Your Offseason Approach

I have seen a number of our players with a newfound motivation to get in the gym and work on their skills. While I am happy to see them with the desire to improve, their improvement will not be guaranteed by motivation. It’s easy to be motivated immediately after the season when your program had a little success for the first time since you began attending the school. The hard part is the process of improvement. Here are some tips as you head into the offseason. 1. Identify your weaknesses

Be honest in your critique of your own game. What skills do you need to improve on? If you are not a good ballhandler, find ways to improve. If you can’t use your weak hand, swallow your pride and work at it consistently. If you’re not able to do something, it can be hard to try that skill in practice because you are afraid to look bad. Take time to focus on your weaknesses and push past initial failure.

2. Take your coaches advice on what you NEED to give the team next season

As important as it is towards your individual development to work on your weaknesses, it might be more important for your team development to work on the things that fulfil your role on the team. Even though you want to shoot threes next season, your coach may want you to be able to attack the basket. Focus a majority of your time on your ability to penetrate and make plays, since it will benefit the team the most. But don’t neglect the other skills that help you become a complete player.

3. Play open gyms/spring leagues purposefully

One of the biggest frustrations about open gyms for coaches is the quality of play. As players becomes fatigued, the level of play decreases allowing for the development of bad habits. Focus on improving during open gyms. Take the input from your coaches about what you need to be able to do in order to increase your role and help the team, and apply that towards your effort in open gym.

4. Improve off the court

Every young athlete has something they can improve off the court. It might be your performance in the class, it might be your nutrition. Two things that most athletes can improve on in my experience are water intake and sleep patterns. (Click here for some quick tips you can try)

Learning From the Class of 2014

We finished our season at McKay High School with a loss in the first round of the playoffs. And while the loss was disappointing, the deepest emotions came from realizing that there would be no more practices with the 11 seniors on the team. No more summer league trips. No more team dinners. I came to be an assistant at McKay in 2011 when they were sophomores. In that first season, wins were hard to come by at times, but the bond built between coaches and players will last longer than any achievement on the court would. We climbed the standings from 6th in their sophomore year, to 3rd as juniors, and finally to 2nd as seniors.

As a coach, you are often measured by your ability to produce wins, titles, and playoff appearances. This can cause coaches to focus solely on the results as opposed to the process. It’s within the process that relationships are built and expectations are established. These players knew the expectations of the program and held each other accountable.

Through this process of 3 years, the players have helped me tremendously in my growth as a coach, as a person, and as a Christian. They have also helped me gain a better work ethic and an increased selfless attitude.

I encourage coaches, athletes, and parents to concentrate on the most valuable parts of the athletic experience. Set your goals high, but focus more on the process than the result. It’s within the process that growth happens. Growth that will last longer than any result could.

Improve Your Nutrition

I had the honor of speaking at my dad’s release party for his most recent book. Because his book is about young athlete’s and their stories of success, he wanted me to share some tips on nutrition for athletes and parents supporting their children. Starting from when I was 9 years old, I steadily became more and more overweight. As someone who loved basketball and desperately wanted to succeed, this was quite a hindrance to any success on the court. It was in my junior year while I was playing on the JV team when the varsity coach told me I could play a significant role the following year if I was able to improve my athleticism. This started with a change in my nutritional habits.

Most athletes and parents of athletes are willing to put in mass amounts of time and resources into performance training of all kinds. And while hard work in the gym is crucial to improvement, proper nutrition can restrict progress. However, it can also accelerate progress.

Here are 5 tips that you can start today.

1. Drink water

My guess for any young athlete is that they are not drinking nearly enough water. Water allows the body to function. It is best to drink water consistently throughout the day as opposed to waiting until you are thirsty. Proper hydration aids in digestion, immune strength, and energy levels.

2. Eat vegetables

The popular phrase for gaining more energy is “carb loading.” Most people reach for pasta or other grain-based products. Yet, most people neglect vegetables as the ideal source of carbohydrates. Many veggies have higher carb levels than breads and pastas. Also, grain based carbs spike insulin in a hurry, which lead to a crash shortly after (i.e. the Thanksgiving nap. Despite popular belief, it’s not the turkey’s fault).

3. Pack a lunch

School meals were developed for low cost and quick disbursement. Nutritional guidelines are shaky, for example including pizza as a vegetable serving because it contains tomato sauce (isn't a tomato a fruit, anyway?). Pack your own lunch containing whole foods. A school lunch eaten on a daily basis will compound into decreased health and performance throughout the school year.

4. Take fish oil

Fish oil was made popular for its benefit on heart health. In addition, the omega-3 content it provides is crucial for cognitive development and joint health. This is a safe supplement for all ages.

5. Sleep BETTER

This doesn’t necessarily mean sleep more. Sleeping better means raising the quality of your sleep in addition to getting 8-9 hours per night. Better sleep involves a consistent routine of sleep/wake times along with your activity before you hit the bed. Try to avoid any electronic stimulation at least 30 minutes prior to bed. Yes, this limits falling asleep while tweeting or snapchatting.

Salem Hoops Project - February Clinic

The Salem Hoops Project is on a mission to provide boys and girls of all ages free basketball training in Northeast Salem. Throughout the summer and fall, over 80 high school kids were able to participate. During the winter, we have offered free clinics for kids in grades K-5. So far, nearly 40 children have been able to participate. Our next clinic is this coming Monday, February 17th at Noon. Email salemhoopsproject@gmail.com to register your child.

We are also looking for people or businesses who are willing to provide funding for t-shirts. These shirts will be given to participants and volunteer coaches. Our volunteer coaches are local high school athletes. Their time and contributions have been unmeasurable!

"Stay Positive"...But, How?

