allies.
Mandela would always include in his brain trust men he neither liked nor relied on. He would pick up the phone and call them on their birthdays. He would go to family funerals. He saw it as an opportunity."
Mandela believed that embracing his rivals was a way of controlling them: they were more dangerous on their own than within his circle of influence. He cherished loyalty, but he was never obsessed by it. After all, he used to say, "people act in their own interest." It was simply a fact of human nature, not a flaw or a defect. The flip side of being an optimist — and he is one — is trusting people too much. But Mandela recognized that the way to deal with those he didn't trust was to neutralize them with charm.
6. Appearances matter — and remember to smile. We sometimes forget the historical correlation between leadership and physicality. George Washington was the tallest and probably the strongest man in every room he entered. Size and strength have more to do with DNA than with leadership manuals, but Mandela understood how his appearance could advance his cause.
7. Nothing is black or white. Life is never either/or. Decisions are complex, and there are always competing factors. To look for simple explanations is the bias of the human brain, but it doesn't correspond to reality. Nothing is ever as straightforward as it appears.
8. Quitting is leading, too. Knowing how to abandon a failed idea, task or relationship is often the most difficult kind of decision a leader has to make.
-- Shared by Eric Musselman ______
Rich Rodriguez Wasting No Time Changing Culture at Michigan
Read an article this morning from ESPN The Magazine about Rich Rodriguez, who's taken over at the U. of Michigan. Some key points/excerpts:
-- - He connects with people: An uncanny mix of in-your-face firebrand and aw- shucks charmer,
Rodriguez uses his West Virginia twang to spin folksy stories that play well with recruits, their parents and the media.
- He expects you to work hard in order to improve. As word spread that Rodriguez was leaving West Virginia to take the Wolverines job, Mountaineers safety Ryan Mundy, a Michigan transfer, started getting frantic calls. And Mundy told all 20 former teammates who called the same thing: “Be prepared to run. Everything’s way more up-tempo. If you’re not willing to bust your ass, you should leave. But if you stay, you’ll love it.”
- He won’t hesitate to make changes to the team’s environment: His first order of business was gutting Michigan’s strength program. Out went the machine-based system that had been in place for four decades. In came an Olympic lifting program (cost: over $1 million) geared toward improving core strength and hard-wiring bodies to make explosive movements.
- He motivates in creative ways that reinforce his message: Rodriguez...invited members of Schembechler’s first team to speak to his squad. When former All-America linemen Reggie McKenzie and Dan Dierdorf detailed the radical change they endured—and later embraced—it stunned the current team.
- Bring energy: New strength coach Mike Barwis, a former MMA fighter, also encouraged the players to loosen up. “Barwis likes you to be loud in the weight room,” says [Michigan DE Tim] Jamison. “All the time, high energy. He’s brought more fun into it. He doesn’t want you to be uptight.”
- He likes a sense of urgency: The tempo change was dramatic. “If Bo [Schembechler] could see these practices, he’d love it,” says Jim Brandstatter, a lineman on the 1969 team. “It’s eerily similar to the culture shock when Bo took over. They’re being physical. They hit. They wear pads every day.” Among the new Michigan mandates: Practices double as conditioning (no walking— even linemen sprint into stances), and a QB is live in drills until he proves in a real game that he can handle pressure.
- Don’t take criticism personally; it’s about improving: Rodriguez isn’t shy about cursing, especially if someone doesn’t hustle or makes the same mistake twice. “Rod cusses. A lot,” says former NFL QB Shaun King, who played at Tulane when Rodriguez ran the offense there. “He takes some adjusting to. I hated his ass at first.” Says Michigan wide out Greg Mathews, “You have to learn how to not take it personally.”
-- Shared by Eric Musselman ______
You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. Abraham Lincoln ______
"You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals." Booker T. Washington ______
Aim For Success "Many times the difference between failure & success is doing something nearly right…or doing it exactly right." ______
"Lead, and do so with all your might. Determination and passion have the power to drive teams to success." ______
Make today matter…what matters most
An excerpt from Every Monday Matters By Mathew Emerzian & Kelley Bozza FACTS
The average person spends; -100 hours a year commuting to work compared to 80 hours of vacation time. - 91 hours a week at work for dual – career couples with kids. - 1.8 hours a day doing household activities. - 2.6 hours a day watching television. - 8.6 hours a day sleeping. Time is a non-renewable resource. Once it’s used up, you can’t get it back.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
1. Stop and think…then make a list of what matters most to you. 2. Create a list of how you currently spend your time each week. 3. Organize your list of weekly activities and identify activities that are required and those that are optional and waste time. 4. Take steps to rearrange your schedule or reduce optional activities so that you can spend time doing what matters most. 5. Don’t waste time. -- YOU MATTER
What really matters most to you? - Your relationships with family, friends, and children? - Helping others? - Passions? - Faith? - Security? - Health?
