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Teaching Toughness with Ed Madec

2011-05-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

We've just added Teaching Toughness, our newest downloadable DVD, to our download store. It is a great DVD and a must buy for any coach who coaches any level of competitive basketball. The chapters are as follows:

Introduction
Ed Madec on Coaching
Animal Charge Drill
Medicine Ball Rebounding Drill
Capped Rim Transition Game
Tight Space Passing Drill
Window Reads Drill
Team Fire Drill
Conclusion

The drills will reinforce the following:

Physical Toughness
Mental Toughness
Competitive Environment
Intensity
An Attacking Mentality vs. Pressure

The drills have various levels and progressions. For example, drill #3 Animal Charge has 6 progressions to it so it's almost like 6 drills in one drill. The drills feature a lot of contact which will force players to be physically tough or they will not be able to complete the drills.

The DVD is a lot of fun just to watch. Filmed with Coach Madec's Fresno City College Team, there is a lot of intensity and aggressive play. Coach Madec has many teaching points during play and if player's are not aggressive or do not play in an attacking manner, they are out of the drill (like a turnover).

For $29.99, you are getting a very well done DVD with a lot of great drills that will take your team to another level in many areas. You can purchase it right now and be watching it in minutes.

Christmas Break

2010-12-16T06:12:00.001-08:00

One of the most common questions I get this time of year, from both players and coaches, has to do with working out over Christmas break. There is not a “one size fits all” answer.

There are several questions you need to ask when putting a plan in place:

• How long are you off from school?
• Do you have any games over the break (holiday tournament)?
• When is your first game of the New Year?
• How many days will you practice over the break?
• Will the practices be long and intense?
• How are you feeling (fatigued & banged up or rested & healthy)?

The answers to these questions will dictate what you should do.

At DeMatha, we have a longer than normal break from games. So we want to use that time as wisely as possible. Here is our tentative schedule:

Thursday, 12/16 – Final exams, no practice

Friday, 12/17 – Final exams, 2 hour afternoon practice

Saturday, 12/18 – 2 hour morning practice followed by a full body strength workout

Sunday, 12/19 – OFF

Monday, 12/20 – Final exams, no practice

Tuesday, 12/21* – Final exams, 2 hour afternoon practice followed by a full body strength workout

Wednesday, 12/22 – 2 hour practice

Thursday, 12/23 – TBA (totally dependent on the quality & effort of Tuesday/Wednesday’s practice)

Friday, 12/24 & Saturday, 12/25 – OFF

Sunday, 12/26 – Travel to Portland, OR to play in the Nike Les Schwab Invitational

Monday, 12/27 to Thursday, 12/30 – Shoot-a-round each morning, game each evening

Friday, 12/31 – Travel home from Portland, OR

Saturday, 1/1 & Sunday, 1/2 – OFF

Monday, 1/3 - 2 hour practice followed by a brief upper body strength workout

Tuesday, 1/4 – First game of the New Year!

*On the evening of the 21st we will have our annual DeMatha Basketball Holiday Party with players, coaches, and families.

Over the course of this two week period we will continually remind our players to get as much rest as possible, to eat as well as they can, and to get re-focused and re-energized on accomplishing our three major goals in 2011:
1. Win the WCAC Championship
2. Win the DC City Championship
3. Win a National Championship
We also encourage our players to make their friends and family a high priority around the holidays.

Basketball is very important at DeMatha, but nothing is more important than spending quality time with the people you care about.

On a similar note, I want to wish you and your family and wonderful holiday season. I sincerely appreciate your support and look forward to serving you in 2011.

As a token of my appreciation, I would like to offer you a ‘$10 off coupon’ for the Stronger Team Shop (http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com). You can use it on any of our DVDs or downloadable workout programs!
Just email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com and I will happily send it to you!
Train hard. Train smart. Have fun.

Alan Stein
www.StrongerTeam.com
www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

Focus

2010-12-13T09:40:00.001-08:00

How well do you focus during games? Do you stay in the moment or do you get distracted?

Lack of focus causes missed lay-ups. Lack of focus causes missed defensive assignments. Lack of focus causes broken plays.

Lack of focus and mental breakdowns keep you from playing as well as you can play.

Great players don’t get self conscious, coach conscious, or fan conscious. Great players are game conscious. They block out all distractions and only focus on things that are important… the things they can control. Great players are focused on the next play.

Let’s look at free throw shooting as an example. Do you get distracted by the fans? By the time and score? By the fact you have missed your last three free throws? Or do you focus on making the shot?!

When shooting a free throw you need to focus on what you want to happen as opposed to what you don’t want to happen. Why? Your subconscious mind can only focus on one thing at a time. Free throw shooting is all about confidence and poise. The worst thing you can think right before you shoot is, “please don’t miss!” The word ‘miss’ puts your subconscious mind in a negative state. When you do that, more times than not, you will miss!

Instead, you need to take a deep breath (which physiologically does help… it calms your mind and relieves muscular tension which is crucial to the smooth release on your shot). Then you need to go through your standard pre-shot routine (a consistent routine aids in muscle memory). Next you need to think something to the effect of, “nice and easy… over the front rim.” That will put your subconscious mind in a positive state. Then watch the ball drop through the net!

Here is the perfect analogy to shooting a pressure free throw:

If I laid a ten foot long, wooden 2” x 4” on the ground and asked you to walk across it; you would do it easily because you would be focused on the task at hand (walking across the board). What if that ten foot long, wooden 2” x 4” was placed 100 stories in the air and it connected the top of two skyscrapers (and you had to walk from one building to the next)? Would walking across it be easy then? Why not? Although the task wouldn’t change (walking across a ten foot board); you wouldn’t think it was easy because you would be focused on falling.

Shooting a free throw in an empty gym after practice is the exact same physical task as shooting a free throw with 2 seconds left and the score tied… if you stay focused.

This is something we are currently addressing with our team at DeMatha. Our team free throw percentage is well below what it should be. We are almost shooting a higher percentage from the field (against defense I might add) than we are from the line! We were 1 for 12 in the first half of our most recent game. It is not from lack of ability… most of the players on our team are excellent shooters. It is not from lack of practice… Coach Jones has our guys shoot a ton of free throws every practice. It is simply from lack of focus.

You have absolute control over your focus.

Play hard. Play smart. Play together.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

PS: What do you focus on when you watch college and NBA games on TV? Do you watch as a fan or do you watch as a student of the game? Do you always watch the ball or do you watch what players do to get open to get the ball? Do you always watch the shooter or do you watch the player setting the screen to get the shooter open? Do you always watch the player guarding the ball or do you watch the player in help-side position?

If you want to improve as a player, you need to learn what to focus on to get better!

Kevin Durant

2010-12-08T05:58:00.001-08:00

I met Kevin Durant during his junior year at Oak Hill and began working him out that spring. He then transferred to Montrose Christian for his senior year (I was the team’s strength & conditioning coach).

Fast forward to today. KD is an All-Star and one of the NBA’s most potent scorers. Even though I no longer work him out, we have kept in touch after all these years.

This past weekend, Blair and I flew to Oklahoma City to see the Warriors play the Thunder. It was a whirlwind trip – in and out in less than 24 hours. But it was one I will never forget.

KD rolled out the red carpet for us. He had us picked up from the airport, let us stay at his house, autographed some stuff for our friends and family, and gave us an inside look at what NBA players do on game day (not to mention gave us courtside seats for the game).

Prior to our arrival, KD had a shoot-around with the team at 9:00am, which was followed by a breakfast prepared by the team chef. After relaxing at home, he ate his pre-game meal at 2:00pm (4 hours before tip-off), got dressed, and took us to the arena.

KD chooses to arrive at the arena 3 hours before tip-off to begin his preparation. His routine includes treatment from the athletic trainer, corrective exercises with the strength coach, and shooting a couple hundred shots.

KD was all business on the way to the game. He takes his mental preparation very seriously.

Once we arrived at the arena, KD spoke to every person he passed on the way to the locker room… security officers, maintenance workers, PR folks, etc. He looked them in the eye, shook their hand, and called them by name.

We got to speak with Dwight Daub, the Thunder strength coach. He does an outstanding job. He gave us a quick run-down of what the players do in-season:

· Players have to get in a minimum of 10 strength workouts per month. They have the option to lift on game day. Most choose not to and prefer to lift before/after practice.

