Leaders: Strategies For Taking Charge

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Leaders

Strategies for Taking Charge


by Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus

Leadership is about character.


Seven criteria that most organizations use to evaluate their executives:
technical competence, people skills, conceptual skills, track record, taste,
judgment and character. Of these the last two are the most difficult to
identify, measure or develop. We certainly dont know how to teach them.
The capacity to generate and sustain trust is the central ingredient in
leadership.
You can have the most glorious vision in the world and it wont mean a thing
if theres low trust in the organization.
Leadership is the pivotal force behind successful organizations and that to
create vital and viable organizations, leadership is necessary to help
organizations develop a new vision of what they can be, then mobilize the
organization to change toward the new vision.
Credibility is at a premium these days. Leaders are being scrutinized as
never before.
Power is at once the most necessary and most distrusted element exigent to
human progress.
Power is the capacity to translate intention into reality and sustain it.
Leadership is the wise use of this power. Leaders direct organizational
changes that build confidence and empower their employees to seek new
ways of doing things. They overcome resistance to change by creating
visions of the future that evoke confidence in and mastery of new
organizational practices.
Many organizations tend to be over-managed and under-led. They may excel
in the ability to handle the daily routine, yet never question whether the
routine should be done at all. There is a profound difference between
management and leadership, and both are important. To manage means
to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to
conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in direction, course, action,
opinion. The distinction is crucial. Managers are people who do things
right and leaders are people who do the right thing. The difference may
be summarized as activities of vision and judgment - effectiveness versus
activities of mastering routines efficiency.
I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the
more I live. -- George Bernard Shaw
Innovation any new idea by definition will not be accepted at first, no
matter how sensational the idea may be. Innovation causes resistance to
stiffen, defense to set in, opposition to form. And any new idea looks either
foolish or impractical or unfeasible at first. It takes repeated attempts,
endless demonstrations, monotonous, rehearsals before innovation can be
accepted and internalized by any organization.

People love others not for who they are, but for how they make us feel. In
order to willingly accept the direction of another individual, it must feel
good to do so. This is the very essence of leadership. Irwin Federman,
former president and CEO of Monolithic Memories
In the case of our ninety leaders, they used five key skills:
1. The ability to accept people as they are, not as you would like them to
be. Understand what other people are like on their terms, rather than
judging them.
2. The capacity to approach relationships and problems in terms of the
present rather than the past.
3. The ability to treat those who are close to you with the same
courteous attention that you extend to strangers and casual
acquaintances. We tend to take for granted those to whom we are
closest.
4. The ability to trust others, even if the risk seems great.
5. The ability to do without constant approval and recognition from
others.
Receptivity to criticism is as necessary as it is loathsome. And the more valid
the criticism, the more difficult it is to receive.
All learning involves some failure, something from which one can continue
to learn. Reasonable failure should never be received with anger.
A vision cannot be established in an organization by edict, or by the exercise
of power or coercion. It is more an act of persuasion, of creating an
enthusiastic and dedicated commitment to a vision because it is right for the
times, right for the organization, and right for the people who are working in it.
When we asked our ninety leaders about the personal qualities they needed
to run their organizations, they never mentioned charisma, or dressing for
success, or time management or any of the other glib formulas that pass for
wisdom in the popular press. Instead, they talked about persistence and selfknowledge; about willingness to take risks and accept losses; about
commitment, consistency and challenge. But, above all, they talked about
learning.
Leaders are perpetual learners.
Walter B. Wriston, Citicorps retired chairman and CEO, said, If you havent
ever made a mistake, you havent been trying hard enough.
The entire industry has learned the importance of flexibility, and bankruptcy
awaits those who are unable to cope with rapid change.
People have a stake in an idea if they participate in its creation; then theyll
work much harder, in a much more dedicated way, to bring it to success.
-- Notes shared by Jack Fertig

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Les Brown preaches,


All people are born unique, but most die as copies because they go
through life doing what everybody else is doing, due to laziness, fear or
lack of vision.
________________________________________________________________

HIGH FIVE!
The Magic of Working Together
by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles

In every industry it was the team players who were in demand. The
days of a lone wolf, good producer or not, were ending.
Unfortunately, people sometimes get so caught up in the process or
working out the best leadership style that they forget what theyre
supposed to be doing in the first place. Organizations can get so
focused on beautiful processes that they forget what theyre really
supposed to be doing. Getting it right gets in the way of getting it
done.
It was the total interdependence, the pooling of skills, that made the
difference. No one skill was more important than another one.
Ultimately, an individual skill reaches its potential when combined with
other skills.
A team is a wonderful thing. It allows us to achieve things far beyond
our own ability, while at the same time it keeps us humble.
None of us is as smart as all of us. Thats the essence of a team.
Once you accept that none of us is as smart as all of us, you can begin
to put your needs, your pride, your agenda on hold and let the teams
needs, pride and agenda become your priority.
You cant high five all by yourself. It takes a team of at least two, and
both have to do it to make it happen. And when it does, its a magic
moment. Its the same when a team clicks; its magic.
Good teams, successful teams, all share four things in common,
no matter what kind of team they are.
1) A sense of purpose plus shared values and goals.
2) The development of high skills.
3) The third key is all about synergistic harmony. If you work as a
team, you can beat the best there is if the best doesnt work as a
team.
4) Repeated reward and recognition.
When you focus on the positive, you develop the habit of doing things
right. By concentrating on doing things right, you actually wind up doing
fewer things wrong.
To get high performance and high morale required providing a clear
purpose with shared values and goals, unleashing and developing skills
(empowerment and flexibility), creating team power (relationships and
communication), and keeping the accent on the positive (recognition
and appreciation).
When you cut deadwood from a tree, the tree is healthier. Sometimes
even the deadwood benefits.
If youre going to be a part of a High Five team, you have to be willing to
accept some losses. Fight for ideas certainly. Try to convince others.

But if they cant or wont buy into your thinking, its time to take a deep
breath and let go. Another time, another project, another team, and
your brilliant idea may be appreciated. This time, though, get your ego
out of the way and move on. Learning to let go, to put the teams will
first, is an empowering experience that leads the most wonderful of all
experiences: being a member of a high-performing, gung-ho, High Five
team.
Notes shared by Jack Fertig
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The One MinuTe ApOlOgy


