Strong Leaders understand the "Reset Button"
When it comes to Leadership, Mike Mackay of Canada Basketball once told me there are three things an individual needs to be able to do in order to lead:
1- Lead Yourself
2- Know when to follow
3- When you are not leading, give energy to those who are
When I reflect on those rules, I can't help to think about how deep they are. Let me explain.
1- Lead Yourself
Live your life honorably. Being perfect is not what I am saying here. What I am saying is when the mistakes come, be resilient about them. Own the mistake first of all, see how to never repeat them and move on. Far too many people out there blame others or blame the situation and cannot seem to let it go. Although in most cases a person's success depends on the endorsement of others, at the end of the day it is all about how you have set yourself up to be successful. Control what you can and live in the moment. When things do not go the way you want, understand it, then hit the reset button and move on.
2- Know when to follow
How can an individual know what good leadership is if they have never followed before? Even in circumstances where the leader is not very good, you can still learn. Every day is a new day filled with new challenges and choices. That alone is a reset button. Pay attention to the people around you. Pay attention to what they do and try to figure out why they are doing it.
3- When you are not leading, give energy to those who are
Often times, leaders feel like they are on an island. What I mean by that is, they feel like nobody cares about them or the things they need to get done on a daily basis. I very often hear people talk negatively about their leader and very seldom hear them speak highly of him or her. Why is that? I am not saying brown nose, but I am saying support. If you don't agree with something that is going on, then have that one on one with the individual. But every chance you get, support him or her. By doing this, you help that individual hit their personal reset button.
So as you can see, I don't mention anywhere that to be a good leader, you need to have a people who follow you. I think if the three rules are well executed on a daily basis, having followers will happen on its own. Now having said that, I think one more rule needs to be included:
4- Know your stuff!
If you do live by the first three rules and you do get that group of individuals migrate to you because of it, the experience will be short lived if you do not know the insides and outs of whatever it is your should know. By instinct, people will not stay long with someone they perceive as a fake. By showing the people you are leading how much you know about your domain, you reset their button as it restores faith in what you are doing.
My two cents on the topic of life's reset buttons :)
Tuesday, 6 November 2012
Thursday, 13 September 2012
Sweat Academy Year #1
Just about 3 or 4 years ago, I had the thought of trying to offer something to our higher level basketball players with respect to their development outside their season. But because of my busy summer schedule, it never seemed to be the right time to put my thoughts into action. Michael Macdougall also wanted to do something for that age group but we couldn't have the right timing for it. In addition, I felt that I needed to study up a little more toward training higher level athletes and to continue to build on my techniques to breakdown skill set in order to build it up even stronger. It is not that I didn't think I could do it, it is more a detail thing. My one year with the Moncton Miracles of the National Basketball League of Canada as an assistant coach has allowed me to grow tremendously. Thanks to Coach Bell, Coach Evans, Coach Chapman and Coach Njoku, I was able to bounce ideas off them and try some things out with our players on a daily basis for 5 months.
So this year, with the help of Michael Macdougall and Andre Doucet we went for it. Mike and Andre believe in development as much as I do when it comes to basketball skill. No system, no offense or no defensive scheme can beat TALENT. Training is the road to talent. But one cannot be random about the training. Training for the higher levels needs to be very specific. The higher level players can shoot the ball, handle the ball and pass the ball. BUT, there is a part of their game that for whatever the reason, they don't shoot it well, or they don't handle it well or they don't pass it well. This is the specificity to their training that is required. Most players do not do this. Not because they do not want to. But rather, they are comfortable being who they are or they are unaware that they need to be more specific with their training. Anything different makes them feel vulnerable. Training outside one's comfort zone is not something you are born to do. It is something you must learn to do. That's where coaching kicks in for these guys.
Ok, so enough about that. Sweat Academy operates within the Greater Moncton area. In our first year, we have opened it up to the male side only. First we sent out invitations to every player playing or wanting to play at the CIS \ CCAA level (so to be clear, our clientele was limited to grade 12 up to 5th year post graduate). We sent out some invitations to players outside the area but that did not work out as well as we were hoping. However, with respect to the local players, we had 7 players sign up. One decided to commit to something else half way through our sessions so we ended up with 6. The positive in that is we only have 6 players recruited or currently playing at that level. So we hit 100% of our potential client list. I think it's pathetic that the largest demographic in New Brunswick can only produce 4 recruited players but that will be a topic for another day. I should mention that we had a player from the Fredericton area come join us for two weeks when we were at the Coliseum training out of there (our host facility is the old Kay Arena in Lewisville- now call the Crossman Community Center). Once the invited players informed us they wanted in, we then got in touch with their university \ college coach and asked for a priority list for their off season development. Baker of UNB, Morrison of Holland College, Starratt of MTA, Plato of MSVU and Baker of Acadia all gave very specific detail for us to work from. Then it was up to us to put a plan together for each of our players and execute it. Generally, the sessions looked as such:
1- Give them a mental focus before starting the physical part of the session (2 minutes)
2- Warm-up (10 minutes)
3- Footwork, ball handling and shooting (10 to 15 minutes)
*Here we did do some teaching but really, it is all about review. To work on good habits and make them stronger through repetition
4- Skill Development (30 to 40 minutes)
*This is where we put into action what each of our player's coach want them to get better at. For instance, we had one coach tell us that he wanted his player better at breaking down his man on offense in order to get in the lane and find the open teammate. He also wanted his player to be ready to shoot the three once he got the ball back and to be quicker laterally so that he can defend the ball better. So when we put the plan to help this player get better, we didn't work on all of those things each and every session. We worked on him one part at a time for 30 to 40 minutes. More on that later.