· Players have to get in a minimum of 12 corrective exercise workouts per month. These brief workouts consist of movements tailored specifically for individualized weaknesses and injury prone areas.

· Players that average playing less than 15 minutes have to get in 15 minutes of intervals on the elliptical or treadmill on game days to maintain their conditioning level. They do 15 sets of :30 on, :30 off at an appropriate intensity level.

Even though the team had a shoot around that morning at 9:00am, almost every player (from both teams) came in early to put in extra work.

Seeing NBA players work out on game day reminded me of one of my favorite quotes:

“There will be two buses leaving for tonight’s game. The 2:00pm bus will be for those who need some extra practice. The empty bus will leave at 5:00pm.”

Many young players make the mistake of thinking NBA players just play. Nothing could be further from the truth. These guys are great players because they work on their game every day.

It’s not just the rookies or the guys trying to earn more time. Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden were already going through intense shooting drills when KD joined them.

For the Warriors, Jeremy Lin was going through a ball handling and shooting workout with one of the assistant coaches. He was doing 2 ball drills and a series of running hooks and floaters. He was working harder a few hours before a game than most high school players do in the off-season!

Stephen Curry came out soon thereafter and went through his standard pre-game shooting routine… getting in a few hundred game shots, from game spots, at game speeds. Steph has always worked relentlessly on his game.

Sitting court side reminded me how fast and explosive NBA players are. The pace of an NBA game is incredible. The players are so big and so strong… the game is just as physical as it is fast. TV doesn’t do it justice. Anyone who thinks that NBA players only play hard during the playoffs doesn’t have a clue. These guys get after it, night in and night out. There is a reason the best players in the world are in the NBA.

After the game was over (Thunder held on to win by 3), KD came over to say good-bye, as he had to go straight to the airport to fly to Chicago for their game against the Bulls the following night.

The last thing he said to me was, “thanks for coming man, I always appreciate your support.”

I just had one of the best days of my professional life… and he thanked me.

Wow. He is one of kind. Kevin Durant is every bit as good of a person as he is a basketball player.

Days like that remind me how truly fortunate I am.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

www.YouTube.com/StrongerTeamDotCom

Game Preparation

2010-12-03T05:30:00.001-08:00

Dictionary.com provided this definition of the word “prepare”:

[pri-pair] – Verb

To put in proper condition or readiness.

How do you prepare for games?

1) Do you get 7-8 hours of sound sleep the night before a game?

2) Do you review your playbook or read your opponent’s scouting report before you go to sleep?

3) Do you eat a healthy, energy packed breakfast the morning of your game?

4) Do you pack your uniform, shoes, etc. in advance to avoid scrambling at the last minute?

5) Do you “dress for success” on game day to put yourself in a confident state of mind?

6) Do you eat small snacks and drink plenty of water throughout the day?

7) Do you eat an appropriate pre-game meal 3-4 hours before tip-off?

8) Do you meet with your Athletic Trainer if you have any issues or nagging injuries?

9) Do you arrive early to avoid the risk of getting stressed over traffic, bad weather, or a flat tire?

10) Do you visualize playing well before the game begins?

11) Do you know what gets you ready to play (listen to music, find a quiet spot, etc.)?

12) Do you know what gets your teammates ready to play (and allow them to do it)?

13) Do you go through a sufficient pre-game warm-up before you take the court?

14) Do you stay focused during your warm-up once you have taken the court?

15) Do you listen with your eyes and ears when your coach is giving the pre-game speech?

Ultimately, all of these questions lead to this:

Do you wait for the game to start or do you prepare for the game to start?

Here is a visualization technique to help you prepare:

Sit with your eyes closed, in complete silence, for 2-3 minutes and visualize a specific time in your life when you played the best basketball you have ever played. A time you vividly remember when you were in the zone – when every shot you took went in and every pass you made was on the money. Engage every sense. What did the gym look like? Sound like? Smell like? How did you feel? This technique will put you in a confident frame of mind when you take the court. You can do this by yourself, or better yet, do this with your team.

The goal of the DeMatha Basketball coaching staff is simple: To prepare by doing everything possible to give our players the best chance to be successful and win. We take into account every aspect of preparation and don’t believe any detail is too small.

Our pre-game routine is standard. Consistency is a building block to success. Our players head to the locker room to get dressed at halftime of the game before ours. We begin our 10 minute warm-up 40 minutes before tip-off. That leaves 10 minutes for coach to review our match ups, the “keys to winning the game,” and a team prayer. We do our on-court pre-game warm-up for the remaining 20 minutes before tip-off.

Then we put in work.

Here is the 10 minute pre-game warm-up we did, in a hallway, prior to our first game of the 2010-11 season: http://TinyUrl.com/DeMathaPreGameWarmUp

Our preparation paid off as we played very well defensively. We held the 10^th ranked team in our area (according to ESPN/Rise) to 4 points in the first quarter! After that, they didn’t have a chance. They were shell shocked.

It all started with proper preparation.

One game down, a whole season to go!

Play hard. Play smart. Play together.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

PS: As I mentioned in a blog last year… I give our players Gummi Bears at half-time. The simple sugars are great for quick energy and the kids love them! Consider it preparation for the second half!

PSS: Please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com and let me know if you like the shorter, more frequent blog posts. I value your feedback!

Know Your Role

2010-11-30T07:56:00.001-08:00

Does every player in your program know what their role is? Are you sure?

A major factor in your team’s success is getting every player to:

· Know their role

· Accept their role

· Have pride in their role

Coach Jones takes a unique approach. Prior to our first game, he conducts a 15 minute meeting with every player and their parents. He offers his thoughts on their first 3 weeks of practice, he clearly defines their role on the team, he estimates how much playing time they will get, and he outlines his expectations.

He encourages each player to speak freely and voice any concerns. The parents are included to make sure nothing is lost in translation. The meeting isn’t adjourned until everyone is on the same page.

Coach Jones’ honesty, sincerity, and inclusion of the parents make this approach extremely effective.

Here is another useful exercise to try with your team:

Have every player write down the number of minutes they would like to play in each game. Collect everyone’s number and total them up.

In a standard high school game there are160 playable minutes available (32 minutes of game time x 5 players on the court at all times).

I guarantee the number you total will far exceed 160 minutes. In many cases, it will be double.

What does that mean? It means that most of the players want to play more minutes than they actually will (or are even possible!). They may have written down 20 minutes… yet realistically will play significantly less than that.

Discrepancies in playing time can become a major distraction if not handled appropriately.

While things can certainly change, it is important to clearly define each player’s role (including an honest estimate of playing time) to reduce the chance of it becoming an issue later in the season. Grumblings at the “end of the bench” can become a cancer to the team.

Team’s that keep high morale and great attitudes at the “end of the bench”… are teams that will maximize their potential. They epitomize the word “team.”

While every player wants to start and wants to score points… that is not everyone’s role. There are so many ways players can positively impact a game… in limited minutes… that don’t make the newspaper.

Villanova’s men’s basketball program records the following on a board called “Attitude Club” after every game:

· Extra pass (a pass that sets up an assist)

· Screen assist (a screen that leads to an immediate score)

· Tap backs (tapping a loose ball or rebound to teammate to gain position)

· Quick outlets (getting the ball to a guard immediately after a rebound)

· Shot contests (high hand on all shots)

· Dives (getting on the floor for loose balls)

· Deflections (disrupting the offense’s flow by getting a hand on the ball)

· Paint passes (working the ball inside; hitting cutters and feeding the post)

Players that play limited minutes can still score highly in these areas. Players that don’t play at all can still do these things in practice (which will help earn time in the future).

Whether you play 30 minutes a game, 3 minutes a game, or don’t play at all… make the most of every opportunity you have (even if it is in practice) and find a way within your role to contribute and make your team better.

One of my primary roles with DeMatha is to get our team mentally and physically ready to compete.

Coach Paul Ricci has the same role at the University of Maryland.

Here is a video of their pre-game warm-up: http://TinyUrl.com/MDPreGameWarmUp

This is what they do prior to lay-up lines, passing drills, etc. This warm-up takes about 10 minutes.

Please keep me posted on how your team is doing this season.