At the end of each year, don’t you want to look back and see that you made a difference? That you matter? Today is the start of a new day.
Start it off by making a difference in you, in your life, and in the lives of those you love. This is your opportunity. Time spent on what matters most is never a waste of time.
POSITIVE TIP: Take Action...Make Your List! ______
A Coach of a Different Sort
There's a great article in the July 21 issue of Fortune magazine about former Columbia football head coach Bill Campbell ("The Secret Coach" by Jennifer Reingold).
He hasn't worked in sports in since the late 1970s, when he stepped down after five years as head coach at Columbia where "he motivated, inspired, and lost -- a lot."
In fact, in his last year of coaching he was hospitalized for exhaustion.
[Campbell also played football at Columbia. Despite being only 5-10, 165 pounds, he captained the 1961 Lion team to the Ivy League Championship game (where they tied Harvard).]
After leaving football, he worked at an New York ad agency for awhile before joining Apple, in 1983, as VP of sales. According to the guy who hired Campbell for that job:
"It would be pretty unusual today to hire a football coach to be your VP of sales. But what I was looking for was someone who could help develop Apple into an organization. We had a dealer network in those days, and he gained trust both inside the company and in the dealer channel. He was just a natural."
Campbell, who is still a member of Apple's board of directors, would go on to serve as CEO of Intuit. But he's still involved in coaching -- just not the coaching of athletes. He serves as a consultant and mentor to executives all over Silicon Valley.
According to the article:
An important element of Campbell's teachings is the system he's developed for reviewing employees, which many of the executives he mentors now use. Rather than simply focusing on whether a manager has achieved his financial goals - which can lead to short-term thinking - Campbell gives equal weight to four areas. The first is traditional: performing against expectations. But then he looks at management skills, working with peers, and innovating. If you aren't good at all those things, you aren't good.
Said one executive: "He loves people, and he loves growing people."
And he's still involved in football: During nine of the past 15 years...he has spent an hour and a half each fall weekday and every Saturday coaching the eighth-graders at St. Joseph's School of the Sacred Heart in Atherton, Calif. His earlier failure to be tough enough is a mistake he seems determined not to repeat. "He's very demanding," says school athletic director Jeff Reynolds. "He'll get right in the face of kids if they're doing something he doesn't like. And kids respond." Campbell has won six championships.
-- Shared by Eric Musselman ______
How long does it take to build Leadership Excellence?
Just moments…defining moments, that is.
1) The moment we commit ourselves to a goal. 2) The moment we create a compelling plan to realize our vision. 3) The moment of honest self-reflection that urges us to take action. 4) The moment we decide to invest in others. 5) The moment we choose to change. 6) The moment we take a stand for what we believe. The difference between average and excellent can be found in moments... literally. 7) Seize the moment to read and apply, and you will be one step closer to leadership excellence! -- Lee Colan ______A Moment to Plan -- Lee J. Colan, Ph.D.
Several centuries ago, a Japanese emperor commissioned an artist to paint a bird. A number of months passed, then several years, and still no painting was brought to the palace. Finally, the emperor became so exasperated; he went to the artist's home to demand an explanation.
Instead of making excuses, the artist placed a blank canvas on the easel. In less than an hour, he completed a painting that was nothing short of brilliant. When the emperor asked the reason for the delay, the artist showed him armloads of drawings of feathers, wings, heads and feet. Then he explained himself. All of this research and study had been necessary before he could complete the painting.
How often do we overlook the time it takes to prepare and to plan anything we accomplish? Just like the Japanese artist who took years and years to research, study and practice drawing and painting the details of the brilliant bird that eventually resulted on his canvas… any goal, anything worth accomplishing takes planning and preparation.