A Powerful Way to Make Things Better
By Ken Blanchard and Margret McBride

The Toughest Part Of Apologizing Is Realizing And Admitting That You


Were Wrong.
You need to stop using phrases like should have, could have, would
have, and if only. Those are worry words. They make you feel
overwhelmed, discouraged, and confused. They keep you stuck in the past
and prevent you from taking your best course of action. They also keep you
from being honest with yourself.
Done properly, the One Minute Apology is one of the most powerful things
anyone can do to repair a situation.
As soon as you realize you have made a mistake, you need to apologize.
Mistakes fester and poison relationships. No matter what else is going right,
if your president doesnt admit his mistakes right away and then deal with
them by changing his behavior, he will lose the confidence of the board, and
careers
and
relationships
will
be
damaged.
Apologizing has the potential to not only correct a wrong, but restore the
confidence others have in you. In a One Minute Apology you admit you are
wrong and you deal with the cause of the damage instead of the symptoms.
Its called the One Minute Apology because in most cases it can be said in a
minute, even though it requires a good deal more preparation time. The timeconsuming part comes in being completely honest with yourself and taking
responsibility for your mistakes before you apologize.
The failure of many leaders begins when they are unwilling to admit to
themselves that theyve done something wrong. Its their job to accept
responsibility for their actions.
The surrendering process of the One Minute Apology has two important parts.
The first is about you and coming to grips with what you did wrong. The
second is making sure the person or persons you have harmed feel that you
made a mistake.
To surrender, you first let go of being right, and then
confront the truth about your own failings by being one hundred percent
honest with yourself.
Once you are honest with yourself, then you must take full responsibility for
your actions and the harm youve don to someone else. That requires both

humility and courage. Great leaders give everyone else credit when things go
well. And when things go wrong, they take full responsibility.
The Longer You Wait To Apologize, The Sooner Your Weakness Is
Perceived As Wickedness.
We all make mistakes and fall short of perfection. What can make us seem
evil in the eyes of others is their belief that if we cant be truthful about
the incident, we probably lie about other things too.
To some people, apologizing is regarded as a weakness rather than a
strength.
The problem with trying to be right all the time is that usually someone else
has to be wrong.
When all is said and done, the most important thing we have is our integrity.
Honesty Is Telling The Truth To Ourselves And Others; Integrity Is
Living That Truth
The Legacy You Leave Is The One You Live.
We all fall short of perfection. Your integrity is measured by how quickly you
correct your mistakes and get back on course.
Never get upset with yourself only with your behavior.
There is a big difference between an explanation of why something happened
and an excuse. An explanation deals with the reasons why something
happened, while an excuse tries to cover up whos to blame and establish a
reason to minimize accountability. You can always find an excuse for poor
behavior if you lie to yourself.
A One-Minute Apology is incomplete without a sincere attempt to make
things right.
Most people dont really know how to apologize effectively so they just avoid
it. And yet when people dont have the guts to admit theyre wrong, a small
matter can get totally out of control. In some cases, becomes even
newsworthy.
If you lie to yourself, lying to others becomes second nature.
Trust doesnt return until the person Ive offended is convinced I have
changed my behavior.
When a person loses perspective and comes to see themselves as the center
of the universe thats the sign of an out-of-control ego. False pride (the first
way your ego can get you in trouble) is when youre constantly promoting
yourself ahead of others. When good things occur, you want all the credit.
The second way your ego gets you in trouble is self-doubt. Thats when you
think less of yourself than you should. Your emphasis then is on protecting
yourself. People with false pride dont like to share their vulnerabilities.
Admitting that they were wrong about something is their worst nightmare.
And people with self-doubt are afraid to admit they are wrong because they
fear that others will find out how incompetent they are.
People With Humility Dont Think Less Of Themselves. They Just Think
Of Themselves Less.

You cant control the outcome of events, but you can control what you
think and what you do.
If something is bothering you and you dont deal with it, what happens to
those feeling? Grudges fester and can sometimes immobilize you. Once you
deal with whats bothering you, almost like magic, your negative feelings and
fears disappear.
You are able to accept yourself when:
Your self-worth is not based on your performance or the opinion
of others.
When you make a mistake, you are willing to admit it regardless
of the outcome.
-- Notes shared by Jack Fertig

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Dog Ate My Homework


Personal Responsibility
How We Avoid It and What To Do About It
by Vincent Barry

Avoiding Personal Responsibility


Nearly everybody has an excuse when something goes wrong. William
Bennett
Its fashionable today to decry the absence of personal responsibility in
others, but rarely in ourselves. Like selfishness, irresponsibility is that
detestable vice were quick to spot in others, but slow to see ourselves.
Its been said that the easiest person to deceive is oneself. If were truly
serious about personal responsibility, we start with ourselves. We need to
learn to blame others less and ourselves more.
Compelling circumstances ordinarily reduce responsibility. No one can
reasonably be held accountable for what was impossible to do or avoid doing.
But what we insist we couldnt help doing, perhaps we really didnt have to do
at all. And what we failed to do, because we believed we had no other
choice, perhaps we could have done.
Were fast becoming a nation of self-proclaimed victims. An eighteen-yearold was suing the San Francisco school system for $1 million because he had
never learned to read or write, although he had graduated from one of that
citys high schools. Merely because the young man had passed through the
San Francisco school system, his illiteracy intact, did not of itself establish the
school system as the cause of his illiteracy. Indeed, because most of its
graduates were literate, the blame would seem to lie with the student himself.
There is a clearly discernible trend to blame others for what are largely the
products of our own making.
The pitiful reality is that many of us like some students have come to
believe that we need to be told everything; and, worse, that if we arent, were
excusably ignorant.
Why do we keep ourselves ignorant? One reason is
to avoid having to face or do something distasteful.

Its we who are ultimately accountable.


Whats politically right may not be morally right. Whats good for a particular
group may not be good for society as a whole. Individuals cannot use group
loyalty to play dumb to the opportunity and responsibility they always have to
the highest canons of personal morality.
The law is the first and sometimes the last thing that many of us think about in
defining our relations and responsibilities to one another. We play dumb to
most other concerns, most notably the moral ones. Thats largely why we
have so many laws, for laws multiply when self-discipline and selfresponsibility break down when too many individuals are more concerned
with whats legal than whats right, with what they can get away with than
what they ought to do.
That we have legal limits in almost every area of our lives is public proof of
countless individual failures to honor some ideal or other, which law piled
upon law can do little to alter. The more numerous its laws, the more corrupt
the society.
Once forfeited, trust cant be regained.

Embracing Personal Responsibility


The really important thing is not to live, but to live wellAndto live
well means the same as to live honorably or rightly. -- Socrates
One of the most powerful stimulants to self-responsibility is caring about
others.
Learning not to fear responsibility isnt easy because of the negative
associations it has in our minds. Standing behind our behavior can get us in
trouble, when disowning might keep us out of it. It can make us disliked and
unwanted, when disowning could keep us popular. Its this expectation of
blame, pain, and punishment, then that we fear about responsibility and need
to recast. We need to use the power of our understanding to deflate our fear
of taking responsibility and inflate our fear of avoiding it.
Of the many factors that bear on how we feel, think, and act, none is more
important than our self-concept, that private mental picture of the self that
includes feelings and beliefs about the kind of person we are and the one we
believe we could or should be.
Individuals who are raised to feel good about themselves to see themselves
as basically capable and adequate generally grow to be self-confident
adults.
Too many of our graduates have learned how to make a living, but not how to
live well. They know how to make money, but not how to make a difference.
How much worth will a nation have thats composed of millions of individuals
who have learned what counts, but not that they count?
Believing we can make a difference motivates us to do what we can.
When the immature lack heroes, theyll make heroes of the immature.
If we want to be more responsible, we must surround ourselves with
responsible people.
Notes shared by Jack Fertig
________________________________________________________________

Here are Five Areas in which you must Have a Solid Coaching
Philosophy:
- Offense
- Defense
- What to teach
- Scouting
- Organization
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