I can be reached at:

Alan@StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam

Play hard. Play smart. Play together.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

Banged Up

2010-11-19T04:51:00.002-08:00

With two full weeks of practice under our belts, we (DeMatha) are off to a great start. Our players are starting to jell into a cohesive unit. We are still miles away from where we need to be, but we are moving in the right direction. We have several scrimmages lined up, to help us fine tune things, prior to our season opener on December 1^st. Our players are looking forward to competing against someone other than themselves!

Despite the great start, we are physically banged up right now. Our guys compete so hard in practice… there is no shortage of bumps, bruises, and sore muscles. Regardless of how thorough our pre-season strength & conditioning program was… the intensity, volume, and contact has been turned up ten-fold since practice began. It’s normal for players to be a bit banged up in the first few weeks. Their bodies (and minds) are getting acclimated to the rigors of full contact practices. It doesn’t mean our pre-season training was deficient (believe me, it wasn’t). This is just another step up the “intensity ladder.” Our guys were sore the first couple of weeks of our pre-season training… but they adjusted. The same will happen now that practice has begun.

As Clarke W. Griswold said in Christmas Vacation, “it’s all a part of the experience!”

However, it is very important for me to communicate openly with our players and get them to differentiate between discomfort and pain and between being hurt and being injured. Discomfort and having things hurt go with the territory of being a basketball player. Pain and being injured don’t.

I told our guys, “basketball is a physically demanding sport… if something on your body isn’t sore or isn’t hurting… you aren’t playing hard enough!” There is a lot of truth to that. However, that’s where the macho BS ends. It is vital that any issue above and beyond the standard aches and pains gets addressed properly.

Sharp, shooting pains in the feet, ankles, knees or back… or severe muscular soreness… need to be tended to immediately (preferably by a professional). It is better to address them while they are minor issues; opposed to letting them become major issues. I would rather have a player miss a day or two of practice in November than a week or two in January!

We do these 3 things consistently to reduce the aches and pains:

20 minute in-season strength workout: http://TinyUrl.com/20MinInSeasonStrength

10 minute standardized pre-practice warm-up: http://TinyUrl.com/PrePracticeWarmUp

5 minute standardized post practice stretch: http://TinyUrl.com/PostPracticeStretch

Now that practice has begun, I recommend every player in your program answer these questions:

· Have you been on time, to every practice?

· Have you been a great teammate? Coachable? Enthusiastic?

· Have you given a solid effort every practice?

· Have you played as well as you are capable of playing?

· Have you communicated effectively with your coaches and teammates?

· Have you had fun?

If you answer “no” to any of these questions you need to make a change… ASAP! If you want to have a remarkable season; you need to be 100% committed to yourself, to your team, and to your coach.

Practice hard. Play smart. Enjoy the journey.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

PS: If you need some innovative drills to spice up your warm-ups, practices, and in-season conditioning… I just released a new DVD: http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com/p-39-in-season-conditioning.aspx

Banged Up

2010-11-19T04:51:00.001-08:00

As Clarke W. Griswold said in Christmas Vacation, “it’s all a part of the experience!”

We do these 3 things consistently to reduce the aches and pains:

20 minute in-season strength workout: http://TinyUrl.com/20MinInSeasonStrength

10 minute standardized pre-practice warm-up: http://TinyUrl.com/PrePracticeWarmUp

5 minute standardized post practice stretch: http://TinyUrl.com/PostPracticeStretch

Now that practice has begun, I recommend every player in your program answer these questions:

· Have you been on time, to every practice?

· Have you been a great teammate? Coachable? Enthusiastic?

· Have you given a solid effort every practice?

· Have you played as well as you are capable of playing?

· Have you communicated effectively with your coaches and teammates?

· Have you had fun?

Practice hard. Play smart. Enjoy the journey.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

PS: If you need some innovative drills to spice up your warm-ups, practices, and in-season conditioning… I just released a new DVD: http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com/p-39-in-season-conditioning.aspx

Make Time

2010-11-14T07:13:00.001-08:00

As a basketball player or coach, you may start to feel overwhelmed now that the season has begun. It can be tough to balance school, practice, games, and quality time with your family and friends. It may seem difficult to fit everything in and live a balanced life.

Know this - you will never find time for anything during the hectic season. You have to make time for the things that are important to you. If you truly love something; you will make the time for it. Time is never the problem… after all… each of us gets 24 hours in a day. Lack of passion and focus is the real problem!

When a player or coach tells me they “don’t have time” to do something… I know they don’t want it bad enough. Whether it’s reading a motivational book, getting in an in-season strength workout, having a nice dinner with your family, or getting up an extra 250 shots after practice… you have to make the time. “Not enough time” is just a convenient excuse.

Great players and great coaches get more out of their 24 hours than their competition does.

If you want to maximize each practice, I highly recommend you make the time to go through a thorough warm-up and get mentally and physically prepared to compete. Believe me, it is time very well invested.

Click here to watch a DeMatha Basketball Pre-Practice Warm-up: http://TinyUrl.com/PrePracticeWarmup

I also encourage you to make the time for a quick post practice stretch to help improve flexibility and remove lactic acid build-up (which will help reduce soreness the following day).

Click here to watch a DeMatha Basketball Post Practice Stretch: http://TinyUrl.com/PostPracticeStretch

As always, please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com if I can ever be of service.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

PS: I am going to start to post shorter blogs (more frequently). Given how busy you will be this season, shorter posts are more appropriate. I hope you continue to make the time to read them! Please let me know if you like the change in format. I value your feedback.

Youth Training

2010-11-10T11:50:00.001-08:00

Will lifting weights stunt your growth? At what age should you start lifting weights?

Let me put an end to this lingering myth once and for all…

Proper strength training does not stunt growth! In fact, you can actually begin a safe, age appropriate training program as young as 8 or 9 years old.

For all of the 13 and 14 year olds who email me or hit me up on Twitter or Facebook asking when they should start strength training… my answer is… today!

The most important concept to understand is that a child’s chronological age and their physical and mental maturity are not always congruent. This includes their muscular and Central Nervous System maturity (coordination, body awareness, etc.) as well as their mental maturity (attention span, ability to process and follow instructions, etc.). Children mature and progress at different rates. Some 10 year olds look and act 16 and some 16 year olds look and act 10! Therefore, individualized modifications should be made for any outlier and you should get approval from a qualified professional prior to implementing a training program.

However, as a general rule of thumb, young players (ages 8-12) can and should participate in a structured, supervised, age appropriate training program.

There is a difference between “lifting weights” and “strength training.” I strongly prefer to use the term strength training as it encompasses a variety of modalities and methodologies. You can improve strength without weights. When I say a young player should learn how to squat correctly, I am referring to the functional movement (not implying you load their spine with a barbell!). My goal is not to produce better “weight lifters”, but rather to use appropriate training methods to produce stronger, more coordinated, and more confident players. A truly comprehensive program utilizes more than just weights. In fact, some of the most intense and difficult strength workouts we have our players do don’t even use weights!

An age appropriate strength training program will not harm a child’s growth, but will actually help strengthen their skeletal and muscular system as well as their connective tissue. A proper training program will also help facilitate an improvement in their coordination and body awareness.

A proper youth training program should involve dynamic flexibility, movement preparation, footwork, strength training, and agility drills. The program should be done two times per week, for 30-45 minutes per workout, and focus on multi-joint movements such as skipping, hopping, jumping, lunging, squatting, pushing, pulling, throwing, and twisting. The workouts should be challenging, yet fun and engaging with the goal of building great training habits and a solid foundation of efficient movement.

It is important for younger players to regularly experience a variety of motor skills in order to promote future athletic success and injury prevention. Developing this basic coordination through a wide variety of movements, drills, and exercises is integral… with the eventual goal of developing basketball specific coordination in their teenage years. In other words, children need to learn how to run and jump properly, how to control their body in space and how to move efficiently before they learn how to dribble, shoot, and pass. They need to do this for the same reason they need to learn addition and subtraction before they learn algebra and geometry… one builds on the other.

Research has shown that coordination is best developed between the ages of 10 to 12 years old. There are several components to coordination, such as balance, rhythm, body awareness in space, and reaction. Younger players that master these components, and improve their coordination through appropriate training, tend to have better athletic success at later ages. Of course, one’s absolute athletic potential is somewhat pre-determined based on genetic predispositions. However, regardless of their absolute athletic potential, every young player can make progress. This is why introducing a proper youth training program is so important!