In today’s warp-speed pace of business, planning and preparing are often the two steps that tend to get short-circuited on the way to achieving our goals. Add to this increasing speed of business the greater complexity of the internal systems, consumer markets, strategic alliances and distribution channels, and it’s easy to see how the need for planning is greater than ever. In fact, planning is a crucial step in every success and a requirement of all things excellent.
Planning is important leadership work because our product is a work of art. British sculptor Sir Jacob Epstein was once visited in his studio by the eminent author and fellow Briton, George Bernard Shaw. During their chat, Shaw noticed a huge block of marble standing in one corner and asked what it was for.
"I don't know yet,” Epstein replied. “I'm still making plans."
Shaw was astounded. "You mean you plan your work? Why, I change my mind several times a day!"
"That's all very well when you’re working with a four-ounce manuscript," replied the sculptor, "but not with a four-ton block of marble."
As leaders, we may not be shaping marble, but we are shaping something much more important and precious – people’s lives and their livelihoods. Our product cannot be measured in pounds or tons. A leader’s product has immeasurable psychological, emotional and professional weight!
A defining moment for the excellent leader is the day he takes time to plan – to chart a course for his team – versus reacting to daily, tactical demands. It’s in that moment a manager becomes a leader. This defining moment has less to do with an official title than it does with a decision we each make. Seize the moment to plan… and excel. ______Against All Odds....Persevere -- By Lee J. Colan
Although January is the month for creating new goals, February tells the truth about our stick to it-ness.
When I was a senior in high school, I participated in a mock congress with fellow seniors from throughout the state of Florida in a program called Boys’ State. It was a defining moment of perseverance for me. Let me explain.
During the course of the week at the state capital in Tallahassee, we learned about legislative issues, primarily by acting them out and holding mock elections for a variety of political offices. So I figured, “Hey, I’m only here once. Why not just go for it?” So I ran for a lower level position the second day, but lost to another student. No problem, I can take rejection. So I tried for a slightly higher office the next day, but I lost again. Now the stakes got higher – more prestigious offices on the line and a bruised ego that needed repair. I tried again but no victory. The next day again… nope! I have to win at some point, right? So one more time I submit my petition, make the rounds, and cast my vote. Votes finally came and I kept my perfect record: 0 wins, 5 losses.
Well, now we were down to the last day of the program and only the highest offices were left to be filled – the Governor’s cabinet. Here’s where the real campaigning kicks in. Pressing flesh, addressing the issues, oh yea, and making a speech in front of 1,000 of my fellow students (most of whom had won some type of office by now). With five defeats under my belt, there was nothing much left to lose.
With shaking knees and sweating palms, I made my first big speech (thank God for lecterns!) as I ran for Commissioner of Education. I decided to make perseverance one of my issues – it certainly seemed relevant, to me at least. All told, at least I left the week with a 1 and 5 record, but the one victory was the one that really counted. Even then, I knew enough to realize that, as Thomas Edison said, "Genius? Nothing! Sticking to it is the genius! ... I've failed my way to success."
Unfortunately, most people fail because they don’t stick to it long enough to succeed. For instance, every year on January 1st, people make new resolutions. It is a time to start fresh, to implement new plans for various areas of our lives. But we all know what happens… about 70 percent of all New Year’s resolutions last less than one month. Many last less than a week or even a day. It is not that our intentions are bad – it is just that most of us do not stick to it long enough to create a new habit – a subconscious behavior. Sticking to it long enough to win is a common defining moment for many leaders and teams. These moments are so memorable because they often test our faith in ourselves and our teams.
Since we frequently cannot immediately see the tangible results of our leadership, we must trust that doing the right things will yield the desired results. We demonstrate this faith in everyday things, but somehow it seems more challenging with our teams.
For example, I took a lot of pictures of our children this Christmas as they opened their presents. I took some photos with my digital camera. Then I started to feel a bit nostalgic. So I grabbed my old 35mm camera (call me old fashioned!), put a brand new roll of unexposed film into it, focused on my children and clicked away. This film was now exposed to the images of my ever- so-happy children. But if I were to open up that camera and look at the film, it wouldn't have looked like anything would have happened. I couldn't see one picture that I just took. The film would look totally black.
I know and trust the images are all there. I just can't see them with my eyes. The film has been exposed to the images of my children. The only problem is, I have not yet developed my film. Now, if I were to take that film to a developer, he would take me into a very dark, dark room, and he would slosh that film around in just the right solutions, and lo and behold, right before my very eyes, a miracle would occur. The images of my children would appear.