3-Point Basketball Shooting Tips and Thoughts


When basketball was introduced to the 3-point arc and the 3-point shot, the
game was revolutionized. More and more players, especially guards, are getting
attracted to shoot from the 3-point range. While a 3-point marksmanship is a
valued basketball shooting skill, it is not really a necessary move.
Admittedly, there are some cases that 3-point shots are crucial in tight ball
games. The likes of Steve Kerr and Reggie Miller have proven time and time
again how a 3-point shelling machine can turn the tides, change and / or achieve
the momentum and win ball games. 3-point shooters can also help in stretching
out the defense. But then, coaches would love to see their players take more
high percentage shots rather than risk long rebounds and open windows of
opportunities for the other team to run fast breaks.
For starters, the 3-point shot is a low percentage shot. That means it has less
chances of going in than a jump shot from the mid range or inside the paint.
Though there are several basketball shooting drills designed to increase 3-point
accuracy, the point to remember is that the closer to the basket, the better. If you
spot an open lane then by all means drive your way through. If you see an open
teammate who can knock down jumpers from the perimeter, then please do the
team a favor and pass the ball to him.
That said, coaches do not dismiss the importance of the 3-point shot nor of the 3point shooter. They are valued commodities in the world of basketball. But if you
notice, pure 3-point shooters like Steve Kerr rarely go out and play long minutes,
even with their scoring capabilities from the arc. Unless the team needed to
score big and fast at that, pure 3-point shooters hardly ever step inside the court
during game time.
A knack for 3-point shooting can be a nice addition to an offensive players array
of basketball abilities. If a player can knock those 3s with relative ease, then
good for him. Perhaps those basketball shooting workouts are working pretty
well. Below are some basketball shooting tips on how to increase 3-point
accuracy as well as when to use it during game time:

Make a predetermined number of successful 3-point shots you are going to


reach, like 500 3 pointers in one session;
Start from shooting from the post, then from the perimeter, and lastly at the 3point arc. This will help players to get accustomed as to how much arm and leg
power they are going to need the farther they are from the basket;
Practice even if you are tired. It is easy to shoot 3-pointers coming fresh off the
bench. Crucial three-pointers are needed during the endgame of tight match,
where fatigue usually comes into play. If you are attuned to shooting 3-pointers
even if you are tired, there is a high chance that you can nail a 3-pointer during
the closing minutes or seconds of a game.
During a ball game, attempt a 3-point shot only if:
You have a good look of the basket;
You are left unguarded;
You know you are capable of making the shot;
You are instructed by the coach to do so.
Another important tip is that a player should have a decent mid range jumper
before he tries his luck from the arc.
By Jeff Haefner
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 Steps To A Perfect Basketball Shot


One of the first skills taught to budding basketball players is how to shoot the
basketball. Every kid goes into their first practice wanting to learn how to sink a
shot and good coaches realize this. In order to keep players from learning the
wrong way and thus picking up habits that may be hard to break, coaches should
begin teaching the proper way to shoot a basketball.
Form is important to having a shot that is accurate. Without good form control of
the ball is next to impossible. A good shooting technique embodies the following
four steps.
Step One: Balance
Players should practice jumping up and down and landing each and every time in
the same spot. It is important that a player can jump straight up and land from the
spot he has jumped from. Having good balance is essential to the set up for the
shot. If a player jumps up and to the side instead of straight, the path of the ball
will be off.
Step Two: Elbow Position

The elbow needs to always be in towards the body. Players should be taught that
the elbow is held in to the body and after the shot should be pointed at the
basket. This is part of the whole shot set up. If the elbow is off then the shot will
be off.
Step Three: Eyes on Target
Being focused is important to the game of basketball. A player has to learn to
always keep their eyes focused on the ball and where the ball is going. When
shooting that focus has to be on the basket.
A player needs to keep their eyes on the basket. When practicing balance it is a
good idea to also practice keeping an eye on the target. This is important and
players should constantly be reminded.
When a player is focused on the target they tend to focus their whole body and
movement to the target which in the end helps to land the basket.
Step Four: Follow Through
The final step of shooting a basketball is after the ball leaves the players hand.
The follow though allows the final contact with the ball to be focused as the rest
of the shot.
Following through involves dropping the wrist with the finger straight down to the
floor. This prevents the player from doing any weird movement with their fingers
that can send the ball off balance.
These four steps are all essential to the process of shooting a basketball
accurately. Players will begin by focusing more on just throwing the ball than
anything else, so it is important to take the focus off the power and put it on the
technique.
After all, a ball flying through the air will not reach the basket just through shear
force there has to be technique to guide it there. Without technique the player
is just hurling the ball through the air with no rhyme or reason and the chances of
making a basketball are all left to chance.
By Bill Pladson
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Basketball Shooting Principles


The Upper Body
In this article I want to cover some of the key principles of using the upper body
and how it affects your shooting. Understand that there are some basic laws of
shooting that I believe everyone should know and understand. For those of you
reading this that are coaches of young players, please read this and instruct kids
to shoot the right way. If there is one glaring weakness in today's players it is the
inability to shoot the basketball consistently. We are in an era of the slam dunk
and making moves that humiliate the defenders. It's the reason we have been
struggling as a country against other international teams. No matter how good
our best players are we are now losing to countries that we beat up only 15 years
ago. They beat us because they can shoot the ball better than us - plain and
simple.
1st Principle
If your elbow is straight the ball will go straight. This sounds simple and it is.
When I miss a shot short or long I am honestly ok with the miss. When I miss to
either side of the rim I get concerned and know that my shot needs adjusting. But
if my elbow is straight I get the best chance to make the shot.
2nd Principle
Hold the ball in the pads of your fingers. On the release the ball needs to
come off your index and middle fingers. You don't want the ball in the palm of
your hand because it will cause a flipping effect when you release it. When the
ball is in the pads of your fingers you will notice a more natural, comfortable
release. When the ball comes off the correct fingers you will get the correct
rotation on the ball. If the ball comes off with a side spin then typically the ball is
not coming off your fingers correctly.
3rd Principle
Off hand is a guide hand. You've probably heard this before but it's worth
repeating, the off hand should not propel the ball toward the basket. When the
guide hand is used it is typically done by the thumb on the other hand. I call
these people thumb shooters. Thumb shooters use the off hand thumb as a
source of power in the jump shot. Typically, thumb shooters are notorious for
being very streaky with their shots. The off hand should strictly be used to
maintain a straight elbow and that the ball comes off the shooting hand correctly.
Use it in line with the other rules of shooting.
4th Principle
The follow through is a key to any shot. My father used to say "elbow to the
ceiling". Other coaches say that you should shoot the ball as if you're in a phone
booth. This means that the higher the elbow goes the better the arch is. In fact,
you'll notice that if you shoot a flat shot it is because your follow through is too

low. You need to get your elbow underneath the ball when you shoot and you'll
fix that right away.
I have a drill that I recommend for people who really want to work on their form. It
is very basic and simple and will seem tedious, but is an absolute key to finding
problems with your shot and fixing them.
Take the ball 3 feet from the front of the rim. Hold the ball out in front of
you with your shooting hand. Bring the ball back to shooting position while
maintaining control of the ball with your shooting hand. Make sure that
your elbow is straight and that the ball is in the pads of your hand. Take the
ball to shooting position and shoot it at the hoop. Normally I wouldn't tell you
to watch the ball, but for this drill I want you to watch the ball and the rotation that
it has. It should not be going side to side at all. If it is then you have some flaws.
Typically the ball is coming off your last two fingers of your hand. Make the
necessary adjustments and keep shooting for 5-10 minutes. This will be
boring but forming good habits takes time. After 10 minutes back up a few
feet and do the same drill but start to use your guide hand in the process.
Make sure that the rotation is true. The rotation of the ball will tell you
everything that is right or wrong in your shot. Again, this drill will seem
tedious but Larry Bird used it. Dee Brown, from the University of Illinois
does this drill. If pros use it then we should also.