For the record, I am not saying that children under the age of 10 to 12 shouldn’t be playing basketball or learning basketball skills… they should. But they should also be learning how to master their general motor skills (particularly running and jumping).

Here are 4 guidelines to a quality youth training program:

Safe: young players must use proper form and appropriate resistances (if applicable).

Fun: young players should be engaged and enjoy training!

Fundamental: young players should master a variety of general motor skills (skipping, hopping, jumping, lunging, squatting, pushing, pulling, throwing, and twisting) before trying to master sport-specific skills (ball handling, shooting, etc.).

Challenging: young players learn quickly, so challenge them physically and mentally with a variety of new movements, exercises, and drills.

Believe me, my twin sons Luke and Jack will be exposed to a safe, age appropriate youth training program at a very early age!

I wrote this blog because I am passionate about this message (not to push a product). However, I have created an 8-Week Youth Training Program download for any parent or coach who needs it: http://shop.strongerteam.com/p-36-8-week-training-program-for-youth-basketball-players.aspx

The Vertimax is an invaluable training tool for improving explosiveness and can be used both in and out of season. But did you know it could do all of this?

http://TinyUrl.com/VertimaxBasketballTraining

Make sure you join in the fun with my Daily Question and Funniest Caption contests at www.Twitter.com/AlanStein and www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam.

This past week’s winner won a pair of Skull Candy headphones!

Who will my next winner be?

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

Playing in College

2010-11-04T09:07:00.001-07:00

I am honored to receive hundreds of emails per week from coaches and players around the world… almost all of which offer kind words and support (for which I am truly grateful). I also get asked a lot of questions. The three questions I get asked most often by players are:

What is the best way to improve my vertical?

How do I get a college scholarship?

Will lifting weights stunt my growth?

If you are looking to improve your hops, please check out the episodes, articles, and downloads at www.CanHeDunk.com.

As for getting a college scholarship, I happily offer my thoughts in this blog. Next week I will address age appropriate strength training and the myth that strength training will stunt growth.

In my 10+ years as a basketball strength and conditioning coach, I have worked with hundreds of high school players who have gone on to play college basketball. They have gone to schools ranging from Division III to major Division I. Only a very small percentage of the hundreds of thousands of kids who play high school basketball have an opportunity to play in college, and an even smaller percentage will play on scholarship (NOTE: Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships).

If you are 7 feet tall, a scholarship will probably find you. If you play for a nationally renowned high school or AAU program, you have a much better chance as well. But what if you don’t? What if you are of average size, decent skill level, and have a ton of heart? Can you still play college basketball? Yes! But it’s not easy.

Here are 8 tips on how you can improve your chances of attaining a basketball scholarship:

1) Be an outstanding student. Being a great student expands the ranges of schools you can attend and shows a coach you are committed to excellence on and off the court. Unless you are a bona fide All-American, coaches at every level are tired of taking risks on kids who are poor students. This is the first question every coach asks. Don’t let the first filter be the one that weeds you out!

2) Be a great teammate. Every coach I have ever talked to looks to recruit players that are coachable and who get along with their teammates. No one wants a jerk. Be the teammate everyone loves to play with because you are unselfish, coachable, enthusiastic, committed to team goals, and raise the level of those around you. Being a great teammate will raise your stock tremendously. I have seen players (literally) lose a coach’s interest because of bad body language or acting like a jackass when they didn’t agree with a foul call or when they came out of the game. Before college coaches ask me to evaluate a player’s athletic ability, they always ask, “are they a good teammate?”

3) If you can’t, don’t. Stick to what you do best and play to your strengths. Stop doing what you think coaches want to see. If you aren’t a great 3 point shooter, stop shooting 3’s! Coaches want players who know, understand, and accept their role. Nothing can lose a scholarship faster than trying to show off for a coach during a practice or a game. All you are doing is exposing your weaknesses! Every team, from JV to the NBA needs role players and players who know how to play to their strengths.

4) Do the little things. Contrary to what most high school players think, it is not all about scoring. To play college basketball, you need to do the little things: good footwork, set screens, box out, share the ball, communicate, play solid defense, dive for loose balls, work hard, and be a leader on and off the court. These things alone will separate you from 95% of the players who are your size and skill level. The little things can earn you a big scholarship!

5) Maximize your ability. You can’t control your height, and to some degree, your overall athleticism. But you can make sure you are in great basketball shape. You should be on a year round strength & conditioning program and work on your ball handling and shooting daily. Focus on the things you have complete control over!

6) Be realistic. It is so important that you have an accurate evaluation of the level you can play. Not everyone can play major Division I basketball. I am not opposed to setting high standards and chasing your dreams; but don’t pass up on a great opportunity to play (and get an education) at a D-II or D-III school because you think Duke or Kentucky is going to call. I have seen so many players left out in the cold because they kept holding out for a better offer that never came.

7) Protect your brand. You are the CEO of Brand You. I wrote extensively about this concept in a previous blog: http://blog.strongerteam.com/post/2010/04/29/NEW-Brand-You.aspx. You need to carry yourself with professionalism and respect… both on and off the court. Be careful what you Tweet or post on Facebook… it takes years to build credibility and a quality reputation and one click to ruin it. Someone is always watching and college coaches do significant background checks on all of their recruits. Their first stop? Social media sites!

8) Recruit them. Basketball is global. If you can play; “they” will find you. Don’t worry too much about getting exposure. Worry more about not getting exposed (for your weaknesses)! And you don’t have to wait for a school to recruit you… you can recruit them! If you know of a school that you would like to play for and is appropriate to your level… send them a letter and some game film. If they like what they see; they will get back in touch!

Bottom line is this: in addition to working on your handle and jump shot, you need to find ways to differentiate yourself from the pack. You need to show college coaches a reason to offer you a scholarship instead of giving them a reason not too!

Even though we held this workout outside; the following is a great workout you can do on court with minimal equipment after practice:

In the next couple of weeks, I will post videos of our pre-practice warm-up as well as our post practice cool down. Soon to follow will be videos of in-season strength workouts and pre-game warm-ups!

Make sure you join in the fun with my Daily Question and Funniest Caption contests at www.Twitter.com/AlanStein and www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam.

Please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com if I can ever be of service.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

PS: I take pride in facilitating quality information and have sent out dozens of Coaching Nuggets in the past. I have decided to change the format and will send out one new Basketball Nugget per month. This month’s nugget will be sent next week; so please sign up for our email newsletter if you haven’t already done so: http://www.strongerteam.com/Register.aspx

Be Assertive

2010-10-28T08:21:00.001-07:00

In addition to horrible officiating, there is something else that all coaches can’t stand… turnovers. Turning the ball over in basketball is a cardinal sin. After all, winning the turnover battle is usually the key to victory.

But is there such a thing as a good turnover? I wouldn’t go that far… but all turnovers are not equal. There is difference between trying to pivot through a trap to pass to an open teammate and getting called for traveling and making a casual perimeter pass that gets stolen. There is a difference between attacking the rim and being called for an offensive foul and tossing an ill advised behind the back pass out of bounds during a simple 2-on-1 fast break.

What’s the difference? One was an assertive play and the other wasn’t. You have to learn to live with assertive turnovers.

If you want to be a successful basketball player; you need to be assertive. You need to take calculated risks on the court. You will never maximize your potential by always playing it safe. You need to leave your comfort zone; in workouts, in practice, and in games. However, when you assert yourself, you must be fully prepared to reap the rewards or suffer the consequences. That’s accountability.

What do Steve Nash, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony all have in common?

1) They are all NBA All-Stars.

2) They are the NBA’s most talented offensive players.

3) They were all ranked in the top 15 in turnovers committed last season!

Part of their offensive genius is taking risks and being aggressive with the ball. Turnovers happen as a result. You have to take the bad with the good. Even John Stockton, the NBA’s all-time leader in assists, is 2^nd all-time in turnovers committed. It goes with the territory! Anyone who watched Stockton play can agree that his turnovers were assertive in nature.

This is not an invitation to be careless or reckless with the ball. I am not condoning turnovers. You must value the ball… every possession is important. But you have to take chances and be assertive to be successful. You have to take risks. “With great risk come great rewards.”

Assertive players are aggressive and decisive. They don’t hesitate. They survey the situation and go with the best option. They have confidence in whatever decision they make. And if they make a mistake (or turnover), they learn from it and don’t repeat it. Fighting to establish post position on the block and getting called for 3 seconds is OK. Getting called for it a second or third time is not!

