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.

"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.

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.

The Two Most Important Traits of a Leader

List all of the characteristics of a leader that you can think of. Done? I bet you missed the 2 most important ones.

Humility and pain tolerance.

We all have ambitions to achieve great things. Some of us want to change the world. But for what purpose? It could be argued that most of our "leaders" are not working to benefit their cause, but rather to benefit their ego. They do their best to hold themselves higher than others.

However, great leaders must be willing to humble themselves and tolerate pain in order to achieve the best results for their team. A leader who wants to do the work by him/herself is arrogant, not selfless and not a good teammate. A leader who can not tolerate discomfort will crumble under pressure and find ways to blame other people for their mistakes rather than owning up to them.

It's important for a leader to build their teammates up and trust that they can perform at a high level. One person can not do a job better than a team built of members with many talents.

Play With Mental Toughness: Move Past Mistakes

I spend a lot of time thinking about developing mental toughness. The thought of a players mentality holding them back from playing up to their full potential bothers me, especially when that player does all of the right things to improve but simply cannot break through mental barriers. Players will miss shots. They will turn the ball over. Defensive responsibilities will be neglected. Careless fouls will be committed.

The important thing for players to think about is not that they made a mistake, but instead what they will do next time to be successful.

The players who struggle with mental toughness often dwell on their mistakes. One missed shot can start a chain reaction of multiple errors that spark a run for the other team.

Rather than thinking about missing a shot, coach yourself on what will make it a successful shot next time. (Maybe you were off balance, and if you get your feet set next time, it will go in)

Instead of trying to find an excuse as to why you missed a defensive rotation, produce a solution to help you be in the right position on the next defensive possession.

The key to playing with mental toughness is doing the right things on the next play instead thinking about the wrong things on the last play.

How Do You Watch Games - - Be a Student of the Game!

The NCAA Tournament is in full swing, meaning there is no shortage of games on TV. For basketball fans, this is the best time of the year. From the cinderella stories to the friendly competition of bracket pools, we can easily become consumed during this tournament. It is easy for even those who usually don’t follow basketball to become fans for a few weeks. But what if you are striving to become a great player? Part of maturing as an athlete is becoming a student of your sport. The older and more serious you get about basketball, the more important it becomes to be a student of the game. This involves placing value on more important things than dunks, blocks, and crossovers. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the highlights, but it is beneficial to your growth as a player to look for the details of the game.

Here are some things you can do when you watch to become a student of the game.

Get your eyes off the ball

Watch how players move without the ball. How do they set screens? How do they read screens? What do they do after they screen? It is great to watch the really good teams to see what efficient movement is. But it can also be helpful to watch bad teams to see what things shouldn’t look like. Think back to your game film during the season and compare to the good teams and the bad teams.

Follow your position

Find a good player who plays the same position as you and watch how they play the position. Not just when they have the ball, but also when they are away from the ball. How do they transition from defense to offense? Or offense to defense? How are they being successful at their position?

Watch defense

Especially a good defensive team. Where are they positioned away from the ball? What is their footwork like on and off the ball? Where are their hands? Great defensive teams are easy to point out: they win.

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Maybe the most important aspect of becoming a student of the game to actually watch basketball games. Don’t settle for 2k or Sportscenter. Watch whole games. There’s nothing wrong with watching NBA games, but make sure you watch some college games as well. The high-achieving mid-major teams are often the most fundamental. The reason for this is because NBA players are a different type of athlete. The things that NBA players are doing are not realistic for high school players to emulate. Make sure you mix in some high level college basketball and study what being great at the fundamentals entails.

Proactive Energy - - Never Hit the Wall!

Energy is thought of something that we have to produce ourselves, or that we need to obtain from an outside source (caffeine for most people). We wake up reluctantly and tell ourselves that we need our coffee or (even worse) energy drink to wake. Halfway through the day, we feel out of it, so we search more caffeine. These examples are reactive ways of producing energy. We react to the feeling of being tired and believe that the only way to gain energy is through an outside source at THAT exact moment. The problem of reacting to produce energy is that we live in constant state of depletion, continuously seeking ways to help us feel energized. Our energy deficit is too great to overcome.