5- Application of skill (15 to 20 minutes)
*Usually done through 3 on 3, 2 on 2 or 1 on 1 play.
6- Plyometric workout (30 minutes)
7- Cooldown, recover and discuss about mental focus
So that was the template for each of our sessions and I do not foresee myself making any adjustments to it. We have no rest in between parts and we go go go. If the player needs to grab some water, they do it on their own but get right back to training. Same if they feel they need to eat. Grab a bite and get back in the training. After all, it's Sweat Academy and not At Your Leisure Academy :)
In a nutshell, I would say our first off-season session has been a success. For our second year, we are already working toward involving some of our sponsors a bit more as well as add the female side of things. Perhaps we will be planning a summer camp as well for JV \ Varsity players. We are currently also trying to set up some coaching clinics for our local Minor Associations. More equipment and coaches are also on our agenda for next off-season.
We will keep you posted.
Monday, 7 May 2012
It's the Parents!!!!
I cannot ignore this trend any further. Far too many good, qualified and passionate people are stepping away from coaching (and teaching) and for the wrong reasons; THE PARENTS! It is time for me to lash about this..
"It takes a Village to raise a Child"- Chinese Proverb
Although the above citation is a proverb, a good friend of mine told me that line about ten years ago and it stayed with me ever since. You see, I teach and coach for that exact reason. NOBODY can raise a person on their own. I certainly was not raised by a single person (even though my mother was on her own). I had many people around me when I was growing up. They are the reason why I got into coaching and why teaching as a profession made so much sense. I needed to pay it forward. Why is it that it seems the people whom understand this are the minority? Accountability, responsibility, a strong understanding of right from wrong and resiliency are virtues our youths today struggle a great deal with. How else is a person suppose to learn these essential virtues if said person is not left to figure it out \ deal with adversity on their own? Why can't parents today understand that some things they can teach, and some other things they can't. Someone else must do that job and when the time comes, to support the child in his or her efforts to solve their problem. No no no, today...parents solve that problem. And the child is handicapped in his or her development.
Let me give you a perfect example of a parent that did his job (but not at the start). A few years back, I had a parent approach me to talk about my decision to suspend one of my players (my MVP and his son) for 4 consecutive games. The player violated a team rule the last game of the prior season and I gave him a choice to serve the consequence at the start of the next season or have the consequence doubled if he ever repeats it again. The player, the next season, decided that he had the entire summer to mature and that he would refrain from violating that team rule. Our first game of the year, he violates it. Boom, I give him 4 games to think about it. Harsh...maybe. A lesson to learn...most definitely. So after 2 games of the suspension (we lose both games), the father approaches me and wants to tell me that my consequence is not reasonable. My player (his son) did not approach me to have this discussion. So problem #1 right there. I sat there and listened to the parent as he tried to convince me that his son learned his lesson and that we are losing games because he is not playing. I simply replied that his son did not learn his lesson because the lesson is not done yet. He still had 2 games to go. And that I had no problems losing games if it meant that my team was being built. He then informed me that his son was thinking of quitting the team. Without any hesitation at all, I replied to him that my teams are bigger than any one individual AND if he has a quitter for a son, that is his problem, not mine. The parent should have punched me in the face. Instead though, he got up and left. That player did serve his suspension and ended being an absolute monster for us the rest of the year. Today, he is a man and is coaching as well. I am willing to bet a large amount of money that whole period in his life was massive in shaping him. I did my job and the parent did his. I presented a great deal of adversity and the parent (although initially was not serving or supporting his son) supported his son in dealing with the situation which in turn, made that individual stronger. Today, if I do the exact same thing (and I would) I am thinking the punch in the face would be the result. Parents are different today. They can't seem to make that seperation (coaching \ teaching issues versus parenting issues).