When an assertive player makes a mistake offensively, they bust their butt to “make it up on defense.” Assertive players don’t wallow in mistakes. If they turn the ball over… they immediately move to the next play. They don’t compound their mistake by standing around and pouting.

And you can be an invaluable offensive player even if you don’t have a sick handle or a killer jump shot. An assertive offensive player sets solid screens, runs the floor on every position, makes hard basket cuts, and crashes the offensive glass every time a shot is taken (assertive players think, “shot is taken, shot is missed.”). Ask any defender… assertive offensive players are the worst to guard!

Assertive players don’t play with fear. They aren’t scared to make a play because they fear turning it over. Assertive players take risks, play hard, and in the end… are successful.

So coaches, before you berate your player for committing a turnover… take a second to judge what kind of turnover it was. If it was an assertive turnover; be supportive and positive.

If it wasn’t; do what you do!

To be a great player, you need to have strong hands. Grip strength plays a key role in being strong (assertive) with the ball. Here is a video of some unconventional, yet highly effective grip strength exercises: http://TinyUrl.com/BasketballGripTraining

Lastly, I highly recommend you read Play Their Hearts Out by George Dohrmann. It is a fascinating emotional roller coaster with unbelievable insight into youth basketball. The book does a tremendous job of highlighting the myriad of problems we face. I have read over 100 books in the past 2+ years and Play Their Hearts Out just moved into my top 3. It is that good. Whether you are a player, coach, or parent, you have to read this book!

As the high school season approaches, please let me know if I can be of service to you or your program. Feel free to email me any time at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam

PS: If you haven’t already done so, make sure you sign up for our monthly email newsletter. We will be sending out a new batch of Coaching Nuggets in early November… you don’t want to miss these!

Click on “Subscribe to Updates” at www.StrongerTeam.com

What The Greats Do

2010-10-21T03:50:00.001-07:00

As I have mentioned numerous times, the game of basketball has afforded me the opportunity to meet some amazing people, travel to some amazing places, and have some amazing experiences. All of which I am thankful for.

One of those remarkable people is shooting coach Dave Hopla. Coach Hopla has worked in the NBA for several years (Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards). My right hand man Blair O’Donovan has worked with him the past 5 years in China at the Nike All-Asia Camp and they have become great friends.

In addition to working directly for NBA teams, Coach Hopla has been hired privately by the game’s best players. We asked him to share two of his most memorable stories:

A Young Kobe Bryant

Coach Hopla had the opportunity to work with Kobe Bryant back in 1996, before he was drafted by the Lakers, and then continued to work with him for the first 4 years of Kobe’s NBA career.

Here is a quick story about the first time they met:

Kobe called late one evening to set up a workout for the following day. The only time Coach Hopla had available was 5:30am because he was heading out of town around lunch time. Kobe said, “Sounds good, let’s do it.”

Coach Hopla arrived at the gym at 5:15am and saw that Kobe was already there… preparing for the workout to start at 5:30am. Kobe had arrived at 4:45am. He was in a full sweat before the workout officially started.

The first drill they did was a Half-Court Shuttle Drill:

You need 1 ball and 1 person to rebound and pass

Set up a cone at mid-court and 2 cones at the free throw line extended (3 feet from sideline)
Start at mid-court and sprint for a jump shot at the free throw line
Sprint back to the mid-court cone, then sprint to either outside cone for another jump shot
Sprint back to mid-court, then sprint to the other cone for a jump shot
Lastly, sprint to mid-court, and sprint in to finish with a dunk or layup
If you miss any shots, you continue until you make the shot from that spot.
Record your best time. A good time is less than 21 seconds on an NBA court.

In his first time doing the drill, Kobe moved at lighting pace and nailed his first three jump shots… but then missed the final dunk (pounded it off the back rim).

Without hesitation (or without complaining or pouting), Kobe sprinted after the ball (which bounced all the way past half court), picked it up, sprinted back… and took off from just inside the foul line and dunked it home. He then looked up and said, “What was my time?” Without prompting from Coach Hopla, he jogged to mid-court and began the drill again.

That was the first drill Coach Hopla ever took Kobe through. He immediately knew that Kobe was a special player and would go down in history as one of the greats. Over the next few years of working with Kobe, Coach Hopla made this observation:

“Kobe has a sense of urgency with everything he does. Every rep, every shot, every drill is important to him. He takes advantage of every opportunity to get better. Kobe is never satisfied with his game and is always looking to improve. That hunger is what makes him great.”

Brandon Jennings is the Future

Coach Hopla was hired to work with the Milwaukee Buck’s Brandon Jennings this past August. He was scheduled to fly in to Milwaukee one afternoon to work Brandon out that evening and then again the following morning. Coach Hopla’s flight was severely delayed. He called Brandon to apologize and let him know he wouldn’t be getting in until 11pm and wanted to see what time he wanted to work out the next morning. Brandon said, “Morning? I still want to work out tonight. Let’s meet at the gym at midnight.”

Coach Hopla worked Brandon out from midnight to 2:30am… and they went hard! They went again at 7:00am the next morning!

Coach Hopla was extremely impressed with Brandon’s work ethic and determination to get better. He said Brandon has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove to the world he is one of the best point guards in the NBA. But he isn’t looking for a hand-out; he wants to earn that distinction.

It wouldn’t be fair to highlight those two stories without highlighting Coach Hopla’s story as well. He is considered by many to be the top shooter in the world. He regularly keeps track of all his shots during practice and when he is speaking at camps and clinics.

His stats are mind boggling:

In 2005 he made 98.20% of his shots (35,332 out of 35,979 shots).
In the summer of 2007, he spoke at 31 camps and shot an unbelievable 99.19% (11,093 out of 11,183 shots), including 260 for 281 from the 3-point line (92.52%).
During 3 camps, he was perfect from the field during his lecture:

June 25, 2007 at the University of Maryland he was 263 for 263.
July 28, 2007 at the CT Starters camp he was 339 for 339.
August 2, 2007 at UCLA he was 272 for 272

His shooting knowledge, expertise, and love for the game are unmatched. For more on Coach Dave Hopla and his outstanding program, please visit www.DaveHopla.com.

I have had the honor of speaking with Kobe and Brandon about their strength & conditioning programs. Both are fully committed to year round training and know how important it is stay strong, mobile, and in great basketball shape. Both mentioned several times how important it is to have a strong core.

Here is a video of some unconventional, yet highly effective core exercises: http://TinyUrl.com/BasketballCoreTraining

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam

PS: This past summer we launched the Can He Dunk? Project (www.CanHeDunk.com). We are gearing up for Part 2… this time with ex-players ages 25-40 (aka “weekend warriors”). We will hold an open casting call in early December to select the participants and then begin the 10 week training program in early January.

Some may think these guys are “over the hill”… but all we want to know is Can He Dunk?

Stay tuned for details and dates!

What Separates You?

2010-10-14T08:47:00.001-07:00

With the start of the high school season approaching fast, it is time for you to ask yourself a significant question…

What separates you?

What is it about your game that separates you from every other player?

Are you as massive as Dwight Howard?

Are you as explosive as LeBron James?

Are you as skilled as Kevin Durant?

I assume, if you are being honest with yourself, you answered “no” to these questions. Therefore, you need to find other ways to separate yourself.

Do you need to separate yourself from the players trying out so you can earn a spot on the team?

Do you need to separate yourself from the players that make the team so you can earn playing time?

Do you need to separate yourself from the top players in your state so you can earn a college scholarship?

Do you need to separate yourself from the best players in the country so you can earn All-American status?

Think of the game Musical Chairs. The entire premise is that there are more chairs than there are people… hence the immediate anxiety attack you feel when the music stops and you scramble to grab a chair!

Basketball, and life for that matter, is similar. You need to find what separates you from the pack… so you can “get a chair.” There are 4 ways to separate yourself to make sure you “get a chair” this season:

1) Athleticism

2) Skill

3) I.Q.

4) Intangibles

Athleticism

You have no control over the natural gifts you were born with… but you can always get better. Not everyone can be as athletic as Derrick Rose. However, with hard work and a progressive program, you can get stronger, quicker, and be in great basketball shape.

Skill

Similar to athleticism, not everyone possesses the coordination and innate abilities required to handle the ball like Chris Paul or shoot like Stephen Curry. However, with countless hours of deliberate practice, you can improve your fundamental basketball skills.

