November 2011 www.firebasketball.ca Official Newsletter of: FIREBALL CATCH THEM YOUNG WORDS PAUL S. HENDREN “At the beginning of last year's rep. season we decided as (PICKERING) It is a cool autumn morning as a small army an organization that we were going to focus on developing of young sports enthusiasts gather in a suburban gym to the Fire Basketball program through the younger age learn basketball the right way. The group are as varied by groups”, Lubin explained of the basketball club’s long term background as they are skilled. Young children who are strategic plan. only a couple of years displaced from wearing diapers dribble undersized basketballs in one corner of the “We felt that by "Catching Them Young" we would have a expansive gym while pre-teens sprint it out at the other better opportunity to develop the fundamental skills and end of the shiny new floor. One thing remains constant for habits lacking in many young players, as well as shape the all participants – their smiles seem to get larger each and future of Fire Basketball,” he said every Saturday while at the same time their basketball IQ increases at an impressive rate. FBA Chairman Chedwick Creightney is a firm believer that introducing the club to enthusiastic youngsters through the For the Fire Basketball Association technical staff the academy is a tremendous way to build camaraderie for introduction of basketball skills couldn’t come young parents and loyalty from kids. enough. Dwayne Lubin, one of the masterminds behind the Saturday morning Development Academy is finally “We have struggled to retain kids who did not start off with seeing the club’s vision bear fruit. our program,” admitted Creightney. “Our hope is to maintain consistent development that will take them through to the next level.” [1] THE ART OF BASKETBALL Words From Our Coaches By Dexter Lee, FBA Head Coach I frequently tell the kids I coach that basketball is an ART FORM. There are people who are naturals and there are people with all sorts of skill levels but, the one thing that is for sure is that EVERYONE needs to practice. Artists practice by painting or drawing constantly. An artist doing a “hand study” or “head study” is just the same as a player doing lay-ups and taking jump shots. Nobody’s perfect but there’s nothing wrong with striving for it. If you truly put in the dedication and strive for perfection in an art form, the result will be something very close to it. No matter how good we get at something, we can always get better. With right attitude, we can flirt with perfection. CATCH YOUNG cont’d : Now into the second year of re-shaping youth initiatives the club has been able to successfully form new teams at the elementary-age levels, and initiate a full development academy program that currently serves 30-40 boys and girls, ages 4-12. Coach Lubin is excited about the future. “With our current focus on operating the best programs we can for our young Fire family, I, for one, am anxious to see the results of year three!”, he proclaimed. [2] PIVOTAL MOMENT Words From Our Coaches By Deryck Dyal, FBA Head Coach When Jerry West can talk about the fundamentals of today's NBA players and say, “Most don't even know how to pivot properly,” it’s time to stand up and do something about it. Pivoting is essential to basketball as peanut butter is to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Too many players take footwork for granted and therefore don’t know when they are traveling. I frequently see players do two things – hop and take another step or change/ move both feet while the ball is in their hands. Players … these are traveling violations! Pivoting is a skill that coaches sometime assume players should know. Think about squaring to flexed. When pivoting, players can actually spin the basket, boxing out for a rebound, rolling after a around on the ball of the pivot foot. pick, drop stepping and changing defensive or To finish, I always recommend that players practice offensive direction. They all involve pivoting. and master jump stopping. When jumping and landing on both feet at the same time, players can use either Most right handed players will be more comfortable foot as the pivot foot. I know it comes in handy to be pivoting on their left foot. Left handed players will able to choose either pivot foot and it eliminates the prefer pivoting on their right foot. It might seem referee’s traveling whistle. backward but your non-pivoting foot and leg do all the work. So a right hander, with a left pivot foot, is using their right leg and foot to do the work. “Ask not what your Players should be aware that their effective quickness teammates can do for can be greatly enhanced if they use proper footwork and pivoting. A naturally quick player who lacks good you. Ask what you footwork skills can be beaten (or contained) by a player with sound footwork fundamentals. Players can do for your need to be in a good "basketball position" or stance as it is easier to start and stop, change direction and teammates.” speed, jump, shoot, pass, catch and dribble. Players Magic Johnson should have their weight on the balls of the feet and feet should be shoulder width apart with the knees [3] PRIDE and PERSEVERANCE For the past five years Nick Lother was the focal point of the University of Winnipeg Wesmen. The diminutive point guard was a star in Canadian university ball averaging close to 20 points per game during a basketball career that saw him capture as many accolades as he dropped dimes. For the past month, however, Lother has faced his biggest challenge in his basketball career. He competed with an army of other talented ballers from Stateside for a cherished roster spot with the fledgling London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada. On October 21 it was announced that he made the grade. Lother shared his inspirational story with 10 year old Brian Hendren who is trying to find his own niche with FIRE Basketball’s Major Atom team. ------------------------------------------------------------ ABOVE THE RIM “ I had just arrived in London a few weeks ago and went through a pretty tough training camp. We went two messages from our pros times a day 6 to 8 AM then 1:30 to 3:30 PM. Five in the morning comes early!! You gotta love this game!! But basketball is like anything else you do in life its something that you want to enjoy a lot and care about a lot to become guys that played at Duke, Texas A and M, Utah State, very good at. If you do not treat the sport with respect and Arkansas, Alabama State and many other high profile embrace the opportunities that are presented to you then division 1 schools... If the average person looked at this you will not put yourself in the best position to succeed. situation he would automatically think that the little kid from Something to keep in mind being a smaller player is Winnipeg, Manitoba would have to get killed in these that when you step on the basketball court at any given situations. This is not true. These guys are people just like time the person in front of you no matter who he is or what you, they are playing the same game as you. You are put in he does, is a human being just like you. And at that given a position where you must do what your able to do. Never time has to prove that he is better then you, stronger, faster try and do things that you would not normally do. Play or smarter whatever the situation may be. When I arrived within yourself and try to demonstrate the things that you here being one of the two Canadians on the team I was are capable of doing. Never stop believing in yourself.” immediately put in situations where I was playing against [4] [5] F I R E P L A Y E R P R O F I L E FAST FACTS: #12 KYLE LAGASCA AGE: 15 SCHOOL: Don Mills Collegiate TEAM: FIRE Basketball Major Midget POSITION: Combo Guard / Small Forward FAVORITE NBA TEAM: Chicago Bulls FAVORITE NBA PLAYER: Duane Wade BEST BASKETBALL COURT: Outside my home BEST ADVICE: “Basketball can help you with so many other things in life” ANG SUSUNOD NA JAWORSKI basketball family. He is building a ‘Jaworski-like’ persona in local gyms. “The Next Jaworski” Lagasca, who prides himself as a multi-sport athlete, has recently whittled down his athletic Anyone with some knowledge of the rich history of pursuits to basketball and rugby. But make no basketball in the Philippines is familiar with the name mistake - the decorated rugby player from Don Mills Robert Jaworski. Born to a Polish American father Collegiate holds basketball as his first love. “I’m a and Filipino mother Jaworski dominated the hardwood basketball player playing rugby,” he proudly in the Philippines throughout the Eighties and into the announced. “Rugby has helped my basketball game Nineties. with better fitness and it is a real man’s game making To offer up the name Jaworski to FIRE Basketball’s me tougher,” he explained. Lagasca’s power game is Kyle Lagasca, a proud Filipino-Canadian, results in a coming on strong thanks to a thickening body frame to blank stare and a shrug of the shoulders.