I am the father of a 4 year old and my son is learning how to skate. Not easy to do at that age (and not easy to watch either). Now I am the furthest thing from perfect in the parenting world but I do know the difference between coaching and parenting. But while I observe the 25ish adults hovering over their child from the team benches, I can't stop but shake my head. Leave your kid alone!!! You see, I'm watching from a distance in the restaurant with a nice cup coffee in my hands. Once in a while, my son will look up and wave. Of course, I wave back but I also immediately point to his coaches. His coaches are in charge, not me. Do I agree with everything they are doing to help him improve? For the most part, I do. The parts that I do not agree with, I talk with my son afterward (as we eat out routine post skate brunch) to see if what he is does not like fits with what I do not like. To me, that is parenting. If he does not bring it up, then I certainly do not as well. A parent cannot control everything that will happen in their child's life. BUT, a parent can help the child control the ways he or she deals with the things he or she cannot control. And yes, I firmly believe that can happen at a very young age.
So parents, leave the coach alone. If your kid has a problem with how he or she is being used on the team, then parent them. Guide them to problem solve. Support them in dealing with the frustrations and discouragements. It is part of the game. It is not a part of the game to tell the coach how to coach his or her team. It is not part of the game to question what the coach does. Unless the coach verbally abused on a consistent basis (key words: consistent basis- cause sometime, a little harsh wakeup call is necessary...age appropriate of course) or physically abuses, you the parent have no business saying anything to the coach other than: "Thank-you for committing yourself to my kid". Be a parent and let the coach do the coaching!
Please click on this link to read a letter to parents from Mike Matheny (former Major League Baseball catcher and current Manager of the St-:Louis Cardinals) when he was the coach of a little league team
http://www.mac-n-seitz.com/teams/mike-matheny-letter.html?ref=nf&fwcc=1&fwcl=1&fwl
"It takes a Village to raise a Child"- Chinese Proverb
Although the above citation is a proverb, a good friend of mine told me that line about ten years ago and it stayed with me ever since. You see, I teach and coach for that exact reason. NOBODY can raise a person on their own. I certainly was not raised by a single person (even though my mother was on her own). I had many people around me when I was growing up. They are the reason why I got into coaching and why teaching as a profession made so much sense. I needed to pay it forward. Why is it that it seems the people whom understand this are the minority? Accountability, responsibility, a strong understanding of right from wrong and resiliency are virtues our youths today struggle a great deal with. How else is a person suppose to learn these essential virtues if said person is not left to figure it out \ deal with adversity on their own? Why can't parents today understand that some things they can teach, and some other things they can't. Someone else must do that job and when the time comes, to support the child in his or her efforts to solve their problem. No no no, today...parents solve that problem. And the child is handicapped in his or her development.
Let me give you a perfect example of a parent that did his job (but not at the start). A few years back, I had a parent approach me to talk about my decision to suspend one of my players (my MVP and his son) for 4 consecutive games. The player violated a team rule the last game of the prior season and I gave him a choice to serve the consequence at the start of the next season or have the consequence doubled if he ever repeats it again. The player, the next season, decided that he had the entire summer to mature and that he would refrain from violating that team rule. Our first game of the year, he violates it. Boom, I give him 4 games to think about it. Harsh...maybe. A lesson to learn...most definitely. So after 2 games of the suspension (we lose both games), the father approaches me and wants to tell me that my consequence is not reasonable. My player (his son) did not approach me to have this discussion. So problem #1 right there. I sat there and listened to the parent as he tried to convince me that his son learned his lesson and that we are losing games because he is not playing. I simply replied that his son did not learn his lesson because the lesson is not done yet. He still had 2 games to go. And that I had no problems losing games if it meant that my team was being built. He then informed me that his son was thinking of quitting the team. Without any hesitation at all, I replied to him that my teams are bigger than any one individual AND if he has a quitter for a son, that is his problem, not mine. The parent should have punched me in the face. Instead though, he got up and left. That player did serve his suspension and ended being an absolute monster for us the rest of the year. Today, he is a man and is coaching as well. I am willing to bet a large amount of money that whole period in his life was massive in shaping him. I did my job and the parent did his. I presented a great deal of adversity and the parent (although initially was not serving or supporting his son) supported his son in dealing with the situation which in turn, made that individual stronger. Today, if I do the exact same thing (and I would) I am thinking the punch in the face would be the result. Parents are different today. They can't seem to make that seperation (coaching \ teaching issues versus parenting issues).
I am the father of a 4 year old and my son is learning how to skate. Not easy to do at that age (and not easy to watch either). Now I am the furthest thing from perfect in the parenting world but I do know the difference between coaching and parenting. But while I observe the 25ish adults hovering over their child from the team benches, I can't stop but shake my head. Leave your kid alone!!! You see, I'm watching from a distance in the restaurant with a nice cup coffee in my hands. Once in a while, my son will look up and wave. Of course, I wave back but I also immediately point to his coaches. His coaches are in charge, not me. Do I agree with everything they are doing to help him improve? For the most part, I do. The parts that I do not agree with, I talk with my son afterward (as we eat out routine post skate brunch) to see if what he is does not like fits with what I do not like. To me, that is parenting. If he does not bring it up, then I certainly do not as well. A parent cannot control everything that will happen in their child's life. BUT, a parent can help the child control the ways he or she deals with the things he or she cannot control. And yes, I firmly believe that can happen at a very young age.