Basketball Shooting Principles


The Lower Body
When I discussed using the upper body I talked about making sure that your
elbow was straight. I described that an absolute key to shooting straight was to
make sure that your elbow is straight. When using your lower body the key to
your balance is your front foot. Shooters will rarely shoot with their feet
parallel. One will often lead slightly in front of the other. The foot that leads
is typically your strong foot or dominant foot. This foot needs to be pointed
at the target. When your front foot points at the target it allows your whole body
to be in sync. It helps keep your elbow straight and keeps your shoulders and
head in line with the basket. This is a very important and over-looked key when it
comes to being a solid shooter.
Your feet need to be about shoulder width apart. If your feet are too close
together you will notice that you are consistently off balance when you
shoot and when you land. You will be an inconsistent shooter. If your feet are
shoulder width apart you will notice that you are truly using your legs to get lift on
your shot. If your feet are wider than your shoulders you will just feel completely
out of sync. You won't be able to get good lift on the shot at all and you will be
blocked on a number of your shots. It is unnatural to shoot from that position.
Some people believe shooters are from the waist up and that isn't true. The legs
are crucial.

Drifting is another common occurrence when players use their legs


inconsistently. A good shooter will go straight up and down. They will land in
practically the same spot they took the shot from. Shooters that fall forward tend
to be off balance and have a lean in their body as they go to shoot. Shooters
that fall to the side are not going up straight. They are either off-balance with
their feet or they have their feet parallel or simply too close together. When I
practice my shooting I have to make sure that I jump and land in the same spot.
There are times that I don't even care if the ball goes in or not, to me that isn't as
important as practicing and creating a solid habit. A key for me is to stay on the
balls of my feet and not my heels. When I shoot with the weight on my heels a
number of bad things take place.
That's why I always mention this: PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
Practice good habits and create good habits first. Don't even worry about
making or missing the shots initially. Some of this will feel awkward to you at first,
but stick with it. When you have developed proper habits you'll notice whenever
something is wrong. For me, I have no problem with my shot if I miss short or
long. If I miss to the side then something is wrong. Either it is coming off my hand
incorrectly or my feet are messed up. But because of developing good habits I'm
easily able to make the necessary adjustments to correct my shot almost
instantly.
By Andy Louder
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Tips for Coaching Basketball


Build Relationships
Let's go over a few tips for coaching basketball that will greatly improve how your
players perceive their relationship with you as well as improving them as
individuals.
The relationship between you and your basketball players is extremely
important. It's not just about teaching them the basketball drills and skills on the
court. You're in a position of authority and responsibility. Your players look up to
you.
Ever hear professional athletes say, "I'm not a role model. I'm not responsible if
some kid wants to copy what I do"?
Many youth basketball coaches take their responsibilities and position lightly,
also. You see, it doesn't matter what you think. It matters what those kids think. If
they're not getting guidance at home or in school and they're looking at you for
help, then following you is very real to them.
Be responsible in your guiding role as Basketball Coach. Be sure your

players know they can come to you for needs basketball related and nonbasketball related. Advice you can give regarding their troubles off the court will
follow them for many years. I don't remember most of the basketball drills my
coaches taught me as a kid specifically, but there were a couple coaches whose
"life" advice I still remember.
That's powerful stuff! You have to realize that only a handful of your players will
go on to star in high school. Maybe a couple will get to the college ranks. Most
likely none of them will go pro.
But don't forget this aspect of today's "tips for coaching basketball" - they ALL will
go on with their lives. The relationship you build with them, the words of wisdom
you can pass onto them; that can go a long way in whether they decide to make
something with their lives or not. It can go a long way in whether they make good
decisions in five, ten, fifteen years on various life issues.
These kids will grow up to work in all kinds of fields with all kinds of
responsibilities of their own. Hopefully their parents are guiding them properly.
But we all know the reality of today's America. Too many parents leave their kids
on their own, letting the TV be the one to raise them. No wonder so many kids
feel lost and unloved.
But as their coach, you can be a shining light. Do you look at coaching basketball
as just a game to be won? Or do you look at it as a chance to help mold your
players into quality human beings?
I hope you take these tips for coaching basketball seriously. I hope you realize
the awesome responsibility you have to your players. I hope that responsibility
doesn't scare you. I hope you embrace that responsibility and run with it. I hope
you build a quality relationship with your players.
I hope all this for your players' sake. They need a strong basketball coaching
figure. They need someone to stand up and be lovingly strict at times. They need
someone to just listen sometimes without judgment. They need someone they
can count on for support ALL THE TIME.
Be that person. Build that relationship. Make a difference that will last a
generation. Reflect on these tips for coaching basketball and use them.
By Matt Zavadil
______________________________________________________________________

Hannah Arendt

This is the precept by which I have lived: Prepare for the


worst; expect the best; and take what comes.
______________________________________________________________________

8 Steps to a Coaching Philosophy


Philosophy is defined as a set of ideas or beliefs relating to a particular field or
activity. Its general intent is to cover or define the underlying bases of the
subject.
In transposing the notion of a philosophy from the academic pages to the
coaching fields, it is important for coaches to understand what underlies the
athletic endeavor in his charge. In short, a coaching philosophy is, simply, the
underlying basis of everything that a coach does.
In my role as a high school athletics director have occasion to interview
prospective coaches. When I ask the question about coaching philosophy, the
answer usually given is that it is the offensive and defensive systems that the
coach plans to employ.
While technical strategies are an important part of a coaching philosophy, the
more important element is how the athletes are going to be treated. What are the
building blocks of the coach's decision-making process? When pressed to give
some kind of overall coaching philosophy, coaches rarely have a well thought-out
answer.
This is a mistake. A coaching philosophy is important on every level of coaching.
It clarifies the coach's mind on essential aspects of his coaching. It also helps
clarify the details for the athletes and their parents and lets them know what is
expected from everyone involved.
By having this information available from the beginning of a season it will help
alleviate possible future problems and help keep the coach on a clearly defined
path.
A clear philosophy will give a coach and his coaching staff a foundation upon
which to base decisions. Coaches don't always give much consideration to what
they are trying to accomplish. If such consideration is not given, a resultsoriented climate is likely to ensue If, typically, a coach is only concerned with
wins and losses, he will wind up with unhappy members of the team and
dissatisfaction with the program.
In the development of a coaching philosophy, the coach will be required to
answer a series of questions on paper. The commitment to writing will help the
coach explain and organize his ideas about coaching.
1. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH?
It is understandable that coaches at almost every level want to win contests.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to win.

