Felicia Hall Allen--It's Only A Minute--Asst Coach Symposium

"Only Just A Minute"

I met Felicia Hall Allen when she came to work with our program here at UCF in our first season here 3 years ago. We had 10 freshmen and we were a new staff. Our players who are now rising seniors still talk about that first meeting and the influence she had on them. Of course they enjoy bringing up the "follow the leader dance exercise" that she leads each session.

But I didn't realize the impression she had made until one of our players before a game this season (2009-10) recited the following poem that Felicia had used when she spoke to our team during the (2008-09 season). We were emphasizing one possession at a time and playing in the present. Then she stepped up and quoted the anonymous poem, "Only Just A Minute"

I have only just a minute,
Only sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, can't refuse it.
Didn't seek it, didn't choose it.
But it's up to me to use it.
I must suffer if I lose it.
Give account if I abuse it.
Just a tiny little minute,
But eternity is in it.

That's when I knew she had impacted our team. I am looking forward to the conference for the opportunity take advantage of the "minute" that we will have at the symposium.
Felicia has organized the Assistant Coaches Professional Development Symposium.

Speakers include Al Brown (Duke), Bob Starkey (LSU), Stephanie Glance (Tennessee), Tim Eatman (Arkansas), Kelly Bond (Texas A&M), Carlene Mitchell (Rutgers), Lisa Cermignano (Illinois), Jackie Smith Carson (James Madison), Bobby Kelsey (Stanford), Karen Aston (Charlotte), Coquese Washington (Penn State).

Symposium Topics Include
Position Yourself as a Valuable Part of the Program
Think Like a Head Coach
Recruiting..Find the Right Fit
The Art of a Good Practice Coach
Presenting a Scouting Report
Be an Effective Bench Coach

Get more details at:
http://www.feliciahallallen.com/symposium.htm

I received the following leader's task list today from Steve Smiley, Head Coach at Sheridan College.

12 SIMPLE YET SIGNIFICANT DAILY TO DO'S FOR LEADERS

1. Be the hardest worker at practice today. Without fail, one of the quickest ways to impact a team is with your own work ethic. Choose to be one of the hardest workers on your team today. Not only does it set the tone for the work ethic of your program, it is also one of the best and quickest ways to enhance your leadership credibility with your teammates and coaches.

2. Be a spark of energy and enthusiasm today. Let your passion for the sport shine through today. Spread a contagious energy and enthusiasm amongst your teammates. Think about how lucky you are to be able to play and compete. Remember back to when you were a young child and reconnect with the joy you played with back then. Make your sport fun again for yourself and your teammates.

3. Model mental toughness today. Because your teammates will look to you under pressure, adversity, and stress, be sure to model mental toughness today. Bounce back quickly after errors to show your teammates how to respond to negative situations. Maintain your poise and optimism despite any mistakes you might make so that your teammates can trust and rely on you to get them through the tough times.

4. Connect with a teammate today. Leadership is all about relationships. Invest the time to build and strengthen the relationships you have with each of your teammates. Inquire about their day, challenges, and goals. Make a special and ongoing effort to get to know every athlete on your team, not just your friends and classmates. The relationship building you do each day will pay off immeasurably down the road.

5. Compliment a teammate today. Be on the lookout for teammates who are contributing to your team. Call out a teammate for making a hustle play, pushing through a weight workout, recovering quickly from a mistake, getting an A on an exam, etc. Praise the actions and attitudes you want to see repeated. As Mother Teresa once said, "Kind words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."

6. Challenge a teammate today. Challenge at least one of your teammates today. Positively push them and yourself to make the most of your workout. Make a friendly wager to see if they can be successful at least 4 out of 5 times in a drill. See if you both can improve your times in conditioning. Offer to stay after to help if there is anything they want to work on. Good leaders consistently invite, inspire, and sometimes implore others to greatness.

7. Support a teammate today. Odds are, at least one of your teammates is struggling with something today - it could be a performance slump, a rocky romantic relationship, a disagreement with a coach, an unglamorous role, struggling with a class, or a sick family member. Good leaders are consistently on the lookout for teammates who might be struggling and are ready to offer an ear to listen, an encouraging word, a pat on the back, or a shoulder to cry on.

8. Constructively confront negativity, pessimism, and laziness today. As a leader, have the courage to constructively confront the negativity, pessimism, and laziness that will crop up on your team from time to time. Instead of fueling the fire by joining in or silently standing by, be sure to refocus your teammates on solutions rather than dwelling on and complaining about the problems. Left unchecked, these problems can quickly grow to distract, divide, and destroy your team.

9. Build and bond your team today. Team chemistry naturally ebbs and flows throughout the course of the season. Take the time to monitor and maintain your team's chemistry. Let your reserves and support staff know how much you appreciate them. Stay connected and current with each of the natural sub-groups on your team. Douse any brush fires that might be occurring and continually remind team members about your common goal and common bond.

10. Check in with your coach today. Invest the time to check in with your coach today. Ask what you can do to best help the team this week. Find out what your coach wants to accomplish with today's practice. Also discuss if there is anything your coach is concerned about regarding your team. Discuss your collective insights on your team's chemistry, focus, and mindset. Work together to effectively co-lead your team.

11. Remind your team how today's work leads to tomorrow's dreams. It's easy to get bogged down during your season with monotonous drills, tiring conditioning, and demanding workouts. Remind your teammates how all the quality work you do today gives you a distinct advantage over your opponents. Help them see and even get excited about how today's hard work is a long-term investment in your team's goals, rather than just a short-term hardship or sacrifice.