So parents, leave the coach alone. If your kid has a problem with how he or she is being used on the team, then parent them. Guide them to problem solve. Support them in dealing with the frustrations and discouragements. It is part of the game. It is not a part of the game to tell the coach how to coach his or her team. It is not part of the game to question what the coach does. Unless the coach verbally abused on a consistent basis (key words: consistent basis- cause sometime, a little harsh wakeup call is necessary...age appropriate of course) or physically abuses, you the parent have no business saying anything to the coach other than: "Thank-you for committing yourself to my kid". Be a parent and let the coach do the coaching!
Please click on this link to read a letter to parents from Mike Matheny (former Major League Baseball catcher and current Manager of the St-:Louis Cardinals) when he was the coach of a little league team
http://www.mac-n-seitz.com/teams/mike-matheny-letter.html?ref=nf&fwcc=1&fwcl=1&fwl
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Is there a difference between levels of basketball?
A LOGICAL, OBVIOUS AND RESOUNDING YES!!! But not for the reasons you might think. Of course, according to me.
First of all, I know that I am supposed to continue with my "Defense" talk but things are happening and I am seeing myself get taken over by these events. I will get to my reflection on "Defense" as some point but for now, I must do a bit of writing as it pertains to my very elementary experience with a new level of play in the game of basketball.
So this is year 19 of my coaching career (if I include my middle school experience). In my 19 years, I have had the opportunity to coach Middle School, Junior Varsity, Varsity, University, Provincial, National Program (Centre for Performance) and now Professional. I have coached the boys and the girls. I have done most of my coaching in Canada but do have a little bit of experience in the U.S.A as well. For the most part, my experience is limited to a Head Coach's viewpoint but with the new pro team I am with now, I am in an assistant's role. Although being an assistant has its rewards, I do miss being the person responsible for planning a season, developing players, making decisions and the stress related to all of that....I'll be honest here :)
Now that I've got all that out of the way, this blog will be about the differences to the levels at which I have coached. These are my opinions and as usual, if you agree with them or not, I would love to hear my reader's thoughts (good or bad) on my reflections.
Coaching Middle School
In Middle School, it's all about the Love of the Game. A coach’s main goal should be to involve as many players as he or she can to the game of basketball. Keep things fun at all times. Time and score are two things that should not be a focus at all while in practices. Having said that, what the focus should be is playing games that address spacing, dribbling, passing and shooting is the way to practice. At this level, it's all about building the base of the pyramid. Get kids to fall in love with basketball.
Junior Varsity
At this level things start getting pretty serious as far as skill development goes. Now that the player loves the game, he must now focus on getting better. The big three is still dribbling, passing and shooting. A coach at this level must be very technical and should have his practices be dominated with skill development. The more skill you have, the less tactics you need. If all your players can understand spacing, can shoot, pass and dribble the ball, you will win your games. Concepts should be very minimal. However, the fundamentals of defensive play should be reinforced (help side vs strong side and on ball defense vs off ball)
Varsity Level
At the Varsity level, skill development is still priority. A coach must now start thinking wins but not to the point of going crazy. A coach must be very good with different systems as in the High Schools, your team will change regularly. Therefore, a coach must be very good at figuring out how best to use what he has to work with. A coach at this level must also be good to train his players in order to give them a shot at playing university basketball (or college). Networking with the next level coaches is essential and necessary. A high school coach must pick the brain of a university coach as much as possible.
Provincial Basketball
This level is very interesting. A coach at this level usually has limited time and money to build a confident and efficient team. A coach here must be a motivator and strong tactically. He must be highly organized and able to facilitate an understanding among all his players that "just because you are the best player at your high school does not necessarily translate as being the go-to-guy for the provincial team". A coach must be very good at identifying individual skill set and creating a system that will best use that skill set. In addition to that, the coach must be very good at convincing each player that they all have a role to play. Not everyone will be looked at to score the ball. Not everyone will be looked upon to bring the ball up. So on and so forth. Not much time here to develop skill. However, it can still be 20% of any practice (use the warm-up for instance).
