Mental Skill Development

We work in 3 areas of Skill Development for our players:
1.  Skill Sets (that are specific to on the court)
2.  Physical Sets (strength, agilities, quickness & conditioning)
3.  Mental Skills

We all talk about Mental Toughness.  We understand that it comes down to how players handle adversity and anxiety. Anxiety beyond butterflies is what gets a player.

First, we have to look at mental energy.  This is the ability to sustain thought.  To concentrate. Especially in something that they do not like.

Next, it's key to realize that one person's anxiety, may not be another's.

Muscle memory originates in the mind.

Thoughts on Efficiency

All the greats know how to keep it simple. Efficiency is crucial. Below are a few thoughts on efficiency as we prepare for our practices for the rest of the pre-season.


•Review production of each player and the team.
•Keep specific stats of areas emphasized.
•Spend time and energy on things needed to produce.
•It's not about making plays, it's about eliminating poor judgment, carelessness and a casual apporach.
•Chart and track the things that are important to you.
•As a coach, it's not what we Know, it's what they Execute.

Protecting Your Confidence

As coaches, we hear about our player's confidence constantly. We must be aware of their confidence. Bill Parcells said, "Confidence comes from demonstrated ability."

One of the things that we often see with players that are having confidence issues is that their focus is off, not their confidence. They choose not to focus on the areas where they have demonstrated ability.

Their minds are cluttered with things outside their control, or they are pursuing things, skills in which they haven't demonstrated ability.

Here are 4 ways for players to protect their confidence:

1. Focus on the things that are working

2. Maintain a positive focus

3. Have multiple streams to feed your confidence. Look at the different ways in which you are demonstrating ability.

4. Be grateful for what is working (the areas you are demonstrating ability).

Andy Andrews--"The Buck Stops Here"

Andy Andrews shares 7 decision we must choose to make in our pursuit of greatness in his book The Traveler's Gift. The first decsion we must make:

THE BUCK STOPS HERE
1.  Your future is what you decide it will be.
2.  Our thinking creates a pathway to success or failure.
3.  Outside influences are not responsible for where you are mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, or financially
4.  Your thinking dictates your decisions. Decisions are choices.
5.  The words, "It's not my fault should never come from our mouths"

3 Thoughts On The Use of the Dribble

3 Thoughts On The Use Of The Dribble

1. Misunderstood

2. Over-used

3. Best decision you can make when you receive the ball is to SAVE the dribble.

The Mirror Principle--Leading Yourself

Learning to lead yourself is one of the most important things you will ever do as a leader.
Leading yourself means that you hold yourself to a higher standard of accountability than others do.

LOOK IN THE MIRROR
The "Mirror Principle"--The first person we must examine ourselves. If we don't look at ourselves realistically, you will never understand where your personal difficulties are coming from.

Most people use two different sets of criteria for judging themselves and judging others. We tend to judge others according to their actions. It's very cut-and-dried. However, we judge ourselves by our intentions. Even if we do the wrong thing, we let ourselves off the hook if we believe our intentions are good. That's part of the reason we allow ourselves to make the same mistakes over and over again before we are willing to make real changes.

KEYS TO LEADING YOURSELF
1. Learn Followership--learn to obey. Only a leader who has followed well knows how to lead others.
2. Develop Self-Discipline--It's said one day, thta Frederick the Great of Prussia was walking on the outskirts of Berlin when he encountered an old man walking down the street in the opposite direction.
"Who are you?" Frederick asked the old man.
"I am a king", replied the old man.
"A king!" laughed Frederick. "Over what kingdom do you reign?"
"Over myself," was the proud man's reply.

Each of us is a monarch over our own lives. We are responsible for ruling out actions and decisions.

3. Practice Patience
Leadership isn't to cross the finish the finish line first; it's to take people across the finish line with you.

TAKE ACTION:
In which of the 3 preceding areas--followership, self-discipline, or patience--do you most need to grow? What new taks or practice could yo take on to develop in that area? Give yourself a conrete goal and a deadline.

4. SEEK ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability isn't just the willingness to explain your actions to others. It begins ling before we act. It starts with seeking and acccepting advice from others.

A HIGHER STANDARD
Leading yourself means that you hold yourself to a higher standard of accountability than others do.
Leadership is a trust, not a right. For that reason, you must "fix" yourself earlier than others may be required to.

Thomas Watson--"Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself."

What leaders do day-to-day always pays off in the long run. Success or failure isn't an event, but a process.

7 Qualities Elite Performers Share

Listed below from Juan Pablo Favero are seven qualities that elite, mentally tough players share. We are sharing this with our team today. The thoughts in the parentheses are specific thoughts for our players:
1. A strong desire to succeed (must first define success)
2. Positivity in the face of challenges and pressure (what does this look like?)
3. Controlling the "controllables" mentally (what are some examples)
4. A high commitment/ balanced attitude approach (what is your commitment)
5. A high level of belief in self and team (describe this)
6. Process oriented thinking (give an example for practice)
7. Positive communication and body language (give a situation and example)

Rick Majerus--How To Win 20 Games

Majerus teaches getting the following 4 items will lead to 20 Wins and a Conference Championship:

1.  No fast break baskets ever against.  Two people back.  One at basket and one at half-court.

2.  Hand up to contest every shot.

3.  Block out...No second shots.

4.  Talk...You cannot talk enough.  5 players talking.



Characteristics of Being Reactive & Living In Circumstnace

We talk a great deal to our team about being PROACTIVE in their lives--in the classroom, with the trainer, with their skills, nutrition, etc. Too often, we are all guilty of living in circumstance and not in Vision.

