Teaching Toughness with Ed Madec

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:

1. Introduction
2. Ed Madec on Coaching
3. Animal Charge Drill
4. Medicine Ball Rebounding Drill
5. Capped Rim Transition Game
6. Tight Space Passing Drill
7. Window Reads Drill
8. Team Fire Drill
9. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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