I.Q.

I am referring to your basketball I.Q. (not your potential to split the atom or win $25,000 on Jeopardy). Do you know how to play? Do you understand concepts like time and score, know what a good shot is, and know your teammates’ strengths and weaknesses? You can improve your basketball I.Q. by studying film and learning from folks who truly know the game (like your coach!).

Intangibles

While there are natural limits to how athletic you can be, how skilled you become, and how well you understand the game… there are no limits to the intangibles. Everyone has the ability to do these things, but very few have the heart, fortitude, and perseverance to do them on a daily basis.

These intangibles are the best way to separate from the pack and help your team be more successful:

· Enthusiasm (raise the level of those around you, be positive, accept coaching)

· Unselfishness (put your teammates first, make the extra pass, set screens)

· Effort (give 100% every practice, defend, box out, take charges, dive for loose balls)

Here is how powerful these intangibles are:

If you are below average in athleticism, skill, and I.Q… but do these 3 things every day… you still have a strong chance to make the team.

If you are average in athleticism, skill, and I.Q… but do these 3 things every day… you have a strong chance to earn quality playing time.

If you are above average in athleticism, skill, and I.Q… and do these 3 things every day… you have a strong chance of playing in college.

Most importantly, doing these intangibles will give your team a better chance to win and will create habits that will carry over to every aspect of your life.

If you want to separate from the pack… whether to make the team, earn playing time, or be an All-American… then continue to develop your athleticism, skill, and I.Q… and damn well make sure you do the intangibles… every day! There is no excuse not to.

Here are some killer on court strength and power drills to help you prepare for the season: www.TinyUrl.com/GonzagaPreSeasonOnCourt.

If you like my daily quotes at www.Twitter.com/AlanStein, make sure you “like” us at www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam too (I post additional quotes there)!

Have fun. Earn success.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

PS: I am now offering FREE shipping on all of my DVDs! You better get’em now, not sure how long this will last! Available at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com.

Advice From a Legend

2010-10-06T05:50:00.001-07:00

Jerry West is a living legend.

Yeah, he is in the NBA Hall of Fame.

Sure, he was voted one of the 50 greatest players of all time.

For crying out loud… Jerry West is the NBA logo!

When he speaks, you need to listen.

Jerry West is friends with the father of a basketball player at Gonzaga High School in Washington, DC. A couple of weeks ago he stopped in to address the team after a pre-season workout. He spoke from the heart and gave sound advice:

• If you want to be a great player, you have to learn how to compete. Competing is as important as any technical skill… shooting, ball handling, or passing. Great players compete every workout, every practice and every game.

• Basketball can help you develop friendships you will have for the rest of your life. Don’t take it for granted.

• Younger players should find an older, more experienced player on the team to look up to and to emulate (for Jerry West, it was Elgin Baylor). Watch how they conduct themselves during practice and how they prepare for games…study their work habits. You can learn a lot by watching those ahead of you. And if you are an older player, it is your job to be a role model for the younger members of your team. Take that responsibility seriously.

• Use basketball, don’t let it use you. Basketball can take you to some special places and can provide you with an education.

• While everyone loves to win, you learn more about yourself and your teammates when you lose. Life is easy when you are winning. A person’s true colors come through during times of adversity.

• Take advantage of every opportunity you have to get better. Every practice is important.

• Read The Four Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz’s Code for Life). If you live by these four agreements you will be successful in whatever you choose to do:

1) Be impeccable with your word. Speak with integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say.

2) Don’t take things personally. What other people say and do is a reflection of them… not you. Don’t get sucked into negativity.

3) Don’t make assumptions. Have the courage to ask questions. Learn to effectively communicate so you can avoid misunderstandings.

4) Always do your best. Everything you do is important. Your best will change from moment to moment, but as long as you give it your all, you won’t have any regrets.

Wow. That is priceless insight.

I am sure some of you are wondering how I got this inside scoop… especially since this took place at Gonzaga… and I am the strength & conditioning coach at DeMatha.

My close friend and right hand man of 10 years, Blair O’Donovan, is in his 5th season as the strength & conditioning coach for the Gonzaga basketball program. Blair is an integral member of Stronger Team and is, without question, one of the top strength & conditioning professionals in the business. Blair has a tremendous understanding of performance enhancement. Gonzaga is very fortunate to have him. And so is Stronger Team.

It’s a shame Blair and I won’t be speaking once the season starts on November 8th (if you aren’t familiar… DeMatha and Gonzaga have an epic rivalry).

Hopefully our friendship can withstand not speaking for 5 months.

Just kidding.

No I’m not.

Keep working hard, the season is almost here!

As always, if I can ever be of service to you or your program… please email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Likewise, Blair can be reached at Blair@StrongerTeam.com.

Just don’t email him the day after DeMatha plays Gonzaga… he won’t be in the mood.

Work hard. Deserve success.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

www.Facebook.com/StrongerTeam

PS: I will be in Little Chute, WI (October 16th) and Richmond, VA (October 17th) conducting my Cutting Edge Reaction & Quickness for Basketball Clinic. Please email me if you want more info!

Coaching Wisdom

2010-09-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had an opportunity to meet (and listen to) two brilliant basketball minds: Jeff Van Gundy and Brad Stevens. I was overwhelmingly impressed, as they both offered invaluable insight into what it takes to be successful on and off the court. Here are the highlights:

Jeff Van Gundy Wisdom (old school)

· Don’t over coach. Don’t run too much “stuff.” Keep things simple.

· Albert Einstein: “Be as simple as you can be… but no simpler.”

· Most high school coaches would be twice as successful if they cut out half of their stuff!

· The key to winning: “You need to do what you do better than your opponent does what they do.”

· To coach successfully you need to know what type of player you can coach. Van Gundy has 3 types of players he can’t coach: soft, selfish, and stupid.

· Bill Parcells: “You have to know what loses before you can know what wins.”

· What loses? Giving up lay-ups in transition (not getting back), fouling too much (giving up FT’s), and giving up wide open 3’s (not closing out). You can’t win until you eliminate those 3 things!

· Tony Dungy: “If you want to be uncommon, you have to do what everyone could do or should do, but very few are willing to do.”

· Want to be an uncommon player? Box out. Take charges. Dive for loose balls. Make the extra pass. Those are all things everyone can do… yet very few actually do.

· Here is an answer to the question, “Why am I not playing?” Van Gundy: “I play the players that give us the best chance to win. If you want to play, do something that gives us a better chance to win.”

· Bill Walsh: “A great coach gets players to do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve the things they want to achieve.”

· Van Gundy’s 5-Point Philosophy:

1. Defend

2. Rebound

3. Low turnovers

4. Play inside-out

5. Get the best shot

· There are only 4 stats that matter in winning:

1. Adjusted FG % (taking 3 point shooting into account)

2. FT’s made

3. Turnovers

4. Rebound %

· If you win those 4, you crush your opponent. You win 3, you win easily. You win 1 or 2… and it depends on the differential.

· Dead ball mistakes are unacceptable. They are 100% preventable.

· Praise unselfishness. “You have to give up a good shot to get a great shot.”

· Good teams have ELO communication: early, loud, and often (sometimes called ELC: early, loud, and constant).

Brad Stevens Wisdom (new school)

· Bill Walsh: “Mastery requires constant re-mastery.” Work on your craft (coaching or playing) every day!

· Advice to assistant coaches: “think like a head coach at all times.”

· Your values and standards are the foundation of your program. Don’t sacrifice or negotiate them for any reason.

· Deep, deliberate practice is most effective. Don’t try to do everything! Focus on what is most applicable to each player’s individual game as well as what is most applicable to your team’s style of play.

· Your goal should be to get more done in 45 minutes than most teams do in 2 hours.

· Jim Caldwell: “Don’t do more. Do less. But do it better.”

· True gym rats are rare. You are lucky if you have one on your team. You can’t make players love the game. Every player’s motivation level and passion for the game is different.

· The key to confidence is knowing you got better. Find ways to show your players they are improving (stats/film).

· Spend time on unique finishes around the basket (Eurosteps, etc.). It keeps players engaged and focused and helps eliminate going through the motions.

· NAIA coach: “Great teams do difficult things together.”

· Basketball is a game of deception to get an advantage. Your eyes are your deadliest weapons.

