Focusing The Team For The Season

While coaching High School I came across this from Mike Shanahan. It really had an impact on our philosophy and success. As a high school coach you are at the mercy of the players at your school. Therefore, you have to go to war with the troops you have, not the ones you wish you had.
One of the best things we did was #3. Really focusing on the two things we did well with that year's team.

Thoughts On Understanding Your Strengths & Weaknesses

1. Do not let other’s expectations set our limitations
2. I more than anyone else, know the powers I possess.
3. Look at your team and figure out the two things they can do really well—as well as anybody n the league, conference, district. Then make sure there’s not a team in your district that does those two things better.
4. Maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.
5. You have to define what you want to do.
6. The outside world will try to bring you down.
7. Oliver Wendell Holmes—“What lies behind you and what lies ahead of you is of very little importance when it is compared to what lies within you.”

Your Reality Is The Reality You Create

Your Reality Is The Reality You Create

Your reality is the reality you create. If you have positive beliefs or representations, it’s because that’s what you have created. If you have negative ones, you’ve created them.
Belief is the foundation of excellence.
The first step toward excellence is to find the beliefs that guide us toward the outcomes we want.
The path to excellence consists of knowing your outcome, taking action, knowing what results you’re getting, and having the flexibility to change until you’re successful.
To model excellence, we have to start with the belief systems of excellence.

Process of Mental Toughness

MENTAL TOUGHNESS A WAY OF LIFE

• Achievement rarely comes without enormous hardships
• Keeping your head, when others are losing theirs
• Goal for mental toughness is a conscious decision a person makes in order to increase their opportunity for success.
• Bob Costas—the anticipation of what “might” happen is almost as important as what actually happens.
• Mental toughness is a skill, not a talent. It is learned and developed.
• It is a process of using your mind to gain the most from your abilities.

..... all he did is beat you

Jackie Robinson on teammate Eddie Stanky:

"He can't throw, he can't hit, he can't field. All he can do is beat you."

5 Things Team Members Need To Know

5 THINGS TEAM MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW

1. What is expected from each
2. That each will have the opportunity to perform
3. How each one is getting along
4. Guidance will be given to each when needed
5. Each will be rewarded for their contribution

Process of Excellence--The Mental Approach--"Rightness"

As we work our Process of Excellence--we understand the role of the mental approach. We must eliminate the mental clutter. The following article is a great example:


The Feeling of Rightness—Eliminating Mental Clutter

Some Oriental philosophies have made the state of mind their primary focus. The concept of acting without self-conscious thought was probably first crystallized by the Samurai swordsmen of medieval Japan. Using some of the philosophical concepts of their time, they determined that the best way to beat one’s adversary in a duel was to fight without delay of thinking. Polished technical skill was a prerequisite, but the actual moves were dictated by feeling rather than thought. By refining their intuitive sense through the constant discipline of practice duels they were able to develop a state of mind that minimized the clutter of such thoughts as “oh, no, is he going to try to attack me from the left or the right?” Instead, poised and balanced, the Samurai could respond, as if he were at one with his opponent, as if he “knew” each moment what would happen next.

“The body learns the state of mind.” In other words, when you are learning something it’s worth it to turn off, unplug, or tune out the mind for a little while. Zen archers of the Orient gained their discipline, not by focusing on the target, but by striving for the feeling of “rightness” in the shot. If the shot was “right,” hitting the target comes naturally. Bulls-eyes on tiny targets in darkened rooms are part of what Zen archers do, but not for the sake of hitting targets. Their purpose is a form of meditation, a quest for that feeling of “rightness”.