The problem we run into is that wanting to win is not a clearly developed idea of
accomplishment. Coaches have to think about the overall goal of student
progress. Do you want the athletes to be better students? Better citizens? Better
leaders? What are the benefits of sport participation and how are you going to
accomplish them?
Don't forget that sports participation has a large educational component to deal
with. We want our athletes to enjoy the experience, learn how to be cooperative
members of a team, and be better people for having been involved in our
programs.
2. WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES?
A reflection of your own priorities as a coach is absolutely necessary. The coach
should decide what the most important aspects of team participation are.
For this topic, the needs of the athlete should be of the utmost consideration.
What is the reason for playing sports? The most common answer is to have fun.
If the athlete is not enjoying the experience, he/she will not give a full effort to the
cause. If the athletes are included in the processes of the team, they will learn
more and give more effort to the cause.
When deciding about priorities, an athlete-centered approach is the key.
Consider including the athletes in the making of team decisions. Athletes will
work harder when they feel a deeper connection to the team. Creating
opportunities for players to get involved is critical in developing an athletecentered philosophy.
3. WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES?
Another important aspect of a coaching philosophy is defining roles. This is
where clarification will assist in player-coach and parent-coach relations.
It is important to think about what each constituent is responsible for.
Clearly lay out the responsibilities of the coaching staff, players, and parents.
Each party is important to the success of the team.
Team chemistry can be undermined by any of the three groups involved. This is
also a good time to clarify boundaries and appropriate ways to discuss issues
with the coach.
4. WHAT ARE YOUR TEACHING METHODS?
An often-overlooked part of coaching is the nuts and bolts of teaching movement
skills. People learn best by doing things. As coaches, we want to communicate
what we know. \

Unfortunately, when we start talking, players will only retain a fraction of what
they hear.
In teaching movement skills, we are better off having high levels of involvement
in the development of the skill. Simply put, we learn best by actually performing
the skill. The coach must consider the methodology of the coaching process.
Careful consideration should be given to the way the skills are broken down and
implemented in practice. Make sure that all skill work has direct relation to what
may occur in game situations.
5. HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?
The team that wins the championship will be perceived as the most successful
team. Interestingly enough, the teams that don't win feel very successful because
the coach has been able to nurture the idea that success comes in other forms.
This is where the coach can have a big impact on the chemistry of a team. If
success can be defined in other ways, like making progress, giving effort, how
much did we learn, or how much better were we at the end of the season than at
the beginning, the coach will be teaching important life lessons to his/her
athletes.
By defining achievement in other ways, students will learn that effort is the most
important factor in athletics
While it will not always lead to victories, it will, in many cases, lead to increased
opportunity for successes.
6. HOW WILL PRACTICES AND GAMES BE ORGANIZED?
Unprepared coaches have difficulty with teams. It doesn't take players long to
figure out that a coach is unprepared. Coaches fully expect their players to be
ready for practice. They expect players to have the proper equipment, be on
time, and be ready to concentrate on the practice.
Players have every right to expect the same from the coach. Coaches have to
develop a system that they will use on a day-to-day.
When a routine is established, players become more comfortable and more able
to focus on the situation at hand.
The same thing goes for game day. What is expected of all participants leading
up to the game? What do coaches believe about playing time?
Do you go into the game with a plan about playing time? (If you believe that
every player should play in every game, you should have a plan to accomplish it.)

7. TEAM RULES AND CONSEQUENCES


Team rules are important so that a structure is provided. This is another area
where team input is helpful. Young athletes will "buy" into rules that they help
establish.
Developing hard-and-fast rules is difficult to do. When you make up rules, be
sure that you are willing to enforce them and make sure to apply the
consequences of rule breaking consistently to all players.
Does the consequence have the same meaning to a star player as it would to a
bench player?
In other words rules infractions with a loss of playing, how would this rule affect a
player who rarely plays in a game?
8. HOW WILL YOU COMMUNICATE YOUR PHILOSOPHY?
Once the philosophy is written, the coaching philosophy will be apparent. If the
ideas are clear for the coach, they will also be clear for the parents and players.
The next key is to make your philosophy public. Have a parent/player meeting
and distribute copies of the philosophy. This will open the lines of communication
and allow for parents and players to make decisions about the expectations in
the program.
Remember, if you don't have a philosophy, you will probably get a "win-at-all
costs" situation. This is difficult because if you don't win games, the team will feel
that they have failed.
Sports are an integral part of the educational process because of all the life
lessons that can only be learned in competition. Let's make sure that our
coaching philosophy is sound so that these lessons will be learned.
By David Parsh
______________________________________________________________________

The real measure of me is not what I can do compared


to others, but what I can do compared to my best self,
Character: Our best piece of equipment,
The longer we play the better we get.
Frosty Westering
______________________________________________________________________________

Philosophy
By Kevin Ahern
Coach, Golden Sierra High School
I have been involved with coaching for over 30 years now and as a result I have
had the opportunity to experience scores of programs both successful and
unsuccessful. I have come to the conclusion that there are three components to
a program that make it successful; and none of them have anything to do with
the sport alone.
First, I believe that things have to be done with class. This means that we
will always do the right thing regardless of the conditions. We may see others
doing the wrong thing, but that wont detract us from doing whats right and
showing class whether we win or lose. As coaches, we need to understand that
over time our players will begin to emulate us. This means that if we make the
wrong decisions or show poor levels of class, our players will soon follow suit. It
is our responsibility to show class in everything we do. It shows our players that
we can walk the walk as well as talk about it. This characteristic goes beyond
players and coaches. It has to include parents and fans. It has to be a part of
everyone and everything in our program. Without class, nothing else really
matters.
Second, I believe that things need to be done with quality. As a coach, I
would love to have a carte blanche account where I could buy anything and
everything that I wanted for my program. This is not reality, but I can still bring
quality to my program. Its not the fancy uniforms or the fancy arena that makes
a team. Instead, its a concept that is built by prioritizing whats important to your
program and then building upon it. I have a priority to provide the best and
highest quality equipment possible for my players. I have to be willing to sacrifice
fancy in some areas in order to accomplish the quality that I want in the area of
safety. As a result, we may have what some people consider plain uniforms,
but my players are wearing the best equipment I can get to them. Quality also
permeates into the people that are in our program. We want quality people
working with our players. Coaches are teachers. We want quality people
teaching our players how to be quality ball players and ultimately, quality young
people.
Third, I believe that we should have fun. Any sport is a fun sport. It can be
demanding, but it still can be fun. As a young coach I was considered to be very
intense. After coaching for a while, I began to realize that I wasnt having fun
coaching. I can safely say that my players were also not having fun. I have
enjoyed far greater success as a coach by having fun on the field than I did
when I was intense. I know dozens of people who tried to play and quit and most
of them quit because it wasnt fun for them. I also can safely say that these men
regret not having played, but somewhere in the past a coach could have done a
better job making things fun for that player.