University \ College Level
At this level, I have been both an assistant and a head coach. In both experiences, I have noticed some similarities and some dramatic differences. A coach at this level needs to be a skilled salesperson. Forget Xs and Os! It's all about selling your program to not only potential players but alumni and the community as well. Once the player decides to embrace your program, then it's all about making sure that player is happy with his role and sustaining the culture you are trying to create with said program. Influence from Administration, alumni and many other people that have absolutely no business in what you are trying to do with your team is another aspect a coach needs to be able to manage. It is also an essential part of your program because these people control the money which in turn makes a coach's life much easier when recruiting time rolls around. University \ College coaching is a constant juggling act. Peace is when the game is actually happening or better yet, practice! I loved coaching at this level and did enjoy the relationships I have established in doing so. However, I have come to realize that my expectations for my program (or type of program I want to have) are non-negotiable. Because of that, I have been pinched. I plan to coach for another 25 years at the very least and very much do not plan to change that mindset. I know what wins and I know what loses. Period! I guess if I am ever to coach at this level again, it will come down to the type of institution it is. I could go on and on but I won’t. It’s not that kind of blog J
Pro ball (or Semi-pro ball if you prefer)
This is a business and business first! In business, if things are not profitable (and that word has many different definitions), then things change. When they change, there is little warning and it is swift. A coach at this level needs to be sure that whatever his job is, he needs to get it done. No excuses! At this level, players are drafted or signed and each of them have a very specific skill set. There is very little room for any improvement with that skill set. Not because skill development does not happen in practice but rather because these players think they are done getting better. Asking a player at this level to do something that is outside his comfort zone can be like trying to open a door by pushing it when that door is a "pull to open". It's not that the door "doesn't want to open". It's just that it wants to open its way. A coach at this level needs to be a tremendous communicator and very good in the Xs and Os department. A coach at this level needs to be very good at identifying what his players can and cannot do. From there, he needs to set a system that best utilizes the strengths of his players (and hides their weaknesses).
So there it is. My two cents on the different levels a basketball coach might find himself in. I guess the moral of the story is this: Understand the level of basketball you are coaching at and the things that must happen for your situation (and your players') to be as beneficial as possible. If you are coaching Middle School and have a Pro approach, it will not work. Understand your context and pay attention to the culture you are creating. Few cultures lead to success. MANY cultures lead to failure.
First of all, I know that I am supposed to continue with my "Defense" talk but things are happening and I am seeing myself get taken over by these events. I will get to my reflection on "Defense" as some point but for now, I must do a bit of writing as it pertains to my very elementary experience with a new level of play in the game of basketball.
So this is year 19 of my coaching career (if I include my middle school experience). In my 19 years, I have had the opportunity to coach Middle School, Junior Varsity, Varsity, University, Provincial, National Program (Centre for Performance) and now Professional. I have coached the boys and the girls. I have done most of my coaching in Canada but do have a little bit of experience in the U.S.A as well. For the most part, my experience is limited to a Head Coach's viewpoint but with the new pro team I am with now, I am in an assistant's role. Although being an assistant has its rewards, I do miss being the person responsible for planning a season, developing players, making decisions and the stress related to all of that....I'll be honest here :)
Now that I've got all that out of the way, this blog will be about the differences to the levels at which I have coached. These are my opinions and as usual, if you agree with them or not, I would love to hear my reader's thoughts (good or bad) on my reflections.
Coaching Middle School
In Middle School, it's all about the Love of the Game. A coach’s main goal should be to involve as many players as he or she can to the game of basketball. Keep things fun at all times. Time and score are two things that should not be a focus at all while in practices. Having said that, what the focus should be is playing games that address spacing, dribbling, passing and shooting is the way to practice. At this level, it's all about building the base of the pyramid. Get kids to fall in love with basketball.
Junior Varsity
At this level things start getting pretty serious as far as skill development goes. Now that the player loves the game, he must now focus on getting better. The big three is still dribbling, passing and shooting. A coach at this level must be very technical and should have his practices be dominated with skill development. The more skill you have, the less tactics you need. If all your players can understand spacing, can shoot, pass and dribble the ball, you will win your games. Concepts should be very minimal. However, the fundamentals of defensive play should be reinforced (help side vs strong side and on ball defense vs off ball)
Varsity Level
At the Varsity level, skill development is still priority. A coach must now start thinking wins but not to the point of going crazy. A coach must be very good with different systems as in the High Schools, your team will change regularly. Therefore, a coach must be very good at figuring out how best to use what he has to work with. A coach at this level must also be good to train his players in order to give them a shot at playing university basketball (or college). Networking with the next level coaches is essential and necessary. A high school coach must pick the brain of a university coach as much as possible.
Provincial Basketball
This level is very interesting. A coach at this level usually has limited time and money to build a confident and efficient team. A coach here must be a motivator and strong tactically. He must be highly organized and able to facilitate an understanding among all his players that "just because you are the best player at your high school does not necessarily translate as being the go-to-guy for the provincial team". A coach must be very good at identifying individual skill set and creating a system that will best use that skill set. In addition to that, the coach must be very good at convincing each player that they all have a role to play. Not everyone will be looked at to score the ball. Not everyone will be looked upon to bring the ball up. So on and so forth. Not much time here to develop skill. However, it can still be 20% of any practice (use the warm-up for instance).