12. Represent yourself and team with class and pride today. Leaders have the awesome privilege and responsibility of representing their teams. Take advantage of this opportunity by representing your team with class and pride today. Hold a door open for someone, sit in the front rows of class and actively engage in the discussion, say please and thank you, dress in respectful attire, etc. These tiny pushes represent you and your team with class and distinction. And they ultimately set you up for a lifetime of respect and success.

Process Oriented Thinking

Process Oriented Thinking

Obviously as coaches we are concerned with results, we are evaluated on results. To get the desired results—we must first perfect the process. The PROCESS starts in our minds not in our actions.

The PROCESS and PROGRESSION we are working is the following:
(Belief) Thoughts-->Emotion-->Actions-->Habits-->Character-->Destiny

10 Spiritual Disciplines

Last night I had a friend to call me and give me this list of 10 spiritual disciplines. They apply in so many ways of our daily lives.

10 SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

1. FORM A COVENANT
a. Meet with an accountability group/ partner
b. We don’t understand covenants in our society/ culture
2. TRAIN YOUR EYES TO SEE THE WORLD
a. They memorize the sermon on the mount
3. QUIT WHINING
a. We are raising a whining generation
b. It’s never an appropriate response to anything
4. TAKE A RISK
a. Move outside our comfort zone
5. WALK & MOVE AT SPEED OF GOD—SLOW DOWN
6. RELOCATE
7. BE CALM, PRAYERFUL, SANE
8. SIMPLIFY
a. Material simplicity
9. COMMIT
a. Takes 10 years to make a difference in anything
10. BE PRESENT
a. There is no place I’d rather be, Nothing else I’d rather be doing, No other person I’d rather be with, I’m going to remember this.

What To Do To Get Better--Skill Development

WHAT TO DO TO GET BETTER?

1. BE A BETTER ATHLETE
a. Lift. Sell out in the weight room.
b. Improve quickness.

2. DEVELOP SKILLS
a. Play, Play, Play
b. Spend time in the gym to work on your game. Be accountable.
c. Compete with time, score, etc.

3. ATTITUDE
a. Gives you the edge.
b. Deserve (merit earned through hard work)
c. Take ownership of your game.
d. Do something extra that the opponent hasn’t done.


Fundamentals are the skills that command attention
On a consistent daily basis.
No detail of execution is too small to overlook.
The truly great players are masters of fundamentals.

Leadership Thoughts From Spring Individual Meetings

I've been very fortunate to work with and be around some great coaches. One of the things I have learned is to always have pen and paper. Because you never know when you are going to in a teachable moment and learn something.

We just concluded our individual meetings. I take notes during all the meetings and we put them in our staff notebooks as we prepare and review. Listed below are some of the thoughts I made a separate note of that can apply to each of us as leaders.

Coach Williams is one of the best at making you think outside the box and challenge your critical thinking skills.

1. Check—Check--& Re-Check
2. Educate yourself to ask the right questions
3. What is the problem and how am I going to fix it?
4. Need to get out of our comfort zone.
5. Answer questions confidently.
6. Don’t answer a question with a question.
7. How can you be part of the solution?
8. Hone your skills to communicate and interact.
9. What are you doing to try to know? (In response to “I don’t know”).
10. Solid, Consistent leaders
11. Deserve/ Earn
12. Learn and work to be persistent. Find different ways.
13. Thoughts are everything.
14. Culture has to change to make a definite change.
15. Unintended consequences.
16. People are always aware of how you carry yourself.
17. There’s no room for a relapse.
18. Look to be a critical thinker.
19. How can you improve your critical thinking?
20. Positive Self Talk (PST)
21. Must be strong emotionally
22. Importance of body language
23. Can’t get away with a lack of leadership
24. Eliminate the things that keep us from winning.
25. Did I do everything I could do in this situation?
26. Can’t just tell people what they want to hear. Lead by actions.
27. Every decision has to begin with the end in mind.
28. What were you not satisfied with?
29. What did you do to improve it?
30. What’s going to be different?
31. Seniors don’t say, “Try”.
32. Find your best way to contribute.
33. We’re trying to help you past your 4 years here.
34. How will you get it done?
35. They didn’t say= “I didn’t ask”
36. Don’t “Think”, Instead “Know”
37. What we have to eliminate to get us to win.
38. How else have I tried to solve this problem?
39. You get what you earn.
40. Sense of urgency—you’re ready to earn.
41. Reap what you sow.
42. A lot of coaching is crisis management.

Steve Nash Individual Workout

Steve Nash Shooting Workout

Everything is done at game speed. Shoot, chase after your own rebound and speed dribble to the next spot to shoot again.
Baseline Pullup Shot (from both sides) 1:30
Midrange Bank Shot (from both sides) 1:30
FT Line Elbow (from both sides) 1:30
Back-to-Basket (turn & shoot, jump hooks & step-through) 2:00
Shot Fake & 1 dribble pull-up 1:30
Hesitate with live dribble 1:30
Crossover & Pullback Crossover into shot (no extra dribble) 1:00
Stepback for shot 1:00
Catch & Shoot (spin out for shot) 1:30
Pick & Roll (1 dribble, 2 dribble jumper) 2:00
Speed Dribble from half-court into 3pt 1:00
FT’s (shoot while tired) 2:00