In closing, I feel that there is no better learning tool for young men than sports. I
believe that there is no other activity a boy can get involved in that offers so
many life learning experiences. Over the years I have never met anyone who has
regretted playing a sport. I have met scores who have regretted not playing.
____________________________________________________________________________

Coaching Philosophy
"In basketball, where skill is the order of the day, I also believe
that chemistry, heart, commitment and determination can win a
ton of games. Unity and trust must become the blocks upon
which to build. And through that the team can develop the belief
that it can win. I am a firm believer in two things - a coaching
staff that demands a most fervent attention to detail, and a team
that understands the importance of commitment and chemistry.
Winning is always a can-do thing. It has got to be, however,
something your players and coaches crave, thus stimulating the
inexhaustible will and dedication necessary to achieve
success."
-- Shared by Ed Zaloom
____________________________________________________________

There is no such thing as can't, only won't. If you're


qualified, all it takes is a burning desire to accomplish,
to make a change. Go forward, go backward. Whatever it
takes! But you can't blame other people or society in
general. It all comes from your mind. When we do the
impossible we realize we are special people.
-- Jan Ashford
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"The only thing even in this world is the number of hours in a day. The
difference in winning or losing is what you do with those hours."
-- Woody Hayes
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

When speaking to people, say what you


mean, mean what you say, but don't be mean
when you say it.
-- Anon.
________________________________________________________________

Mike krzyzewski on Motivation


It's the leader's job to instill a winning mindset in his team. This winning mindset
does not necessarily mean winning or losing, it means holding yourself to a high
standard of excellence. It means giving your best effort in all situations.
Avoid setting goals regarding the number of wins you are trying to achieve.
Typically, it will only limit your potential. Instead, focus your players on goals
that they have more control over. Duke's goals usually involve playing hard
together, being the best defensive team, and having great team chemistry.
Encourage your players to enjoy the journey that every season brings. There
will be many ups and downs but the key will be how well your players adjust to
what happens to them.
True success depends on a person's desire and ability to prepare to win.
Having a sense of pride means that you put your own personal signature on
each and every thing you do.
Give your players the freedom to learn from their mistakes, the freedom to
grow as people, and the freedom to be themselves.
Don't let convenient excuses like an injury to a key teammate or playing in
front of a hostile crowd keep you from giving your best. Instead of feeling
sorry for yourself, accept the situation and make the most of it.
Sport constantly tests a person's ability to make adjustments on the fly. The
athletes who can adjust the quickest and the best are usually the ones who end
up on top.
Break a tournament down so that your players focus only one game at a time.
Instead of looking at potential matchups down the road, be sure your team is
focused on the present game.
A leader must remember that each person is motivated differently. It's the
leader's job to get to know each player so he knows what buttons he should
push. Some players need to be challenged while others need a pat on the back.
-- Shared by Coach Czes
______________________________________________________________________________

"Nothing can stop the person with the right mental


attitude from achieving their goal; nothing on earth can
help the person with the wrong mental attitude."
-Thomas Jefferson
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Overcoming Obstacles
"Man is so made that whenever anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish." -Jean de la Fontaine
"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not
sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." -- Charlotte
Bronte
"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the
environment in which you first find yourself." -- Mark Caine
"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances,
would have lain dormant." -- Horace
"Trials, temptations, disappointments -- all these are helps instead of hindrances,
if one uses them rightly. They not only test the fiber of a character, but strengthen
it. Every conquered temptation represents a new fund of moral energy. Every trial
endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than
it was before." -- James Buckham
"The one resolution, which was in my mind long before it took the form of a
resolution, is the key-note of my life. It is this, always to regard as mere
impertinences of fate the handicaps which were placed upon my life almost at the
beginning. I resolved that they should not crush or dwarf my soul, but rather be
made to blossom, like Aaron's rod, with flowers." -- Helen Keller
"The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles
removed from their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong
mental and moral fiber." -- William Mather Lewis
"The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy
mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a
man of high and heroic temper." -- Aristotle
"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does
go on, and it will be better tomorrow." -- Maya Angelou
"It is a psychological fact that we cherish most what we have worked hardest to
gain. The further we have come, the sweeter the celebration at the destination
when we arrive." -- Denis Waitley
"It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The
human spirit is never finished when it is defeated - it is finished when it
surrenders." -- Ben Stein
"Identify the major obstacle that stands between you and your goal and begin
today to remove it." -- Brian Tracy

Learn to Crawl Before You Walk, Learn to Walk


Before You Run
By T. C. Cummings
Stallions like to run. Indeed, they were born to run. But they didn't start their lives
running. They had to grow gradually. Even as they fell and they do fall the
pain and recovery was relative to their ability and growth at the time. A natural
rule applies.
That rule, this philosophy, is crucial to the development of elite commandos or
anyone with the strong desire to develop personally. People of this caliber in
applying themselves to personal betterment need to constantly be reminded of
the importance of respecting this rule of "walk before you run." As a Navy
SEAL, I know that after swimming for three miles while wearing dive fins in the
cold ocean, a swimmer's body is not prepared to hit the beach running. The mind
can envision this action and may forget the rule, but the rule still applies.
To get to that place where the body and mind align, the body must transition.
Muscles must reactivate, and rhythms must adjust. Only by respecting the rule
can the envisioned outcome be achieved. If not, the would-be runner falls to the
ground, disillusioned with his or her own belief.
Due to the high caliber of clients I've had the honor of working with in the civilian
sector, I've been privy to see men and women possessing the same "stallion"
characteristics in their business dealings as commandos possess in their
operational battles.
In both cases, these "stallions" need to be reigned in from hurting themselves
when they seek to run before they can walk. It may be difficult for them to see
this when they are in the moment, but it's clear as a bell to an external observer
who is an excellent listener.
We can only grow to the extent that we envision ourselves. Unless our inner
representation grows as fast as our external growth, we will actually hold
ourselves back from lasting success.
Do you know anyone who has dramatically lost weight with great joy only to
revert to his or her old habits and weight?
Do you know people who have earned the money they really deserve only to
squander it away and regress to their former income?
Who do you know that finally met the person of his or her dreams only to dump
that loved one because of a list of silly reasons?

Leaping from crawling to running sets us up for a painful fall. We don't achieve
true personal growth, and because we find ourselves back at square one we may
become disgruntled and distrustful of the process, often blaming anyone and
anything but ourselves.
If you want to change, you must do the work. Go back to basics. In football,
professionals earning millions of dollars annually practice the most basic drills
throughout the season. Professional artists go back through the strokes and
lighting. If you make millions of dollars consistently, most likely it's because you
go back to the basics of budgeting, saving and investing consistently.
Whenever you are seeking to grow and you have a clear vision of what
you wish to do make sure that (who) you are being is big enough to
consistently be doing what it is you wish to do. Make sure of this so you can
consistently achieve your desired results.
If you are the "stallion," then use your power and set yourself up to win with a
coach or trainer whom you trust to observe and protect you from your own
impetuous eagerness. And let them help train your muscles and harness your
power so you can first walk and then run with a purpose.
If you are a leader responsible for "stallions," then you must protect them from
themselves as they seek to skyrocket up the corporate ladder. As a mentor, this
is very much your charge. The personal damage an increase of fear and
frustrations can be the result of falling on one's face too often. This damage
can be overcome, but recovery from it can take the wind out of your "stallion's"
sails. So as a leader, help them master the fundamentals so their climb up the
ladder of growth and personal betterment is a lasting success.
Having the power of choice, we humans don't automatically follow all of the
rules as the stallions do in nature. We will never see a healthy plant provide
fruit out of the natural order. For lasting success we need to consciously be
aware that we must "learn to crawl before we walk, and walk before we
run."
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Coach Kevin Eastmans Basketball Drills


\

Celtics Assistant Coach Kevin Eastman has taken SIX KEYS TO A QUALITY
time out from his busy off-season schedule to
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
offer up some tips to help younger basketball
PROGRAM
players improve their workout quality and
1. Practice at a rate
effectiveness. These workout tips can help you
equal to or faster than
develop your skills while having fun learning to
that which will occur in
play like the pros.
a game.
2. Understand it is a
process to improve.