Listed below are some actions/ attitudes and thoughts of being Reactive:

• Reactive players/ followers respond after the fact to whatever life throws at you.
• Reactive people live their lives as a function of other people's weaknesses or circumstances that they believe they have little control over.
• Reactive people waste their precious time because they focus on the items they can't control.
• All things are created twice: First in the mind, then physically. Until our thoughts grow, out actions can't grow.

Life Isn't A Brief Candle

From a character in Shaw's "Man and Superman":

"...I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no "brief candle" to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

Leadership & Vision

• Management of attention through vision is the creating of focus.
• Intensity coupled with commitment is magnetic.
• Vision grabs.
• Initially it grabs the leader and management of attention enables others also to get on the bandwagon.
• Coaches need unbridled clarity about what they want from their players.
• Vision needs to bring about a confidence of the followers.

Edwin H. Land, founder Polaroid
"The first thing you naturally do is teach the person to feel that the undertaking is manifestly important..."

Vision animates, inspirits, and transforms purpose into action.

The Power of the Huddle

To Richard Lapchick, UCF professor, DeVos Sport Business Management Program Chair, Director of both the National Consortium for Academics and Sports and the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports, there’s more. Epiphanies of injustice shaped the racial conscience of Dr. Lapchick, molding him into a champion for equality in sports and society.

Dr. Lapchick often speaks of the power of sports that comes out of the huddle. Inside the huddle it doesn't matter if you are black/ white, rich/poor, Christian/Jewish, etc.

Dr. Lapchick encourages coaches and players to take the "power of the huddle" from the court to the classroom, to the boardroom and use the power throughout society.

High Post Shooting Workout

The key to improvement is Repetition & Intentionality.  Below is a simple High Post Workout we use as a part of our skill development.

High Post Shooting Workout
7 Reps at each of the  3 Shots
1.  V-Cut & Catch at FT line--Jump Shot
2.  V-Cut & Catch at FT line and Shotfake 1 Dribble Pull-Up
3.  V-Cut & Catch at FT line, then finish at the basket with left hand, right hand, jump hook, etc. Key is different finishes.

Goal of making 17 of 21 shots

UCF Women's Basketball To Honor Coach Summitt In Alzheimer's Walk

One of the greatest learning experiences for me each year while on the staff at the University of Tennessee was the first team meeting when we discussed the Definite Dozen. We discussed each element as a group. We talked about what each meant to us and Pat would share what each meant to her.

After receiving the news about Pat's diagnosis, I went through a notebook that I have with all of my notes from our Definite Dozen meetings. Number 11 from the Definite Dozen jumped out at me--"Change Is A Must".

Recently, George Diaz, of the Orlando Sentinel called me about the Orlando Walk to End Alzheimer's  and our team participating. Our staff and team are excited to be a part of this event. George and I spoke about his mother suffering through disease, my first hand knowledge of the disease and the effects on a family.  My wife lost grandparents from both sides of her family over the last few years from the disease. 

My first year at Tennessee was Kara Lawson's senior season. Then, as now, Kara is very proactive.  After learning of Coach Summitt's diagnosis, Kara nad her husband made plans to raise funds and honor Coach Summitt. To learn more about Kara and her plans click here--Kara's Plan To Honor, Kara's Fundraiser

The UCF Women's Basketball Team is uniting with Kara and so many others to honor Coach Summitt and raise awareness of Alzheimer's. We ask that you participate. Find a local walk, or any event. Pledge to support Kara or our UCF Team or a group in your local community.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at gbrown@athletics.ucf.edu.

Our team is participating in the Walk To End Alzheimer's on October 22nd at Lake Eola in Orlando.

I'm sure Coach Summitt will approach this "Change" in her life as she does every part of her life by using her Definite Dozen Philosophy to guide her.

 I chose a "dozen" thoughts from "Change Is A Must " from my notebook.

1. Everything in life changes, transitions.
2. You do your best and we are here to help you.
3. There is always change, but something special brought you here.
4. Keep your confidence through change.
5. Change can equal self-improvement.
6. Push yourself to places you haven't been before.
7. There must be change before there's growth.
8. Change is the opposite of security and familiarity.
9. Overcoming fear is the most broadening thing in the world, if you make yourself do it.
10. Success in any field is about who is best able to change fluidly.
11. In any line of work, you have to be able to adust to emergencies. THings rarely go as planned, no matter how meticulously you keep your appointment book or how organized your planner is.
12. Think about all the reasons we resist change. Change can make you feel out of control. But, in fact, if you learn to be comfortable with it, the opposite will be true: You will find yourself in charge of every situation.

Success & Simplicity

Success Lies in the Simplicity,

Confusion Lives in Sophistication

8 Qualities To Develop When Building Trust

We know that before anyone buys into a vision/ goal they must buy into the "person".  To develop the "buy-in" it all comes down to trust.

Trust is a characteristic that must be developed like a skill.  List below are 8 qualities that we must model to develop trust.:

1. Integrity--hold fast to this
2. Attitude--only thing we have control over. Colors the way people see us when we engage.
3. Focus--on our vision, not getting caught up in "things"
4. Initiative--Do the things that must be done.
5. Insight--Study, aspire for wisdom
6. Perseverance--"is a good substitute for talent"--Steve Martin
7. Excellence--pursuing in all things
8. Vision--begin with the end in mind