University \ College Level
At this level, I have been both an assistant and a head coach. In both experiences, I have noticed some similarities and some dramatic differences. A coach at this level needs to be a skilled salesperson. Forget Xs and Os! It's all about selling your program to not only potential players but alumni and the community as well. Once the player decides to embrace your program, then it's all about making sure that player is happy with his role and sustaining the culture you are trying to create with said program. Influence from Administration, alumni and many other people that have absolutely no business in what you are trying to do with your team is another aspect a coach needs to be able to manage. It is also an essential part of your program because these people control the money which in turn makes a coach's life much easier when recruiting time rolls around. University \ College coaching is a constant juggling act. Peace is when the game is actually happening or better yet, practice! I loved coaching at this level and did enjoy the relationships I have established in doing so. However, I have come to realize that my expectations for my program (or type of program I want to have) are non-negotiable. Because of that, I have been pinched. I plan to coach for another 25 years at the very least and very much do not plan to change that mindset. I know what wins and I know what loses. Period! I guess if I am ever to coach at this level again, it will come down to the type of institution it is. I could go on and on but I won’t. It’s not that kind of blog J
Pro ball (or Semi-pro ball if you prefer)
This is a business and business first! In business, if things are not profitable (and that word has many different definitions), then things change. When they change, there is little warning and it is swift. A coach at this level needs to be sure that whatever his job is, he needs to get it done. No excuses! At this level, players are drafted or signed and each of them have a very specific skill set. There is very little room for any improvement with that skill set. Not because skill development does not happen in practice but rather because these players think they are done getting better. Asking a player at this level to do something that is outside his comfort zone can be like trying to open a door by pushing it when that door is a "pull to open". It's not that the door "doesn't want to open". It's just that it wants to open its way. A coach at this level needs to be a tremendous communicator and very good in the Xs and Os department. A coach at this level needs to be very good at identifying what his players can and cannot do. From there, he needs to set a system that best utilizes the strengths of his players (and hides their weaknesses).
So there it is. My two cents on the different levels a basketball coach might find himself in. I guess the moral of the story is this: Understand the level of basketball you are coaching at and the things that must happen for your situation (and your players') to be as beneficial as possible. If you are coaching Middle School and have a Pro approach, it will not work. Understand your context and pay attention to the culture you are creating. Few cultures lead to success. MANY cultures lead to failure.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Hurtful Behaviors in Schools
This past week, I have had my annual school wide assemblies on the topic of Hurtfull Behaviors in School (Anti-Bullying Program). This is my second go around at these assemblies and I must admit, my approach this time has been much more smooth in its execution.
Last year, I basically had my assemblies be delivered aggressively with not much room for students to have a profound understanding of why our School District is doing this. Although things went well with the 10 and 11 graders, it did not go too well with our grade 12 and 9 students. Last year I had two seperate assemblies. One for grade 10 and 11 while the other was for our grade 12 and 9. My rationale was to have our freshmen be among our seniors in order for our seniors to model recieving the message. What I did not consider before deciding these pairings were the dynamics. Last year, we had a graduating group of students (generally speaking) that flat out did not understand the difference between bullying behavior and a position of authority. So what happened was the graduating class decided to make a point about how some teachers bully students all the time (by telling them to go to detention, stop being late for class, etc). So here are my grade 9 kids hearing this message: "Nobody can tell anybody what to do. If they do, then they are bullying." Of course, this is absolutely rediculous however, there is a point to be made about the delivery of the message from the authority figure. Now I can respect that argument. But then again, the graduating class did not verbalize that argument. They just complained that teachers are always telling students what to do. Um....ya! That's their job! Anyway....
This year, I made sure that the grade 10 class (which were the 9s of last year) were alone as well as my grade 9. My grade 12 and 11 were together. All three assemblies had a totally different approach in its delivery and things went much much better. Only one hiccup happened during the grade 10 group when I was talking about the difference between being a "snitch" or "rat" and being a responsible citizen. Criminals that tell on each other are "rats" or "snitches". Citizens that tell about illegal behavior are responsible. It is a civic duty to report. Anyway, one little punk yelled out "snitches get stiches".....I'll be dealing with that student at a later date :)
All in all, I think the message has been well recieved by all. I made sure the students understood why everyone comes to school, what it means to feel safe at school and the difference between bullying bahavior and authority. Now it's a question of following up in the next few days.
Last year, I basically had my assemblies be delivered aggressively with not much room for students to have a profound understanding of why our School District is doing this. Although things went well with the 10 and 11 graders, it did not go too well with our grade 12 and 9 students. Last year I had two seperate assemblies. One for grade 10 and 11 while the other was for our grade 12 and 9. My rationale was to have our freshmen be among our seniors in order for our seniors to model recieving the message. What I did not consider before deciding these pairings were the dynamics. Last year, we had a graduating group of students (generally speaking) that flat out did not understand the difference between bullying behavior and a position of authority. So what happened was the graduating class decided to make a point about how some teachers bully students all the time (by telling them to go to detention, stop being late for class, etc). So here are my grade 9 kids hearing this message: "Nobody can tell anybody what to do. If they do, then they are bullying." Of course, this is absolutely rediculous however, there is a point to be made about the delivery of the message from the authority figure. Now I can respect that argument. But then again, the graduating class did not verbalize that argument. They just complained that teachers are always telling students what to do. Um....ya! That's their job! Anyway....