SIX KEYS TO QUALITY


SHOOTING WORK

Conditioning
Effective Practice
Working on your game is not an easy thing, but Improvement
below are tips to help you work on your overall
3. Eliminate
practice habits as well as some shooting drills that
Workout Killers
can help you become an improved shooter. The
general theme of these drills is to work hard and Fatigue
at game speed, while also maintaining form to
Boredom
your shot. Work on these skills and we have no
4. Have a written
doubt that you'll become a better player.
workout plan
1. Catch & Shoot (Spot Ups)
5. Work on three
Catch and shoot is the best way to start a good
areas every day
shooting workout. It allows you to get into a
rhythm and work on form with minimal movement. conditioning
Simply pick a few spots, usually five going around dribbling
the horn, and shoot ten shots from each spot.
shooting
Have a rebounder giving you good outlet passes,
6. The theory of two
and remember that although you're not moving at
Two minutes to show
a rapid pace around the floor, it is important to
you
shoot shots at game speed.
Two weeks to be
2. Cut - Catch - Shoot
comfortable
Now that you have a good sweat and rhythm
Two months to use in a
going, it's time to move to cut-catch-shoot. In this
game
drill you'll need a passer at the top of the key to
give you the entry pass. Start foul line extended and use a "V" cut (running to
the low block and cutting back out towards the wing) to get yourself open.
Remember to set the defender up when making the "V". You want to walk the
defender down to the low block, then quickly cut back out. After receiving the
entry pass square up and shoot your shot. Do this drill on both sides of the
court at game speed.
3. Shots Off The Dribble
This drill is similar to the above, but this time after catching the entry pass,

take a few dribbles right and pull up for your jump shot, then repeat going to
the left. As always make sure you go game speed.
4. Perfect The Form On All Shooting Drills
Another key to a good shooting workout is using proper form on each drill.
That's why we want to go game speed, so we're used to using perfect form in
game conditions. If you don't go at game speed, when you do get into a game
your form will be off.
5. Contest All Shots
These drills will be much more productive if you can find a partner to contest
your shots. In game situations you most likely will have a hand in your face
when you shoot, so practicing that way will allow you to adjust to game
situations. If you can't find a partner, use a chair or trashcan to shoot behind.
6. Game Shots From Game Spots At Game Speed
Game speed has been a theme throughout this workout plan. Practicing at
game speed is vital to your workout regimen. If you don't work on game
situations at the same speed as you would in a game then your practice will
not translate to games, and you're basically wasting your time.

FOUR "MUST HAVES" IN YOUR DRILL WORK


1. Weak Hand Development
It's imperative, if you want to become a better basketball player, that you learn
how to use your weak hand. If you're right handed you must be able to make
the same moves going left and vice versa. As a young player, this will
separate you from the competition. So when you're working out, make sure
you do your drills going both ways.
2. Footwork & Balance Emphasis
Footwork and balance are key in the game of basketball. Good footwork can
mean the difference between having an open jump-shot and a contested jump
shot. Balance is also very important. If you watch the great shooters in the
NBA, they are almost always squared up and balanced when taking their
shots.
3. Playing Thru Contact
Another "must have" in your workout is learning to finish plays, as well as
getting open, with contact. If you have a friend or family member that can
bump you as you make your "V" cuts, or bump you when you go up for a shot,
you'll see the results when you get bumped in your games.
4. Contesting Shots
If you have a partner available for your workout, contest each other's shots. In
your games you're going to have defense and you're going to have to shoot
with a hand in your face, so it's important to simulate this in your workout.
______________________________________________________________________________

"God makes a promise, faith believes it, hope anticipates it,


patience quietly awaits it.
...Unknown
________________________________________________________________________________________________

REMEMBER WHEN
All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?
It took five minutes for the TV to warm up?
Nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school?
Nobody owned a purebred dog?
When a quarter was a decent allowance?
You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?
Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?
All your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair
done every day and wore high heels?
You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without
asking, all for free, everytime?
And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?
Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the
box?
It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real
restaurant with your parents?
They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed... and they did?
When a 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car... to cruise, peel out, lay rubber
or watch submarine races, and people went steady?
No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in
the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked?
Lying on your back in the grass with your friends and saying things like,
"That cloud looks like a ..." and playing baseball with no adults to help kids
with the rules of the game?
Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because

no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?


And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once, you could slip
back in time and savor the slower pace, and share it with the children of
today?
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate
that awaited the student at home?
Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by
shootings, drugs, gangs, etc.. Our parents and grandparents were a much
bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the
threat.
Send this on to someone who can still remember
Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Laurel and Hardy, Howdy Dowdy and the
Peanut Gallery, The Lone Ranger and Tonto, The Shadow Knows, Nellie
Bell and Roy and Dale and Mr. Ed. as well as summers filled with bike rides,
baseball games, Hula Hoops, bowling, visits to the pool, and eating KoolAid powder with sugar.
Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember that"?
I am sharing this with you today because it ended with a double dog dare
to pass it on. To remember what a double dog dare is, read on. And
remember that the perfect age is somewhere between old enough to know
better and too young to care.
*How many of these do you remember?
- Candy cigarettes
- Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside
- Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
- Coffee shops with table side juke boxes
- Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum
- Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
- Newsreels before the movie
- P.F. Fliers
- Telephone numbers with a word prefix....(Garfield 4-6012).
- Party lines*
- Peashooters
- Howdy Dowdy
- 45 RPM records
- Green Stamps
- Hi-Fi's
- Metal ice cubes trays with levers

- Mimeograph paper
- Beanie and Cecil
- Roller-skate keys
- Cork pop guns
- Drive ins
- Studebakers
- ashtub wringers
- The Fuller Brush Man
- Reel-To-Reel tape recorders
- Tinkertoys
- Erector Sets
- The Fort Apache Play Set
- Lincoln Logs
- 15 cent McDonald hamburgers
- 5 cent packs of baseball cards - with that awful pink slab of bubble gum
- Penny candy
- 35 cent a gallon gasoline
- Jiffy Pop popcorn
**Do you remember a time when...
- Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-moe"?
- Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "Do Over!"?
- "Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest?
- Catching the fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening?
- It wasn't odd to have two or three "Best Friends"?
- The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was "cooties"?
- Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot?
- A foot of snow was a dream come true?
- Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute commercials for action
figures?
- "Oly-oly-oxen-free" made perfect sense?
- Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles?
- The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team?
- War was a card game?
- Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?
- Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin?
- Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?
If you can remember most or all of these, then you have lived!!!!!!!
-- Shared by Eddie Oliver