They were there all the time. I just couldn't see it until I got it developed. But the reality is, the moment I snapped the picture, that image was imprinted onto that film.
The life of a leader works much the same way. Sometimes, it might feel like our teams are going through their own “dark room” experience before we finally see the positive results of our efforts. Trust that your efforts will yield the excellence you pursue.
The signature of mediocrity is constantly changing direction. The signature of excellence is sticking to it.
Ray Kroc created such unparalleled success; most of us are unaware of how he really beat the odds and persevered his way to success.
During his entire life, Ray thrived on discovering just the right idea that would live on well after the man, himself. From a paper cup salesman, to real estate broker, piano player and, finally, milk shake mixer salesman, he always had an incredible amount of faith in himself! At the young age of 52, Kroc’s biggest idea, McDonald's, was about to emerge. However, Kroc had to muster enough courage in his new idea to mortgage his home and borrow lots of money to get it going. Oh! He wasn't a picture of health, either. He'd been plagued by years of arthritis, diabetes, lost his bladder and most of his thyroid gland. But he never lost belief in himself. In fact, Ray Kroc was known to say, "The best is ahead of me," according to those who knew him.
Today, the McDonald’s brand name is the 2nd most recognizable name in the world. Not bad for a 52-year-old with health problems, huge debts and tons of determination!
Ray Kroc was a simple man with a simple plan to achieve huge success. His secret sauce? Against all odds… persevere! ______
Dr. Tactics
Offensive rebounding - The thing I always stress is this rule. “If you shoot a two go to the boards” How ….hard Why ….You can see where it is going to go better than anyone else on the court. If you don’t get the board at least you can pressure the rebounder and stop an easy (controlled) outlet pass. .. At least one of us is on the glass .. No one blocks out. - much When ….when you shoot the two If you can get this rule to work you will be surprised how much it benefits your team. -- Bob Robinson ______
“Players forget many of the things coaches say, players forget many of the things coaches teach but players never forget the way coaches made them feel.” -- Ken Lowry
______General Motion Principles -- By Luke Bobilak
An effective motion offense relates very strongly to how your team plays offensively in the full court (i.e. [primary] transition). The idea of “push (the ball), swing (or reverse the ball), get to the rim (penetrate) is a great basis out of your transition game on which to build and develop your motion game in an organized quarter court situation. The following guidelines are able to be used with whatever “Motion System” you have in place with your team (i.e. cutting rules, screening rules, penetration rules, etc.)
“Magic Formula” 1. Minimum 1 Ball Reversal (4 passes minimum) – shift the defense 2. Inside/Outside/Change Sides nd 3. 2 Touch Penetration – make the read
If you are able to combine these principles within your “system” you should be able to gain most of the key principles of motion offensive play within your group. Combined with the “Magic Formula” teams should endeavor to maintain great spacing, timing and patience within their motion offensive system. With minimal time to develop the principles of team motion offense I would focus on the following areas (within the concepts of the “Magic Formula”):
First look in your offense (trans into motion) should be the post entry from the point spot (if you’re running the ball) or from the wing spot if you’re organized in the quarter court.
Dribble Penetration Rules
- Dribble penetration should be directed at the “point of the rim” (low, direct dribble – “direct line” penetration) - Penetrate to score (scorer’s mentality) (assertive individual play) - If you penetrate and the defense plays in the driving lane, put the ball in the passing lane, if the defense plays in the passing lane, keep the ball in the driving lane, if the defense sags, pull up and shoot it! - Should get two feet in the paint on every dribble penetration situation (land balanced on two feet)
Receivers Rules: Every time we have dribble penetration we should get two receivers in the paint (their key to go is the landing of the player dribble penetrating the basketball, i.e. two feet jump stop), one shooter opposite the basketball on the perimeter and a player on defensive balance or “safety”. Who and where these players are is decided by where the penetration occurs from on the floor and maintaining spacing and cutting efficiency. Ownership of space
If player A passes the basketball to player B, the person with the basketball, i.e. player B now owns the lane/space in front of them. If player B chooses not to utilize this space (for example after waiting for a 2-3 count) then player A now owns this space in which they can play without the basketball. Combining these broads concepts with the essential ingredients of motion offense (continual movement, “working” off the basketball, making appropriate offensive reads, assertive individual play, multiple screening targets, balancing the floor, etc.) will allow your group to play effective and efficient motion offense in the half court, irrelevant of your alignment of set-up and cutting & screening rules.