This year, I made sure that the grade 10 class (which were the 9s of last year) were alone as well as my grade 9. My grade 12 and 11 were together. All three assemblies had a totally different approach in its delivery and things went much much better. Only one hiccup happened during the grade 10 group when I was talking about the difference between being a "snitch" or "rat" and being a responsible citizen. Criminals that tell on each other are "rats" or "snitches". Citizens that tell about illegal behavior are responsible. It is a civic duty to report. Anyway, one little punk yelled out "snitches get stiches".....I'll be dealing with that student at a later date :)
All in all, I think the message has been well recieved by all. I made sure the students understood why everyone comes to school, what it means to feel safe at school and the difference between bullying bahavior and authority. Now it's a question of following up in the next few days.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Defense
DEFENSE!!!
When the topic of defense is the focus, my eyes widen, my pores get larger and my breathing becomes more intense. There's just something odd that happens when I think (or play) about defense. The thought of trying to stop someone from scoring is a tremendous challenge. Add on top of that, to be able to help a teammate stop someone from scoring, just shows how complex defense is. The picture above is a perfect picture for me because this is how defense should look like when you have failed to stop someone from scoring :)
It's also going to be my approach for this blog. I will take pictures and talk about how defense is supposed to look like. I will have examples of what it should never look like as well as pictures that show a pretty close image of what it should look like. As usual, if you agree fine. If you do not agree, share your point of view or move on.
The Close out
Defense starts here. Whether you are in the transition phase of defense or in the quarter court, you will need to close out on your man. The close out is the foundation to how successful you will be in stopping your man from scoring. The way a player closes out in a contain situation is very different than how they are to close out in a pressure situation. Let me quickly explain the difference between the two situations.
Here we have an example of contain defense. If the ball is in this zone, the defensive player should be only getting ready to deal with penetration attack. Therefore, the defender should be a good arm length and a half away from the ball, low with hands out. The rationale is pretty logical; there is simply too much court for one defender to take care of. The offensive player has many more options than the defender has. However, if the offensive player is scanning the court while in the contain zone, the defender should be "checking" the offensive player. Checking is to simply quickly move up and tap the hip (or give a slight push) of the offensive player. After this check, the defender must quickly back off and resume his contain defend.
This is a picture of Pressure Zone. The darken areas are where the defender should be real tight to the offensive player while still maintaining a strong balance and low stance. Here the defender has very active hands either trying to deflect the ball or mirroring the ball. The offensive player must have a hard time scanning the court. Defender in this area should be a half arm length away from the offensive player. The sideline and baselines become an ally to the defender as well as the help defense is closer (or better able to anticipate the next move for the ball) than when the ball is in the contain zone.Both these zones, as it pertains to the close out situation, would translate simply as such:
Contain Zone- Half way close out
Pressure Zone- Check and back off close out
Now, what should a close out look like? Here's my lashing about that:
It should not look like this. Not only is the ball in the contain zone, but this player is higher than his opponent in terms of stance. What is making him be high in his stance? Both of his hands are up! This will naturally make the knees straighten up. I teach my players to attack such a close out. Make one move and get by that defender. This defender should have his hands much lower and in the passing lanes.
Now here's a picture of what a proper close out should look like. Although this particular defender is a bit too much on his heels, his hands and stance are exactly where they should be. The only other thing I would fix here is how close to the offensive player he is. He should be a bit closer as the ball is in the pressure zone.
So once the close out happens, it's on ball defending time. In this picture, the offensive player is scanning the court. The defender is doing a great job here limiting that scan (notice where the ball is) by being very tight (half arms lenght), lower than the offensive player and with arm out guiding the offensive player to his left (probably his weak hand). Another detail I like very much is the "check" arm. Notice, his hand is not on the offensive player's hip here. It is his forearm. This is key for when the offensive player decides to put the ball on the floor.
So now that the ball is on the floor, on ball defense must happen. Defender must always be thinking about the "next spot". Where is that ball going to be in one second from now? In the picture above, the offensive will have the advantage on the next dribble but not because the defender is doing the wrong thing with her "check" arm. I am guessing she is in that position because she dropped stepped instead doing a hip drop when the ball was put on the floor (a topic for another day). I like this picture because she is trying to keep the ball in her cylinder and she can use the "check" arm to help her do that. She should be lower and much squarer to the offensive player though.....
Here is a much more appropriate picture of what a defender should look like with the "check" arm in full effect as well as how square the defender is to the ball. The only issue in this picture is the defender is higher than the offensive player and he is trying to stop the best player on the planet............