Being proactive about your energy will help you maintain your levels of mental, emotional, and physical being. Living in a way that promotes energy gain (rather than energy recovery) will help you enjoy your daily life, physically feel better, and be more productive with your time and activities.

Here are some keys to proactive energy:

Sleep

It is key that you get an optimal amount of sleep. Optimal quantity AND quality. Not too little, and not too much. For most people, it will be between 7-9 hours. Perhaps the most overlooked factor in the QUALITY of your sleep is the consistency of your sleep and rise times. Sleep patterns that are inconsistent will lead to higher stress levels and less mental focus. Be consistent with your sleep!

Physical Activity/Exercise

In particular, strength training. You NEED muscle. You don’t need to be on the level of an elite athlete, but you do need to be continuously adding muscle. If you are not building muscle, you are losing muscle. Gaining strength makes your daily activities much easier. If you strength train, you are also losing fat, which improves your body composition, metabolism, and overall ability to move better.

Nutrition

If your diet consists of drive-thru’s and packaged food, you are limiting your energy levels. Our bodies need to be fed with food we were meant to eat. The better your nutrition, the longer your energy will last. Eating a diet filled with vegetables, meat, and fruit is like filling up with gas before a long road trip. Filling your diet with candy, chips, and things of that liking is the same as starting the road trip by only putting in $3 of gas in at a time. You are going to need to stop real soon and put $3 more dollars again and again to be able to keep going.

Recovery

While sleep and nutrition are both crucial parts of recovery, there is a lot more to this concept. Recovery is not only physical, but mental and emotional. It is specific to individuals, depending on their daily lives. If your job is a high-stress environment, it’s important to take mental breaks throughout the day. Maybe this involves taking a walk, reading a book, or taking a few minutes to focus on your breathing. Whatever it is, make it consistent. One of the most important aspects of recovery is maintaining a balance of physical activity and inactivity. If you are highly active during the day, make sure you are taking time to be inactive. For most people, it works the other way. Days are spent at a desk, which means to you need to be physically active in your time away from the job.

Question for thought... Which of these four areas are you neglecting the most in your life? Start with your biggest weakness, and watch your energy levels begin to increase.

Master Your Emotions - The Foundation of Mental Toughness

Situation: It’s the 4th quarter in a close game. You are on a 2-on-1 break, and you receive the pass in a position to score. As you jump, you feel yourself losing control of the ball. The layup bounces off the backboard, then the rim, then into the defender’s hands. The frustration inside you tells you to go for the steal. As you slap down, the referee calls you for a foul. That’s when you hear your coach say, “C’mon! I need you to be mentally tough!” The opponent shoots a 1-and-1 and makes both. Mental toughness is a term so often used yet so few people understand. We hear it a lot in sports, but it has a direct translation to all of our goals. What does it take to be mentally tough? There are a lot of things that go into becoming mentally tough. The foundation of mental toughness is learning how to master your emotions.

Think about how you respond in times when your emotions drastically change. Does it cause your behavior to change? Are you suddenly a different person? Controlling your emotions is about not letting how you feel make you do things you shouldn’t do, or keep you from doing things you should do.

Being able to control your emotions is not an easy thing to do. It takes self-preparation before any specific moment comes. Here are 3 ways you can prepare to be emotionally stable:

Be driven by your values, not rewards

Understanding who you are and how you approach things can help you remain on an even keel. Many teams have “Core Values” that they expect their players to play by. Some people have a mantra that they say to remind themselves of their self-expectations. Find out what you are about as person, and let that be a reminder of how you approach all situations.

Practice responding instead of reacting

When you are in a game, the heat of the moment can make you do things that you later realize should not have been done. Some mistakes are bound to happen, others are caused by emotional failure when we quickly react to something that happened to us. Prepare your mind on a daily basis to respond to emotional situations (controlled) instead of reacting to situations (uncontrolled).

Understand NEEDS versus WANTS

As our emotions change, things pop in our mind that we don’t need to do, but we want to do. If you have had a long day and are tired and feeling hungry, do you need to go through the drive-thru at McDonald’s? No, but you want to because it’s fast, easy, and cheap. What you need is some chicken and veggies. Always remember what you need to do.

Question for thought:

What situations do you find yourself losing control of your emotions? How can you change your daily behaviors to better prepare for those situations?