Some general thoughts on offensive play: - Do the simple before the complex
- “The P’s” of Offense Poise Patience Persistence Pressure Possession Power Pride Passion Preparation Precision PLAY
______2v1 chaser
Player 2 must dribble around the cone at half way and then drive to the basket. Player 1 runs around the cone at the time line and then aims to get ahead of player 1 to give a passing option. X1 must run around the cone and then guard 2v1. They should hedge and try and confuse the offense. You can do this drill at both ends of the floor having both groups run around the same cones so that the players have to get through "traffic" at the time line ______
3v2 chaser
This drill is essentially the same as 2v1, with all players having to run around a cone at time line (player 3 has not been shown running to keep the diagram simple). ______
What it Takes to Be A Champion "There are four things that all players, in all programs, say it takes to be a champion: good attitude, great work ethic, commitment to being a champion, and leadership." -- Gene Keady ______Circle Game
Divide group into two teams (every player has a ball). Players dribble around the 3pt circle and then make a layup. Next player does not go until the player in front makes their layup. Variation: - Have players pull up at the block to shoot a short jump shot. ______
Learn the ‘4 step’ when defending a team taking a shot. 1. Hand up and yell shot. 2. Find your man and block out. 3. Move toward the basket. 4. Break. Remember the 4 steps. Hand, block, seek and go. ______
"Discipline of others isn't punishment. You discipline to help, to improve, to correct, to prevent, not to punish, humiliate, or retaliate." -- John Wooden ______
The Ten Commandments of Defense 1. Thou shall not deviate from thy stance 2. Keep thy nose on the ball 3. Shoulders shall stay square unto the basket 4. Always jump to the ball 5. See the ball; see the man 6. Never leave thy feet 7. Thou shall not covet thy opponent’s points 8. Thou shall not lust for blocking shots 9. Never giveth up the baseline to intruders 10. Do unto the offensive man as he would do unto you. But do it him first. ______Passing
The Good Passer • Has good court awareness and sees everything without looking at anything specific. This includes knowing how much time is on the clock, and what the score is. If you need to (get-the-ball-inside) there is no sense passing back out to a guard if little time is left. • Knows when to pass - always keep in mind that the defender is moving. • Knows what type of pass to make • Knows where to pass to (lead a runner or hit target hand). • Anticipates when man will be open so that you can get the pass to him. (This comes from playing in game situations.)
Receiving the Pass • Hands loose: if the ball slaps on the hands then the hands are too stiff. • Bring ball into the body. • Always catch the ball with two hands. • Always come to meet the ball • Always present passer with a target. • Never pass to anyone who has their hands down. • Always look the ball right into your hands. (Don't dribble off and score before you have caught the ball.)
Passing Drill 50 passes - keep away with no dribbling or 1 dribble, everyone playing (2 teams), first team to 50 passes wins. If a player scores, count it as 5 passes and his team keeps the ball. If he misses a shot, give the ball to the other team. You can have a coach always play with the defense to make it more challenging for the offense!
Bobby Knight states: "The player should pass away from the defense rather than to the offensive man."
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Pass to Coach. Player establishes position on the post and take 2 dribbles (bang away) and come to a jump stop and make the following shot • Jump hook • Jump shot • fake a jump shot and step through making a lay-up ______
Player passes to Coach and puts 1 foot in the paint and makes a V cut around chair for a jump shot. You can also make the following moves. • Up fake 1 dribble • Up fake 1 dribble, cross over • Up fake 1 dribble, between the legs • Up fake 1 dribble, step back
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Same Drill as previous but players start there cut from the side line ______
Player passes to coach and makes a V Cut to chair and flairs out for jump shot. Can also add the following moves: • Up fake 1 dribble • Up fake 1 dribble, cross over • Up fake 1 dribble, between the legs ______
Richmond Drill
Players pitter patter facing the baseline. Coach calls go and the players turn and face. Coach then passes to one, of the players, who makes a power move while the other player defends. Make quick rotation from 1 spot to the next and out. This is meant to be an "explosive" drill. 1 on 1 chaser – reaction drill
Coach calls "go", "left" or "right" and players 1 and 2 sprint around the appropriate cone on the baseline out to the wing spot. Coach passes to the first person open. Players play 1 on 1. Limit dribbles ______
1 on 1 baseline sprint
Players run and touch the elbow. Coach can pass to either player or drop or roll the ball onto the court. The player who catches the ball is on offense while the other player is defense. Play 1 on 1. Note: Limit dribbles.