I want to end my defense talk with this picture and put a little question out there. Do you think this defender needs help from the help defense? Put your answer in my comment box along with your rational. I will share with you my answer in my next blog; Team Defense.I would like to thank Google Images for all the pretty pictures :)
Friday, 26 August 2011
A few thoughts on today’s needs for students in high school
With only two weeks before the start of my 10th year as a teacher, I thought it would be a good idea to put down some thoughts on what today’s student needs in order to fully maximize success in the classroom. Now these thoughts are specific to high school aged learners. However, many of the things I am going to mention apply to the younger learners as well.
Compared to when I was in high school, today’s adolescent learners are very different. The difference is primarily due to the world they live in compared to when I was their age. We are in an immediate gratification era as far as information accessibility goes. Today, if we want to know something about something, we simply make a search on the internet and within seconds, the answer is there. Back in my day, we needed teachers to be the main source for that same information and so therefore, our teachers had that as a priority. That is, they were content driven. Today, all a student needs is access to a computer with internet capabilities in order to seek the information they need. So why is it important for kids to go to school nowadays? Well, because we are no longer in a content needed world, we have a different priority now. We (the teachers) need to teach our students skills!
1- Be a good person (yes this is a skill)
Students need opportunities to develop their character. This simply does not happen by texting 1000 messages per day while sitting on his or her bed. Kids need to be put in social circumstances that will allow them to develop communication skills, conflict resolution skills (something that is a tremendously lacking in our youths today) and an appreciation for other people’s unique attributes. As much as technology makes you work behind a screen, it is still extremely important to know how to deal with live social settings. If a student goes to school every day (something that I will get to in a minute) with a focus of getting better as a person to others, I think that person is arming him or herself very well for his or her future. In my classroom, I call it Character Development. All of my students are asked to keep in mind the 6 attributes I have found over time to be extremely important to have:
I- Respect (believe in yourself and be good to yourself- believe in others and be good to others)
II- Autonomy (be your own person…don’t try to be someone you are not)
III- Ambition (want more all the time but be ready to work for it)
IV- Resiliency (if you do not get what you want, figure out why and try again...and again…and again)
V- Responsibility (be responsible not only to yourself but for others as well- your choices do not
just impact you…they impact everyone around you)
VI- Passion (whatever it is that you decide to do, put your entire heart into it…give it everything you
got)
2- Focus on being more Emotionally Intelligent rather than Intellectually Intelligent
In my experience, students in the high school setting that have had more success than others were simply more stable emotionally. Now, I understand that some circumstances at home make emotional stability a very challenging thing to obtain but I am of the very strong belief that with awareness toward this end, students will have much more success in the classroom. They will not panic as easily, they will not be distracted as easily, they will have a plan to what they are trying to accomplish on this day and they will be more resilient. I could go on and on about Emotional Intelligence but for the sake if this blog, I will not at this time.
3- Focus on good habits!
If a student can focus on these next items, there is absolutely no reason why this individual should not have a ton of success in the classroom.
I- Wake up in the morning and have breakfast
II- Get to class on time (no skipping, no excuses)
III- Be organized (have an agenda or use your phone to keep track of things you need to get done)
IV- Have a plan (do not resort to studying the night before a test….for best results, breakdown the content that you must learn into three parts and start 4 days before the test. On day one, study part one, day two-part two, day three-part three and day 4 review all parts)
V- You do not need an hour of lunch every single day. Take two days out of five and use the full hour (I recommend Mondays and Fridays). For the other three days, take 30 minutes to eat and socialize then take 20 minutes to go to the library or a quiet area and work on things or study)
VI- Your brain needs sleep. It will not be able to perform or organize itself if you neglect sleep.
VII- Eat the right foods. Again, your brain needs the right type of foods in order to perform. Pop and chips does not get it done (neither does RED BULL or ROCKSTAR)
VIII- Review your day’s work just before going to bed. Better yet, do it as you lay in bed. Last thing in your brain is the first thing it will organize. Daily review will also cut down drastically on your study time before tests or exams.
IX- If you have homework, do not do it as soon as you get home. Take a break, eat a snack and watch some T.V. or whatever else you like to do to relax. After supper, give yourself and hour (nothing more than that) to do your homework. Be sure to have a 10 minutes work to 3 minutes distraction ratio when doing this. Your brain will appreciate that J )
X- Finally, care about your work. Be proud of it.
Notice that I did not at all talk about intelligence. In today’s world intelligence is nice but it is not what will make an individual successful. See point #2 for a refresher. In today’s world, a person must have a strong work ethic and strong character. Technology is changing our world every day. The workforce is impacted greatly by technology. If we (the teachers) instruct content rather than skills, we are killing any chances our students may have in today’s world. We must make sure that our students can change with the times (character development) and whatever their job is they will get it done (good working habits). In addition, if they can roll with life’s punches (emotional intelligence) our students will have lifelong success no matter what they do.
And that’s my lashing about that.
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