· Finish every workout or practice with a challenge or competition. End on a high note.

· Del Harris: “Every time you shoot, shoot to make. Every shot is important and every shot counts.”

· Track how many shots your best player takes in your first official practice this year. In Coach Stevens’ first practice at Butler, his best player only took 22 shots (in 2+ hours!).

· Since then, he makes sure players get in at least 100 shots a day in pre/post practice and time efficient shooting drills.

· “Great shooting teams are great passing teams.”

· Make skill work a year round emphasis… not just in the off-season.

· Don’t think creating a winning culture is important? Only 7 NBA teams have won a Championship since 1980.

In most areas of the country, official practices start in 4 to 6 weeks. How are you preparing?

Here is video of a pre-season conditioning circuit we did at DeMatha: http://TinyUrl.com/DeMathaPreSeasonCircuit

If you have any questions or need additional resources on making your pre-season as productive as possible, please feel free to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Train hard, train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

Little Things

2010-09-22T11:58:00.001-07:00

I have been ensconced in elite level basketball for the past 10 years. I know firsthand what it takes for a program to be successful. While talent is obviously a key factor, it is actually the little things that make an average team a good team, a good team a great team, and great team a championship team. Don’t wait for the season to start until you “sweat the small stuff.”

If you are a coach, you need to ask yourself the following 10 questions. If you are a player, you need to share these questions with your coach!

1) In addition to winning a championship, what are your team’s goals? Are these goals being effectively communicated to your players and staff on a daily basis?

2) Does everyone in your program know their exact role on the team? Are you sure?

3) Does every player know your opinion of their strengths and weaknesses? Or do you just assume they know?

4) Does your staff prepare for pre-season workouts with the same mentality that they prepare for practices? Do your players?

5) Is every player in your program on top of their school work? If academics are a distraction now, what will happen when the season starts?

6) Are your players eating well and getting plenty of sleep every night? Do you just assume they are… or do you consistently remind them?

7) Are your players appropriately addressing minor injuries and soreness? Or do you give them some macho BS like “suck it up” or “no pain, no gain”?

8) Do your players perform exercises to strengthen their ankles and feet? Groin? Low back? Or do they just bench press and squat like a football player?

9) During each pre-season workout, are you an energy giver? Is your enthusiasm contagious to everyone in your program?

10) Does your team go through a standardized warm-up before every workout? Do they prepare for each workout to start, or do they just stand around and wait for each workout to start?

These questions should shed some light on whether or not you are doing everything you can to have a successful season. And for the record, a successful season is not only measured by wins and losses.

Here is video of a pre-season strength workout at DeMatha: http://TinyUrl.com/DeMathaPreSeasonStrength

Next week I will share a video of a pre-season conditioning workout.

“Success always looks easy to those who weren’t around when it was being earned.”

If you have any questions or need additional resources on making your pre-season as productive as possible, please feel free to email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Train hard, train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

PS: One little thing you can do to make a big difference in your development is to listen to Audiobooks instead of music or the news. Here are 5 of my favorites:

1) The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

2) Always Looking Up by Michael J Fox

3) The 50^th Law by Robert Greene and 50 Cent

4) Go Givers Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann

5) The Story of You by Steve Chandler

Do You Deserve It?

2010-09-15T12:15:00.001-07:00

One of my high school players asked me if I will teach Luke and Jack that they “can be anything they want to be when they grow up.”

I said “nope.”

They were shocked!

They thought that’s what parents were supposed to teach their kids.

Not me. Why won’t I teach them that? It isn’t true.

You can’t be anything you want to be. But you can be anything you deserve to be.

There is a significant difference between wanting and deserving.

Wanting it is not enough. Everyone wants it. Only a few deserve it.

And what is the “it” I am referring too?

Success.

People put too much energy in the wanting part. All they do is sit around wishing, dreaming, and hoping for success.

Instead, they need to put their energy into deserving success. They need to put their focus into earning success. They have to put on their hard hat, roll up their sleeves, and work for success.

Don’t get it twisted… there is nothing wrong with having dreams. You should have dreams!

But unless you actively pursue those dreams with effort, determination, and persistence … they are meaningless.

Do you want to make the varsity team this year? Do you deserve to?

Do you want to win a championship? Do you deserve to?

Do you want to play basketball at the next level? Do you deserve to?

Elite level players and championship caliber programs know the difference between wanting and deserving success. Your pre-season program is when you make that distinction. Are you doing everything in your power to deserve success once the season starts?

Do I believe Luke and Jack can be anything they deserve to be when they grow up? Absolutely.

And I will begin teaching them that at a very young age.

If you are looking for some innovative jump training drills to add to your pre-season workouts, check out http://TinyUrl.com/JumpTrainingForBasketball

As always, please let me know if I can ever be of service to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

PS: I sent out a batch of FREE “coaching nuggets” last week. If you requested them and didn’t receive them, please email me again. Many school firewalls prevented the emails from being received because of the rather large attached file.

PSS: I will send out another batch in early November! This next batch will be even better!

Are You A Baby?

2010-09-08T05:20:00.001-07:00

For those that follow my blog, you know I am the proud father of 6 month old twin sons, Luke and Jack. While I am not 100% certain (haven’t had them actually tested), I am confident they are geniuses. I’m serious!

Why? Because they have already figured out the 6 keys to success:

1) Persistence: they never quit. Ever. When they want something… to be fed, to be changed, or hold a toy… they do not stop until they get what they want. Right now they are learning to crawl… and they spend hours and hours “practicing.”

How persistent are you in getting what you want? How relentless are you in your development?

2) Communication: they speak their minds. Granted, it’s in the form of crying, grunting, laughing, and Gibberish... but they do communicate. And they are attentive listeners. When Mr. Wiggles is talking, my boys are listening! They communicate with me (coach) and they communicate with each other (teammate).

Does everyone on your team know their role? Their strengths and weaknesses? The team’s goals? Is this being communicated among coaches and players?

Quick side note: My wife is the Head Coach of our family; I am a lowly assistant.

3) Enthusiasm: they have a passion for everything they do! When they are happy, they bounce around and their faces light up the room. When they aren’t, they flail their limbs and they cry like wild hyenas.

How much passion do you have for the game? Is your enthusiasm contagious? Do you raise the level of those around you?

4) Structure: they are on a schedule. They go to sleep at the same time every night, get up at the same time every day, and eat (and nap) at scheduled intervals. They have a consistent routine.

Do you have a daily routine? Do your workouts/practices have structure or are they haphazard?

5) Uninhibited: they don’t care about looking cool. They will (literally) crap their pants while staring directly at you. They don’t care if they fall on their face or if they have vomit on their shirt. They are comfortable being themselves. And they aren’t afraid to make mistakes.

Are you worried what others will think if you make a mistake? Do you only practice the skills you are good at so you don’t look bad?

6) Imagination: they think outside of the box. They can spend an hour playing with a ball of tissue paper. They make the most of what they have.

How much imagination do you put into your own workouts/practices? When you are doing drills, do you imagine there is a defender… or do you just do the drill?

So there you have it, Luke and Jack have figured out the 6 keys to success. Now, it’s my job as their father to make sure they maintain these traits as they get older.

If they go through life with persistence, can effectively communicate, have an unbridled enthusiasm, have a consistent daily schedule, aren’t afraid to make mistakes, and can think creatively… they will be successful in whatever they choose to do.

I have my fingers crossed it's basketball.

Just kidding.

No I’m not.

I will leave you with this…

Your answer to the question I ask at the beginning of this video clip will determine how successful you will be: http://TinyUrl.com/WaitingVsPreparing

Please let me know if I can ever be of service to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

PS: I will be speaking about proper pre-season and in-season strength & conditioning at basketball coaching clinics in Columbus, OH (September 27), Orlando, FL (October 1), and Houston, TX (October 2). If you live in one of those areas, I hope to see you there!

Training vs. Working Out

2010-09-01T06:24:00.001-07:00

It’s been exactly one month since my last blog post. I am refreshed, re-energized, and completely refocused on my commitment to offer quality insight on basketball strength & conditioning, coaching and motivation.

In addition to spending quality time with my wonderful wife Rebecca and my twin sons Luke and Jack (23 weeks old), I read a dozen books on leadership and watched numerous DVDs and YouTube clips on performance enhancement. I combed through notebooks of my own notes and took time to reflect and evaluate my entire program. Most importantly, I developed my plan for this coming pre-season.