________________________________________________________________

"Play and practice every day like you are trying to make
the team."
-- Mike Krzyzewski
________________________________________________________________________

"The best players, when they detect a weakness in their


own game, go out and work on it until the weakness
becomes a strength."
- Bill Walton

"When we're playing a good scoring center, we


tell our team that it is not our defensive center's
job to stop him. It's the responsibility of our
perimeter people to stop the ball from going
inside."
- Bobby Knight
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"The more your team loses, the more positive you have to
become. When you're winning, you can ride players harder
because their self-esteem is high. If you are losing and you try to
be tough, you're asking for dissension."
-- Rick Pitino
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Once practice starts, we work hard, and that's the best


conditioning there is. Everything counts. Every little
thing counts. Run hard, play hard, go after the ball
hard........
-- Pete Carill
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"You should sub a player out when you see a player not
going full-speed or playing selfish basketball."
-- Dean Smith
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

OFFENSES
"Put your two best players away from the ball and bring
it back to them."
-- Don Meyer
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

BASKETBALL PHILOSOPHY
The _________________Basketball Program emphasizes the word TE-A-M. Our strength comes from an understanding that each of us
brings certain skills and abilities to the group, and we must combine
these talents cohesively to create a stronger unit. In order to be
cohesive, each player must understand and accept his or her role. Not
all roles are equal, but all roles are essential to the success we desire.
From the first day of practice, we must develop that positive mental
attitude and real team spirit that all champions have. The pride and
determination to excel as students must carry over to the court. On
the road to being a champion, loyalty to our team and program will
help us overcome obstacles.
Our team will be in better physical condition than any team that we
play. "FATIGUE makes COWARDS of us all. When you are tired
because you are out of condition, you rationalize. You make excuses
in your mind for your failure to do your best. Thus, when you are not
prepared to do your best because of any reason, you are cheating
yourself and your team".
The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender. If you ever ease
up or quit in practice, you will find a reason to do it in a game. Once
you have quit, it gets easier the next time. A loser's habit: "DEFEAT
WAITS FOR THOSE WHO STRAY, DREAMING OF VICTORIES
WON YESTERDAY.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE MENTAL APPROACH TO SHOOTING


ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHNG YOUR ATTITUDE HAS THE GREATEST
EFFECT ON YOUR SUCCESS
ATTITUDE IS A CHOICE- HOW HARD AND HOW OFTEN AND HOW WELL
YOU PRACTICE IS A CHOICE
CHOOSE EXCELLENCE- NOTHING AND NO ONE CAN KEEP YOU FROM
EXCELLING
READINESS TO LEARN- PUT YOUR PRIDE IN THE BACKSEAT
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO ACCEPT CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM
YOU MUST BE WILLING TO CONSIDER CHANGE

SHOOTERS ARE MADE, NOT BORN


PERSONAL CONFIDENCE IS CRITICALTHE CONFIDENCE IS DEVELOPED
THROUGH HOURS OF PRACTICE
PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT, PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
SO LEARN THE RIGHT WAY TO SHOOT
GET GREAT TEACHING, AND FOLLOW IT BY GREAT PRACTICE
SHOOTING IS MUSCLE MEMORY, DEVELPING HABITS THROUGH
REPITITION
REPETITION-IS CONSISTENT USE OF PROPER TECHNIQUE. OVER AND
OVER
REPETITION RAISES SKILL FASTER THAN ANYTHING
DEVELOP A STRONG BACKGROUND OF SOUND FUNDAMENTALS IN
BUILDING YOUR SHOT, THEN GO TO WORK
YOU MUST HAVE A GREAT INDIVIDUAL DESIRE TO IMPROVE

TURN POTENTIAL INTO REAL


SUCCESS
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THOUGHTS
WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS - THEY BECOME WORDS
WATCH YOUR WORDS - THEY BECOME ACTION
WATCH YOUR ACTIONS - THEY BECOME HABITS
WATCH YOUR HABITS - THEY BECOME CHARACTER
WATCH YOUR CHARACTER - IT BECOMES YOUR DESTINY!
THERE IS NO FORMULA FOR SUCCESS IN LIFE,
EXCEPT - PERHAPS - AN UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF
LIFE AND WHAT IT BRINGS.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

ITS NOT OUR MISTAKES THAT


DEFINE US
ITS WHAT YOUR DO AFTER THAT
COUNTS.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

EACH OF US HAS A FIRE IN OUR


HEARTS FOR SOMETHING,
OUR MISSION IS TO FIND IT!
KEEP IT LIT!
AND LET IT GROW
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

MOST OF THE WORLD FADES WHEN


THERE IS WORK TO BE DONE!

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET


SOMETHING DONE, YOU'LL FIND
A WAY,
IF NOT YOU'LL FIND AN
EXCUSE!!!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

TEAM EXPECTATIONS:
1.Commitment to being a Student-Athlete. Are you willing to work in the
classroom and on the basketball court?
2.Commitment to Teamwork. Are you able to give 100% to the team? Can you
leave it all on the court? Do you believe the name on the front of the jersey is
more important than the name on the back?
3.Commitment to Being the Best. Are you coachable? Positive feedback and
practice will make you a better player? Do you have a work ethic, on and off the
court?
It's Teamwork that makes the Dream work!
________________________________________________________________

One Team,
One Focus,
One Family...
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Why Goal Setting?


By setting goals you can:
Achieve more
Improve performance
Improve the quality of your training
Increase your motivation to achieve
Increase your pride and satisfaction in your performance
Improve your self-confidence
Research has shown that athletes who use goal setting effectively:
Suffer less from stress and anxiety
Concentrate better
Show more self-confidence
Perform better
Are happier with their performances
By setting goals, and measuring their achievement, you are able to see what you
have done and what you are capable of. Self-confidence is funny because its
really based on evidenceso use goals to get some of that evidence! The
process of achieving goals and seeing their achievement gives you the
confidence and self-belief that you need that you will be able to achieve higher
and more difficult goals.
1. Specific Leave no room for interpretation. Vague goals are like bad
directions--frustrating and time consuming. Say exactly what your goal is and
write it down. There is power in commitment, so commit and let it be known.
2. Measurable Perhaps the most important part! How do you measure
becoming "a better athlete?" Clearly define what that means so that you know
when you've accomplished your goal.
3. Action-Based You want to be a better competitor, but what specific skill do
you need to improve to achieve that? You want to direct your actions and focus
with your goal, not make a wish.
4. Realistic You want them to be challenging but reachable in order to
experience success so you can then build upon the goals you achieve and move
on to the next goal.
5. Time-Sensitive Don't leave it open to chance, say "by when" to motivate
yourself to do what you need to do to accomplish the goal.
6. Support Whose help do you need to achieve your goal? Make sure to
enlist them in your goal and in the process of getting there.
________________________________________________________________

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