Basketball is a long season. Throughout the course of the year, there are ups and downs. It's easy to stay motivated and disciplined when your team is doing well and the wins are racking up. However, many teams experience times during the year when it seems like nothing is going right. No matter what you do, you can't find a way to win, and you can't find a way to fix it. The popular phrase from any coach is: stay positive.

I've said it many times as a coach, whether I was part of a team that lost many consecutive games or a team that lost a game they should have won in the midst of a successful season. But to fully critique how a player might understand it, I finally put myself in the shoes of a player.

What would I think if a coach told me to stay positive?

The first impression, and the one coaches don't want their players to get, is to be happy and cheerful regardless of their situation. Personally, I don't want my players to feel like winning is the only measure of success. However, I also don't want them to be happy with losing. There is a difference between the two. Each game provides a chance for self and team evaluation.

Did I do my job to help our team have the best chance of winning? Did my team play together and play the game the right way? Was there a lack of trust between me, my teammates, and the coaching staff?

And this is where staying positive comes in to play during a rough stretch in the season. Staying positive means continuing to do your job as a player day in and day out; continuing to do your part to make sure your team reaches its full potential and plays at its highest level once the end of the season comes.

In the end, that's how success as a team is found. Not by wins and losses, but by a cooperative effort between coaches and players to reach their highest ability as a team.

What is Winning Without Teaching?

During a conversation with a friend last week, it was brought up that a friend of his was coaching his son’s 5th grade team. Naturally, I asked how the season was going. He went on to tell me how the program director for the school his team fed into was coming down on him for not getting enough wins nor placing an emphasis on winning. My concern with youth basketball is that adults are placing too much emphasis on winning without thinking of the big picture. If a 5th grade team goes undefeated, does that guarantee future success? Is it a good indicator of improvement at the fundamental skills? Does it necessarily mean that the coach did a great job of teaching the kids?

I’m not an old timer in the sense that I can remember a time when all players were solid in the fundamentals by the time they reached a certain level of play. I can always remember teammates and opponents who had serious deficiencies. (Let’s not even bring up my lack of skills)

However, I know that there is a consistent problem with incoming freshman being able to do the basic individual fundamentals, let alone have a decent understand of a team concept. These are even kids who played on the so-called best team in the city as 8th graders.

While there is no quick fix to this, as coaches who work with young athletes, we can continue to do our jobs of teaching the basics, regardless of how boring or unappealing they may be. Competition has it’s place and is a great thing, but without teaching fundamental skills, we are doing a disservice to our kids.

How Do You Prepare for Practice?

I enjoy getting to practice early. My habit of sweeping the floor is one that I seem to enjoy. It allows for me to prepare mentally for the day and think about the key points that need to be made for each drill. Being at practice early also gives me a picture of what players do to prepare for practice. If practice is used to prepare you for a game, then preparing for practice efficiently is vital.

Here are a few examples of what I have witnessed through the years from players getting ready for practice.

The Launchers

Nothing gets you more ready for practice then shooting half-court shots, right?

The Sleepers

Why step on the floor any sooner than you have to, right? I mean, you’re already going to be there for 2 hours. Use your bag as a pillow and wait for the whistle.

The Timekeepers

Practice doesn’t start until 3, so don’t worry about being in the gym , or for that matter on the court, any sooner.

Just as games take preparation, practice does as well. Here are a few ways you can change your practice preparation.

Prepare physically

Although most teams should start practice with a structured dynamic warmup, it is still a great idea to physically prepare before practice. This might involve form shooting, footwork improvement, or ballhandling work. There is never enough time in practice to cover everything you need to improve as a player.

Connect emotionally

The best memories I have of basketball are through the relationships I have built. Take time before practice to ask a teammate how their day was or simply have a conversation that will strengthen your relationship.

Engage mentally

Reflect of past games and practices and visualize different things you need to make improvements on. Identify a couple of keys for the day that will help you improve individually and therefore help your team continue to get closer to its maximum potential.

December Salem Hoops Project Youth Clinic

The December Salem Hoops Project youth clinic has been scheduled for December 23rd. This clinic is free to all boys and girls in grades K-5. To register, send an email to salemhoopsproject@gmail.com and provide your child's name, grade, and school. We are looking forward to a great clinic! There will be a raffle for Nike Elite socks after the clinic.

3 Tips on Shooting (Notes from John Peterson)

I recently had the opportunity to listen to Ohlone College head coach John Peterson speak about shooting. Peterson has been at Ohlone for 13 seasons, including 5 conference championships and 10 twenty-win seasons. He was previously an assistant for Mike Dunlap at Metro State (Dunlap later became an NBA head coach). He dropped a lot of knowledge in about an hour of speaking and player demos. Here are 3 things I feel are applicable for players who want to become better shooters. 1) If your head moves, you're a streaky shooter

When it comes to shooting, the less movement, the better. Watch great shooters and notice how relaxed they are and how little movement there is additional to the shooting motion. Peterson said that the easiest way to keep your head still is to focus on the back of the rim from the time you begin your shot until the ball reaches the rim. If you watch the ball during the shot, your head has to move. "Ball watchers are streaky shooters."

2) Be ambidextrous with your feet

Great shooters can shoot in multiple ways, not only by spotting up. It is important to be able to shoot the ball 3 ways: stepping left-right, stepping right-left, and off of a jump stop. You want to be able to do all 3 of these both off of a catch and off the dribble.

3) Practice bank shots to improve your touch

If you find that your misses are consistently hard and fire off the rim, you need improvement on your shooting touch. Coaches often speak of having a soft touch. Peterson recommended using bank shots in practice to develop a soft touch. If you fire the ball with a hard touch while shooting a bank shot, you will see the negative effect and the need for a soft shooting touch.

Free Youth Clinic - - November 16

Send me an email at salemhoopsproject@gmail.com to register!