And I have never been so excited!

During my reflection period, I decided to make a fundamental change to my blog. My posts are going to be much more concise. I realized that some folks had to take a day off from work to read some of my lengthy blogs! I will make each post helpful, insightful, and impactful… just with fewer words.

Enough said.

A couple of weeks ago a colleague of mine, Nick Tumminelo (a brilliant trainer in Baltimore and owner of Performance University), posted this on his Facebook page:

“Do you know the difference between training and working out? Training is when you have a progressive plan with measurable goals and continual challenges. Working out is anything that makes you sweaty and tired but not necessarily better because it lacks consistency, direction and specificity.”

I couldn’t agree more. This concept is so applicable to your pre-season training program because it lays the foundation for your success this season. Picture a pyramid. A wide base (foundation) yields a higher peak. Your strength & conditioning foundation gives you the ability to perform your basketball skills at a higher level, perform them with more efficiency, and perform them for the entire game (without letting fatigue play a factor).

That is why the best players and the best teams are in the best shape!

I am certainly a staunch believer in working hard. Intensity and consistency are the keys to success in anything… especially training. But you have to be working towards something to make it effective. You have to have a plan. You have to have goals. You have to make progress towards those goals every workout.

Working out just to workout, with no direction, will give you mediocre results at best. Puddles of sweat and aching muscles are only valuable if they are taking you closer to where you are trying to go.

Don’t just work hard. Work smart.

On that note, getting stronger and more explosive is important for basketball. But nothing is more essential than moving efficiently on the court. Here are a variety of drills I use with my players on a daily basis to promote proper footwork, jumping/landing mechanics, as well as strengthen and increase the functional mobility of the ankles and feet:

Movement Training for Basketball: http://TinyUrl.com/MovementTraining

Please let me know if I can ever be a resource to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Train hard. Train smart.

Alan Stein

www.StrongerTeam.com

www.Twitter.com/AlanStein

PS: I just released an 8 Week Pre-Season Strength & Conditioning Program download at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com. It includes everything you need to get stronger, more explosive, and in sick basketball shape. This program is the difference between training and working out!

Active Rest

2010-08-01T07:42:00.001-07:00

This will be my last blog of the summer.

Why?

I am exhausted.

I am mentally and physically worn-out. I have been going non-stop since late March and I need some time to rest, recover, and re-energize. In the past 4 months, I have worked a clinic or camp in 21 different cities, 16 different states, and hosted events for coaches & players from Canada, Brazil, Senegal, Egypt, Russia, and Mozambique. I have been on more planes, trains, and automobiles than John Candy and Steve Martin.

Not only that, but my wife and I welcomed our twin sons, Luke and Jack, into the world in late March as well. For those of you with children, I don’t need to elaborate on how grueling (yet unbelievably rewarding) the first few months of parenting are. And we have twins!

Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. These past 4 months have been the most rewarding of my career. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I am eternally grateful to have had so many amazing opportunities and experiences. But nonetheless, I am dog-tired.

With pre-season right around the corner, I need to start preparing. I owe it to myself, and to everyone I work with, to be able to give my best effort in everything I do. And I owe it to my wonderful wife and sons, to spend some time at home.

In order to be at my best this pre-season, I need to rest the month of August. My blog will be back, better than ever, after Labor Day.

With that said, I am not the only one who needs to rest. Most players have been going just as hard as I have with individual workouts, AAU tournaments, summer league games, and elite camps. I know of several players who haven’t slept in their bed at home for more than a dozen times the entire summer!

With such a rigorous schedule, your body is banged up, fatigued, and broken down. You need to get in some quality active rest between now and when school starts. Honestly, scheduling an adequate period of active rest may be the most important thing you do all summer.

You need to get away from the game, mentally and physically, to re-charge your battery and be refreshed and ready to start the school year and your team’s pre-season workouts.

I recommend you take anywhere from a few days, to two full weeks, and do nothing physically active except for the 5 recovery exercises listed below. You need to evaluate your current state. If your summer wasn’t too exhausting, then take a few days off. If your summer was packed tighter than an airplane bathroom… then you should probably take an entire week or two off.

And when I say “off”… I mean off. That means no lifting, no conditioning, no shooting, no ball handling and no pick-up games. Trust me, it will do you good.

Perform the following exercises every day during your active rest period:

Lacrosse Ball Foot Massage

Why it’s important: Basketball players’ feet are constantly confined to rigid, stiff basketball shoes and ankle braces 20-25 hours a week. If your feet are constantly in basketball shoes, your ankles and feet get weaker and less mobile. Performing a “self massage” on a lacrosse ball helps loosen up the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of your feet.

How it’s done: In just your socks, balance on one foot and roll your other foot on top of the lacrosse ball. The more weight you put on the ball, the more pressure and the deeper the massage.

How many reps: Do two sets of 30 seconds for each foot.

Foam Roller

Why it’s important: It has a similar premise to the lacrosse ball. It’s a self-massage that helps elongate your muscles and rid your body of lactic acid and “knots.”

How it’s done: Start with your lower calf. Roll back and forth on top of the foam roller as if you were kneading dough. Follow the same protocol for your hamstrings, butt, outside of your hip, lower back, upper back, and your shoulder.

How many reps: Roll over each body part for 30 seconds.

Variation: You can substitute the foam roller with an over-inflated basketball.

Lunge and Reach Stretch

Why it’s important: Great stretch for the entire body!

How it’s done: Step out as far as you can into a forward lunge. Keep your ankles, knees, hips and shoulders facing forward. Put your palms on the floor in front of you (inside of your front leg). Straighten you back leg. If your left leg is forward, keep your right palm on the ground and raise your left palm toward the ceiling (by rotating your core). Look up as you reach up. Then perform the same movement with your other hand (left leg forward, raise your right hand). Then switch legs and repeat.

How many reps: Perform 5 reps for each hand on each leg.

Assisted Hamstring Stretch

Why it’s important: Tight hamstrings can cause numerous problems.

How it’s done: Lay on your back with both legs flat. Wrap a towel or elastic band or jump rope around the middle part of one foot. Keeping both legs straight (one stays on the ground), slowly pull your foot towards your nose. Make sure your ankle stays dorsi-flexed (“toes to your nose”). Hold for 15 seconds. Then, keeping your torso and hips flat on the ground, drop your leg laterally (if you are stretching your left leg, drop your leg down to the left). For a more intense stretch, continue to pull your foot towards the top of your head. This is a great groin stretch. Hold for 15 seconds. Lastly, cross over and drop your leg to the opposite side. For a more intense stretch, continue to pull your foot towards the top of your head. This will give a stretch to your low back and IT band. Hold for 15 seconds.

How many reps: Perform 3 rounds of all 3 phases (straight, lateral, crossover… each round takes 45 seconds).

Bodyweight Hangs

Why it’s important: Helps decompress your spine.

How it’s done: Find a sturdy pull-up bar that is high enough that you can hang from it without your feet touching the ground. Then simply grab the bar and hang. Let every muscle relax and let gravity decompress your spine.

How many reps: Hang for 3 sets of 15 seconds.

If you need additional info, or a visual on how to perform these exercises, please check out the initial episodes of the Can He Dunk? Project at www.CanHeDunk.com. We performed these movements with the participants before every workout.

We will post a new episode each week for the next 3 weeks… so make sure you stay tuned to see who ends up dunking!

In addition to the Can He Dunk? videos, I just posted the remaining two videos from the Nike Basketball Skills Academies. These will be my last two YouTube videos of the summer (videos will return after Labor Day, along with the blog).

Kevin Durant Nike Basketball Skills Academy: http://TinyUrl.com/DurantAcademy

Amar’e Stoudemire Nike Basketball Skills Academy: http://TinyUrl.com/AmareAcademy

Please enjoy your last few weeks of August and get the rest you deserve.

But then get back to work. Your pre-season workouts will lay the foundation for your season.

We will be offering a very comprehensive 8 Week Pre-Season Strength & Conditioning Program download at http://Shop.StrongerTeam.com in early September. It will include everything you need to get stronger, more explosive, and in great basketball shape.

Remember… the best players and the best teams are in the best shape!

In the meantime, please let me know if I can be a resource to you for your program. You can email me at Alan@StrongerTeam.com.

Until September,

Alan Stein