Article is by Drs. Tom and Randy Read found the in the book, “The University of Success” by Og Mandino

Gordon Chiesa Offensive Development Thoughts

Notes from Utah Jazz Assistant, Gordon Chiesa

Back in 1999, I worked Rick Majerus’s camp and took these notes from Coach Chiesa’s clinic to the campers:

1. He was responsible for Hornacek and Stockton
2. Hands and feet are your career.
3. There are All-Stars who can’t catch the ball.
4. Must be in shape
5. Must be able to change speeds
6. Always cut with hands above waist
7. Play the game with hands above the waist
8. Body in motion, tends to stay in motion; body at rest tends to stay at rest.
9. Most cut to be guarded, rather than cut to get free.
10. When you change direction, you must rotate your hips.
11. Must be great with the ball to get the opponent in trouble.
12. The game is about confidence. Real confidence vs. False confidence
13. Establish a permanent pivot foot.
14. Bring the ball back to your body on a catch. “Load your gun”
15. The ball will only do what you teach it to do.
16. Master the skills. Ball quickness is key to being a great offensive player.
17. Always catch the ball with long arm. Explode your hand thru the defenders contesting arm.
18. These things are the building blocks of playing offense.
19. If your shot is blocked, your ball is slow.
20. Read the defense—Jazz spend 25-30 minutes working on this.
21. Long arm coming towards me, tells me to drive. Because his body weight is forward and he’ll come out of his stance—can drive either way—this is how you draw fouls—rotate hips; get up foot past his foot..body to body.
22. Most guys play laterally. Must play forward, body to body.
23. Spin dribble is a sign of weakness, means your ball is slow.
24. “Jump out” of your offensive move. Second dribble you clear the defender.
25. “Short arm” equals a stationary jumper.
26. Most players don’t know when to drive or shoot.
27. Watch great players to learn from their game.
28. Go at their body on drives.
29. Only 10 percent of players in the NBA can guard the ball.
30. Everything in the game is based on “hands and feet”
31. Too many players catch the ball, “lock Kneed”
32. Master the skills, it’s not about talent. Everyone has the talent to work hard and to work smart.
33. It’s fun to try to be great.
34. Mind-Body fusion.
35. Extraordinary work habits and mind.
36. Trying to chase greatness.
37. Make A Difference (MAD)
38. Step up be somebody and be a leader
39. Get your foot to the back foot of the defender.
40. You determine how far you will go.

The Iceberg As A Picture of Leadership

The following comes from the book, "Habitudes" by Dr. Tim Elmore

"The iceberg is a great picture of leadership because so much of our influence comes from qualities we can't see on the outside. It's stuff below the surface. It's an estimate that 90% of our leadership is made up from our character. And our character is the sum total of our:

• Self-Discipline--the ability to do what's right even if you don't feel like it.
• Core Values--principles you live by that enable yo to take a moral stand.
• Sense of identity--a realistic self-image based on your gifts and personality.
• Emotional security--the capacity to be emotionally stable and consistent.
  

5 Things That Kill Player's Potential

5 Things That Kill Player's Potential

1. Low pain threshold.
2. Low Basketball IQ for what we do
3. Selfishness
4. Can the person do the intangibles? (charges, loose balls, pitch aheads, rotations)
5. Drugs and Alcohol

Tony La Russa On Note Taking

Tony La Russa On Taking Notes:

As La Russa manages, he makes little lists of opportunities lost and not lost; moments when maybe he could have stolen a run or prevented one. He learned how to keep a list from Dick Williams, the manager of the A’s when they won world championships in 1972 & 1973. Williams told him that if you don’t make notes about a game as it’s occurring and review them afterward, you will forget what happened, because of the daily grind of the season.
--From 3 Nights In August

The Best of the Best--Perception & Reality Views

Perception & Reality

To often our players, students and even ourselves see ourselves as victims, a victim of cirmstance in which we had no control over, it's someone else's fault, etc. But as Jon Gordon discusses in his book that the Best of the Best, see things differently. Coach Meyer challenged us to be the Victor, not the Victim.

From Jon Gordon’s book, “Training Camp”

It is said that we don’t live our lives based on reality but rather based on our perception of reality….The Best of the Best realize this and tell themselves a different story than the rest. The Best also have a different belief system. Rather than seeing themselves as victims of circumstance, the Best believe that they have a tremendous amount of influence on their story and the way it turns out.

5 Rules For Patient, Wise Decision-Making

Orlando Magic Executive Vice-President:

FIVE RULES FOR PATIENT, WISE DECISION-MAKING:

1. Get advice
2. Get alone
3. Get away
4. When uncertainty persists, say no
5. Once you have come to a decision, act firmly and decisively