______20 Basketball Decisions That You Make In Every Game -- Shane Dreiling,
In order to make good decisions in games you must discipline yourself to develop good techniques in practice and scrimmages.
1. No Fade-away jumpers. - Shooting a fade away instead of taking it up strong and drawing a foul. 2. Failure to Use A Fake. Not using a fake on a pass to someone who is closely guarded. Not using a fake prior to dribble penetration move or taking a shot. 3. No Box Out. Not boxing out your opponent after a shot is taken. (This includes offense, too!). 4. Improperly Catching passes, - or catching a pass on the wing without being in a triple-threat position. 5. Panicked Passing. -- Passing the ball to get rid of it instead of passing to a target. 6. Standing Around. Not giving a target or moving to the ball and expecting to get a pass. 7. Not Hustling. Not hustling back on defense after an offensive possession ends. 8. Not Closing Out Defensively. Not closing out on your opponent if he or she catches the ball. 9. Not Getting to Outlet Position. Guards not getting to the free-throw line extended for an outlet pass after a defensive rebound. - (Also dribbling around without a purpose. Always attack!) 10. Poor Post Passing. Post players passing the ball through the key on a defensive rebound. Instead of passing to a guard that is on their side of the court. 11. Dribbling With Wrong Hand. - Dribbling with your right hand while going to your left and vice-versa. 12. Allowing Easy Cuts In to the Lane. Not bumping a cutter or flasher in the key. 13. Not Using Good Angles to Pass. 14. Failure To Stop The Ball. Not stopping the ball when the opponent is coming down the floor. 15. Starting the Offense Too Early. - Starting the offense too far away from the 3- point line. 16. Using Improper Footwork. Not using a jump stop when you pick up your dribble or shoot a jump shot. 17. Poor Defensive Positioning. Not being in proper help or denial position on defense. 18. No Communication. Not calling out the following: “shot,” “pick,” “help,” “ball,” or “outlet.” 19. Selfish Play. Playing lazy defense but hustling on offense because you want to shoot. 20. Dribbling With Head Down. Not passing to open team-mates and dribbling with your head down (especially if they’re running ahead of you on a fast break). ______
Ways to start Motion Offense By Patrick Hunt
Motion offense concepts and principles that are essential for Motion offense to be successful are:
• Penetration of the ball into the key by dribbling or passing the ball • Ball movement • Player movement • Creating space • Recognizing space • Reacting with timing of player and ball movement • Recognizing cues • Reading the defense
The understanding and execution of the above principles will create good shots for both the perimeter players and post players. Motion offense principles can be used against man to man, zones or presses. It is of most importance that court balance and appropriate spacing (15 to 18 feet) is used at all times. Generally we want the ball to be reversed at least once before we shoot the ball and we want the ball to penetrated into the key either through passing to the post or dribble penetration.
X the Wings Low Perimeter players swing off the two low post players to get open.
X from Double Stack Start in a Double Stack in the low post. Players 2 and 3 swing off the two post players to get open.
Cross, staggered high/low Post Start with a low and high post. Player 3 cuts off player 4 while player 2 cuts off player 5.
Cross, Staggered Double Stack high/low Start with two high and two low. Player 2 cuts off player 5 while player 3 cuts off player 4 high ______
Pairs, back screen & re-screen - Action starts with the two low post players setting up screens for the perimeter players.
If the players do not receive the ball on the back cut, then they re-screen for players 4 and 5 to get those players back in the low post.
See next page --
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Back screen – Flare screen Post players 4 and 5 set an up screen to free players 2 and 3. ______
Dribble entry Zipper Cut high/ low Player 1 dribbles towards player 2 who makes a shallow cut high. At the same time player 5 sets an up screen for player 3.
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Post starts high/low Player 1 passes to player 3 and then cuts off an up screen set by player 2. Player 5 sets a back screen for player 4 to dive into the low post. ______
Post inside off a dribble entry Action may also be started with player 3 setting an up screen for player 1 who dribbles the ball to the wing. After setting the up screen, player 3 now cuts off an up screen set by player 2. ______